¶ Of the sumarye and generall intencyon of the thynges whiche shal be treated and spoken of in this worke, and of the cause of the intencyon, and purpose, and of the dyuysyon of the boke,
¶ The fyrste Chapytre,

TRanquyllyte is the thyng doubtles whiche is to be desyred of euery Tranquyllyte is the mo­ther of artes & scyences. realme and comynaltie / as in which both the people goth forwarde & encreaseth. For the vtylyte or profyte of nacyons is kept & mayn­teyned. For this is the beautefull mother of good artes and occupa­cyons. This tranquyllyte, multyplyeng and encreasyng the kynde of man by repetable successyon: enlargeth theyr possessyons and goodes, & beau­tefyeth theyr maners. And he is knowen to be ignoraūte of these so great thyn­ges: who soeuer is perceyued, not to haue sought after this sayde tranquyllyte / By these wordes and [...] nowe afore recyted. Cassiodorus in his fyrst boke of Cassiodorus epystles, hath expressed the vtilities, profytes or frutes, that groweth, of the trā ­quyllytie or peace of Ciuyle regymentes / to the intente, that he by these best fru­tes The suffycy­encye of manneslyfe is the best fruyte y ^t cōmeth of pe­as. expressynge and declarynge the best thyng, that belongeth to may (that is to wyt the suffycyencye of his lyfe) whiche no man maye attayne without peace & tranquylytie / he myght excyte, prouoke, and styrre vp, the wylles and desyres of men to haue peace, and this tranquyllytie amōge them selfes, one with an other wherin he spake conformablye to the sayenge of blyssed Iob, whiche in the. xxii. chapitre sayde / haue thou peace, & by it thou shalt haue veray good frutes. This peace chryste verely the sone of god decreed therfore to be the sygne or token & the In the byrth of chryste, ty­dynges of pe­ace was broughte by aungels vnto mē messenger or shewer of his newe and straunge byrthe, whan in his sayd byrth he [Page] wold by y ^e oracle and voyce of heuenly aungels this songe to be songe Gloria in altissimis doo et in terra pax hominibus bone voluntatis. That is, Glorye and prayse be to god in heuens: & in erthe peas be to men of good wyll. For this cause also, the same chryste very oftentymes wysshed peas to his dyscyples / wherfore it is wryten in the gospell of Iohn̄. Iesus came and stode in the myddes of his dys­cyples and sayd / pax vobis / that is peace be to you. He also geuynge them monycyon Chryst whysshed peas to his dyscyples to obserue and kepe peas one with an other: and sayd as it is redde in Mar­ke / pacem habete inter vos / that is haue or kepe peas amonge you. And not only he taught them to kepe peas amonge them selues, one with an other. But also he taught them to wysshe the same peas vnto other men / wherfore it is redde this in The apostles wyssheth peas. Peas was y ^• inherytaunce of christs disciples. Mathew. And when you entre in to y ^e house: salute it sayeng, peas be to this hou­se. This same peas also was the enherytaunce whiche chryste, whan the tyme of his passyon & deth approched: by his testamēt lefte to his dysciples, whan he sayd to them in y ^e. ix. of Iohn̄ / peas I leue vnto you / my peas I gyue vnto you. And after the maner of chryst, the Apostles also as beynge his verey heyres & folow­ers, wysshed this sayd peas vnto all those persones, to whome by theyr epystles they dyd dyrecte the documentes and monycyons or counsayles of the gospell as men that knew ryght well the fruytes of peas to be most good, as it hath ben al­leged of Iob, and by Cassiodore more largely declared. But bycause of contrary causes, contrary effectes naturally and necessaryly are brought forth / therfore of dyscorde, which is contrary vnto tranquyllyte, there shall growe vnto euery real me or cyuyle regyment most euyll fruytes and hurtes, as men may suffycyently se, and well nere to euery man is euydently knowen / by the realme or cyuyle re­gyment of Italye / for whyles the inhabytauntes therof lyued togyther peasea­bly: Example of the kyngdom of Italye. they receyued of long tyme pleasauntly y ^e afore rehersed fruytes of peas. And by these & in these fruytes they prosperyd and went forwarde so greatly that they haue subdued all the habytable partes of the worlde, vnto theyr domynyon and empyre. But after that dyscorde or stryfe was ones rysen or spronge vp amonge them: theyr kyngdome or cōmunytie and empyre hath ben vexed with manyfold and sondry maner incōmodyties and euyls / and hath ben subdued and brought vnder the empyre and domynyon of other straunge and hatefull nacyons. And moreouer agayne the countrey of Italy is by the reason of stryfe and dyscorde so torne on euery syde, and in a maner losed & vtterly feblysshed, that it is no harde thynge or mastrye, for any man that lyst to wynne it, & is any thynge of power at all, to entre therunto: And that it hath thus chaunced or come to passe, it is nothynge meruayle worthy, for as Salustius wytnesseth, where he maketh mencion of Catylyne. By vnyte & concorde: small thynges growe & encrease, through dyscorde and debate: very great thynges fallen awaye and goen to nought, By the reason of this sayd dyscorde verely the Italyens, beynge seduced and led in to The hurtes or euels that growen of discorde. the bypath of erroure: are depryued and berefte of theyr suffycyent lyuynge. And in the stede of quyetnes and rest, whiche they sought for: they do contynuelly suf­fre and abyde more and more greuouse labours and paynes. And in the stede of lybertye, they are contynually subdued and brought vndre the harde and cruell yokes of tyrauntes / and so in conclusyon are made more miserable and wretched then other nacyons and peoples which lyue a cyuyle and honest lyfe, and are cō ­men to that poynte that theyr patronymyke name, whiche was wonte to gyue glorye imunytie and lybertie to all that called on the sayde name: is now vpbrayded and caste in theyr tethe of other nacyons, and torned in to the cause of suffe­rynge ignomynye and dyshonour. Thus than the wretched Romayns are cary­ed hedlonge in to these darkenesses, by the reason of the dyscorde stryfe and debate [Page 10] amonge them selues, And lykewyse as that man or sensyble creature, is kno­wen to be out of frame which is troubled with syckenes / euen so is y ^• dysposycion ordre, cōmen weale, and cyuyle regyment of Italy knowen to be out of tempre, fascyon and croked, by the debate and stryfe that is amonge them. Of the which sayde dyscorde or intranquyllyte albeit that there are many prymytyue causes, and that not a fewe, yea and suche as well nere all that are possyble to happen or chaunce after the wonte maners and fascyons, the chefe of all phylosophere Ari­stotell in his ciuyle scyence or polytykes hath descrybed: yet is there for all that be syde them a certayne specyall and veray pryuey or hyd cause, through whiche the empyre of Rome hath of longe tyme ben vexed and dyseased, any contynually is vexed / which cause, as a syckenes excedyngly contagyons, is as redy to crepe or sprede in to all other cyuyle cōmunyties and realmes. Ye moreouer through it gredynes hath alredy assayed to inuade a great many of the sayd realmes and cōmunyties. And this cause or the begynnynge or kynde of it neyther Arystotell neyther any other of the phylosophers beyng in his tyme, or afore his tyme, could se or espye or perceyue. For the cause that I do meane is a certayne peruerse and lewde opynyon, that is and hath ben in men (whiche we shall open and declare here after) which opynyō occasionally was taken of a meruaylouse effect or worke, whiche longe after the tyme of Aristotell was brought forth or wrought by y ^e moste hygh cause (that is to wyt by god) contrary to the possybylite of the infery­our nature / and contrary to the wont operacion or workyng of the inferyour causes in the worlde. For this sophistycall opynyon cloked with the viscene and face of honestye, and profyte / is vtterly pernycyous to the kynde of man / and yf it be not stopped or letted: it shall at lengthe and conclusyon gendre and be the cause of intollerable noyaunce and hurte to euery realme & countrey. Thus than (as we haue sayd) the fruytes of peas and trāquyllytie are very good / and of dyscorde or The hurtes that cōmeth of stryfe or intollerable. stryfe which is contrary to it there cōmeth intollerable hurtes and dāmage. Wherfore we ought to desyre peas / and whan we haue it not / to seche for it / and get it / and whan we haue goten it, to kepe it / and with all our enforcement to eschewe and put awaye the contrarye, stryfe and dyscorde / And hereunto all bretherne, & so moche more colleges and cōmunyties, are bounde to helpe eche other, both by Chrysten mē are boūde to those thīges, which apper­teyneth to peas. affeccyon of godlye charyte, and also by the bonde or lawe of humayne socyetie / which thynge Plato also teacheth vs / as Tulle wytnesseth in his boke be officiis, whiche sayd / we are not borne for our selues onely / but parte of our byrth our countrey doth chalenge / and parte also our frendes / after whiche sentence of Plato. Tulle forth with addeth these wordes folowynge / and after the mynde and o­pynyon of the stoyke philosophers and all other thynges whiche are gendred on the erth, are created to the vse of men: but men are gendered for mennes sake (that is to wyt one to helpe an other) In this thynge we ought to folowe the gydynge of nature / and to bryng forth cōmune vtylyties. And bycause it is no lytle cōmune vtylytie, but moreouer also great necessytie, to open the sophyme of this sayd synguler cause of dyscorde, which threateneth to all realmes and cōmunyties no lytle noyauuce or harmes: euery man is bounde to gyue watchefull care and dilygent laboure hereunto, that is wylllynge and able to se the cōmune profyte / for excepte this sophyme be opened and declared, this pestylence or myschefe in no wyse may be eschewed or auoyded / neyther the pernycyous effecte of it can be perfetely cut awaye from realmes or cyuyle cōmunyties. And no man ought to be Let no man for feare spa­re to speke y ^e truthe. neglygent in this behalfe or to refuse this sayd care / throughe fere or slouthful­nes, or throughe any other spyryte of malygnytie / for as saynt Paule sayth in the seconde epystle to Tymothe, and in the fyrste and seconde chapytre. [Page] God hath not gyuen to vs the spyryte of feare or drede, but of vertue or Boldnes & of loue / of boldnes (I saye) and of loue, to publysse and sprede abrode the truth wherfore the apostle in the same place consequently saythe in this wyse. Be not therfore ashamed of the testymonye the truthe, for the Bearynge of whiche testy­mony, chryst sayd that hym selfe came in to the world / whan he sayd in the. xviii. Chryst came in to y ^e world to beare wyt­nes vnto the truthe. of Iohn̄ / herfore was I borne, and for this haue I commen in to the worlde: that I myght beare wytnesse to the truth / that is to saye to that truth which guydeth or leadeth mankynde to eternall saluacyon. After the example therfore of chryst to teache the truthe wherby the aforesayde myschefe of Realmes and ciuyle regymentes may be ceased, namely from the sorte of chrysten men / to teache the truthe (I say) whiche guydeth or leadeth to the welth of ciuyle lyfe / & also is not a lytle auayleable or helpfull to the eternall saluacyon: he is more bounde to gyue his dylygence, to whome the gyuer of graces hath more largely inspyred the percey­uynge or vnderstandyng of these thynges. And who soeuer hathe cunnynge and They that a­re wytty and full of know lage are boūd to defende the truth. habilite to do this, and leueth it vndone: he as beynge vnkynde, offendeth great­ly / as wytnesseth I ames in the. iiii. chapitre of his canonicall epystle, whan he saythe / who soeuer knoweth, how to do good, and doth it not, it is synne to hym for this wycked myschefe, the commune enemye of mankynde, can not by any other meane, be perfytly cut vp / neyther the pestylent & pernycyous frutes which it hath hytherto brought forth can otherwyse drye vp, excepte the iniquite of the cause or rote therof be fyrste openly shewed, and reproued / for by this waye, and none other, may the coactyue power of prynces and gouernours saffely begynne and go aboute, fynally and vtterlye to ouercome and destroye the frowarde and styffe maynteyners and defenders of this malyce. I therfore, which am a patauy an borne, regardyng and obeyenge the aforesayd monycyons and counsayls of chryste, of sayntes, and of phylosophers / of the spyryte of intellygence or vnder­standynge of these thynges (yf any grace hathe ben lende to me) and of the spirite of confydence, & boldnes mynystred to me from aboue (from whense as Iames wytnesseth in his fyrste chapytre of his canonycall epystle) cōmeth all goodnes / whan he sayth / euery best gyfte & euery perfyte gyfte is from aboue, descendyng from the father of lyghtes, for the reuerence of hym that hath geuen it to me / and for the loue of publysshynge and shewynge openly y ^e truth / & for the feruent cha­ryte and loue that I haue to my countre and bretherne / that is to wyt for pytye and reseruacyon of them that are oppressed / and for the reuocacyon and callynge backe agayne of them that are the oppressours, from the bypath of artoure / and for the excytacyon and styrrynge vp of them / whiche suffereth these thynges to be done, and yet ought, and are also of power to resyste, and withstande them / hauynge also a synguler respecte vnto the as vnto the mynystre of god, which shal gyue to this worke that ende, which he desyreth in outwarde beynge. O most noble Lodo wyke emperour of the Romayns, in whome by olde and in a maner by a certaynespecyal ryght or tytle of blode & eke by thy synguler heoroycal nature, The prayse of Lodo wyke the emperour & excellent vertue, is graffed and faste roted a desyre and loue to cut vp heresyes from the rote, and vtterly to destroy them, to auaunce, to kepe and defende the catholyke veryte, and all other vertuous dysciplyne and lernynge / to kyllvyces / to promote and sette forwarde the studyes and exercyses of vertues / to quenche debates and stryues / to sprede abrode and to norysshe euery where peace or trans quyllyte. I haue after the tyme of dylygent and intente serchynge made, put the sume of these sentences folowynge in wrytynge / bycause I do suppose and Iudge, that by them some helpe maye happen or come to your dylygent maiestye and grace whiche intendeth and setteth his mynde, to prouyde for the aboue [Page 11] wryten fautes, and other that do happen maye happen and chaunce / and also for other publyke and cōmune vtylyties. It is my purpose therfore, god helpynge, onely to declare, and shewe openly this synguler and speciall cause of stryfe / for it shulde be superfluous to iterate and recounte the nombre and nature of those cau­ses, whiche hathe ben assygned by Arystotell / but of this cause, (whiche neyther Arystotle coulde se, neyther any other man after Arystole which myght se it, yet hathe taken vpon hym the determynacyon of it) I wyll so open the couerynge, and sette it forth to the ease of men: that from hensforth it may easely be excluded from all Realmes & cyuyle cōmunyties / and that whan it is excluded: vertuous prynces and subgiettes maye the more without feare or drede lyue in quyete and tranquyllyte / which is the thyng desiderable purposed in the begynnynge of this worke and necessarye to all those that oughte to enioye cyuyle felycytie / whiche felycytie semeth to be the beste of all thynges that is desyred and maye happen to man in this worlde, and also to be the ende of all the Actes or operacions done by men. And this matyer nowe rehersed purposed or intented of me I wylldyuyde what the au­thor wolwryte in the fyrst dyccyon. by thre dyctyons. And in the fyrste of the sayde. iii. I wyll proue my purposes by sure wayes founde out by mēnes wytte / and by demonstracyons made of suche proposycyons, whiche are euydently knowen & vndoubted to euery man, whose mynde is not corrupted by nature, custome, or elles through some croked affeccy­on. And in the seconde dyccyon, suche thynges as I shall suppose ben proued by The argu­ment or matters of the secō de dyccyon. demonstracyons: I shall confyrme with the substacyall and perdurable testymo­nyes of eternall veryte / & by the auctoryties also of the sayntes, whiche hath ben the interpretours or exposytours of the same truthe or scrypture / and also of the other approued doctours of the chrysten faythe / to the intente that it maye be sub­stancyall ynoughe of it selfe, nedynge none other extrynsecall probacyon / That done, I shall afterwardes also impugne the falsyties, whiche are cōtrarye to my determynacyons / and shall open and dyssolue the combrous sophystycall argu­mentꝭ of the aduersarie parte, and vtter the deceyte that is hydde in them / In the thyrde dyction I shal inferre certayne conclusyons or veray profytable documentes, The conten­tes of the thyrde dyccyon. to be obserued bothe of Lyuyle gouernours and subgiettes, whiche conclusyons hauen euydent certayntie of the thyngꝭ afore determyned in the other two dictions. And euery one of thyse. iii. dictions I shall deuyde by chapitours / & eche chapitre I shall departe and deuyde in to certayne partes, other moo or fewer in nombre, after the quantytie of the chapitre / And of thyse sayd deuysyons of this warke, one profyte that shall come therof shall be the easynes or redynes of fyn­dynge out the thynges that shall be sought for / for the fyndyng of whiche, the reader of this worke shall be remytted and sent from the hyndermore dictions & cha­pitres, to the formere / of whiche also shall folowe the seconde vtylytie, that is to wytte the abbreuyacyon and shortenynge of this volume and worke / for whan it shall happen or chaunce vs in our latter saynges to take any veryte or true proposycion other for it self, or for any other thynges to be proued by hit, the probacyon or certaynte of whiche verytie hath ben suffycyently shewed in the former say enges or chapitours: without any superfluous iteracion of any probacyon of the sayd verytie, we shall remytte and sende the reader to the dictyon and chapytre, & also to the parte of the chapitre, in whiche the probacyon or certayntie of suche veryte was shewed / that so by reason therof, he maye easely fynde the certayntie of the thynge, that he secheth for.

¶ Of the pryncypall questyons to be determyned in this boke / and the distynccy on and assygnacyon of the dyuerse sygnyfycacions of this worde Regnum.
¶ The seconde Chapytre.

ANd nowe at the begynnynge or fyrste settynge vpon the thyn­ges purposed & intented of vs, we wyll shewe & declare, what is the tranquyllytie or ītrāquyllytie of a Realme or cōmunyte / & fyrst of the. ii. what is y ^e tranquyllitie / for this beyng not knowen: it can not be chosen, but that we must nedes be ignoraūt, what is intranquyllytie. And for as moche as bothe thyse, that is to wytte tranquyllyte, and intranquyllyte, semeth to be dysposycyons of a cytie or Realme, (whiche thynge lette it be supposed of Cassiodorus, and it shall also by and by be declared of vs) we woll consequently shewe and declare, what is a cytie or Realme or cōmunyte, and for what ende it is ordeyned. Wherof also the descrypcyons of tranquyllytie, and of his contrarye intranquyllyte, shall the more largely appere / we therfore wyllyng accordynge to the ordre premysed & afore wryten, to descrybe the tranquyllyte of a cytie or Realme: lest by the reason of the equyuocacyon & manyfolde sygnyfycacyons of the nownes in our purpose, any ambygnyte or doubtfulnes myght happen: we ought fyrst to knowe, y ^• this worde Regnū in one of his sygnyfycacions, betokeneth a pluralytie or multytude of The fyrste sygnyfycacyon of regnum. cyties or prouynces cōtayned vnder one regyment & gouernaūce. And after this accepcyon or takynge, this worde Regnū dyffereth nothyng from Ciuitas in y ^e kynde of Ciuile gouernaūce: but rather the one dyffereth from the other in quātytie bycause regnum is greater and larger in quantytie than Ciuitas / and so reg­num maye be Englysshed a realme or kyngdom and ciuitas a cytie. In an other The seconde. sygnyfycacyon this worde Regnum betokeneth a certayne maner or kynde of ciuile regyment or temperate gouernaunce, whiche Arystotell calleth Monar­chiam temperatā / and after this accepcyon of this worde, Regnum maye be as well in one cytie alone, as in many cyties euen so as it was aboute the fyrste be­gynnynge of Ciuile cōmunyties, whan for the most parte there was in eche one cytie one gouernour. whiche was called Rex, that is a kynge. The thyrde sygnyfycacyon and the moste famouse of this worde, is composte or made of the fyrste and the seconde sygnyfycacyon Ioyned togyther in one. The fourthe sygnyfycacyon or accepcyon of this worde, is a certayne cōmune thynge to all kyndes of Temperate regymente and gouernaunce. whether it be in onely one cytie, or els in many cyties / after whiche sygnyfycacyon Cassiodorus vsed this worde Reg­num in his oracyon or speche, whiche we haue made the begynnynge of this our boke. And in this sygnyfycacyon also we woll vse this nowne, in the determy­nacyons of our purposes / Nowe than we owynge to descrybe tranquyllyte, and the contrarie of it intranquyllytie: Lette vs suppose with Arystotell in the fyrste and the fyfte bokes of his Politikes, in the seconde and thyrde chapytres, that a Cytie is as it were a certayne naturall lyuynge and sensyble creature / for in lyke what cytie or cōmuitieis. maner as a beaste or any sensyble creature, whiche is well dysposed or ordred accordynge to nature, is made of certayne proporcionate partes ordred or sette in an ordre amonge them selues, and eche of them cōmunycatynge theyr workes to A symylytu­de. the other amonge them selues, and also to the hole euen so after the same fascyon, a cytie or cōmunytie is made of certayne suche maner partes, Yf it be so, that it be well ordred and instytuted accordynge to reason / suche maner comparyson therfore, as is of a beaste or a sensyble creature, and of this partes vnto hel the, euen after suche maner comparyson shall it seme to be of a cōmunytie, and of his partes, vnto tranquyllytie. And that this illacyon is true / we maye take a [Page 12] sure probacyon of that / that all men comprehende as touchynge bothe of theym / that is to wyt both of helth / & tranquyllyte. For helth al men iugen to be the best dysposycyon of a sensyble creature / accordynge to nature. And so also they Iuge What saynte or helth is. What tran­quyllyte is. tranquyllyte to be the beste dysposycyon of a cōmunytie / whiche hathe be begon and instytuted accordynge to reason. And helthe (as the moste cūnynge naturall Phylosophers do saye descrybynge it) is a good dysposycyon of a sensyble crea­ture, by whiche euery one of his partes may perfytely worke the operacyons conuenyent and agreynge to theyr nature / accordynge to whiche Analogye, tran­quyllyte shall be a good dysposycyon of a realme or cōmunytie, by whiche euery one of the membres or partes of the sayd cōmunytie maye perfytely do the opera­cyons conuenyent and fytte for them / accordynge to reason and to theyr instytu­cyon. And because whosoeuer dyffyneth thynges well / dothe at one tyme gyue knowlege of both contraryes. Intranquyllyte shal be a croked or euyll dysposy­cyon or ordre of a realme or cōmunytie / lykewyse as infyrmyte or syckenes is a What intranquyllyte or discorde is. What infirmite or syckenes croked or euyll dysposycion of a beaste or sensyble creature / by whiche other all or some of his partes are letted to do the operacyons and workes cōuenyent and syttynge for them / other I say to worke them vtterly or any whytte at all / or at the lestwyse they are letted to worke them perfytely / Of tranquyllyte therfore & of the contrarye intranquyllyte let it be thus spoken of vs fyguratly. Of the orygynall and fyrste begynnynge of the cyuyle cōmunytie.

¶ The thyrde Chapytre.

HOwe for as moche as we haue sayd, that trāquyllyte is the good dysposycyon of a cōmunytie to the workynge of the partes therof consequētly we muste consydre what is a cytie or cōmunytie / and for what ende it is ordeyned pryncypally / and whiche, and howe many be the pryncypall partes therof / moreouer what is the con­uenyent operacyon of eche one of those partes. Furthermore of the causes, and ordre of the sayd partes amonge them selues / for thyse thynges are veray necessary to the profyte determynacyon of tranquyllytie / and of his contrary intranquyl­lyte. But yet for al that afore we do treate of a cytie, whiche is a perfyte cōmunytie / and of the dyuerse kyndes or maners therof: we ought fyrste to brynge in and declare the orygynall begynnynge of cyuyle cōmunyties, and theyr regymentꝭ & maners of lyuynge / from whiche as beynge lesse perfyte, men dyd procede to per­fyte cōmunyties / and to the regymentes & maners of lyuynge vsed in theym / for both nature, & also arte or crafte, whiche counterfayteth & foloweth nature do al­wayes Sure know­lege of a thyngeis had de / whan the causes of it are knowen. procede from the lesse perfyte thyngs, to the more perfyte. And men do not thynke, that they haue the sure knowlege whiche is called scyence of any thynge any otherwyse / but onely whan they shall haue knowen y ^e fyrst causes & the fyrst pryncyples of it, euen to the veray orygynall causes of it whiche are called elemē ta. We therfore procedynge accordyng to this maner, ought to knowe & perceyue, that cyuyle cōmunyties / accordyng to dyuerse regyons and sundry tymes began of a lytle thynge / and so by lytle and lytle takynge encreace, at the last hathe ben brought to cōplement or perfeccion / lykewyse as we haue sayd y ^t it happeneth or cōmeth to passe in euery operacyon or worke of nature or crafte / for the fyrst and whiche was the fyrste cō ­munytie. the leaste cōbynacyon or cōmunytie of all humayne cōmunyties, & out of whi­che all other cōmunyties or socyeties hath spronge was y ^e copulacyon & socytie of man & woman / as the chyef of al phylosophers Arystotell sayth in the fyrste bo­ke of his Polytykes / and the fyrste chaptre / and the same appereth also more lar­gyle [Page] of his oeconomykes / wherin he treateth of the gouernynge and ordrynge of an howse or howsholde / for of this cōbynacyon or copulacyon of man & woman verely men and women were brought forth and multyplyed, whiche fyrste reple­nysshed onely one howse of whom mo such maner combynacyons or copulacyōs beyng made so great ppagacyon and increase of men was made that one howse coulde not be suffycyent to receyue theym. But it was necessarye to make many howses the pluralytie or multytude of whiche howses beynge ioyned togyther / was called in the Laten tonge vicus or vicina in Englysshe a strete / & this was the fyrst cōmunytie of men / as it is wryten in the place afore alleged. But as longe What is a strete. as men were but onely one howse: all theyr actes & dedes, namely suche actes whiche we shall hereafter call cyuyle actes, were sette in ordre by hym that was moste auncyent and moste aged amonge them / as beynge moste dyscrete & wyse / but yet without any lawe or custome: for because lawes and customes coulde not yet be founde out or deuysed. And not onely the men y ^t were togyther all in onely one howse / were gouerned after this maner / but also the fyrst cōmunytie called a strete, was gouerned well nere after the same maner / thoughe in some thynges they were gouerned after a sondry maner / for albeit that the gouernoure or good man of onely one howse myghte forgyue or punysshe the domestycall iniuryes & trespasses done within his howse, all maner wayes euen after his pleasure / & as he lyst hym self / yet for all y ^t it was not lawfull for hym to do the same / that was the presydent and ruler of the fyrste cōmunytie called a strete / for in this cōmunytie it was necessarye, that he / whiche was moste auncyent and aged: shuld dyspose and ordre ryghtwyse and profytable thynges / by some reasonable ordynaunce or lawe in maner naturall / because it semed so conuenyent vnto all men by a cer­tayne equyte without any great serchynge forthe onely by y ^e cōmune Iudgemēt of reason and a certayne duetye of the humayne socyetie and felowshyp. And the cause of this dyuerse and sondry maner of regymēt or gouernaunce in one howse and in an hole strete? is and was for that that yf of onely one howse, and of the fyrste oeconomye or domestycall famylye, one brother hadde slayne or otherwyse hurte or offended an other brother / without any daūger or Ieoperdye therof hap­penynge or folowynge the gouenour or good man of the howse myght lawfully yf he wolde, not haue punysshed the trespasser with extreme ponysshement / that is to wyt with deathe / partely because the iniurye or offence semed to be done onely to the father / whiche dyd forgyue it / & partely because of the fewnesse & small nombre of men that were at that tyme. And also because it was lesse losse and heuynes to the good man of the howse, to lacke one sone / then to want two / whiche thynge also our fyrste father Adam semed to do. whan his fyrste begotten sone Adam punysshed not chain that slew his brother: because of the pan­cite & smalle nōbre of men at that tyme. Chayn slew his brother A bell / for there is not properlye cyuyle Iustyce of the father to the sone / as it is wryten in the. v. boke of Etykes / where treatyse is made, of ryghwysnes. But in y ^e fyrste cōmunytie called a strete, neyther it was lawful neyther is lawfull to do so / because of the dysagrement & vnlykenes of the afore­sayd thynges / ye moreouer excepte vengeaunce or equalytie of the iniuryes done shuld haue ben or be made by y ^e most senyour or auncyent / there myght haue hap­pened, or nowe myght happen by the reason therof fyghtynge and seperacyon of neyghbours. But after that stretes we multyplyed, and the cōmunytie made lar­ger, (as it muste nedely be, euer as men and women were multyplyed by propa­gacyon, yet were they gouerned stylle of one man / other through defaute & lacke of many wyse men: or elles for some other certayne cause / as it is wryten in the thyrde boke of the Polytykes; & the. ix. chaptre / but yet of hym whiche was counted moste aged, or best of all other / howbeit by ordynacyons lesse vnperfyte than [Page 13] those, by which they were ordeyned or gouerned in a strete. And yet had not those fyrste cōmunyties so great a distynccyon or ordre of partes, or so great a sūme of necessarie craftes, and of rules of the maner of lyuynge, as was afterwardes successyuely founde one after an other, in the perfyte cōmunyties. For in the olde ty­me otherwhyles the same man was a prynce or goueruour, & an husbande man The same man a gouernour, and an husbande mā or a keper of shepe. or keper of shepe. As Abraham, and many other moo after hym / whiche thynge for all that neyther is expedyent neyther myght well be, in perfyte cōmunyties. But after that in processe of tyme cōmunyties were augmented, the experyence of men also was augmented / Craftes, occupacyons / and more perfyte rules and maners of lyuynge, were founde and deuysed / and the partes of cōmunyties also were more largely distyncte, departed, and, dysseuered one from an other / and in conclusyon those thynges, whiche are necessarye to lyfe, and to a good lyfe: by the reason and experyence of men, were brought to perfeccyon / and a perfyte cōmu­nytie was instytuted and begonne / and called in the laten / ciuitas / in the En­glysshe a cytie or a cōmune weale / with the dystynccyon of the partes of the same the determynacyon wherof we shall forthwith take in hande / of the orygynall begynnynge of a cyuyle cōmunytie, let thus moch as we haue spoken, be suffy­cyent at this tyme.

¶ Of the fynall cause or ende of a cytie or cyuyle cōmunytie / and of the distinccyon in generall of the partes therof.
¶ The fourth Chapytre,

A Cytie, after the mynde of Arystotle in the fyrst boke of his polytykes, A cytie is a perfite cōmu­nytie. and the seconde chapytre is a perfyte cōmunytie hauynge in it selfe all thynges necessarye to the suffycyencie of lyfe, and ordeyned not onely for men to lyue in, but pryncypally to lyue well in. In the which defynycion Arystotle sygnyfieth the perfyte fynall cause of a cytie. For men lyuynge cyuyllie, do not onely lyue (which thyng beaftes also or bonde men doth) but also they lyue wel / that is to wyt, gyuynge theyr mynde to lyberall and honeste workes / as ben the workes of the vertues, both of the practyue & also of the speculatyue soule. Now The ende of cyties or com­mune weales is a good lyfe or to lyuewel then after we haue thus determyned a cytie to be ordeyned for lyuynge and well lyuynge, as for the fynall ende of it, we muste nowe fyrste treate of lyuynge or lyfe, and of the maners therof. For it is the thynge (as we haue sayde) for whose cause a cytie was instytute or begon / & it is the necessytie of all thynges, which are and be done by the cōmunytie of men, in the sayd cytie / let vs therfore groūde vpon this, as vpon a pryncyple of all thynges here after to be proued, beyng na­turally had and beleued, and wyllyngly graunted of all men: that all men ha­uynge theyr wyttes and beynge not otherwyse impedyte or letted / naturallye what al men desyre hauīge theyr wittes. doth desyre a suffycyent lyfe. And moreouer also doth refuse & eschewe noysome or hurtfull thynges / which thynge also is not onely euydent of men: but also of al other kyndes of beastes or sensyble creatures, accordynge to the mynde of Tully in his fyrst boke / de officiis and the thyrde chapytre, where he sayth thus. Fyrst of all to euery kynde of sensyble creatures this propertye is gyuen of nature, to saue and defende themselues / theyr owne body, & lyfe / & to eschewe those thyngꝭ whiche semen to be noysome and hurtfull vnto them selfe / and to purchase and [Page] gette all those thynges, whiche are necessary and nedefull to the preseruacyon of theyr owne lyfe / whiche thynge also euery man maye perceyue euydently, by sensyble experyence, in the kynde of sensyble creatures. But the lyfe and good lyfe conuenyent and syttyng for men: is after two maners. There is one lyfe: whiche The wordly lyfe and the heuenly lyfe. is wonte to be called a temperall or wordly lyfe / and there is an other lyfe: which is wont to be called an eternall or heuenly lyfe. And bycause the hole vnyuersyte of Phylosophers coulde not by demonstracyon or reason proue this seconde lyfe / that is to wytte the eternall lyfe, neyther it was a thynge euydently knowen of hit selfe / therfore they busyed not them selfes, neyther gaue any great force to eche thyse thynges, whiche are necessarye for the gettynge and obteynyng of the sayd lyfe. But of lyfe and lyuynge well, or good lyfe after the fyrst maner that is temperall and wordly / and of the thyngꝭ whiche are necessarye for it: the gloryous & proude Phylosophers comprehended and perceyued by demonstracyon the ma­tyer in a maner complete / wherfore for the obteynynge of this lyfe, they cōcluded that a cyuyle cōmunyte was necessarye / without whiche sayd cyuyle cōmunytie this suffycyent lyfe in no wyse can be obtayned or had / Amonge whiche Phylo­sophers, he that is the pryncypall, that is to wytte Arystostle, in his fyrste boke of the Polytykes, and the seconde chapitre sayd that all men are desyrous of a cyuyle cōmunyte / and naturally haue an appetyte vnto it herefore / whiche thynge albeit that sensyble experyence doth teache: yet that notwithstayndyng, we woll induce and brynge in the cause of it, whiche we haue sayd, more dystynctely say­enge▪ that because a man is borne naturally made of contrarye elementes, by reason what is the cause of mā ­nes corrup­cyon. of the contrary accyons and passyons of whiche sayd elementes, in a maner contynually somwhat of his substaunce is corrupted: And agayne because he is borne naked, and vnarmed and vndefenced apte to suffre & be corrupted and de­stroyed of the excesse of the ayre, wherin he lyueth: and of the other elementes, (as it hath ben shewed in naturall Phylosophye) he had nede of craftes and occupacyons wherfore mā nedeth artes or craftes. of dyuerse kyndes and maners to auoyed, and put by the aforesayd incōmo­dyties or annoyaunces / whiche artes and craftes, because they maye not be exer­cysed but of great multytude of men, neyther they may be had, excepte the sayde multytude do cōmunycate & kepe socyetie amōge them selues one with an other it was necessarye, that men shulde congregate them selues togyther for the wyn­nynge of that that is cōmodyouse and profytable, & for the auoydynge of harme or euyll, by the sayd artes or craftes. But for as moche as amonge men so congregated & gathered oftentymes chaunceth contencyons, bralles and stryffes, whi­che, excepte they be strengthened and ordred by the rule of Iustyce, myghte cause fyghtes, bataylles, and seperacyon of men / and so in conclusyon myght be cause of the destruccion of the cytie, It was necessarie in this cōmunycacyon & cōmune societie of men to ordeyne a rule of Iustyce / and one to kepe and execute the sayd Iustyce. And because this keper, defender, and executer of Iustyce oughte to po­nysshe iniuryouse trespassours, and to kepe of other men, other beyng within the same cōmunytie, or in any other oute cōmunytie, whiche eyther trouble any syn­guler persones, or go aboute to oppresse the cōmunytie, it was necessarie that the cytie shuld haue somwhat in it selfe, wherby it myght resyste these sayd persones Moreouer because a cōmunyte hathe nede of some cōmodyties reperacyons, and custodyes of certayne thynges, & y ^t not alwayes one / but in the tyme of peace of one maner, and in the tyme of warre, of an other maner. It was necessarye, that in the sayde cōmunytie there shulde be purueyours of suche maner thynges / that whan it shuld be expedyent or necessarie, some succoure and helpe myght be redye to the cōmune necessytie / But besyde thyse thyngꝭ whiche we haue now spoken [Page 14] of, whiche onelye are succurrynge and helpynge to the necessytie of this presente lyfe: there is an other thynge whiche they that lyue in a cyuyle cōmunytie haue nede of as beynge necessarye for the state of the worlde to come, promysed vnto mankynde by supernaturall reuelacyon of god, the whiche thynge is also profy­table why the ho­nournnge of god is neces­sary to men. for the state of this present lyfe / And this I meane to be the honourynge, and worshyppynge of god, and the gyuynge of thankes vnto hym, bothe for the benefyte receyued of hym in this worlde, and also for those that are to be receyued in the worlde to come. For the teachynge wherof, and for to dyrecte men in the same: it was necessarie, that the cytie or cyuyle cōmunytie shulde determyne assygne Doctours or teaches ar necessary to cy­ties or cyuyle cōmunyties. and appoynte certayne doctoures or teachers. Of all these thynges and eke of the other aforesayde, we shall exquisitely and perfytely speke in the treatyses folowynge / bothe what they be and of what nature. Men therfore (as I haue sayde) were congregated for a suffycyent lyfe, beynge able to gette vnto themselues thyse necessarie thyngꝭ afore reherced, and cōmunycatyng them selues one with an other / And this congregacyon so made perfyte, and hauynge in it selfe The begyn­nynge or cause of a cytie. allthyng necessarie to a suffycyent lyfe, was called Ciuitas / a cytie. The fynall cause wherof, and of the pluralytie or multytude of the partes therof: hathe ben somwhat shewed of vs alredy / and in the chapytre folowynge more largely and dystynctely shall be treated and spoken of. And for because that dyuerse thynges are necessarie to them that desyre to lyue well / whiche al can not be procured and done by men of one ordre or offyce: it was necessarie that there shulde be dyuerse and sondrye sortes, ordres & offyces of men, in this cyuyle cōmunytie / whiche myght exercyse and procure suche dyuerse thynges, whiche men neded for the suffycyencye of theyr lyfe. And thyse dyuerse and sondrye ordres or offyces of men, are nothynge elles than the pluralytie, multytude and dystynccion, of the partes of a cytie. Than what a cytie is / and for what fynall cause suche a cyuyle cōmu­nycacyon and societie was begonne and made / and also of the dyuysyon of the partes of the sayde cōmunytie: to haue thus fygurallye passed throughe. Lette it be suffycyent at this tyme.

¶ Of the dystynccyon and assygnacion of the partes of a Cytie or cyuyle cōmunytie / and of the necessytie that suche partes shulde be, and also that they shulde be dystyncte and separated one from an other for an ende possyble to be assygned by mannes inuencyon.
¶ The, v, Chapytre,

AFter that we haue nowe spoken generally of the partes of a Cytie, in the perfyte operacyon of whiche partes, and cō mon conuersacyon of them selfes eche with other, beynge not letted of any extrynsecall thynge, we haue sayde the tranquyllytie of a cytie or cyuyle cōmunyte to stande con­syste and reste: to the entente that by the more large deter­mynacion made of them, as well of the workes and endes of them, as of the appropryate causes of them, the causes of tranquyllytie and of his contrarie intranquyllytie maye the more largely be shewed, declared, and opened, [Page] nowe begynnynge agayne to speake of the sayd partes, let vs saye / that the partes and offyces of a cytie or cyuyle cōmunytie are of syxe kyndes or sortes / as The syx partesor offyces of a cytie or ciuyle cōmunytie. Arystotle sayd in the. vii. boke of his Polytykes and the. viii. chapytre / that is to wytte, husbandrye or tyllynge of the grounde, handecrafte, chyualrye, marchaū ­dyse, sacryfyce, and Iugemente / Whiche sayde partes or offyces are exercysed of syx sondry sortes of men / that is to wyt of husbande men / of Artyfycers, of men of warre, marchaunte men, of preestes, & of Iuges of necessarye and profytable Husbandrye craftes men, knyghthode marchaūdyse preesthode, lawyers. thynges / Of the whiche syxe partes, thre / that is to wytte preesthode, Chyualry & Iugemēt are simpliciter ꝑtes of a cytie / whiche also in cyuyle cōmunyties they are wonte to call the honourable or worshypfull of the cytie. But the other at called partes after a large maner of speakynge / as because they are offyces necessa­rye to a cōmunytie or cytie accordynge to the mynde of Arystotle in the seuenth boke of the Polytyks & y ^e. viii. chapitre. And the multytude of thyse men, is won­te to be called the cōmune sorte or rascall of the cytie. Thyse syxe than at the most famouse partes of a Cytie, cōmunytie or Realme, vnto whiche all other parties maye conuenyently be reduced. The necessytie of whiche sayd parties albeit that it hathe ben spoken of, and shewed somwhat in the chapytre afore gone: Yet woll we speake of the same agayne more dystynctely / supposyng this fyrste as a thynge proued euydently, that a cytie is a cōmunytie begon to the ende y ^t men myght lyue, and also lyue well in it. And of lyuyng well or good lyfe, we haue determyned A cytie or cy­uyle cōmunytie was In­stytute to the ende that mē myghte lyue well in it. afore, that it maye be after two maner of fascyons / one waye it maye be vn­derstande of the lyfe of this wolde, that is to wyt of the temperall or wordly lyfe and an other waye it maye be vnderstande of the lyfe of an other worlde to come that is to wytte of the heuenly lyfe. Of whiche two maners of lyfe or lyuynge, whiche are desyred of man as endes: we shall assygne the necessytie of the dystynecyon of the partes of a cyuyle cōmunytie or cytie. The lyfe of man, or to lyue af­ter the fryst maner, that is to wytte wordly or temperally, otherwhyles is taken for the beynge of men lyuynge / as it is sayde in the seconde boke de anima diuere wordly lyfe. vuientibus est esse, that is lyfe to lyuynge thynges is theyr beynge, after whiche maner lyfe is nothyng elles then anima / otherwhyles lyfe or to lyue is taken for the acte, or for the accyon or passion of the soule or lyfe. And agayne both of thyse maye be taken two maner of wayes / for other they maye be taken or vnderstan­de Vita is takē for anima. in eodem esse naturali, orelles in consimili esse, whiche they do call esse specifi­cum. And though lyfe taken after eyther other of thyse sayd wayes, as well lyfe proper to man, as the lyfe cōmune to hym & to other synsyble creaturs, doth depende and hange of naturall causes: yet the present consyderacyon of lyfe or of accy­on or passyon of the soule is not of it, in that it cōmeth or is caused of them / for suche maner consyderacyon is had or made in that parte of naturall Phylosophye, whiche treateth de planets et de animalibus / but our present inquysycion or con­syderacion at this tyme is of them, after as they do take or receyue complemente and perfeccyon of crafte & reason, by whiche the kynde of man lyueth. And ther­fore we muste attende and note well, that yf a man ought to lyue & to lyue well, it is necessarye and nedefull, that his accyoris be done and wel done / and not onely his accyons: but also his passyons / I saye well done / that is to saye inconue­nyent whan a man lyueth well. temperament. And because we haue not receyued of nature perfytely and in euery poynte those thynges, by whiche thyse temperaments are made complete and perfyte. It was nedefull to man, beyonde or ouer the naturall causes, by reason to forme & fascyon or make some thynges / by whiche the operacyon and con­uersacyon of his accyons and passyons bothe as to wchynge the bodye, and also the soule, myghte be made complete & profyte. And thyse are the kyndes of wor­kes [Page 15] and workers, procedyng, caused and brought forthe of vertues, artes and scyences, bothe practyue and also speculatyue. Furthermore of the accyone of man, Two maner of accyons & passyons of men. and also of his passyons: some cōmen and are brought forthe of naturall causes, without knowledge reason and vnderstandynge / as ben those whiche are done or caused throughe or by the contrarytie of the Elementes, wherof our bodyes at composte & made, by the reason of the permyxcyon or mynglyng of theym togy­ther one with an other. And of this kynde, all the accyons or operacyons of the nutrytyue parte or power, maye conuenyentlye be sayde to be. Of the same sorte also be all the accyons, that the Elementes do cause whiche do conteyne oure bo­dyes, or wherin we do lyue, by the alteracyon of theyr qualyties / of whiche kyn­de are also the alteracyons whiche are caused of y ^e thyngs enterynge in to mēnes bodyes / as of meates, drynkes, medycynes, poysons, and other thynges lyke vn to these. And there be other accyons and passyons caused of vs, and in vs, by our intellectyue and appetatyue powers of the whiche certayne are called actiones Actiones immanentes. immanētes, that is intrinsecall or inwarde operacyons: because they do not passe forthe in to any other subiecte or body from the doer or worker of theym / neyther they are exercysed by any the exteryour organes or membres beynge moued as to wchynge to mocyon locall / as ben the thoughtes of men / and also theyr desyres or affeccyons. Other there be, and they are called actiones transeuntes outwarde Actiones trā seuntes. operacyons / because that other one waye or other of thyse aforesayd, they are contrarye in theyr maner and fascyon to the accyons laste spoken of / that is to wyt to the inwarde accyons whiche are called actiones immanentes / for the tempe­rynge therfore of all thyse accyons and passyons, and to make them complete & perfyte in that thynge to whiche nature can not brynge them: dyuerse kyndes of craftes and occupacyons hathe ben founde and deuysed, And of other vertues also why craftes were diuysed. as we haue heretofore sayde, and men of dyuerse offyces hathe ben instytuted ordeyned and appoynted to exercyse them for the supplyeng of mānes Indygence and nede / whiche ordres of men are none other thynge, than the partes of a cy­tie afore rehersed and rekened vp / for to tempre and to saue the actes and operacyons of the nutrytyue parte of the soule (whiche ones crassynge, it coulde not be chosen but that the sensyble creature, whether it be man or elles any other beest muste nedes vtterlye be corrupted and destroyed, bothe as to wchynge to the syn­gulares / and also as to wchynge to the hole kynde) husbandrye or tyllynge of the Husbandrye. feldes, and the kepynge and orderynge of beastes and catall, was Instytuted and ordeyned. Vnto y ^e whiche two kyndes conuenyentlye may be reduced all the kyndes of huntynge of beastes, lyuynge in the londe or in the water, or flyenge in the ayre / as of foure foted beastes / fysshes and fowles, and also all other bea­stes, by whiche norysshement or foode is gotten by any cōmunycacyon or chaunge / or elles is dyghte and made redy to be daten: to the ende that by the sayde no­rysshement, in conclusyon, that thynge maye be restored whiche is lofte and con­sumed of the substaunce of oure bodye / and be conserued and kepte in his immor­tall beynge to contynue euermore: so farforthe as nature hathe graunted man to why arts me­chanycall were foūde or deuysed that is to wyt suche craftes which are wrought both w ^t wyt and hande. be immortall. But to measure and tempre the accyons and passyons of oure bo­dye, whiche are outwardely caused of the Elementes, wherof we be made / and of theyr impressions: there was founde and deuysed the kynde of mechanycall artes as Arystotle in the. vii. boke of his Polytykes calleth theym / as ben the makyn­ge of all maner clothe for the vse of mānes bodye, with all thynges apperteynynge therunto / whiche all Aristotle comprehendeth vnder this one worde lauificiū / Coryers crafte, shomakers, and taylours crafte. And all kyndes of Carpenters crafte / and certayne other mechanycall craftes doynge seruyce to other offyces of [Page] the cytie medyatly or immedyatlye / and not onely those that tempre the accyons or passyons of thyse. ii. senses touchynge and tastynge: but also of the other senses or wyttes / whiche artes are more for pleasure and to lyue well, than for the necessytie of mānes lyfe / as paynters crafte, with suche other lyke / of the whiche Ary­stotle in the thyrde boke of his Polytykes and the. iiii. chapitre sayth in this wyse And of thyse mechanycall artes or crafes: some muste nedes be of necessytie / and other some apperteyne and are ordeyned onely for pleasure / to the deckynge and adornynge of our lyfe / vndre whiche kynde also is comprehended the practyse of lechecrafte.

ANd to measure and tempre the excesses of the actes or operacyons, whiche ardon̄ or caused of the motyue powers locall by knowledge or vnderstan­dynge, Consules et iudices. and by appetyte or desyre (whiche actes we haue called afore actus transeuntes, outwarde Actes, and whiche are possyble to be done to the profyte or good, or elles to the dysprofyte, iniurye, or hurte of an other persone dystyncte from hym that is the doet or worker, for the state of this present worlde / then was necessarily ordeyned in a cytie a certayne parte or offyce, by which the excesses of why iuges & rulers were ī ­stytuted & or­deyned. suche maner actꝭ shulde be corrected or amended, and be broughte to equalytie / or due proporcion. For elles yf there shulde not haue ben ordeyned suche an offyce by the reason of thyse excesses there myght be caused fyghtynge / and of it separacyō of the Cytyzens / and so in conclusyon myght folowe corrupcyon or destruccyon of the Cytie, and the pryuacyon of a suffycient lyfe. And this parte is called of Arystotle pats iudicialis or pryncypans / and consultiua / that is to saye the parte or offyce of Iudges or Rulers / with other that do seruyce or helpe vnto it / to whiche parte or offyce it belongeth to dyrecte, Rule, and ordre the thynges con­cernynge the cōmune ryghtes and vtylyties. But for as moche as a suffycyent lyfe can not be ledde the Cytyzens beynge oppressed or broughte in to seruytude or thraldome by extrynsecalloppressours of theyr cōmunyties, and agayne be­cause it was necessarye, that the sentences of the Iudges shulde be executed a­gaynst iniuryous and rebellyous persones within the sayde cōmunytie by coac­tyue power: it was nedefull to ordayne in a Cytie an other parte, whiche is cal­led / Pars Chyualrie or the crafte of Armes. miliataris or propugnatiua / that is to say the offyce of men of Armes and defenders of the Cytie / to which parte also many of the mechanicall Craftes do seruyce / for a Cytie is ordeyned because that men myght lyue and lyue well, as it was sayd in the chapitre afore gone / whiche thyng is impossyble to be done: the Cytyzens beynge brought in to seruytude or bondage & thraldome. For this thynge that is to wytte to be in seruytude: the moste excellent of all the Phyloso­phers affyrmeth to be agaynst the nature of a Cytie or cyuyle cōmunytie. Wher­fore Bondage or thraldome is contrarie to a cytie or cyuy­le cōmunytie. in the. iiii. of the Polytykes and the. iiii. chapytre, assygnynge and shewynge the necessytie of this parte he saythe thyse wordes folowynge. The. v. parte of a Cytie is defenders or men of armes / whiche parte is no lesse necssarye to a cytie: than any of the other partes afore rehersed yf they woll defende theyr lybertie a­gaynst them, that do inuade them / & not be brought in to thraldome / for it is im­posyble that the cōmunytie which is worthy to be called a cytie, shuld be by nature thrall or bonde / for a cytie is of it selfe suffycyent / but that thynge / whiche is thrall or bonde: can not be suffycyent of it selfe. And the necessytie of this parte because of rebellyous persones intrynsecall or within the same cōmunytie which must be compelled to obaye rulers is had of Arystotle in the. vii. boke of his Politykes & the. viii. chapitre. But we haue left out his wordes here / for cause of shortnes [Page 16] or spede / & because we woll brynge them in, in the. xiiii. chapitre of this diccyon & the. viii. parte of y ^e same chapitre / moreouer because in y ^e yeres of this worlde The treasure of a cytie. somtyme is fertilytie & great plentie of frutes / & otherwhyles there is sterilytie & scasete agayne because a cytie is somtyme peaceablye dysposed, and at vnytie or concorde with y ^e other cyties or cōmunyties beyng nere vnto it: & somtyme other wyse disposed towardes them: and also because there are cōmune exortunyties or cōmodyties of a cytie, wherof it hath nede: as the makyng & reperacion of wayes and bryges / with the settynge vp and reperacions of other buyldynges / and such other lyke cōmodyties, whiche it is not mere but were to redyous and longe for to reherse here. It was nedefull for the procurynge of thyse sayd cōmodyties, in conuenyent tyme to ordeyne in a cytie, the pte or offyce called ptem the saurisan­tem of Ryche men gatherynge treasure, whiche of Arystotle is called pars pecu­niatiua / for this parte gathereth and kepeth money / corne / wynes / oyles / and o­ther necessarye thynges / & procureth and secheth from all places suche thyngꝭ / as are profytable to the cōmunytie: to succoure & helpe them in theyr necessytie & nede hereafter to come / vnto whiche also certayne of the other partes do seruyce. And this parte Arystotle calleth partem pecuniatiuam: bycause that in the kepynge of money semeth to be the treasure of all thynges for that that all thynges are tourned & chaunged in to money. Nowe it resteth for to speke of the necessytie of Preesthodeor the offyce of preestes. the power and auctorytie or preestꝭ or preesthode / of the whiche necessytie, all men were not so agreable in opynyon, as of the necessytie of the other partes of a cytie And the cause hereof was, for that that the very and pryncypal necessytie of this parte coulde not be comprehended or perceyued by demonstracyon, or proued by The necessy­tie of preestes can not be cō prehended by demonstacyō reason / neyther it was a thynge euydent of it selfe / yet that notwithstandynge, all gentyll nacyons agreed in this, that it was conuenyent to instytute the offy­ce of preestꝭ, for cause of the worshyppyng and honourynge of god / and of the profyte folowynge therof, for the state of this worlde, or of the worlde to come. For veray many of the lawes or sectes do promyse to well doers rewarde, and to euyldoers payne or punysshement, whiche rewarde and punysshementes shall be dy­strybuted by god in the worlde to come. But besyde the causes of makyng lawes whiche causes are beleued without demonstracyon or profe: Phylosophers consydred and noted veray conuenyentlye an other (in a maner) necessarye cause, euen The necessa­rye causes of dyuyne law­es. for the state also of this worlde, of the tradycyon or gyuynge of dyuyne lawes or sectes. Amonge whom was Resiodus, Pythagoras, and veray many other of the olde Phylosophers. And this cause was the goodnes both of the monastycall and also of the cyuyle actes of men, of which actes the quyete or tranquyllytie of cōmunyties & fynallye the suffycient lyfe of this present worlde in a maner doth hole depende / For albeit that some of the Phylosophers, whiche were the fynders out or deuysers of suche maner lawes or sectes, haue not thought or beleued the resurreccyon of men to come / and that lyfe whiche is called the lyfe eternall or euer­lastynge / yet that notwihstandynge they dyd fayne or Imagyne, and broughte the people in belefe, that there is suche a lyfe / and that in it there are delectacyons or pleasures / and sorowes or paynes, accordynge to the qualyties of mēnes wor­kes or dedes done in this mortall lyfe / that by the reason hereof they myght indu­ce men to the reuerence & drede of god, and to desyre of eschewynge vyces & of lo­uynge & exercysynge vertues / for there be certayne actes, whiche the lawe maker can not rule & strayghten by mānes lawe / for as moche as it can not be proued y ^t any man hath such actꝭ, or elles y ^t he is without them / which actꝭ for all y ^t can not be hyd or vnknowen to god, whom they dyd fayne to be the maker of such lawes & the cōmaūder of thē to be obserued & kept vnder y ^e cōmīcacion of eternal payne [Page] to euylldoers, and of eternall rewarde to well doers / wherfore they sayde of dy­uersemen, whiche had ben vertuouse whyles they lyued in this worlde: that they were placed or set in the fyrmament of heuen. And hereof peraduenture came the names to certayne of the sterres and constellacyons or fygures celestyall. And The Imagꝭ or fygures of sterres or constellacions. of those that wrought vngracyously, whyles they lyued in this worlde they sayd of some, that theyr soules entred in to dyuers bodyes of brute bestes / as that in to the bodyes of hogges entred the soules of them whiche had ben glotons, and intē ­perante in thynges apperteynynge to tastynge / as meates, drynkes, and suche other thynges. And that in to the bodyes of gotes entred the soules of them which The soules of men to en­tre in to y ^e bo­dyes of vrute beastes. had ben lecherouse, and intemperant in thynges apperteynynge touchynge, and flesshely luste / and so semblable the soules of other men, in to the bodyes of other beastes / accordynge to the proporcyon and lykenes of mēnes vyces vnto the dā ­nable and vyle properties of the brute beastes. After the same maner also they assygned dyuerse kyndes of tormentes ordeyned for the wycked or euyll workes of men / as for example, to intemperant Tantalus perpetuallhongre and thyrst hauynge water and frute present and nere vnto hym, wherof he maye neyther The fable of Tantalus. eate ne drynke, because euer as he maketh any profre towardes them, they do flebacke from hym, farther than that he maye reche to them. They sayd also that there is a certayne place of suche tormentes, both depe and full of darkenes: whi­che they called Tartara / in englysshe it maye be called helle / descrybynge suche maner tormentes, after the moste terryble and hatefull fascyons that they coulde Tartara hell Imagyne / by reason of the feare of whiche tormentes: men eschewed to do euyll and vycyouse workes / and were excyted to doo vertuouse workes of charytie, mercy or pytie / and were also well disposed and ordred them selfes and other men And by the reason of thyse thynges many contencions and iniuryes were ceased in the cōmunyties / by reason wherof, bothe peace and the tranquyllytie of cyties and the suffycyent lyfe of men for the state of this present worlde, was withlesse dyffycultie, and the more easely kepte / whiche was the thynge fynallye intented of those wyse men, by the makynge of suche maner lawes or sectes. The offyce therfore of the hethen preestes amonge the gentyles was the gyuynge & teachyn­ge The preestes of y ^e gentyles of suche maner preceptes / for the teachynge wherof: they ordeyned in theyr cō ­munyties temples in whiche theyr goddes were worshypped / and dyd appoynte therto teachers of the sayde lawes or tradycyons, whom they called Sacerdotes preestes / because they medled and had the ordrynge of the holy thynges appertey­nynge to the temples / as of the bokes / of the vesselles / & of suche other thyngs whiche what maner men were in­stytuted to be preestes amō ge y ^e gentyls. serued to the honourynge and worshyppynge of goddes. Thyse thynges verely they ordred semyngly and syttyngly accordynge to theyr faythe, custome and vsage / for they dyd not instytute and admytte all maner of men to be preestes / but onely they instytuted certayne vertuouse and approued Cytyzens to be pree­stes whiche had ben of the offyce of Chyualrye, or of the offyce of Iuges / Cyty­zeyns I saye whiche had forsaken or gyuen ouer secularie or wordely busynes / and whiche were no we excused from cyuyle offyces and workes, because of theyr great age. For of suche maner men than beynge separate and free from passions and to whose sayenges the more credence was gyuen because of theyr age, & the grauyte of theyr maners. It was semely & accordyng that the goddes shuld be honoured Of wat ma­ner men god is to be wor­shypped. or worshypped, & the holy thynges of them to be handeled and ordred and not of handy craftꝭ men, hyred labourers, or other whiche had exercysed vyle and fylthye offyces / wherfore Arystotle in the. vii. boke, and the. ix. chapytre of the Polytykes saythe thyse wordes folowynge. For neyther an husbande man, neyther an artyfycer or handye craftes man, is to be made or ordeyned a preeste. [Page 17] But for as moche as the gentyles, with all other lawes and sectes of men, whi­che are no we or haue ben in tymes paste, besydes the catholyke Chrysten faythe, or besydes the belyfe of the holye fathers, whiche was afore the chrysten faythe / and to speake generallye, for as moche as all that are or hathe ben without or besyde the tradycion of those thynges, whiche are conteyned in the holy Canon, called the Byble, had not the ryght opynyon of god, whiche ought to be had of hym The lawes or sectꝭ of the gentyles had not right opynyon of god. in that they folowed the wytte of man, or false prophetes, maysters and teachers of errours / and therfore also neyther theyr opynyon was right of the lyfe to come neyther of the felylytie or myserye of the same, neyther of the true & veray preest­hode instytuted and ordeyned therfore / yet neuerthelesse we haue spoken of theyr vsages and ceremonyes, to the entent that the difference of theyr preesthode from the true preesthode, that is to wytte from the preesthode amonge Chrysten men / and to the entent also that the necessytie of the parte or offyce of preestes to be had in cōmunyties maye the more euydently appere.

¶ Of the fynall cause of a certayne parte of a cytie or cyuyle cōmunytie, that is to wytte the offyce of preestes / whiche cause maye be proued by the tradycyon or imdyate relacyon and scrypture of god: but it is impossyble to be proued by man­nes reason.
¶ The, vi, Chapytre,

HOwe it remayneth, to speake of the fynall cause, wherfore the ve­ray and true offyce of preestes hathe ben instytude in the cōmuny­ties of chrysten men / This fynall cause was to moderate and go­uerne mānes actes and appetytes as well inwarde as outwarde by knowledge, to the ende that they so moderated and temperated by knowled­ge, mankynde is ordeyned to the best lyfe of the worlde to come. And therfore we muste attende and consydre well, that albeit the fyrste man Adam was created pryncypally for the glorye of god as other creatures were: yet for all that he was created after an other synguler maner & a specyall dyuers fascyon from all other kyndes of corruptyble and mortall creatures / for he was created and made to the Image & symytude of god, to the ende that he shulde be apte to receyue & be parte Adam was created to the image of god taker of eternall felycytie after y ^e state of this present world he was made also in the state of Innocencie or of orygynall Iustyce, and also of grace (as some sayntes do probablye saye and certayne also of the cheyfe doctoures or teachers of ho­ly scrypture) In which state veryly yf he hadde cōtynued neyther he neyther any of his posterytie shuld haue neded the instytucyon or destynccion of cyuyle ꝑtes or offycꝭ / because y ^e nature shuld haue brought forth to hym all thyngꝭ mete cōuenyent what maner was the falle or offence of Adam, and what maner one the punisshemēt therof & pleasurefull to the suffyciencie of this lyfe, in paradyse terestryall or in the gardyne of pleasure withoute any maner payne or werynes of hym. But be­cause he corrupted and destroyed his innocencie or orygynall Iustyce and grace by the eatynge of the forbydden frute, and therin transgressynge and breakynge of the cōmaundement of god sodaynelye he fell in to synne, mysery and payne / the payne I saye of the pryuacyon and losse of eternall blysse and felycytie vnto [Page] whiche he with all his posterytie was fynally ordeyned by the benefyte & good­nes of almyghtie god. He deserued also by the transgressynge of the sayd cōmaū ­demente: to propagate all his succession in flesshely luste, in whiche also and with whiche euery man afterwardes hath ben conceyued & borne / by the reason here­of Originall synne. contractynge or gatherynge a spotte or synne, whiche in the lawe of chrysten men is called orygynall synne / onely Chryste. Iesus excepted, whiche without all maner synne, flesshely lust or pleasure was conceyued by the holye ghost and Chryste was free from ory­gynall synne borne of Mary the vyrgyn / whiche thyng was wrought and done, whan one of the thre persones in deite, that is to wyt the sone, beyng veray god, in y ^e vnyte of his person, and as (dyuynes do speake) in vnitate sui suppositi, toke vnto hym the nature of man. And through this transgressyon of our fyrste parentes all the successyon and posteritie of mankynde was made sycke, and is borne sycke, as towchynge the soule / whiche afore the sayd transgressyon was created in the state Mā was made sycke in soule by ory­gynall syn̄e. of perfyte sayntie and helthe / and of innocencie and grace. And throughe the sayde trespase was also berefte and depryued his beste ende, that is to wytte eter­nall felycitie: wherunto he was ordeyned. But because it is properly belongyng vnto god: to haue mercye & pytie vpon mankynde his creature, and made to his owne Image, and whom he had afore ordeyned to blyssed and eternall lyfe. It pleased hym, and was his wyll, whiche neuer dothe any thynge in vayne, ney­ther fayleth in necessarye thynges: to exhybyte and shewe the remedye of mānes falle / by gyuynge certayne preceptes of obedyence to be obserued of man whiche as beynge contrary to the transgressyon, shulde heale the syckenes of synne, that came of the sayde transgressyon. And in gyuynge of those preceptes he lyke vnto a cunnynge Physycyan or leche proceded after a veray good ordre from the more easye or lyghter thynges, to the harder thynges, for fyrste he cōmaunded to men the ceremonyes, and maner of makynge sacrafyces, whiche were called holocau­sta / that Ritus holo­castorum. is to say of brennynge the hole beastes in sacrafyce, and of offerynge vp the fyrste fruytes of the earthe, and the fyrste begotten of all sensyble creatures, as one wolde saye to proue the repentaunce and obedyence of man / whiche cere­monyes the olde fathers kepte and obserued to the reuerence of god, fayth / obedy­ence / a gyuynge of thankꝭ to hym: euen vntyll the tyme of Abraham. To whom accordynge to that we haue aforesayd: he gaue an other more harde and greuous precepte of Circūsycyon / (that is to wytte of cuttynge euery male chylde in the Circūsycion. toppe of his preuey membre) as yf god wolde seme, agayne to proue the repentaū ce and the obedyence of man. And thyse preceptes were obserued & kepte by some The lawe of Moyses. men, euen vntyll the tyme of Moyses / by whom god gaue afterwardes to y ^e peo­ple of Israell a lawe / besyde the aforesayd thynges he ordeyned greater and moo preceptes, both for the state of this present worlde, and also of the worlde to come: and ordeyned also the preestes and the leuytes to be mynysters of the sayde lawe. Sacerdotes acleuite. And the vtylytie or profyte that came to the obseruers and fulfyllers both of all those preceptes, and also of the lawe of Moyses: was this a certayne purgacyon and clensynge of synne, both orygynall, and also actuall and wyllyngly cōmyt­ted / and The vtilitie of the lawe of Moyses. a certayne escapynge and preseruacion from the eternall a temꝑali penasensus alterius seculi sensyble payne of an other worlde / How beit by the obser­uacyon of theym, men dyd not meryte eternall felycyte or blysse. But because our moste mercyfull god hadde ordeyned mankynde to his sayde blysse, wyllyn­ge to reduce and restore hym after his falle vnto the same agayne after a conue­nyent ordre, laste of all by his sone Ihesu chryste beynge veray god, and veray man in vnitate suppositi, (that is to saye in the vnytie or fyngularyte of perso­nage) he gaue the lawe of the gospell contaynynge the promyses and preceptes [Page 18] of thynges to be beleued the preceptꝭ of thynges to be done, of thynges to be esche­wed / and the counsaylles appertaynynge to the same. By obseruacyon and ful­fyllynge wherof men are not onely preserued from a sensyble pene, as they were by the obseruynge of the formore preceptes, but also (suche is his gracyous ordy­naunce) by suche thynges (in the blode of Chryste) they do meryte or deserue of a certayne congruytie or conuenyencie eternall felycytie. And therfore it is called The lawe of grace. the lawe of grace or fauoure / partely, because throughe the passyon and dethe of Christe, mankynde is redemed from synne, and from the payne of the losse of eternall blysse, whiche he was bounde to, by reason of the falle or synne of our fyrste parentes / and partely, for that by the obseruacyon of this lawe and by the recey­uynge of the Sacramentes instytuted with hit, the grace of god is gyuen to vs / and after it is gyuen: it is coroborated and confyrmed in vs / and when it is loste it is by the same meanes recouered and gotten agayne / so that by the merytes of Chrystes passyon of a certayne congruytie, as we haue sayd our workes or dea­des why our workes are called merytoryous are made merytorye of eternall felycytie. And by the meryte hereof, that is to wytte of the passyon of Chryste, not onely those that haue bensyns the tyme of the sayde passyon, haue receyued grace, wherby they may meryte and descrue eternall lyfe: but also the obseruers and kepers or fulfyllers of the fyrste preceptꝭ, and of the lawe of Moyses, through the same blyssed passyon haue gotten the grace of eternall beatitude, whiche they hadde not afore but remayned in a place, whiche men do call Limbus patrum vntyll the cōmyuge of Chryste, & his passyon / deth / Vntyll the cō myng of chryste y ^e fathers remayned in Limbo. and resurreccyon / by whom they receyued the repromyssyon and promyse of god longe before gyuen or made vnto theym. Albeit that the promyse of suche maner grace / was gyuen to them in the fyrste preceptes of the prophetes, and of the lawe of Moyses, vndre an obscure and darke maner, in shadowes and fygures / for all thynges chaunced to theym in fygure / as saynt Paule saythe in the fyrste chapy­tre to the hebrues. And this deduccyon, processe and ordre vsed of god, was veray conuenyent, for begynnynge at the lesse perfyte thynge: from it he proceded to the more perfyte / and in conclusyon to the moste perfyte of all thynges beynge conuenyent for the saluacion of man. Neyther is it to be thought herefore, but that god yf he had wolde myghte forthwith at the begynnynge haue gyuen the perfyte re­medy of mānes fall, and haue restored hym agayne / but he dyd vse suche an ordre why man was not re­stored forth­with after his fall. as we haue sayde, because it so pleased hym / and so was conuenyent to be done, mānes trespase requyrynge it / leste yf he had ben ouer redye & easye to haue for­gyuen man: it myghte haue gyuen occasyon vnto man to haue trespassed more largely agayne. And to be teachers of this sayd lawe / and mynisters of the Sa­cramentes accordynge to the same lawe: certayne men were instytuted in the cō ­munyties, whiche were called preestes / and deacons or leuytes / whose office is to teache the preceptes & counsaylles of the Chrystyane lawe of the gospell / in those The offyce of preestes & deacons. thynges whiche are to be beleued to be done / & to be eschewed / to the ende that we mayegette and obtayne the blyssed state of the worlde to come / and auoyde the contrarye state of the same worlde, that is to wytte eternall myserye. The ende therfore or the fynall cause of the instytucion of the offyce of preestes: is teachyng The ende or fynall cause of the offyce of preestes. and gyuynge instruccyon to men of suche thyngꝭ, whiche accordyng to the lawe of the gospel / it is necessarie for them to beleue, to do / and to leaue vndone: for the gettynge and obtaynynge of eternall blysse and saluacyon / and the auoydynge of euerlastynge dampnacyon and myserye. And vnto this offyce conuenyentlye appertayne all dyscyplynes founde out and dyuysed by mānes wytte, bothe spe­culatyue and practyue, whiche doo moderate, tempre and gouerne the Actes of of men, as well the inwarde as the outwarde Actes, proceadynge of appetyte [Page] and knowlege / by whiche dyscyplynes a man is well disposed and ordered in his soule, for the state as well of this present worlde / as of the worlde to come / for all these dyscyplynes well nere we haue of the tradycyon of the meruaylous philosopher, and of other gloryous men. Yet haue we lefte out the rehersayle of them here for breyfnes / and for that that the necessytic of such maner dyscyplynes appertey ne not to our present consyderacyon. But we ought to vnderstande by this cha­pitre, & the other nexte folowynge after this y ^t there are other causes of the offycꝭ of a cytie, as touchynge to euery kynde of them, in that they are offices of a cytie and other causes of the same, in that they are qualyties of mānes body or mynde: for the fynall causes of them in that theyr qualyties of the body or soule of man / The fynall causes. be the workes whiche procede or are brought forth immedyatly of them / as of the shyp wryghtes crafte, the fynall cause is y ^e shyp / and of cheualrye, the fynall cau­se is the vse and occupyenge of armour or fyghtyng / and of preesthode the fynall cause is the preachynge of the lawe of god, and the admynystracyon of the sacra­mentes accordynge to the same law / and so conformably in all other offyces, and ꝑtes of a cytie or cyuyle cōmunytie. But the fynal causes of them takynge them as they are offyces determyned and instituted in a cytie, are the cōmodyties and sufficyencies whiche do make perfyte the accyons and passyons of men & do pro­cede, or are brought forthe and caused by the workes of the sayd qualyties / which suffycyencies can not be had without the sayd qualyties / as for example, of fyghtynge or batayle, whiche is the acte, worke, and ende of chyualrye: lybertie is caused or brought forthe, and also is kepte in a cytie / whiche lybertie is the ende of al the actes and workes of chyualrie. So lykewyse of the worke or ende of the car­penters Lybertie is y ^e fynall cause of warre. crafte, that is to saye of a house: there cōmeth or is brought forth to men or to the cytie, defence from the impressyons of the ayre whiche are noysome / as from excessyue heate / colde / moystnes / or drynes / whiche defence trulye is the fy­nall cause, wherfore the offyce of carpenters crafte was ordeyned in a cytie or cyuyle cōmunytie. And after the same maner of the obseruacyon of goddes lawe, whiche is the ende of preesthode: cōmeth forth or groweth vnto men eternall fely­cytie. And after the same maner also we ought to Iuge of the other partꝭ or offy­ces of a cytie. And after this same maner or lyke: the other kyndes of causes of y ^• sayd offyces are dystyncte and dysseuered one from an other of them / that is to wyt the materyall cause / the formall cause / and the effectyue cause of them / as it shall appere of those thynges whiche hereafter doth folowe. Of the nombre than of the partes of a cytie, and of the necessytie and also the dystynccyon of them for cause of the fynall suffycyencies to be goten by them let thus moche as hath ben spoken of vs be suffycyent.

¶ Of the other kyndes of causes both of the beynge, and also of the seperacyon and dystynccyon of the offyces & partes of a cytie / and of the dyuysyon of euery kynde by two maners apperteynynge to the present purpose.
¶ The. vii. chapitre.

HOwe after the premysses: it foloweth consequently to speke of the other causes of the offices or partes of a cytie / and fyrste we shall speake of the causes materyall and formall / and than afterwardes we shall make inquysycyon & serche of the effectuell cause of them. [Page 19] But for as moche as in thyngꝭ whiche receyue perfeccyon, the matier is existent or hath his beynge afore the forme: Lette vs fyrste speake of the materyall cause / And here we doo saye, that the proper matyer or materyall cause of dyuerse of­fyces, in that the sayde offyces doo name or sygnyfye to vs the qualyties of the soule: are men by theyr natyuytie or generacyon inclyned to dyuerse craftes or dysyplynes. For in as moche as nature dothe not fayle in necessary thynges, as beynge alwayes moste carefull and dylygent aboute the moste noble creatures, whiche veryly is mankynde aboue all other corruptyble thynges, of whiche sayd kynde of man (beynge made perfyte by dyuers Artes or dysyplynes) as of the matier or substaūce, It is necessary to constytute a cytie, and to dystyncte & dyseuer partes in it whiche are necessary to the gettynge or obteynynge of the suffycyencie of this lyfe: (as it hath ben shewed in the. iiii. &. v. chapytres of this dyc­cyoy) nature her selfe began this dystynccyon of the sayd partes, euen about the generacyon of men / bryngynge forth some men in theyr naturall dyspocysyons apte and inclyned to husbandry / and other some to Chyualrie / & other men to the kyndes of other Artes and dysyplynes / but yet dyuerse men to dyuerse dysyply­nes / And she hath not inclyned onely one man to one kynde of Arte or dysyply­ne: but she hath inclyned many men to one and the same kynde of crafte or dysy­plyne / Of what maner men iud­ges ought to be made. as the necessytie of the suffyciencie of mānes lyfe dyd requyre / She brou­ghte forth some therfore Apte to prudencye / bycause the parte of the iudges or of counseylours in a cytie ought to be made and instytuted of wyse men. And some men she hath brought forth apte and mete to strengthe and boldenes: bycause of such maner of men is made the parte of warryours, or men of Armes in a cytie. And so lykewyse she hath made other men apte & mete to the kyndes of practyue and speculatyue habytes or scyences / whiche are necessarie & conuenyent to lyue and to lyue well, to the ende, that by this dyuersytie of the materyall inclynacy­ons of men to dyuerse kyndes of habytes or scyences and craftes: she myght per­forme and make vp that whiche was nedefull to the dystynccyon or dyuersytie of the partes of cytie or cyuyle cōmunytie. But the materyall causes of the offyces of a cytie, as touchynge to y ^t, whan they do name or betoken, to vs the partes The ꝑtes of a cytie at mē profytable to the commen weale. of a cyuyle cōmunytie: is in a maner euydent alredy. For they are men habytua­ted or indued with dyuerse kyndes and maners of artes & dyscyplynes, of whom dyuerse ordres and partes are ordeyned in a cytie for cause of the fynall suffycy­encies whiche groweth & cōmeth / of theyr artes and dyscyplynes / and after this maner the partes of a ciuyle cōmunyties are ꝓperly called officia quasi obsequia because the sayd partes consydered as they are so ordeyned and instytuted in a cytie: are ordeyned to the obsequie of man, or to do man pleasure or seruyce. And the formall causes of these sayde offyces consydered as they are abytes or permanent qualyties of the mynde of man: are none other but the veray qualyties selues / for the sayd qualyties are formes of the hauers of them makynge complete and per­fyte the inclynacyons of men, whiche are in them gyuen by nature. Wherfore in the. vii. boke of the Polytykes and the laste chapitre it is wrytten euery crafte & dyscyplyne intendeth to supplye and performe that, whiche is wantynge vnto nature. But the formall causes of the offyces consydered as they are partꝭ insty­tuted in a cytie are the preceptꝭ of the mounet or effectyue cause taught or imprynted in them, whiche ar deputed and assygned in a cytie to exercyse certayne deter­mynate workꝭ. And the motyues or effectyue causes of the offyces considered as they doo name or sygnyfye to vs qualyties of the soule, are the myndes & wylles of men by theyr cogytacyons and desyres / other seuerallye, or ioyntlye, indyffe­rently. And of certayne of the sayd offyces: the mouynge and the exercyse of the [Page] organes or instrumentes of the bodye, is the motyue or effectyue cause, besyde the myndes and wylles of men. But the effectyue cause of the sayd offyces consydered as they are partes of a cytie or cyuyse cōmunytie is the humayne lawe maker cōmenly for the moste parte / albeit that in olde tyme, veray seldome, and in verey fewe the immedyate cause effectyue of some one or mo of them was good with­out any determynacyon of man / as it shal be sayd in the. ix. chapytre of this dyc­cyon, and in the. xii. and. xv. shall appere more largely of them. But as touchynge to preesthode or the offyce of preestes: there is a certayne dyuerse and dystyncte maner of the instytucyon therof / of whiche it shal be spoken suffycyently in the. xv. and. xvii. chapytres of the seconde dyccyon. Of the partes therfore of a cy­uyle cōmunytie, and of the necessytie of the instytucyon of theym, by the other. iii. kyndes of causes, let this determynacyon at this tyme suffyce.

¶ Of the. ii. generall kyndes of Regymentes / that is to wyt de Regimine temperato et viciato of the temperat gouernaūce & the corrupte go­uernaunce / and of the dyuysyon of them in to the more spe­cyall kyndes conteyned vnder them.
The, viii, Chapytre,

NOwe for as moche as in the premyssꝭ we haue somwhat shewed, but yet muste shewe more certaynly and euydentlye, that the insty­tucyon & dystynccion of the partes of a cyuyse cōmunytie is made or done by some cause motyue or effectyue, whiche in the last chapytre afore gone, we haue called the lawe maker, & because y ^e the same lawe maker doth ordeyne, seperate, & dysseuer thyse partes, one of them from an other, workyng in lyke maner to the nature of a beaste or sensyble creature, y ^t is to wyt fyrste formynge instytutyng one parte in a cyuyle cōmunytie, whiche in the. v. chapitre of this diccyon we haue called partē principantē siue iudicialē: the parte or offyce of gouernours or iudges / and by this parte dothe instytute y ^e other partes, as it shall be declared more largely in the. xv. chapitre of this diccyon it is cōuenyent therfore for vs, fyrste of all to speke somwhat of the nature of the sayd parte / for in as moche as it is the fyrste and pryncypall or cheyfe of all other as it shall appere of those thynges whiche hereafter foloweth / the declaracyon fyrste had of the cause effectyue of this parte: we shall conuenyently from it entre to the declaracyon of the instytucyon and actyue distynccion of the other partes of a cy­tie or ciuyle cōmunytie. And of the parte principatyue, Regymentꝭ or gouernaū ces there are two sortes / the one is a regyment well tempered / the other is a corrupte or intemperate regyment / I call that kynde of Regyment, a ryght and well ordred cōmen weale after the mynde of Arystotle in the thyrde boke of his Poly­tykes / and the. iiii. chapytre, in the whiche the hedde gouernours gouerneth to the cōmune profyte, that is to saye not ryght or euyll ordred by the consent and wyll Regimen tē ­peratum. Aegimen vi­tiatum. of his subiectes. And I call that regyment vicyate, corrupte intemperate or yll or dered in which it is other wyse than so Agayne of thyse. ii. kyndes, eyther of them is dyuyded in to. iii. specyall kyndes. The fyrst, that is to wytte regymen temperatū: is dyuyded in to thyse. iii. in Regalem monachiam / in aristocratiam / et politiam. And the other that is to wytte Regimen viciatum: is dyuyded in to. iii. contrary kyndes / which are called Tyrannica monarchia / olygarthia / and democratia. And euery one of thyse sayde specyall kyndes hathe agayne certayne dyuerse [Page 20] wherof to treate or speake exquysytely it belongeth not to our present busynes & purpose / for of thyse Arystotle hath spoken suffycyentlye in the thyrde & fourthe boke of his Polytikes. But to haue more large knowledge of thyse sayd kyndes whiche knowledge is somwhat necessarye & nedefull for the declaracyon of those thynges whiche hereafter do folowe / let vs descrybe eche one of the sayde specyall kyndes of rulynge and gouernaunce accordynge to the mynde of Arystotle / say­enge fyrste that Regalis Monarchia is a temperate Regyment or ryghtfull go­uernaunce, Monarchye Regall. Tyrannye. in whiche there is but onely one gouernoure rulynge accordynge to the comune profyte and with the wyll and consente of his subiectes. And tyran­nye the contrarye to it is a vnitate, intemperate and vnryghtfull regyment in whiche onely one man gouerneth and ruleth hauynge respecte all togyther to his owne proffyte or pleasure / and contrary to the wyll of his subiectes. Aristocra­tia Aristocratia. is a temperate regement in whiche onely the beste, or worshypfull men of the Cytie gouerne and rule, accordynge to the wyll and constute of the subiectes, and to the comune vtylytie and profyte, Oligarchia whiche is contrary to Aris­tocratia: Oligarchia. is a viciate or corrupte maner of Rule and gouernaunce, whan some of the Rycheste or moste myghtye men gouerne and rule hauynge respecte all togy­ther to theyr owne profyte, and contrarye to the wyll of the subiectes / politia all Politia. be it that in one sygnyfycatyon it is a certayne cōmune thynge to all kyndes or sortes of Regymentes or gouernaunces: yet neuerthelesse in one sygnyfycacyon it betokeneth / a certayne specyall kynde of Temperate gouernaunce and power in whiche euery Cytyzene or eche maner person of the cyuyle cōmunytie is som­what parte taker of the pryncipatyue state, by course accordyng to the degre fa­cultie, condycyon, and estate of the person that is to say, whan the multytude gouerneth to the cōmune profyte also and by the wyll and consente of the cytyzens Democratia the contrary to it: is a kynde of rule or gouernaunce, wherin the ras­call cōmunes, Democratia. or the multytude onely of pore men and nedy doth gouerne and rule / contrary to the wyll and consent of the other cytyzens / and not vtterly to the cōmen profyte accordynge to cōuenyent proporcyon. Nowe whiche of thyse wel tempered Regymentes is beste, and whiche of the vytyate or intemperate regy­mentes is the worste, Also to speke of the ordre of other Regymentes in goodnes or euylnes, it belongeth not to this present consyderacyon. But yet to haue spo­ken thus moche of the dyuysyon of regymentes in to theyr specyall kyndes, and of the dyscrypcyon of them: Let it be suffycyent at this tyme.

¶ Of the maners of instytutynge regall monarchie / and of the assygnacyon of the perfeccyon therof / & of the maners also of Instytutynge other Regy­mentes, polities or gouernaunces bothe temperate and vitiate.
The, ix, Chapytre.

THyse thynges thus determyned: it resteth cōsequently to speke of the maners of makynge and instytutynge the parte or offyce of pryn­ces, gouernours and rulers / Exipsorum nam (que) natura meliori veldeteriori prouenientibus hinc ciuili regimini tam (que) actionibus ar­guere oportet causam agentem, a quam tam ipsi quam pars princi­pans peripsos ad politiam vtilins debeant peruenire. But because we do intende [Page] [...] [Page 20] [...] [Page] in this boke to speake of the causes and actions, by whiche the parte or offyce of Prynces or gouernours ought to be created, we woll afore speake of the maner and cause by whiche this parte hath ben allredy created, thoughe seldome / to the entent that we maye dyscerne this maner or accyon and the cause immedyate of it / from the maners or accyons and the immedyate causes of them, by which such maner parte regularly and for the most parte ought to be created / which accyons with theyr immedyate causes we maye also conuynce or proue by humayne de­monstracyon or sillogisme / for comprehensyon or ꝑceyuynge of the maner wher­of we speake formaste: can not be had by sure or vndoubted demonstracyon. And this maner or accyon and the immedyate cause of the sayd accyon, by whiche the parte of prynces and gouernours, & the other partes of a cyuyle cōmunytie, hath ben allredye formed or created and instytuted, and namely preesthode: was the wyll of god immedyatelye cōmaundynge hit by the termynate oracle or speche The wyll of god is the cause of Regall preesthode. of some synguler creature, or els peraduenture by it owne selfe alone īmedyatlye after whiche maner god instytuted and oppoynted the gouernaunce and rule of the people of Israell vnto the person of Moyses, & of certayne other Iuges after hym. And he instytuted or appoynted preesthode also in to the person of Aaron / and of his successours. Of whiche sayd cause truly, and the free Accyon of it, to teache or shewe why this thynge was so done or otherwyse, and that thynge not so done: we can saye nothynge by demonstracyon / but we knowe it by symple credulytie or belefe without reason. But there is an other instytucyon of gouer­nours, whiche is caused of mānes mynde immedyatly: thoughe it cōmeth of god as of a farre cause, (and as they call it tan (que) a causa remota) whiche graunteth also all wordely power or gouernaunce (as it is had in the xix. of Ihon̄ and the Apostle sayth openly in the xiii. to the Romaynes / and saynt Augustyne also in the. v. boke De ciuitate dei and the. xxi. chapitre) but yet he doth not this al­wayes immedyatly but for the moste parte and well nere euery where he instytuteth and maketh the sayd powers or gouernours the myndes of men, to whom he hath graunted the Arbytryment of suche maner instytucyon. And of this cause: what it is / or by what maner accion, it ought to instytute suche maner thyngꝭ It maye be assygned and shewed by humayne certytude or demonstratyue sillo­gisme taken of the vtylytie or hurte of the cōmen wease. That maner therfore of Instytutynge prynces and rulers, whiche can not be certyfyed by demonstracy­on, beynge ouerhypped, we wyll fyrste treate and speke of the maners of the in­stytucyon of gouernours done by the wyl of man immedyatlye and afterwardes we woll shewe, whiche of the sayd maners is the most sureand moste symple ma­ner or waye of instytutynge prynces or gouernoures / Afterwardes of the beste nature of that maner, we shall argue or proue the motyue or effectyue cause, of whiche cause onely it ought & maye be brought forth or caused / of whiche thyngꝭ consequently shall appere also the cause / whiche ought to moue the best instytucyon and determynacion of the other partes of a cytie. And last of all, we shall speake of the vnytie of a prynce or gouernour / by reason of whiche vnytie. It shall appere also, what is the vnyte of a cytie or Realme. Nowe than persecutynge thyse Monarchie. thynges purposed / fyrste of all we shall reken vp the maners of the instytucyon of Regall monarchye, speakyng of the orygynall begynnyng of them / for this kynde of gouernaunce semeth in a maner cousyn or naturall vnto vs, and very nere or nexte to domestycall iconimie or the gouernaunce or ordrynge of an housholde / as it appereth of those thynges, whiche hathe ben sayde in the thyrde chapitre. And the determynacyon of this / it shall appere consequentlye of the maners of instytucyon of the other dyuysions or sondry kyndes of gouernaūce and rule. [Page 21] The maners or instytucyons of regat monarchie, be fyue in nombre after the mynde of Arystotle in the thyrde of the Polytykes and the. x. chapytre. The fyrst maner is, whan the ruler or gouernoure is ordeyned or appoynted to some one determynate 1 worke, but yet concernynge the regyment or gouernaunce of cōmu­nyte / as vnto the guydynge or capytayneshyp of an hoste, outher he with the suc­cessyon of the same kynted: or els for the tyme of lyfe of onely one person / after whiche maner Agamennon was instytuted capytayne of y ^e hooste by the grekes. And this offyce is called in the cōmunyties of thyse dayes, capytayneshyp or co­nestableshyp. And this capytayne or ruler of the hooste or army, medled not with any iudgement in the tyme of peax, but yet whyles the hoste dyd warre or durynge the tyme of Batayle he was lorde hauynge power and auctorytie, to kylle or otherwyse to punysshe transgressoures. The seconde maner is, that maner after 2 whiche certayne men are Rulers or gouernours in Asia / hauynge domynyon or rule after theyr predecessoures by successyon / but yet gouernynge more to the pro­fyte The maners of gouernou­res in Asia. of hym selfe than to the cōmune profyte. And this verelye is a kynde of Re­gall monarchie / yea and suche a kynde that as concernynge the successoure there can be none better, but yet it is somwhat Tyrannycall: because the sawes of it are not made vtterly or onely to the cōmune profyte / but all togyther to the pro­fyte of the kynge or gouernour. The thyrde maner of Regall gouernaunce or po­wer is, whan one man is made gouernour by eleccyon, not by successcyon of hynted, 3 or because his fathers or auncytries were gouernours afore hym / but yet go­uernynge accordynge to the lawe, whiche is not made to the cōmune profyte onely / but more to the profyte of the gouernour, and is in a maner a tyrānycall lawe For whiche cause Arystotle in the aforesayd place calleth it electam tirānidem. i. Tyrannye made by eleccyon / he calleth it tyrannye: because of y ^e domynacion of the lawe / & he calleth it electam because it is not agaynst the wyll of the subiectꝭ. The fourth maner is whan any man is made prynce or gouernour by eleccyon, with all y ^t succede of his kynred or blode, according to y ^e lawes, which ar made vtterly 4 to y ^e cōmon profyte. And this maner of instytutynge gouernours: they vsed aboute the heroycall tymes, or tymes of the noble men whiche were called heroesas he sayth in the same chapytre. And those tymes were called heroycall, other be­cause than y ^e cōstellacyon brought forth such maner men, whiche were beleued to Heroycall ty­mes. be heroes (that is to say diuyne or godly persons) for theyr excedyng vertue or els because such maner men were made prynces or rulers & none other, for theyr excedynge vertues & benefytꝭ / as bycause they gathered the multytude, whiche lyued Who were he­roes. sparpled one from another in to ciuyle cōmunytie / or els bycause by manlynes & boldnes or strength in fyght and batayle, they dyd dylyuer theyr regyon or coun­tre from the oppressours of it / or els bycause peraduenture they bought the regy­on, or els gat it by some other conuenyent maner / and dyuyded it amonge the subiectes / and to speake all at one worde, for theyr excellence aboue the other multytude in vertue, or els for the greater benefytes done or gyuen of them than of any other, they were instytuted or made prynces or gouernoures with all theyr poste­rytie or successours of blode / as Arystotle sayde in the. v. boke of his Polytykes and the. x. chapytre / and vnder the kynde of monarchie peraduenture Arystotle comprehendeth that kynde vnto whiche any man is elected or chosen onely for his owne hole lyfe / or for parte of his lyfe / or elles he causeth vs to vnderstande that by this, and by that whiche is called electe tyrannye for it taketh parte of ey­ther of them. The. v. maner is and hath ben that by whiche the prynce or gouer­noure is made lorde of all those thynges which are in the cōmunytie / dysposynge 5 and orderynge all maner persons and thynges so after his owne wyll, as the stewarde [Page] [...] [Page 21] [...] [Page] or orderer of a house dysposeth and ordereth all thynges whiche are in his owne house, as he fyste hym selfe. But yet that these saynges of Arystotle maye be made more euydent & open, & also y ^t all the other maners of instytutynge other gouernours may be reduced to a chapytre or to a general sūme / we shal say, y ^t all maner power or gouernaunce eyther it is ouer them that wyllyngly are subiectes or els ouer them that are subiectes agaynst theyr wyll / the fyrste of these. ii. is ge­nerall to all well tempered powers or gouernaunces / the seconde to all viciate or intemperate and vnryghtfull gouernaunces / And eche one of these. ii. generall kyndes is deuyded in to. iii. speciall kyndes / or maners / as it hath ben sayd in the. viii. chapytre of this dyccyon. And bycause regall monarchie is There are. ii. sortes of prynces or gouer­nours the one ouer voludta­rie subiectes / the other ouer inuoluntarie subiectes. one of the specyall kyndes of well tempered gouernaunces / and per­aduenture the most perfyte of them all, therfore now makynge re­colleccion of y ^e premysses let vs begyn our speche or processe at the maners of it / saynge that Rex or Monarcha that is to saye a kynge other is instytuted by the eleccyon of the inhabytaū ­tes or cytyzens / or elles he hath the powre and auctory­tie of gouernynge ryghtfully and duely without theyr eleccyon / yf he be prynce or gouernoure without theyr eleccyon, other it is because eyther he dyd fyrste enhabyte the regyon, or els his predecessoures of whose lynage he descendeth or els because he bought the lande and Iu­rysdyccyon / or els wan it by ryghtfull batayle / or els gatte it by some other lawfull maner or waye / as for example, by a gyfte made therof to hym, for his good seruyce done. And yf it be so that the kyng or prynce that gouerneth hath ben instytuted by the eleccyon of the inhabytauntes, it is conuenyent that it be done by some of these maners folowynge, for eyther he is instytuted gouernoure with all the posterytie & successours of blode, or els not / yf he be instytuted gouernour, but not with all his posterytie / this maye be done many maner wayes / for eyther he is made gouernour for all the lyfe tyme of one man onely: or els for the lyfe tyme of one man and also of some one or els mo than of one of his successours / or els he is not instytuted for the hole lyfe tyme of any man neyther of hym that is fyrste, neyther of any of his successoures / but onely for some determynate parte of tyme, as for the space of one yere, or of. ii. or for lenger or for shorter space / & agayne he is instytuted eyther to exercyse all maner Iudycyall offyce: or els to exercyse but onely one Iudycyall offyce / as to be the guyde or capytayne of the hoste and so forthe.

[Page 23] ¶ Of the dystynctyon or dyuersyte, and the assygnacyon of the syg­nyfycacyons of this nowne lex / and of the moste propre sygnyfycacyon of this worde, & whiche is intended & ment in this boke.
The, x, Chapytre,

FOr as moche as we haue sayde, that election is the most ꝑfecte and the beste forme or maner of instytutynge gouernoures and rulers: it shall doo very well to serache forthe the effectyue cause of it / that is to saye who oughte to be the electoures, or doers of this election / or of whom it ought to be made, as touchynge the complement of the goodnes therof / that is to saye, yf it shulde be a perfecte good election / for of this, it shall also appere, whiche is the factyue or effectyue cause of the elected gouernoure, and lykewyse of the other partes or offyces of the Ly­uyle Cōmynalte. But for as moche as the Prynce or gouernoure ought to mea­sure and rule the Lyuyle actes of men, (as we haue shewed in the. v. chapytre of this dictyon) and that by or accordynge to a rule, whiche is and oughte to be the forme or formall cause of the Prynce of Gouernoure in that he is gouernoure: it is necessarye fyrste to serache out, whether there be any suche maner rule / then afterwardes what it is, and wherfore, or to what ende it is ordeyned / for peraduenture the same is the effectyue cause of this sayde rule / whiche is the effectyue cause of the Prynce or gouernoure. ¶ we therfore supposynge this a thynge euydent lye knowen by experience in all perfecte Cōmynaltes, that there is suche a rule, whiche men do call an ordynaūce or custome, & by y ^e cōmen name a lawe. Fyrste we shall shewe, what this rule is / & afterwarde we shall shewe the fynall cause / wherfore it is necessarye to be hadde / and laste of all we shall determyne by de­monstratyue sillogisme, to what persone or persones, and by what maner acty­on, it belongeth / to ordeyned and make this sayde rule / whiche thynge shall be nothynge elles, but to serache out the lawe gyuer, or the cause effectyue of the lawe vnto whiche cause, we suppose, that the electyon of Prynces and gouernoures also dothe belonge / and we wyll proue that it is so, hereafter by sure and substancyall reasons or demonstracyons. Of whiche thynges it shall also appere, and be open or euydent, what is the mater or subiecte of the aforesayde rule, whiche we haue called the lawe / for the mater or subiecte of it (to vse the scole tearmes) is the Prynces or gouernoure / to whom it belongeth for to measure and streyghten or rule the Polytyke or Lyuyle actes of men. Nowe therfore procedyng to the deter­mynacyon of these sayde thynges, leaste peraduenture by the reason of the ma­nyfolde sygnyfycacyons of this worde lex, any Ambignite or erroure myghte happen to any man: it shal be cōuenyent & accordyng, fyrste to shewe the dyuerse intencyons or sygnyfycacyons of this nowne lex. For this worde beynge of the nombre or sorte of hym. Whiche be called equinoce dictiones / that is to saye, wor­des This worde lex hathe many signyfycacyons. hauynge many dyuerse sygnyfycacyons / in one of his sygnyfycacyons betokeneth a naturall sensitiue inclination to some action or passyon. And in this sygnyfycacyon the Apostle vsed this worde in the. vii. chapytre to the Romanes when he sayde / I se an other lawe in my membres / repugnaunt and stryuynge Lex is put for an incly­nacyon. agaynst the lawe of my mynde / and in an other accepcyon or sygnyfycacyon, this nowne Lex lawe is sayde of euery practyue habyte / and generallye of all maner forme of any thynge to be wrought, whiche forme is in the mynde / out of whiche as out of the example or paterne and mesure all the formes or fascions of [Page] thynges made by crafte, are brought forthe or caused. And after this maner syg­nyfycacyon of this worde, it is sayd in y ^e. xliii. chapitre of the prophete Ezechyel. Hec ergo lex domus, iste autem mensure altaris. This therfore shall be the lawe of the house & these shall be the measures of the altare. In his thyrde sygnyfycacion this worde lex is taken for a tule conteynynge monitions of the imperated or volutarye actions of men, as they be ordeyned to glorye or to payne in the worl­de to come. And after this sygnyfication: the lawe of Moyses was called a lawe as touchynge to some parte of it, and so also the lawe of the gospell as touchyng to it selfe hole is called a lawe. Wherfore y ^e Apostle speakyng of these two lawes to the Hebrues: sayth thus. The preestode beynge translated / it is necessarye, or it muste nedes be, that a trāslacyon is made of the lawe / So also the doctryne of y ^e Gospell is called a lawe in the fyrste chapytre of saynt Iames epystle, where he saythe thus / But who souer shall loke in to the perfecte lawe of lybertie, & shall contynue in it. &c. that man shall be blyssed in his dede. And in this accepcyon or sygnyfycacyon of this worde all sectes also be called lawes / as for example the secte of Machomete, or of the Persians, eyther as touchynge to them selues hole / or elles as touchynge to some partes of theym. Albeit that amonge all these, onely the lawe of Moyses, and the lawe of the Gospel / that is to wytte the chrysten lawe, done conteyne the veryte. And after this sygnyfycacion also Arystotle called sectes lawes: when he sayde in the seconde of his Phylosophye / Howe great Lex is put for a secte. vertue or strenght custome is of: the lawes done shewe / and agayne in the. xii. of same / Reliqua veto fabulose iam adducta sunt ad persuasionem multorum ad leges et conferens. i. The other thynges were ymagyned and brought in for to persuade many men to the lawes or sectes, & to theyr profyte. Fourthly this nownelawe and moste famously betokeneth the knowledge or doctryne or vnyuersall iudgement of the thynges whiche are ryghtuous and profytable in a cyuyle cō ­mynalte, and of the contrarye thynges. And this worde lex taken in this sygny­fycacyon maye be consydered two maner wayes / one waye as touchynge to it Lawe maye be taken two man̄ of wayes. owne selfe, as by it onely is shewed, what is ryght or wronge / what is profyta­ble or what noysome or hurtefull / and thus the scyence or doctryne of the ryght / is called the lawe / An other maner of waye it maye be consydered, after as a precepte is gyuen of the obseruacyon or fulfyllynge of the sayde lawe, vnder a pay­ne or rewarde to be dystrybuted to the fulfyller or to the breaker of it, in this pre­sent worlde / or elles after as it is gyuen by the maner of suche precepte or cōmaū dement / & this worde consydered after this maner / is moste properly of all other sygnyfycacyons called a lawe / and this worde taken in this sygnyfycacyon / Arystotle dothe defyne, in the. x. boke of his Ethikes and the. ix. chapytre when he saythe thus. The lawe hathe power to compell, whiche is a speache made by some wysdom and reason / that is to wytte by polytyke reason, whiche can ordre and dyspose of the ryghtuous and profytable thynges, and of the contrary thyn ges / and the lawe hathe coactyue power, for as moche as there is a precepte or cō maumedement gyuen, that the lawe shulde be obserued, whiche precepte men be Howe y ^e lawes is acoacti­ue precept. compelled to kepe and obserue / or els because the lawe is gyuen by the maner of suche precepte. Wherfore not all the true cognycyons or knowledges of the thyn­ges, that be ryghtuouse or profytable in a cyuyle cōmynalte, are lawes oneles suche a coactyue precepte or commaundemente be gyuen of the obseruacyon of theym / or elles it be so, that they haue ben gyuen by the maner of a precepte. Al­beit that suche true knowledge of the sayde thynges, is necessaryly requyred to a perfyte lawe. Yea moreouer otherwhyles falss knowledgs or iudgemēts of right­wyse & profytable things, ar made lawes when there is a cōmaundement gyuen [Page 24] that they shulde be obserued / or els yf they be gyuen by the maner of a precept / as it appereth in the regyons of certayne barbarous people, whiche do cause this to be obserued as a ryghtuouse thyng, that a murtherer or manqueller shal be quyet and absolued from cyuyle blame and the cyuyle payne or punysshement, so that he do paye money or some other thynge of value, for such maner offence, and yet for all that this thynge is playne vtterly ryght / and so consequently the lawes of theym are vtterly vnperfecte. For the case put & graunted that the sayd lawes haue a due forme, that is to wytte a coactyue precepte of theyr obseruacyon / yet for all that they do wante or lacke due condycyon that is to wyt, due and trueordynacyon of ryghtfull ryght. And vnder this accepcyon or sygnyfycacyon of this worde lex / are comprehended all the rules of Cyuyle ryghtes and vtylyties whiche rules haue ben instytuted by y ^• auctoryte of man / as customes, statutes, ordenaunces or actes made by the cōmens / decretalles / and all other lyke rules, whiche as we haue sayd are grounded vpon the auctoryte of man / But yet we ought to knowe, that as well the lawe of the gospell as the lawe of Moyses, and peraduenture the other sectes dyuersely consydered, and compared in the hole or in the parte of theym vnto the Actes of men for the state of this present worlde or of the worlde to come: otherwhyles dothe belonge or hathe belonged hytherto, or shall belonge to the thyrde sygnyfycacyon of this worde lex / and otherwhyles to the laste sygnyfycacyon of the sayd worlde / as it shall be opened and declared more largely in the. viii. & the. ix. of the seconde diccion. Certeyne of y ^t sayd lawes or sectes as touchynge or accordynge to the trouthe, and other certayne of theym after or as touchynge to a false Imagynacyon or fantasye and a vayne promyse. Thus then there is a certayne rule or a lawe of the Cyuyle actes of men / and what it is: it appereth euydently of these thynges, whiche we haue no we sayde.

¶ Of the necessyte of makynge lawes takynge this worde in his moste proper sygnyfycacyon / and that it is expedyent, no Prynce or gouernour be he neuer so moche vertuous & ryghtu ous: to gouerne without lawes.
The, xi, Chapytre,

HOwe that we haue thus dyuyded this worde Lawe in to his ac­cepcions or sygnyfycacions: we wyll shewe the fynall cause wher The necessy­tie of makyn­ge lawes is declared. fore it is necessarye, that Lawes be hadde-takynge this worde in his laste and moste propre sygnyfycacyon. The moste pryucypall cause is the Cyuyle ryghte and the cōmen vtylyte or profyte / the nexte cause to this: is a certayne securyte of the Prynces or gouernoures / specy­ally of and namely of those, whiche are gouernoures by inherytaunce and suc­cessyon of blode / and also the diuturnite or longe contynuaunce of theyr gouer­naunce and power or auctoryte / That it is necessarye to haue lawes for the for­mer cause, that is to wytte for the Cyuyle ryght and cōmen profyte. I proue it thus / for it is necessary to ordeyne that thynge in a cōmen weale or cyuyle cōmy­nalte, without whiche Cyuyle iudgementes can in no wyse be well gyuen, and by whiche they be gyuen duelye, and so as they ought to be, and by whiche al­so they be preserued from defalte as moche as is possyple to the Actes of men. [Page] But suche maner thynge the lawe, when the gouernour is appoynted to gyue cyuyle iudgementes accordynge to it / ergo the instytucyon or makynge of a lawe is necessarye in a cōmen welthe. The fyrste proposicion of this syllogisme is in a maner euydent and knowen of it selfe / and very nere vnto the fyrste pryncyples (as they are called) whiche can not be proued by any thynge more euydent, then they be them selues / the certentie wherof also ought, and maye be taken of the. v. chapitre of this diccion, and the. vii. parte therof. The seconde proposycion of this demonstracyon shall be made euydent by this / sayeng that to the completemēt of a iudgement in goodnes, (that is to saye, to this that any iudgement be perfecte­ly good) is requyred ryght and vncorrupte affeccyon of the iudges / and also true knowledge of the thyngꝭ that be to be iudged / the contraries of whiche two thynges done corrupte cyuyle iudgementꝭ. For the croked wronge & lewde affeccyon Iudgꝭ be cor­rupted throu­ghe euyll af­feccyon. of the iudge, as hatted / loue or couetousnes: puerteth y ^e desyre of the iudge. But al these thyngꝭ be kept away from iudgement & iudgment is preserued from these / when the iudge or gouernour shal be appoynted or assygned to gyue iugementꝭ, accordynge to the lawes / because the lawe is without all peruerse affeccyon / for it is not made onely for the frende, or for the enemye, or for hym that dothe good, or hym y ^• doth hurte / but it is made vnyuersally or generally for hym who soeuer he be y ^t doth Cyuylye wel or cyuylye euyll / for all the other thyngꝭ ar but accidentall to the lawe & without the lawe, but they be not so without the iudge / for the persones whiche be sette to be iudged maye eyther be frendes, or enemyes profytable or noysome persones to hym, that sytteth as iudge by gyuynge or promysyn­ge somwhat eyther good or euyll to hym. And so lykewyse in all suche intency­ons, whiche maye cause in a iudge affeccyon peruertynge or corruptynge his iudgement / For whiche consyderacyon, no maner iudgement (as moche as possyble is) oughte to be cōmytted and put all togyther to the arbytrement or wyll & pleasure Derye fewe thynges be to be cōmyted to the pleasur of the Iudges. of the iudge / But oughte to be determyned by the lawe, and sentence or iud­gement to be pronounced and gyuen of them, accordynge to the same lawe. And this was the sentence of Arystotle in the thyrde of his Polytykes & the. xi. chapytre, wherin purposynge to serche out, wherther it is better for a cōmen wele to be gouerned of the beste man without any lawe, or elles of the beste lawe he saythe in this wyse, that thyng is better to gouerne, or to be iudge, whiche hathe no pas­syon at all, that is to saye no maner affeccyon whiche maye peruerte the iudge­ment, than that thyng whiche hath passyons in hit selfe by nature, but the lawe is without all suche maner passyon or affeccyon, and the mynde of euery man muste nedes haue passyons in it, he sayth of euery man, exceptyng no man be he Mānes mynde is not without synyster affeccyons. neuer so vertuous, whiche sentence he repetynge agayne in the fyrste boke of his Rhetorikes and the fyrste chapytre sayth thus. Omnium quidem maximū quer [...] tur scilicet nihil as (que) lege iudicandum relinque debet arbitrio iudicātis. &c. That is to say, of all thynges it is moste necessarye that no thynge be lefte to the arby­tryment or pleasure of the iudge, to be iudged without a lawe, Quia iudicium legislatoris. No thynge is to be iudged without a lawe. &c. for the iudgement of the lawe maker (that is to saye the lawe) is not made for any pertyculer person, but it is of thynges to come and of generall thynges, but the offycer and the iudge syttynge in iudgement do iudge of thyngꝭ present & of determynate or ꝑtyculer thyngꝭ (& to these, that is to wyt, to the go­uernour and iugde) is oftentymes annexed loue or hatred & desyre of theyr owne synguler profyte / so that they can not yet suffycyently se the trouthe or ryghte in iudgement: but dothe regarde, and hathe respecte in iudgemente to theyr owne propre pleasure and profyte, or elles theyr owne dyspleasure and dysprofyte / and this also he sayth in the same fyrste boke and the seconde chapytre, when he sayth [Page 25] thus, we do not gyue lyke maner iugementes, when we be glad or mery, and Iugementes are geuen aft (er) dyuers ma­ners. whan we be sad or sorye, whan we do loue and whan we do hate agayne / the iu­gemente is corrupted otherwhyles by reason of the ignoraunce of the iudges, all thoughe they be of good affeccyon or intencyon whiche euyll or defaute: is taken awaye and is supplyed by the lawe: because in it is determyned in a maner par­fyghtly, what is ryght / and what is wronge / what is profytable, and what is noysome or hurtfull / as touchynge to euery one of the cyuyle actes of men. But this thynge coulde not be suffycyently done by any one man alone / nor yet per­aduēture all the men of any one tyme coulde not be able to fynde out and deuyse or to kepe and holde in rememberaunce all the cyuyle actes, whiche are determyned in the lawe / ye moreouer all that euer the fyrste fynders out / or deuysers and The lawe whiche at the begynnynge is vnperfyte, is finysshed & made perfyte by the addicyons of them y ^t come after. also all the men of the same tyme whiche obseruyd and marked the cyuyle actes of men, dyd saye of them was but a very small thynge & an vnperfyghte / whiche afterwarde was made perfyghte and fynysshed by the addycyons of those men, that came after theyr tyme, which thynge it is easye ynoughe to perceyue, by the experience that we haue had / as in that that some thynges haue ben added to the lawes, and some thynges taken awaye from the same / & other whyles howe the lawes hathe ben chaunged in to the cōtrary, accordynge to the dyuersyte of ages and also accordynge to the dyuersyte of the state of tymes euen in one & the same age / and hereunto Arystotle beareth wytnesse in the seconde boke of his polyty­kes and the thyrde chapytre whan he sayd thus / this thynge we ought to knowe that we ought to haue respecte and to loke vnto longe tyme and to many yeres Long delybe­racyon is to be taken be­fore that any sentence or lawe be pro­nounced. aforegone / in whiche yeres we muste knowe whether these thynges haue done well, or els no / that is to wyt, these thynges, whiche ought to be instytuted and ordayned as lawes / the same he sayth also in the fyrst boke of his thetorykes and in the fyrst chapytre. Afterwardes he sayth, geuynge of lawes are made of thyn­ges, which hath ben consydered and had in delyberacyon a long season. And this thynge is confyrmed by reason, for the makynge or gyuynge of lawes, requyreth and nedeth prudence and wysdome / as it appered heretofore of the descrypcion of this worde lawe, and wysdome requyreth longe experyence / and experyence re­quyreth Prudence re­quyreth long experyence. longe tyme / wherfore in the. vi. boke of the Ethikes and the. viii. chapy­tre, it is wryten thus. A token of this whiche we haue sayde, is this / for many yonge men are geomatricions and mathematycans & wyse or hauynge know­lege in suche thynges / but not therfore euen by and by prudent / & the cause hereof is, because that prudence is of synguler or pertyculer thynges: whiche are made knowen by experyence / nowe a yonge man wanteth experyence / for it is longe what maketh an experte man. contynuaunce of tyme: that causeth or maketh experyence / And therfore that, whiche one man alone fyndeth out or may knowe by hym selfe alone, as well in the knowlege of thynges which are ryghtuous and profytable in a cyuyle cōmunyte, as in other sciences: is very lytell or els no thynge / Agayne also that, which Artes ar not made perfyte by one man alone. the men of one age or tyme can obserue or marke: is but an vnperfyghte thynge, in comparyson of that thynge, whiche is obserued or marked of men of many dyuers ages or tymes / and therfore Aristotle treatynge of theinuencyon and fyn­dynge out of the trouth, as touchynge to euery arte or dyscyplyne and scyence, in his secōde boke of Phylosophie and the fyrst chapitre, sayth thus / as concernyng the inuencyon of any arte or scyence deuysed by one mans wyt onely, lytle or no thynge of the assured truthe in the same scyence can be founde by hym / but y ^t that is gathered togyther in the same scyence by the wittes of many men, may drawe to some quantytie of truthe. But after the translacyon out of the arabical tonge this texte is more open and playne / the meanynge wherof is this / & eche one of [Page] them, that is to wyt, of the deuysers and fynders out of any maner arte or dyscy­plyne perceyued outher very lytell, or els nothynge of the verytie or trouthe. But whan all those thynges shal be gathered togyther, whiche al men hath comprehē ­ded, & obserued or marked: than the hoole shal amounte to sūme quantite or greatnes / whiche thynge maye be moste euydentlie perceyuyd by the scyence of Astro­nomye / so than by the helpe that men haue had amonge them selues eche one of other, and by the addycyon of the thynges afterwardes founde, vnto the thyngs How or wher of craftes ha­the takē theyr perfeccyon. afore founde: all craftes and dyscyplynes hathe receyued they: pefeccyon / whiche thynge Arystotle fygurallie by an example declareth in the same place, aboute the inuēcyon or fyndynge of Musyke, whan he sayd / yf Timotheus had not ben we shuld not haue moche melodie, or we shuld lacke a great parte of musyke / but yf Phrynes had not ben: Tymothe shuld neuer haue ben so perfyghte in melody­es: Who were the fyrste inuen­tours of mu­syke. that is to wyt yf he had not had the thynges inuented afore by Phrines / whi­che wordes Auerois expoundynge in the seconde cōmente sayth thus / And that whiche Arystotle saythe in this chapitre: is euydent and manyfeste / for no man may or is able by hym selfe, to inuente or fynde out the practyue or speculatyue scyences, for the more parte / for they are not made complete or perfyghte: but by the helpe which he that was before-hath lefte to hym that foloweth or cōmeth af­ter. And the same he sayth in the last chapytre of the seconde boke of the Eleuches of the inuencyon of Retoryke, and of all other scyences howe soeuer it be of the inuencyon of Logyke / whiche Aristotle ascribeth perfyghtlie and holye to hym Arystotle bo­steth hym self alone to haue ben the fyrste inuenter of logyke. selfe alone, without y ^e inuēcyon or helpe of any other man y ^t was afore his tyme wherin he semeth to haue ben syngulare amonge all other / but this he saythe in the. viii. boke of the Etikes & the fyrst chapitre. Two men ioynynge them selues togyther, may or are able to do and to perceyue more / vnderstāde thou, than one man alone. But yf it be so, that two men may do and perceyue more: moch more than moo than two, both togyther. and also successyuelie, may do and perceyue more than one man alone / and this is it whiche Aristotle saythe concernynge this present purpose in the thyrde of the politikes and the. xi. chapitre. But perauenture it shall seme to some man agaynst reason that one man shulde perceyue & dyscerne better, iudgynge with. ii. iyes and. ii. eares / or els that he shulde worke better with his. ii. feete and. ii. handes: than many men with many iyes / eares / feete / and hādes / for as moche therfore as the lawe is an iye made of many iyes / that is to saye, a comprehencyon or knowlege examyned of many comprehensyons, The lawe was signyfy­ed of the olde wyse men by the iye. to the auoydynge of erroure aboute the cyuyle iudgmentes / and iudgynge ryght or well: it is the more sure waye and lesse ieopardouse, that such iudgementes be done accordynge to the lawe, than accordynge to the arbrytrement or wyll and pleasure of the iudge / And for this cause it is necessarie, that a lawe be made and set / yf cōmune weales shulde be very well ordred as touchynge to the cyuyle ryghtes and vtylytyes of them / for by the lawe, the cyuyle iudgementes are pre­serued from the ignoraunce, and from the peruerse or croked affeccyon, whiche elles myght be in the iudges / And this was the seconde proposycyon and the mi­nor (as they call it) of our demonstratiue sillogisme, by whiche from the begyn­nynge Why & wher­fore lawes at necessarie. of this chapytre, we haue gone a boute to proue, that it is necessarie, that lawes be had in a cōmune weale / but howe, and in what maner a stryfe or cyuy­le cause and controuersie rysen, whiche is not determyned by the lawe, ought to be defyned and determyned or iudged / it shall be shewed in the. xiiii. chapitre of Let the iudge determine nothynge with­out a lawe. this diccyon. To conclude than, lawes are necessarie for the excludynge of the malyce, and erroure or ignoraunce of the iudges, from cyuyle iudgementes or sentences / And for these consyderacyons Arystotle counsayled, that to no iudge or [Page 26] gouernour shuld be graunted arbrytrement or fre lybertie, to iudge or cōmaunde of cyuyle maters without a lawe, in suche thynges, wherin the law myght haue determyned / wherfore in the. v. boke of the Etikes and the syxte chapytre Ary­stotle treatynge of iustyce and iniurye: saythe in this wyse / for this cause we do not suffre a man to gouerne and rule, but acordyng to reason / that is to wyt, accordynge to the lawe / And he assygneth the cause here afore alledged / that is to wyt, the peruerse and croked affeccyon whiche maye happen or chaunce to be in hym. Also in the thyrde boke of the politikes and the. vii. chapytre he saythe thus By the answere to the fyrste doubte or questyon / it is euydent & open, that none other thynge ought so moche to gouerne and rule: as the lawes whiche are well made / that is to say, as they whiche gouerneth & ruleth accordynge to the lawes. The same also he sayth in the same. iii. boke and the. xii. chapytre in this wyse / who soeuer therfore byddeth or wylleth the lawe to gouerne and rule: he semeth to byd or wyll, god and the lawes to gouerne / but he that byddeth or wylleth, a man to gouerne: vnderstande without a lawe after his owne pleasure: he ioyneth or putteth to also a beeste / and he sheweth the cause why he so sayth a lytle after, sayenge / Propter quod sine appetitu intellectus lex est, as who shulde saye, that A goodly sentence. the lawe is vnderstandynge and knowledge or reason without appetite or luste / that is to saye without any affeccyon / and this same sentence he repeteth also in his fyrst boke of retorykes and the fyrst chapytre, where he saythe thus / it is most conuenyent therfore, that the well made lawes do determyne all thynges, what soeuer doth happen or chaunce / and to cōmytte very fewe thynges to the arbrytrement of y ^e iudges: and he assygneth there the afore alledged causes / that is to wyt the exclusyon or auoydynge of the malyce or ignoraunce of the iudges, from the cyuyle iudgementes / which sayd malyce or erroure and ignoraunce can not chaū ce to be in the lawe lykewyse as they maye in the iudges / as it hathe ben shewed here before. And Arystotle speaketh more largelye than thus, openlye in the. iiii. boke of his politikes and the. iiii. chapytre, sayenge in this wyse / where the law­es do not gouerne and rule: that is to saye where the prynces and rulers do not gouerne accordynge to the lawes: there is no cōmune weale / vnderstande thou temperate, or well ordred / for the lawe ought to be gouernoure and ruler ouer all. Nowe it resteth or remayneth to shewe, that all prynces and gouernoures ought to gouerne accordynge to the lawe, and not without or besyde it / and namelye moste of all other, these prynces or kynges, whiche are made gouernours with al theyr yssue or ofsprynge / that theyr kyngdome or powre maye be more sure from all maner ieopardye or peryll: and also may endure and cōtynue the longer / whiche was the secondarie fynall cause of the necessyre of lawes to be had, assygned of Hus in the begynnynge of his chapitre / and fyrste it may be proued by this / because to gouerne and rule accordynge to the lawes, preserueth the iudgmentes of the sayde gouernoures from the defaulte, whiche myght happen by the reason of the ignoraunce or peruerse affeccyon in them / by whiche lawes they beynge guy­ded and well ordred in theyr owne selues, and towarde theyr cōmunes or subiec­tes: do lesse suffre sedycyons and so consequentlye do lesse suffre solucyons or de­struccyons of theyr kyngdomes, whiche myght happen or chaunce to them, do­ynge lewdlie accordynge to theyr wyll and pleasure / as Arystotle sayth openlye in the. v. boke of his polytykes, and the. x. chapytre. Regnum (sayth he) that is to saye a kyngdome: is very seldome or lytle destroyed of those thynges, whiche are extrynsecall & without it selfe / but of it selfe and of intrynsecall causes it chaun­ceth What thynge destroyeth kyngdomes. very ofte to be corrupted and destroyed / and that. ii. maner wayes / the one is whan sedicyon ryseth betwene them which are partyners of the kyngdome. The [Page] seconde waye is whan they begyn to rule and gouerne tyrannously, desyrynge and wyffynge to be fordes of many, and contrarye to the lawe / But perauentu­re some man wyll obiecte agaynst me, and saye that the best man or a very good man is without ignoraunce, & peruerse or croked affeccyon. But let Hus make answere and saye: that this cōmeth to passe very seldome / and thoughe it chaunce one very good man to be without passyons: yet is he not so moche without them as y ^e lawes is / as we haue shewed heretofore by the auctoryte of Arystotle, by reason / and sensyble experyence / that euery mānes soule or mynde hath other why­les some synystre affeccyon / whiche thynge we maye byleue by y ^t whiche is red in the. iiii. chapytre of Danyel / where mēcyon is made, y ^t there came. ii. preestes of a wycked mynde & purpose, agaynst Susāna / y ^t they myght put her to deth & they The hystorye of Susanne. were olde men, & preestes, & the iudges of the people y ^t yere / which al this notwithstādynge yet gaue false testymony & wytnesse agaynst her, because she wold not cōsent & applye her selfe to theyr wycked & fylthie cōcupyscēce & lust. Nowe ther­fore, yf they that were preestes / & aged men (of whom a man wolde lytle thynke it) were corrupted throughe catnall concupyscence, and howe moche more than through couetousnes and other vyces: what is to be thought of other men? doubt­les that no man▪ be he neuer so vertuous: can be without peruerse or corrupte af­feccyon, and ignoraunce: so as the lawe is. And therfore it is most sure way, that the cyuyle iudgementes be dyrected by the lawe: than to be cōmytted to the arby­trement or wyll of the iudge, be he neuer so vertuouse a man. But to the case put and admytted (whiche for all that is a very seldome thynge, and in a maner im­possyble) that there were a prynce or gouernoure so heroycall and passynge ver­tuous, that there coulde be neyther passyon, neyther ignoraunce in hym: yet may it be that his sones shall be subiecte to some synystre and euyll affeccyon, wherof the rulynge accordynge to theyr wylfull affeccyon, without any certayne lawe or ordre, may ensue moche inconuenyence to the whiche yf ye wyll replye, saynge y ^t theyr father beynge so good a man as is before supposed peraduenture wyl not delyuer his powre or auctoryte to them / I answere that suche sayenge is not to be beleaued or regarded / partlye, because it lyeth not in hym to depryue them of his successyon or inherytaunce of his kyngdome. for as moche as it is due, and belongeth to the successours or yssue of that kynred: & partelye, because althoughe it were in his powre to translate the regall powre vnto whom soeuer he lyst: yet wolde he not dysheryte his owne sones, were they neuer so lewde and vngracy­ous as the thynge wherof cōmenlye he hathe no knowledge / wherfore Arystotle in his thyrde boke of politikes and the xi. chapytre, answerynge to this obieccy­on: sayth in this wyse / it is not easye to beleue this: that is to wyt, that the father wyll dysheryte his owne sones of his kyngdome and powre / for it is an harde thynge: and of greatter vertue than belongeth to the nature of man / wherfore it is expedyent to the prynces or gouernours, to be rather ruled and determyned by the lawe / than to gyue cyuyle iudgementes after theyr owne wyll and pleasure for in doynge accordynge to y ^• lawe / they shal do nothyng, that shal be otherwyse than well, or worthy reproue / by the reason wherof, theyr kyngdome and powre shall be made the more sure from all daunger and also more contynuall and durable. And this was the cause the counsayle of the most excellent phylosopher Arystotle, vnto all prynces and gouernours (wherof for all that they take lytell heade) in his fyfthe boke of y ^e politikes and the. xi. chapytre, whan he sayde thus The fewer thyngꝭ that they haue powre ouer (vnderstāde thou without a lawe) so moche the longer tyme euery kyngdome or powre muste nedes contynue / for [Page 27] they that is to wyt, the prynces and gouernours selues / are the lesse lordely / and are made more demure in theyr maners / and also are the lesse enuyed at of theyr subiectes / and by and by after he bryngeth in the testymonye of a certayne wyse kynge or gouernoure called Theopompus / whiche gaue from hym parte of the Theopōpue. powre and auctoryte graunted vnto hym / wherfore we haue iudged it conueny­ent, to brynge in here the texte and very wordes of Arystotle: because of the syn­gularyte and excellent vertue of this prynce, suche as neuer in a maner hath ben herde by the space of many hendreth yeres, to haue ben in any other prynce. The wordes of Arystotle are these. And afterwardes Theopōpus measur [...]ge, that The exam­ple of Theopompus. is to saye mynysshynge or bryngynge more to a meane his powre, whiche perad­uenture semyd to excede measure: added the offyce or auctoryte of them whiche were called Ephory, in dede mynysshynge the powre: that is to wytte his owne powre / but yet makynge the regall powre more, and increasyn­ge it in tyme / that is to saye makynge it more durable / wherfore after a certayne maner he made it not lesse / but more so as men saye, that he answered to his wyfe, whan she asked the questyon of hym, whether he were not ashamed, to leaue the regall powre lesse to his sones: than his father had lef­te hym / no verely saythe he / for I leaue it nowe to them moch more durable O heroycallvoyce of Theo­pompus, procedynge of his metuaylous great wysdome / and greatly to be noted of them whiche without the lawes wyll vse fulnes of powre ouer theyr subiectes / whiche sentence many prynces and gouernoures nothynge markynge or takynge hede of it / haue had a fall, and ha­ue ben destroyed. And we our selues haue sene It is not la­wefull for a prynce to gre­ue his subiec­tes with any eyaccyon contrary or besy­de and without the lawe. nowe in our tyme for lacke of takynge hede hereof, not the leaste kyngdome of all in a maner hole lyke to be destroyed: whyles a certayne prynce or gouernoure therof, wolde haue charged his subiectes, and layde vpon theyr neckes a certayne vnwonte exaccyon, and contrarye to the lawe. So than of these thynges whiche we haue sayd it is euydent open / that lawes are necessarye in cōmune weales. yf they ought vtterly to be well ordered, & the kyngdomes or regall powers to cōtynue longe and endure.

