A Protestation in the name of the King, and the whole Council and Clergy of Eng­land, why they refuse to come to the Popes Council at his call.

SEeing that the Bishop of Rome calleth Learned Men from all parts, conducting them by great rewards,The Kings Protestation why he sends not to the Popes Coun­cil. making as many of them Cardinals as he thinketh most m [...]t, and most ready to defend Frauds and Vntruths; we could not but with much anxiety cast with our selves, what so great a preparance of Wits should mean. As chance was we guessed even as it followed. We have been so long acquainted with Romish Subtilties and Popish Deceits,The Popes craft espied. that we well and easily judged the Bishop of Rome to intend an Assembly of his Adherents, and men sworn to think all his Lusts to be Laws; we were not deceived. Paul the Bishop of Rome hath called a Council, to the which he knew well either few or none of the Christian Princes could come; both the time that he indicted it, and also the place where he appointed it to be, might assure him of this. But whither wander not these Popish Bulls? whi­ther wander they not astray? What King is not cited and summoned by a proud Minister and Servant of Kings, to come to bolster up Errors, Frauds, Deceits, and Vn­truths, and to set forth this feigned General Council? For who will not think that Paul the Bishop of Rome goeth sooner about to make men believe that he pretendeth a Ge­neral Council, than that he desireth one indeed? No, who can less desire it, than they that do despair of their Cause, except they be Iudges and give sentence themselves against their Adversaries?The King not bound to come at the Popes call. We which very sore against our will at any time leave off the procurement of the Realm any common weal, need neither to come our selves, nor yet to send any Procurators thither, no nor yet to make our Ex­cuse for either of both. For who can accuse us that we come not at his call, which hath no Authority to call us?

But for a season let us (as a sort of Blindlings do) grant that he may call us, and that he hath Authority so to do; yet (we pray you) may not all men see, what availeth it to come to this Council,Who be they that have place in the Popes Coun­cil. where ye shall have no place except ye be known both willing to oppress truth, and also ready to confirm and stablish Errors? Do not all men perceive as well as we, with what integrity, fidelity, and religion, [Page 22] these men go about to discuss matters in controversie, that take them in hand in so troublesom a time as this is? Is it not plain what fruit the Commonweal of Christendom may look for there,The place of the Council not indiffer­ [...]nt. whereas Mantua is chosen the place to keep his Council in? Is there any Prince not being of Italy, yea is there any of Italy, Prince or other dissenting from the Pope, that dareth come to this Assembly and to this place? If there come none that dare speak for trodden truth, none that will venture his life, is it mar­vel if the Bishop of Rome being Iudge,No reason that the Pope should be Judge in his own cause. no man repining, no man gainsaying, the Defenders of the Papacy obtain that Popish Authority, now quailling and almost fallen, to be set up again.

Is this the way to help things afflict? to redress trou­bled Religion? to lift up oppressed truth? Shall men this way know whether the Roman Bishops (which in very deed are,The Bishop of Rome in learn­ing and life far under other Bishops. if ye look upon either their Doctrine or Life, far under other Bishops) ought to be made like their Fel­lows, that is, to be Pastors in their own Diocese, and so to use no other power; or else whether they may make Laws, not onely unto other Bishops, but also to Kings and Em­perours? O boldness, meet to be beaten down with force, and not not to be convinced with Arguments. Can either Paul that now Lordeth, or any of his, earnestly go about (if they alone, or at the least without any Adversary, be thus in a corner assembled together) to heal the Sicknesses, to take away the Errors, to pluck down the Abuses that now are crept into the Church, and there be bolstered up by such Councils as now is like to be at Mantua?

