The true dyfferens between the regal power and the Ecclesiastical power Translated out of latin by Henry lord Stafforde.  
 illustrated title page   

¶ To the high & mighty prince Edward by the grace of God Duke of Somerset, earl of Hertfor be, Viscount Beauchamp, lord Seimour, uncle to the kings highness of England, Governor of his most rial person, and Protector of all his Realms, dominions & Subjects. lieutenant general of all his majesties Armies, both by land and see, Threasaurore and Erl● Marshal of England, Governor of the Isles of Garrisey & jersey, and Knight of the most noble order of the Garter. Henry Lord Stafford to his grace most bounden wisheth health felicity with increase of honour.  
AMong other great Plagues that this Realm of England encreced whilst the scriptures were unknown (right excellent prince) there was none greater than that by mere ignorance of gods word by a long process of years, falsehood was received for truth, evil for good, superstition for true religion. Whereof ensued no less peril to oure selfes than manifest disorder in the public estate & governance, whilst the people habandoning the obedience due to their sovereign Lyege lord & King, did in stead of him adhere and clean to an usurper and tyrant, who not only keep their bodies, but their souls also in most miserable servitude and subjection. I mean that Antichrist and head of all abomination the Bishop of Rome whose bondage and thraldom that we be now delivered and made fire. The hole cause and benefit is to be ascribed to the illustration and setting forth of god's holy word. And as the thank thereof is given to almighty god, who admitteth no partenets of his glori So next unto him above all Mortal men, are we bound to the worthy Prince of eternal memory king Henri the eight. Who putting on the armour of god's word drove out of this Realm the wrong usurped of his power and authority Regal, and delivered his people fro the captivity, wherein the Bishops of Rome had long time kept them. Yet like as the temple of God in Jerusalem, was begun by david, and finished by Solomon: so many kinds of superstition were abolished by the said good King and no fewer left to be reform by his gracious and most lawful son our new sovereign lord King Edward the sixth. By whose happy and bly syd proceeding hitherto it is evident to the world that god is his guided directing his passage to the parfectyon of all virtue and godliness. A notable experiment whereof we have, by the wholesome and holy laws that proceed from his grace in this his mynoryte and childhood, to the advancement of God's word, and extyrpatyon of all hypocrisy, and falls religion. For the which benefit how much the realm of England to bounden to his majesty, my pen can not suffycyently● set it forth. But this must all men confess, that as long as the memory thereof shall remain, so long shall the honourable fame and praises of his grace be fresh and green in all true Englyshmen hearts. Which I suck not so much for the singular benefits by your grace extended too me prevail, as for the great wealth and commodity redounding to all men universally. Wherefore devising with myself in what wise I might show myself thankful, or at the least not unmindful o● so ample merits me thought I could do nothing, either more grateful to your grace, or more profitable to my country than to help forward in this cause of religion, And seeing the manifold error and confused heretofore sproing in this Realm by reason that the true difference between the power regal ecclesiastycal was either not well known or not well defined. I bethought me of a book lent me by my friend master Morison written in the latin tongue, wherein the difference of those two powers, with the lymyt●s of either of them is so plainly set oue●, so pureli explained, and so dystinc●lye disclosed by scriptures as no man (I suppose) whiles he be to set drowned in the dregs of popery and superstition, can be in any doubt of the throuth the utility of which work well weighed with the late controversy about the same matter, moved me first to the translation thereof, maruayling that a matter so profitable and necessary to be known should be so long suppressed, or that the higher powers had not in so long time provided to set her abroad as well the english tongue as it is in the latin Never the lose rather than my Country, should be utterly frustrate of so great fruit as might grow by reading thereof, I thought it a well bestood labour to even it into english the translation, whereof I submit to the indifferent judgement of all learned readers, requering their aid where either I have erred or else not perfectly rendered the sentence of the author. Wherefore pondering my weakness and want of cunning I pray aid of your grace to whom for my better defence I dedicate my labours, that they may pass forth under your protection of whom if in stead of praise I receive pardon of my boldness it shallbe to my sufficient recompense. Almyhty god long preserve your grace to the advancement of his glory to the honour of the kings majesty and profit of his People.  
Amen.   

¶ Here after followeth the Table of this book.  

¶ Ambrose of the vicar of Christ. folio. ix,  
Augustyn. folio. xiii.  
All priests in Peter received the keys, of heaven. fo. xiii  
Another text whereby papists challenge authority for the bishop of rome, folio. xiiii.  
All bishops & priests have equal authority with Pe. fo. xv  
An evil priest of his pristhed gettith rebuke, folio. xvii  
Alexandre and Antiochia were the seats of Peter before rome, folio, codem.  
Augusten of the questions of the new Testament, fo. xxi  
A priest and a bishop all one, folio. xxvi  
At Alexandria pryestes chose one of themself to be ruler and called him bishop. folio. xxvii  
A saying of saint Augustin a sermon to the people, fo. xlvi,  
A private law is written in the heart of men. folio, lii.  
All things were done in the house o● God at the commandment of the King, folio. lxvi,  
Almen ought to pray for Kings. folio. lxxi.  
Athanasius complaineth to Constantyne. Fol. lxxvii  
An act made by Kings that no man should apele out of the Realm. folio. lxix  
A priest for murdre and vicious living shall be depraved of ordre and promotion folio. lxxxi  
Adelston king did make a law of tenthiss. Fol. lxxxii  
Aluredus King, folio. lxxxiii  
A priest that denieth baptism shall die. folio. lxxxiiii  
abbot of battle may save a thief. fo. lxxxvii   

. B.  
¶ bishops that were most virtuous took leeste upon them Folio. v  
bishops of Rome symonyackes. folio viii  
By Peter is understanded the universal church. Fol. xiii  
bishops have suffered the contrary to their law to be kept and know it. folio. xl  
Boniface the third gate primacy by the help of the Emperor Folio. thirty.  
Boniface did arm the see of rome with the sword, fo. thirty  
bishops of rome have laboured to bind men to keep their decrees. Folio. xxxix.  
bishops made a law that clerks should not be ●ued before a secular judge Fol. xi  
bishops of Rome subtle, Folio. xii.  
Bishops of rome affirm that they have all power. fo. xli  
bishops of rome went far backward from Christ. fo. lvi  
Boniface the viii loved pre-eminence. Folio. xlix  
bishops were elect by the cathedral sees. fol. lxxxxii.  
bishops of rome Scribes and Pharisees. Folio. C  
Bishops of rome hath married the church of gentiles. fo. eod.  
bishops of Rome called the father of the church of England but not in deed. Folio. Ci  
bishops of rome use to exalt their kinsmen, Fo. C. two  
bishops of rome challenge asmuch to ●e their own as they list, Folio. eodem  
bishops of rome made lately execrable ordinances for stipends Folio. C. two  
Bishops of rome hath set the church in darkness. fo. c. iii  
bishops of rome ponyssheth men after they be deed and is an enemy to England, Folio eodem   

. C.  
¶ Crisostome in his sermone, Folion. x  
Congregation in the acts, folio. xi  
Christ chose Peter before he was bish. of rom. fo. xviii  
Chryst forbade to swear by Jerusalem, folio. nineteen  
Christ chose Jerusalem to build his temple, Folio eodem  
Children be void of ambition, Folio. xxii  
Clerks may appeal from their diocese, Folio. xxix  
Causes should be determinid within their province, fo. eod  
Christ forbade superiority amongst his disciples, fo. xxxi  
Consilium Chartage Folio. xxxv  
Christ paid tribute to the king or Emperure, Folio. lxvii.  
Christ and the Apostles did evermore obey the Civel powers Folio. lxix  
Constantin to the bishops in the council of dire. fo. lxxvii  
Constantyne the Emperor caused heathen men to honour god and know god. folio, lxxviii  
Childernt suck the milk, Folio. lxxxxi  
Clerus Anglie gladium Petri habet, folio. lxxxxv  
Correction of the clargi committed to the bish. fo. lxxxxvii   

D  
¶ Difference of the ecclesiastical & regal power, fol, iiii  
Division of this work into four parts, Folio. vi  
Dystin xl chapter multi, Folio. xxi●  
Desire of primaci causeth confusion, fo. xxii  
Distin lxv mos antiquo folio. xxvii  
Distin iiii, cap statuimus, Folio. xxxviii,  
De consecratione, Folio. xxxix,  
Dygnites of the church were given to Aliens, fo, lxxxx.  
Devotion is decayed. Folio. eodem   

E  
¶ Aeneas' siluins, Folio. x  
Ecclesiastica historia, Folio. xxiiii  
England did resist the popis provisions, Folio. xxxix  
interpretation of this word clerks, folio. xliiii  
Ezechias king put away the abuses of the ecclesiastical power, Folio. lxii  
Ezeckias commanded the priests and levites to purify themselves Folio. lxiiii  
Ezechias commanded the people to offer, Folio eodem  
Every man that confesseth christ to be the son of god may be called peter, Folio, ix,  
Every man that seeketh the word of Peter is the seat of Peter, folio, xvii  
Ezechias commanded the people to give part of their goods to the priests Folio. lxv  
Edgarus king made spiritual laws, folio, lxxii,  
Edmundus king made spirituali laws, folio, eodem,  
Epistel of king William Conqueror to the bishop of rome, Folio. lxxxix.  
Epis●ola Cassidori, Folio, C  
exhortation to the readers to love the truth, Folio, C, vi   

. F.  
Fathers of the primative church shrunk from the unite of the primacy fo, xxvii  
Fraeltie of men is evermore compasing & busy. fo. xlix.   

. G.  
God by the prophet saith I will dwell in Hiel'm. fo. nineteen.  
God some time suffereth tyrranycall power to punish his people. Folio. xx.  
God gave bishops authority but no dominion. fo. xxxi.  
Gregory would not be called the head bishop. fo. l.  
Gregorius ad felicem. Folio. liv.  
G●● by his own mouth made kings rulers. fo. lvii est  
governance kings appeareth by natural things. fo. eodi.  
Gregorius ad mauricium, Folio, lxxii.  
Gregorius was obedient to the Emperor. fo. lxxii.  
God shall reqire it of the kings whether the peace and faith of the church be increased or diminished. fo. lxxvi.  
Grant of the king to the monasteri of Glastomburi. fo, lxxxiii  
Gentleness over moche oppressed and grieved seeketh for the truth. Folio. C. v.   

. H.  
Hieronimus super mathe. xvi Folio. ix.  
He proveth by a similitude of the Emperor that the successors in the seat of Peter can by no reason challenge the prerogative of Peter. Fo. xvii.  
How moche christ set by Jerusalem. Fo. xi●.  
How kings serve god as kings. fo. codem.  
He called the church of England our mother. fo. lxxxx.  
Hit is expedient for the kings and the nobles of the realm to defend the church from Tyranni of the bishop of rome. Folio. C. iiii  
Here he prayeth god to bring the bishop of Rome out of igorance. Foli●. codem  
Hit is like that the primacy was left in Herusalem. folio. xx.  
Jerusalem was consecrated with the blood of Christ, fo. xx  
Hieromunus ad joginiarum folio, xxi,  
Hit is like that the council of Nicen did allthings justly, Folio, xxiiii.  
Hit is lawful for no man to name himself universal or high bishop, Folio, xxv.  
He that nameth himself universal priest or high bishop goeth before antichrist. floio. xxvi.  
He that is made bishop without consent of the metropolitan should be no bishop, foe, xxviii  
Hit was decreed in the council in aphrica that the bishop of rome should not be superior to all other, Folio, eodem  
He that is excomunicate in one dioces ought not to be received into another Foe, xxviii.  
He that willbe high shallbe lowest. fo, xxxii.  
He that doth notrenounce all that he hath can not be the disciple of christ Foyes, xlvii,  
He that climbeth highest must needs come down ward again Folio, l.  
He that is lad with the spirit of god is at liberty. fo, lii.  
Hit is to be feared that the cannon law lose his authority, foe, liv  
Hit belongeth to kings to minister justice, Folio. lix.  
Here is noman exempt from the obediens of kings Folio, lxviii,  
Holy scriptures of the new Testament give pristes no judicial power. Foyes, lxix  
How so ever ill be committed the correction longeth to the regal power. Foli, lxxiii  
He serveth god otherwise because he is a man & because he is a king, Folio, lxxiiii   

I  
In Jerusalem only was the high pristehod. Folio. nineteen.  
In consilio milevitan. Fo. xxviii.  
If the bishop of the mother church be negligent. fo. oden  
john bishop of Constantinople was the first that named himself universal bishop. Folio, thirty,  
If decrees of bishops do bind our conscience, fo. xxxvi  
In the primative church the decrees of councils were called cannons Foe, xxxvi  
If bishops have authority of god to make laws, Folio. xxxvii  
If possession of the church be of god it shall stand, foe, l  
In doubtful matters the high priest and the hy judge at hierusalem gave sentence fo. lxiiii  
If kings and rulers were judges of the law of god much more of the law of man. Fo. eodem  
In salomons time priests were born priests. Fo. lxvii.  
justinian Emperor made laws to confirm the law of god. Fo. lxxix,  
In France they eat flesh all Saturdays between Chrystinas and Candelmas. fo. codem   

K  
Kings should be chosen of the same nation, folio, lviii  
King Saul gave sentence of death upon chymeleche the high bishop folio. lxi.  
Kings did put in and elect the high priest. folio. lxvi.  
Kings made & ordained bishops. fo, lxxxiiii.  
Kings did institute judges as levites. fol. lxiii.   

L  
Laws of pope's be innumerable. folio, xxxvi  
Laws be two, folio, lii,  
Laurence archbishop of Cantorbury did refuse all such foreign power fo. liv  
Laws made by king Camula concerning spiritual things. folio. lxxxi  
Littera willi regis. folio, lxxxvi  
Lands given to the church of England. fo. lxxxxi.  
Letters written from the parliament of England to the bishop of rome. folio. lxxxxvii.   

M  
Magna est veritas foli. i  
Mark the word of Gre. to the church of England fo. lv  
Many shall receive the Sacrament, iii, in the year. fo. lxxxx  
Many resisted the bishop of Rome. folio. C. v  
Many be richer when they be religious men then when they were secular. folio. xlv   

N  
Nother power riches nor humility can make a Bysh. higher or lower. fo. xxvii.  
None ought to be called the chief or bed bishop or his priest. folio. xxviii.  
Negligence in the service of god and mysbehavor in the clerge. folio. lxxxxiiii  
Nabugodonosor correct by miracle made a law that no man should blasfeme god, folio, lxxiii  
Noman can dispense with the law of god, folio. liii.  
None expoundeth this text of the ecclesiastical power but papists. etc. folio. lxx.   

. O.  
Obediens is necessary in the bishop of Rome. foli. xi.  
Our father did not admit all the cannons, fol. xxxvii  
Of fornication with a man's wife. folio. lxxxiii.  
Of servants working on the sunday. foli. eodem  
Oratio regis Edgari. folio. lxxxxiii.  
Of them that were within orders. Folio. lxxxii  
Of tenths paying. folio. eodem.  
Of sorcere and witch craft folio. eodem  
Of a wife committing adultery. folio. lxxxi  
Of him that committeth theft being in orders. fo. lxxxiiii.   

P  
¶ Peter nor his successores were not they against whom the gates of hell did prevail but the confession of Peter. folio. viii  
Peter was compelled to make answer of his faith. fo. xi  
Peter made solemp sermon. folio. xviii  
Peter was bishop of Antioch before rome, folio. nineteen  
patriarchs were not subject one to another. foli. xxiiii  
Phecas Emperor. folio. xxix.  
Prelate's should not meddle with the Emperor. fo. xxxiiii  
Paul was judged before lay judges folio. eodem  
power of punishment longeth to kings. folio. lxi  
priests and prophets were the expounders of the law of god. fo. lxiiii.  
Pope's require & did extort tapis in portable. fo. lxxxxiis,  
Paul apelid to Cesar the Emperor. fo. lxxv.  
Pope Adryan gave clerks authority to choose the bishop of Rome. folio. lv.   

Q  
Quomodo regibus anglie competat authoritas in rebus divinis. folio. lxxix.  
Quicquid concedit regali Autoritate concedit et estendit regalem autoritatem. fo. lxxxvii.   

R  
Rome is called Babulon. folio. xx.  
riches and possessions which draweth man's mind ●●o god. fo. xliii.   