[Page] ¶ Of the effectyue cause of the lawes of man / both of that cause, whiche maye be proued by demonstratyue sillogysme: and also that cause, whiche can not be proued by demon­stracyon / whiche thyng is nought elles, but to serche out the lawe maker.
The, xii, chapytre,

HOwe it foloweth consequentlye, to speke of the effectyue cause of lawes / whiche cause may be shewed by demonstracyon / for of that instytucyon of lawes, whiche is possyble to be made or hathe ben made imedyatly by the worke or reuelacyon & oracle of god, with­out mannes arbytrement or wyll (after whiche maner we sayde a fore the lawe of Moyses to haue ben instytuted, euen also as touchynge to those preceptes of cyuyse actes whiche are in it for the state of this presente worlde) I entende not here to make assygnacyon / but onely of that instytucyon of lawes, and of prynces or gouernours: which is made, or brought forthe and caused īmedyatly of the wyll and arbytrement of the mynde of man / vnto whiche assygna­cyon we no we begynnynge to entre in / let Hus saye, that to fynde out the lawe taken as it were materyallie and accordynge to this thyrde sygnyfycacyon (that is to wytte, the knowledge of the thynges ryghtuouse, and the thynges profyta­ble in a cōmune weale or cyuyle cōmunyte) may belonge and appertayne to any The dyscryp­cyon of the lawe maner cytezen or persone of the cyuyle cōmunyte / albeit that this inquysycyon maye be more conuenyentlie done by the obscruacyon of them that may intende to suche inquysycyon / as of the moste aged men, and hauynge moste experyence of cyuyle actes, whome they do call predent or worldlye wyse men / than by the consyderacyon of artyfycers or handycraftes men, whiche must intende, and dy­lygently applye them selues to theyr workes and occupacyons, for to gette the thynges necessarye to the sustentacyon of theyr lyfe. But because the true know­ledge or inuencyon of the thynges ryghtuouse, and of the thynges profytable in a cyuyle cōmunyte, and of theyr contraryes, is not a lawe accordynge to the last and the moste propre sygnyfycacyon of this worde, by whiche it is made the measure of the cyuyle actes of men, vnlesse it be, whan a coactyue precepte shall haue ben gyuen of the obseruacyon therof, or elles that it hathe ben gyuen by the ma­ner of suche precepte, by hym, by whose auctoryte the trangressoures ought and maye be ponysshed / therfore it is conuenyent and accordynge, to tell or shewe, to what persone or persones the auctoryte belongeth of gyuynge suche maner prece­pte, and of ponysshynge the transgressours of it whiche thyng is nothynge elles: but to make inquysycyon, and to serche out who is the gyuer or maker of the la­we / And lette vs saye accordynge to the trouth, and to the counsayle of Arystot­le He meaneth here of those lawes which do passe by acte of parlya­ment. in the thyrde of his politikes, and the syxte chapytre, that the lawe maker or the chefe and propre cause effectyue of the lawe: is the people or the hole multytu­de of the cytezens inhabytauntes / or elles the byggest parte of the sayde multytu­de, by theyr eleccyon or wyll by wordes expressed in the generall congregacyon [Page 28] parlyamente or assemble of the cōmunes cōmaundynge or determynynge any thynge to be done, or to be lefte vndone, aboute the cyuyle actes of men, vnder a temporall payne or ponysshement / the bygger parte I meane the quantyte con­sydered in that cōmunyte (vpon whiche that lawe is gyuen) whether the hole multytude aforesayde of the people in that cōmunyte, or elles the bygger parts therof do this by theyr selfe imedyatly / or elles shall haue cōmytted it to some per­sone or persons, to be done of hym or them / which persone or persons are not, ney­ther maye be vtterly and holly and generally the maker of the lawe: but they are onely after a certayne maner / and otherwhyles / and by the auctoryte of the pryncypall lawe maker / and consequently to this I do saye / that by the same pryncy­pall auctoryte, and by none other / the lawes, ought to take theyr necessary approbacyon / Moreouer I saye, that of the same auctoryte the lawes, ought to take addycyon, or dymynucyon, or theyr hole mutacyon / interpretacyon / suspencyon accordyngly as the places and tymes, and other cyrcumstances dothe requyre: to whiche any of these aforesayde thynges shal be mete or conuenyent, for the com­mune profyte / and by the same auctoryte also, the lawes ought to be publysshed or proclaymed after the instytucyon of them / lefte any man, outher cytezen, or straunger, trespassynge agaynst them: myght be excused by the ignoraunce of them. And a cytezen or cōmuner (which in the latyn worde is called ciuis) I call hym, accordynge to the mynde of Arystotle in the thyrde boke of his politikes, Howe the promulgacyon of lawes is to be made. and the fyrste / the thyrde / and the. vii. chapytres, whiche is in habylytie to be part taker in the cyuyle cōmunyte of the publyke powre & auctoryte of counsaylynge of iudgynge / & gouernyng / or bearyng offyce / accordyng to his degre / by whiche discripcion, chyldren are excluded & bondmen / straūgers / & women / from y ^e name of cytezens or cōmuners / though after a dyuers maner / for y ^e chyldren of cytezens The dyscrypcyon of a cy­tezen. &c. or cōmuners & fre men, are ciues in potencia propinqua / that is to say in a nyghe possybylyte: wantynge nothynge but onely suffycyent age and dyscrecyon. And whiche is bygger parte of the cytezens: we muste consydre & iudge accordyng to y ^e honest custome & vsage of y ^e cyuyle cōmunytes / or els we ought to determyne it / The auctory­te of makige or gyuynge lawes. accordynge to the mynde of Arystotle, in the. vi. boke of his politikes, & the thyrde chapy [...]. Nowe therfore after we haue thus determyned what is a cytezen / & what is the stronger and bygger partye of cytezens or cōmuners: let vs nowe retorne to our purpose intended / that is to wytte, to shewe by demonstracyon, that the humayne auctoryte of makynge lawes appertayn to the hole multytude of cyte­zens, or cōmuners, & fre men or els to y ^e bygger parte of them assembled in the parlyament whiche we shall go about to proue, fyrst in this wyse: for vnto them belō geth the fyrst & very pryncypall humayne auctoryte of y ^e makynge & instytucyon of humayne lawes / of whome onely the best lawes maye procede and be brought forth / but suche is the hole multytude or congregacyon of cytezens, or the bygger parte of it, whiche representeth the hole multytude / for it is harde or vnpossyble, that all the persons in a cōmune weale shulde agre vnto one sentence / & be all of one mynde / because of the vnperfyte nature of certayne men, outher of malyce, or els throughe ignoraunce, dyscordynge and dysagreynge from the cōmune sen­tence or iudgement / for all whose vnresonable contradyccyon and gaynsaynge, the cōmune vtylytes or profytes ought not to be letted or lefte vndone / wherfore it maye be concluded, that vnto the hole congregacyon or multytude of cytezens or fre men, or elles to the bygger parte of them gathered in the parlyament: belon­geth the auctoryte of instytucyon or makynge of lawes / The fyrste proposycyon or (as they call it) y ^e maior of this demonstracyon, is in a maner euydent ynough [Page] of it selfe, and very nere to those whiche are called pryncyples albeit the strength and vttermost certaynte of it, maye be taken of the. xi. chapytre of this dyccyon / and the seconde proposycyon called the minor, that is to wyt, that by the hearyn­ge and cōmaundement of the hole multytude onely, the best lawe is instytuted or made I proue, supposynge with Arystotle in the thyrde of his positikes and the. viii. chapytre. that lawe to be beste, whiche is gyuen to the cōmune profyte of the cytezens / wherfore he sayde in this wyse those lawes are ryght or good whiche egally and indyfferentlye haue respecte to the vtylyte of the hole cyuyle cōmu­nyte, and to the cōmune welthe or good of all the cōmunee, or inhabytaunce of the sayde cōmunyte / And that this maye be done best onely by the hoole multytude The best law is that which helpeth to the cōmune pro­fyte. of the cytezens, or by the byggest parte of it (whiche from hensforthe lette it be supposed to be bothe one) I proue thus / for the veryte or trouthe of that thynge is more suerly iudged, and also the cōmune vtylyte of it is more dylygently consyde red and marked, vnto whiche thynge the hole multytude of cytezens geueth hede with all theyr wytte or reafon, and also affeccyon / for the greatter the multytude is the better it maye perceyue the defaulte that is aboute the lawe whiche is pur­posed to be made or instytuted than maye any patre, what soeuer it be, of the sayde Howe and of whom y ^e law is to be gyuē. multytude. For as moche as euery bodely thynge beynge hole / is at the leaste wyse greatter in quantyte and vertue: than is any parte therof by it self. Agayn the cōmune vtylyte of the lawe is more consydered and regarded or taken hede of of the hole multytude / for as moche as no man wyttynglye doth hurte his owne selfe, but there euery man maye consydre, whether the lawe purposed do more de­clyne or leane to the profyte of any certayne persone or persones, than to the profyte of the other, or of the cōmunyte / And also may speake agaynst it, to the contratie / whiche thynge coulde not be done, yf the lawe were gyuen or made by any In all this longe tale he speaketh not of the rascall multytude, but of the parlyament persone, or els a fewe certayne persones, regardynge and hauynge respecte more to theyr owne propre vtylyte / than to the cōmune profyte / And to this sentence helpeth well all those thynges / whiche we haue sayde and spoken concernynge to the necessytie of lawes to be had, in the. xi. chapytre of this [...]sent dyccyon. Nowe agayne to the pryncypall conclusyon I reason thus. The auctorite of makynge or gyuyng lawes, belōgeth onely to that ꝑsone or persones by whom they beyng made or gyuen, are better or elles vtterlye obserued / but suche is onely the hoole multytude: ergo to the hole multytude onely, belongeth the auctoryte of instytu­tynge or makynge lawes. The fyrste proposycyon of this sillogisme is a maner euydent of it selfe, and very nere to the pryncyples / for the lawe shulde be voyde, & serue for nothynge / yf it were not obserued / wherfore Arystotle in the. iiii. of his politikes and, the. viii. chapytre, sayth thus it is no good instytucyon of lawes: yf there be lawes well made or set, but not obeyed. And agayne in the. vi. boke of the same politikes, and the. viii. chapytre he sayth thus / it auayleth nothynge at all, to gyue sentences or iudgementes of ryghtfull thynges / yf they be not put in execucyon / and the seconde proposycyon of this sillogysme I proue for that lawe is better obserued and kepte of euery manerman of the cytie / whiche euery man semeth to haue made by the hearynge and by the precepte of the hole multytude of the cōmunes / ergo. &c. The fyrst proposycyon of this last sillogysme is in in a maner euydent by it selfe. For in as moche as a cytie is a cōmunyte of fre men, as it is wryten in the thyrde boke of the politikes and the. iiii. chapytre / euery cytezen A cytie is a cōmune societie of fre mē. ought to be fre, and not to suffre or beare the seruyle domynyon of an other man But this coulde not be brought to passe, yf any one man or elles a fewe per­sones of the cyuyle cōmunyte, dyd gyue or make a lawe by theyr owne pryuate [Page 29] and propre auctoryte ouer the hoole multytude of cytezens / for so they that dyd make the lawe / shulde be lordes of the other / and therfore the other cytezens, that is to wytte the more parte, shulde be greued and myscontente with suche lawe / were it neuer so good / or elles perauenture wolde in no wyse receyue that lawe / but because they were contemned and despysed, and because they were not called to counsayle at the makynge of the lawe they shall speake agaynst it and in no wese obserue or obaye it / But the lawe whiche is made or gyuen by the iudge­ment or consent of the hole multytude althoughe it were lesse profytable eche one of the cyuyle cōmnnyte shulde easelye obserue and be contente with it for as mo­che as euery man shulde seme to haue ordayned or made that lawe to hym selfe / and therfore he ought not to speake agaynst it but rather to suffre it with a quy­ete mynde. Nowe agayne to the pryncypall conclusyon I reason thus / for that agyble or operable thynge in the due instytucyon wherof consysteth and resteth the moste parte of the cōmune suffycyencye of the cytezens in this lyfe and in the euyll instytucyon wherof most cōmune hurte is lykely to ensue or folowe ought onely to be instytuted by the hole multytude in the cyuyle cōmunyte but such maner thynge is the lawe ergo the instytucyon of it belongeth onely to the hole mul­tytude. &c. The fyrste proposycyon of this syllogysme is so euydent of it selfe that in a maner it is as vndoubted as any pryncyple and it is grounded vpon the im­medyate verytes whiche hath ben put in the. iiii. and. v. chapytres of this dyccyon for men came togyther and assembled to the cyuyle socyete for profyte and the suffycyencie of lyfe to be gotten and y ^e contratie to be auoyded. Those thynges ther­fore whiche toucheth the cōmune or dysprofyte of all men oughte to be knowen & herde of all men that they may get the profyte and auoyde the contrarye. But su­che maner thynges are the lawes as we sayde in the seconde proposycyon of this syllogysme for in the lawes well made or in the well makynge of the lawes con­systeth a great parte of all and the hole suffycyence of mānes lyfe / and vnder vn­iuste lawes is nought elles but the bondage and oppressyon and myserye into l­lerable of the cytezens by reason wherof in conclusyon chaunceth destruccyon of the cōmune weale / And agayne this is as it were an abbreuyacyon or some of the demonstracyons afore gone / Duther the auctoryte of makynge lawes appertayneth to y ^• hole multytude as we haue sayd, or els to one mā or to a fewe men. But to onely one it doth not for a truth belonge, for cause of those thynges whi­che hath ben sayd in the. xi. chapytre of this dyccyon / & in y ^e fyrste demonstracyon whiche we brought in for y ^e same purpose, for he myght by y ^e reason of ignoraūce or malyce or els both make an euyll & vnryghtuous lawe / by lokyng more to his owne peculyer profyte than to the cōmune profyte, by reason wherof it shuld be a tyrānycal lawe, & for the same cause also it belongeth not to a fewe men for they myght do amysse in makyng the lawe as we haue sayd to the syngulet or party culet profyte of a certayne fewe persons & not to the cōmune profyte, as we may take exāple in those cōmunyttes where a fewe myghty men doth gouerne & rule wherfore to conclude the makynge of the lawes appertayneth to the vnyuersyte or hole multytude of cytezens, or to the bygger parte of the sayde multytude, of whom it is farre other and contrarye wese / than it is of one persone alone, or yet of a fewe / for in asmoche as by the lawe all men of the cyuyle cōmunyte ought to be measured, accordynge to due proporcyon, & for as moche as no man wyttyng­ly dothe hurte or wyll wronge to his owne selfe therfore of necessytie where all or els y ^e most parte shall wyll to make a lawe, it is not to be thought that they wyll make any but suche as shall be conuenyent to the cōmune profyte of the cytezens [Page] or cōmones, that is to wyt to them selues / and by the same demonstracyons one­ly the lesse extremyte as they do call it, that is to wytte this terme ma­kynge or geuynge of lawes, chaunged: it maye be proued that the approbacyon, interpretacyon, suspencyon of the lawe and other thynges purposed or reherced in the thyrde parte of this presente chapytre dothe appertayne and belonge to the auctoryte of the lawe maker or par­lyament.

¶ Of certayne obieccyons that maye be made agaynst the contentes of the chapytre last afore gone, and of the solucyon of the sayd obieccyons and more large manyfestacyon or decla­racyon of the present purpose.
The, xiii, chapytre,

BVt peraduenture some man shall doubte of these thyngꝭ whiche we haue sayde, dysputynge and reasonynge that the auctoryte of makynge of the instytucyon of lawes, dothe not appertayne or belonge to the hole mustytude in a cyuyle cōmunyte. Fyrst because that thynge whiche is euyll or croked, & without wysdom or dyscrecyon, for the most parte ought not to instytute or make a lawe / for these. ii. fawtes ought to be excluded from the lawe maker / that is to wytmalyce and ignoraunce / For the auoydynge of whiche. ii. fawtes in cyuyle iudgmentes, we proued the lawe to be necessarie in the. xi. chapitre of this dyccy­on / but suche maner one is the people or hole multytude of cytezens. For the most parte of those men are euyll and folysshe, as it is wrytten in the fyrste chapytre of Ecclestastes. The nombre of fooles is infynyte / agayne because hit is very harde or impossyble that many lewde & vnwyse men shal agre togyther in theyr sentences and iudgementes, whiche thynge is nothynge so of a fewe, and those vertuous men / wherfore hit appereth to be more profytable that the lawe be made orgyuen by a fewe men, than by the hole congregacyon and the superfluous multytude of cytezens or persons in y ^e cyuyle cōmunyte. Agayne there are in eue­ry cyuyle cōmunyte but fewe wyse and cōnynge and well lerned men in compa­ryson to the other vnlerned multytude. For as moche than as the lawe is more profytable made by wyse and well lerned men, than by ignoraūt and vnlerned men / it appereth that the auctoryte of makynge lawes appertayneth to a fewe & not to many or to all. Agayne that thynge is in vayne done by many, whiche maye be done by a fewe / sayenge than that the lawe may be made by wyse men whiche are but a fewe in nombre as it hath be sayde of vs / the hole multytude or the greater pte of it shuld in vayne be occupyed about y ^e makyng of it / wherfore to cōclude as it appereth y ^• auctoryte of makynge lawes doth not appertayne to the hole multytude or to y ^e bygger pte of them. ¶ Of y ^t whiche we haue supposed heretofore as a prynciple of thyngꝭ to be proued in this boke / that is to wyt, that all men done desyre the suffycyencie of lyfe, or a suffycyent lyfe & dothe eschewe [Page 30] or auoyde the contrarie, that is to saye insuffycyencie of lyfe, we haue proued by demonstracyon and concluded the cyuyle cōmunytie of them to be necessarie in the. iiii. chapitre of this dyccyon / for that that by suche cyuyle socyetie they may get and obtayne this suffycyencie a foresayde and without they can not / For whiche cause Arystotle also in the fyrst boke of his politykes and the seconde chapytre saythe / There is in all men by nature an appetyte and desyre to suche ma­ner cōmunyte that is to wyt cyuyle / of whiche veryte there foloweth an other necessarelie, and it is had in the. iiii. boke of the politykes and the. xii. chapytre / that is to wyt that the parte of the cōmunyte whiche wylleth and desyreth the cōmu­ne weale to stande / contynue / and to be preserued ought to be taken and had of more myght and strength, than that parte which wylleth not the cōmune weale to stande and to be preserued. For nature be kynde and of herselfe desyreth or wylleth no thynge for the most parte that maye be to her corrupcyon or destruccyon / for than suche desyre shuld be voyde or in vayne / ye moreouer who soeuer are not wyllynge that the cōmune weale shulde contynue, are counted amonge bonde men, not amonge cytezens or fre men of the cyuyle cōmunytye as are certayne straungers / wherfore in the. vii. boke of the polytykes and the. xiiii. chapytre it is sayde thus / All they ben to be nombred amongest bondmen and no good cyte­zens whiche wyll lyue insolentlie, wantonly, or lawles and it foloweth imedy­atlie after. And that there shulde be so many or so great a multytude of them in the gouernaunce of a cōmune weale / that is to wyt of those that are insolent or care not to lyue cyuylie: that they shulde be bygger or stronger than all these / that is to wyt whiche are wyllynge to lyue cyuylie, it is one of the thynges that are vnpossyble / and why it is vnpossyble it appereth and is euydent for yf it were so than shulde nature do amysse or fayle for the moste parte / yf than the bygger multytude of men dothe desyre the preseruacyon of the cōmune weale and wylleth it to stande, as it appereth before to be well proued, then must it therto of necessytie wyll and desyre that thynge also without the whiche the cōmune weale can not be preserued or contynued / and that is nothynge els saue a rule of ryghtuous and profytable thynges gyuen with a precepte or cōmaūdement called the lawe / and that because it is vnpossyble that a cytie gouerned of the best men accordynge to vertue shulde not be ordered by good lawes / as it is wryten in the. iiii. of the polytykes and the. viii. chapytre, and we haue proued it by demonstracyon in the. xi. chapytre of this dyccyon. The bygger multytude therfore of a cyuyle cōmunyte desyreth and are wyllynge to haue a lawe or els there shuld happen to be defaute and wante or imperfeccyon in nature / for the moste parte and moste cōmunelye / whiche thynge to be vnpossyble let it be supposed of naturall phylosophye / This thynge also whiche is as they call it a cōmen pryncyple, I take besyde the afore­sayde euydent and manyfest veryties that euery hole thynge is more or greater than the parte of it and this is true, bothe as touchynge quantyte or bygnes, and also as touchynge actyue power or vertue and accyon / wherfore it is euydentlie inferred or concluded by necessyte, that the hole multytude of cytezens or the byg­ger parte of it, whiche are to be taken bothe for one, may better dyscerne & iudge what is to be chosen or taken, and what is to be despysed or refused / than maye any parte of it by it selfe what soeuer it be / these thynges than supposed as open and euydent veryties it is easye to make answere and put by the obieccyons, by whiche some man wolde go aboute to proue and conclude that the auctoryte of makynge lawes apperteyneth not to the hole multytude or to y ^e bygger part of it in a cyuyle cōmunyte but to a certayne fewe persons. To the fyrste obieccyon therfore, where it is sayde that to that thynge whiche is leude or euyll belongeth [Page] not the auctoryte of makynge lawes: this proposycyon I graunte / and whan it is added that suche is the hole multytude of cytezens: this is to be denyed / for the pluralite or multytude of cytezens is neyther euyll or lewde neyther vndyscrete, in that respecte, that they ben many, or a multytude, for all or the moste parte of them are of ryght mynde and reason and of ryght affeccyon or apetyte to the go­uernaunce of the cōmune weale / and to those thynges which are necessarie to the preseruacyon and contynuaunce of the cōmune weale, as to the preseruacyon of good lawes / statutes, and costomes, as it hath ben shewed heretofore / for though not euery man or the greatter multytude of cytezens is a fynder out or the deuy­ser of lawes: yet for all that euery maner man may iuge of the thynges inuented and purposed to hym by an other man & dyscerne what is to be added or mynys­shed or els to be chaunged / wherfore yf in the maior or fyrste proposycyon by that whiche he calleth vndyscrete be vnderstanded or meaned that whiche by it owne selfe can not inuent or deuyse a lawe and ought not therfore as touchynge to the mo partes or particuler and synguler persons in it ought not to instytute a lawe than that proposycyon were to be denyed as which is euydentlie false as wytnesseth both sensyble experyence and also Arystotle in the thyrde boke of his polity­kes and the. vii. chapytre. Fyrst I saye induccyon or sensyble experyence beareth wytnesse for many men do iuge well of the qualyte of a pycture or house or of a shyppe and of other thynges made by crafte, which yet of them selues for all that coulde not inuent or fynde out & deuyse suche thynges / And Arystotle also bea­reth wytnesse to the same in the place afore alleged makynge answere to this pre­sent obieccyon by these wordes folowynge. For in certayne thynges (sayth Aris­totle) not onely he shall iuge neyther yet iuge best which hathe made or wrought them: but also other men, and he declareth this by example in many kyndes of handycraftes, doynge to vnderstande the same also of other thynges / Neyther it maketh any thynge agaynst vs where it is sayd that wyse men whiche are but Not onely wyse men cā discern what thynges are to be done. a fewe in nombre maye rather or better dyscerne the agyble or operable thynges whiche are to be instytuted and ordayned than the other multytude: for thoughe we do graūte this to be true yet for all that it foloweth not hereof that wyse men can better dyscerne the thynges whiche are to be instytuted and ordayned, than can the hole multytude, in whiche bothe they & also the other lesse learned or lesse wyse are comprehended / for euery hole thynge is greatter than is the parte of it, both in workynge, and also in dyscernynge or iudgynge. And this was vndoubtedlie / the sentence and mynde of Arystotle in the. iii. boke of his polytykes, and the. vii. chapitre: whan he sayd / Quare iuste dominās maiorum multitudo / that is to saye, the hole multytude or vnyuersyte of cytezens or the greatter parte ther­of whiche he meaneth by this worde multitudo ought of ryght to rule, cōcernyng the greatest thynges whiche are in a cōmune weale / & he sheweth the cause why / for of the hole multytude: the cōmentie, the learned counsayle, and the worshyp­fulles or headde offycers, are but eche of them a parte of a cōmume weale and the substance, rychesse, worshyp, wyt, wysdome, iudgemēt, discrecyon, of all them to gyther: is greatter, than it is of any one of them by hymselfe, or of any fewe of them, whiche do receyue or take vpon them the mynystracyon of the greatest offyces / or dygnytes / his entent is this / to saye, that the multytude of all companyes and orders of the cōmune weale beynge taken togyther / & so consequentlie that the iudgement of them togyther is more sure & without ieopardie: than is the iud­gement of any parte by it selfe / whether that parte be the rascal or poore cōmons (whiche he sygnyfyed hereby this worde cōcilium) as husbondmen / artyfycers / & suche other, or els whether it be pretorium, that is to saye, they whiche in iudge­ment [Page 31] are offycers helpynge the prynce or gouernour: as aduocates / men of lawe / and notaryes, or scrybes and regestres / or whether it be honorabilitas, that is to saye, the ordre or companye of the best and most worshypfull men: whiche are but very fewe in nombre, and whiche onely are conuenyently elected and chosen to bere the greatest offyces or dignytyes in y ^e cyuyle cōmunyties, what soeuer parte it be, taken seuerallye by it selfe / Agayne thoughe we do graunte (as it is trewe in very deade) that some vnlerned men can not so wel iudge of the lawe or of any other agyble thynge whiche is to be instytuted or ordayned, as can so many lear­ned men: yet for all that the nōbre of vnlerned men myght be made so great: that they beynge so great a multytude myght iudge euen as well of these thynges, ye Euen vnler­ned men also may dyscerne of lawes to be made. or elles better, than the lerned men beynge but a fewe in nombre. And Arystotle sayd this same in the place afore alledged, wyllynge to confyrme and strength or fortyfye this sentence / yf the multytude (say the Arystotle) be not ouer dull, ygnorante, and seruyle, albeit that eche one of them by hym selfe can not iudge so well as they that ben lerned or wyse, and hathe knowledge / yet for all that all they togyther shall iudge better / or at the least wyse not worse / And to that auctoryte Howe this auctorite stultorum infini­tus est mune­rus is to be taken and vn­derstanded. taken of the fyrste chapytre of ecclesiastes, that the nombre of fooles is infynyte / we ought to saye, that by this worde stultorum, in englisshe fooles, is to be vn­derstanded vnlearned men / or which gyueth not theyr mynde to lyberal workes whiche for all that hath vnderstandynge and iudgement of thynges to be done, thoughe not so moche as they whiche gyue theyr mynde to suche thynges / or elles perauenture by fooles, in that place, the whiche man sygnyfyed or meaned infy­dels: as saynt Iherome vpon that place / whiche infydels or myscreantes, ye haue they neuer so moche cūnynge and knowlege in worldely scyences / yet are they very starke fooles / accordynge to that sayenge of saynt Paule in the thyrde chapy­tre of y ^e fyrst epystle to y ^e Coryntheans / y ^e wysdome of this world, is foolysshnes afore god / the secōde obieccyon is of smal strēgth / for albeit y ^t it is more easy for a fewe men, to agre in one sentence or mynde, than many: yet is it not hereof con­cluded, that the sentence of a fewe, or of parte, is better, than the sentence of the hoole multitude, wherof y ^e sayd fewe are a porcyon or parte / for these fewe coulde not, ne wolde so well dyscerne and iudge the cōmune profyte: as coulde & wolde the hole multytude of cytezens / ye moreouer it were ieopardouse (as it hath appered of the thynges aforesayde) to cōmytte the makynge of the lawe to the arbytrement or iudgement of a fewe men / for perauenture they in makynge of the lawe wolde haue more respecte to the partyculer profyte of some persones, or of some company / than to the cōmune profyte / which thynge appereth euydently in them The makers of y ^e decretals had respecte all togyther to their owne synguser pro­fyte. whiche were makers of the decretalles of clerkes or the clergye / as we shall shewe also suffycyentlye in the. viii. chapytre of the seconde dyccyon / for hereof shulde begyuen certayne occasyon, and a waye opened to the regyment called Olygar­chia / lykewyse as whan the powre of makynge lawes is graunted to one man alone: an occasyon is gyuen to tyranny as we haue brought in and alledged heretofore in the. xi. chapytre of Arystotle in the. v. of the Etykes in his treatyse de iu­sticia / The thyrde obieccyon maye easely be put by, and answered vnto, by those Oligarchia is declared be fore in y ^e. viii. chapytre. thynges whiche hath ben sayd all redye / for albeit that by wyse men lawes may be better made than by vnlerned men / yet for all that it is not concluded hereof, that lawes be better made by onely wyse men, than by the hole multytude of cytezens / in the whiche multytude the aforesayde wyse men are also included / but the hole multytude of all these gathered togyther, myght, and wolde better dycerne the cōmune vtylyte or profyte, and the cōmune iustyce: than any of these partes taken seuerallye by them selues / yea thoughe it were of neuer so great wyse men [Page] wherfore they say not trewe, who soeuer sayth, that the vnlerned multytude doth hynder or let the eleccyon, and the apporbacyon of the truth and cōmune profyte or good / for rather they are a great helpe in this thynge: whan they are ioyned to them, that are more cūnynge, and whiche hathe more experyence / for albeit that they can not by them selues and of theyr owne wyttes inuente and fynde out the true thynges, and the profytable thynges, whiche are to be instytuted and ordayned / yet for all that they maye dyscerne and iudge the sayd thynges beynge inuented by other men, and purposed or moued vnto them, whether yf any thynge do seme for to be added / or mynysshed / or vtterlye chaunged / or dyspysed and refused in the sayd thynges put for the and moued to them / for a man perceyueth many thynges, and also may do or helpe to the fynysshynge or makynge perfyte of many thynges, after he hathe harde an other man speake: to the begynnynge or inuē cyon of the whiche thynges, he coulde not haue come by hym selfe, or by his owne wyt alone / for the inuencyon or fyrste fyndynge out of thynges / is very harde / wherfore Arystotle saythe in the seconde boke of Eleuches and the last chapytre / it is a very harde thynge, to fynde out the fyrst begynnynge of the trouth, in any The begyn­nīges of thynges are very harde to be founde out. maner dyscyplyne or scyēce / but y ^e begynnīge beyng ones foūde out / it is an easy thynge to adde or put to the resydue / wherfore to fynde out the begynnynges or pryncyples of scyences, and of artes, & of other tradycyons: it appertayneth not but vnto men of best and moste sharpe wyttes / but to those thynges whiche are inuented all redy / men of more course or grosse wyt may adde more / which for all that are not to be called herfore vndyscrete or fooles, because they can not inuēte or fynde out suche thynges by them selues of theyr owne wyttes / but rather they ought to be accompted in the nombre of good men / as sayde Arystotle in the fyrst of the etykes and the. iiii. chapytre / That man is best / whiche knoweth all thyn­ges That mā is best which of hym selfe koweth what thynges are to be done. of hym selfe, and nedeth no teachynge / and he agayne is a good man / which dothe obeye hym that sayth well, and gyueth hym good counsayle / that is to say whiche harkeneth to hym: and dothe not saye agaynst hym without reason or a cause. And therfore it is conuenyent and very profytable, that it be cōmytted to wyse & experte men, by the hole multytude of cytezens / to serche or to fynde out and to examyne the rules of the cōmune cyuyle iustyce and vtylytes or dysprofytes and of suche other lyke thynges, whiche rules are to be made lawes or statu­tes / so and after suche maner that outher of euery one of the pryncypall partes of the cyuyle cōmunyte, which were reakened vp in the. v. chapytre of this dyccyon and the fyrste parte therof / be certayne elected or chosen, but yet accordynge to the proporcyon of euery one of those partes / or elles that of all the cytezens gathered togyther all the aforesayd experte or wyse men be elected / And this shal be a con­uenyent and a profytable maner of assemblynge or cōmynge togyther for the inuentynge The maner of inuentyng or fyndynge out lawes. or deuysynge of lawes, without the noyaunce or harme of the other multytude / that is to wyt of vnlearned or lesse wyse men, whiche shulde do but lytle helpe or furtheraunce in the serchynge out of suche maner rules or lawes, & shulde be troubled and letted from theyr owne workes and necessarye occupacy­ons, whiche thynge shulde be chargeable and paynefull bothe to eche one seuerally / and also to all in cōmune / but suche rules beynge inuented and dylygently examyned, which are to be made lawes / ought to be put forth for to be approued or reproued / alowed or dysalowed, amonge the hole multytude of the cyuyle cōmu­nyte beynge congregated or assembled togyther / that yf to any of the cōmunes it shall seme, that any thynge ought to be added to them / or to be mynysshed and taken awaye from them / or to be chaunged / or to be vtterly despysed or refused / that he maye tell it, and shewe his mynde / for by the reason hereof the lawe [Page 32] maye be the more profytably instytuted or made / for as we haue aforesayde, the cytezens whiche are lesse learned or wyse, maye otherwhyles perceyue somwhat that is to be amended aboute the lawe purposed / whiche for all that coulde not haue inuented or founde out that lawe. And because the lawes to gyuen by the iudgment and consente of the hole and vnyuersall multytude / shall be better ob­serued and kepte / neyther any man shall haue any cause to speake or els to grud­ge agaynst them / and after that the sayde rules, whiche are to be made lawes, are publysshed and openly declared amonge the hole and vnyuersall cōgregacyon of the cytezens, and after that they whiche wolde speake or saye any thynge reaso­nably concernynge the sayd rules haue ben harde speake and saye theyr myndes, than ought there agayne to be chosen suche maner men, & after the maner which we haue aforesayde / or elles the aforesayde men to be confyrmed / whiche representynge y ^e stede & auctoryte of, y ^e hole multytude of cytezēs, shal apꝓue or dysalowe y ^e aforesayde rules sought forth & purposed, in the hole or in y ^e parte of them: or els y ^e hole multitude of the cytezēs togyther, or y ^e bygger parte of it shal do y ^e same: yf they lyst. After whiche approbacyon made: than the sayde rules are lawes, and are worthy so to be called, and not before / And these also onely of all humayne preceptes, after the publycacion or proclamacyon of them do oblygate and bynde the transgressours of them to cyuyle offence or blame and to cyuyle paine. So Whan lawes dothe bynde. than, that the auctoryte of the makynge or instytucyon of lawes, and to gyue a coactyue precepte of the obseruacyon of them, dothe appertayne or belonge onely to the hole multytude of cytezēs, or to the bygger parte therof, as to the effectyue cause / or to hym or to them, to whiche or to whome the sayde generall multytude shall graunt this auctoryte: I thynke that we haue suffycyently declared & shewed it by the thynges nowe aforesayd.

¶ Of the qualytes and dysposycyons or properties belongynge to a perfyte gouernour to y ^• ende y ^t it maye be knowen, what maner of persone a prynce or gouernour ought to be, and of what qua­lyte / wherof also it appereth, what is the conuenyent mater or sub­iecte (as they call it) of the lawes of man.
The, xiiii, chapytre,

HOw after the premysses we entende breyfelie to declare what maner of persone he ought to be, whiche shulde beare the offyce of a gouernour. There are. ii. intrinsecall habytes or qualytes and, propertyes belongynge to hym that shall be a perfyte gouernoure / whiche. What qualy­ties he that shal be a price or gouernour ought to ha­ue in hym. ii. qualytes can not be departed or dysseuered the one from the other / that is to wyt, prudence, and morall vertue / namely iu­styce or ryghtuousnes. The one, that is to wyt prudence, is necessarie to the ende that the mynde and vnderstandynge of hym may be dyrected in gouernynge or exercysynge his offyce / wherfore Arystotle in the thyrde boke and the thyrde chapytre [Page] of his polytykes sayth thus. Prudence alone is the propre vertue of a ruler or gouernour / for as touchynge other vertues they seme to be cōmune, as well to the subiectes: as to the rulers or gouernours. The seconde or other qualyte or ha­byte is necessarie to the ende, that his affeccyon may be ryght that is to wyt mo­rall vertue / and pryncypally amonge al other iustyce or ryghtuousnes / wherfore in the. v. boke of the Etikes and the. vi. chapytre Arystotle saythe thus. The heed offycer or prynce and gouernour is the keper, maynteyner and defēder of iustyce and ryght / wherfore to conclude prudence is necessary to hym that shall be a go­uernoure / for by it he maye be dyrected very well in to his propre worke, that is The propre worke of a prynce or go­uernoure. to wyt, in the iudgementes of the cyuyle ryghtes and vtylyties / for in these cyuyle actes, wherin the acte it selfe or the maner is not determyned of the lawe / the prynce or iudge is dyrected by prudence, in iudgynge and also in doynge execucyon of the acte, or the maner, of bothe of them / in which it myght chaunce and happen hym to do a mysse, without wysdome or prudence / for as it is red in Saluste Catifine with his complices were ponysshed of Cicero. in the hystorye of the batayle that Catilyne made agaynst the Romayns, If Cicero, whiche was at that tyme consull, had ponysshed the complyces of Catiline beynge cytezens of Rome and noble and myghty men, whiche had conspyred a­gaynst the cōmune welthe, and therfore were worthye deathe / yf he had (I saye) ponysshed them accordynge to the law, in the same place / and tyme and after the Place, tyme, & ordre in ex­ecucyon may at some seasō vpon good polycye be altered. same maner and ordre afore his dayes vsed and customed / by all lykely hod there wolde haue rysen by the reason therof a cyuyle batayle amonge theyr owne sel­ues / whiche shulde haue dystroyed the cōmune weale / there was suche a sedycyonreysed and styred vp in the people by these sayd conspyrers & traytours, agaynst the counsayles and the other heed offycers & rulers. This ieopardie Cicero, which was consull or one of the ii. chefe rulers and heed offycers of the cytie, escaped & auoyded by his wysdome or prudence: whan he delyuered the sayde malefactours The wys­dome of Cicero. Tullianum to them y ^t do execusyon or hangmen, & cōmaunded them to be kylled in the place of the pryson, whiche perauenture therfore is called Tullianum. So than by wysdome, the counsayles or purposes, and the maners of agyble thynges are dyrected / wherfore Arystotle in the. vi. boke of his Etikes and the. v. chapytre sayth thus. Prudencia est habitus verus cum ratione actibus circa hominis bona vel The descryp­cyon of Pru­dence. mala / prudēce is an practyue habyte or qualytie / by which a man worketh with true reason, as touchynge to those thynges whiche are good or euyll to man. Vnderstande thou, in that he is man / & the cause hereof is, for those are agyble thyn­ges: aboute which, and of whiche for the most parte lawes are made, accordynge to whiche lawes the prynce or gouernoure ought to dyspose and ordre the cyuyle actes of men. And because it semeth not possyble alwayes, to determyne by the lawe all the maners and cyrcumstances, whiche may happen aboute the doynge of the sayde actes, by reason of the great varyetye and dyuersyte of them accor­dynge to the dyuersyte of regyons and tymes / as open experyence teacheth, and also Arystotle wytnesseth in the fyrst boke of the Etikes and the thyrde chapytre whan he saythe in this wyse. The honest thynges and the ryghtuouse thynges, wherof the morall philosopher maketh consyderacyon, hathe so great dyfference and errour / that they maye seme to be suche onely by the lawe, and not by nature that is to saye onely because men wyll so statute and ordayne of them / and not because the nature of the agyble thynges is determynate: that is to wyt, that this thynge is ryght, and that thynge wronge. And he expresseth the same more lar­gely in the thyrde boke of his polytykes and the. xii. chapitre: whan he sayth thus but because certayne thynges may be cōprehended in the lawes, & certayne may not / therfore it is that we aske the questyon & make doubte, whether it is better [Page 33] to be gouerned of the beste man or of the beste lawes / for it is vnpossyble that a lawe maye be gyuen of those same thynges (vnderstande thou of all those thyn­ges) whiche may be maters of consultacyon and wherof men may take counsayle togyther. And therfore it was necessary to cōmytte the iudgment of some cer­tayne doubtfull thynges, whiche dothe happen or chaunce in the cyuyle actes of men / vnto the arbytrement & descrecyon of the prynces or iudges / that is to wyt, suche thynges, whiche outher as touchyuge to them selues, or as touchynge to some maner or cyrcumstaunce of them / are not determyned by the lawe / for in suche thynges, as are determyned by the lawe / the prynce or gonernoure ought The prynce or gouernour ought to fo­lowe y ^e lawe to folowe the determynacyon of the lawe. And this was the mynde or sentence of Arystotle in the thyrde boke of his polytykes and the. vii. chapytre whan he sayd in this wyse / & the prynces or gouernours, whether it be one, or els mo than one, that gouerneth and ruleth / ought to haue powre and auctoryte in those thynges, wherof the lawes can not suffycyently and exactlye speake, or make mencyon expressely / because it is an harde thynge in a generall speche (suche as the law is) to cōprehende euery partyculer case that maye happen / whiche sentence he rehersynge agayne in the. xii. chapytre of the same boke, sayth thus / And there are also nowe gouernours or heed offycers, whiche haue powre to iudge of some cer­tayne thynges without the lawe / for in suche thynges wherof the lawe can not determyne, the iudge or gouernoure shall gyue iudgement / as yf the lawe couldenot haue gyuen precepte very well of the sayd thyngꝭ / for of such thynges, wher­of the lawe maye determyne / no man wolde doubte. Prudence therfore is necessary Prudence is necessary to a prynce. to a prynce or gouernoure, for the iudgynge of suche maner thynges / whiche can not be determyned of the lawe / And this sentence of Arystotle, beynge very nere to the pryncyples, whiche are euydent of them selues / who soeuer lyste, may certyfie it, by demonstratyue sillogisme or reason, by those thynges, whiche hath ben sayde in the seconde chapytre of this dyccyon. Agayne morall goodnes or vertue, A prynce ought to be iuste or ryght tuouse. and specyally iustyce or ryghtuousnes, is necessary to a prynce or gouernour for yf he be a peruerse or an euyll persone as touchynge to his maners / the cōmune weale or cyuyle gouernaunce is greatly hurte by hym, be it neuer so well in­structed or appoynted with lawes / for we haue sayde, that it is harde, & not pos­syble, to determyne all maner cases that maye happen, in the lawes / but some thynges must nedes be cōmytted to the arbytrement and wyll of the prynce and gouernoure / in whiche thynge he maye hurte the cōmune weale, yf he be a man of peruerse affeccyon. And this was the sentence and mynde of Arystotle in the seconde boke of the politikes and the. viii. chapytre: whan he sayde thus. For they that are set in great powre and auctoryte, yf they be vyle and of no valure (that is to saye) yf they be croked or nought in theyr maners) they do moche hurte / and hathe done moche hurte as haue some done allredy to the cytie of the Chalcedomianes / and because prynces are preserued from doynge of hurte by morall vertue, and namely iustyce / therfore it is conuenyent (yf we maye call that conuenyent which is necessarye) y ^t noman, which shal be a prynce or gouernour, do wante morall vertue, and namely iustyce / amonge all other vertues. To the whiche vertue of iustyce, it is conuenyent in hym that shal be a gouernoure, that a certayne vertue be assocyated called Epicikeia / by which vertue the iudge is dyrected to equy­te, mekenes, gentylnes, and from extremytie, & cruelnes specyallye and cheyfly, in those thynges / wherin the lawe is insuffycyent and vnperfyte and getteth no playne determynacyon / wherfore Arystotle in the. v. boke of his etykes and the. x. chapytre sayth thus / this is y ^e nature and offyce of the vertue Epicikeia (which as I esteme, the lawers wyll call Equite) to amende the lawe in that parte or be [Page] halfe, wherin it is vnperfyte, and maketh no expresse mencyon suffycyently as touchynge to any partyculer thynge because it speaketh onely generally / for this Epicikeia or equyte is a certayne fauourable interpretacyō or moderacyon of the what Epici­keiais and of his nature. lawe in some case, whiche the lawe comprehendeth vnder the generalyte of ry­goure / in whiche thynge the lawe is sayde for so moche to be vnsuffycyent or vn­perfyte / because it hathe not excepted the sayde case from the rule / whiche for all that it wolde haue excepted from the generalyte of the rule, other with some mo­deracyon, or elles vtterlye / yf it had consydered that suche case shulde haue so for­tuned or chaunced / and agayne besyde the aforesayd thynges, there is requyred There is req ^• ­red in a price loue to warde the cōmune weale. in hym, that shal be a prynce or gouernoure / a certayne synguler loue or beneuo­lence towardes the cōmune weale / and the cytezens / For by the reason of this loue or beneuolence the accyons or deades of the prynce or gouernoure are inten­ted or done the more dylygentlye, and the better, to the cōmune profyte of the hole multytude togyther / and also to the pertyculer profyte of eche one by hym selfe. ¶ And besyde these sayde habytes and dysposycyons (as they call them) or qua­lytes there is necessarye to a prynce or gouernoure a certayne extrynsecall instrument / that is to wytte a certayne nombre of men of armes, by whiche he maye execute his cyuyle sentences or iudgementes vpon rebelles and dysobedyent per­sones, by coactyue powre / wherfore Arystotle in the. vii. boke of the polytykes and the. viii. chapytre sayth thus. They that lyue togyther in a cyuyle cōmuny­te, it is necessarye for them to haue arma (that is to saye a multytude of men of armes) to compelle those that are rebellons and dysobedyent persones, to obeye the heed offycers or gouernours / for elles the lawes and cyuyle sentences shulde be ydle and serue for nought / yf execucyon of them myght not be done and per­formed. And this armed powre of prynce or gouernour had nede to be so great that it do excede the powre of any one subiecte vnder hym or of a great many of Howe many & what ma­ner men of armes ought to be aboute a prynce & for what cause. them / and yet he ought not by the reason of so great armed powre, to vyolate or breke the lawes / and to rule imperyouslye or lordely, besyde or contrarye to the lawes. And Arystotle in the thyrde of the polytykes and the. xi. chapytre saythe in this wyse. A kynge or gouernoure ought to haue so great powre, that he may be greatter and more of myghte and strength than eche one of the cōmunes by hym selfe / or than many of them togyther. Wherfore I saye there ben thre thyn­ges whiche they ought to haue, that shall take vpon them the pryncypall and moste hyghe offyces. The fyrst is, that they do loue the presente state of the cōmune weale. The seconde is, that they haue great powre to execute those thynges, whiche theyr offyce requyreth. The thyrde is, that they haue vertue and Iustyce, by vertue, here he vnderstandeth Prudence / which is the bonde and the maystres and teacher of all vertues / wherfore Arystotle in the. vi. boke of the Etykes and the laste chapytre sayth thus. In whome soeuer Prudence is, whiche is but one vertue / in hym is also with the sayde prudence all vertues / and Arystotle in the sayd sentēce dyd set Prudence and moral vertue both vnder one in the same parte of the sayde deuysyon / because they are not separated or dysseuered at any tyme the one from the other of the whiche mynde and sentence it semeth that he is in the same boke and the same chapytre whan he saythe thus. It is manyfeste ther­fore and euydent of the premysses, that it is not possyble a man to be properly or pryncypallye good / without Prudence. Neyther a man to be prudent / without morall vertue / And Arystotle in the. v. koke of the polytykes and the. ix. chapy­tre wryteth the thynges, whiche we haue here entreated of to be conuenyent and necessarye to hym that shall be a prynce or gouernoure / perauenture in contrarye ordre as they ben necessarelye requyred to be declared. Of the premysses than it [Page 34] appereth, what is the propre subiecte or matere & materyall cause of the lawes of The propre subiecte of mās lawes. men. Truly a prynce or gouernour which shal be suffycyently prepared with wisdome or prudence, & morall vertue, namely Iustyce. Than what maner persone a prynce or gouernoure ought to be / and what thynges are conuenyent and ne­cessarye to hym / let it be determyned in this wyse.

¶ How y ^t prynce in a cōmunyte & kyngdome is as the herte in a sen­syble creature / & y ^e without a kynge or prynce no cōmunytie or kyngdome can stande / & partly of a prynces duetye.
The, xv, chapytre,

THe herte of a sensyble creature which is fyrst fourmed: is more noble & more perfyte in his qualytes & dysposycions, than al the other partes of the sensyble creature: for in it natura generās hath set & ordayned a powre and an instrument, by which the resydue of the partes of a sensyble creature are fourmed of cōuenyēt matere or substaūce & are also seperated and dysseuered & ordred eche in cōparyson to other & are kepte in theyr dysposycyons & qualytes / and are also by it preserued from noyaunce or hurte, as moch as nature doth suffre hym to be preserued. And whan they are fallen from theyr owne nature / by the reason of sycknes, or any other impedyment / they are repayred & restored to theyr owne nature agayne by the vertue & powre of this parte. ¶ Proporcyonatly & moche lyke vnto these thynges we must cōsy­dre in a cyuyle cōmunyte beynge instituted cōuenyētly accordynge to reason / for all the soule or mynde of the hole multytude of cytezens or cōmunes, or els of the bygger parte therof: is fourmed or ought to be fourmed in a cyuyle cōmunyte one parte fyrst beynge proporcynated or lyke vnto the herte in a sensyble creature. In which parte it setteth or ordayneth a certayne vertue & powre, or a certayne fourme with actyue powre & auctoryte, to instytute the other partes of the cyuyle cō ­munyte. And this parte wherof we do meane is y ^e prīce or hed gouernour / whose vnyuersall vertue or powre in causalite, is the lawe / and whose actyue powre / is the auctoryte of iudgynge / of cōmaundynge / & of executynge the sentences cō cernynge the cyuyle ryghtes and vtylytes / wherfore Arystotle in the. vii. boke of his polytykes & the. viii. chapytre, sayd this parte to be moste necessary of al other partes in a cyuyle cōmunyte / & the cause hereof is, for that the suffycyencie which is had by the other partes or offyces of a cyuyle cōmunyte, all thoughe the sayde partes or offyces were not at all: myght be suffycyētly had by other meanes, and without a prynce or go­uernour a re­alme or cōmune weale cannot contynue of other thynges, thoughe not so easely. ¶ But without a prynce or gouernour, a cyuyle cōmunyte can not contynue / or longe cōtynue & endure, for it is necessary & can not be otherwyse, but that offencyous & euyll occasyons shall chaunce (as it is sayde in the gospell of Matheue) whiche offendicles (as the scrypture calleth them) are cōtencyons rysen amōge men for iniuryes done of them one to an other which yf they shuld not be iudged or measured by the rule of ryghtfull thynges or iustyce, that is to wyt by the lawe, & by the prynce or gouernour, whose offyce is to measure suche thynges accordynge to the lawe / there myght chaunce haply by A prynce ought to surmount all o­ther in vertue & prudence. the reason therof fyghtyng, & a seperacyon of the men beynge congregated in a cyuyle cōmunyte, & the priuacyon or lacke of a suffycient lyfe. The pyrnce also in a cyuyle cōmunyte ought to be more noble & more perfyte in his dysposycions or qualytes, y ^t is to wyt, in prudēce & vertue morall: than the other partes of the [Page] cyuyle cōmunyte And that for this reason, that the cause effectyue of a cyuyle cōmunyte that is to wyt, the soule and wyll of the hole cōmunyte haue gyuen to this pryncypall and fyrste parte and hathe put in hym a certayne generall ver­tue or powre in causalyte, that is to wytte, the lawe / And also an auctorytye and powre to worke and to do execucyon of the sayd lawes / And as the natu­rall heate of the herte as beynge the subiecte, by which heate the herte or the four­me therof performeth all his accyons / is dyrected and measured in workynge by the fourme or vertue and powre of the herte, and elles it shulde not worke to the due ende: agayne also, as the heate, whiche they call cōmunelye the spyryte, as beynge the instrumente to performe and fulfyl the accyons or operacyons, is gouerned throughe out the hole bodye, of the same vertue or powre, for elles neyther ou­ther of these heates shulde worke vnto the due ende, for fyre worketh worse than the organs or instrumentes, as it is red in the seconde boke de generatione and deanima / euen so and in lyke maner the auctoryte of rulynge or gouernynge gyuen to any man beynge proporcionated & lyke to the heate of the herte as beynge the The coactiue powre of a prynce or go­uernoure, is lyke to y ^e hea­te or spyryte ī mā or beast. subiecte / and euen so the armed or coactyue powre instrumentall, beynge propor­cyonate and lyke to the heate, whiche we haue called the spyryte / ought bothe to be ruled and measured by the lawe, in the gyuynge of iudgementes / in cōmaun­dynge / and in executynge the cyuyle ryghtes and vtylytes / for els the prynce or gouernoure shulde not worke to the due ende / that is to wyt, to the conseruacyon of the cyuyle cōmunyte / as it hathe ben sayde and proued in the. xi. chapytre of this dyccyon or fyrst parte. Agayne, accordynge to the sayd vertue or powre, that is to wyt, accordynge to the lawe and auctoryte gyuen to hym / the prynce or go­uernoure Men of wys­dome are to be appoynted of the prynce to be offycers and not hare brayned felo­wes & men of smal cōscyēce & lesse descre­cyon. ought to instytute and ordayne dyuerse and sundrye partes or offyces in the cyuyle cōmunyte, of conuenyent matere / that is to wytte, of men hauynge artes, habytes or qualytes conuenyent, mete, or accordynge for the sayd offyces. For suche maner men are the matere conuenyent of the partes or offyces of a cy­uyle cōmunyte / as it hathe ben sayde in the. vii. chapytre of this diccyon. For it is mete in a cyuyle cōmunytie well instytuted, to appoynte or assygne such men to the offyces of the cōmune weale / whiche haue the operatiue or practyue habytes mete and conuenyent to the sayd offyces / And suche as hathe not the conuenyēt habytes and qualytes, as for example yonge vnexparte men: to ordayne and appoynte them to learne suche habites or craftes and scyences, vnto which they are naturally moste inclyned / And this was the sentence and mynde of Arystotle, A good law & lytle kepte in some place whan he sayd in the fyrst boke of his Etykes & the seconde chapytre, in this wyse what scyence or dyscyplynes ought to be in cyties or cyuyle cōmunytes / & what maner scyences eche man ought to learne / and howe moche or howe farforth: this morall philosophie, that is to wyt, the polytycall prudence or the prudence of ma­kynge It belongeth vnto prynces or gouer­nours, to or­dayne and appoynt, what arte or scyēce eche one of y ^e yonge men ought to lerne for y ^e cōmune vtylyte. lawes, doth ordayne and instytute / & so consequently dothe he also, which ordereth the cōmune weale accordynge to the lawe / that is for to saye the prynce or gouernoure. This same also he sayde in the. vii. of the polytykes and the. xiiii. chapitre / by these wordes / he therfore that is lawe maker or that gyueth the lawe ought to haue respecte to all the aforesayde thynges / bothe to the partes of the cy­uyle cōmunytie / and also to the accyons of them. The same also he sayd in the. viii. boke of the polytykes, and the fyrst chapytre, whan he sayd thus. That the lawe maker had neade or ought to be very dylygent, and to take very great hede as touchynge to the ordrynge and dyscyplyne of yonge men, no man verely wyl doubte / For yf this thynge be not very dylygentlye sene vnto in cyuyle cōmunytes: it shal hurte moch the cōmune weale / thus than of these premysses it appereth that to y ^e law maker or vnyuersal multitude in y ^e parlyamēt assēbled by y ^e prīces [Page 35] cōmaundement for the same purpose apperteyneth and belongeth the determynacyon He meaneth of suche offy­ces as y ^e prynce or kynge wyll haue in stytuted by acte of perly­ament els all other officers & degres it lyeth ī y ^t kyngꝭ absolute power to appoīte at all tymes. or instytucyon of the offyces and partes of a cyuyle cōmunyte / & that the iudgement / the precepte or cōmaundynge / and the execucyon of the sayd determynacyon, dothe appertayne to hym, that is prynce or gouernour accordynge to the lawe. And also by the same demonstracyons or syllog [...]sticall reasons this maye be proued: by whiche we proued in the. xii. chapytre of this dyccyon or parte that to the sayd vnyuersall multytude belongeth the auctoryte of gyuynge lawes. Wherfore it is not lawfull for any man, to take vpon hym any offyce in a cyuy­le cōmunyte at his owne pleasure / and namely straungers / for not euery man ought, neyther reasonablie maye at his owne pleasure tourne hym selfe to ex­ercyse y ^e offyces of a man of armes, or of a preest / neyther y ^e prynce or gouernour ought to suffre this / for by the reason hereof myght chaunce insuffyciencie, to the cyuyle cōmunyte, of those thynges / whiche muste [...]edes be procured by the other offyces / But the prynce or gouernoure ought to determyne and assynge the per­sones to suche maner offyces / and also to determyne the quantite and qualyte of the sayde partes or offyces, as touchynge to nombre / to powre / and suche other Where soeuer he speaketh of such multytude he meneth when it is as­sembled in y ^e perlyamente, remēbre this to auoyde captyousnes. thynges / leste by reason of īmoderate excesse of any of them, it maye happen or chaunce the cōmune weale to be destroyed / wherfore Arystotle in the. v. boke of the polytykes and the thyrde chapytre, saythe in this wyse / There are made de­struccyōs also of cōmune weales / by the reason of excessyue increace of any parte or partes, cōtrary to due proporcyon. For as the body is made of his partes / and the sayd partes ought to growe togyther eche one accordynge to theyr measure, that the due proporcyon and cōmensuracyon of the body maye remayne and be saued / and vnlesse it be thus: it is destroyed (as for example whan the feete is. iiii. cubytes longe, and the resydue of the body is but. ii. spannes longe / other whyles also it maye be tourned in to the fygure or shape of an other beaste: yf there shuld be made vnmeasurable increace not onely in quantyte: but also in qualyte) so Let y ^e prynce restrayne the excessiue multytude of preestes, and of poore folke. lykewyse a cyuyle cōmunyte is made of partes / of which some one other whyles preuelie encreaceth excessyuely / as for example the multytude of poore men in y ^e cōmune weales / where the people dothe rule and gouerne / and the multytude of preestes, in the chrysten law or secte and relygyon. The same thynge also he sayd in the thyrde boke of the polytykes and the. vii. chapytre / the texte wherof I leaue out here / because of breyfnes / Agayne his parte, that is to wyt, the prynce or gouernoure / ought by his auctoryte, accordynge to the lawe, to cōmaunde suche Preestes and poore men, Let a prynce or gouernour cōmaunde honest & ryght­full thynges both by his worke, & also by his wordꝭ. thynges whiche are ryghtuouse and honeste / and to forbyd the contrary thynges as well by his worke, as by his wordes / rewardynge them for theyr good dedes whiche do obserue the legall preceptes / and ponysshe them for theyr euyll dedes, whiche do transgresse or breake the sayde preceptes / by whiche meane he shall conserue euery one of the partes of the cyuyle cōmunyte in theyr due estate or beynge and shall preserue them from noyaunces and iniuryes / and yf case be, that any of the sayde partes, outher dothe, or elles suffre wronge / he that doth y ^• iniury or wronge, ought to be cured or healed, by the accyon or operacyon of the prynce or gouernoure, causynge hym to sustayne or suffre payne or ponysshemente ther­fore. For a penalyte or ponysshemēt is as it were a certayne medycyne of the cryme or trespase / wherfore Arystotle in the seconde boke of the Etykes & the thyrde chapytre saythe thus. And that it is as we haue sayde / it maye be perceyued by the penalytes or paynes, which are made and ordayned herefore / that is to wyt, for the delectacyons and pleasures, whiche are taken or had in euyll doynge or in euyll sayenge / for the penalytes are certayne medycynes or remedyes) and he that suffereth the iniurye or wronge / shall be cured or healed by receyuynge [Page] or takynge amendes / and by this meane all thynges shall be brought agayne to conuenyent egallyte or proporcyon. Moreouer this sayd parte of the cyuyle cōmunyte, The prynce or gouernour helpeth the o­ther partes of the cyuyle cōmunyte. that is to wyt, the gouernour, conserueth the other partes of the cyuyle cō ­munyte / and helpeth them in the exercysynge of theyr workes bothe propre and also cōmune. Propre workes I call those whiche are caused or brought forthe of the propre offyces of the sayd partes. The cōmune workes I call the cōmunyca­cyons or cōmune dealynges of the sayde partes amonge them selues, one of them with an other / whiche workes bothe propre and cōmune, shulde be troubled and letted / yf the operacyon of the prynce or gouernour dyd cease from the correccyon or ponysshemēt of vyolent persones. And for this cause the accyon or workynge The prynce or gouernour ought neuer to cease from his offyce or dutie doynge of the prynce or gouernour ought neuer to cease in a cyuyle cōmunyte / lykewyse as the accyon or workynge of the herte in a sensyble creature neuer ceaseth / For albeit that the accyons of the other partes of a cyuyle cōmunyte may somtyme cease without noyaunce or hurte to any syngulare persone / colledge / or cōmuny­te: as for example, the operacyon of the men of warre maye cease in the tyme of peace, and so lykewyse of the operacyons of the other partes / yet for all that the accyon or operacyon of this parte, that is to wyt, of the prynce or gouernoure, & of his vertue or powre, maye neuer cease without noyaunce or hurte / for at all tymes and alhoures it is necessary, that the precepte and the cōmune custodye of lawfull thynges and forbydden thynges accordynge to the lawe, do endure and contynue. And whan soeuer any vnlaufull or vniuste thynge is done: the prynce Letthe lawes alwayes and contynually endure. or hede gouernour ought perfytely to measure and strengthen suche thynges / or at the least wyse to exercyse those thynges, whiche are preparacyons to the tulynge and strengthnynge of suche thynges. Of the premysses may suffycyent­ly appere the ordre of the partes of a cyuyle cōmunyte, amonge them selues: in cō paryson one to an other / for the prynces or gouernours cause, and to hym as to the pryncypall of all: all the partes of a cyuyle cōmnnyte are ordred, for the state of this present worlde / for that parte is the fyrst and pryncypall of all in a cyuyle cōmunyte, whiche ought to instytute and to determyne the other partes / and to conserne them in the state and for the state of this presente worlde, or for the cyuyle ende / but suche maner parte is the prynce or he that is gouernour accordynge to the lawe made by man, as we haue concluded and proued alredy by probable reason and by demonstratyue syllogysme: wherfore we conclude, that the prynce or gouernour is the fyrst and pryncypall parte of all other / and that the other are or dred to hym. Of the effectyue cause than of the eleccyon of the prynce or hede go­uernour / and also of the instytucyon of the resydue of the partes in a cyuyle cōmunyte / and of the ordre of them amonge them selues one to an other / let it be deter­myned in this wyse.

¶ That is most expedyent to the cōmune weale, to haue onely one certayne man to be prynce or gouernour, hym selfe with all his posteryte / whiche they call cōmunelye the successyon of kynred or blode,
The, xvi, chapytre,

[Page 36] THat it is most conuenyent & profytable for y ^e cōmen weale to haue a prynce & gouernour whiche shall enioye the crowne by successyon of blode with all his posteryte & ofsprynge, & not by eleccyon as them­perour is chosen by electours in Germany is proued by. xi. strōge & inuīcyble reasons. ¶ The fyrst is, because it appereth, that he which 1 cōmeth to the kyngdome or crowne by enherytaunce & successyon of blode shal be more dylygent and carefull to se vnto the cōmune weale, as beynge in a maner propre and heredytarie to hym selfe, and whiche he shall leaue to his heyres after hym / than shall that prynce or gouernour, which is not sure & out of doubte, that his owne heyre shall gouerne after hym / wherfore in the seconde boke of the poly­tykes and the seconde chapytre aboute the myddes of it Arystotle sayth in this wyse. Very lytle hede or dylygence is gyuen to that thynge which is cōmune and belongeth to many / for men do care most for theyr owne propre & seuerall thyngꝭ & as for cōmune thynges: they do care moche lesse for them than they do for those thynges whiche belongeth seuerally to eche one by hym selfe. And agayne in the same chapytre aboute the ende he sayth thus. There are. ii. thynges whiche indu­ceth and moueth men to take care for any thynge, and to loue it / the one is propr [...] um / that is to saye, yf the thynge be propre, and seuerally belongeth to theyr owne selfe. The seconde thynge is affeccyon / that is to saye affeccyon towarde the sayd thynge. Agayne in the thyrde chapitre of the same boke he saythe in this wyse / it can not be expressed or spoken lyghtly, how moche it forceth or skylleth to delectacyon or pleasure / that a man do thynke or cōsydre, any thynge to be properlie his owne. ¶ An other reason why it is most expedyēt for y ^e cōmune weale to haue a 2 gouernour by enherytaunce or successyon of blode is this / for they that come to y ^• crowne by enherytaūce (as it semeth) shall not rule so imperyouslie and lordlie o­uer theyr subiectes, as shall they that be nowe elected / by the reason that they are wonte to gouerne and rule, and are acquaynted ther with / And because they shal not thynke that any newe thynge is chaunced to them: wherfore they ought to be more hyghe in mynde, & to despyse theyr subiectes / but it is sene moste cōmonlie / that Men lately made tyche, & so lykewyse that they be newe elected to be kynges or gouernou­res at proude for the moste parte. they whiche are newe elected / do waxe prowde / euen lykewyse as they do, whiche are newely made tyche / wherfore in the seconde boke of rethorykes / & the xxiiii. chapitre, Arystotle sayth thus. All men maye easely or lyghtly se the ma­ners, whiche foloweth of ryches / for they y ^t do possesse ryches / are made contume / lyouse or prowde / hyghe mynded / and dysdaynefull / as yf they possessyd all good thynges.

¶ An other reason is this to the pryncypall purpose / for the multytude of sub­iectes dothe more obeye the Prynces or gouernours, that come to the crowne by inherytaunce or successyon of blode: by the reason that they are wonte and accu­stomed to obaye the predecessours of the sayde prynces or gouernours / wherfore in the laste chapytre of the seconde boke philosophie prima it is wryten thus / as we be customed so we be affectionate / And in the seconde of the polytykes and the. vi. chapitre nere vnto the ende, it is wryten in this wyse / he that shall go a­boute to amende and to chaunge euery faughtes of the lawmakers and of the hede offycers, shall not do so moch good to y ^e cōmune weale / as the accustomynge or wontynge of men to rebelle and to be dysobedyent agaynst theyr prynces and superyours shall do hurte / with other thynges whiche shal be sayde concernynge customes and vsage in the. xviii. chapytre of this dyccyon and the syxte parte therof. 4

¶ An other reason maye be put to the same purpose is this / for that it happe­neth otherwhyles some kynred or stocke to haue gyuen or done some maner or [Page] so great a benefyte to the other multytude or so greatly to excelle and surmounte the other cōmunes in vertue that for the one of these. ii. causes, or elles for bothe to gyther, they y ^t be of that kynred or stocke, are worthy alwayes to be gouernours or rulets, and neuer to be subiectes / wherfore in the thyrde boke of polytykes and the. x. chapytre Arystotle saythe in this wyse. The. iiii. kynde of monarchie, or regall powre is suche, as those was in the heroycall tymes / that is to wyt, voluntarie and accordynge to the maner and custome of the countre, & accordynge to the lawe / for because of the benefytes done by the fyrste of that kynred to the people, outher by artes / or by batayle / or for the congregatynge of the people togyther in to a cyuyle socyete / or for bycause they purchased or gate y ^e regyon: y ^e regall powre and the auctoryte of rulynge and gouernynge was offred or gyuen to them, by the people of theyr owne fre wyll and accorde, and to theyr successours / whiche thynge also the sayde Arystotle more expressely dothe saye, in the. xii. chapytre of the tame boke in this wyse. Therfore whan it chaunceth or cōmeth so to passe, y ^t he be one kynred or stocke, or els some one persone dothe so excelle and surmoūte the other in vertue, that the vertue of that one kynred or persone alone is great­ter than the vertue of all the other: than it is ryght, that this kynred by the regallor stocke, and do gouerne / and that this one persone be kynge and all the succes­sours of this sayd kynred or persone / whiche same thynge he repetynge also in y ^• v. of the polytykes and the. x. chapytre he saythe in this wyse. The regall powre, or auctoryte of a kynge was made / instytuted / and begonne, for the defence and ayde of excellent and good men, and the persone that is instytuted or made kyng is one of the excellent ryghtuouse & good men / by or for the excellencye of his vertue, or of his actes procedynge of vertue / or for the excellencye of the kynred or stocke that he cōmeth of.

¶ Agayne the prynce or gouernour that cōmeth to the crowne by inherytaunce 5 is best / because suche maner men are more inclyned to vertue, for so moch as they cōmen of more noble & vertuous parentes / wherfore Arystotle in the fyrste boke of his polytykes and the. iiii. chapytre, bryngynge in the wordes of a certayne po­ete called Theodectus / sayth in this wyse / shall any man suppose that men wor­thy Theodectus poete. to be called a bondman or seruaunt / which cōmeth of a goodly stocke on both sydes. &c. and a lytle afterwardes, he saythe. For they do suppose, that lykewyse as of a man cōmeth a man / & of a beast is brought for the a beast / euen so of good and honest parētes is gēdered and brought forth good and honest chyldren. And also because the prynce or gouernour by successyon is for the moste parte guyded and led by better custome / wherfore Arystotle in the fyrst boke of his rethorykes and the. xiii. chapytre sayth thus / it is lyke to be very true, that he whiche cōmeth of good and honest parētes / shall be a good man / and that he whiche is norysshed and brought vp amonge good folke / shall proue lyke vnto them.

¶ Agayne it appereth that the best prynce is had by successyon of blode / because 6 there chaunceth not to be suche or so great dyffycultyes aboute the prynce succe­dynge by inherytaunce, as are alwayes aboute hym y ^t is newe elected for aboute the prynce whiche is to be newlye elected, there happeneth dyffycultye, to haue It is necessarye, but very harde to fynd electours to a good eleccyō. vertuous electours / whiche are necessarye to be had, but harde to fynde, to a good eleccyon. Agayne whan such vertuous and good electours are foūde / it is harde for them to agre all in one / and not to dyscorde one from an other / and yf they do so dysagre amonge them selues / it is doubtfull and ieopardy, least by the reason therof the hole cōmune weale be brought in to sedycyon / as it is sene by expery­ence, in the newe eleccyon of the prynce or emperour of the Romaynes / Agayne also because the myndes of men for the moste parte areprone and inclynynge to [Page 37] euyll / wherfore outher for loue, or hatred, or for money, or throughe intreatynge or prayer, or for hope of profyte, or some dyffycultie: the electours shall not at all tymes, but perauenture very seldome, electe and chose hym that is best and most mete to be gouernoure.

¶ An other reason to the pryncypall purpose is this / because it is more easye for 7 the cōmunes and counsaylers to knowe the maners and cōdycyons of hym that succedeth by inherytaunce, for as moche as he is but one and a determynate or knowen persone: than of hym, whiche is newly to be elected / whiche is not deter­mynate / for there be many cytezens or persones in the cōmune weale, whome it is possyble by eleccyon to be taken to weare the crowne or to be gouernour / but it is more easye to knowe the maners or condycyons of onely onely one man: than of many. Nowe it is expedyent to knowe of olde, the maners and condycyons of the prynce or gouernoure, to whome some thynge must be persuaded by counsayle / & whiche must be dyrected by counsayle otherwhyles, be he neuer so wyse / wherfore in the fyrst boke of rethorykes and the. xi. chapytre it is wryten thus. It is moch necessarye to knowe the maner of euery man that shall be a prynce.

¶ Agayne to take a prynce or gouernour by successyon of kynred or blode, it se­meth 8 to take awaye all occasyon of ambycyon / temeryte or presumpcyon in the subiectes / and also all occasyon of sedycyon that myght be reysed or stereo vp a­monge them / for in as moch as they subiectes do knowe, that the crowne or regalauctoryte or offyce is neuer due to them, & that they may neuer reasonably come vnto it: they do not desyre or laboure to get it / neyther they do cōmenly worke or go aboute any euyll or vnlawfull thynge for the obtaynynge therof / whiche thynges otherwyse for all that is done of them full besely / whiche outher may or do suppose that they may come reasonably to it / as it is sene to happen otherwhy les amōge them, whiche choseth alwayes theyr gouernours eche one after other, by newe eleccyon wherfore Tullye in his fyrst boke de officiis sayth thus / it is a payne or grefe, that in men of most great myndes, and of most excellent and royall nature, are most cōmonly the desyrers of honoure / of rule and domynyon / of powre / and of glorye for suche men thynkynge theyr selues worthy of the crowne or to be heed gouernours, for some excellent vertue or vertues / do procure the fa­uoure and voyces of the electours to them selues, by prayer / or money / or elles by some other vnlawfull waye.

¶ More ouer also cōmenly the prynce elected / whiche shall not leaue the crow ue 9 or kyngdome to his successours / dare not be bolde to execute iustyce vpon mygh­ty men / all thoughe they do transgresse the lawe / namely by puttynge them to death or otherwyse puttynge them to ponysshement in theyr bodyes / for as moch as he dothe feate, leste by the reason of so doynge, great hatredes / or enmytyes / and iniuryes or dyspleasures myght growe to his owne hayres, whiche perauen ture shall not reygne or gouerne after hym / but the prynce, that obtayneth the crowne or kyngdome by inherytaunce & successyon of blode, nedeth not to doute or fere any suche thynges / wherfore he shall boldely exercyse perfyte iustyce, a­gaynst all maner transgressours of the lawes, who euer they be.

¶ Agayne that maner after whiche most gouernours are instytuted, & in moste 10 regyons and peoples / and in the tyme of most men / is the moste perfyte waye or maner of instytutynge a prynce or gouernoure (for that waye that is most natu­rall / is most perfyte / nowe that is most naturall / whiche is vsed in most thynges for the nature of thynges is that / whiche is in moste thynges / and in moste tyme as it is wryten in the thyrde boke de celo et mundo / and in the seconde boke of the physykes / and the same also is euydent by induccyon and experyence in eche ma­ner [Page] thynge) but suche is the waye or maner of takynge one to be gouernoure by successyon of blode, in comparyson of that waye, wherby the gouernours that shulde succede, are alwayes taken by newe eleccyon eche one after other: as it is euydent to se in the most parte of kynges / of Regyons / and peoples / and also the hystoryes of thynges done in dyuers tymes, that is to say the Cronycles, doth declare the same.

¶ And last of all, because the gouernaunce of the kynge or gouernoure that cō ­meth 11 to the crowne by enherytaūce or successyon of blode / is more lyke to the ma­ner of regyment or gouernaunce of the hole worlde / for as moche as in the hole worlde is alwayes but one gouernour, without any chaunge / as it is wryten in the seconde boke of phylosophye and the laste chapytre. And it semeth to come in very lyke maner to passe, and moche lyke maner of gouernaunce to be where the sone succedeth his father in regall powre. Fyrste because of the vnyte of the kyn­red or stocke, and also because the father and the sone are counted both as it were but one persone.

¶ Howe it is necessary that there ben but one prynce, kynge, or heed gouernoure in a cyuyle cōmunytie, vnto whome all other heddes and offycers must be obedyent and subiectes.
The, xvii, chapytre,

IT foloweth nowe cōsequently after the premysses, to speake of the vnyte of the prynce, or of the offyce and powre of the prynce / wherunto nowe entrynge, let vs saye / that in onely one cytie or onely one realme there ought to be but onely one gouernoure or ruler / or yf there be many in nombre or kynde, as it semeth to be expedyent in great cyuyle cōmunytes, and namely in a realme, as this worde Regnum is taken in the fyrste sygnyfycacyon / there ought to be amonge them one in nombre, which shall be hyghest or heed of all them, to whome all the other maye be reduced / and by whome all the other maye be dyrected and ruled, and theyr errours or faultes yf any chaunce, also may be corrected & amē ded. And this most soueraygne and hyghest auctoryte or offyce aboue all, I say of necessyte ought to be but one in nombre and not many: yf the realme or cyuyle Let there be but one kyng or heed gouernoure. cōmunyte ought to be wel gouerned and ordred. And the same I saye also of the gouernoure accordynge to the same hyghest offyce or auctoryte, that he ought to be but one also / not meanynge hereby, that it is necessary that one synguler per­sone or one man alone ought to haue the sayde heed and hyghest auctoryte / but I meane, that the heed gouernoure or heed gouernours ought to be but one as tou­chynge to y ^e sayd offyce / for there is some one regymēt in nōbre, & y ^t beīge a ryghttuous Many men maye be heed gouernours beynge al as one in offyce. & wel ordered maner of regyment, accordynge to which mo men than one are hed rulers or gouernours ī y ^• rule of Aristocratia & Politia of which we haue spoken in the. viii. chapytre of this dyccyon / but those many are but one heed go­uernoure in nombre, as touchynge to theyr offyce / by the reason that euery accion or worke that is done of them / is but one in nombre / as for example al they gyue but one iudgement / or sentence / or precepte / for suche maner accyon maye procede or be caused of any of them seuerally by hym selfe / but what soeuer suche thynge is done, it is done by the cōmune cōsent and decre of them all / or els of the bygger [Page 38] parte of them / accordynge to the lawes statuted & ordayned in the same regymentes. And by y ^e reason of such numeral vnyte of y ^e accyon so procedynge & brought forthe of them: it is, and is called but one regyment or hyghest powre in nombre: whether it be onely one man, or elles mo than one, whiche gouerneth accordynge to the sayd powre or auctoryte / but suche numerable vnyte of the accyons or workes, is not necessarelye requyred to be in any one of the other offyces or partes of the cyuyle cōmunyte / for there maye and ought in euery one of the other offyces, many accyons lyke, or dyuerse in kynde, be brought forth of dyuerse persones in them, seuerally. Yea moreouer suche numerall vnyte of accyon or operacyon in them (that is to saye, yf all shulde worke but one thynge) shulde be intollerable & noysome to the hole cōmunyte, and also to euery partyculer persone of the same cōmunyte. Thus than the vnyte unmerall of the hyghest offyce or powre, and of the heed gouernoure beynge thus vnderstanded and taken nowe we wyll proue, that outher there is but onely one gouernoure or ruler in a cyuyle cōmunyte or re­alme, or yf there be mo than one / yet that the heed and moste soueraygne auctory­te or offyce, and the heed and hyghest gouernoure of all, is but onely one in nom­bre and not many. And this we wyl proue / fyrst by this reason / for yf there were many pryncypall auctorytes or offyces, and many heed gouernours in a cyuyle cōmunyte or realme, beynge not reduced and in ordre vnder some one as hyghest: there myght fayle the iudgement / precepte / and the execucyon of the cyuyle vtylytes and ryghtes / & by reason hereof, the iniuryes beynge vnponysshed: there shuld folowe fyghtynge and the seperacyon of men / and in conclusyon the corrupcyon or destruccyon of the cyuyle cōmunyte or realme. But this is an inconuenyent most to be eschewed and auoyded. i. ergo. And that this inconuenyence shulde ensue of the pluralyte of prynces or heed gouernours: it maye be euydentlye shewed fyrst because transgressours of the lawes can not reasonablye be ponysshed, ex­cepte they be called afore the prynce or gouernoure, to the examynacyon of suche thynges, which are layde agaynst them / but this supposed that there were many gouernours and rulers not reduced vnto some one heed and hyghest gouernoure and ruler. so as our aduersarye dothe saye: no man that is called afore the ruler or gouernoure may suffycyently appere / for I put the case, that (as it chaunceth of­tentymes) some man for some transgressyon of y ^e law be called to make answere of many rulers or gouernours beynge not one vnder an other / and that at one & the same tyme / for by the same reason by whiche one ruler or gouernour is boun­den and maye cal or somone any man to appere afore hym: by y ^e same any of the other maye do the same / and by the same reason by whiche the persone so called is bounde to make answere afore one of the sayde gouernours, lefte he be accompted a rebell & dysobedyent persone: by the same reason he is bounde to make answere afore the other, as many as be of them. Nowe I reason in this wyse, outher y ^e persone so called of many gouernours, shall appere afore them all togyther at ones / or elles afore none of them all / or els afore one he shall appere: and afore an other of them he shall not appere? Afore them alltogyther, and at one tyme, he can not appere / for it is vnpossyble to be done outher by nature or crafte / for one and the same bodye can not be togyther at one tyme in dyuerse places / & speake or make answere all at ones, to manye men askynge and demaundynge perauenture dyuers thynges all at one tyme. Agayne this admytted and graunted (thoughe it be vnpossyble) that he whiche is called or somoned, myght appere at one tyme a­fore many rulers or gouernours / and outher holde his peace or make answere to them all, at one tyme, askynge and demaundynge dyuerse and sondrye thynges of hym: perauenture by one of the sayd rulers or gouernours he shall be cast or cō ­dempned [Page] of the same cryme / and by an other of them he shall be quytte or of the same delyuered / or yf he be condempned by them bothe: yet perauenture not egally or lyke moche of the one as of the other / wherfore he shall be bounde to make amendes, and he shall not be bounde to make amendes / or yf he shall by the iudgement of bothe be bounde / he shall be bounde to make amendes in so moch, and in more or in lesse / and consequently in so moche, and not in so moche / wherfore ou­ther he shall do. ii. contradyctorie thynges togyther at one tyme, whiche is vnpos­syble: or elles he shall make none amendes at all / for there is no more reason why he shuld obeye or obserue the precepte of one gouernoure: than of the other / or why he shulde more appere afore one of the sayd gouernours: than afore the other there is no reason at all. And yet yf he dyd appere afore one of them the other beyngedyspysed and not regarded, and perauenture by that one gouernoure be absolued and quytte from the cyuyle blame and ponysshement / yet that notwithstandyng by the other gouernours he shall be condempned for his contumacye and dysobe­dyence / so than the persone so called or cyted and somoned neyther shall appere at one tyme afore them all / neyther he maye cōuenyently appere afore one, & afore an other not appere / wherfore it is lefte onely, that the persone so called or cyted ought to appere afore none of all the gouernours / and so consequentlye it folo­weth, that he can not be corrected or ponysshed accordynge to iustyce. Therfore to cōclude, it is not possyble that there shuld be a pluralyte of suche gouernours and offycers beynge not one ordered vnder an other, in a cyuyle cōmunyte or realme: yf the cyuyle iustyce and the cōmune profyte ought to be conserued. Agayne this supposed, many heed gouernours or cheyfe rulers to be in a cyuyle cōmunyte, as for example many kynges to be in one realme / the cōmune vtylyte shuld be troubled / for Many pryn­ces or heed gouernours are pernycyous to a cyuyle cō munyte, or realme. in as moche as prynces ought often tymes to cōmaunde a cōgregacyon or assemble to be made of the cōmunes and subiectes, namely suche as haue cōuenyent leasure and may intende it, for the inquysycyon and determynacyon to be had aboute the cōmune vtylytes or profytes, or elles for the eschewynge or auoy­dynge of harmes or daungers rysynge, as for example to auoyde and dysapoynt them which outher beynge within the same cōmunyte, or in any other outwarde cōmunyte, are wyllynge and gothe aboute to oppresse the cōmune lybertye / And by what reason the cytezens or subiectes are bounde to come togyther: whan they are called, at the cōmaundement of one of the sayde heed gouernours, and to the place, and at y ^e howre lymytted and appoynted by hym, by the same reason they are bounde to assemble and come togyther at the cōmaundment, and to the place and at the tyme lymytted of any other of them / nowe it maye so chaunce perauenture, that they bothe do appoynte them one howre, but dyuerse places / and moreouer that thynge whiche the one of them wylleth or intendeth to moue or put forth the other perauenture intendeth to put forthe the contrary thynge to the same / by the reason therfore that the subiectes can not possyblye be in dyuers places at one tyme, neyther gyue theyr mynde and intende to dyuers thynges at ones / the commune vtylyte shulde be troubled and letted as we haue sayde.

¶ Agayne by the reason of suche pluralyte of prynces or heed gouernours, there myght insue and folowe dyuysyon / or stryfe / fyghtynge / and seperacyon of the cytezens / and fynallye corrupcyon of the cyuyle cōmunyte / whyles certayne of them shall be wyllynge to obeye one of the sayde prynces / and other certayne of them, wyllynge to obey an other. Agayne there maye folowe dyscorde and stryfe betwene the gouernours and prynces selues / whyles eche one of them shall go a­boute to be aboue and ouergo the other. And also betwene the gouernours and the subiectes refusynge to be obedyent vnto them / and moreouer the gouernours [Page 39] beynge at debate or stryuynge one of them with another, and lackynge a iudge, superyoure to ordre all thynges betwene them accordynge to iustyce / y ^e aforesayd euylles or hurtes shulde ryse and growe therof. Agayne this pluralyte of heed gouernours supposed, one of the greattest thynges accordynge to reason and crafte shall be ydle or superfluous / for by onely one prynce or one heed gouernour all cyuyle vtylytes may perfytelye be had / what soeuer may be had by many prynces or heed gouernours / without any such cōmodytes or hurtes, as do folowe the pluralyte of the sayd rulers or gouernours. Agayne suche pluralite supposed of prynces or heed gouernours / in cytie, or realme, shall be but one / for it is called one cy­tie or one realme / because of the vnyte of the prynce or heed gouernour, to which, Why a cytie or realme is called one. and for whiche, all y ^e other partes of the cyuyle cōmunyte are ordayned / as it shal appere of those thynges whiche we shall saye here forthwith. And also there shal be none ordre of the partes of the cyuyle cōmunyte or realme / whan soeuer that they are not ordered to any pryncypall or heed parte / because they are not bounde to be subiecte vnto any man / as it hathe ben euydentlye shewed, and doth appere by y ^e reasons afore gone / And there shall be a cōfusyon and dysordre of them and of the hole cyuyle cōmunyte / for eche man shal chose to hym selfe, what soeuer of­fyce he lyste, outher one or mo / no man rulynge or seperatynge them one from an other / so many inconuenyentes also shulde folowe hereof, that it is harde or vn­possyble to nombre them / as for an example in beast or sensyble creature beynge well ordered accordynge to nature, the fyrst and pryncypall cause motyue, which moueth & caryeth it locallye from place to place, is nor can be but one cause mo­tyue onely / as it appereth euydentlye in that boke which is entytled De motibus animalium / for yf there were many suche pryncyples or causes, and the same mouynge the beast to contrarye or dyuers mocyons all at one tyme / it coulde not be chosen, but that the beast or sensyble creature outher shulde be caryed or moued to contrarye places at one tyme, or elles shulde rest and be nothynge moued at all / and lacke or wante suche thynges necessarye or good for it, whiche are goten to it by mocyon locall or mouynge from place to place. And euen so and in lyke maner it is in a cyuyle cōmunyte beynge well ordered / whiche sayde cōmunyte we haue sayde in the. v. chapytre of this dyccyon, to be proporcyonated and lyke to a sensyble creature beynge well fourmed or made accordynge to nature / And ther­fore as in a beaste or sensyble creature the pluralyte of suche prynciples or causes shuld be superfluous, yea & moreouer noysome: euen so lykewyse we ought surely to thynke, it for to be in a cyuyle cōmunyte or realme / The same also, who lyste to take hede, may be sene and perceyued of the pryncyple or cause of alteracyon in a beaste: lykewyse as of the pryncyple or cause mouynge the beast locallye / & semblablye in all y ^e hole ordre of the causes mouynge, and of the thynges moued / but let vs passe ouer these thynges at this tyme / for it belongeth more to natural phylosophye / And as moche as it is suffycyent to the present consyderacyon / we haue spoken of them, Agayne arte or crafte perfourmeth & fynyssheth some thynges, whiche nature can not, and in some thynges / it counterfayteth or foloweth nature / as it is wryten in the seconde boke of the Physykes / seynge therfore that in the nature of thynges, & in the whole worlde, there is but one pryncypall go­uernoure in nombre, and not many (for naturall thynges wyl not be euyll orde­red, as it is sayde in the. xii. boke of Metaphysykes) ergo there shal be but one prī ­ce or pryncypall gouernour in nombre instytuted accordynge to the reason & arte of men. And besyde these aforesayd reasone, all men maye se this to be true, expedyent, and necessarye, by sensyble experyēce / for in what soeuer place or prouynce or congregacyon of men the vnyte of the heed gouernour fayleth or is wantynge [Page] so as we haue sayd / it semeth vnpossyble y ^t prouynce or congregacyon to be well gouerned or ordred / as it appereth euydētlie well nere to al men of the kyngdome or empyre of the Romaynes / & was partlye shewed in the proheme or preface of this worke / but whether it be conuenyēt, that there shulde be but one heed gouer­nour or prynce in nombre, of the vnyuersali multytude of men lyuynge cyuyllie, & in the whole worlde / or els it be more cōuenyent, in dyuerse plages or partes of the worlde beynge seperated in places the one farre from the other, and cheyfly in those partes which are nothynge agreynge in language, but can not vnderstāde one of them an other / nor lyke in maners or cōdycyons / and farre dystaunte in cō uersacyon to haue dyuerse and sondrye suche maner prynces or heed gouernours at a tyme, the celestyall cause also perauenture mouynge or counsaylynge vnto the same, left superfluous propagacyon of men shulde be made: this maye be rea­sonablie serched and inquyred / but it appertayneth nothynge to our present pur­pose or intencyon / for perauenture it wolde seme to some man, that nature hathe moderated or measured the propagacyon of men & of other beastes, by bataylles or fyghtes, and by pestylences or murryons fallynge and chaūsynge other why­les amonge them so that the erthe or lande is suffycyent to the nourysshynge or bryngynge vp of them / but yet nowe retournynge agayne vnto our purpose in­tended of vs / let vs saye / that of the premysses it dothe somwhat appere, what is the vnyte numerall of a cytie or realme / for it is an vnyte of ordre, and not vtter­lye an vnyte but a pluralyte of certayne men, whiche pluralyte or whiche men are called, one thynge in nombre / not because they are one in nombre formallye by one fourme: but they are trulye called one in nombre: because they are referred to one thynge in nombre / that is to wyt, to the heed gouernoure & hyghest powre to whome, or for whome, they are ordered & gouerned / for a cytie or realme is not made of thynges, whiche are one by any one naturall fourme, as of composycyō or of cōmyxtion / for the offyces or partes therof, and the persones and the men or partes of these partes or offyces, are many in very dede / and are separated in nō ­bre one of them from an other formallie / for they are separated in place and also in theyr subiectes / wherfore neyther they are one by any one thynge formallie in­herente / neyther by any one thynge tow chynge, or contaynynge them all as we se y ^t a wall is one thynge framed & hāgynge togyther / For Rome with Meanes and other cōmunytes or cyties and townes, are one kyngdome or one empyre in nombre / but yet none otherwyse saue onely because eche one of these cōmunytes are wyllynge to be vnder one hyghest gouernoure and vnder one regall powre in nombre. After whiche maner welnere it is sayde, the world to be but one in nombre, and not many worldes / not because of any one numerall fourme formal­lie It is called but one worlde because of one god. inherent to all thynges that are in the worlde / but onely because of the nume­rall vnyte of the pryncypall causer or gouernoure of all thynges, whiche is god: therfore all thynges, are called but one worlde / for that that euery one of the na­turall thynges is inclyned & hangeth or dependeth of the sayde pryncypall cause whiche is god / wherfore whan it is sayde that all thynges beynge, are one world in nombre, it is not to be vnderstanded, neyther it is meaned, formallye of any vnyte numerall beynge in all the sayd thynges: neyther of any cōmen phrase of speche, but it is a pluralyte of certayne thynges / and is called one: because it is referred vnto one, and for one / so lykewyse the men of one cytie or prouynce, at cal­led one cōmunyte or realme: because they are wyllynge al to haue one heed gouernoure A kyngdom is called one because of one kynge or hed gouernour. in nombre. And yet for all that they are not therfore one parte in nombre of a cytie: whiche are one realme or one cyuyle cōmunyte in nombre / for thoughe they desyre one heed offycer in nombre, by the reason wherof they are called one cytie or one realme: yet for al that, because they are referred to this one heed gouernoure [Page 40] in nombre, by dyuers and sundrye instytucyon bothe actyue and passyue, whiche dyuers instytucyon is nought elles but a dyuers precepte or cōmaunde­ment gyuen to them by the prynce or heed gouernour, by which they ar ordayned & appoynted to dyuers offyces / and by reason of y ^e dyuersyte of this precepte, for­mally also they are dyuerse, or sondrye partes or offyces of a cytie, or cyuyle cōmunyte. And euery one of y ^• sayd offyces is called one offyce in nombre, or one parte of the cyuyle cōmunyte in nombre (notwithstādynge the numeral pluralyte of y ^• persones in the sayde offyces or partes) not by any one thynge in nōbre inherente to all the sayde persones: but because they are referred vnto one actyue precepte of the prynce or heed gouernoure / accordynge to the determynacyon of the lawe.

¶ The. xviii. chapytre we haue lefte out all togyther as nothynge appertaynynge to this realme of Englande,

¶ Of the causes whiche maketh trāquyllyte, or vnquyetnes in a cy­tie or realme / & of the cause whiche troubleth realmes / & of y ^e cōtynuacyō or ioynynge togyther of y ^e fyrst dycciō or pte of this worke, vnto y ^e seconde parte of the same,
The, xix, chapytre,

HOwe remayneth & is behynde, the last chapytre of this fyrste dyc­cyon or parte, of the afore wryten determynacyons to inferre & cō ­clude the causes bothe of tranquyllyte, & also of intrāquyllytie the cōtrarie in a cytie or realme. For this was the pryncypal questyon accordynge to the intēcyon purposed of vs, from the begynnynge. And fyrst of all, we shal shewe these causes ingenerall: presupposynge the syngulare & specyall determynacyon of them, whiche spryngeth or ryseth after the cōmune or wonte maner whiche Arystotle maketh in the. v. boke of his polytykes, consequentlye after these, we shall treate & determynatlye speke in especyall & pertyculerlye, of the strange & vnwonte cause of dyscorde or intrāquyllyte, of all cy­uyll gouernauncs or cōmunaltes, whiche in our prohemye or preface / we sayd to haue a great whyle dystroubled & yet cōtynuallye to vexe & trouble dayly more and more the good ordre of the cōmunalte of Italye, but here it is nedefull to our purpose for to resume & reherse agayne the dyscrypcions of tranquyllyte, & his cō trarye intranquyllyte, which are afore wryten in y ^e seconde chapytre of this parte. The descryp­cyon of a quiete & a peace­able cytie. Tranquyllyte is y ^e good dysposycyon or orderynge of a cytie or realme, by which euery parte or mēbre therof, may do the workes conuenyent & accordynge for it, accordynge to reason, & theyr owne instytucyon & ordynaunce, of the whiche dys­crypcyon, appereth the nature of it. For whan it is sayd a good dysposycyon: ther in is noted or marked the intrensecall quiddyte general of it. But in this, that by it is sayde, that euery membre of that cōmunaltye maye do the workes to it selfe conuenyent & appertaynynge, is betokened the fynall cause or ende of it, whiche causeth vs also to vnderstande & perceyue the propre quiddyte or dyfference of it. And for as moch as it selfe is a certayne fourme or dysposycyon of a cytie or real­me, and no more one, than we haue sayd a realme or a cytie to be in the. xvii. cha­pytre of this fyrste dyccyon, in the. xi. and. xii. partes therof, it hathe no cause formall. For a formall cause properlye apperteyneth to thynges composed, or made of mo parties than one. And the cause actyue or effycyent, therof we may, easely perceyue, by these thynges which were spoken and sayd / in the. xv. chapytre of this parte, and by other thynges whiche shall nedely folowe it in a cytie or [Page] realme, & they by these the conuersacyon of the cytezens eche with other, the cōmuneratynge or parte takynge amōge them selues one of an others workes, the succourynge or helpynge one of them an other, & generally powre or lyberte without any outwarde impedyment or lettynge to exercyse theyr own & the cōmune wor­kes, & partakynge also of the cōmune profytes or cōmodytes, & of men after the measure cōuenyent and agreynge to euery one, & with these, other cōmodytes & good thyngꝭ, worthy to be desyred which haue ben heretofore expressed in the ora­cion of Cassiodorus, whiche oracion we made the begynnynge of this boke, the contraryes of al the whiche cōmodytes, or els of certayne the chefest of them, shal ensue and folowe intrāquyllytie or dyscorde beynge the cōtrary to tranquyllytie. For as moch than as the dewe operacyon or workynge of the cheyfe gouernoure & ruler is the cause effycyent or maker, & also cōseruer of all cyuyle cōmodytes or weale, and of the aforesayd thynges, as it hathe ben shewed & declared in the. xv. chapytre of this boke, in the. xi. & the. xii. partes therof, it also shall be the cause ef­fectyue and maker of trāquyllyte / & vndoubtedly this was Paules mynde & me anynge, whan he sayd to Timothe the. ii. chapytre of the fyrste epystle. Therfore we ought to pray for heed offycers that we may lyue in peace. I beseche & desyre, obsecracyōs and prayers to be made, for kynges & rulers, and for all men whiche be in hyghe auctoryte, that we may lede a quyet & a peaceable lyfe. And what soeuer thynge shal let the dewe accyon or workynge of this parte that is to say of the heed, of that thynge spryngeth & cōmeth forth intrāquyllytie or dyscorde as of the cause effectyue, whiche cause of intranquyllytie sene and cō sydered in general, thoughe it be varyed & made dyuers by many partyculer kyndes & maners (of the whiche kyndes or maners, howe they be caused or come forth of a wonte or accustomed accyon Arystotle hath gyuen suffycyent vnderstan­dynge & knowlege, in his fyfte boke of cyuyle scyence or gouernaūce of a cōmen weale / whiche we haue called polytyke scyence) yet notwithstandynge, there is a certayne stronge and vnwonte cause of intranquyllyte or dyscorde of cyties, realmes & cōmodytes, whiche cause is taken occasyonallye for the effecte brought forthe of the deuyne cause, besyde all his wonte or accustomed operacyon or wor­kynge in thynges, whiche cause, as I remēbre that we touched afore in our pro­hemye, neyther Arystotle / neyther any other of the phylosophers in his tyme or a fore his tyme or after his tyme, coulde se or perceyue, and this cause a lōge season heretofore, and nowe also cōtynually, more & more, lettynge the dewe operacyō or workynge of the heed ruler in the kyngdome of Italye, hathe spoyled or bere­ued, and dothe spoyle and depryue it of peace or trāquyllyte, & other cōmodites ensuenge and folowynge the same, also of the cōmodyties nowe rehersed, & hathe vexed and dothe vexe the sayd cōmunaltie, with all hurtes & incōmodytes / and hathe, as a man wolde saye, replenysshed and fylled it, with all kyndes of myse­rye and iniquyte. The nature of the whiche sayde cause fore lettynge & hurtynge by reason of y ^e vsual custome of preuy malygnyte, we owynge in specyall or perticulerly to determyne, accordynge to our intencyon proposed from y ^e begynnyng must nedely call to remēbraunce, those thynges whiche we haue sayd heretofore in the. vi. chapytre of this boke, that is to wyt, that the sone of god, one of the. iii. persons, very god, to make satysfaccyon for the offence of our fyrst parentes dysobedyently transgressynge the cōmaundemēt of god / & consequently to repayre y ^e fal of the hoole kynde of man, hathe taken vpon hym the nature of man, a good whyle after Arystotles tyme, beynge made very man, and the same beynge god also, whome, called Iesu Chryste, faythfull chrysten men do honoure and wor­shyppe, Iesu chryste. this chryste, I say the / blyssed sone of god bothe god and man in one per­sone, was conuersaunte amonge the people of the wycked Iewes, of whome he [Page 41] toke his begynnynge as touchynge his bodely substaūce / & he began to teache the veryte & trouth of thynges to be beleued, of thyngꝭ to be done & wrought, of thynges to be auoyded & eschewed, to y ^• ende y ^t men myght get & optayne euerlastyng lyfe, & auoyde or escape euerlastynge mysery / And for these thynges, at the laste throughe the malice & woodnes of the Iewes, he suffered passyon, & was done to dethe, vnder ponce Pylate / presydent, or depute to the emperour of Rome / & rose agayne from dethe to lyfe the thyrde daye after his deth, afterwarde ascendynge & goynge vp in to heuens. But yet afore that tyme, whyles he yet lyued by a corruptyble lyfe, that is to saye before he suffered passyon, for the helthe & the salua­cyon of mankynde, he chose & toke to hym certayne men which shuld be felowes in y ^e mynysterye of teachynge the trouth, whome men cal apostles, & at the tyme The apostles of chryste. of his ascencyon he gaue them in charge & cōmaundement to preache that truthe throughe out the whole worlde, which he had taught & instructed them in / wherfore he sayd to them after his resurreccyon, in the. xxviii. & laste chapytre of Ma­thewe. Go you therfore, and teache all nacyons, baptyzynge them in the name of the father, & the sone, & the holy ghost, teachynge them to obserue and kepe all thyngꝭ what soeuer I haue cōmaunded & charged you. By these apostles, I saye whose names are suffycyently knowen amonge the faythfull chrysten people, & by certayne other persones, chryste wylled the lawe of y ^e gospell to be wryten, as The lawe of the gospell. by certayne instrumentes mouyd & dyrected to the same, imedyatly by the powre of god, by the whiche lawe or gospell wryten, we myght in the absence of chryste hym selfe, & of his apostles, yet haue perceyuynge & knowlege of the preceptes, & counsayles belongynge to euerlastynge helthe / In the which lawe, & accordyng to the whiche lawe, he hathe appoynted, and ordayned the sacramentꝭ, wherby o­rygynallye The sacramē tes of y ^e chur­che. & actuall syn is clensed, wherby the grace of god is obtayned and cō ­serued, & wherby the same grace loste may be recouered agayne / and wherby the menystres of this lawe are instytuted and made. And fyrst of all, he dyd instytute, ordeyne, & make the sayd apostles, teachers of this lawe, and mynystres of y ^e sacramentes accordynge to the same lawe, gyuynge to them by y ^e holy ghost, auctoryte of this mysterye, whiche chrysten people calleth the auctoryte of preesthode, by the which he gaue to the same, or to the successours of them in this offyce, & to none other, powre, vnder a certayne forme of wordes sayd of them, or of any one of them, to tourne the substaūce of bread & of wyne, in to the very body & blode of The sacra­ment of the aulter The powre of the keyes. hym, and besyde this, he gaue also to the same, auctoryte or powre to bynde & to lose men from synnes, which auctoryte they are wonte to call y ^e powre of y ^e keyes & to substytute and make other vnder them selues, hauynge the same auctoryte / The whiche auctoryte also the apostles gaue to certayne men, yea god gaue it by the apostles, throughe prayer, & puttynge of theyr hādes vpon them. And af­ter the same maner haue other taken powre & auctoryte also, to do lykewyse, & cō sequently so they haue done, dothe and shall do, euen vnto the ende of the worlde after which maner also, the apostle Paule dyd instytute Timothe, Titus, and other mo teachynge them also to instytute other lykewyse, wherfore in y ^e. iiii. chapytre of y ^• former epystle wryten to Timothe he sayth. Do not despyse or set lyght by the grace whiche is in the, whiche is gyuen the throughe prophesye, with y ^e layenge on of the preestes hādes / and in the fyrst chapytre of the epystle to Titus for this cause I haue lefte the in Crete londe, that thou shuldest correcte and amende suche thynges whiche yet wanteth, & that thou shuldest constytute, ordayne, and make preestꝭ throughe out euery cytie, as I haue taught & charged the & this auctoryte of preesthod & of y ^• keyes, whether it be onely one auctoryte or els many, is The karact of holy order. a karact or a fygure or marke īprynted in y ^e sowle by y ^e īmedyat workīge of god. [Page] ¶ Besyde this there is a certayne other auctoryte belongynge to preesthode gy­uen The primate shyp of y ^• spyrytuall com­meth of man by the graunte of men, after that the nombre of them was multyplyed for to auoyde all occasyon of slaunder or offence, and this auctoryte, is the preemynēce whiche any one of them hath aboue the other, to dyrecte them in the temple, to the worshypynge of god, and to the doynge of the deuyne seruyce: in dewe forme and maner, and to destrybute certayne temporall goodes, whiche hathe ben ordayned to the vse of the afore sayde mynystres. Of the powre and cause effectyue of the whiche auctoryte and where hence it began and came forthe, itshall be suffycy­entlye declared in the. xv. and in the. xvii. chapytres of the seconde dyccyon or parte. For this auctoryte of the prymateshyp of the clargye is not made īmedyatly by god but by the wyll and mynde of men, lykewyse as other offyces of a cō ­mune weale be.

¶ Thus than, the orygynall begynnynge of the ecclesyastycall mynystres & the powre and cause effectyue of theyr offyce, beynge rehersed and somwhat decla­red, we must attende & gyue hede more ouer, that amonge the apostles of chryste aforesayd there was one, whose name was Symon Peter whiche was the fyrst that receyued of chryste the promyse of the keyes / as saythe the glose after saynt Austēs mynde in the. xvi. chapytre of Mathewe, vpon this oracle or answere of chryste. And to the I shall gyue the keyes of the kyngdome of heuens. Upon this texte sayth the glose, he that confessed that Iesus chryst was the very sone of god hathe the keyes gyuen to hym afore other, for this sayd apostle, after the passyon the resurreccyon, & the assencyon of chryste in to heuen, came to Anteoche / & there Peter the bysshop of Anteoche. was made bysshop by the people as euydently doth appere, by the hystory of hym and from thense as the foresayd hystory sheweth, what soeuer cause hathe be ouer hyppyd and lefteout, for of this is there dyuerse and sondry opynyons / afterwardes he wente to Rome / and there was he bysshop and ouersear to chrysten people and in cōclusyon, for the professyon of chryste, and for his godly preachynge, he was beheded and dyed / and with hym, in the same place and at the same tyme, y ^• apostle Paule also, accordynge to the aforesayd hystory / of the prerogatyue than whiche this dyscyple or apostle semed to haue, in comparyson of the other apost­les, in that the keyes were fyrste promysed to hym afore the other, for the wordes of scrypture heretofore brought in and rehersed, and for certayne other thynges spoken of chryst to hym syngulerly, which shal be rehersed here after: certayne bysshoppes after hym, in the apostolyke or epyscopalsee of Rome, and namely syns the tyme of Constantyne the emperour of Rome, saye and chalenge themselues to be aboue all other bysshoppes of the worlde, as touchynge all maner auctoryte of iurysdyccyon / yea and certayne of the same, whiche hathe ben of latter tyme, not onely dothe chalenge to be aboue all other preestes and bysshoppes / but also aboue all prynces of the world, al cōmunaltyes, & al maner persones / albeit, they do not expresse this egally of all, neyther do saye it playnly and openly, as of the prynce and ruler of the Romaynes called the emperoure, and of the prouynces, cyties, & persones subiectes to the same emperour / albeit, that the synguler expressy on of suche domynyon or coactyue iurysdyccyon ouer this prynce (accordynge to the very trouth) semeth to haue taken face and fyrste begynnynge, of a certayne gyfte or graunt whiche certayne men saythe, to haue ben made by Constantyne The donacy­on or gyfte of Cōstantyne. emperour, to saynt Syluester bysshop of Rome: yet because this is not clerely ex­pressed in that graunte or pryuylege, or elles because perauenture it hath ben dys­anulled by other made afterwardes, or elles because it was weake or of smal strē gthe: the vertue of the sayde graunte, extendeth itselfe to the other lordshyppes & gouernaunces of the world, & not to the empyre of the Romaynes in al puynces [Page 42] And therfore afterwardes the bysshoppes of Rome of latter tyme, haue chalen­ged & taken to themselues this iurysdyccyon coactyue vnyuersally vpon y ^e hole worlde, by a certayne other tytle, comprehendynge all men, that is to wyt by the fulnes of powre & auctoryte, whiche they say, was gyuen by chryste to saynt Peter, and to his successours in the epyscopall see of Rome, as beynge Chrystes vy­cares or debytes. For chryste (as they saye and truly) was the kynge of kynges, and lord of lordes, yea & of all the hole world bothe persons and thynges (how be it of this dothe not folowe that thynge, whiche they wolde inferre and conclude, as shall appere more certaynely and vndoubtedlye in those thynges, which shall be spoken here after) this than is the meanynge of this tytle amonge the bysshop­pes of Rome, that lykewyse as chryste had the fulnesse of powre and iurysdyccyon aboue all kynges, prynces, cōmunaltyes, companyes, or felysshyppes, and alsanguler persons: so in lyke maner they, whiche calleth themselues the vycars of chryst, and Peter, haue also the same fulnesse of coactyue iurysdyccyon, determy­ned by no lawe of man.

¶ An euydent token y ^t the bysshoppes of Rome intende this to be the meanyngꝭ 8 which we haue rehersed, of this tytle, that is to wyt of the fulnes of theyr powre / is this, that Clement the. v. of that name, bysshop of Rome, doth so vse it in a certayne Clement y ^e. v decretall, which he made. Desen. et re iudi. in the. vii. boke, to Henry the. vii of worshypfull memorye last emperour / of Rome of that name, whyles in reuo­kynge a certayne sentence or iudgement of the same Henry, he vttereth certayne order of wordes, expressynge that, which we haue sayd, as touchynge theyr sence & meanynge aboute the foresayd tytle, whiche wordes we leaue out & passe ouer here, partly because the mater as knowen well ynoughe, and partly for cause of shortnes, and because we shall brynge them in more for the purpose in the. xxv. chapytre of y ^e seconde dyccyon the. xviii. parte of the same chapytre. Seyng than Chryste was not the gouernour of y ^e em­perour of Rome. that chryst neyther is, neyther hath ben, more kynge and lorde of the emperour of the Romaynes than of any other kynge, or prynce & ruler, who soeuer he be, but rather as moch or more kynge and lorde of the other: because that in chrystes tyme the prynce or emperoure of the Romaynes was in a maner lorde and onely chefe heed, throughe out all the worlde / it is open and euydent that the sence and mea­nynge of this tytle, by the vertue and strengthe of one, and the same rote is extendyd to all kyngdomes, lordshyppes, and rules / whiche sence or meanynge also to be intendyd by the same tytle, of the bysshoppes of Rome, the contencyons, attentacyon & enterpryse of Bonyface the, viii. bysshop of Rome agaynst Phelyp of Bonyface y ^• maker of de­cretalles. famouse & worshypfull memory kynge of Fraunce, and the decretall of the same Bonyface, therof ensuynge manyfestly doth teache, which same decretall shal be brought in of vs, in the. xx. chapytre of the seconde dyccyon, the. viii. parte of the same chapitre / by which decretall he defyneth & determyneth, that this is to be be­leued A good arty­cle of our fayth, & worthye for sucha bysshop The abuse of excōmunycacyon. of the necessyte of euerlastynge helth and saluacyon, that all maner men be subiectes by coactyue iurysdyccion to the bysshop of Rome. Than by this meane the bysshops of Rome enterynge in to these thynges, fyrste vnder the coloure and aperaunce of sechynge peace amonge the faythfull chrysten people, certayne they dyd excōmunycat, whiche wolde not obaye theyr sentence, & iudgement and af­terwardes geuynge sentence and iudgement agaynst them, bothe reall and personall, that is to saye / bothe in theyr goodes and in theyr personage, agaynst some more expressely, as such which were lesse able to resyste or withstāde theyr powre as for example agaynst y ^• synguler persons & cōmunytes of the Italyōs whose kyngdome beynge deuyded & torne a sonder in all his ꝑtes, may y ^e more easely & soner be oppressed / & agaynst other some more slackely, as kiges, whose coactyue [Page] [...] [Page 42] [...] [Page] powre they do fere and drede. Howbeit they do crepe by lytle and lytle, and contynuallye assaye and enterpryse to crepe euen vnto these heades also, in the vsurpa­cyon of iurysdyccyons, beynge very hardy and bolde to inuade all togyther. For the which cause y ^e preuarycacyon of these bysshoppes craftely & preuely cōmynge in, hath hetherto ben vnknowen and hyd from the prynces and rulers of the Ro­maynes, and from the peoples, subiectes to them. For the bysshoppes of Rome by lytle and lytle haue caughte vnto them selues one Iurysdyccyon after an other, namely whan the imperyall see hath ben vacante, but yet se that nowe they saye that theyr selues haue all the imperyall iurysdyccyon coactyue, aboue the same prynce and emperour, amonge all whiche sayd bysshoppes of Rome, the bysshop that nowe is, hath wryten most large and most manyfestlye, to the emperour of Romaynes / as wel in the prouynces of Italye as of Germanye, & to al the inferyour prynces and rulers of the sayd prouynces, to the cōmunytes, companyes or felysshyppes, and synguler persones of the same of what soeuer dygnyte, condy­cyon, No man can make the people to byleue this abhomynable p̄sumpcyon & pryde. or estate they be, that hym selfe hath hyghest and chefe iurysdyccyon vpon them / and al theyr temporalles & ascrybynge openly to hym selfe, powre to gyue and to translate theyr kyngdomes and offyces, from them to other men / as clere­ly and euydently it maye appere to all men, by certayne wrytynges of the same bysshop, which he callethe wrytynges decrees or sentēces. Therfore this wronge exystymacyon, opynyon, iudgement, and perauenture peruerse affeccyon or de­syre of domynyon or chefe rule, whiche they chalenge to be due to them selues, by The bysshoppes of Rome with theyr desyrynge of domynyō, hath ben y ^e causers of dyscorde & warres. the tytle of the ful powre and auctoryte gyuen vnto them by Chryst (as they say) is that synguler and specyall cause, whiche we haue sayde to be the maker of in­tranquyllytie or dyscorde of a cytie or realme / for this peruerse affeccyon beynge prone and redy to crepe in to all realmes and kyngdomes, as it was sayd in our prohemye with his noysome and hatefull accyon or workynge, hath of longe season vexed the realme of Italye, and hath kepte, & contynually doth kepe it from it trāquyllyte or peace, in that it letteth and forbyddeth with all enforcement the promocyon or instytucyon of the chefe ruler, that is to saye of the emperoure of the Romaynes, and his operacyon or workynge in the sayde empyre for lacke & wante of the whiche accyon or worke, that is to wyt of the iustyfycacyon of the cyuyle actes and dedes: wronges and contencyons or stryfes, easelye and lyghtly doth chaunce and ryse / whiche wronges not measured by the rule of Iustyce, or of the lawe, because the measurer is absent: causeth fyghtynges / by the reason wherof, seperacyons of the cōmons, and inconclusyon the breakynges or lousynges of the cōmune weales in Italye, hathe chaunced as we haue sayd / throughe this opynyon than and perauenture affeccyon and desyre of domynyon and bea­rynge chefe rule, wherof we haue spoken: the bysshop of Rome enforceth and la­boureth to make y ^e emperour of the Romaynes subiecte to hym, by coactyue or tē porall iurysdyccyon / which emperour neyther ought by ryght, as it shal be playnly and openly shewed by those thynges whiche here after shall folowe, neyther Coactyue iurysdiccion apperteyneth to no spyrytual mynystre of the church, as concernynge he is a spyry­tual mynistre is wyllynge to be subiecte to hym in suche iudgement. For the offyce of coactyue Iurysdyccyon, is not a greynge or conuenyent neyther to the bysshop of Rome neyther to any other bysshop, nor to any spyrytuall mynystre, in that he is a spy­rytuall mynystre, neyther is it conuenyent that he haue any suche iurysdyccyon, ouer any man, or person of what soeuer estate or condycyon he be, or ouer any cō munytye, or company or felowshyp, as it hath ben determyned in the. xv. &. xvii. chapytres of this fyrste dyccyon or parte. And of this mynde is Arystotle in the. iiii. of his polytykes.