Paul the Pope proleth for his own pro­fit.Is it very like that these, which prole for nothing but profit, will right gladly pull down all such things as their Forefathers made, onely for the increase of Money? Where­as their Forefathers, when their Honour, Power, and Pri­macy was called into question, would either in despight of Gods Law maintain their Dignity, or (to say better) their intolerable Pride? Is it like that these will not tread in their steps, and make naughty new Canons, whereby they may defend old evil Decrees? Howbeit, what need we to care either what they have done, or what they intend to do hereafter,England ta­keth her leave of the Pope for ever. forasmuch as England hath taken her leave of Popish Crafts for ever, never to be deluded with them here­after? Roman Bishops have nothing to do with English People; the one doth not traffick with the other, at least though they will have to do with us, yet we will none of their merchandise, none of their stuff, we will receive them of our council no more.England refu­seth the Popes Merchandise. We have sought our hurt, and bought our loss a great while too long. Surely their De­crees, either touching things set up or put down, shall have [Page 23] none other place with us than all Bishops Decrees have, that is, if we like them we admit them, if we do not we re­fuse them. But lest peradventure men shall think us to follow our senses too much, and that we moved by small or no just causes, forsake the Authority, Censures, Decrees, and Popish Counsels, we thought it best here to shew our mind to the whole world. Wherefore we protest before God and all men, that we embrace, profess, and will ever so do, the right and holy Doctrine of Christ. All the Arti­cles of his Faith, no jot omitted, be all so dear unto us, that we should much sooner stand in jeopardy of our Realm, than to see any point of Christs Religion in jeo­pardy with us.England goeth not from the unity of Faith although it goeth from the Pope. We protest that we never went from the unity of his Faith, neither that we will depart an inch from it. No, we will much sooner lose our Lives, than any Article of our Belief shall decay in England. We, which in all this cause seek nothing but the glory of God, the profit and quietness of the World,The Faith of England Ca­tholick. England ready to send to any General Council where truth may be ad­vanced. protest that we can suffer Deceivers no longer. We never refused to come to a General Council; no, we promise all our labour, study, and fidelity, to the setting up of trodden Truth and trou­bled Religion in their place again, and to do all that shall lie in us to finish such Controversies as have a great while too long vexed Christendom. Onely we will all Christian men be admonished, that we can suffer no longer that they be esteemed willing to take away Errors, which indeed by all the ways their Wits will serve them go about this alone, that no man under pain of Death may speak against any Error or Abuse.

We would have a Council, we desire it, yea and crave no­thing so oft of God as that we may have one. But yet we will that it be such as Christian men ought to have, that is, frank and free, where every man without fear may say his mind. We desire that it be an holy Council,What a true General Council ought to be. where eve­ry man may go about to set up Godliness, and not apply all their study to oppressing of Truth. We will it be Gene­ral, that is to say, kept at such time and in such place, that every man which seeketh the glory of God may be present, and there frankly utter his mind. For when it shall seem General,Conditions of a true Gene­ral Council. either when no man that dissenteth from the Bi­shop of Rome is compelled to be from it, or when they that be present are not letted by any just terror to say boldly what they truly think; for who would not gladly come to such a Council, except it be the Pope, his Cardinals, and Popish Rishops? On the other side, who is so foolish, whereas the chief point that is to be handled in this Coun­cil is the Popes own Cause, Power, and Primacy, to grant that the Pope should reign, should be Iudge, should be Pre­sident [Page 24] of the Council? If he which indeed can never think himself able to defend his Cause before any other Iudge,The Pope would be Judge in his own cause. be evermore made his own Iudge, and so Contro­versies not decided, but Errors set up, what can be devised in the Commonwealth of Christendom more hurtful to the truth than General Councils?

The Pope hath no pow­er to summon Councils.And here to touch somewhat their impudent Arrogancy; By what Law, Power, or honest Title take they upon them to call Kings, to summon Princes to appear, where their Bulls command them? In time past all Councils were appointed by the Authority, Consent, and Command­ment of the Emperour, Kings, and Princes; why now ta­keth the Bishop of Rome this upon him? Some will say, It is more likely that Bishops will more tender the cause of Religion, gladlier have Errors taken away, than Em­perours, Kings, and Princes. The world hath good expe­rience of them, and every man seeth how faithfully they have handled religious matters. Is there any man that doth not see how vertuously Paul now goeth about by this occasion to set up his Tyranny again?The Pope how he can watch his time. Is it not like that he that chooseth such a time as this is to keep a Council, much intendeth the redress of things that now are amiss, that he seeketh the restoring of Religion, that now calleth a Council, the Emperour and the French King, two Prin­ces of great power, so bent to Wars that neither they, nor any other Christian Prince can, in a manner do any thing but look for the end of this long War? Go too, go t [...]o, Bi­shop of Rome, occasion long wish'd for offereth her self unto you; take her, she openeth a Window for your Frauds to creep in at: call your Cardinals, your own Creatures, shew them that this is a jolly time to deceive Princes in.