S  
Super omnia venit benignitas fo. i.  
Sume grant power given to bishops but by man's law folio. v  
Simon is interpretate obedience fol. xi.  
Some good men that were bishops of Rome did refuse primaci. foli. xxix  
Solomon condemned the bishop Abiathares. folio. lxi  
Solomon did ordre the office of priests. fol. lxii  
Some by the sword understand power ecclesiastical. folio. lxx  
Some say there was no power given to kings in spiritual things. fo. lxxi.  
Some bishops of Rome did not deny but gave kings power Ecclesiastical. fo. lxxxiiii  
Saint Dunstan gave council to the king to build many monasteries, fo. lxxxxvi  
Scotland hath always pertained to England. fo. lxxxxviii  
The difference of the regal and ecclesiastical power must be sought by scripture. folio. iiii  
The opinion of them that interpretate scripture sumpti of Ecclesiastical power. fo. eodem  
The church was not bild upon the person of peter, fo. viii  
The text of Mat. was not spoken of the person peter. fo. ix  
The church is the multitude of faithful people. folio. x  
The number of christian people is of more superiority than the City of Rome. folio. xii  
The power of binding and losing was given to all the Apostles. fo. eodem  
To feed the sheep of christ is to confirm them that believe in Chryst, folio. xiiii  
The third text whereby they challenge primacy. fo. xiiii  
That was spoken to Peter was spoken to all the apo. fo. xv  
There was but one flock which was fed of all the apostles. fo. eodem  
The Gospel is the seat of peter folio. xvi  
They that tech their one traditions be false prophets. fo. eo.  
The seat doth not make the priest. fo. eodem  
They that teach not the law of Christ sit in their own chairs, and entering at the window as thieves. fo. eod.  
The Gospel is the seat of peter. fo. eodem  
There contynuyth succession in the seats but not in virtue and merits. fo. xviii.  
The miracles of peter in Jerusalem .. fo nineteen  
The apostles strove for superiority. folio, xxii  
The apostles were equal. Folio, eod.  
The dignity of the apostles was esteemed by priority of tyme. fo. xxiii.  
The interpretation of this word patriarch. fo. xxiiii  
The bishops be superior to priests by custom & no● by the law of god. fo. xxvi.  
These did continue at anynion a long season. fo. xxxi  
The church hath no power to constrain fo, xxxiii  
The kingdom of god is not of this world, foe, xxxiiii  
The office of a bishop, fo, xxxv  
The ordinances of the apo. were not all received, fo, xxxvii  
The Canons have not shoyre authority by the maker, Folio xxxviii  
The clarge keepeth not the fast of, lx, days before Ester Folio, eodem  
The power was divided with kings & princes, foe, xii,  
The largeness of their power is like a stream of water Folio. xlii.  
The clergy should refuse possessions, Folio, xliii  
The interpretation of this wordy clerk, Folio, xliiii,  
They that be seperte of our lord can possess nothing besides the lord, Foe, xiv.  
The power of the City of Rome is not so large by god. fo. l  
The comen law giveth place to the private law, Foe, liii  
The see of Rome cannot dyspense norchaunge statutes of the old fathers, Folio. eodem  
The good of the church are the goods of the power, Foyes, xlix  
The high priests called the kings their lords, Foyes, lx,  
Thurstan archbishop of York, Foyes, lxxx  
The examination of the manners & living of the clarge pertaineth to the king, Foe, lxxxxiii,  
The whole perliament denieth to answer before the bishop of Rome. Foyes, lxxxxix.  
The Shepcherd that hath dispersed the people of god shallbe grievously punished, Foyes, C, iiii,  
Thelesphorius ordained the clergy to fast, xl, days before Easter foe, xxxviii  
They put down kings when it pleaseth them & set up other foe xiii.  
The Papistical power hath oftentimes troubled England, fo, liv  
The pope calleth the king vicar of god, fo lxxxiiii.  
The vow of William conqueror, fo. eodem.  
The power of the bishop of Rom never stood a man's life without resistance foe, xxxix  
The opinion of the papists concerning the power of the bishop of Rome, foe, iiii  
The opinion of them that make all men equal with small wisdom confirmed, fo, v  
The power ecclesyastycal was given to all apostles, fo, xxi,  
The bishops of the east resist the bishops of rome, fo, xxv  
The bishops of Rome were not content to have the tenth. fo. C. two.  
The time is h●●y when men may see the troth, foe, Cvi   

W  
¶ What is comprehendyde under the ecclesiastical power, fo, vi,  
widows shall not marry within xii months, foe, xxxi,  
We must be justified by faith which worketh by charity, foli, seven  
What soever is the foundation of the church christ must be the head, foe, seven  
What is under standed by the gates of hell, foe, viii,  
When he was called peter which was called Simon before, fo, ix,  
What is understanded by the seat of Moses, foe, xv  
Why peter was called the head of the apostles, foe, lxviii  
Why bishops were ordained and made fo xxvi.  
What pertaineth to a bishop, foe, xxxv,  
What the crown of priest betokeneth, fo, xliiii,  
What is lawful for lay people foe, eodem  
What thing a priest must forsake, fo, xlvi,  
What authority is given to kings by god, folio, lvi  
We should not abhor the true name of honour, foe, li  
What longeth to aching or a prince & what to a P, fo, lviii  
What the duty and authority of a king, foe, lix,  
What is the proper office of a king, foe, lxxv  
What authority kings had in consecration of Bys, foe, lxxxv  
urban made an act that no clerks should take any promotion spiritual of any king and Lay men, foe, eodem  
What things be more spiritual fo, lxxxv  
What pertaineth to a king of a realm fo, lxxxxiii,  
What text of scripture is printed in the heart of the bishop of Rome foe, Ci  
●ozimus bishop of Rome, foe, liii   
Finis tabule.   


sith it weth is of such pre-eminence & dignity that she neither giveth, 
Super omnia vicit veritas iii, esdre, iii  place to time authority nor power but always resident in her high perfection & throne giveth every man an entre oft-times surely very hard & also encumbered by man's malice & manifold forsenses and yet nevertheless blameless in the judgement of god and also laudable by the confession of men if any would ernestli and with good intent labour to come thereto, 
Magna est veritas quo prevalet,, iii, hesdre, iiii,  this labour which we take upon us is not to be disallowed sith the honour and zeal of reverend truth hath moved us to treat the things that follow here after with diligence & mature deliberation.  
The things which we intend to speak of, shall want the enticement of Novelties, But even the asisteryte and roughness of the truth shall sufficiently content the good nether is it taken as a thing ratified by judgement when any sentence is pronounced against the truth we shall therefore think it sufficient to plead the truths cause to take our way to her judgement seat, & to bestow our labour in the Illustration and setting forth of her name, so that all dissimulation, disdain, envy, pertinacyte with al'maliciouse and Corrupt afflections be exiled from us, which we for our part do most abhor, but if none of these things can be imputed to us let those impediments of foryn judgements be also removed from us, which we lawfully object and lay against the ill & froward, lest through pretence of the truth, while they set forth their awne malice, they disturb the public quieter let the former judgements of the good stop the mouths of the ill, that it be not lawful for every man, to entre medal with every thing, but that, that is done with godly intent that, is set fourth with moderation & sought with great reverence, let it also proceed forth with great favour & liberti so that we bear no blame for rehearsing those things which other men have both written and done with praise, we will not leave to our own judgement, we will not follow our own brain, we will invent nothing, we will fain nothing, we will nothing blame, or pervert unjustly, but faythfulli, sincerely, & incorruptelye we shall rehearse the holy Scriptures, and the sentences acts and deeds of other men, which Determine and agree upon the thing that we propone.  
¶ Nether take we this studi with out avisement, ne came to this labour and province by his induced by sensual affections but religion moved us, charity did exhort us & a zeal of the truth drove us forth and compelled us being otherwise loath to meddle For he did certainly see in how laborious business in how inextricable maase this power named ecclesesiastical hath entangled many men, which of what soever beginning it sprang up first, surely now it is depraved, & corrupted with wily craft, we were not ignorant that the malice of men, is great upon earth, and that nothing is so good under the son which the iniquity of all persons doth not subvert. But there with all it came to our remembrance that god doth greatly regard those things which he himself hath peculiarly ordained that he hath given his holy Scripture containing that is necessary to be Known, & most undoubted professores of the truth further that though the riches of god's wisdom be deep and unsearchable yet it is given by scripture to man's knowledge that some time by the fruit we mai know the tre and after that prove the Spyryttes whether they be of god or of men and if it be in your power to prove & to discern good from ill it is no marvel if religion hath moved us charity hath persuaded us finali zeal of the truth hath thus for driven us as profoundly to study deeply to cast in our mind first what may be the reason of the ambiguite of this power and after that to mark well and consider whether all things be consonant unto the rule of the verity that is to say to the testymonyes of Scripture whereby this ecclesiastical power and what soever at this time is contained under that apellation is bolstard up, & stayed For thus thought we with our selves, if this power was first constituted by the ordinance of god having so large and ample foundation & if so huge a building was so reared up with so ample foundation, as in this time it seemeth to be usurped than list we only to make this exclamation, the inserutable devices of god whose providence we see not in these bodies full of darkness. But if this authority hath been only permitted by god, for our transgressions that we might be scourged and that we might be wail our sins we are in blindness that we see it not, that disease is very perilous which we feel not, & unmiserable is our condition that where as god doth severely punnisshe us we enterpretate it as gentle dealing with us and accept this ungodly & Tyrannical power as a great benefit, undoubtedly all power is of god as the apostle saith and whosoever resisteth the power resistith the ordinance of god But it is a very noisome error to put no difference betwixt power given of god and Tyranny permitted of god and that we bearing favour to our own sins will not acknowledge the very vengeance of god. 
Rom, xiii,  
The difference of the ecclesiastical & regal power must be sought by scripture.   
¶ But at the last it came, to our remembrance that the sure dissolution of this ambiguity should be required & sought out of the holy Scripture wherein ever at this day liveth & breatheth that comforting spirit that christ did promise to send to his to teach them all verity for other wise if we should leave to men's traditions the matter hath been diversly deemed  
¶ For sundry men have have had sundry opinions, 
vari opiniones be potestate pont, Roma.  
The opinion of them that interpretate scripture since ●ele of the ecclesiastical power.  some as it seemeth leaving to the sincere sense of scripture & after the discretion thereof measuring the foundation of this power. do define and limit the ecclesiastical power only to be the ministration of the word of god and they affirm the bishop of Rome with other bishops to be given instead of the apostles which should observe god's word after the limits of his commandment & should teach & preach that that is taught in the scripture adding nothing thereunto ne taking any thing thereof away as though the divine providence needed any help of man's industry wherbe he might the better provide for the health of man other so enlarge, 
The opinions of the papists concerning the power of the bishop of rome,  and extend the limits of the Ecclesiastical power, that the appoint the ends thereof him and his submitting to that power all holy & profane things, heavenvly and worldly as for the bishop of rome they make him not aministre of the word and a servant but the vicar of god They give unto him authority of dominion, that he may do all thing safe that is not his pleasure to do that he may judge all men, & that none ought to judge him that he hath dominion over Emperors, and kings and infewe words that he hath pemynence over all men & is more over above a general counsel some other make all christian men equal and that was spoken unto the apostles with small dyscresion, 
The opinions of them that, make all men equal with small wisdom confirmed  they apply to all Christian men, Confounding all orders of christian people being clean repugnant unto the other sort and as the other without almeasure did attribute to the bishops of Rome all power, 
some grant power given to bishops but by man's law, some contend it to be given by God  so these with no like fault seem to take all power away. Therbe some that grant a power, but not with standing they dissent in the cause & the origine and where as the bishop of rome would calenge his premacye by the law of god, they stiffly affirm that it was ordained by the law of man.  

bishops that were most virtuous take lest upon them  ¶ The roman bishops theyr selfes do not agree amongs themselves, among whom as every on did exselle the other in hollines of living and religion, so he did require and take upon him that less power, and some again could not refrain their hands from almost holy things nor forbear the scriptures of god. 
whereof the authority intendyth to proceed upon,  Which altercation of opinions and conflict of sentenses in themselves disagreeing, do give us just and lawful occasion to search out the origine, of this so great, so ample & so mighty power that we may clearly see, whence it came how it did proceed, how large it was given, how it was extended by usurpation, what was granted by god, & what was added and adiected by the will & pleasure of man, finally what bishops have taken from princes, & kings, & what they have usurped to themselves, the certainty of all which things must be taken out of the holy scripture, which is most sincere and incorrupt testimony and if the sense of scripture shall so plainly appear, that no man can doubt thereof,  
¶ That it shall not be dysconuenyente to confirm the same with reciting the deeds and acts of other men wherefore we shall first of all assay to search forth, 
Diviso operis The division of this work into, iiii, parts  & pondre how the ecclesiastical power as it is usurped now adays, hath not his authority by the law of god. secondly in what fashion this power is extended by the law of god? Thirdly how moderately good bishops have used this power four how far the power now called ecclesiastical pertaineth properly unto kings and foe to go in hand with the thing which we did propound in the furst place ye shall furst understand, 
●, i, et, c, translato de conse, what is comprehended under the ecclesiastical power and it is usurped now adays  the under the appellation of this ecclesiastical power now a days, is contained authority to make laws & statutes, which may bind all christian men with authority to compelle all men yea even kings and princes so that they shall make their answers in all manner causes (if any offence be pretended) 
the first part  
Cap novit de judice  before the bishop of rome & make their pleas in matters of traverse before him to depose princes out of the administration their realms to absolve subjects of the oath of their obedience set upon other whom it shall please him to excommunicate, 
Cap ad oppostolice de sen & reiudi libra, vi,  to enterdicte to cast down from alive into hell or other whom it shall please him to send up in to heaven, 
de sent, ex, per tot,  & briefly to conclude to do all things and more to and they go about to confirm this power by certain places of holy Scripture which texts we will examine sincerely.  
¶ And in honest sort and the chef place is math. xvi 
The examination or the texts of scripture wherbi the papists challenge this power of the first, text math. xvi.  Thou art peter and upon this stone I will edify my church and the gattes of hell shall not prevail against it of that which text if it were granted that this were the intellection thereof that it should signify the church to be buyldid upon peter than should follow as they say manifest probation of full power which thing for all that is not to be granted for all though Peter were chief & highest of the Apostles and the church edified upon his private person, (which were an inconuenyente as we shall hereafter show) yet what soever foundation the church of christ had, 
what soever, is the foundation of the church christ must needs be her bed by whose blood it was redeemed and nourished by faith in christ  it must never theles be redeemed by the blood of christ and grew up by faith in christ, consist and be joined together by the laws of christ of the which christ if the church be the true & proper spouse she must have him only as her lord in sovereign liberty, in him as in her head she must consist, in him she dependeth, by whom it is brought to pass that we be no longer under the law, but under grace by his free gift, so waxing big, that we being delivered & loused from the charge of the school master, and inspired with the holy ghost through his grace. 
we must be justified by ●ayth which worketh by char●t●.  Of him we may be justified by faith which worketh (not by coercion, not by imposition of ponysshementes not by thretenyngs and terioures/ but by unfeigned love.  
¶ But it seemeth not to be proved by that text that the church was builded upon peter. 
The church was not builded upon the person of peter  Unless under the name of peter ye understand the universal congregation of faithful, and true christian people or else the very confession of peter, for what could be spoken more than that the gates of hell should not pravaile against the church?  
¶ But if the gates of hell (which after the mind of hierom orygen and ambrose be vice & sin) cannot prevail against the church no man can say that this is understand of the bishop of rome, 
What is understand by the gates of hell,  which is a man and mortal: 
Pro, xxiii●,  sith it is written that seven times in the day offendyth a just man, 
Heb, v,  & as saint paul saith every bishop taken from amongs men is compassed with infirmity & therefore he is bound to offer for Sins aswell for his own part as for the peoples & thus ye must also considre the of the bishops of Rome many have been symoniaks 
Some of the bishops of rome have been symonyakes,   