¶ And because this pernycyous pestylence or myschefe vtterly cōtrary to the quyetnes [Page 43] and rest of men, and also to al theyr welthe & felycytye, throughe the faulte of the sayde corrupte rote of ambycyons, affeccyon to reygne ouer all, myght in­fecte and poysone the other kyngdomes or realmes of the worlde, cheyfely of chrystendome: I thynke it moste necessarye and nedefull of all, to repell and dryue it backe / as we sayd in our prohemye / fyrste by openynge the couerynge or closer of Howe to op­presse y ^e vsur­ped powre of the man of Rome. the aforesayde opynyon, whiche is as the rote of all the cuylles whiche haue ben done alredye, or els hereafter shall be done / & afterwarde by kepynge vnder with exteryor and outwarde laboure and dylygēce, the ygnoraunte or vnryghtuouse bryngers vp and deuysers, and also the frowarde defenders of the same. To these thynges are all men bounde, whiche outher haue knowlege or be of myght and powre to withstande it / whiche thynge who soeuer outher dothe not regarde, or leneth it vndone: they are iniuste and vnryghtuouse / wytnesse Tully in the fyrst boke De officiis, the. v. chapytre whan he sayd. There are two kyndes of īiustyce They which dothe not re­syste cuyl mē are iniuste ꝑ­sones. or vnryghtuousnes / the one of them which doth iniurye or wronge to other men / the other of them whiche dothe not withstande & dryue backe iniurye and wrōge from them to whome it is done, yf they be able and of powre. Beholde than, that accordynge to this notable sentence of Tully, not onely they be vnryghtuouse persons, whiche dothe iniurye and wronge to other: but they also whiche hathe knowlege and be able to forbyd and let them, whiche dothe iniurye to other, and dothe not prohybyte and let them / for euery one of vs is bounden to do this to o­ther by a certayne (in a maner) lawe naturall / y ^t is to wyt, by the dutye of frend­shyp, and socyete and felowshyp of man / whiche lawe (left I shulde wyttynglye transgresse it, I myght at the leaste wyse seme to my selfe, for to be vniust & vn­ryghtuouse) I suppose to put by and dryue awaye this pestylence or myschefe, from my bretherne the faythfull people of chryste, fyrste by lernynge, and conse­quently by myne outwarde laboure and dylygence, suche as I shall be able to do / for as moche as it is gyuen to me from aboue (as me thynke I perceyue vndoubtelye) to knowe the sophysme & subtyltye therof & powre to open it, vnto the whiche sophysme or deceytefull cautell, the peruerse and croked opynyon, and perauenture also the peruerse affeccion vnyted thereun­to, of certayne bysshoppes of Rome heretofore and at this presēt tyme also beynge, and theyr cōplyces (whiche is theyr mother and cause of all the aforesayde slaunders and hurtes) haue lyued and trusted hetherto and contynuallye laboureth to be sustayned or maynteyned and holden vp by the same.

¶ Of thre Impedymentes, maners and wayes, to contrarye & saye agaynst the veryties, contayned in this dyccyon / of the intencyon of the thynges whiche here shall be treated of, and of the maner and forme of procedynge.
The fyrste chapytre.

HOwe therfore beynge aboute to take in hande, and to sette vpon so harde & hyghe a thynge, albeit I do not doubte, that no thynge can be obiected agaynst vs, whiche maye be grounded vpon the trouthe, yet that natwithstandynge, I do se warres and bataylles to be prepared / and made redy agaynst this worke, by. iii. hate Of the fyrste aduersarye a­gaynst the truthe. full and mortall enemyes of the truthe / the one is, the persecusyon of the vyolent and serce powre of the bysshoppes of Rome, and theyr complyces / for they shall endeuer them selfe / and laboure all that euer they maye, to destroye this worke and the publysshers and declarers of it tellynge the trouthe, as beynge dyrectlye contrarye to theyr purpose of witholdynge and possessynge wrongfullye temporalles, and also beynge agaynst the feruent desyre, whiche they haue, to haue domynyon, and to bete rule / from the whiche sayde purpose and desyre, it shall be a harde thynge, and a great maysterye, to reuoke them and to call them awaye, by any speche of truthe: be it neuer so manyfest, playne, and opyn. But yet I praye The charytable desyre of marsilius. god, that of his mercy, he wyll by his grace vouchsafe, to reuoke them, and to a­bate and kepe vnder the vyolent powre of them, and that his faythfull people bothe prynces and subiectes maye tame and holde vnder the same powre, to the tranquyllyte and quietnes of al the whiche prynces and subiectes, they are fooes and enemyes.

¶ The seconde aduersary, which no lesse prepareth batayle agaynst this worke, Of y ^e seconde aduersary to truthe. Custome to here lyes. is the olde enemye in a maner of euery verytye or truthe / y ^t is to wyt, the custome of herynge false lyes, and gyuynge credence to the same / false lyes I saye, which haue bene of longe season, by some preestes or bysshoppes, and other theyr suffra­ganes, sowne and roted in the sowles of very many symple chrysten people / for these preestes by certayne theyr speches and also wrytynges, hathe entangeled and wrapped in, the sentence of god, and of man, with dyuers implycacyon of the actes and dedes of men, as well relygyouse, as laye or temporall / and verye laboryouse to be explycated and declared / insertynge and concludynge afterwardes (thoughe vnduelye and vntruly) of such wrestynge and wrythynge of sentences, certayne sences or meanynges, by whiche they haue brought in theyr iniuste and wrongfull domynyon and lordshyp, ouer and vpon the faythfull people of chryste, gyuynge credence throughe theyr owne symplycyte, by certayne deceyte­full and crafty argumentes of these preestes, and a certayne cōmynacyon or thre­tenynge of euerlastynge dāpnacyon, y ^t they are boūden by y ^e ordynaūce of god, to y ^e obseruacyon of such sophystical sayēges & wrytīges in / which often tymes they trespasse and do amysse, inferrynge a conclusyon of such thynges, wherof it doth not dewelye folowe / For the true meanynge, of the thynges wherof the questyon [Page 44] and dysputacyon is made, and of theyr true and symple begynnynges, beynge wyped out of the myndes of men, and false vnderstādynges beynge brought by lytle and lytle in to theyr myndes, in the stede of them: nowe the dyscernynge of bothe, is hyd from very many men / For this custome of herynge false and vn­true thynges, in what soeuer dyscyplyne it be: troubeleth and leadeth men great­lye awaye from the trouthe as Arystotle wytnesseth in his last chapytre of phy­losophye / By reason of the whiche sayd custome, the readers and hearers of this boke also, shall greatly be troubled and letted in the begynnynge, cheyfely suche as shall be vnskylled in phylosophye, and vnexercysed in holye scryptures / from the perceruynge and vnderstandynge, and also perfyte beleuynge of the very­tyes in this boke contayned.

¶ The thyrde & last hatefull and noysome enemye of the trouthe, shall be a great The thyrde aduersarye to truthe. Enuye. impedyment and lettynge to this doctryne also / and that is the enuye of them also / whiche, albeit they shall beleue, that we haue sayde and spoken the trouthe­yet that natwithstādynge because, they shall perceyue, an other man to haue ben the declarer and setter forthe of this trewe sentence afore them selues: they beynge mouyd therunto, by the moste wycked spyryte of brennynge enuye, shal set them selues as aduersaryes agaynst the same declarer outher tearynge hym with the secrete and preuye to the of backebytynge and detraccyon, or elles with the clamorouse barkynge of presumpcyon.

¶ But I wyll leue or cease from my purpose, neyther for feare or drede of the vy­olente powre of preestes, which otherwyse then they ought to do, feruently desyre domynyon and lordshyp, whome I speake to in these wrytynges / for as moche as the maker of the psalmes saythe. The lorde is my helper, and I wyl not feare what man can do vnto me. Neyther I wyll leue of, for the obloquyes of enuy­ouse detractours, to expresse that thynge whiche beynge declared, & opened, may as moche profyte and do good to all men: as it myght do hurte to all men, yf it were neglected, and not regarded and taken heade of / And as for these foresayde enuyoue persons shall also with theyr enuye, freatynge and vexynge or tourmē tynge theyr myndes: do most harme vnto them selues. For enuye, as saythe Vgutio, Enuye. very well descrybynge it▪ is a thynge retournynge to the auctoure therof, in that it is the tormentynge of a mynde, consumynge & wastynge awaye, because of an other mannes welthe or good / and as for the custome, which afore we sayd to be enemye to vs: shall suffycyentlye be resysted, by the euydence of the verytes whiche hereafter shall be sayde and spoken.

¶ And this shall be the maner of my processe in the seconde dyccyon or parte of The ordre of procedynge in this dyccy­on or parte. this boke / Fyrste I shall brynge in auctorytes of the holy Canon, with certayne fayned, and straunge, or vnmete interpretacyons of certayne men, by the whiche peraduenture it myght seme and appere, that it myght be proued, the hyghest of all iurysdyccyon coactyue, and cheyfest rule and domynyon, to be dewe of ryght to the bysshop of Rome / namely in the lawe of chrysten men, as well aboue the prynce & emperour of the Romaynes, as vpon al other kyngdomes, lordshyppes, cōmunyties, companyes or feloshyppes, and syngulare persones, euen seculers / & so moche the more ouer preestes or bysshoppes, deacons, and the collegyes or felo­shyppes of them, and syngulare persones / of what estate soeuer they be. For yf by any necessyte, this iurysdyccyon maye be concluded by the vertue and strength of the wordes of scrypture, ouer any one of these, outher seculers or clarkes: by the same, it maye in comparyson of all the resydewe / Consequentlye after these auc­torytes, I shall brynge in certayne as it were polytyke reasons, very apparant, to the confyrmacyon and fortefyenge of this sayde purpose, grounded vpon cer­tayne [Page] verytes of the holy scrypture, whiche also euery one of them to be trewe: & agreable all men wolde perauēture suppose / These reasons (I say) I wyll bryng in, to the intēte, y ^t I may so openly dyssolue them, & make answere to them: that no man from hensforthe may by them, or other lyke, be deceyued or begyled / and that by the solucyon of them: the infyrmyte, & weakenes or feblenes of the aforesayde opynyon, may the more appere / to y ^e whiche of longe season hytherto, they haue gyuen the coloure & face of probalyte & lykelyhod. After these thynges done than shall I of the contrary parte, brynge in certayne verytes of the holy canon, with the exposycyons of the holy interpretours therof, not fayned, not straūge or false, but agreable, & mete and properly belongynge to the same / which sayde verytes doth shewe openly & playnly, y ^t the bysshop of Rome called the pope, or any The bysshop of Rome hath no iurysdiccyon ouer pree­stes. other preest, or bysshop, or spyrytuall mynystre, ioyntlie, or sonderly, in that they be suche mynystres: neyther hathe, neyther ought to haue any iurysdyccyon coac­tyue of any man, reall or personall, ouer any preest or bysshop, or deacon, or any college or feloshyp of them / & therfore so moche y ^e lesse, he or any of them, cōmunely, or seuerally, hathe any such maner iurisdyccyon, vpō any kīge or prīce, or vpō any realme, cōmunalte, cōpany or feloshyp, or any syngulare persone seculer / except onely, y ^t suche maner iurysdyccyon by some man maker of the lawe, in y ^t prouynce, shall be graunted to some preest, or bysshop / or to some college or feloshyp of them. To the demōstracyon, & confyrmacyon wherof there may & ought to be brought in / whan any man shall se oportunyte / certayne cyuyle or polityke demō stracyons or reasons / whose propre prynciples or begynnynges are cōteyned in y ^• xii. chapytre of the fyrst dyccyon the. xv. &. xvii. for I am not dysposed to reherse them agayne, because of shortenynge of our speche / cōsequently, aft these thyngꝭ I shall shewe, what, & howe great is the powre & auctoryte of preesthod, & of the keyes gyuen by chryst to the bysshop of Rome, & to euery preest / for of the many­festacyon & declaracyon of these thynges, hāgeth the solucyon of many doubtes, whiche solucyon gyueth entraunce & cōmynge in to the verytie & ende, which we seche & labour to brynge forthe / & afterwardes, it shall be very profytable, to say somwhat and make answere to certayne questyons, rysynge of the aforesayde thynges / with the whiche, we shall also saye somwhat, of the pryuyleges of the emperours of Rome, whiche hathe ben graunted to the sayd bysshoppes of Rome whiche thynge shall be very expedyent & profytable, to our busynes purposed & entended. For of these pryuylegyes, the vsurpacyons, occupacyons, or withhol­dynges of iurysdyccyons coactyue, which nowe they ascrybe properly to the auc­torytie of the bysshop of Rome: accasyonally toke theyr begynnīge / & by customeor rather abuse, afterwardes hathe taken strength / namely the emperyall seate beynge vacāte. For by these pryuylegyes, at the begynnynge & by nothynge els the bysshopes of Rome hath ben vpholden, in the purchasynge or gettynge coactyue Note this. iurysdyccyons & in the cōseruacyon & kepynge of the same. But afterwardꝭ outher because throughe theyr demerytes they haue ben depryued of the same pry­uylegies / or elles left the debylytye and weakenes of the occasyons, & the trouthe of this iurysdyccyon vndewely & wrongfully taken vnto them, myght appere / & to couer & hyde theyr vnkyndnes / or els perauenture (as we shewed it to be very lyke to be true in the last chapytre of the fyrst dyccyon) because they intende and purpose the occupacyon / of y ^• coactyue iurysdyccyon of all realmes, to the which, the afore rehersed pryuylegyes coulde nothynge helpe them, or make with them: therfore they do not vse the same pryuylegies / but an other vnyuersall tytle afore rehersed, to make all prynces or rulers, & all men y ^t lyueth cyuyllye, subiectes to them selues: that is to wyt the fulnesse of powre & auctoryte / by the which fulnes [Page 45] of powre / gyuen (as they say) by chryste / to saynt Peter, as to his vycate & deby­te: nowe euery bysshop of Rome, in that he is the successoure of Peter, saythe that his selfe hathe the hyghest coactyue iurysdyccyon of al men, & all prouynces. The resydewe & remenaūte of this dyccyon, shall be to shewe, that the auctorytes of y ^e holy Canon, agaynst that sentence of the trouth and of the scrypture, which we haue sayd before: dothe nothynge make for the aforesayd errour / but rather dothe make agaynst the same / as it shall manyfestly appere, by the exposycyons of cer­tayne sayntes, and also of other approued doctours of the chrysten faythe / by the whiche also, it shall playnly appere, that the exposycyons, nay rather, & to speke more trulye, the fyccyons & fayned ymagymacyons of certayne men, goynge aboute to wrethe & wreste the scrypture, to the mayntenaunce & fortefyenge of the sence of theyr false opynyon aforesayd: are vyolent in terpretacyons, croked, con­trary to the scrypture, & dysagreynge to the sentence and mynde of the holy & also learned doctours of the chrysten faythe. And fynally, and last of all, I shall dys­solue, and make answere to the argumentes & reasons, whiche beynge as it were cyuyle or polytyke reasons, I sayd afore, dyd seme and appere, somewhat to de­fende and fortefye that false opynyon, oftentymes afore rehersed.

¶ Of the dyuerse sygnyfycacyons, of the nownes or dyccyons and wordes, of the whiche, the questyons here be determyned, or made.
The seconde chapytre,

VEt afore we do dispute and reason of these thynges purposed lest by the reason of the manyfolde sygnyfycacyons of the names whiche we shall vse in our pryncypall questyons, any ambygnyte maye chaūce, & inplycacyon, or entangelynge, or combrousnes of the sen­tence, whiche we are wyllynge to declare and open: we shal fyrst of all, shewe the dyuerse sygnyfycacyons of the sayd wordes / for as Arystotle sayth in the fyrst boke of Eleuches who soeuer are ygnorant of the sygnyfycacyon and strength of nownes or wordes: are deceyued & begyled, bothe when theyr selues dysputeth, & also whan they here other dysputynge & the names or wordꝭ, whose many and sondry sygnyfycacyōs we purpose to shewe: are these. Churche. Iudge Churche. Iudge. Spyrytuall Temporall Spyrytuall. Tēporall. For because, by our inquysycyon which we purpose hereto make: we desyre to knowe, whether it doth belonge to the bysshop of Rome, or to any other bysshop, or preest, deacon or any company & feloshyp of them, which are wonte to be called men of the churche, to be a coactyue Iudge of the temporal men, or spyrytuall, or of bothe, or elles they are suche maner iudges as touchynge nouther of these. Therfore we in persecutynge these thynges: let vs fyrst say, that this nowne Ecclesia, in latyn, Churche in englysshe, is a worde accordynge to the This worde church / what it betokeneth vse of the Grekes / betokenynge amonge them, in those workes whiche hathe co­men to vs, the congregacyon of people contayned vnder one gouernaunce, & one ruler / & in this sygnyfycacyon Arystotle toke the sayde worde ecclesia, in the. vii. chapytre of y ^e seconde boke of his polytykes. But amōge latyn men, this worde accordynge to the cōmune & famouse callynge, in one of his sygnyfycacyons be­tokeneth a temple or a house, in whiche cōmunely, & most oftentymes, god is ho­noured and worshypped of the faythful people / for thus the apostle Paule of the churche, in his fyrste epystle to the Corynthyans, the. xi. chapytre, sayenge haue [Page] you not houses to eate and drynke in, or do you dyspyse the churche of god? where the glose after saynt Augustynes mynde saythe / do you despyse y ^e church of god? that is to wyt the house of prayer. And within a lytse after, sayth the same glose this thus / The daylye vse of speachynge hathe optayned / that he is not sayde to come forthe of the churche, or to flee for socour to the churche: but which doth come forthe, or flee for socoure to the very materyall place of stone it selfe, and to the walles. But in an other sygnyfycacyon, this worde church bctokeneth those mynystres, preestes, or bysshoppes, and deacons whiche be mynystres and rulers in the metrop ofytane or pryncypall churche of all churches / lykewyse as the church of the cytie of Rome hathe of longe season obtayned this / whose mynystres and rulers be the pope of Rome, & his cardynalles / whiche nowe by a certayne vsage and custome, hathe obtayned to be called the churche / And it is sayd that the churche hathe done / or receyued any thynge, or ordayned any thynge: whan the afore­sayde persons hathe done, receyued or ordayned it / Agayne, accordynge to an o­ther sygnyfycacyon, whiche is the moste true and moste propre sygnyfycacyon, The proper sygnyficaciō of this word churche. and most accordynge to the entencyon of them, whiche fyrst began and brought vp this worde churche, it is sayd and spoken (thoughe not so famously accordyng to the vsage of these dayes) of the vnyuersyte and generall congregacyon of all faythfull beleuers, and callers vpon the name of Iesu chryst / and of all the par­tes of this sayd vnyuersall congregacyon, in what soeuer cōmunytie of houses or parysshe it be / And this was the fyrst sygnyfycacyon of this worde, and the accustomed vsage of it, amonge the apostles, and in the prymytyue churche / wher­fore the apostle Paule in the fyrst chapytre of the former epystle to the Corynthyans, sayth. To the churche which is at Corynthe, sanctyfyed in chryste Iesu, called sayntes, and to all other whiche calleth on the name of our lorde Iesu chryste and / where the glose, accordynge to Ambrose mynde, saythe sanctyfyed, by bap­tysme and in Iesu chryste / and accordynge to this intencyon spake the apostle in the. xx. chapytre of actes, to the preestes of Ephesus whan he sayde / Attende you and take you hede vnto your selues and to the hole flocke, in whiche y ^e holy ghost hathe set you bysshoppes or ouerseers / that you shuld gouerne the churche of god, whiche he hathe purchased with his owne blode / and therfore accordynge to this most true and most propre sygnyfycacyon of this word church, all faythfull chry­sten All true chrysten people ben men of y ^e churche. men are and ought to be called men of the churche / as well those, whiche be not preestes, as those whiche be preestes / because that chryste purchased and hatheredemed all with his owne blode / as it is expressely sayde in the glose vpon that sayenge in the. xxii. chapytre of Luke / this is my body whiche is gyuen for you / for you (saythe the glose) betokeneth not, that the body of chryste was gyuen, and For whome chryste suffe­red his passy­on. his blode shed for y ^e apostles onely: but for y ^e whole nature of mans sake / so then y ^e blode of chryste was not shed onelie for the apostles / wherof it foloweth, y ^t they were not purchased onely, by it / and so consequentlye, that the preestes or my­nystres of the temples, successours to them in offyce, are not onely, purchased by his bonde / and therfore that they alone are not the churche, whiche chryste purchased with his owne blode. Neyther for the same cause, ar those mynystres, bysshoppes, or preestes, and deacons alone, the churche, whiche is the spousesse of chryste / but a part of this spousesse / for chryste for this spousesse gaue hymselfe / wherfore the apostle sayth, in the. v. chapytre of the epystle to the Philipianes / yonge men loue your wyues, euen so as chryste hath loued the churche, and hathe gyuen hymselfe for it / But nowe chryste gaue not hymselfe for the apostles alone, or theyr successours in offyce, bysshoppes, or preestes & deacons: but rather for the whole nature of man. Therfore it foloweth, y ^t they, or the congregacyon of them onelye [Page 46] ar not the spousesse of chryst / thouge a certayne congregacyon of them abusynge The sponses­se of chryste. this worde, for toget dysceytfully and gylefully theyr owne propre and tēporall profyte and aduauntage, to the dysuauntage or harmes of other men: dothe call them selues sygulerly the spousesse of chryste / This same sentence, maye we per­ceyue and take, of the wordes of the apostle, in the laste chapytre, of the former e­pystle to the Corynthyans / and in the. iiii. to the Lolossyans / and in the fyrst chapytre to Phylemon / For in al those / sayde places, y ^e apostle vseth this worde churche, in that propre sygnyfycacyon, which we haue sayde here afore, to be his ppre and most trewe sygnyfycacyon. Now consequētly, must we shewe y ^e manyfolde sygnyfycacyons of these nownes temporall & spyrytuall. This worde temporall in one of his sygnyfycacyons most famouse & cōmunely vsed, is sayd of all other Temporall corporall thiges besyde man, which beynge any wyse in his powre or gouernaū ­ce: are ordayned in the state, & for the state, of this worldly lyfe, to his vse, & to supple the nedes and pleasures of hym / Lykewyse as in an other generall sygnyfy­cacyon all thynges are wonte to be called temporall that begyn or ende in tyme. For these thynges (as sayth Arystotle in the. iiii. boke of his physykes) properly are. & be sayd to be in tyme / In an other sygnyfycacyon, this worde temporall is sayde of euery maner habyte or qualyte, euery accyon or passyon of man, wrou­ghte by man towarde hym selfe, or towarde any other, for the ende of this world or lyfe presente / yet also besyde this, this nowne temporall in a more specyall sygnyfycacyon, is sayde of the voluntarye accyons, or passyons of man, goynge or tournynge to y ^e profite, or disprofyte of an other sondry persone from hym, which hathe done that accyon or passyon, of the whiche accions & passyons, the makers of mannes lawes most intendeth or meaneth. But nowe I wyll shewe the intē cyons Spyrytuall. or sygnyfycacyons of this worde spyrytuall / whiche in one sygnyficacion is sayde of all corporall substances, and theyr operacyons / and in an other sygnyfycacyon, it is sayd of all humane accyon or passyon, of his powre intellectyue, or appetytyue / that is to saye / of all the doynges or sufferynges of his knowlege or vnderstandynge, and of his appetyte, abydynge or contynuynge within hym accordynge to the whiche sygnyfycacyon, also certayne accyons or operacyons of bodely thynges, apperynge to the sences of man, are wonte to be called spyry­tual, and without mater / as the ymages, lykenesses, phantasyes or ymagynacyons, of thynges / which sayd lykenes are in a certayne maner cause of knowlege to the soule / of the whiche kynde and sorte some men iudgeth the accyons and o­peracyons of sensyble thynges to be also in a substance hauynge no lyfe / as the generacyons of lyghtes, and of certayne lyke thynges. Agayne, and more to the purpose. this nowne spyrytuall is sayde of the lawe of god, of the teachynge and learnynge of the preceptes and counsayles, accordynge to the same lawe, and by it vnder the whiche sygnyfycacyon, also are comprehended all the sacramentes of the church, and the effectes of the same / all the grace of god / all Theologycall vertues / and the gyftes of the holy ghoste / orderynge vs to eternall lyfe / For in this sygnyfycacyon, and very properly / and metely, the apostle Paule vseth this nowne spyrytuall, in the. xx. chapytre to the Romaynes / and in the. ix. chapytre of the fyrste epystle to the Corynthyans / whan he sayde / yf we haue sowen spyrytual thynges to you / is it a great thynge, yf we reape your carnal thyngꝭ / where the glose after the mynde of Ambrose, sayth / spyrytuall thynges, y ^t is to say such thynges, which quickeneth your spyrytes or els which be gyuen of the holy ghost that is to wyt the worde of god, and the mynysterye of the kyngdome of heuens / Moreouer accordige to an other significacion, this nowne spiritual is wōte to be [Page] taken for euery maner voluntarye accyon or passyon of man / wrought as well to hym selfe as to an other / for the meryte or deseruīge of y ^e blyssed lyfe / in y ^e world to come / of which kynde & sorte / be all y ^• cōtemplacyons of god / y ^e louynge of hym & of our neyghbours / abstynēces / marcyes or dedes of pytie meke sufferyngꝭ prayers oblaciōs for honourynge of god / hospitalytes / pylgrymages / chastysynges or ponysshynges / of our owne bodyes / the dyspysynge & eschewynge of carnal and flesshely pleasures / & generally, all lyke thynges, downe for the ende aforesayd. yet besyde these sygnyfycacyons, this name spyrytuall is sayd (thoughe not pro­perly and metely, as in the seconde and thyrde waye) of the temple, or churche ta­ken in his seconde sygnyfycacyon / of all the vesselles / iewelles / & ornamentes / whiche are in it, ordayned for the worshyppynge of god. And last of al, certayne men very vnconuenyently, and improperly, stretche this nowne spyrituall, to be taben for voluntary accyons exteryour of preestes, or bysshoppes, deacōs, & other mynystres of the temple, and for the omyssyons of the same workes, whiche workes ben to the profyte or dysprofyte of an other sondrye person from hym y ^t wor­keth them / for the state of the lyfe in this worlde. They do extende / & streche also agayne, and that more improperly, the same name spyrytuall to the possessyons of the sayd persons, & theyr temporall goodes, moueable, and vnmoueable, & to certayne prouences or reuenewes of temporall thynges, which they call tyethes / that vnder the coloure / & cloke of this name: they maye be exempte from the rule of the ciuyle lawes, and prynces or rulers. But forsoth they do openly abuse this worde, in these sygnyfycacyōs / agaynst the trouthe, & contrary to the entencyon and vsage of the apostle & of holy men / whiche haue called suche maner thynges, not spyrytuall thynges: but carnall or temporall / wherfore Paule sayth in y ^e. xv chapytre to y ^e Romaynes / for yf the gentyles haue ben made parttakers of theyr spyrytuall thynges: they ought also to mynystre to them in carnall thynges the same. More expressely saythe in the. ix. chapytre of the fyrst epystle to the Coryn­thyans / yf we haue sowen spyrytuall thynges to you: is it a great thynge, yf we do reape your carnall thynges? where, the glose after Ambrose mynde sayth / for yf we do sowe to you spyrituall thynges, y ^t is to say, those thynges whiche quyc­keneth your spyryte, or the whiche be gyuen of the holy ghost, that is to wyt the worde of god, & mysterie of the kyngdome of heuens: is it a great thynge, yf we do reape to our sustentacyon, your carnal thynges, that is to saye, those temporal thynges, whiche are graunted to y ^e mayntenaunce of lyfe & y ^t cherysshynge of the bodye? Beholde here, that those outwarde goodes, with the whiche the preachers Paule went neuer to y ^e ca­non law and therfore he knewe not y ^e nature of this worde (Spy­rytuall. of the gospel ought to be sustayned, in meate, drynke, & clothynge: y ^e apostle, and Ambrose, expressely calleth carnall or temporal thynges / and in very deade so be they / whether they be tyethes / orlādes, auauntages, or almoses, or colleccyons / y ^e cause wherof, saynt Ambrose hathe tolde / because they are graunted & gyuen to the lyfe, and cherysshynge of the flesshe / that is to say of the corruptyble lyfe. The same thynge is to be thought & iudged vndoubtedlie, of certayne accyons / or workes and dedes / of preestes / bysshoppes and deacons / For not all theyr workes are spyrytuall / neyther ought so to be called / but rather many of theyr deades / are cy­uyle / The myny­stres of the churche maye synne. contencyons / and carnall / or temporall / For they maye lende / borowe, delyuer to kepe / bye / selle / stryke / kylle and s [...]e / steale cōymtte fornycacyon and adoultrie, be extorcyoners & brybers / be traytours / beare false wytnes / backebyte / floū dre / fallin to heresy, and cōmytte other synnes / crymes / and cōtencyons / as sooneas lay men and suche as be no preestes / wherfore it is to be axed & demaunded cō uenyently of them / whether suche maner workes or deades (whiche we haue be foresayde / and rehersed / maye possyble be done of them) be spyrytuall workes [Page 47] or elles ought so to be called of any man, which is in his tyght mynde? And it is euydente & playne, that no / but rather, that they ought to be called carnal workꝭ and temporall. Wherfore the apostle Paule, in y ^e thyrde chapytre of the fyrst epy­stle to the Corynthyās, speakynge of suche maner accyons or workes, indyfferētlye to all men: saythe / whan there raygneth amonge you enuy, & contencyon: are you not carnall? & walke after man? seynge than, y ^t sure and vndoubted expery­ence dothe shewe, amonge the preestes selues, one of them to an other / and also bytwene them & seculers, angers, enuyes, & contencions, to chaūce of the aforesayd & other lyke actes / it is manyfest and open, that suche maner dedes, of preestes or bysshoppes, are carnall, or temporall / & accordynge to the trouthe, that neyther they be, neyther ought to be called, spyrytuall actes / A sygne and a token, that this is trewe whiche we haue sayde, euen accordynge to the sentence & mynde of preestes also: is this, that to the takynge awaye of suche maner contencyons and stryues, many ordynaūces of man, which they call Decretalles, hathe ben made why the dectetalles were made. by the bysshoppes of Rome / and afore them, the lawes of the emperours, concer­nynge the same cōtencyons / And in dede many voluntarye accyons, goynge or tournynge to the profyte or dysprofyte / the good, or harme / of an other man, for y ^e state of this present lyfe: be done, & may be done, by deacōs, & preestes or bysshoppes / and therfore suche maner accyons ought to be measured by the lawe of man: as it was sayde, in the. xv. chapytre of the fyrst dyccyon or parte / & shall be sayde agayne, more to the purpose / in the. viii. chapytre of this dyccyon or parte.

¶ Nowe there remayneth, and is behynde to deuyde this worde / Iudge / and this worde Iudgement (whiche betokeneth the accyon & worke of a iudge) in to theyr dyuerse sygnyfycacyons / for these wordes are of the nombre of them, which hath manyfolde sygnyfycacyōs / & which by reason therof, myght cause great ambygnyte or doubtefulnes, & also do great lettynge, in the determynynge of our pryn­cypall questyons. This worde Iudge, in one sygnyfycacyon, is sayde of euery Iudge. man, whiche dyscerneth or hathe knowlege, cheyfly accordynge to any qualytie, whiche is called an habyte or scyence speculatyue, or operatyue & practyue. And this nowne Iudgemente, is sayde of the knowlege, or dyscernynge / whiche suche Iudgement. men haue / after whiche maner speakynge, y ^e geometrycyon is a iudge / & iudgeth of fygures / and of the accydentes or thynges belongynge to them / and the physy­cyon also, is a iudge and iudgeth of hole men & sycke men / and the wyse man is a iudge, iudgynge of thynges to be done, & thyngꝭ to be auoyded or eschewed / & the carpenter iudgeth of howses, howe and in what maner they are to be buylded / & in this maner also, euery man whiche hathe any knowlege, or is experte in any thynge is called a iudge / and iudgeth of the thynges pertaynynge to his scyence & speculacyon, or els pertaynynge to his operacyon or practyse / & in this signyfycacyon, Arystotle vsed these names, in the fyrst chapytre of the fyrste boke, of his ethykes or moralles / whan he sayd / euery man iudgeth wel those thynges, which he knoweth / & is a good iudge of those thynges / Agayne this nowne iudge in an other sygnyfycacyon, is sayde of hym / whiche hathe knowlege of the polytyke or cyuyle lawe / which by the cōmune and accustomed appellacyon or namynge, is called an Aduocate / thoughe in many prouynces and namely of Italy, he is called Aduocate. a iudge. Agayne also, this name iudge, is sayde of the gouernoure or ruler / & this nowne iudgemente, is sayde of the sentence gyuen by suche prynce or ruler / whose auctoryte is, to iudge of iuste and ryghtfull thynges / and thynges profytable, accordynge to the lawes & customes, and sentences gyuen by hym selfe, to cō maūde, by powre coactyne / after which maner of speakynge, a certayne boke is called y ^e boke of iudgꝭ which is one pte of y ^e Bible / & ī this significacyō Aristotle [Page] speakynge of a iudge or ruler in the fyrste chapytre of his fyrst boke of rethoryke sayde. The gouernoure and iudge, nowe iudgeth of thynges presente, and deter­mynate / And meanynge styll after the same maner, of the iudgemente of the go­uernoure & ruler: he saythe shortly after. To whome, that is to wyt to the gouer­nour or iudge, is annexed oftentymes bothe loue, and hatred, with propre & syn­gulare auaūtage. so that they can not yet suffycyentlye perceyue, & se the trouth but attende onely and take heade to that thynge, whiche is delectable and plea­saunt, or elles bytter and dyspleasaunt, to theyr owne selues. And perauenture, there be other sygnyfycacyons of the nownes aforesayde, but I thynke and sup­pose we haue shewed and marked forthe the moste famouse, and cōmunelye vsed sygnyfycacyons, and those whiche be most necessarye to the inquysycyon purpo­sed here of vs.

¶ Of the oracles and auctorytes of y ^e holy scrypture, and certayne other argumentacyons, by whiche it semeth that it may be proued that bysshoppes or preestes, in that they be such maner persons: ought of dewtye to haue powre & iu­rysdyccyon coactyue, yea without the graūte of any temporall prynce or maker of lawes / & y ^t the hyghest of all such iurysdicciōs, is dewe to y ^e bysshop of Rome called the pope.
The, iii, chapytre,

NOwe than, y ^e dyuerse intēcyons or sygnysycaciōs of those nownes or wordes (aboute which the most parte of our inquysycyon shall be occupyed) thus suffycyētly declared & shewed: we cōmīge nere more boldely to our purpose pryncypally intended, shal fyrst of al brynge forthe y ^e auctorytes of holy scrypture, by the whiche it myght appere to some men, that the bysshop of Rome called the pope, is the hyghest iudge (accordynge to the thyrde sygnyfycacyon of this worde iudge or iudgement) ouer and vpon all the bysshoppes, or preestes, & other ecclesyastical mynystres of y ^e worlde / & also ouer all prīces, & gouernours of this wolde, all cōmunyties / cōpanyes / or The first auctorite of scripture which semeth to make for the popes powre. feloshyppes all synguler persons / of what soeuer estate they be. ¶ And of al these auctoryties, let vs fyrst put the ordre of wordes, whiche are had in the. xvi. chapytre of Mathewe / where chryste speakynge to Peter, saythe. To the, I wyll gyue the keyes of the kyngdome of heuen / and what soeuer thynge thou shalte bynde vpon erthe: it shal also be boūden in heuen / & what soeuer thynge thou shalt louse vpon y ^e earthe: it shal also be loused in heuens / For of those wordes, certayne bys­shoppes Wherof y ^e po­pe hath taken to hymselfe auctoryte to reygne & rule of Rome haue chalenged & taken to them selues, the auctoryte of hyghest iurysdiccion aforesayd / For by y ^e keyes graūted to saynt Peter by christ they wyl to be vnderstanded, y ^e fulnes of powre of al worldly gouernaunce & rule to be gyuen vnto them selues / whiche fulnes of powre as chryste had in cōparyson of all kynges prynces, and rulers: euen so he graunted it (say they) to saynt Peter, and his successours in y ^e epyscopall see of Rome as y ^e vycars of chryste in this worlde. ¶ The secōde texte of scrypture to this purpose, is takē of y ^e wordꝭ of christ ī y ^e. xi The seconde auctoryte. [Page 48] chapytre of Mathewe / whan he sayde / al thynges are gyuen to me, of my father. And agayne in the. xxiii. of the same euangelyste / whan he sayde / all powre is gyuen to me in heuen and in erthe / seynge than that saynt Peter and his succes­sours in the epyscopallsee of Rome, haue ben, and be the vycars and deputyes of chryste (as they saye) it appereth that all powre of fulnes of auctoryte, is gyuen to the same / and consequentlye, the auctorytie of all maner iurysdyccyon.

¶ The thyrde texte or auctoryte to the mayntenaunce of the same, is taken of y ^e The thyrde auctoryte. viii. of Mathewe / and the. v. of Marke / where it is sayde / and the deuylles prayed hym (y ^t is to wyt, chryste) sayenge yf thou canste or dryue vs forth: sende vs in to y ^e flocke of hogges / and he sayde to them go you / and they goynge forth of the man wente in to the hogges / and lo sodaynely, all the hole flocke wente hedlonge in to the see / & were deade in the waters / of the which wordes, it appereth that chryst dyd dyspose and ordre temporall thynges, as beynge all his owne / for els he had done amysse in dystroyenge the flocke of hogges. But it is abomynable to saye, that chryste hath synned or done amysse, whose flesshe neuer sawe corrupcyon / For as moche than, as saynte Peter with his successours bysshoppes of Rome, be, and hathe ben the cheyfe vycars or deputyes of chryste (as certayne men sayth) they maye dyspose of all temporall thynges / as beynge iudges in the. iii. sygnyfycacyon, and hathe full powre and domynyon of them, euen lykewyse as chryste selfe had. Agayne the same is shewed, by that whiche is had in the. xxi. of Ma­thewe / in the. xi. of Marke / and in the. xix. of Luke where it is sayd in this wyse. ¶ Than sente Iesus. ii. dyscyples, sayenge to them go you in to the castell, which The fourth auctoryte. is ouer agaynst you, and forthwith you shall fynde an asse bounden, and her foole with her, or the colte tayed to the asse, vpon the whiche neuer any man had sytte yet (as it is red in Marke and Luke) louse them and brynge them to me / of the which wordes, the same conclusyon maye be inferred, and by the same maner of argumentacyon, whiche was inferred of the auctoryte of scrypture, īmedyatly here afore rehersed.

¶ Moreouer the same thynge is reasoned of the. xxii. of Luke, where it is red in The. v. auc­toryte. this maner. Lo here be. ii. swerdes, sayd the apostles, makynge answere to chryst. But he answered / it is suffycyent or ynoughe / By the whiche wordes, after the interpretacyon of some men, ought to be vnderstande the. ii. powers or auctorites of this present worlde / the one ecclesya stycall or spyrytuall, the other temporall or seculer. Seynge than that chryst dyrectynge his speche to the apostles, dyd saye it is suffycyent / that is to saye it is ynoughe for you to haue the. ii. swerdes: by these wordes he appereth to haue sygnyfyed, that bothe the swerdes ought to ap­pertayne & belonge to the auctoryte of them / namely of saynt Peter, as beynge the pryncypall / and cheyfest of them / for yf he had not ben wyllynge, that the temporall swerde shulde belonge to them: he ought to haue sayde, it is to moche, and more than ynoughe.

¶ Agayne the same thynge semeth to be beleued, by that whiche is had in the. The. vi. auc­toryte. xxi. of Iohn̄ where chryste speakynge to Peter, sayde / fede my shepe / fede my lambes, fede my shepe, rehersynge one sentence thre tymes, as we haue here brou­ghte in / Of y ^e which some men gather this sence / y ^t saynt Peter, & his successours bysshoppes of Rome, ought without any excepcyon to be gouernours & rulers ouer all the saythful shepe of chryste / that is to wytte. chrysten men / and amonge these: specyallye and most of all, ouer preestes and deacons.

¶ Yea and moreouer, this appereth openlye to be the sentēce and mynde of saynt The. vii. auc­toryte. Paule in his. vi. chapytre of the fyrste epystle to the Corynthyans / whan he sayde / Do you not knowe, that we shall iudge aungels? howe moche more than [Page] seculer thynges? Hereof it appereth, that y ^e iudgemētes (accordynge to his thyrde sygnyfycacyon) of seculer thynges, dothe appertayne to preestes or bysshoppes / and amonge them, pryncypallye to the bysshop of Rome, cheyfest of them all. A­gayne the apostle semeth to haue meaned the same, in the. ix. of the fyrste to the Corynthyans / whan he sayd / haue we not powre to eate. &c. The same agayne in the thyrde of the fyrst to the Thessalonyans / In whiche wordes, he semeth expresselye to intende and meane, that powre was gynen to hym, by god, ouer and vpon temporall goodes of chrysten men / and so consequentlye iurysdyccyon also of them.

¶ Furthermore the same thynge is shewed, of the fyrste epystle to Tymothe the. The. viii. auctoryte. v. chapytre / to whome the apostle sayde. Agaynst a senyoure or preest, receyue none accusacyon: but vnder. ii. or. iii. wytnesses or recordes. By this than it appe­reth, that a bysshop, at the least wyse hathe iurysdyccyon ouer preestes, deacons, and other mynystres of the temple / seynge that it belongeth to hym for to here accusacyon of them / as for any probacyons of y ^e olde scrypture or testament, which semeth to make for the conclusyon purposed, or to make agaynst it: we wyl not brynge in here / the cause wherof, we shall shewe in the. ix. chapytre of this dyccy­on. By these foresayd auctorytes than, and other lyke of the holye scrypture, and suche maner interpretacyons, and exposycyons of them, it myght seme, that the bysshop of Rome, ought of dutye to haue hyghest auctoryte and iurysdyccyon of all. No we consequentlye after these thynges, it is conuenyent, to brynge in cer­tayne, as it were, polytyke or cyuyle argumentes and reasons, whiche perauen­ture myght cause to some men, a phantasye & byleue of the aforesayde cōclusyon. ¶ Of the whiche, lette this be the fyrste / Lykewyse as the body is to the soule, in The fyrst naturall reason the same maner is the ruler of bodyes, to the gouernour of soules / but the body is vnder the soule, as a subiecte to his gouernoure / wherfore it foloweth, that the ruler of the bodyes, that is to wyt the seculer iudge, ought to be vnder the domyny­on and gouernaunce of the iudge or ruler of sowles, and cheyfly vnder the domy­nyon of the bysshop of Rome, the hyghest of all suche iudges or rulers.

¶ Agayne to argue, euen as it were from the same grounde. Lykewyse as bode­lye The seconde. thynges ben in comparyson to spyrytuall thynges, euen so is the heed of bodelye thynges in comparyson to the heed of spyrytuall thynges. But it is vndoub­ted and of certayne, that corporall thynges are more base and vyler of nature, & farre vndernethe the spyrytual thynges / it foloweth therfore, that the ruler of bo­dely thynges, that is to wyt the seculer iudge or gouernoure ought to be ferre vn­der and subiecte to hym whiche is ruler of spyrytuall thynges.

¶ Moreouer loke what comparyson is betwene one fynall ende, and an other, betwene The thyrde. lawe and an other, or betwene the maker of one law and the maker of an other lawe. Euen lyke comparyson or dyfference is betwene hym that gouerneth accordynge to the one of them, and hym that gouerneth accordynge to an other of them. But the fynall ende, whereunto the ecclesiasticall iudge dyrecteth or guydeth, outher preest or bysshop / and the lawe accordynge to the whiche he dyrecteth and the maker also of that lawe, are superyours, and more perfyte than the ende the lawe, and the lawe maker, to the whiche, and accordynge to the whiche, the seculer iudge dyrecteth: therfore the ecclesyastycall iudge bysshop or preest, and na­mely the cheyfest of them, that is to say the Pope, is superyour and aboue: what soeuer iudge seculer it be / for the ende, to the whiche the ecclesyastycall iudge dyrecteth or leadeth is eternall lyfe / the lawe accordynge to the whiche dyrecteth: is the lawe of god / and the lawe maker, is god īmedyatlie / in whome it is not possyble any erroure or malyce to be. But the ende to whiche the seculer iudge intendeth to [Page 49] dyrecte: is the suffycyencie of this worldly lyfe / the lawe, after the whiche he dy­recteth: is the lawe of man / the maker of that lawe, is man īmedyatly, or els men in whome it maye chaunce erroure and malyce to be. Therfore are these thynges inferyours, and more vyle or vnworthy thynges, than the aforesayde thynges / wherfore it foloweth, that the seculare iudge / yea euen the hyghest / is inferyour, and of lesse dygnyte than the hyghest preeste.

¶ Agayne whose accyō or worke of it selfe, is y ^e more honourable: he of hym selfe The. iiii. is most to be had in honour / but the accyon or worke of a bysshop or preest, is the most honourable of all, which maye be done by man in this present lyfe / that is to wyt, the consecracyon of the blyssed body of chryste: it foloweth therfore / that e­uery preest is more of dygnyte, than any one who soeuer he be, that is no preeste / For asmoch than, as the more worthye or excellent thynge ought not to be vnder the lesse worthy, but to be aboue it as ruler: it semeth, that the seculer iudge or go­uernour ought not to be aboue a preest, in iurysdyccyon / but vnderneyth hym / & most of all vnderneth the hyghest preeste, the pope (as they call hym) of Rome.

¶ The same thynge maye be shewed and proued more apparently, of the prynce and gouernoure of the Romaynes, called the emperoure / by this reasan. He is su­perycure The. v. to the prynce and ruler of the Romaynes (as touchynge to iudgement in his thyrde sygnyfycacyon) whiche hathe auctorytie to instytute and make the sayde prynce or gouernoure, and to translate thempyre from nacyon to nacyon / but the people saythe, that he hathe this auctoryte: for he hathe translated this gouernaunce or empyre, from the Brekes to the Bermaynes, as it is expressed in the. vii. of his Decretalies, in the tytle De iure iurādo / & also the bysshp of Rome that nowe is, saythe the same more expressely, in a certayne decree of his, to Lodo wyke duke of Bauarye, chosen and taken to be gouernour and emperoure of the Romaynes.

¶ Moreouer agayne, for the same purpose / it semeth a great inconuenyence, y ^t chrystes vp care, the bysshop of Rome, and other successours of the apostles, that The. vi. is to saye bysshoppes, ought to be vnder the iurysdyccyon of any prynce seculare and that for asmoche, as the seculare prynce maye synne & trespace, agaynst both the law of god and man, wherof he is to be corrected by some man. But he which is the hyghest of all seculer prynces, hath neyther any egall or superyour persone to hym selfe which may take vpon hym to correcte hym (for a pluralyte of cheyfe rulers is reproued in the. xviii. chapytre of the fyrst parte) wherfore it shall appere that iurysdyccyon coactyue ouer hym appertayneth to the bysshop of Rome and in no wyse the iurysdyccyon coactyue ouer the bysshop of Rome, to the emperour. Thus than me thynketh I haue shewed here suf­fycyentlye, both by what auctoryties of holy scrypture, & also by what certayne argumentacyons of man, & as it were polytycall reason, it appereth, that it myght be pro­ued, the byssoppes or preestes to haue coactyue iurysdyccyon / and that the hyghest rule & gouernaūce of all this world, is dewe to the hyghest & cheyfest of them that is to wyt, to the bys­shop of Rome.

[Page] ¶ Of the canonycall scryptures, of the cōmaundementes, counsay­les, and examples of chryste, and of the holy and approued exposycyons of the lawe of the gospell: by the whiche it is shewed euydently, that neyther the bysshop of Rome, or any other bysshop or preest, neyther any persone of the clargye, maye by the vertue of the wordes of scrypture, chalenge, or ascrybe any maner coactyue domynyon or contentyouse iurysdyccyon at all, to them selues, ouer any clarke, or laye man / moche lesse then they can not chalenge the hyghest domy­nyon or iurysdyccyon of al / and howe by the example and counsayle of chryste, they ought to refuse suche maner domynyon or iurysdyccyon, namely in the cōmunytyes of chrysten men, yf it were offe­red or gyuen to them, by hym that had auctoryte so to do. And agayne, that all bysshoppes, & indyfferently all that are nowe called clarkes, ought to be vnderneth the coactyue iudgemēt, go­uernaunce & rule of y ^e temporall prynce, namely beynge chrystened prynce or go­nernoure
The, iiij, chapytre,

NOwe consequentlye, we shall brynge in of the contrarye parte, the verytes of holy scrypture, cōmaundynge orcounsaylynge expresly bothe by theyr lytterall, and also mystycall sence, accordynge to the interpretacyon of sayntes, and the exposycyon of other approued doctours of the chrysten faythe, that the bysshop of Rome called the That y ^e pope is not aiudge nor gouer­nour seculare pope, or any other bysshop, preest, or deacon ought to haue no domynyon, iudge­ment, or coactyue iurysdyccyon, ouer any preest, gouernour, cōmunaltie, college, or any synguler persone, of what estate soeuer he be / vnderstādynge by coactyue iudgemente, that, which we haue shewed in the seconde chapytre of this parte, to be betokened by this worde Iudge or iudgemente in the thyrde sygnyfycacyon. But for this our intencyon & purpose more euydently to be declared, we oughte to knowe, that by this inquysycyon, we do not serche or aske, what powre and auctoryte, chryste whiche was bothe god and very man, had and hathe, in this worlde neyther what, or howe moche powre, and auctoryte, he myghte haue gy­uen to saynt Peter, & to the other apostles, & to the successours of them, bysshoppes or preestes. For of these thynges, chrysten people do not doubte, in the questy­on here purposed / But we wyll, and we ought to inquyre & serche, what powre and auctoryte to be exercysed in this worlde, chryste was wyllynge to gyue vn­to the sayde mynystres of the churche, and what powre he gaue to them in very dede / and from what powre he dyd exclude and prohybyte them, by his coūsayle or precepte / For we are bounde to byleue, that they had so moche powre and auc­toryte what maner powre y ^e pope hathe. of chryste as maye be proued, by the wordes of scypture / & none other auc­toryte nor more but onely that / For this is vndoubted to all the faythfull people of chryste, that chryste, whiche was bothe very god and man, myght haue gyuen not onely to the apostles, but also to any other maner men, auctoryte or iurysdyccyon [Page 05] coactyue in this worlde, aboue all the prynces and rulers, or domynyons, and all other synguler persones / and a greatter powre perauenture than this, as to make creatures, to dystroye, and to repayre or make agayne heuen, & earthe, and those thynges, whiche be in them / and also to rule and cōmaunde aungels / whiche powre, for all that, chryste neyther gaue them, neyther purposed to gyue them / wherfore saynt Augustyne in the. x. sermon of the wordes of our lorde, vpon Mathewe saythe in this wyse / lerne you of me, not to frame or make the worlde / not to create vysyble and inuysyble thynges / not to worke myracles or wonders in the worlde / and to rayse deade men / but learne of me because I am meke, and humble or lowe in herte. And therfore accordynge to this present intencyon, it is suffycyent to shewe, yea and I wyll shewe / Fyrste that chryste selfe That chryste cam not to be a lord or ruler came not in to the worlde, to haue domynyon or lordshyppe ouer men / neyther to iudge them by iudgemēt taken in his thyrde sygnyfycacyon / neyther to be a tēporal prynce, gouernour tēporally / but rather to be subiecte, accordynge to y ^• state & cōdycyon of this presente world / yea & moreouer, y ^t his wyll was to exclude, & he dyd exclude hym selfe, & also his apostles and dyscyples, & cōsequently the succes­sours of them, bysshoppes or preestes, from all domynyon / or worldly gouernaū ­ce of this sorte, that is to wytte coactyue / bothe by his example, and also by his doctryne, that is to saye, his counsayle or cōmaundement / And I wyll shewe also that the cheyfe apostles, as the trewe folowers of chryst: haue done the same thynge them selues, and also haue taughte theyr successours to do the same / and furthermore, that as well chryste, as the apostles selues, were wyllynge to be vn­derneth, and were in dede contynuallye vnderneth the coactyue iurysdyccion of prynces and gouernours of the world, bothe reallye and personallye / and that they taughte all other, to whome they preached the lawe of trouthe, outher by worde of mouthe or elles by wrytynge: to do the same / & therto cōmaunded them, vnder payne of euerlastynge dampnacyon / And afterwardes, I wyll make a chapytre of the powre or auctoryte of the keyes, gyuen by chryste to the apostles, and to the successours of them in offyce, bysshoppes, and preestes, that it may appere, what, of what maner, and howe great is this maner powre and auctoryte / as well of the bysshop of Rome, as of other / For in dede the ygnoraunce hereof, hathe ben hetherto, and at this present tyme is, the orygynall cause and begyn­nynge of many questyōs, and hurtful stryfes, amonge chrysten people / as it was somwhat towched, in the fyrst chapytre of this dyccyon.

¶ we therfore prosecutynge these thynges purposed, wyl shewe that from the of­fyce Chryste dyd exclude hym selfe and the apostles, from worldly kīg­dome or go­uernaunce. of beynge gouernours, or of coactyue iurysdyccyon or gouernaunce, or any maner coactyue iudgement in this worlde: chryste wylled to exclude, and dyd exclude hym selfe and the apostles, bothe as touchynge his purpose or intencyon, and also his doctryne, and operacyon or workynge / This appereth vndoubted lye, fyrste of all, by the ordre of wordes, or texte, in the gospell of Iohn̄, the. xviii. chapytre for whan chryste was accused to Ponce pylate, the emperoures vycare or deputie in Iurye, of this, that he had sayd, hym selfe to be kynge of the Iewes and Pylate dyd axe of chryste, whether he had sayde these wordes, or whether he dyd saye hym selfe to be a kynge: chryste amonge other thynges answered these wordes to Pylates questyon or demaunde / My kyngdome is not in this worlde Iohn̄. xviii. that is to saye, I am not cōmen to reygne by temporall gouernaunce or domy­nyon, after whiche maner, kyngꝭ of the worlde do reygne / The probacyon wher­of chryste hym selfe putteth afterward, by an euydent sygne or token, whan he sayd / yf my kyngdome were of this worlde my mynystres or seruauntes doubt­les wolde stryue, that I shulde not be delyuered to the Iewes / as yf chryste had [Page] made this argument or reason / Yf I came in to this worlde, to haue raygned by worldely or coactyue gouernaunce or rule: without doubte, I shulde haue myny­stres of the same gouernaunce, which shulde fyghte for me, and punysshe the trāsgressours, lykewyse as other kynges haue / but I haue no suche maner myny­stres, as thou thy selfe mayst manyfestlye se / wherof the glose interlyneare sayth it appereth in that no man desendeth / & this is it, that chryste rehersynge agayne The kyngdō of chryste. sayth / But nowe my kyngdome is not of this worlde / that is to wyt the kyng­dome wherof I am come to teache / which verytyes or trewe textes of the gospel, sayntes and the doctours expownynge, saye thus / and fyrste of all blyssed Au­gustyne, by these wordes, sayenge / For yf whan Pylate asked or demaunded, he had made answere forthwith, he myght haue semed not to haue answered also the Iewes, but onely the Gentyles, hauynge this opynyon of hym / But after the answere of Pylate than more conuenyentlye, and more metelye, he answe­red to the Iewes and to the Gentyles / as yf he had sayde, herken you Iewes & Gentyles I do not lette your domynacyon and rulynge in this worlde, what wolde you haue more? Come you nowe by faythe and beleue to the kyngdome, whiche is not of this worlde, Nowe what is chrystes kyngdome, but those that beleueth in hym? Beholde, of what kyngdome he came to teache, and to dyspose / verely of the actes or workes by which men dothe come to the euerlastynge kyngdome / that is to wytte, werkes of faythe, and of the other Theologyall vertues / and yet notwithstandynge, cōpellynge or constraynynge no man to that kyng­dome of faythe, as it shall playnelye appere hereafter / For two coactyue domy­nyons in respecte of one multytude, beynge not the one of the powers subiecte to the other letteth them selues / as it was shewed in the. viii. chapytre of the fyrste dyccyon / But chryste came not to let the domynyon of these men, as saynt Au­gustyne sayd / wherfore vpon that sayenge in the same chapitre of Iohn̄. Thyne owne people or nacyon / and thyne owne bysshoppes haue delyuered the to me, what thynge haste thou done? he sheweth suffycyentlye (sayth saynt Augusty­ne) the chalengynge of worldly domynyon: to haue ben layde to chrystes charge for a cryme, as yf he shulde saye / yf thou denyest thy selfe to be a kynge, what thynge hast thou done, that thou shuldest be delyuered to me? as thoughe he wold saye, what meruayle is it or shulde it be, that man to be delyuered to the iudge to be punysshed: whiche dyd saye hym selfe to be a kynge / Beholde here accordynge to the mynde of saynt Augustyne, that chryste shulde haue ben doubtles worthy to be punysshed: yf he had sayde hym selfe to haue ben a seculer kynge namely to them, which knowe not hym to be a god / & that he denyed hym selfe to be a kyng and of what kyngdome or gouernaunce he meaned / that is to wytte, of gouer­naunce, coactyue of the transgressours of the lawe, in this worlde / it appereth, in the same chapytre of Iohn̄ vpon this texte, speakest thou this of thy selfe, or elles hathe other men tolde it the? whiche wordes (saythe Theopompus) of chryst to Pylate, were all one, and as moche in vnderstandynge, as yf he had sayde to hym / Pylate, yf thou speakest this of thyne owne mynde: shewe forth the tokens of my rebellyon / but yf thou hast herde this by the reporte of other men: make or­dynarye and dewe inquysycyon / But chryste ought not to haue sayd this, which Theopompus saythe, that is to wyt, that Pylate shulde make ordynarie inquy­sycyon of hym, but rather he ought to haue sayde, that this inquysycyon dyd not appertayne or belonge to hym / and that because chryste accordynge to the opyny­on of our aduersaryes, was not of ryght subiecte, neyther wolde be subiecte to Pylate, in iurysdyccyon or iudgement coactyue / Agayne vpon that texte. My kyngdome is not of this worlde / saythe Chrysostome / he dothe not depryue or be­reaue [Page 51] the worlde, of his prouydence, prelacyon or preemyttence / but he sheweth, his kyngdome not to be worldly, transytorye, or corruptyble / But euery one of the kyngdomes coactyue of this worlde, is humayne, transytorye and corrupty­ble. Moreouer, vpon that texte of Iohn̄, in the same chapytre / Thou sayfte that I am a kynge / saynt Augustyne sayth that Chryst dyd not so answere for feare or drede, to confesse, and knowlege or graunte hym selfe to be a kynge / but he so tēpered his answere, y ^t neyther he dyd denye hym selfe to be a kynge, neyther yet dyd graunte hym selfe suche a kynge, whose kyngdome myght be supposed to be of this worlde / for these wordes / Thou sayfte, were spoken, as yf he had sayde / Thou a carnall man, speakest carnallye of carnall gouernaunce, and actes temporall, cōtentyouse, and carnall / accordynge to the thyrde sygnyfycacyon of this nowne temporall / for suche actes the apostle called carnall, in the thyrde chapytre of the fyrste epystle to the Corynthyans / It appereth than, of the afore rehersed thynges, that chryst came not in to this worlde, neyther to teache, neyther to dys­pose of carnall or temporall gouernaunce, or coactyue iudgement / but of the spy­rytuall Chryste dyd speake of spy­rytuall kyngdome or go­uernaunce. or heuenly kyngdome, and heuenly gouernaunce / For of this onelye he dyd speake, and in a maner preache alwayes, as it is euydent and open, by the texte of the gospell, bothe in the lytterall, and also in the mystycall sence therof / And for this cause we rede very often tymes, that he sayde / The kyngdome of heuens is lyke to. &c. but as for the worldly kyngdome, outher he dyd speake very seldome of it, or elles in teachynge he dyd despyse it / In the heuenly kyngdome, he promysed, that he wolde gyue rewardes or punysshementes, accordynge to mennes good workes, or euyll workes / but he neuer promysed, that he wolde do suche thynges, in this worlde / but rayther dothe and worketh contrarye wyse, to the prynces or gouernours of this worlde / For moste cōmunelye, he scurgeth and punyssheth iust men, and the workers of good deades, or elles suffereth them to be afflycted in this world / and so bryngeth them to the rewarde of his kyngdom / For all men that euer please god: haue gone throughe many trybulacyons / as it is wryten in Iudyth the, viii. chapytre / But the prynces of this worlde, or the iudges of the worldly kyngdome or gouernaunce, do, and oughte to do clene con­trarye wyse to the ordre in goddes kyngdome, in kepynge & obseruynge iustyce / For they do destrybute in this worlde rewardes to the kepers of the lawe / and paynes or punysshementes to transgressours and malefactours / and it is so to be done / for yf they dyd the contrarye: they shuld trespasse bothe agaynst the lawe of man. & also of god / Nowe agayne to our pryncypall purpose, by that, whiche chryst shewed by his worke or example / we rede in the. vi. chapytre of Iohn̄, that whan Iesus knewe, that they wolde come to take hym, and make hym kynge he fledde agayne hym selfe [...]one, in to the mountayne / where the glose interly­neare saythe / from the whiche mountayne he came downe to fede the multytude teachynge by this his dede, to fle and eschewe the prosperyties of the worlde, and Chryste fled & eschewed y ^e dygnyte of a kynge. to praye agaynst them / This is vndoubted than / that chryste fledde and eschew to gouernaunce and rule or elles he shulde haue taughte vs nothynge by his ex­ample / whiche sence also the exposycyon of saynt Augustyne helpeth and confer­meth, whiche saythe, that faythfull chrysten men are the kyngdome of chryste, which nowe is boughte with the blode of chryste / And this kyngdome shall ones be manyfest and open, whan the glorye of his sayntes shall be openlye shewed, after the iudgement done by hym / But the dyscyples & the multytude beleuynge in hym wened, that he had come, to raygne euen than. Beholde, that sayntes and holy men by the kyngdome of chryste in this worlde, neuer dyd vnderstande tem­porall domynyon, or iudgement of contencyous actes or deades, or execucyon by [Page] coactyue powre, vpon the trāsgressours of the lawes in this worlde / But by his kyngdome whiche he toke vpon hym in this world: they vnderstode the doctryne of faythe, and a kyngdome gouerned by the same, leadynge to the kyngdome of heuen / The whiche kyngdome saynt Augustyne saythe, shall be manyfest and The kyng­dome of he­uens. openlye shewed: after his iudgement, in an other worlde / Agayne he sayth, to wene or trowe that he wolde than raygne, so as the people dyd suppose or wene: was to plucke hym, that is, to drawe hym vnsemynglye, and to haue an vnse­mynge opynyon of hym / where Chrysostome sayth also / And he, that is to saye, chryste, was than a prophete amonge them, and they wolde haue set hym in the kynges seate, onely for a glotonous sake, because he hadde fed them / But chryste fled, teachynge vs, to dyspyse worldly dygnytes / Furthermore, the same is she­wed most euydentlye, by the worde and example of chryst, in the. xii. chapytre of Luke / where it is red in this wyse / and a certayne man of the multytude sayde to hym / Maystre, saye to my brother that he deuyde the inherytaunce with me / But he, that is to wytte chryste, sayde to hym / Thou man, who hathe ordayned or made me iudge or deuyder ouer you? as who shulde saye, I am not come to exer­cyse this offyce, nor yet sente for these purposes / That is to wytte, for to departe Chryst wold not be iudge or vmpyre. or ende cyuyle sutes or stryues by iudgement / whiche thynge, for al that, no man doubteth to be the worke moste properlye: appertaynynge to the gouernoures or iudges of this worlde / And albeit, in very deade that the texte of the gospell more euydentlye dothe contayue, and shewe our purpose, than the gloses of holy men, whiche our aduersaryes knowynge that as we haue sayd they make ryght manyfestlye agaynst them, euery where dyd tourne them selues more to the al­legorycall or mystycall sence: yet that notwithstandynge, we haue broughte in those gloses also, to the greatter confyrmacyon & fortefyenge of our purpose / and leste it myght be sayde of our aduersaryes that we do expounde the scrypture fo­lysshelye and presumptuouslye: after our owne brayne / Thus than saythe saynt Ambrose expoūdynge these wordꝭ of chryste / Therfore he doth well (sayth saynt Ambrose) auoyde and eschewe erthlye thynges, whiche came downe for godlye thynges sake, neyther he vouchsaueth to be iudge of worldly stryues or sutes, or vmpyere of suche goodes and substaunce: whiche hathe the iudgemente of men, bothe quycke and deed, and the arbytrement of theyr deades / And a lytle after he saythe also / wherfore not without cause (sayth he) this brother is rebuked, whiche coueted to busye the ordre of heuenly thynges, aboute earthly thynges and cor­ruptyble / Lo here, what saynt Ambrose mynde is, of the offyce of chryste in this worlde / For he saythe, that chryste dothe well auoyde and refuse earthly thynges that is to wytte to be iudge of contentyouse persones: whiche came downe for heuenly thynges sake, that is, to teache and to mynystre spyrytuall thynges / in the whiche thynge he marked forthe and assygned the offyce of hym and his suc­cessours, that is to wytte to dyspence heuenly or spyrytuall thynges, I saye spy­rytuall thynges, yea and those spyrytuall thynges of the whiche the same Am­brose spake in the. ix. chapytre of the fyrste epystle to the Corynthyans, and the whiche we broughte in before, in the seconde chapytre of this dyccyon, in y ^e thyrde sygnyfycacyon of this nowne spyrytuall / Nowe consequentlye, it resteth and remayneth, to shewe, that chryste hymselfe not onely dyd refuse the domynyon of this worlde, or coactyue iurysdyccyon or iudgemente in this worlde (wherin he gaue example to his apostles and dyscyples, and the successours of them, to [Page 52] do lykewyse) but also that he taughte by his preachynge and shewed by his ex­ample y ^t al preestes & laye men ought to be vnderneth the coactyue iudgement or iurysdyccyon of the prynces of this worlde, bothe reallye and personallye / that is to saye bothe in theyr owne personages and in all theyr goodes appertaynynge to them / Fyrste than chryste shewed this, by his wordes, & example of his owne selfe, as concernynge his goodes and substaunce, in the. xxii. of Mathewe, where it is redde / that whan the Iewes asked of hym, sayenge / Tell vs, howe thyn­kest thou? is it lawful to gyue trybute to Cesar or not? Chryst after he had loked on the money or quoyne, and the scrypture therof, made answere, and sayd / gyue than to Cesar those thynges, whiche belongeth to Cesar, and to god those thyn­ges, whiche appertayneth to god / where the glose interlyneare sayth, that is to wytte, trybute and money / And saynt Ambrose vpon that texte, whose is this ymage, and this superscrypcyon? sayth in this wyse / As Cesar exacteth and re­quyreth the money hauynge his ymage imprynted in it: so god also requyreth the soule, marked with the lyghte of his owne face / Take hede than, what thynge chryste came to exacte in this worlde / And Chrysostome sayth thus / But thou when thou hearest these wordes, gyue to Cesar those thynges whiche belongeth to hym, knowe thou, that chryste meaneth onelye those thynges whiche in no Note this. poynte are contrarye to vertue, and the cōmaundement of god / for yf there be a­ny suche thynge: it is not the trybute of Cesar, but the trybute of the deuyll / Be­holde, that in all thynges we oughte to be subiectes to Cesar, so that they be not contrarye to pytye, that is to wytte, the worshyppynge of god, or his cōmaunde­ment / Chryste than wolde be subiecte to the seculer prynces, in reall or temporall substaunce / This also was openlye the sentence or mynde of saynt Ambrose, grounded vpon this sentence of chryste, for he sayde in the epystle agaynst Va­lentynyan, whiche, is intytled to the people / we paye to Cesar those thynges, whiche belongeth to Cesar / and those thynges which belongeth to god, we paye to god / trybute belongeth to Cesar / it is not denyed hym / The same thynge is shewed agayne, by the. xvii. chapytre of Mathewe / where it is this wryten / they whiche receyued the Dydrachme, came to Peter and sayde / dothe not your may­ster paye the Dydrachme? and consequentlye after a certayne wordes betwene, it foloweth that chryste sayde to Peter / That we do not offende them: go to the see, and throwe in thyne hoke / and that fysshe whiche shall come vp fyrste, take it vp, and whan thou haste opened the mouth of it thou shalte fynde a stotere, or a doble Dydrachme take it and gyue it to them for the & me / and the lorde sayde not onelye, gyue it them: but sayde gyue it to them for me and the / and saynt Iherome Iherome. saythe here our lorde bothe as consernynge his bodye, and also his spyryte, was the sone of a worldlye or lyuynge kynge, by two maner wayes / Fyrste in that he was gendred of the stocke of Dauid, or in that that he was the worde or sone of the almyghtye father / Therfore he oughte by ryght no trybute to paye but to be fre from all coactyue powers or bondage, as beynge the sone of kynges And afterwarde it foloweth in the same sayenge of saynt Iherome / Therfore, althoughe he were free: yet because he had taken vpon hym the humylytye or me­kenesse of the nature of man, he ought to fulfyll all iustyce / And Orygen vpon that sayenge of chryste, saythe in this maner wyse / But that we do not offēde them, speketh in this wyse more to the purpose and to the mynde of the euangelyste whiche after this maner saythe as foloweth / Consequentlye we maye well [Page] perceyue (saythe Origen) & vnderstande by these wordes of Chryste, that as ofte Orygen. as certayne men ryseth vp, which wrongfully taketh away our earthly thyngꝭ or temporal substaūce: the kynges and gouernours of this earthe doth sende them to requyre of vs, that whiche belongeth to them / and by his owne example, our lorde forbyddeth any occasyon of synnynge, or greyfe to be gyuen euen to suche maner men / outher leste they myght synne the more or elles that they maye be sa­ued. The sone of god, whiche neuer dyd any seruyle worke or dede, as hauynge y ^e forme or shape of a bonde man or seruaunt, which he toke vpon hym for mannes sake, gaue trybute, and payde money / whiche waye than are the bysshoppes and preestes exempte from this, by the vertue and strengthe of the wordes of the euangelycall scrypture? no nor yet otherwyse from the iurysdyccion of prynces, but by the gracyous & fauerable graunte of them, seynge that chryste & Peter gyuynge example to other, dyd paye trybute / and thoughe chryste whiche was by bodelye generacyon cōmen of the stocke of kynges, perauenture dyd not owe of dutye to pay it: yet Peter beynge not cōmen of the stocke of kynges neyther had any such cause of exēpcion, neyther yet was wyllynge to haue / but yf chryst had thought it conuenyent thoughe those whiche shulde be successours to hym in the offyce of preesthode, shulde paye trybutes: and that theyr temporalles shuld be vnderneth y ^e powre of the prynces and gouernours of this world: he myght without gyuynge of euyll example (that is to wyt, of makynge preesthode subiecte to the iurysdyc­cyon of worldly prynces) haue ordred and dyspached or ryd those exactours or gatherers of dydrachyn / that is to wyt, by remouynge or puttynge away the intencyon or purpose of askynge suche thynges, or elles by some other cōuenyent way or meane / But chryste dyd not repute or thynke it conuenyent to do so, but rather he was wyllynge to paye, assocyatynge or ioynynge to hym Peter syngulerly amonge y ^e apostles / notwithstandynge that this Peter, as we shall shewe in the. xvi. chapitre of this dyccyon, shulde be afterwarde cheyfest doctoure, and hearde of the churche / that by suche example: no man of the other, shulde refuse to do the same / Saynt Ambrose vnderstandynge this texte of scrypture taken of the. xvii chapytre of Mathewe, in such wyse as we haue sayd before: in the epystle, whose tytle is of y ^e delyuerīge of churches: sayth / The emperour asketh trybute, truly it Ambrose. is not denyed hym, the landes of y ^e churche payeth trybute / & after certayn wordꝭ beynge put betwene, he saythe more to the purpose / we pay to Cesar those thyngꝭ whiche belongeth to Cesar / & to god those thynges which belongeth to god / Try­bute belongeth to Cesar, it is not denyed hym / saynt Bernarde also more playn­ly expressynge this to be the meanynge of y ^e afore rehersed scrypture in a certayne Bernarde. epystle to the archebysshop of Senon, saythe in this wyse / thus saye they, whiche counsayle theyr subiectes to rebelle agaynst theyr superyour / But chryste sayth Barnarde bothe cōmaunded and dyd hym selfe otherwyse / Gyue you (sayth he) to Cesar such thynges as apperteyneth vnto Cesar / and to god suche thynges as Of payenge trybute. belongeth to god / This that he spake with his mouthe: anone after he gaue hede to performe and fulfyl in his worke and dede / he which was the creature & maker of Cesar: was not greued, neyther dyd put of, to paye trybute / for he gaue exam­ple to you: that you shulde do lykewyse / whan wolde he haue denyed dewe reue­rence to the preestꝭ of god, which gaue dylygence to do this reuerence, euen, to the heathen powers or offycers of the worlde: and here we ought to marke and take good hede of this which Bernarde sayth / that chryste in that he cared to gyue try­bute to the seculer powers: dyd gyue also dewe reuerence / This reuerence, was not coacte nor of compulsyon / for euery man oweth of duetye, who soeuer he be: to pay such maner taxe or trybute to prynces / as we shall shewe in y ^e chapytre [Page 53] nexte folowenge, by the auctorytie of the apostles, in the. xiii. chapytre to the Romaynes / & by the gloses of sayntes and doctours in the same place / moreouer chryste shewed, not onely, that hym selfe is vnder the coactyue iurysdyccyon of y ^e seculer price as touchyng reall, or tēporall substaūce: but also he sheweth y ^e same in hym selfe as touchynge his ꝑson & bodye / than y ^e which personal iurysdyccion, it is not possyble for any prynce to haue greatter iurysdyccyon outher vpon hym or any other man / for the whiche cause, this iurysdyccyon is called also in the lawe of the Romaynes, mere empyre / This maye be shewed euydently, by the. xxvii. chapytre of Mathewe / for as it is red, and appereth there, chryste suffered hym selfe to be taken, and to be led to the house of Pylate, whiche was the depu­tie of the emperoure of Rome / and by hym as iudge of coactyue powre and auctorytie: he suffered hym selfe to be iudged and delyuered to extreme punysshement and dethe / Neyther dyd he crye agaynst Pylate as agaynst one that oughte not to be his iudge: albeit perauenture he gaue knowlege, that he suffered not ryght wyse iudgement / And it is vndoubtedlye knowen / that he myght haue suffered suche iudgement and punysshement by preestes yf he had wolde, or yf he had iud­ged it inconuenyent, that his successours in tyme afterwarde to come, shulde be subiectes to seculer prynces, and be iudged by them / And because this sentence is more seryously and ernestly wrytten, in the. xix. of Iohn̄: I wyll also brynge in here, that whiche is had in the sayde place / whan chryste was brought to Pylate the emperours deputie, and was also accused, for that he sayde hym selfe to be kynge of the Iewes, and the sone of god: & whan Pylate had asked Iesu, whēse art thou? And Iesus had gyuen therto none answere at all, Pylate than sayde to hym these wordes folowynge, which appertayneth to our purpose / wylt thou not speake to me? knowest thou not, that I haue powre and auctorytie to crucy­fie the, and let the go at lybertie? Iesus answered / Thou shuldest not haue any powre at all agaynst me, yf it were not gyuen to the from aboue / Beholde here that Iesus dyd not denye, that Pylate had auctorytie to iudge hym / and to exe­cute iudgement vpon hym / neyther sayde he, of ryght it belongeth not to the, but in dede thus thou doste / But chryste added this also, that Pylate had his auctorytye from aboue / howe from aboue? Augustyne maketh answere sayenge / let vs Augustyne learne then that, whiche chryste sayde and whiche he taughte the apostle / that is to wyt Paule in the. xiii. to the Romayns / what then dyd chryste saye? what taught he the apostle? that there was no powre, that is to saye, auctorytie of iu­rysdyccyon but of god / howe soeuer it be, of the acte of them / which mysse vse this powre / And that he semeth more, which throughe enuye delyuereth an innocent to the powre or offycer, for to be slayne, than dothe the powre or offycer selfe, yf he dothe kyll or slee hym for feare or dreade of an other hygher or greatter powre / for such powre had god gyuen to Pylate, that he was also vnder the powre of Cesar Then that iudyciall coactyue powre which Pylate had ouer the person of chryst was of god / as chryste selfe onely opēly cōfessed, & saynt Augustyne playnly expressed / And saynt Bernarde sayde openlye to the archebysshop of Senon in a Bernarde. certayne epystle / sayenge that chryste graunteth, that the powre of Pylate euen ouer hym selfe also, is ordayned of god. These be Bernardes wordes, speakynge of the powre of Pylate, and vpon this place of scrypture / Than yf the iudiciarie coactyue powre of Pylate, ouer or vpon chryste selfe, was of god: howe moche more than, vpon his tēporall or carnal goodes, yf chryst had possessed or had any further than, yf ouer the persone of chryste, and his temporall goodes, he hadde suche auctorytie in howe moche more ouer & vpon the personages, & the tēporall goodes, of all y ^• apostles, & theyr successours, al bysshops or preestꝭ / & this thynge [Page] was not onely shewed by the wordes of chryste but also confyrmed by the perfor­mynge or fulfyllynge of the worke / for by the same Pylate syttynge in the place of iudgement, sentence of dethe was gyuen, agaynst chryste / and by the auctory­tie and cōmaundement of hym, execucyon, was done of the same sentence, for these wordes in ordre are red in the same chapytre of Iohn̄ / whan Pylate than had herde these wordes, he brought Iesus forthe / and satte hym selfe in the place of iudgemente / and after a lytle space, it foloweth / Therfore he delyuered Iesu vnto them, that he shulde be crucyfyed / and euen suche was the sentence and opy­nyon or mynde of the apostle Paule, concernynge chryste: whan he sayde in the thyrde chapytre to the Galathians / But whan the fulnes of tyme was cōmen / god sente his sone made of a woman, made vnder the lawe, It foloweth conse­quently than that he was made vnder a iudge also, to whome it dyd appertayne to iudge and cōmaunde, accordynge to the lawe / whiche iudge for all this was not a bysshop or preest / And chryste dyd not onely wyl to exclude the seculare go­uernaunce, or iudycyall, coactyue powre, from hym selfe but also he dyd exclude it from his apostles, aswell of one of them ouer an other amonge them selfe: as in comparyson to other men / wherfore this texte is had, in the. xx. chapytre of Ma­thewe, & the. xxii. of Luke / there was made a contencyon or shewynge amonge them / that is to wyt, the apostles, whiche of them shulde be greatter. But chryste sayd to them, kynges and rulers of the gentyles, haue domynyon ouer them / and they whiche hathe powre ouer them are called benefycyall, and well doers / But in Mathewe this clause is red in this wyse, and they whiche be greatter exercyse powre vpon them / but you shall not do so / but he whiche is greatter amōge you stāde as yonger / and he that is forgoer or mayster is as a mynystre / for whe­ther of the two is greatter, he that sytteth at the table, or he that mynystreth or serueth? Is not he which sytteth / But I am in the myddes amonge you: as he y ^• mynystreth / but who soeuer wyll be greatter amōge you: let hym be your mynystre / And who soeuer wyll be cheyfe amonge you: shall be your seruaunte / euen lyke­wyse, as the sone of man came not to be serued, but to mynystre / that is to serue in temporall thynges, and not to be lorde and ruler, or to be egall or felowe / for in spyrytual mynysterye or offyce, he was cheyfest / and not a seruaunt in the myd­des of the apostles / wherupon Orygen saythe / you knowe, that the prynces or gouernours Orygen. of the gentyles, are lordes and hathe domynyon ouer them / that is to saye, are not contente onely to gouerne theyr subiectꝭ, but also laboureth vyolently to be lordes of them / that is by powre coactyue, yf they must nedes / but amōge you, whiche are my dyscyples there shall be no suche thynges / for as carnal thyn­ges / are put in necessytie or compulcyon and spyrytuall thynges in the wyll: so Let men of y ^e churche loue & not playe y ^e lordes. Chrysostome they also whiche be spyrytuall that is to saye prelates, theyr auctorytie or gouer­naunce ought to stande in loue, and not in feare / and Chrysostome amonge other thynges saythe these wordꝭ makynge for this our purpose / Prynces of the world be made therfore, that they shulde be lordes, and haue domynyon ouer theyr infe­ryours / and to caste them vnderseruytude and bondage, and to spoyle them (vn­derstande thou, yf theyr trespasses or euyll deades shal deserue it) and to vse them euen to deathe, to theyr owne profyte and glorye / But rulers and gouernours of the churche, that is to wyt prelates, are made therfore that they shulde serue theyr inferyours, and mynystre to them, what soeuer thynges they haue receyuyd of Chryste / and that they shulde dyspyse theyr owne profyte and procure the pro­fyte of them / And that they shulde not refuse to dye for the helthe and saluacyon of theyr inferyours and subiectes / therfore to desyre prymacye, or soueraygnetye of the churche is neyther ryght neyther profytable / for what wyse man wyll of [Page 54] his accorde wyllyngly bynde hym selfe to suche seruytude and suche ieopardie, as to gyue accompte for the hole churche? excepte perauentare he be such one, whiche dredeth not the iudgement of god / abusynge his ecclesyasticall prymacye after a Ecclesiastical ꝑsons ought to be seruauntꝭ & not to be lordꝭ & rulers Iherome. seculer and worldely fascyon so that he dothe tourne it in to seculer soueraynetie / what hath preestes than to do with medlynge of seculer coactyue iudgementes? for they ought not to be lordes temporally: but to be seruauntꝭ / and to mynystre after the example and precepte of chryste / wherfore saynt Ierome saythe. Fynal­ly chryste setteth forthe afore his dyscyples the example of his owne selfe / that yf the apostles wolde lytle sette by, or regarde his wordes and sayenges, yet at the leaste wyse at the syght of his workes and dedes, they shulde be ashamed to be lordes and to vse domynyon temporally / wherfore Orygen vpon this texte, and to Orygen. gyue his lyfe redempcyon for many. &c. sayth in this wyse therfore the rulers and gouernours of the churche ought to folowe chryste, in that he was not proude or daungerouse for to be cōmed vnto, but redy, for who soeuer wold come vnto hym and in that he spake to women / and layde his handes vpon chyldren / and was­shed the fete of his dyscyples / y ^t theyr selues may do lykewyse to theyr bretherne / But we are suche maner men (saythe he meanynge by the prelates of his tyme) that we seme to excede and passe euen the worldely prynces, in pryde, outher be­cause we do not vnderstande and perceyue the cōmaundement of chryste: or elles because we do dyspyse and sette at nought the same cōmaundement / and as yf we were kynges / we desyre and seche for armed hostes to go before vs / and those terryble and dredefull / For asmoche than, as to do these thynges, is to despyse, or elles to be ygnoraunte of the cōmaundement of chryste: fyrste prelates are to be monysshed and warned hereof / whiche thynge we shall do by this treatyse, shew­ynge and declarynge, what auctorytie is conuenyent and accordynge or mete for them / after this done, yf than they shall not regarde to amende them selues: they ought to be constrayned and compelled therunto, by the seculer & laye pryn­ces / least they myght corrupte and infecte the maners of men. These thyngꝭ than hytherto rehersed, hath ben sayd vpon Mathewe, but vpon Luke: Basilius sayth Basilius magnus. in this wyse / But it besemeth them, which be spyrytuall rulers, and gouernours to offre also bodely obsequye and seruyce, after the example of chryste our lorde, whiche wasshed the fete of his dyscyples / Therfore chryste sayde. The prynces of the gentyles: be lordes ouer them / but you (that is to wytte the apostles) shall not be so / Chryste than, the kynge of kynges, & lorde of lordes, dyd not gyue to them powre and auctoryte, to exercyse the seculare iudgementes of prynces: neyther co­actyue powre or iurysdyccyon ouer any man / but openly and euydently he for­bad it them, whan he sayde / but you not so. And the same is consequently to be holden, of all the successours of all the apostles, bysshoppes or preestes / This is it also, whiche saynt Bernarde sayde openly to Eugenius, in the seconde boke of consyderacyon, the fourth chapytre / treatynge vpon those wordes of chryst afore rehersed / the kynge and prynces of the gentyles. &c. for amonge other, these are the wordes of Bernarde, that whiche the apostle Petre had, that same he gaue / Bernard. that is to wytte, busy care, and dylygent ouerseynge of the congregacyons / dyd he gyue domynacyon, or lordshyp? harken what he saythe / Not hauynge (saythe he) domynyon or lordeshyp ouer the clargye, but beynge made the example of the flocke / And least thou myght wene or suppose that this was spoken onely of humylytie and lowlynes, and not to be exequyted in very truthe, the saynge of our lorde in the gospell is, the kynges and prynces of the Gentyles haue domynyon and lordshyp ouer them, and they whiche haue powre ouer them, are called welldoers or benefycyall / & he inferreth or concludeth / but you not so. It is playne, y ^• [Page] domynyon is forbydden the apostles / so that they may not be lordes. Darest thou then outher beynge a lord vsurpe y ^• offyce of an apostledor beynge an apostolyke persone, vsurpe domynion or lordshyps? forsoth thou art playnly phybyted from bothe / yf thou art wyllynge to haue bothe of them togyther thou shalte lose both / or elles thynke not thy selfe to be excepted from the nōbre of them, of whome god cōplayned in this wyse. They haue reygned and not by me / they haue ben pryn­ces and rulers and I knewe them not. Thus than by the veryties or treue textes of the gospell whiche we haue brought in and alleged / and by the interpretacyōs or declaracyōs of the same textes, made by sayntes and other approued doctours It ought to appere euydentlye to all men, that chryste dyd exclude, or was wyl­lynge to exclude hym selfe, aswell by his deades, as by his wordes, from all soue­raynte or gouernaunce, and iudgement coactyue, or worldely powre, and aucto­rytie / and that he wolde hym selfe be subiecte, and vnderneth the coactyue iurys­dyccyon of seculare gouernours, prynces or other hyghe powers.

¶ Of the canonycall oracles, or textes of the apostles, and the exposycyons of sayntes, and holy doctours: by whiche the same thynge is openly proued whiche was proued by the chapytre laste afore gone.
The, v, chapytre,

HOwe there resteth & remayneth behynde, to shewe that this same was also the sentence and doctryne of the cheyfe apostles of chryst And fyrst of Paule, whiche in the seconde chapytre of the seconde epystle to Tymothe admonyssheth and aduertyseth the same Ti­mothe whome he had ordayned and made bysshop or preeste that he shulde not wrappe hym selfe in worldly busynes / for these are his wordes / let no man that warreth to god: entangle hym selfe with worldly busynes / where the glose after Ambrose mynde saythe / that no man, that warreth to god in spy­rytuall thynges (whiche god can not be parted or deuyded to two contrarye ser­uauntes, Ambrose. euen lykewyse as no man can do seruyce to two maysters or lordes) en­tangeleth hym selfe in any maner worldly busynesses. And he sayth in any ma­ner busynesses, exceptynge none at all / for asmoche then as domynyon or iudge­ment coactyue of contentiouse and debatefull actes or deades, is the most seculer and worldly of all busynes (for that it dothe ordre and rule all seculer busynes, or all seculer cyuyle actes of men, as it hathe ben shewed in the. xv. chapytre of the fyrst dyccyon) the apostle cōmaundeth it pryncypally, & moste of all to be esche­wed of hym, which ought to be the souldyour or seruaūte to god, in mynystringe spyrytuall thynges, so as euery maner bysshop or preeste ought to be / And that this whiche we haue rehersed, was the very meanynge and mynde of the apostle it is openly and euydently declared by the texte, whiche is red in the syxte chapytre of the fyrste epystle to the Corynthyans / where he sayde in this wyse. Ther­fore yf you haue seculer iudgementes, ordayne you or make you them iudges, This texte is but euē nakedly alleged of y ^e authour. whiche are contemptyble and of least reputacyon in the churche / for there the apo­stle speake vnto all faythfull or chrysten men, and to the churche in his moste pro­pre and laste sygnyfycacyon / whiche sayde texte of the apostle, the glose expoun­deth thus, accordynge to the mynde of Ambrose and Augustyne / Contemptyble Ambrose. Augustyne. persones, that is to wyt, some wyse men, but yet whiche be of lesse meryte, than [Page 55] the preestes and teachers of the gospell / ordayne them to be iudges / and the cause is shewed, why the mynystres of the gospell, shulde not be made iudges in suche matyers / For the apostles goynge aboute from place to place: had not laysure or space, to gyue theyr mynde to suche busynes / than his wyll was, that wyse and holy chrysten men, whiche restyd & were abydynge in places, and not they which can aboute hyther and thyther, from place to place, for to sprede abrode the gospel shulde be the examyners and iudges of suche busynesse / And an other cause here­of, the glose assygneth accordynge to the mynde of Gregory in his moralles / and that very well (in my iudgement) accordynge to the mynde and intencyon of the apostle / for why (sayth Gregory) ought contemptyble persones, and not bysshoppes Gregorius. or preestes, be ordayned & set to exercyse seculer offyces? doubtles to the ende that suche shulde examyne earthly and worldly causes, whiche haue gotten the wysdom or knowlege of exteryor and outwarde thynges / that is to wyt, of seculer or cyuyle actes or workes / But they that are enryched with spyrytuall gyftes ought not to be entangled or encombred with earthly matyers or busynes / that whyles they are not compelled to dyspose and ordre the inferyoure goodes of the worlde, they maye be able to do seruyce to the superyour or spyrytuall good thynges, lo than this is moste euydently the mynde of the apostle, and of the holy ex­posytours, which we haue sayde of the offyce, that was vtterly forbydden to preestes by the apostle Paule / whiche thynge also saynt Bernarde expressynge to Bernardus. Eugenius, in the. v. chapytre of the fyrste boke De consideratione: sayth in this wyse, dyrectynge his speche to the bysshops of Rome and of other places / Ther­fore your powre and auctorytie (sayth he) is in crymes or synnes, not in possessy­ons. For it was for synnes, and not for possessyons, that the keyes of the kyng­dome of heuens was gyuen to you / that you myght exclude transgressours or synners, not possessours / that you maye knowe (sayth he) that the sone of man hath powre and anctorytie to forgyue synnes / And afterwardes he sayth / whe­ther of these two semeth to the greatter dygnytie and powre to forgyue synnes, or elles to deuyde and parte landes & lordshyppes? These inferyour and vyle earth­ly thynges haue theyr iudges, the kynges, and prynces of the earthe / why do you inuade the bondes of other men, vsurpynge that which belongeth to them? Thus than it foloweth, that it belongeth not to the offyce of a bysshoppe or preestes to iudge by coactyue iugement, contencyous carnall actes or temporall thynges / but rather the bysshoppes or preestes medlynge with suche busynes inuade other mens boundes / that is to saye trouble the offyce of an other man, & stretch forthe theyr sythe in to an other mannes corne, after the mynde of Bernarde / Therfore the apostle wolde, that they shulde iudge by coactyue iudgement whiche are not ordayned to be mynystres of the gospell and whiche haue goten the knowlege of exteryoure or outwarde thynges / that is to wyt, of cyuyle actes or deades / for as moche than, as no man that trespaseth, is exempte from suche maner iudgement it appereth, that aswell preestes, as those that ben no preestes: be subiecte and vn­derneth the coactyue iudgement of prynces and lay gouernours / & here it is dyly­gently to be marked and taken hede of, that the apostle in wrytynge general­ly to the chrysten men of Corynthe, as it appereth by the salutacyon, and also in that he putteth contēptyble persons in the churche, that is to wyt, seculer persons after the mynde of the glose, dothe not saye I my selfe ordayne or set contempty­ble persons, neyther yet any other suche man iudgeth the seculer or worldly ma­tyers, whiche you shal haue for me or by my auctorytie / Neyther he lefte behynde hym any man there in his stede, to iudge matyers or to cōstytute or ordayne suche maner iudges / whiche thynge for all that he wolde haue done, or oughte to haue [Page] done, yf this thyng had be appertaynynge to his offyce and auctoryte, aswel as he dyd of preestes and bysshoppes / for he dyd instytute and ordayne them, in the places where chrysten congregacyons were / and cōmaunded them, or elles cōmytted it to them, to make instytucyon of other bysshoppes and preestes / as it is euy­dent in the thyrde chapytre of the fyrst epystle to Tymothe, and in the fyrste cha­pytre of y ^e epystle to Titꝰ / for thus he sayd to Titus for this cause I haue lefte y ^• in Crete lande, y ^t thou shuldest correcte those thyngꝭ, which are lackynge or wantynge / y ^t is to wytte, offences & synnes in them which trespase / & y ^t thou shuldest put to y ^t whiche is good / as the glose saythe / & that thou shuldest constytute & or dayne, or set preestes in euery cytie / neyther dyd he cōmaunde seculet actes to be iudged by bysshoppes or preestes: but he dyd rather forbyd it / wherfore Bernarde Bernardus. in the place afore alleged sayth in this wyse / But yet here the apostle what he iudgeth or thynketh of such maner ꝑsons / is there in so moch (sayth he) neuer one wyse man amonge you, whiche maye iudge betwene his brother and brother? I speake it to make you abasshed and ashamed & than it foloweth / Ordayne them whiche are contemptyble persones in the churche: to be iudges & accordynge than to the mynde of the apostle, thou that art an apostolyke person, doste vnsembly and vnconuenyently, to vsurpe and take vnto thy selfe, a vyle offyce, and the de­gree of contemptyble persons / wherfore the apostle also whiche was a bysshoppe sayd thus, instructynge an other bysshop, that is to wyt Timothe / no man war­rynge to god entangleth hymselfe in seculer busynes / & the same Bernarde sayth Bernardus afterwarde / Supposest thou, that these tymes coulde suffre & abyde it yf when men stryue and go to lawe for worldlye inherytaunce, and do requyre of the, to gyue iudgemente bytwene them / thou woldest make answere to them with the wordes of chryst / O you men who hath ordayned me to be iudge ouer you / what maner iudgement wold men forthwith gyue of the? what wolde the vplandysshe and the vnlerned man say? Thou knowest not thy prymacye / thou knowest not Bernarde rayleth agaynst y ^e spyrytualte. the hyghe and very magnyfycent see / thou doste derogate and mynysshe the apostolyke dygnytie / And yet I suppose, they which wolde say thus: wyll not shew where at any tyme any of the apostles satte as iudges ouer men, or dyuyders of termes or boundes, or as dystrybuters of landes / and to be shorte, I rede that the apostles stode to be iudged: but I rede not y ^t they sate as iudges / It shall be sene perauenture, but it hath not ben sene / Is the seruaunte to be iudged a mynyssher of his dygnyte, bycause he wylleth not to be greatter, than he whiche sent hym? Or the same, because he dothe not go beyonde the boundes, whiche his fathers hath sette? The maystre and lorde hym selfe sayde, who hathe ordayned or made me iudge? and shall the seruaunt be thought to haue iniurye or wronge, excepte he do iudge al men? Thus than Bernarde sayth, that the successoure of the apostles dothe vnsemely and vnaccordyngly yf he vsurpeth or taketh vnto hym selfe the offyce of a iudge / And the holy apostle cōmaunded, that all men indyfferent­ly (no man excepted, neyther bysshop, neyther preeste or deacon) oughte to be vn­der the iudgemēt coactyue of iudges or prynces and gouernours seculer / and that suche seculer gouernours ought not but to be obeyed, onlesse they dyd cōmaunde any thynge to be done dyrectlye agaynst the lawe of the euerlastynge saluacy­on / wherfore in the. xiii. chapytre to the Romaynes: he saythe / Let euery soule be subiecte to the hyghe powers / for there is no powre, but from god and those pow­ers that be: are ordayned of god / Therfore whosoeuer resysteth the powre: resy­steth the ordynaunce of god / and those whiche resysteth: dothe purchase and gette to them selfe dampnacyon / for prynces or gouernours are not feared of them that are well doers / but of them that dothe euyll / wylte thou not drede the powre? do [Page 56] good and thou shalt obtayne prayse of hym / for he is a mynyster, to the, for good: but yf thou shalt do euyll: than feare / for he beareth not the swerde without a cause / for he is the mynyster of god to punysshe and to do vengeaunce on hym, that dothe euyll. Therfore be you subgiectes / for so you ought of necessytie / not onely because of wrathe / but also because of cōscyence. For because of this, you do pay trybutꝭ. For they are mynysters of god seruynge to this same thyng. Gyue you to all men, theyr dueties / trybute, to whom trybute is due / rente: to whom rente / feare: to whom feare / honoure, to whom honoure is due to be gyuen. And I was wyllyng also vpon these wordes of the apostle worthye to be noted, to brynge in the glose, after the mynde of sayntes, and catholyke Doctours / because of thyse thynges, whiche the apostle hathe sayde, and the glose maker / but our purpose is so openly and euydently shewed to be true, that no man beynge of ryght mynde after he hath seen and red them: ought to doubte any lenger. The apostle sayd euery soule exceptynge none, where the glose after Augustynes mynde fyrste, and otherwhyles after the mynde of Ambrose, sayth thus. And here he prouoketh and exhorteth men to humblenes. For certayne men thought, that euyll Lordes and rulers, and namely suche as were infydels ought not to haue domynyon and ru­le Euyll rulers are to be obeyed as reuerēt­ly as good rulers. ouer chrysten men. And yf they were good and also chrysten: that then they were but peetes and egall to other good and chrysten men. Whiche pryde, also the a­postle here putteth awaye euen from the superyour parte of man / that is to wytte the soule, by it betokenynge the hole man. For what is it to saye / euery soule, but euery man? as yf he shulde saye. All the foresayde thynges are to be done / and thoughe you be so perfyte in the bodye of Chryste / yet that notwithstandynge let The soule is put for y ^e mā. euery soule be subiecte / that is to saye, lette euery man be subiecte / whiche man I do sygnyfye therfore by the name of the soule, that you shulde serue and be obeys­saunte, not onely in bodye, but also in wyll and mynde. Therfore let euery soule be so subiecte and obedyent, that is euen also in wyll / he do serue the seculer pow­ers, bothe good and euyll / that is to wytte kynges and prynces / or gouernours / hygh capytaynes / vnder capytaynes / & such other. Lo than, what the apostle vn­derstode and meaned by the hygher powers / nothynge elles: but seculer prynces & gouernours. Than it foloweth in the glose / for yf he be a good man, whiche is ruler, and gouernoure ouer the / he is thy nouryssher / yf he be an euyll man, he is a temptoure to proue and assaye the. Bothe receyue and take nourysshementes or cherysshynges gladlye and with good wyll. And in thy temptacyon be thou ap­proued. Be thou therfore golde, and marke and take hede, that this worlde is as it were the fornayce of the golde fyner. So than lette euery soule be subiecte to the hygher powers / that is to wyt, in this that they are hyghe / that is in worldlye thyngꝭ. Or elles in this worde hygher is signyfyed the cause wherfore they ought to be obeyed / that is because they are hygher by the ordenaunce of god.

¶ For there is no power but of god / he proueth, that they oughte to be subiectes & obeyssaunte, this maner waye, because all power is of god / but those thynges, whiche be of god / are ordeyned of god / than it foloweth, that power and auctory­tie is ordeyned of god / that is to saye, who soeuer hathe power or auctorytie, hath the ordynaunce of god. Therfore who soeuer resysteth the power resysteth the ordynaunce of god. And this is it that he saythe, as yf he oughte therfore to be subiecte because there is neyther any good man, neyther euyll, that hathe any power ex­cepte it be gyuen vnto hym of god / wherfore oure Lorde sayde to Pylate / Thou shuldest not haue power ouer me / yf it were not gyuen to the from aboue / whiche Bernardus. thyng Bernarde also repeting to the Archebysshop of Senon sayth. There was no man more seculare: than Pylate, afore whom our lorde stode to be iudged / yet [Page] he sayde / thou shuldest not haue any power ouer me: yf it were not gyuen to the from aboue. At that tyme Chryst spake for hym selfe, and had experyence of that thynge in hym selfe / whiche thynge after he caused to be publysshed and proclay­med throughout all the churches, by his apostles, that is to wytte, that there is no power but of god / and that who soeuer resysteth the power: resysteth the ordynaū ce of god. And within a lytle after in the same place Bernarde saythe Chryste Bernardus. graunteth and confesseth, that the power and auctoryte of the Emperours depu­tie in Rome, euen ouer his owne self was ordeyned from aboue. And it foloweth in the glose / but those that be, are ordeyned of god / that is to saye are resonablye dysposed and ordeyned of god. Therfore who soeuer other by vyolence, or by dys­corde or gyle resysteth the power / that is to wyt the man hauynge power in those thynges whiche belonge to the power: as in trybute / and suche other thynges: he resysteth the ordynacyon of god / that is to saye, he resysteth hym, that hath power by the ordynacyon of god / and therfore he dothe not accordynge to the ordynacy­on of god. Of the good power: it is euydent, that god hath made hym ruler reasonably and not without good cause / And of the euyll power, it maye also appere, that he is made ruler reasonably / whyles both good men are purged by hym: and euyll men are cōdempned, & hym selfe is caste downe hedlonge worse and worse. And marke & take hede, that somtyme by this worde power is vnderstande the Of this wor­de power. power it selfe or auctorytie whiche is gyuen of god / somtyme by the same worde: is vnderstande the man selfe that hathe the power / whiche. ii. Sygnyfycacyons / let the dylygent reader marke the one of them from the other / he that resysteth the power resysteth the ordynacyon of god / And this is so greuous an offence, that who soeuer resysteth the power: they do purchase and gette to them selfes euer­lastynge Marke this well I coun­ceyll you. dampnacyon. And therfore no man oughte to resyste / but to be subiecte and obeysaunte to hym. But yet yf he cōmaunde the, to do that thynge, whiche thou oughte not to doo by the lawe of god: here truely thou mayste not execute his cōmaundemente fearynge the greatter power / that is to wytte god / marke, and take hede of the degrees of wordly thynges / yf the Emperour of Rome shall bydde or cōmaunde any thynge to his subiects it is to be done, albeit he do cōmaū de contrary to the proconsull? Agayne yf the proconsul / whiche is the emperours subiecte and offycer vnder hym byddeth, one thynge, and the Emperour cōmaundeth an other thynge: is it any doute, but that despysynge the proconsuls cōmaū ­deth the subiecte: ought to obey the Emperour or pryncipall capytayne? Therfore yf the Emperour cōmaūde one thynge, & god doth cōmaunde an other thyng, the subiecte ought to obey god, before the emperour. But yet saynt Augustyne sayd not, yf the Emperour do cōmaunde one thynge, and the Pope or bysshop do cō ­maūde an other thyng / whiche thyng he ought to haue sayd, yf the pope had ben superyour to the emperour, in degree of Iurysdyccyon / but yet saynt Augustyne wolde, that yf the emperour hathe cōmaunded, any thynge to be due agaynst the lawe of euerlastynge helthe, whiche is immedyate cōmaundement of god / in this the emperour ought not to be obeyed / in whiche case, the pope cōmaundynge ac­cordynge to this lawe / that is to wyt the lawe of god / is rather to be obeyed than the Emperours cōmaundynge, any thynge to be done, whiche is contrary to the lawe of god. But yf the pope cōmaundeth any thynge accordynge to his Decre­talles That we are bounde to do as the Decre­tals cōmaun­deth. in that they are but his owne decrees, he is nothynge to be obeyed, agaynst the cōmaundement of the Emperour, or his lawes / and that appereth openly and euydentlye here, and shall be more largely declared in the. ix. chapytre of this dyc­cyon. Than it foloweth in the glose / They that resyst worthely purchase or gettedampnacyon. For gouernours good or euyll, are not the feare of good workes / [Page 57] but of euyll / that is to saye, not the fearynge of them whiche worke well: but to the feare of them whiche worke euyll. For yf he be a good prynce or gouernoure, he dothe not punysshe hym that worketh well, but loueth hym. And yf he be an e­uyll prynce: he dothe not hurte the good man, but tryeth and purgeth hym / But the euyll man ought to feare / for prynces and gouernours are ordeyned to punysshe vyces or euyll deades. He calleth them prynces or gouernours / whiche are created and made, to correcte and amende the lyfe of men / and to kepe awaye aduersytie / hauynge the Image or lykenesse of god, that all other myght be vndre one. But to you as euyll doers they are fearefull / But wylte thou not feare the po­wer, what soeuer man he be: other good or euyll? Do good and worke thou well And than thou haste no cause, wherfore thou nede to feare ordrede / but thou shalt rather haue prayse of the same power: althoughe he be euyll / whyles thou haste a cause of greatter crowne and rewarde / But yf he be a ryghtwyse power or offy­cer: thou shalt haue prayse of hym, whyles he shall hym selfe laude and cōmendethe / yf The power is profytable whether it be good or euyll. he be vnryghtwyse yet shalt thou haue prayse of hym / not in y ^t he hym sel­fe shall prayse the: but in that he shall gyue occasyon, that thou shalte be praysed of other men / and so shalt thou truly haue prayse by hym. For he is the mynyster of god to the / for good, that is to say, doynge good to the, whether he be good or e­uyll. For he is gyuen to the of god, for thy good and profyte / that is to wytte to desende the and thyne / for it is manyfest and euydent or open, that rulers or go­uernoures, are therfore gyuen of god that no hutte shulde be done to good men. But yf thou do euyll: than feare thou / for he beareth the swerde, that is to say the power and auctorytie to iudge: not without cause, but to punysshe euyll doers. And this he sheweth whan he sayth afterwardes / for he is the mynyster of god, that is to say he punyssheth, and taketh vengeaūce in the rowme or stede of god / He I saye beyng a punyssher or auenger, for the wrathe of god / that is to say, for to auenge the dyspleasure of god / or elles for the wrathe of god to be shewed / that is to saye, to shewe the vengeaunce of god, that is to come / for this punysshemēt done by the gouernour sheweth that they whiche contynue in synnes shall be more sore & greuously punysshed, I say that he is a venger or punyssher also to hym that is to saye to the hurte and correccion of hym: that dothe euyll / and that because he is the mynystre of god. And therfore, be you subiecte to hym, as of necessyte / or elles be you subiectes to necessytie / that is to saye, to the necessary ordynacyon of god / And that not onely for feare, that the wrathe of the gouernour, or elles of god, shall be auenged: but also because of conscyence / that is to wytte, that your mynde maye be cleane, by louynge hym that is made ruler by god / that is to say, hym: whiche hath suche rule and auctorytie, by the ordynacyon of god. For albeit that all Chrysten men, that they are chrysten, are one in Chryste, in the faythe of whom, there is no dyfference, whether they be Iewes, or Grekes, Lordes, or ser­uauntes, and suche other thynges: yet that notwithstandynge, there is dyfference betwene them, in the mortall or worldly conuersacyon. And the apostles cōmaū ­deth, the ordre of the conuersacyon to be kepte, in the Iourney of this present lyfe. For there ar some thyngs, whiche we do kepe in vnytie of the fayth without any dyfference. And there are other some thynges, whiche we do kepe in the ordre of this lyfe: as is the way, lest the name of the lorde, and his doctryne, myght be blasphemed. And therfore also you do gyue trybutes / This is the probacyon of subiection / wherfore ye ought to be subiecte, because therfore / that is to saye, to shewe your subiection / you do gyue trybutes / whiche is a sygne or token of subiection / he dothe not say you do paye trybutes / but you do gyue or lende, as to them whi­che shall pay you agayne / for they do rendre or pay it to you agayne, in that they [Page] do defende you / & whan they fyghte for the countre. And whyles they do Iudge­mentꝭ / you do lende trybutes. You (I say) seruyng god in this thyng, do verely serue hym hyghly in that you do gyue trybutꝭ to them / for they are the mynysters of god / & they are ordeyned for this entent: that good men shulde be praysed, & euyll men punysshed. Or this it may be vnderstande, wherfore you ought to gyue try­butes: for they are the mynysters of god / they (I saye) seruynge you: whyles they do defende the countree / for this same thynge, that is to wytte, for trybute they do serue you in defendynge of the countree / and bycause they are the mynysters of god. So than by this texte of the Apostle, and by the exposycyons of sayntes, here afore brought in: who soeuer is not wyllynge / that the name, and the doctryne of the lorde, shulde be blasphemed, as vniuste, & preachynge agaynst the Cyuyle lawes: (as the glose of Augustyne sayde here in this place, & in the sext chapytre of the fyrst epystle to Tymothe) he ought to holde without any maner doubtyng That all mē oughte to be subiect to prī ­ces and gouernours. that all maner men, of what soeuer estate or condycyon they be, both really & personally, ought to be vnderneth the iurysdyccyon of seculer prynces & gouernours and to obey the same in all those thyngꝭ, whiche are not contrary to the lawe of euerlastyng helth / namely accordyng to the humayne lawes, or approued lauda­ble, & honest customes / for of thyse speaketh the apostle openly & playnly: whan he sayd. Let euery soule be subiecte, & that without cause they do not beare a swerde, with suche other thyngꝭ, whiche he hath spoken of them / as well of the defen­dynge of the countre, as of gyuynge trybutes to them, after the exposycyons of sayntes. But the apostle neuer sayde suche wordes, any where / of any Bysshop or preest. For the lordes, to whom we ar bounde to obey in coactyue iurysdyccion ar they, whiche by power and myght of armes ought to defende the countre, whiche thyng, in no wyse is semely or agreynge for a bysshop or preeste. Wherfore saynt Ambrose to Valentian in the seconde epystle, whiche is entytuled to the people, Ambrosius. sayth in this wyse. I shall be able to sorowe, I shall be able to wepe / I shall be able to syghe & mourne / agaynst armour & wepons, agaynst souldyoures / & the gothes / my armour or wepons are teares / for suche ar the munymentꝭ, defence or armour of a preest / otherwyse I neyther ought, neyther may resyst / agayne such lordes to whom we ar bounden so to obey myght be infydels or myscreantes (as the glose sayth aboute the begynnynge) but bysshops neyther ar, neyther may be suche maner men. And therfore it is open and euydent to all men, that the apostle spake not of preestes or bysshops: but of kynges, prynces & gouernours / as saynt Augustyne sayd. From this subiection also the apostle excepteth no man / whan he sayd, euery soule. Yf than it be so, that they whiche resyst suche powers, yea be­ynge infydels, & euyllmen, do purchase to them selues eternall dāpnacion / how moche more do they purchase to them selues the indignacion & wrathe of almyghty god / & of his apostle Paule, & also of Peter / whiche despysynge this doctryne of god & these apostles / haue of late troubled, & contynually do trouble Chrysten kynges & prynces / & most of all, & without any maner excuse, the Emperoure of Rome. For prynces and gouernours ar the mynisters of god, as the apostle sayd. And he sayd not they ar our mynisters, or the mynisters of Peter, or of any other apostle. And therfore they ar not subiectꝭ in iudgement coactyue, to any bysshop or preest, but rather contrary wyse, the bysshops & preestꝭ at subiectꝭ to them / whi­che thyng also the glose after saynt Augustynes mynde declared, whan it sayd / Than yf the emperour cōmaundeth one thyng, & god cōmaūdeth the cōtrary. &c. namynge there no bysshop, or archebysshop, or patryarche, in suche iurysdyctions whiche thyng, yet he wolde haue done, or ought to haue done, yf Chryste whiche Bablynge & lyeng Decre­tals. is the kyng of kynges, and lorde of lordes, had graunted suche power and aucto­rytie to hym ouer the Emperour, as they do bable & lye in theyr Decretals: which [Page 58] accordyng to truth, & in very dede ar nothyng els, but certayn ordynaūcꝭ & Cōstytucions, or Decrees / appertaynynge to the Establysshemēt of theyr owne gouer­naūce, the decretals. rule or domynyon, beyng but a fewe ꝑsons in nōbre / to the which ordynacions, in y ^t they ar but of theyr own braynes, chrysten men ar not bounde in any thyng to obey / as it hath ben shewed & proued of the. xii. chapitre of the fyrst dyccion, & as it shal appere more espcially in those thigꝭ, which hereafter shal folowe. ¶ Yet of thyse thynges afore gone, we woll not say but the reuerence and obedy­ence is due to be gyuen to suche Ecclesiastycall or spyrytuall teacher or pastor, in those thyngꝭ whiche he cōmaundeth or teacheth to be obserued & kept, accordynge to the lawe of the gospell, but not otherwyse, or to the cōtrary / as it appereth suffycyently in the. xxiii. of Mathewe, & by the exposycion of saynt Ierome in the prestꝭ ar to be obeyed in those thingꝭ whiche are accor­dynge to the gospell. same place. Howbeit, yet he neyther ought, neyther may compell any man to the obseruynge of suche thyngꝭ, in this worlde, by any payne or punysshemēt Reall or personall / for we do not rede, y ^t any suche power of punysshynge, & vsynge do­mynyon, ouer any man in this world: is graunted to them / but rather forbydden them by counsayll or cōmaundement / as it appereth euydently of this chapytre, and of the last aforegone. For suche power in this worlde, is gyuen by the lawes or by the humayne lawe maker / whiche although it were gyuen to a bysshop, or preest? to compell men in those thyngꝭ whiche apperteyne to goddes lawe it shuld be vnprofytable. For to them that shuld be compelled, no suche thyng shuld auayle, or do good, to euerlastyng helthe & saluacion / And this was playnly the mynde of the apostle, in the fyrste chapytre of the seconde epystle to the Corynthyans, whan he sayd. And I do call vpon god to wytnesse, that I sparynge you haue not cōmen yet to Corynthe / not because we ar lordes ouer your fayth / but we ar helpers of your ioye / for you do stande & contynue in fayth. Where the glose after Ambrose mynde sayth I call god to wytnesse / not onely agaynst any body / but Ambrosius. also agaynst my soule / yf I do lye in that thynge wherof I speke. That I haue not cōmen to Corinthe agayne, syns I departed from you / and I haue done this sparyng you / that is to wyt, lest I shuld haue made many of you sad & sorowful by sharpe rebukyng of many of you / in which thing he spared them lest he beyng very sharpe: they myght be tourned in to sedicion. Therfore he wylleth them to be fyrst mytigated, afore his cōmyng. And therfore it was not lōge of incōstancie & lyghtnes, or els of any carnall cōsideracion, y ^t he dyd not fulfyl those thyngꝭ, whiche he had purposed. For a spyritualman doth not fulfyl his purpose, than whan he hath deuysed any thyng more prouydently apperteynyng to helth & saluacion And lest they myght be angry, as yf he had spoken of domynyon: because he had sayd, it was for sparing of you, y ^t I haue not come: he saith afterwardꝭ / I do not therfore say sparyng you, because I haue any domynyon ouer your faith / y ^t is to say because your fayth doth suffre any domynion or cōpulsion, which is a thyng free & not of necessytie: but I say it therfore, because we ar helpers, yf you worke with vs / of yourioy eternal, or els of the ioy of your amēdemēt: for they which ar amēded: doth ioy & ar glad. I said very well ouer your faith / for by faith, whiche worketh through loue / you do stāde, not by dominion. This same sentence & meanig dyd sait Iohn̄ Chrisostome gather of the afore reherced wordes of the apostle Chrisostomꝰ. & hath expressed it to al mē euydētly, in his boke of Dialoges / which is entytled the Dignite of presthod, in y ^•. iii. chap. of the. ii. boke / for therafter he hath brought in y ^t sayng of y ^• apostle, not because we ar lordꝭ ouer yo ^• faith but we ar helꝑs &c. he saith thus. They whiche ar outwarde iudges / y ^t is to wyt, seculer iudgꝭ, whan they haue subdued euyll persones / they do shewe very moche power & auctorytie vpon them / & whether they wylor not wyl they restreyne them, & kepe them spyte of theyr teth, frō theyr olde lewde & vngracious maners / but in the church: no mā [Page] by compulsyon (but well contented, and condescendynge) ought to be conuerted to better maners and conuersacyon / for neyther there is any suche power gyuen to vs by the lawes, that by the auctorytye of sentence or Iudgement, we maye restrayne and withholde men from synnes. And here Chrysostome speaketh in the person of all preestes / assygnyng the fyrst cause nowe rehersed, wherfore they There is not your auctory­te gyuen pree­stes to be iud­ges. ought to compell no man / because they haue not coactyue auctorytye or iurysdyc­cyon of any man, in this worlde / for asmoche as it was not gyuen by the lawes, or lawe makers, at those tymes / or in those places or prouynces. Than afterwar­des he assygned and sheweth an other cause, sayeng / neyther yf suche power and auctorytie were gyuen: we preestes or bysshops shuld haue, wheron we myght exercyse suche maner power & auctorytie / seynge that our god / that is to wyt Chryste / shall rewarde, not suche as be brought awaye from synne, by necessytie, that is to saye by vyolence or compulsyon but suche as abstayne from synne, of theyr owne towardnes. And yet woll we not by thyse thynges say that it is vnconuenyent, that heretykes, or otherwyse infydels or mysbeleuers, shuld be punysshed / but this auctorytie to punysshe suche persones, belongeth onely to the humayne lawe maker. Than coactyue power or iurysdyccyon, dothe not agree or belonge to any bysshop or preest / but as well they as other oughte to be vndre the seculare iudges, in this power / as it hath ben sayd / wherfore agayne the apostle sayde, in the secōde chapytre of the fyrst epystle to Tymothe. Therfore fyrst I beseche, that obsecracyons, prayers, requestes, and gyuynge of thankes, be made for all men / for kynges, & all men whiche are in hyghe auctorytie / that we may lede a quyete and a peaceable lyfe. Wherfore the glose sayth, Paule dyrectynge thyse wordes to Tymothe in hym, teacheth and sheweth a forme and maner to all the whole churche. And afterwardes, after y ^e mynde of saynt Augustyne, it foloweth in y ^e same glose vpon these wordes for all men / that is to say, for men of all sortes / and espe­cyally, and moste of all for kynges, although they be euyll / and for all whiche are set in hyghe auctorytie, as dukꝭ, erles, althoughe they be euyll men. And yet amō ge Augustinus. all those, that are set in hygh auctorytie, or in suche iudycyarie power, neyther the apostle, neyther Augustyne, maketh any where mēcyon, of bysshop or preest but onely of seculare prynces. But wherfore the apostle wylleth (sayth Augustyne) prayers to be made for kynges, and those whiche are in hyghe auctorytie, yea althoughe they be euyll men, he sheweth the cause, sayeng īmedyatlye after / For this shall be profytable to vs, that we maye lyue a quyete lyfe, from persecution And a peaceable, that is to saye, without any dysquyetnes or trouble. Lo here is testymonye and wytnesse of that thynge, whiche we sayd in the last chapytre of the fyrste dyccyon / that is to wyt: that the cause effectyue and also conseruaty­ue of tranquylytie and peace: is the dewe actyon or operacyon of the soueraygne or chyefe gouernoure, beynge not letted. Than Augustyne putteth by and by af­ter a thyng, whiche is greatly to the purpose sayeng. Therfore, the apostle admonysshed & counseyled the church to pray for kyngs and all persons set in hygh auctorytie, beynge inspyred with the same holy ghoste, wherwith. Ieremye the pro­phete also was inspyred / whiche sent an epystle or letter to the Iewes y ^t were in Babylon: that they shuld pray for the lyfe of kynge Nabugodonozor / & his sones & for the peace of y ^e cytie, sayeng for the peace of them, shal be your peace. By this fyguratyuely he sygnyfyed, y ^t the churche militant in erthe, in all the sayntꝭ belō ­gynge to her, the which at the Cytyzens by adoption, of the heuēly Iherusalem: shuld be seruaunte, & subiecte, vnder the kynges and gouernoures of this worlde. And therfore y ^e apostle monyssheth y ^e churche, to praye for them: that they myght lede a quyete & peaceable lyfe. Loo here vndoutedly, y ^t the sentence & mynde of the apostle [Page 59] and of Augustyne, is that the churche, or elles all true Chrystyans, oughte to be vnderneth the seculer prynces or gouernoures / namely the chrysten gouernoures, and to obeye the cōmaundementꝭ of them / whiche be not cantrary to the lawe of euerlastynge helthe. But yf the apostle had vnderstande or meaned, that byssops or preestes ought to be soueraygnes and prynces / and to iudge men really or per­sonally by coactyue iudgement / in the state, and for the state of this present lyfe, he wolde haue sayd to Timothe, whom he had ordeyned and made bysshop / I be seche the that obsecracyons &c. be made for all kynges and bysshops whiche are in hyghe auctoryte. Moreouer in the thyrde chapytre to Titus, the apostle sayde ad­monysshe and warne them, to whom thou preachest: to be subiectes & obeysaunte to prynces and powers / the apostle sayd not, admonysshe the seculare persons onely / neyther he sayd, Admonysshe them, to be subiectes to vs and prynces / for the Apostle knewe ryght well, y ^t neyther he, neyther other bysshops or prestes ought to be prynces, or to iudge other men, by lytygyouse Iudgement or Iudgement of seculare actes or deades / yea & moreouer he had reuoked and called them backe from all maner seculare busynes / not onely from lordshype or soueraygntye, and Iudgement of seculare matyers / whan he sayd in the seconde chapitre of the seconde epystle, to Tymothe / no man warrynge to god entangleth hym selfe with se­culare busynes / wherfore Ambrose sayth admonysshe and warne thou. &c. As yf he had sayde / albeit that thou haste spyrytuall Empyre and rule / that is to wytte to cōmaunde them in spyrytuall thyngꝭ: yet that notwithstandyng, warne them to be subiectes, and obeysaunt to prynces / that is, to kynges, dukes, and to lesse or inferyour powers and offycers / for the Christyan relygyon depryueth no man of his ryght / whiche thynge saynt Ambrose sayth so moche, because the apostles wyll & mynde, and also his doctryne was, that also Chrysten men shuld be subiectes and obeysaunte to theyr Lordes or maysters, and also to prynces and gouer­nours, although they be infydels and no Chrysten men / as he sayth hym selfe in the laste chapytre of the fyrste epystle to Timothe, in the begynnyng / who soeuer are bonde men vndre yoke. &c. where the glose after saynte Augustynes mynde, sayth thus. It is to be knowen, that certayne mē had preached, that lybertie was cōmune to all men in Chryste / whiche is verylye true concernynge spyrytuall ly­bertie, but not as touchynge carnall lybertie, so as they vnderstode it / Therfore the apostle speaketh here agaynst theym, byddynge the bonde men to be subiectes and obedyent to theyr lordes and maysters / therfore lette not the Chrysten bonde men requyre that, whiche is sayde of the Hebrues / that is to serue syxe yeres, and than for nought to be made free / for that is mystycall / And wherfore the apostle doth cōmaunde this: he sheweth by and by after sayeng / lest both the name of the lorde myght be blasphemed, as of one, whiche dyd inuade and vsurpe thynges be longynge to other men. And also the Chrystyan doctryne, as beynge vniuste & preachynge agaynst the lawes Cyuyle. Howe than or by what meanes, & with To absolue the subiecte from the bon­de and othe of his allegeaū ­ce, is many­fest heresye. what conscyence towarde god, wyll any preest, who soeuer he be: absolue subie­ctes from the othe, by whiche they are bounden to theyr christen lordes and Soueraygnes? for this is an open heresy, as it shal appere more largely hereafter. The postle than sayde, admonysshe them, to be subiectes and obeysaunt to souerayg­nes and gouernours / he dyd not saye admonysshe laye men onely / but he sayd admysshe them indyfferently / For after his mynde: euery soule is subiecte to them in coactyue or contencyous Iudgemente / and yf it be not so / than tell thou me, In what thynge he meaned, that euery soule shulde be subiecte to the po [...]oers. &c. For yf euery soule hadde oughte to be subiecte to Timotheus, and Titus, In suche maner iudgemente he shulde in vayne haue sayde admonysshe them. &c.