O Fools! O wicked men! may we not justly so call you? Are ye not Fools, which being long suspected not onely of Princes, but of all Christian People in a manner, that in no case you could be brought to a General Council, plain­ly shew the whole world, that by these your Conciliables, your Hutter-mutter in corners, you take away all hope of lawful Catholick and General Council? Are you not wicked which so hate Truth, that except she be utterly ba­nished ye will never cease to vex her?Truth may be pressed it can­no [...] be op­pressed. The living God is alive, neither Truth his Dearling (he being alive) can be called to so great shame, contumely, and injury; or if it may be called to all these, yet can it come to none of them. Who is he that grievously lamenteth not men to be of such shameful boldness,The Pope Enemy to Christ. to shew apertly that they be Enemies unto Christ himself? On the other side, who will not be glad to see such men as foolish as they be wicked? The World is not now in a light suspicion, as it hath been hi­therto, [Page 25] that you intend no reformation of Errors, but eve­ry man seeth before his eyes your deceits, your wicked minds,The Popes hatred against the truth. your immortal hatred that ye bear against the Truth. Every man seeth how many miserable Trage­dies your pretence of an Vnity and Concord hath brought into Christendom. They see your fair face of Peace hath served Sedition, and troubled almost all Christian Realms.The Pope troubler of all Christian Realms. They see ye never oppugn Religion more, than when ye will seem most to defend it. They be sorry to see that great Wits a long season have spent their whole strength in de­fence of Deceits, Reason to put his whole power to the promoting of Pride and Vngodliness, Vertues to serve Vices, Holiness to be slave to Hypocrisie, Prudence to Subtilty, Iustice to Tyranny. They be glad that Scri­pture now fighteth for it self, and not against it self. They be glad that God is not compelled to be against God, Christ against Christ. They be glad that Subtilty hath done no more hurt to Religion in time past, than now Constancy doth do good to Truth.The Popes marks where­at he shoot­eth. They see the Marks that ye have shot at in all your Councils past, to be Lucre, Money, Gains; they see you sought your Profit, yea though it were joyn'd with the Slaughter of Truth. They see ye would ever that sooner injury should be done to the Go­spel, than that your Authority, that is to say, arrogant Impudency should in any point be diminished.

And we pray you,The Popes craft in steal­ing a General Council. what may Paul the Bishop of Rome seem now to go about, which seeing all Princes occupied in great affairs, would steal (as he calleth it) a General Council? What other thing, than hereby to have some excuse to refuse a General Council hereafter, when time and place much better for the handling of matters of Reli­gion shall be given unto Princes of Christendom? He will think he may then do as Princes now do; he will think it lawful not to come then, because Princes now come not. We pray God that we ever brawl not one with another in Religion; and whereas Dissention is amongst us, yet for our parts we do say, that we as much as men may, defend the better part, and be in the right way. We pray God that the world may enjoy peace and tran­quillity, and that then we may have both time and place to settle Religion. For except first Princes agree, and so (War laid aside) seek peace, he loseth his labour that seeketh a General Council. If the Bishop of Rome may keep his Council while they thus be together, will not there be made many pretty Decrees? If they which would come if they had leisure be absent, and we which (though we safely might come) will not lose any part of our right, trow you in all our absence that the Bishop of Rome will not handle his Profit and Primacy well?