Some idolaters some sysmatickes some physics, some with other vices  ¶ Some idolaters other sysmaticks other heretics other wrapped in other vices and some almost culpable in all as the Chronicles testify which containing the acts of the bishops roman of whom though all or many did repent of their format lewd life at the last and therefore against them by reason of their faith in christ the true fundatur of the church, helgates. & sum prevaled not in the end, yet the same prevailed against other which died no better than they lived, but heaping sin upon sin had amore onhappye death than they had life whose ill end doth make us amanyfesse certificate that peter & his successors in the church of rome. 
Peter nor his successors were not they against whom the gattes of hell did not prevail but the confession of peter,  Were not they Against whom the gates of hell should not prevail, but the faith, and the confession of peter, 
Ambrose de incar domini sacramento  for as saint Ambrose saith in his book of the mystery of the incarnation of our lord, it is not spoken of the person of Peter, 
The text of matthew was not spoken of the per●on of Peter but of his confessores,  but of his faith for the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, and the same ambrose upon the epistle to the Ephesians, our lord said to peter upon this stone I will build my church, 
Ad ephesios capitulo, two,  that is upon this confession of the catholic faith, I constytute faithful people to lift jesus, christ being the head corner stone in whom every building cowplede together groweth unto an holy temple in our lord in whom ye also are build together and made an habitation, for god in the spirit. 
Hierom super math, xvi,  This saith he is the sense whereof our lord spoke upon this stone I will build my church/ and saint Hieron writeth the after the similitude of a stone it is conveniently spoken. I will build my church upon the which sentence saint, augustyne confirming saith, 
Augustinus, upon the words, divini sermonis,  upon this stone which thou hast confessed, upon this stone which thou knowest, saying thou are christ the son of the living god I will build my church, that is to say upon myself the son of the living god, I will build my church upon me I will edify the and not me upon thee, 
Why he was called Peter which was named Simon before.  for as he was named Simon before after that (as Hyrom, & Bede do say) for the strengeth of his faith and the constance of his confession our lord gave him the name of Peter/ so likewise we, 
Hieroni super math cap, ●vi  
Origenes super math homilia, i  as origin saith, if we by the revelation of the father to us which is in heaven do confess that Jesus' christ is the son of the living god, 
Every man that confeseth christ to be the son of god may be called peter,  we are called conveniently by the name of peter, for the stone is every man that followeth christ The stone is christ our lord and saviour which after the saing of Bede to him that knew by faith, 
Beda super, math, cap, xvi  to his lover/ to him that confessed him did give the participation of his name. That is to say that of this word Petra the stone, 
i, ●or, iii,  he should be named Peter, upon the which stone the church is builded, for no man can lay any other foundation but that that is laid all ready, which is christ jesus this stone is so firm this foundation is so substantial, that it will not suffer that is builded upon it any time to fall or else to shrink. For it is a coruerd stone a constant streghneth a substantial station a firm foundation of the church and so we read it called in many places of holy scripture, 
Chrisostum in sermone de penthecost,   
And also Crysostome in the Sermone of Penthecoste upon this stone he saith not upon this peter for he did not build his church upon man but upon his faith, what is this to say upon the stone, that is to say upon the confession, for if christ by these words had so understanded as the church should have been builded upon Peter, the it should have been governed after the pleasure of him & his successors Also in what place he said, if thy brother trespass against the show it unto the church, 
Math, xviii,  that betokeneth unto the multitude of faithful people, 
The church is the multitute of faithful people or the judge institud by the multitute  or else, unto the judge institute by the multitude, or unto the general council, he would have said, show it to Peter and his successors, 
Aeneas' silvius other wise called pope pius the second  which sins Aeneas silvius doth reject saying on this wise, the yock of christ is easy and the burden of christ is light. But tell me how light? if christ command that is impossible, if he should command all christen people to go unto Peter, in all causes of contention he should command that is inpossible for how could Peter seek for the church so sore dispersed and all christian men from door to door by towns and villages, 
Congregation in the acts of the Apostles were called the church, ex regest lib. iiii, epistola. xxxviii  wherefore in the acts of the apostles congregations which were had were called the church saint Gregory also upon the same matter writeth thus. if I be displeased when I reprehend other than it remaineth that I should show it unto the church.  
¶ Furthermore aeneas silvius 
Aeneas' silvius  upon this words tell it to the church expounding the church to be the general council, 
Peter, was sent to the counsel as to his superior,  saith thus lo Peter was sent unto the counsel, The verity sent the high bishop unto the council, and wherefore was that? surely that the pope's of Rome should not disdain to know some power in earth above them which they should ask counsel of in high matters and to be obedient to their determinations where of as Rabanus 
Rabanus,  thinketh, Peter otherways was called Simon which after the interpretation of the Ebreu tongue is to say obedience that every man mayght perceive that obedience is necessary in the bishops of rome. 
Simon is interpretate obedient  
obedience is necessari in the bishops of Rome, Garson,  Gerson in his book of oblation of the spouse of the church, doth approbate this sentence saying in times past peter by dissimulation did follow the rite of Iwes, 
Gal, iii  and Paul did manifestly resist and hold against him. Peter brought in new fashions into the church of god, 
Act, x, &, xi,  entering into a Centurion a captain of a hundreth men being a gentle, wherefore  murmur arose in the church of god in so much that Peter was compelled to follow the doctrine which scripture teacheth that is to say that he should prepare 
Peter was compelled to make answer of his faith and belief before the counsel,  himself before all the whole church to give them manifestation and a certitude of his believe and of his hope, so Simachus 
Simachus,  so blessed marcellius, 
Marcelline,  so Gregory his self & so many other did submit themselves unto the judgements of the councils, 
Gregory  not of humility and voluntary condiscendinge thereto as some do Imagen but because they were obligate & bound thereto. And saint Hierom 
Hierom  writing to Euagrius doth affirm that as touching authority the hole number of christen people to be of more superiority than the city of Rome & that in thes words show it to the church, 
The number of christen people is of more superiority than the city of rome.  the multitude of christian people is signified the apostle doth prove saying. I have surely thus determined, that he that hath thus committed you being gathered to gather with mispryte) 
i, Coryn, v.  be taken to Satan  
& upon the same text saint augustine 
Augustyne  maketh this exposition, I have judged of this manner that you (he speaketh to the multitude) congregate together in on with out any dissension, with whom my authority and the virtue of christ shall work together, be take such a man to satan besides that, 
Bede super mathe. xviii,  that this powher of the church was granted unto Peter in the name of the multitude. Bede upon the xviii chapter of matthew) upon this text if thy brother trespass against thee) doth prove writing in this manner this power of the holy church was specially committed to bishops c. But generally, surely it is supposed to be given unto the universal church. 
The power o●●●ndynge & lowso●● was given unto all the Apostles  For where as in another place our lord doth give unto peter this power of binding & lousing of a truth it is not to be doubted but in peter which bore the figure of the church it was given unto all th'apostles, 
August super johan  the which writing saint Augustine upon john doth show in these words Peter who he took the keys did signify the holy church For if the foundation of the church were not in Peter our lord would not have said unto him I will give the the keys of the kingdom of heaven saint, 
Peter signifieth the hol church  
Augustinus  Hierom & saint Augustyne do prove the same upon this text, take ye the holy ghost whose offences you remit they shall be remitted unto them and I will give to the the keys of the kingdom of heaven, which Augustyne nameth the sciens and power to discern but also Ambrosein his book of the dignity of priesthood. doth affirm that in saint. Peter the apostle all priests received the keys of the kingdom of heaven, likewise orygen saith. 
All priests in peter are the keys of heaven.  Thinkest thou that the keys of the kingdom of heaven were given only to Peter and the none other good men shall receive them. 
Origin super math homilia, l,   
¶ But if that is spoken is comen amongst all men, I will give the thy keys of the kingdom of Heaven, how is that, that allthing which we have refrreed before unto peter do not apere to pertain unto every man (For in the Evangelist johann jesus giving the holy ghost unto his disciples, 
johan two.  brethinge upon them did say, receive you the holy ghost, whosoever's synes you remette, they shallbe remitted unto them, whosoever's synns you retain they shallbe retained, as though he had spoken to all those that were constitute as Peter was & where as in another place Christ spoke, Peter I have prayed for the that thy faith fail not, 
Luc, xxii  but when thou art converted, strength thy brethren, 
Another terte whereby that papists challenge authority for the bishop of rome, August in quest note q, lxxv  doth this be token the pre-eminence of peter as though it were peter only upon whom the church was edified all other being excluded, saint Augustyne saith did he pray for Peter and prayed not for johan &. james I hold mi peace of other Therefore it is manifest, that in Peter, all the other be contained. For christ in john doth say, I pray for them that thou hast given unto me, 
By Peter is understand the universal church,  wherefore it is manifest that by Peter we understand the universal church as it evidently appeareth in many places by saint Augustyn, 
August super psall,  specially where he saith certain things be spoken which although they apere to pertain peculyerlye to Peter the Apostle, yet have they never manifest sense but when they be reffered ●nto the church, whose person in ●ygure Peter did represent  
as it is apertly known, but now let us come unto the words of christ in the last chapter of john, 
johan vitimo  which words, 
The, iii text waer by they challenge primacy  these that affirm this high power do so earnestly regard that is to wit, peter lovest thou me, Feed my sheep To feed the sheep of christ after the saying of Bede 
Bede  is to confirm them that believe in christ that they shrink not from the faith and Instantly to labour and diligence that they dayli more and more take increase in the faith Therefore they as saint Augusten doth say that feed the sheep of christ in this mind that they would have them to be their sheep and not the sheep of christ do confound themself that they do it not for the love of christ, 
To feed the sheep of christ is to confirm them that believe in christ and to encreate thewy faith,  
August, super johan, ultimo  but for covetousness either of glory or dominion, or of lucre. Not for obedience, 
August de ago, christo, cap xxxx,  not for intent to help them or for love for to please god, & in this book of the agony of a christian man, he saith that it was not without cause amongst all th'apostles that peter did represent the person of this catholic church, 
that was spoken to peter, was spoken to all th'apostles,  and that the keys of the kingdom of heaven were given to this church, and when it was spoken to him it was to all, lovest thou me, feed mishepe, and so these wretches while they in peter do not understand the stone and will not believe that the keys of the kingdom of heaven were given unto the church they have lost them out of their hands. Bede also upon this last chapter of john saith thus that was spoken unto peter was spoken unto all the disciples of christ for the other of the apostles were the same that, Peter was, 
There is but one floke which was fed of all thappos●ses with God consent who●● peter received with 〈…〉 with 〈◊〉  they very shepherd all there is but on flock showed which was fed of all the apostles with out agreement or consent & sins that time is fed by the successors of them with mutual & comine diligence, besides this ambrose in his book of the dignity of presthodde upon these words feed my sheep, 
Ambrose  doth assent unto the sentence before rehearsed, saying which sheep and which flock not only Peter them received but he received them with us, 
Glosa ordinaria math, xvi,  
All bishops and priests have equal, authority with Peter & why peter rece●uyde them specially,  and all we received them with him, But where as all bishops and priests have equal authority with Peter.  
¶ Not with standing Peter received it specially that every man might perceive that he that sepetateth himself from the unite of the faith, can neither be absolved of his sins, nor enter into the kingdom of heaven. And saint Hierom 
Hierom  said, from the unity of the faith not from the unity of peter, 
What is understand by the seat of moyses and by the seat of peter,  of the bishops of Rome, but whosoever supposeth rome to be the seat of peter, or any other place, may well appear that he doth interpretate amiss the words of christ, in the xxiiii. chapter of matthew, For when christ doth say, 
Math, xxiiii,  the scribes and the phariseis did sit in the seat of moyses, by the seat of moyses there is no man doubts but the law of Moses given by god & the pure doctrine thereof is signified and non other exterior seat. So the seat of peter is rather the seat of christ in the which Peter and all the other apostles sat is manifest to be nothing else but the pure gospel of christ. 
The gospel is the seat of Peter,  And even as christ did admonish his, that they should beware of the leaven of the pharisees which is their learning besides the law so he doth command us to beware of false prophets that is to say from them that teach their own traditions and not the words of christ, which interpretation, 
They that teach there one traditions he false prophets,  
August super johan tract xlv. i,  augustyn upon john doth confirm exponding thes words the scribes & Pharisees sit upon the seat of moyses do as they say but do not as they do.  
¶ What thing else did he say saith augustyne but here you the voice of the shepherd by the hired servants, 
T●ry the teach their own traditions seek not that is Christ's but there own.  for sitting upon the seat of moyses they teach the law of god, than followeth that by them god tech that if they would tech their own traditions here it not. do it not, for surely such seek that is there own, and not that is christes whereof it is manifest that the seat of moyses is the law of moyses & the seat of christ in the which peter and the other apostles sat, is the gospel, and all such that teach not the law of moyses nor the word of god sit not in the seat of Moses nor in the seat of christ or Peter or of the apostles, 
They that teach not the law of christ s●t in there own chares and enter in at the windows as thieves  but in their own chairs and seats which coming before christ and entering in by the window & not by the door which is christ, be thieves and robbers and taketh honour unto themselves, not called of god as Aaron was upon which sentence chrysostom writing saith every christian, 
Chrysostome ho●●●. thirty. s.  man that taketh the word of peter is the seat of Peter, 
Every man that taketh the word or peter is ye●e●e o● peter  and Peter sitteth in him and likewise in another place. Take ye heed my brethren how ye set upon the seat, 
Item, xl, dist. ●apite, bid● hissom ibidem cap, iii,  for the seat doth not make the priest. But the priest the seat, nor the place doth sanctify the man, but the man the place, 
The seat doth not make the priest but the priest the seat.  he that sitteth well upon the seat, taketh the honour of the seat he that syteth ill doth injury unto the seat, 
An ill priest of his priesthood getteth rebuke  and therefore an ill priest of his presthedde getteth rebuke & not dignity.  
¶ If we should grant thus also that the seat of Peter were the place or the seat where he before sat, Gregory, 
Gregorius 〈◊〉 regu, lib●●, v●, cap, xx.  never the less doth 〈…〉 the church of Alexandria or of antioch the seat of Peter, aswell as the church of Rome, 
Alexandria & antioch were the seat of Peter before ●ome  therefore (of that we have showed before) it is manifest that, that the power ecclesiastical which some enlarge and extend so ample in the bishop of Rome hath not her foundation in the scriptures which are alligate, for if the private person of Peter be not the foundation of the church as we have proved before, but upon Peter as representing the person of all, or as pronouncing the confession of the faith of christian men which is the foot and substantial foundation of the church, 
He proveth by a similitude of the emperor that the successors in the seat of peter can by no reason challenge the prerogative of peter  it hath no more reason wherefore by that title of Peter his successors in his cathedral seat or Bysshoperyche should challenge any prerogative of Peter, more than he which shall succeed the Emperor in the kyndomes of Spain, shall therefore challenge the empire of the romans, because the king of spain while he lived had that dyngnite for Peter was not, 
Why Peter, was called head of the apostles,  therefore called chief of the apostles or foundation because he was heed of this church, or that but for aspeciall prerogative of his merits he was elect alone of all the other, which should stand in stead of the other, whose confession neither flesh nor blood hath revelate but the heavenly father which is in heaven, even as neither cesar at this time is Emperor of rome, because he is king of spain But because he was elect of them in whom is the acthorite of election  
¶ christ choose Peter, 
christ those Peter before he was bishop of rome  before he was bishop of Rome, which place it is put in doubt whether he ever saw or no christ considered his qualities & not his person, 
There containeth succession in the seats, but now in the virtue and merits,  in there setes & bisshoprichiss, they contain ethsuaession, but in their vertuse & merits there is no succession, and they that be good do succeed the ill And the ill succeed the good. if Christ had given this authority unto the seat of rome it should have remained after the death of peter now vereli sigh theridamas is no mention made of rome why do we give room suꝑiorite before authioch and why do not we prefer authioche which seat peter first obtained but wherefore doth not Jerusalem excel all other where the seat of peter was many years before he saw Rome where he received the holy ghost where first he inflamed with the spirit, 
why be not hierusalem and authioche preferred before room.  
Act, two,  
Peter made, iii, solemn sermons,  began first to put in exersice his office of preaching the word of god, and where he made four  Sermons, 
Act, i,  one of the election of mathias to be apostle in the Room of judas, 
Act, two,  another of the sending down of the holy ghost The third unto the people where he restored his limbs to him which was borne lame of his mother 
Act, iii,  
Act, iiii,  The fourth unto Annas and Cayphas & the residue of the priests seniors and scribes, what shall we say that in Jerusalem he did so many miracles that they brought forth in to the streets their sick people and laid them in their beds and cowches that when Peter came by the shadow of him at the last might come over them and the multitude of tother Cities near unto them ran also to Jerusalem bringing there sick people & such as were vexed with uncleanly spirits, which were healed all, 
Act, v,  
The miracles of peter in hierusalem,  also to this that christ evermore set so much by Jerusalem. That when he sent forth his apostles into all the world to preach remission of sins not only to the Iwes, 
Now manche christ set by hierusalem  but also to all nations of the world he commanded them to begin at Jerusalem he forbade that they should not swear by that city because it was the cite of the great king, of this cite Esaias did before time prophesy, 
Luc. xxiiii,  out of Zion shall come a law, and the word of god out of Jerusalem. 
Matthew, v,  There only in old time was the high priesthood, 
Christ forbade they should not swear by hierusalem  there was the temple & the altar, The holy of most holy sacrifices and oblations, 
Esaia, iii  sith the time/ saith our lord that I brought my people out of the land of Egipte I have not elect any city wherein any house should be build in my name, 
In Jerusalem only was the high priesthood with in the temple  but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name should be in it, 
Christ chose Jerusalem to build his temple i●●,  and he saith I will give Jerusalem an evangelist and wisdom (by whom authors will that christ the son of god and the second divine person is betokened) saith in the holy cetie I have rested & in Jerusalem my power, 
Gal, xxiiii,  
zachar, viii  
God by the prophet saith I will dwell in Jerusalem,  and by Sacharye our lord speaketh I will dwell in the mids of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem shallbe called the city of verity lo I will save mi people of the est part and of the west part and I will bring them and they shall dwell in the mids of Jerusalem, & they shallbe my people & I willbe their god in verity and justice and all the whole scripture is replete with the laudes of the city of Jerusalem contrary wise room is called babylon to whom our lord in the apocalypse doth threaton malediction if we will give credence unto Hierom or Tertulian it is much more like that this primaci or superiority was last unto Jerusalem which city god always did most favour of the which city christ specially took cure of which he left to peter by name & not Rome, 
Rom, is called babilon to whom god threateneth maledictions,  
It is like the the premacye was last at Jerusalem,  
Peter was bishop of antioch before rome,  but also he took the bishopric of Anthyoche before the bishopric of rome.  
¶ Wherefore if it be that peter for soak first Jerusalem and after the anthioch, and than came to Rome Then we may say that the election of Peter did constitute the premacye, and not the confession & grant of god, and the premate authority in that church is by peter, a man as they say and not of christ being god, having no foundation in holy scripture but as they may contend it to be by the sufferance of god. 
God sometime suffereth tirranical power to punish the people,  By which reason all power cometh of god, asmuch as tirrannical power, which verily god sometime doth not hinder or let but suffereth for to afflict and punish the people and sometime doth send it, but if they contend the preragotive of peter to be at Rome rather than any where else by the reason that it was consecrate with the blood of peter why should not the church of 
Jerusalem, was consecrate with the blood of christ as rome with Peter's blood  Jerusalem, by that reason moche more expel, which was santifyed & consecrate with the blood of christ But now we wile come to speak of that power ecclesiastical which we purpose to speak of in the ii 
Of the power taken after the second manner  place which doubtless is confirmed by holy scripture & seemeth to have taken the limits of her power by the same, first I will show how the this power ecclesiastical is not so, 
The power ecclesiastical was given, equally to all th'apostles  the taken as granted unto one before all other but equally given unto all th'apostles, after that I will show you, how it was given me sureable so that it pertaineth not to those things which be usurped at these days under the title, & that this power was not given to one but to many diverse exposytors of scripture do testify, 
Math ultimo johan, two.  for when it is in scripture. Go you & teach all people, and receive you the holy ghost, and whose sins you shall remit. etc. They writ on this manner what authority saith Chrisostome can be found more universal or greater after the mind of augustyne by these words the law and power ecclesiastyall is understanded to be given and by the sentence of hierom and Cyprian all the apostles equally took authority and pastural cure all indifferently upon on day that is to say in penthecost as saith Augustyne) 
Augustinus, de quest novi, testam q, lxxxx in,  
Hierominus ad jenivian, Cipren desunplicitotepre lator,  the law was given upon which day the holy ghost come down upon the disciples they should take authority and know to preach the law of the gospel what thing could more manifestly show the equality of Peter & the other apostles than those elocutions so generally expressed besides this when the disciples did ask jesus who should be highest in the kingdom of heaven. 
August de quest noutest, q lxxxxv,  
Math, viii,  By & by he set a child in the mids amongst them & said verily I say unto you unless ye be converted & become like children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Therefore who soever doth humble himself he shallbe most in the kingdom of heaven. 
The apostles st●●●e for super●orite  Bede doth sa●e that this question was asked of the apostles for because they strove for the prymace or superiority, & therefore christ did sit a child in the mids amongs them. 
Children be wind of ambition & desire of pre-eminence,  That they might learn that they should not seek for superiority for children be clean void of ambition desire of pre-eminence & all affections of enui, 
They that be Am●●●ious cannot to heaven unless the repent  and the gloze doth interpretate this place of this fasshiononles ye be clean converted from your elation and indignation in the which ye be now & all become as innocent and lowly by virtue as little children be. By their age, 
Hieronimus, super matheu cap, xviii  ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven, hierom doth say that although that sentence may be general a Against all them that offend any man yet after the dependinge of the text it may be understanded to be spoken also against the apostles, which by asking this question who should be highest of them in the kingdom of heaven did appear to strive & contend of pre-eminence of dignity, and if they had continued in the offence they might by there offending have lost them, whom they brought unto their faith, seeing the apostles dispute amongs themselves of honour & primacy Chrysostom agreeing to the same saith, 
Disto, xl. capi multi  whosoever desireth primacy in ere the shall find confusion in heaven, 
Note,  nor he shallbe committed amongs the servants of christ, 
Desire of premacis causeth confusion.  whosoever medlith of supiorite or pre-eminence and therefore saint cipryan & anacletus 
Cyprian anacletus  did agre & consent that all the apostles received equallyte of lawshype and eterenal honour 
the apostles were equal,  honor & power and Paul writeth unto the corinthyans, I was in nothing inferior unto the hieste apostles & thus speaketh of himself which being so excellent apostle would not have spoken if he ought to have known any superioryte in peter And in another place agreeing to the same sentence I think myself nothing inferior unto the other apostles, 
two. cor, iiii,  & in another place again he writeth on this manner, let a man esteem us on this wise, as the ministers of god, and disposers of the secrets of god, & upon these words of the same paul in his epistle to the galathians where he saith that he did confer or comen of the gospel with the other apostles the gloze 
Gloze  interliniat addithe I have not learned of other as of my superiors. 
Ad galathi, 1●  But I did comen of the gospel with them as with misrendes & coequalles & saint ambrose upon these words of Paul when peter came to antioch I with stood him in the face, 
Ambrose ad gall, two,  he saith he durst not have done so, unless he had known himself equal with him for they did add nothing unto me but I added to them upon, this words of the same Paul. james and john which seemed to be pillars gave to barnabas and me their right hands of fellowship that is to say of equality and he saith they gave their right hands & not commandment whereby verily equality might be perceived saint ambrose confirmeth the same saying other apostles seemed to be superious because they were before this Paul lost because he was called last vereli not in merits or authority but betokeneth the dignity of the apostles to be esteemed by reason of time as though in other things the 
Ambrose, two, ●oren, xi, xiii, c● glosa ordinar in cap, i, ad gall The dingnite of the apostles, was estemede by plenty of time  were equal of this that is rehearsed before it is manifest, what power and how great was given by christ unto men of the church that is unto his apostles & given to all thee, apostles of one measure & not given for intent of primaci which is challenged now at this day, 
The prima●ne church d● not admite or head or prema●  For if by the ordinance of god one should have been superior or head unto the other how chanced that that in the beginning of the church the contrari was observed doth not the story ecclesiastical bear witness that when the holy bishops did meet together in the council in Nicen there were iii patriarchs present there. 
Ecclesia. i●● histor 〈◊〉 h, iii, 〈◊〉  
At the 〈◊〉 of ●i●en 〈◊〉 were at 〈◊〉 time 〈◊〉 ●●kes, 〈◊〉 there 〈◊〉 pa●●● 〈◊〉 room 〈◊〉 sent be●●●●●der 〈◊〉 ●●der,   
And the bishop of Rome which was the fourth in order was absent. If one by the law of god is father of fathers and all moust be reduced into a unite why by the word patriarch which is half greek, 
The ●●ter ●●tation of 〈◊〉 word p●●arks  half latin are there rekned four patriarches the is to say four Fathers of Fathers which be joined together by nomutual relation inton other, 
The patriarchs were not subject one to another,  but as though they by diversity of power were rulers of other men & they subject to no man And in that order the bishop of Rome is hinder most.  
¶ Whom if he ought to be the highest by the law of god it was uncharitable done to put him so hindmost in order & if he were highest he law or constitution of man, it was done unjustly, But in so holy a council as was then at Neceny it is more like ttwith that all things were observed done & constituted very iustli and equally and if the bishop of Rome ought by the law● of god to be taken head of the church, 
It his like the the council of Necen did all thing justli & in counted most holy and lawful  Foundation of the church, Chiffe of the church, The only & supreme vicarre of christ it is not credible those holy fathers to be so ingnorant, that they know not what they ought to do Nor so ungodly that they would not do that they ought to do. But the council is counted of every man to be most holiest, 
Libro, ix, cap et historia ecclesiastia libro v, ●ap, xxiii,  and most lawfully congregate. And as it appeareth by the story tripartite the 
The byshopspes of the este did resist the bishops of rome  bishops of the este did resist the bishop of Rome boldeli. And as concerning the observance of ester The bishop of Rome coude obtain nothing of the bishop of London Also pelagius 
Pelagius,  the second writeth that it is lawful for no man to calenge unto him. 
It is lawful for no man to name himself univarsalle or high bishop,  The name of the universal bishop his words contain one this manner. Pelagius Pope writeth to all bishops saying let none of the patriarchs take upon him the name of the universal bishop. 
lxxxxix, disto cap millus  For if one of them be universal the name of patriarchs is diminished or taken away from tother. But god put away this (saith he from 〈…〉 the priests do know themself b● the custom of the church to be subject unto him that is made the head governor, 
The bishops be superiors to prysts by custom and not by the law of god,  so let the bishops know that they be superioures unto the pristes more of custom than by any ordinance by the law of god. And the same Hierom in another place conserninge his sentence before in a pistle to Oceanus saith. 
Hieronimus, ad Oceanus,  amongs our old predicessores priests and bishops were all one For the one is the name of dignity the other of age. 
Why bishops were ordained and made  And to Euagrius he writeth thus. It is manifestly proved a priest and a bishop to be all one. But after where as one was elect which should be superior of the other it was done to put away sismis. lest every one drawing after his mind the church of christ should perturb & corrupt it. For at Alexandria from the time of mark the evangelist unto the time of Heracla and Dionysius bishops the priests always chose one amongs them and set him in a hiegher place degree & called him bishop Even as the host should choose them a captain: 
At Alexandria priests chose one of themself to be ruler & called him bishop,  or as if the deacons amongs them should choose one in genius man and call him archdeacon or chief deacon and a little after. Where so ever the bishop is, other at Rome, or at Engubii, 
Neither power riches, nor h●mylyte can make a bishop higher or lower,  or at Constantinople, or at Rgim or at Alexandria, or at Tave he is of one the same. And the same priesthood, neither power of Riches nor humility of poverty can make a bishop hire or lower But all be the successors of the Apostles, 
Anacletus In consiliis isidori de ordin episcoporum  & where as anacletus show with if these be ●nacletus works that are ascribed to him that the see of Rome is the first & these of Alexandria second and so forth. When he doth make them all & call them patriakes, it is manifest the they be rulers or heads of other and not subject unto other, and where as one patriarch is chief, 
The fathers of the primitive church shrunk from the unite of primacy  the other have non authority there, in so much that by this manner of destruction of the patriarchs it mai well apere that the first fathers of the church did shrink from the unity For in the council of nicen the words that follow be had, 
In historia ecclesiasti libro x, chap, vi,  it is ordained that at alexandria and in the city of rome the old ancient custom be observed that the one have the over sight and cure of Egipte and the other to have the oversight of the churches with in the diocese of Rome 
Dist, lxv mos antiquis, et in concilio niceno ex Isydoro   
¶ Which in other books is written with these words, let the old custom be kept in Egipte Libyan & penthapolys so that the bishop of Alexandria have the power over all them, for the bishop of Rome hath like manners and customs. Likewise at antioch and other provinces let their privileges be observed in their churches, 
di, lxv, cap v  & this is manifest and clear generally, 
He that is made bishop with out consent of the metropolitan should be no bishop  that whosoever be made bishop with out the consent of the Metropolitan the grerte synod or council hath determined that he should aught to be no bishop but and if he be made by the comen and reasonable decree of all and approbate after the ordinances of the church of two or iii 
dist, lxv, cap sane,  