[Page] Agayne, yf his mynde and wyll was that certayne men shulde be admonysshed, to be subiectes to seculer prynces, or gouernours, and certayne not, than shulde he haue spoken insuffycyentlye, in that he dyd make no suche dyfference in his spea­kynge / whiche dyfference without doubte, no man shall fynde made any where in all Paules epystles / but rather alwayes the contrarye for he sayde / lette euery soule be subiecte. &c. in whiche sayeng, the apostle shulde haue spoken vnaccordyngely and also falsely (whiche god forbyd that any man shulde saye) yf any maner persons had ben exempted from subiectyon, to suche seculer prynces. This also cō formably was the sentence and doctryne of blyssed Peter in the seconde chapytre of his fyrste Canonycall epystle, whan he sayde. Be you subiectes to euery hu­mayne creatures, for god. By euery humayne creature, vnderstande thou, euery man beynge constytute & sette in hyghe power or gouernaunce. For that he mea­ned of suche men / it appereth by the examples, whiche he brought in, immedyat­ly folowynge, whan he sayde / whether it be to kynge, as beynge the moste excel­lent, or to dukes beynge sent by the kynge, to the punysshement of malefactours, but to the prayse of good men / for so it is the wyll of god / I haue not brought in here, the gloses of sayntes vpon this place. For what soeuer they do saye here it is conteyned in the glose, whiche we haue broughte in heretofore, vpon the wordes of the apostle in the. xiii. chapytre to the Romaynes / Beholde than, that bothe saynt Peter, and also saynt Paule, conformablye and agreably the one to the o­ther / do saye, that kynges and dukes are sent by god, to the punysshynge of malefactours, that is to wytte to take vengeaunce vpon them, by coactyue power in this worlde / but neyther they them selfes, neyther the holy exposytoures of theyr sayenges / euer sayde in any place, that bysshops or preestꝭ are sent to do the same But rather alwayes the contrarye, as it hathe euydently appered cheyfly by the worde of Chrysostome afore alleged / for as moche than, as preestes may be malefactours, euen aswell as they whiche are not preestes, concernynge all kyndes & sortes of transgressyons, or trespasses, named and rekened vp in the seconde cha­pytre of this dyccyon, It foloweth necessaryly, that they also ought to be vnder­neth the coactyue iudgemente of kynges, dukes, or other seculer gouernoures. And Peter sayth, that you do obey them (sayth he) is the wyll of god. This same thynge, agayne is confyrmed by the sayenge, and also by the manyfest example of saynt Paule the apostle, for it is red of hym, in the. xxv. chapytre of the Actes That saynte Paule was subiecte to Cesar. that he refusynge the coactyue Iudgement of preestes / sayde openly, I appele to Cesar, and agayne he sayde I stande in the courte of Cesar the emperour, where I ought to be iudged. The glose interlineare sayth, because here is y ^e place of iud­mente. Then Paule refusynge the iudgement of preestes knowleged and confes­sessed hym to be subiecte to the coactyue iurisdyccion of Cesar. But is it to be supposed, that the apostle spake thyse wordꝭ faynedly when he sayd. There I ought to be iudged / that is to wytte, in Cesars courte? whiche had chosen than, and de­termyned in his mynde, to dye for the truthe as it appereth in the xxi. chapytre of the Actes? whan he sayde / I am redye not onely to be bounde / but also to dye in Ierusalem, for the name of the lorde Ihesu chryste / for who is so madde to iudge that the apostle, for cause of prolongynge of his owne lyfe, wolde by his wordes haue cōmytted so great a cryme and offence, as to make al preestes subiectꝭ to the Iurysdyccyon of seculer gouernours, by his doctryne & example, wrongfullye, and otherwyse than he ought to haue done, yf he had reputed this thyng to be vn­due & vncōuenyent? for it had ben better for hym, not to haue gone vp to Ierusa­lem seynge y ^t no man cōpelled hym therto, than to go vp thyther, & to make a lye both agaynst hym self, & also agaynst his neybour. & therfore for asmoche, as it is [Page 60] vnlawfull and great synne, to haue any suche opynyon of Paule, it appereth e­uydently, that Paule thoughte euen the same in his mynde, whiche he vtteryd forthe with his mouthe / and in this thynge he dyd folowe hym whome he wolde not be superyoure vnto, that is to wyt chryste, whiche not onely knowleged Ce­sar to be his worldly iudge: but also Pylate the deputye of Cesar, whan he sayde in the. xix. chapytre of Iohn̄ / Thou shuldest not haue any powre agaynst me / yf it were not gyuen to the from aboue. &c. that is to saye, excepte it were gyuen to the, by the ordynacyon of god aboue as saynt Augustyne sayde afore, in the. xiii. chapytre to the Romaynes / because there is no powre neyther to any good man, neyther yet to euyll man: but it is gyuen of god / whiche thynge also Ber­narde dyd more largely declare, to the archebysshop of Senon / & it was brought in before in the. iiii. parte of this chapytre / Seynge then, that to no bysshop, any iurysdyccyon or coactyue powre ouer any man, is graunted by the lawe of god, but rather suche powre is forbydden to them by counsel or precepte, as it hath ben euydently and openly shewed in this chapytre and in the nexte before gone, Neyther also suche powre is agreynge or appertaynynge to bysshoppes or preestes, in that they be bysshoppes or preestes, by inherytaunce, or successyon of theyr fa­thers: it foloweth necessaryly, that in suche powre or iurysdyccyon: they be sub­iectes That preestꝭ be subiectꝭ to seculer pryncꝭ or gouer­nours. to y ^e seculer prynces or gouernours / as it hathe euydently / apperyd by the sayenges of saynt Peter, and saynt Paule apostles, and of other holy doctours / and by reason or demonstratyue syllogysme, it maye be proued of those thynges whiche haue ben sayde in the. xv. and the. xvii. chapytres of the fyrste dyccyon, that neyther bysshop, ne Pope, haue any coactyue iurysdyccyon in this worlde, neyther vpon any preeste, neyther vpon any other persone beynge no preeste, on­les suche iurysdyccyon be graunted to hym by the humayne powre / In whose powre it is alwayes, to reuoke and call agayne the same auctoryte from them, for any reasonable cause chaunsynge / The full determynacyon wherof, is knowen also to belonge and appertayne to the same powre / Thus then, that chryste hym selfe refused and dyd forsake domynyon or coactyue iurysdyccyon of any man, who soeuer he were, in this worlde: and that he hath forbydden the same to his apostles, and to theyr successours preestes or bysshoppes, by his counsayle or precepte, and that his wyll and mynde was, bothe hym selfe, and the sayde apo­stles to be subiectes to the coactyue iurysdyccyon of seculer prynces or gouernours / and that he taughte the same to be obserued / and also that his cheyfe apostles Peter and Paule taughte the same, bothe by theyr wordes or speache, and also by the example of theyr workes and dedes / I suppose we haue euydently shewed by the eternall testymonyes of Euangelicall verytes or textes, and also by the interpretacyons or exposycyōs of sayntes, and of other approued doctours of the chrysten byleue and faythe.

¶ Of the auctorytye and powre of the keyes, gyuen to preestes / and what maner of powre, the preeste or bysshoppe hathe, in excōmunycatynge of any persone.
The, vj, chapytre,

[Page] HOwe it remayneth consequētlye to shewe, what maner of powre, or auctoryte, and what maner of iudgement ouer chrysten men: chryste was wyllynge or mynded to gyue, or els dyd gyue in very dede: to the same apostles, and to the successours of them, by y ^e ver­tue and strength of the wordes of holy scrypture / and amonge all other wordꝭ: those wordes semeth to gyue moste expresse sygnyfycacyon & knowlege hereof: whiche chryste spake to Peter in the. xvi. chapytre of Mathewe / To the I wyll gyue the keyes of the kyngdome of heuens / and also the wordes sem­blably spoken by the same chryst, to all the apostles / in the xviii. chapytre of Ma­thewe / and in the. xx. of Iohn̄ / whan he sayde / what soeuer thynges you shall bynde vpon the earthe: they shall be bounde also in heuen / and whose synnes you shal forgyue: they are forgyuen them &c. For of these wordꝭ pryncipally & cheyfe­ly, the opynyon and tytle of the fulnes of powre, whiche tytle the bysshoppe of Rome ascrybeth to hym selfe, to haue taken theyr begynnynge.

¶ Of the whiche wordes, that we maye haue more certaynlye the sence and knowlege: we muste call to rememberaunce certayne thynges, whiche we sayde in the laste chapytre of the fyrste dyccyon / whiche thynges are these / That chryste very god, and very man, came in to this worlde, to beare testymony and wyt­nesse to the truthe (as he sayd hym selfe in the xviii. of Iohn̄) I saye to the truthe, of thynges to be beleued, of thyngꝭ to be done, and of thynges to be despysed of mankynde, for the obtaynynge of euerlastynge lyfe / whiche truthe, verely he taughte by his preachynge and shewed by his example / and laste of all gaue in wrytynge, by the sayenges of the euangelystes, and of his apostles / that by the scrypture or wrytynge: we myght be dyrected and guyded, in the absence of hym, and of his apostles, in those thynges: whiche appertayne to euerlastynge helth / And this was the offyce, whiche he cōmytted to his successours the apstles, to be exercysed of them / when he sayd to them after his resurreccyon, & in a maner last of all / that texte in the xxviii. and the laste chapytre of Mathewe / Go you ther­fore The offyce of preestes. and teache all nacyons, baptysynge them in the name of the father, and the sone, and the holy ghost / teachynge them to kepe al thynges: what soeuer I haue cōmaunded you / But by y ^e mynystracyon of baptysme, which chryste cōmaūded to be admynystred by y ^e apostles: he caused them to vnderstande, also the admynystracyon of other sacramentes, whiche he hathe instytuted and ordayned, for the euerlastynge helthe of mankynde / of the whiche: the sacramente of penaunce is Penaunce one / by whiche sacrament, the actual synne of mannes soule, bothe mortall & ve­nyall: is put awaye / and in it, the grace, loue, and fauour of god / which was corrupted in vs by the reason of synne: is reformed and renewed / without the whiche grace loue & fauour / all the workes of man (because god so hathe ordayned) shuld not be merytoryous, to the obtaynynge of euerlastynge lyfe / wherfore it is sayde in the. vi. chapytre to the Romaynes / By the grace of god cōmeth euerlastynge lyfe / therfore preestes are the mynystres of this sacrament of penaunce, euen lyke wyse they are of other sacramentes / because they be the successours of the apostles of chryste / to all whome, in it is proued by the aforesayd textes of scrypture, the powre of y ^e keyes, or of mynystrynge the sacrament of penaunce, to haue ben gy­uen, in the persone of Peter / that is to saye, powre to bynde or lose men from synnes / for bothe these are all one thynge / wherfore saynt Iherome vpon these wor­des Iherome. of the. xvi. chapytre of Mathewe, and to the I wyll gyue the keyes. &c. sayth thus / The other apostles verely haue the same iudicyary powre and auctoryte / to whome he sayde after his resurreccyon / Take or receyue you the holy ghoste / whose synnes you shall forgyue: they shall be forgyuen them / And whose synnes [Page 61] you shall retayne: they shall be retayned. &c. All the churche also hathe the same power in preestes and bysshops / but therfore Peter receyued it specyally: that all men shulde vnderstande, that who soeuer dothe seperate and departe hym selfe from the vnyte of the fayth: neyther maye be assoyled of his synnes, neyther may entre in to heuen. And note here that saynt Hierome sayd, from the vnyte of the fayth: and not from the vnyte of Peter or of the bysshoppes of Rome / for some of theym: myght be heretykes, or otherwyse peruerse and lewde persones / And in very dede many of theym haue ben founde by experyence to be such maner persones in dede. And this Iudycyary power: is the power or auctoryte of the keys, after the mynde of Hierome and Augustyne, in the same place / for of theym: Augustyne Hierome. Augustyne. The power of the keyes. saythe thus. The keys: are the scyence or knowelege of dyscernynge, or iud­gynge the good from the euyll / and power, wherby he / that is to wyt, the preest: ought to receyue them, whiche be worthy / & to shytte out the vnworthy persones, from the kyngdom of heuens. But howe, or in what maner, he may receyue: and howe he may exclude or shytte out from the sayde kyngdom / it shall hereafter be declared / and by that, it shall euydently appere: what & howe great is the power and auctoryte of these keyes which were graūted by Chryst, to Peter, and to the other apostles. But yet fyrste of al, we ought to marke and take hede, that in the soule of hym that synneth deedly: is engendred defaulte and blame / and the grace of god, whiche was gyuen to hym before / is corrupted and destroyed. By the rea­son of whiche defaulte or synne, the synner is bounde to the dette of euerlastynge dampnacyon. By the whiche synne so engēdred, the synner is oblyged or bounde to the payne of eternall dampnacyon, for the state of the worlde to come. In whiche faulte or synne yf he do / also resyste and contynue, he is cut awaye from / the company or felowshyp of Chrysten men in this worlde / by a certayne correccion amonge Chrysten men / called excōmunycacyon. And agayne contrarywyse we ought to marke and take hede / that a synner by heuynes and sorowe for his syn̄e and by outwarde Confessyon made to the preeste (whiche bothe outher Ioyntly or seuetally are called penaunce) getteth thre benefytes. ¶ The fyrste is that he is clensed from the inwarde faulte or synne, & the grace of god is renewed in hym. Penaunce. ¶ The seconde is that he is dyscharged and losed from the dethe of euerlastynge dampnacion / wherunto he was bounde by the reason of synne. ¶ And the thyrde is, that he is reconcyled to the Churche / that is to saye he is reunyte and knytte & made atone agayne, or elles oughte to be reunyte and made atone agayne with the congregacyon of Chrysten people. Therfore to do and worke these thynges in a synner / that is to wyt to bynde or lose from synne, & from the dette of euerlastynge dampnacyon: (whiche thyng ought to be done partely by the power of the keyes graunted to the preest as it shall be sayd hereafter) is to mynystre the sacra­ment of penaunce. These thynges than thus set before? lette vs come nere to our purpose and saye after the mynde of the Mayster of the sentences, or rather accor­dynge to the mynde of the holy scrypture & of sayntꝭ, by the auctorytie of whom the sayd Mayster speaketh in the. iiii. boke the xviii. distinction, & also accordyng to the mynde of Rycharde in a certayne boke. Whiche he made entytled, the power of the keyes gyuen to preestꝭ, that to true penaunce or to receyue the sacrament of penaunce. Fyrste of all there is requyred in the synner inwarde contrycyon or he­uynes & sorowe for the synne or trespasse cōmytted and done. Secondaryly there is requyred the purpose and acte of confessynge his synne by expressynge it / with wordes of mouth or otherwyse gyuynge knowlege therof to the preest, yf he may conuenyently come to the preest, or the preest to hym / but in case no preest coulde be gotten, than the ꝑsone so penytent or contryte, hi [...] is suffycyent to haue a stede [Page] fast purpose to confesse and knowlege his synne to the preeste assone as he shall conuenyently come to the speache of one / and therfore consequētly the intencyon and mynde of the sayd mayster & of Rycharde is / that in a synner beynge truely penytent / that is to wytte beynge contryte and hauynge purpose to be confessed to the preest: certayne thynges are wrought by god onely afore confessyon, and a fore all manet accyon or operacyon of the preeste / and they are these / expulcyon what god worketh be­fore cōfessyon in a synner. or dryuynge out of synne / the renuynge of grace / and the forgyuynge of the dette of euerlastynge dampnacyon / & that god alone worketh these aforesayd thynges the mayster proueth in the. iiii. boke the. xviii. dystynccyon and the. iiii. chapytre by the auctoryties of holy scrypture and of sayntes. Fyrst by the auctoryte of the maker of the psalmes: whiche sayth in the persone of god I alone / do put awaye the iniquyties and the synnes of people. Agayne by the auctorytie of Ambrose / That god only forgyueth synnes. Ambrose. whiche saythe / The worde of god forgyueth synnes, and the preest is iudge / The preeste verely dothe his offyce: but he exercyseth the ryght of no powre / yet more ouer the same Ambrose saythe / He onely forgyueth synnes whiche onely dyed for our synnes / Furthermore he proueth it by Augustyne whiche sayth / No man ta­keth awaye synnes, but onely chryste whiche is the lambe that taketh awaye the Augustyne synnes / of the worlde / and that god doth this thynge, afore that the preeste dothe worke any maner accyon belongynge to his offyce? y ^e mayster pueth it by y ^e wordes of saynt Augustyne vpon y ^t texte of y ^e psalme: Quo [...] tecta sunt pctā: whose synnes are coueryd / for of these thyngꝭ (sayth the mayster) it is euydently shewed that god hym selfe loseth the penytent from the det of payne / And than he do the lose hym whan he lyghteneth hym within, breathynge in to hym, true contricion and sorowe of herte / to the which sentence of the mayster: reason is agreynge and also auctoryties bereth wytnesse / for no man is nowe compuncte and sory for his synne, hauynge his herte contryte and humbled: but onely in charytie / but in that he hathe charytie / he is worthy of lyfe / Nowe no man is worthye bothe lyfe and dethe at one tyme / wherfore it foloweth: that he is not than bounde to the dette of euerlastynge death / for he hathe ceased to be the chylde of wrathe & dyspleasure, euer syns he began to loue, and to be penytent / Therfore euer sythens that tyme he hathe ben losed from the wrathe of god / whiche wrathe abydeth not vpon hym that beleueth and trusteth in Iesu chryste: but vpon hym that beleueth & trusteth not / therfore he is not delyuered from the eternall wrathe of god afterwardes by the preeste to whome he confesseth his synnes / for from that wrathe he hathe ben delyuered alredy by the lorde euer sythens he sayde / Confitebor I wyll confesse me. Thus than it is god alone whiche clenseth the man inwardly from the spote of synne / and whiche loseth hym from the det of euerlastynge payne & consequēt­ly the mayster of the sentences repeteth the auctoryties of the psalmiste and of the sayntes afore alleged / after which wordes also he makynge expylogacyon: sayth thus. By these and other testymonyes mo it is euydently shewed, that god alone by hym selfe dothe forgyue synnes / & as he forgyueth certayne men theyr synnes so doth he retayne the synnes of certayne other / But yet this notwithstandynge It is sooner sayde than proued. god requyreth in the penytent persone purpose to confesse his synnes to the preest also, assone as he maye haue oportunytie / as the mayster saythe in the. iiii. boke, the. xvii. dystynccyon and the. iiii. chapytre / where he moueth this questyon / whe­ther it be suffycyent to confesse our synnes onely to god / and he determyneth by the auctoryties of scrypture that it is not suffycyent / yf a man may conuenyent­ly Then he wrytheth them. haue a preeste / but yf no preeste can be goten than it is suffycyent to haue con­fessed our synnes to god alone, so that we haue alwayes purpose to be confessed to the preeste / yf we myght conuenyently. This was also the mynde of Rychard [Page 62] in the boke aforesayde, agreable to the mynde of the mayster / and of the thynges determyned by hym in dyuers chapytres: it is gathered and concluded that god taketh awaye the synne from the trewe penytent / that is to wyt, from hym that is contryte and sory for his synne: afore all maner mynysterie of the preeste / and also loseth hym and maketh hym free from the det of eternall deth / but yet vnder a condycyon: that afterwardes assone as euer he maye conuenyentlye: he oughte to confesse his synne to the preeste / whiche condycion, truely, the mayster called a stedfast and sure purpose to be confessed to the preeste, assone as he may conueny ently be had. This sentence, the mayster hath concluded in the same. iiii. boke, the xviii. distyncion in the. v. and. vi. chapytres / makynge answere besydes this, to a reasonable questyon wherby it myght be doubted / wherfore or to what ende the offyce or the workynge of a preeste, is requyred in penaunce / yf god alone, afore all maner mynysterye of the preeste dothe take awaye the synne / and loseth from the dette of eternall dampnacyon / and the mayster sayd / in this so great varyetie and dyuersytie of opynyons (for aboute this thynge aswel holy sayntes as other doctours semed to dysagre, albeit they do not dysagre, in very trouthe) that this we maye safely bothe saye and thynke / and that it is to be holden / that onely god forgyueth synnes, and retayneth them / & yet neuerthelesse he hathe gyuen powre of byndynge and losynge to the churche (that is to wyt to preestes, whiche at cal­led the churche after one sygnyfycacion of the sayde worde / as it was shewed in y ^e secōde chapitre of this dyccyon). But it is not after one maner of fasshyon that he loseth or byndeth. And y ^t the churche (that is to wyt, the preestes) lose or bynde / but he loseth or byndeth after one maner: and they after an other / For he by hymselfe onely dothe so forgyue the synne, y ^t he dothe bothe make the soule clene from the inwarde spotte: and also loseth from y ^e dette of euerlastynge deth / but he hathe Howe preestꝭ haue powre to bynde and lose notgraunted this powre to the preestes / to whome yet he, hathe gyuen powre to bynde and lose / that is to say powre to shewe and declare that men are bounde or lose / In whiche wordes he hathe expressed for what ende: the offyce or mynysterye of a preest, is requyred in penaunce / and by and by after declarynge the same he sayde / wherfore also the lorde restored fyrste by hym selfe, the persone ful of Leprye to his helth / and than afterwardes, sent hym to the preestes / by whose iudge­ment / he shuld be shewed and declared made clene. And after the same maner also after that hym selfe had reysed Lazarus agayne to lyfe: he offered hym to his dys­cyples, for to be losed / for albeit, y ^t some man is losed afore god: yet is he not accōpted or taken for losed in y ^e face, y ^t is to say, in the knowlege of the church, but by y ^e iudgement and declaracyon of the preeste / In losynge therfore or retaynynge of synnes / the preeste of the newe lawe, doth so worke and iudge / as y ^e preeste of the oldelawe dyd worke & iudge, in them which were defyled with lepry which lepry betokeneth synne. This sentence, also he doth repete & reherse / agayne aboute the ende of the syxte chapytre / & confyrmeth it with the auctorytie of saynt Ierome / vpon that sayenge of chryste in the. xvi. chapytre of Mathewe / and to the I shall gyue the keyes of the kyngdome of heuens / where the sayde Ierome sayth in this Ierome. Marke this well. wyse. The preestes of the gospell, hathe the same auctorytie and offyce: which the legale preestes had vnder the lawe, in olde tyme, in healynge of persones whiche were infected with leprye. These therfore preestes of the gospell: dothe forgyue or retayne synnes, whyles they do pronounce, declare, and shewe, theyr synnes to be forgyuen or retayned of god / wherfore in the boke of Leuiticus, the lepers are cō ­maunded, to shewe them selues to the preestes / whome, the preestes neyther ma­keth full of Leprye, neyther yet clene from the same / but onely do dyscerne, iudge and declare, who be clene persones and who be vnclene. The offyce and myny­sterie [Page] therfore of a preeste is requyred to the penytent, for the aforesayd cause / that is to wyt, that by hym it maye be shewed and declared in the face of the churche / to whome god hathe eyther forgyuen, or elles retayned theyr synnes. There is another thynge also, whiche god worketh in a synner: not without the mynysterye of a preeste / as the same mayster of the sentēces and also Rycharde, do iudge / that is to wyt, the chaungynge of the temporall payne of purgatory (whiche the syn­ner This geare muste be iud­ged by higher iudges, whe­ther there be a purgatory after this lyfe o [...] no. shuld haue suffered for his synnes, were he neuer so wel penytent, and confes­sed) in to some satysfaccyon of this worlde / as in to fastynge / prayer / or almose dede, or in to some other lyke dede. And as touchynge this poynte: the preeste exercyseth ryght of powre vpon the synner / wherfore the mayster in the. xviii. distynccyon, and the. vii. chapytre, sayth thus. And it is to be noted and marked, that in that, that any preestes do bynde any men, with the satysfaccyon of penaūce: they do shewe the same men to be losed from theyr synnes / for penytencyall satysfaccyon is enioyned to no man, but onely to hym, whome the preeste doth iudge to be To whome penytencyall satysfaccyon is to be moy­ued. truely penytent / for vnto other, he enioyneth no satysfaccyon / and in that he iud­geth his synnes to be retayned of god. The preeste also chaungeth the paynes of purgatorye, which were dewe to the synner: in to some satysfacciōs of this world And afterwardes, he reconsyleth the synners to the churche / that is to wyt, to the cōmunyon or felowshyp of christen men / in which poynte, semblably he doth exercyse powre ouer synners: yf it be so, that he do it accordynge to dyscrecyon and iudgement / wherfore the mayster in the place afore alleged sayth. The preestes also dothe bynde: whan they do enioyne the satysfaccyon of penaunce to them, whose confessyons they haue harde / and they do lose, when they do forgyue any parte of the same: or elles whan they do admytte and receyue them / that be purged by such satysfaccyon in to the cōmunyon or felowshyp of chrysten men / & to y ^e partetakynge of the sacramentes / After this maner preestes are sayde to forgyue or to retayne synnes / wherfore saynt Augustyne sayde afore. To whome they do for­gyue synnes god doth forgyue. &c. for they do exercyse the worke of iustyce vpon synners: whan they do bynde them with iust & dewe punysshemēt / & they do also exercyse y ^• worke of mercye, whan they do release any parte of y ^e same, or els do recōsyle them to y ^e cōmunyon or ꝑtetakynge of y ^• sacramētꝭ. Other workes than these y ^e preestꝭ can not excercyse vpon synners / wherof it may also appere euydētly: The pope for gyueth nomore the synne / than any o­ther preeste / & then yf the preeste do his dutie as he is bounde / who gothe to pur­gatorie? and thē wherfore shuld we beleue that there is one. that the bysshop of Rome, maye release no more of the synne or of the payne: than may an other preeste, who euer he be. ¶ Thus than, of the aforesayd aucto­rytes of sayntes, of the mayster of the sentences, and of Rychard / it appereth euydently, that onely god remytteth or forgyueth the synne and the dette of eternall payne to the true penytent synner / without any worke of the preeste / outher go­ynge before / or elles cōmynge betwene, as it hathe ben shewed heretofore / wher of I wyll also shewe an infable & sure demonstracyon or argument, accordynge to the scrypture, and to the sayenges of sayntes and doctours / For god onely is he, whiche can not beignoraunt, whose synnes are to be forgyuen, and whose to be retayned / and it is he alone whiche is not moued or styrred with any peruerse or croked affeccyon, & whiche iudgeth no man wrongfully. But it is not in lyke case, of the churche, or of any preest, who euer he be, euen the bysshop of Rome / for euery one of them maye otherwhyles erre and mystake, or elles be inclyned & moued by peruerse affeccyon / or els both / wherfore yf the synne, & the dette of eternal payne or dāpnacyon, shuld not be forgyuen to y ^e true penytēt, hauynge dewe put pose to be confessed, or also after he hathe ben confessed in very dede, because the This man rayleth. preeste happely dothe retayne his synne, eyther throughe ignoraunce or malyce, or bothe / than often tymes that faythfull promyse of chryste in the gospell, shulde [Page 63] perysshe, and be of no strengthe or truthe / wherby he sayde / that he shall gyue to good men the rewardes of eternall ioye / and to euyll or wycked men the euerla­stynge paynes of the fyre of hell / wherfore, as it chaunceth and cōmeth to passe / also oftentymes. I put the case, that a certayne synner had confessed his synnes faynedly, and not duelye, as he ought to do / and that after suche fayned confes­syon made / he hath through the ignoraunce, or fauoure of the preeste / or elles both receyued absolucyon and benedyccyon. I put the case agayne, that there were an other certayne synner, whiche had confessed his synnes suffycyently, and duelye to the preeste / and that the preeste through ignoraunce, or malyce, or els throughe bothe / had refused to gyue to hym absolucyon, and benedyccyon. Are the synnes of the former persone which cōfessed his synnes faynedly forgyuen / & the synnes of the latter man, beynge truely penytent and confessed yet retayned. It is to be holden stedfastlye / and vndoubtedlye, that no / wherfore, Chrisostome vpon these wordes in the. xx. chapytre of Iohn̄. Receyue you the holy ghost & whose synnes Chrysostome ye shall forgyue. &c. saythe thus. Neyther the preeste neyther yet any aungell or archaungell may worke any thynge in those thynges. that ar gyuen of god. But yet the preeste gyueth his benedyccyon, & putteth to his hande. For it is not ryght that for the malyce of an other man, aboute the sacramentes of our helthe those men shulde be hurte, whiche come to the faythe. The same Ierome also a lytel be­fore Ierome recyted, vpon that sayenge in the. xvi. of Mathewe, and to the I shall gyue the keyes of the kyngdome of heuens, sayth thus / certayne men vnderstandynge not this place / take to them selues somwhat of the pryde of the pharyseis / in that they do suppose, them selues to dampne innocentes / or to assoyle and lose wycked persones / whan of trouthe, afore god, the sentence of the preestes is not requyred God regar­deth y ^e lyfe of men & not the iudgement of the preestes. or soughte for: but the lyfe of the synners, or persones accused / after whiche wor­des, the mayster of the sentences, in the. vi. chapytre of the, xviii. dystynccyon putteth this notable texte folowynge. So it is here also openly shewed, that god foloweth not the iudgement of the churche, whiche otherwhyles iudgeth by surrep­cyon and ignoraunce / by the churche here he meaneth the preestes. whiche are in the churche / & he addeth this also, in the. viii. chapytre of the same dyccyon. Other whyles he that is put forthe (that is to saye, the whiche is iudged by the preeste to be without the churche) the same is within the church / and he that is without the church (vnderstande thou in very dede) semeth to be retayned within the churche / that is to wyt, by the false iudgement of the preestes. This sentence of the powre and auctorytie of the keyes gyuen to preestes whiche we haue gathered of the sayenges of sayntes and doctours, and haue heretofore reherced / the mayster of the sentence repeatynge agayne, in the. iiii. boke the. xviii. dystynccyon and in y ^e. viii. chapytre / sayth thus. Now it hathe ben shewed howe and in what maner, preestꝭ do forgyue, or retayne synnes. And yet god hathe reserued to hym selfe a certayne synguler and specyall powre of forgyuynge or retaynynge synnes. For he onely by hym selfe and of his owne auctorytie / loseth or forgyueth the dette of euerla­stynge dampnacyon / and purgeth or clenseth the soule in wardly. The same may ster sayth also in the. ix. and laste chapytre of the same dyccyon. Therfore by that vnlykenesse or that elongacyon or beynge farre awaye from god, whiche is cau­sed in the soule, throughe synne: is vnderstande the spotte or fylthe of the soule / from whiche it is purged and clensed by penaunce. But this thynge is done one­ly by god / whiche alone, rayseth vp or quyckeneth the soule, and doth illumynate it / whiche thynge preestes can not do, whiche are the physycyons or leches of sou­les. There is also an other maner of byndynge and of losynge, to the whiche also is requyred the offyce or workynge of the preeste / and this is by excōmunycacy­on / and [Page] this excōmunycacion (as the mayster saythe in the. iiii. boke of the sentences, the. xviii. dystynccyon, & the. vii. chapytre) ought to be done, when any man when excommunycacyon ought to be done. which hathe ben thryse called to the amendement of an open synne, accordynge to the dyscyplyne of the gospell, and yet regardeth not to make satysfaccyon: by the sentence of the churche is cut away from / the place of prayer / from the partetakynge of the sacramētes / and from the company and felowshyp of chrysten men / to the entente he shulde be abasshed and a shamed / and so by the reason of shame shulde be conuerted and repentaunte / for his synne, that his soule maye be saued / whiche persone, yf he do professe and knowlege openly hym selfe to be penytent, and doth amende: is admytted and receyued to the partetakynge of the sacramentes whiche was afore to hym denyed / and is reconcyled to the churche. But this excōmunycacion or cursynge done by the churche: bryngeth this punysshement to them, whiche are worthely stryken with the sentence therof: that the grace of god and his proteccyon or defence, is taken awaye from them / and they are lefte to themselues / so that they be at lybertie, to fall in to the dethe of synne, and vpon them also, the deuyll hath more powre gyuen to hym for to rage, and cruelly to vexe them. The prayers also of the churche, and the suffrages or helpes of bene­dyccions, & good workes: are supposed to be nothynge auaylynge to them. But nowe to knowe, to what persone, or persones, and after what maner, the powre of excōmunycacyon or cursynge doth appertayne / we ought fyrst to attende and take hede, that in excōmunycacyon, the synner is iudged to punyssement, for the state of the world to come, by a certayne iudgemēt, wherof we shall speake more expressely and playnely in the. ix. chapitre of this dyccyon / and there is also a cer­tayne great payne or punysshement, put to hym, euen for the state of this present lyfe / in that he is defamed openlye and banysshed the company of other men / by reason wherof, also he is berefte of y ^e cyuyle cōmunyon and cōmodytie / and albe it, that the inflyccyon of the fyrste payne, to hym whiche is vnworthely & wrong fully stryken with the sentence of excōmunycacyon, doth nothynge hurte, for the state of the worlde to come: because god doth not alwayes folowe the iudgement of the churche / that is to say of preestes, whan they do iudge or declare any man accursed wrongfully (as we haue shewed suffycyentlye heretofore) yet shulde he whiche were wrongfully stryken with the same sentence by the preeste: be very greatly and fore hurte for the state of this presente lyfe / for that he is dyffamed o­penly, and berefte the company of the cytezens and the cyuyle cōmodytyes / and therfore it is to be sayd that albeit, that the voyce or wordꝭ of the preeste, and his operacyon or mynysterye, is requyred to the promulgacyon or publysshynge of suche iudgement: yet for all that, iudgement coactyue, & powre to gyue cōmaūde­ment, of the excōmunycatynge or assoylynge of any persone or persones, dothe Note this. not appertayne to any of them alone, or onely to the colledge or cōpanye of them But to ordayne, and make any suche iudge, to whome it may be lawfull, to call the persone so accused or gyltie, afore hym, and to examyne hym & to iudge hym & condempne or to assoyle the persone, whiche is so to be openly dyffamed, or to be cut awaye from the companye or felowshyp of chrysten men: doth appertayne and belonge to the superyoure or soueraygne of the same cōmunyte, or els to the counsayle, by hym apoynted, and the preestꝭ onely to iudge or dyscerne by scryp­ture the crymes (takynge this worde iudgement in his fyrst sygnyfycacion) wherfore any man ought to be cut awaye from the company of chrysten men, lefte he myght infecte other men / lykewyse, as a physycion, or a company of physycions must iudge (by iudgement of the fyrst sygnyfycacion) of the bodely dysease, wherfore any man ought to be seperated from the cōpany of other men, left he myghte [Page 64] infecte them / as a persone hauynge the leprye, or other lyke cōtagyous syckenes / and agayne, the cryme ought to be proued by sure wytnes: to haue ben cōmytted in dede. And therfore lykewyse, as it doth not appertayne to any physycion, or to any cōpany of them onely, to ordayne the iudgement or iudge, whiche hath coac­tyue powre, to expell or dryue out persones ful of leprye, but vnto y ^e hygher powers of a realme, towne, or cytie: euen so it doth not appertayne to any preest alone or to any colledge or cōpany of them onely, to ordayne in y ^• cōmunytie of chrysten men, the iudgement, or the iudge: whiche hath coactyue powre ouer such persones The forme & maner of do­yng excōmunycacyon. whiche are to be expulsed & dryuen out from the cōmune company or felowshyp, for the dysease of the soule / as for a notorye cryme / that is to say, a trespasse openly knowen, all thoughe they are bounde to know the lawe of god: in which lawe the crymes and offences are determyned & apoynted / for whiche any synfull per­sone ought to be forbydden & banysshed the cōpany of other chrysten men, whiche be innocent or faultles / for the lyppes of the preest kepeth knowlege, & the people shal requyre the lawe of his mouthe, as it is wryten in the seconde of Malachie y ^• prophyte. But whether he, whiche is accused of suche maner trespasse hath cōmytted suche trespasse, or els not: this ought not to be iudged by the bysshop, or preest but by the superyour powres as we sayde before. yet that notwithstandynge, ac­cordynge to the probacions afore brought in: yf he be conuycted by wytnesse, and the cryme also is suche, wherfore he ought to be excōmunycate / then the persone founde gylty of suche cryme, ought to be pronounsed worthy to be excōmunyca­ted by sentence of a superyour iudge.

And the execucyon of suche sentence: ought to be done by the mouthe & voyce of the preest / and that because suche sentence of the preeste toucheth the persone so accused or gyltie / for the state also of the worlde to come. And this to be trewe, which we haue sayd / it is euydētly shewed by that scrypture, wherof this kynde of correccyon semeth to haue taken his begīnynge: & y ^t is in the. xviii. chapitre of Mathewe, whan chryst sayd. yf thy brother shal haue trespassed agaynst the: go & rebuke hym betwene hym & the alone / yf he shal har­ken to the / than haste thou haue wonne thy brother / but yf he shall not harken to the: take one or two wytnesses with the / y ^• [...] the mouth of two or thre wytnesses euery worde or sayeng may stāde / but yf he wyll not regarde or obeye them, than tell it to y ^e church, but yf he wyl not here the church: let hym be to the, as a gentyle or a publycane Chryste than sayd, tell it to y ^e churche / & not tel it to the apostle or to the bysshop / or to the preest / or to the colledge or cōpany of them onely / & chryste vnderstode therby y ^• church the hole multytude of chrysten people / or els the iudge ordayned for suche purpose, by the auctorytie of the hygher powre / for in this syg­nyfycacion, y ^• apostles & the prymytiue church, vsed this worde church (as it was what y ^• apo­stles vnder­stode or mea­ned by this wrode church fully & ꝑfytely shewed in the seconde chapytre of this dyccyon) & that chryst mea­ned by the church, the hole cōgregacyon of faythfull beleuynge people / & that it be longeth to the sayde cōgregacyon to haue a superyoure heed to gyue suche maner iudgement, agaynst stubburne or dysobedyent persones, or such haynouse offen­ders & synners. I ꝓue by the apostle, in y ^•. v. chapytre of y ^e fyrste epystle to the Co­rynthiās / where y ^• apostle declarynge the sentēce of chrystꝭ wordꝭ, teacheth more expresly the cause, y ^• forme & maner, & by what persones suche maner iudgement of excōmunycacion: ought to be gyuen agaynst any man sayenge in this wyse / I beynge absente verely in body, but present in spyrite: haue nowe iudged, as yf I were presente, you beynge assembled in the name of our lord Ihesu chryst, and my spyryte with the auctorytie and powre of our lord Ihesu, to gyue hym which hath done y ^t dede / to Satan, that is to wyt that synful persone, which had flesshely knowen his fathers wyfe: where the glose after y ^• mynde of Augustyne sayth. Augustinus. this thige I haue now iudged y ^t you beyng assēbled togyther ī one place without [Page] any dyssencyon, with whome bothe myne auctorytie & the powre of chryste shall worke together: do gyue such maner persone to the deuyll. Lo here, wherfore or for what intent of whome, and vnder what maner any persone is to be excōmuny­cated / accordynge to the intencyon and doctryne of the apostle. In whose wordes peraduenture, is marked rather a counsayle, than a cōmaundement / euen accor­dynge to the lawe of god. For in case, that the Corynthians throughe theyr pacyence, had suffered the aforesayd criminouse persone to haue ben conuersaunt, and in companye amonge them, howb [...]it not without slaunder and ieoperdy of infectynge other men: yet myght they neuerthesesse haue ben saued, & haue done merytorious workes. Agayne the case put, that this had ben a precepte and cōmaundement accordynge to the lawe of god / yet was it not cōmaunded that this thynge shuld be done by a preeste, or bysshop onely, or elles onely by a colledge or compa­ny of them / and therfore▪ whan the apostle sayd, I verely beynge absent in body but present in spyrite, haue no we iudged. &c. his wordes ought to be vnderstāded of iudgement taken in his fyrst sygnyfycacion, and not in the thyrde / because he sayth afterwardes / you beynge assembled, and my spyrite. &c. By whiche wordꝭ, he doth also teache them the forme and maner, howe to auoyde that no contency­on or stryfe myght ryse amonge them-by the pronouncynge of the sayd excōmu­nycacion. If it were done by them assēbled togyther / wherfore Augustyne sayth that you beynge gathered togyther without any dyssencion. &c. that is to saye, y ^t Augustinus. it be done by you of cōmune assente, or elles by the superyour therunto apoynted by the hygher powre of the laytie, whiche is allone thynge / & therfore the apostle dyd not cōmaunde all the whole tragedie of this thynge to be done by any preest Excōmunycacyon is not cōmytted onely to preestes. neyther dyd he wryte to any bysshop or preeste, that this thynge shuld be done by hym / & yet euen at the same tyme he dyd sende Tymothe vnto them whiche was a bysshop (as it is euydent in the. iiii. chapytre of the same epystle) whiche thynge doubtles he wolde haue done, yf he had knowen this iudgement to appertayne onely to the auctorytie of a preeste euen lykewyse as he had done in other thyngꝭ as we haue declared here to fore in the laste chapytre of this dyccyon, afore gone, by the auctorytie of the thyrde chapytre of the fyrste epystle to T [...]mothe, & of the fyrste chapytre of the epystle to Titus / & this sentence proueable sayd, which we do hold, myghtie also be confyrmed and fortyfyed by reason agreably to the scrypture / for suche maner of iudgement is done more certaynelye, and more without suspycion, by the hygher nowres or theyr deputies, than yf it were done by wyll of one preest alone, or elles of any colledge or company of preestꝭ onely / for his or theyr iudgemēt myght sooner be peruerted through loue & fauour, or els through hatred and euyll wyll, or els for respecte and regarde of theyr owne pryuate and syngular profyte and aduauntage: than the iudgement of the superyours afore­sayde, to whome it chaunceth alwayes men to appeale / albeit (as I haue sayde) the pronouncyacion of such maner sentence, ought to be done by the preest / for as­moche as by it the powre of god is called on in this worlde, to do some punysshe­ment to the criminouse and synfull persone euen in this worlde / whiche payne or punysshement coulde not be done to hym by the powre of man, that is to wytte, the vexacyon of the deuyll. And also because he is lykewyse iudged to payne for the state of the world to come / and because he is berefte the suffr [...]ges of y ^• church / which thynge peraduenture god hath ordayned to be done by the operacyon one­ly of a preest. Moreouer because, yf any maner bysshop or preest alone, or els with y ^• colledge or cōpany onely of his clarkes, shuld haue this auctorite, to excōmunycate any maner man, without the consente of the hygher powres or theyr deputi­es, it dothe folowe therof, that preestes, myght take away al kyngdomes & lord­shyppes [Page 65] from the kynges or prynces whiche haue them / For so any prynce or go­uernoure beynge excōmunycated: the multytude of his subiectes shall be also ex­cōmunycated, yf they wolde obeye the prynce or gouernour beynge so excōmunycated / and so the powre of euery maner prynce or gouernoure shall be voyde, and of no strength / whiche thynge shulde be contrary to the wyland mynde of Paule the teacher of the Gentyles, in the. xiii. chapytre to the Romaynes, and in the. vi chapytre of the fyrste epystle to Tymothe / and also agaynst the mynde of saynt Augustyne, in the glose vpon the same place, as we haue declared in the. vii. and. viii. partes of the. v. chapytre of this dyccyon / and the obieccyons, whiche appa­rently myght be brought in agaynst this determynacyon / shal easely be answe­red vnto, and auoyded by those thynges, which shall be sayd hereafter, in the. ix. the. x. y ^e. xiiii. and the. xviii. chapitres of this present dyccyon. ¶ There is agayne an other certayne auctoryte belongynge to preestes / & that is that wherby breade and wyne is transubstancyated, or turned in to the substaunce of chrystes blyssed body, at the oration of the preeste, after the pronounsynge of certayne wordꝭ by hym. And this auctorytie is a character of the soule: euery lykewyse as that auctorytie of keyes is. And this auctorytye or powre, is called the powre of makynge the sacramēt of the aultare / and certayne dyuynes sayth, that this powre is euen The charac­ter of holy or­dre. the same character, of the whiche the powre of the keyes is, wherof we haue spo­ken here to fore. And certayne other dyuynes saye this powre is by a dyuers and sondrye character, gyuen to the apostles at an other tyme, and also by other wor­des of chryste, than was the powre of the keyes / For this powre, was gyuen (as they of this opynyon do say) to the apostles, whan he sayd to them these wordes, wrytten in the. xxvi. chapytre of Mathewe / & the. xiiii. of Marke / and the. xxii. of Luke / This is my body, which is gyuen for you, do this in the remembraunce This is but a sely sorye glose. of me / do this, that is to say, haue or take you powre to do this thynge. But how soeuer the trouth is in this so great dyuersytie of opynyons / it skylleth not great­ly to this our consyderacyon / for we thynke that we haue rehersed as moche as is suffycyent for vs to our purpose, concernynge the maners of auctorytie or powre gyuen by chryste to preestꝭ or bysshoppes / which may be proued by the holy scryp­ture. But nowe gatherynge togyther agayne, and makynge as it were a sūme A corollary [...]. of those thynges whiche haue ben sayde of vs, concernynge the powre or auctorytie of the keyes, whiche was gyuen by chryste to the apostles, and to preestes the successours of them / Let vs saye, that in a synner truely penytent that is to say, beynge sorowfull for his synne cōmytted: god alone worketh some thynges, euen What thyngꝭ god alone worketh in man. without any mynystery of the preeste goynge before / that is to wyt, the illumy­natynge of the mynde, the purgacyon or clensynge of the faulte, sporte, or synne / and the remyssyon of the euerlastynge dampnacyon. And other some thynges therbe whiche god worketh in the same synner, not by hym selfe alone / but by the what thyngꝭ are done by y ^e preeste. mynysterye of the preeste / as this folowynge / to shewe and declare in the face of the churche, who is accompted bounde or losed from synnes in this world, so that he shall be bounde or losed in an other world / y ^t is to say whose synnes god hathe retayned, or els forgyuen. Agayne, there is an other thynge, which god worketh aboute a synner, by y ^e mynystery of the preest / y ^t is to wyt, the chaungynge of the we be not a­greed as yet of any purgatorye aft this lyfe. payne of purgatorye, whiche is dewe to the synner, for the state of the worlde to come / in to some temporall satysfaccyon in this worlde / for he dothe releasse the sayd payne, outher in parte or in the hole, accordynge to the satysfaccyons inioy­ned, & after the cōdycyon or state of the penytent / which thyngꝭ euery one of them ought to be done by the preeste with the keye of powre accordynge to dyscrecion / after this maner also dysobedyēt ꝑsons at excluded, from y ^e cōmunyon or parte­takynge [Page] of the sacramentes, by the preeste / And persons repentaunte & amendyng theyr conuersacyon, are receyued to the sayde cōmunyon by the preeste / as we haue sayde aboute the ende of the Chapytoure laste afore gone. And this was the sentence and mynde of the mayster in the. iiii. boke, in the. xviii. dystyncyon and the. viii. chapytre / whan he sayd. After these maners or wayes of byndynge or losynge, that sayenge of Chryste is true, what soeuer you shall lose vpon erth: it shall be losed also in heuens / and what soeuer you shall bynde vpon erth: it shall be bounde also in heuen / Somtyme the preestes, do shewe or declare certayne men to be bounde or losed whiche are not so afore god / and otherwhyles they do lose or bynde with the payne of Satysfaccyon, persones therof vnworthy / and do admytte or receyue vnworthy persones: to the parte takynge of the sacramentes / and do shytte out such as are worthy to be receyued / But this is to be vnder­standed, in theym: whose merytes or deseruynges requyre to be losed, or to be boū de / whome soeuer therfore, they do lose or bynde, vsynge the keye of dyscrecyon / Iudgynge the merytes or deseruynges of the synners or persones accused: the same persones are losed or bounde also in heuens / that is to saye, afore god / for the The keye of dyscrecyon. sentence or Iudgement of the preeste, whiche hath so proceded or gon forth / is approued and confyrmed by the Iudgement of god. And by and by after, the may­ster of the sentens sayde after the maner of an epylogation. Beholde, what ma­ner one, and howe great, is the vse and profyte of the apostolyke keyes.

¶ But for the further euydence hereof to be had / I shall brynge the example or comparyson made by the sayd mayster, whiche is famyi yare or playne ynoughe and semeth to be very moche agreynge to the wordes and mynde of Chryste, and of sayntes, whose auctoryties we haue heretofore alleged, and namely of Ambrose / for he saythe that the worde of god forgyueth synnes. And the preeste Ambrose. also verely dothe his offyce / but exercyseth not the offyce of any power. But let vs saye, that the preeste whiche is as it were the iayloure of the heuenlye iudge delyuereth the synner moche lyke, as doth the Iayler of the worldlye iudge. For The symyly­tude betwene y ^e preeste and y ^e iudges sar­uan̄t oriayler lykewyse as by the worde or sentence of the seculare Iudge, that is to wytte, of the souerayne or gouernour, the persone accused is other dampned or elles quyte and delyuered from the cyuyle trespasse or blame, & from the cyuyle payne / euen so by the worde of god, any man is vtterly bounde or losed from synne, and from the dette of euerlastynge dampnacyon, for the state of the worlde to come / And as by y ^e workynge of the iayler belongynge to the worldly prynce, no man is dāpned The worde of god bideth and loseth. or losed from the worldly offence or blame, and from y ^e worldly punysshemēt but onely by his mynystery wherby he shytteth or openeth y ^• pryson, the persone accused is shewed & declared outher to be deliuered or els dāpned: so in lyke maner no man is boūde or losed from synne, & from y ^e dette of euerlastynge dāpnacyon, by the operacyon or workynge of the preeste / but it is shewed in y ^e face of y ^e church who is counted bounde or losed of god, whyles he taketh the preestꝭ benedyccyon and is receyued to the cōmunyon of the sacramentes / in suche maner, as we haue shewed aboute the ende of the chapytre laste afore gone / And therfore, as the iay­ler of the worldly iudge by openynge or shyttynge the pryson, sheweth and dothe his offyce, and yet he exercyseth not the ryght or offyce of any iudycyarye powre outher of absoluynge & delyuerynge, or els of cōdempnynge (for althoughe in very Marke this my maystres dede he wolde open the pryson to any ꝑsone beynge accused but not delyuered or quytte by y ^e iudge, & dyd also declare to y ^e people by his wordes, y ^t suche persone were quytte / yet shuld not the prysoner therfore be losed & quytte from y ^• cyuyle of­fence & punysshemēt / & contrary wyse, yf he wold refuse to open y ^• pryson to hym whome y ^e iudge had verely delyuered by his sētēce, & moreouer by his wordꝭ wold [Page 66] saye and declare, that suche persone were not delyuered but dampned: yet shulde not the prysoner or persone accused therfore be detter of the cyuyle blame or punysshement). So lykewyse the preeste, which is the iayler of the heuenly iudge: sheweth and fulfylleth his offyce, by the vocall or verballe pronuncyacion of absolucyon, or els of byndynge & maledyccion / but in case that y ^• preeste hym selfe through ygnoraūce or through surrepcyon, or els through both, dyd ꝓnoūce, y ^t they shal be hereaft absolued, or els ar alredy absolued, which in very dede & of trouthe outher shal be hereafter condempned, or els at alredy condēpned by y ^e hyghe iudge aboue or elles contrary wyse dyd pronounce them, outher to be alredy condempned, or elles hereafter to be condempned, whiche are in very dede and of trouthe outher alredy assoyled and losed, or els hereafter to be assoyled: yet for all that the persones shulde not therfore in very dede be assoyled and lose / neyther the seconde sorte dāpned / because the preeste had not applyed the keye or keyes with dyscrecyon, to the merytes of the sayde persones / And therfore (as saynt Ambrose sayth) the preeste The preeste sheweth and declareth the synner to be absolued, but dothe not as­soyle y ^e sinner and then farewell the fet­chynge of mē nes soulꝭ out of purgatory Nota. exhibiteth his offyce / but yet he exercyseth not the lybertyes of any powre / For otherwhyles the preestes pronounce in the face of the churche them to be alredy bounde, or elles hereafter to be bounde, for the state of the worlde to come: whiche are in very dede and of trouthe outher alredy lose, or elles hereafter to be lose in the syght of god / and contrary wyse, as we haue sayde afore by the auctorytie of sayntes, and of the mayster, in the. iiii. boke the. xviii. dystynccyon and the. viii. chapytre and therfore the preeste exercyseth not the ryght & offyce of any powre / for yf it were so / other whyles than the iustyce of god and his promyse shulde pe­rysshe and be voyde / It is god therfore onely and none elles that exercyseth the ryght and offyce of powre vpon synners / and whiche is iudge hauynge coactyue pewre, he (I saye) whiche alone can not be dysceyued, nor ignoraunte of the cogi­tacyons and thoughtes, neyther of the operacyons & dedes of men. For as Paule sayth in the. iiii. chapytre to the hebrewes, all thynges are naked and open to his syght / and which onely can not haue any peruerse wyll, or wronge affeccyon / for thou / O lorde arte ryghtuouse, and all thy iudgementes are ryghtuouse / and all thy wayes, mercy, trouthe, and iudgement (in the thyrd of Thobye) and therfore he onely is suche maner iudge / wherfore it is redde in the. iiii. chapytre of Iames. Iacob. iiii. There is but one lawe maker and iudge, whiche may dystroye & delyuer / whiche wordes Iames spake, not meanynge of hym selfe, or of any of the apostles, not withstādynge that he was one of those. iii. which semed to be pyllers of the church as the apostle sayd in the seconde chapytre to the Galathyans. But chryst wolde that suche sentences and iudgementes outher alredy gyuen, or els hereafter to be gyuen by hym in an other worlde: shulde be pronounced and publysshed of the preestes, by a certayne iudgement of the fyrste sygnyfycacion and as it were pronostycatyue / y ^t by y ^e reason therof, synners in this world myght be made afrade, and be called backe agayne from vyces & synnes vnto penaunce or repentaūce / to which thynge, the offyce of preestes is requyred, and is also of great strength & auayleable / Lykewyse & after such maner, as yf y ^• physycion of bodely helthe, to The physicyon of y ^e soule is lyke to the phisycion of the body. whome lysence & auctorytie is gyuen for to teache, worke, & practyse accordynge to the arte or crafte of physyke, by the instytucyon & ordenaunce of the humayne lawe maker shuld openly declare and publysshe iudgement accordynge to the scyence and knowlege of physyke amonge the people, who shall be hole, & who shall dye to the intent, that by the reason therof, men shulde lede a sobre lyfe, & vse tem­perate dyete / and shulde be brought backe agayne from ryotynge or surfetynge, for the conseruynge or recouerynge of theyr bodely helth, and shuld declare the preceptes & documentes of physyke: doubtles the physycyon shulde (after a certayne [Page] maner) cōmaunde suche preceptes and documentes to be obserued, & shulde iudge that the obseruers and fulfyllers of them shal be hole, and that the transgressours of the same shuld be sycke or els dye, whom he hym selfe neyther shuld make sycke neyther make hole, pryncypally, but the workynge of the nature of the men / yet that notwithstandynge he shuld exhybyte and do some mynystery or offyce, and agayne the same physycyon coulde not by his owne auctorytie compell neyther the hole man, neyther the sycke, to do suche thynges, were they neuer so moche a­uaylable to theyr bodely helthe, but onely he myght exhorte and teache them, and put them in feare by his pronostycatyue iudgement of the fyrste sygnyfycacyon she wynge vnto them y ^t they shall haue helth by the obseruynge of certayne thyn­ges, and that they shal be sycke or els dye, yf they do transgresse and breake such preceptes. Euen so lykewyse the physycyon or leche of soules, that is to wytte the preeste iudgeth and exhorteth men concernynge suche thynges, whiche brynge to euerlastynge helthe or to euerlastynge death / for the state of the worlde to come / and yet neyther he maye neyther ought to compell any man to the obseruynge of suche thynges, by iudgement coactyue in this worlde / as we haue proued by the auctorytie of the apostle, and of Ambrose, in the fyrst chapitre of the seconde epy­stle to the Corynthyans / and also we haue broughte in with y ^e same, the expresse sentence of Chrisostome, afore in the syxte parte of the. v. chapytre of this present diction. Wherfore the preest as touchynge to his offyce ought not to be lykened to The preeste hath auctory­tie to tech but not to cōpelle & this forget not, for the pope leseth here his sharp swerdes, and his gōnes his moryspykes, & his haulde­bardes. a iudge of the thyrde sygnyfycacyon: but of the fyrste that is to wytte hauynge auctorytie to teache, or to worke and practyse, lykewyse as the bodylye physycy­on hath, but not hauynge powre coactyue / for after this maner chryst called hym selfe a physycyon or leche, not a prynce or gouernoure / whan he sayd in the. v. cha­pytre of Luke, speakynge of hym selfe they which be whole men: nedeth no physysyon / but they whiche be sycke / he sayd not here, they nede a iudge: but they nede a physycyon / for he came not in to this worlde to exercyse coactyue iudgement / of contencyons and debatefull matters / as we haue declared by the. xii. chapytre of Luke, in the. iiii. chapytre of this dyccyon in y ^•. viii. parte. But he shall iudge both the quycke and the deed, by suche maner coactyue iudgement in that day: wherof the apostle spake in the laste chapytre of the seconde epystle to Tymothe whan he sayde / There is layde vpon me the crowne of iustyce: which the lord shal yelde to me, in that daye, whiche is a ryghtuouse iudge / for than he shall by coactyue iudgemēt punysshe them, which haue in this worlde trāsgressed thelawe, whiche was īmedyatly made by hym / and therfore he sayde notablye and accordynglye vnto Peter, I wyll gyue to the: the keyes of the kyngdome of heuens / & he sayde not I wyll gyue to the the iudgement of the kyngdome of heuens / and therfore, we haue sayde here tofore, that neyther the keye beter or Iayler of the worldlye iudge / nor of the heuenlye iudge hathe any coactyue iudgement (of the thyrde sygnyfycacyon) because neyther of them exercyseth the ryght lawes or offyce of any suche powre, as saynt Ambrose sayd playnlye and openly of the preeste / and as it hathe ben shewed suffycyentlye, by the auctorytie also of other sayntes / Ther­fore as touchynge to the auctorytie of preestes or bysshoppes, and of the powre of the apostolyke keyes gyuen to them by chryste: let it be determyned in this wyse.

¶ Of the dyuysyon of the dedes of men and howe they are re­ferred to the lawe of man, and to the iudge seculare.
The, viij, chapytre,

[Page 67] ANd for asmoche as all maner coactyue iudgement, concer­ne and apperteyne to the voluntarye actes of men, accor­dynge to some lawe or costume, and that to suche voluntary actes, as outher ben dyrected to a fynall ende and pur­pose of this worlde, that is, to the suffycyencie of y ^e world­ly lyf / or elles as ben dyrected to fynall ende of the worlde to come, which we do cal eternall lyfe, or euerlastynge glorye / to the intente therfore that the dystynccyon and dyffe­rence of the iudges, or of them whiche ought to iudge maye the more largely ap­pere and be open / and also accordynge to what lawes, and by what iudgement, or howe and in what maner they ought to iudge: let vs somwhat treate & speake of the dyfferences and dyuersyties of the sayd actes, operacyons, or dedes. For the determynacyon of them shall be not lytle auayleable and helpefull to the solucy­ons of the doubtes here tofore moued. Let vs therfore say that of suche workes of The dyuysy­on & dyfference of manner actes. men whiche procede and cōmeth forth by knowlege and desyre, some certayne of them procede without delyberacyon of mannes mynde or vnderstandynge, and other some are cause and procede by the cōmaundement or delyberacyon of man­nes vnderstandynge. Of the fyrste sorte, are knowlegꝭ, desyres, and loues sodeynly Sodayne konwledges & affeccyons. chaunsynge or caused of vs and in vs, without the empyre or cōmaundement of the vnderstandynge, or of the appetyte delyberatelye prouoked, concernynge suche operacyons / as ben (for example) the knowlegꝭ and effeccyons wherby we do go forth, when we ar sodeynly awakened from slepe, or as be knowleges, and desyres otherwyse caused in vs, without the cōmaundement or delyberacyon of our mynde / and nexte to these folowe the knowleges, consentes, affeccyons, and Knowleges, affeccyons, & appetytꝭ ab­dyng and permanent. desyres to contynue and holde on such workes as were had in hande before, or els to enquyre and serche forth and to comprehende and perceyue certayne thynges / as in the accyon or dede which is caused by callynge agayne to remembraunce & these accyons or operacyons bothe are in dede, and also are called the cōmaunde­mentes or preceptes of the mynde, because they are done or broughte forth by our Dedes proce­dynge of dely­beracion, ben called the pre­ceptes of the mynde. cōmaundement / or elles by them certayne other thynges, as loues, desyres, hatre­des or esche wynges. ¶ And the dyfference of the operacyons cōmaunded or done with good aduysement, and of the operacyons not cōmaunded or done without aduysement, is by the reason of that whiche we haue sayd here tofore, because of the operacyōs not cōmaunded: we vtterly haue not in vs lybertie, rule, or powre whether they shall be done or not done. But of the operacyons cōmaunded / accordynge He meneth y ^• man hath fre wyll in actes delyberate, yf he be iudged with the spy­ryte of god. to the chrysten relygyon, there is powre in vs, that they shall be done or els not done. And I haue sayde, that we haue not vtterly powre in vs of the actes not cōmaunded / because it lyeth not in our powre, wholy or vtterly to prohybyte and let the chaunsynge and cōmynge to passe of them. Howbeit by the seconde sorte of actes or operacyons whiche are called cōmaundementes or preceptes, and by the actes folowenge them / we maye so dyspose and ordre our soule, that it shal not lyghtely do cause or receyue the actꝭ of the fyrst sorte or kynde / that is to wyt whan eche man hath accustomed hymselfe contrarye to theyr nature / and of the A dystynccy­on of actꝭ cō ­maunded, or done with good aduyse­ment. actes or dedes cōmaunded or done with good aduysement: certayne be and are called actes or operacyons inwarde, & other some are and be called actes outwarde. The inwarde actes are and be called the cōmaunded knowleges, and the affeccyons cōmaunded / or qualyties permanent, caused, and made of the mynde of man because they do not passe out in to an other subiecte matter, or persone, from hym: whiche is the doer and worker of them. But the outwarde actes, or operacyons Inward actꝭ outward actꝭ passynge forth, or as they are called in the latyne Actus transeuntes, are and be [Page] called all the actes or loues of thynges desyred, and the omyssyons of them / and also the mouynges, caused & made by any of the exteryour or outwarde organs or instrumentes of the bodye, namely beynge moued as touchynge the mocyon whiche is called Locale, that is to saye from place to place. Agayne of the actes A dystynccy­on of out­ward actes. Profytable. whiche are called Actus transeuntes, some ar and be done without the hurtynge noyaunce, or iniurye of any synguler persone, company, or cōmunytie, beynge a sondrye thynge from hym whiche is the doer or worker. Of whiche sorte, ben the kyndes of al thynges possyble to be done and the gyuynge of money / and the chastysement of a mannes owne body, with beatynge, strykynge, or any other ma­ner of waye / and other dedes lyke to these. And other some of those outwarde ac­tes, ar and be made with the noyaunce or iniury of an other sondry persone from hym that is the doer or worker of them. Of whiche sorte be the strykynge of another Unprofytable & harmefull. man, thefte, rauyne, or robbery, extorcyon, false wytnesse, and many other after dyuers kyndes and facyons. And there is founde out and deuysed certayne rules or measures, habytes and scyences of all the aforesayde actes, whiche come forth and are caused of mannes mynde / namely of the actes cōmaunded or done with aduysement / by whiche rules, the sayde actes or workes may be done and brought forth conuenyentlye, and in ryght and dewe fourme and maner, bothe for the gettynge and purchasynge by them of a suffycyent lyfe in this worlde / & also in the worlde to come. But of these rules there are certayne, by the which, the Artꝭ and scy­ences. accyons, and operacyons of mannes mynde, as well the outwarde actes, as the inwarde, are taught, ruled, and ordred eyther in doynge of them or in leuynge of them vndone, without payne or rewarde to be gyuen to hym that dothe them or that leueth them vndone, of any other man, by powre coactyue / of whiche sorte verely be the most parte of dyscyplynes, artes or scyences, operatyue, actyue & factyue. And there ben other of the sayd rules, after which the operacyons of mānes mynde, are cōmaunded to be done or to belefte vndone, vnder payne or rewarde to be gyuen by the powre coactyue of an other man, eyther to the workers of the sayd dedes, or elles to the leuers of them vndone. And agayne of these coactyue rules: A dystīccyon of coactiue rules & lawes. Mānes lawe Goddes law there are certayne, wherby the obseruers or transgressours of them are pu­nysshed or rewarded, in the state, and for the state of this present lyfe. Of whiche sorte be all the cyuyle & worldly customes and lawes of men. And there be other some of the same rules, accordynge to which, the workers ar punysshed or rewar­ded onely for the state, and in the state of the worlde to come. Of whiche sorte are the lawes of god for the moost parte / whiche in the cōmune name are called sectꝭ. Secte, is here well taken. amonge whiche (as we haue sayde) the secte, which is of chrysten men: onely con­tayneth the trouthe and suffycyencie of thynges to be hoped, for y ^e world to come. ¶ There is therfore for the suffycient lyfe of this world a rule set, which is preceptyue of the acte of man, done with aduysement, & suche as are called Actus tran­seuntes that is to saye outwarde actes or actes passynge forth, beynge possyble to be done, to the profyte or dysprofite, to the ryght or wronge of an other sondrye persone from hym that is the worker of suche dedes / and the same rule is also co­actyue of the transgressours / by payne or punysshement, for the state of this pre­sent lyfe / whiche we haue called by the cōmune name the lawe of man in the. x. chapytre of the fyrste dyccyon. The fynall necessytie also, and the cause agent or effectyue wherof: we haue assygned and shewed in the. xi. and. xii. and. xiii. cha­pytres of the fyrste dyccyon. And howe we shuld lyue in this world, for the state of the worlde to come / there is a lawe gyuen or made and sette by chryste / whiche The lawe of Chryste. lawe, doubtles is the rule of mannes dedes, beynge by the grace of god in the ac­tyue powre of our mynde, as well (I saye) of suche dedes as be in warde actes, as [Page 68] of those which are called outwarde actes, accordynge as they may eyther be done or elles lefte vndone, dewely or vndewelye in this worlde / but yet for the state of the worlde to come and this rule is also coactyue and dystrybutyue of payne or rewarde to be gyuen and executed in the worlde to come (but not in this worlde) accordynge to the merytes or demerytes of the obseruers, or transgressours of the sayde lawe / or rule in this present lyfe. But because these coactyue lawes, as well the lawes of god as of man, lacke lyfe or soule, and a pryncyple or cause motyue Cause moty­ue, is y ^e kyng which is heed of the churche & correctoure in this lyfe of all crymes & enormyties y ^t issue forth. in themselues to gyue iudgement, & to do execusyon: they had nede to haue some subiecte (as they call it) and some pryncyple, or cause, hauynge lyfe & soule, which may cōmaunde, rule or iudge the dedes of men, accordynge to the sayde lawes / and also do execucyon of the iudgement gyuen, and punysshe the transgressours of the same lawes. This subiecte or pryncyple / is called a iudge / takynge this worde iudge in his thyrde sygnyfycacyon, whiche we haue sayde in the seconde chapytre of this dyccion / wherfore Arystotle sayth in the fourthe of the Ethikes, where he treateth of Iustyce or ryghtuousnes. A iudge is as it were, iustyce ha­uynge lyfe. Therfore accordynge to the lawes of man, there ought to be a iudge, hauynge suche auctorytie (as we haue sayd) to iudge by iudgement of the thyrde sygnyfycacyon, of the cōtencyons dedes of men / to execute the iudgementes gy­uen / and to punysshe any maner transgressoure of the lawe, by coactyue powre / for suche a iudge is the mynystre of god, and a venger for wrothe, to hym whiche What a kyng is. worketh euyll / as the apostle sayd in the. xiii. to the Romaynes / and sent by god for this entent, as it is sayd in the seconde chapytre of the fyrste epystle of Peter / And note that the apostle Paule sayd, to hym that worketh euyll, that is to wyt whoeuer he shal be, meanynge this indyfferently of all men. And therfore for as Yea euen a bysshoppe. moche as preestes or bysshoppes & generally all the mynystres of churches which by the cōmune name are called clarkes, may do or worke otherwhyles euyll ou­ther in cōmyssyon or in omyssyon, yea and some of them (wolde god not the most parte of them) other whyles do euyll in very dede, to the hurte and iniury of theyr euen chrysten: euen they also are subiectes, and set vnderneth the vengeaunce or Bysshoppes are subiectes as well as bochers. iurysdyccyon of the iudges and hygher powres, whiche haue, coactyue powre to punysshe the transgressours of mannes lawes / whiche thynge the apostle / sayde openly and playnly to the Romaynes in the. xiii. chapytre / wherfore sayth he / let euery soule be subiecte to the hygher powers / that is to wyt, to kyngꝭ to prynces / to capytaynes / and to suche other theyr deputyes accordynge to the exposycyons of sayntꝭ / for euermore the matter or stuffe ought to receyue the operacyon of the actyue cause / whiche is apte and ordayned to worke vpon it, for the ende to the whiche it is mete / as it appereth in the seconde boke of the physykes or naturales for as it is sayd there euery thynge is so wrought / as it is apte and mete for to be wrought / and contrary wyse. But nowe the transgressoure of the lawe, is a conuenyent The trāsgressoure is the stuffe & matt (er) & the kynge is the cause effectyue, apte to worke vp­on the stuffe. matter or subiecte, wherupon the iudge or gouernoure is apte and ordayned to worke iustyfycacyon, and that, to cause and make proporcyon and equa­lytye, and for the conseruacyon of peace and tranquylytie, and of the cyuyle companye and socyete of men, and last of all for to cause the suffycyencie of mannes lyfe. And therfore wher soeuer suche a subiecte, matter, or stuffe is founde in the prouynce beynge vnder the iurysdyccyon of the sayd iudge / he ought to iustyfye, and set it in ordre. For asmoche than, as euery preeste maye be, of hym selfe suche propre matter or stuffe, that is to wytte, the transgressoure of mannes lawe / he To be a preeste is but an accedētall thynge. ought to be vnder the iudgement of the sayd iudge. For to be a preest or no preest / is an accydentall thynge to the transgressoure, as touchynge the comparyson of hym to the iudge / as well, as to be an husbande man or a carpenter / & euen lyke­wyse [Page] as it is but an accydentall thynge to the persone that maye be hole or sycke The preeste hode taketh not awaye y ^e man, nor chā geth hym in to an aungell to be a Musycyon, or no musycyon, in comparyson to the Physycyon or leche. For that whiche he is of hym selfe, and that whiche is essencyal: can not be taken awaye, or chaunged, by that whiche is accydentall / for elles: shulde there be infy­nyte kyndes or sortes of iudges & physycyons. Therfore any maner bysshoppe or preest beynge the transgressoure of the lawe made by man / oughte to be iustyfied and punysshed by the iudge / whiche hathe coactyue power in this world ouer the trāsgressours of mānes lawe. And this iudge is the seculare prynce or gouernour Preestes ou­ghte to be pu­nysshed by the secular iudge and yet Tho­mas of Caū ­turbery wol­de not haue it so. in that that he is a prynce / and not any preest or bysshop: as it hath ben shewed in the. iiii. and. v. chapytours of this dyccyon. And therfore all bysshoppes & preestes beynge trāsgressoures of mānes lawe / oughte to be punysshed by the prince or gouernour. And not onely the preeste, or other spyrytuall mynyster, ought to be pu­nysshed as a secular man for his transgressyon of the lawe: But also he ought to be punysshed so moch the more greuously and largely? by howe moche his offence is more heynouse or vnsemynge and can lesse be defended. For that he doth synne more knowyngly, and more of election, whiche oughte more to knowe the prece­ptes of thynges to be done and to be eschewed. And agayne because the offence is more shamefull of hym, whiche ought to teache: than of hym whiche oughte to be taughte. But it is the preest whiche ought to teache, and the laye man whiche oughte to lerne. wherfore the preeste offendeth more greuouslye, and therfore he is the more sore to be punysshed than the laye man. Neyther his obiection oughte The obiecty­on of the spry­tualtie is an­swered vnto. to be receyued or alowed, whiche wolde say, that all maner iniuries verball, reall or personall, and suche other thynges prohybyted by mānes lawe, yf they be done agaynst any man by a preest, are accyons spyrytuall / and that therfore it dothe not appertayne or belonge to any Prynce or seculer gouernoure to punysshe the preest for any suche offences and trespasses / for suche maner thynges prohybyted by the lawe, as aduoutrye / maymynge / murther / thefte / robbery / dyffamacyon / detraction / treason / fraude or gyle / heresye, and suche other crymes cōmytted and done by a preeste are carnall and temporall dedes or offences, as it is verye well knowen by experyence / and as we haue declared it heretofore in the seconde cha­pytre of this dyccyon, by the auctorytie of the Apostle in the thyrde chapytre of the fyrste epystle to the Corynthians, and in the. xv. to the Romayns / ye and al­so they are to be iudged so moche the more carnall and temporall offencꝭ, by howe moche the preest or bysshop in cōmyttynge of them, synneth more greuously, and more shamefully, than any of them, whom be ought to call backe from suche of­fences, gyuynge occasyon to theym and redynesse to offende and trespasse in the same throughe his lewde and vngracyous example.

¶ Therfore euery preeste and bysshoppe is vndre, and ought to be vndre the iurysdyccyon of prynces & secular gouernours in those thynges, whiche at cōmaunded to be obserued by the lawe of man: aswell as other seculare & laye men. Neyther is the bysshoppe or preeste exempted from the coactyue Iudgement of suche pryn­ces: neyther he maye exempte any other man by his owne auctoryte whiche thynge I proue, by an addycyon to those thynges / whiche hath ben sayd in the. xvii. chapytre of the fyrste dyccyon / dedusynge and bryngynge hym whiche doth saye the contrary: to ameruaylous great inconuenyent. For yf the Bysshop of Rome The Pope of Rome is not exempte frō the iurysdyc­cyon offeculare prynces. or any other preeste were so exempted, that he shulde not be vndre the coactyue in rysdyccyon of prynces and gouernours, but were hym selfe suche maner Iudge, without the auctorytye of the humayne lawe maker, and myght seperate and exempte all y ^e sprytuall mynysters, whom by y ^e cōmune name they do call clarkes, from the Iurysdyccyon of prynces and gouernours, and make them subiectes to [Page 69] hym selfe, as the bysshoppes of Rome done nowe a dayes: it folowed then neces­sarylye, that the iurysdyccyon of the seculer gouernours were in a maner vtterly adnulled, destroyed and made of no strength / whiche thynge I do recounte to be a great inconuenyent, and intollerable to all gouernours and cōmunyties. For the chrysten relygyon dothe depryue no man of his ryght, as it was shewed afore by the auctorytie of Ambrose vpon the sayenge of Paule in the seconde chapytre to Titus / admonysshe them to be subiectes to prynces and powres. &c. as it was brought in and alledged in the. v. chapytre of this dyccyon. And that this inconuenyent dothe folowe of suche exempcyon: thus I proue. For it is not founde pro­hybyted any where in goddes lawe. But rather it is graunted, and also lawful by the same, for hym to be preeste or bysshop: whiche hath a wyfe / namely yf he haue no mo wyues than one: as it is redde in the thyrde chapytre of the fyrst epystle to Tymothe / and that whiche is decreed and ordayned by mannes lawe or consty­tucyon, maye by the same auctorytie be reuoked and adnulled, in that it is man­nes lawe. Therfore the bysshop of Rome, which maketh hym selfe a lawe maker maye of the fulnes of his powre (yf any man wyll graunte hym to haue such ful powre) graunte to all preestes, deacons, and subdeacons, to haue wyues / & not It maye be graunted to preestꝭ to ha­ue wyues. onely to them / but also to other whiche haue not taken any of the foresayd ordres nor be otherwyse consecrated / whome they call clarkes of syngle tonsure / yea moreouer more semyngly to these / whiche thynge Bonifacius the. viii. semeth to haue done in very dede / that he myght increase seculer powre to hym selfe / for as many as hadde maryed a virgyne, and whiche were wyllynge to wedde but one wyfe, he ascrybed them to the company of charkes / and decreed that they shuld be ascrybed, by his ordynacyons and constytucyons which they call decretales / neyther kepynge them within these boundes: they haue exempted from the cyuyle lawes of man duely made, certayne laye men, whome they do call in Italy Fra­tres gaudentes / and in other places they are called begymes So they haue also exempted Fratres gaudētes Begini. the bretherne called Fratres hospitaliorum & templariorum / the brethern of hospytalles and templars / and many other suche lyke orders / & lykewyse them whiche are called Dealto passu / and so also for theyr pleasure: they myghte do in lyke maner and by lyke reason of other / wherfore yf all such maner men through this, are exempte from the iurysdyccyon of prynces and gouernours, accordynge to theyr decretales (which also gyueth to the persones so exempted certayne lybertyes and imunytes from the publyke and cyuyle chargꝭ or burthaynes) it semeth very lykelye that the greater multytude or parte of men shall declyne to the com­pany of them / namelye seynge that they do take and receyue indyfferentlye both Relygyous men receyue men that be not lerned, in to theyr or­ders. learned and vnlerned / for euery man is prone and redye to folowe and to drawe to his owne profyte: and to auoyde and eschewe his owne dysprofyte / But yf the greater multytude of men shall declyne to the company of clarkes / then shall the Iurysdyccyon & coactyue powre of prynces remayne of no strength, but weake and feble / whiche is a great inconuenyence / and a thynge / wherby the cōmune wealth and cyuyle gouernaunce shulde be destroyed. For who soeuer enioyeth cyuyle honours, cōmodytyes, and profytes, as peace, and the defence of the cheyfe gouernour: ought not to be exempte from the cyuyle chargꝭ and burtheyns / and from the cyuyle. Iurysdyccyon without the determynacyon of the same gouer­noure. For the aduoydynge therfore of this great inconuenyent: we oughte to graunte / accordynge vnto the trouthe, that the hyghe and cheyfe gouernoure hath iurysdyccyon vpon Bysshoppes, preestes, and all Clarkes / leste it myght chaunce the good ordre of the cōmune weale to be broken: through the pluralytie of cheyfe gouernoures, beynge not the one of them vndre an other / as it was de­termytted [Page] in the. xvii. of the fyrste dyccyon. And that the cheyfe gouernour ought to determyne and apoynte a certayne nombre of them in the prouynce vnder his gouernaunce: lykewyse as he dothe of the persones of any other of or parte of the cōmune weale / lefte yf they dyd growe vp in to ouer greate a multytude: they myght be able to resyste the coactyue powre of the gouernours, or otherwyse do great dysturbaūce to the cōmune weale / or elles with theyr pryde and ouer great multytude: depryue the cytie, realme, or other cōmunytye of the profyte & auaun­tage, of theyr necessarye workes and occupacyons. So than the outwarde actes or dedes goynge or tournynge to the profyte or dysprofyte, to the ryght or to the wronge of a sondry persone from the doer: ought to be ruled & mea­sured by the humayne lawe / and by the iudge of the thyrde sygny­fycacyon. To the whiche coactyue iurysdyccyon all seculer & laye men, and also all charkes: oughte to be subiectes. There be also other iudges accordynge to the lawes Lawyers. of man, whiche are called iudges of the fyrste or of the secōde sygnyfycacion, as y ^e teachers of the same lawes, but yet lackynge or wantynge coactiue powre or auctorytie / of whiche sorte, no thynge letteth: but that there may be many, not ordred one of them vnder an other / and that euen in one com­munytie.

¶ Of the relacyon and respecte of mannes dedes or workes vnto the lawe of god, & to the iudge of the other worlde / that is to wytte to chryste / and also howe the same dedes ar compared to the teacher of the same lawe / that is to wytte, the bysshoppe or preeste in this worlde.
The, ix, chapytre,

ACcordynge therfore to this maner, there is also a certayne iudge hauynge coactyue iurysdyccyon or auctoryte vpon transgressours after the lawe of god, whiche lawe, also we haue sayde to be a coactyue rule of some dedes or wor­kes of men / as well those whiche are called Actus īmanentes, as of those whiche are called Actus transeuntes. And this iudge is but one / that is to wytte, Chryste, and none other / wherfore it is wryten in the. iiii. chapytre of Iames. There is but one lawe maker / whiche maye dystroye and delyuer. But the coac­tyue There is but one lawe maker Chryste. powre of this iudge, is not exersysed vpon any man in this world, as tow­chynge the dystrybucyon of payne or rewarde to the transgressours or obseruers of the lawe īmedyatly gyuen, by hym, whiche often tymes we haue called the lawe of the gospell / for chryste of his great mercy, wolde graunte vnto vs space, [Page 70] wherin we myghte do penaunce of our synnes cōmytted agaynst his lawe: euen vntyll the laste ende of euery mannes lyfe / as it shall be shewed hereafter also by the auctorytes of holy scrypture. There is also after the scrypture of the gospell an other iudge, of the fyrst sygnyfycacyon. Lykewyse as there is of man­nes A iudge here is taken but for a preacher lawe / that is to wytte, the preest / whiche is in this worlde the teacher of god­des lawe and of suche thynges, whiche are eyther to be done or to be eschewed, for the gettynge of eternall lyfe / or for the aduoydynge of the payne eternall / but yet hauynge no coactyue powre in this worlde, to cōpell any man to the obseruynge This iudge hath no coac­tyue powre. of the preceptes and cōmaundementes of the same lawe. For it shuld be in vayne and to none effecte to compell any man vnto the obseruynge of them. For to hym that shulde obserue them onely by compulsyon: they shulde be nothynge a­uayleable The clargy many a yere hath done all by cōpulsyon as with swerde and fyre. vnto eternall helthe / as we shewed before euydently by the auctorytie of Chrysostome / and also of the apostle Paule, in the. v. chapytre of this dyccyon. And therfore this iudge is conuenyentlye lykened to a physycyon or leche whiche hathe auctorytie gyuen to hym, for to teache or cōmaunde, and to prenostycate or iudge of those thynges, whiche are profytable to be done, or to be lefte vndone for the optaynynge and gettynge of bodely helthe, and the aduoydynge of death and syckenesse whiche shulde chaunce to hym / for the whiche cause Chryste also in the state and for the state of this presente lyfe called hym selfe a physycyon or leche / not a prynce or a iudge. And therfore he sayd vnto the pharyseys, speakyng of hym selfe, as it was brought in, in the chapytre afore gone. They nede not a leche whiche are in helthe: but they whiche are sycke and dyseased. For Chryste hath not ordayned that any man shulde be compelled in this worlde to the obser­uacyon of the lawe made by hym. And therfore he hathe not ordayned any iudge spyrytuall hauynge coactyue powre to punysshe the transgressours of this lawe in this worlde / wherfore it is to be marked and taken hede of, that the lawe of the gospell may be two maner wayes compared vnto the men, vpon whome it was made, by chryste. One waye, it maye be compared to them in the state and for the state of this presente lyfe. And in this comparyson it maye rather be called a spe­culatyue or a practyue doctryne, or elles bothe, than a lawe taken in his propre and last sygnyfycacyon / albeit that it maye be called a lawe, after other sygnyfycacyons of the same worde / as after the seconde and the thyrde sygnyfycacyons of whiche we haue spoken in the. x. chapytre of the fyrste dyccyon. And the cause of this whiche we haue sayde: is this / for that the name of this worde lawe, in his thyrde sygnyfycacyon: belongeth onelye to a coactyue rule / that is to wytte, such a rule accordynge to whiche, the transgressoure is punysshed by powre coactyue / gyuen to hym whiche ought to iudge accordynge to the same rule. But nowe by the lawe of the gospell, or by the lawe maker therof, it is not cōmaunded that any man shulde be compelled of any spyrytuall man in this worlde to obserue those thynges, whiche are cōmaunded in the same lawe to be done, or to be lefte vndone, in this worlde. And therfore it beynge compared to the state of man in this worlde, and for this worlde ought to be called a doctryne, and not a lawe / but onely after suche maner as we haue sayde. And this was the mynde of the apostle, in the thyrde chapytre of the seconde epystle to Tymothe. All scrypture inspyred from god aboue: is profytable to teache, to argue, or proue, to rebuke to instructe in ryghtuousnesse. But he neuer sayde that it was profytable to com­pelle or to punysshe in this worlde / wherfore in the fyrste chapytre of the seconde epystle to the Corynthyanes, the apostle sayth / not because we are lordes and go­uernours ouer your faythe: but we are helpers or comforters of your Ioye. Be­cause you stande in faythe / where saynt Ambrose (as we haue shewed before in [Page] the. v. chapytre of this dyccyon and it greueth me not to reherse the same often tymes agayne) sayth these wordes / and lest the Corynthyanes myght be myscō ­tent Ambrose. and angrye, as yf the apostle had taken vpon hym to be lorde ouer them. Because he had sayd, it was for the sparynge of you, that I haue not come / therfore the apostle sayth followyngely. I do saye these aforesayd wordes / it was for the sparynge of you and not because your fayth suffereth any domynyon or compul­syon, Fayth is vo­luntarye. whiche is a thynge of freewyll, and not of necessytye. But I speake these wordes therfore, because we are helpers, yf you wyll worke with vs. &c. Loo here he sayth helpers, that is to wyt by our doctryne / and he saythe also yf you wyll worke with vs / whiche nowe do stande in faythe, that worketh by loue and not by domynyon or compulcyon. An other maner way, the scryꝑture or the lawe of Yf men seme to be punys­shed for brea­kynge of goddes lawe in this world as for cōmittīge aduoutry, for nycaciō, theft heresy, and so forth it is be­cause the ma­lyce of theyr hertꝭ breketh forth, and dis­q ^•eteth theyr neyghbours, & therby offē ­deth y ^e kyngꝭ lawe, & not ī that respecte that they of­fende goddes lawe, whiche is onely referred to god to be punysshed euerlastīgly. the gospell, maye be compared vnto men, for the state of them in an other worlde in whiche worlde onely, and not in this, they shal be payned and punysshed, whosoeuer hath transgressed and broken the sayd lawe in this worlde / and so it maye well be called a lawe, in his moste propre sygnyfycacion. And he that iudgeth accordynge to it whiche is chryste, maye than be called a iudge, in the moste propre sygnyfycacyon of this worde / because he hathe coactyue powre after the thyrde sygnyfycacyon of this worde. But the preeste or bysshop, who euer he be, for as­moche as he dothe rule and ordre men accordynge to this lawe, onely in the state of this presente lyfe, althoughe it be to the lyfe to come: neyther is it graunted to hym by the īmedyate maker of this lawe, that is to wyt, chryste, for to punysshe a man accordynge to it in this worlde: therfore the preeste or bysshop is not called a iudge properly in his thyrde sygnyfycacyon, as the whiche hathe not coactyue powre, and neyther maye, neyther ought to punysshe any man by suche maner iudgement, in this worlde with eyther reale or personall payne or punysshement And in this or in lyke maner, any doctour or teacher operatyue, as a physycyon is in comparyson to the iudgement of the bodely helth of men, hauynge no powre coactyue of any man as we haue sayde aboute the begynnynge of this present chapytre. And this was also the sentence of saynt Iohn̄ Crysostome playnlye & openly (agreynge to the mynde of the apostle, in the fyrste chapytre in the seconde epystle to the Corynthyanes) in his boke of dyaloges, whiche is also entytled of the dygnytie of preesthode, in the seconde boke, and the thyrde chapytre. But the ordre of his wordes, which we haue brought in heretofore in the. vi. parte of the. v. chapytre of this dyccion: we haue not rehersed agayne here, for cause of shortnesse but these wordes of his, whiche folowe nexte after the aforesayde texte: we haue put here, and they be these. For this cause than, there is moch nede (sayth he) of the helpe of crafte and cōnynge, that men may be perswaded and brought in mynde, whan they be sycke, of theyr owne accorde and frewyll to offre them selfe to the leche crafte or physyke of preestes / and not onelye this, but also that the preestes maye do good and be gentle to them that are to be cured. For whether any man Chrysostome wolde starte backe whan he is bounde (for verely in this thynge he hath powre & free lybertye) he shall make his dysease worse / or whether he wyl refuse the wordꝭ whiche shulde haue done hym good, then in the stede of the surgeans salues and instrumentes, he ioyneth and addeth an other wounde vnto his fyrst wounde by the reason of this his cōtempte / and is by the occasyon therof becōmed vnto hym selfe an instrument of a more peryllous and deadely dysease. For there is no man that maye cure and heale one agaynst his wyll. And the sayd Chrysostome after certayne wordes added of hym, consernynge the correccyon or amendement of the people, to be marked of al curatꝭ, but not cōsernynge y ^e cōpellynge or cōstraynīge of them: he sayth these wordꝭ / but yf any man be led out from y ^e right fayth: thā it [Page 71] remayneth to the preest, and appertayneth to his charge, to vse moch exhortacion moch wyse dylygence, & moch pacyence / for he may not brynge any man agayne Nota. to the faythe: by vyolence / but he shall enforce hym selfe & do his vttermoste ende­uoure, for to perswade suche persone, y ^t he wyll retourne to the ryght fayth, from whiche he hath fyrst fallen. Lo here howe this holy man, doth seperate & departe the iudgement of preestes, from the iudgement of prynces & gouernours / because coactyue iudgement neyther dothe belonge, neyther ought to belonge to preestes assygnynge the causes whiche we haue sayde oftentymes heretofore. The fyrste because that coactyue power is gyuen by the temporall lawe, or elles by the law maker or prynce / whiche was not graunted to preestes in Chrysostomes tyme or prouynce. Secondaryly, for that yf suche coactyue power shuld be graunted vn­to Euen so we­re it pyte to be graūted in o ^• tyme, wherein be so many tyrauntꝭ of the clergye them / yet shulde they in vayne / exercyse it vpon theyr subiectes / for no spyrytuall thynge auayleth men that are compelled vnto it / neyther profyteth them any whyt to eternall helthe. And he sayd the same vpon that texte in the. ix. of Luke yf any man wylleth to come after me: lette hym denye hym selfe. But I haue here lefte out the ordre of his wordes, partely because these aforesayd are suffycyent and partely for cause of shortenesse / This same also was plyanely and openlye the mynde of saynt Hilarie, to Constantius the Emperour / in whiche epystle a­monge other thynges / thus he wrote to the same Emperoure. God hath taughte the knowlege of hym selfe: rather than hathe exacted it / and gettynge admyracyon Hilarius. and estymacyon to his preceptes, by his heuenly workes: he despysed and refused all maner auctorytie coactyue of men, to confesse and knowlege hym selfe. Loo here, that god wylleth men to be taughte the knowynge and confessyng of hym, that is to wytte by fayth / but not any man to be compelled: therto for that he despyseth. And he reherseth the same agayne not longe after sayeng / God re­quyreth not any coacte confessyon. And agayne afterwarde in the persone of all preestes, he saythe thus / I can not receyue any man excepte he be wyllynge / I Hilarius. can not here any man, but prayeng / not sygne or marke any man: but hym that professeth. Therfore god wyll not haue any coacte confessyon of his owne selfe / neyther he wylleth any man to be drawen therunto, by any violence don to hym or by compulsyon. Wherfore the same Hilarius agaynst Auxentius bysshop of Mylayne (whom he reputed to be an Arriane, and whiche procured men to be cō pelled by force of Armes) as the sayde Hilarius saythe (to confesse those thynges I feare me there hath bē & yet be ma­ny such Arrians, yf they myghte haue the fulswynge of swerde in theyr own handes. whiche belonged to his owne opynyon, aboute or rather agaynst the fayth, and rebukynge hym. Albeit that it had ben so, that he had taughte no thynge but the trouthe) he sayth thus. And fyrste of all I maye petye the laboure and trauayle of our tyme or age / and sorowe and bewayle the folysshe opynyons of these ty­mes / in whiche, worldly thynges are supposed and beleued to helpe and to defen­de god / and it is laboured by seculare ambycyon, to defence and mayntayne the churche of Chryste. And agayne to the same persone, in the same place, he sayth. But now (alas for pytie) the erthly helpes or aydes do cōmende the fayth of god: and causeth it to be accepted / and chryste is proued to be without his powre and might: whyles ambycion is ioyned to his name. The church putteth men in feare It is tyme to punysshe Hi­larius for he rayleth a­gaynste the clargye. with banysshementes and prysons / and cōpelleth men to gyue credence vnto her / and she is beleued by banysshementes & prysonamentes. And here Hilarius spea­keth of the churche vnderstādynge by it, the colledge or cōpany of preestꝭ or bys­shoppes, & of other mynysters of y ^• churche, whome they do call cōmenlye clarkes. This was also openly the mynde of saynt Ambrose, to Valentiane y ^e emperour in the seconde epystle, whiche is intytled to the cōmune people, whan he sayde / I Ambrose. may wepe / I may be sory / I may mourne & syghe / agaynst wepons or armour, [Page] agaynst men of warre, and agaynst the Bothians / my teares are my wepons for suche is the armoure of preestes otherwyse I neyther ought neyther may resy­ste. Beholde here that the preeste ought not, althoughe he myghte to moue or stereany wepon, or power coactyue agaynst any man / neyther yet cōmaunde or exorte any wepons or power coactyue to be moued / namelye agaynst chrysten men. The contrarye wherof all this worlde maye iudge & thynke of certayne preestes agaynst the doctryne of the holy scrypture and of sayntes. Therfore accordynge to the trouthe, and to the open and playne intencyon and mynde of the apostle, and of sayntes, whiche of all other, were the cheyfest doctours or teachers, of the churche, or of the faythe. No man in this worlde is cōmaunded to be compelled of the spyrytualtie by any payne or punysshement, to the embracynge or obseruacyon of the preceptes in the lawe of the gospell neyther infydell, nor yet vninfydel / wherfore the mynystres of this lawe, bysshoppes or preestes, neyther maye iudge any man in this worlde, by iudgement of the thyrde sygnyfycacion / neyther compell any man to obserue the preceptes of goddes lawe, namely without the auctorytie of the humayne lawe maker / for suche maner iudgement, accordynge to the lawe of god, ought not to be exercysed in this worlde / nor execusyon therof to be done, but onely in the worlde to come / wherfore in the. xix. of Mathewe, Ihesus sayd vnto the apostles. Of a suertye I do saye vnto you, that you whiche haue folowed me / in the regeneracyon, whan the sone of man shall sytte in the seate of his maiestye / you also shall sytte vpon twelue seates, iudgynge the. xii. trybes of Israell. Here maye ye se whan the apostles shall sytte with chryste, as it were iudges with hym, of the thyrde sygnyfycacion / verely in the worlde to come, and not in this world / where the glose sayth / in the regeneracion, that is to say whan deed men shall ryse incoruptyble / wherfore after the mynde of the glose, there are two regeneracyons / the fyrste, of water and the holy ghost / the seconde, in the ge­nerall resurreccyon / wherfore vpon these wordes, you also shall sytte: saythe the glose / after the mynde of Augustyne / whan the fourme of the seruaunte / that is to wytte, of Chryste, whiche in this worlde was iudged by coactyue power, and dyd not iudge, shall exercyse the power of a iudge, that is to wytte, in the Resurrection: than shall you also be iudges with me. ¶ Loo here than that accordynge to the sayeng of Chryste in the gospell / and after the exposycion of sayntes: Chryste hathe not exercysed iudicare, power / that is to wytte, coacty­ue power, in this worlde. But rather beyng in the fourme of a seruaunt: he was iudged of an other, by suche maner iudgement / & also that whan he shal exercyse suche iudicare power coactyue in an other worlde: that than the apostles also shal sytte with hym, to iudge by suche maner iudgement, and not afore that tyme. Bysshoppes takevpon thē more auctory tie than chry­ste had. ¶ wherfore hit is worthely to be greatly meruayled at: wherfore any bysshop or preeste, who euer he be shulde take vpon them, or be in wyll to haue greatter, or other auctorytie, in this worlde / than Chryste or his apostles wolde haue / for they in the fourme of seruauntes / haue ben iudged by the seculate and worldly pryn­ces / But the successoures of them, preestes and bysshoppes, not onely refuseth to be subiectes to prynces contrarye to the example and precepte of Chryste and his As obstynat Thomas of Caūterbury otherwyse called Thomas Beket. apostles / but also they saye, that theym selues are aboue prynces and the hyghest powers, in coactyue iurysdyccion / and the prynces to be subiectes vnto them / not withstondyng that Chryste sayd in the. x. of Mathewe. And you shalbe ledde vnto kynges & rulers for my sake / & he dyd not say you shall be kyngꝭ & rulers / and hit foloweth afterwarde / in the same chapytre / The discyple is not aboue his teacher nor the bondeman aboue his lorde. Therfore no preest or bysshop, in y ^t he is suche one, neyther may, neyther ought, to exercyse iudgemēt, domynyon, power, or [Page 72] gouernaunce coactyue, in this world. And this also was euydently the mynde of Arystotle in the. iiii. boke of his polytykes, and the. xii. chapytre.

THis may be proued also after this maner. For yf chryst had wylled, the preestes Chryste wold not y ^e preestes of the newe lawe to be co­actyue powre of y ^e newe lawe, to be iudgꝭ by the auctorytie of y ^e same lawe, by iudge ment coactyue of the thyrd sygnyfycacyon y ^t is to wyt, by defynynge & de­termynynge the contencyons and debatefull actes of men, in this world, by such maner sentence / doubtelesse he wolde haue gyuen suche specyall preceptes of such maner thynges, in this lawe / lykewyse as he dyd in the olde lawe to Moyses / whome god by his owne mouthe or wordes and not by any man: ordayned and made gouernour and coactyue iudge of the Iewes / as it is red in the. vii. chapitre of the actes of the apostles / for which cause also / god gaue to hym a lawe, of thynges to be obserued, in the state of this presente lyfe, contaynynge specyally preceptes of such thynges, for the departynge and endynge of the contencions and stry­fes amonge men, & beynge very moche lyke vnto the lawe of man as touchynge some parte of it. To the obseruynge and kepynge of whiche preceptes, men were compelled and constrayned in this worlde by Moyses & his substytutes coactyue iudges, with or by payne or punysshement / but not by any preeste / as it appereth euydently in the. xviii. chapytre of Exodus. But chryste hathe not gyuen any suche preceptes in the lawe of the gospell / but supposed them to be alredy gyuen, or that they shulde afterwarde be gyuen, in the lawes of men / whiche lawes he cōmaunded to be obserued, and also the gouernours accordynge to those lawes to be obeyed of euery soule, at the lestwyse in those thynges, whiche shuld not be cō ­trary to the lawe of euerlastynge helthe. And therfore he sayth in the. xxii. of Mathewe, and in the. xi. of Marke. Gyue you to Cesare those thynges, that belonge to Cesare / vnderstandynge by Cesare: any maner prynce or gouernoure. So alsothe apostle in the. xiii. to the Romaynes saythe (for it greueth me not to reherse it agayne) Let euery soule be subiecte to the hygher powres. So also in the last cha­pytre of the fyrste epystle to Timothe, he byddeth the seruauntes to be obedyent to theyr lordes, ye thoughe they be infydeles. And the glose also in the same place after the mynde of Augustyne, agreeth with the same / whiche we haue brought in afore in y ^e. viii. parte of the. v. chapytre of this dyccyon / of all which auctoryties it appereth euydently, that it was the intencyon and mynde of chryste, and of the apostle and of sayntes: that al men ought to be subiecte and obedyent to the law­es of men / and to those that be iudges accordynge to the same lawes.

¶ Moreouer of these aforesayd thynges it is euydent: that chrysten men are not Not all y ^e pre­ceptꝭ of y ^e olde lawe ar to be obserued. bounde to obserue and kepe all thyngꝭ, which in the olde lawe or testament were counsayled or cōmaunded to the people of the Iewes to be kepte. But the obser­uacyon of certayne thynges whiche cōmaunded to the Iewes / is vtterly forbyd­den chrysten men (as for example the seremonyes) vnder payne of eternall perdy­cyon / as the apostle teacheth in the. iii. and. vii. chapytres to the Romaynes / in the seconde and. v. to the Galathianes, and in the seconde to the Ephesyanes / and in the. vii. and. x. chapitres to the Hebrues. To whose mynde saynt Ierome & saynt Augustyne agreynge, say in theyr epystles sent from the one of them to the other the. xi. and the. xiii. concordynge eche with other / that the obseruers of suche cere­monyes, outher truely or faynedly, after the publysshynge of the lawe of the gos­pel, shal be cast downe in to y ^e dōgyon of y ^e deuyl. Lykewyse also, christen men ar not boūde to y ^e obseruacyon of y ^e legales as it appereth by y ^e apostle & also by Au­gustine Augustyne. vpon y ^t sayeng aforesayd in the last chapitre to Timothe whan he sayd / let not chrysten seruauntꝭ requyre (y ^t is they can not requyre) that whiche is sayde [Page] of the Hebrues. &c. for asmoche than, as there is not in the lawe of grace any pre­ceptes specyally gyuen for the cōtencyons & debatefull actꝭ of men in this worlde to be determyned and ended / it is lefte, that such thynges ought to be determyned by the lawes of men, and by the iudges accordynge to those lawes, hauynge auctorytie of the humayue lawe maker or prynce. There were also certayne other thynges in the lawe of Moyses cōmaūded to be obserued for the state of y ^e worlde to come, as the preceptes of the sacryfyces, or of certayne hostes, or oblacyōs to be made, for the redempcyon of synnes / namely of the preuye synnes / whiche are cō ­mytted by the inwarde actes or iudgement / to the accomplysshynge of which preceptes / no man was compelled or constrayned by payne or punysshement of this present worlde / & very lyke vnto these, are al the counseyles preceptꝭ of the newe lawe / because chryste neyther wolde, neyther cōmaunded any man to be cōpelled to the obseruacyon of them, in this worlde. Albeit, that he dothe cōmaunde by a generall cōmaundement, that the ordynaunces of mennes lawes, shulde be obserued / but yet vnder payne or punysshement to be done vnto the transgressours in an other worlde by hym / wherfore the transgressours or breaket of mannes lawe Yea and to be punysshed in this world by the prynce. in a maner for the most parte / trespasseth agaynst the lawe of god, but no contrary wyse. For there be many actes, in which he that doth them, or leueth them vn­done trespasseth agaynste the lawe of god, whiche cōmaundeth suche thynges / wherof to gyue cōmaundement in the lawes of men, it were in vayne / as the de­des, whiche we haue called inwarde actes, neuer brastynge forth / whiche can not be proued to be in any man or not to be in hym: and yet they can not be hyd or vnknowen to god / and therfore the lawe of god was conuenyently gyuen of suche thynges duely to be done or to be lefte vndone / for the more goodnes of men, both in this presente worlde and also in the world to come. ¶ But peraduenture some man wyll reken imperfeccyon in the doctryne of the gospell / yf by it (as we haue sayde) the contencyons or debatefull actes of men can not be suffycyently ruled, for the state and in the state of this present lyfe. But let vs saye, by the doctryne The lawe of the gospell to suffycyent is the lyfe euer­lastynge. of the gospell we are suffycyentlye dyrected in the thynges to be done, and in the thynges to be auoyded and eschewed in this present lyfe, and that for the state of the world to come eyther to the gettynge of euerlastynge lyfe, or to y ^e auoydynge or escapynge of euerlastynge punysshement / for the whiche endes and purposes the scrypture was made / and not for the worldly reducynge of the contentious dedes of men, vnto equalytie, or dewe cōmensuracyon, concernynge the state or suffycyencie of this present lyfe. For chryste came not in to this worlde, to rule or strayghten suche maner dedes, for this present lyfe, but onely for the lyfe to come. And therfore the rule of temporall and worldly actes of men, ben sondry maners and dyuerse facyons dyrectynge vnto these endes. For the one, that is to saye the lawe of god / teacheth that in no wyse we ought to stryue, or go to law, or to aske our owne agayne afore a iudge / albeit it doth not forbyd this. And therfore it gyueth no specyall preceptes of suche thynges, as we haue sayd afore. But the other rule of these actes or dedes, that is to wyt the lawe of man: teacheth these thynges & cōmaundeth transgressours to be punysshed: wherfore in the. xii. of Luke whan a certayne man desyred of chryste worldly or temporall iudgement betwene hym & his brother: Chryst made answere. Thou man who hath ordayned me iudge or deuyder betwene you. &c. As yf he had sayde, I am not come to exercyse such temporall iudgement / wherfore the glose there sayth / he dothe not vouche saue to be iudge of sutes or stryffes in the lawe, nor to be iudge or vmpere of worldly goodꝭ and substaunces, whiche hath the iudgement bothe of quycke and deed, and the arbytrement of them all. Therfore the actes or dedes of men coulde not be sufficyently [Page 73] measured or ruled by the lawe of god, or by the euangelycall lawe, for the ende of this presente worlde. And in dede the cōmensuratyue rules of suche dedes, to the proporcyon which men lawfully desyre for y ^e state of this present lyfe, ben taught in the same lawe / but supposed eyther gyuen or elles to be gyuen, and taughte of the lawes of men / without the which also for defaulte & lacke of iustice, it myght chaunce throughe the occasyon and contencyon of men fyghtynge, and seperacy­on, and departynge of them, and the insuffycyencie of mannes lyfe in this world which thynge in a maner all men hate and auoyde naturally. It can not be sayd therfore accordynge to trouthe: that the lawe or doctryne of the gospell is vnper­fyte. For it is not ordayned & apte to haue y ^e perfeccyon, of worldly maters. But it was made and gyuen, that by it īmedyatlye we shulde be dyrected, cōcernynge those thynges, and in those thynges whiche belonge to the obtaynynge or get­tynge Here ye se, y ^• we lacke no necessary vn­wryten vanytyes, verities I wolde saye but y ^e scrypture is perfite & suffycient as the auctoure affyrmeth. of euerlastynge saluacyon, and to the auoydynge of euerlastynge mysery / in whiche thynges: it is very suffycyent and perfyte / for it was not made to the determynynge of cyuyle contencyous busynes or maters, appertaynynge to the ende whiche men desyre, and lawfully, in this worldly lyfe / & truely yf it shulde be called vnperfyte therfore: it myght be called as conuenyentlye vnperfyte, for that by it we are not taughte to hele bodelye dyseases / or to measure quantyties or to sayle in the occyan see / howbeit this maye be graunted safely, that it is not vtterly perfyte, for so there is no thynge perfyte: but onely one / that is to wytte, god. And to this sentence, as beynge vndoubtedly true: the glose after the mynde of Gregory beareth wytnesse, vpon the syxte chapytre of the fyrste epystle to the Corynthyanes, where he saythe. I say it to your rebuke and shame. They (sayth Onely god is perfyte. Gregory) shulde examyne / erthly causes: which haue gotten wysdome of extery­our thynges / but those whiche are endewed with spyrytuall gyftes: ought not to Gregory. be wrapped or entangled with erthlye busynesse. Nowe yf he had vnderstande by the wysdome of exteryour thynges, and of erthly causes or contencyons the holy scrypture: he wolde not haue sayde afterwarde / but they whiche are induced with spyrytuall gyftes, that is to saye with holy scrypture: ought not to be entangled with erthlye busynesses / neyther wolde haue seperated suche persones, accordyng to this doctryne / one of them from the other. Moreouer, because the apostle & also the sayntes after one exposycyon, had afore called them, whiche had suche know lege and wysdome / that is to wytte of exteryoure thynges / contemptyble perso­nes in the churche / whiche thynge neyther the apostle, neyther yet the sayntes ex­poundynge his wordes, meaned or thought of them / that were lerned in the holy scrypture. Thus than, how many and what maner legale actes of men there be / by what lawes also and iudges / howe, and whan, and by whome, they are to be ruled, made strayghte, and amended. I suppose we haue shewed suffycyentlye, to the intencyon purposed of vs.

¶ Of the coactyue iudge of heretykes, that is to wytte, to whome it appertayneth to iudge them in this world, to punysshe them by personall or reall punysshementes, & to whome or whose vse or behole these ought to be applyed or put vnto.
The, x, chapytre,

[Page] BVt of these thynges which we haue sayd, it is doubted not with out a cause / for yf the inflyccyon or exaccyon of real or personal paynes, by coactyue iudgement of all persons, that are to be co­arted or punysshed in this present lyfe, apꝑteyneth onely to hym that is heed gouernoure and prynce, as it hathe ben shewed here tofore / than it foloweth, that the coactyue iudgement of herety­kes, or otherwyse infydels / or scysmatykes, and the inflyccyon, exaccyon, or ap­plycacyon, of reall and personall punysshement: shall appertayne to suche prynce and gouernour / whiche semeth and appereth to be a great inconuenyent. For in asmoche as it appereth to belonge al vnto one, & to the same auctoryte, to knowe Obieccyons. to iudge, & to correcte the offence or trespasse: and it belongeth to the preeste or bysshop, to dysserne the cryme of heresye, and to none other: it shall appere that both the counsayle, the coactyue iudgement, and the correccyon of this cryme, shall ap­pertayne or belonge to the preest or bysshop alone. Moreouer the iudgement of the trespasser, & the exaccyon of punysshemēt, semeth to appertayne to hym, agaynst whome or whose lawe / the trespasser hath offended / but that is onely the preeste The preste is the mynystre of goddes lawes. or bysshop (for he is the mynyster and iudge of the lawe of god, agaynst whiche lawe pryncypally the heretyke, scysmatyke, or otherwyse infydell, doth offende & trespasse, whether it be a company, or els a synguler persone) it foloweth therfore y ^t this iudgement belongeth to the preeste, & in no wyse to the seculer gouernour. And this appereth to be openly the mynde of saynt Ambrose in his fyrst epystle Answere to the obieccyōs before propo­ned. to Ualentian the emperoure / and because it appereth and semeth that he meaneth the same throughout the hole processe of y ^e same epystle. I haue lefte out his wor­des here because of breuytie and shortnesse. ¶ But let vs saye that, that who so­euer trespasseth or offendeth agaynst the lawe of god / is to be iudged, corrected, & punysshed accordynge to the same lawe / but as to wchynge to that lawe / there is Be not here so hasty & captious. as to thynke y ^t be­cause of these words thauc­toure wolde haue no here­sy punysshed (as it may seme) but reade a litle further & se the cōclu­syon, how he wold haue it punysshed by y ^e cōmen law & not by no spyrytuall lawe or man. two maner of iudges. The one a iudge of the thyrde sygnyfycacyon, hauynge co­actyue powre to coarte the transgressours of this lawe, & to exacte punysshemēt of them / and this is but onely one / that is to wyt, Chryste / as we haue shewed in the chapytre afore gone by the auctorytie of Iames in his. iiii. chapytre / whiche iudge for all that, hathe wylled and ordayned, that all the transgressours of this lawe shalbe iudged by coactyue iudgement in the worlde to come / and to be coat­ted with payne or punysshement onely in that worlde, and not in this / as it hath suffycyently appered of y ^e chapytre afore gone. But the other iudge as touchynge to this lawe is the preeste or bysshop / not a iudge of the thyrde sygnyfycacyon, so that it belongeth not to hym to compell any transgressoure of this lawe in this worlde, or to requyre or exacte any payne or punysshement vpon hym, by powre coactyue, as it hath ben openly shewed in the. v. chapytre of this dyccyon and in the last chapytre afore gone, by the auctorytie of the apostle & of sayntes, & by the inuyncyble reason of them / yet that notwithstandynge, he is a iudge of the fyrst sygnyfycacyon, to whome it apperteyneth to teache, to exhorte, to rebuke, and reproue synners or transgressours of the same lawe, & to put them in feare, or drede, with the iudgemēt of eternall dāpnacion, & the inflyccion of euerlastynge payne whiche shal be done to them by the coactyue iudge, that is to wyt Chryste, in the world to come / as we haue declared in y ^•. vi, &. vii. chapytres of this dyccion, wher in we treated of the powre of the keyes gyuen to preestes / & also in the last chapy­tre afore this where we compared the preestes whiche are the leches or physycions Heretykꝭ are to be taughte & exhorted by the preeste. of soules: vnto the bodely physycyons, as saynt Augustyne sayd by the auctory­tie of y ^e prophete & as the mayster of the sentence recyteth in the. iiii. boke of y ^• sen­tences in the. xviii. dystynccion & the. ix. chapytre / for asmoch than as an heretyke [Page 74] a scysmatyke, or any other infydell, who soeuer he be is the transgressoure of the euangelycall lawe, yf he shall contynue in that cryme or offence, he shal be punysshed by that iudge to whome it belongeth to punysshe the transgressours of god­des lawe, in that they are suche ones, whan he shal exercyse his iudyciarie powre. And this iudge is onely chryst which shal iudge the auycke & the deed & those that shall dye, but yet in the worlde to come, and not in this (for of his great mercy he hathe graunted to synners, that they maye repent or do penaunce, euen vntyll theyr last departynge or passage from this world / that is to wyt euen vntyldeth. But by the other iudge, that is to wyt, the pastor or curate, bysshop or preeste / he is to be taughte and exhorted in this present worlde / and the synner is to be reproued & rebuked, and to be put in feare and drede with the iudgement of eternal glorye, or euerlastynge dampnacyon to come / but not to be compelled in any wyse / as it is euydent of y ^• chapytre last afore gone. But yf it shal be prohybyted by the lawe of man that any heretyke or otherwyse infydell shall contynue or abyde & When herety­kes are to be punysshed, & by whome remayne in any regyon: who soeuer shal be founde / in that regyon to be such one, that is to wyt an heretyke, or mysbeleuer, and so iustlye & manyfestly proued, in that he is nowe a transgressour or breaker of the lawe of man: he ought to be pu­nysshed euen in this worlde, with payne or punysshement ordayned, & set in the same lawe, for suche transgressyon or offence / and that by suche iudge: whiche we haue shewed in the. xx. chapytre of the fyrst dyccyon, to be y ^• keper or mayntener of the lawe of man, that is by the prynce or his deputie. But yf it be not prohybyted by the lawe of man, an heretyke or an other infydell, to dwell & abyde in the same prouynce, with chrysten men: lykewyse as it hath ben permytted to herety­kes, and to the sede of the Iewes nowe by the lawes of men, euen in the tymes of chrysten people, chrysten prynces, & chrysten bysshoppes: than I say it is not law­full for any man to iudge any heretyke or other mysbeleuer or to compell hym by any payne or punysshement eyther reall or personall, for the state of this present lyfe. And the cause generall hereof is: for that no man though he synneth neuer so greatly agaynst any maner dyscyplynes speculatyue or practyue, is punysshed or coarted in this worlde precyselye in that he is suche one: but in that he synneth agaynst the cōmaundement of the lawe of man. For yf it were not prohybyted by the lawe of man, to be dronken, to make or to sell noughtie leather or shoes, & that so yll wrought as any man may or wylleth, to practyse false phisyke, and falsely teache or to exercyse other occupacions, euen as he lyste hym selfe: the dronkarde. or who soeuer dyd amysse in the other workes or occupacyons, in no wyse shuld be punysshed. And therfore we ought to marke & to take hede, that in euery Of a certay­ne ordre and dewe pcesse to be obserued in y ^e bultyng forth of all treuth. maner coactyue iudgement of this world, afore that sentence of delyueraunce, or of condempnacyon be pronounced, & gyuen forth: as cōcernynge the iust tryall of the truthe, certayne thyngs at to be enquyred in ordre. One is, whether the worde or the dede, wherof the persone is accused / be suche as it is sayde to be, And this is to knowe afore, what it is whiche is sayd to be cōmytted. The seconde thynge to be requyred is, whether it be prohybyted by the lawe of man, suche thynge to be done. And the thyrde is whether the persone accused hathe cōmytted that offence whiche is layde to his charge. Than after inquysycyon made of these thyngs / fo­loweth iudgement or sentence of cōdempnacyon agaynst the persone accused, or els of absolucion & delyueraunce / as for example. Let any man be accused for an Howe heretykes are to be examyned & iudged. heretyke, or els for a coūterfayter of golden vessells, or of any other metall. After that this persone so accused, be delyuered or dāpned by coactiue sentēce of y ^• iudge it ought fyrst to be inquyred whether the worde or the dede layde to his charge, be heretycall or elles not. Secōdaryly it ought to be serched out, whether to saye any [Page] thynge in such wyse: be forbydden by the lawe of man. Thyrdly whether such cryme or offence hath ben cōmytted by hym whiche is accused therof. Than laste of all after these inquysycyons duely made foloweth iudgement coactyue eyther of absolucyon, or els of cōdempnacion. As concernynge the fyrst of these. iii. thyngꝭ: the gouernour or iudge ought to be certyfyed by them whiche are lerned & skylled in eche maner of scyence, to whome it belongeth to cōsydre the quidditie or nature of y ^t sayenge or dede, whiche is layde to the charge of the persone accused / for such persons ar iudges of suche thyngꝭ, in the fyrst sygnyfycacion, as we haue sayd in the secōde chapytre of this dyccion, & they are bounde to knowe y ^• nature of suche thyngꝭ: to whome the auctorytie is gyuen by the prynce or gouernour, to teache, or to practyse, & to worke such thyngꝭ, in the cytie or cōmunytie (which auctorytie gyuen by the gouernour we are wonte to call in the lyberall scyences: a lycence) & it is after lyke maner in all other artes practyue or mechanicall, as it hathe ben shewed & declared in the. xv. chapytre of the fyrst dyccion. For a physycyon ought to knowe those, that be full of leprye concernynge the body: & those y ^t be not. So also the preeste ought to discerne & knowe, which sayeng or doctryne is hereticall: By leprye he resy is sygny­fyed. & which catholyke. So also y ^• goldfyner or goldsmyth ought to dyscerne & know one metal from an other / & so the lawyer ought to iudge betwene thyngꝭ borowed, or layde to kepe / and other lyke cyuyle actes. For the prynce or gouernoure, in that he is gouernour, is not boūde to know such thyngꝭ. Albeit after yf the lawe be perfyte he ought to be sertyfyed of the nature of wordꝭ, or sayenges, of workes and dedes, by the teachers, workers & practysers of scyences & artes. Than to the questyon purposed & moued in the begynnynge of this chapytre: I do saye / that Nota. any maner teacher of the dyuyne scryptures, whiche is or ought to be euery preest may & ought to iudge / by iudgemēt of the fyrst sygnyfycacion, whether y ^e cryme wherof any persone is accused, by heresye or not. Wherfore it is sayde in the secōde of Malachie the prophete. The lyppes of the preeste kepe knowledge, & men shall requyrethe lawe (that is to wyt the lawe of god) of his mouthe / for suche maner men, ought the successours of the apostles preests or bysshops for to be, to whome it was sayde of chryste in the. xxviii. chapytre of Mathewe. Do you therfore and What maner men bysshop­pes ought to be. teache you all nacyōs. &c. teachynge them to kepe al thyngꝭ, whatsoeuer I haue gyuen to you in cōmaundement. So also it is wryten in the. iii. chapytre of the fyrst epystle to Timothe amonge other thynges he ought to be apte to teache / vnderstāde thou, the lawe of god. So also in the fyrst chapytre to Titus he saythe a bysshop ought to embrace & cleue fast to that faythfull & true speche: whiche is accordynge to doctryne, that he maye be able to exhorte in holy doctryne, & to con­uynce & reproue them, whiche gaynsaye it. For there ben many deceyuers / which are to be reproued & conuynced. But the seconde thynge / that is to wyt, whether suche trespasse be prohybyted by the lawe or not / the prynce ought to know. And the thyrde thynge whiche he ought to knowe / is whether he, to whose charge that cryme is layde, haue sayde or exercysed the cryme of speakynge or doynge hereti­cally. And this iudgement may be iudged by the exteryoure or interyo ^• sences or wyttes, aswell of vnlerned: as of learned men / whome we cal wytnesses or recordes. Than after these thyngꝭ done, iudgement or sentence is to be gyuen by y ^• go­uernour, Wytnesses. outher of cōdēpnacion, or els of absolucyon or delyueraūce from payneor punysshemēt / & eyther exaccion or relaxacion to be made of the same punysshement vnto hym, whiche was accused of such trespasse. For no man is punysshed of the gouernour, for that that he doth offende or trespasse onely agaynst y ^e lawe of god. For there ar many deedly synnes, & agaynst the lawe of god, as the synne of Fornycacyon, whiche the humayne powre doth sometyme wyttynglye ꝑmyt Fornycacion [Page 73] (as in that case where no lawe is ordayned for such enormyties) neyther any bysshop or preeste dothe prohybyte, neyther maye or ought to prohybyte by coactyue powre. But the heretyke which trespasseth agaynst y ^e lawe of god, yf such synne be also prohybyted by the lawe of man: is punysshed, in that he dothe offende and Why herety­kes ben pu­nysshed trespasse agaynst the lawe of man / for this is the precyse and the very pryncypall cause / wherfore any man is punysshed by payne or punysshement of this present worlde. And where the cause is present: there the effecte of that cause muste nedes As where the cryme bros­teth forth. folowe / and where the cause is absent: there y ^e effecte must nedely be away. Lyke­wyse on the contrary syde, he that trespasseth agaynst the lawe of man, by any offence: shall be punysshed in an other world / but yet not for that that he doth of­fende agaynst the lawe of man onely. For there are many thyngꝭ prohybyted by the lawe of man: which ar permytted by the lawe of god / as yf a man do not pay home that he hath borowed, at the tyme set, & appoynted, eyther throught lacke of habylytie, or by y ^• reason of any fortune or chaunce, or of forgetfulnes, or of syckenesse or throughe any other impedyment or lettynge, he shall not be punysshed for That is to saye, he shall not be punys­shed in an o­ther worlde for breakyng of his daye of paymēt, so y ^t he paye after wardes, be it in case, y ^t he myght not kepe his daye this in an other world: by the coactyue iudge, accordynge to the lawe of god / and yet that notwithstandynge, he is ryghtuouslye punysshed in this worlde / by the coactyue iudge, accordynge to y ^e lawe of man. And therfore to trespasse or offēde agaynst the lawe of god: is the very pryncypall cause & the necessary cause, wherfore one shall be punysshed in an other worlde / for where this cause is: there neces­saryly foloweth the effecte, that is to wyt payne or punysshement for the state & in the state of the worlde to come / and where this cause fayleth: there fayleth also the sayd effecte.