The time and pl [...]e p [...]esent­ly picked of the Pope. Paul, how can any of ours not refuse to come to Mantua, through so many perils, a City so far set from England, so nigh your Friends, Kinsmen, and Adherents? Is he not unworthy of Life, that where he may tarry at home, will pass through so many Ieopardies of Life? Can he which cometh to Cremona, a City not far from Mantua, be safe if he be taken not to be the Bishop of Romes Friend,What an He­retick is among the Papists. that is, (as the common sort of deceived people doth interpret) an Heretick? And if there come to Mantua such a number as would furnish a General Council, may not Mantua seem too little to receive so many Guests? Put these two toge­ther, all the way from England to Mantua is full of just pe­rils, and yet if ye escape all those, the very place where the Council is kept is more to be suspected than all the way. Do ye not know all Civil Laws to compel no man to come to any place, where he shall be in jeopardy of his Life all the way? We have no safe conduct to pass and return by the Dominions of other Princes. And if we had a safe conduct, yet should not we be charged with rashness, that where just terror might have dissuaded us from such a journey,The way to Mantua long and d [...]nger­ous. we committed our selves to such perils? Sure­ly he that (the time being as it is, things standing as they do) will go from England to Mantua, may be careless if he lack not wit; sure of his arrival or return from thence he cannot be. For who doth not know how oft the Bishops of Rome have plaid false parts with them that in such matters have trusted to their safe conduct? How oft have they caused by their Perfidie such men to be slain,The falshood of Popes no new thing. as they have promised by their Faith before, that they should both come safe and go safe? These be no news, Popes to be false, Popes to keep no promise neither with God nor Man; Popes contrary to their oaths, to defile their cruel hands with honest mens bloud. But we tarry too long in things that as well touch all men as us.

We will (these now laid apart) turn our Oration unto such things, as privately touch both us King Henry the Eighth, and all Englishmen. Is it unknown to any man what mind Paul the Bishop of Rome beareth to us King Henry the Eighth, to us his Nobility, to us his Graces Bishops, and to us all his Graces Subjects, for the pulling down of his usurped Power and proud Primacy, for ex­pelling of his usurped Iurisdiction, and for delivering of our Realm from his grievous bondage and pollage? Who seeth not him even enflamed with hatred against us,The [...]atred of the Pope against Eng­land. and the flames to be much greater than he can now keep them in? He is an open Enemy, he dissembleth no longer, pro­voking all men by all the means that he can, to endamage us and our Country. These three years he hath been oc­cupied [Page 27] in no one thing so much, as how he might stir up the Commons of England, and corrupting some with Money, some with Dignities. We let pass what Letters he hath written to Christian Princes; with how great fervent study he hath exhorted them to set upon us. The good Vicar of Christ by his doing sheweth how he understands the words of Christ; he thinketh he playeth Christ's part well, when he may say as Christ did, Non veni pacem mittere in terram, The Pope bringeth not peace but the sword to the earth, other­wise than Christ did. sed gladium; I come not to make peace in earth, but to send swords about: and not such swords as Christ would his to be armed withall, but such as cruel Manquellers abuse in the slaughter of their Neighbours. We marvel little though they vex'd other Princes oft, seeing they re­compence our favour shewed to them with contumelies, our benefits with injuries.

We will not rehearse here how many our Benefits be­stowed upon Roman Bishops be lost;Benefits cast away upon the Pope. God be with such ungrate Carles, unworthy to be numbered amongst men; Certes such that a man may well doubt whether God or Man hath better-cause to hate them. But that we have learned to owe good will even to them that immortally hate us, what could we wish them so evil but they have de­served much worse? We wish them this hurt alone, that God send them a better mind. God be thanked we have made all their seditious intents sooner to shew their great malice towards us, than to do us much hurt; yea, they have well taught us evermore to take good heed to our Ene­mies. Vndoubtedly it were good going to Mantua, and to leave their Whelps among the Lambs of our Flock. When we be weary of our Wealth, we will even do then as they would have us now do. No, no, as long as we shall see his heart so good towards us, we trust upon his warn­ing we shall well provide to withstand his cruel malice. No let him now spend his deceits, when they can hurt none but such as would deceive and are deceived.