It was decreed in the council in aphrica that the bishop of rome should not be superior to all other,  
Inconsilio aphrica, iii, cha. xxvi, disto, lxxxxix, chap. primo   after their proper contentions say against him let the sentence of the more part take effect, and in the council of Africa many Statutes are found which plainly show that it was enacted and observed that one Bishop as the bishop of rome should not bear rule over all other. first it was decred that the bishop of the firstse should not be called chief or head of all priests, 
Non ought to be called they chiffe or heed bishop or he priest,  or the highest priest or any such name but only they bishop of the first or chief see. For there was at that time three patriarchs of whom every one was called bishop of the highest see, 
In consilio my levitan  that is to say the bishop of Antioch of Alexandrya & of rome, 
He that is excommunicate in on diocese ought not to be reduced in to another diocese,  as Gyrald doth write in his chronicles, and in the council of Milevitan in the xviii. Chapter. Whosoever be excommunicate in Aphrica if they goprevely into other parts beyond the see, there to be taken or received into communion of christian men he shall thereby lose his clerk ship and Run into Danger of Irregular & in the xxviii. chapter. And if so be that in the mother church the bishop be negligent against heretics let the other bishops nigh about him diligentli assemble themselves together, 
If the bishop of the mother church be negligent he should be warned of the other bishops nigh about,  & warn him of his necligens that he may not excuse himself. But if it so be that with in six months after this assembling If the execution thereof be in his province, he do not labour and sew to convert them to the unity of the catholic faith let him not receive or minister Sacraments till the time, he fulfil it. If the doctor or executor come not to the places let not the wite be ascribed to the bishop, And in the xxiii 
Clerks may Appeal from diocese unto the bishops next about & from them to the counsels or primaces of the provinces  chapter also it pleaseth us that priests deacons or other inferior clerks in causes as shall chance them to have if they complain of the judgement of their own bishop, let the bishops the be nigh unto them here them and finish betwixt them what matter soever it be, so they be choose by them and with consent of their bishops, & if it shallbe thought necessari to apele also fronthen the shall not appeal but unto the counsels of Aphrica or else unto the primaces of there provinces. And whosoever will appeal unto other perties beyond the seas shall not be suffered in Aphrica to receive the communion of christian men. 
Conci nicevo cap. v  And the council of Nycene hath ratified that causes should not be determined out of the provinces where they began, 
Causes should be determined within the provinces where they begun,  and whosoever were excommunicate in one province should be received of no man in communion in any other province & the bishop of rome is not except Of this matter treatyth an Epistl of the council of aphrica unto pope celestine, 
In concicartage vi, in fine  in so moche sureli that this day the church being well increased doth forbid nowhyt but (si the such unite is not necessary) 
Unite is not necessary but there might be, xx, heads,  there might be twenty constituted which thing it is very like that the bishops of rome did fear least it should have come to pass. 
Phocas emperor,   
¶ And therefore boniface did sew unto the emperor Phocas that the primacy of the churches of Rome having then nosure ground work 
Some good men that were bishops of  might be constituted and confyrmid by his commandments & laws for old bishops of rome did refuse that universal primacy and prorogatyve offered freely unto them in the council of chalendonense andone of them used the same honour, 
room did refuse the prymaci offered to them freely in the council Paulus decimus de gest rone, li, xviii, Gregorius in regist, li, iiii,  & first of all that durst name himself the universal bishop was john bishop of constantinoble, 
john bishop of constantinoble was the first that named himself universal or heed bishop  for the which cause he gate him great envy and troubled all the world with his contention, but the bishops of rome resisted him stiffly first pelagius and after gregorius & yet they took not upon them that honour. But only they thus suppressed the intent of johan. 
Bonifacius the iii, got the primaci by the hell be of the Emperor phocas  Till at the last arose Bonifacius the iii which by the ayede and help of phocas the emperor gate unto him and his successors the chief honour and primacy But not without great contention & strife because the bishop of constantinoble did stiffeli affirm that the privilege belonged to him here may Rome understand if she be not unkind & or forgotting of benefits done to her, how moche she is bound unto bonyfacius the iii, 
De inam et obedien in extrera cap, unam sanct  & the viii of the which ii bonifacius the first did arm his seat with one sword the other did arm it with twain, 
Bonifacius the, iii, did arm the see of rome with on sword boniface thee, viii, did arm it with twaen,  Insomoch they took away from princes there sword but where as he doth permit them of his gentleness and so did amplify his dominion. With so great and extreme desire to bear rule that he was not content to be ruler of one world, 
The bishops of rome were not content with the rule of one world but that thou mouste spoil purgatori and rule, two worlds  as the saying is of Alexandria, but he began, to Reign in hell that by his authority he would rob or spoil purgatory & so have dominion of two worlds. But the first bonifacius did obtain his primace by the commandments of and Statutes of Phocas. Constantinus had ordained the same before as Martin doth write in his Chronicles, 
Phocas emperor  But in deed justinian the good Emperor doth show in his laws, 
Constantinus, Emperor,  that the city of Constantinople iii 
justiniam emper,  spiritual things did enjoy the privilege of old Rome. And after that time in the province of Auynion the prerogative did continue & consist successively which is called the seat of Peter, 
These did continue at Avinion long season and is called the seat of peter,  which prerogative if it had be, belonging to any place and the proper jurisdiction of the city of Rome by the law of god it could by no means been translated thence. But & that prerogative were personal it was exinete with the person of Peter But as we in peter do understand his confession or else the person of a bishop in which case it should be consequent that, the power doth not pertain belong to them that sit in the seat of peter but to them that succeed unto his confession or into his dignity. 
Hieronius ad Euagrium,  That is to say, as sait hierom rehearseth, that that power should be understand to be given to bishops by god in what place so ever they be, 
God gave bishops authority but non dominion,  not withstanding when he gave them this authority he gave them not dominion withal For where as he speaketh of dominion he saith thus luc xxii kings of the gentiles have dominion over them but it shall not be so with you, 
Christ forbeddeth superiority amongst his disciples,  but whosoever is highest amongst you let him be as the lowest & he that is chief as he that doth minister, of the which words barnard doth plainly affirm that the apostles were interdute all diminion and thus doth he inveigh or speak against them that would challenge to them dominion, 
Barnard's de consideration ad engenium li, two.  he saith then go to be bold and usurp as a lord, the office of apostle or else being apostle, take upon the lord ship & dominion for surely thou art prohibit from both if thou wilt have both atones together thou shalt lose both or elses thou shalt be of that number of whom it is spoken they have reigned but not by me.  
¶ Unto this agreeth very well that, 
Ex quadrunio  that is written inquadrunio let him use the sword that hath received authority of the sword. For verily authority or power was constitute by god that they should take the sword to the punischement of the ill doers, And unto the praise of them that do well, of them the usurp or take upon them the sword it is wryttyn every man that taketh a sword shall perish with the sword, ponder there the words of christ if thou profess thyself to be the disciple of christ, Prices of the gentiles beat rule over them and they that have, authority over the are called gracious lords, but you shall not be so, 
He that with highest saith christ shallbe lowest,  but he that willbe highest amongst you let him be your servant.  
¶ If thou take upon thee, they ministry of servis of christ if you refuse not the yoke of our lord abide in the same estate in which thou waste called, 
i. Pretri, v  and suffer lay men to have the dominion of the people. Likewise blessed Peter in the .v. 
Petri, v,  chapter of his first epistle saith, I desire you priests which am also a priest myself, as much as lieth in you, fede, the fllocke of christ have the oversight and cure thereof not as compelled thereunto, but with a good will not desiring unlawful lucre, but with a good mind, not as excusing dominion or authority over the charge but that ye give god the example unto the flock. And Barnardus upon these words of Peter writing unto Engenius saith thus Did he leave dominion unto his successors? 
Barnardus, de consideraci one li, two  Here peter himself, not bearing rule he saith and lest he should think he spoke it only for humility & not for truth it is the saying of our lord in the gospel. 
Peter left no dominion, to his successors  Kings of the gentiles bear rule over them. etc. Furthermore paul in his second epistle to the corinthians saith. 
two, Cor, i●●  We be not as lords over you under the title of faith but we be helpers of your ioyr. 
Chrisostom, li, two, dialog cap iii,  Chrisostome confyrminge the same sentence saith. We have no dominion, for these that be without secular judges Imeane, when they have subdued all lewd and ill persons do show & excercyce great power against them and refrain them whether they will or ●o from their old and vyciouse manners and unthristines. But in the church it is necessary to convert them that be willing and not by coaction or compulcion for we have no power given to us by the law that by authority of sentence we may constrain any man to refrain from his offences and vices: 
The church hath no power to contrayn or to punish,  unto the which sentence hierom in his epistle to Helidorus in the exitaphe of Nepotianus doth agree and assent saying a king ruleth men whether they will or no A bishop them that be willing. The king maketh them obedient and subject with fear or dread the Bishop is given to serve men. Besides this Gregory bishop of rome did commit the examination of worldly causes to them which had knowledge and learning of exterior things, 
Gregory in job cap, xxxi,  
Worldly causes long to lay judges & not to sperytuall men,  as secular and civil causes. And from them that be endued with spiritual goods he taketh away all business & solicitude of worldly things that they may the better intend to serve & order the superioure goods when they be not compelled or bound to dispose the inferior goods. What thing could more plainly declare that bishops and prelate's should not intermeddle with Empire or dominion than those words of christ in the Euaungelyste john. 
Prelate's should not meddle with empire or dominion which pertaineth to kings johan, xviii  My kingdom is not of this world. That is to say, after the comen gloze, I am not to rule or reign as with temporal dominion, for that is the office of kings as ye may gether of these words in the acts of the apostles. 
Acts, xxvii●   
¶ I stand at the judgement seat of Sesar where I ought to be judged also I apele to cesar by the 
Paul was judged before say judges and did apele to them power  which words the comen gloze, doth understand the place of judgements of Emperors & kings, to be singular and peculiar and that all compulsive judgement of the priests ought to be clean taken a way. For christ in john doth teach his apostles, 
The kingdom of god is not of this world  that is to say those that are sent, and also other which take upon them the doctrine & authority of th'apostles ought not to challenge or enterprise here anya kingdom or dominion, for he sayeth, my kingdom is not of this world of the which I came to teach as the comen gloze saith, as though he would say as saint Augustyne saith here you Iwes and gentiles, 
Augustus' 〈◊〉 johan tract xxxv  I do not let your dominion in this world what would ye more, come you by faith unto the kyndom which is not of this world for what is his kingdom. But those that believe one him. Where wherefore let bishops and priests oversee and look to those things that pertain to god, 
The office of bishops i●, Paralip ●ts  as we read it commanded to Amarias' the priest in the old testament, and after Hierom upon the book of Leviticus, These ii 
Distin, xxxvi, cap, s●  things be the office and exercises of a bishop to learn of god, reading the holy screpture And with moche meditation to teach the people and teach them those things which be larned of god. & not of his awne mind not by the understanding of man, But by the wiche the holy ghost teacheth, also in the council of Carthage the iiii. 
Cons●●ist carthage, iiii,  A bishop should only give himself to studying prayer, and preaching of the word of god. And in Secular and wordli business let them be obedient to princes & potestates, 
i, Tim, iii,  o being the Commandments of them, And ready to all good works. So Paul did warn or council Titus, The things rehearsed before do confirm the ecclesiastical power. But it denieth dominion they give authority but no jurisdiction To admonish, 
What pertaineth to Byspe,  to exhort, to comfort, to desire, to teach to preach, to minister sacraments, charytablye to rebuke to blame or find fault with. To entreat for god's sake to increase and augment the hope and trust in god, to fear sum by the terrible threatenings of Scriptures is the proper office of them, that are in the stead or place of the apostles, and also of them unto whom it was said, whose sins Somever ye remit shallbe remitted etc. And laws, ponysshementes. judgements restrayntes. Sentences, 
What long to princes kings and emperors  and such other long to Emperors kings and other powers which interpretation of holy scripture, doth most agree unto the preaching and teaching of christ of the liberty of the gospel. Or else if christ had mente thus that even as in the old testament Moses, 
Gal, iii,  and the law were given unto the people of the Iwes in stead of school masters: 
If decrees of bishops do bind our conscience we be in worse case than the Iue● in the old law,  so the bishop of Rome a 'mongst christian people should have that office that he should make and put unto the people, laws and Instructions (as they call them) which should hold & bind men's consciences. Then Christ had not permitted or changed servitude or bondage with liberty, but bondage with bondage in very ill & heavy condition, That is to wite where as the Iwes did follow the law, commanded by the mouth of god, and that a certain law: we that be christian men should be commanded to be guided by the laws of men being of diversity of minds. And oft times mutable, whose laws also be more in numbered, 
The laws of Popes be innumerable and intolerable,  than the capacity of man ●an other understand or else remember. But that power to make and ordain laws is added and adicte unto that other power granted by god, of that which we speak before, and the yoke of christ which christ himself in the gospel doth call so gentle and light, 
Matthew, xi,  the bishops of rome have moche more hard better & intolerable than was the bondage of the Iwes and therefore the fathers of the primitive church when they had In/ 
In the primitive church that decres of counseles were called canons or rules and not laws  vented honesti and wholesome traditions by the which the rude Ignorant and confirm people might be ordered. They did make difference between their traditions & laws with moderation of their name, & lest that they should appear to take upon him more than they thought they had by the grant of god, they did not name them laws or statutes but canons that is to say rules or Instructions as containing ordinances profitable unto a christian life as they supposed & yet not utterly necessary, for all have not observed thordinances made by th'apostles. 
The ordinances of the apostles were not all received & the laws of bishops be as the rules of Benet Francis and such.  But after the opinion of some men they be counted a 'mongst those which be not authorized and even as the rules of Benete/ Frances, Dominicke. and Augustine be received & admitted of some and have not the stryngthe of laws. But as we bind ourselves unto them nor we receive them as laws with necessity of obedience, but as rules and informations honesty and vertuose, pleasant & acceptable to god and we that like them, do profess them.  
¶ That we going the same steps and following these good fathers as they followed christ should lead our life in the spirit of humility with soberness & meekness. So our fathers did admit the rules of the bishops room and their Informations as long as they seemed vertuose and to set forward only the glory of christ and not all but some, 
Ou●e fathers did not admit all the canons of the bishops but some as they thought good and vertuose,  that is to say as every province (as the rules or Canons contain) did follow their own minds. Nor they received them as laws and statutes but as they pretend by their name, that is to say, as rules and Informations. For they were called evermore Rules or informations. Till bishops that came after did add and put unto them the name or term of laws that they might thereby usurp necessity of obedience, and get it by use and custom, by which ways it was brought to pass that it is called the canon law. 
If bishops have authority of god to make laws & bind means consienses all men are bound to keep them, but the contrary is observed,  For if it be given to them by god to him authority to make laws which should bind, and onerate the conscience of men it should follow with all that if they have authority by god to make laws that other men are bound to obey them which thing if it were truth no manner custom contrary or repugnant to the canon law might by reasons be diffended and yet the same canon laws do consent and confess that notwithstanding such customs contrary may consist and stand, 
Distin iiii cap statunnus.  for vereli Thelelphorus Archebysshope of the city of rome hath ordained that all clerks shalde abstain from flesh. 
Thelesohorus orde●ned the clergy to fast, xl, days before Ester,  seven. wykes wholly before Ester. But this decree, as gratianus saith because it is not approbate by the custom and manners of people doth not condemn them that do other wise as guilty of offence or transgression wherbi it is manifest that the canon law bindeth no man of necessity, that now the canon laws as we call them have not their streighneth and virtue by the authority of bishops that be the makers thereof. 
The Canons have not their authority by the makers but by the consent of the receivers Laws req●●e obedience.  But by the people receiving them willingly, where as otherwise virtue and strength of the laws is such that it requireth of other men necessity of obedience, lest the authority to make Laws should by contempt, be had in derision or little regard. And so it is the best and most surest conclusion if we be not bound in pain of deadly sign, by the commandment of god to receive all their ordinances. Then the bishop of Rome or any other bishop hath not authority to institute such Canons under that or such pain. Again if we be bound to receive them all of the Clarge are bound at thes day as many as are called unto the lot of our Lord to observe the fast of lx 
The clargi ke ●ith not the fast o●●l days before ester,  days and because they keep it not, it is offence which by continuance of time is not minished but augmented. Notwithstanding they consent of all chrystente for the most part hath by long use and custom judged the contrary, 
De consecratione distin iii, cap sabate, In france thy eat flesh all saturdays between ch●●●te ma● 〈◊〉 ●as de●●●  & Gratian doth defend them that keep it not from the pain of transgression, which thing also the church of France not keeping the fast of the saturday between the nativity of christ and the purification of the pure maid and mother marry. Although it were commanded by pope Innocent that it should be kept every week doth evidently prove the same for as it is written in another place as we have rehearsed before every province or country is abundant or stidfast in his own, meaning nor at this time all Canons which we call the Pope's law, have not therr hole strength and virtue in every place with all men, In the which thing if god be offended if the power given of god be violate their is very great slackness or sufference in them which moche regard that thing that, is it not lawful for the bishop of rome by the Pope's law to provide for promotions or benefices in all places and with every man which law of theirs the bishops of rome in times past have laboured earnestly that it might be received as a law which should bind every man that should intend nothing to the contrary nor make any resistance or repugnance against it, 
The bishops of Rome have laboured to bind men to keep there decrees  & notwithstanding in England after it had obtained and taken effect long all men with stood it, 
England did resist the pope's provisions for p●omocions & made a law to the contrarii  so that there was a law made against the transgressors & established with sever commandment amongst whom there is no doubt but there was many good men/ & there be some yet that could not away with these pope's laws in that behalf unless the bishop of rome did certify or show that they were wirtton by the hand of god, 