¶ Therfore the iudgement of coartynge or exactynge of temporall payne or pu­nysshement vpon heretykes, scysmatykes, or any other mysbeleuers who soeuer they be / and the powre therof belongeth onely to hym that is gouernour, and not to any preeste or bysshop for that they offende or trespasse agaynst goddes lawe / whiche compared vnto men in the state and for the state of this present lyfe: is a lawe / but not after y ^e last sygnyfycacion of this worde hauynge coactyue powre Who ought to iudge of here­tykes and vnder what maner. of any man in this worlde (as it appereth by the chapytre last afore gone, and by the. v. chapytre of this dyccyon) but it is called a lawe after the thyrde sygnyfy­cacyon of this worde / as it appereth in the. x. chapytre of the fyrst dyccyon. Accordynge to whiche lawe, preestꝭ euen in this worlde are iudges / after the fyrste syg­nyfycacion of this worde iudge or iudgement / hauynge no coactyue powre, as it hathe ben shewed in the. v. chapytre of this dyccyon, & in the chapytre laste afore gone, by the auctoritie of the apostle, of Ambrose, Hilarie, and Crisostome / for yf they were coactyue iudges or gouernours ouer heretykes, because such do trespas agaynst the dyscyplyne / wherof they be teachers and workers, teachynge many thynges to other men accordynge to the same dysciplyne, than by the same reason the goldfyner or the goldsmyth shulde be coactyue iudge & gouernour, ouer hym, that is a false counterfaytour of golden cuppes, whiche is agaynst reason great­ly. By the same reason also, the physycion myght punysshe them, that worke not aryght accordynge to the arte and scyence of physyke. And than shuld there be as many gouernours coactiue as there ben offyces or occupaciōs in a cytie, agaynst the whiche it myght chaunce any man to trespasse or offende / whiche thynge we haue shewed to be impossyble & superfluous, in the, xvii. chapytre of the fyrst dyc­cyon / for those that trespas or offende agaynst the offycꝭ, occupacyons & craftꝭ in the cytie / shulde not be coarted or punysshed / vnlesse there be somwhat elles cō ­mynge betwene, as for example the precepte of the humayne lawe, made by the auctorytie of the prynce, For yf such maner offences were not prohybyted by the [Page] lawe of man, they that do cōmytte such offences ought not in any wyse to be pu­nysshed. This y ^t we haue sayd: may be proued & declared by a famylyare exāple / for I put the case that it were forbydden by the lawe of man that persons infecte with leprye, shulded well or abyde amonge other cytezens / myght the physycion or leche (which alone can iudge theyr syckenesse accordyng to his facultie & scyēce that is to wytte, whether they be full of leprye or not) by coactyue powre & of his owne auctorytie, because he is a doctour of physyke dryue them, whome he shall iudge by iudgemēt of the fyrst sygnyfycacion to be full of leprye: from the felow­shyp & cōpany of other men. &c. It is euydent & vndoubted, that he myght not do so. But to do this thynge belongeth onely to hym, to whome the costume of the humayne lawe coactyue is cōmytted / that is to wyt to y ^e gouernour / for it is not lawfull for the people or for any cōpany pryuatefy, to iudge, or to coarte, or pu­nysshe any man: but onely to the cheyfe gouernour / whiche gouernour for al this cōcernynge the crymes, or trespasses & offences, wherof any man is accused: and cōcernyyge the nature of the same, accordynge to the determynacion of the lawe, yf it speake of this thynge (which doubtelesse it shal do yf it be a perfyte lawe) or els by his owne wysdome, yf it be not spoken but lefte out in the lawe: ought to vse & to gyue credence to the iudgement of the lerned men, & suche as be well skylled in the artes or scyences, whiche treate of the nature of suche workes, dedes, or wordes / as to the iudgement of a physycyon concernynge the persons whiche be full of leprye or which be not so / & to the iudgemēt of a dyuyne of synners / which are fygured or sygnyfyed by leprouse persons in the holy scrypture after the exposycion of sayntꝭ. Lykewyse also he ought to beleue y ^e iudgemēt of the goldsmyth Synners are fygured by the lepres cōcernynge the deceytfull counterfaytynge of golden cuppes, or of other metallꝭ / & semblably to any other maner lerned or cōnynge man, after the other kyndes of thyngꝭ, that maye be done or wrought. So than the physycyon of soules, y ^t is to wyt the preest: ought to iudge of heretykes or infydels, by iudgement of the fyrste sygnyfycation, that is to wyt in pronoūcynge, & declarynge by the worde of god whiche sayenge or whiche dede is heretycall, & whiche not. But to iudge of suche persones by iudgement of the thyrde sygnyfycacion, that is by dāpnynge or ab­soluynge them from temporall payne or punysshement, or to cōpell them whiche shall be dampned, suffre such payne or punysshement: & to applye the paynes ex­acted for these crymes, yf there be reall, as well as other paynes which are exacted & requyred for other crymes, & offences, accordynge to the determynacyon of the lawe of man. All these thynges (I say) belonge onely to the prynce & gouernour or his deputie. And to these thynges whiche we haue sayde: the scrypture beareth wytnesse. in the. xxv. chapytre of the actes of the apostles. For whan the apostle was accused of the Iewes for an heretyke, thoughe falsely & wrongfully: the in­quysycyon, deduccion, applycacion, & determynacyon of this cause, was made a fore a iudge, to a iudge, & by a iudge / therunto ordayned & apoynted, by the auc­torytie of the gouernour. Lykewyse as to other cōtenciōs or cyuyle actes or dedes. And it is no mastery, to assoyle the reasons or obieccyons made cōtrary to these determynacyons / for whan it was sayde, that the iudgement of the heretyke be­longeth vnto hym as iudge, to whome it belōgeth to knowe the cryme of heresy: here is a dystynccyon to be made, because of the equyuocacyon or manyfolde syg­nyfycacion of this worde iudge or iudgement / & after one sygnyfycation of these wordꝭ that is to wyt? the fyrst: y ^e ꝓposycion aforesayd is true / & after an other sygnyfication Answers to obieccyons made before. of this word iudgemēt / y ^t is to wyt y ^• thyrd, y ^e sayd ꝓposycion is false. And therfore nothynge can be cōcluded agaynst our determynacion of this pro­posycyon afore alledged. And to the other obieccyon which foloweth, that to hym [Page 76] belongeth the iudgement / of the trespasser, & the exaccion of the payne, & the ap­plycacion of y ^• same, yf he be reall, agaynst whome & whose lawe, the trespasser doth offende. And than whan it is sayde afterwardes / y ^t the heretyke trespasseth & offendeth agaynst the lawe of god: it is to be graunted / & therfore he shal be iud­ged by hym, that is iudge of the thyrde sygnyfycacion accordynge to that lawe / that is to wyt by chryst in an other worlde / but not in this excepte it be by man­nes lawe. But neyther preeste neyther any bysshop is suche a maner iudge of the lawe of god: but onely a iudge in the fyrst sygnyfycacion, for that he is a teacher therof / namely yf this lawe be cōpared to men in the state and for the state of this A preeste is a teacher & not a prynce. present lyfe. Agayne y ^e fyrst proposycyon of this syllogysme supposed to be true / after the sence which we haue sayd, that is to wyt, y ^t the iudgemēt of the trāsgres­sour / apperteyneth to hym as to a coactyue iudge, agaynst whome or agaynst y ^e lawe wherof he is keper / the transgressour doth offende (the lawe I meane of the last sygnyfycation onely) than let vs adde therunto this seconde proposycion be­ynge very true / that the heretyke trespasseth onely agaynst the seculer iudge, ta­kynge this worde in his thyrde sygnyfycacyon, & agaynste the lawe wherof he is keper, takynge this worde lawe in the last & his propre sygnyfycacion, that is to wytte coactyue onely, and not agaynst any other coactyue lawe or iudge in this An heretyke is not to be cō dempned by a preeste. worlde / And than let vs therfore cōclude that the heretyke is to be iudged by such iudge, with coactyne iudgemēt in this worlde (the maker of this lawe so orday­nynge) & payne or punysshemēt to be exacted of the same trāsgressour also by the same iudge / which payne yf it be real, is to be applyed by the same iudge, to hym, to whome the tēporal law hath ordayned & appoynted it to be applyed. Or elles we must make a dystyncion of y ^e fyrst proposycion, accordyng to y ^e equocacion of y ^e wordꝭ made in the parologisme or deceyptlull reason last afore this. So then it can not be inferred or cōcluded thus of necessyte / some man is to be cōdempned or iudged as an heretyke in this world & for this worlde, by coactyue iudgement, really, or ꝑsonally or both wayes: ergo he is to be iudged by some preest or bysshop / excepte ꝑaduenture it be by iudgemēt of y ^• fyrst sygnyfycacion / neyther it also fo­loweth therfore, ergo the carnal or tēporal goodꝭ which be exacted of the heretyke cōdēpned, as punyshemēt or parte of the punysshemēt of his offence: ought to be applied to any bysshop or preest, lykewyse as it doth not also folowe. This man is to be iudged as a coūterfayter of money / ergo he is to be iudged by the coyners excepte it be peraduēture by iudgemēt of y ^• fyrst sygnyfycation, & not of y ^• thyrde that is to wyt by coactyue iudgemēt. Neyther it foloweth also, that the tēporall goodes, whiche are exacted of hym as punysshemēt / ought to be applyed to y ^e vse & behoue of the coyners, or to any company, or synguler persone of them / but he oughte to be iudged with coactyue iudgement, by the gouernoure onely and the gooddes of hym to be applied, accordige to y ^e determynacion of y ^e humayne lawe. ¶ And to the obieccyon groūded vpon y ^• auctorytie of saynt Ambrose, it is to be Se these ob­ieccyōs in the begynnynge of this chapytre. answered & sayd y ^t he vnderstode & meaned, y ^• the heretyke, or the cryme of heresye bolōgeth to the iudgemēt of preestꝭ or bysshoppes / takynge this worde iudgemēt in his fyrst sygnyfacacion, & not in y ^• thyrde / for neuer any bysshop or preest vsed such maner iudgemēt coactyue, of his owne auctoryte, aboute the stake of the prymytyue churche / albeit afterwardes they proceded vnto suche thyngꝭ, by the occa­syon of certayne graūtꝭ made to them by pryncꝭ & gouernours / & therfore who so euer doth cōfydre the very begynnyngꝭ of such thyngꝭ: those thyngꝭ which semen nowe by longe abusyon to be of strēgth, & to haue the face & apparaūce of ryght shall seme to hym but tryflynge phantasyes & dreames / thus then, be it determy­ned of the iudge & iudgement, & the coactyue powre ouer infydels & heretykes.

[Page] ¶ Of certayne sygnes, testymonyes, and examples, aswell of the ca­nonycall as of the seculare scrypture: by whiche it is shewed that to be true which hath ben determyned in y ^e. iiii. the. v. the. viii. y ^e. ix. & y ^e. x. chapytres, of this dyccyon concernynge the state of bysshop­pes & generally of preestes, and why, & wherfore chryste hath seperated the state of them / that is to wyt, the state of pouertie / from the state of prynces or gouernours.
The, xj, chapytre,

FOr asmoch as it hathe ben shewed of vs in the chapytres afore gone, aswell by the auctorytes of the holy scrypture, as by other certayne e­uydent polytycall or cyuyle argumentes, that to no bysshop, or preest or any other clarke, belongeth any iurysdyccyon coactyue of any per­sone in this worlde. Nowe we wyll declare the same by manyfest sygnes & also testymonyes of whiche sygnes this is one & that euydent, for that we do not rede, neyther y ^t chryste, nor any of his apostles, dyd euer, or in any place, instytute any iudge or deputye in theyr stede, for to vse such maner domynion or to execute such maner iudgement: albeit that it semeth lyke to be true, that both he & his apostles neyther were ignoraunte, neyther dyd lytle regarde this whiche is so necessary, a thynge in the societie & cōpanyeng of men one with an other in this worldly lyfe yf they had knowen this thynge to haue ben appertaynynge to theyr offyce, & yf they had ben wyllynge, that it shulde belonge to theyr successours, that is to wyt bysshoppes or preestꝭ: they wold haue gyuen some precepte or els at the leaste some coūsayle, cōcernynge the same / but as touchinge the instytutynge or makynge of spirituall mynystres, bysshops preestꝭ & deacōs: they shewed & taught the forme & maner, howe it shuld be done. And this thynge is knowen suffycyently, to apper tayne vnto theyr offyce: by the sayenge of saynt Paule, in the thyrde chapytre of the fyrst epystle to Timothe & in the fyrst chapytre to Titus & it appereth also e­uydently in very many other places of the scrypture. ¶ And chryst hath seperated & departed the offyce of preestꝭ or bysshops, from y ^e offyce of pryncꝭ & gouernours where as yf he had lyft, he myght haue exercysed y ^e estate of a prynce, & the offyce of a preeste both togyther / & haue ordayned his apostles lykewyse to haue done y ^e same. But he wolde not so do / but rather as a thynge more conuenyent, he (as he hath ordayned al thyngꝭ in the best wyse y ^t myght be) wolde y ^t these offyces shuld be of sondry maners & facyōs / & also to be executed of sondry maner persons / for asmoch as he was come to teach hūblenes & despysynge of this world, as beynge the way wherby we myght obtayne euerlastynge helth. To y ^e entēt therfore that Chryste was the teacher of humblenes & pouertie. he myght teache humylyte & the despysynge of the worlde or of temporall thyngꝭ by his example, before that he taught it by his doctryne: he came in to this world in the most lowe & humble maner to the vtter refusynge of such temporal thyngꝭ / & that because he knewe, that men be nothynge lesse, but moche more taughte by worke or ensāple, then by wordes or preachynge / wherfore Seneca sayth in his. ix. epystle. Loke (sayth he) what ought to be done: & that is to be lerned of y ^• doer. Chryste then wolde be borne in most lowe & vyle maner & pouertie & in the greattest despisynge of the world for to teache vs & practyse y ^e same thyngꝭ by exāple. wherfore it is red in the seconde chapytre of Luke, that the blyssed vyrgyn his mother, wrapped hym in course clothes / and that she layde hym downe in y ^• Mawn­ger. Beholde here, that he was poorely borne in an other mannes house, beholde [Page 77] that he was layde downe in a mawnger or cratche, which was a place for beastꝭ to be fed in. And it is lyke to be true, y ^t he was wrapped in cloutꝭ borowed of another body because Ioseph & the blyssed virgyn were straūgers, & pylgrymes or passengers in y ^t place / & he whiche was thus borne in pouertie lyued also in pouertie, when he was growen in age / wherfore speakynge of his owne pouerte in the viii. of Mathewe, & in the. ix. of Luke: he sayde. The foxes haue dennes / & the byrdes of the ayre haue nestꝭ but the sone of man hath no place, where he maye laye downe his heed. And this state (as beynge the state of pfeccion) after al other pre­ceptes & counsayles duely & accordyngly obserued & fulfylled: he taught them, to electe & chose those, whiche be in wyll & mynde, to be his dyscyples & cheyfe folowers / & namely his successours in y ^t same offyce, which for the exercysynge wherof, he came in to this worlde / wherfore in the. xix. of Mathewe, & in the. x. of Marke what bisshoppes ought to chose. & in the. xviii. of Luke, when a certayne man demaūded a questyon of hym, say­enge in this wyse. Good maystre, what thynge shal I do, to obtayne & get euer­lastynge lyfe? Ihesus answered to hym & sayd, knowest thou the cōmaūdemētꝭ. Thou shalte not kyll, thou shalte do no thefte. &c. he sayde agayne I haue obser­ued & kepte all these, from my youth / when Ihesus had herde y ^t he sayde to hym / yet thou lackest one thynge / or as it is red in Mathewe / yf thou wylte be perfecte go & sell all that thou haste, & gyue it to poore folkes / & thou shalt haue a treasure in heuen. Agayne in the. xiiii. of the same Luke: he sayde to his dysciples / who so­euer of you dothe not renoūce al thyngꝭ, which he possesseth: he can not be my dys­cyple. Lo here, y ^t the state of pouertie, & despysynge of y ^e world, besemeth euery ꝑ­fecte man / namely the dysciple of chryst, & his successour in y ^e pastoral offyce / yea moreouer, this state is in a maner necessary to hym, that ought to coūsayle & ex­horte other vnto the despysynge of y ^• world / yf he do intende & purpose, y ^t any pro­fyte or good shal growe of his teachynge or preachynge / for yf suche maner ꝑsone doth possesse ryches & desyreth domynyōs & soueraygneties, which teacheth other men, vnto whome he speaketh, to despyse these thyngꝭ / that persone verely by his owne workynge & doynge doth manyfestly reproue & rebuke his owne preachīge & wordes / wherfore Chrisostome, agaynst suche preachers, in his boke of the compunccyon of herte / sayth in this wyse. To say, & not to do: is not onely no lucre Chrysostome or aduaūtage, but also very moche losse & hynderaunce / for verely it is a great cō dēpnacion, to hym that ordereth wel & trimeth his speache / but regardeth nothīge his maner of lyuynge. This same also is y ^• mynde of Aristotle, in the fyrst rhapytre of the. x. boke of his etykes / where he sayth thus. For when the wordꝭ be dysa­greynge from y ^e workꝭ of hym y ^t speaketh, whiche workes be sene & perceyuyd by other bodely sences / the sayd workes destroye the trouth / y ^t he whiche ordereth and trīmeth his wordes so well, can not be beleued. And he sayth a lytle after, y ^e wor­des, which be agreynge vnto the workꝭ or dedꝭ, shal be beleued / and therfore chryst whiche knewe, howe all thyngꝭ were to be done most cōuenyently, wyllynge credence to be gyuen vnto his wordes, wherby he taught the cōtempte of the world, & the despysynge & eschewynge of worldly vanyties & carnall pleasures, he counsayled y ^t the workes shulde be cōformable to the wordes or doctryne / wherfore in the. v. of Mathewe he sayth to all, that shulde after wardꝭ be doctours & teachers of such thyngꝭ, in the persone of the apostles / let your lyght, y ^t is to wyt your doc­tryne, whiche is cōpared to lyghte / so shyne before men, y ^t they maye se your good workꝭ, where the glose sayth these wordꝭ. I requyre workꝭ y ^t they may be sene / & so by the reason of them, that your doctryne may be confyrmed & establysshed, for workes be re­quyred in a preeste. els lytle credence is gyuen to the wordes & doctryne / where the workꝭ be not sene / wherfore y ^• glose vpon that texte in the. x. of Mathewe, do not you possesse golde [Page] nor syluer. &c. shewynge y ^• cause hereof: sayth in this wyse / yf they had these thyn­ges, that is to wyt golde & syluer. &c. they myght seme, to preache, not because of soule helthe: but for cause of lucre & aduauntage / for the teachers or pastours of o­ther men possessynge suche thyngꝭ: do rather destroy the fayth & deuocyon of men, with theyr cōtrary workes & exāples: then strength & establesshe them with theyr wordes & doctryne & that because they do set theyr owne workes & dedes many­festly agaynst theyr owne teachynge / of which workꝭ men take hede, rather then of the wordes / & it is greatly to be feared, least at the last throughe the lewde exā ­ples of theyr workes / they do brynge the chrysten people, to the desperacyon of the The euyll lyfe of bys­shoppes. world to come. For such be the exāples & workes in a maner of all the mynysters of the churche, bothe of bysshpps or preestꝭ, & of other clarkes, cōsequently & moste euydently of them which sytteth vpon the greatest trones or chayers of y ^e churche that is to say, whiche be in most hyghe rowmes & auctorytie: that they do seme no Note this well. thynge at all to beleue, that there shall be any iudgement of god done in an other worlde / for let them tel (I beseche them) with what cōscyence towardes god, & yf they do beleue, that there shall be made a ryghtwyse iudgemēt of god in y ^e worl [...] to come: done y ^e most parte of the popes of Rome, & theyr cardynalles, with other preestꝭ or bysshoppes (whiche be made ouerseers, & put in truste, to take charge of soules, & to dystrybute the tēporalles of the churche, to poore folke) & also in a maner The preestes don robbe the poore people. all other deacons & clarkes of euery sorte, accordynge to theyr powre, why do they I say of the thefte or robery of suche tēporall goodes (whiche haue ben ordayned & bequest by deuoute chrysten men, for the sustētacion of the preachers of goddes worde & of theyr poore folke) eyther delyuer whyles they be lyuynge, or els be­queth when they be dyenge, as great sūmes of money as they may, not to y ^• poore and nedy people: but to theyr nere kynsfolke or to other who soeuer they be, rob­bynge (wherof no man doubteth) the poore men of the same goodes. Let them tell also, I requyre them, with what cōscyence accordynge to the chrysten relygyon, That preeste do waste vn­thrystely the goodes of poore men. do they lyuynge tēporally & after a carnal facyon (which for theyr mynystrynge of the gospell, ought to be cōtented with meate, & drynke, & clothes, to couer them with all, after the mynde of the apostle in the last chapytre of the fyrste epystle to Timothe) cōsume & waste the goodes apperteynynge to y ^e poore people in so ma­ny superfluous & vnnecessary thyngꝭ, as horses, seruaūtes, feastes, & bankettꝭ & other vanytes & pleasures / both open & secrete. As for the great incōuenyences & enormytes, whiche be done, cōcernynge the dystrybucyon of ecclesiastical offyces Of benefycꝭ euyl & vnhappely bestow­ed by the clar­gy. & benefycꝭ: I passe ouer here. For very many of those offycꝭ eyther for moch pray­er & intreaty, or for to obtayne the fauour of seculer men beynge ryche or of great powre / or for money whiche is offred (yf it be laufull to speake it) to the dystrybu­ters selues or elles to the mynystres of Symon Magus, for to be intercessours & brokers / ar gyuen to ignoraunte, to sclaunderfull persones / to chyldren / to straū ­gers Symon Magus. vnknowen, to hatefull / & to euydently vnlerned persons after the iudgemēt of the whole cōmen people. Albeit yet, y ^t the apostle in the thyrde chapytre of the fyrst epystle to Timothe, dothe teache that the ecclesiasticall offycers ought to be knowen, as honest & perfecte men both in lyfe or maners: & also in doctryne & ler­nynge / wherfore he sayth in y ^t place. He (y ^t is to wyt, the bysshop or preeste) ought to haue good reporte & testimony, euen of them: which be without the church / how moche more then, of them whiche be within the churche? And a lytle afterwardes in the same chapytre he sayth. The deacons lykewyse ought to be chaste / and let these also be proued and tryed fyrst / and afterwarde let them so mynystre that no man may accuse them / But here some may say cōuenyently, that the most parte of them be well proued as the world knoweth: that is to wyt, howe moch money [Page 78] they be able to gyue / or howe great intreatīge or prayer they be able to make / but because we wyll not take inhande, to nombre or reken vp pertyculerly all the in­conuenyences (which to do, is in a maner impossyble or very harde) we makyng as it were a generall sūme of the actes & workes of preestꝭ, deacōs, & well nyght al other mynystres of the temple: do wytnes here before chryst, callynge vpon ourselues Note this▪ & beare it well awaye. his iudgement & condempnacyon, yf we do make any lye, y ^t the aforesayd bysshoppes, & all other welnere which be nowe a dayes, do worke in a maner the contrary thynges to all those, whiche they do teache vnto other men, for to be ob­serued, accordynge to the doctryne of the gospel / for they be all togyther inflamed with the desyre of pleasures, of vanytyes / of temporall and transytory goodes / & of worldly domynyons and dygnytes / and with all laboure and enforcemēt, not by ryght, but by bothe pryuy and open wronge, they go aboute to purchace and gette suche thynges / and vyolentlye possesseth them / whiche thynges euery one for all that, chryste and the apostles his trewe folowers, both dyd theyrselues despyse: & also taught & cōmaunded other to despyse them / namely & most of al those Preestꝭ shuld be y ^e despisers of worldly thynges. whiche ought to preache the despysynge of worldly thynges vnto other men. For chryste, yf he had wolde, and yf he had sene & perceyuyd it to be expedyent for the preacher: myght haue kepte the estate of a prynce or ruler in this worlde, and haue suffered passyon lykewyse in the same state. But he fledde out of syghte in to the mountayne, to refuse and despyse suche maner state / and to teache, that it is to be despysed / as we haue alledged here to fore in the. iiii. chapytre of this parte, of the. vi. of Iohn̄. For it is not semely nor accordynge for them, whiche teacheth & preacheth the despysynge of suche maner state / to bere the same estate / but rather to beare the state of subiectes, and lowe or vyle persones / whiche maner state, bothe chryste hymselfe & also his apostles kepte, whyles they were in this world. Con­trarywyse, the state of outwarde pouertie, and the lowe or vyle state / is not semely nor cōuenyent for a prynce or gouernour / for suche state is expedyent for hym which state the good subiectes may haue in reuerence, and the euyll subiectꝭ may Pouertye is not settynge or semely for a prynce / but he must nedes be of a ryght hyghe estate, powre, and rychesse. feare and drede / and by whiche estate also, yf nede shall requyre, he may be able to punysshe rebellyons and transgressours of the lawes / whiche thynge he coulde not do conuenyently, yf he had a poore and lowe state / for whiche cause, also the offyce of a preacher is not cōuenyent nor semely for hym. For yf he that is prynce and gouernoure ouer the people, shulde counsayle and exhorte men to the state of pouertie, & to the humble and lowe state, and agayne, that yf a man be strycken on the one cheke, that he shulde holde out the other cheke to the stryker: & also that to hym whiche taketh away our cote, we ought to gyue also our gowne, rather then to go to the lawe, and stryue before a iudge, with hym that hathe wronged vs. Men wolde not lyghtly gyue credence to hym in suche thyngꝭ / for in the state whiche is settynge and semely for hym, and whiche he dothe also beare / he shulde do clene contrary to his owne wordes and teachynge. And besydes this, he shuld also do vnconuenyently and vnaccordynglye / for in asmoche as it apperteyneth to his offyce, to restrayne & hold vnder by punysshement, them y ^t done iniury and wrōge, yet albeit y ^t they do not requyre it which haue suffred the iniury or wrōge yf he shuld preache, y ^t iniuryes be to be forgyuen to y ^e doers of them both he shulde gyue to the euyl men a certayne occasyon of more largely trespassynge or doynge euyll / & also to y ^e ꝑsones offended, & which haue suffred iniury or wrōge: he shulde gyue occasyon to doubte or to mystruste of obtaynīge true iustice: for which cause chryste, which hath ordayned al thīgꝭ alwayes in y ^• best wyse & maner: wold not y ^e offycꝭ of pryncꝭ or gouernours, & of preestꝭ to be ioyned togyther in one ꝑsone / but rather to be deꝑted y ^• one from y ^e other, & to be executed of dyuerse ꝑsons. And [Page] this semeth to be expressely the mynde of saynt Barnarde in the. iiii. chapytre of Bernarde. his seconde boke, which he wrote to Eugenius the pope De consideratiōe / where he sayth thus. Darest thou then whiche arte a lord: vsurpe and take vpon the, the offyce of an apostle? or thou which arte an apostolyque persone: take vnto the do­mynyon or lordshyppe? playnely thou arte forbydden from bothe / yf thou wylte haue bothe togyther at one tyme: thou shalte lose both / for elles: do not suppose or reken that thou arte excepted from the nombre of them, of whome god complay­neth in this wyse. They haue reygned: and not by me: they haue ben prynces and gouernours & I haue not knowen them. To these before rehersed thyngꝭ, beareth wytnesse the decrees or certayne hystoryes of the bysshopps of Rome / for in them The donacy­on of Cōstantyne. is founde wryten a certayne donacion pryuylege (whiche is also approued and alowed of the same) of Constantyne the emperoure of the Romaynes, wherby he graunted to saynt Syluester (as men saye) Iurysdyccyon coactyue, and tempo­rall domynyon That coulde not the empe­rour do iustly or soueraygnete, ouer all churches, and al other preestꝭ or bysshoppes of the worlde. And for asmoche as euery pope of Rome, and with hym also y ^e other congregacyon or company of preestes or bysshoppes, do confesse and knowlege, that graunte to be of valure & strength: consequently they must also graūt, that the same Constantyne had fyrst this iurisdyccyon or powre vpon them. Na­mely seynge that no suche maner iurysdyccyon is knowen to belonge vnto them ouer any clarke or laye man, by the vertue of the wordes of holy scrpture / & this is it, whiche saynt Barnarde sayth expressely to Eugenius, in the boke of consyderacyon Barnarde. and the. iiii. chapytre / for there he sayth thus. This Peter is he which is not knowen to haue come forth at any tyme, eyther adourned with precyous stones / or sylke garmentes / nor couered with gold / nor caryed on a whyte palfray / How lyke ye Barnarde my lordes? nor hauynge a thycke garde of men of warre aboute hym. And thoughe he had none of all these thynges: yet he beleued, that he myght well ynoughe fulfyll that holsome charge whiche, was gyuen to hym, yf thou doest loue me: fede my shepe / for in these seculer pompes and powres, thou arte the successour not of Peter: but The pope is successoure to Cōstātyne & not to Peter. of Constantyne. Thus then to conclude, the offyce of prynces or gouernours is none offyce semely nor mete for preestꝭ, in that it is suche one / nor contrary wyse the offyce of a preeste semely for prynces. Of y ^e dyfference of which let this which we haue rehersed, be suffycyent at this tyme.

¶ Of the dystynccion, of certayne wordes, very necessarye for the determynacyon of the questyons, aboute the state of most hyghe and perfyte pouertie.
The, xij, chapytre,

HOwe then after that we haue thus syngularely and specyally she­wed, that chryst & his apostles whyles they were cōuersaunte here in this worlde dyd teache and kepe the state of pouertye and humy­lyte, & that this also is to be holden as sure & vndoubted of chrysten men, that euery doctryne or counsayle of chryste and his apostles, is somwhat merytoryous of euerlastynge lyfe: it semeth conuenyent to make in­quysycyon of theyr pouertye, what maner one, and howe great it was / that they maye haue knowlege therof: whiche whyles they be here in this present lyfe, are mynded and wyllynge to folowe them in the same pouertie. Takynge therfore this inquysycyon in hande, we shall fyrste tell and declare, what pouerte is / and [Page 79] how many maner wayes one maye be sayd to be poore / and also how many maner wayes one may be sayde to be ryche / for these two, that is to wyt to be ryche, and to be poore, seme to dyfferre the one from the other / somtyme as Habitus & priuatio / that is to say as a qualyte dyffereth from the lacke of itselfe (as lyght dyffereth from darkenes, which is nothynge els but lacke or wante of lyght) and somtyme they seme to dyffre as contrary qualyties. That done: we shall deuyde eyther of these nownes in to theyr sygnyfycacions / and shal afterwardes put to, the descrypcyons of the same / that it maye appere to vs, whether there be any pouertie meritoryous / and whether amonge the dyuerse maners of pouerte, there be any ordre of perfeccion of the one to the other / and whiche is the cheyfe & hyghest of all other maners of pouertie. And for asmoche as all men calleth them ryche, Ryche. whiche haue laufully or of ryghte, powre, domynyon, or possession of temporall thyngꝭ (which they cal ryches) eyther seuerally or in cōmen, or both wayes: & they do call hym a poore man, which is without such maner goodes: least by reason of Poore. the dyuerse vse of certayne of the sayd nownes, which we shall haue nede to vse to our purpose, the sentence, which we entende to declare, myght be ambygnouse and doubtfull: we shall fyrst shew the dyuerse sygnyfycacions or maners wher in the sayd wordes may be taken. And the nownes or names wherof we do meane, be these. Ius, dominium, possessio, propri [...]m, coē, diues, et pauper. And fyrste we wyll begynne, to shewe the dyuerse sygnyfycaciōs of this worde Ius / for we shall nede them in the assygnacyons and dyuysyons of the other wordes, but not Ius / Ryght. contrary wyse we shall not nede the other wordes in the declaracyon of the syg­nyfycacions of this worde Ius. This worde Ius therfore in one sygnyfycacion betokeneth the lawe, as this worde lawe is taken in his thyrde and last sygnyfy­cacion, wherof we made mencion in the. x. chapytre of the fyrst parte of this boke and this lawe is deuyded in to two membres or partes, that is to wyt, the law of man / and the lawe of god / whiche also, as touchynge to a certayne tyme, & after a certayne maner may be called a lawe after the thyrde sygnyficacion, as it was sayde in the chapytre before alledged and of the nature and qualyte of these two lowes, and of the agrement & also of the dyfference of them: we haue spoken suf­fyciently, in the. viii. and. ix. chapytres of this dyccion. Of the whiche chapytres thus moch we wyll reherse nowe agayne for our purpose / fyrst that the agremēt of them is in that, that eyther of those lawes is a precepte, or prohybycion or a permyssyon of the dedes or workes, whiche be apte to set in ordre and rule the cō ­maundement The dyfferē ­ce of the lawe of god & the lawe of man of the mynde of man / but they do dyfferre in this, for that the fyrste of the two, that is to wyt the lawe of man / dothe punysshe the transgressours of it, in this worlde / and the seconde that is to wyt the lawe of god dothe not so, but onely in the world to come. And this worde precept is sayd two maner of wayes one way actyuely, that is to wyt, of the acte or dede of hym that cōmaundeth, after whiche maner we be wonte to saye, that the wyll of any one that hath powre to cōmaunde, beynge expressed is a precepte or cōmaūdement / as the wyll & pleasure of a kynge or any other gouernoure, when it is expressed or vttered, is called the kynges or gouernours precepte. An other maner waye, the thynge, whiche is wylled to be done by the acte of the cōmaunder: is called a precepte / and after this maner we be wonte to say that the seruaunte hathe fulfylled or done the precepte of his maystre / not meanynge that the seruaunte hath done the acte or worke of the lorde or mayster, which acte is to byd or cōmaūde: but meanynge that the ser­uaunte hath done the thynge, which the maystre by his acte, that is to wyt by his byddynge or gyuynge cōmaundemēt, wylled to be done / and therfore as ofte as this nowne precepte is referred to the cōmaunder: it is alone to say, as gyuynge [Page] of cōmaundement, whiche is the worke or operacyon of hym that cōmaundeth / but as ofte as it is referred to y ^• subiecte: it is all one with the thynge that is wyl­led to be done by the gyuynge of a cōmaūdement, and that it is sayde passyuely. This nowne precepte then taken actyuely and cōmenlye: is sayde of the ordy­naunce or statute of a prynce or gouernour, aswell an affyrmatyue as negatyue statute, byndynge the transgressour to some payne or punysshement / but proper­ly, and after the vsage of this worde nowe a dayes: it is taken onely for a statute affyrmatyue / for an affyrmatyue statute hath not any propre name belongyng to it selfe after the vse: but hathe kepte to it selfe the cōmen name precepte. But a statute negatyue hathe a propre name belongynge seuerally to it selfe. For it is called a prohybycion. And I call y ^t an affyrmatyue statute, wherby any thynge is ordayned to be done. And I call that a negatyue statute, wherby it is orday­ned, some thynge not to be done / and yf suche maner ordynaunce or statute be af­fyrmatyue, byndynge the transgressour therof vnto payne or punyshement it is called a precepte. But yf it be a negatyue ordynaunce, & also byndynge the transgourssours Precepte. Prohybycion vnto any payne: it is called a prohybycion. And this worde prohybicion is sayde two maner of wayes actyuely and passyuely, euen lykewyse as the worde precepte / and these two ordynacyons byndynge the transgressoure vnto some payne, are for the moste parte expressed in the lawes, eyther accordynge to theyr owne kynde, or elles after a lyke or proporcyonale kynde. An other maner Precept how it is taken in the lawe of god. waye, this nowne precepte is taken more straytly or narowly in the lawe of god and lykewyse this worde prohybyted, for that statute onely whether it be affyr­matyue or negatyue, whiche byndeth to eternall payne / and after this maner, the deuynes vsen these wordes, when they do saye, that the preceptes be of the necessyte of helthe & saluacyon, that is to saye, nedely to be obserued, yf any man ought to be saued / wherfore it is red in the. xviii. of Luke / yf thou wylte entre in to lyfe: kepe the cōmaundementes / that is to saye preceptes. And there be certayne ordy­naūces expressed or vnderstanden onely, in the lawes, but affyrmatyue and also negatyue eyther aboute one and the same acte, or aboute dyuers and sondrye ac­tes / which done not bynde the doer, or els hym that leueth it vndone to any payne or punysshemente as to exercyse or to not exercyse the worke of lyberalytye, and so lykewyse of certayne other workes / and suche be properly called thynges per­mytted by the lawe. Albeit that this worde Permissum taken cōmenly or gene­rally / is Permission sayde otherwhyles of statutes byndynge to payne / for euery thynge that is cōmaunded by the lawe for to be done: y ^e same thynge is also permytted by the lawe to be done / but not contrary wyse, euery thynge is cōmaunded: whiche is permytted. So lykewyse what soeuer is prohybyted or forbeden by the lawe for to be done: the same thynge is also permytted by the lawe not to be donè. A­gayne of these thynges whiche be properly permytted, that is to say, whiche byn­deth not to any payne: some be merytoryous accordynge to the lawe of god, and these be called coūsayles / and certayne be not merytoryous / and these be called by Counsayles. the cōmune name, permyssyons or thynges permytted / whiche wordes also so taken, that is to saye generally, and also specyally or properly: are sayd two maner wayes, that is to wyt actyuely and passyuely / lykewyse as the wordes prohyby­cyon and precepte or cōmaundement. But these permyssyons for the moste parte be not expressed accordynge to theyr propre nature and kynde in the lawes / na­mely in the lawes of men / for cause of the great multytude of them, and also be­cause the generall ordynaunce of them is suffycient in this, for euery thynge that is not cōmaunded or prohybyted by the lawe, is vnderstanden to be permytted by the ordynaūce of the lawe maker or prynce. A precepte therfore accordynge to the Precepte. [Page 80] lawe, in his propre sygnyfycacion, is an affyrmatyue statute byndynge the trāsgressour of it to payne or punysshemēt. And a prohibycion, pperly is a negatyue Prohybycion Permyssyon statute byndynge to payne or punysshement. And a permyssyon ꝓperly is the or denaūce or statute of the law maker byndynge no man to payne / after which propre sygnyfycacions we must vse these sayd nownes. And of these thyngꝭ thus declared it may cōuenyently appere, what this worde Licitum in englysshe laufull Laufull. doth sygnyfye, & what we do meane by it / for euery thynge, which is done accor­dynge to y ^e precepte or permyssyon of the law: is laufully done, & is a lauful dede & what soeuer thynge is lefte vndone accordynge to the prohybycion or permyssy on of the lawe: is laufully lefte vndone, & maye be called laufull / but the cōtrary of these may be called vnlaufully done, or vnlawfully lefte vndone / hereof also it Unlaufull. Phas. may appere to vs, what this worde Phas betokeneth. For in one sygnyfycacion this worde phas / & this worde Licitum ar alone so y ^t what soeuer is phas: y ^e same is licitum / & what soeuer is licitum: y ^e same is phas / & so it may be englysshed laufully. In an other sygnyfycacion this nowne phas betokeneth y ^t thyng which it is reasonably presumed, that the maker of the lawe or prynce hath permytted: al­beit that suche a thynge be absolutely or tegulerly prohybyted, as otherwhyles to passe throughe an other mans groūde / or to handle an other mans thynge, with out the expresse consente of the owner it is phas / albeit y ^t it is not called ryght or laufull regulerly after any of the wayes & maners of these wordes afore rehersed for the handelynge of an other mans thynge is regulerly prohybyted / but yet in such a case or chaunce it is phas in which it is reasonably presumed, y ^t the owner or lorde of the thynge dothe cōsent, all thoughe he dothe not graunt it▪ expressely / for whiche consyderacion or cause, there is nede other whyles in suche thyngꝭ of fauorable interpretacyon of the lawe, which of the Grekes is called Epikeia / thus then this nowne Ius after one sygnyfycacyon, is asmoche to say, as the lawe of Ius. god or the lawe of man / or els a precepte, or a prohybycion or a permyssyon accordynge to these lawes. But there is a certayne other dyuysion of this nowne Ius & specyally of Ius humanum, that is mans lawe: in to Ius naturale, that is y ^• Iusnaturale lawe of nature, & Ius ciuile, that is the cyuyle lawe. The lawe of nature after y ^e mynde of arystotle in the. iiii. boke of his etykes, in the treatyse of Iustyce: is cal­led that statute of the lawe maker, in whiche, as beynge honest & to be obserued, in a maner all men do consente and agre togyther / as that god is to be honoured: that our parentꝭ are to be worshypped & had in reuerēce / that the father & mother shulde norysshe and brynge vp theyr chyldren vntyll a certayne season / that we ought to do wronge to no man / that we may lawfully put backe iniuryes from vs and other lyke thynges, whiche all thoughe they do hange of the instytucyon of man / transumptyuely they be called Iura naturalia. i. naturall lawes / foras­moche as all nacyons after one maner and facyon don beleue these thynges to be laufull / and the contraryes of them to be vnlaufull / lykewyse as the opera­ciōs of natural thyngꝭ, which yet haue no reason, wyll, or purpose: ben wroughte conformably & after one facyon in allnacions / as for example, the fyre worketh his operacyon y ^t is to say, brynneth here: euen so as yet dothe in all other nacyōs. ¶ Howbeit there be certayne men, whiche call the lawe of nature, the iudgement of ryght reason, concernynge thyngꝭ that may be wrought or done / whiche they make a parte contayned vnder goddes lawe / for because euery thynge y ^t is done accordynge to the lawe of god, & accordynge to the coūsayle & iudgemēt of ryght reason: is vtterly laufull without any excepcyon. But yet not euery thynge that is done accordynge to y ^e lawes of man / for these lawes in some poyntes sweruen & croken from ryght reason / but this worde natural both here, & also before, hath [Page] dyuerse sygnyfycaciōs for there be many thyngꝭ accordynge to y ^e counsayle & iudgemēt of ryght reason, which be not graūted of all nacyōs as honest thyngꝭ. As for exāple, such thyngꝭ which be not euydently knowen of all nacyōs / & therfore consequently are not graunted of all nacyons as honest. So also accordynge to the lawe of god certayne thynges be cōmaunded, prohybyted, or ꝑmytted, which in this poynte be cōformable to the lawe of man / which thyng because it is kno­wen to be so in many thyngꝭ: I haue lefte out here exāples, for the more spede & breuenes of our processe. And hereof also it cōmeth to passe, that certayne thyngꝭ ben laufull after the lawe of man: whiche be not laufull after the lawe of god / & backewarde agayne, many thyngꝭ laufull accordynge to the lawe of god: which be not laufull accordynge to the lawe of man. Howbeit for all y ^t, lauful & vnlauful at to be taken hede of, & iudged aft (er) the law of god, rather then after y ^e lawe of man, in such prceptꝭ, ꝓhibiciōs or ꝑmyssyōs, wherin these. ii. lawes don dysagre the one from the other. But this worde Ius / ryght in his seconde sygnyfycacion: What this worde Ius doth betoken is sayd of euery humayne acte powre, or qualyte acquisyte, cōmaūded, interyour or exteriour, aswel inwarde & abydynge within our selfe, as outward & goynge from vs in to some exteryoure thynge, or in to somwhat of the thynge (that is to wyt to the vse, or the takynge of profite of y ^e thynge, or the gettynge, or holdynge or the cōseruacyon or chaūgynge of the thynge or other lyke) conformably to the lawe, whiche we do call Ius, takynge this worde in the former sygnyfycacion laste before this rehersed. Nowe what is Vsus rei, or vsus fructus rei, with other laufull handlyngꝭ of a thynge by ryght: let it be supposed to be knowen of the cy­uyle lawe, at this present tyme. After this sygnyfycacion we be wonte to saye, that it is the ryght of any man, when he wylleth or desyreth any thynge, or elles handleth or occupyeth any thynge, cōformable to Ius takynge this worde in his fyrst sygnyfycacion afore rehersed that is to saye conformable to the lawe / wher­fore such maner of handlynge or occupyenge of a thynge, or suche maner wyll is called ryght or lawe / because it is cōformable to y ^e lawe, in that which it cōmaū ­deth prohybyteth or permytteth. Lykewyse as the pyller is called the ryght or the lefte pyller: when it is cituate or set in place, that is nerer to the ryght or the lefte syde of the sencyble creature. Then Ius in his secōde sygnyficacion, is nothynge elles but a thynge wylled by the actyue cōmaundemēt, prohybycion, or ꝑmyssy­on, of the law maker, or prynce which we haue sayde here tofore to be a precepte, or a prohybycion or permyssyon passyuely. And this is it also: which we called a fore Licitum, y ^t is to wyt laufull. Agayne this latyn nowne Ius, in englysshe, ryght, sygnyfyeth & betokeneth the sentence of them, that iudge accordynge to the Ius. lawe or theyr iudgementꝭ, accordynge to Ius, taken in his fyrst sygnyfycacion. And after this sygnyfycacion of this worde, we are wonte to say, y ^t the iudge or prynce hath done ryght to any man, whan by his sentēce, accordynge to the law he hath outher cōdēpned, or delyuered hym, & set hym quyete. And also this now­ne Ius in englysshe ryght, is of the acte or qualytie of perticulare iustyce / & after this sygnyfycacyon we are wonte to say, in our cōmen talkynge that he wyl the ryght, & that, that is iuste, which desyreth outher equalytie or proporcionalytie, y ^• is to saye outher euen or lyke: in makynge of exchaunges and dystrybuciones.

¶ Here it is conuenyent cōsequently to shewe the dyuerse sygnyfycacions of this What domy­nyon is? 1 worde Dominion / which in englysshe is as moch to say as lordshyp. This worde Domynyon taken straytly & specyally: in one sygnyficacion, betokeneth a pryncypall powre & auctoryte to chalenge & clayme y ^t, that is optayned by the law or by ryght takynge this worde ryght in his fyrst sygnyficacion. I meane y ^e powre of hym, that knoweth & dysagreueth not in this, and wylleth also, that it shal be [Page 81] laufull for no other man to hādle, or occupye that thynge without the expresse cō sente of hym, that is to wyt of the lorde & owner, as longe as he is lorde & owner of it. And this powre is nothynge els, but an actuall or an habituall wyll, so to haue the thynge gotten by ryght or lawe, as we haue sayd / which truely is called the ryght of any man: because it is conformable to lawe or ryghte / takynge this worde ryght in his fyrst sygnyfycacion, after whiche maner, we sayd the pyller, to be called the ryght or the left pyller, whan it shall be truely cōpared (touchynge nerenesse) vnto the ryght or lefte partꝭ of a man, or of any other sensyble creature.

¶ Agayne this nowne Domynion is sayd more generally of the powre afore re­hersed, 2 whether y ^t powre shall be vpon the thynge onely, or els onely vpon the vse or takynge the frute or profyte cōmynge of the vsage or occupyenge of y ^• thynge, or els vpon all these thyngꝭ togyther. ¶ Agayne this nowne Domynion is also 3 sayd of the aforesayd powre, belongynge to any man, but yet not knowynge or cōsentynge, neyther expressely dysagreynge or renouncynge. And after this ma­ner, a thynge, or somwhat belongynge to a thynge, may be gotten to an infaūte & to one that is absente, or to any other persone beynge ignoraūte (but yet beyng apte to receyue it) with the domynion also or powre to chalenge the sayd thynge, from hym that taketh it away / & to demaunde & make clayme to the same afore a iudge: outher by hymselfe, or by an other in his stede / and we sayd here, not dyssē ­tynge or renouncynge expressely: for because to hym that doth expressely disagre renounce, or forsake any thynge, or the vsage, or profyte of y ^• thynge / such thyngꝭ can not be gotten or recouered, neyther domynion or powre to chalenge them. For any maner man may, yf he lyste lawfully renounce the ryght or lawe, broughte in for hym, after the lawes of man / neyther any man after any lawe is cōpelled to receyue the benefyte of the lawe agaynst his wyl. And these domyniōs, wher­of we haue nowe spoken / are legale domynions & that because they are gotten or maye be gotten be the ordynaunce of the lawe. what possession is. 1

¶ Nowe consequently the sygnyfycacions of this worde, possessio, are to be she­wed & declared. Whiche worde Possessyon, taken largely betokeneth one way the same, that this word domynion betokeneth, in his fyrst, seconde, or thyrde sygnyfycacion, Or els it betokeneth any tēporall thynge, in cōparyson to hym y ^t hath it, or els is wyllynge to haue it, after such wyse & maner, as hath ben sayde in the two fyrst sygnyfycacions of this worde domynion / wherfore it is red in the. xiii. chapytre of Genesis. And he was very tyche in possessyon of golde & syluer / and in the. xvii. of the same boke / I shall gyue to the and to thy sede or ofsprynge / the lande of Canaan in to eternall possessyon. ¶ An other maner waye, & not so lat­gely, 2 this worde possessyon is sayd of the aforesayde domynion, with actuall, bo­dely contractacyon, handlynge or occupyenge, outher presente or elles paste, of a thynge, or of the vse, or of the frute or profyte that cōmeth of it / after whiche ma­ner, this worde possessyon, is very moche vsed in the cyuyle lawe. ¶ Agayne this 3 nowne possessyon, is sayd of the laufull bodely cōtraccyon, handlynge & occupyenge of a thynge beynge his owne, or els belongynge to an other man / wherfore in the. iiii. chapytre in the actes of the apostles it is wryten. ¶ Agayne this word 4 possessyon, though vnproperly, is sayd of the vnlauful withholdynge of a thyng outher in this presente tyme, or in tyme paste / outher by hymselfe, or by an other man, corporally handlyd or occupyed. ¶ Now it foloweth consequently to shewe the dyuerse sygnyfycacions of these nownes Propre, and Cōmune. Propre. 1

¶ This worde propre or property, in one sygnyfycacion & maner: is sayd of Do­mynion / as this word domynion is taken in his fyrst sygnyfycacion / & after this maner this worde propre is vsed in the cyuyle lawe. ¶ Agayne takynge it more 2 [Page] largely: it is sayd of domynion, both after the fyrst, & also after the seconde sygnyfycacion of this worde domynyon. And after this maner: it is vsed amonge deuynes, 3 and also very often tymes in holy scrypture. ¶ Agayne this worde nowne Prope or properte is sayde amonge deuynes, of the syngularyte of a person, or a thynge belongynge onely to one person by hym selfe & not with an other / for so do they take this worde propre, makynge it cōtrary to this worde cōmune: which do moue this questyon, whether it be more merytoryous as touchynge to eternal lyfe, for to haue temporall goodes in propre, that is to wyt seuerally to hym selfe than to haue the same thynges with one or mo other in cōmune. ¶ Agayne this 4 nowne propre or propertye, is sayd of an accydent or qualyte beynge in ony sub­iecte / & in this sygnyfycacion phylosophers vse this name / but yet moste cōmunelye for that qualyte whiche can not be deperted from his subiecte / nor the subiecte from it.

¶ And this nowne Cōmune as touchynge to our purpose at this tyme: is taken Cōmune. cōtraryly to the two last rehersed sygnyfycacions of this worde propre. Nowe it resteth or remayneth to shewe how many maner wayes these nownes Ryche & Pore / ar takē & vsed. ¶ This nowne ryche most cōmunely: is sayd of hym, which who is called ryche. hath to hym selfe superhabundaūce or superfluyte of tēporal thyngꝭ (which they do call ryches) for all maner tyme, both present & to come & that laufully. ¶ Another 1 maner waye he is called a ryche man, whiche hath lawfully vnto hym selfe 2 the foresayd thynges, onely in a suffycyent quantyte, both for the tyme present & the tyme to come. Yet agayn this nowne ryche, is sayd two maner wayes & more properly. ¶ Fyrst of hym that hath the thynges aforesayde superhabundantlye & 3 more than suffycientlye, or is wyllynge also to haue the sayd thyngꝭ in suche maner & facyon. ¶ An other waye it is sayd of hym, that hath the thyngꝭ nowe sayd 4 and rehersed onely suffyciently, as it was sayde in the seconde sygnyfycacion of this worde: or of hym that is wyllynge to haue them after such suffycient maner. ¶ And this nowne poore in his two fyrste sygnyfycacions dyffereth from these Poore. signyficaciōs of this worde ryche as a pryuacion differeth from his habite. ¶ For one waye, he is called poore, whiche wanteth onelye superhabundaunce & super­fluite 1 of goodes, althoughe he haue suffycyentlye. ¶ But an other waye he is called 2 poore whiche hathe not togyther at one tyme, suffycient thyngꝭ for euery maner tyme, y ^t is to wyt bothe presente & also for to come. ¶ But the thyrde waye he 3 is called poore whiche of his fre wyl without cōpulcion: is wyllynge to be berefte of superabundaūce or superfluite of goodes for euery maner tyme / and after this maner or sygnyfycacion: this worde pore dyffereth from this worde ryche, as one cōtrarye from an other contrarye. ¶ And the. iiii. way he is called poore, which is 4 not wyllynge to haue togyther at one tyme so moche as is suffycyent for euerye maner tyme bothe present & also to come / but otherwhyles wyll of his owne fre wyll lacke or wante them. Wherfore not euery sygnyfycacion of this worde pore and pouertye, is dyfferynge or contrarye to euery sygnyfycacyon of this worde ryche: indyfferentlye. And here we ought not to ouerhyppe, that of those whiche be wyllynge poore: some there be whiche forsake temporall thynges for an honest ende, and in a conuenyent maner. And other some seme to refuse and forsake suche thynges not for a good intente: but for vayne glorye / or elles for to do some other worldly dysceyte or gyle. Here also it is to benoted & marked besydes these aforesayd thynges, that of temporal thynges whiche they do call ryches / there are certayne of them, whiche are apte to be consumed or spente with onely one acte or ones vsynge of them / as meates / drynkes / medycynes / and suche other thynges / and certayne other thynges there be: whiche abyde, contynue, and are apte to ser­ue, [Page 82] to moo vses than one, or oftener than ones / as a felde / a house / an axe / a gar­ment / an horse / or a seruaunte.

¶ Of the deuysyon of the offyce of preestes, that is to say preesthode by essencyall, and accydentall auctoryte / by seperable & in se­perable auctoryte, And that, in the essencyall dygnyte a preeste is not inferyor to a bysshop / but onely in auctoryte accydentall.
The, xv, chapytre,

THe pryncypall and īmedyate effectyue cause or maker of preesthode, is god, but yet certayne mynysterye of man goynge before. The be­gynnynge The instytu­cion of preestꝭ wherof in the newe lawe: was of chryste. For he whiche was very god & man, in that he was a man & a humayne preeste: he dyd exhybite that mynistery whiche the preestes folowynge hym do now exhibite. But in that he was god: he dyd institute: and make them preestes. And so fyrst of all he instytuted the apostles, & his īmedyate & nexte successours / and then cōsequently all other preestꝭ / but yet by the mynystery of the apostles / & of other succedynge them in this offyce. For when the apostles & other preestꝭ laye on theyr handes vpon other men, & do also speake the wordes & forme dewe ther­unto. Chryst in that he is god doth make & admytte them and gyue them powre. And this ordre of preesthode is a powre or auctoryte, by whiche a preeste may cō ­secrate of brede & wyne, the blyssed body and blode of chryste, with the pronoun­cynge of certayne wordes / & also may mynystre other sacramentꝭ of the churche / by whiche also he may bynde & louse men from synnes. And this powre the apostles receyued, after the mynde and opynyon of certayne doctours, whan chryste sayd to them y ^t whiche is wryten in the. xxvi. of Mathewe / in the. xiiii. of Marke and in the. xxii. of Luke. But because the ordre therof appereth more perfytely in Luke: we wyl alledge the texte as it is had there in this wyse. After he had taken brede in to his handes / he (that is to wyt chryste) gaue thankes, & brake it, & gaue At what ty­me y ^e apostles dyd receyue y ^e powre of preesthode. it to them (that is to saye to the apostles) sayenge. This is my body, whiche is gyuen for you / do this vnto the remēbraunce of me / do this that is to saye, haue you powre to do this. But certayne other men haue thought, that this auctorite, was gyuen to the apostles by that, which is wryten in y ^e. xx. chapytre of Iohn̄, whan chryste sayd to them. Receyue you or take you the holy ghost. And whose synnes you shall forgyue: the same are forgyuen to them / and whose synnes you shall re­tayne: they at retayned. Some other agayne, say, that this powre was gyuen to Tibi dabo clauos. them by that which is wryten in the. xvi. of Mathewe, whan chryst sayd to them in the persone of Peter. To the I shall gyue the keyes of y ^e kyngdome of heuens &c. or els by that, whiche was sayd to them of chryste in the. xviii. chapytre of the same euangelyst / verely I saye to you what soeuer thyngꝭ you shall bynde vpon erthe: they shal be boūde also in heuen / & what soeuer thyngꝭ you shall louse vpon Two pow­ers or auctorite belōgyngeties preesthod erthe: they shall be loused also in heuen. And other some agayne say, y ^t they are. ii. sōdry powres or auctoryties belōgynge to preesthode. The one wherby they may consecrate the sacrament of the aulter. And the other, wherby they may bynde or [Page] louse men from theyr synnes / whiche they say to haue ben gyuen to the apostles, at dyuerse and sondrye tymes, & also by dyuerse & sondry wordes of chryste / Now which of these sayde opiniones is most lyke to be trewe: it skylleth not to this pre­sent purpose / for how soeuer, or whā soeuer y ^t istitucion of this office was done or made vpon the apostles, this is vndoubted, that this powre or auctorite was gyuen to them by chryste / and that so also it is gyuen by the aforesayd mynystery of the apostles and theyr successours / vnto other men, whiche are taken vnto this of fyce / wherfore in the. iiii. chapytre in the fyrste epystle to Timothe, it is sayde / do not thou despyse or set lyght by the gyfte or grace, that is in the, whiche is gyuen to the by prophycie, by the preestꝭ layenge one of his handes vpon the. And in the same maner wyse, the deacons receyue a certayne powre belongynge vnto them: by the preestes puttynge one of his handes vpon them / of the whiche deacons it is wrytten in the syxte chapytre of the actes. They dyd set these men (that is to wyt those whiche shulde be made deacons) afore the syghte of the apostles, & they ma­kynge theyr prayers put there handes vpon them.

¶ This powre of preesthode, whether it be one alone, or els mo than one, whiche The auctoryte essencial or inseperable. we haue sayd to be the powre and auctorite of makynge the sacrament of the aultare, or of the body & blode of chryste, & the powre of byndynge & lousynge men from synnes, & which from henceforth we shall call the auctoryte essenciall, or the auctoryte inseperable from a preeste, in that he is a preeste, this auctoryte (I say) all preestꝭ (as me thynketh of very lykelyhode to be true) haue all one in kynde / neyther the bysshop of Rome, or any other bysshop hath this auctoryte any whyt more largely / than any other hath who euer he be, beynge called a symple or pry­uate preest. For in this auctoryte, whether it be one, or els mo than one: a bysshop dyffereth nothynge from a preeste / as saynt Iherome wytnesseth / or rather the apostle, whose playne & open sentence this is, as it shall euydentlye appere hereaf­ter / for thus saythe saynt Iherome vpon the texte in the. xvi. of Mathewe. And Iherome. Tibidabo claues. what soeuer thynge thou shalte bynde vpon erthe. &c. The other apostles truelye haue the same iudiciarie powre (vnderstande, whiche Peter had) to whome chryst sayd after his resurreccyon / receyue you the holy ghost / whose synnes you shal for­gyue they are forgyuen to them. &c. Euery churche also hath the same powre in Marke this terme, Euery church, & how y ^t euery preest hath as moch powre in byndyng and lousynge as the pope. preestꝭ & bysshoppes / & here Iherome setteth preestꝭ afore bysshops in this poynte / for this auctoryte is duely belongynge to a preeste, in that he is a preeste, fyrste & pryncypally, or essencially / and as touchynge to the powre of makynge the sacrament of the aultare. No man dothe stryue or saye agaynst it, but that any other preeste hath egall powre, with the pope of Rome. And therfore it is to be meruayled, wherfore some men do stryue styffely and frowardly affyrmynge, but yet no thynge reasonablye: that the pope of Rome hathe more large powre of the keyes, gyuen to hym of chryste: than hathe other preestꝭ / seynge that this can not be pro­ued by the holy scrypture, but rather the contrarye. For whiche thynges more euydently to be sene & perceyued: you ought to vnderstande & knowe, that these two wordes presbiter, & episcopus / that is to saye preeste or senyoure, & bysshop, were both of one sygnyfycacion, & betokened alone thynge, in y ^e prymatyue church / albeit that they were put to sygnyfy one thynge of dyuers propertyes / for presbiter was a name gyuen to them of age, whiche is as moche to saye, as a seniour or el­der. And Episcopus was a name gyuen of cure or charge vpon other / & is as mo­che to say, as an ouerloker / wherfore saynt Iherom in a certayne epystle to Euā dre preest, whiche epystle is wryten to be intytled, howe a preeste & a deacon doth dyffer: sayth thus. Presbiter & Episcopus / the one is a name of age: the other of Presbiter. Episcopus. dygnyte / wherfore also to Titus & to Timotheus, mencyon is made of the ordy­nacion [Page 83] of a bysshop or ouerseer & of a deacon, but of senyours or preestꝭ no worde at all is spoken / for in this worde Episcopus: presbiter is cōtayned. This also appereth The same is a preest which is a bysshop / that is to say bysshoppe or preeste are all one. manyfestly by the apostle, in the fyrst chapitre to the Philippianes, whan he sayd. To al y ^e sayntꝭ or holy men, in chryste Iesu: which are in Philippe, with the bysshops & deacons. To here, that he nameth the preestꝭ none otherwyse than bysshops or ouerseers / for this is vndoubted, there was not otherwyse many bys­shops in one cytie: but because there were many preestꝭ. The same thynge agayn is euydentlye shewed, by the same Paule in the fyrst chapytre to Titus, whan he sayd. For this cause I lefte the behynde me at Creta: that thou shuldest furnysshe Candy. vp suche thyngꝭ, as are lackynge or wantynge / & that thou shuldest ordayne and make preestꝭ or senyours by the cyties, so as I haue ordayned & appoynted to the. Yf any man be fautles. &c. and by & by after appoyntynge & shewynge the qualytes belōgyng to them that shulde be made preestꝭ: he sayth / for a bysshop ought to be without faulte as beynge the dispēsatour or mynystre of god. &c. Lo here, that he called hym which was to be made preeste: nothynge els but a bysshop. The sa­me Paule in the. xx. chapytre of the actes, speakynge to the preestꝭ of one churche that is to say of Ephesus: sayth in this wyse. Take hede to your selfe, & to y ^e hole flocke, in whiche the holy ghost hath set you bysshops or ouerseers, to gouerne the churche of god, whiche he hath redemed with his owne blode. Lo here that in the churche of one cytie, that is to wyt of Ephesus, the apostle spake to many as to bysshoppes or ouerlokers / which was not, but for that there were many preestes / whiche all were called bysshops or ouerlokers: because they ought to ouerloke the people. How beit afterwardes in the churche folowynge, he onely was called bysshop or ouerseer: which by the other preestes, & the people, was instytuted & made cheyfe or hyghest of all y ^• preestꝭ, of that cytie or place. And the apostle called them Wherfore Paulecalleth preestes bys­shops or ouer seers. rather bysshops or ouerseers, than preestꝭ or senyours / because he wolde call vnto theyr remēbraūce, the care & busynes or dylygent ouerlokynge, which they ought to haue, of the other chrysten people. He called hymselfe a preeste or senyour, & not a bysshop or ouerloker / because of humilite & mekenes / as it appereth of the texte afore brought in, of y ^e. iiii. chapytre of the fyrst epystle to Timothe, whan he sayd Do not despyse or set lyght of the grace or gyfte, whiche is in the. &c. So also Peter & Iohn̄ called them selues senyours / for this name was gyuen of age / wher­fore in y ^e. v. chapytre of the fyrst epystle of Peter / it is wryten. Therfore I beseche the senyours whiche are amonge you, beynge my selfe a senyour with them, and a wytnesser of the passyons & afflyccyōs of chryste. &c. And in the fyrste chapytre of the seconde epystle of Iohn̄, it is wryten. The senyour, to the chosen lady & to hersones. &c. And in the fyrst chapytre of the thyrd epystle of the same Iohn̄. The senyour to the most derely beloued Caius. &c. But where the cōmune texte of the canone, or holy scrypture, hath these wordes senior or cōsenior / saynt Iherome in the epystle aforesayd, hath euery where presbiter or conpresbiter. For the apostles vsed these wordes / as beynge all of one sygnyfycacyon. But after the tymes of Whan bys­shops or pre­latꝭ were first instytuted and why. the apostles, the nombre of preestes beynge notablye augmented and increased, to auoyde sclaundre and occasyon of offendynge any man, and to auoyde scisme and dyuysyon / the preestes chose one amonge them selues, whiche shulde dyrecte and ordre the other, as touchynge to thee xercysynge of the ecclesiasticall offyce, or seruyce, and the dystrybutynge of the oblacyons, & the dysposynge & orderynge of other thyngꝭ in the most conuenyent maner / lyste yf euery man myght do this thynge after his owne pleasure, and as he left hym selfe / the good ordre & seruyce of the churches myght be troubled, by the reason of the dyuerse affeccions of men. This preeste whiche was so elected and chosen, to ordre and rule the other preestꝭ: [Page] by the custome & vsed maner of speakynge of them that came afterwardes, was onely called a bysshop or ouerseer / because not onely he was ouer loker of the chrysten people, for whiche cause all other preestꝭ also were called ouerseers in the pry­matyue church / but also be cause he had the ouersyght of y ^t other preestꝭ / for which Nota. cause such maner a preeste of Antioche retayned to hymselfe alone the name of a bysshop or ouerseer / all they afterwardꝭ retaynynge to them selues, onely the na­me of a preest. ¶ But this sayd eleccyon or instytucyon made by man: gyueth or The eleccyon of man aug­menteth not the powre of spiritual byndynge and losynge in a bisshop, nor de­creaseth it not in a preest. addeth to the person so elected and chosen, no whyt of more large meryte essencial or of the auctoryte of preesthode, or of the powre aforesayde / but onely gyueth to hym a certayne powre of a canonycall ordynacyon, in the house of god or temple to ordre & dyrecte or rule other preestꝭ and deacons, and other offycers and myny­stres. Lyke as nowe a dayes vnto the pryour of a relygyouse house / powre & auc­toryte is gyuen vpon the couent. Powre I say not coactyue of any man but onely so farforth as shalbe graunted concernynge this poynt, by the auctoryte of the kynge, to the person so elected / as it hath ben proued in y ^e. iiii. & the. viii. chapytres of this dyccyon, & shal appere more largely in the chapytre nexte folowynge. Neyther yet any other intrinsecall dygnyte or powre, is gyuen to hym so elected / by suche eleccyon. After this maner the soldyars in warre, chose to them selues a ca­pytayne / whome they were wonte in the olde tyme to cala mayster or emperour / albeit that this worde Imperator, in Englysshe emperour, is nowe translated to Emperour betoken a certayne maner or kynde of regale powre, hyghest ouer all / & so it is v­sed nowe adayes. So also the deacons amonge them selues choseth an archedea­con, Archdeacon to whome suche eleccyon doth not gyue or adde any essencyal meryte, or any holy ordre, aboue deaconshyppe / but onely it gyueth to hym a certayne humayne powre or auctoryte (as we haue sayde) to ordre & rule the other deacons / wherfore the bysshop of Rome hath no whyt more of the essencyall auctoryte of preesthode: Cecidit Ba­bilon. than hath any other preest, who euer he be. Euen lykewyse as saynt Peter had no whyt more of this essenciall powre / than the other apostles / for all they receyued this same auctoryte of chryste īmedyatly & egally / as it was sayde before by the auctoryte of Iherome, vpon that texte in the. xvi. of Mathewe. And to the I shal gyue the keyes of the kyngdome of heuēs, & as it shal be more largely declared in the nexte chapytre folowynge. And this was openly the mynde of saynt Iheto­me Iherome. in aforesayd epystle / in whiche, after y ^t he had shewed by many auctorytes of y ^e aforesayd apostles, y ^t in the prymatyue churche or in the tyme of the apostles, a preest or senyour, & a bysshop or ouerseer, was vtterly all one in the essenciall dyg­nyte gyuen to them of chryst: shewynge y ^e cause of the sayd thyngꝭ, he sayth thus / but that one was electe, which shuld be aboue other: it was done for the remedye of scisme & deuysyon / leste yf euery man shulde drawe vnto hymselfe, the churche of chryst, by the reason therof, myght be broken or deuyded in sondre. For in Alexandria also, from the tyme of Marke the euangelyst, vnto y ^t tyme of Hereidas & Dionise byssshops: y ^t preestꝭ alwayes chose one amōge themselues, whome they dyd set in an hygher degre, & called hym bysshop or ouerseer / moche lyke, as yf the hoost or army shuld make an emperour. Or els as yf the deacons dyd chose one amonge them selfe, whome they do knowe to be dylygent and wyse / and dyd cal hym an archdeacone. For what dothe the bysshoppe (ordynacyon onely excepted) whiche a preeste myght not do? as touchynge to the actes or workes belongynge to y ^e essencial auctorite? For Iherom where he speaketh of ordinacion dyd not vn­derstande therby ordynacyon, the powre and auctoryte to gyue, or the gyuynge of holy ordres / for the bysshoppes do nowe adayes many thynges besyde the gy­uynge of ordres, and so dyd the bysshoppes also in saynt Iheroms tyme / whiche [Page 84] thyngꝭ the preestes do not. Albeit y ^t to the gyuynge of al the sacramētes, by y ^e dyuyne A preest may manystre all sacramentes as well as a bysshop by y ^e lawe of god powre, any preest may do as moch as y ^e bysshop. But Iherome vnderstode therby ordynacyon, the powre of orderynge suche thynges, as pertayne to the ser­uyce of god, & other thynges aforesayd gyuen to hym īmedyatly of man or men / whiche thynge I do confyrme both by reason, and the auctoryte of the same Iherome. The reason is this / for there hath ben many elected bysshops by the whole people or cōmunaltie / as saynt Clement / saynt Gregory / saynt Nycolas / & ma­ny other sayntꝭ / to whome it is vndoubted, that no greatter holye ordre, nor any inwarde characte, was gyuen by the people or by theyr felowe preestꝭ: but onely powre & auctoryte to dyspose & ordre the ceremonyes & seruyce of y ^e church, & to dyrecte & rule the mynystres of the temples, as touchynge to the exercyse of goddes In the olde tyme they were called Iconomi re­uerēdi which now are cal­led Episcopi. seruyce, in the temple or howse of god / for which cause & consyderacyon also, such persons elected to dyrecte other preestes in the temple, and to instructe the people, in suche thyngꝭ which appertayne to the fayth, called bysshoppes: of the olde law makers as of Iustiniane and of the people of Rome were than called Iconomireuerendi. And the hyghest of them was called of the same lawe makers Icono­mius reuerendissimꝰ. And therfore accordynge to the trouth, & after the mynde of saynt Iherome, a bysshop is none other thynge, than an archpreest. And that the essencyall dygnyte of a bysshop and of a preeste is all one, neyther that one bys­shop hath more large essencyall auctoryte, than an other bysshoppe. Neyther one preeste than an other preeste: saynt Iherome also expressed in the aforesayd epystle, whan he sayde. Neyther it is to be iudged or thought, that there is one churche A bysshop is an archpreest Iherome. of the cytie of Rome, and an other of the whole worlde. Bothe Fraunce, & Eng­lande / and Affryke / Perselande / and the Eest / and the west / and Inde / & al Barbarouse nacyons: do worshyp one chryste / they all do obserue and kepe one rule of the trouth / yf auctoryte be sought: the whole world is greatter than a cytie / where Or at Caū ­terbury, or at Lyncolne. soeuer he shall be bysshop, whether it be at Rome, or at Engobin̄, or at Constan­tinople, or at Regium, or at Alexandrie, or at Rachane: they are all of one & the same meryte, and all of one preesthode. The powre and myght of ryches, and the lownes of pouerte: maketh an hygher or a lower bysshop / but they are all, the successours of the apostles. But there at certayne other instytucyons not essencyall, of the offycꝭ belongynge to preestꝭ / as for exāple / the eleccyon which we haue spoken of a lytle heretofore, wherby one of them is taken or chosen to the ordrynge or gouernynge of other, as touchynge to those thynges, whiche appertayneth to the worshypynge of god or the dyuyne seruyce / & also the eleccyōs & instytucyons of certayne of them, to teache & instructe the chrysten people, & to mynystre the sacramētꝭ of y ^• newe law, to a certayne people, & in a certayne place appoynted, greatter or smaller. And also to dyspence & dystrybute both to hym selfe & also to other pore men, certayne tēporall thyngꝭ appoynted & ordayned by the kynge or by a plyament for the sustentacyon of poore preachers of the gospel, in a certayne prouynce or cōmunyte / & also for the sustentacyon of other poore folkes / but yet of y ^• onely, whiche shalbe superfluous, & more than nedeth, to the suffycient fyndynge of the preachers of the gospell / which tēporall goodes so appoynted & ordayned to suche vse, are after the cōmune vse & maner of speakynge nowe a dayes called the benefyces of the churche / for these are cōmytted & betaken to the mynystres of Ecclesiasti­call benefycꝭ, the tēples, to be bestowed vpon the aforesayd vses / to the mynysters I saye ther­unto ordayned, in a certayne prouynce. For by the auctoryte essenciall, by which they are the successours of the apostles they are not more determyned to teache & instructe the people, and to mynysters the sacramentes of the newe lawe, in one place / than in an other / but lykewyse as the apostles were not determyned or [Page] appoynted, to any certayne places / to whom it was sayde. Go therfore, & teachr all nacions. Chryst dyd not appoynte them to certayne places / but they afterwae des amonge them selues, deuyded the peoples and prouynces to them selues, in whiche they wolde preache & shewe the worde of god, or the lawe of the gospell / and somtyme they were taught, where they shulde preache: by the reuelacyon of god / wherfore also it is red in the seconde epystle to the Galatianes. They gaue theyr ryght handes to me, and to Barnabas, in token of felowshyppe (that is to wyt Iames, Peter, and Iohn̄) that we amonge the gentyles, and they amonge the Iewes. &c. So than of the premysses it appereth, of whome, as of the cause effycyent: the instytucyon of preesthode is, and of other holye ordres. Truely of god or chryste imedyatlye / albeit there gothe before as preparynge, a certayne myny­sterye of man / as the layenge one of the handes / & the pronounsynge of certayne wordes / whiche peraduenture doth nothynge to this / but are so put before of a certayne The ceremo­nyes of the churche what maner ones they are. promyse or ordynaūce of god. It appereth also of y ^• same premysses: y ^t there is a certayne other instytucyon made by man, by whiche one preeste is preferred aboue other preestes / by whiche also, preestes are ordayned and appoynted to cer­tayne prouynces, and to certayne people, to instructe and teache them in the lawe of god / and to mynystre the sacramentes, and to dyspose and dystrybute the tem­poralles, which we called afore the ecclesiasticall benefyces / it hath appered of the same premysses: that in the fyrste auctorytie whiche we haue called the essenciall auctorytie: all preestes are equall in meryte and preestehode / as saynt Iherome sayde in the aforesayde epystle, shewynge also the cause. For that all preestes are the successours of the apostles. In whiche sayeng he semeth to meane, that al the apostles were of egall auctorytie / and so consequentlye, that none of them syngularelye by hym selfe, had auctoryte vpon an other or aboue other apostle or apo­stles / neyther as touchynge to the essencyall auctoryte, whiche we haue called the fyrst and pryncypall auctoryte: neyther yet as touchynge to the secondarie insty­tucyons / wherfore it semeth that we ought to haue lyke opynyon of theyr succes­sours amōge them selues, one of them in comparyson to an other / to whome, and in to whome, howe suche maner instytucyons doth come, whiche we haue called secondarie institucyons, and made by the auctorytie of man: and whiche is accordynge to reason, the effectyue cause of the sayd instytucyons, that is to saye who hathe auctoryte to make suche instytucyons: it resteth and remayneth / to be de­termyned.

¶ Howe the apostles were egall, in what soeuer offyce or dygny­te was gyuen to them by chryste imedyatlye / wherof, that is proued: whiche was sayd in the last chapytre afore gone concernynge the egalyte of theyr successours / and howe all bysshoppes, are indyfferentlye the successours of what soeuer apostle.
The, xvi, chapytre,

SO than begynnynge at the thynges afore determyned: we shall in this chapytre, fyrst shewe that none of the apostles had prehemy­nence aboue other in the essencyal dygnyte of preesthode / tha tis to wytte gyuen to them of chryste. And after we shall shewe, that in none other instytucyon, whiche we haue called secondarie / and by so moche the [Page 85] lesse in any iurysdyccion coactyue / howbeit this laste thynge hath ben suffycientlye proued in the. iiii. and the. v. chapytours of this dyccyon. Of which thyngꝭ we shall also of necessyte: cōclude: y ^t none of the bysshops, successours to the apostles, syngularlye haue any of the auctorytes or powres aforesayd, vpon or ouer other his felowe bysshoppes, or felowe preestes. And that the contrarye hereof can not be proued by the vertue of the wordes of holy scrypture: but rather the present purpose. And laste of all, hereof (whiche thynge also we dyd fynallye intende in the chapytre last afore gone) we shall inferre and conclude of necessyte, that these in­stytucyons whiche we haue often tymes called secondarye: doth appertayne to the chrystened prynce, as to the pryncypall cause effectyue of them, euen so as he is also of other offyces or partes of the cōmunytie. The fyrst therfore of these purposes, is proued by the. xxii. chapitre of Luke. For chryst gyuynge to the apostles powre to make the sacrament of the aultare: sayd vnto them. This is my bodye / whiche is gyuen for you do this thynge in to the remembraunce of me / that is to saye, haue you powre to do this thynge, but yet by speakynge lyke wordes, when you ought to excercyse this acte / that is to wyt these wordes Hocest enim corpus meum. And he dyd not speake these wordes, more to saynt Peter: than to other / for chryste dyd not saye, do thou this / and gyue thou powre to the other apostles, for to do lykewyse / but he sayd do you this in the plurell nombre, and to them all, indyfferentlye. The same is also to be iudged in euery poynte, of the powre of the keyes / whether it was gyuen to the apostles by these same wordes / or els by other wordes, or elles at an other tyme / as by the wordes whiche are had in the. xx. of Iohn̄ / for after that chryste had sayde to his apostles, as my father hathe sent me so also I sende you / he breathed vpon them, and sayd / receyue you the holy ghost / whose synnes you shal forgyue / they be forgyuen to them / and whose synnes you shall retayne: they ar retayned. Chryste than sayd, I sende you: as my father hath sent me / and he sayde not to Peter, or to any other apostle, syngularlye / I sende the, as my father hath sent me / & sende thou the other. Neyther it is agayne sayde there / chryste breathed vpon hym, but it is sayd, he breathed vpon them / not vpon one by an other / neyther sayd chryste to Peter, receyue or take thou the holy ghost and afterwardꝭ gyue thou it to other / but he sayde, receyue or take you, in the plurellnombre / speakynge indyfferently to them all / and this is it also which is had in the last chapytre of Mathewe whan chryst sayd to them. Go you therfore, and teache all nacyons / and he sayde / go you, and teache you, speakynge in the plurel nombre and endyfferentlye / and not sayd to Peter go thou therfore, & sende thou the other / whiche thynge the apostle expressynge more largely, to determyne this questyon (that is to wyt that no man shulde beleue or suppose, that any of the a­postles had this prerogatyue or auctoryte vpon or aboue other) remouynge or ta­kynge awaye expresselye such prerogatyue from Peter, of whome peraduenture this semed to be trewe, that he was aboue the other, because of certayne wordes spoken to hym syngularly of chryste, and also because he was elder than the other he sayth thus in the seconde chapytre to the Galatianes. For they which semed to be somwhat or to be in pryce & greatly estemed / gaue me nothynge or helped me nothynge / but contrarye wyse I them / whan they had sene and perceyued, that the preachynge of the gospell to the Gentyles vncyrcumcysed, was cōmytted to me, lykewyse as it was cōmytted to Peter, to preache the gospell to the people of the Iewes / for he that wrought in Peter to be apostle of cyrcumcisyon / wrought also in me amonge the Gentyles. And whan they had knowen the grace, which was gyuen to me / Iames / Peter / & Iohn̄ / whiche semed to be the pyllers / gaue to me & to Barnabas, theyr ryght handes of felowshyp. &c. he therfore y ^t wrought [Page] in Peter to the apostleshyp: wrought in also in Paule / and this was chryst / ergohe toke not or receyued this maner offyce of Peter: and lykewyse no more dyd the other apostles / where also the glose after the mynde of saynt Agustyne expres­synge Augustyne. this more largely / sayth thus. They whiche semed to be somwhat, that is to wyt Peter and the other whiche were with our lorde: gaue nothynge, that is Paule, toke nothynge of Peter. to saye added nothynge to me / wherin it is euydent, that I am not inferyor to them / seynge that I am made so perfyte of the lord and of god / that there was no thynge, whiche in y ^e cōferrynge of my preachynge with theyr owne / they myght adde to my perfeccion. Lo here that Paule was not inferior to Peter, nor to the other apostles / consequently, to this purpose / it foloweth thus in the glose / when they had sene or perceyued, that the preachynge of the gospell to the vncyrcumcy­sed gentyles, was betaken to me / as faythfull and trusty, so pryncypally, as the gospell of cyrcumcisyon was betaken to Peter. Lo that Paule was sent as pryncypallye, as Peter was / and not of Peter or of any other of the apostles / but of chryste īmedyatlye / whiche thynge the apostle more largelye expressynge in the fyrst chapytre of the same epystle, sayth thus. Paule the apostle, not of men or by man: but by Ihesus chryste, & god y ^e father / where the glose sayth after the mynde of Ambrose. Paule the apostle, not electe or sent by men, that is to wyt, by Ana­nias Ambrose. Paule was not sent of Ananias. as certayne men sayd / or by other men, as certayne were elected and sent by the apostles / and a lytle after it foloweth in the same glose, alter the mynde of Augustyne. For the other apostles semed to be greatter, because they were afore. And this apostle semed to be leaste / because he was laste / but hereof he appereth more worshypfull / because the fyrst apostles were made and ordayned by chryste beynge yet partlye a man, that is to saye mortall / but the last apostle (that is to wyt Paule) was constituted and made by chryste nowe beynge whole god / that Paule was more worthy apostle. is to saye vtterly mortall / and by god the father / whiche dyd or wrought this by the same / and that he myght open and declare wherfore he sayd neyther by man / he sayth afterward, which hath raysed hym vp from deathe. And so he hath more worthelye or worshypfullye made me by chryste beynge īmortall: than he dyd the other by chryst beynge mortal. Agayne the apostle cōfyrmynge this afterwarde in y ^e same chapytre, sayth thus. I gyue you knowlege or do you to wyt brethern: that the gospell, whiche hath ben preached of me: is not after man / for I haue not receyued it, or learned it of man: but by the reuelacyon of Ihesu chryste / where the glose after the mynde of Augustyne sayth. I do you to wytte bretherne, that the gospell whiche hath ben preached of me: is not after the mynde of any man, tea­chynge me / & verely it is not of man: for I haue not receyued it, neyther learned it of man, so that man dyd electe me to preache it, or inioyne me to preache it. Neyther I learned it of man teachynge me: but by the reuelacyon of Iesu chryste. Lo here, that neyther Peter, neyther any other of y ^e apostles, or any man hath chosen Paule, or sent hym or inioyned to hym the mynystery of preachynge the gospell. The same is to be iudged also of y ^e other apostles. Peter therfore had no powre (& moche lesse than he had coactyue iurysdyccion) of god īmedyately, vpon y ^e other apostles / neyther of īstytutige them in y ^e offyce of preesthode / neyther to segregate and departe them in sondre, or to sende them to the offyce of preachynge / sauynge onely that this maye safelye be graunted, that Peter was afore or aboue other in Howe and after what ma­ner. Peter was superyor to the o­ther apostles. age or aūcyentnes / or perauenture afore them in offyce as touchynge tyme or the chosynge of the apostles, that is to saye fyrste elected apostle / for whiche cause the other apostles had hym in reuerence, not vnworthely / albeit y ^t no man can proue this eleccion of Peter afore the other apostles: by the holy scripture. And that this is trewe which we haue sayd / it is an euydēt token, seynge that we do not fynde [Page 86] any where in the scrypture, that Peter toke vpon hym any auctoryte syngulerly aboue y ^e other apostles / but rather that he kepte and vsed egalytie with them / for he toke not to hym selfe auctoryte, to determyne suche thyngꝭ which were doubt­full concernynge the preachynge of the gospell, whiche pertayneth to doctryne & teachynge / but suche thyngꝭ, as were doubtfull, concernynge this busynes: were determyned by the cōmune delyberacion or counceyle of the apostles, and of other chrysten men most learned / and not by the determynacyon of Peter alone: or of any other apostle seuerally by hym selfe / wherfore in the. xv. chapytre of the actes, when a dyssencyon was rysen amonge y ^e preachers of the gospell, whether it was necessarye to cyrcumcyse the chrysten men that were vncyrcumcysed, for the get­tynge or obtaynynge of euerlastynge saluacyon: and certayne sayd, that it was necessarie, but Paule and Barnabas sayd playnly agaynst it: the apostles and the senyours assembled togyther to take consultacyon of this mater / vpon which Peter and Iames sayd, that it was not necessarye / to whose sentence and iudge­ment the senyours and the other apostles consented / wherfore it foloweth after­wardes in the texte. Than it pleased the apostles, and senyours, with the whole congregacyon, to chose men, and to sende them to Antyoche / with Paule & Barnabas. &c. sendynge letters by theyr handes / & the maner of theyr wrytynge, was lyke to the maner of a delyberacyon or consultacyon in this fourme and facyon. The apostles, and senyours, and brethern, to the brethern of the gentyles, whiche are in Antioche, in Siria, and Cilicia: sendeth greatynge. &c. A lyke thynge is also had afterwarde in the same chapytre, whan it is sayd / it pleased vs therfore beynge assembled togyther in one, to chose men, and to sende them vnto you / a­gayne the same thynge is had in the same chapytre a lytle after / it hathe pleased the holy ghost and vs, to laye no more burthayne vpon you. Thus than it is euy­dent, that Peter dyd not determyne the aforesayd doubtes cōcernynge the fayth / of the fulnes of powre / which fulnes of powre certayne maysters and teachers in Israell, dreamynge, dothe saye / that the bysshop of Rome hath / whiche also hath pronounced and gyuen sentēce in theyr decrees wryten, that the bysshop of Rome by hym selfe alone (whiche thynge Peter durst neuer be bolde to do) may determyne the doubtes, which are concernynge the fayth / whiche is openlye and euydentlye false / and playnely contrary to the scrypture / wherof also we shall speake lar­gely in the nexte chapytre hereafter folowynge, & in the. xx. chapytre of this dyc­cyon. It was the cōgregacion than of the learned chrysten men / whiche toke coū ­ceyll / whiche determyned the doubte / whiche chose messengers / and which wrote. And by this auctoryte of the whole congregacyon: the thynge whiche was so de­termyned and cōmaunded, was of strength / for the congregacyon of the apostes was of more or greatter auctorite, than Peter alone / or any other apostle by hym selfe / wherfore we do rede, that Peter was sent by the congregacion in to Samarye / as it is euydent in the. viii. chapytre of the actes, by these wordes / whan the apostles had herde whiche were at Iherusalem, that the Samaritanes had recey­ued the worde of god / they sent to them Peter & Iohn̄. Why then or wherof dothe certayne cursed flaterers take vpon them, to saye, that any bysshop hathe fulnes of powre gyuen to hym by chryste, not onely vpon laye men, but also vpon clar­kes / seynge that saynt Peter, or any other apostle, neuer presumed to ascribe such maner powre vnto hym selfe, neyther by worde or deade / wherfore they which af­fyrme and say this, are to be laughte to scorne, and nothynge to be beleaued, and lesse to be feared / seynge that the scryptures crye playnlye the contrarye in the lytterall and manyfest sence of them. For saynt Peter had neuer suche powre vpon the apostles or other: but he kepte rather equalyte with them, accordynge to the [Page] precepte of chryste, as we haue sayd before / wherfore it is red in the. xxiii. of Ma­thewe. Be not you wyllynge to be called Rabbi, y ^t is to say in englysshe mayster for your mayster is but one chryst / & all you ar brethren / y ^t is to say equall one of you with an other / & he sayd al you: exceptynge no man. This sentence also is cō fyrmed by the apostle in the seconde chapytre to the Galatianes, where he sayth. And I went vp to Iherusalem accordynge to the reuelacyon / and I conferred with them, the gospell, which I do preache amonge the Gentyles / where y ^e glose after the mynde of Augustyne sayth. And I dyd not learne of them as of superyours / that is to wyt of Peter, nor of the other more pryncypall apostles, of whom it shall be spoken hereafter. But I cōferred with them: as with my frendes, and peers, or felowes. The same is shewed agayne afterwardes in the same chapytre whan the apostle sayd / but whan Peter was com to Antioche: I withstode hym openly to his face, because he was reprouable. &c. where the glose after the mynde of saynt Iherome sayth, they gaue nothynge to me, but I gaue to Peter / and it foloweth there cōsequentlye, I resysted or withstode hym, as his peer or matche / for he wolde not haue ben bolde to do this: excepte he had knowen hym selfe not to be inferyor. Beholde here therfore, that Paule was egall to Peter in offyce & dygnyte, & not inferyor / albeit that Peter was senior to hym in age, and also pa­stor afore hym in tyme. Lykewyse it appereth that neyther saynt Peter, nor any other apostle, had preemynence or powre & auctoryte aboue other, in the dystrybutynge of the tēporall goodes, which were offered to the prymatyue churche / wher­of it is red in the. iiii. of the actes / for as many as were possessyoners of landes & Saynt Pet had no more auctorite thā the other a­postles had. houses / solde them, and broughte the pryces of them, and layde them afore the fete of the apostles / and they were deuyded to eche man: after as eche one had neade. Lo here, that the dysposycion & orderynge of the temporall thynges, whiche were offred vnto the churche: was done by the apostles in cōmune togyther / and not by Peter alone / for it is not sayde they layde afore the fete of Peter: but afore y ^t fete of the apostles / neyther is it sayd and Peter deuyded: but they were deuyded. &c. ¶ Tel me therfore, wherby, or from whence, or howe, cōmeth the auctoryte to the bysshop of Rome, for to dystrybute suche thynges accordynge to his owne plea­sure or elles to clayme as dewe to hym selfe alone, the thynges bequest in mennes testamentꝭ for charytable causes, & to good and godlye vses / but yet cōmytted to other men for to be kepte or dystrybuted / seynge that it is neyther laufull to hym alone neyther yet with an other, neyther by the law of god, nor yet of man, to demaunde or clayme suche maner thynges, whiche hath ben cōmytted and betaken to the faythfull custody of other men by reasonable lawes / as by the wyll of the testatours, or of them y ^t so ordayned / for let the testatour say or wyll any thynge cōcernynge that whiche is his owne, & it shall be a lawe, as it is wryten in other placꝭ. For there can be no cause or reason taken of the holy scrypture, which maye make vs to beleaue, that this powre belongeth to the bysshop of Rome, or elles to any other bysshop / but rather the contrarye / but yf these legacies or bequestꝭ were cōmytted (by the kynge) to the churche of a certayne and a determynate dyocese, for to be dystrybuted: than shall it appertayne to those bysshoppes whiche are ru­lers of y ^e sayd dyocese / but in no wyse to the pope of Rome. And the cause of this is, for that the bysshop of Rome neyther hathe, neyther had, of chryste any powre or auctoryte aboue the other, that be bysshops or preestes as well as he. And this was one of the thyngꝭ purposed of vs syns y ^e begynnynge of this chapytre. For as Peter had not any suche prerogatyue or powre aboue the other apostles / euen so neyther the successours of Peter in the epyscopall see of Rome, hathe any pre­rogatyue aboue the successours of the other apostles. For Peter had no powre or [Page 87] auctoryte to gyue vnto them preesthode, apostleshyp, or the dygnyte of a bysshop for all they toke this powre or auctorytie īmedyatlye of chryste / & not by the my­nysterie of Peter, more than Peter toke it by the mynysterie of them / as we haue proued heretofore euydentlie of the scrypture. And saynt Augustyne also sayth Augustine. the same expressely in his boke of the questions of the newe & of the olde testamēt in the. lxxxiiii. questyon: where he sayth thus. The same daye (that is to wyt the fyftie daye) the lawe was gyuen: vpon whiche daye also the holy ghost lyghted & cam downe vpon the dyscyples / that they shulde take auctoryte / & also haue cun­nynge and knowlege, to preache the lawe of the gospel. ¶ Moreouer as Peter is red to haue ben elected and chosen bysshop by the multytude of chrysten people, & neded not the cōfyrmacyon of the other apostles: so also y ^• other apostles were bysshoppes & gouernours in other prouynces, without any knowlege of Peter, or any instytucyon or consecracyon taken of hym / for they were consecrated suffycy­ently by chryste / wherfore it is to be thought & supposed lykewyse, that the successours of the other apostles: neded not any confyrmacyon of the successours of Peter / but rather moreouer many successours of the other apostles, were elected and instytuted bysshops in dewe fourme and maner, and also dyd gouerne and rule theyr prouynces holylie and vertuouslie: without any other instytucyon or con­fyrmacyon of them, done by the successours of Peter. And this was so laufully obserued euen vnto the tyme of Constanstyne the emperour / which gaue (as it is lyed) a certayne prehemynence & powre to the bysshops & to the churche of Rome: vpon the other churches, or all other preestes of the worlde. And this equalyte of That y ^• apostles were egal in dygnyte. Peter and the other apostles: the apostle Paule dyd sygnyfye in y ^e seconde of the epystle to the Galatianes, whan he sayde. They gaue theyr ryght handes of so­cyetie & felowshyp, to me & to Barnabas / that we shulde be apostles & preachers amonge the gentyles: & they them selues amonge the Iewes. They gaue then the ryght handes of societie & equalyte, as it was sayde before of the glose after Au­gustyne / albeit y ^t the sayenge of the apostle in this poynte is so open & playne y ^t it nedeth no glose / whiche thynge also we haue proued here before by the epystle of saynt Iherome to Euander the preeste / where he sayth y ^t all bysshoppes, whether it were of Rome, or of any other place: are all of one & the same preesthode, & me­ryte or of one powre and auctorytie gyuen by chryste. But yet yf any where it be founde in the wrytyngꝭ of certayne holy fathers, that Peter is called Princeps a Why Peter was called y ^• price or cheyf of y ^e apostles. postolorum, y ^t is to say, the cheyfe or pryncipall of the apostles: it is sayd takynge this word princeps largely & vnproperly / albeit that it is openly agaynst the sen­tence & sayenge of chryste in the. xx of Mathewe, & the. xxii. of Luke, where he sayth. The prynces of the gentyles haue domynion of them / but you not so. And therfore it is to be sayd y ^t the holy fathers spake not so meanynge y ^t Pet (er) had any powre or auctoryte gyuen to hym by chryste ouer or vpon the other apostles / but peraduenture because he was elder in age / or because he fyrste of all the apostles, dyd confesse, that chryste was the very consubstancyal sone of god / or els because peraduēture he was more seruent cōstante, or bolde in the sayth / or els because he was more often tymes cōuersaūt with christ, & more often called i secrete busynes & counseyles / wherfore the apostle in the seconde chapytre to y ^e Galatyans, sayth thus. Iames Peter & Iohn̄ whiche semed to be y ^• pyllers. &c. where y ^• glose after y ^• mynde of Ambrose sayth / because they were more worshypful: for that they were alwayes with our lorde in secrete busynesses. A cōuenyēt example of the whiche thynge, may be taken of the worldly prynces. For one of them is not aboue an o­ther of them by hauynge any powre one ouer an other / as the erles of one realine of whom one is not vndre an other of them in iurysdyccion or auctoryte / but they [Page] be all īmedyatly vnder the kynge / & yet for all that one, or mo then one of them is otherwhyles accōpted more honorable then the other: because they be elder or more aūcient / or els because they be more excellēt in one or mo vertues / or because they be more obsequyouse & obedyēt, or do more pleasure or seruyce to the kynge, or to the realme. For whiche cause they be more loued of the kynge or the people: & had in more reuerēce then the other / & after this same maner we ought to iudge of the apostles, in cōparyson of them one to an other, & vnto chryst / for all they were vnder the powre & auctoryte of chryste īmedyatly & receyued of hym theyr instytuci­on in the offyce of preesthode, & of apostleshyp, not one of them of an other (as the scrypture wytnesseth openly euery where, & the sayntꝭ folowynge the scrypture) albeit yet y ^t amonge them saynt Petre was the most worshypfull: for the causes aforesayde / but not for any powre or auctoryte gyuen to hym by chryste, ouer or vpon the other apostles / for this powre or auctoryte, chryste forbad them to haue one ouer an other, as we shewed afore by the. xxiii. of Mathewe, when he sayde dyrectly to the present purpose, vnto them these wordes. Be you not in wyl to becalled Rabbi (y ^t is to say mayster) for you haue but one mayster chryste / & all you be brethren / & lykewyse neyther had he any coactyue iurysdyccion vpon the other apostles / more then they had ouer hym / & so consequently neyther his successours vpon the successours of the other apostles / for this chryste vtterly forbad them in the. xx. of Mathewe, & the. xxii. of Luke: when he sayd dyrectly, for y ^e present pur­poses vnto them (when there was a cōtēcion made amongꝭ them whiche of them shuld be the greatest) these wordes folowynge. The kyngꝭ & pryncꝭ of the genty­les: are lordes ouer them / & they whiche are greatter don exercyse powre & auctoryte vpon them / but do not you so. Chryst coulde nomore openly & playnly haue denyed it them / why then shall any man beleue the tradycyon of man concernynge this mater, whether he be saynt or no saynt: more then y ^e most playne & open spe­che or sayenge of chryste? for agaynst suche maner persone or persones chryste spe­keth in the. vii. of Marke: when he sayd dyrectly to our present purpose. But they honouren me in vayne, teachynge the doctrynes & preceptes of men / for you leaue the cōmaundement of god: & do holde or kepe the tradyciōs of men / & a lytle after it foloweth / you do wel refuse or make the cōmaūdemēt of god voyde, or of none effecte: y ^t you may kepe your owne tradyciōs. And this thynge do all they: which The decretalles made by men. teachen the Decretalles made by men / which sayen, that to the bysshop of Rome belōgeth powre & domynyon of the tēporal goodes, not onely of men of y ^e churche that is to say ecclesiastical persons: but also of the tēporalles belōgynge to kyngꝭ & emperours / makīge the precepte of god voyde and of none effecte (as it was shewed in the. xiiii. chapytre, & as it appereth euydētly of this present chapytre (that they may kepe theyr owne tradycyon or constytucyon cōcernynge the temporall goodes: for theyr owne profyte & aduaūtage. But yet yf the apostles had elected & chosen saynt Peter, as ouerseer to them, or more pryncypall, because of his age: & more excellēt holynes (as it is had of a certayne decre of Anacletus pope which is cōtayned in the Code or boke of Isydore, y ^e texte of which decre is in this forme folowynge. But the other apostles with the same Pet (er) receyued honour & powre by egall felowshyp / & they wylled hym to be cheyfe & pryncypall of them (yet for all y ^t it shuld not folowe hereof, that his successours in the see of Rome, or in any other see, yf he were bysshop any where els: hath the same priorite or prehemynēce aboue the successours of the other apostles / except his successours were chosen ther unto by the successours of the other apostles / for some successours of the other apostles: were of more vertue, then certayne of the successours of Peter. Howbeit properly euery bysshop is indyfferently the successour of euery one of the apostles as [Page 88] touchynge to offyce thoughe not as touchynge to place. Agayne why shuld this superiorite or prerogatyue belonge more to the successours of Peter in the see of Euery one of the bysshops is the succes­sour of saynt Petre. Rome: then to his successours in the see of Antioche, or of Ierusalem, or in any o­ther see yf he had ben bysshop in many sees. &c. Moreouer euery bysshoppe as tou­chynge to the intrynsecall dygnyte, y ^t is to say, the inseperable dygnyte, is indyfferently the successour of eche one of the apostles / & of the same meryte or perfeccyon, as touchynge to the dygnyte aforesayd or offyce / for all they haue this powre all one, of one & the same cause effycyēt or gyuer īmedyatly, y ^t is to wyt of chryste & not of hym that put on his hādes vpon them. Neyther it maketh any skyll or force, whiche of y ^• apostles layde on his hādes / wherfore it is wryten in the thyrde chapytre of the fyrst epystle to the Corynthianes. Let no man glorie or reioyse in men / whether it be Paule or Apollo or Cephas (that is to wyt Peter. &c) y ^t hathe baptysed you, or otherwyse layde hādes: it maketh no force. Furthermore the bys­shop of Rome is not or ought not to be called syngulerly the successoure of saynt Peter: for cause of the puttynge or layenge on handes / for one may be cōuenyently bysshop of Rome / vpon whom saynt Pet (er) neuer layde hāde, neyther medyatly ne yet īmedyatly. Neyther agayne he ought to be called y ^t successour of Pet (er), for y ^t see or determynacion or appoyntmēt of y ^e place. Fyrst because none of y ^e apostles was determyned or appoynted at al by y ^e law of god to any people or place / for it was sayd in the last chapytre of Mathewe. to them all. Go you therfore & teache you all nacyōs / agayne because it is red that Peter was at Antioche: before that he was at Rome. Moreouer because thoughe Rome were made inhabitable & de­stroyed / yet the successyon of Peter shulde not therfore perysshe / but Peter shulde haue a successour. Furthermore because it can not be proued neyther by the lawe of god, neyther by the scrypture (althoughe it doth call men to the belefe of it selfe of the necessyte of saluacyon) that it was ordayned or appoynted by chryste, or by any of the apostles, that the bysshop of any determynat prouynce or dyocese is, or ought to be called spyritually the successour of Peter or of any other apostle, & su­peryour to other / the case put that the apostles had ben neuer so vnegall in aucto­ryte / but that persone or those persones be rather some maner way more the successours of Peter, & of the other apostles / whiche be more cōformable to the lyfe, and holy maners & cōuersacyon of Peter, & the other apostles / for such maner men the blyssed apostles wolde answere (yf they were asked the questyon) to be theyr suc­cessour / moche lyke to the answere of chryste theyr mayster in y ^e. xii. of Mathewe where when one sayd to hym. Thy mother & thy brethren stonde without y ^e dores sekynge the or wyllīge to speke with the, he answered & sayd who is my mother? or who be my brethren? who soeuer shall fulfyll the wyll of my father which is in heuen, he is my brother & suster & mother / whiche of the bysshops then or preestꝭ, is more worthy to be called the successour of the apostles? doubtles, he whiche folo­weth Who is y ^• suc­cessour of the apostles. them more in theyr cōuersacion & workꝭ. But yf any man shall say, y ^t any bysshop is therfore pryncypally made the successour of saynt Peter, because he is elected by the clargy of Rome, or by the clargy with the resydue of the people, to the bysshopriche, & therfore to be made bysshop & ouerseet of the vnyuersal churche althoughe more spyrytually he belonge to the cytie of Rome, aslonge as it shall remayne vndystroyed, it is to be answered & sayd that albeit this sayēge may be many wayes repreued, yet it may suffycyētly be disproued & put by, by this one waye / seynge that it can not be ꝓued by the holy scrypture / but rather the cōtrary of it / as it hath ben shewed here before, & shall be shewed more largely in y ^• chapy­tre nexte hereaft (er) folowīge / wherfore as lyghtly as it is sayd: so lyghtly it may be denyed. But wherby or how, & for what cause, the prīcipalyte or superiorite hath [Page] com to the bysshop and churche of Rome (yf suche superyorite be dewe to them) aboue other bysshops & churches: it shall be sayde seryously & earnestly in the. xxii. chapytre of this dyccyon. But thoughe these thyngꝭ aforesayde be meruaylouse, & vnwonte to be harde: yet this that foloweth is more meruaylouse, bycause it is more vnwonte & straūge, & it shal peraduenture seme at y ^• least wyse inopinable yf it do not seme false. That by y ^e certayne & vndoubted testymony of y ^e scrypture it may be proued, y ^t the bysshops of Rome as touchynge the prouynce & nacyon: ben rather the successours of the apostle Paule, then of Peter / namely in the epis­copall The bysshoppes of Rome are rather the successours of Paule then of saynt Pet (er) see of Rome. And moreouer (whiche shall seme excedyngly more meruay­louse then this before rehersed) that it can not be proued by the holy scrypture that the bysshoppes of Rome ben the especyal successours of saynt Peter, by reason of the determynacyon of the prouynce or see but rather, that they, for that cause: are the successours of Peter / whiche haue ben bysshops, and haue set or don set in the epyscopall see of Antioche, more then the bysshoppes of Rome. And the former of these two sayengꝭ may be proued, by this / that albeit saynt Paule was general­ly sent to all nacyons, lykewyse as euery one of the other apostles was (wherof it is red in the. ix. of the actes, he is a chosen vessell vnto me, for to bere my name afore the gentyles and kynges and sones of Israell, but yet specyallye & pryn­cypally / he was the apostle of the gentyles / lykewyse as Peter was the apostle & teacher of the Iewes / as well by reuelacyon as by the ordynacion of the apostles amonge them selues / wherfore it is red in the seconde to the Galatyans / whan Iames, Peter & Iohn̄ had perceyued and sene, that the gospell of vncyrcūcisyon (that is to saye of the Gentyles) was betaken to me, as the gospell of cyrcūcysy­on (that is to saye of the Iewes) was betaken to Peter. &c. and the apostle mea­neth in both places the preachynge of the gospell to the gentyles, & to the Iewes / to haue ben cōmytted to hym & to Peter pryncypally / for both Peter myght pre­ache to the Gentyles, and Paule to the Iewes: yf cause or necessyte had so requyred. Albeit that the pryncypalyte amonge the Gentyles by mynystrynge of the gospell dyd belōge to Paule / & the pryncipalyte of mynystrynge the same to the Iewes / dyd belonge to saynt Peter: as the glose expoundeth the same place after the mynde of Augustyne. Agayne in the. xxii. of the actꝭ, it was sayde to Paule beynge in a traunce, by reuelacyon. Go thy way, for I shall sendethe in to farre nacyons. Agayne in the. xxviii. & the last of the actes it is sayde / & so we came to Rome. And a lytle afterwarde the apostle speaketh to y ^e Iewes in rome sayenge. Be it therfore knowen to you, that this holsome gospell of god, is sent to the gentyles / & they shal here it / & he remayned or dwelled hole two yeres / in a howse that he hyred / & receyued al men that cam in to hym / preachynge to them the kyngdom of god. Agayne he hym selfe wytnesseth this, more specyally in the. xi. to the Romayns where he sayth. For I say to you gētyles / y ^t as lōge as I am y ^e apostle of the gentyles, I shall do honoure to my mynysterye / yf I may by any meane pro­uoke my nacyon to emulacyon & folowynge / y ^t is to say, thoughe otherwhyles I do exhorte the Iewes also to this, yet pryncypally I am sent apostle to the gen­tyles. Agayne it is wryten of hym to the Galatians, in the seconde chapytre. Iames, Peter, & Iohn̄ whiche semed to be the pyllers, gaue to me & to Barnabas y ^• ryght handes of societie & felowshyp that we vnto the gētyles / & they vnto cyrcū cisyon (y ^t is to say to the Iewes) shuld go to preache the gospell / and last of all the same is red in the secōde of the fyrst epystle to Timothe / & in the fyrst of the secōde epystle to the same / but the textꝭ, I haue lefte out here because of shortenes.

¶ For as moche than, as it is open euydentlye by the scrypture, that Paule was two yeres abydynge in Rome, & that there he dyd receyue al the Gentiles, which [Page 89] were wyllynge to be conuerted / & that he dyd preache the gospel there: it is playne and open, that he was specyally bysshop of Rome / because he dyd exercyse there the offyce of a pastore or bysshop / hauynge y ^• auctorite therof of chryst & cōmaūdement, by reuelacion / & the consent of other apostles by eleccion. But as touchyng to saynt Peter, in whome the seconde of the purposes sayde shall be proued, & ap­pere Saynt Peter was not one­lye not bys­shop of Ro­me / but also he neuer cam there. euydently. I do saye / that it can not be proued of the holy scrypture that he was bysshop of Rome, neyther yet (which is a greatter thynge) that he was euer at Rome. For it semeth a very wonderful thynge yf it shuld be so as it is red in a certayne cōmune ecclesiasticall legende of sayntꝭ, that Peter dyd come to Rome a fore saynt Paule / & there dyd preache the worde of god, & afterwarde was taken. Moreouer that afterwarde saynt Paule at his cōmynge to Rome, & Peter togy­ther: had so many conflyctꝭ or dysputacyons with Symon the inchaūter / & that they both togyther stroue so greatly for the fayth, agaynst the emperours & theyr mynysters, & that at the last accordynge to the same hystorye: they bothe beynge headed togyther for the cōfessyon of chryste, dyed in our lorde, & so dyd cōsecrate y ^• churche of Rome to chryste. I say it is a wonderful thynge y ^t neyther saynt Luke whiche wrote the actes of the apostles / neyther saynt Paule made any mencyon at all of saynt Peter. ¶ Agayne that saynt Peter came not to Rome afore them it is of great lykelyhode to be beleuyd by that, that is wryten in the last chapytre of the actꝭ. For whan Paule spake vnto y ^e Iewes, at his fyrste cōmynge / amōge other thynges wyllynge to shewe the cause of his cōmynge to Rome: he saythe. But when the Iewes cryed cōtrary I was constrayned to appele vnto Ceaser. But they sayd vnto hym / we neyther receyued letters cōcernynge the from iewry neyther cam there any of y ^e brethren, that shewed or spake any harme of the. But we desyre to here of the what thy mynde or opynyon is / for as touchynge to this secte: we do knowe that it is euery where sayd agaynst. Let therfore the sercher of the trouthe, not sechynge to cōtende & stryue onely: tell me, whether it be probable or lykely to any man, that saynt Peter came to Rome afore Paule, & dyd shewe them nothynge of the fayth of chryste / whiche the Iewes spekynge to Paule cal­led a secte. Furthermore Paule, in rebukynge them of theyr īcredulyte & hardnes to beleue, yf he had knowen that Peter had ben there, & had preached: how coulde it be but y ^t he wolde haue sayd, & brought in hym to be wytnes of this busynes, whiche was wytnes of the resurreccyon of chryst? as it is open in the thyrde of the actes / & agayne (where of we haue spoken alredy) who wyll suppose or thynke y ^t Paule beynge abydynge in Rome two yeres / had neuer cōuersacion cōmunyca­cyon, or cōpanye & felowshyp with Peter? And yf he had, that Luke wolde haue made no mencion therof at all, whiche wrote the hystory of the actes? for in other lesse famouse places, whan Paule founde Peter he made mencyon of hym / and was cōuersaunt with hym, as in Corynthe (as we rede in the fyrste epystle and thyrde to y ^e Corynthyās) & in Antioche (as it is had in the secōde to y ^e Galatiās) & so of very many other places / yf he had therfore foūde hym in Rome: how could it be, but he wolde haue named hym, Rome beynge y ^• most famous cytie of all o­ther, & in which after y ^• foresayd hystory, saynt Pet (er) was ruler as bysshop therof / for these thynges be in a maner vnbeleueable / wherfore it semeth that, that hystorye or legende can not prouable be sustayned or holden in this poynt / and that it ought to be counted amonge the scryptures whiche be called apocriphe / and of no Legenda Ec­clesiastica. canonycall veryte. But by the holy scrypture it is to be holden vndoubtedly that saynt Paule was bysshop of Rome / and yf any other were with hym in Rome, yet for all that Paule was syngulerly and pryncypally bysshop of Rome for the causes aforesayd / and that saynt Peter was bysshop of Antioche: as it appereth [Page] in the seconde chapytre to the Galatians. But that he was bysshop of Rome I do not say agaynst it / but of lykelyhode I do holde that in this Peter dyd not preuent or com before Paule / but rather cōtrary wyse Paule preuented Peter. But the thynge whiche of all is most to be taken hede of, & marked for our pryncypall purpose is this: y ^t albeit there are some congruences, by reason of which it myght appere, that they whiche are called (whiche waye soeuer it be) specyally the successours of saynt Peter, & namely, the epyscopall see of Rome, are more worshypful & reuerēde, than the successours of the other apostles / yet for all that of no necessyte holy scrypture causeth vs to beleue, that the successours of the apostles are sub­iectes to y ^e same successours of Peter, after any of the powers or auctorytes aforesayd. For all thoughe it were graunted, that the apostles were vnegall in aucto­ryte: yet had not Peter therfore, nor any other apostle by the vertue of the wordes of scrypture, any powre vpon y ^e other, to instytute or depose them, neyther as tou­chynge to the dygnyte of preesthode / which we haue called the essencyall dygnyte neyther as touchynge the sendynge or determynynge, and appoyntynge of them to any certayne place or people / neyther to the interpretynge of scrypture: or of the catholicall fayth, neyther as touchynge to coactyue iurysdyccyon of any man in this world / wherfore of necessyte it semeth to folowe, that neyther any successour of any of them syngularly or specyallye (after what soeuer maner he be so called) hath any of the abouesayde maners of powre, vpon the successours of the other. And this may be euydently confermed by the auctoryte of saynt Iherome which we brought in, of his epystle to Euādre aboute the ende of the chapytre last aforegone.

¶ Of the auctoryte of instytutynge bysshoppes, to whome it dothe appertayne and belonge, and also of instytutynge other cura­tes / & the other mynysters of the churche, as touchynge to both dignytꝭ or offycꝭ, seperable & vnseperable.
The, xvij, chapytre,

THus than we haue shewed, who is the effectyue cause (that is to say the instituter & ordayner) of y ^• fyrst auctoryte belongynge to preestꝭ, which we haue called the essencyall auctoryte / & nowe it resteth and remayneth vnto vs for to determyne & speake of the other auctoryte by whiche some of the preestꝭ are preferred before other some, to be rulers outher to certayne preestꝭ, or to certayne people, or to bothe / in a certayne pro­uynce or place. Moreouer ho we or wherby it belongeth to the same, to dyspence & ordre or dystrybute certayne tēporall thyngꝭ, called the benefyces of the churche. Aagayne also, howe & by which meane coactyue iurysdycciōs hath come to them or to certayne of them. To what persone also or ꝑsones & after what maner most cōuenyently: it belōgeth to determyne y ^• doubtfull sences of the holy scrypture / namely & cheyfly in those thyngꝭ which are appertaynynge to the necessyte of soule helthe / for whan these thyngꝭ shall be ones suffycyently opened and declared: that thynge shall euydentlye appere whiche was pryncypally intended and purposed of vs euer syns the begynnynge of this worke.

¶ But yet afore that we do prosecute the thynges here purposed partyculerlye, it is expedyent and necessarye, to shewe fyrst the maner of the instytucion, determynynge, or assygnynge of bysshops or preestes, vsed aboute the state & begynynge of the prymatyue churche / from whiche all other thynges aboue ben afterwardes [Page 90] deryued. And the begynnynge of all these thyngꝭ are to be taken of chryste, which is the heed and stone / wherupon the catholyke churche is groūded / accordynge to Chryst is the stone, where vpon y ^e church is grounded & buylded. the sayenge of saynt Paule in the. iiii. and. v. to the Ephesianes, and in the. x. of the fyrste to the Coryntheanes / & a certayne glose also sayth the same, in the. xvi. of Mathewe vpon this texte. Upon this stone I wyll buylde my churche / this heed I saye, and the stone, & the foundacyon of the churche, that is to wyt chryste gaue preesthode to the apostles, and episcopall auctoryte, ouer & vpon all nacy­ons and peoples, not determynynge or appoyntynge any of them seuerallye, so vnto any certayne place or people, but y ^t it myght be laufull to euery one of them to preache where soeuer it were / albeit that some of them were more deputed and assygned to preache amonge the Gentyles, & some to preache amonge the Iewes by the ordynacyon of them amonge themselues: or elles of the holy ghost / whiche thynge also semeth to be the mynde of the glose, the seconde to the Galathians / vpon this texte. And whan they had knowen the grace which was gyuen to me amonge the Gentyles. &c. For there sayth the glose,. Chryst gaue to Paule, that he shulde mynystre to the gentyles, and to Peter that he shulde mynystre to the Iewes. But yet this dyspensacyon or mynysterye of the gospell, was so dystry­buted & departed betwene them two: that bothe Peter myght preache to the Gentyles, yf cause had ben, and Paule also to the Iewes. And this same also Paule semeth to haue meaned lykewyse in the. xi. to the Romaynes, whan he sayde. I shall put my mynysterye to honoure yf I maye by any meane prouoke my nacyon to emulacyon or folowynge. His nacyon he calleth the Iewes of whome he came by carnall generacyon / as the glose sayth in the same place / of whiche wor­des of the apostle, it semeth to be thought & iudged, y ^t by the same powre by which one is instytuted and made preest: he hath powre, to mynystre euery where indyf­ferentlye, and vpon euery people / albeit that by a certayne ordynacyon of man: some are determyned and assygned more to one certayne place or people, than to another, namely nowe adayes. And these thynges semeth consonaūt & agreable to the scrypture, and also to reason / for chryste gyuynge to euery one of the apost­les, generall admynystracyon in the. xxviii. of Mathewe: sayde to them indyffe­rently. Go you therfore & teache all nacyons / assygnynge or appoyntynge none of them to any determynate place or people. But they seme otherwhyles to haue ben determyned and assygned to some specyall nacyon or people: by the reuelacy­on of god / for asmoch as the apostle sayth of hymselfe in the. xxii. of the actes. It chaunced me whan I was retourned in to Iherusalem, and as I was prayenge in the temple: to be rauysshed in mynde, and to se hym, that is to wyt chryste, sayenge vnto me. Make haste and go out quyckely from Iherusalem / for they shall not receyue thy testymonye, that thou shalte bere of me. And a lytle after it folo­weth, that chryste sayd vnto hym / go thy way: for I shall sende the in to nacions farre hence. Lo here, semeth it that Paule somtyme by reuelacyon was assyg­ned to some determynate & certayne place & people. And besyde this he also with the other apostles, receyued the same assygnemente by a certayne ordynacyon of man / wherfore he sayde in the seconde to the Galathyans, thus. Iames / Peter & Iohn̄, gaue to me & to Barnabas: the ryght handes of societie & felowshyp / that we shuld preache amonge the Gentyles, & they amonge the Iewes. Lo here a de­termynacyon or assygnemēt of the apostles, vnto certayne people & determynat prouynces: made īmedyatlye by the ordynacyon of man. But this is vndoubted that of suche determynacyon or assygnement made, other īmedyatlye by the reuelacyon of god, or by the ordynacyon of them amonge themselues / they dyd not re­ceyue any perfeccyon by the holy ghost whiche they had not before.