They have by sundry ways made us privy how much we be bound to them. It went nigh their hearts to see the judgment of July, of Clement the seventh, of Paul the third, nothing to be regarded with us. They be afraid if we should sustain no hurt, because we justly rejected their Primacy, that other Princes would begin to do likewise,The Popes Curses not seared in Eng­land. and to shake from their shoulders the heavy burthens that they so long have born, against Scripture, all right and reason. They be sorry to see the way stopped, that now their Tyranny, Avarice, and Pride can have no passage into England, which was wont to walk, to triumph, to toss, to trouble all men. They can scarce suffer Privile­ges, that is to say, Licence to spoil our Citizens, given [Page 28] them by our Forefathers, and brought in by errorfull Cu­stom, to be taken from them. They think it unlawful, that we require things lawful of them that will be under no Laws. They think we do them wrong because we will not suffer them to do us wrong any longer. They see their Merchandize to be banished,The Popes Trumpery dispatched out of Eng­land. to be forbidden; they see that we will buy no longer Chalk for Cheese. They see that they have lost a fair fleece, vengeable sorry that they can dis­patch no more Pardons, Dispensations, Totquots, with the rest of their baggage and trumpery. England is no more a Babe; there is no man here but now he knoweth that they do foolishly that give Gold for Lead,Gold given for Lead. more weight of that than they receive of this; they pass not, though Peter and Pauls Faces be graven in the Lead to make Fools fain. No, we be sorry that they should abuse holy Saints Visages to the beguiling of the world.

Surely, except God take away our right wits, not one­ly his Authority shall be driven out for ever, but his Name also shall be forgotten in England.God grant. We will from henceforth ask councel from him and his when we list to be deceived, when we covet to be in error, when we desire to offend God, Truth and Honesty. If a man may guess the whole work by the foundation,The Popes foundation to all deceits. where Deceits begin­neth the work, can any other than Deceits be builded up­on this foundation? What can you look for in this Man­tuan Council, other than the oppression of Truth and true Religion? If there be any thing well done, think as eve­ry man doth, Bishops of Rome to be accustomed to do a few things well, that many evil may the better be taken at their hands.The Pope doth a few things well, that many evils may the bet er pro­ceed. They when they list can yield some part of their right; they are content that some of their Decrees, some of their Errors and Abuses be reprehended, but they are never more to be feared than when they shew them­selves most gentle. For if they grant a few they ask ma­ny, if they leave a little they will be sure of a great deal. Scarce a man may know how to handle himself, that he take no hurt at their hands, yea when they bless him; which seldom do good but for an intent to do evil. Cer­tainly, come who so will to these Shops of Deceits, to these Fairs of Frauds,The Pope ought to be called, and not to call. we will lose no part of our right in coming at his call, that ought to be called and not to call. We will neither come at Mantua, nor send thither for this matter, &c.

And so the King proceeding in the said his Protestation declareth moreover, how the Pope after he had summoned his Council first to be kept at Mantua,The Pope again pro­regnes his Council. the three and twen­tieth day of May, An. 1537, shortly after directed out ano­ther Bull to prorogate the same Council to the moneth of [Page 29] November, pretending for his excuse that the Duke of Mantua would not suffer him to keep any Council there, unless he maintained a number of Warriours for defence of the Town. And therefore in his later Bull he proro­gueth this Assembly, commanding Patriarchs, Archbi­shops, Bishos, Abbats, and other of the Spiritualty, by the vertue of Obedience, and under pain of Cursing, to be present, but sheweth no place at all where he would be, nor whither they should come. And in very deed no great matter though no place were named; for as good a Council no where to be called, as where it could not be; and as well no place served him that intended no Council, as all places. And to say truth, much better no place to be na­med, than to name such as he purposed not to come to; for so should he break no promise which maketh none. And so going forward in his Oration, toward the later end he thus inferreth by his words of Protestation, saying:

No,Princes as they gave the Pope Prima­cy, so they take it from him again. we will the Pope and his Adherents to understand that which we have oft said, and now say, and ever will say. He nor his hath no Authority nor Iurisdiction in Eng­land; we give him no more than he hath, that is never a deal. That which he hath usurped against Gods Law, and extorteth by violence, we by good right take from him again. But he and his will say, we gave them a Prima­cy. We bear them well, we gave it you indeed; if you have Authority upon us as long as our Consent giveth it you, and you evermore will make your plea upon our Consent, then let it have even an end where it began; we consent no longer, your Authority must needs be gone. If we be­ing deceived by false pretence of evil-alledged Scriptures, gave to you that ye ought to have refused, why may we not, our Error now perceived, and your Deceit espied, take it again? We Princes wrote our selves to be inferiour to Popes; as long as we thought so we obeyed them as our Superiours. Now we write not as we did, and there­fore they have no great cause to marvel, if we hereafter do not as we did; both the Laws Civil, and also the Laws of God, be on our side. For a Freeman born doth not lose his Liberty, no nor hurt the plea of his Liberty, though he write himself a Bondman.

Again, if they lean to Custom,Custom. we send them to S. Cy­prian, which saith, That Custom, if Truth be not joyned with it, is nothing but Erroris vetustas, that is, an old Er­ror. Christ said, Ego sum via, veritas, & vita; I am the way, the truth, and the life: he never said, Ego sum con­suetudo, I am the Custom. Wherefore seeing Custom ser­veth you on the one side, and Scripture us on the other, are ye able to match us? In how many places doth [Page 30] Christ monish you to seek no Primacy, to prefer your selves before nobody, no to be obedient unto all Creatures? Your old Title Servus Servorum evil agreeth your new forged Dignity.The Popes Title and his Dignity agree not together. But we will not tarry in matters so plain; we onely desire God, that Caesar, and other Christian Princes, would agree upon some holy Council, where truth may be tried, and Religion set up, which hath been hurt by no­thing so sore, as by general not General Councils. Errors and Abuses grow too fast; Erudimini qui judicatis terram, Get you Learning you that judge the earth; and excogi­tate some Remedy for these so many Diseases of the sick Church. They that be wisest do despair of a General Council;Best that eve­ry Prince re­form his own Realm, and tarry not for General Councils. wherefore we think it now best that every Prince call a Council Provincial, and every Prince to redress his own Realm. We make all men privy what we think best to be done for the redress of Religion: if they like it, we doubt not but they will follow it, or some other better. Our trust is, that all Princes will so handle themselves in this behalf, that Princes may enjoy their own, and Priests of Rome content themselves with that they ought to have. Princes as we trust will no longer nourish Wolves Whelps, they will subscribe no more to Popish Pride, to the Papacy, &c.

Favour our doings, O Christian Princes, your Honour and ancient Majesty is restored. Remember there is no­thing peetaining so much to a Princes Honour, as to set forth Truth, and to help Religion. Take you heed that their Deceits work not more mischief than your Vertue can do good, and everlasting War we would all Princes had with this Papacy. As for their Decrees, so hearken to them, that if in this Mantuan Assembly things be well done ye take them, but not as authorized by them, but that Truth, and things that maintain Religion, are to be taken at all mens hands. And even as we will admit things well made, so if there be any thing determined in prejudice of Truth, for the maintainance of their evil grounded Pri­macy, or that may hurt the Authority of Kings, we protest unto the whole world, that we neither allow it, nor will at any time allow it.

Ye have, Christian Readers, our mind concerning the General Council; we think you all see that Paul and his Cardinals, Bishops, Abbats, Monks, Friers, with the rest of the Rabblement, do nothing less intend, than the Knowledge of Truth. Ye see this is no time meet, Man­tua no place meet for a General Council; and though they were both meet, yet except some other call this Council, you see that we neither need to come nor to send. You have heard how every Prince in his own Realm may quiet [Page 31] things amiss. If there be any of you that can shew us a better way, we promise with all our hearty desire to do that that shall be thought best for the settling of Religion, and that we will leave our own Advices if any man shew us better. Which mind of ours we most heartily pray God that gave it us, not onely to increase in us, but also to send it unto all Christian Princes, all Christian Prelats, and all Christian People.