bishops made a law that clerks should not be suyed before secular judges but the contrary was always observed.  also bishops of Rome have decreed that clerks should not be brought before secular judges for any manner cause, But this statute is kept no where. And although many laws and canons concerning that matter be published with great and dangerous pains yet the contrary is every where observed without any danger or fear, wherbi it manifestly appeareth that these canon laws (as they call them) Be nothing else but rules and informations which are wont always to take place or effect as the people doth admit them or dissanul them, for by the same reason that some may be reject, all may be contemned and forsaken, for it is not in the choice or election of the people or subectes that they may determine to which they will obey, to which they will not, but if their authority be of god, and if we may apply to this intent, this saying of the gospel. They sit in the seat of Moses which teach and do not but do you as they say but do not you as they do, 
Matthew xxiii  all we are wrapped in great peril and danger of hell which have contenned the precepts and laws of the bishops of rome some one ways. But every one in some manner point and that not by Ignorance. But we have observed the contrary knowing willingly and seeing, 
bishops have suffered the contrary to there laws to be kept and knew hi●.  and yet the bishops of rome hearing perceiving singe, and feeling these things by dissimulation have suffered the pastors or shepherds of the church which without any doubt if they had thought so (for the cure and charge of souls that they have) other would have broken & annihilate their own laws which make so many christian men offenders or else they would have taken pain to see them obseruid with more diligence. But where as neither of these things hath been done with such diligens and cure as the gravity of cause requireth. Doth it not well appear that the bishops theirselves do doubt of the authority of their laws? & that they have thought that their laws might not be admitted of every man without any danger of soul? or when they mislike them, they might be forsaken or reprobate of them which they call their subjects, 
The bishop is of Rome Subtell.  but great was the policy and subtlety of the bishops of rome/ for whom they did first go oboute to abtayne the chief Empire and supremyte, they did divide the power and jurisdiction with kings with very loving and gentle terms or titles, 
The power was divided with kings and princes,  and so that they might be made lords in spiritual things they did permit to kings all temporal things. For other wise the high bishops do caleng both the swords, 
The bishops of Rome affirm that they have all power and that the temporal power descendyth from them to kings,  & they do affirm that they have all power and jurisdiction in their authority: and that the power which we call temporal is derived from them to kings, that is to say Cesar hath th'empire divided with jupiter and where as they have taken away many things from princes bilonge usurpation and have translated it to themselves, yet they handle it so that they make it as their liberality and gift what so ever power or authority kings have now a days. And when it shall please them they put down: 
They put down kings when it pleaseth them and set up other,  some kings and set up some, and they do great things for they be mighty. And the sword (which they have sharpened by the gentleness and permission of princes & endued with worldly riches and possessions by the gentle and liberal gift of princes) they exercise & draw it out against them when they think best.  
¶ Seeking that is their own pleasure not that is Christ's following in their doing not that the father of heaven hath showed every man in his holy scripture as in example or a ma●ke that we should follow. But that, that the flesh & blood hath revelate unto them preferring an human and worldly counterfeit felicity in bearing rule before the true and perfect beatitude in christ, and by this means, the greatness or largeness of this power did encreese. 
The largeness of their power is leek astreme of walter,  Which like a great stream of water passing over her banks or damime hath flown and Corrupt all the world. Let me not be envied for speaking the trewethe. No man can serve two masters or lords whylle he looketh to thou he little regardeth the other he that serveth god despiseth Riches. And paul saith, No man that serve god will intermeddle or trouble himself in worldly business. 
two, Timothe, two  Which thing the forefathers of the church perceiving, although they knew that there is no ill which a man may use well yet never the less even as paul doth writ to all men of wine. 
Eptes, v,  Be you not overcome & inebriate with wine, in whom is lechery. And that they should abstain not only from that else But from that, the hath likeness or contagion of ill, 
The clergy should refuse possessions & have nothing proper,  and should utterly avoid all causes and occasions of ill. So these father's induced by the authority of scripture, do earnestly conclude, that the clargi should utterly refuse faculties & possessions as they call them, and that they might the more effectuously persuade & induce them to contemn them, they did manifestly deny that this was convenient ye for them to have dominion or propriety. Not because that riches is ill or because that they only do corrupt a man, for that, that entereth in at the mouth or such other exterior things do not defile a man but that that cometh out of the mouth doth of truth defile, and hath infection. 
Math, xv,  
riches and possessions which draweth a manes mind from, god  But because riches and possessions do other whiles move away man's minds from their places and seats, and bring them down from the contemplation of heavenly things unto the vile business and considerations of worldly things & other whiles so do tangell them that they can scantly oftentimes ride and lift up themselves (as our lord, 
Math, xiii  doth plainly show in a parable. Wherefore with agret & whole consent they took away from the clargi all propriety and dominion) for that intent (as Paul writeth) that they taken from amongst men as bishops should appear constituted and ordained for men in those things that appertain to god. 
Ad hebreos, v  
●i, q, i, ca quest duo sunt  So writeth saint hieron to acertyen leuite. There is two manner of christian men one manner or kind is the which is ordained & mancipate to serve god to contemplation and praiet for whom 
Two manner of christian men Spiritual & temporal  it is meet and convenient to seize and not intermeddle with any corporal business, 
The interpretation of this word clerk which is a lot or part●  as clerks and religious men and conversis. Cleros in the greek tongue that is to say clerks in the latin tongue signifieth a lot, and therefore such men are called clerks as chosen by lot, for god chose them all for his. These surely be the kings that rule themselves and other in virtue & so they have their kingdom in god and that betokeneth the crown upon their heads this crown they have by the ordinances of the church of rome in the token of kingdom which is looked for in christ and the shavige of their heads betokenyth the forsaking of all temporal things for they being contented with meat drink and cloth should have nothing proper amongst them but allthings should be common. 
What the crown of the priest doth be token,  
What the shaving of there heads betokeneth,  Another manner of christian men there is as lay men, for laos in greek is in English people, for them it is lawful to possess temporal things but only for to use them for there is nothing more miserable than for money to condemn god to them it is granted to mary wives to till the grunde to judge between man and man to plead causes to set oblations upon the altars to give the tenth and so they may be saved if by well doing they avoid all vices. 
What is lawful for lay people.  
xii, q, i, cap, clericus,  Hierom to nepotianus confirmeth the save. Therefore a clerk which serveth the church of christ, let him first enterpretate his own name and when he hath the interpretation the definition of his own name let him labour to be agreeable or like unto that he is called. For cleros in the greek, in latin is called a lot or part, therefore they be called clerks other because the be of the lot or part of our lord or because our lord himself is the lot or part of the clarge and whosoever other is himself the part of our lord or hath our lord for his part should so behave himself that he might both possess our lord and be possessed of our lord. 
The that be they part of our lord can possess nothing besides they lord,  Whosoever possesseth our lord and do the say with the prophet my part is our lord he can have nothing besides our lord. For and if he have any thing besides our lord then our lord is not his part as in this example if he have gold, silver possessions change of household stuff, god will not be contented to be his part with these parts but if I be the pate of our lord and a partition of his inheritance and take no part a 'mong other tribes. But as a levity and a priest do live of the truth and serveth the altar live of the oblations of the altar having meat drink and cloth I willbe content with this, & the bare cross I will follow bare and poor therefore I pray the and I will repeat it again & again and admonish the that thou think not the office of a clerk as a manner or kind of your old excercise. That is to say that in the service of christ thou seek not worldly lucre, and have no more in possession than when thou begannest to be a clerk lest it be said to the. Their clarkeshype shall not profit them many be richer when they be religious men then when they where secular, 
Many be richer when they be religios men them when they were secular,  and some clerks wax rich and possess riches under poor christ which they had not under the devil rich & deceitful that the church might sorrow to see them rich, which the world had before in poverty, also saint Ambrose of the forsaking of the world writeth thus, 
Ambrose de suga secuie, capitule, two  he that hath god of his portion should take heed of nothing but of god lest he be letted with business of some other office for that labour that is spent about other business is plucked away from the honour of religion and from this our office. 
What things a priest must● forsake  This is the very thing that a priest should i'll for he that hath chosen to serve god must forsake his household mey/ nigh he must absent or put from him those that he loveth most and absent himself from his friends. hilarius upon the xxxix psalm confirmeth also the same sentence on this manner the children of Levy shall have no portion or lot in the mids of their brother for our lord god is their part. Therefore the law given would no part of worldly possessions to be given to them that serve god. Because the god was their part.  
¶ And also Peter the preacher of the gospel doth protest that he had more part of human or worldly possession when he answered to him that asked him alms saying I have neither gold nor silver but that I have I give the Possidom●us also of the life of saint Augustyne sayeth thus As it happened as it is wont that the people envy the clergy, 
●ctorum, iii,  
Aseane of saint Augustyne in A srmon to the people for saking posse: ssions,  because of there possessions he spoke unto the peo of god saying that I had liefer live of the gifts and collations of the people of god, Than to abide the charge and ministration of these possession●● and that he was ready to do after their minds that all the seruau●tes and ministers of god might live on that fashion as it is red t● th'old testament.  
that they that did serve at the altar should take part and live of the alter & after that we know that he did refuse certain possessions not because that they were unprofitable for the poor but because he thought it justice and equity that it should be possessed rather of the children or parents or of the kinflolkes of them that were departed whom they would not bestow it upon there death bed and after he oft-times said that it was more sure and of alas jeopardy for the church to receive the bequests of them that were departed given to them there possessors full of business and hurtful & the bequests rather to be offered and proffered than to be by extremity required. Also in his book named of the comtempte of the world 〈…〉 the same Possidomus hath these words that here after follow. Whosoever doth not forsake & renounce all that he possesseth cannot be my disciple he that speaketh to every man that would that his disciples should have nothing proper, 
He that doth ●ot renewouce all that he hath can not be the disciple of christ,  he that possesseth any thing in earth is clean removed from the doctrine of Crist had they an ithing proper to whom their master had commanded the contrary take noting with you in the way of whom Luke the Evangelist doth show that they had all things comen mark what peter said to jesus. Lo we have forsaken all and have followed the. They which had less allthings had reserved nothing for themselves. Then how can they take upon them authority to louse & bind which do 〈◊〉 sum to have any possession in earth which be not ashamed to say our lord is the part of my inheritance where is this saying of the apostles what concord hath christ with belial why do they eat the sins of the people which will not leave worldi possessions? If they receive the tenth, with the children of Levy how can they take any part amongst the other tribes if they would consider the Interpretation of their name, whithei be called clerks or lots. But because our lord is the lot or part of and heritage of them, 
Barnardus 〈◊〉 declumationibis super evangelio dixit Simon petrus ad jesum.  saint Barnard leaning to this sentence saith that clerk that hath part in earth shall not have part in heaven. Also if a clerk have any thing besides our lord, 
That clerk that hath his part in earth shall have no part in heaven  our lord shall not be his part, as in example if he have silver if he have possessions if he have abundance of household stuff our lord doth not vowchsaff to be his part with these things and after he saith let him live of the altar let him not wax proud let him not be rioutouse let him not wax rich let him not build him goodly palaces of the goods of the church changing square building to round let him not fill his coffers thereof let him not spend it in vaniteis and superfluus things let him not extol his kynesfockes with the goods of the church let him not therewith marry his necis I will not say his daughters it is taken to be a crime or offence moche like to sacrilege not to give to the poor that that is the goods of the poor surely the patrimony of the poor, be the goods of the church and it is with holdom from them with uncharitable cruelty whatsoever the ministers and bailiffs and not lords and possessors take to themselves besides meat drink and cloth, do you here in these words before that they be called the goods of the church and denied to be the goods of the clergy? 
The goods of the church be the goods of the poor which to keep from the power is moche like sacrilege.  and that he hath nothing confirmed to them whose part or portion god is which things if they be spoken of all the clergy generally, shall it not much more be spoken of the bishops? If the bishop of Rome be not allay man, after the mind of Hierom: he must needs be a clerk which maketh but two manner of christen men if he be a clerk he hath renounsed not only all that he had in possessions but by his own delection when he chose to be a clerk he seemeth to have refused all dominion and propriety as those holy fathers think and say whom we have recited before. Let bonyfacius the viii 
Bonifacius the viii, loved pre-eminence and named him self lord of all the world.  revyne again from death of, Diotrephes of his time which desired & loved to have pre-eminence in the church and plead his matter and make a reasonable answer why he named himself lord of all the world, which could challenge nothing as his own in all the world, unless he make or can prove the bishop of rome to be a third manner or kind of men clean different from clerks and lay men. 
The frailty of man is ever more compasinge and busy,  But this is the condition and frailty of man that is evermore in contunial motion compasing entendinge & business. For whatsoever cometh of affection it never resteth but as long as any matter remaineth it is ever busy. They that desire dignity, honour, and riches, having no measure therein ever labour to come to the highest and supreme pre-eminence, and when they can climb nor go no far they must needs come bakewarde. Whosoever hath red the stories of the bishops of rome shall plainly perceive and see what time first they set their minds to honour dignity, and possessions: 
He that climbeth to the highest must needs come downward again,  and to have laboured always in that thing that they might come to the highest and that they took more heed and diligence upon Temporal things than up on spiritual things. 
If possessions of the church be of god it shall slande if not it shall no● continue  And this is as other human things, which albeit they go forward pleasantli in sight yet have not they any contuance scripture bearing witness If it be of god it shall stand, if it be of man it shall fall. And that these things which bishops have taken upon them in this behalf are not of god The authority rehearsed before do manyfestiye confirm & the end that it is like to come to at these days is like to prove the same, full unadvisedly they take upon them dominion of all things which by right can take dominion of nothing. But it was worth a man's labour in pondering this papistical power to consider also that thing which we promised to speak of in the three 
The power of the city of rome is not so large by god,  place whether bishops of rome sometime have so behaved themselves that they also have showed by words and deeds that the authority of the see of Rome was not so ample and large by the law of god, nor that it was competent for them to have so universal a power as we see it usurped now a days, whose sentences if they might take effect and might take away from the bishop of rome and every one suppose in this case or that when should manifestly see that Esope telleth of the crow in his fables apoore naked and without feathers. 
Dist i, lxxxxix. cap nullus Gregory would not be called the head bishop,  first of all gregory took away the name and titles of honour and as it seemeth the prerogative of pre-eminence for he would not suffer himself to be called universal or head bishop, which thing surely he would not have done unless in his conscience he had thought (when he was bishop of rome) that he was not the universal bishop. 
We should no● abhor the true names of honour.  Where as if that were not when are taught by holy scripture that when should not abhor from the true names of honour specially when christ did answer unto his disciples, 
Ihoan, xiii  you call me master and lord and ye say well for I am in died. Thereby it is manifest that Gregory the bishop was moved by no other cause that he would not be called nor written universal or head bishop then lest he should offend scripture in that part where it is said let no man take upon him honour but he that is called of god like as aron because he knew himself not universal highest bishop he would not be called universal or head bishop nor be called that he was not when he might not answer I am so in deed. 
Heb, v,  
●xix, q, two, cap, due,  Pope urban writeth thus there be two laws he saith one canon/ 
There be, two, laws the canon law and a private law  the other private that is a comen law which was confirmed of the holy fathers by writing as the canon law which was made and institute for transgression as in example it is decreed in the canons that a clerk should not go out of one bishop priche into another without let testimonial of his bishop which was institute for unthristes & vicious persons lest any bishop should receive Infamus persons for they were wont when they could not be suffered in their one bishop priche to execute their service in another which was forbidden and disannulled by laws precepts & writings a private law is which by the inspiration or mention of the holy ghost is written in men's hearts as the apostle speaketh of some which have the law of god written in their hearts and in another place where as the gentles have no law if they by nature fulfil that that is the law they be the law to themselves. 
A private law is written in the hearts of men.  If any such retain the people in his church under the bishop and live secularlye. If he be Inspired with the holy ghost & will save himself in any abbey or regular convent because he is Induced or moved by a private law reason will not constrain him to be bound to the comen law for the spirit of god is a law & they that be led by the spirit of god be ordered after the law of god and who is he that can resist the spirit of god worthily, 
He that is led with the spirit of god is at liberti although his bishop say that cou●●●rye and r●s●●● him  & therefore whosoever is led by this sprite let him go at liberty by our authority although his bishop say the contrary for the law was not made for justmen but there as is the spirit of god there is liberty and if ye be lad by the spirit of god ye be not under the law of which text it apertly appeareth that by the sentence and opinion of urban that these things pertain not unto the conscience of men which are decreed by the bishops commandments or laws but that they are frustrate by the law of the conscience for the comen law giveth place unto the private law. 
The comen law giveth place to the private law,    