[Page] ¶ The same also as I sayde is agreable to reason. For the case put, that any bysshop or other curate, beynge assygned and appoynted to a certayne prouynce or people / were gone forthe of y ^e prouynce cōmytted to hym (as we se it chaunce now adayes more ofte than is nedefull or conuenyent) & dyd mete other by some chaū ­ce, or elles of purpose, with some infydell and not baptysed, but yet desyrynge o­ther by hymselfe, or by some other persone, of the sayde curate to be baptysed and made chrystened / yf the sayde curate do the baptyse hym kepynge the forme of the sacrament, this is vndoubted, that this man is verely and truely baptysed, albeit peraduenture, that he dothe synne deedly, whiche doth so baptyse any man in the prouynce not subiected or cōmytted to hym / wherfore we maye conclude, that no man is determyned or assygned, by the episcopall or sacerdotale powre which we haue called the essencial powre: vnto any certayne place or people, but this powre indyfferentlye concerneth all nacyons and people. But yet suche determynacy­ons and assygnementes haue ben made somtyme by dyuyne reuelacyon / as in the prymatyue churche / but more often by the ordynacyon of man, namely nowe adayes / and that for cause of auoydynge sclaunder, & occasyon of offence amōge the bysshoppes and preestes, one of them with an other, and for other euydent cō ­modytes and profytes whiche I shall assygne hereafter.

¶ These thynges than thus premysed and put before / nowe cōmynge pertycu­larely and specyally to the thynges purposed in the begynnynge of this chapytre Fyrst we shall shewe, that of suche determynat instytucyon of the apostles to certayne peoples and prouynces, the moste cōuenyent cause effectyue imediat, was the reuelacion of chryst / or els y ^• able ordynacion of them amōge themselues, & afterwardes we shall shewe, that the imedyate cause effectyue of the determynate instytucyon of theyr fyrst successours, afore the conuercion of the people was the expresse wyll of all the apostles, or els of many of them / yf other all, or els many of them, were present togyther in one place or prouynce, in whiche it was necessarye to ordayne and instytute a preest or bysshop / or elles onely one of the apostles: accordynge to the dysposycion of the place and people and tyme. Laste of all we shall shewe / that after the dethe of the apostles, or in theyr absence, the secondarye instytucion of bysshops / and of other spyrytuall mynysters / or mynystres of the churche, after the most conuenyent manere possyble to the conuersacyon of man / was done by the vnyuersyte, or hole congregacion and multytude of the chrysten people, in the place or prouynce, ouer whiche the sayde bysshoppes or mynystres ought to be instytuted and ordayned / rather than by any other pertyculare cōpa­nye or persone / and so afterwarde the other thynges shall be shewed cōsequētly.

¶ The fyrste therfore of these maye appere, that is to wytte, that there can be no more conuenyent cause assygned, of the aforesayd determynacion of the apostles to a certayue place. &c. than the deuyne reuelacyon, or y ^e conuenyent delyberacion of them amonge themselues, for as moche as in neyther of these two: there semeth any erroure or malyce to haue chaunced or come betwene / for of the deuyne reue­lacyon no man doubteth. And as for the eleccyon made by the apostles: it semeth probable, and to be beleued, that they were inspyred with the holye ghost / as we haue alledged here tofore of the. xx. chapytre of Iohn̄. ¶ Furthermore I say that of the secondary instytucyon or determynacyon or assygnement of theyr fyrst successours, namely afore the conuersyon of peoples / the imedyate cause effectyue or doer, was and ought to be, all or many of the apostles, or some one alone of them after the maner aforesayd / as yf all togyther, or many, or elles but one alone of them: were founde in that place. And this is proued fyrst by the scrypture / for we rede in the. vi. of the actes that the apostles dyd after this maner, in the instytucy­on [Page 91] of the deacons, yea and that touchynge the fyrste and essencyall (as we do call it) instytucion of them. For it is sayde in the same chapytre. They sette these men (vnderstande thou whiche were to be made deacons) afore the syght of the apost­les, and they (that is to wyt the apostles) makynge theyr prayers: layde theyr handes vpon them. They dyd not than bryng them to Peter alone, but they brought them afore the syght of the apostles. Neyther Peter alone toke vpon hym aucto­ryte The apostles & not Peter onelye: layde handes vpon them y ^t shulde be made dea­cons. seuerally to put his handes vpon them: but the apostles dyd put handes on them. And this is also agreable to reason. For it is lyke to be trewe, that all or many of the apostles togyther, toke more sure councell, and dyd lesse erre aboute the persone to be promoted outher to preesthode, or to any other holy ordre than a­ny one of them taken seuerally by hymselfe / as we alledged afore in the last cha­pytre, that for this cause, they assembled with the other senyours or preestes, to determyne the doubte aboute the lawe of the gospell in the facte or worke of cyrcū ­cysyon. Agayne by this cōmune assente, was taken awaye the mater and occa­syon of offence and contencyon / whiche of lykelyhode shulde haue rysen amonge them: yf any one of them in the presence of the other wold haue taken vnto hym any powre or superyoryte aboue other / whiche contencyon rysen amonges them euen by chrystes tyme, Chryste determyned and ended by this, shewynge and ex­pressynge y ^• equalyte of them, as we haue here tofore alledged of the. xxii. of Ma­thewe / and the. xxii. of Luke / and also haue shewed it more largely by▪ y ^e apostle also, and the exposycyons of the sayntes in the chapytre last afore gone. Moreo­uer it was most resonable so to do / that therby they myght take away the presūpcyon of suche syngularyte, from all theyr successours, and also gyue them exam­ple of doynge lykewyse as it shall be shewed hereafter in the. ix. parte hereof by the glose vpon the. vi. chapytre of the actes.

¶ But yf they were not all togyther, or elles many of them, in the place, where it was nedefull to make a bysshop or ouerseer, and gouernour to some multytude of chrysten men, for the kepynge of them in the fayth: it is to be sayde verely, that Fooles desire promocyon & dygnyte. Albeit y ^t in y ^e prymatyue churche som­tyme it hap­pened y ^e bys­shop to be chosen of y ^e mul­tytude becau­se ther lacked chrysten prynces to rule the matter yet y ^t was a daūgerous maner as our author sayth ful wel & then moche more it were daungerous nowe adayes It were a wyse way nowe also, one bys­shop to be electe by an other yf men might be sure that y ^e bysshops we­re all of the a­postles com­plexcion, but because there is a great doubte in y ^t, thāked be god a more wyse & sure way is founde, y ^t the eleccyon & all togyther belō geth to the kyngꝭ moste gracyous hyghenes. one of them alone myght lawfully do this thige, namely where was but a small multytude of chrysten people, and the same rude and vnskylled to dyscerne, what persone was moste conuenyent for the offyce of a bysshop or ouerseer, and cheyfe­lye where was not many suffycyent or able persons for this sayde offyce, whiche thynge chaunced often tymes to Paule, and to his fyrste successours, as it appereth suffycyentlye of the actes of the apostles, and of his owne epystles vnto Ti­mothe and Tite. And that suche maner instytucion myght lawfully, and ought to be made by one of them alone, it maye be proued by this, that therby was cho­sen the beste, and most conuenyent pastor. For outher it was lawfull for eche one of them at his owne pleasure to make hymselfe ouerseer vnto other in the myny­sterye of the gospell, or els this thynge ought to be done by the eleccion of the mul­tytude beynge subiecte, or elles by some of the apostles beynge there prsente. Of the fyrst waye, slaundre and erroure myght haue chaunced / slaundre or offence I saye, yf two persons or mo wolde haue taken this auctoryte vnto them. Erroure also or insuffyciencie and vnablenes of the pastor lykewyse. For most cōmunely fooles or ambicious persons desyreth and goeth aboute to take vpon them dygnyties and prelacies / more than vertuose or wysemen. And of the seconde way (that is to wyt, yf the prelate shulde haue ben made by the eleccyon of the multytude) erroure & insuffyciencie of the persone promoted, myght of lykelyhode haue chaū ­ced / by the reason that the sayd multytude was weke bothe in nombre and also in knowlege / for they were rude and ignoraunt at the begynnynge: in mayne pro­uyncꝭ / namely out of Iewrye / and easye to be begyled / as it appereth of the holy [Page] epystle to the Galatians and of many other epystles / wherfore the apostle in the thyrde of the fyrste epystle to the Coryntheās, sayth thus. And I brethren myght not speke to you, as to spyrytuall persones: but as to carnall persones as to chyl­dren or babes in chryste: I gaue you mylke to drynke / for you were not yet able or stronge / neyther yet you be able or stronge / for you are yet carnall. Wherfore to conclude, it was a more sure and more wyse way, that this instytucion shulde be done by y ^e eleccion or determynacion or assygnemēt of one of the apostles, whose lyfe and wysdom was more wayghtye and greatter (by the reason that they had the holy ghost) than the lyfe or wysdome of all that were in such a multytude, al­beit that it is not to be denyed, but that it was expedyent, for the apostle to haue asked counsayle of the multytude, as touchynge to the maners and conuersacion of the persone, whiche was to be preferred and elected to the sayd offyce.

¶ Nowe consequentlye after the premysses I wyll shewe, that after the tyme of the apostles, and of the holy fathers, succedynge nexte after the apostles in office and namely the cōmunytes and congregacions of chrysten men beynge ones perfyte, the īmedyat factyue cause or doer of this instytucion and assygnacion of the gouernour and ouerseer, whether he were greatter, whom they do nowe call a bysshop, or whether he were smaller whome they do nowe call a curate or a preest ha­uynge cure, & also of the other inferyor mynystres: is & ought to be hym to whom the sayd multytude hathe graunted auctoryte to make suche instytucyons, or eleccyons. And to the same auctoryte it belongeth laufullye to put out and depryue euery one of the sayd offycers, of suche maner offyces / and to compell eche one of them to exercyse & execute his offyce, yf it be thought expedyēt & necessary. But yet we ought to marke & take hede, y ^t althoughe it is in the powre of any preeste who euer he be, so to exhybyte and do his mynysterie, that he maye put his hādes vpon all men indyfferently and to promote hym to preesthode, hym selfe beynge As it is graū ted to o ^• most gracyous so­rayne forde y ^e kynge by acte of ꝑlyament. as mynystre preparynge, and god absolutlye and īmedyatlie gyuynge the powre of preesthode / yet I do say for al that, y ^t it is not laufull for hym to gyue it to eue­ry maner of man at his pleasure / neyther by goddes lawe nor mannes lawe, in y ^e cōmunytes of chrysten men beynge nowe perfyte, as we sayde before / but more ouer yf he do exhibyte his sayde mynysterye to any crymynous or sclaunderous ꝑsone, or otherwyse insuffycient and vnable, he trespasseth worthy of punysshe­ment, agaynst the law of god, and of man also / that he doth synne punyssheable It were to moche & tedy­ous for the kyngꝭ grace to be troube­led his owne persone with the eleccion of euery symple preeste (as mē cal them) and therfore his grace may cō myt y ^t offyce to them y ^t ben vndernethe hym, whiche yf they wolde be neglegēt & vncircūspecte in the leccyon of them, yet ought not the bysshop hastely to put his handes vpon them, but to shew y ^e kyng therof, in whom is the onely remedy against y ^e lawe of god: it appereth by the apostle, in the thyrde of the fyrst epystle to Timothe / and in the fyrste chapytre to Tite / for a bysshop ought to be faulte­les / with other mete qualytyes and properties there rekened vp. And the same or elles moche lyke: is to be thought and supposed of the deacons / wherfore in the place afore alledgyd vnto Timothe, he sayth / deacons lykewyse oughte to be chaste. &c. And that he dothe also synne and trespasse worthy of payne, agaynst the lawe of man in promotynge any insuffycient, or an vnable persone to the ec­clesiasticall ordre, it appereth by these thynges which haue ben shewed in the. viii. chapytre of this dyccion. For he cōmytteth an outwarde acte tournynge to the noyaūce and hurte of an other man, for the state of this present worlde, and also of the worlde to come (whiche maye be proued to hym in very dede althoughe he wolde saye naye) in promotynge vnto a cōmune offyce, suche a persone whiche maye corrupte the lyfe and maners of other bothe men, and women / or els which can not (so moche as is expedyent and necessarye bothe for the state of this presēt worlde, and also of the worlde to come) fascion the maners of men / for suche one, is euer leude and euyll dysposed, or otherwyse insuffycient and vnable.

¶ Of these premysses I wyll forthermore inferre and conclude of necessyte, that [Page 92] in the cōmunyties of chrysten men beynge nowe perfyte: it belōgeth onely to the kynge or his deputies to haue ouersyght: to electe, to determyne, or assygne, and to presente the persones, whiche are to be promoted to the ecclesiasticall ordres. The persones therfore which are to be promoted vnto ecclesiasticall ordres: are to be approued or to be dysalowed by the sentence or iudgement of hym, whiche is cheyfe hyghest gouernour. And by the same auctoryte: the sayd persones are also to be instytuted, or remoued from the cure or offyce of a bysshop or preeste / and to be prohibited from the excercysynge therof. Or also, yf of malycyouse purpose they dyd cease from the excercyse of theyr offyce: to be cōpelled to the excercisynge and doynge of theyr dutye / lefte throughe theyr lewdnes any man myght fall in to ieopardy of eternall death, as for lacke of baptisme, or of any other sacrament: and this verely is to be vnderstanded, in the cōmunyties of chrysten men, whiche are alredy perfyte. For in such a place, where the prynce or gouernoure an hethen prynce, as the moste parte of cōmunytes, and well nere all cōmunytes were a­boute the state and tyme of the prymatyue churche, there the approbacyon or re­probacyon Chast, in matrymony he meaneth. of persones to be promoted to the ecclesiasticall ordres, with the afore­sayd instytucions, and the auctorite to prohybyte them from the exercyse of theyr offyces, or to compell them to the same: shulde appertayne & belonge to the preest or bysshoppe, with the more wyse parte of the chrysten multytude, beynge in the sayd place / or to hym alone (yf he were there alone) without the consent or knowledge Of whom y ^e mynister of y ^e churche, is to be chosen. of the gouernoure or cheyfe ruler / that of, or by suche maner promotynge & instytucyon of prelates or curates: the faythe and holsome doctryne of chryste myght be publysshed which thynges shulde not be done by the auctoryte, fauour, studye, or cōmaundemēt of the gouernour: but rather shulde be prohybyted. And after this maner dyd the apostles this thynge aboute the begynnynge of chrystes As is y ^e turke churche / & were bounde to do, by the cōmaundement of god. And the successoures of them shuld be bounde also to the same: in the defaulte of suche a prynce or in de­faulte This is to be vnderstāded where the consent of y ^e hea­then prynce can not be optayned, for yf it may, his e­leccyon is of good force be­fore god. of the hethens prynce consent / wherfore the apostle saythe in the. ix. of the fyrst to the Corynthyās. For yf I shal preache the gospell: it is no glory or prayse to me / for necessyte of so doynge lyeth vpon me, for woo is to me yf I shall not preache / but yet where the parlyament and the prynce are wyllynge and content, that suche thynges be done: I saye that the auctoryte belongeth to the prynce.

¶ But as concernynge the dystrybucyon of the temporalles, whiche are wonte to be called the benefyces of the churche: you ought to knowe that suche thynges can not here so well be dysputed as they maye be ordred by kyngꝭ and theyr most honourable and dyscrete counsayles. ¶ Prouyded alway that the mynystres of the gospell haue suffycyent fyndynge and sustentacion in meate, drynke, and clothes, semely and suffycient for them / and herewith the sayde mynysters ought to be contented, as it was shewed by the last chapytre of the fyrste epystle to Timothe. As in turkye with suche lyke places. But as concernynge temporalties ordayned & appoynted to workes of pytie and charyte, by the gyfte or bequeste of any syngulare persone or persones depar­ted, I do say, that suche tēporalties or landes, rentes, or reuenewes, it were well done yf they were conserued, kepte, and dystrybuted, accordynge to the intente, The myny­ster of the gospell ought to haue his fyn­dynge. wyll, and mynde of the gyuer, or bequether in case the deades mynde ben good & resonable, but yf it be otherwyse, or yf erroure or faulte do appere to be in the dy­strybuters of the sayd temporalties, and redresse therin is nedefull to be had, ac­cordynge to the wyll and mynde of hym whiche was the gyuer, or bequether of them: this errour or faulte ought to be redressed or amended by hym that is cheyfe gouernour / ye moreouer, yf he do knowe it, & be of powre to amende it, and dothe not redresse it, he offendeth god. For this appertayneth not, nor ought to be done [Page] by any other synguler company or persone, of what estate soeuer he be: this onely excepted that the correccyon or redressynge of suche faultes be cōmytted by the gyuer or bequether vnto any persone or cōpanye / in whome also yf any faulte shuld chaunce to be: at the laste it ought to be corrected and redressed, by the gouernoure & cheyfe ruler / albeit, yet no synguler persone or companye may buylde a churche and there in ordayned any euangelicall mynystre: without the graunte or lycence of the prynce. ¶ Moreouer I wyll shewe or proue the premysses concernynge the instytucyon of ecclesiasticall mynystres, and the dystrybucyon or gyfte of the tē ­poralles Of the gyfte of the ecclesi­asticall bene­fyces. or benefyces: by the auctoryte of the catholyke chrysten Frenche kynges whiche is not to be dyspysed / but rather to be regarded and taken hede of / for they saye, that of ryght (whiche thynge also in very dede they do well, and cause to be obserued and kepte euen vnto this daye without any chaunge) the auctoryte concernynge the instytucyon and dystrybucion of ecclesiasticall offyces, and of the tē poralles or benefyces, dothe so appertayne and belonge vnto them selues: that the sayd auctoryte is not deryued in to them, from any other syngulare man, or par­tyculare companye of men, of what soeuer estate he or they be. For the prynce or cheyfe gouernour (say they, and well) is not prohybyted by the lawe of god: from the instytucyon, gyfte▪ and dystrybucyon of them, but rather contrary, & they say that this auctoryte, hathe ben deryued in the parfyte cōmunytes of chrysten men, in to the persons, collages, or companyes of preestes, by the graunte of the prynce or perlyament / wherfore in the lawes of the prynces, & emperours of Rome there is a certayne maner & forme set and appoynted, of chosynge or instytutynge bys­shoppes, curates, deacons, and of ordaynynge other mynystres of the temples or churches / and the nombre also of them is determyned and certaynely appoynted. For this thynge appertayneth to the prynce and heed gouernoure as it was she­wed in the. viii. of this dyccion, & in the. xv. of the fyrst dyccion. So also there are lawes ordayned & made concernynge the forme and maner of handelynge & orde­rynge the temporalles, or benefyces of the churche / and of the contēcious actes of preestes amonge them selues, one of them with an other, or elles with any other persones, who euer they be / agaynst the whiche lawes, they which were fyrst bys­shops of Rome, beīge holy men, & not ignoraūt of it but knowīge it wel ynough neuer grudged or spake agaynst them / but of theyr owne mynde were, & wolde be (as they ought of ryght to be) subiectes vnto them. But howe and wherof, this so great chaunge hathe come to passe, that the company of preestꝭ not onely dothe say, that them selues are exempte from the lawas & customes of the seculare prynces, but also maketh them selues lawmakers ouer them, and doth styflye mayn­tayne and defende the same, we shall shewe hereaf [...]er.

¶ Agayne also of the premysses we ought to vnderstande & know, y ^t the heed gouernour or prynce may lawfully of the tēporalles of the churche, namely the puē tes & rentes of vnmoueables (yf any shal be lefte more than is necessary to the suffycyent sustentacion of the mynysters of the gospell) tallyes, taxes, subsydes, bothe accordynge to goddes lawe and mans lawe, for the defence of the countree or redempcyon & raunsonynge of prysoners, in to the obsequye and seruyce of the fayth / or for the supportacion of y ^e cōmune charges, & other resonable causes. For An inuyncy­ble reason. who soeuer ordayned & appoynted suche tēporalles, outher by gyfte or els by be­queste, vnto suche charytable vses, & dyd cōmyt the dystribucyon of them to any persone or persones, he coulde not gyue them to any cōpanye or synguler persone, with more īmunyte, lyberte, or fredom, than he had hym selfe, whyles they were in his powre and possessyon. But for that tyme they ware neuer free from the cō ­mune charges / wherfore it foloweth, that they ar not free, no not after they haue [Page 94] ben translated by the gyuer or ordeyner, in to the powre or gouernaunce of any other man. And here vnto bereth wytnes saynt Ambrose, in his epystle De tradē dis basilicis, whan he sayd / we pay to Cesar: suche thyngꝭ, as belōgeth to Cesar / & to god, such thyngꝭ as appertayneth to god. Tribute belongeth to Cesar / we do not denye it hym. And agayne in y ^e same epystle / yf the emperour demaūdeth trybute: we do not say hym naye of it. Theloondes of the church payeth trybute. But doubtles he wolde haue denyed y ^e emperour trybute, yf he had beleued or supposed, that trybute had not ben dewe to hym of ryght. Hugo de sctō victore, also Hugo de sctō victore. sayth the same, in his treatyse made of the sacramentꝭ. The churche (sayth he) all thoughe it doth take y ^e frute of the erthly possessyon to her vse: yet for all that cannot the churche by ecclesiasticall persons exercyse y ^e powre of executynge iustyce, or seculer iudgementꝭ / but yet the churche maye haue mynystres lay persones: by whom the lawes & iudgementes belongynge to cyuyle powre, maye accordynge to the tenoure of the lawes, & the dutye of cyuyle auctoryte, be exercysed or executed / but yet so that the churche do knowe / y ^t she hathe all such powre: of the worlde prynce / & that she do vnderstāde & knowe: that she may neuer so exempte or with drawe those possessyons from the kyngꝭ powre: but that yf reason, and necessyte shall requyre: bothe that powre of theyrs oughte of dutye to ayde & defende hym: and also the possessyons of them ought of dutye, to do obsequye & seruyce to hym in tyme of nede. For as the regale powre must nedes gyue the defence, whiche it oweth of dutye to other men: so lykewyse the possessyon of the ecclsiasticall. &c.

¶ Of the begynnynge, & fyrst state of the chrystyane church / & howe and by what meane, the bysshop of Rome, and the churche of Rome, hathe taken the aforesayd auctoryte & a certayne prymacye or superyoryte vnto them selues, aboue and vpon other bysshoppes and churches.
The, xviij, chapytre,

NOwe this resteth or remayneth of the intentes purposed: to shewe & declare the rysynge & begynnynge, wherof the coactyue iurysdyccyon, & the powre & auctoryte of al the secōdarie instytuciōs of preestꝭ called afore of vs the accedentall or not essencyall instytucyōs, and also the powre to dystrybute all the ecclesiastical tēporalles or benefyces, hath come vnto certayne bysshops or preestꝭ / & wherof it cōmeth, y ^t the bys­shop of Rome doth ascrybe to hym selfe, the hyghest of all suche auctoryte. And cō sequently after these premysses, we wyll shewe & declare to what persone or per­sones, the ryghtfull auctoryte & powre belongeth, to interprete the doubtfull sen­ces of the scrypture and those so interpreted: to gyue and cōmaunde it to be bele­ued and obserued of the chrysten people.

¶ Supposynge therfore fyrste of all, of the determynacions made by vs in y ^e. xv. &. xvii. of the fyrste dyccion, and in the. iiii. v. viii. ix. &. x. of this present dyccion, y ^t vnto no bysshop, or preeste, or ecclesiasticall mynystre in y ^t y ^t he is but a mynystre belongeth any iurysdyccion coactyue of any man in this worlde. And agayne y ^t no bysshop or preest by the īmedyate ordynacion of chryst, ought to be vnder any other bysshop or preeste, as touchynge to any of the powres belōgynge to preestꝭ outher essencyall or not essencyall aforesayde. Begynnynge therfore at the holy Canon or scrypture. Canon or scrypture, as at the fountayne of the verite & trouth which we do seche [Page] we shall take the oracle or sayenge of chryst in the. xx. of Iohn̄, by which he gaue the auctoryte of preesthode, or the powre of the keyes, or bothe, indyfferently to al his apostles, whan he brethed vpon them, & sayd. Take you y ^e holy ghost / whose synnes you shall forgyue: they are forgyuen them / and we shal also ioyne to this, the cōmaūdemēt of y ^e sayd chryste, wherby he dyd inioyne them also indyfferētly, to preache the gospell throughe out the whole world, whan he sayd to them in the laft of mathewe. Go you therfore & teache all nacyons. &c. To whiche apostles, he dyd afterwarde by his owne īmediate vocacion, ioyne Paule as a chosen ves­sell (that is to wyt of the holy ghost) as it appereth euydently in the. ix. of y ^e actes S. Paule was a chosen vessell. And this Paule, & the other apostles togyther, executynge the aforesayd cōmaū dement of chryste. But afterwardes by the reuelacyon of god, and theyr owne or­dynaunces amonge them selues: certayne of them remayned styll in Iurye, and the resydewe of them departynge them selues asondre, went from thense in to dy­uers countres, and to soundrye peoples, amonge whome they boldly and constātly preachynge the gospell: profyted and dyd as moche good, eche one of them as he was able, and as it pleased god, in the conuertynge of men and women, vnto the faythe / as it is recyted and rehersed in theyr legendes, or in the approued hystory­es of them / albeit, that amonge other, two of them dyd moste notable good with theyr preachynge / that is to wyt, saynt Peter, and saynt Paule / whiche Paule, althoughe he was none of the. xii. yet neuerthelesse he was called, and sente as īmedyatly and pryncypallye of chryste as any other, whosoeuer it was, of the a­postles / as it appereth of the. ix. of the actes.

¶ From these two apostles Peter and Paule, the vsage & custome of the chrysten churche was fyrst deryued / albeit, yet more manyfestly from Paule: after y ^e texte or processe of the canon or scrypture / and namely to the Gentyles / as saynt Augustyne sayth in the. ix. chapytre of y ^e. xiiii. boke De ciuitate dei. For Paule hymselfe was pryncypall & the fyrst apostle vnto the Gentyles or vncyrcūcysed peo­ple, lykewyse as Peter was the pryncypall apostle sente vnto the Iewes or cyr­cūcysed people / as it appereth in the seconde chapytre to the Galatianes, & in the x. to the Romaynes / and of y ^e glose also of holy men in the same place, & in many other places of the scrypture. And these two apostles, with al the resydue of them, folowynge theyr mayster / that is to wyt chryste, lyued vnder the coactyue iurys­dyccyon of the seculare prynces / & taught other to lyue lykewyse / as it hathe ben euydētly shewed in the. iiii. & the. v. of this dyccion. And so dyd theyr successours, preestes & bysshoppes, with theyr deacons, & other mynystres of the gospell, from tyme to tyme cōtynually euyn vnto the tyme of Constantyne the fyrst emperour of Rome (as it appereth euydently of the aforesayd boke of Isodory) so that none The chrysten fayth was fre vntyll Cō stantynes tyme. of all the bysshops, in al that space: dyd exercyse any coactyue iurysdyccion vpon the other bysshoppes / albeit yet that many bysshops of other prouynces, in suche thyngꝭ wherin they doubted, as well of the holy scrypture, as of the custome, vsage, & ceremonyes of the churche / beynge not bolde to gather them selues togyther openly, asked counsayle of the bysshop / & the cōgregacion of christen men beynge at Rome / because peraduēture there was y ^e greatt (er) multytude of chrysten people, & Why Alyen bysshoppe sought coūsel before the reygne of Cō stantyne the emperour of & at the bys­shops of rome Howe bys­shoppes came fyrste from Rome which I beseche the good reder to marke with all dylygence for it is worth moche worldly trea­sure. better learned / for as moche as at that tyme the studyes of all maner scyences florysshed than at Rome, wherupon the bysshops & preestꝭ there, were more learned, & the churche there, had more abundaūce & plentie in nombre, of suche lerned per­sons, than had the cōgregacyōs or churches in other places / & the bysshops of the same place also were had in more reuerence / partly because sayut Peter the most auncyent of the apostles, & most sage & reuerende, is red to haue syt there as bys­shop, and saynt Paule also, of whome it is more euydent & vndoubted, as it ap­pereth [Page 94] in the. xvi. of this dyccyon. Partly also for the pryncipalyte of the cytie of Rome, & his greatter fame in cōparyson to other prouynces of the worlde / wher­fore also the chrysten people of other prouyncꝭ lackynge then able & suffycyēt persones to gouerne theyr churches, desyred of the bysshop & the chrysten congregaci­on of Rome, able & suffyciēt persons to be made bysshops & ouerseers vnto them selues, because the chrysten churche of Rome had more plentie of suche maner per­sons / as we sayd not longe afore. The bysshops than of Rome, & the congregaci­on of chrysten people there so beynge then requyred & desyred to gyue theyr helpe and counsayle, as well aboute the fayth, as aboute the custome & ceremonyes of the churche, & the ꝓuydynge of able persones, charytablye & brotherly dyd succour and helpe them y ^t had nede, & requyred it of them / in these aforesayd thyngꝭ that is to wyt insendynge bysshops vnto them (whiche coulde scantly be founde any y ^t were wyllynge to take that offyce vpon them) & also in makynge the other pro­uynces whiche so sent vnto them partakers of such ordynacions whiche they had Howe lawes & ordynaūcꝭ were fyrst re­ceyued from Rome, & aft what maner: and wolde to god it had ne­uer ben worse Isodore. made for themselues, cōcernynge the customes & ceremonyes to be vsed in y ^e chur­che of Rome, & somtyme also cherytablye puttynge away the cōtencion or scisme of the chrysten people amonge themselues, in other prouynces. These thyngꝭ the churches of other prouynces toke & receyued thankefully, from the tyme of pope Clement, whiche is wryten to haue ben fyrst bysshop there beynge the successour of Peter, or Paule, or of bothe: vntyll the tyme of the aforesayde Constantyne. And after this maner also or moche lyke: the people of Rome receyued of the Grekes, frely & without cōpulcion, certayne lawes, called the lawes of the. x. tables / out of whiche, as from the orygynall: all other lawes of the people of Rome pro­ceded & came forth. And yet this is vndoubted, that the people of Rome was not The churche of Rome re­ceyued ordy­naūces of the churche of Grece. subiecte to the grekes in any maner iurysdyccion or auctoryte.

¶ But of this sayde superyoryte cōmynge in a maner of custome, by the fre and wylfull consente of other churches, the bysshops of Rome (as touchynge to theyr further goynge forth from the begynnynge) haue taken vnto themselues, a cer­tayne more large auctoryte, to make decrees, or ordynacyons, vpon and ouer the vnyuersall churche / concernynge the custome and ceremonyes of the churche, and Se how ver­tue is peruer­ted to mysche fe, by to moch sufferaunce. the actes of all preestes / & to cōmaunde the obseruacyon of the same decrees, euen vntyll the aforesayde constantynes tyme. But whether the bysshoppes of Rome inyght do this, by the auctoryte of themselues alone, or elles there was necessaryly requyred the consent of other bysshoppes vnto the same, we shall shewe here af­ter. And the aforesayd Constantyne (as Isodore sheweth in the foresayd boke, in Cōstantyne y ^e emperour. the chapytre of the prymatyue churche, in the Nicene counceyle / & the same is also contayned in wrytynge in the preuylege of lorde Constātyne the emperour) was If thou wylt se y ^e truthe of this gyfte re­de the boke entytled, y ^e gyft of Cōstātyne the emperour & thou shalt there se many festly that it was but for­ged of the bysshoppes of Rome. the fyrst emperour, whiche by the mynysterye of Syluester than pope of Rome, dyd openly receyue and take vpon hym the faythe of chryste. And the sayde Con­stantyne semeth to haue exēpte preesthod from the coactyue iurysdyccion of prynces / whiche also by the aforesayd pryuyledge semeth to haue gyuen to the churche of Rome, and lykewyse to the bysshop therof: the auctoryties and powres vpon all other churches and bysshops, whiche they do saye nowe to belonge vnto themselues by an other tytle, as we haue shewed afore, in the. viii. &. ix. parte, of y ^e xix. chapytre of y ^e fyrst dyccion / besyde this also he semeth to haue gyuen to them coactyue iurysdyccions vpon the same feldes, londes, lordshyps, & many possessyons, with the secular domynyon also of certayne ꝓuynces, as it appereth euydently in the same decree preuyledge: to them, that lyste to loke vpon it. This Constātyne also (as it is red afore) was the fyrste emperour, which graunted to chrysten men lycēce, to gather thē selues togyther to assēble opēly: to buylde tēples or churches. [Page] And by his precepte and cōmaundement, the fyrste councell called the councell of Who gathe­red y ^e first coū sell called Cō cilium Necenum. Nece was gathered or assembled / of which coūsayle, with other, whiche haue ben made in the processe or goynge forwarde of the churche, from the tyme of y ^e apost­les, euen vnto these presēt tymes: we shal hereafter touche, & brynge in, or alledge the hystoryes, in mete & cōuenyent places / cōcernynge so moche, as shall belonge to our purpose takynge out of them, these thynges whiche shall be consonaunte and agreable to the scrypture and ryghte reason, and refusynge those thynges, whiche shall be dissonaunte or dysagreynge from the same.

¶ Of a certayne preamble, necessary to be had, that is to wyt y ^t fayth and credence is to be gyuen onely to the scryptures of god, & not to the pure doctryne of any auncyent doctoure.
The. xix. chapytre.

BVt afore that we do procede any further we confesse, that we ar not bounde, of the necessyte of eternall saluacyon, to beleue or to confesse any scrypture, to be vndoubtedlye true: but onely these scryptures, whiche are called the canonycall scryptures, contay­ned in the Byble / or elles those: which necessarylye folowe of the sayd canonycall scryptures. ¶ And y ^t no man is holden or boūde To what scrypture sure credence is to be gyuen. to gyue sure credence, vnto the other scryptures, y ^t is to wyt whiche haue ben she­wed, gyuen, or taught by y ^e spyryte of any doctour spyrytual: it is euydent / for no man is bounde stedfastly to gyue credence to any scrypture, whiche may sygnyfy or gyue knowlege of false thyngꝭ / nor to confesse or knowlege it as vtterly true. But such are all the scryptures of men grounded vpon theyr owne inuencion for they may swarue from the truthe, as it is euydent by experemēt, & is had also in the. c. xv. psalme: I sayd in myne excesse, euery man is a lyer. But the canonycal scryptures are not so / for they are not of mans inuencyon, but rather taughte or gyuen by the imedyate inspyracyon of god, whiche neyther can be deceyued ney­ther is wyllynge to deceyue. And this sentence whiche we haue sayd, and the dyf­ference of the deuyne & of the humayne scryptures, saynt Augustyne openly confyrmeth Augustyne. in the. xiii. of the epystle to saynt Iherome, whan he sayd. For I know­lege to thy charytie that I haue learned to gyue this honoure, & feare onely to the bokes of the scryptures, which at nowe called canonycall, that I do beleue sure­ly & sted fastly none of y ^e authours or makers of them to haue erred any whyt in theyr wrytynge. And yf any thynge be offered to me in those scryptures, whiche semeth cōtrary to the truthe. I do not doubte, but that outher the boke is corrupte or els that the interpretour dyd not vnderstande that which was sayd, or els that I my selfe haue not vnderstande it. But other bokes I do so rede: that were the Saynt Au­gustyne iud­gement of bokes. aucthours of them neuer so excellent holy or well lerned, yet I do not thynke a­ny thynge therfore true, because they haue thought or iudged so: but because they haue ben able to perswade vnto me by these forsayd canonycall aucthores, or els by ꝓbable reason, y ^t it doth not dysagre from y ^e truth. The same thynge also he re­herseth Augustyne. in y ^e ꝓlouge of y ^e iii. boke De trinitate whā he sayd: do not o reder folow & obeye my bokes, as thou woldest the canonycall scryptures, but in them y ^t is to wyt in the canonycall scryptures, euyn that also which thou doste not yet beleue whan thou shalte haue foūde it there, beleue it forthwith, without any taryaūce or delaye, but in these bokes of myne, y ^t whiche thou arte not sure of, excepte thou [Page 95] shalt perceyue & vnderstāde it to be vndoubted, do not stedfastly & suerly holde or sustayne. The same thynge also he sayde in his epystle to Fortinacianus, and in many other bokes / the textes wherof I haue lefte out here because of spede and shortnes. Wherfore also it is founde to haue ben prohibited by the thyrde coūsayle The counsell of Carthage. holden at Carthage, & were reasonably that none other maner scryptures shulde be red vnder the name of these, that is to wyt of the canonycall scryptures / wher­fore there is red in the sayd counsayle, & also in the foresayd boke of Isodore is cō ­tayned / this texte folowynge. Also it hathe pleased vs that besyde the canonicall scryptures, nothynge be red in the churche vnder y ^e name of the deuyne scrypturꝭ. And the canonycall scryptures be Geneses, & the other in the volume of y ^e byble whiche are rekened vp there, neyther that whiche Augustyne sayth agaynst the Manicheis, in the epystle of the foundacyon: is any whyt agaynst these thynges Non crederē euāgelio, nisi me catholice ecclesie cōmo­ueret auctho­ritas. aforesayd: for there saynt Augustyne sayth / but I wolde not beleue the gospel excepte the auctoryte of the catholyke churche dyd moue or styre me, in whiche say­enge, he semeth to preferre the auctoryte of man, before the auctoryte of the scryp­ture. For alwayes that wherfore an other thynge is regarded: is more regarded it owne selfe. But let vs answere y ^t it is not all one thynge to beleue a worke, boke or treatyse to be made & wryten by some doctor or man, & to beleue that that same worke, that it is true, profytable, or hurtfull, to be obserued, or to be refused. For a man may receyue or take the one of these two thyngꝭ, by the testymonie of men without the secōde, & cōtrary wyse, the secōde without the fyrst, & he may receyue bothe of them lykewyse otherwhyles, by the testymonye of men / as for example / some man shall beleue that same scrypture which is offered & layde afore hym, to be the lawe of the coūtree, by the cōmune testimonye of the inhabytantꝭ or dwel­lers there / whiche sayd lawe for all y ^t, to be true, or to be obserued, & not transgres­sed or broken: he may lerne by some sensible sygile, as by y ^e payne or punysshemēt whiche he hathe seen to be done to the trāsgressours therof / by ryght reason of his owne mynde, without any perswasyon or sayenge of any men. So also backe­warde agayne / he whiche sethe any man make a boke or buylde a house, or to do anyother thynge, shall beleue of his owne selfe, without the testymony of men, y ^t the boke was made, or the house was buylded of the same man / but that the con­tentꝭ in that boke be true or false, ꝓfytable or noysome, to be folowed or exchued he may beleue this, by y ^e testymony of men, namely of credable persons. Agayne a man may take or receyue bothe otherwhyles of or by the testymony of men / as he which neuer sawe Hyppocrates, shal beleue y ^t this is y ^• boke & doctryne of Hippocrates, by the testymonye of men, and that the contentꝭ & thyngꝭ wryten in it be true, or false, to be obserued, or to be refused for the cōseruacyon of helthe, & the auoydynge of syckenes, this the same man shal receyue or beleue, of y ^e testymony of lerned men. And after the same or very lyke maner, to beleue y ^t any scrypture cōtayned in the byble is the tradycion of god / this thynge a man may take of the cōmune testymonye of chrysten men, or of the catholyke churche, which yet for al that neuer sawe, nor herde chryste, neyther hath had any perceyuynge of chryste, by any other exteryor sence. But yet that this scrypture is true, he shall beleue by fayth, as for exāple, by myracle, without the testymonye of any man / euen lyke wyse as Paule beleued before his cōuersyon y ^t the lawe which he dyd then ꝑceyue was the doctryne of chryste: by the testymonye of the preachers whom he persecu­ted / and yet for all that he dyd not therfore beleue, the sayde lawe to contayne the truthe. But afterwardes he beleued it to be true: fyrste by a sencyble myracle, and cōsequētly by the fayth which he had / lykewyse also both these thyngꝭ is taken o­therwhyles by the testymony of man / as y ^t the scryture is a law made and gyuen [Page] by chryste, and that the contentes in it are true and to be obserued, and to get eternall lyfe, saluacyon, and to auoyde eternall myserye: is beleued and hath ben be­leued of many men, which neuer sawe chryste, nor haue knowen hym, by any exteryor sence: neyther euer hathe perceyued any myracle or sencyble sygne therof.

¶ Therfore this sayenge of saynt Augustyne, I wolde not beleue the gospell yf Howe saynt Augustynes sayenge is to be vnderstan­ded. Non cre­derem euāge­lio, nisi me catholice ecclesie aucthoritas cōmoueret. the auctoryte of the churche dyd not moue me: maye accordynge to the thynges a­foresayd, be vnderstanded, two maner wayes, and haue two sences. The one is this, that he beleued the scrypture to be the gospell, that is to saye the ioyfull mes­sage of chryste / by the testymonye of the churche / albeit y ^t he dyd beleue, this scryp­ture or gospell to contayne truthe, more pryncypally peraduenture by some myracle, or by some reuelacion, or elles by the faythe, by whiche he dyd beleue y ^t chryste was very god and so consequentlye that al his tradycion & doctryne was trewe and to be obserued and kepte. The other sence whiche the sayde wordes of Augustyne may haue: is this / that he dyd fyrste, and at the begynnynge receyue and beleue bothe these aforesayde thynges, by the testymonye of the churche / albeit the fyrste sence of these two semeth to agree more vnto the sayenge of the apostle, in the fyrst chapytre to the Galathians. For the wordes and sayenges of chryste or of god, ar not therfore trewe: because the churche doth so wytnesse to them by true testymonye / but therfore is the wytnes or testymonye of the churche true, when Why y ^e iudge­ment of the churche is trewe. she alledgeth for her the true sayenge of chryste, whiche make her sayengꝭ true, because they are true / wherfore the apostle to the Galathiās afore alledged sayth thus. But thoughe we, or an aūgel from heuen do preache vnto you any thynge otherwyse, than we haue preached, vnto you: cursed be he. And lykewyse it is to be vnderstanded, that althoughe the holy churche had preached any other gospell that is to say a contrary gospell, it shulde not haue ben true. And the cause why Paule thus sayd, was for that that was sure and out of doubte, that the sayde gospell was the sayenge or reuelacyon of chryste, in whiche coulde be no falsytie And therfore after what soeuer sence, the aforesayd wordes of saynt Augustyne be expounded: they ar not contrarye or agaynst the sentēce, which we haue sayd. And saynt Augustyne dothe for so moche saye, that he beleueth the gospell, for the auctoryte of the churche, because he toke the begynnynge of his beleue, of the churche. For fayth otherwhyles begynneth of hearynge. And agayne because he was moued with the good lyuynge and holy conuersacyon of the churche, and with the pacyent sufferaunce of trybulacyon whiche he perceyued in the churche in tyme of persecucyon.

¶ Of the dyuerse maners or sygnyfycaciōs, after which, ful­nes of powre maye be taken / and after what maner and ordre / the bysshop of Rome hath taken these vnto hym / and breyfly, & generallye / after what maner and fascyon he hathe vsed & dothe vse them.
The, xxiij, chapytre,

[Page 96] THe fulnes of powre is and maye one waye truely be vnderstanded & Howe many maner wayes fulnes of powre maye be taken. taken for that powre whiche is able to do any maner acte possyble & vpon any maner thynge, voluntarylye / powre I saye hauynge not excesse / whiche maner powre semeth to be agreynge and belōgynge onely vnto chryste / wherfore it is sayde in the laste of Mathewe / Al powre is gyuen to me, bothe in heuen and in erthe.

¶ The seconde waye, fulnes of powre may be vnderstanded more to the purpose for that powre, by the whiche, it maye be lawfull for any man for to exercyse a­ny maner acte any maner man, or any maner outwarde thynge beynge in the powre of men, ordynable to the vse of men. Or elles agayne that powre, accor­dynge to whiche, a man maye exercyse any maner acte, albeit, not vpon euery maner man, or vpon all maner thynge beynge subiecte to the powre of man. Or elles agayne that powre accordynge vnto the whiche it may be laufull to exer­cyse not all maner actes: but onely an acte or operacyon determyned in kynde or maner, but yet accordynge to all maner inclynacyon or appetyte of the wyller, vpon any maner man, & euery thynge beynge subiecte vnder the powre of man. ¶ The. iiii. way, fulnes of powre may be vnderstanded the last aforesayd powre or the powre accordynge to the maner aforesayde, vpon all clarkes onely / and the powre instytutynge all them to the ecclesiasticall offyces, & of depryuynge them or deposynge them from the sayd offyces / and of dystrybutynge the ecclesiasticall temporalles or benefyces, or accordynge to the maner laste afore rehersed. ¶ The v. waye fulnes of powre may be vnderstanded, that powre, whiche belongeth to preestes, all maner wayes to bynde and lose men from synnes, and the paynes done for them / and to excōmunycate, to interdycte, and to reconcyle / of whiche powre we haue spoken before. ¶ The. vi. waye, the fulnes of powre maye be vn­derstanded, that powre, by whiche it maye be laufull to put on handes vpon all men, to the receyuynge of the ecclesiasticall ordres, and to gyue or prohybyte and with holde the sacramentes of the churche / of whiche powre it hath ben spoken before. ¶ The. vii. waye, by fulnes of powre, maye be vnderstanded the powre of interpretynge the scrypture. ¶ The. viii. & the last way, as touchynge to our pur­pose, by fulnes of powre maye be vnderstanded the powre of the pastorall cure of soules, generall in comparyson to all peoples & prouynces of the world / of which it hath ben spoken before. Agayne fulnes of powre, maye be vnderstanded accor­dynge to eche one of the aforesayd dyuysyons, that powre, which is not determy­ned by any lawe / & that powre may be vnderstanded to be not full powre: which is determyned by the lawes of man, or of god / vnder whiche ryght reason may cō uenyently be comprehended. There be peraduenture certayne other maners, and combinacions of the fulnes of powre: but I thynke that we haue rehersed and re­kened vp all, whiche appertayneth to the purpose intended of vs.

¶ These dyuysyons of the fulnes of powre than thus premysed and declared: I do saye, that fulnes of powre accordynge to the two fyrste maners, or sygnyfycacyons aforesayd, doth in no wyse agre or appertayne to the bysshop of Rome, or to any other bysshop or preest, saue onely chryst or god / of the which two I passe ouer because the thynge is euydent / and because it hath ben certyfyed by the wys­dome of god, and man, and by all morall scyence, and also because of spede and breyfnes. And as touchynge to the thyrde &. iiii. way or maner of fulnes of powre it hathe ben proued by demonstracyon and stronge reason, in the. xv. chapytre of the fyrste dyccyon: & moreouer cōfyrmed by the holy scrypture, in y ^e. iiii. v. &. viii. of this dyccion. Agayne moste stablysshed & coroberated in the. xv. xvi. xvii. &. xxi. of this dyccyon: that suche maner powre, not onely not with any fulnes: but also [Page] dothe not at all, by the lawe of god, agree or appertayne to any preeste or bysshop in y ^t he is suche one, vpon any man beynge other clarke or no clarke. But an concernynge the other two, that is to wyt y ^e. v. and. vi. maners of fulnes of powre: it hathe ben shewed in the. vi. and. vii. chapytours of this dyccion / that the powre of byndynge and lousynge from synnes, and from the paynes dewe for them, & lyke wyse the powre of cursynge or excōmunycatynge any man openlye is not graū ­ted to the preeste absolutelye or with fulnes: but is determyned by the law of god so that he can neyther cōdempne those that be innocentes afore god: neyther louse them, that are gyltye afore god. Moreouer that the same powre to instytute the ecclesiasticall mynysters, by the puttynge on of handes / to teache and preache, and to mynystre the sacramentes of the churche in the cōmunyties of chrysten men, dothe not so fully agree or belonge to bysshoppes or preestes: but that there is de­termyned, and appoynted vnto them by the lawe of god and of man / a conueny­ent maner of workynge accordynge to it. And as touchynge to the other two maners of fulnes of powre remaynynge, that is to wyt the. vii. and the. viii. it hathe ben shewed before, that they do not agree or appertayne to any preeste or bysshop with fulnes / but accordynge to the determynacyon bothe of the lawe of god, and of the lawe of man.

¶ Therfore to conclude fulnes of powre doth agree or appertayne, neyther to the bysshop of Rome / neyther to any other bysshop or preeste in that he is such a one. ¶ Nowe consequentlye it is to be shewed, whense and of whiche sygnyfycacion the bysshop of Rome toke his fyrst begynnynge of ascribynge this tytle of fulnes of powre vnto hym selfe / albeit that in very dede it doth not agree or belonge vn­to hym after any at all of the foresayd sygnyfycacions / and it appereth that the bysshop of Rome toke fyrst his tytle of fulnes of powre vnto hym selfe, after the. viii. sygnyfycacion. And that the begynnynge of the apparente appertaynynge therof vnto hym / was that sayenge of chryste, whiche is had in the. xxi. of Iohn̄ where he speakynge vnto saynt Peter saythe. Fede my shepe. Agayne because he sayd syngulerly to the same Peter in the. xvi. of Mathewe. To the I shall gyue the keyes of the kyngdom of heuens. &c. Agayne for that it was sayd to Peter in the. xviii. of Iohn̄. Turne thy sworde in to thy scaberde. Moreouer of y ^e answere whiche the dyscyples made to chryste sayenge. Se here two swerdes / of the which textes, after theyr owne interpretacyons / certayne men wyll this to be vnderstā ded, that the vnyuersyte or the hole flocke of shepe of al the worlde, that is to wyt of chrysten men / was cōmytted to Peter onely, and so lykewyse to euery bisshop of Rome, as to the specyall vycar of saynt Peter / but to the other apostles and to the bysshops successours of them, not the vnyuersyte or whole flocke of shepe of the whole worlde / but to eche one of them, one determynate and pertyculare flocke, and prouynce hath ben cōmytted to be gouerned.

¶ After that the bysshop of Rome, had taken vnto hym selfe the tytle of fulnes of powre, albeit not accordynge to the trewe sence of the scrypture, as it shall be suffycyentlye shewed in the. xxviii. chapytre of this dyccyon. Of presumpcion he went further in to an other sygnyfycacyon (peraduenture because of lucre and a­uauntage, or elles to vsurpe some other cōmodyte profyte or excellencie aboute other men) that is to wyt takynge vpon hym selfe and preachynge openly, that he alone seuerallye maye after what maner soeuer it shall please hym: by his worde vtterlye exempte or delyuer and assoyle synners from the paynes of purgatorye so he calleth them.

¶ And after these sygnyfycacions so taken vnder a certayne coloure and appe­taunce of pytie and mercye, to the ende that fyrste they myght seme of charyte to [Page 97] take thought and care, for all men. And secondaryly, that they myght be suppo­sed to haue powre, and to be wyllynge to haue mercy and pytie vpon al men, the bysshops of Rome beynge strēgthed with the pryuyleges and grauntes of the emperours (as they lowedely lye) cheyfly the emperyal seate beynge vacante: dyd extende and stretche forth this tytle further. Fyrst to the ordeynynge and makynge certayne lawes vpon the clarkes or preestes, concernynge the ecclesiasticall customes and ceremonyes, whiche at the begynnynge were called decrees. And after­wardes Howe and wherfore fa­stynges from certayne kyndes of meates at certayne dayes cam fyrste vp and was fyrst re­ceyued. by the waye and maner of requestes and exhortacyons, they perswaded certayne ordynacyons to the laye men / as of fastes and of abstynence from cer­tayne meatꝭ at certayne tymes, for y ^e obtaynīge of y ^e helpe & mercy of god to take away certayne pestylēcꝭ & infesciones of the ayre from men, which raygned at y ^t tyme / as it appereth euydently of the legende of saynt Gregory, and of other certayne sayntes. But after that the laye men had of theyr owne free wyll taken and receyued suche abstynences, and because of deuocyon had by longe custome obserued suche free ordynaunces, whiche we sayd to haue ben requestes or exhor­tacyons, than the tyrantes of Rome began to cōmaunde openly the same thyngꝭ by the maner of a precepte or law / so that they were bolde without y ^e lycēce of the Under the colour of religyon hath sprō ­ge moch mys­chefe. worldly prynces to stryke the trangressoures therof, with the terroure or drede of theyr curse or excōmunycacyon / but yet vnder the coloure and apperaunce of re­lygyon or of the honorynge of god. Afterwardes theyr appetytes of hauynge do mynyon increasynge more and more, and whan they perceyued also that deuout chrysten men were greatly put in feare with suche maner of wordes, throughe After igno­raunce foloweth folysshe feare, & after that fonde obieccyons, as is this / were there not as wyse men be­fore our days as there ben nowe? fearefulnes and ignoraunce of the lawe of god, whiche beleued them selues to be bounde vnto those thynges, whiche were cōmaunded by the preestes for feare of eternall dethe, than the bysshoppes of Rome with theyr companye of clarkes, presumed further to statute or make certayne oblygarchicall decrees or ordinacyons concernynge cyuyle actes, by whiche they pronounced them selues, and euery one that dyd take theyr ordre, or the offyce of clarkeshyp vpon them, yea beynge pure laye men, to be exempted from all publyke and cōmune charges / promotynge vnto this offyce euyn seculare men, and maryed, whiche were soone allured ther­unto, that they myght enioye īmunite and fredom from the cōmune and publyke charges / by the reason wherof they made no lytle parte of the cyuyle multytude subiectꝭ vnto them selues: withdrawynge them from the powre and gouernaūce of the seculare prynces & gouernours. And agayne purposynge & goynge aboute Exempcion of clarkes. to withdrawe a greatter multytude: they pronounced by other decrees, y ^t all those were stryken with the payne of cursynge, who soeuer shall haue done any perso­nall iniuryes / what The deuyll is latten lose to blowe his trompettes. soeuer they be: vnto any of them, which haue ben taken vnto the companye of clarkes, and defamynge also openlye in the churches, those that dothe any iniurye to clarkes: by excōmunycacyon / and no lesse persuynge the same men therfore, they requyre to haue them punysshed by the penaltes of the Cursynges for money. temporall lawes. But this that foloweth, is a more detestable thynge and verye execrable to the offyce of preestes / that the bysshoppes of Rome and certayne o­ther bysshoppes, to the intent that they maye ampliate and enlarge theyr owne iurysdyccyon, and after that theyr moste fylthy lucre, vnto the contempt of god, and the manyfest preiudyce of the seculare prynces, dothe excōmunycate & shyt out from the sacramentes of the churche, as well laye men as clarkes beynge peraduenture a lytle neglygent, and not regardynge, or elles beynge all vtterly vn­able to paye certayne dettes of money / to the payment wherof they were formal­ly bounde vntyll a certayne terme of tyme appoynted / whiche laye men and clarkes, chryste, with mayne exhortacyons, paynes and labours, and laste of all by [Page] his owne marterdome and precyous blode, hathe put or set within the churche. So dyd not Paule whiche was made of all facyons vnto all men: to the intente S. Paule. that he myght wyn all men to chryste / but he wolde that synners shulde be cut a­way, from the company of other chrysten men, onely for great and greuouse offē ces / as it hathe ben shewed of vs before, of the fyrste epystle to the Corinthyans. And yet they beynge not contente herewith, but desyrynge the domynyon and hyghest gouernaunce of seculare men, contrarye to the precepte of chryste and the apostles: hath braste forthe in to the makynge of lawes seuerally from the lawes of the whole cōmunaltyes / decreynge that all the clargye is exempted from the cyuyle lawes, bryngynge in and causynge, a cyuyle scysme or dyuysyon and a pluralyte of cheyfe gouernours, whiche we haue shewed in the. xvii. chapytre of the fyrste dyccion, to be impossyble to the quyetnes & tranquylite of men, alledgynge sure and vndoubted experyence therof / for this sayd pluralyte of hedes or hyghest gouernours, is the rote and the begynnynge of the pestylence or dystruccyon of the empyre of Italy, out of whiche rote all hurtes and occasyons of euyls hathe The cause of the vndoyng Italye. sprōge and dothe come forth / and durynge the same: there shall neuer cease cyuyle dyscordes in the same empyre / for the bysshop of Rome hath of longe tyme holden this powre, wherunto he crope in, by lytle and lytle, and by preuy preuary cacyon of custome, or rather abuse. And he furthermore fearynge least the same powre shulde be reuoked from hym by the emperour (and not without a cause) for the excesses cōmytted by hym, with all wycked dylygence, forbyddeth and letteth the Treason. creacyon and promotynge of the emperour of Rome / and at the laste one of them hathe braste forthe in to so great boldnes, that he hath in his decrees expressed, the emperour of Rome to be bounde to hym by othe of fydelyte, as beynge subiecte to hym by coactyue iurysdyccyon / as it appereth euydently to them that lyfte to O shameles chyldren. loke vpon it, by the folysshe and vtterly despyse worthy. vii. boke of theyr narra­cyons whiche they do call decretalles, in the tytle Desentencia et re indicata. To the whiche rasshe and mysaduysed presumpcyon, that moste chrysten emperoure, The cōmēdacion of Henry the. viii. emperour of Rome & the cause, of his most cruel deposycyon. a man of all vertues, syngulerly amōge other pryncꝭ approuyd at all tyme, place and state, of happye and worshypfull memorye Henry the. viii. refusynge to agre as faynynge hym selfe to haue forgotten the othe made, is dyscrybed a transgres­soure of it / by a certayne no lesse false than presumptuouse narracyon, called a decretall: whose tytle is De iure iurando / whiche neuertheles myght worthelye be intyteled De iniusta iniuria, et illata, dino imperatori, suis (que) successoribꝰ et affi­nibus omnibus contumelia / that is to saye, of the wrongfull iniurye, and contu­melye The tytle of Iure iurādo. or dysworshyp done to the moste honorable and godly emperour and to all his successours and alyaunce / for of the makers of the Canon lawe / he is pro­nounced a person defamed or of euyll name: because he is (as they counte it) periured / whiche also haue gone aboute to spotte & defyle the famouse memory of hym: yf it myght haue ben spotted or blemysshed, by the wordes or wrytynges of such false & wrongfull accusers and dyspraysers. But yet the bysshop of Rome with theyr cardynals durste not call these oblygarchicall ordynacions, appertaynyng to the powre of theyr owne selues, beynge a fewe in nōbre, by the name of lawes but they called them decretalles / albeit that by the same they do intende to bynde men vnto payne, for the state of this present world, by powre coactyue: lykewyse as the pryncꝭ of the worlde entende in theyr lawes. But the cause why they durst not expresse that, at the begynnynge by y ^e name of lawes: was this / for that that they fered the resystence / & correccyon of the aforsayd pryncꝭ, for the treason which in so doynge they cōmytted agaynst the prynces or gouernours. ¶ Agayn at the why the spy­rytual lawes were named Iura canonica, that is to saye, the ca­non lawes & hereby note the crafte of the deuyll. begynnynge they called suche maner ordynacyons Iura canonica, to the ende y ^t [Page 98] by the coloure of the worde, though wyckedly aplyed: they shuld be accompted & taken for more antentyke / and that they myght imprynte the bylefe, reuerence, & obedyence, of the sayd ordynacyōs the more largely in chrysten mens hertes. So than to conclude all togyther: the bysshops of Rome conuayenge them selues fur­ther by lytle and lytle preuylye: preched openly the syxe latter sygnyfycacions of fulnes of powre also of them selues / by them cōmyttynge very many mōstruous thynges in the cyuyle ordre, agaynst the lawe of god and man, and agaynst the ryght iudgement of any man that hath reason.

¶ Howe and after what maner the bysshop of Rome hathe vsed the prymacye taken vpon hym, and the fulnes of powre, in spe­cyall within the ecclesyastycall lymytes, or the orderynge of preestes.
The, xxiiij, chapytre,

AFter the aforesayd determynacyons, it foloweth consequentlye to shewe, after what fascyon, the bysshops of Rome hath taken the sayd full powre vnto them seues: and hath vsed, and doth vse it hetherto, and of lykelyhode wyl vse it hereafter, yf they be not stopped or letted. And fyrst of all howe, how they haue vsed it in the instytucyon of the ecclesyastycall offycers, & dystrybutynge of the ecclesiastycall temporalles or benefyces, as well vnto the ecclesyastical mynystres, as vnto other myserable persones, for whose cause also the ecclesyastycal temporalles hath ben gyuen and ordayned so to be dystributed or dysposed by the mynystres of the churche. And afterwardꝭ it is to be shewed how they haue vsed hetherto, & doth vse, and hereafter wyll vse these powres, in cōparyson vnto them which do lyue cyuylie, as well prynces as theyr subiectes. The bysshops of Rome beynge permytted and suffered hetherto, and nowe adayes, to worke accordyng to his fulnes of powre, hathe infected, and corrupted all the mystycall bodye of chryste, for they haue dymynysshed, corrupted, and fynally in a maner haue vtterly destroyed and taken awaye eleccyon, whiche is the beste waye, ye moreouer in whiche way onely is securyte of well instytutynge any maner offycer / notwithstandynge that by eleccion the apostles with the other multitude of chrysten men made the instytucion of the deacons: as it is had in the. vi. chapytre of the actes. They haue dymynysshed it fyrste, by tournynge the eleccyon in to the clargye a­lone, which was ought to be done by the chrysten prynces. They haue corrupted it also by dymynysshynge it: as by translatynge y ^e auctoryte of electynge the bysshop, vnto certayne yonge men, vnlerned, & vnskylled in the lawe of god, whom they do call Canons. And they haue also in a maner vtterly destroyed it. For the bysshops of Rome reserue īmedyatlye to theyr owne powre, the instytucion of al the ecclesiasticall prelacyes or dygnytes and not onely of these: but also of the me­ane & smaller offyces, whiche maye agree and belonge to pure laye men, as the custody of the tēples & churches, the colleccyon, and the dystrybucyon of the tem­poralles or benefyces ordayned & appoynted for the sayd offycers. By whiche re­seruacyon, they do decree and determyne all maner eleccions of suffycyēt & approued persones, to be voyde & of no strength (though they be neuer so dewely made) instytutynge in the stede of these suffycyēt persones, by the fulnes of theyr powre (as they call it) beynge ignoraunte, or corrupted with money, or prayer, hatred, [Page] or loue, feare, or for pleasure & seruyce done to them, or for to optayne fauoure, or The churche that can not erre. throughe some other croked affeccyon, persons ignoraunte and vnskylled in the scrypture of god / fooles & boyes without lernynge / & for the moste parte men cor­rupte of mynde, & openly knowen for vycious & leude dysposed persons / whiche can not also speake the language & tonge of the people: to whom they are made ouerseers & gouernours, as beynge of an other straunge nacyon / wherfore let the pope make answere to chryste in the. x. of Iohn̄, whiche pope agaynst the true e­leccyon that ought to be made, amonge other monstruous thynges which he hath done & dothe: hath instytuted two bysshops of his owne nacyon & language / the one bysshop of Wynchestre in Englande, and the other bysshop of Londe in Denmarke / whiche can neyther of them speake any language, whiche the people of theyr dyocesis can vnderstande / but what maner of persones the same are in learnynge and maners, it appertayneth not to me nor nedeth not me to reherce / albe­it that the bysshop of Londe (as it is openly knowen in Denmarke) his churche & dyocese beynge spoyled and robbed of all the droues of great beastes necessarye to husbandrye and tyllage of the grounde, accordynge as the countree requyreth: gatherynge great treasures vnto hym selfe by the sale of them, and forsakynge his churche, is fled from thense, and is retourned in to his owne regyon or countree. I saye let the bysshop of Rome make answere, howe this pastor or bysshop shall call his owne shepe by name, knowynge the maners and conuersacion of them, or howe shal his shepe folowe hym by vnderstandynge and knowynge the voyce of his preachynge & doctryne? Neyther it is nedefull nowe to begge or desyre bys­shops or curates of other puynces, because of necessyte or lacke of men, as it was in the olde tymes. For there were in Englande men more excellent of good lyfe, and more cōnynge in holy doctryne, than he / whiche beynge vnskylled of the language, and also beynge no doctoure of dyuynyte, but onely beynge a lawyer & pleader of causes was made gouernoure & ouerseer vnto them. And so lykewyse in Denmarke and in other prouynces, of which many open testymonyes myght be brought in, in lyke errour / but I passe ouer them because of spede & shortnes. For who wyll not meruayle or wondre to se yonge men, ignoraūte of the scryp­tures of god, lackynge also conuenyent grauyte of maners, men without expe­ryence and learnynge, and otherwhyles openlye dyffamed persons, to be made bysshops, and to be promoted to the hyghest dygnytyes & offyces in the churche, throughe Symonye, or the request and prayer of great men, I do not saye other­whyles throughe feare of great men, or for seruyce done, or for cause of cōsanguynyte, or affynyte, y ^e doctours of dyuynyte & teachers of the holy scrypture, & men approued for y ^e honestye of theyr lyfe & cōuersacyon beynge put bye or not regar­ded / whether these be fayned or false thynges that I do speake / he shall easyly perceyue, whiche wyll reken vp the bysshoppes or archebysshops of prouynces, the patriatches, and other inferyour prelates / for he shal not fynde one amonge. x. of them / whiche is a doctoure of dygynyte, or y ^t is suffycyentlye learned in the holye scrypture / and whiche thynge I am a shamed to speake, althoughe it dothe not greue me to speake it, because it is true. The bysshops of these dayes neyther haue cōnynge to preache to the people the worde of god, neyther to saye agaynst the er­ronyous doctrynes of heretykes, yf any shall happen to ryse / but in the aforesayd chaūces / they do shamefully begge and craue the doctryne of other men / notwithstandynge that the doctoure of the gentyles Paule doth saye in the thyrde chapy­tre of the fyrste epystle to Timothe, that a bysshop ought to be a teacher, embra­synge A bysshoppe ought to be a­ble to teache. that faythfull worde, whiche is accordynge to doctryne, that he maye be a­ble to exhorte in holsome doctryne, and to reproue them whiche speake agaynst it [Page 99] As the same Paule wrote in the fyrste chapytre to Tite. And as touchynge the other inferyour prelates, abbottes, and pryores, and other persones, and curates of churches, I take god whiche is īmortall truthe, to recorde: that a great multy­tude & nōbre of them are without bothe suffyciēt vertue of lyfe & also learnynge / yea in so moche, that many of them can not speake one sentence congrulye accor­dynge to the rules of grāmer. But they to whome of the fulnes of powre (for of it I wyll no we speke agayne) the greatter dygnyties of the churche are graunted for the moste parte, and they whiche are supposed to be suffycyent and able to go­uerne them: are lawyers and pleders of causes. These the pope of Rome promo­teth to dygnyties, as beynge profytable persones and defenders of the churche, Lawyers, lawyers & al lawyers. whiche can contende and stryue for the conseruacyon & large vsurpacyon of tem­porall thynges / and the doctours of holy dyuynyte he doth reiecte: as beynge vn­profytable persones. For they are symple men, as he with his colledge of cardy­nalles doth saye: & wolde suffre the churche to decaye, and go to waste. Notwith­standynge Nota. that in very dede the churche is not the temporalles: but the faythfull people of chryste / for which the bysshop ought to contende and stryue / and not for the temporalles / accordynge to the counceyle of chryste & of the apostles / as it ap­pereth in the. x. of Iohn̄, and by the apostles wordes in the place afore alledged / and by very many other places of the scrypture, whiche I leaue out here, because it is euydent ynoughe, and also for the abbreuacion of our proces for the tēporals are not inherytaunce of the apostles, whiche they lefte to the bysshops theyr suc­cessours, for to be saued and kepte. Neyther are emperyall dygnyties, & seculer do­mynyons, the ryght or lybertyes of the spouses of chryste which ryghte. &c. the bysshop of Rome that nowe is, to defende or rather to offende toke a doubtfull intri­cate sentence and after a crafty sophysticall fascyon, moste vniustlye hath anaū ced hym selfe agaynst noble Ludouyke cōmynge of y ^e dukes of Bauarye, kynge of the Romaynes / wherfore Barnarde, in the. iiii. chapytre of y ^e secōde boke wry­ten to Eugenius, De consideratione, whan he had spoken of the dylygent cure & charge of soules or churches, which the apostles lefte to theyr successours: sayth in this wyse / what other thynge hath the apostles lefte? he sayde, that I haue: I do gyue to the / what thynge is that? one thynge I knowe: it is not golde nor syluer. And within a lytle after the same Bernarde sayth / Be it so that thou mayste chalenge these thynges (that is to wyt the tēporalles) vnto thy selfe, by whatsoeuer other waye or tytle, one thynge I am assured of, that not by the ryght or tytle of an apostle. And agayne afterwardes / that whiche he had, saythe Bernarde, he gaue / that is to wyt the dylygent cure & charge (as I haue sayde) vpon the chur­ches. But concernynge domynyon or lordshyppe: here what the sayde Barnarde sayth afterwardes / hathe he gyuen domynyon or lordshyppe? here what he sayde hym selfe. Not beynge lordes or hauynge domynyon of the clargye: but beynge made the example of the flocke. And because thou shalte not thynke this to haue ben spoken onely of humylyte and not also of truth, these are the wordes of chryst hym selfe in the gospell. The rulers of the Gentyles hath domynyon vpon them: and they whiche haue powre ouer them are called benefycyall / and it foloweth afterwardes. But it shall not be so with you / it is playne here and euydent that domynyon and lordshyp is vtterly forbydden the apostles. And y ^e thynge whiche is worthye of moste meruaylynge, and moste to be marked and regardyd of all men, and to be redressed and broughte agayne to a dewe forme and maner, by the prynces as beynge the mynystres of god is the instytucyon of the bysshoppe of Rome, with other bysshoppes, for seldome is a dyuyne chosen to be bysshoppe of Rome. But for the moste parte one is taken of the companye of lawyers and pleders [Page] of causes / whiche thynge is vtterlye contrarye to the scryptures of god, and dysagreynge from ryght reason, and most shameful of all thynges in the face of all churches. So also conuenyently, and no lesse in a maner it is to be marked / concernynge the company of cardynalles / that vnto this dygnyte at taken wan­ten yonge men / and very many of them not learned or skylled in the holy scryp­tures, notwithstandynge that this bysshop of Rome and his churche or colledge ought to be an example vnto all other. But of these thynges thus farforth beit spoken / and now retournynge to our purpose, wherof we spake before: let vs say y ^t the bysshop of Rome, of the fulnes of powre: doth gyue the greatter multytude of the greatest, the meane, and the smalestest dygnytyes & ecclesyastycall promocyons, to vnlearned men / or to them that be ignoraunte of the holy scryptures and wolde god that he gaue them not, to crymynous persones, as well those that be knowen of hym selfe, as those that be not knowen / to chyldren and infantes also throughe symony outher of theyr owne partye, or of y ^• intreaters / or through some other corrupte affeccyon, for the moste partye. So than the greatest & moste pryn­cypall seates beynge thus infected, by the promotynge, yea and also by the intru­syon of suche maner persones: al the other smaller cures or offyces belongynge to the gyfte of them, are also throughe the cōtagyousnes of them made corrupte and are poysoned. For they beynge glad of lyke persōs vnto them selues, as euer lyke is glad of lyke, as man of man, horse of horse (as the gentyle phylosopher sayde) they set vpon the gate of symonye, or of some other vnlawfull waye, by whiche them selues entred or came in to the ecclesyastical offyces: vnto other vnlerned persons and lewde of maners. For they wyllynge to do accordynge to theyr owne maners, whiche maners dygnyte hath not chaunged, but often tymes hathe she­wed & brought to lyght: do hate, and reiecte, eschewe, and oppresse, holye, ryght­tuous, and learned men / whiche go not aboute to entre in to the house of god, by suche maner pathes: as beynge enemyes vnto them selues / for as chryste whiche is the imortall trouthe saythe, he that euyll doth: hateth the lyght. And I can not ouerhyppe this also / that the aforesayde bysshop, for to purchase and get the loue and fauoure or thākes of great men, and peraduenture also for money receyued besyde that, hathe promoted certayne yonge men vnto bysshoppes in famouse cy­ties, notwithstandynge that they haue ben ignoraunte and vnskylled of the law of god, and of other dyscyplynes and scyences, and moreouer not promoted to a­ny holye ordre. And yet for all that saynt Iherome sayth to Euandre, that preest hode is contayned in the offyce of a bysshop or ouerseer. The ecclesyastycall go­uernours than beynge thus infected, doubtles all the whole mystycall bodye of chryste is sycke and dyseased / for whan the prelates of the churches omytteth and leaueth out exhortacyons, obsecracyons, and increpacyons, to the other curates, accordynge to holsome doctryne. And dothe cōmytte detestable and abhomyna­ble thynges openlye, the people is offended, and taketh occasyon of synnynge throughe the example of them, for as a marke is set vp to shoters, so are they, set to be an example to the people / whiche thynge Chryste consyderynge sayd in the. v. of Mathewe. Lette your lyght so shyne in the syghte of men, that they maye se your good workes. And hereof, cōmeth the rote and fyrste peruersyte of the ma­ners vsed nowe adayes, vnto whiche inconclusyon foloweth eternall dampnacyon / for as Chryste saythe in the. v. of Mathewe / yf a blynde man be guyde to a blynde man, bothe do fall in the dyche. But what shall we saye of the dystrybu­cyon and bestowynge of the temporalles / where the resydue of the sayd temporal­les that is superfluouse to suffyce the necessytie of the ecclesyastycall mynystres, ought to be dystrybuted vnto poore impotent beggers, and other myserable per­sons [Page 100] (as euery man in a maner doth knowe) nowe they ar turned in to shameful vses, or to speake more truely in to shameful abuses / vnto which this newe kynd of almose is one, that the moste parte of the sayde temporalles are spente and be­stowed vpon men of warre, both horsemen and foremen: to rayse vp & to norysshe contynuall warres amonge chrysten people / that at the laste they maye subdewe them and make them subiectes to theyr owne tyrannycall powre. Thus than of the aforesayde thynges it appereth, and is euydent, that by reason of the fulnes of powre, the mystycall body of the churche / as touchynge to the matter or pryn­cypall mēbers of it specyallye as (for cause of example) the prelates, is on euery syde infected and nere to corrupcyon.

¶ Nowe to speake of the forme or fascyon of this body, whiche forme ought to cō syste in the ordre & dewe sytuacyon of his mēbres: this same dody, to hym y ^t luste dylygently to beholde it, & to aduyse & marke it well: shall seme as an euyll fauo­red and mysshapen monstre / for what man wolde not iudge the bodye of y ^t beast A similitude. to be mysshapen & vnprofytable to cōuenyent operacions: in whiche body euery one of the mēbres therof is īmedyatly ioyned & knytte vn to the heed: for y ^e fynger or hande, yf it be ioyned & knytte īmedyatly vnto the heed: because it wanteth his due place, it shall want also his vertue & conuenyent mouynge and operacyon. But it shall not be so yf the fynger be ioyned to the hande, and the hande to the arme, and the arme to the sholder, & the sholder to the necke, & the necke be knytte to the heed by conuenyēt ioyntes. For so the body is made comly in his shap / and so the heed maye sende cōuenyent vertue in to the other mēbres, in to one of them by an other, accordynge to the nature & ordre of them. And the sayd membres by y ^e reason hereof: may do the operacions cōuenyent & belongynge vnto them selues / whiche forme and maner we ought to regarde in euerye / bothe ecclesiasticall and also cyuyle regyment or gouernaunce / for the bysshop of Rome can not īmedyat­ly beholde & loke vpon the syngulare & pertyculare actes of euery pertyculare persone, in all prouynces, & īmedyatlye dyrecte them / but yf these thynges shulde be done suffycyently & accordyngly, they ought to be holpen by specyall mynystres accordynge to a due ordre / for the body of the churche beynge so ordred: may contynue & also encrease / whiche thynge Paule the doctor of the gentyles perceyuynge sayde in this wyse in the. iiii. chapytre to the Ephesyans. Let vs growe in hym whiche in all poyntes is the heed chryste / in whome all the whole body beynge cō ­pacted and knytte togyther, by euery ioynte of submynystracyon, accordynge to the operacyon of euery parte in his measure, maketh increase of the bodye / but by the fulnes of powre permytted vnto the bysshop of Rome: all this ordre or dewe forme is taken awaye. For he alsolueth all prelates archebysshops, bysshoppes, chaptours, collegyes, abbottes, freers, monkes, and pryours of relygyous houses from theyr allegiās due vnto theyr prynce. And hath subdued al these to his owne cure and īmedyate correccyon, for no euydent profyte or vtylyte, but rather (as it is openly knowen) for greadynes and desyre to hepe sutes or stryues in the lawe vnto hym selfe, to the gatherynge of money, and to the spoylynge and robbynge of the prelates, & also intendynge the greatter subduynge of them. But yet howe great insolencie and pryde hath folowed therof in a maner euery man knoweth / for these aforesayd persons lackynge the cure and obedyence dewe to theyr prynce are made stubburne dysobedyent, and without the reuerence or drede of them, to whome they ought of ryght worthelye to be subiectes and obedyent / and taketh also hereof vnto them selues, & to other, occasyon & lybertie to syn more at large / To this adde a newe sprynge or braunche of the sayd rote: y ^t the bysshop of Rome of his fulnes of powre, hath forbydden them whiche haue any ecclesiasticall benefyce [Page] where euer it be, without his lycence to make any testamentes / & hath decre­ed that the goodes of them that dyeth intestate are to be cōuayed & brought īmedyatlye vnto his see. And adde this also which is a greatter thynge and more of the deuyll, for it is most large symonye althoughe it be fulfylled after the deade, that by the same powre, he reserueth the rentes and profytes or frutes of all the benefyces, in whatsoeuer places they be, the fyrste yere that they ar vacante / gatheryng after this maner vnto hymselfe all the treasures of the worlde, and robbynge all kyngdoms and prouynces of the same, in whiche prouynces they ought to be dy­strybuted to the mynystres of the gospell, and to myserable persons, or elles to be turned in to the subsydie & succour of the cōmune wealthe, wherof they are taken yf nede shall requyre / for herefore they haue ben ordayned and assygned. This a­gayne is a more ītollerable thynge, that he sayth, that the legacyes or bequestꝭ in the testamentes of chrysten laye men, for the passage beyonde the see, or for other causes, accordynge to the dysposycion of certayne determynate persones, whome they call cōmyssaryes, dothe appertayne to his ordrynge, by the same fulnes of powre. And no meruayle hereof, seynge y ^t a certayne bysshop amonge them hath sayd, that he hymselfe hath domynyon of all kynges, prynces, realmes, & cōmu­nyties, notwithstandynge y ^t in very dede / none of all the aforesayd thynges doth appertayne vnto his powre / and of the same rote, mo & greuouser thynges than these shall chaunce to sprynge vp, whiche can not all be tolde for the so dyuers nature of them. For one inconuenyent graunted, namely suche one in whiche all o­ther incōuenyencꝭ that may be thought or ymagyned aboute cyuyle actes, are cō tayned, it is no harde thynge for any other inconuenyences whatsoeuer they be, to chaūce accordynge to the gentyle phylosopher Arystotle / for this full powre beynge due vnto hym: it foloweth, that he may do whatsoeuer helyste / wherfore he doth suspende, dysanulle, & reuoke, all y ^e ordynaciōs & lawes of men at his owne pleasure / which thynge, as beynge the extreme & vttermoste incōuenyent, y ^t may be in the worldly regyment & gouernaunce: as well sayntꝭ as phylosophers hath hated & refused / as it was proued by demōstracyon in the. xi. chapytre of the fyrst dyccyon, & also was more largely confyrmed in the. v. of this dyccion / by the auc­toryte of saynt Augustyne, in y ^e. vi. chapytre of the fyrst epystle to Timothe. So than by the fulnes of powre permytted vnto hym: y ^t whole body of y ^e churche is infectyd / & the ordre of all the ecclesiastycall iconomie is broken / & cyuyle regyment & gouernaunce is letted vtterly, or troubled in parte. Vpon the whiche bysshop yf chrysten men wyll caste theyr iyes (as I beseche them to do) whiche hath ben dus­ked & bleared many adaye to the most parte of them, by a certayne couer or cloke & coloure of sophistycall honesty: they shallse clerely them selues, who soeuer hath visyted the courte of Rome, or to saye more truely, the house of marchaundyse, or the horryble denne of theues (to vse chrystes wordes) or whosoeuer hath not visy­ted it, shal learne by the reporte of a great many of credyble persons: y ^t it is made in a maner the receptacle & sanctuarye of all myscheuous men, and of marchauntes bothe spyrytuall and temporall / for what other thynge is there, than the con­course of symonyacall persons, from all countrees? what other thynge than the bablynge noyse of proctours & pleaders of causes, & the assaulte of quarelers and false accusers, & the vexacion of iuste men? There the iustyce of innocēt persons is in ioperdy, or at the least wyse it is so greatly dyfferred & put of, yf they be notable to bye it with money, that at the laste they beynge clene beggarde, theyr mo­ney all consumed / and themselues weryed with innumerable labours, are com­pelled to gyue ouer theyr ryghtful and myserable causes. There the lawes of men thundre and sounde lowde / but the lawe and doctryne of god: outher kepeth [Page 101] scylence or elles soundeth very seldome / there are treatyses, rolles, and rentalles & preuy castes deuysed, how to inuade the prouynces of chrysten men, & by violence & powre of armes to get & to take away the sayd prouynces from them to whose custody they haue ben lawfully cōmytted. But howe to get or wyn soules: there is no thought nor care / no counsayles at all. Moreouer there is none ordre: but cō tynuall horroure inhabyteth and dwelleth there. And I whiche haue ben present there and seen the maner, do thynke in my mynde, that I do se that terryble and dredefull Image, whiche Nabugodonozor dyd se in his dreame (as it is recyted in The interpre tacyon of the Image whi­che Danyell descrybeth. the seconde chapytre of Danyell) hauynge his heed of golde / his armes & breste of syluer, his bely and his thyghes of brasse / and his legges of yerne / and the one parte of his fete yerne / & the other of erthe / for what other thynge betokeneth this great Image, than the state of the courte of Rome, or of the pope, whiche in olde tyme was terrible to lewde & euyll men: & nowe is horryble to beholde vnto good and vertuous men. For the superyoure mēbres of this Image, the heed, y ^• breste, and the armes / what other thynge are they in syght, in affeccyon, and loue, than golde and syluer and the workes of mans handes? And the bely and the thyghes of it, what other thynge are they: than the great noyse and sounde of seculare stryfes or causes, or of false accusacyons and quarelles, and of symonyacall byenges and sellynges? for I wyll not nowe speake of the thundres & lyghtnynges of curses & excōmunycacions, both wryten, & gyuen forth by mouthe agaynst chrysten men / whiche do refuse (thoughe ryghtuouslye) to be seculerlye subiected vnto the bysshop of Rome, and to his churche, & to gyue temporal goodes vnto them. And I beseche the tell me, what other thyngis at the thyghes of brasse: than the, pom­pouse & proude ordynaūcꝭ of pleasures, ryote, & wel nere of alvanyties, yea such as are vnsemelye for laye men? which pompous ordynaunce they do imprynte in the sences of men: whiche ought to be the example of chastyte and honestye vnto all other. And the legges of yerne, & the fete and the toes, wherupon the Image standeth and is made fast, beynge partlye of erthe: towardes what other thynge go they, than the vsurpacyon, inuasyon, and occupacion of seculare domynyons kyngdoms, and prouynces, by the vyolent powre of armed men, or men harnay­sed with yerne / bryngynge with them for this purpose the superyoure membres, that is to wyt the geuynge of golde and syluer, whiche prouoketh the armed men here vnto / and also bryngynge with them the brasen bely and thyghes, by theyr lewde promyse of suche thynges, and by vocale absolucyon (thoughe dysceytful) of synnes and paynes: and by the iniuste condempnacyon & cursynge (thoughe throughe godes defence it doth no hurte) of them, whiche defendeth theyr owne lybertye, and are wyllynge to obserue theyr faythe and allegyaunce dewe to theyr prynces and gouernours? But the soles of the fete, & the toes beynge of molde or erthe, and by reason therof brytle and easy to breke: what other thynge do they represente, than the vnconstancye and vnstablenes of the courte of Rome / what o­ther thynge do they sygnyfye or betoken, than the feblenes of y ^e occasyōs (because I wyll not saye the falsytie and iniquyte of them, euydently knowen of all men vpon which occasyons the pope of Rome groundeth hymselfe, and wherunto he leaneth agaynst the faythfull people of chryste for to oppresse them? But as the same prophet doth wytnesse and recorde vpon this Image shall fall a stone cut out of an hyll without handes, that is to say a kynge, whome god shall rayse vp elected by his grace of the vnyuersyte of men, that is to wyt by gyuynge to hym powre, and whose kyngdom shall not be gyuen to an other. This kynge I saye more by the vertue or grace of the trynyte, than by the worke or powre of y ^t hādes of men: shal fyrst of all, crusshe & breke y ^e earthy part of this terryble, and horryble [Page] & monstruouse Image, that is to wyt his fete, where vpon he standeth vncon­uenyently / that is to wyt causynge the false and vniuste causes and baulde occasyons (as I may call them more truely with the poetet) to be knowen vnto all prynces and peoples, the sopheme and dysceyte of them beynge opened and dys­closed, and impungned by humayne demonstracyons, and dystroyed and anul­led by the veryties of holy scrypture / and afterwarde shall breake the yerne partꝭ of the same, by puttynge awaye his cruell and wycked powre / and consequently shall cause the brasen partes, that is to wyt the auctoryte of cursynge, whiche he hath presumptuously taken vpon hym, vpon peoples and prynces, and the troublous noyse and stryfe of seculare iurysdyccyons vsurped, and consequentlye of causes, and vexacyons, to kepe sylence and to be dombe. And the excesses and superfluyties of voluptuous pleasures, and the pompes and vanyties to cease / last of all he shall subdue and dystroye the golde and syluer of the same Image, that is to wyt, the couytousnes & the robberye of the bysshop of Rome. And so accor­dynge to the mynde of the aforesayd profyte, the yerne, the earth, the brasse, the golde, and y ^e syluer of the sayd Image: shall be broken al togyther / that is to say, all the vyces and excesses of the abouesayde courte, shal be quenched and dystroyed, as it were strawes brente vnto asshes and caryed awaye with the wynde / for that thynge whiche is bothe agaynst nature, and agaynst the lawe bothe of god and man, & contrary to al reason: that thynge can not longe abyde or cōtynewe.

¶ Howe and after what maner the bysshop of Rome hathe vsed the aforesayd maners of fulnes of powre, inespecyall without the ecclesiastical lymytes / towardes laye men and towardes cyuyle or temporall thynges.
The, xxv, chapytre,

NOwe it remayneth vnto vs to searche out, after what maner and facyon, and in what thynges, the bysshops of Rome haue vsed hy­therto, and do vse the fulnes of powre (whiche they haue taken vn­to them selues) without the ecclesiasticall lymytes / but yet we wyl fyrst make rehersall and call to remembraunce the vsage and customes of the prymatyue churche, and the procedynge of the same, euen from the be­gynner and heed therof, whiche is chryste / and from the fyrste promoters and set­ters forwarde therof the holy apostles. For he, that is to wytte chryste, cam in to what chryste taught. the worlde to teache, and also to exercyse the offyce of a preeste, or of a pastor and feder of soules. For he beynge the interpretoure and expounder of the lawe of e­ternall helth: declared breyfly the same law, wherin was comprehended the forme and exercyse of the sacramentes / the preceptes also and counsayles of the thyngꝭ to be beleued / of the thynges to be done / & of the thynges which are to be despysed and eschewed / to the inherytynge or deseruynge of eternall felycyte or beatitude, whiche we call eternall lyfe. But as for the iudgement of cyuyle or temporall actes, & the offyce of a seculer prynce or gouernour: he refused it, & expresly renoun­ced it and cōmaunded or counseyled all the apostles and the successours of hym, & them in the offyce aforesayde, to renounce the same lykewyse / and expressed, hym selfe, by y ^e ordynacion of god, to be subiecte to the iudgemēt or coactyue powre of pricꝭ of this world, with al his apostles / & they also expressed thē selues to be sub­iectꝭ to y ^e sayd seculer pricꝭ, both by theyr dedes, & also by theyr wordꝭ & doctryne / [Page 102] doctryne / as it hathe ben euydently shewed by the scrypture, & the exposycyons & auctoryties of sayntes & doctours, in the. iiii. &. v. chapytres of this dyccion / and hath also ben somwhat declared by polytyke reasons, in the. viii. &. ix. chapytres of the same. And he exercysed also those powres / and graunted the same to be ex­ercysed of the apostles, and to theyr successoures in the persone of them / and ob­serued also moste hyghe and perfyte pouertie hym selfe, and taught, cōmaunded, or councelled, them and the successours of them to obserue and kepe the same, ac­cordynge to the maner before rehersed and declared.

¶ This forme and maner of lyuynge, and of exercysynge the sayd offyce accor­dynge to the aforesayd powre: the apostles dyd obserue and kepe: as beynge y ^• chyldren of obedyence. The same also the bysshops of Rome, and other successours of the apostles hathe obserued many of them, thoughe not all: well neare vntyll the tyme of Cōstantyne the fyrst emperoure of the Romaynes. For certayne of them dyd possesse landes or lordshyppes / amonge whome Orbane the fyrste bysshop of Orbane was the fyrste bys­shop of Rome that possessed landes. Rome, is red to haue ben the fyrst / for vntyll his tyme, the churche and colledge of preestꝭ lyued after the maner of chrystes lyfe, and of his apostles / that is to wyt, obseruynge meretor yous & most hyghe or perfyte pouertie. And albeit peraduen­ture that the aforesayd Orbane dyd this thynge pryncypally (that we may iudge his intent as cherytably as we maye to the beste) for pytie, & for the succurrynge and releuynge of poore people, & for mercye: yet for all that, yf he toke vnto hym selfe the powre, to chalenge suche maner landes or the prouentꝭ or rentes therof, a­fore a coactyue iudge: or yf he had powre and auctoryte to sell the sayde landꝭ, and to dystrybute the pryce of them vnto poore folke and dyd not sell and dystrybute them: whether he dyd it wyllyngly or through ignoraunce: doubteles he declyned & swarued from the most hyghe pouertie aforesayd, or from the state of perfeccion whiche maner also very many Bysshops of Rome dyd folowe in this thynge: vn­tyll the tyme of Constantyne / In whiche space of tyme the bysshoppes of Rome with theyr colledge made vnto them selues certayne ordynacyons concernynge the ceremonyes and customes ecclesiastical, as aboute the deuyne seruyce, and the honest state of the colledge and company of preestes / and the same ordynacyons as beynge profytable: they dyd cōmunycate vnto other churches, namely to suche Note this agayne. as requyred them and they dyd also take vpon them selues of pytie & charytie: the cure and dylygence of other churches of the worlde, accordynge to theyr possyby­lytie / Because that very often tymes they wanted suffyciēt gouernours, postors, or prelates / and therfore they dyd exhorte, monysshe, and coūsayle the persons of other churches in those thynges: whiche appertayned to honestye, to fayth, or be­leue. And the other churches thankefully, kyndly, and wyllyngly, receyued y ^e ex­hortacyons and monyciōs of them. In whiche churches also, whan otherwhyles some of the preestꝭ or bysshops, or some of the deacōs, or of other persons were frowarde, and dyd not cease from troblynge of the other, as touchynge maners or fayth, at the brotherlye monycion of them that were presente: than peraduenture those persones, whiche were moste dyscrete amonge them, and wyllynge to lyue godly and vertuouslye in chryste, procured excōmunycacyons or curses to be gy­uen Howe excō ­munycacyōs cam fyrste from Rome. by the bysshoppe of Rome and his churche (whose monycyons chrystened people moste feared, for the causes aforesayde) agaynst rebellyous persones, & to the dystroublers of other men, or otherwyse crymynouse persones / or elles the bys­shops of Rome dyd it of theyr owne accorde vndesyred: for the zele and loue that they had to the fayth. Therfore the chrysten people whiche were in other places, for the most parte of them: agreed to obeye the bysshop of Rome, & his churche, for the conseruacyon of the vnytie of the faythe, and of quyetnes amonge them [Page] selues one of them with an other, because these sayde thynges coulde not be kepte by powre coactyue, or by any other more cōuenyēt way, for as moch as y ^t tyme y ^e humayne lawemakers in a maner or prynces euery where was hethen and not chrystened. But whan the tyme of Constantyne the fyrste Emperourr of Rome Howe coun­celles were fyrst congre­gated and gathered. was come, whiche fyrste of all emperoures permytted and graūted, that chrysten people myght assemble and come togyther openly, than was fyrste made general councelles of preestes or bysshopes, by the cōmaundement or auctoryte of the for­sayd emperour / by whiche councelles, the doubtefull sences, of the holy scrypture, were defyned and determyned and the true sences of the same sequestred, and dys­ceuered from the false and erronyous sences / whiche false, corrupte, and madde sences some of the preestes, otherwhyles throughe ignoraunce, and moste cōmunelye throughe superstyciousnes & malyce, had sowen and sparpled abrode amonge chrystes faythfull people / in whiche councelles also, ordynacyons and statutes were made aboute the ecclesiasticall vsage and customes, as concernynge the de­uyne seruyce, and the honestye and good ordre of deacons and preestꝭ / and as touchynge the promotynge of them vnto the ecclesiasticall offyces, as well in se­perable whiche they call ordres: as seperable whiche they call prelacyes or cures Offices seꝑable and inse­perable. of soules / and to such other offyces incertayne places and prouynces / and also cō ­cernynge the dystrybucyon of the temporalles or benefyces, as the oblacions and other thynges which were gyuen vnto them, both moueables and vnmoueables for the mynysterynge of the gospell: the forme and maner was determyned, sette, and appoynted in the sayde councelles / of the whiche forme and maner to be ob­serued and kepte: the prynce and gouernour gaue or made a coactyue precepte, or lawe, byndynge euery maner man, bothe preestes and laye men, by a payne or punysshement outher reall or personall to be done vnto the transegressours of it, accordynge as euery one dyd require, for y ^e state & in y ^e state of this present world. The canony call lawes were fyrst made agaynst preestes and not agaynste laye men. And such maner lawes were made agaynst preestꝭ & bisshops, more thā agaynst other men / because cōmunelye, at that tyme, they were preestes whiche gaue the cause of makynge suche coactyue preceptes or lawes. And neyther the bysshops of Rome, neyther any other bysshoppes who euer they were, dyd resyste or speke agaynst the humayne lawe maker or prynce, as beynge not subiectꝭ to y ^e lawes and statutes of prynces: but alwayes made supply cacyons to prynces, that they wolde make such lawes / as it appereth by the aforsayd boke of Isodorye, and by other approued hystoryes.

¶ Moreouer by the same prynces or emperours lawes were made and hath ben made, concernynge the certayne nombre that shuld be of preestes, accordynge to the prouynces / and concernynge temporall goodes belongnnge to them both mo­ueables and vnmoueables, whiche hath ben gyuen to them (as it is sayd) by thē sayd constantyne and by the other emperours of Rome, or other prynces or gouernours / and As it is false­ly fayned. successyuely also by some other synguler persones. And agayne con­cernynge the cyuyle or contencious actes of them, albeit the sayd lawes hath ben moderated, with specyall fauours of the grace and goodnes of the humayne law makers or prynces consyderynge and regardynge the dygnyte and reuerence of the ordre of preesthode, because by it accordynge to the truthe the offyce of chryste is represented / regardynge also the grauyte of theyr maners, and the symplycyte and innocencye of the parsones, whiche at that tyme were mynysters of the gos­pell, The pryuyleges of prestꝭ. and bare the sayd offyce: euen lyke actes they ordayned, and made lesse rygorous lawes for them than for laye men, grauntynge vnto them also many pry­uyleges. For at that tyme they were in nombre but fewe, and deuoute, & through And nowe they be many & vndeuoute. humylyte and humblenes, easylye geuynge place, and makynge no resystence to [Page 103] the assaultes of lawyers and pleaders of causes / nor strengthed and compased a­boute (as they ben nowe) on euery syde with vyolent or armed powre for the de­fence of them selues, & the offendynge or hurtynge of other. For in the olde tyme it was a great abhomynacyon, and shulde haue semed a cyuyle monstre, yf clar­kes, namely, preestes, or bysshops, had taken harnes or weaponed them selues: or had cōmaūded other men to take on harneys to fyght / wherfore saynt Ambrose in the place afore alledged in the. ix. chapytre of this dyccyon: sayth thus. I shall Ambrose of the armure of preestes. be able, or maye be sory / I maye wepe / I maye wayle and syghe / my teares are my armoure or weapons, agaynst warres / soldyers / and also agaynst the Go­thes / for suche thynges are the munymentes strength and aydes of a preeste / but otherwyse than thus, I neyther ought, neyther maye resyste. And for this cause they neded at that tyme specyall fauours and pryuylegies: that they myght lyue But nowe y ^e contrary ne­deth. quyetlye and safelye, and myght escape the vexacyons of quarelles and false accusarers / howbeit nowe adayes: there is a conuersyon and chaunge made in this thynge, of them, in respecte and comparyson to laye men / in to the contrarye qua­lytye. So that in the olde tymes, they lyued vnder the lawes and cyuyle ordyna­cyons of seculer prynces / and a longe season the whole colledge or companye of Marke this ye prynces, & lese not your hono ^• regall. preestes, toke of the same prynces and of the people: the gyftes / the confyrmaciōs / and the inuestytures of theyr offyces / as of the prelacyes, cures / and of other lyke or elles of smaller offyces / and also powre to dystrybute and bestowe the tempo­ralles or benefyces. Neyther dyd the bysshops of Rome in the olde tyme, stryue a­gaynst the emperours of Rome, for cause of suche maner subieccyons, neyther a­gaynst the people, or ꝑtyculer persons, beynge patrones of the churches. For they knewe that they were bounde to this subieccyon: by the lawe of god, and also by the lawe of man / as we haue shewed suffycyentlye by scrypture and polityke re­asons, in the. iiii. v. viii. and. xvii. of this dyccyon. For so we reade of Symachus beynge a man of Sarde by byrthe and nacion / that he beynge coelected with one Lawrence, through dyscorde, was confyrmed pope of Rome by the iudgement whiche Theodorichus kynge, made or dyd gyue. So also wryteth Martyne, of saynt Gregorye. This Gregorye (saythe Martyne) is chosen pope, and Mauri­cius y ^e emperour confyrmeth hym by his letters emperyall. So also the bysshops of Rome, were wonte to desyre the confyrmacyon of theyr pryuylegies, humbly, of the emperours / as it is red of Vitelliane whiche was a Syguen borne / and of Vitellianus papa. Constantyne whiche was a Syryane borne / and of very many other bysshops of Rome / yea moreouer they were wonte to go personallye vnto the emperoures Cōstātyne pope. by places farre dystaūte, for these and other supplycacyons, and theyr confyrmacyons to be obtayned / as it is red of very many of them in Cronycles and appro­ued hystoryes. And also (whiche is a greatter thynge) Iohn̄ the. xii. was deposed To this poynt they wold be broughte agayne. Iohn̄ the xii. pope is depo­sed by Otto & I pray god that I mayese such thyngꝭ agayne, both in this lāde & otherwhere. from the popeshyp, his demerytes so requyrynge: by Otto, the fyrste, beynge em­perour, all the people consentynge therunto, both the clargy, & also the laye men. So also in the cronycle of Martyne, where he speaketh of Benedicte the. ix. it is red of two, that were elected contenciouslye, and deposed by the emperyal censure and iudgement of Henry, whiche than was emperour of Rome. For to the same pryncypall or cheyfe auctoryte it appertayneth, to depose, & destytute any thynge yf it shall be expedyent, to whiche it belongeth to instytute it. For asmoche than, as euery bysshop ought to be elected by the prynce, by the auctoryte of the same he may be destytuted or deposed / as it hath ben certyfyed in the. xvii. of this dyccion. ¶ The bysshops of Rome therfore, and of other prouynces, and the preestes, and all the colledge or companye of clarkes, lyued after the example of chryste and of his apostles, vnder the coactyue iurysdyccyon, and gouernaunce of them: whiche [Page] were prynces and rulers. But throughe the entysement and pryckynge on of the prynce of this worlde, the fyrste father of pryde and ambycyon, & the suggesture, and putter in mynde of all other vyces, the deuyll: certayne of the bysshoppes of Rome were deduced, nay rather seduced and brought out from the way of chryst and of the apostles: in to an other clene contrary way. For auaryce and couetousnes inuadynge and cōmynge in to the myndes of them: dyd thruste out from thense y ^e hyghest merytoryouse or ꝑfyte pouertie, which chryste had plāted & set in the churche. And agayne pryde, and ambycyon or desyre of honoure, and of secu­lare domynyon, inuadynge and cōmynge vpon the same: hath dryuen out from thense moste hyghe and perfyte humylyte whiche chryste had cōmaunded & char­ged to be obserued. and kepte of the same clergy or vnyuersall cōpanye of preestꝭ. Amonge whiche bysshoppes one Simplicius Tibertinus bysshoppe of Rome is red Simplicius Tibertinus was one of y ^e fyrste tray­tours bisshoppes of Rome. to haue ben, the fyrste that suffered this thynge / for this Simplicius takynge to hym auctoryte, I wotte neuer from whense, albeit that I knowe certaynely, excepte he be excused by ignoraunce, wherof he toke this rasshe and mysauysed presumpcyon, ordayned and decreed, that no clarke ought to take his inuestiture of a lay man, vnderstādynge and meanynge the inuestiture of benefyces & offy­ces, of which we haue spoken here tofore / albeit, yet that by his statute and decree it is euydently sygnyfyed: that his predecessours wyllynge to gyue dewe humy­lyte Inuestiture. and reuerēce to the prynces and emperours, were wonte to receyue the afore­sayd inuestytures of laye men. Agayne an other successoure of his thoughe not nexte after hym, Pelagius the fyrste of that name: ordayned & decreed, that here­tykes This good honest man gaue y ^e empe­rour a pygge of his owne so we. shuld be punysshed by the seculer powres or offycers / of which statute or decree it is also to be marueyled, for asmoche as he knewe well ynoughe, that suche a lawe was made agaynst heretykes, in the tyme of Iustiniane emperoure of Rome, And because it belongeth not to his auctorytye to make suche maner of lawes, in that he was a bysshop: vnlesse peraduenture this thynge had ben graū ­ted to hym by the auctoryte of the temporall prynce. Therfore lykewyse as Sim­plicius aforesayd dyd: so also dyd Pelagius put in his syeth in an other mannes corne, by vsurpynge the auctoryte vnto hym selfe: whiche appertayned vnto an Adriane y ^e. iii pope was a worshypfull p̄late I war­raunt you. other man. To whome agayne Adryane the thyrde succeded, though not imedy­atlye: in the sayd vsurpacyon / for he ordayned and decreed, that none emperoure shulde intromytte, or medle concernynge the eleccyon of the Pope (that we maye vse the wordes of the sayde Martyne) whiche statute or decree beynge vtterlye of no strengthe, for asmoche as it was made by hym that lacked auctoryte to make suche maner lawes: dyd contayne also an open inconuenyence / as it hathe benshewed Here ye mayese y ^t no writer of histories is to be trusted at all tymes, & that a man may soone be deceyued in them, excepte he haue a ryghte iudge­ment fyrst in scrypture. Martin was a freer begger in the. xviii. chapitre of this dyccyon besyde that that the contrarye of it had ben roborated and establysshed by longe and laudable custome. For albeit that Martyne doth say, where he maketh mencion of Leo the. x. y ^t the Romayns of a lewde and wronge custome desyred a bysshop to be gyuen vnto them by the emperour: in that he confesseth it to haue ben a custome: we graunte that the sayd truthe / but in that of his owne auctoryte he calleth it a lewde or croked custome, intendynge therby to iustyfye the aforesayd vsurpaciōs of the bysshops of Rome and to deface the auctoryte & lawes of the emperours, in this he goynge aboute to please man, rather than to please god and the truth: sayth falsely and vntruly / but he sheweth playnelye the begynnynge and mysterye of this thynge to haue ben shyt vp and closed from hym selfe. Neyther credence is to be gyuen vnto Martyne in this behalfe / for he with his ordre were partakers of suche maner vsurpa­cyon. For the ordres whiche they do call beggynge freets, haue optayned or be­leue that they haue optayned of the bysshops of Rome, an exempcyon / that is to [Page 104] wyt, that they are in no poynte subiectes vnder the iurysdyccyon of theyr owne pastores the bysshops / or other superyoure prelates. ¶ But nowe to retourne to that wherof we spake before, it was no lewde nor vnlaudable custome, that the bysshops of the churche of Rome were instytuted by the emperours, as we haue sayd. For we do rede, and they also whiche laboure with the sayd Martyne, to cō trarye and to be agaynst this truthe, do confesse or graunte, that this auctorite, and after a larger maner than is aforesayde: hathe afterwardes ben graunted to Charlemayne / and to Otto the fyrst kynge of Almayne, & emperour of Rome, by all y ^e people of Rome / as by the bysshop, the clargye, and other seculer persons wherfore it is red in approued hystoryes, and it is true also that this decree folowynge came forthe by the cōmune consente of the people of Rome. Leo pope in the synodye whiche was congregated at rome, in the church of saynt sauyoure, accordynge to the example of blyssed Adryane, bysshop of the apostolyke see, whiche graūted vnto lorde Charles the most vyctoryous kynge of Fraūce & Lombardy the dygnyte of a senatour, and the ordynacyon and the inuestyture of the aposto­lyke see. I also Leo the seruaunte of the seruauntes of god, bysshop, with all the clargye & the people of Rome, do constytute, confyrme, and roborate, & by our a­postolyke auctoryte do graunte & gyue to Otto the fyrste kynge of Almayne, & to his successours of this realme or empyre of Italye foreuer, as well powre to chose a successoure vnto them selfe, as also to ordayne and assygne the bysshop of the apostolyke see / & by this also to ordayne arche bysshops or bysshoppes / so that they shall take theyr inuestiture of hym, and theyr consecracion of them of whom they ought to take it. Onely these excepted whome the emperour hathe graunted to the pope and to archebysshops. And that no man from hensforth, of what so This he meaneth of bys­shops within y ^e emperours dominion for els the empe­rour hathe nought to do in the leccyon of bisshops in Englande. This punys­mēt wolde be put in vre. Steuen. Nicholas. euer dygnytie, relygyon, or holynes he be: shall haue powre to electe outher sena­toure, or bysshop of the hyghest apostolyke see, or to ordayne any other bysshop, who soeuer he be, without the consente of the sayd emperoure / whiche for all that shall be made without any money / and that he shall be senatour, and also kynge. And yf it so chaunce that any bysshop be elected by the clargye, excepte he be lauded & alowed of the aforesayde kynge, & haue his inuestyture of hym: let hym not be cōsecrated / yf any man do enterpryse or go aboute any thynge agynst this auctoryte, we haue decreed hym to be vnder excōmunycacion / & accursed / and except he shall repent, to be punysshed with perpetuall exyle or banysshement / or els to be punysshed with the extreme punysshementꝭ or deathe. This decree also Steuē the pope successour vnto the aforesayd Leo hath confyrmed / & also one Nicholas the successour of Steuen / cōmaūdynge it to be obserued & kepte vnder the payne of the terryble curse / that is to wyt that the transgressours & brekers of it oughte to be accompted amonge the wycked men, whiche shall not ryse agayne in iudge ment / as the profyte sayth in the fyrste psalme. And of this decree it is specyallye to be noted, y ^t this auctoryte concernynge the inuestytures, whiche the bysshop of Rome with the whole people dyd translate vnto the emperour: as touchynge on the popes partye: was a certayne renūcyacion. For the fyrst and pryncypall auc­toryte hereof was and is appertaynynge to the emperour, whiche had than graū ted to the pope this auctoryte of gyuynge y ^e inuestyture vnto bysshops and arche bysshops. For because all tēporall thynges, by whome soeuer they shall haue ben translated in to any maner churche: as touchynge to this thynge, were & are sub­iecte to the prynce of the prouynce in whiche the sayde temporalles are sytuate or lyenge. And this is sygnyfyed by the aforesayde decree, where it is sayde, excepte those, whome the emperoure hathe graunted to the pope and archebysshoppe. So also to instytute the bysshop of the apostolyke see, appertayneth to the powre and [Page] auctoryte of the emperour. This notwithstandynge certayne bysshops of Rome vsurpynge the iurysdyccyon of the peoples and prynces, aswell in the makynge or gyuynge, as in the lawes gyuen, haue enterprysed to make, promulgate, or publysshe these lawes, thoughe vnduely and wrongfully / and by lytle and lytle haue proceded and gone forwarde in them / namely the emperyall see beynge va­cante / wherupon cōmenly and for the most part, & for the occupacion of certayne tēporalles (so far as may be perceyued by the Cronycles, or approued hystoryes) stryfes haue ben raysed vp betwene the emperours and the popes of Rome. Howbeit The bisshops of rome haue caused moche stryfe debate and blode shedynge. the sayd bysshops in this haue done agaynst the councell or precepte of chryst and of the apostles / whiche in that they ought to succede the apostles in the offyce of preesthode or apostleshyp: they ought also to obserue and kepe moste hyghe po­uertie and humylytie / but they turnynge out in to a certayne other waye, & con­trarye to it, through ignoraūce, or malyce, or throughe bothe, as we haue shewed here tofore: haue begon this īmortall and perpetuall contencion or stryfe agaynst the sayd emperours whiche same contencyon most of all amonge all other, a cer­tayne bysshop of Rome called Paschalis, began agaynst Henry the. iiii. kynge Pope Pascal a good man but small of Almayne. For as the hystoryes do recorde the sayde bysshop dyd prohybyte the sayd Henry to come vp vnto the emperyall dygnyte / reysynge vp agaynst hym the people of Rome, vntyll such tyme as the aforesayd Henry beynge in Tusky, by embassadours and letters, dyd graūte in a maner by cōpulsyon, vnto y ^e same bysshop, the inuestitures and instytuciōs of all bysshops, abbottes, and all other clarkes. Of whiche Henry agayne, the aforesayd pope requyrynge an othe, after he was entred in to the cytie, concernynge the thynges, whiche he had extorted & gotten of hym by cōpulsyon: was taken, and al his colledge of Cardynalles / and in cōclusyon beynge delyuered: had peace with the aforesayd emperour. Agaynst whom he raysynge agayne the olde stryfe: had moche to do to ende it at the laste, with great laboures and paynes.

¶ But (as Martyne telleth) the aforesayde emperour repentynge (to vse the wordes of the same Martyne) & waxynge wyse agayne: frelye resygned by the staffe and the rynge, to one Calyxte the successoure of Pascall, the inuestyture of bys­shoppes Calixte pope and of other prelates / and graunted that canonycall eleccyon shulde be made in all churches throughout the whole empyre / and all the possessyones and regalles of saynt Peter, which throughe his discorde, or any other stryfe or debate He durst non other do then, but I thynke y ^t freer Mar­tyne lyeth. Otto the. iiii. emperoure. with the churche had ben alienated: he restored to the churche of Rome / and dysposed and ordred, that all other possessyons aswell of clarkes as of laye men, which by the occasyon of warre had ben taken awaye: shulde be faythfullye and trulye restored agayne / whiche sayd grauntes or pryuyleges, Otto the. iiii. and Frede­ryke the seconde emperours of Rome, afterwardes wyllynge (for a laufull cause peraduenture) to reuoke, or reuokynge vtterlye, or els in parte: suffered very ma­ny dysceyptes, persecucyons, and impedymentes or vexacyons of the bysshoppes and of the clargye of Rome. And some of theyr predecessours haue not ben hol­pen Frederyke y ^e seconde. by the people, subiectes vnto them, by the reason that the rule and regyment of the bysshppes of Rome, or of theyr offycers and mynystres, hath otherwhyles tasted peraduenture of tyrannye. This than (as we haue sayde) is and hathe ben the fyrste and pryncypall occasyon, and noryssher of the present stryfe & dyscorde betwene the emperours and the popes of Rome / which enemyties and dyscordes, on the behalfe of the emperoures and other prynces haue many tymes ben cessed, vpon a blynde zeale towarde the lawe of god, and for feare that elles they myght be taken of other as heretykes and rebellyons agaynst the holy churche, as men call the clargye. But the bysshops of Rome wyll for all that vnduelye and exces­cessyuely [Page 105] possesse temporall thynges, and not be vnder the lawes, statutes, or de­crees of the emperours clene agaynst the example and doctryne of chryst and his apostles / as it hath ben shewed here tofore. Notwithstandynge that they oughte not onely in these thynges which are not theyr owne, but also in thyngꝭ beynge theyr owne, rather to gyue place: than to contende and stryue / accordynge to the counsell whiche Paule gyueth to all chrysten men in the. vi. chapytre to the Co­rynthians where he sayth thus. Is there not one man amonge you, whiche may iudge betwene brother and brother: but doth one brother stryue with an other brother in iudgement, and that afore infydels? Truely in so doynge ye declare synne to reygne in you / why haue you iudgemētꝭ betwene you? why do you not rather take wronge? why do you not rather suffre hurte or losse? and it foloweth after­wardes Be not angry. in the same place, whiche maye conuenyently be sayd, well nere vnto all the bysshops of Rome, and to all other clarkes. But you do wronge and worke dysceypte, and that to your chrysten brethren. Do you not knowe: that vniuste persones, shall not possesse the kyngdome of god? Be not begyled or do you not mystake or erre. Neytheyr fornycatours, neyther worshyppers of Imagies, ney­ther adulterers / neyther bouggardes, vsynge the synne of the sodomytes / neyther theues / neyther couetous men / neyther dronkerdes / neyther euyll sayers / neyther extorcyoners and robbers, shall possesse the kyngdome of god. Whiche sayenge or counsayle of saynt Paule, the bysshops of Rome with the resydue of bysshops & clarkes, lytle markynge or regardynge, yf at any tyme they thynke them selues to be greued by the emperours of Rome, by reason of takynge of tythes or of such temporall trybutes, to the sustentacyon and mayntaynynge of theyr soldyers, the necessyte of warre beynge towarde and nere at hande: for the fauoure and be­nefyte of temporall thynges, whiche they haue receyued and taken, gracyouslye gyuen vnto them by the emperours of Rome, they beynge lyfted vp in to pryde, ignoraunte of theyr owne condycion & estate, and most vnkynde of all vnkynde men, of a certayne vnbrydeled presumpcyon, haue braste forth in to horryble blasphemyes and cursynges, aswell agaynst the emperours: as agaynst the chrysten people subiectes vnto them. Albeit the sayde curses haue returned agayne vnto theyr owne wreched soules and bodyes, rather than haue hurted the emperours & the innocent flocke of chrysten people.

¶ And they not beynge contented with the temporalles graunted vnto them by The bisshops of Rome ben thefes and robbers. the emperours / throughe the vnsacyable desyre whiche they haue vnto suche thynges, haue vyolently entred vpon many of the temporall prouynces appertay­nynge to the ryght of the emperoure / as the temporalles of the cyties of Roman­diole / and of Farrarie and Bononie / also of the landes and other iurysdyccyons: specyallye whan the emperyall seate hathe ben vacante. And (whiche thynge is Tyranny & vsurpacyon the vttermoste inconuenyent of all cyuyle inconuenyentes) they haue made them selues prynces and lawmakers, to the ende that they myght brynge kynges and peoples in to theyr bondage, most intollerable / and shamefull. For the most parte of them descendynge and borne of a lowe and vyle stocke or lynage, whyles they are taken to the state and dygnyte of the pope, not knowynge or skylled in secu­ler gouernaunce, and as ignoraunte in the orderynge of ryches, beynge also vn­dyscrete persones, and lately made ryche, are nowe made or become importable & intollerable vnto all chrysten people.

¶ Moreouer beleuynge that it was laufull for them to do what soeuer they luste by reason of the fulnes of powre, whiche they do chalenge as dewe vnto them selues: they haue made, and do make certayne Oligarchicall ordynacyons, called decretalles / by whiche they do decree suche thynges to be obserued and kepte / as [Page] they suppose to be agreynge vnto the temporall profyte of them selues, & of theyr clarkes, & other laye men, of the exempcion wherof we haue spoken though they be to the great preiudyce, of all prynces, and other chrysten men. And who soeuer are dysobedyent vnto these decretalles: they do stryke them, as we haue sayde be­fore, with theyr sentence of curse, outher by mouthe or els by wrytynge. yea more Oh shame of all shames. ouer some of them haue brast forth at the laste in to so great madnes that by these theyr decretalles, they haue pronounced all the prynces and peoples of the worlde to be subiectes vnto them by coactyue iurysdyccyon / and that euery maner man is bounde of the necessyte of eternall saluacyon, to beleue that this is true / which thynge for all that, how greatly it is worthy to be mocked and laughed to skorne I haue shewed heretofore.

¶ These excesses and trespasses than, whiche we haue rehersed to haue ben done by the bysshops of Rome, with the colledge or company of theyr clarkes, agaynst all prynces and peoples, thoughe most largely, and manyfestlye agaynst the people of Italye, and the prynces and emperours of Rome: they are wyllynge to cō ­serue / Obstynacye. and as obstynate persons frowardly to defende / & not onely these: but also they are wyllynge and gothe aboute with all care and dylygence to seche or get vnto them selues the same excesses, or els greatter excesses preconceyued, and de­syred agaynst other kyngdomes / and doth gyue also hereunto all the outwarde As agaynst Englande. loboure and dylygence, that they dare. And they verelye cōsyderynge and know­ynge well ynoughe (thoughe they do dyssemble it and with certayne rethorycall colours and clokes of wordes do go aboute bothe to obscure and denye it) that it belongeth to the auctoryte of the prynces and theyr parlyamentes, to gyue and to take awaye what soeuer pryuylegyes or grauntes hathe ben made vnto them / yet when soeuer it shall seme expedyent to the emperoure and his counsayle to receyue at Rome his crowne emperyall, then as traytours vntrewe with all malycyous dylygence and enforcement they do prohybyte and let the creacion and promocyon of the emperoure of Rome: because they knowe the vnkyndnes and de­merytes of them selues or elles of theyr predecessours, for whiche they do feare leaste theyr pryuylegyes and grauntes shall be reuoked, and taken from them by the emperoure / and that they shall suffre punysshementes suche as they haue de­seruyd. And agayne, by the reason of the sayd feare and dreade, and bycause that by the aforesayd pryuylegyes there was no waye open vnto them, to get or entre vpon the domynyons, iurysdyccions, and possessyons of other kyngdomes with out cauellacyon / for that that the emperours pryuylegyes dothe not bynde other prynces, as beynge of as great powre as he, within theyr owne domynyons they haue therfore I saye soughte and gone aboute to entre vnto these thynges by a certayne other crafte & subtel medytacion and deuyse. For they haue taken vpon them the tytle, whiche they preache openlye of them selues / and whiche they go a­boute, to make the instrument of this wyckednes and myschefe, that is to wyt, the fulnes of powre, whiche they do saye to be graunted syngulerlye vnto them selues by chryste in the persone of saynt Peter the apostle. whose successours they saye them selues to be. By whiche cursed tytle, and sophysticall oracyon, because Fulnes of powre is an execrable tytle. it may be taken dyuerse wayes, & as beynge false. in al sences & alwayes & at al tymes to be denyed of all chrysten men: they haue hetherto disceyued, & doth newe dysceyue & gothe aboute more & more to begyle and dysceyue, & to brynge vnder theyr seruytude and bondage, all the prynces, and peoples collegyes, and syngu­lare persones of the worlde. For after the bysshops of Rome had taken this sayde tytle of full powre vnto them selues, fyrste of all in that sence, after whiche, ful­nes [Page 106] of powre semeth to betoken for the vnynersall cure of all soules, or the offyce of generall pastor or herdes man, and agayne in the sence after whiche it beto­keneth powre to absolue all men seuerallye from all synnes and paynes, vn­der the coloure and apperaunce of pytie, charyte, and mercye: from these, by lytle and lytle, and secretlye, as we haue declared in the. xxiii. chapytre of this dyccy­on they haue gone further / and at the last haue taken vnto them selues this tytle in and after that sygnyfycacyon, by whiche they do vnderstande by fulnes of Folnes of powre, full ynoughe I trowe: and yf the deuyll be not in it. powre, vnyuersall auctoryte, and hyghest iurysdyccion or coactyue gouernaunce and domynyon of all prynces and peoples, and all temporall thynges / takynge the begynnynge and grounde of suche fulnes, by the metaphorycall and allego­rycall exposycyons, wherof we haue spoken in the. v. parte of the. xxiii. chapy­tre of this dyccyon. And this is an euydent and manyfest sygne to all men, that the bysshops of Rome dothe accordynge to this sence, ascrybe vnto them selues, and bragge them selues to haue fulnes of powre, that is to wytte that they wyll haue the auctoryte of hyghest iurysdyccyon, or coactyue domynacyon, ouer all prynces, peoples & partyculer persons, to be agreynge and appertaynynge vnto them selues by this fulnes of powre. For in the. vii. boke of theyr narracyons, whiche they do call Decretalles / in the tytle Desentencia et re iudicata, Cle­ment Desētēcia et re iudicata. the. v. pope of Rome, whiche is intytled the maker therof, and he whiche af­terwardes publysshed the same, beynge called the successoure of the same Clemēt asmoche as in them was, reuokynge a certayne sentence of the moste honoura­ble Henry the. vii. emperoure of the Romaynes, amonge other thynges, after ve­ry many wordes of contumelye, rebuke, and irreuerence there promysed, after theyr wonte and accustomed maner, bothe by worde of mouthe and also in wry­tyngꝭ agaynst the sayd Henry: at the last (I saye) they brynge for y ^• this sentence folowynge. We as well by the superyoryte, whiche it is vndoubted that we haue in comparyson to the empyre, as by the powre and auctoryte in which we do suc­cede Marsilius of padway, the herolde of truthe. the emperoure, the empyre beynge vacante, and also by the fulnes of that powre, whiche chryste the kynge of kynges and lorde of lordes hathe graunted to vs thoughe vnworthye in the persone of saynt Peter: do declare by the councell of our brethren, the sentence and processes aforesayde, and what soeuer hathe fo­lowed of them or by the occasyon of them, to haue ben, and also to be vtterlye Here al kingꝭ take hede, yf ye wyll not haue your crownes pul­led of your hedes, or the successyon of your bodyes betrayed, for in y ^• decretallꝭ is manyfeste treason cōceyuyd agaynst you all, & eke the succession of your bo­dyes. voyde and of no strengthe. And because the dysceypte and gyle of these bysshops shall not from hensforthe be hyd and vnknowen. I as the cōmune proclaymour and cryere of trouthe, do crye stronglye and saye vnto you kynges, prynces, peo­ples, and men of all nacyons and languages, that the popes of Rome with the companye of theyr clarkes by this theyr decretalles beynge moste openlye false as touchynge to euerye supposycyon of it do the moste hyghe preiudyce that may be, vnto you all / for they do go aboute to brynge you in to theyr subieccion, yf you shall suffre that Decretall to remayne, and namelye to haue the vertue and strengthe of a lawe. For marke well this / it foloweth of necessyte, that he whiche hathe pryncypall auctoryte to reuoke the sentence of any maner prynce or iudge: hathe also iurysdyccyon and coactyue domynyon vpon the same prynce or iudge / and hathe auctoryte and powre to instytute and to depose hym from kyngdome rule, and gouernaunce. But the pope of Rome ascrybeth this auctoryte vnto hym selfe, ouer all prynces and kyngdomes of the worlde indyfferentlye / for by that full powre and auctorytye, whiche he saythe that Chryste hathe graunted to hym in the persone of saynt Peter: he hathe reuoked the cyuyle sentence of the aforesayde Emperoure of Rome Henry / whiche powre, it foloweth of necessyte, [Page] to haue ben graunted to hym, no lesse vpon other kynges and gouernours of the worlde, than vpon the emperoure of the Romaynes. For chryste no lesse hath ben is, or shalbe kynge and lorde of other kynges and prynces or gouernours: than of the kynge & gouernoure of the Romaynes / whiche thynge also theyr owne speche or scrypture wytnesseth openlye, whan they do saye or wryte, kynge of kynges, and lorde of lordes. For yf theyr sayenge or writynge were vnder this forme, syngulerlye, that of the fulnes of powre graunted vnto them by chryste kynge and lorde of the kynge or emperour of Rome. &c. By this peraduenture myght the ex­cepcyon of other kynges and kyngdomes be somwhat perceyued and comprehended. But nowe for asmoche as they pronounce this sentence plurallye, absolute­lye, and indyfferentlye, euen as it is wryten of the euangelyste (thoughe not to that sentence or purpose, whiche the bysshops of Rome do intende) by it there can be made none excepcion of any kynge or gouernour / no more then they themsel­ues do vnderstande or meane any prynce to be excepted from it, but euery one to be contayned in it / as in an other place theyr predecessoure Boniface the. viii. dyd playnely and dystynctely expresse / and we haue broughte in his sayenge here to­fore. To whome yet let no man contynue enuyous mynded for theyr sayenge or wrytynge. And albeit that the euangelyst sayd trewe, whan he called chryste the kynge of kynges and lorde of lordes, yea yf he had sayd also of all creatures: yet for all that he sayd and wrote a false and an open lye, and contrary to the many fest and euydent sentence of chryste, and of the apostles Peter, and Paule, & Ia­mes, whiche sayd and affyrmed the foresayd full powre of domynyon or of coac­tyue iurysdyccion, or any suche powre at all to be gyuen in the persone of saynt Peter or of any other apostle, to the bysshop of Rome, or elles to any other bys­shop. But suche maner of powre is, hathe ben, and shall be vtterlye for bydden to the bysshop of Rome, and to all other bysshops in the persone of what soeuer a­postle he be, as we haue vndoubtedlye certyfyed by the scrypture and the auctory­ties of sayntes, in the. iiii. v. and. ix. of this dyccion. But in that newe faynynge, and whiche was neuer afore harde of any man, the bysshop of Rome no lesse falslye The bysshop of Rome is bothe false & presūptuous. than presumptuously, is not afrayde to speke openly agaynst his owne mynde, & agaynst the mynde well nere of all chrysten men, beynge partakers of this consyderacion, whyles he dothe styffely affyrme, that it is vndoubted, hym selfe to haue superyoryte (as he intēdeth & meaneth) of coactyue iurysdyccion or domynyon in cōparyson vnto y ^e emperour of Rome. And agayne y ^t the empyre beynge vacante: he succedeth the sayde emperour of Rome. For by these wordes is many­festly shewed the wrongfull and vniuste vsurpacyon of the emperyall iurysdyc­cions, whiche the bysshops of Rome hetherto haue exercysed, and nowe adayes do exercyse: namelye whan the emperyall see is vacante. For who is so farre from shamefastnes and vtterlye shamelesse, as to saye that thynge to be vndoub­tedly tre we, whiche thynge, was neuer afore harde, neyther hathe ben strengthed and confyrmed by the lawe of god or of man, or by ryght reason / and whose contraryety accordynge to the sayd lawes and ryght reason: hath alwayes ben conceyued and spoken forthe as a token of the truthe beleued of all men? wherfore lykewyse (as the prouerbe of physycions is) as he doth heale most men, of whom most men haue confydence and truste: so may we say in very dede he is wyllynge to dysceyue & be­gyle Asymylitude moste men, to whom moste credence is gyuen nowe adayes.