Innocentius, papa, No man can dispense with the law of god they mai with the law of man  ¶ Pope Innocente doth so limit the pope's power that he can do nothing against the law of god for this he did write there is so great difference between god's law & man's law that against the law of god no man can dispend and in the laws of man dispensation may be had as necessity and profit shall require, 
zozimius bishop of rome, xxv, q, i, cap concro,  zozimus pope doth yet more straitly lymytte the power of the bishops of rome which thus writeth to make ordain or to change any thing against the statutes of the old fathers pertaineth not to the authority of this see But let antiquity be in strength & virtue with us without contradiction by whose sentence all thing should be brought unto the old & priscive state of the church and those things which bishops of rome have ordained or constituted sith the time should bereprobate and reject: 
The see of rome can not dispense nor change the statutes of the old fathers,  At which time if the authority and cure were distributed into diverse and sundry pertes so it should proceed and go forward at this time and gregory wrote to Philip the bishop agreeing to the same sentence. 
Gregorius ad felicem in registir libro, xii episti, xxxi,  If I should undo or destroy these things that my predecessors have constituted I might be well proved to be not a builder with them but a puller down the voice of the truth bearing witness. Every realm divided amongst themselves shall not stand and all science and law divided against itself shallbe destroyed: 
It is to be feared that the canon law lose his authority.  in which thing it is to be feared that the same Gregory be proved a true proffecte: And that the canon law at this day by doubtfulness and proplexite of contrarityes be dissolved which by labour of many years was made and build the stones not well joined together this papistical power truly of the see of rome hath oftentimes so far gone from her own cost that it hath oft times Injuriously handled vexed & perturbed this realm of 
The papistical power hath oft times troubled England, But good bishops did resist and defend there own jurisdiction & excludid all foreign power  England very far distant from them which power not only sage and wise kings. But also the prudent and the holy bishops of the realm repelled and put back nor would not suffer it to take his pleasure but they keep & defended there own jurisdiction & authority and excluded all such foreign power as it may evidently appear to every man which have read over the chronicle of England, 
Laurence arch bishop of Cauntorberie and dunstone archbishop of the same & Grosted aperfitte man bishop of Lincoln did refuse all such foreign power,  in which it is had manifestli. How Laurens archbishop of Cantorburi & saint Dunstan archbishop of the same see & Grostede a very perfect man bishop of Lyncolne did refuse and forsake all such foreign power. Gregory writing to augustine in another place doth manifestli show the same that the laws or canons of the se of rome take no effect with all men and that men should not take more regard to observe 
xii, distin cap, novit,  them then of they edifininge of the faith of people in christ. These be the contents of his words: 
Mark the words of gregori to the church of England,  You know brother the custom of the church of Rome in which ye remember that you were nourished and brought up in/ but it is minded that where soever ye have found other in the church of rome or in the church of France or any other church that may better please god that ye shall instruct and inform the church of England which is newly and lately come to the faith and now in the setteling with the chief and most godliest ordinances that ye can gether of all other churches, for the things be not to be believed for the place. But the place for the things therein. Therefore of every church whatsoever it be that that is godly that is vertuose that is just and good choose out and bind them together in a bundle & graf or print them in the minds or hearts of English men by custom, of which text also this appeareth that these canon laws have not obtained strength by exact obedience but by enticements of there good for so writeth gregory that they gathered together in a bundle should be inculked in the minds of the people of England by custom & not to be required or extort by censures or compultions nor it is not to be let pass that Pope Adryane in his synod celebrate at rome gave unto charles authority and power to choose and elect the bishop of Rome and to order the apostolical se but here I sesse rehearsing the acts and sainges of good bishops for it is long of scarsy of good bishops that we use no more examples 
Distin, lxiii. cap adrianus,  
Pope Adrianus gave clerks authority to choose the bishop of rome & to order the Apostolicalse,  in this matters, for after that the apostles which (that they might better intend preaching the word of god and prayer) did leave serving the tables although it were a very good work and, 
Acth, vi  did clean alienate themself from that saying it is not meet for us to leave the word of god and serve tables Veri sureli singnifieng that it pertained chiefly to other office that they should give all other labour & the diligences in preaching the word of god after these I say & a few other in the primative church the foloweres of them all the bishops of rome almost so fare went backward from christ that was there chief example In there living and institutions as they were behind him in tyme. 
bishops of rome went so far backward from christ in virtue as they did in time.  But if these things which we have rehearsed before shude be laid against the bishop of rome at this day & if that power should be esteemed after the sentencis of the good bishops should not they be compelled to undo many things that he made & done lest it should chance that Gregory writeth upon the words of our lord That every Realm divided amongst themselves shall fall & be destroyed.  
¶ But now we will in hand with that thing which we promised to speak of in the fourth place. That is to say what authority is given to kings other by the law of god or else by the permission of man in spiritual or holy things. 
What authority is given to kings by god, or else by the permission of man,  In which matter first we will entreat of all kings generally & after that peculiarli of the kings of England first it shallbe showed the god not only with most evident signs in the whole order of nature did express his will of the authority and power of kings but that he did declare it also with manifest words in the holy scriptures both of the old testament and the new, and that god did give with his own mouth Kings to be rulers of his people and the power of them largely expounded he did confirm. 
God by his own mouth made kings rulers of his people,  In the example of nature amongst the chif philosophers plato aristotle and appolonius did perceive and consider that as in the whole world one is the high creature and ruler of all things as among the stertes the some precelles all other, 
The governance of kings appeareth be natural things & by scripture also,  amongst the bees one king there is, on belwether the flock doth follow And one leader the herd & the crane's follow all one, likewise in a commonalty should be one king as head to whom the members should agree and this consideration of the communalte showed by the inclination of nature. And by the work of nature drawn out and printed with more obscure tokens god hath aparteli manifest to us in holy scriptures oftentimes making mention of kings and plainly approving the power of them by his own mouth appointing them which should reign and feed his people. 
Genesis, xvii,  But let us begin at the book of Genesis or of the creation of the world in which book it is thus written. 
The laud is the kings and princes.  The laud of the priests which the king gave them by which words it manifestly appeareth that the laud was the kings and was given by them to the priests and that the dominion of earth pertaineth to kings in that, that they were kings of whose hands the priests received all that laud they had and in the xvii 
Deutoronomi xvii,  chapter of the book of deuteronomis. When thou shall enter into the land which the lord shall give to the & when thou shalt say I will constitute a king over me as all nations near about have, that shalt constitute him which the lord god shalt choose amongst the brethren and after that he shall sit upon the seat of his kingdom he shall write him out in a book this second law taking example of the priests of the tribe of the levites of which text it manifystly appeareth that all nations at that time had kings. 
kings should be chosen of the same nation & have a book of the law & see the law kept,  And that they were constytude at the fy●st amongst the people of god by the election of god to whom it was commanded that they should write the book of the law of god that is to writ not only for that intent they should have it and keep it with them without any other use of it. But that they should command that law to be kept & observed insomuch that it longeth to them to correct and to punish and it longeth to the priests only to preach and to give other example of the law if it were required & further to show the pre-eminence of a King it is written in the third book of Esdras in the four 
What longeth to a king or prince & what to a priest and of the pre-eminence of a king,  chapter the king is superior of all and beareth rull of them and all that he commanded them they do. 
iii, Esdre, iiii,   
¶ And he send them to warfare they go and break down hills, walls, and towers, they are killed and kill other men, and over pass not the kings word and if they get the victory, they bring to the king all the spoil likewise all other that meddle not with wars nor fighting but till the ground when they reap they bring tribute to the king. And if the king alone do but command to kill they kill. If he command to forgive they forgive. If he bid strike they stryk, if he say drive away, they drive away, if he say build, they build if he command to break down they break down if he say plant they plant, and all the comens and rulers are obedient to him, and the king in the mean time sitteth down eateth, drinketh, and taketh his rest and they keep watch round about him & none of them dare get him out of the way to do his own business but must be obedient unto the kings at a word and in the first book of the kings our lord said to Samuel show to them the duty of a king that shall reign over them he shall take away your sins your fields your vineyards your olyvetres and he will take the tenth of your corn and of your flocks and you shallbe his servants 
i, Regum, ix  
What is the duty and authority of a king,  and in the second book of Paralapomenon or Chronicles: 
iii, Paralopemeno, nineteen,  ravadias a ruler in the house of juda shall be over all causes that appertain to the king also they psalmist saith now ye kings be ye wise be warned ye that are judges of the earth betokeneth that it belongeth to kings to judge the earth. 
Psalmus, iii,  
It belongeth to kings t● minister justice and judgement,   
¶ Also in the xxxviii chapter of duteronomium it is written thou shalt constitute a king over the. 
Deutoronomium, xxxviii  And in the first book of the kings ix. 
i, Regum, q  chapi when Samuel had looked upon saul our lord said to Samuel this is he hath I told the of, 
two, Regum, two, two, regum. v  he shall be ruler of my people and in the iii chapter of the second book of kings our lord saith the man of juda have nointed me to be their king, and it followeth in the second book of the kings .v. chapter the seniors of Israel came & ennoynted David to be their king and our lord said thou shalt feed my people and thou shalt be captain upon Israel. Salomen writeth in his proverbs by me kings do reign throw me princes make Just laws thorough me lords be are rule and all judges of the earth execute judgement and in the, 
Properbioron, viii,  vi chapter of the book of Sapience or wisdom. 
Sapientia, vi  O ye kings here and understand give ear ye that rule multitudes for power is given to you of our lord and strength of the highest which shall try your works and search out your Imaginations and a wise King is the upholding of his people & in the book of Exodi the xxxii 
Exodi, xxxii,  chapter it is red. Aaron the high priest said to Moses where he was in the room of the prince and king, 
The high priests called the kings their lords and themselves their servants which proveth kings to be superiors as to the high priests,  let not my lord be angry with me. etc. And Achimelich the high priest called himself the servant of king saul in the first book of the kings in xxiii chapter the king sent to call Achimelech the priest the son of Achetobe & all his father's house that is to say the priests that were in Nobe, and they came all to the king and Saul said to achimelech here the son of Achitobe and he said here I am my lord. saul said to him why have ye conspired against me thou and the son of isaiah. etc. and achimelech answered god forbedde this from me, let not the king suspect any such thing against his servant in all the house of my father for they servant knew nothing in thy● matter nother less nor more.  
¶ Then there as the high bishops did call the kings there lords & themselves the kings seruannts it may well be gathered that kings be superiors to the bishops, & that the bishops ought to be subject to kings. Saint Peter useth the same manner of argumentation in his first epistle iii 
i, Petri, iii,  chapter proving that Sara was subject to Abraham because she called him lord after the example of whom other women should be subject to their husbands & Christ by no other manner of argument doth show in the xxii 
Math, xxii  chapter of Matthew that David was inferior than our saviour but because he called him his lord saying our lord said to my lord. But there is to be noted also in this place that the king did give sentence of death upon the highest bishop. 
King saul gave sentence of death upon a chimelych the high bishop,  Saing thou shalt die, achimeliche and the house of thy father nor he is not blamed by cause he gave sentence of death upon a priest but because he gave uncharitable and unjust sentence against him that was gilteles salomon likewise which belike authority did condemn to death the high priest Abiathar was hitherto blamed of no man because he gave a wortye sentence against him that deserved it. 
iii Regst, two  
Solomon condemynid that high bishop Abiath to death by like authority  saul of truth is to be noted therefore because he gave sentence against him that did not deserve it and in the xvii 
Indicum. xviii, et ultio  chapter of Indicum and the last chapter it is showed at those days there was no king in Israel but every man did that thing that he thought best by these words it seemeth that the power of punishing did only pertain to kings and princes and not to the priests, 
Power of punishment longeth to kings  for no doubt there were many priests without doubt at that tyme. But because they had no king not leader every man lived aftex his own pleaser and desire, because there was no suꝑiour regal power by whose sword they might be refrained from vice besides that in the four 
iiii, regum, xviii  book of kings xviii. chapter this is contained. 
Ezechias king put away the abuses of ecclesiastical things & pulled down the brazen serpent Set up by Moses and commanded by god when he so it abused  Ezechias put away the hilaulters and broke the Images & cut down the groves and broke the brazen sarpent which Moses made, for till that time the children of Israel did offer to it incense. And why may not now the abuse of ecclesiastial things and of all things that be with in the church pertain to examination and correction of the kings majesty if it be manifestly perseaved that it be against the honour of god as the good king Ezechias did to whom there was none like amongst all the kings of juda in keeping all the commandments of god he did extend his power within the bands of the church. And by his new commandments took away the broken sarpente set ther● by the commandment of god when he saw it honoured contrary to the honour of god. If a king could change that thing which god commanded to be done if it come to ill end and that with in the church how much rather might he change these things which commanded by the commandment of man be ill abused it maketh for this purpose that is written in the ii book of Chronicles viii 
two, Parali, viii  chapter and the king Solomon did ordain the offices of priests in their ministries after the ordinances of David his father and the levities in there order that they should give thanks and minister before the priests after the rite or cussome of every day & the porters in there ordre by gate and gate. 
Solomon did order the offices of prei●●es and ministers in the church   
for so commanded david the servant of god and neither the priests nor levites did break any thing of the commandment which the king commanded them it agreeth with this that is written in the book of the Chronicles xix 
two, Paralipoun, nineteen  chapter josaphat did constitute judges of the earth in all Cites of juda. 
Kings did constitute judgs' as levites and priests rulers of famylies to here and judge the causis of their brethene,  Of juda walled by every place and commanded them saying take ye head what ye do for ye have not in hand the judgements of men but the judgements of god and what soever ye judge it shall redounded to you let the fear of our lord be with you & do you allthings with judgement for there is no iniquity with god nor acceptations of persons nor desire of rewards also in jerusalem josaphath did constitute levities and priests & rulers of the saumlies of Israel that they judgement and cause of our lord to all the in habitauntes therein & he commanded them saying ye shall do so in the fear of our lord faithfully and with a pure & perfect heart all causes of your brethren which shall come to you which dwell in there Citis between kindred & kired wheresoever any question is made of the law of commandment of Ceremones of justifications show it unto them that the offend not against the lord & that the displeasure of god come not upon you and your breterne for so doing ye shall not offend. Amarias' your bishop and priest shallbe ruler our those things that pertain to god. Further zabadias the son of Ishmael which is captain in the house of juda shall oversee those things that appertain to the office of a king & ye have masters levities before you take ye comfort and work diligently & our lord shallbe with you in your goods now let us lay this together breeflye the judgements of the people of Israel were the judgements of god & all things were determined after the prescription of the word of god of the which law of god the priests and the prophets were expounders and the judges thereof were such as were elect & masters in every tribe in all the cities unless there were any doubtful matter for than that matter was referred to jerusalem to the priests and judge which shallbe rulers, 
The priests & prophets were expounders of the law of god & the rulers of the tribes elect were judges thereof,  
In doubtful matters the high priest and the high judge at jerusalem gave ●entences together,  and they shall give sentence together, nor it shall not be lawful for any man to despise or forsake their sentence. For whosoever did so, it was death to him of this fashion judges ordered themselves in other Cities saw in jerusalem when josaphath the king did commit all judgement to the priests levites & rulers of families join tell wherefore if kings and rulers were judges of the law of god & of those things which are prescribed by the word of god of which they were nether makers nor teachers how moche more may they be judges of all things which are constituted by man's law. 
If kings and rulers were judges o● the law of god much more of the law of man  To this purpose maketh that is in the second book of Chronicles in the xxxix chapter even the same year & first month of his reign did Ezechias open the gates of the house of our lord and prepared them and he brought in the priests & levities & gathered them together into the este street & said to them here me you levites and purify yourselves & hallow you the house of our lord god of your fathers & being all the filthenes out of the holy place & afterward they gathered, 
two, Paralip●, xxxix,  
Ezechias commanded the priest and levites to purify themselves & the house of god and to make sacrifice and offering for sin,  there brethren and they did purify them selue● & they went in after the commandment of the king, that by thee, and that by the word of our lord they might cleanse the house of our lord and the priests went into the temple of our lord for to cleanse it & the brought forth. etc. And after: for the king commanded that the burnt offering should be made for the sin of all Israel And he did set levities in the house of our lord with cymbals and saiteries and haps according to the commandments of David the king & of god The kings fear of visious & of Nathan the prophet. For it was the commandment of our lord by the hand of his prophets. And the levites stood holding the organs of David and the priests triumpheth and Ezechias commanded them to offer burnt, offering upon the altar. etc., & after, Ezechias & the princes commanded the levites they should praise our lord with the words of David and Asaph the leer of visions. 
Ezechias commanded the people to offer.  Which did laud god with great gladness & honour him with kneeling Ezechias more over added this. Ye have filled your hands to our lord come near and offer the sacrifices & thanks offering in the house of our lord ☞ And than all the multitude offered. etc. When priests in the church and in the holy place did all things after the commandment of the kings and princes and did obey them in offering sacrifices in the purifying or hallowing of the house of god and the sanctuari and in the prayers that were made in the church it seemeth that it longeth to kings and princes to command the priests in such things and that it longeth to the priests to be obedient to them. 
two, Parali, thirty   〈…〉 
Ezechias wrote epistles to all Israel and juda to effraim & manassen that they should come to the house of our lord in jerusalem to offer passouer to the lord god of Israel. 
The king sent to bid the people to offer & held a parliament in Jerusalem where the decred that 〈◊〉 feast of passover should be kept thee, two, month  And the king held a council with his lords and all the congregation in Jerusalem and they decreed to keep the feast of passouer in the second month and after & the mensengers went with letters by the commandment of the king and all his lords to all Israel and juda showing to them according to the kings commandment. Ye children of Israel turn again. etc. And after that, and there unto the hand of our lord was in juda to make them of one accord to do the commandment of the king & the captains according to the word of our lord & moche people where gathered in Jerusalem to make the solemnite of sweet breed in the second month & they arose and destroyed the altars in Jerusalem & they cast down allthing where any sacrifice was to any Idol and threw it into the water Cedron, at the commandment of the king they kept the feastees of passouer & of sweet bread after that in the ii 
two, Paralipom xxxii,  book of Chronicles, xxxi. chapter be those words that follow. Ezechias set the priests and the levites in their order to wait by course every man according to his office as well the priests as levites for the burnt offerings & pease offerings & to minister & to thank & to sing in the gates of the lodge of our lord. 
Ezechias commanded the people to geneperte of there goods to the priests & levites that they might attend the servis of god the tenth and first fruits wi●h thut they had vowed,  And after also Ezechias commanded to the people that dwelled in Jerusalem that they should give part to the priests and levites that they might attend the law of god & after that Ezechias commanded that they should prepare storehouses in the house of our lord which thing when they had done they brought in the first fruits & tenths and whatsoever they had vowed faithfully And the overseer of them was Chonenias the levity & semey his brother was the second after whom were johiel and Azarias, Naathin, & Asael, Hierimoth jozabad. Eliel. jesmachias. Maath, and Bavay as rulers under the hands of Chonenias and Semey his brother by the commandment of Ezechias the king and Azarias the bishop of the house of our lord to whom all things pertained & after. 
All things were done in the house of god at the commandment of the king.  And Ezechias did althing which we have spoken in all iuda and did that which was just & godly before the lord his god in all manner observances in the ministers in the house of our lord according to the law & ceremonies intending to serve his god in all his heart and he did prosper, mark how this good king did assign and divide to the priests and the levities there offices and how he wrote of the tenths and the first fruits and those things that pertained to the offices or to the right of the priests asmuch as in the exercise of the ministers in the house of our lord were done at his biding & commandment further it is written in the first book of the Machabeiss x, 
i, Machabeorum, x,  chapter Alexander the king writeth to jonathas saying now we have constitute that this day to be the high priest of the country and that thou shuldes be called the kings friend. 
Kings did put in and elect the high priest and put them out,  etc. 
i, Machabeo, xiiii,  Likewise Demetrius did give to Simon the high priesthood also he did constitute Alchimus' the priest and Anthiochus first gave the hic priesthood to jason & after he put him out & gave it to Menclaus 
i. Machabeorum, seven,  and after put him out to & made Lilimachus hie priest so always the assinent and translation of the high priest did pertain to the kings Whether he will when priests were not create but borne priests as in salomon's time or else when that were desired by the voices of they people as in the time of these princes. 
In salomon's time priests were borne priests in the times of some princes a●ter the chosen and cle●●e,  But now contrariwise the high priests say that they may give realms and Empires to whom the list which was never hard nor read the the did before neither in the old Testament nor in the new●. ☞ And this power of the kings we have read confirmed in the new Testament for Math sayeth this They came to Peter that were wont together poll money. 
Matthew xvii Christ paid tribute to the k●ng or Emperor thereby showed that kings shield be honoured  And chri●te said to Peter of whom do kings of the earth take tribute and so forth but lest we should offend them go to the See and cast in a book and take that fish that cometh up first & open his mouth and thou shalt fine a groat take that and give it fore me and thee: did not christ by this example showeth that the authority of kings should be honerred unto whom having the rule of the comen weal men ought to give poll money and tribute that he that hath the oversight or charge of all men should have a reward or recompense of his diligence & labour likewise it is written. give that is Caesar's to Caesar & jesus answered to Pilate. 
Mathw, xxii,  Thou couldst have no power against me oules it were given the from above furthermore the kings of the gentiles bear rule over them and they that be the states do exercise power upon them, 
johan, nineteen,  
Mathw iii,  
Rom, xiii  saint Paul w●i●teh agreeing to the same sentence let every man be obedient and subject to the superior powers for the kings be not to be feared of them that do well but of them that do ill, for he beareth a sword not in vain. And there the comen gloze doth interpretate the sword to mean power in judgements. And in the same place he that withstandeth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of god and therefore he that by violence or disseate resisteth the power that is, the man put in authority as the gloze sayeth resisteth the ordinince of god. 
Here is no man exempt from the obedience of kings with out domination  Here I think best to tarry awhile and diligentli to ponder & discus this place which doth marvelously confirm the regal and rivell power to whom he biddeth all men to be obedient he excepteth no man at all nether Peter nor Paul no priest no bishop no Cardinal, no patriarch no Pope unless any man be willing to get his damnation. But if there be any man that thinketh the this was not meant or spoken of the Civel or lay officer. Let him first remember that ch●ist taught the priests to flee & refuse superior authority furthermore that he calleth them of whom he speaketh here, lords or princes and saith the they be to be feared of them that do ill and this name or word prince is not wont in the new Testament to be meant or taken for priests unless there be somewhat added there to as the prince or highest of priests prince or chief of the synagogue or prince or head of the world or some other thing like, 
Matthew, i,  and christ did teach that god should be feared which after the death of the body hath power to cast the soul into the fire of hell And the king is to be feared of them that do ill whom he doth punish and correct with his Sword. And priests & preachers of the word of god in the writing of the Euaungelystes do rebuke sinners and comfort them that amend again. 
Holy scriptures of the new Testament give priests no judicial power,  But neither the Scriptures of the Euaungelestes nor of the Apostles do give them judicial power nor court to make examination or determination of punishment. Now that followeth he beareth not a Sword without cause, who will expound or mean of the successors of the Apostles, did the sergeants or Cachepolles' go about them bearing sword or Maces. But a Croche and a Mitre. And further he monished them to give tribute to those officers of whom Paul speaketh of here. But they paid tribute to Christ not to the bishop And by many other reasons it may be proved that this place is to be understanded of the civil or lay officer to whom he wollde all men to be subject as much as the high bishops. And this interpretation with a great consent and agreens confirm both the learning and the life of christ and his apostles which did always know and obey the civil and lay power if it commanded nothing contrari to god and with this interpretation hold the most impiant and best alowede Authors. 
Christ and the apostles did ●uermore obey the civil powers if it commanded nothing contrary to god  Amongst whom is origen expounding the same text of saint Paul where he saith. The judges of the world do fulfil the most part of the law of god for all those offencis which god would have punished he would them to be punyshyde not by the bishops and the rulers of churches but by the judges of the world And Paul knowing this did justly name him the minister of god and judge upon him him that, doth that, that is ill and saint Augustyne against the epistle permenianus to the first book Therefore for what intent doth he bear a sword the is called the officer or minister of god to take vengeance on them that do ill unless perchance as many take this place that be unlearned contentuosli saying that it was meant of ecclesiastical dingnityes so the the word should betook spiritual punishment which doth cause excommunication where as the wise and circumspect apostle in the next clause of the text following doth plainly show what he meant for he did add for because of that ye pay tributes and after that he writeth this pay to every one his debt to whom ye ought to pay tribute pay custom to whom custom is dew honour to whom honour belongeth fear to whom fear pertaineth 
Some by the sword understand power ecclesiastical, contrary to the truth.  and Theophilactus expounding this place to the romans every soul be obedient to the hire powers saith thus he instructes every man whether he be priest or religius man or apostle that they should be subject to the princes and there is scant any man that otherwise doth expound this place unless it be such as be high bishops therselfe or such as long to them for favour of whom they corrupt & depravity allthing and wrest scripture violently being contrary to them. 
None expounds this text of ecclesiastical power but such as be papist is in favour of the bishops of Rome  But now let us rehearse other texts of scripture that make for this matter. 
i, Timoth, iii,  Paul writing to Timothe beddeth us entreat and pray for kings and all other that have pre-eminence or dignity that they may live under them peaceabli & quietli. 
Barnab, i,  So hieremias bed them pray for the health of Nabugonosor & his children, further it is read in the first epistle of Peter the two. chapter submit yourself to all thordinances of god where the gloze saith set in authority and it followeth in the same text other to the king as highest or supreme head or to the lords or officers set by them for punishment of the ill for so is the will of god, 
All men ought to pray for kings and princes and be the good be the ill to obey them,  the comen gloze doth add that we should be obedience to them be the good be the ill, and if the regal power of this manner be so oft approved in the old testament. Let it be so received & confirmed in the law of grace. Let it bealowed the kings have in their person dominion, authority, pre-eminence dignity ponishmentes & correcctions. And in the clergy let it be disallowed Doth it not apere by the veri same law that was taken from the apostles and bishops was given to the kings it was spoken to the apostles go you & preach the gospel to all manner creatures, 
Marc vlti●● johun vitimo.  feed my sheep. And whose sins you remit shallbe remetted them, 
Iohn, two.  and so let them preach & minister the word of god but in the mean time let them not forsake the subjection of prices. 
Mathw. xi●.  But let them give thee, that is caesars to cesar & that, that is gods to god. Some perchance will say here that although the places rehearsed do witness that power was given to kings yet do the not show all manner power given to kings. 
Some say there was no power given to kings in spiritual things  And therefore there is nothing provid by these Scriptures why we should grant any power in spiritual things to be given to kings or princes. But first let us see what the sincere sense of scripture will give them. And after that how the use & excercise in the anpiant & laudabel sipliciti of man hath confirmed it, and surely in the scriptures we do confirm and stablish the authority of kings as we showed before for they feat them that do ill because they bear a sword in these scriptures spoken Indeterminatlie their can be no other sense. But that whosoever when soever and howsoever he do ill he should fear the kings sword, or it is not convenient for us to say that if one offend in a small thing he should be punished and if he offend in a greater thin he he should have no punishment and that the kings should be diligent in the observation and keeping of worldly things and should not in things longing to god. Nor it is not meet to apply that by distinction to a few which was spoken indifferently, all scripture speaketh to all men it understandeth & meaneth it of all men and in these words of ill doing he putteth no certain crime nor cause, but how soever ill be committed it will that the Regal power should be ready which should judge correct which should punish which should ever be Ruler for the edification for the belt that that thing might be amended that was done amiss & that that which by there business offend the good. 
How soever ill be commyttid the correction longeth to the Regal power.  
Gala, vi.  After the saying of saint Paul might be cut of because the trouble other men. 
Gregorius ad mauritium Augustum.  And so Gregory in his iii book named Registrum in his Epistle to Maurici the Emperor saith thou wast my lord before thou were lord of all. Lo by me his hindmost servant & yovers, christ will answer saying I made the of A notary Earl of the watchmen, of an Earl I made the cesar, of cesar an Emperor & not that only but also I made the father of Eperours, I have committed my priests to thy hands and takest thou away thy warriors from my service. 
Gregory was obedien●●o the Emperor & fullfylled his commandment which did not agree with the law of god,  I was obedient to your bidding, and caused your law to be sent to divers parts of the world. And because that law doth agree with the almighty God I have certified my honourable Lords by my Suggestion writing in my letters: therefore in either place I have done my duty, which did obey th'emperor, and did not hold my peace. But showed that I thought in god's cause, 
Gregorius ad theodorun epistol, xxiiii,  And in another pistle following written to Theodorus a physician hath this sentence. Me thinks the very hard that the Emperor should withdraw his warriors or saruauntes from the service of him which gave him all, and gave him authority not only over the soldiers but over all priests, it appertaynethe also to this that saint August wrote, whose epistle treateth of this manner, 
Augustinus ad bonifacium,  whosoever will not obey the laws of th'emperors which were made for truth of god getteth him great punishment, for in the time of the Prophets, All kings which amongst the people of god did not forbed nor break that was Instituted against the commandment of god were blamed and that they did forbid, 
Daniel, iii  or pressed above the merits of other, And the king Nabugodonosor when he was the servant of Idols made an ungracious law. 
the commandment of the king Nabugodonosor compelling men to honour Images and Idols.  That an Image or an Idol should be honoured. But they that would not obey his wicked and ungodly constitution died godly & faithfully. But the same king correct by the miracle of god made again a godly and laudable law for the truth that whosoever 
Nabugodonosor correct by miracle made again and laudable law that no mane should blaspheme god,  did speak any Blasphemy against the true god of sidrac, Misac, and Obdenago should utterly be distroed with all his house And after them how can kings serve our lord in fear unless the prohibeth and punish with a godly severity that that is done contrary to the commandment of god For he serveth otherwise because he is a man. And otherwise in somuch as he is a King. 
He serveth god otherwise because he is a man and because he is a King,  For because he is a man he serveth him living faithfully. But because he is a king he serveth god making and eratifieng laws with convenient strength which command the thing that is lawful and that forbid those things that be contrary to justice As Ezechias did serve god distroyinge the Groves and the Temples of Idols & the Illaters which were made contrary to the precepts of god As josias did serve doing very 
iiii, regum, xviii  
How kings serve god as kings,  
iiii, Regum, xxii  like things, as the king of Nenive did serve compelling the whole City to pacify and please our lord as Darius did serve giving the Idoil in the power of Daniel 
Daniel.  to be broken, 
jone, iii,  and putting his Enemies to Lions to be devoured.  
❧ As Nabugonosor did serve of whom we spacke beforr. 
Daniel.  forbidding with a fearful ordreadfull law all that were in his Realm from the blaspheming of god. In such things kings serve god in so much they be kings. When that do that thing to serve god which none can do but kings. 
Act, xxi,  And after Paul the apostle did not consider or regard his transitory life but the church of god. When he did bring it to pass against them that had conspired to kill him that the council of them should be uttered to the Sherefe, or Officer wherbi it came to pass that he was brouhgt with harnessed men to the place whether he should be brought least he should have suffered by their deceits and he did not doubt to appeal to the laws of Rome shewing that he was a Citisen of rome whom it was not lawful to be beaton or scorged. 
Actor, xxv  And called or desired the help of Cesar lest he should be taken to the Iwes that desired to kill him which Cesar was ruler of Rome & not a Christian prince, 
Paul apealed to Cesar emperor of Rome and a heathen man.  where he showeth well what or after the mine ysters or bailiffs of Christ should do when they had Christian princes or Emperors. If the church were in jeopardy. And after. If we possess privately so much as is sufficient for us the residue be not ours but the gods of the poor the procurement and bestowing of the which we have and challenge nothing by damnable usurpation And to this purpose maketh that Augustyne wrote in another place against Crestonius the iii book. 
Augustinus contra crestonī libro, iii, chap, li,  In this point kings, (as it is commanded to them by god) do serve god in somuch as they be kings If in there realm they command that is good & forbid that that is ill not only that pertaineth to the fellowship or society of man. But that pertaineth to the faith of god and all in vain thou sayest. Let me follow free liberty wherefore in Murder, in oppressing, or Ravishing of women, and in all manner Mischevos & ungraciousness dost thou not cry to be suffered to follow the free liberty and yet it is very profitable & for the comen wealth that such things should be prohibet & let by Just & good laws/ And the same Augustyne in another place doth testify that it is the proper office of a king to minister just is & to deliver & save out of the hands of extortioners than that 
What is th● proper office of ● king  be vyolentlye oppressed. And further saint Thomas doth confirm the same in his book of the Rule or ordringe of princes. 
Thomas de regimine principium.  In the first book xii chapter. Let the king know that he hath taken upon him this office that he should be in his Realm as the soul in the body or as god in the world. Which if he diligently consider by the one he shallbe inflamed with love of justice when he considerethe that he was set in dignity for the intent that in stead of god he should minister justice in his Realm by the other he should learn to be merciful and gentle were as he doth repute and count all men that be under his dominion as his own proper members it agreeth to the same that we read in the book of the church called quadrwium. 
Quadrwium eccle.  The church of god was committed by Christ to the princes or lords that the should save and defend it. And whether the peace and faith of the church be encreasead or diminished. 
God shall require is of kings whether the peace and faith of the church be inire●sed or diminished.  He shall ask account of that in the powers of whom he did commit his church Therefore let the princes of the world know that are bound to make account to god for the church which they took of Chryst to govern and defend And Isidore 
Isidore,  writeth one this manner of the cure charge & authority of kings. The that be within the church and do against the faith and ordinance of the church must be feared by the Rigore of princes And the supreme power most lay or put upon the necks of them the be prowed or stubborn the same discipline which the humility of the church is notable to excercise, and that they may deserve honour let them put forth the virtue of their authority and in another place he saith Secular princes do know the they are bound to make account to god for the church which they have taken upon them to defend. And this is the proper and chief cure of princes which the Tripartite stori doth show that constantinus took upon him. 
tripertita historia libro, iii, cap, iii,  Where these words be that follow. The devout and victorius Constantine to the bishops assembled together in the City of Tiro. 
The epistle, of constantin to the bishops of in the council of tiro,  I am Ignorant what was decreed in your troubloes & hasty council. But it appeareth that the trueth is oppressed and trodden down by some sedtcious and undisrete reasoning. ☞ For you do not consider that is pleasing to god but for the contention and alteration which ye have against your neighbours ye contend to have your desires & minds invincible & mutable. But we have need of the goodness & providence of god the this contention manifestly espied may be evacuate and removed that it may plain apere to us if your assembling there have done anithinge without grace because of your sedition and variance, wherefore I will that all you with all speed come before my majesty that ye may certify & show me yourselves the verity of those things that ye have done. But for what intent I wrote this to you and have called you to come before me by mi letters ye shall know by those words that followeth. As I was going to the City bearing my name in my fortunate country. 
Athanasius c●̄playeth to constantine upon his wrong t● sustained  As I was taking my horse suddenly Athanasius bishop with certain priests with him in the mids of the street came to me so at unwares that I was almost suddenly afraid I take god to witness that seth allthing that at the first sight I would not dyserue who he was, unless one of mi servants had showed me who he was and what wrong he had sustained, and at that time I did not comen with him nor speak to thyem and when he desired that he might be hard and I denied.  
And commanded him to be put away. He with great confidence and boldness desired nothing of us. But that you might come before us, and that he might before you with lamentation show, what Injuries he had suffered & therefore because me thought it reasonable, and convenient for the tyme. I the more gladly did command this writing to be sent to you, that all you that were at the counsel at Tyro should in all haste and without any let come before our gracious presence, that ye mai show by your works the Reclitude and sinceryte of your judgement before me. Whom you will not deny to be the very officers of god. And therefore the name of God is peaceablelye honered in every place, 
Constantine, Eperour caused heathen men to h●●our god & know god,  and wholly Blessed by my service and diligence to god asmuch as amongst heathen men which till this time did not know the truth. For this is manifest, that he which knoweth not the truth, can not know god. But further as I showed before. The heathen by me the faithful minister of god have known god, and learned to fear god. And it is plain by mi works that god is mi defender and helper. And thereby the chiefly know god, and they for the fear that we have to god do fear and honour god, And you which seem to minister to his merciful goodness wholly mysteries I will not say keep them you, I say do nothing else but that is manifest pertaining to contention, And to speak plainly that that is like to be the destruction of mankind. But as I said haston you quickly to come to us and know you that I will labour with all my power that those things that be in the law of god may be chiefly observed without any stumbelinge or error And also all such things that may be without any offence or suspicion of ill. And that all Enemies of the law of god may utterly be despised destroyed and banished which under pretence of that holy name do nourish and maintain diverse blasphemies and Heresies and of a truth justinianus emperor of Rome did let nothing unconfyrmed and enacted by his law that longeth to the observance & preferment of god & so he did make laws & ordinauces of faith 
justinian emperor made laws to confirm the law of god,  of Heretics, of holy churches of bishops and clerks of religious men, of Marriages and of all such causes specially which at this day be exempt from the power of kings & make a  authority of ecclesiastical power which thing surely justinian would not have done unless he had had example of his predecessors and unless he had verily thought that they had partained to his office and authority. 
Quomodo regibus anglie comeevit authoritas in rebus divinis,  In england there be many things that testify that kings went about to keep there own right and authority and there unto made many provisions and laws First of a statute of apelles we find in this manner. 
An act made by kings that no man should apele out of the realm with out licence of the king  If appelations chance to be had they shall appeal from the Archdeacon's to the bishops and from the bishops to the archbishops & if the archbishop be slow or negligent in ministering justice than ye shall Apele to the king, That by his commandment in the court of the Archbishop the matter made be ended so that it shall not proceed nor be Apealed forth without lycens of the King. And in an other place, it shall not be lawful for archbishops, Bishops, nor other persons of the realm, to go out of the Realm without licence of the King. And if he will go forth, & have licence of the King, He shall find surtie that neither in going, nor in tarrying they shall procure any ill or harm neither to the Realm, nor to the King Besides that Turstane elect archbishop of York got licence of the King to go to the council called by Calyxt, 
Turstan archbishop of york going to the council made an oeth he should take no benediction of the pope,  But making an oath before that he should not receive of the pope no epistopall benediction wherefore if he made promise that he would receive no benediction of the pope, Is it not manifest that he supposed the pre-eminence of the regal power in concerning the liberties of the realm to be superior than the pope which could bind the bishop by virtue of the oath that he should not admit the jurisdiction of the Pop, ein taking his Benediction, which thing the inferior can not execute against the superior. And if it be your pleasure to be doing with examples it shall manifestly aper the kings of England ordered the Realm by the Imperial power, did take upon them the cure and business that they did make ordinance to the people of the ordering & reserving of Sacraments & spiritual things. 
Camitu● re● angli●  Among whom one king Camytus most diligently & valyantli did execute his office and duty in the behalf, and made such laws & ordinances as hereafter do follow  