[Page 107] ¶ Nowe the bysshop of Rome hath vsed the same fulnes of powre, more specyallye, agaynste the empe­roure, and the empyre of Rome.
The, xxvj. chapytre,

THus than the bysshops of Rome haue so vsed hytherto the aforesayd fulnes of powre, contynuallye, euer longer worse and worse, and so do styll, but yet most of all agaynst the emperour & empyre of rome. For agaynst hym they may moste largelye exercyse thus theyr wyckednes, that is to wyt of subduynge y ^e empyre vnto them selues: by reason of the dyscorde whiche hathe ben hytherto raysed vp, and contynuallye is raysed vp and norysshed by those men whiche ben called pastores or moste holy fathers, The frutꝭ of o ^• holy herdesmen or bys­shoppes. Betwene the inhabytantes of the empyre amonge them selues: and also a­gaynst theyr prince. And agayne because this empyre beynge ones subdued vnto them: they suppose and beleue, that they may easely haue a waye open to subdue other kyngdoms also / and yet are they moste largelye and syngulerlye bounde to the emperoure & empyre of rome: for benefytes receyued of them, as it is knowen vnto all men. But that we may speake a thynge not vnknowen to any man or nedynge my wordes or testymony, they smytten with couytousnes, with pryde, and ambycion, and by vnkyndnes made worse then yll, serche and go aboute all maner wayes: to prohibite and let the creacion of the romayne emperour: yea and in conclusyon go aboute to destroye his empyre or els go aboute to translate it in to an other forme or fascyon, beynge subiecte vnto them, and this they do leste the excesses myght be corrected and redressed, whiche they haue cōmyt agaynst y ^e empyre, by the auctoryte and powre of the sayd prynce or emperoure, & lest also them selues myght suffre chastysment accordynge to theyr deseruynges. And thoughe for that intent whiche we haue sayd, they do euydently lay some maner stoppe or impedyment vnto the aforesayd emperour, yet gylefullye they pretende an other thyng, to couer and hyde this theyr intente / sayenge that they do it, to defende the ryght and lybertyes of the spouse of chryste, that is to wyt of the churche / but this pypyked pyetie & sophistycall deuocyon is to be laughed to scorne. For I am that The spouse of chryst, and y ^e church must be a cloke to couer alwyc­kednes. temporall thynges, yea rather theyr couytousnes, theyr ambycion, and desyre of iurysdyccyon or domynyon, is not the spouses of chryst neyther haue chryste cou­pled it vnto hym selfe by matrymonye, but hath expressely refused and forsaken it / as it hathe ben here tofore declared by deuyne scryptures. Neyther is it the inhe­rytaunce whiche the apostles haue lefte to theyr true and vnfayned successours, as saynt Batnarde sayth openlye and playnly to Eugenius pope in y ^e boke De The spouses of chryste. Barnarde consideratione & in the. iiii. chapytre. This is Peter (sayth Barnarde) whiche is not knowen to haue come forthe at any tyme, outher adourned and decked with precious stones or sylkes / or couered with gold / or rydynge on a whyte palfraye, neyther garded with men of warre / neyther compased aboute on euery syde with seruauntꝭ makynge noyse / and yet without those thynges he supposed, that hym The popes haue succeded not Peter but Constantine or rather Nī ­roth y ^t cruel thefe & tyrāt. selfe myght suffyciently fulfyll y ^t holsome cōmaūdemēt or charge, yf thou louest me fede my shepe. In these thyngꝭ y ^t is to wyt golde, precious stones, & other tēporall thyngꝭ, thou arte successour not to Peter, but to Cōstātyne. So than by stryuynge for tēporalles, the spouse of chryst is not defēded / for y ^e popes of rome y ^t are nowe adayes do not defende, but offende the very spouse of chryste / y ^t is to wytte the catholyke faythfull multytude of chrysten people, and they do not saue and [Page] kepe: but do defyle and blemysshe the beaultie and fayrenes of this spouses / that is to wyt the vnyte therof, whyles by sowynge cockele and scysmes, they do teare the membres therof, and do dysseuer them one from an other. And whyles also they do not admyt and receyue y ^• true accompanyers and wayters vpon chryste, pouertie, & humylyte, but done vtterlye exclude them, they do shewe them selues not to be the mynystres of the spouse, but rather his enemyes. The bysshoppes of Rome therfore goynge aboute to subuerte and destroy this empyre, do suppose y ^e thynge, which we haue brought in here afore of theyr owne narracyōs called Decretalles, Treason to­warde y ^e em­perour of Rome in the decretalles. that is to wyt, that them selues, by the lawe of god, or of man, or pera­uenture by bothe, haue superiorite in comparyson to the prynce or emperoure of Rome other beynge alredy created, or elles to be created / and that the emperyall powre or iurysdyccion doth appertayne vnto them whan the empyre is vacante / whiche supposycyons for all that, are moste euydentlye false / and strengthed by no lawe of god or of man, or ryght reason / but the contrarye of them hath ben proued by demonstracyon in the. xii. of the fyrst dyccyon, and hath also ben more largely confyrmed by scrypture in the. iiii. v. and. ix. of this dyccyon. And the occasyon of these supposycyons, nay rather presumpcions with other aforesayd was a certayne superfluous yea superstycyous deuocyon / for it fōdely pleased / certayne of the prynces and emperours of Rome syns the tyme of Constantyne frendely The coronacyon of y ^e em­peroure. and amyablye to sygnyfye and gyue knowledge of theyr eleccyon vnto the bys­shops of Rome / that in the persone of the bysshops, they gyuynge syngulare reuerence to Chryst: they myght optayne of chryst by the intercessyon of the bysshops (as they thought) larger benedyccion and grace to gouerne theyr empyre. And in Let al kyngꝭ by this take hede how they suffce the bysshops to exer­cyse any cere­monyes a­bout or vpon them, yea or bisshop vpon bisshop vndre what coloure of holynes so euer it be, for in conclusion an other daye yf they maye come a lofte, they wyl cha­lēge therby a certayne powre and make therof a certayne re­fygyon neces­sary holynes and a lawe of god. the same maner or moch lyke, certayne emperours of Rome for a solempnyte and sygne of theyr intronizacion or coronacion, and for the more large grace of god to be optayned: haue caused the emperyal diademe to be put vpon theyr hedes, by the bysshops of Rome / whiche settynge on of the diademe, who wyll saye y ^t it gyueth to the bysshop of Rome more auctoryte vpon the emperour: than it doth to y ^e arche bysshop of Rhone ouer the kynge of Fraunce? For suche maner solempnyt [...]es do not gyue auctorite: but they do sygnifie that auctorite hath ben had or gyuen. Of this reuerence than so gyuen by the emperours of theyr owne free wylles, the bys­shops of rome oftentymes sechynge those thynges which ar not theyr owne: haue brought in a custome, & to saye more truely an abuse by reason of the symplycite (because I wolde not saye the cowardenes and dastardnes) of the prynces & em­perours, to call the approbacion of the persone elected, and the benediccion which they sent vpon the same persone by worde of mouth or in wrytynge, the cōfyrmacyon of the eleccion aforesayd. And whyles the emperours of rome in y ^e olde tyme dyd nothynge regarde nor take hede, what preiudyciall intent and purpose was hyd vnder this maner of so callynge it: the popes of rome haue so secretlye and pryuely brought it in from tyme to tyme, yea & nowe doth it openlye, that no man, be he neuer so cōuenyently elected kynge of the Romaynes, may be called kynge neyther yet maye haue or exercyse the auctoryte of the kynge of the Romaynes, excepte he shall haue ben approbated before by the bysshoppe of rome / whiche ap­probacyon resteth onelye, in the wyll and pleasure of the bysshop of rome as he hym selfe sayth, because he recognyseth or knowledgeth no man here in earth to be superyour or equal to hym selfe in such maner iudgemēt. Neyther he is bounde (as he sayth) to folowe the coūsayle of his brethren whom he calleth cardynalles in this thynge or in other thynges, albeit that he doth vse theyr counsell, but that he may do contrarye to theyr counsayle in what soeuer thynges yf he lyste, of the fulnes of his powre.

[Page 108] ¶ But in this the bysshop of Rome after his owne wonte and maner, cōcludeth false of trewe thynges, and euyl of good thynges / for it doth not folowe, because the emperoure throughe deuocyon of his owne free wyll gaue this reuerence to y ^e bysshop of Rome, that he gaue hym knowledge of his eleccyon, and desyred his benedyccion and intercessyon vnto god: that therfore the eleccion of the emperour of Rome hangeth of his wyll and pleasure. For this shulde be none other thynge than to lose or dystroye the empyre of Rome, & perpetually to prohybyte or let the creacion of the emperour or gouernour. For yf the auctoryte of y ^e kynge or prynce elected, shuld hange onely of the wyll and pleasure of the bysshop of Rome: than is the offyce of the electours vtterly voyde and of no strength, for as moche as he that is elected by them, neyther is emperoure, neyther may be called kynge or em­peroure, afore that he be confyrmed by his wyll or auctoryte, who is sayde to syt in the see apostolyke / neyther maye he that is so elected exercyse any regall aucto­tytie. Yea and moreouer (which is a very paynfull thynge, not onely to suffre but also to heare) it shall not be lawfull to any man so elected, to take vnto hym selfe so moche as his cotidiane and dayly charges of the prouentes of the empyre: with out the lycence of this sayde bysshop / what other auctoryte than doth the eleccyon of the prynces, gyue vnto the emperours, than onely the name: sayenge that the determynacyon of them hangeth vpon the wyll and pleasure of one man alone, that is to wyt the bysshop of Rome. For seuen barbours / or seuen blere iyed men myght gyue as moche auctoryte vnto the kynge or emperoure of Rome, as dothe the. vii. electours / but yet let no man thynke, y ^t we do speke thus to the contempte of the electours / but to the mockynge and derysyon of hym, that wolde depryue them of the auctoryte dewe vnto them / for he is ignoraunte, what is the vertue & nature of an eleccyon, and for what cause the powre and auctoryte of the sayde e­leccyon dothe consyste and reste in the bygger parte of them that ought to electe & those the emperoure, and that the effecte therof neyther ought, neyther maye de­pende or hange vpon the wyll of any one man alone, yf it shall be reasonably in­stytuted / but onely it shall hange vpon the wyll of the electours. So than the bysshoppe of rome euydentlye is wyllynge to destroye the offyce of the electours, all thoughe he gothe aboute by meruaylouse crafte and subteltye, to blynde, circum­uent or begyle them. For he sayth in certayne of his scryptures, that no man be­ynge elected to be kynge of the romaynes is kynge or ought to be called kynge, afore his conformacion / the auctoryte wherof he sayth to belonge to his owne fre powre. And he meaneth also that the instytucyon of the electours, also dothe be­longe to the same auctoryte. For the same bysshop as he sayth hath translated the empyre from the Grekes, in to the persone of great Charles otherwyse called Charles mayne. And agayne in other certayne decrees where he sayth playnlye that a certayne emperoure whiche was elected by them, was by chryste and his apostolyke see depryued of all the auctoryte, which the electours myght gyue vn­to hym / he putteth afterwardes craftelye and gylefullye these wordes. And yet we wyll not that by this any preiudyce be gendred to the electours, or to theyr of­fyce. And yet he dothe manyfestlye preiudyce vnto them / naye rather to speake more truely: he dothe anulle theyr offyce vtterlye, in that he sayde before, that by theyr auctoryte: the regale auctoryte of the romaynes is gyuen vnto no man / and agayne in that that without theyr consente and determynacion he dothe depryue hym, that was elected by them: of the ryght and the auctoryte of the eleccyon gy­uen to hym by them / and so mockynge and begylynge them he dothe none other­wyse preiudyce vnto them, than he dothe hurte one, that pulleth out hisiye: al­thoughe he do saye, that he wyll not hurte hym, whan he doth so.

[Page] ¶ Agayne to ascrybe this confyrmacyon of the emperour elected, vnto hym selfe and to saye that without the sayd confyrmacion no man is emperour, nor ought to be called kynge or emperoure, nor ought to mynystre the thynges appertay­nynge to the emperoure, that is none other thynge, than to prohybyte perpetual­ly the creacyon and promocyon of the sayd prynce or emperoure / or elles to bryng the sayd empyre holly in to the seruytude and bondage of the bysshop of Rome / for the bysshop of Rome yf he lyste not: wyl neuer approue or confyrme any man that is elected kynge or emperour of the Romaynes, for asmoch, as he affyrmeth hym selfe to be superyoure vnto all men / and in this thynge to be vnder no col­ledge or syngulare persone / nowe shall he neuer lyste or be wyllynge to approue or confyrme any man elected / because that afore he doth approue hym, whiche is elected kynge or emperoure, he wyll requyre of hym promyses and othes. And a­monge other he wyll requyre y ^e othe, wherby the emperour shall saye and expresse hym selfe to be subiecte vnto the sayd bysshop, in fealtye, or temporall and coac­tyue iurysdyccyon. And he wyll requyre also the vnlawfull and vniuste occupa­cyons of certayne prouynces, to be kepte and mayntayned vnto hym selfe by the sayd elected emperoure / and this thynge he wyll requyre to be promysed and con­fyrmed by the othe of the sayd elected emperoure / which vnlawfull promyses and othes, beynge not possyble to be made, neyther to be holden, and kepte after they The vnlau­full othes of y ^e emperours to y ^e bysshop of Rome. are made, sauynge the conscience of the emperours maiestie, and the lawfull othe gyuen or made in his creacyon to cōserue and mayntayne the lyberties of the em­pyre. Neuer any man beynge elected emperour wyll gyue or make to the bysshop of Rome, or to any other bysshop, excepte he be more softe and cowardlye than a woman / and also manyfestlye periured in swerynge and promysynge suche ma­ner thynges / wherfore none of the emperours elected, shall euer be created empe­rour of the Romaynes, or shall deserue the name of the emperoure: yf the regall or emperyall auctoryte of the persones elected doth hange of the bysshop of Rome / For as longe as the sayde bysshoppe maye lette and prohybyte them (thoughe he doth this vniustlye, and sekynge those thynges whiche appertayne not to hym) no questyon but he wyll let them / bothe by his wordes, and also by his workes & dedes / so longe as he may. And yet there foloweth also a more greuous preiudyce & more vntollerable hurte than these aforesayde / y ^t all prynces cōmunytes, & synguler ꝑsons which ben subiectꝭ to y ^e emperour ben by this reason also subiectꝭ to y ^e empyre & domynyon of y ^e bysshop of Rome. For seynge y ^t the sayd bysshop doth say & affyrme hym selfe to succede the aforesayd emperour in offyce, the emperyal seate beynge vacaunte: it foloweth of necessyte, that it belongeth to the auctoryte of the sayd bysshop, to exacte and requyre othes of fidelite of all pryncꝭ, and other that oweth fealtie to the emperour and to compell them to make or gyue the aforesayd othes / and also to demaunde of the same, trybutes and other seruycꝭ, whiche hathe ben wonte to be done by the same vnto the emperours of Rome, with other thynges whiche the sayd bysshop shall lyste to fayne, to be dewe vnto hym selfe beyonde the custome, of his fulnes of powre, whiche he sayth openlye to belonge vnto hym selfe. And it foloweth also that the collacyon, or gyuynge of prynce­domes, of fees, and of other lybertyes, whiche the emperour of Rome may gyue, for defaulte of hayres male, or for any other reason or cause: dothe lykewyse ap­pertayne to the auctoryte / of this sayde bysshop, the emperyall seate beynge va­caunte. Yea it foloweth moreouer (whiche is moste preiudycyall and moste gre­uouse thynge of all) that whan the emperyall see is vacaunte, whiche after the powre and dylygence of the bysshops of Rome shall perpetually be vacaunte: the prynces, colledgies, cōmunyties, and syngulare persones whiche are subiectes to [Page 109] the empyre of Rome, contendynge and stryuynge cyuyly one with an other, by the reason of appellacyons cōmynge betwene / or throughe complayntes made of them brought vnto the courte of the bysshop of Rome / as well reall as personall shall be compelled to come to the courte of the sayd bysshop by his cytacyons / and there to abyde cyuyle and tēporal iudgement. And no prynce cōmunyte or iudge beynge subiecte to the emperour of Rome shall be able to put any sentēce: by the reason that the persons condempned shall alwayes, to stoppe suche execucyon, appele from the temporall sentences of them vnto the courte of Rome. And yf they that be subiecte to the empyre of Rome, wyll not obeye the sayde bysshop or be vnder hym in the aforesayde thynges (as they are not bounde) than the sayde bysshoppe shal contynuallye without ceasynge, and with all malycious and fro­warde enforcemēt, persue them by sentēcꝭ as they are called of cursynges, of blas­phemyes / of excōmunycacyons / of heresyes / of interdyccyons / and laste of all of beynge depryued and losynge of theyr temporall goodes / makynge suche maner temporalles cōmune, and grauntynge them to who soeuer shall be able by any maner waye to plucke them awaye / and by grauntynge to them that dothe pur­sue suche persones with all theyr subiectes, and adherentes, and whiche also by whatsoeuer meane can kyll or slee them: false and dysceyptfull pardon of all ma­ner Pardons. synne and payne / and also by absoluynge (thoughe heretycally) the subiectes of them from theyr othes outher afore gyuen, or afterwardes to be gyuen vnto Absolucions the sayd prynces. And yf the bysshop of Rome, pretēdynge after his wonted ma­ner, the cure and loue of the people, shall saye, that therfore it appertayneth vnto An obieccion hym selfe, to confyrme or alowe the eleccyon of the emperoure of Rome, leste per­aduenture an heretyke myght clyme vp vnto the emperyall dygnyte. Whiche by the reason therof wolde do verye moche hurte to the cōmunyte of chrysten people: verely answere is to be made vnto hym conuenyentlye, that the sayd eleccion ne­deth Answere. not therfore to be alowed of hym for asmoche as the same eleccyon is celebrated and made by. iii. solempne archebysshops of chrystendom (whiche eche one of them hath taken as great auctoryte of preesthode, or epyscopall powre of chryste, as hathe the bysshop of Rome. And also by. iiii. seculare chrysten prynces, with whome, whan the aforesayde relygyous pastours or prelates do agree togyther: than the eleccyon of the aforesayde emperoure is made perfyte. And it is not lyke to be trewe, that these. vii. wyll so erre or be moued by peruerse intencyon or cor­rupte affeccyon, as dothe the wyll of the bysshoppe of Rome alone by hym selfe, whiche thynketh & supposeth, that he maye of ryght, leaue vnto his owne iudge­ment alone, by y ^e reason of that fulnes of powre, which vnaccordyngely he dothe ascrybe vnto hym selfe. For so he myghte at his pleasure iudge whome soeuer he lyste to be an heretyke, and so depryue hym of the ryght of his eleccyon / by reason wherof the offyce of the prynces electours shulde be made voyde / and the creacion and promotynge of hym that is elected shulde be alwayes prohybyted and letted for the causes aforesayde. But yet the case put, that accordynge to the mynde of our aduersarye, the emperoure of Rome outher afore or after his eleccyon hathe falen or doth fall in to heresye, and that the prynces electours had no knowledge therof: yet it is to be sayde, that the iudgement or correccyon of hym dothe in no wyse therfore appertayne to the bysshop of Rome. Moreouer it is to be demaun­ded, No nor yet to any other creature or creaturꝭ lyuyng why the ablynge of other kynges dothe not belonge also to theyr sayd iudge­mente and powre of approbacyon. For I dare be suertye, that they do intende this also, thoughe they dare not as yet attempte it or set vpon it, but do wayte a mete and a conuenyent tyme therfore / wherof also peraduenture we shall speake somwhat. So than of these sayde false supposycions, no we last of all a certayne [Page] one called pope of Rome entrynge in to the way of erroure and iniquyte with al his studye and inforcementes letteth and prohybyteth noble Ludouyke descen­dynge of the dukes of Bauarye, which, is elecced kynge of the Romaynes: to procede vnto quyete possessyon of the hyghe emperyall dygnyte. For the sayd Ludo­uyke bothe by his worde and also by his dede, kylleth and destroyeth, & not with out a cause, the supposycions of the aforesayde bysshop. For albeit that he hathe not yet ben approued or confyrmed by his wordes or wrytynges, as we haue euydentlye shewed here before, neyther neadeth to be confyrmed: yet that not withstā dynge from the tyme of his eleccion made and publysshed by the electours hyther to contynuallye: he hathe caused, and dothe cause hym selfe to be wryten and na­med kynge of the Romaynes, as in very dede and accordynge to the trouth, he is and hathe ben / and also he dothe admynystre all thynges belongynge to the sayd kynge or emperoure in all poyntes: as he may and also is bounde to do of ryght / wherfore accordynge to the tale of Esope worthy to be marked, and very well a­greynge to our purpose, this serpent the bysshoppe of Rome, that nowe is, albeit that he hathe ben exalted, releued, and auaunced, in his predecessours, by the sayd Ludouyke or his predecessours, from great pouertye, vylenes, oppressyon, rebu­kes, and persecucyon, vnto abundaunce of temporall goodes, to that hyghe dyg­nyte and honoure / and to powre and tranquyllite: yet lyke an vnkynde persone, and one that had forgotten all the aforesayde benefytes, he hathe lyfted vp hym selfe agaynst the aforesayd Ludouyke. Fyrste after his lewde and wonte maner spyttynge out many wordes of rebuke, dysworshyp, and irreuerence, agaynst the sayd prynce. But yet offrynge this venome or poysone vnder the apperaunce of hony, he pretendeth after his olde crafte and deceypte, a coloure and apparaunce of vertue and charyte / where he saythe in certayne of his epystles whiche he cal­leth decrees, that he wryteth or speaketh suche thynges to the ende, that he myght brynge agayne the sayd Ludouyke from the bypathe or erroure, vnto the ryghte waye or pathe of truthe and of helthe / not regardynge hym selfe whiche speaketh neyther what he speaketh, neyther to whome he speaketh. To the which bysshop as beynge out of the waye from all truth, and parteles of all equyte, we may say cōuenyently and verely truly with chryste, that texte in the. vii. of Mathewe and in the. viii. of Luke / why seest thou a strawe in the iye of thy brother, and dost not se a bealme in thyne owne iye? or how sayst thou to thy brother, brother suffre me to caste out the strawe out of thyne iye: and haste a bealme in thyne owne iye? Thou hypocryte fyrste caste out the bealme of thyne owne iye / and than shalte thou se, to caste out the strawe of thy brothers iye. There is no good tree, whiche bryngeth forth euylfruyte / neyther euyll tree bryngyng forth good fruyte. Euery tree is knowen by his owne fruyte. Why than dothe this hypocryte, the most euyltree, brynge euery where the fruytes of all malyce and seducyon and dyscorde, as it is sencyble knowen of all men, and why dothe he go aboute to defame this vertuous man, innocent, catholyke, and praysed of all men, with his wordes of ig­nomine and slaundre, vnder the false apperaunce and coloure of deuocyon and charyte. Let hym fyrste caste out from his owne mynde, beynge ful of darkenes, and as it were blynde the bealme / that is to wyt, his most great ignoraunce and erroure. And from his owne lewde affeccyon (beynge in a maner oftynate and in durated) let hym caste a waye malyce and furyous woodnes, and than he shall be able to se the small faultes of other men, and maye by his exortacions and monycyons the more metelye and conuenyentlye caste them out of other men. And afterwarde the aforesayd bysshop, whiche vnder such deceyptfull and fayned wordes, dothe intende not the amendment of the man, but the cyuyle deathe and de­struccyon [Page 110] of the cōmune weale, hathe powred forthe and spredde abrode agaynst the aforesayde moste chrysten prynce, the venomes and poysons of cyuyle lyfe, whiche he hathe supposed to be moste deadlye vnto hym / in that that he hathe ex­cōmunycated hym, with all those that pertyculerly, do cleue vnto hym / and hath also forbydden the exercyse of the dyuyne seruyce vnto all cōmunyties of chry­sten men, whiche do gyue or are aboute to gyue helpe, counsayle or fauour, vnto the same prynce as beynge kynge of the Romaynes, lytle or nothynge markyng or regardynge the counsayle of saynt Ambrose in his boke, whiche is intytled De sacerdotali dignitate. For there Ambrose treatynge of the texte of Paule in the thyrde chapytre of the fyrste epystle to Timothe. Yf any man desyreth preest­hode. &c. And amonge other thynges in the. viii. chapytre of the sayde booke, he sayth thus. Not brawlers that is to saye / let not a preeste louse his tonge to ray­lynge and euyll wordes, lefte by the same tonge, by whiche he gyueth prayses to god and offereth vp the deuyne seruyce, he do brynge forth the venome or poyson of braulynge and stryfe. For it is not semely that bothe benedyccyon, and male­dyccyon shulde yssue out of a preestes mouthe. And agayne lefte by the same tonge by whiche god is lawded, man maye be despraysed and euyll spoken of. For he maye not brynge forthe bothe swete water and bytter water out of one fountayne or sprynge. And in conclusyon peraduenture he shall sende forthe the prycke or stynge of his malyce, whiche he supposeth to be most vtter and extreme in noyenge or dystroyenge, supposynge to fasten it vpon the sayde prynce / that is to wytte a certayne blasphemye, called of hym a sentence, thoughe in verye The fruytes that haue cō ­med and pro­ceded these many hūdred yeres from y ^e seat of Rome from our holy fathers there, & mayntay­ned by o ^• holy fathers here. dede it maye be called a madnes by whiche he hathe pronounced the aforesayde prynce with all that dothe cleue vnto hym, or that dothe obeye hym, or fauoure hym as kynge of the Romaynes: to be heretykes & enemyes or rebellyons vnto the churche. And by the whiche sentence he hathe depryued and berefte them the ryght of all theyr temporalles bothe moueables and vnmoueables / in makynge the sayde temporalles cōmune by his aforesayde sentence (vnworthelye so called) & by grauntynge them also to who soeuer lyst to entre vpon them, & to wynne or get them by vyolence, & by spreadynge abrode in all prouynces by his wordes, or elles by his wrytynges in parchement, by hym selfe or els by certayne other false preachers, that this maye be done lawfullye. And agayne by condempnynge them to deathe / and by grauntynge remyssyon and forgyuenes of al synnes and paynes or punysshementes, and of all crymes vnto those that do kylle or inuade them. And by bryngynge them yf they betaken prysoners a lyue, where soeuer they shall be, in to the seruytute of those persones that taketh them. Moreouer he graunteth the greatest ecclesiasticall offyces / as bysshopryches, archebysshop ry­ches, and patryarkeshypes with the meane and smaller ecclesyastycall offyces also / he spendeth therto the ecclesyastycall temporalles called the benefyces, the treasures and money of the churche: that he maye rayse vp all men to enuye and rebellyon, to warre and dyscorde agayne the sayd prynce. And this he dothe albe­it / that it dothe nothynge at all belonge to his auctoryte to gyue forthe sentence of any of the forsayde thynges / as we haue before euydentlye declared. And be­syde all these horryble malygnytes aforesayde, he exercyseth a newe kynde of wyckednes and malyce, whiche semeth manyfestlye to smell of heresye / for he rayseth vp in to rebellyon agaynst the sayde catholyke prynce his owne subiectes and leyge people / assoylynge them by his deuyllysshe sayenges or wrytynges, which he calleth (for al that) apostolycall wryttes: from the othes of fidelyte, by whiche they had ben, and in verye truthe are bounde to the ofte rehersed prynce. [Page] And suche maner absolucyons he publyssheth and preacheth euery where by cer­tayne mynystres of his myschefes: whiche by suche maner exercyse do hope or truste to be promoted by the sayde bysshoppe vnto ecclesiasticall offyces and be­nefyces.

¶ That this worke is not an apostolyke but a diabolycall dede, it is euydent. For accordynge to this, and by this, the sayde bysshoppe with all his complyces, ordynatours, consenters, and executers, in worde, wrytynge, or dede / beynge blynde with couytousnes / with pryde and ambicyon, and fylled with moste great iniquyte (as it is euydent to all men) be guydes and leaders of all them, that do gyue credence vnto them, or that folowe them, by worke or dede, in all the aforesayde sayenges or wrytynges: vnto fallynge and goynge downe heed­lynge in to the dyche or pytte of deadly synnes. Fyrste in to manyfest & open per­iurye / afterwardes in to treason and iniurye open and playne to all men / conse­quentlye he causeth them to fall in to rauyne or robbrye, manslaughter / and in a maner in to all kyndes of myscheuous synnes / in whiche they dyenge without repentaunce, and beynge begyled by this moste holy father and his mynysters, and yet not be excused before god for theyr grosse ignoraunce: are caste downe heedlonge and drowned in hell / that is to wytte in the pytte of perpetuall damp­ned persones. For this is and ought to be vndoubted to euery man that hathe reason, and that is able to vse it, that neyther the bysshoppe of Rome, neyther any other preeste may assoyle any man from suche maner or any other lawfull othe, outher gyuen or made, or els promysed. Nowe it is euydent to euery man, which wyll stande to his owne conscyence, and whiche is not troubled with any syny­stre or croked affeccyon: that the cause whiche the bysshoppe of Rome pretendeth, agaynst y ^e deuoute prynce Lewes & agaynst any other prynce in lyke case: is not resonable, but vnresonable, vndyscrete, and vniust / wherfore the gydynge, doc­tryne, and exhortacyon of this bysshoppe and of his mynysters, in such thynges, is to be eschewed and auoyded / and vtterlye to be despysed / as the thynge whiche leadeth and bryngeth in conclusyon vnto the eternall deathe of soules. For it is playnly and openly contrary to the holsome doctryne, wordes, and sentence of the apostle Paule in the, xiii. to the Romaynes / in the. vi. to the Ephesyanes / in the. vi. of the fyrste epystle to Tymothe / and in the seconde and thyrde chapytres of the seconde epystle to Tite. For there the apostle teacheth openly, that subiectꝭ Of true obedyence to­warde kyngꝭ and prynces, whiche y ^e bys­shop of rome with his churche, yet neuer taughte. ought to obeye theyr carnall lordes, not onely beynge good and gentyle: but also beynge hasty and frowarde / as saynte Peter saythe in his fyrst canonycall epystle the seconde chapytre. Howe moche more than ought they to be obedyent whan they are bounde to them by an othe? whiche thynge the gloses also after the myn­des of sayntes in the same places more largely do declare / sayenge manyfestlye, That subiectes are bounde and oughte to obey theyr lordes, yea thoughe they be infydelles and neuer so frowarde or euyll / but yet vnderstandynge & meanynge this, in suche thynges as be not contrarye outher in worde or dede to the lawe of god. ¶ But it is vndoubted, that the wordes and workes by whiche the bysshop otherwyse called the pope of Rome inueheth and procedeth agayne the emperour of Rome: are neyther the cōmaundementes of godes lawe, neyther consonant or agreable vnto it / but rather dissonaunt and manyfeste repugnaunt and contra­rye to the sayde lawe / as it hathe ben shewed, by the scrypture, in the. iiii. v. and. ix. chapytours of this dyccyon. Agayne to obeye to the bysshoppe of Rome, or any other bysshop reachynge or preachynge these thynges, is none other thynge: than to suffre the rote of all regymentes and gouernaunces to be cut vp, and the [Page 111] bonde and knot of euery cyuylyte and kyngdome to be losed or broken in sondre, for I do suppose that suche maner roote or bonde is none other thynge, nor it ought none otherwyse to be taken, but the othe and fydelyte of the prynces and theyr subiectes of eche of them to other. And in dede this fydelyte of the forsayde subiectes (as Tullius saythe in his fyrste boke intytled De officiis) is the funda­ment or groundesell of all iustyce / whiche fydelyte betwene the gouernours and the subiectes, whosoeuer gothe aboute to dyssolue or breake: he gothe aboute to gette vnto hym selfe no lesse thynge, than that he maye accordynge to his owne entent and pleasure, ouertourne and destroye the powre and hyghe auctorytie of all pryncꝭ and gouernours of the cyuyle cōmunyte, and afterwarde to brynge the aforesayd subiectes, in to his owne seruytute and bondage. And besydes this also to trouble the peace and tranquyllyte of all men that lyueth cyuylye / and so by reason therof or by some other meanes to depryue them of theyr suffycyēt lyfe in this worlde / and fynallye to brynge them that ben so dysposed in theyr mynde yf they maye therto attende, as we haue sayde, vnto the eternall dystruccyon of theyr soules. Wherfore let all Chrysten men dyspyse and beware of the vayne pro­myse of pardon & forgyuenes, for it is a thynge clene cōtrary agaynst y ^e lawe of god. And the pernycyous and madde doctryne of the bysshop of Rome, or to call The vertue of the popys­she pardons. it more truelye, the seduccyon of soules, of this bysshoppe of Rome and his com­plyces which be the colledge of clarkes or of cardynalles, worse than the doctryne of the pharyseys / regardynge Chryste whiche counsayleth and teacheth the same in the. xv. chapytre of Mathewe, whan he saythe to all chrysten men, but yet in the persone of the apostles. Suffre them or lette them alone / that is to wytte the pharyseys / which at that tyme were supposed to be the teachers of Moyses lawe, but for all that they were of erronyous opynyon in the vnderstandynge of the lawe, and in a maner contynuallye contrarye vnto Chryste and agaynst hym and all his doctryne of the gospell. By which pharyseys were sygnyfyed and vnderstanded The phary­syes were a figure of our sophistical Dū sers, & Tho­matistes. all sophisticall and false teachers of holy scrypture, of whiche sorte be these persecutours of the Romayne emperour and of other innocēt true chrysten people / in the persone of whome beynge the membres of Chryste: these wycked persones (that is to wytte the bysshoppe of Rome and his complyces) also dothe persecute Chryste and dothe agaynst hym with all theyr dylygence and laboure. And Chryste sheweth the cause afterwardes why we ought to despyse these false teachers. For they are (sayth he) blynde and the guydes of blynde men / wherfore (sayth he) yf one blynde man be guyde to an other blynde man: bothe of them fal­leth in to the dyche. So than accordynge to the counsell and teachynge of chryste whiche teachynge euery chrysten man ought to folowe: these false teachers are to be lette alone and to be despysed: because they are bothe blynde with auaryce or couetousnes, with pryde, and ambycion them selues, & also the guydes of blynde men, that is to wytte of couetouse, proude, and rebellyous persones. Whiche false teachers, also not regardynge, or not lystynge to regarde the precept of y ^e apostle, or rather of god, sayenge playnlye without any metaphore in the. xiii. chapytre to the Romaynes. Let euery soule be subiecte to the hygh powers, do teache open­lye Who soeuer resysteth y ^e power of a kynge or hed prynce: is of y ^e deuyll yea though he were an aun­gell of heuen yf it were possyble, moche more then a bysshop, or a preeste, a po­pysshe, pylled freer, monke, or chanon, or a peuysshe nunne. subiectes to rebelle agaynst theyr prynces and gouernours. And suche per­sones so rebellynge and by theyr gylefull and vniuste perswasyons inducynge other men to rebellyon, do resyste the ordynacyon of god. So saythe the apostle in the sayde chapytre / who soeuer (saythe he) resysteth the powre (that is to saye the seculare gouernoure) resysteth the ordynacyon of god. Of whome the same apostle hathe prophesyed in the fourthe chapytre of the fyrste epystle to Timothe, [Page] and in the thyrde of the seconde epystle, to the same Timothe, whan he sayde / This knowe thou, that in the laste dayes there shall be peryllous tymes towar­de / and there shall be men louynge theyr owne selues / couetous / proude / hyghe mynded / blasphemous persons / not obedyent to theyr parentes / vnder this worde parentes comprehendynge prynces and gouernours / wherfore Tully De offici­is in the fyrste boke saythe. The prynces ben the contrey, and our parentes / by whose great benefytes we are bounden to be obedyent, dysobedyent therfore to theyr parentes, is as moche to saye as dysobedyent to the prynces, and it folo­weth in the sayenge of Paule. Vnkynde persones, full of myscheyfe / vnfayth­full / kepynge no promyse / without cōpassyon in any goodnesse, without peace / traytoures, lecherous persones, cruell, without benygnyte, false accusers, lewde tōged / frowarde / swolne or puffed vp with pryde / louers of pleasures, more than Disobedient. of god / hauynge in dede the face of holynes: that is to saye apperynge to do those thynges / whiche they do, for the honoure, reuerence and loue of god: but in very effecte denyenge the vertue of it / that is to wytte of suche holynes or deuocyon / whiche thynge it is easy for all men to knowe by theyr workes, accordynge to that texte in the. vii. chapytre of Mathewe. Take you hede and be ware of false prophetes, whiche do come vnto you in the apparayle of shepe: but inwardlye are rauenynge wolues / by theyr fruytes you shall knowe them. And the apostle saythe comformablye to the aforesayd counsayle or precepte of Chryste, and such persones auoyde thou / that is to saye do not beleue them neyther obeye them in suche thynges. But alas it is a pytuous case, for they haue throughe this appe­raunce of godlynes so greatlye deceyued and begyled men, that nowe they tru­stynge to the vyolente powre whiche they haue optayned and gotten vnder the apperaunce and symylytude of holynes, partly of mennes free gyfte, and a great parte by secrete and preuy vsurpacyon, and nowe by open and vyolent vsurpa­cyon can not well be auoyded or eschewed, in doynge vyolence and persecucyon to chrystes faythful people. Whiche also beynge vnkynde / proude / without peace / cruell / and in very dede suche maner persones in all poyntes / as the apostle hathe descrybed, affyrmynge good to be euyll / and lyght to be darkenes / accordynge to the sayenge of Esaye the prophete, by the collacyon and gyfte of the ecclesyasty­call offyces, bothe the greatest, the meane sorte, and the smallest, and by the exhy­bycion or promysynge of the temporalles or benefyces, as well of the mouables, as vnmouables, and of the tyethes, whiche haue ben ordayned for a good ende / and by abomynable conuencyon and bargaynes hereof made before: do styre vp agaynst the chrysten prynces theyr owne subiectes / and also theyr owne cosens and alyaunce of straunge countrees not beynge theyr subiectes / whiche thynge althoughe they with theyr complyces do nowe seme to do onelye agaynst the em­peroure The empe­rours ar vex­ed of the bys­shop of rome, & so be all o­ther kynges of theyr bys­shops & clar­gye. of Rome: yet let other prynces learne by the example of the sayde empe­roure, whiche hathe ben so greatlye benefyciall to the bysshoppe of Rome and to his churche: that the same thynges may of lykelyhode chaunce vnto them selues also / and that the aforesayde bysshoppe shall be full busye to do the same thynges agaynst them also, whan occasyon of suche assaulte, shall offre it selfe vnto hym for he is without good affeccyon towardes euery man. And he affyrmynge both by his wordes, and wrytynges aforesayde, that all prynces and peoples are sub­iectes to his gouernaunce or coactyue iurysdyccyon, because of the fulnes of his powre (as he calleth it) whiche vnaccordynglye he ascrybeth vnto hym selfe: and For what day, the bys­shops & clar­gy do wayte. couetynge also and desyrynge greatly to brynge this to effecte, wayteth suche ty­mes in whiche there appereth scysmes and contencyons of chrysten prynces and [Page 112] people one with an other / and rebellyon of subiectes agaynst theyr soueraygnes or rulers / whiche sedycions, contencions, and rebellyons hym selfe also procureth otherwhyles to be raysed or styrred vp to the intente that so the one of the partes beynge at dyscorde betwene them selues, beynge weake and feble, or beynge not able to resyste the aduersarye parte: may be compelled to beseche his helpe or ayde and to submyt hym selfe to his domynion. For albeit that vnder the fayned face or apperaunce of holynes deuocyon, or charyte, he semeth otherwhyles to defende impotēt and weake persons, & peraduenture wrongfully oppressed / and to gyue vnto them his seculare fauour: yet for all that he gyueth not this fauour, excepte he be sure afore, that they whiche nede his fauour / and that do requyre it, wyll be content to come vnder his gouernaunce or seculare domynion / hopynge therof in conclusyon that by suche oppressynge & enuye of eche to other, bothe partꝭ beyng so at varyaunce, shall be compelled to come vnder his domynion, wherfore suche contencyons and accyons are to be auoyded, whiche may brynge in or cause ne­cessyte, vnto any man, of his fauoure or helpe / for at the laste, they are turned in to the destruccyon of lybertye / and in to the seruytude and thraldom of them that receyue the sayde fauoure.

¶ So than after this maner this sayd bysshop by lytle and lytle crepeth successy­uely throughe the kyngdoms of the worlde, that he may at the last be able to subdue & make subiecte vnto hym selfe, all the empyres & domynions of the worlde / whiche thynge incessauntly he desyreth. He dareth not attempte suche maner pro­cesses in all or many of them togyther at one tyme / but he abydeth vntyll suche A cunnynge poynte of practicasyon. tyme, that by lytle & lytle so great seculer powre shall haue growen preuely vnto hym selfe: that he dothe perceyue & beleue, that he may without any iopardy ouer­come the powre of other empyres or domynyons / and than he doth boldely open & shewe forth vpon other realmes the sence and meanynge of this tytle of fulnes of powre, which he hath presumed to take vpon hym. And doth expressely say forth that all other prynces and empyres are subiecte to his domynyon or coactyue iu­rysdyccion, lykewyse as he sayth the empyre of y ^e Romaynes to be nowe subiecte vnto hym / and those that wolde refuse (although they myght: do it lawfully) to be subiecte vnto hym, he doth then pursue by blasphemyes, & other lyke sentences to these afore, mayntayned agaynst the emperour of Rome and his faythfull sub­iectes / & also by vyolent or armed powre euen vnto theyr vtter vndoynge. Thus by these meanes or wayes, the sayd bysshop with his complyces haue welnere se­duced He studyeth to brynge the same to passe in Almayne. and brought all the prynces, cōmunaltyes, and people of Italye, in to contencions & scysmes / and he hathe begonne to do the same, and studyeth to brynge the same to passe, contynuallye in Almayne. For he hathe raysed vp certayne of the subiectes, traytours, and vngracious persones, by seculer fauoures, as by gyuynge to them ecclesynstycall offyces, and by exhybycion of tyethes and money: Who ben the sones of the churche as y ^e bysshoppe of Rome calleth them. vnto rebellyon agaynst the emperoure of Rome / and he procureth without cea­synge, to rayse vp whom soeuer he maye, both great, meane, and small persons / and those that shall so be begyled by hym, and whiche shall obeye hym: he calleth and nameth the sones of the churche, and true chrysten men / and who soeuer cō ­tynueth, & are wyllynge to cōtynewe in due faythfulnes, obediēt to theyr prynce or soueraygne, he nameth them scysmatykꝭ & heretykes / & he persecuteth them as Who ben heretykꝭ as y ^e bys­shop of rome calleth them. enemyes of y ^e churche, by blasphemynge, dyffamynge, & excōmunycatynge them as moche as euer he may, and by condēpnynge them in theyr persons and goodes by seculer sentence / albeit that no suche maner iudgement after suche fascyon is [Page] belongynge to hym in that he is suche one, neyther by the lawe of god / neyther by the lawe of man / as it is euydent of the thynges afore gone and hathe ben reher­sed heretofore.

¶ But the moste myscheuous thynge of all, and the thynge whiche dothe great­test noyaunce or hurte generally: is this (wherof we haue spoken somwhat here­tofore, and whiche maye not be passed ouer with scylence of hym that wylleth not to falle from the lawe of Chryste and of his gospell) that the bysshoppe of The bysshop of Rome de­uoureth the shepe. Rome eternallye confoundeth and deuoureth all the shepe of Chryste: whome he saythe to be cōmytted vnto hym selfe for to be fedde with holsome doctryne / for he puttynge or sayenge euyll to be good, and lyght to be darkenes, graunteth by mouthe and in wrytynge vnto all men absolucyon from all maner synne and Absolucion from synne & payne, to all that wyll be traytours to theyr prynces payne, vnto all them, that warreth at a certayne tyme outher on horsebacke or fote agaynst the sayde Chrysten subiectes of the emperoure of Rome obeyinge and wyllynge to obey hym constantlye as beynge theyr kynge and souerayne. Whome also as beynge heretykes & reblles to the crosse of Chryste: he pronoūceth by hym selfe or by other men, as well by worde of mouthe, as by wrytynge: that it is lawfull by all maner meanes to impugne, to robbe, and fynally to destroye. And whiche also is abomynable to be herde he preacheth it openlye, and causeth it to be preached openlye euery where by certayne deceyptfull and false frears whiche hunger and thryste after ecclesyastycall dygnytes or promocions, as yf it were as acceptable to god, as to fyghte agaynst the paganes in the partes ouer the see / and to destroye them, whiche deceyptfull and false pardon or forgyuenes the sayde bysshoppe graunteth lykewyse vnto them: that are not able for feble­nes of bodye to fulfyll and performe that myscheyfe, yf at theyr owne propre costes and charges they shall procure it to be done by other men or shall gyue a suffycyent sūme therfore vnto his cursed and vngracyous exactours or gathe­rers. Notwithstandynge accordynge to the catholyke faythe and relygyon, of Let chrysten men be a sha­med of theyr madnes. Chryste no man oughte to doubte, that to them that so warre or fyghte, this fo­lysshe and vayne absolucyon dothe no profyte or good at all, but dothe moche hurte vnto them. But yet thus he begyleth symple men, to the accomplysshement of his owne wycked & lewde desyres / granntynge vnto them that thynge, which lyeth not in his powre, yea moreouer he dothe by this meane brynge and leade them out of the ryght waye, vnto eternall deathe and destruccyon of theyr soules For they beynge the inuadours of other landes prouynces and countrees, and the vniuste destroyers of them, and the troublers of the peace & quyetnes of innocent chrysten men, whome they do knowe to be trewe catholyke men, & the defenders of theyr owne countree, and the obseruers of fydelyte to theyr owne trewe and lawfull lorde, prynce, or gouernour of the sayd countre. I saye in tobbynge or kyllynge or otherwyse impugnynge suche maner persones, they are made not the Champions of the deuyl & not of chryste champions of Chryst, but the champyons of the deuyll. For they do cōmytte and fall vnto rauynes / brynnynges / theftes / murthers / fornycacyons / aduoultryes / and well nere all other kyndes of Crymes and trespasses / wherof it is euydente and vndoubted, that they do not deserue pardone or forgyuenes: but rather that He calleth hī selfe the vicar of chryste he ought more truely be cal­led the vycar of the deuyll. they are made gyltye and detters of eternall dampnacyon, to the doynge wherof and for the which thyngꝭ they are seduced by his sayenges and probacyons of the holy scryptures, whiche calleth hym selfe, thoughe he be not: the vycare of chryste in earthe. And this blodsheder and gylefull man, beynge not contented nor thynkynge it ynoughe that suche horryble thynges are exercysed by laye men at his cōmaundement, or throughe his entysementes and persuasyons, hathe sent ouer [Page 113] a certayne preeste one of his brethren or complyces, whome they do call cardynall A captayne Cardynall. An abbot of cheualrye. with a great nombre and company of horsemen and fotemen, in to the prouynce of Lombardye. And also hathe sente lykewyse an abbot in a certayne marchye of Italye, which is called Anchone, for to impugne and to destroye the faythful chrysten people, whome (because they wyll not obey his wycked and vniuste cō ­maundementes agaynst the prynce) he dothe vexe without ceasynge with all maner aforesayde persecucyons / and hathe presumed of his wonte temeryte to call in his sayenges and wrytynges, theyr deuoute prynce the aforesayde Ludo­uyke, The ēperour is called of my lorde abbot, a fauourer of heretykes. because he hathe compassyon on them and cheryssheth them accordynge to his powre, a fauourer of heretykes. In to whiche and in to lyke vses this bys­shoppe consumeth and turneth the ecclesiasticall temporalties, whiche deuoute chrysten men aswell prynces, as theyr subiectes, comunalties, and synguler per­sones, haue appoynted and ordayned to the sustentacyon of the mynystres of the gospell / and to the succurrynge and releuynge of impotent poore peo­ple / and also vniustlye chalengynge the temporalles bequested in testamentes vnto vertuouse vses, as to the passage ouer the see, and to the redemynge of the prysoners taken of the infydels, and to other lyke vses, I saye chalengynge them as belongynge vnto his powre: he gothe aboute to tourne them in to the afore­sayd vses. Albeit that it is no worke mete for the successoure of the apostles, or a preeste, neyther it dothe become a preeste or a man consecrated vnto god, to moue weapon, or to bydde warre, to be made amonge chrystes faythfull people, and namelye vniustlye / but rather by conuenyent exhortacions to call agayne the same It is not onely not semely but also for­beden by the lawe of god for preestes to be men of warre. people vnto concorde and vnyte yf they shall be at dyscorde or debate amonge them selues one of them with an other / as it hathe ben suffycyentlye shewed by the auctoryte of the apostle / by Chrysostome, Hilarie, and Ambrose in the. v. and ix. chapytres of this dyccyon / it is not therfore from hensforthe to be permytted or suffered, that this bysshoppe or any other shall haue so generall absolute, or so great powre, to gyue or dystrybute the ecclesiasticall temporalties / but the sayde powre is by the prynces and parlyamentes vtterlye to be reuoked from hym: or elles so to be tempted and measured that those thynges whiche hathe ben statuted and ordayned hytherto, to the helthe of chrysten men, bothe present and for to come, and contynually are ordayned may not tourne to the contynuall vexacy­on of them and in conclusyon to the euerlastynge tornement or dampnacyon of them. Also he that is called pope euen nowe adayes with his mynystres, whom he calleth legates, haue proceded of late dayes, and contynuallye do procede with suche maner processes, so laudable, and so pleasaunt vnto god: as euery man be­ynge of ryght mynde and not cortupted in affeccyon maye perceyue, agaynst the foresayd Ludouyke kynge of the Romayns. And so they haue proceded agaynst his deputyes, and faythfull subiectes namelye in the prouynce of Lombardye, of Tuskayne, and of the matches of Anchone. Amonge whome, most specyallye The bisshops ben false bac­byters & slaū ­derers of ver­tuous people: spiritually of such as write or speake a gaynst theyr abhomynaci­ons. and syngularlye he hathe hytherto persecuted the gentle, noble, and famouse ca­tholyke man, syngulare amonge all other Italyons in honestye of maners, and in grauyte, Mathewe of good remembraunce sherefe and by the emperyall auctoryte his lyefe tennaunte vycare or deputie in Mylayne with a verye great mul­tytude of chrysten people adherentes vnto hym / for this sayde Mathewe, the a­foresayde bysshoppe (thoughe verye vniustlye) by his prophane and wycked sayenges and scryptures, dothe pronounce to haue ben of a shamefull lyfe, and of an euyl & dāpned memory. But not y ^e sayd Mathewe, but he by whom slaūders & offēciōs do come, & which bryngeth forth of y ^e treasures of his malyce alwayes [Page] cuylles: is counted openlye of dampned memorye afore god and man, and it shall be more largelye accompted and layde to his charge bothe afore his death and after his death, accordynge to the manashynge of Chryste, which is verye trouth in the. xviii. chapytre of Mathewe, where he sayth / woo be to that man by whom slaunder cōmeth, and agayne in the same chapytre / who soeuer shall offende one of these lytle ones, whiche beleueth in me, it were more expedyent for hym, that a mylnestone be hanged in his necke, and that he be drowned in the depthe of the see, whiche sayenges he nothynge markynge or regardynge, lykewyse as he re­gardeth not the other monycions and counsayles of Chryste (as beynge frowar­de / and vnpenytente) contynuallye without ceasynge, dothe persecute and blas­pheme very many other noble men, for the prosecutynge of theyr faithfulnes and constancye to warde the sayd prynce or emperour of the Romaynes / whose fame beynge swete, bothe afore god and man, by his aforesayde prophanacyones, and blasphemyes he gothe aboute to spotte and defyle. This is the bysshoppe, the iud­gement of whome and of his churche, god dothe not folowe / because he iudgeth by surrepcyon and ignorauncye / as the mayster of the sentence saythe in the. iiii. booke the. xviii. dystynccyon and the. vi. chapytre. And the cause hereof saynt Iherome sheweth vpon that texte in the. xvi. chapytre of Mathewe. And to the I shall gyue the kayes of the kyngdome of heuyns. For he saythe whiche I am not greued to reherse. Certayne men not vnderstandynge this place (as for ex­ample this bysshoppe vnderstande thou, take vnto them selues somwhat of the Note well these wordꝭ of Iherome vp­on the. xvi. of Mathewe. pryde or hyghe mynde of the pharyseys, that they do suppose them selues to con­dempne innocentes / or to lose and assoyle malefactours and gylty persones / and it foloweth afterwardes to the same purpose, albeit that in very dede afore god not the sentence of the preestes but the lyfe of the persones accused is soughte for. God therfore dothe not folowe the iudgement of suche maner preeste, bysshoppe, or churche, beynge so vniuste and contrarye to equytye / wherfore the blasphemy­es of hym and of his complices, are not to be dredde or feared of any Chrysten man, as we haue sayde: for they do not entre in to the flocke of Chrysten men, but they haue learned rather by the powre of god to stryke and lyghte vpon the The iniuste curse of any bysshop, hur­teth no man, but hym selfe fowle bodyes, and the cursed and wreched soules of them, that braste forthe in to suche blasphemyes. These than whiche we haue rehersed are the trewe begyn­nynges of the thynges inquyred / and those thynges whiche also haue bothe due­lye and vnduelye procedyd and gone forwardes / albeit that by reason of longe tyme, and the folysshenes and ydlenesse of men they are fallen out from the sygh­tes and memoryes of them and in the stede of these thynges, throughe custome of herynge false and fayned thynges: certayne falsehodes haue ben broughte in se­cretelye, and fastened in the soules of verye many chrysten men, whiche thynges are contrarye cleane to trouthe. The begynnynge and fountayne therof was a­uerice, or couytousnes, and Ambicion, or pryde. And no lytle instrumente of the increase and mayntenaunce therof, hathe ben that execrable opynyon and say­enge, The mayntenaunce of all myscheyfe by whiche the bysshoppe of Rome and the companye or colledge of his clar­kes or cardynalles do affyrme, that vnto the same bysshop in the persone of saynt Peter the apostle, was graunted and gyuen by Chryste fulnes of powre. But after moche dylygent and labourfull serchynge and exquysycyon of the scrypturꝭ of god, from the scryptures of men (whiche certayne bysshoppes of Rome had confounded and almoste set at nought the sayd scryptures of god, and mengeled the one with the other, and wrestynge it to theyr pleasures, supposynge & beleuynge, y ^t of such menglynge & gatheryng of them togyther, the same auctoryte which is [Page 114] due onely to the holy scrypture shulde be cōmune to theyr owne instytucions and ordynacions) we haue determyned the sences of the sayde tytle / and haue suffecy­ently opened and declared in the. xxiii. chapytre of this dyccion to all that vseth reason, at the least wyse whiche are not troubled with croked affeccions: that the sayde sences are false / and moste of all other, that sence, vnto whiche the bysshop of Rome hathe laste translated the aforesayd oracyon, that is to wyt ascrybynge by it vnto hym selfe vnyuersall or hyghest iurysdyccyon coactyue (whiche vnder Iurysdyccyō coactyue, or y ^• temporall swerde. a metaphorye of wordes he calleth the temporall swerde) vpon all prynces cōmu­nytyes and peoples of the worlde / albeit that he dothe nowe expresse this tytle onely agaynst the emperoure of the Romaynes, as we haue sayde, and haue she­wed also for what causes / but in tyme to come he shall expresse the same tytle a­gaynst all the resydue of prynces, whan he shall perceyue and se sedycyon to be in theyr realmes / and shal se also that hymselfe hathe vyolent powre to vsurpe and to occupye or wynne them. So than the fulnes of powre, throughe cowardenes beynge permytted vnto the bysshoppes of Rome, they haue hytherto vsed aboute cyuyle actes / and contynuallye do vse, and shall vse in tyme to come worse and worse, yf they be not stopped or letted / for they haue made certayne olygarchycall lawes, by whiche they haue exempted the colledge or companye of clarkes, and certayne other maryed men, from y ^e cyuyle lawes duelye gyuen or made to y ^e most hygh preiudyce of prynces and peoples. And yet not contentyd to kepe them with Of the iudgement of offy­cyalles and of other. in these bondes, they do nowe cause laye men to be cyted and called afore theyr of­fycyalls or iudges (as they are called) and wyll there punysshe them / vtterlye de­stroynge the iurysdyccyon of the prynces or gouernours. And this is the syngu­lare cause of stryfe and cyuyle dyscorde, and verye secrete in the begynnynge of it whiche we purposed euen from the begynnynge to shewe and declare. For many chrysten men beynge deceyued and begyled throughe the darkenes & mynglynge togyther of the scryptures of god, and of the scryptures of men: haue ben induced and brought in mynde to beleue, y ^t the bysshop of Rome, with his clarkes whom they do call cardynalles: maye make statutes & decrees vpon chrysten men, what soeuer he and they luste / and that all men are bounde by the lawe of god, to obser­ue the same / and that the transgressours of them ben boūden vnto eternall damp­nacyon, whiche thynge we haue shewed of suertie heretofore, neyther to be true, nor yet nere to the truthe, but manyfestly contrarye to the truthe. This agayne is the cause as we sayd in our prolouge or entresse, wherby the kyngdome of Italye hathe ben of longe season combred, vexed, or dyseased, and is cōtynually vex­ed, and this contagyon is nowe no lesse redy to crepe in to other cyuylyties and realmes / yea and hathe somwhat all redy infected them all / and in conclusyon yf it be not stopped or letted, shall infecte them vtterlye, as it hathe enfected the em­pyre of Italye / wherfore it is expedyent vnto all prynces and peoples, by a generall counsayle to be called togyther, to interdycte and vtterlye prohybyte the bys­shoppe of Rome, or any other bysshoppe, to haue or vse this tytle / leaste throughe custome of hearynge false doctrynes: from hensforthe the people be seduced and begyled. And the powre is to be reuoked from hym, of gyuynge and dystrybu­tynge ecclesiasticall offyces, and temporalles or benefyces / and that because this bysshoppe of Rome abuseth them to the hurte of the bodyes, and to the dampna­cyon of the soules of faythfull chrystened men. And this to do all y ^t haue iurysdyccyon, chefelye kynges: are bounde by the lawe of god. For herefore they are con­stytuted Take hede ye pryncꝭ vn­to your duty­es. & ordayned: to do iudgement & iustyce / which thynge yf they be neclygēt & do not regarde to do: from hensforth they are in excusable, in asmoch as they do knowe the hurte y ^t groweth of suche omyssion forbearynge or rather neclygence. [Page] And let hym whiche is bysshop of Rome with his successours in the aforesayde seate, and all other preestes and deacons, and spyrytual mynystres / to whome I speake these wordes not as to enemyes, I cal god to wytnesse agaynst my body The protestacion of Mar­silius of Padway. and soule, but rather as vnto my fathers and brethren in Chryste: let them I say studye and inforce them selues to folowe chryste and the apostles / renounsynge vtterlye and puttynge awaye seculare empyres, and domynyons of temporall thynges. For I haue opēnlye reproued and rebuked them, whiche do synne in the syght of all men / accordynge to the doctryne of chryste and of the apostle / and I beynge the cōmune herolde of truthe: haue gone aboute by the deuyne & humayne Herolde or messanger of truthe. scrypturꝭ, to reduce and brynge them agayne vnto the pathe or waye of the truth that they, and namelye the bysshop of Rome whiche semeth to haue gone moste largelye out of the waye: maye auoyde that indygnacyon of all myghtye god &, of the apostles Peter and Paule, whiche he syngulerly often tymes threteneth to other men. Wherfore let hym regarde the ordre of charyte so that fyrste auoydynge the sayde indygnacyon hym selfe, consequentlye he do teache other to auoyde the same. For he is not ignorant, or at the lest wyse shall not from hensforth be igno­rant, that besyde and without the cōmaundement of god, yea cleane, moreouer agaynst the precepte or counsayle of chryste and of the apostles, he setteth vpon the empyre, and vniustly letteth and troubleth the emperour. Agayne he is not ignorant, y ^t throughe the slaunder or occasyon reysed by certayne of his predecessours and hym selfe, in Italie: many batayles haue sprōge: by reason wherof so many thousandes of chrysten men haue ben slayne by vyolent deathe / whom it may be presumed of lykelyhode, to be eternally dampned, for asmoche as very many of them haue ben preuentyd with deathe beynge full of hatred and euyll wyll to­warde theyr brethren. And they that are lefte alyue of the same sorte are wretches abydynge the same, or very lyke ieopardous chaunce and myserable ende: excepte the helpynge hande of god be theyr succoure or leche / for hatred hath entred in to y ^e myndes of them with stryfe and contentacyon, wherof afterwardes, fyghtꝭ and batayles do folowe. And moreouer also honest maners and dyscyplynes beynge corrupted: in a maner all kyndes of vyces, wantonnes, myschefes, and errours haue vtterlye possessyd and occupyed the myndes, and the bodyes bothe of men & women. The successyon of theyr chyldren is cut away / theyr substance or goodes are consumed / theyr houses are plucked in sondre, and destroyed, great & famouse cyties are emptie and destytute of theyr inbabytaūce / the feldes vntylled & no we beynge deserte: are dyswonted and haue ceased to gyue theyr wont fruytes. And (whiche is the thynge most to be bewayled and sorowed) the true deuyne seruyce and honourynge of god, hath ceased in the same place beynge in a maner vtterly dystroyed and put away / and the churches or temples haue remayned as desertes or wyldernesse, beynge destitute of preachers / vnto all whiche sayde myserable & pyteous thynges, the wretched inhabytaūtes blynded in mynde, through hatred and dyscorde amōge them selues one to an other: haue ben prouoked and prycked and cōtynually are prycked and prouoked by that great dragon the olde serpent, The great dragon and olde serpent antychryste of Rome. whiche ought and maye be worthy called the deuyll and Sathan for asmoche as with all his powre and enforcement he seduceth and gothe aboute to seduce or be­gyle all the whole worlde.

¶ what so carlysshe or vnmanerlye sone of this countree or mother of Italye, (whiche in olde tyme was so fayre and beutefull, and is no we so euyll fauored & torne) seynge these thyngꝭ, and hauynge knowledge and powre: can fynde in his herte to kepe scylence, and not to crye out vnto the lorde, agaynst them that do so vniustly hale or drawe her here and there or plucke her in peces / for to suche a sone [Page 115] it shall be sayd very truely, as the apostle saythe, that he tenounced the fayth, and is worse than any infydell or heathen person. As touchynge to y ^• fulnes of powre and the maners or sygnyfycacyons of it / also concernynge the begynnynge, and increase or goynge forwarde therof, and agayne after whiche sygnyfycacions, and in what wyse the bysshop of Rome hathe taken the sayde fulnes vnto hym selfe, and howe he hathe vsed the same bothe as touchynge to the ecclesyastycall customes and ceremonyes, and also aboute the seculer cyuyle actes of men: let it haue ben determyned in this wyse as is afore gone.

¶ Of certayne obieccyons or reasons, that maye be made a­gaynst the thynges determyned in the. xv. chapytre, and the other chapytres consequentlye folowynge, of this present dyccyon.
The, xxvij, chapytre,

BVt peraduenture some man doubtynge, and not without cause, of the thynges, whiche we haue sayd heretofore in the. xv. chapy­tre, The āswere of all the ob­ieccyons, that ben made in this chapytre ben cōtayned & set forth in the nexte chapytre. & the other chapytres consequently folowynge of this dycey­on: shall fyrst shewe that the dygnytie of a bysshop is greatter, yea and also an other sondrye dygnyte in kynde, than is the dygnyte of hym that is but onely as they call hym a symple preeste / and that not onely by the instytucion made by man, whiche afore we haue called the seperable auctoryte: but also by the ordynacyon of god, whiche we haue afore called the essencyall or inseperable auctoryte. And it semeth or appereth, that this maye be prouyd by the. x. chapytre of Luke, where this texte folowynge is had. ¶ Afterwardes the lorde apoynted also other. lxxii. & sent them by payers or couples afore his face / vpon whiche texte Bede saythe thus / as there is no man, that doubteth the. xii. apostles to represent or shewe before. the forme or fascyon of bysshops: 1 so there is no man also that doubteth these. lxxii. dyscyples to haue borne the fygure of preestes of the seconde ordre. ¶ Agayne the same is prouyd by the. v. chapytre of the fyrste epystle to Timothe: whan the apostle sayde / receyue none 2 accusacyon agaynst a preeste: excepte it be vnder. ii. or. iii. recordes or wytnesses / it foloweth of these wordes, that Timothe was superyoure in dygnytie to the o­ther preestes / but not by the eleccyon of the preestes or of the chrysten multytude: ergo by y ^e ordynation of god. ¶ Agayne the same appereth by the epystle of Cle­mētpope, whose superscrypcion is, to Iames the cosen of our lorde. ¶ This also 3 semeth to haue ben the mynde welnere of all the bysshoppes, whiche are sayde to 4 haue succeded saynt Peter or saynt Paule in the epyscopall see of Rome / as appereth euydently by the aforesayde boke of Isodore. Moreouer it appereth, that this maye be proued, that saynt Peter was superyour to the other apostles, in powre or auctorytie gyuen to hym imedyatly of chryste, and not gyuen by man or other men vnto hym / and so consequently, that the successours of hym are superyours to the successours of the other apostles in the same auctorytie. ¶ And this appe­teth to be so / fyrste by the. xvi. of Mathewe, where chryste sayde seuerallye vnto 5 hym. And I say to the, that thou arte Peter and vpon this stone I wyll buylde and edyfye my churche / and the gates of hell shal not preuayle agaynst it / and to the I wyll gyue the keyes of the kyngdom of heuens. By whiche wordes, chryste semeth to haue expressed, that Peter shulo be the heed & foūdacion of the churche / [Page] namelye chryste beynge deed / where the glose sayth in this wyse / he graūted that powre and auctorytie specyally vnto Peter: that he myght call or prouoke vs to vnytie / for therfore he dyd constytute or make hym the cheyfe or pryncypall of the apostles: that the churche shulde haue one pryncypall vycare or deputie of chryste, vnto whome the dyuerse membres of the churche shulde haue recourse, yf perad­uenture they were at dyscencyon, and coulde not agree amonge them selues / for yf there shulde be dyuers heddes in the churche: then the bonde of vnytie shulde be broken. ¶ Agayne the same is shewed by y ^e. xxii. chapytre of Luke, where chryste 6 sayd specyally vnto hym / and I haue prayed for the, Peter: that thy faythe may not fayle. And thou ones beynge cōuerted, confyrme and strengthe thy brethren / By this it semeth to folowe, that the pryncypall pastorall cure, and the confyr­macyon of his brethren, that is to wyt of the apostles and of other chrysten men: was cōmytted or betaken vnto saynt Peter, because of the fyrmytie and stedfast­nes of his faythe, for whiche chryst semeth specyally to haue prayed, that it shuld not faynt or be quēched, neyther in hym neyther in any successour of hym / where the glose sayth thus. Confyrme thy brethren / seynge that I haue made the cheyfe or pryncypall of the apostles. And this is not to be vnderstanded onelye of the a­postles, whiche were at that tyme, that they shulde be strengthed of Peter: but of all chrysten men. And a lytle after it foloweth in the glose / by repentaunce he obtayned (that is to wyt Peter) to be the pryncypall bysshop of y ^e worlde ¶ Agayn 7 the same is shewed by the. xxi. chapytre of Iohn̄, where chryste sayde seueral­ly to hym. Fede my shepe / fede my lambes / fede my shepe / rehersynge the same worde thryes. It appereth therfore, that he was instytuted and made pryncypall and generall pastor or herdesman īmedyatlye of chryste: seynge that no partycu­lare flocke of shepe was determyned or apoynted vnto hym / where Chrysostome saythe in this wyse / for Peter was the moste excelllent of the apostles, and the mouthe of the dyscyples, and the heed of the companye / wherfore his negacyon beynge put out of remēbraunce, he cōmytteth or betaketh to hym the ouersyghte or prelacye of his brethren. Fynallye this is confyrmed by the auctoryte of many sayntes & doctours, vpon that texte in the. xxi. of Iohn̄. yf I wyll, that he shall contynewe or remayne vntyl I come, what is that to the? But folowe thou me / for saynt Augustyne sayth. The churche knoweth, two lyues to be shewed vnto it selfe from god aboue / of the whiche, the one is in faythe or beleue, and the other is in hope. This lyfe, that is to wytte in faythe, is sygnyfyed or marked forth by Peter the apostle, because of the prymacye or pryncypalyte of his apostleshyp. Agayne Theophilus in the same place saythe thus / he hathe instytuted to hym the prelacye of all chrysten people. And Chrysostome saythe thus. yf any man wyl say or aske the questyon, howe or after what maner than toke Iames vnto hym selfe the epyscopall seate of Ierusalem: this truely I wyll saye / because he hathe intronisated or stalled Peter mayster of the whole worlde. And the same Chrysostome saythe afterwardes. To hym (that is to wytte to Peter). Also the ouersyght and gouernaunce or prelacye of his brethren hathe ben cōmytted or be­taken / agayne the same Chrisostome sayth / therfore because the lorde had shewed and sayde before great thynges vnto hym (that is to wyt to Peter) and had com­mytted or betaken to hym the whole worlde. And agayne Theophilus vpon that texte / yf I wyll that do remayne, saythe thus. For the I do dymytte or sende nowe to the offyce of the ouerseer or bysshopryche of the whole worlde / and in this folowe thou me. Moreouer yf chryste had not instytuted a heed of the chur­che in his absence: he shulde haue lefte it heedles or without a heed / and shulde not seme to haue ordered it accordynge to the better or beste dysposycyon / but nowe [Page 116] this is to be beleued, that he hathe lefte it ordred and dysposed after the best wyse and maner: wherfore it is to be holden that he hathe instytute and made a heed of the sayd churche / but there is none other more conuenyent heed than Peter wher­fore it may be concluded, that saynt Peter was superyoure to the other apostles in auctoryte by the īmedyate instytucyon and ordynacyon of chryste. ¶ Agayne we maye proue the same thynge in kynde, by shewynge that saynt Paule was 8 not egall to saynt Peter in dygnyte or auctoryte / for in the seconde chapytre to the Salatyās is red this texte folowynge. Agayne after. iii. yeres I cam to Ie­rusalem, to se Peter / and I taryed with hym. xv. dayes / & a lytell afterwardes it foloweth. And furthermore after. xiiii. yeres, I wente vp to Iherusalem agayn with Barnabas and Titus / taken with me / and I conferred or compared with them the gospell, whiche I do preache amonge the gentylles / and specyally with them, whiche seamed to be greatly estemed and of auctoryte / lest peraduenture I shulde rōne or els had rōne in vayne / where the glose saythe. Paule shewed here, that he was not out of feare or doubte of his gospell: excepte it had ben cōfyrmed and strengthed by the auctoryte of Peter, and of the other apostles. For asmoche than as Paule hathe taken securyte of his gospell, of Peter, after the mynde of the glose: it appereth that he was not egall to Peter in auctoryte / wherfore it se­meth to folowe of necessyte, aswell of this reason as of other afore rehersed: that all the other bysshops of the worlde, are subiectes to the bysshop of Rome, as be­ynge the syngulare or specyal successour of saynt Peter, by y ^e ordynacion of god / and that the churche of Rome is the heed and pryncypall of all other churches: because the bysshop of it beynge the successour of saynt Peter, is iudge, pastor, and herdysman of all other men / whiche thynge I sodore more largelye expressynge in his boke afore rehersed, in the chapytre whose tytle is Incipit prefacio Niceni cōcilii: he saythe in this wyse. It is verelye to be knowen / of all catholyke people that the holy churche of Rome hathe ben preferred & made superyour to all other, not by any synodall decrees: but he hath obtayned prymacie or superyoryte by the wordes of our lorde and sauyoure in the gospell, where he sayd to saynt Peter the apostle. Thou arte Peter / & vpon this stone I shall edyfye and buylde my chur­che / and to the I wyll gyue the keyes of the kyngdome of heuens. &c. whiche pry­macye or superyoryte, all the bysshops of Rome haue vsed hytherto without any graūt of the prynces or emperours: from the tyme of saynt Peter, vnto the tymes of Constantyne the fyrst emperour of Rome / bothe makynge Canons or rules & Decrees: and cōmaundynge them to be obserued throughout all churches / as euydently dothe appere by the processe of the sayde boke. ¶ Agayne I confyrme or 9 strengthe this by reason / for faythe is but one, accordynge to the mynde of the a­postle in the. iiii. chapytre to the Ephesians / wherfore it foloweth that the churche also is but one / but it is none otherwyse one, but because it hathe but one heed pryncypall / whiche can be, none more conuenyent, neyther so conuenyent, as the bysshop of Rome the synguler successour of saynt Peter, whiche was the stone, wherupon chryste sayde, that he wolde buylde his churche. ¶ Agayne this same 10 may be confyrmed by this reason / for because lykewyse as temporall thyngꝭ are reduced to one heed or pryncipall, that is to wyt to y ^e prynce, kynge, or emperour: so also it semeth that the spyrytuall thynges oughte to be reduced vnto some one heed or pryncipal, that is to wyt to the bisshop or pope of Rome. ¶ Agayn it may 11 be confyrmed by an other reason / for lykewyse as in one churche or diocese, it is necessarye, and expedyēt, that there be but one bysshop / lest yf euery preeste with in the same churche or diocese dyd drawe and plucke the churche vnto hym selfe, it myght breake the vnytie of chrystꝭ churche, as we haue here tofore alledged in the [Page] xv. of this dyccyon of the epystle of saynt Iherome to Euandre: so it is more ex­pedyent and necessarye, that in the vnyuersall churche of chryst there be but onely one heed, for the cōseruacion of the vnyte of chrysten men / for by howe moch suche maner good thynge is more cōmune, & the mo y ^t are parttakers of it: by somoch it is y ^e more godly & the more worthye to be desyred or chosen / wherfore it is red in y ^• xv. chapytre of Iohn̄. ¶ And there shall be made one folde of shepe, & one herdys­man. 12 Nowe verelye it semeth, that suche herdysman or suche maner heed is the pope of Rome most conuenyently of al other: for the causes here tofore assygned. ¶ And of the aforesayd thynges it foloweth of necessyte, as it semeth: that onely 13 the bysshop of Rome is the pryncypall effectyue cause of the secondarye instytu­cyon of all other bysshops, bothe medyatly and īmedyatly, because of his vnyuersall auctoryte, that he hathe vpon all other bysshoppes and preestes and all other mynystres of the churches or temples. To whiche sentence, the auctorite of saynt Ambrose dothe agree in his epystle De tradendis basilicis, where he saythe thus / Ambrose. it is the churche of god, or the churche is goddes owne / it oughte not therfore to be ascrybed to Cesar. The tēple of god can not be the ryght of the emperour / wher­fore it foloweth also consequently, that the instytucyon of preestes in the same tē ­ple dothe not appertayne to his ryght, whiche sayde instytucyon we haue called here to fore in the. xv. of this dyccyon the secondarye auctoryte of them. And yf it be so, that the gyfte of the churches maye not appertayne to Cesar: moche lesse than may the sayd gyfte belonge to any other seculer prynce or gouernour. This auctoryte therfore shall belonge onely to hym whiche is the heed & cheyfe or pryn­cypal of all other preestes, the bysshop of Rome, by the auctoryte of god: yf it may not be the ryght of any prynce or seculer gouernour / hereof also it semeth necessa­rylye to folowe, that to hym also belongeth the auctoryte of dystrybutynge or gyuynge the benefyces or the temporalles of the churche / for these maner thyngꝭ are gyuen for the exercysynge of theyr offyces. ¶ Of the aforesayd thynges also it semeth 14 that it may be inferred and concluded y ^t the same pryncypall bysshop hathe coactyue iurysdyccyon vpon all other bysshops of the worlde, and all other my­nystres of the temples or churches / for they are subiectes vnto hym by the ordynacyon of god: as it is euydent of the reason afore made / whiche thynge also maye be confyrmed and fortyfyed by the aforesayde both boke and chapytre of I sodore for amonge other thynges there, he wryteth so as here foloweth. ¶ But in that 15 counsayle the prynce or emperoure dyd a meruaylouse dede, whiche I do suppose is not to be passed ouer with scylence / for when the bysshops were come togyther almost from all places, and (as it is wonte to be) had broughte certayne braules or cōtencyons of dyuerse causes amonge them selues he was often tymes called on / and lybelles was offerde, and crymes were offerde of eche one of them / and they gaue theyr myndes more vnto these thynges, than to that thynge for whiche they were come / but he seynge and perceyuynge, that throughe suche braules and cōtencions, the cause of the hyghest and greattest busynes was hyndred, backed, or frustrated / he set & apoynted a certayne daye, whan euery one of the bysshops shulde brynge in his complaynte, yf he had any suche mater of complaynte. And whan he was set: he receyued of eche one theyr lybelles / whiche all togyther hol­dynge in his bosome, and not openynge them to se what was contayned within them / he sayd to the bysshops. God hathe ordayned and made you preestes / and hathe gyuen to you powre to iudge of vs also / and therfore it is welldone and ryght, y ^t we be iudged of you / but you may not be iudged of men: wherfore abyde you or tary you for the iudgement onely of god, betwene you / and youre braules or contencions what soeuer they be: let them be reserued to that iudgemēt of god / [Page 117] For you are goddes, gyuen vnto vs of god: it is not cōuenyent, that any man do iudge goddes / wherfore, to conclude: the auctoryte of iurysdyccion vpon them ap­pertayneth to hym, which is the god of suche goddes in erthe, as he is called, that is to wyt the bysshop of Rome. ¶ And of the same thyngꝭ also it semeth, that the same bysshop hath auctoryte to call togyther & to cōmaunde generall councelles 16 of preestes, & in the same coūcelles to propoūde or put forthe, & to determyne such thyngꝭ, whiche he shall thynke in his mynde worthy to be put forthe, & to be determyned aboute the lawe of god, & the ecclesiasticall custome and ceremonyes. Concernynge the auctorite of gatherynge a generall coūcell. I sodore in the preface of his sayd worke sayth thus. But the auctorite of gatherynge synodes, hath ben cō mytted by pryuate or peculyar powre & auctoryte to the apostolyke see. Neyther do we rede any synode to haue ben of effecte or strengthe: which hathe not ben cō ­gregated & strengthed by the auctoryte of the sayd see. These thyngꝭ the canony­call auctoryte wytnesseth or recordeth. These thyngꝭ the ecclesiastical hystorie fortyfyeth & confyrmeth. These thyngꝭ the holy fathers also confyrme / and as tou­chynge to the powre or auctoryte of defynynge or determynynge the sence or me­nynge of the scrypture: the same I sodore speakynge in the same boke & chapytre, saythe in this wyse. Furthermore we haue set forth to syght in this volume y ^e Decrees of dyuers coūcelles, both greake councelles & latyne, which haue ben made outher afore or after, in dystyncte & sondry chapytres, vnder the ordre of nombres & tymes / puttynge after also y ^e other Decrees of the popes of Rome vntyll saynt Bregorie, & certayne epystles of hym, in which the auctorite of the apostolyke see is egall to the auctoryte of the councelles. It foloweth than that the pope by the auctoryte of his owne selfe alone: may determyne that thynge, whiche the aucto­ryte of the generall councell may determyne / for asmoche as his auctoryte is not vnegall to the auctoryte of the general coūcelles, after I sodores sayenge. ¶ The 17 same also semeth to haue ben y ^e mynde & opynyon of saynt Iherome, in his epystle intytled of the exposycion of the catholyke fayth / where he sayth thus. This is the faythe. O most blessyd pope, whiche we haue learned in the catholyke churche / which we haue alwayes holden or kepte / in whiche yf haply any thynge hath ben put eyther not learnedly, or to openlye: we desyre that it may be amendyd by you, whiche do kepe the faythe and seate of Peter / but yf this our confessyon be approued and alowed by the iudgement of your apostleshyp: who soeuer shall be wyllynge to spotte or defyle my name, he shall proue hym selfe to be vnlarned or euyll wylled, or also no catholyke persone, and not me to be an heretyke. ¶ And 18 as touchynge to the powre and auctoryte of ordaynynge or decreynge those thynges, whiche appertayne to the ecclesiasticall customes or ceremonyes and to eter­nal helthe: it appereth by the oracle or saynge of chryst in the. x. chapytre of Luke / for there he saythe to the apostles, and to all bysshops or preestes in the person of the apostles / who soeuer despyseth you, despyseth me / & who soeuer despyseth me, despiseth hym that hath sent me. It foloweth therfore, that the statutes of preestꝭ are to be obserued & obayed of the necessyte of saluacyon. Therfore of these pow­ers assygned to the bysshop of Rome, and other more large, saynt Bernarde ma­kynge a colleccyon to Eugenius pope in his seconde boke De consideracio sayth in this wyse. Nowe are the rest to be repeted, yf at y ^e leste any there be, of the place whiche we haue declared or dysputed of / go to, let vs serche yet dylygentlye, who thou arte / that is to wyt, what persone thou doste beare for the tyme in the church of god / who art thou? ¶ A great preest / hyghest bysshop / Thou art heed or pryncipall 19 of bysshops. Thou art heyre of the apostles / thou arte in prymacie A bell / in gouernaunce Noye / in patriarcheshyp Abraham / in ordre Melchysedeche / in dygnyte [Page] Aron / in auctoryte Moyses / in iudgemente Samuell / in power Peter / in a noyntyng chryst. And it foloweth by & by aft (er) in the same chapytre. And thou a­lone, art pastor or herdysman, not onely of the shepe: but also of all pastors or her­dysmen. Askest thou wherby I do proue this? by the wordes and sayng of chyrst. For to whom (I do not saye of bysshops, but of the apostelles also?) hath all the shepe ben cōmytted so absolutly & generally without excepcion, as to Peter? whē he sayd Peter yf thou loue me fede my shepe / & a lytel after he sayth. To whom is it not playne & euydēt, y ^t he dyd not appoynte or make out any certayne or ꝑtycu­ler flock? there is nothīge exceptyd or out taken: where no dystynccion or differēce is made. And afterwarde agayn in the same boke he sayth. ¶ Hereof it is, y ^t the other 20 apostels haue taken to theyr porcyon, eche on of them one nacion or peopled knowynge the mystery of chrystꝭ wordꝭ. Fynally Iames which semyd to be one pyller of y ^e churche: was cōtented with Ierusalem alone leauyng vnto Peter the vnyuersyte or generall cure of the whole flocke. And afterwardes cōcludynge, he sayth thus in the syxte. ¶ Accordynge to y ^e Canōs, other bysshops ar called in to 21 parte of cure / but thou art called in to fulnes of powre the powre & auctoryte of other bysshops is cōtayned within certayne lymytes: thy powre is extended also vnto them, which haue receyued powre & auctorite vpon other. Mayste not thou, yf a cause shall ryse: shytte heuen to a bysshop? mayst not thou depose hym from his bysshopryche, & also gyue hym to Satan, by excōmunycatynge or cursynge hym. Thy pryuylege therfore stādeth sure & stable vnto the, & vnbroken aswel in the keyes gyuen vnto y ^e: as in y ^e shepe cōmytted or betaken vnto the. ¶ And Bernarde 22 dyd not saye here that the bysshop of Rome had onely auctoryte vpon ecclesiasticall mynystres, as bysshops, preestes, & the other inferior ordres: but also the same Bernarde semeth to ascrybe vnto the same bysshop, coactyue iurysdyccion vpon all pryncꝭ & gouernours / whiche iurysdyccion y ^e same Bernarde calleth vnder a metaphore, the tēporall swerde / wherfore he sayth to the same Eugenius, in the. v. boke & syxte chapytre, in this wyse / why shuldest thou go aboute to vsurpe the sworde: whiche thou wast ones cōmaunded to put vp agayne in to the shethe, which swerde for al y ^t who soeuer denyeth to be thyne: as me thynketh he doth not suffycyētly regarde or marke the wordes of our lorde, whan he sayde. Turne thy swerde in to the skabarde. So than the swerde is thyne / & peraduēture it is to be drawen out of the sheth, at thy wyll & cōmaūdemēt: albeit not with thyne owne hande / for els yf the swerde dyd no maner waye belōge vnto y ^e: chryste wolde not haue made answere to y ^e apostles, whan they sayd, lo here. ii. swerdes, vnder this maner as he dyd, sayenge it is ynoughe, but he wolde haue sayde it is to moche / it foloweth therfore, y ^t bothe swerdes belonge to the churche / that is to wyt both the spyrytuall & the materiall swerde / but this materyall swerde is to be drawen out for the churche, & the other spirituall swerde is to be drawen out also of y ^e churche / the one is to be drawen out with the preestꝭ hande: the other with the hande of the souldyer or man of warre, but at the wyll of the preeste, & cōmaundemēt of y ^e em­peroure. There be other very many auctorytes of sayntes, wherby the aforesayd thyngꝭ myght be cōfyrmed, but I haue ouer hypped them here, fyrst because that they are of the same or very lyke vertue & strength with the auctorites afore alledged / & agayne because the maner of makynge answere both to them & these, is al one or very lyke. And last of all because of shortnes to be had in this our ꝓcesse. Moreouer these same thyngꝭ as it appereth may be cōfyrmed & strengthed by cer­tayne Decrees & decretalles of the bysshops of Rome / for in thē it is ꝓuyded & or­dayned, that all the ecclesiasticall offyces, & the benefyces instytuted & ordayned for the same offyces, ought to be gyuen by the bysshop of Rome & other bysshops [Page 118] & in no wyse by hym that is prynce or gouernour by the auctoryte / it is ordayned also by y ^e same Decretalles & decrees: that preestꝭ & clerkes ought not to come vnder Playne trayson & heresy ī the decretallꝭ. the coactyue iudgement of the sayd prynce & gouernour, but rather y ^t the prynces ought to be vnder theyr coactyue iudgemēt & by y ^e same Decrees & decretalles also it is cōfyrmed, y ^t all the powres do belonge vnto the bysshop of Rome: which saynt Bernarde ascrybeth vnto the sayd bysshop, in his wordes afore rehersed.

¶ Of y ^t answers to be made vnto y ^e aforesayd obiecciōs or reasōs.
The, xxviij, chapytre,

THe resyde we of the secōde parte of this boke, is to expounde cōueny­ently & accordyngly the auctorytes of the scrypture, & to dissolue the humayne reasons & obiecciōs, which haue ben brought in, in the. iii. chapytre, & also in the chapytre īmedyatly afore gone, of this dyccy­on / whiche appere & seme to proue the contrarie, of our determynacyons / but fyrste it shall be very expedyēt & welldone, to call to remēbraunce that, whiche we haue sayd in the. xiv. chapytre of this dyccion, accordynge to y ^e mynde What scryptures we are boūde to bele­ue & to gyue credence vnto of saynt Augustyne, & an infallyble reason groūded vpon y ^e scrypture / that is to wyt, that we are not bounde of necessyte of soule helthe, to beleue suerly, & to confesse any scrypture to be vndoubtedly true, saue onely those scryptures which are called holy scryptures, that is to wyt those whiche are cōtayned in the body & vo­lume of the Byble / & those also which necessarye foloweth of the sayd canonycall scryptures / wherfore we shall folowe vtterly the manyfest lytterall sence of suche Howe moche the exposycy­ons of olde auncient doc­tours do bide & when they are to be ad­mytted, and when with reuerence to be refused. auctorytes of the holy scrypture, whiche nedeth not any mystycall exposycion / & in such as nedeth mystycall exposycion, I shal leaue & cleaue vnto y ^• more proue able sentence & mynde of sayntꝭ. And as touchynge to the sentences, whiche they haue spoken forth of theyr owne propre auctoryte, besyde y ^• scrypture: such as are consonant & agreable to the scrypture or holy Canon, I wyll receyue & alowe / but suche as are dysagreynge vnto the sayd scrypture, I shall reuerently denye & refuse / but yet none otherwyse than by the auctoryte of scrypture, wherunto I wyll alwayes leaue & cleue faste / for the holy exposytours & sayntꝭ otherwhyles do not agre togyther, but are of contrary opynyons & sentence / bothe aboute the scrypture, & also in other thyngꝭ besyde the scrypture / as Iherome & Augustyne dysagre aboute the texte in the secōde chapytre to the Galatians / the wordes ben Iherome & Augustyne. dysagre. these. And whan Peter was come to Antyoche, I resysted hym opēly to his face because he was reproueable / & agayne Ambrose & Iherome dysagre aboute the vyrgynyte of Iosephe / yea moreouer otherwhyles one of the sayntes speaketh at Ambrose & Iherome dys­agre. one tyme contrarye to that whiche hym selfe spake at an other tyme / as it shall manyfestly appere & be open of those thynges which hereafter foloweth. ¶ Now therfore to make answere fyrst vnto y ^• obiecciōs made in the laste chapytre afore Answere made to the fyrst obieccyon, in the chapytre last paste. gone / where it is reasoned, y ^t bysshops are of greatter essencial or inseperable dygnyte, then symple preestes (as they are called) by the. x. chapytre of Luke, where it is sayd / that the lorde marked forthe or assygned also other. lxxii. &c. by whom af­ter the exposycion of Bede is fygured the ordre of preestꝭ, whiche he calleth the se­conde ordre, that is to wyt the nexte after the ordre of bysshops, it is to be sayde, that accordynge to the mynde of the apostle, and to those thynges whiche haue ben broughte in and alledged of the auctoryte of sayntes in the. xv. chapytre of this dyccyon, by these. lxxii. is fygured more conuenyently the ordre of deacons, than of preestes / or els it may be sayd cōuenyently, that it foloweth not hereof of [Page] this, that a bysshop hath a greatter essenciall ordre than hathe a preeste. But that sendynge, wherby chryste sent them in to the worlde to preache, dyd sygnyfye ra­ther the humayne eleccion or instytucion, by the whiche in dede one of them shulde be preferred vnto an other in the ecclesiasticall I conomye or admynystracion / for chryste dyd not than gyue vnto them any essencyall dygnyte, when he sayd. Go you therfore & teache all nacyons: but he had gyuen the essencyall dygnyte vnto them afore that tyme / and the case put, that at one or lyke tyme he had gyuen to them both dygnytes or auctorytes: yet I do saye, that the sendynge of them to preche, dyd not adde vnto them any intrynsecall perfeccyon, whiche they had not be­fore, when they receyued preesthode by the holy ghost / and this secōdarie instytu­cion of the apostles, aboue other that shulde be made preestꝭ, was done by chryst, for bycause that at y ^t tyme there was no multytude of chrysten people, by whom suche maner eleccyon myght be celebrated / and thoughe there had ben: yet coulde it not haue yet ben done so cōuenyently by any multitude, as by chryst hym selfe. For whiche cause the apostles also, after the passyon & resurreccyon of chryste, re­duced & brought them selues to eleccion in deuydynge the prouynces amōge them selues / for it is red in the seconde chapytre to the Galatians thus, Iames, Peter & Iohn̄, gaue the ryght handes of socyetie & felowshyp vnto me / & Barnabas, y ^t we shuld go & preache amonge the gentyles, & they vnto the Iewes / and therfore the case put, that this chosynge of the. lxxii. had ben a fygure such as Bede sayth of the state of preestes: yet I do saye, that a bysshop hath not any greatter intrynsecall dygnyte, or perfeccyon, or characte gyuen īmediatly by god, than hathe a preeste beynge no bysshop / and the cause hereof hathe ben suffycyently assygned in the. xv. of this dyccion. ¶ And to the secōde obieccyon taken of the. v. chapytre An answere to the seconde obieccyon. of the fyrste epystle to Timothe, agaynst a preeste. &c. I do say, y ^t Timothe receyued of the apostle no secōdarie instytucion essenciall, ouer the other preestꝭ of that prouynce / the instytucyon & wyll of the whiche sayde apostle, was equiualent & of egal strength to an eleccyon / because of the lacke & insuffyciēcie or rudyte and ignoraunce of the multytude of chrysten men / wherfore the apostle in the. iii. cha­pytre of the fyrst epystle to the Corynthians, sayth in this wyse. And brethren I myght not speake to you, as to spirituall ꝑsons: but as to carnall / as vnto babes in chryste: I haue gyuen you mylke to drynke, and not meate / for you were not as yet of strength, no more you are of strength nowe / for you are yet carnall per­sons / & this texte we haue opened & declared more largely in the. xvii. chapytre of this dyccion & the. vii. parte. ¶ And as for the auctoryte whiche is alledged of the To the tfyrd obieccyon. The epystle of Clement. Suspecte Canons. epystle of Clemēt, whiche is intytled to Iames the cosen of our lorde: I do not receyue it as vndoubted / for it is very greatly suspected, that it shuld not be y ^e epystle of Clement, for cause of many thynges that ar contayned in the same epystle. Agayne these canons or epystles are suspected / for in that epystle whiche is inty­teled of the sacramentes, of the apparell or vesture, and of the vesselles vnto Ia­mes the cosen of our lorde, and also in that whiche is intytled of the cōmune lyfe of the apostles, it is wryten as yf Clement dyd tell vnto Iames those thynges, which chryste dyd or wrought with his apostles. But this shuld haue ben a great ignoraunce, because I wyll not saye a great presumpcyon, of Clement: that he wolde go aboute to gyue knowledge of these thyngꝭ, which he had onely harde, & as it were to teache them vnto hym which had ben present at y ^e doynge of them, & had hym selfe sene chryste and his apostles, of whome hym selfe also was one / for who coulde better instructe the dyscyples which were in Ierusalem, of the lyfe of chryste, & of his apostles: or whether ought to knowe more of the ecclesiastical custome or vsage, y ^e apostle thynke ye, or he that was but the successour of an apostle: [Page 119] there is no man I trowe that doubteth / wherfore the epystles are to be accōpted amonge the apocryse scryptures / but thoughe we dyd graunt that the sayde e­pystles were the epystles of Clement (so as some men do affyrme) trustynge and groundynge them selues vpon fables & lyenge tales, yea in somoch that they do saye, Clemēt because he was bysshop of Rome, to haue ben of greatter auctoryte Clement bys­shop of Rome in the churche of god, than Iames the apostle / of whome this questyon conueny­ently may & is to be asked, why the epystles of Clement ar not put in the body of the holy Canon or byble, as well as y ^• epystle of saynt Iames is put there? yet for all y ^t I wyll make answere vnto these thynges, whiche in the sayd epystles shall seme to beconsonaunt & agreable to the sentence and mynde of chryste & of the a­postles whan we shall treate of the auctorytes of scrypture, wherupon they seme to be grounded. ¶ But vnto that obieccyon, whiche sayth, that this hathe ben the 4 sentence or opynyon & mynde of all the bysshops whiche hath succeded saynt Pe­ter in the episcopal see of Rome. Answere is to be made, as we haue answered to the fyrste obieccion / that theyr meanynge was so as we declared there / or yf they vnderstode or meaned otherwyse than so, we do leaue or forsake them, and do fo­lowe the apostle & Iherome in the. xv. and. xvi. chapytre of this dyccion. ¶ But 5 vnto those auctorytes of the Canon or holy scrypture, wherin it semeth to be she­wed & proued, that saynt Peter was superyour to the other apostles in dygnyte, not onely by mans lawe, but also by y ^t īmediate ordynacion of chryst. And fyrst where it was alledged of y ^e. xvi. of Mathewe. Thou art Peter & vpon this stone I shall buylde & edyfye my churche / & to the I shal gyue y ^e keyes of the kyngdom of heuens. &c. by which wordes chryste shulde seme to haue made & instytuted Pe­ter the heed & fundamēt of the churche, at the left wyse in his owne absence: I do saye that there hath ben, & also is but onely one heed, & foūdacion or groūdwarke of the churche, by the īmediate ordynacion of god, & that is chryst / as we haue proued vndoubtedly by the scrypture. Therfore vnto that auctoryte or texte / vpon this stone I wyll edyfye my churche: I do saye accordyngly to the glose, y ^e vpon Chryst is the stone. this stone, betokeneth vpon chryste, on whome thou beleuest / where the glose be­twene y ^e lynes, therfore called y ^e glose interlinear: addeth the wordes folowynge. Thou art Peter, y ^t is to saye of me whiche am the stone / but yet so that I do re­serue & retayne vnto my selfe the dygnyte of the foūdamēt or groūdwarke. And chryste called hym Peter, that is to saye cōstant in the faythe / whiche thynge we The interpretacion of Peter. do not denye / for thoughe we do graunt that he was more constant & more ꝑfyte in meryte than the other apostles: it foloweth not therfore y ^t he was afore them in dygnyte / excepte onely peraduēture in tyme / as we haue euydētly proued by the scrypture in the chapytres afore alledged. And this sence whiche we haue sayd to be y ^e sence of the scrypture, the exposycion of saynt Augustyne helpeth vpon the same place. For Augustyne sayth, & it is taken of his boke of retracciōs / I haue sayd in a certayne place of the apostle Peter, that vpon hym as vpon y ^e stone the churche is edyfyed or buylded / but I knowe that I haue afterwardes very often tymes so expounded that sayenge of our lorde / thou arte Peter & vpon this stone I wyll edefye or buylde my churche: that it shulde be vnderstanded to be buyīded vpon hym, whome Peter confessyd, saynge / Thou art chryste the sone of the ly­uynge god / as yf Peter called or hauynge his name of this stone, shulde fygure y ^e person of y ^e churche, which is buylded vpon this stone / for it was not sayd to hym Tues Petra. i. thou art the stone, but Tues Petrus. i. Thou art Peter / but the stone was chryste / whome Symon cōfessynge lykewyse as the whole churche cō fesseth hym, was called Peter. And y ^e reason or cause hereof may be assygned ac­cordyng to y ^t scrypture. For Peter as loge as he was a pylgryme in this worlde [Page] myght erre and synne by the lybertie of his fre wyll / wherfore he is red to haue denyed chryste / and otherwhyles not to haue walked aryghte accordynge to the ve­ryte of the gospell / but suche one coulde not be the foundament or grounde stone of the churche / but chryste onely was this stone (as it appereth in the thyrde cha­pytre of the fyrst epystle to the Corynthyās) whiche coulde not erre or do amysse / for from the fyrste instante of his concepcion, he was so confyrmed and establys­shed in grace: that he coulde in no wyse synne / wherfore saynt Paule in the place afore alledged saythe. No man may put any other foundacyon, than that whiche hathe ben put or set: whiche is chryste Ihesus. And as cōcernynge this addycion. To the I shall gyue the keyes of the kyngdome of heuens this addycion I say, gyueth none auctorite to Peter vpon or aboue y ^e other apostles / for this self same iudiciarie powre he gaue also to the other apostles, after the mynde of saynt Ihe­rome, and of Rabane / whose exposyciōs or gloses we haue brought in here tofore in the syxte chapytre of this dyccyon, & the thyrde parte. Moreouer because chryste semeth not by these wordes to haue gyuen to hym the powre of the keyes / for he Chryste sayd I shall gyue the keyes & not I do gyue. saythe I shall or wyll gyue to the / whiche soundeth it for to come. He sayd not I do gyue / but in the. xx. of Iohn̄ he sayd indyfferently to all the apostles. Receyue you the holy ghost / and whose synnes you shall forgyue: they are forgyuen. &c. But this admytted that Peter by these wordes had receyued this auctoryte: yet it is not concluded nor foloweth hereof, but onely that he was instytuted pastor or herdysman afore other in tyme. And in that that chryst vouchedsafe to gyue these keyes syngulerly to hym, albeit it were so in dede, yet he wolde nomore therby, but sygnyfye and betoken the vnyte of the churche in faythe, vnto whiche vnyte chryste hath called or prouoked chrysten men, by the synguler tradycion or promyse of the keyes, as the glose sayth. Or elles peraduenture, because Peter dyd fyrst of all other confesse boldly, openly, & playnly, that chryste is the sone of god: ther­fore he in tyme is fyrste endowed & is honoured with the keyes gyuen to hym, or is promysed to be honoured / y ^t by such rewarde promysed: an exāple shuld be gy­uen to the other also, so to confesse chryste openly & boldlye / but yet for all this it is not therfore proued, that he was superyour and afore other in dygnyte or auctoryte. Albeit y ^t some of the exposytours seme to saye this of theyr owne selfe, not That Peter was not superyour. hauynge this of the scrypture / and that I do say the trouth: the texte of the gospel here folowynge dothe infallybly sygnyfye and declare, whiche is had in the. xx. of Mathe we, where chryste openly determynynge this questyon, sayde that none of them was superyour one an other, for there was a contencyon rysen or made amonge them, whiche of them shuld be greattest. And the same is had in the. xxii. of Mathewe. For chryste sayde vnto them. But be not you in wyll to be called mayster / amonge your selfe one to an other / for you haue but one mayster and all you are brethren / that is to saye all you are equall. It foloweth therfore that he excepted not one / in as moche as he sayde all you are brethren or felowes / An exposy­tour is not to be credeted be fore a playne texte. and it is a meruaylouse thynge yf we ought rather to gyue credēce to y ^e auctory­te of the exposytoure or glose maker: than of chryste hym selfe, who soeuer that exposytoure is / yea thoughe he be a saynt / and specyally seynge that he speaketh this not as an exposytoure or glose maker, but of his owne propre mynde. For the texte of y ^e scrypture is so open & playne, that it nedeth no glose in this thynge. Moreouer because the gloses selues saye the contrarye, expoundynge the seconde chapytre to the Galatians / as it hathe ben declared in the. xvi. of this dyccyon. And we haue treated this mater suffycyentlye and seryouslye in the. iiii. and. xv. of this dyccyon / neyther we wyll Iterate or reherse agayne all the probacyons, because the thynge is euydently knowen / and for cause of spede and shortnes to [Page 102] be had. ¶ But to the other auctoryte taken of Luke in the. xxii. chapytre, where 6 Chryste sayde to saynt Peter / but I haue prayed for the, Peter: that thy faythe shal not fayle. And whan thou arte ones conuerted, confyrme thou thy brethren. Of whiche texte some men do inferre and conclude two thynges / the one is that the faythe of the churche of Rome onely can not fayle / because that chryste by the faythe of Peter, vnderstande also the faythe of the successours of Peter / and con­sequentlye, that the bysshoppe successoure vnto hym is the cheyfe and pryncypall of all other. The seconde is, that by these wordes Chryste made hym prelate of the other apostles / but I do saye, that neyther of these two thynges do folowe of the wordes of Chryste, by the vertue and strengthe of the wordes. For in this consequence or argument, the contrary rather of that that is inferred and concluded, standeth with the antecedent or with that wherof it is inferred. Secondarylye I do proue by the scrypture that neyther of them dothe folowe / and that by the wordes of chryste hym selfe and none other. The fyrst of the two, that is to saye, that the faythe of the churche of Rome onely can not fayle, I proue to be false, in that that chryste sayde to them all in the laste chapytre of Mathewe. Go you therfore and teache all nacyons. &c. And loo I am with you at all tymes euen vnto the endynge of the worlde. Yf chryste than dyd promyse hym selfe to be with the other apostles, at all tymes, euen vnto the worlde shall be at an ende, it foloweth than that he vnderstode also of y ^• successours of the other apostles, yf y ^e other aucthory [...]ie brought for them, ought to be vnderstāded of the successours of Peter. Agayn yf the bysshoppe of Rome be called syngularelye or specyallye the successoure of Peter, it is vndoubted and euydently knowen, that a certayne heretyke, or cer­tayne heretykes haue ben made bysshoppes in that see / as it hathe ben shewed of Liberius and of certayne other popes & it hath ben proued in the. xvi. of this dyc­cyon: that the bysshop of Rome is not syngularlye or seuerallye the successour of Liberiꝰ pope. saynt Peter / for the causes assygned accordynge to the scryptures in the same chapytre. And the seconde consequence or argument lykewyse is of no strength that is, that the bysshop successour vnto Peter is the cheyfe and pryncypall of al other which thynge I proue also by the scrypture. For Paule gaue somwhat vnto Peter, and dyd profyte and helpe hym in the gospell, and not contrarye wyse Peter vnto Paule / as we haue alleaged heretofore suffyciently of the seconde chapytre to the Galatiās in the. xvi. chapytre of this parte. And (which is a more euydent thynge) The wordes of chryste afore alledged of the. xx. of Mathewe, and of the. xxii. of Luke: destroyeth this consequence, by whiche wordes playnly & openly chryste defyned & hathe determyned the contrary / wherfore the glose expoūdynge this place sayth thus. As I haue defended the by my prayer, y ^t thou shuldest not fayle: so do thou cōforte the weake brethren, by the example of the penaunce or re­pentaūce, that they do not dyspayre of forgyuenes / vnderstādynge & meanynge by brethren indyfferently all chrysten men / whiche wordes also he speakynge to Peter: gaue knowledge to the other apostles, that they shulde do the same / wher­fore in the. xiii. of Marke he sayd. That I saye to one, or els after the other letter, but cōmynge all to one sence. That I do saye to you, I do saye to all. Or perad­uēture he spake these wordes, specially to Peter (& this semeth also to be y ^• mynde of the glose) because chryste knewe before, that Peter shulde denye hym, wherfore thou beynge ones conuerted & repentaunt, cōformeth and strength thy brethren, by the example of thy repentaunce, because he wolde that he whiche had optay­ned forgyuenes, shulde by his wordes, & example of hym selfe, cōforte or cōfyrme syngulerly those y ^t were weake in the faythe, that they shulde not dyspayre of for gyuenes. ¶ And to the other auctoryte of y ^e scrypture taken of y ^e. xxi. of Iohn̄, by 7 [Page] whiche certayne men go aboute to proue and conclude the same, because that chryste sayde to saynt Peter, fede my shepe / fede my lambes: it is to be sayd fyrst, that after the mynde of y ^• glose this is the sence and meanynge of this texte, that to fede the shepe: is to comforte them that beleueth, that they do not despayre, and To fede shepe what it beto­keneth. to prouyde earthly subsydyes, succour, or releaue, yf nede be: to theyr subiectes / to gyue them examples of vertues / to withstande the aduersaryes of the faythe / to correcte or amende them that synne or do amysse / and it foloweth in the glose. And whan he hereth the thyrde tyme, that Peter dothe loue hym: than he byddeth Marke this. hym fede his shepe. This knowledgynge of his loue towarde chryste thre tymes: is sette agaynst his thryes denyenge of chryste / that his tonge shulde no lesse do seruyce to loue: than it had afore done seruyce to feare. But yet it is not hereof prouyd or concluded, but onely that chryst dyd instytue hym apostle or feder of shepe and it foloweth not for all that hereof, that he made hym superyour or afore the other apostles in auctoryte or dygnyte / neyther agayne it foloweth hereof, that the other apostles haue not ben instytuted pastores and herdysmen. For the con­trarye of bothe these conclusyons: standeth with the auncedent / that is to wytte with the wordes or saynge of chryste afore recyted / & that these aforesayde thyngꝭ are trewe: it may be prouyd by this, that the catholyke churche syngeth one pre­face The preface of the Masse vpon y ^e feaste of any of the apostles, is allone. indyfferently of all the apostles, whiche is this folowynge. Verelye it is ac­cordynge, and ryght, reasonable, and holsome, humblye to beseche the at all ty­mes, that thou whiche art the eternall pastor do not forsake thy flocke: but that thou do kepe them with contynuall proteccyon by thy blessyd apostles, that it may be gouerned by y ^e same gouernours & rulers: whome thou hast gyuen to the same churche as pastores or herdysmen, vycars & debytꝭ of thy worke or offyce. Lo here y ^t the churche calleth y ^e apostles in y ^e plurell nōbre gouernours, vycars, & herdysmen by y ^e īmedyate collacyon or gyfte of chryst / & she doth not cal any one of them alone, a gouernoure / vycare, or herdysman constytuted by chryste / and to hym that wyll aske, why chryste spake these wordes syngulerlye to Peter: it is to be answered / that chryste somtyme dyrected his speache to a man in his owne proper persone / as in the forgyuenes of synnes / in the healynge of sycke men / and in the reysynge of deed men to lyfe / and otherwhyles he dyd dyrecte his speache to one in the person of all, or of many as in the. v. chapytre of Iohn̄, whan he sayd, Chryst dyrec­teth his spech somtyme to one in the persone of all. go and synne no more lest it chaunce or happen worse vnto the / wherfore chryste in cōmyttynge or betakynge that offyce to Peter: he spake vnto hym in the per­sone of all the apostles / as he hym selfe wytnesseth or recordeth this maner of spe­akynge of his owne, in the. xiii. of Marke, whan he sayd, that whiche I do saye to one, or to you: I do say to all / but yet he dyrected his speche specyally vnto Pe­ter: because he was more auncyent or aged, or because he was more feruent in charyte / or elles because he wolde sygnyfye and gyue knowledge to the churche that was to come after, what maner herdysmen ought to be īstytuted / that is to wyt, men rype in age / by whiche is betokened wysdome or knowledge, and also men Marke this my maystres of the churche for your dys­charge. feruent and full of charyte / by whiche is sygnyfyed cure and dylygence, whiche herdysmen or curates oughte to haue. Or els peraduenture lest Peter myght seme more abiecte or vyle, and more out of fauour, because he had denyed chryst / which semeth to be the mynde of the glose, where it saythe / agaynst his thryes denyenge: he nowe maketh thryes confessyon or knowledgynge / that his tonge shulde not do lesse seruyce to loue, than it had done afore to feare / for this is sure and vndoubted, that it was sayde indyfferently to them all in the last chapytre of Mathewe, Go you therfore and teache all nacyons or peoples / and he sayde not to Peter go thou and sende thou other / in whiche thynge he sygnyfyed them all to be of egall [Page 121] auctoryte, as we haue also afore alledged of the. xiii. of Mathewe, whan he sayd vnto them, be not in wyll to be called mayster / vnderstande thou, one in compa­ryson of an other, or one vpon an other or other of you / for you haue all but one mayster, and all you are brethren. Or elles it is to be sayd, and very probablye, & as me thynke agreable & accordynge to the truthe, that for so moche chryste sayde vnto Peter, fede thou my shepe: that he wold cōmytte and betake specyally vnto hym, because of his constancie and boldnes, the people of Israell or of the Iewes whiche was a styfnecked and stubburne people towarde god / as it appereth in the. xxxiii. of Exodus, and the apostle alledgeth by Esaie the profyte, in the last chapytre of the actes / for chryst cam pryncypally to cōuerte and saue the sayd people / wherfore he sayd in the. xv. of Mathewe, I am not sent but vnto the shepe, which are perysshed of the house of Israell / vnderstāde thou, I am not sent pryncypally. And therfore he semeth to haue cōmytted the cure of this people specially vnto Peter, whan he sayde / fede thou my shepe. And this also semeth to be the playne and open sentence of the apostle, whan he sayd in the seconde to the Galatians whan they had sene and perceyuyd, that vnto me was cōmytted and betaken the preachynge of the gospell vnto the Gentyles, as vnto Peter was beta­ken y ^e preachynge of the gospell vnto the circūcised people of the Iewe. &c. where the glose after the mynde of saynt Augustyne, saythe / whan they had sene, that the gospell of incyrcumcision was betaken vnto me (as beynge faythfull, & pryncypally) as the gospell of cyrcumcysion was betaken to Peter. For chryst had gyuen vnto Paule, that he shulde mynystre the gospell to the Gentyles: which also Peter preched to the Iewes and Paule to y ^e gentyles. had gyuen to Peter, that he shulde mynystre the same to the Iewes / but yet for all that this dyspensacion was so dystrybuted vnto them, y ^t bothe Peter myghte preache to the Gentyles, yf a cause had requyred it so to be done: and Paule also to the Iewes. And I do not se or perceyue, that Paule or any other saynt coulde take or gather of any other place of the scrypture, that the people of the Iewes was specyally and pryncypally betaken vnto Peter: but onelye hereof: because chryste sayd vnto hym, fede my shepe, seynge that Paule doth saye in the seconde chapytre to the Galatians, that the preachynge of the gospell to the Gentyles, was betaken to hym: as the preachynge of the same to the cyrcūcysed people was betaken to Peter. For yf the preachynge of the gospell vnyuersally or generallye had ben cōmytted vnto Peter more than to Paule, or to the other apostles: than truely Paule shuld haue spoken the aforesayd wordes inconuenyently / yea more ouer all his speche had ben vayne, and the comparyson whiche he made in it / ac­cordynge to the gloses of sayntes and of other doctours. Vpon these thre poyntes of the scrypture aforesayde: we shall speake in the ende of this chapytre, leste it myght chaūce vs to iterate or reherce agayne one and the same thynge very ofte.

¶ But vnto the sayenge of the apostle in the seconde chapytre to the Galatians 8 by whiche it semed that he was inferyour or lesse than Peter in auctoryte, for as moche as he sayd, I conferred or cōpared with them the gospell, whiche I do pre­che amonge the Gentyles, lest I myght ronne or had ronne in vayne. &c. It is to be sayde fyrste, & answered accordynge to the glose of saynt Augustyne vpon this place / for he sayth. And I haue not learned of them, as beynge greatter or superiours vnto me: but I haue conferred with them, as beynge nyghe frendes & egalles. And as touchynge to that, whiche the glose bryngeth in accordynge to the mynde of saynt Iherome vpon the texte, lest I myght ronne in vayne. &c. he sheweth here (saythe the glose after Iherome) that he had not securyte, nor was out of doubte of the gospell that he preached, excepte it had ben confyrmed and strengthed or fortyfyed by the auctoryte of Peter & of the other apostles: I do say [Page] with reuerence, y ^t this glose outher shulde be contradictorye & playne agaynst it owne selfe, in that whiche is sayd afterwardes after the mynde of the same Ihe­rome, yf it be so vnderstanded, as he doth seme to intende, whiche is aduersary to this sentēce, whiche we haue sayd: or elles this glose after the mynde of Iherome must be vnderstanded, accordynge to that which foloweth in the same glose after the mynde of saynt Augustyne. For this was not the cause, why he dyd conferre his gospell with them, for that he doubted that he had not the certaynte of the gospell: but this was the cause of the sayde conferrynge, that it shulde be the more be [...]he cause w [...] Paule cōferred with Peter & other leued of the herers, whan he sayd, that he had conferred it with them, whiche had ben conuersaunt with chryste / whose wytnesse or testymonye was the more pro­bable and lyke to be trewe / wherfore that sayenge, lest I myght ronne in vayne or had ronne. &c. ought not to be referred to the defaulte of y ^e apostle by hym selfe, or of his owne parte: neyther to any doubtynge whiche he had in the gospell / for this gospell he receyued or learned not of man, neyther by man, but by the imedyate reuelacyon of god / as he sayth his owne selfe in the fyrste to the Galatians. Moreouer in the seconde chapytre to the Galatians the apostle makynge mencyon of this collacyon or comparynge of his gospell: sayth in this wyse. And they whiche semed to be of auctoryte and greatly estemed: gaue no thynge vnto me: but I to them / where the glose after y ^e mynde of Augustyne sayth / as who shuld saye, I do not therfore haue recourse agayne the former thynges, done by me, for they are suffycient for the cōmendacyon of me, seynge that they whiche semed to be somwhat, that is to wyt, Peter and other whiche were with the lorde, haue gyuen, that is to saye, haue added nothynge vnto me / wherin it is euydent, that I am not inferyor vnto them, whiche am so made perfyte of the lorde and of god that there was no thynge, that they coulde adde to my perfeccyon, in this confer­rynge of my gospell with them. For he that gaue wysdome & knowledge to those iii. vnlearned men: he hathe also gyuen knowledge vnto me. And it foloweth af­terwardes in the glose after the mynde of saynt Iherome. They gaue or addednothynge to me: but I gaue or added somwhat to Peter / and agayne afterwar­des / I resysted or withstode hym, as egall vnto hym / for he wolde not haue ben bolde to do these thyngꝭ: yf he had not knowen hym selfe not to be vnegall. Therfore that sayenge lest I shulde ronne in vayne. &c. oughte to be referred vnto the Lest I shuld ronne in vayne. hearers whiche peraduenture wolde not haue gyuen credence elles vnto hym: or at the lest wyse not so moche credence vnto hym / and by the reason therof shulde haue remayned voyde or emptie / and he lykewyse shuld haue ben voyde in them / that is to saye, shulde haue ben dysapoynted and haue myssed of his purpose and intent in them. For asmoche as he shulde not haue engendred any fayth in them, whiche he intended by the course of his preachynge. And this is it also whiche fo­loweth afterwardes in the same glose after the mynde of saynt Augustyne / for the apostle Paule beynge called by a voyce from heuen, after the ascencyon of chryste, yf he shuld not cōmunycate and be partener or felowe with the apostles, and shuld not conferre his gospel with them so that it myght appere that he was one of the same felowshyp or companye: the churche wolde gyue no credence to hym at all / but whan the churche had knowen, that he dyd preache the same gos­pell that the apostles dyd, and that he lyued in the cōmunyon and vnyte of them, suche myracles also beynge done by hym, as they dyd worke / then by such cōmendacyon of the lorde he deserued auctoryte, and to be regarded in the churche, that his wordes be so herde in the churche: as yf chryste were herde speakynge in hym, as he hym selfe sayd moste truely. Than it foloweth of these wordes of the glose, that Paule deserued auctoryte or to be regarded, by the cōmendacion of chryste / [Page 122] and he sayde not, Peter or the other apostles cōmendynge hym / or causynge hym to be accepted. And it foloweth a lytell afterwardes in the glose, after the mynde of the same Augustyne / wherfore he conferred his gospell with them, & toke theyr ryght handes. For he preachyd the same worde of god that they dyd: thoughe he Why saynt Paule cōfer­red the gospel with the apostles. receyued not it by them. For that conferrynge of his gospell with them, shewed y ^t it was all one kynde of doctryne: all spottes or dyuersite of leprye cleane shaken awaye. This than was the cause of his conferrynge of his gospell with them / that all scrupules and doubtfulnes of the varyete and dyuersyte of his doctryne & theyrs, shuld be rydde and taken awaye from the hearers. And this is it whiche the glose had sayde afore: after the mynde of Augustyne. For he sayd I went vp agayne to Iherusalem. &c. I wente vp I saye, with Barnabas whiche was of the Iewes, takynge also Titus vnto me, whiche was of the gentyles / As who shulde saye, I haue wytnes and recordes of both nacyons / by whiche it shulde be playne & euydent, that it was not trewe, but false, that I dyd preache one thyn­ge to the Iewes, and an other thyng to the gentyles. And I dyd ascende not onely after this dysposycyon and ordre, as I haue reherced: but also accordyng to the reuelacyon of god. And I haue not lerned of them as beynge greatter than I or superyours to me / but I haue cōferred with them, as with my frēdes & egalles, the gospell of chryst whiche I preache amonge the gentyles. This thynge he dyd for the assercion and defendynge of his owne preachynge for many men were in doubte of the doctryne of the apostle, the Iewes trowbelynge and disquyetynge theyr myndes whiche scruple and doubte it pleased god to take awaye. And ther­fore not by the delyberacion of man, but by the reuelacyon of god: the apostle, (as he sayth hym selfe) went vp to Ierusalem, to conferre his gospell with them / not for any doubtfulnes that he hym selfe had of his gospell that he preached: but that the sayd scruple or doubtfulnes shulde be ryd out and taken away from the myn­des of his hearers. And where it was alleged of the glose vpon the seconde chapy­tre Howe Paule was an hyn­dermore pa­stor than Pe­ter was. to the Galatyanes, that Paule was an hyndermore pastor than saynt Peter the apostle: it is to be sayde, that y ^e glose maker spake properly. For saynt Paule was called the later of them two vnto apostleshyp / and therfore he was postery­or, that is to saye hindermore in tyme / but he was not therfore inferyor in aucto­ryte / neyther dyd the glose expresse this: but rather the contrary / so than of the aforesayd & nowe rehersed thynges, it appereth euydently, that neyther Peter, ney­ther any other of the apostles was greatter than Paule: but that he was frende & egall to them, in the auctoryte īmedyatly gyuen vnto them by chryste. And yf there haue ben any pryoryte amōge them: it is to be cōsydered to haue ben ꝑaduē ­ture by y ^e eleccion of them amōge theyr selfe or els after such maner, after whiche we sayd saynt Peter to haue ben hedde or cheyfe of y ^e apostles, in y ^e. xvi. chapytre of this dyccion. And to the sayenge taken of the boke of Isodore, in y ^e chapytre, whose title is Incipit p̄fatio Niceni cōcilii, where it is sayd thus: it is to be knowen verely of al catholyke men, y ^t the holy churche of Rome is preferred to other & made prīcypal, not by any synodal Decrees: but it hath obtayned prymacie by y ^t voyce or wordes of our lorde and sauyour in the gospell, so also vnderstandynge of the bysshop of the same churche: the sayenge of Isodore, & of who soeuer saythe so besyde Isodore without the Canon: is to be denyed / for the churche of Rome The churche of Rome hath ben preferred vnto other by mānes lawe onely. hathe ben instytuted and made moste pryncypall and the heed of the other chur­ches, by the Decrees of the Romayne emperoures, and by the consent of the other churches, as it were by a certayne eleccion. Moreouer that doth not folowe of the aforesayd auctoryte of the Canon: which Isodore doth inferre. But the illacyon or argument of hym maye be put by, or yf any other man, who soeuer shal so say [Page] by those thynges whiche haue ben determyned of vs in the. xv. chapytre of this dyccion in the. viii. parte of it / and in the. xvi. chapytre in the. xiii. and. xiiii. parte. And vnto the auctortye wherby he gothe about to fortyfye these saynges, taken of the. xvi. of Mathewe, Thou art Peter and vpon this stone I wylledyfy my churche. &c. it hath ben answered heretofore. ¶ And vnto y ^t reason or argument, 9 by whiche it was deduced that the churche is but one / and that there is but one pryncypall or hyghest bysshop, because of the vnyte of the faythe, accordynge to the mynde of the apostle in the. iiii. chapytre to the Ephesyans: it is to be sayd, ta­kynge the churche in his propre sygnyfycacyon for the multytude or congregacy­on of chrysten people: that there is so but one churche as there is but one faythe. One churche. And because there is not one synguler fayth in nombre, in all chrysten men, but one faythe in kynde or in generall: therfore y ^e argumente concludeth not, that the One faythe in kynde. churche is otherwyse one than so, that is to wyt in generall / And whan it is ad­ded, that the churche is not one but by the reason that there is one syngulare bys­shop in nombre, whiche is superyoure to all other. I denye this / and thoughe I dyd graūte it, yet to the other yllacyon y ^t this pryncipal bysshop or heed is the bys­shop of Rome by the instytucion of god imedyatly: I denye this yllacyon or ar­gument with all his probacyons. For asmoche as neyther Peter was the stone, vpon whiche the churche was grounded or buylded, but chryste, as we haue she­wed here aboue in this present chapytre, & in the. xvi. chapytre of this dyccion, by the scrypture / and agayne because the bysshop of Rome is not so syngulerlye or specyally the successour of saynt Peter, or of any other apostle imedyatly, by the instytucion of god, that any superyoure auctoryte shulde be therfore dewe vnto hym in comparyson of the other bysshops / as it hathe ben shewed in the chapytre of this dyccyon afore alledged / but yf any suche syngularyte be in the sayde bys­shop: it belongeth to hym by the instytucion or eleccyon of men. ¶ And to the cō ­fy: 10 macyon of this reason, where it is sayde, that there ought to be one bysshop or bysshopryche, whiche shulde be as the pryncypall and heed of all spyrytuall men and thynges, lykewyse as there is one prynce or cheyfe gouernoure of all tempo­rall men and thynges in one realme, this comparyson or symylytude maye be de­nyed / for It is necessary that there be but one prynce in one realme. 11 it is necessarye, that there be but one prynce or heed gouernoure in nombre in one realme, for all the contencyous actes of men / as it hathe ben shewed in the. xvii. of the fyrste dyccion / whiche munerall vnyte is not necessarely requyred to be in any of the other offyces of a cōmunyte or realme. ¶ And to the other rea­son or argument, where it is sayde, that as in one temple or churche there is but one bysshop, so lykewyse it oughte to be in whole chrystendome / it is to be sayde fyrste, that it is not of the necessyte of helthe, neyther by the preceptes of goddes lawe, that there is but one bysshop in one churche / but there myght be many bys­shops in one churche as we haue shewed in the. xv. chapytre of this dyccion, by Many bys­shops in one churche. By what auctoryte there is but one bysshop in e­uery diocese. the. xx. chapytre of the actes, and by the apostle in very many other places, and by the epystle of saynt Iherome to Euandre / but that afterwardes in later tyme there is instytuted but onelye one ouerseer or bysshop so called by excellemye, in one churche or diocese, whiche is preferred to other preestes in the Iconomye or orderynge of the churche: this cōmeth imedyatlye of the instytucion of man, and not of any necessyte compellynge therunto by the law of god. And yf there were any suche necessyte compellynge hereunto by the lawe of god: yet the symylytude holdeth not. For it is not all one and the same necessyte that there be but one orderer or gouernoure in one house, and that there be but one gonernoure in a whole cytie or cōmunyte or in many prouyncꝭ. For they that be not in one and the same house or familie, nedeth not to haue one orderer or gouernoure in nombre, for as [Page 123] moche as they are not partakers one of them with an other, of meates and other thynges necessarye to theyr sustenaunce / of mancyon and of bedde & borde / ney­ther ar conuersaunt togyther in suche maner vnyte, as they be whiche ar of one famylye or housholde. For this reason shuld conclude also that there oughte to be but one orderer or gouernour in nombre, in the hole worlde / whiche is neyther expedyent, neyther true. For it is suffycyent to the quyete conuersacyon and lyuynge togyther of men, that there be but one prynce or hed gouernoure in nombre, in euery one prouynce, as we haue sayde in the. xvii. of the fyrst dyccyon or parte. But it semeth not yet to haue ben proued, that there ought to be but one coacty­ue iudge of all men of the necessyte of eternall saluacion, albeit that the vnyte of suche a coactyue iudge semeth to be more necessarelye requyred amonge chrysten men than y ^e vnyte: of one vnyuersall or generall bysshop / for because y ^t a general prynce maye kepe crysten people in vnyte: more than may an vnyuersall or generall bysshop. For in the olde tymes sysmatykes were compelled by the prynces to kepe the vnyte of the faythe, But they coulde not haue ben compelled by the bys­shops, because they lacked auctoryte coactyue, whiche sayd auctoryte is not due to them nor syttynge or semely for them in that that they are bysshops, as it hath ben prouyd in the. x. chapytre of the fyrst parte of this boke, and hath be more lar­gely confyrmed by the scrypture and auctorytes of sayntes, and by other reasons in the. iiii. v. viii. ix. and. x. chapytres of this dyccion. ¶ And vnto that auctoryte of Ihon̄ in the. xv. chapytre, that there shal be made one folde, and one pastor, or 12 one herdysman: it is to be sayde that chryste spake of his owne selfe / for he onely was the generall herdysman, and the hed or cheyf and pryncypall of all pastores One pastor or herdysman and herdysmen, and none other after hym lykewyse as he onely was the hed and foūdacyon of the churche, as we haue shewed in the. xvi. of this dyccyon and also haue repeted in verye many other places / & this was the open & playn lyteral sentēce & mynde of saynt Pet (er). For in his fyrst canonycal Epystle & the. v. chapytre he sayth / whan the heed or pryncypall pastor shal come (speakynge of chryst) you shall receyue glorye that neuer shall fade. This also is the sentence and mynde of sayntes vpon this place / for the glose after the mynde of Gregory saythe / he ma­keth as it were one folde of two flockes / for he ioyneth togyther the people of the Iewes, & of the Gentyles, in his faythe / Lo howe & after what maner there is One folde, & after what maner. made one folde / that is to wyt, in the vnyte of fayth / saynt Gregory dyd not say that there was made one folde, because that all chrysten men are set or put vnder the bysshop of Rome, or any other one bysshop besyde chryste. Agayne Theophi­lus sayth vpon y ^t same place / for there is all one & the same seale or marke of bap­tysme, to all men. One herdysman, y ^e worde of god. Let Manicheis therfore take hede & marke, that there is one folde, and that there is one herdysman, of the olde and the newe testament / for the makynge of this vnyte of the folde, in no place Peter or Paule or any other apostles is named, but onelye the vnyte of faythe, and the person of chryste / which alone by the imedyate ordynacion of god, is heed and foundacion or ground worke of all the churche, and pryncipall or cheyfe of al herdysmen / as we haue sayd by the premysses, and haue shewed of certaynte in the. xvi. of this dyccyon. ¶ And to the other obieccyon or argument, wherby it is 13 concluded, that the bysshop of Rome alone, or with his colledge of cardynals one lye, is the pryncypall cause effectyue of the secondrye instytucyon of all other mynystres of the churche / and that it is in his powre outher medyate, or imedyate, or elles bothe, to assygne or determyne temples to the same mynystres / I make answere denrenge it. And whan it is cōfyrmed by the auctoryte of Ambrose, of De tradend is basilicis, whiche saythe, that it can not be the ryghte of Cesar, to [Page] determyne or instytute preestes to temples or churches, because the churche belon­geth to god, it is to be answered and sayde, that Ambrose spake this therfore, be­cause at that tyme, and in those dayes, it was ieoperdouse to permytte the gyfte of suche maner offyces, that is to wyt, the cures & charge of soules, vnto the Em­perours of Rome: because they were not yet suffycyently cōfyrmed and establys­shed in the fayth, but rather certayne of the sayd emperoures and romayne pryn­ces, dyd fauer more other whyles the preestꝭ y ^t were heretykes than those preestes which were verely faythfull & in the true belefe. As dyd the same Ualētiniane y ^e Ualentinian the Empe­rour. emperour, to whome saynt Ambrose wrote & dyrected the aforesayde epystle, De tradēdis basilicis / but yet for all y ^t, the fayth beynge roted & establysshed both in subiectꝭ & in the pryncꝭ & in such maner cōmunyte: y ^e eleccion & instytucion of bys­shops, & of other curatꝭ, hauynge charge of mans soule, is both more suerly & safely, & also more profytably, & more cōformably to y ^e lawe of god▪ made or done by y ^e auctoryte of the chrysten prynces: than by the wyl of one preeste, which we do se lyghtlye, and in a maner daylye, to be peruerted and corrupted, throughe prayer, or money / loue / or hatred / or elles by some other synystre & croked affeccyon. Ney­ther dyd Ambrose euer saye, that this auctoryte dyd belonge to the bysshoppe of Rome, or elles to any other bysshop / but for the aforesayde cause he sayd, that the churche or temple belongeth onely to god, and to his faythfull multytude of chry­sten people, as beynge the churche in his pryncypall and fyrste sygnyfycacyon, of the whiche churche chryste is the heed. Neyther dyd Ambrose outher say or thynke the contrarye hereof. And it is a sygne hereof, that is to wyt, that Ambrose as beynge a bysshop and herdysman of chrysten men, dyd stryue onely herefore, that y ^e chrysten flocke shulde not be cōmytted to the gouernaunce of an euyll preeste or beynge an heretyke: for as moche as he sayde in the fyrst epystle to Ualentiniane in this wyse. And wolde to god I knew suerlye and euydently, that the churche shulde not be cōmytted to the Arrianes I wolde than wyllyngly of myne owne The churche is not to be cō mytted to he­retykes. A bysshop infected may be deposed. mynde offre my selfe to the wyll and pleasure of your maiesty. And that he must nedes haue meaned so aboute the tradycion & gyfte of churches, as we haue now sayd, and haue manyfestlye proued also in the. xvii. of this dyccyon. For yf a bysshop or preeste, which were infected with heresye, shulde occupye a rometh in any churche in a cōmunyte of chrysten men, and wolde not gyue place: it is vndoub­ted, that such maner persone may laufully be cōpelled and ryghtfully, by a iudge coactyue, and by powre of armes, accordynge to the lawes of men. But this coactyue, iudgement and powre is not the auctoryte of any preeste, as the same Am­brose wytnesseth, and truelye, in his epystle, whiche is intytled Ad plebem / that is to say to y ^e cōmune people / for he sayth. Agaynst the Gothes, & men of warre also, my teares are myne armoure and weapons. For suche are the munymentes & defence of a preeste / otherwyse I neyther maye, neyther ought, to resyste / howe beit this thynge also hathe ben cōcluded by demonstracyon, in the. xv. and. xvii. of the fyrste dyccyon / and hathe ben also confyrmed by the auctoryte of scrypture and of sayntes, and by other probacions also, in the. iiii. v. viii. and. ix. of this dyccyon. And therfore it is safely to be holden, that saynt Ambrose dyd so meane as we haue sayd. For the apostle Paule also appelled vnto Cesar / as we haue heretofore alledged of the. xx. chapytre of the actes. So than it semeth to appertayne to the auctoryte of the prynce and gouernour, to gyue the temples or churches to be dysposed & ordered, and to instytute preestes in them / whiche thynge also the catholyke kynges of Fraunce do in certayne churches / recognysynge neyther bys­shop or preeste, as from whom this auctoryte shulde be deryued vnto them. And so we do byleue and suppose, that Ambrose dyd meane, and oughte to meane, yf [Page 124] he meaned truely. And yf he meaned contrarye to this, which we do knowe and Remembre e­uer y ^t the auc­toryte of doc­tours, is of no force with out the auctoryte of holy scrypture. byleue to be the sentence of the holy Canon or scrypture: than leauynge his opy­nyon, whiche we are not compelled or bounde to byleue of the necessyte of salua­cyon, for asmoche as his scrypture is not canonycall / & cleauynge to the canony­call scryptures: I do holde the sentence, which I haue sayd as beynge true, And where as it semed, of the same auctoryte of Ambrose to be inferred and cōcluded, that vnto the bysshop of Rome appertayneth by the auctoryte of god īmedyatly the hyghest iurysdyccion of the ecclesiasticall tēporalles, whiche for theyr offyces are gyuen to the euangelical mynystres: it appereth of the aforesayd thyngꝭ, that this illacion or argument is weake, & of no strength / as we haue also suffycyēt­ly concluded in the. xvii. chapytre of this dyccion / whiche sentence in this poynt saynt Ambrose also doth confyrme in the aforesayd epystle De tradendis basili­cis. Ambrose. i. of the gyuynge of churches, where he sayth thus. Yf he desyreth trybute (that is to wyt the emperour) we do not denye it hym / the landes of the churche payeth trybute. Yf the emperour desyreth the landes: he hathe powre & auctoryte to chalē ­ge them. None of vs letteth or stoppeth hym. The collacion or gyfte of the people may be suffycient and more than ynoughe to poore men / let them not make enuy of the landes, let hym take them yf it pleaseth hym I do not gyue them to y ^e emperour: but I do not denye them to hym / but peraduenture som man wyll obiecte, whiche secheth alwayes to defende the landes, sayenge that these landes are the ryght of the spouses of chryste (hauynge lytell care for the defendynge of the true spouses, that is to wyt, of the holy catholyke fayth) as the kynge & kyngdome or The holy ca­tholyke fayth is y ^e true spouses of chryste. realme of Armenye can manyfestlye beare wytnesse vnto hym, that saynt Ambrose spake these wordes, not because that the lādes of the churche of ryght ought to paye trybute: but because it was requyred of them by the violēce & oppressyon of the emperours. Forsothe this is a false exposycion, whiche certayne also of the bysshops of Rome with theyr cōplyces oftentymes doth vse for to declyne and a­uoyde the coactyue iurysdyccion of the prynces or emperours sayenge that theyr selues in dede are brought violentlye, and not by ryghte or laufullye in to seculer iudgement / for chryste sayd the contrarye in the. xix. of Iohn̄ / and we haue alled­ged his wordes here tofore in the. iiii. chapytre of this dyccion. And this is it whi­che Ambrosesaythe afterwardes, accordynge to the sentence whiche we do holde agreablye to the Canon or scrypture, whan he saythe these wordes folowynge / we do paye to Cesar, those thynges whiche belongeth to Cesar / and to god: those thyngꝭ whiche appertayneth to hym. Trybute belongeth to Cesar: it in not denyed hym. Therfore trybute, & iurysdyccion vpon the ecclesiasticall temporalles be­longe The churches paye trybutꝭ. 14 to the emperoure, not vyolently: but of ryght. ¶ And to the other illacyon or argument, by whiche it semeth to be concluded, that all the colledge of clarkes is subiecte to the bysshop of Rome by coactyue iurysdyccion, because he is cheyfe and heed of all by the ordynacyon of god: the auncedent is to be denyed. For it hathe ben shewed afore, that no bysshoppe or preeste is by the īmedyate ordyna­cyon of god, or by the lawe of god, inferyor or subiecte to the bysshoppe of Rome, in any auctoryte, outher essencyallye or accydentallye dewe to a preeste. ¶ And as towchynge to that whiche is consequentlye broughte in of the boke of I sodo­re, 15 of the wordes of Constantyne, it is to be sayde, that it was a worde of speche of exortacyon and of monycyon, by whiche the sayde honorable and deuoute Constantyne dyd shewe what maner men bysshoppes and preestes ought to be / For they oughte to be suche maner men bothe one of them to an other amonge themselues, and also vnto other men / that they oughte not, or nede not to con­tende or stryue in seculer iudgement / accordynge to the doctryne of the apostle in the. vi. chapytre of the fyrste to the Corynthyans / wherfore do you not (sayth he) [Page] rather take iniurye? why do you not rather suffre damage: than haue iudgementꝭ amōge you. &c. And to that which is added, of the sayenge of Cōstantyne. God hathe gyuen vnto you powre to iudge of vs. &c. it is to be sayde, that it is true by I thynke this to be a loudelye forgyd in the name of Cōstantyne, as was the gyfte, called the donacyon or gyfte of Cōstantyne. The bysshop of Rome is no more god­des vycare, nor bereth his stede in erthe otherwyse, than an other bysshop. iudgemēt of the fyrst sygnyfycacion, but not coactyue of any man in this world of whiche iudgement it hathe ben spoken suffycientlye, in the. vi. vii. viii. and ix. of this dyccion. And yet it foloweth not of the aforesayd texte brought in of Isodore, whether it were spoken of Constantyne, or not spoken: that the other bys­shops are subiecte in iurysdyccion to the bysshoppe of Rome. For Constantyne saythe / Abyde you or wayte for the iudgement of god onely betwene you / and your braules or stryfes, what soeuer they be: let them be reserued to that dyuyne iudgement: he sayd not to the examynacion or iudgemēt of the bysshop of Rome. And where it is added that the bysshoppe of Rome is goddes vycar and beareth goddes stede in erthe: it is to be sayd that he beareth no more the stede of god by the ordynacion of god imedyatlye: than dothe any other bysshop / as it hathe ben she­wed and sayd here tofore: Neyther yf he dyd beare the stede of chryste in erthe / as touchynge to the teachynge and mynystrynge of spyrytuall thynges: yet for all that it foloweth not therfore, that he beareth the stede of chryste as touchynge to coactyue iudgement vpon any laye man or clarke / as it hath ben shewed hereto­fore of the. iiii. and. v. of this dyccion, & very many other places / but in this thyng that is to wyt, in coactyue iudgement: the prynces are the mynystres of god / as the apostle Paule sayde in the. xiii. to the Romaynes / and saynt Peter in the se­conde chapytre of his fyrste Canonycall epystle. Agayne I put the case that Cō stantyne had affyrmed and sayd openlye this to be true: I wolde denye his say­enge. Cōstantynes sayenges are not Canony­call / or any parte of y ^e Canon or scryp­ture. For it is neyther Canonycall, neyther necessarelye folowynge of the Ca­nonycall scrypture / but yf he had ordayned this to be obserued by the maner of a Decree or constytucyon: it shuld be expedyent that it were obserued and kepte as other lawes of men, but not as a thynge imedyatly ordayned by the ordynacion of god / but it appereth euydently and openly of the very wordes of Isodore, that all bysshops are subiecte to the emperour of Rome by coactyue iurysdyccyon / for the bysshops of theyr owne accorde, and vncompelled dyd brynge theyr contency­ons & stryues to the iudgement of the emperour, & not to the iudgement of the bysshop of Rome / desyrynge his examynacion & iudgment / as Isodore telleth in the same place. ¶ And whan it is furthermore inferred of the same auncedentꝭ, that 16 it belongeth to the auctoryte of the bysshop of Rome alone, or elles of hym with his colledge of preestꝭ onelye, to call togyther generall councelles of preestes, & of other chrysten men, and to ordayne other thynges in the same counsayle, wherof we haue made mencyon in the argumentacyon or obieccyon. The illacyon or ar­gument is to be denyed with his auncedent. For the contrarye of the auncedent, & of the consequence is true. And to the confyrmacions hereof grounded vpon the auctoryte or sayenge of Isodore, because they do not suffre or receyue interpreta­cyon, for asmoch as he hath expressed this sentence: I do answere denyenge them all / because they are dissonaunt and disagreynge from the holy Canon or scryp­ture / and from the demonstracyon or argument grounded vpon the same scryp­ture. ¶ And vnto that whiche Iherome sayd in his epystle, intytled the exposycion 17 of the catholyke fayth, in whiche exposycyon dyrectynge his wordes to the bysshop of Rome, he saythe in this wyse. We desyre to be amended of the, whiche ke­pest or holdest the faythe and the seate of Peter. In whiche wordes he semeth to meane, that the bysshop of Rome is syngularely and specyally the successoure of saynt Peter: it is to be answered & sayd, that saynt Iherome for so moche sayde, that the bysshoppe of Rome holdeth or kepeth the faythe or seate of saynt Peter, [Page 125] because saynt Peter is red to haue syt as bysshop in the churche of Rome / and be­cause this churche by the statute and ordynaunce of man is the heed and pryncy­pall of all other churches, therfore he nameth it, and the bysshop therof to be the successour of the most worthye and most perfyte apostle. Albeit that by the ime­dyate ordinacion of god: Peter neyther is, neyther hath ben, in any auctoryte immedyatly gyuen to hym by chryste, superyour to the other apostles / as we haue heretofore brought in & fully proued in the. xvi. of this dyccion / and to that which Iherome addeth / But this our cōfessyon be approued and alowed by the iudge­ment of thyne apostleshyp & in which sayenge Iherome semeth to meane, that it appertayneth to the auctoryte of the bysshop of Rome alone, to defyne & determyne the doubtefull sentences of the lawe of god, also in the artycles of the faythe: it is to be answered & sayd, that Iherome dyd not so meane / but he spake these wordes onely for somoche, because it dyd belonge to the bysshop of Rome, to gyue answers of suche doubtes, whiche had be defyned & determyned by the generall coū ­cell, aboute the catholyke faythe / and aboute the ecclesyastycall customes and ce­remonyes. For the bysshop of Rome & his churche was for this cause made heed & most pryncipall of al other churches. And a token that Iherome dyd meane so as we haue sayd, is this / for that in his epystle to Euandre, repreuynge & rebukyng certayne vsagꝭ & customes or maners aboute the deacons: of the churche of Rome he sayth thus / yf auctoryte be sought for: the whole worlde is greatter than a cy­tie / that is to saye the auctoryte of all the churches of the worlde: is greatter than the auctoryte of the churche of Rome. But yet yf it had ben so, that Iherome had meaned that the bysshop of Rome alone, had this sayd auctoryte appertaynyng to hym: I do refuse his sentence, as beynge not canonycall / neyther necessarelye deduced & cōcluded by the canonycall scrypture. ¶ And to y ^t whiche was brought 18 in of the. xv. of Luke, he that hereth you hereth me. &c. it is to be answered & sayd, that it is true, who soeuer hereth you in teachynge the true worde of god / and speakynge accordynglye & agreablye to the scrypture, & not blasfemynge vniustly / after whiche maner chryste sayde of the pharysyes. Do suche thynges as they do say / that is to saye, do such thynges which they do saye accordynge to the lawe of god, as saynt Iherome sayth in y ^e. xxiii. chapytre of Mathewe vpon this sayeng of chryste imedyatly afore reherced. Or els thus / who soeuer hereth you. &c. in the thyngꝭ cōmaunded or prohybyted by the lawe of god, he is bounde. ¶ And to the reasons of Bernarde, and fyrste of all vnto that, whiche is taken of the seconde 19 boke De consideratione, vnto Eugenius pope, who arte thou? (sayth Bernarde) & the same makynge answere, sayth / a great preeste / hyghest bysshop. It is to be answered & sayd, that yf he vnderstode this by the imedyate ordynacion of god, or Sacerdos magnus. by the cōmaundemēt of goddes lawe, his answere is to be denyed / for so it shulde not be cōsonaunt & agreablye to the holy Canon or scrypture, neyther to y ^e thyn­ges necessarelye deduced and folowynge of the sayd scrypture. But yf he dyd vn­derstonde this prymacye or pryncypalyte to agre or belonge vnto hym by the eleccyon or instytucion of men than it is an other thynge. And whan he addeth, thou arte the pryncypall or cheyfe of bysshops, it is true takynge this worde princeps Princeps episcoporum. largely / y ^t is to say more pryncipal by the aforesayd institucion / but takynge this worde princeps strayghtly & narowly, y ^e sayenge of Bernarde is not to be graū ­ted. For the same Bernarde denyeth the same Eugeniꝰ, & cōsequently any other bysshop to haue domynyon or soueraygnte / as we haue alledged heretofore in y ^e v. chapytre of this dyccion, of the fyrst boke, and the. v. chapytre to the sayd Euge­niꝰ. Thou arte the heyre or successour of the apostles / so also are y ^e other bysshops Thou arte (saythe Bernarde) in prymacie Abell / that is trewe, thou arte taken Abell. [Page] chosen for hym, but yet by the eleccyon of men, or for the reuerence of hym, which in tyme was fyrste of all the apostles. In gouernaunce thou arte Noe. This is Noe. trewe by the instytucion of men, amonge clarkes and aboue clarkes / In patry­arkeshyp thou arte Abraham. This is trewe in mynystrynge spyrytuall thyngꝭ Abraham. onely, and by the instytucyon of men. Thou arte the father of all spyrytuall fa­thers / In ordre Melchisedech. This is trewe as touchynge to preesthode, whiche was fygured of chryste, by Melchisedech / after whiche maner all other preestꝭ are Melchisedech also. But not as touchynge to kyngdom / for as touchynge to this: Melchisedech fygured chryste onely (and sygnyfyed none other preeste elles) whiche was bothe kynge & also preeste / and yet for all that he dyd not fygure chryste in this, as tou­chynge to worldly kyngdome. For chryste neyther came to raygne, neyther wold raygne after this maner / that is to wyt worldly / as we haue shewed in the. iiii. of this dyccion. But Melchisedech whiche was both a preest, & a worldly kynge: fy­gured the preesthod of chryste, & his heuēly kyngdom, not worldly. And so moche the lesse than he fygured earthly or worldly kyngdom or domynion in any preest or bysshop. For saynt Bernarde denyeth such maner kyngdome to belonge vnto the bysshop of Rome, in the place afore expressed / & more expressely / neyther also as touchynge to the prymacie of preesthode. Melchisedech dyd fygure any other besydes chryst: but this prymacie or principalite is in other preestꝭ (as we haue sayd) by the instytucion of men. In dygnyte Aron. This is true, as touchynge to the Aron. symylytude of prymacie & preemynence amonge preestes, but yet after a dyuerse maner & sondry fascion. For Aron was cheyfe preeste by the imedyate instytucy­on of god / but not so the bysshop of Rome or any other bysshop beynge the succes­sour of the apostles. In auctoryte Moyses. The same Bernarde sayd the cōtrary Moyses. hereof openly in the fyrste boke De consideratione, in the. v. chapytre / & in the. iii. boke & fyrste chapytre. For Moyses was prynce & gouernour as touchynge to co­actyue lawe / as it appereth in the. vii. of actꝭ / which thynge Bernarde denyeth to belōge to any successour of the apostles in the place afore alledged. Agayne Moyses had this by y ^e imedyate ordynacion of god, & vpon al Israell. But y ^e bysshop of Rome hath this imedyatly by the graunte of man onely, & onely vpon the euā gelycall mynystres & the mynystres of the temples. In iudgemēt Samuell / this Samuell. is true, to the lykenes of Samuell / but yet after a dyuerse & sondrye maner & fas­cyon. for. ii. causes. Fyrst because not by the imedyate ordynacion of god, as Sa­muell. Secōdarylye because onely vpon preestꝭ & other inferyor mynystres of the gospell / but Samuell was indyfferētlye vpon al y ^e people of Israell. In powre Peter / this is true in the essenciall powre, & by the workynge of god imedyatlye / Peter. & so is also euery other bysshop or preeste / but yet euery bysshop of Rome hath his prymacie aboue other bysshops or preestꝭ, onely by y ^e instytucion of man imedyatly: whether Peter had it by the imedyate instytucion of god, or not, or els by the eleccion of the apostles / whiche thynge rather we beleue or suppose accordynge to the scrypture, yf it be so that he had any suche prymacy at all as we haue shewed in the. xvi. of this dyccion. Inunccion chryste. yf he do meane by vnccion, the vnccion Chryste. of grace or of the holy ghost, which is gyuen with the carecte of preest hode it is true / which vnccion euery preeste also doth receyue / but yf by vnccion he do me­ane / prymacie vpon all the churche, by the imedyate instytucion of god, & not of men, whiche chryste onely & none els hathe had vpon all preestꝭ: than I do refuse his sentence / because the apostle saythe the contrarye in very many places of the scrypture / as it hathe ben shewed in the. xvi. of this dyccion. And to that whiche he dothe adde afterwardes. Thou arte not onelye the pastor or herdysman of the shepe: but also thou alone arte the verye pastor of all herdysmen / yf he dydmeane [Page 126] by the instytucion of men imedyatlye: I wolde graunte his sayenge / but yf he do meane by the ordynacyon of god, or by the statute of the lawe of god, so as he ap­pereth to intende: than I refuse his sentence / for it is not canonycall, neyther ne­cessarelye deduced and folowynge of the canonycall scrypture / but rather the con­trarie. And whan he go the aboute to fortyfy his sentence or sayenge by the scryp­ture, sayenge afterwardes / askest thou where I do proue it? by the sayenge of chryste. yf thou louest me Peter fede my shepe / for to whom (I do not saye of the bysshops, but also of the apostles) was the whole flocke of shepe so absolutlye cō ­mytted, and without any dyuersyte or dystynccyon / to whome is it not playne, that chryste appoynted or marked not forthe any pertyculer flocke of shepe vnto the? there is nothynge excepted or outtaken: where no dyuersyte or dystynccion is made. It is to be answered but alwayes with reuerence, that this questyon is to be meruayled at, by whiche he demaundeth, to whome of the apostles he doth not saye onely of the bysshops, the whole flocke of shepe hath ben so absolutly cōmytted or betaken & without any dyuersyte or dystynccyon made / I do saye, that to all the apostles both ioyntly and seuerallye. Aske thou wherby I do proue this? by the wordes & sayenges of chryste more euydentlye, than he / for in the laste cha­pytre of Mathewe, and in a maner last of all his preceptes. Chryste sayd to al the apostles. Go you therfore and teache all nacions or peoples. &c. And I say more The shepe were rōmyt­ted to all the apostles euydentlye than he. For chryste sayde in the. xx. of Iohn̄. Fede my shepe / but he sayde not all my shepe / nowe it is vndoubted that he comprehendeth mo shepe, whiche delyuereth all vnyuersallye, than he whiche delyuereth them onely indefynytely, sayengs fede my shepe / for whiche cause, agayne with reuerence, the scrypture which Bernarde alledgeth and bryngeth in: semeth to receyue an other interpretacyon and more agreable to the scrypture / which interpretacion we haue touched A place of Bernarde is declared. heretofore in the. ix. parte of this chapytre, and it greueth me not to reherse it agayne / for chryste in the. xv. of Mathewe is red to haue sayde, I am not sent but to the shepe whiche are perysshed of the house of Israell / whiche oracle and sayenge of chryste, after the interpretacions of sayntes, ought to be vnderstāded, not truely as Iherome sayth, but that he was sente also to the Gentyles, but he was fyrste or pryncipally sent to Israell. &c. But Remigius saythe, and more to the purpose and more agreablye to the lettre, he was sent specyally to the saluacion of the Iewes, that he shulde teache them also by his bodelye presence. Albeit that chryste accordynge to the exposycyon of sayntes, was sente to the saluacy­on of all men, yet specyally and pryncypally he was sent to the saluacyon of the Iewes / as the wordes also of chryst do sounde in the gospell of Mathewe, whan Chryste was sent to the Iewes. he sayd. I am not sente but to the shepe whiche are perysshed of the house of Israell. These shepe than he dyd appropryate vnto hymselfe, whan he sayde, whiche are perysshed of the house of Israell. And because this people hathe alwayes ben hardnecked, & sturdye or stubburne, as it appereth in the. xxxii. chapytre of Exo­dus, and also a kyller of the prophetes, as chryste, which is very trouche itselfe, sayde in the. xiii. of Luke. And because chryste knewe Peter to be more constant The Iewes were recōmē ­ded vnto Pe­ter, when chryste sayde to hym Peter fede my shepe in the faythe, and more feruent in the loue of hym, and of his neyghboure, ther­fore he dyd recōmende these shepe syngulerlye and specyallye vnto hym / whan he sayde. yf thou louest me, fede my shepe / that is to saye, specyallye laboure to teache the people of Israell. And that this is trewe, it is a token, seynge that it is wryten thus in the seconde chapytre to the Galatyans. Whan they hadde sene, that the preachynge of the gospell to the Gentyles was cōmytted vnto me, as was the preachynge of the gospell to the people of cyrcumcysyon was cōmyt­ted vnto Peter. &c. Neyther coulde this sayenge of the apostle be confyrmed by [Page] any other place of the gospell: than by this, fede my shepe. And agayne in y ^e same chapytre to the Galatians. They gaue theyr ryght handes of socyetie and felowshyp vnto me and Bernabas / that we shulde go and preache vnto the Gentyles and they vnto cyrcumcisyon / that is to saye vnto the Iewes. Chryste therfore, whan he had sayde vnto Peter, fede my shepe: he dyd not by this cōmytte a more generall cure or charge vnto Peter, than vnto other, but rather a more specyall charge of a certayne people. For there can not be a more generall cure or charge than that, whiche he gaue to all the apostles in the last of Mathewe / and in the. xx. of Iohn̄ / whan he sayde. Go you therfore and teache all nacyons. And take you or receyue you the holy ghost / whose synnes you shall forgyue: they are forgyuen. &c. For by these wordes all the apostles receyued pastoral auctoryte and cure / and that in comparyson vnto all men indyfferentlye / as saynt Augustyne also By what wordes the a­postles recey­ued auctoryte dyd say in his boke of the questyons of the newe testament, in the. 94. questyon, and we haue alledged and brought in his wordes heretofore in the. xvi. chapytre of this dyccion. Let Bernarde also tell, what more generall cure chryste hath cō ­mytted to any man, than he dyd vnto Paule, in the. ix. of the actꝭ: whan he sayd, he is a vessell of eleccion, or a chosen vessell vnto me, to bere my name afore the Gentyles, nacions & kyngꝭ and the sones of Israell. ¶ And as for that whiche 20 foloweth in Bernarde, whan he sayth, hereof it is, that eche one of the other apostles hathe taken to theyr parte, one pertyculer nacion or people: it appereth to be dyssonaunte and dysagreynge from the scrypture / neyther the tyxte of the epyst­les of Paule agreeth vnto it / neyther can it be proued by the scrypture: but rather the contrarye / as we haue shewed heretofore. ¶ And where he sayth afterwardes 21 in the syxte, accordynge to the canones, the other apostles are come in to parte of the cure and charge or busynes. &c. yf it be meaned by the imedyate instytucyon of god, than I refuse the sayenges both of the sayde Canones of Eugenius, and also of Bernarde agreynge vnto the same / because neyther they are canonycall / neyther ought to be called canonycall scryptures, but onelye scryptures: framed of theyr owne braynes. And also because we haue oftentymes by the scrypture proued the contrarye, of that whiche they do saye. But yf they do meane or vnderstande, that full powre, by the instytucyon of man īmedyatlye, than I do graūt his saynge to be trewe. And agayne to y ^t whiche he addeth sayenge. The powre and auctoryte of other is coarcted & restrayned within certayne lymytes or boun­des / thyne auctoryte and powre is extended also vpon them, whiche haue recey­ued auctoryte vpon other. Mayste not thou, yf a cause ryse: shytte heuen to a bys­shop? &c. it is to be sayd as before, y ^t by the īmedyate ordynacion of god: y ^e bysshop of Rome or any other bysshop hath no more auctoryte vpon the resydewe of bys­shops, than they haue vpon hym. For the bysshop of Rome may not excōmuny­cate or depose an other bysshop, for any crymes or trespace, by the auctoryte gy­uen to hym by chryste īmedyatlye more than they maye excōmunycate or depose hym / as it hath ben shewed and proued by the scrypture, in the. xv. & xvi. of this dyccion. And hathe also ben latelye repeted and reherced agayne in this chapytre But yf Bernarde do meane this prymacie, which he hathe by the graunt of man īmedyatlye, than he hathe that prymacye, whiche hathe ben graunted to hym aboue other, by the humayne powre. And to that whiche is added last of al, as touchynge to this oracyon. Thy pryuyledge therfore standeth vnbroken and inuiolated, vnto the. &c. it is to be sayde, that it is trewe / for the bysshop of Rome hathe powre and auctoryte, to bynde and loose men from synnes / and to teache them, & to mynystre the sacramentes of eternall saluacyon. And so hath euery other bys­shyp or preeste, by the lawe of god / but yf by pryuyledge, Bernarde doth meane & [Page 127] vnderstande any prymacye due to the bysshop of Rome vpon other bysshops, by the lawe of god, or by the īmedyate ordynacyon of god: than as I dyd before, so do I nowe refuse his sentence / for the causes afore assygned. ¶ And to the other sayenge of the same. Bernarde in the. iiii. boke, & chapytre to Eugenius, by whi­che 22 he semeth to meane, that vnto the bysshop of Rome belongeth coactyue iurysdyccyon, whiche vnder a methaphore he calleth the temporall swerde, not onely vpon clerkes, but also vpon lay men, whan he sayde, whiche swerde truely who soeuer denyeth to be thyne: me thynketh he do not marke well, or suffyciētly gyue hede to chrystes wordes. &c. And in the ende cōcludynge he saythe. Both swerdes therfore belongeth to the churche / that is to wyt the sprytuall swerde, and the materyal swerde: it is to be sayd with reuerence, and with no lesse meruaylynge that the same Bernarde hath openly spoken in this matter, dyssonauntly and contrarylye Bernardus non vidit omnia. to his owne selfe. For in the place īmedyatly afore alledged, speakynge of this auctoryte and power: he sayd / why shuldest thou (that is to wytte the Pope) go about agayne to vsurpe the swerde: whiche thou hast ben ones bydden, to put vp agayne in to the sheth or scabarde. And it is vndoubted, that the thynge whi­che We vsurpe those thynges whiche ar not our owne but belongeth to an other man any man vsurpeth: belongeth not to his auctoryte. But Bernarde or his in­terpreter shall saye peraduenture, accordynge to that, whiche Bernarde sayde in the ende of his speache or oracyon, that thoughe the auctoryte nowe sayd doth be­longe vnto a preeste yet the execusyon therof ought not to be done by a preeste / whiche he called the drawynge forthe or exercysynge, of the materyall swerde / But this answere is not accordyng to the intencyon and mynde of the scrypture For Chryste dyd not onely refuse & denye from hym selfe, y ^e drawynge out of this materyall swerde. But also that iudgēment, and byddynge or cōmaundynge it Chryste refu­sed both the swerde and also iudgement or the offyce of a Iudge. to be drawen out / whan he sayd in the. xii. of Luke, to hym that desyred such maner iudgement of hym. Thou man who hath made me iudge or deuyder ouer or vpon you? Of which sayng of chryst, with certayne other sayengꝭ, both of chryst and of the apostles, saynt Bernarde treatynge in the fyrste boke and the. v. chapitre De cōsideratione, as we haue alledged in the. v. of this dyccyon: destroyeth the interpretacyon of hym that doth so expound or declare hym in this place. For this he sayth to the same Pope. Herken what the apostles mynde is concernynge suche maner auctoryte. That is to wyt of iudgynge temporall thynges and it is Bernarde in the. vi. chapytre of the fyrste to the Coryntheans. Is there not so wyse a man amonge you, whiche maye iudge betwene brother and brother? And it foloweth I do speake it to your rebuke and shame. Those, whiche are moste contemptyble in the churche, make and ordayne them iudges. And therfore after the mynde of the apostle, thou doest vnsemelye, whiche beynge an apostolicall person, doest vsurpe vnto thy selfe a vyle offyce, and the degree of contēptyble persons. Marke here y ^t he speaketh of the offyce, not of the execucyon / wherfore the apostle Paule also instructynge a bysshop, that is to wyt Timothe, sayde in this wyse. Let no man that is a warryour to god: entangle hym selfe with seculer busynesses / but I spare or forbere the / for I speake not stronge thynges, but possyble thynges. Supposest thou that men nowe adayes wolde suffre, yf whan men dyd stryue for erthlye inherytaunce, & requyred iudgement of the, thou dydest answere them with the wordes of chryste, O men who hathe made me iudge vpon you. In to what maner iudgement shuldest thou come, and what wolde be iudged of the? what wolde a rustycall and vnlerned man saye? Thou knowest not the pryma­cye and preemynence. Thou dyshonourest the honorable and moste hyghe feate / thou doste derogate the apostles dygnyte / and yet for all that they that so shall saye (as I suppose) wyll not shewe, where at any tyme any of the apostles hath [Page] sytte as iudges of men, or as dyuyders of termes, or boundes and dystrybutors of The dyscy­ples were iudged and dyd not iudge. landes. To conclude I rede, that the apostles haue stande to be iudged / but that they haue syt iudgynge: I do not rede. This shall be in tyme to come / it hath not ben yet. Is the seruaunte than a dymynyssher of the dygnyte, yf he wyll not be greatter than his lorde and mayster? or the dyscyple, because he wyll not be greatter than he that sent hym? or the sone, because he wyll not passe beyonde the boundes or lymytes, whiche his fathers hathe set? who hathe ordayned me iudge vpon you? sayth that lorde and mayster. And shall it be iniurye to the seruaunt and dyscyple, excepte he do iudge all men? Saynt Bernarde therfore, yea rather Chryste and the apostles, do remoue or take a waye from theyr successours the bysshoppes and preestes, not onely the execucyon of seculer iudgement: but also the offyce or auctoryte of iudgynge of suche maner maters / wherfore the same Bernarde saythe afterwardes. These worldly thynges haue theyr mete iudges, the kynges and prynces of the erthe / why do you inuade the boundes of other men? why do you extende or put forthe your sythe, in to an other mannes corne? This sentence agayne he dothe repete, confyrme and fortyfye, in the seconde boke, and. iiii. cha­pytre / and we haue alledged it here to fore, in the. v. of this dyccyon / where, vnto the purpose here intended: he sayth thus / dyd he (that is to wyt Peter the apostle) leaue dominion & lordshyp to his successours? here what he sayth his owne selfe, not hauynge dominion, or beynge lordes ouer the clargye: but beynge made the example of the flocke. And because thou shalte not suppose, this to be spoken of humylyte, and not rather of trouthe, it is chrystes owne wordes in the gospell. The pryncꝭ and rulers of the Gentyles, haue dominion and lordshyp ouer them / and they whiche haue powre and auctoryte vpon them: are called benefyciall. And it foloweth / but you shall not do so / it is playne here, that domynyon and lordshyp is vtterly forbydden the apostles. Go thou than, and be bolde to vsurpe to thy selfe outher apostleshyp, beynge a lorde: or lordshyp, beynge an apostolyke person. Verely thou arte prohybyted from bothe (vnderstāde thou from hauynge bothe togyther.) And this is it whiche the same Bernarde addeth afterwardes / yf thou couete to haue bothe togyther at one tyme, thou shalte lese bothe. For els thynke not thy selfe to be excepted from the nombre of them: of whom the lorde god complayneth thus. They haue reygned: and not by me. They haue ben prynces and rulers, and I haue not knowen them. Agayne he expresseth the same sentence, in a certayne epystle to the archebysshop of Senone, where he saythe thus. So saythe these suggestours and councellers of dysobedyence / but chryste bothe cōmaunded, and also dyd otherwyse. Gyue you (sayd he) vnto Cesar, those thyn­ges, whiche are belongynge to Cesar / and vnto god: those thynges whiche are appertaynynge to god. And this whiche he spake with his mouthe: he dyd gyue dylygence to fulfyll anone after in his dede. He that was the creatour and maker of Cesar: was redy without delaye, to gyue trybute to Cesar. For he hath gyuen example to you, that you shulde do lykewyse. And howe shuld he denye dewe reuerence to the preestꝭ of god, whiche cared or regarded to gyue this reuerence euen to the seculer powres also? Chryst than wolde not haue tēporal domynyon vpon the prynces of this worlde, but he wolde be subiecte vnto them / and also gyue vnto them due trybute and reuerence, gyuynge an example to all his successours, fyrste to the apostles, and in conclusyon to preestes and bysshops, to do the same. Agayne expressynge the same sentēce afterwardes more playnly: he sayth thus / why than O relygious men, doth the auctoryte of preestꝭ greue you? do you feare infestacyon & noyaunce? but yf you do suffre any thynge for ryghtuousnes sake, you are blyssed / you contempne and dyspyse secularyte, that is to say seculer prynces. [Page 128] But no man was more seculer or worldly, than Pylate, afore whom our lorde stode to be iudged. Thou shuldest not haue (sayde he) any power ouer me: yf it were not gyuen to the from aboue. Euen than he spake for his selfe, & had experyence on his owne person, of that whiche he cryed afterwardes by the apostles, in churches or congregacyons. There is no power but of god. And who soeuer resy­steth the power: resysteth the ordynacyon of god. Go your way nowe than, and resyste the emperour the vycare and depute of chryste: whan chryst dyd not resyst, no not his aduersarye or saye, yf you dare, that god doth not knowe the dygnyte of the bysshop of Rome, whan chryste graunteth the power euen of the Emperoures deputie in Rome, to haue ben ordayned vpon or ouer hym selfe, from heuen aboue. The bysshop than vsurpeth the offyce of an other man, and extendeth his sythe in to an other mānes corne: whan he presseth hym selfe in to the iudgement of seculer actes betwene men, of what so euer condycyon or estate they be. And as Seculer iud­gement appertayneth not to be a bisshop towchynge to that, whiche Bernarde sayth in the aforesayde obieccyon, whiche swerde for all that who soeuer denyeth to be thyne: he semeth to me, not to marke suffycyentlye the wordes of chryste. &c. I do saye, that no man that euer I haue herde or sene, hath denyed that, or can denye it more expresselye: than he hym selfe hath done / as it is euydent of his saynges afore brought in and reherced. To whiche this also is to be added with reuerence / that the exposycyon of other sayntes, is alwayes more conuenyent vpon this place. For (as all men doth agre) the lo­cucyon or speache of chryste was metaphorycall, whan to the dyscyples sayenge. Lo here two swerdes: he answered, it is ynoughe or suffycyent / wherfore Chry­sostome saythe / for yf he had wylled, that they shulde vse worldlye subsydye and Chrysostome ayde: An. C. swerdes wolde not suffyce or be ynoughe / but yf it was his wyll, y ^t they shulde not vse worldlye subsydye or ayde: then euen two are superfluous, & mo than nedeth / wherfore it appereth, that the sence of chrystes wordes was my­stycall / which thynge euen his owne wordes euydently sygnyfyeth, in the. xxvi. of Mathewe & in y ^e. xviii. of Iohn̄, whan in y ^e tyme of defēce yf any defēce ought to haue ben made by those swerdes: he sayd vnto Pet (er). Turne thy swerde agayne in to his owne place, or in to the skaberde / in whiche sayenge, he sygnyfyed hym selfe not to haue cōmaunded, that any defēce shulde be made by the apostles with the swerdes, but that they had spoken mystycallye. After which sence, saynt Ambrose suffycyentlye regardynge and markynge the sayenge of our lorde: he ex­poundeth the aforesayd wordes sayenge in this wyse. Two swerdes are permytted / the one of the newe testament, and the other of the olde testament / by whiche Two swerdꝭ are the two testamentes by Chrysostō mes exposycion. we are armed and fenced, agaynst the dysceptes of the deuyll. And it is sayde, it is ynoughe or suffycyent, because he lacketh no thynge at all, whiche is armed and fenced with the doctryne of bothe testamentes / but these preestes which haue great desyre, and do laboure also with all outwarde enforcement, thoughe vn­duely and vnaccordynglye, to vsurpe domynyons and kyngdoms, they receyue wyllynglye and gladly straunge exposycyons of the scrypture, whiche semeth to taste or smatche of theyr owne corrupte opynyon, and lewde or croked affeccy­on. And yet for all that, thoughe the wordes of chryste were taken lytterallye. yet are they nothynge agaynst our sentēce & opynyon. For the materyall swerde is not dominion, neyther the iudgement of secular actes / neyther also after the metaphore, accordynge to the sentence of chryste, it maye sygnyfye domynyon or the offyce of a seculer iudge: whiche chryste hathe cōmytted to Peter or to any o­ther apostle / as the same Bernarde hathe proued manyfestlye in an other place, as we haue alledged / and brought in here tofore, and also haue vndoubtedly proued by the scrypture, in the. iiii. and. v. chapytres of this dyccyon. And where the [Page] sayde Bernarde saythe after folowynge. Peraduenture the swerde is thyne, and to be drawen forthe at thy byddynge and cōmaundemēt: I do saye, that he sayth here peraduenture, albeit that he oughte not to doubte in this, vnlesse peraduenture he do meane this, that a prynce or seculer gouernour in drawynge forthe the swerde, ought to haue regarde & respecte vnto the byddynge or wyll of the preeste that is to saye to the counsayle of the preeste in generall or specyall counsayle, after as the dede chaunseth to requyre, as in makynge warre, yf he do doubte, whether he shall do iustlye after the lawe of god, he ought to vse the counsayle of preestes: leste he do ronne in to deedlye synne / lykewyse as he oughte to do in all other his monastycall and cyuyle actes / namelye in whiche he doubteth throughe ignoraunce to ronne in to deedlye synne / not therfore because he is subiecte to a preeste in suche maner offyce. For after this maner also in gyuynge lycences of dyscyplynes, and in expellynge of leprouse persons out of the cytie / he oughte to vse the counsayle of experte and welskylled men, to whom for all that he is not subiecte in iurysdyccyon / as we haue sayde in the. x. chapytre of this deieccyon / wherfore Bernarde in the ende of the aforesayd sentence saythe / that this swerde oughte to be drawen forthe at the byddynge of the preeste, and the cōmaundemēt of the emperoure / he dyd not therfore by byddynge vnderstande cōmaundement or coactyue auctoryte / but counsayle. For this auctoryte he hathe expressed to ap­pertayne to the emperoure or prynce. Albeit that the bysshoppe of Rome very of­ten Bysshopps reyse warres vniustlye. tymes vniustlye cōmaundeth, the swerde to be drawen forthe also amonge chrysten men, one of them agaynst an other. And to be shorte and speake at one worde / yf Bernarde by these wordes vnderstande and meane, that suche maner offyce or iudgement dothe appertayne to the auctoryte of any preeste or bysshop, as beynge in this superyour to any seculer prynce, accordynge to iudgemēt of the thyrde sygnyfycacyon, in this worlde: I do saye, that manyfestlye and openly he doth saye bothe agaynst his owne selfe, and agaynst the holy scrypture, which he bryngeth in and alledgeth, as it appereth of the premysses / wherfore vtterly in The auctoryte of doctours may be refu­sed. this place I do refuse his sentence (yf it be suche maner one) as beynge not cano­nycall, but dyssonaunt and contrary to the canonycall scrypture. But to the say­enges of sayntes and doctours, and namelye vpon the scrypture alledged of the. xvi. of Mathewe. Thou arte Peter and vpon this stone. &c. And agayne vpon that texte in y ^e. xxii. of Luke, but I haue prayed for the Peter. &c. Agayne vpon that in the. xxi. of Iohn̄, yf thou louest me fede my shepe, by whiche sayengꝭ they do seme to intende, that powre and auctoryte hathe ben gyuen to saynt Peter a­boue the other apostles, by chryste īmedyatlye, callynge hym the prynce or heed of the apostles, and vnyuersall or generall pastor or herdysman, yea & some of them also callynge hym the heed of the churche: it is to be answered and sayde, but yet with reuerence, that chryste īmedyatly gaue vnto saynt Peter none auctoryte es­sencyall (whiche we haue called the auctoryte of preesthode) neyther any accyden­tall excellencye or preemynence of a pastor or bysshop, vpon the other apostles / But all suche maner auctoryte of one of them aboue an other amōge them selues Preestes are egall in dyg­nyte. he toke awaye bothe from Peter and also from the other / as we haue shewed euydently in the. xvi. of this dyccion, by the scrypture, and by the exposycion of sayntes and doctours. And after a certayne maner we haue reherced it agayne aboute the begynnynge of this chapytre / wherfore I folowynge chryste, and the apostle, and the sayenges of certayne of them in other places, what soeuer sentence they do seme to saye vpon the places of the scrypture nowe recyted and any other lyke places, concernynge suche maner prymacye or pryncipalyte, otherwyse than we haue sayde in the. xvi. and. xvii. of this dyccion: I do refuse it. For suche sen­tence [Page 129] is neyther canonycall, neyther necessarelye foloweth of the canonycall scrypture / yea moreouer some of them in expoundynge the scrypture in other pla­ces: hathe sayde the contrarye / but here they speake suche thynges without the scrypture, of theyr owne propre myndes / folowynge the custome / & regardynge more certayne cōmune famouse sayenges: than the wordes of the scrypture / for who wyll not meruayle, that, whan the apostles dyd contende and stryue a­monge them selues, whiche of them shulde be greattest. Chryste answered, that there shulde be equalyte alwayes amonge them / and that none of them shulde be superyoure in auctoryte to other / yf he dyd intende that saynt Peter shulde be more pryncypall and heed amonge them: why dyd not chryste also gyue a com­maundement or charge to the other apostles, that they shulde be vnder Peter in pastorall offyce: leaste so great a mystery myght be hyd from them and theyr suc­cessours, howe great was the heed of the churche? for it is not redde any where in the scrypture, that Chryste gaue any such cōmaundement to the apostles. Howe also dyd Peter than gyue the ryghte hande of societie and felowshyppe vnto Paule? Naye he oughte rather to haue gyuen hym cōmaundement, as beynge su­peryoure vnto hym. And to saye at one worde all the whole scrypture where this mater is touched: say the openlye the contrarye hereof. Agayne, thoughe we dyd graunte, that pastorall cure of the other apostles had ben cōmytted to saynt Pe­ter by chryste īmedyatly, whiche thynge for all that we haue denyed accordynge to the scrypture / yet coulde it not therfore be proued by the scrypture, that the bys­shoppe of Rome or any other bysshop, after the deathe of saynt Peter, is pastor of all the other bysshoppes, by the īmedyate ordynacyon of Chryste. And whan it was broughte in, that the churche than shulde be without a heed, and not haue ben ordered of chryste, after the best dysposycyon and ordre, yf he had lefte it with Heed of the churche. out a heed in his absence: we maye saye after the mynde of the apostle, as before. That chryste hathe alwaye remayned the heed of the churche / and all the apostles and ecclesyastycall mynystres are membres / as it appereth playnely in the. iiii. Membres of the churche. chapytre to the Ephesyans, and in very many other places, of whiche we haue broughte in and recyted many, in the. v. parte of the. xxii. chapytre of this dyccy­on. And this, chryste hym selfe also dyd manyfestlye sygnyfye in the laste of Mathewe, whan he sayde. And I am with you vntyll the ende of the worlde. And let hym that maketh this obieccyon and reason, saye, whether the churche also be not without a mortall heed oftentymes, whan the Romayne seate is vacante and without a bysshoppe / and it is euydent and vndoubted that yet / And yet it is not therfore to be graunted, that it was lefte inordynate or euyll ordered of chryste / wherfore we muste retourne agayne to the thynges aforesayde, and to those whiche we shall saye in the solucyon of the obieccyon folowynge / but to sa­tysfye and make answere more largelye to the reason, whiche is apparente, lette vs saye formablye or in forme. For whan it is deduced and inferred of it, that chryste hathe not ordered the churche after the best dysposycyon or ordre / yf he had not lefte a determynate man to be heed vnto the same churche in his absence: the illacyon or argument is to be denyed. And as towchynge to the sayenge of Au­gystyne, vpon that texte of Iohn̄, yf I wyl haue hym to abyde so, what is that to the? where he saythe, that the lyfe whiche is in faythe, is sygnyfyed or fygured Prymacie or pryorytye in tyme. by Peter the apostle, for the prymacye of his apostleshyp / I do saye, that Augu­styne meaned the prymacye or pryoryte in tyme. For Peter amonge other was fyrste called by chryste vnto apostleshyp / lykewyse as the same also fyrst in tyme receyuyd the promyse of the keyes / after the mynde of the sayde Augustyne, in [Page] the. xvi. of Mathewe, apon that texte. To the I wyll gyue the keyes of the kyngdome of heuens. For the lyfe whiche is in faythe, that is to saye of this cor­ruptyble worlde? in tyme gothe before that lyfe, whiche is in hope, that is to wytthe incorruptyble lyfe of the world to come. And vnto that confyrmacyon of the obiccicōs which was brought in of y ^e Decrees or Decretalles of the Popes of Rome: it is to be sayde generally, to all suche maner scryptures and sayenges beyng not such as we haue sayd, that we are not bounde to beleue or cōfesse and know­ledge them to be true / no more we are in suche thynges wherin they do contayne the contrarye of the aforesayde sentences whiche we do holde accordynglye to the We are not bounde vtterly to gyue credēce to y ^e De­crees & Decretalles. scryptures. But we do refuse them and openly deny them. And where they wyll conclude specyallye, that vnto the bysshoppe of Rome alone, or elles with his col­ledge of clarkes, auctoryte belongeth of instytutynge persons to ecclesyastycall offyces, and of gyuynge the temporalles or benefyces appoynted for the sayde offyces: it is to be sayde, that yf by the ecclesyastycall offyces be vnderstande the instytucyons or determynacyons of preestes and of the other sayde offycers, to the cures and charges of soules, outher greatter or smaller, in certayne places and to the gouernynge of certayne people / I saye that to instytute suche offyces, or to make the determynacyons of persones to the sayde offyces, and to dystrybute The benefy­ces are to be dystrybuted by the prynce or gyue the ecclesyastycall temporalles, appoynted for the sayde offyces / apper­tayneth to the chrysten prynce, after suche maner as we haue sayde in the. xvii. of this dyccyon. And it is to be sayde that generallye and euery where, this dothe not belonge to the auctoryte of any one bysshoppe, or one colledge of preestes a­lone / neyther it were expedyent so to be / as it hath ben shewed in the. xvii. of this dyccyon. Therfore where the contrarye of these thynges is obiected and layde a­gaynst vs, by the Decrees and Decretalles of the bysshoppes of Rome, it is to be sayde, that albeit suche maner Decrees or Decretalles, and any other lyke scryptures or sayenges, maye contayne verye manye documentes and counsay­les, profytable bothe for the state of this present worlde, and of the worlde to come. Yet in that that they are made by the bysshoppe of Rome with his colledge of clarkes: and also, without the lycence of the chrysten prynce and gouernoure, suche statutes do bynde no man to synne or payne, and namely temporall. For The makers of the Decre­talles are dys­posed as were the pharisyes they that make suche maner tradycyons are lykewyse dysposed, as were the pha­rysyes and scrybes, to whome Chryste sayde in the. vii. chapytre of Marke. But they worsshyp me in vayne / teachynge the doctrynes and preceptes of men. For you forsake the cōmaundement and teachynge of god / & do holde or kepe the tra­dycyons of men. And a lytle after it foloweth / you do well make voyde the com­maundement of god / that you maye kepe your owne tradycyon. That is to wytthe Decrees and Decretalles, concernynge the vsurpacion of temporall thynges. The Decre­talles are neyther goddes lawes, ney­ther mannes lawes. For the Decretalles, in that that they are suche / are not the lawes of god or of man / but narracyons or documentes / and very many of them in many poyntes, are certayne oblygarchycall statutes / wherfore the makers of suche maner statu­tes or Decrees, agaynst the fourme and maner, and without the auctoryte afore sayde / and inducynge any man to the obseruacyon of them, and as it were, com­pellynge hym, by threatenynge eternall dampnacyon to the transgressours of The canonystes ben they y ^t make scys­me & diuysyō and styre vp treason. them / or inferrynge or sendynge forthe agaynst any man blasphemyes, curses, or other maledyccyons outher by worde or by wrytynge / are to be punysshed corpo­rallye with extreme punysshement, as beynge conspyrers, and the reysers of cy­uyle scysme and dyuysyon. For this is the moste greuouse kynde of treason, that [Page 130] maye be. For it is dyrectlye cōmytted agaynst the offyce of the soueraygne or prynce and gouernoure of the realme or cōmunytye, and it bryngeth also to the pluralyte cheyfe gouernours / and so consequent­ly of necessyte vnto the vndoynge and destruccion of all maner cyuyle gouernaunce, and also of all cōmune weales.

¶ Of the solucyon of the obieccyons, brought in of the scryp­tures in the thyrde chapytre of this seconde parte to shewe or proue, that coactyue iurysdyccion doth belonge to bysshoppes, in that they are bysshops, and that the hyghest coactyue iurysdyccyon dothe belonge to the bysshoppe of Rome.
The, xxix, chapytre,

ANd to the other obieccyons broughte in of the scrypture in the thyrde chapytre of this dyccyon, by reason of whiche, it myghte seme peraduenture to some man, that it myghte be proued, that the bysshoppe of Rome or any other bys­shoppe is iudge (after the thyrde sygnyfycacyon of this worde iudge) vpon all clarkes, or indyfferentlye vpon all men, of euery realme or cōmunytie, without the instytu­cyon of the prynce, or prynces, but by the īmedyate ordy­nacyon of god / it is to be sayde or answered, and fyrste to that obieccyon whiche was taken of the. xvi. chapytre of Mathewe, whan Chryste sayde to saynt Pe­ter, I shall gyue to the the keyes of the kyngdome of heuens. &c. That by these sayde wordes Chryste gaue none other powre or auctoryte to saynt Peter or to The powre of preestes. any other apostle or apostles / than to bynde and lose men from synnes / as saynt Bernarde saythe expresselye to Eugenius in the fyrste boke De consideratione, and the. v. chapytre / and we haue broughte in his wordes here tofore in the se­conde parte of the. v. chapytre of this dyccion / where is shewed of fulnes of powre and also of the keyes of the kyngdome of heuens. Of whiche powre also it hathe ben spoken seryouslye in the. vi. and. vii. chapytres of this dyccion. Neyther gaue Chryste the fulnes of this powre to Peter nor none other of the apostles / other­wyse than it hathe ben sayde in the. xxiii. chapytre of this dyccyon / wherfore the bysshoppe of Rome, or elles any other bysshop or preeste, hathe not by the reason The keyes of the kyngdom of heuen not of this world of these wordes receyued of chryste in the persone of the apostle or apostles, any coactyue auctoryte or iurysdyccion in this worlde, vpon any clarke or laye man. For it was sayd I shall gyue the keyes of the kyngdom of heuens, to y ^e dyfferēce [Page] of the worldlye kyngdome or domynyon. For from suche maner regyment and domynyon, Chryste by the example of his owne selfe, sygnyfied euery one of the apostles and euery successoure of them bysshop or preeste, to be excluded / whan he sayd in the. xii. of Luke. Thou man who hathe ordayned or made me iudge / that is to wyt of erthlye thynges. And the same also is proued by other thynges here tofore brought in, in the. iiii. and. v. chapytres of this dyccion. And after the same or lyke maner it is to be sayd also vnto the auctorytes taken of the scrypture in y ^e xviii. of Mathe we and the. xx. of Iohn̄, whan Chryste sayde to his apostles / what soeuer thyngꝭ you shall bynde vpon the erthe. &c. And whose soeuer synnes you shall forgyue / they are forgyuen. &c. For by these wordes Chryste gaue vnto them none other powre, than this aforesayde, and that after suche maner as we haue sayde. And vnto the other auctoryte, whiche was taken of the. xi. chapytre of Mathewe, whan chryste sayde. All thynges are gyuen to me of my father: it is to be sayde, that it foloweth not. All thynges are gyuen to me of my father, ergo I haue gyuen powre of all thynges to the apostle or to the apostles / as we haue sayde also in the. iiii. chapytre of this dyccyon. For by this inquysycyon it is not doubted, what powre and auctoryte Chryste myghte haue gyuen to the apostle or apostles and to theyr successours: but what powre it was his wyll to gyue, and what he hathe gyuen to them in very dede / and from what powre he hathe prohybyted them, by his counsayle or precepte. For these thynges haue ben suffy­cyentlye shewed in the. iiii. v. and. vi. and. ix. chapytres of this dyccyon / wherfore Bernarde also intēdynge & meanynge this same in the thyrd boke and fyrst cha­pytre De consideratione vnto Eugenius pope: saythe in this wyse. For I do not suppose that vtterlye and all maner wayes. But as me thynke after a cer­tayne maner, dyspensacyon hathe ben cōmytted to the, vpon it, that is to wytte, vpon the worlde and not possessyon therof to haue ben gyuen vnto the / yf thou do holde on to vsarpe the worlde: he speaketh agaynst the, whiche saythe. The worlde is myne, and the fulnes of it. Thou arte not he, of whome the prophete saythe. And the whole erthe shall be his possessyon. Chryste is he whiche chalen­geth the possessyon hereof vnto hym selfe, by the ryght and tytle of creacyon, and by the meryte of redempcyon. And the same Bernarde speaketh ino thynges af­terwardes to this same purpose, whiche I haue lefte out and ouerhypped here, because the premysses are suffycyent, and also for the more spede and breyfnes of our processe. Therfore chryste dyd not gyue all thynges to the apostle or the apostles, that were gyuen vnto hym, and after suche maner as they were gyuen to hym of his father / but he cōmytted onely certayne thynges to them and after a certayne and determynate maner or fascyon. Moreouer after the exposycyon of all sayntꝭ and holy doctours vpon this place, Chryste intended and meaned this gyfte of all thynges to haue ben made vnto hym selfe, as touchynge to his god­hede, by whiche he was eternall / whiche thynge coulde not be agreynge to any of the apostles or of theyr successours. Wherfore these wordes of chryste, do not so moche as apparentlye inferre or conclude any thynge contrarye to the sentence whiche we do holde. And to that obieccyon whiche was taken of the xxviii. of Mathewe, and the laste chapytre, whan Chryste sayd. All powre is gyuen to me in heuen and in erthe: it is to be answered and sayde lykewyse as vnto the obiectcyon last afore gone / for althoughe we do graunte that chryste as touchynge to his humanyte also, had receyued all maner powre in erthe / yet it foloweth not therfore, that he hathe gyuen all maner powre to the apostle or apostles / but one­lye that powre wherof it is spoken in the laste of Mathewe and the. xx. of [Page 131] Ihon̄ / whiche powre we haue declared also in the. vi. and vii. chapytres of this dyccyon / for after suche powre onely, Chryste came to reygne. Wherfore saynte Iherome vpon this place saythe thus / powre was gyuen to hym in heuen and Iherom in erthe: y ^t he whiche raygned afore in heuen: myght raygne in erthe, by the faythe of them that shulde beleue in hym. And vnto that obieccyon whiche was taken of the. viii. of Mathe we and the. v. of Marke where it is red that the fendes or de­uylles prayed hym sayenge. Byue vs leaue to entre in to the swyne, it is to be answered and sayde, that this texte also dothe not make agaynst the sentence whi­che we do holde. For thoughe we do graunte (as the trouthe is) that chryste had, yf he had wolde, all domynyon and powre of temporall thynges, euen as tou­chynge to his humanyte also / yet can it not hereof be concluded of necessyte, that he gaue lyke powre to the apostle or apostles, or to the successours of them. Naye rather Chryste, bothe by his workes, and also by his wordes, taughte them to flee and esche we the possessyon and domynyon of temporall thynges / and so all coactyue iurysdyccyon or iudgement of any man in this worlde / as it hathe ben shewed in the. iiii. and. v. chapytres of this dyccyon / and hathe also ben repeted or reherced agayne in the chapytre last afore gone. And yf it so be, that at any tyme Note here well howe chryste some­tyme vsed co­actyue iurys­dyccyon, and note the an­swere to the same Chryste hathe vsed the powre or domynyon of suche maner thynges / yet he dyd not vse it after the maner of a worldlye prynce or iudge / but wonderfullye, and very seldome, by the powre of his godhede rather than of his manhede / as in the expulsyon of these spyrytes wherof mencyon is made in this present obieccyon / and in the dryenge vp of the fygge tree / wyllynge by this to sygnyfye vnto his apostles the nature of his godhede / by reason wherof he myghte strengthe them the more in the fayth / or elles also for some better intent & purpose vnknowen to man & knowen to hym, as Chrysostome & Iherome sayth vpon the same place. That the occasyon (sayth Iherome) of the saluacion of men myght be, by the kyllyng of y ^e hogges. And therfore chryst dyd not teache them to do myracles / as we The hogges drowned of the feendes. haue brought in here tofore in the. iiii. of this diccion, of saynt Augustyn De ver bis dn̄i in the. x. sermon vpon Mathewe. And therfore moche lesse he wolde, that they shulde exercyse power to the hurte or offendynge of other men. Wherfore he dyd not exercyse suche maner thynges, to the intente that they ought to exercyse suche thynges: but that he myght shewe vnto them hym self to be very god. And to the obieccyon whiche was brought in of the. xxii. of Mathewe, the. xi. of Mar­ke, and the. xix. of Luke: where it is redde. Than Ihesus sente. ii. descypses, say­enge vnto them. Soo you in to the castell whiche is ouer agaynst you: and you shal fynde an asse bounde. &c. it is to be answered, lykewyse, lykewyse, as vnto the obieccy on imeoyatlye aforegone. And that obieccyon of the two swerdes, whiche is ta­ken of the. xxii. of Luke, & the other of the fedynge of the shepe, taken of the. xxi. of Ihon: dothe make nothynge agaynst, neyther dothe inferre or conclude any thyng necessarely, whiche is contradyctorye to the sentence whiche we do holde / as we haue shewed seryously in the chapytre aforegone. For Chryst by these wordes dyd not gyue to saynt Peter, or to any other apostle, or to any successoure of them, iurysdyceyon or iudgemente coactyue of any maner in this worlde: but he gaue to hym onely the offyce of a pastor or herdysman, of whiche offyce we haue spoken suffycyently in the. ix. of this last parte. And as touchynge to that which the apostle sayth in the. vi. chapytre of the fyrste epystle to the Coryntheans, Do you not knowe, that we shall iudge aungels? Howe moche more than shall we iudge seculer thynges? This texte is neyther it selfe cōtradyctorye, neyther infer­reth any thynge contradyctorye to the sentence, whiche we do holde. For Paule in the aforesayde wordes or scrypture dyd not monysshe / speake / or counsayleth [Page] vnto preeses onelye / but generallye vnto all the chrysten people of Corinthe he wrote that epystle, as appereth and is euydent by his salutacyon. For they dyd contende, and stryue one with an other, aboute seculer thynges, drawynge one an other afore heathen iudges / wherfore the apostle monysshed them, as a pastor or herdysman gyuynge them councell, that they shulde constytute and make iud­ges vnto them selues of the company of chrysten men. And chose not bysshoppes or preestes, but other that were not bysshoppes or preestes / wherfore the apostle saythe īmedyatlye folowynge. Therfore yf you shall haue seculer iudgementes / ordeyne and sette them to be iudges, whiche are contemptyble in the churche. I saye it to your rebuke / is there none so wyse a man amonge you, whiche maye gyue iudgement betwene his brother and brother? but dothe one brother contende and stryue with an other brother in iudgement, afore infydels and heathen iud­ges? whiche texte of the apostle the glose expoundynge, after the mynde of Am­brose, Augustyne, and Gregorye, saythe in this wyse. In lyke maner as he hath repreued them, for that they pleaded causes, and stroue in iudgement afore infy­dels, despysynge and smally regardynge chrysten men / euen so nowe he rebuketh them, because they made contēptyble persones iudges, althought they were chry­sten. And therfore he saythe yf you shall haue seculer iudgementes, because suche iudgementes are not to be had, but rather to be despysed / but yf you haue suche iudgementes, ordayne and sette to gyue iudgement, those contemptyble, that is to saye, vndyscrete and vyle persones, whiche are in the churche. That is to saye thus haue you done, by reason wherof, the brethren myghte be compelled, to haue recourse agayn [...] vnto infydels or hethen iudges. The apostle repreueth and rebuketh this in them, speakynge Ironycallye / that is to saye, meanynge the contra­rye to that, that his wordes dothe sounde. And because it was not semely or con­uenyent that they shulde do so therofre he sayth by and by after. I speake to your shamefastnes / or to your reuerence / that is to saye, I do not cōmaunde / but I do speake, that you shulde be asshamed / and you oughte to be ashamed, that there is not one man amonge you so wyse / that he is able to iudge betwene his brother and brother, but that you must nedelye make fooles iudges. And yet for all that these fooles are to be made iudges, rather than you shulde go to heathen iudges, yf there wante wyse men amonge you. I saye is there not so wyse a man amon­ge you, but dothe one brother stryue with an other brother, in iudgement? whiche is an euyll thynge / yea and that afore heathen iudges / which is a worse thynge / or elles thus. Therfore yf you shall haue seculer iudgementes. &c. Because the a­postle had sayd, that they myght iudge of these leaste or smalest thynges, therfore he doth nowe determyne, who are to be ordayned and appoynted iudges to the determynynge of suche maters / that is to wytte, the contemptyble persones, which are in the churche. For the greatter or more worshypfull persones oughte to gyue attendaunce to spyrituall thynges. But you whiche ought to iudge, for asmoche as you must iudge: yet do after this maner. Yf you haue seculer bysynes or ma­ters / ordayne or sette them to be iudges, whiche are contemptyble in the churche / that is to saye, some wyse men, which for all that are of lesse meryte / for the apostles, whiche went aboute to preache the gospell, coulde not gyue attendaunce to suche busynesses. The apostle wolde therfore, that those wyse chrysten and holy men whiche contynued and abode styll in one place, and not those whiche ranne aboute from place to place to preache the gospell / shulde be the examyners and iudges of suche maner bysynes and causes. From whiche we can not excuse our selfe by no maner wayes: althoughe we wolde. For I call god to wytnesse and recorde that I hadde leuer eache daye worke somwhat certayne howres with [Page 132] my handes, and to haue certayne houres at lybertie, to rede, and praye, or to worke somwhat of the dyuyne scryptures, than to suffre the troublouse perplexites of causes concernynge seculer maters and busynesses or stryues whiche are ou­ther to be decyded and ended by iudgement, or elles to be preuented & put awaye by entreatynge or goynge betwene. I saye, ordayne you or appoynte you con­temptible persons, and this I do saye to your reuerence / that is to wyt, that they shulde examyne and iudge erthly causes / whiche haue gotten the wysdome and knowledge of exteryoure or outwarde thynges. And they whiche are enryched with spyrytuall gyftes, ought not to be entangled with worldly maters or busynesses / so that whyles they are not compelled to dyspose these worldlye goodes, they maye be able to do seruyce to the superyour or celestyall goodes. But yet it is greatly to be prouyded and taken hede of, that they, whiche are excellent in spyrytuall gyftes, do not in any wyse vtterly forsake the busynesses of theyr we ake neyghbours, but lette them outher cōmytte the sayde busynesses to be ordred and brought to an ende, vnto other mete and conuenyent persones, or elles take the same maters in hande theyr owne selues. And these scryptures of the apostle and of sayntes, are to be noted and marked / for fyrst it appereth by the sayd scryptures, that all contencyons (betwene what soeuer persones) aboute suche thyngꝭ whiche do not appertayne to the lawe of god, are seculer and not spyrytuall and do belonge to seculer iudgement. For the apostle speaketh generallye / and so lyke wyse doth the sayntes vpon this place / makynge no dyfference (as there is none in dede) betwene the temporall or cyuyle contencyons of preestes amonge them selues one with an other, and generallye of clarkes, or which are betwene preestꝭ and laye men, and betwene them whiche are amonge laye men selues, one with an other. For lette the sophyster or mysuser of wordes (I beseche hym) whiche cal­leth that spyrytuall, whiche is vtterlye seculer after the mynde and callynge of the apostle and of sayntes, let hym, I saye, tell me, whether a preeste doynge in­iurye to his brother beynge outher preeste or not preeste in worde or dede, dothe a spyrytuall iniurye, more than dothe a laye man, yf he do lyke iniurye. For to say so, it is a folysshe and a scornefull sayenge / and to byleue it, is vttermoste mad­nes. The outwarde offence of a preeste is more seculer a great deale then is the of­fence of a lay man. For without doubte the iniurye whiche is done by a preeste, is more seculer and more detestable iniurye than that whiche is done by a laye man / For he syn­neth or trespasseth the more greuouslye and more shamefully, whiche is bounden to teache an other man, bothe by his wordes and also by the example of his wor­kes, not to do iniurye / as it hathe ben seryouslye shewed in the. viii. chapytre of this dyccyon. And that suche actes of clarkes are seculer and not spyrytuall, and that they oughte so to be called, saynt Augustyne wytnesseth openly in the afore sayd glose, whan he calleth the contencyouse causes of preestes and of clarkes, whiche were pleaded afore hym whiche was a bysshoppe, troublouse perplexites of causes aboute seculer busynesses / makynge no dyfference of these causes or cō ­tencyons, notwithstandynge the condycyon or estate of the persones / for this dyfference of a preeste, and of hym that is no preeste, as touchynge to this thynge, is but accydenttall / lykewyse as the dyfference of a hoope or rynge beynge of golde, and of a rynge beynge of syluer / whiche dyfference no craftes man or cun­nynge man dothe assygne, because it maketh or causeth none essencyall dystync­cion in the effecte or thynge wrought. It appereth also secondarylye, that the iudgement or to be iudge of suche maner actes belongeth not to preestes. And that to instytute suche maner iudge, doth nomore, but peraduenture lesse appertayne to the auctoryte of them, than of other chrysten men as it hathe ben shewed in the xv. of the fyrste dyccion. And therfore the apostle sayde not to any bysshoppe or [Page] preeste. Constitue y ^t is to saye ordayne or appoynte thou. For where any thynge was to be done, whiche appertayned to the offyce of a bysshop or preeste, he gaue charge syngulerlye to hym, that he shulde do it, as to preche the gospell / or to exer­cyse other offyces, whiche are properlye belongynge to a preeste or pastor / wher­fore in the fyrste chapytre to Tite, he saythe. For this cause I haue lefte the in Cretelande that thou shuldest correcte or amende those thynges, which are wan­tynge / that is to wyt, as touchynge the holsome doctryne and maners / and that thou shuldest cōstytute and ordayne preestes, throughout all Crete in euery cytie: so as I haue dysposed & ordred to be done / but yet he sayde not to hym, appoynte thou, or ordayne thou a iudge to examyne seculer busynesses or maters. Neyther whan he wrote to the Coryntheans, dyd he saye, the bysshop or preeste shall con­stytute or appoynte to you iudges, but gaue them councell, or tolde them what was best to be done / wherfore the glose vpon those wordes I do speake it to your shame, sayth thus / as who shulde say, I do not cōmaunde you: but I do tell you that you shulde be ashamed. For the apostle knewe very well, that to instytute suche maner iudges, dyd not appertayne to his offyce / & by so moch the lesse than to any other preeste or bysshop. Neyther moreouer dyd he councell, that any preest or bysshop shulde betaken or chosen to the exercysynge of suche maner offyce: but rather the contrarye. For no man (as he saythe) that warreth to god: entangleth or wrappeth hym selfe in seculer or worldlye busynesses. But he councelled, that He calleth them cōtēpti­ble, whiche were not me­te to preache, not because they ben so indede, but aft (er) a maner of spekīge, wherin he meneth by cōtēptible men, lay mē. iudges shulde be apoynted and ordayned, out of that sorte whiche were contemp­tyble in the churche / that is to saye out of the nombre of chrysten men and suche persons, as were not able nor mete to preche / howbeit not all / but after the expo­sycyon of sayntes the apostle wylled or counsayled that they shulde examyne & iudge erthlye or worldly causes: whiche had goten knowledge of outwarde thyn­ges / but they whiche are enryched with spyrytuall geftes: ought not to be entan­gled or wrapped in seculer busynesses / whiche thynge saynt Bernarde sayd openlye and playnlye to Eugenius in the fyrste boke and the. v. chapytre De conside­ratione / and we haue broughte in his wordes, in the chapytre īmedyatlye afore­gone. But peraduenture some man shall obiecte, and laye agaynst vs the say­enge of saynt Augustyne in the gloses afore rehersed. For saynt Augustyne spe­akynge of the iudgement of seculer contencious actes: saythe thus / from whiche we can not excuse our selfe althoughe we wolde / whose sentence also Gregorie cōfyrmynge in the same place: saythe thus moreouer. But yet it is greatlye to be An obieccion that preestes may be iudgꝭ & apoynte iudges. prouyded & sene vnto, y ^t they, which are excellent in spyrytual gyftes. &c. But let the bysshoppes outher cōmytte these iudgementes of seculer actes, to be taken in hande of them, whiche are persons cōuenyent and mete therunto: or elles let them selues exercyse the sayde iudgementes. So by these wordes than it semeth, that to iudge suche maters, and to ordayne or appoynte iudges of suche maters, dothe appertayne to bysshoppes or preestes in that they are bysshoppes or preestes / se­ynge that after the sentence and mynde of sayntes, the bysshoppes and preestes maye not be excused from suche iudgementes. And that they muste greatly pro­uyde. &c. But to those obieccyons, and to other lyke sayenges of sayntes and doc­tours, An answere to the forsayd obieccion. let vs answere and saye / that in the olde tyme, and in the tymes of the a­foresayde sayntes, for the reuerence of the estate of preesthode, and for the confy­dence of the maners and vertue of preestes at that tyme, & for other causes wher­of we haue spoken in the. v. parte of the. xxv. of this dyccyon: it was graunted by the chrysten prynces, to bysshoppes, and to the pryncypall pastores and cura­tes of soules, to exercyse the offyce of a iudge in the thyrde sygnyfycacion, ouer or vpon the persones of clarkes and theyr temporalles / to the intent, that they shuld [Page 133] be the lesse vexed or troubled from the dyuyne seruyce / and that they shulde be the more honestlye entreated in seculer causes. And because certayne of the sayntes a foresayd were made bysshoppes in the prouynces or places, whose prynces or in­habytaūtes had gyuen the iudycyall offyce to the bysshoppes: excepte they wolde haue renounced and refused or forsake the bysshopryche they coulde not haue ben excused from suche maner care of the seculer causes or maters betwene clarkes. But here agayne some man shall doubte not without a cause, and aske a questy Howe ryches possessyons, and iudgemē tes crept in to the churche. on, why holy men as saynt Syluester, and many other haue taken vnto them selues seculer iudgementes, and powres, and the possessyon, and admynystracy­on of temporall thynges: yf suche maner thynges be not agreynge, neyther hathe ben agreynge, or conuenyent, to the offyce of preestes, bysshoppes, and other pre­chers of the gospell? I suppose it is to be answered and sayd, accordynge to the ve­rytes afore brought in, namely in the. xvii. and the. xxv. of this dyccyon, that the churche or multytude of chrysten people beynge very lytle or small aboute the be­gynnynge & so consequently also alonge season after suffred oftentymes of the heathen prynces & subicctes, verye many persecucyons, euen vnto martyrdome and deathe / and lyued in great pouertye / wherfore the holye bysshoppes, and true pastores or herdysmen, for the saluacyon, augmentacyon, conseruacyon, and sus­tentacyon of the flocke: obtayned and gate of the deuoute chrysten emperoures, beynge fauourable vnto them, graces, and fauoures, grauntes, or pryuylegyes, or elles receyued them whan they were offred: to the intente, that they myght do good to the chrysten people, and defend and comforte them. So than the holy bysshoppes, for these sayd causes cheyfly, toke vnto them the iudgementes of seculeractes and contencyons, namely betwene clarkes. So also they toke the admynystracyon and charge or orderynge of certayne temporall thynges, without possessyon, or domynyon, or auctoryte of chalengynge them: that this myght turne or redounde to the profyte and succoure of the pore chrysten people. Wherfore saynte Ambrose De tradendis basilicis, in y ^e place heretofore alledged sayth in this wy­se / yf the emperour do desyre the landes, he hath powre and auctoryte to chalenge Ambrose. them / none of vs dothe lette hym, for the collacyon of the people maye be suffycy­ent and habundaūt to the poore folke. None of the preests than or of the bysshops dyd stryue or entreate for the landes. For they folowynge chryste and the apost­les: renounced the domynyon of them / but they stroue constantlye and boldly for the faythe: euen vnto the deathe notwithstandynge that our bysshoppes nowe a dayes, and namely the popes of Rome, do fyghte stronglye and manfullye for landes and seculer domynyons. And for the same do on euery syde rayse vp warres betwene chrystes faythfull people, sayenge that in this they do defende the The bisshop­pes of Rome ben warry­ours. ryght of chrystes spousesse. Albeit that in very dede they are not the ryghtes but the wronges of the sayde spousesse. And in a maner they do nothynge at all re­garde, to defende the very true spousesse of chryste, that is to wytte the faythe, the doctryne, and maners of chrysten people, that she be not corrupted by croked and The spousesse of chryste. lewde vses or actes, or by the cruell vyolence of infydels. For these causes therfore in the olde tyme some of the sayntes receyued suche maner offyces and benefyces: whiche the bysshops and preestes nowe a dayes myght conuenyently renounce, at the leste wyse in the cōmunytes of chrysten people, the clargye beynge suffycy­ently defended from oppressyons / yea the clargye can scarslye be repressed, from offendynge and hurtynge other men. But to renounce suche maner seculer offy­ces, and the possessyon and domynyon of temporall thynges: is not the purpose The purpose of our prelats now a dayes. of our prelates and pastores nowe a dayes / but theyr purpose is to fyghte also with armed powre, not onely for the conseruacyon and mayntenaunce of suche [Page] maner thynges whiche they haue all redy: but also to vsurpe the resydew of suche maner thyngꝭ whiche they haue not as yet / (as euery man be he neuer so vnlear­ned: may lerne by his sences, yf by none other thynge) very greatly slaunderynge and offendynge the hole multytude of chrysten people: by this example of amby­cyon / not regardynge the cōmynacyon of chryste, in the. xviii. of Mathew, whan he sayde / who so euer shall offende, or gyue occasyon of euyll to one of these lytell ones. &c. Where the glose saythe thus / after the mynde of saynt Iherome. Albeit that it maye be a generall sentence agaynst all men, whiche do gyue occasyon of euyll to any man: yet after the processe of the texte, it maye seme also to haue ben sayde agaynst the apostles / whiche in that they asked who shulde be greattest: se­med to contende and stryue amonge them selues aboute dygnyte / And yf they shulde haue contynued in this vyce: they myght by theyr occasyon and example gyuen, haue hurte theym whom they called to the fayth, whyles they shuld se the apostles stryue and fyght amonge them selues aboute honoure. And that whiche Iherome saythe of the apostles: is to be vnderstanded also of all the successoures of theym, bysshops or preestes / whiche for all this yf they wyll not of theyr owne good wylles renounce and forsake suche maner iudycyall offyces, and the aucto­ryte Iudycyall of fyces ar to be reuoked from preestes. of dystrybutynge temporall thynges: but do mysuse them: the chrysten pryn­ces maye lawfullye, bothe acordynge to the lawe of god and also of man, yea and ought in dede to reuoke the sayde offyces and temporalles from theym / as it hath ben shewed and proued in the. xv. of the fyrste dyccyon, and in the. xvii. of this dyccyon. And as to wchyng to that whiche was obiected of the apostle in the ix. of the fyrste to the Corynthyanes & in the thyrde of y ^e seconde to the Thessalo­nianes, haue not we power &c. it hath ben dissolued & answered vnto, in y ^e. xiiii. of this dyccyon. For suche power (as it was sayde there) is not power of iurysdyecyon: but power of askynge lawfullye accordynge to the lawe of god (howe be it yet not in coactyue iudgemente) meate, drynke, and clothynge, due to hym selfe for the mynystryng of the gospell, of such as are able to gyue such thynges. And to that obieccyon, whiche was taken of the. v. chapytre of the fyrste to Timothe, whan the apostle sayde. Agaynste a preeste or senyour receyue thou none accusa­cyon. &c. It is to be answered and sayde that the apostle vnderstode and meaned here yf a preeste ought to be openly rebuked of his superyour pastor, or doctoure. For the apostle dyd not bydde any bysshop or preest to exercyse coactyue iurysdyecyon apon any man because he knew, this thyng not to appertayne to his aucto­ryte nor to the auctoryte of any successoure vnto hym. And the apostle sygnyfied here that the correpcyon, whiche belongeth to a prelate or pastor: is onely by wordes, as it appereth by the wordes that foloweth. Rebuke synners afore all men: that the other may haue feare. And he sayd not, take them, or enpryson them. But he taughte, that suche whiche were incorryble and wolde not be amended with wor­des: shulde be eschewed and the companye of them auoyded. Wherefore in the thyrde to Tyte he sayth, Eschewe or auoyde his company that is an heretyke: after the fyrste and seconde correpcion, for because he is condempned by the iudgement of his owne selfe.

[Page 134] ¶ Of the solucyon of the reasons or argumentes, brought in, in the same thyrde chapytre also, for the same purpose / and of the translacyon of the romayne empyre, & of any other empyre or domynyon, as moch as may be and ought to be done accordynge to ryght reason.
The, xxx, chapytre,

THe resydewe and the last chapytre of this dyccyon is, to solue the reasons or argumentes, which also we brought in, in the thyrde of this Answers to obieccyons, made in the thyrde chapy­tre of this parte▪ dyccyon, to confyrme and fortyfye the erroure of them, which do say that coactyue iurysdyccyons dothe appertayne vnto preestes or bys­shops, in that they are preestes or bysshops / and that the hyghest co­actyue iurysdyccyon of all in this worlde / doth belonge to the bysshop of Rome. To the fyrste therfore of the sayde reasons, where it was sayde, that as the body hath it selfe in comparyson vnto the soule / so lykewyse hath the gouernoure of The fyrst ar­gument. Answere. the bodye, hym selfe vnto the gouernoure of the soule: this proposycyon, yf it be vnyuersally taken: it is false / For albeit y ^t there is a distynccyon or dyfference be­twene the soule and the bodye, because the soule is not the bodye: yet for all that, there is no prynce or gouernour of the body, but the same is also som maner way prynce or gouernoure of the soule, and lykewyse backwarde agayne / takynge this worde prynce in his proper sygnyfycacyon as it appereth in the. viii. and. ix. chapytres of this dyccyon. But yf by the prynce or Ruler of the bodye, after a metaphore, be vnderstanded the physycyon, whiche hath the cure and gouernaunce of the bodye as an operatyue or practyke doctoure, and as touchyng to the actes & operacyons of the vnreasonable & nutrytyue parte of man: and yf also by the prynce or gouernoure of the soule, be vnderstanded the sprytuall leche, and the teacher or operatyue mayster, as touchynge to the actes and operacyons of the reasonable and appetityue parte of man, as well in the state and for the state of this present world, of whiche sorte be the doctours and teachers of the humayne scyen­ces or dyscyplynes, as for the state of the worlde to come, of whiche sorte be pasto­res and curates and preestes: than the sayde proposycyon taken indyfynytlye but not generallye / maye be graunted. For yf it be taken genreallye: it myghte al­wayes be impugned and reasoned agaynst by manyfolde obieccyons. For there are many dyfferences betwene the soule and the bodye, or betwene the reasona­ble porcyon of man and the brutysshe, whiche same dyfferences are not betwene the gouernoure and teacher, as touchynge to the workes of the one parte, and the gouernour or teacher as touchynge to the workes of the other parte. For the reasoble parte made vnto y ^e lykenes or Image of the Trynyte: can reason and make syllogysmes. And the vnreasonable parte, can not do so / and yet this dyfference is not betwene the gouernoures and teachers as touchynge to the actes of these sayde. ii. partes / and so lykewyse in many other thynges. Though we therfore do graunte this proposycyon in some sence, that is to wytte, that lykewyse as the reasonable and appetityue power of the man is more noble than the body, as touchynge to the nutrytyue power, so in lyke maner the teacher and gouernoure of A doctour or teacher is more noble than a leche or phy­sycyon. the reasonable parte of man. &c. Is more worthye and noble than he whiche is orderer of the bodye / or yf this comparyson or symylytude also be made betwene the orderer of the bodye, for the state or ende onely of this present world, and hym which is teacher of y ^e soule for the state or ende of y ^e worlde to come / I say though [Page] we do graūte the one teacher to be more perfyte than the other / yet it dothe not fo­lowe hereof, that he whiche is the perfyter of these two is ruler, iudge, or prymate ouer hym that is the lesse perfyte, by iudgement coactyue. For so shulde the mathe matycall doctour or teacher be prynce or gouernour and coactyue iudge ouer the physycyon and very many other inconuenyences manyfestlye shulde folowe he­reof. But yf by the gouernour of the bodyes be vnderstāded the prynce or coactyue iudge of men: or a iudge of the thyrde sygnyfycacyon, in the state, and for the state or ende of this present worlde onely or pryncypallye, and by the gouernour of sou­les be vnderstanded he, whiche is iudge after the thyrde sygnyfycacyon, pryncy­pallye, for the state or ende of the worlde to come (so as the maker of the reason or argument semeth to intende) this comparyson or proposycyon and symylytude myght be graunted, after some sence, yf it be taken indefynytly. But taken vnyuersally, (as we haue sayd before) it may be proued false by dyuerse & many rea­sons. And whan it is added or put to afterwardes, that the body is vnder the soule, or that the vnreasonable parte is vtterly or elles after a certayne maner vnder the reasonable parte: thoughe we do graunt the body to be vnder the soule as tou­chynge to perfeccyon: yet it foloweth not hereof, that the one is vnder the other, Howe the bo­dy is vnder the soule. as touchynge to iurysdyccyon / for he that shuld make that illacyon or argument shulde cōmytte the vyce or faulte of argumentacion called fallacia consequentis. And thoughe we dyd graunte (albeit not for this argumentacyon) that the prynce or gouernoure of the bodyes, that is to wytte the coactyue iudge of men, for the state of this present worlde onely, is vnder, as touchynge to iurysdyccyon, the coactyue iudge of soules for the state of the worlde to come: yet it foloweth not ther­fore, that any prynce or coactyue iudge of this world, is as touchyng to iurysdyccyon, vnder any bysshoppe or preeste. For no bysshop or preeste, in that he is such one, is prynce or coactyue iudge of any man for the state of this present world, or yet of the worlde to come / as it hath ben shewed in the. iiii. v. and. ix. chapytres of this dyccyon. For the coactyue iudge of soules, or for the state of the worlde to co­me Chryst is the only iudge co­actyue of soules. is onely chryst: wherfore it is wryten in the. iiii. of Iames, and it greueth me not to repete it agayne. There is but one lawe maker and iudge: whiche may de­stroye and delyuer. But this iudge purposeth not to iudge any mortall man by sentence irreuocable, neyther he doth ponysshe fynallye or rewarde any man in this worlde / but he purposeth to punysshe or to rewarde onely in the worlde to come / as we haue sayd, and haue proued by the scrypture, in the. ix. of this dyccyon Nowe the bysshop of Rome, with other prelates or pastores, is the teacher of sou­les, The byssop of Rome is but a teacher. and as it were the leche or phisycyon of them: but not prynce or coactyue iudge of them / as we haue shewed in the place afore alledged, by the texte of the gospell and by the apostle, Hylarye, and Chrysostome, and also by stronge reason. And as touchynge to the reason, whiche we brought in moreouer, that lykewyse as Obieccyon. corporall thynges are in comparyson of sprytuall thynges, so is the gouernour of corporall thynges in comparyson of hym whiche is gouernour of sprytuall thyn­ges: for as moch as it is grounded vpon the same rote in a maner with the reason aforegone: it is to be auoyded and disolued in a maner vnder the same or lyke maner. For the fyrst proposycyon of this reason may be impugned and proued false The answer. Obiccyon. Answere. many maner wayes. And as touchynge the seconde proposycyon of this reason where it is sayde that corporall thynges are vnder sprytuall thynges, yf by this wordes be vnderstanded that they are lesse perfyte: it ought to be graunted, yf these wordes sprytuall and temporall be taken in, in theyr propre sygnyfycacyons. But whan it is sayde afterwardes that the bysshop of Rome is prynce or iudge of sprytuall thynges, yf this worde iudge be taken accordynge to his fyrst sygnyfycacyon, [Page 135] and as speculatyue or operatyue iudge of these thynges: it is true, that the bysshop of Rome and any other bysshop is or oughte to be suche maner iudge. And hereof it is concluded that he is perfyter than that man whiche iudgeth by suche maner iudgement onely of corporall thynges. Namelye because of the goodnes of the thyngꝭ whiche are iudged. But it foloweth not herefore, that suche maner iudge of sprytuall thynges is superyour to the other maner iudge in iurysdyc­cyon or coactyue iudgement. For so he that consydereth sensyble creatures, shuld be prynce or coactyue iudge of the astronomer or geometrycyon / or contrarywy­se / and yet neyther of these for all that is necessary true / but yf they do inten de or meane, that the bysshop of rome or any other bysshop is iudge of spyrytuall thyn­ges after the thyrde sygnyfycacyon of this worde, that is to wyt coactyue iudge: than this proposycyon is to be denyed, as beynge manyfestlye false / as we haue alledged here tofore of the. iiii. of Iames, both in this chapytre, and also in the. ix. of this dyccyon. For chryste onely is suche maner iudge / vnto whom we neuer haue denyed, neyther do denye the iudge of this worlde to be subiect, as touchyng to coactyue iurysdyccyon for the state of the worlde to come / wherfore the apostle in the. vi. to the Ephesyans, and in the laste chapytre to the Collossyanes saythe thus. Theyr lorde or mayster, and youres: is in heuens / other than onely Chryst / wherfore the iudges of this worlde: shall be iudged of this iudge onely, by coacty­ue iudgement. And they whiche haue offended: shall be ponysshed by coactyue ponysshement / but yet in an other world, according to his owne lawe, as it hath appered in the. ix. chapytre of this dyccyon. This sayd reason therfore is a gyle­full reason, and dyd begyle by the reason of equyuocacyon or manyfolde sygnifycacyons The seconde argument. of this worde iudge. And as touchyng to that argumētacion or reason, whiche sayth, that as the one ende hath it selfe in comparyson of the other ende & the one lawe in comparyson to the other lawe, so lykewyse the one iudge hathe hym selfe in comparyson to the other iudge: this proposycyon yf it be taken gene­rally, Answere. may be denyed / but yet yf it be graunted taken indefynytly and the seconde proposycyon ioyned vnto it: it foloweth and is concluded peraduenture in good materyall consequence or argument, that he whiche is coactyue iudge accordyng to the lawe of god (that is to saye chryste) is superyour to hym that is coactyue iudgs accordynge to the lawe of man, that is to saye, to the prynce or prynces, whiche thynge we haue graunted here before. And than yf it be sayde, moreouer that the bysshoppe of Rome, or any other bysshoppe, is iudge accordynge to the lawe of god. A dystynccyon is to be made of this proposycyon because of the many folde sygnyfycacyons of this worde iudge. And it is to be denyed in that sence, accordynge to whiche the maker of the argument gothe aboute to conclude, that the bysshoppe of Rome or any other bysshoppe is coactyue iudge in this worlde, or in the world to come, accordyng to the lawe of god. And as touchynge to that Obieccyon. reason which sayth, that he, whose accyon or operacion is the more noble, oughte not to be subiecte as touchynge coactyue iurysdyccyon, vnto hym whose accyon or operacyon is the lesse noble or the lesse perfyte / & that the accyon or operacyon of a bysshoppe or preeste is more noble, than the operacyon of a prynce or seculer gouernoure, for it is a more noble and a more perfyte thynge to consecrate the sa­crament of the aulter, and to mynystre the other sacramentes of the churche, whi­che is the worke of a bysshop or preest, than to iudge and gyue cōmaundementes of the cyuyle or contencyouse actes of men whiche is the worke of a prynce or go­uernoure, or of hym that hath coactyue iurysdyccyon, onely, in that he is such one Answere. the fyrste proposycyon of this reason or argument is false, and to be denyed yf it [Page] be taken generally, as it must nedes be taken here, for elles this reason shuld not haue cōuenyent forme. And y ^e seconde proposycyon also yf it be taken generally, for what soeuer preesthode or preest, maye lykewyse be proued false by manyfol­de reasons. For the accyon of preestes in other lawes: is not nobler than the accy­on or operacyon of the prynce or seculer gouernoure as the contrarye hath ben before shewed and proued in the. xv. chapytre of the fyrste dyccyon or parte. But in the lawe of chrysten men onely, the operacyon of preestes is the moste perfyte operacyon / whiche thynge for all that we do holde by faythe onely. The fyrst propo­sycyon therfore of this argumentacyon is false / for nothynge letteth, but that he whiche hath the more noble and more perfyte operacyon absosutly: maye in some thynges and some maner waye, depende of hym, that hath the lesse perfyte operacyon. And so in some poynte and some maner waye be more vnperfyte / For the bodye of man, whiche absolutlye is more perfyte than all maner bodyes outher symple or composyte and myxte, at the lestewyse whiche are generable: as tou­chynge to some thynge that maye be assygned, is lesse perfyte than many symple or myxte bodyes. This also maye we se in the partes of one hole thynge. For thoughe the iye be a membre or a parte more perfyte than the hande or the fote, because it worketh a more perfyte operacyon / yet neuerthelesse it hangeth of them and receaueth some operacyon or mouynge of them. And they lykewyse agayne do depende of the iye. For by the iye they are dyrected vnto the ende, vnto the whiche they moue or are moued / so also the apostle sayde in the. xii. of the fyrste to the Coryntheanes. But the iye can not saye to the hande: I nede not thy helpe or la­boure. And after this or lyke maner verelye the prynce and gouernoure also de­pendeth and receaueth some thynges by the accyons or operacyons of some infe­ryor partes of the cōmunyte (of whiche we haue spoken in the. v. chapytre of the fyrste dyccyon) howebeit not as touchynge to coactyue iudgemente. And yet do those inferyor partes of the comunyte as touchynge to some better and more per­fyte thynge, and as touchynge to coactyue iudgement, depende of the prynce and gouernoure / as it hath ben shewed in the. xv. of the fyrst dyccyon. So than preest hode or preestes do depende and receaue some what of the prynce or seculer gouer­noure: and the prynce or seculer gouernour dependeth and receaueth some thynge of the preeste. For the preestes do receaue of the prynce and seculer gouernoure, in stytucyon of theyr cyuyle actes, and defence from Iniurye that they shall neyther do iniurye to any other man, neyther any other man to theym, in the state and for the state of this present worlde / for this is the offyce of the prynce or hyghe go­uernoure, and of none other parte or membre of the cōmunyte as it hath ben she­wed in the. xv. of the fyrst dyccyon. And this also the apostle expressed in the. xiii. chapytre to the Romaynes / and we haue brought in his wordes in the. v. chapy­tre of this dyccyon / this same also he mened in the. v. chapytre of the fyrst epystle to Tymothe, whan he sayde / I beseche therfore, that obsecracyons be made, fyrst for kynges, and all that are in hyghe auctoryte, that we may leade a quyete and peaceable lyfe. Lykewyse agayne on the other parte, the prynce dependeth and hath nede of the accyon or operacyon of the preeste. For of the preeste, he receaueth doctryne, and the sacramentes dysposynge men in this worlde, and remouynge or puttynge awaye suche thynges as are contrarye to saluacyon or eternall bea­tytude, for the state of the worlde to come. But yet dyfferently and after a dyuer­se [Page 136] maner they worke and receaue these operacyons eche of other. For the prynce beynge coactyue iudge in this worlde by the ordynacyon of god, maye lawefully exercyse or impresse his operacyon, by coactyue power by doynge ponysshement vpon any preeste: yea thoughe he be not wyllynge or contente, yf he hathe ben a transgressor of the lawe of man, whiche is not contrary to the lawe of god / as it hath ben shewed and proued, in the. v. and. viii. chapytres of this dyccyon and in the. xv. of the fyrste dyccyon. But the byssoppe or preeste, because he is not accor­dynge to the lawe of god coactyue iudge of any man in this worlde (as it hathe ben shewed in the. xv. of the fyrste dyccyon and in the. iiii. v. and. ix. of this dyccy­on) but is a iudge after the fyrste sygnyfycacyon of this worde iudge, and as it were an operatyue teacher, as a leche or physycyon: he can not by his operacyon or precepte, compell any man / neyther he ought to compell any man, by payne or ponysshement outher reall or personall, as touchyng to this present lyfe. So than the fyrst proposycyon of this sayd argumentacyon was false, wherin it was say­de, that what soeuer thynge worketh the more perfyte operacyon, ought not as touchynge to iurysdyccyon to be vnder the thynge that worketh the lesse perfyte An inconue­nyent or absurdytye. operacyon. For of this proposycyon with the aforesayde proposycyons ioyned vnto it, there foloweth necessarely an other manyfeste inconuenyent and a false proposycyon / that is to wytte, that no speculatyue dortor or at the lestewyse that the hyghest or pryncypall phylosopher or metaphysycyon is not vnder the iurys­dyccyon of the prynce or gouernoure accordynge to the lawe of man. For as mo­che as none of the practyue habytes or scyences and qualytes besydes faythe, in the prynce and gouernoure, or els in any other man, neyther any operacyon pro­cedynge and brought forth of the sayde habytes or scyences, is egall in perfeccyon to the habyte or scyence of the methaphysycyon, or to the accyon or operacyon brought forthe by it whiche habyte or operacyon, it maye chaunce a prynce or go­uernoure for to lacke. And where as it was afterwardes obiected, that it semeth an inconuenyent, and an vnsemely thynge, that the bysshoppe of Rome, or elles any other bysshoppe, ought to be vnder the coactyue iudgemente of hym, that is prynce and worldly gouernoure, it is to be answered and sayde that it is none in conuenyent at all, that he or any other bysshoppe be vnder that same or lyke iud­ge, vnder whom the lorde and mayster of the sayde bysshop of his owne fre wyll hath determyned to be, for a cōuenyent ordynacyon or ordre of this worlde to be obserued / For chryste, whiche was bothe god and man, wyllynglye submytted hymselfe to the coactyue iudgement of ponce Pilate, whiche was the vycare or deputye of hym that was Emperoure / so also dyd the holye apostles and taught other also to do the same, accordyngly vnto the lawe of god / as it hath ben playnlye and euydently shewed by the scrypture and by the saynges of sayntes, and of other doctours, in the. iiii. and. v. of this dyccyon / and hathe ben also repeted or re­herced agayne in the. xxviii. of this same dyccyon / wherfore also in as moche as the seruaunte is not greatter than the mayster, neyther the apostle greatter than he that hathe sent hym as we haue alledged and brought in of the scrypture, by the sayinge of Bernarde, in the. xxviii. chapytre of this dyccyon. For Bernar­de amonge other thynges: saythe thus, in the fyrste Booke and the. v. chapy­tre De consideratione vnto Eugenius. Is the seruaunte thanne a mynyssher of the dygnyte: yf he wylleth not to be greatter than his Lorde and mayster? or the dyscyple, yf he wylleth not to be greatter than he that sente hym: or the sone [Page] yf he wyll not goo beyonde the termes or boundes whiche his Forefathers haue sette? Our mayster and lorde sayd, who hath made or ordayned me a iudge? and shall it be iniurye to the seruaunte and dyscyple: excepte he maye iudge all men? It is not inconuenyent but verye conuenyente, and also necessarye to the quyetnes and tranquyllyte of cyuylytye or the cōmune weale / that any bysshop and preeste and clerke be vnder the coactyue iudgemente of the prynces and seculer gouernoures. And the contrarye hereof is vtterlye inconuenyent, and intollera­ble. Furthermore, because the bysshoppe of Rome or any other bysshoppe is not the vycare of chryste, or his mynyster, to exercyse all maner offyce in this world: but onely as touchynge to a certayne determynate offyce / as for example as touchynge to preesthode / in whiche offyce, in that it is suche one: there is not regarded or consydered any coactyue iudgemente, neyther superyoure or inferyour as tou­chynge to suche iudgemente: as we alledged openlye of the wordes of Arystotle, in the. viii. parte of the. ix. chapytre of this dyccyon. But the prynce or seculer gouernoure The prynce, is y ^e vycare of god. is the vycare or mynyster of god, as touchynge to the offyce of a prynce or gouernoure / in whiche offyce is consydered and regarded a superyour and an inferyour or subiecte as touchynge to coactyue power / wherfore in the. xiii. to the Romaynes the apostle exceptynge none of the preestes or bysshoppes: saythe. Let euery soule be subiecte to the hyghe powers / and he putteth the cause hereof forth with, saynge / for he is the mynyster of god. Se nowe howe the prynce is the vy­care of god, not vyolent / but coactyue of euyl men in this world. And therfore it foloweth. A ponyssher for wroth vnto hym y ^t is an euyldoer. But it is so, that a bysshop or preest may be an euyldoer / to whom neyther chryst, neyther any apostle, hath assygned at any tyme, any other iudge outher by theyr worke & example or els by theyr wordes: as it hath ben shewed in this dyccyon in the place afore alledged. And to that obieccyon whiche is put forthe by the maner of a couclusyon, where it is sayde yf it shulde be expedyent and necessary, to correcte prynces and An other ob­ieccyon. gouernoures, whan they shall trespace and offende agaynst goddes lawe or mā ­nes lawe: that it semeth that they maye not conuenyently be corrected, for asmoch as they haue no superyor in the cyuyle regymente, at the lestwyse the pryncypall and hyghest of them. And therfore that they ought to be vnder the coactyue iud­gemente of preestes and bysshoppes: it is to be answered and sayde, that a prynce or gouernoure offendynge or treaspassynge agaynst the lawe of god or of man, Answere. Howe a prynce or gouernoure is to be corrected. may and ought to be corrected conuenyently by the ecclesyastycall mynyster, bysshoppe, or preeste, by wordes of exortacyon / or of increpacyon, and rebukynge / but yet after a sobre a dyscrete and mesurable maner, accordynge to the doctryne of the apostle in the seconde and also the. iiii. chapytre of the seconde epystle to Tymothe and to the exposycyon of Chrysostome, whiche we haue brought in heretofore in the. ix. chapytre of this dyccyon. But in no wyse by coactyue power and auctoryte. For suche maner power dothe not appertayne to a preeste or bysshop­pe, in that he is suche one: vpon any man in this worlde / as it hathe ben oftentymes proued and repeted heretofore. And as touchynge to the reason whiche was fynallye added, that he is, as touchynge to iurysdyccyon, superyor vnto the emperoure Another ob­ieccyon. of Rome, and maye of ryghte instytute and depose the sayde emperoure, whiche hathe translated the empyre from the Greekes vnto the Germaynes in the person of great Cherles, as it hathe ben sayd & that he that made this trans­lacyon was the pope of Rome, ergo the pope is superyor to the Emperour & may of ryghte instytute and depose the Emperour: it is to be answered & sayde. that yf the fyrst proposycyon of this argument be taken indefynytly & not vnyuersally, Answere. than of it with y ^e second proposycyon nothyng can be inferred or cōcluded, for as [Page 137] moch as no syllogysme may be made of an indefynyte proposycyon and a partyculer proposycion. But yf it be taken vnyuersally, so that it be sayd, Euery tran­slator of the Romayne empyre from the grekes vnto the germaynes, is superyor The transla­cyon of the to mayne empyre. to the emperour. &c. Excepte the subiecte of this proposycyon (that is to wyt translator of the empyre. &c.) be determyned / this proposycyon myght be proued false by very many true reasons. For yf any man had īvery dede but yet not of ryght, translated the empyre, or elles yf he had done it not by his owne power, but by the power of an other man gyuen vnto hym as vnto a proctour or deputye: this person I saye whiche had so translated the empyre, shulde not therfore hym selfe alone haue superyor iurysdyccyon vnto the emperoure, neyther ryghtfull power and auctoryte to instytute or depose hym / but yf the aforesayde proposycyon be this determyned, that euery mortall man whiche hath translated, or maye iustlye and ryghtfully translate the romayne empyre from the greekes vnto the germaynes, by his owne propre auctoryte not graunted to hym by any other person, is superyor in coactyue iurysdyccyon to the emperour of Rome, and maye ryghtful­lye instytute and depose hym / this proposycyon so graunted: than the seconde proposycyon whiche is ioyned vnto this, that it is the byssoppe or Pope of Rome, whiche hath trāslated the empyre / as it hath ben sayde / is to be denyed as vtterly false. For the contrary of this proposycyon, hath ben proued in the. xv. of the fyrst dyccyon. And also the contrarye both of it, and of the conclusyon whiche is infer­red of it, hath ben certyfyed and surely proued by the scrypture, and by the sayn­ges of sayntes and other catholyke doctours, in the. iiii. and. v. chapytres of this dyccyon / and hathe ben repeted or reherced agayne in verye many other places. And thus it hath ben obserued in dede without reclamacyon or grudge of the olde fathers & pastores of the bysshoppes of Rome. Thus than to haue gone throughe the doubtes moued in the thyrde and the. xxvii. chapytres of this dyccyon / lette it be suf­fycyente. And thus we make an ende of the questyones pryncypallye purposed and intended of vs in this worke.

[Page] ¶ Of the rehersall, & callyng to remembraunce agayne, of the thyn­ges pryncypally intended and determyned in the fyrste and seconde dyccyon / and of a certayne sequele, and necessary folowynge, whiche the thynges that shalbe spo­ken in this boke: haue vnto the thynges whiche haue ben sayd in the dyccyons aforegoynge.
The fyrste chapytre.

FOr as moche, as in the dyccyons aforegoyng, we haue assygned and marked forthe the synguler and specyall cause, that nowe is of cyuyle dyscorde, intranquyllyte, and vnquyetnes of certayne realmes, and certayne cōmunytes, and whiche same thyng, shall also be hereafter the cause of debate, and stryfe in all other cōmu­nytes, excepte it be letted and stopped be tymes: that is to wytte the existymacion or opynyon, and the desyre, and enforcement, by whiche the bysshoppe of Rome, and the companye of his clergye, syngulerlye and especyally la­boure to possesse seculer domynyons, and temporall thynges superfluouslye / of the whiche domynyons or souereygntes, the sayde bysshoppe endeuoureth to cha­lenge the hyghest vnto hym selfe, by the tytle of full power, whiche was pryncy­pallye graūted to hym (as he sayth) by chryst in the person of saynt Peter, as we haue sayde in the laste chapytre of the fyrst dyccyon. And as it hath ben not with out a reasonable cause repeted oftentymes and rehersed in verye many chapytres of the seconde dyccyon: where as in very dede, not onely not the hyghest domyny­on or gouernaunce, but also no domynyon at all or iugemente coactyue of any persone in this worlde is conuenyent or agreyng to hym, or to any other bysshop preest, or clerke, in that they are suche maner persone, neyther ioyntly, neyther se­uerallye, as we haue euydently shewed and proued in the fyrste dyccyon, by cer­tayne humayne and worldly reasons. And haue also confyrmed the same, in the. iiii. and. v. chapytres of the seconde dyccyon, by the testymonyes of euerlastynge trouth, and also by the exposycyons, and declaracyons of the holy interpretours therof, and of many proued doctours and teachers of the same, and afterwardes also the. vi. & the, vii. chapytres of the seconde dyccyon we haue by the scryptures and certayne reasons, assygned and shewed what, and howe great, and in what thynges is the power and auctoryte of preestes and bysshoppes. To all whome, or to some one of them, we haue shewed in the. xxiiii. chapytre of the same, that suche fulnes of power dothe not belonge, neyther ioyntlye or seuerally, whiche ful­nes they had taken them selues and vsurped, namely the bysshoppe of Rome. By reason of the whiche thynges so of vs declared & shewed it semeth and appereth, the rotes of that synguler malygnyty very ofte named in our prohemy or preface to be suffycyently cut vp, wherfore nowe that y ^e braunches, twygges, & graffes of dyscorde & stryfe, whiche this pestylence or myschefe hath brought hetherto, yea & cesseth not yet dayly to brynge in to realmes & cōmunytes, maye y ^• sooner drye vp & not be able hereafter to haue yssue or ofsprynge: or to sprede any further we shall of the. ii. dyccyons aforegone brynge forth y ^e thyrde dyccyon, whiche remay­neth behynd / whiche dyccyon shalbe nothynge elles, but a necessarye & a playne, clere, & euydent inferryng of certayne conclucyons, folowyng of y ^e thyngꝭ afore wryten, beyng outher euidently knowen of them self: or els suffyciētly proued: to y ^e whiche cōclucyons, yf good dyligent attencyon be gyuen, both of medytacyon & study, & also of workyng & execucyon / y ^e aforesayd pestylence or myschefe, & al­so y ^e sophystycall cause therof, shall easly be excluded & dryuen out from realmes / so y ^t from hensforth they shal be stopped out from hauyng entraunce in to them & other, cōmunytes.

[Page 138] ¶ Of the clere and euydent inferrynge of certayne conclusyons necessarely folowyng of these thynges, whiche haue ben determyned in the. ii. fyrst dyccyons or partes of this boke / by the attencyon and dylygent markyng of which conclusyons prynces or gouernoures, and also theyr subiectes may the sooner: and the more easely, attayne the ende purposed and entended by this boke.
The seconde chapytre.