Laws made by king Canutus concerning spiritual things,  ¶ It is just and lawful that the money of burials be paid whereas the ground opened, If my course be brought from his own parish church into another, 
of Buryalis,  the money of his burial by the law should pertain or long to the same church all goodly institutions and all holy ceremonies of god shallbe observed as it shallbe thought necessary & need of them requireth When forbid that upon the sundays ye shall use no merchandise no pleas, 
Upon the Son●ay shallbe used no Marc●ēdis pleas in Cowrtes, no Hunting nor other such excercise,  of Cowrtes, no Hunting, nor any other such seculare act or excercise, Every christen man so shall prepare himself to receive the Sacrament of theaulter at the lest thrice in the year, 
Men shall receive the Sacrament thrice in the year.  so that he may receive it to his soul health, & not to his damnation, if a minister of the altar kill a man or else very moche do misuse himself in ill & vicious living let him be deprived of his order and of his promotions. 
A priest for Murder and vicious lyveng shallbe deprived of his order and promotion,  If a wife her husband being alive comytte adultery, and of it be published let her bide shame of the world and lose here Ears and her Nose. 

Of a wife committing Adultery,  
¶ Widows shall not marry within xii months.   Every widow shall be without husband xii months and she marry in that time, she shall lose her dour. Also we have red certain laws made by king Etheldrede which hereafter follow.  
¶ That is to show you, 
Etheldrede●●e● made certain laws concerning spiritual things which here followeth,  you shall honour and love on god above all things And all men shall obey their king as the forefathers did aforetime & with him the shall defend the realm. Also he ordained that men should call for the mercy & help of god with fasting alms doing with lauds & praise to god abstinence and that every priest should go with his people. iii days a precession barefored and that he should say xxx 
Edgarus rex made spiritual laws of keeping the sunday of teythes and festes,  masses. Further king Edgar did institute these laws. That the tenths should be paid to the mother church. And that the sunday should be keep holiday, from ix a clock of the saturday till it were day light upon the Monday. And that all other festes should be kept as the were commanded by the priests. Also king Edmund did call a great convocation of men of the church secular and regular at London at the feast of Easter. 
Edmondis rex made spiritual laws also in a convocation called a●●ondon,  At which congregation were Edo & ulstam archbishop and many bishops more, which king diligentli enquering for the soul health of them that were subject to him, did make acts and constitutions on this manner. first of all that the which be in holy orders and should teach the people of god should keep them chaste, 
Of them that were within orders  And give good ensample of living according to their degree & order, or else they be worthy of that thing that is spoken of in the canon. We command that he that will not pay his thenthes shallbe excomminicate, 
Of tenths painge, of him that committeth fornication with a Nun  He that committeth fornication with a Nun or any Religious woman shallbe punished as a Murderer. who so ever shall commyete Pariurye shallbe for ever dessevered from the company of god. 
of Perjury  
Adelstanus rex  Also king Adelstan did proclaim and make certain constitutions concerning Ecclesiastical things the every man should give his tenths to god as jacob said I will offer to the tenths of all things that thou sendest me. 
Of thenthes.  
Gen, xxviii  And our faith in the gospel, to every man that hath shallbe given and he shall have abundance & of Sertilege witches and such as tell men's 
Of sorcery & witchcraft  fortunes if they kill a man that shallbe judged to death, also thereby laws made by Iro the king of west Saxons which apere to concern spiritual things. 
Iro, rex.  And they be constitute in this wise. I Iro by the grace of god king of west Saxons having consideration upon the health of the soul and of the state of my Realm do constitute lawfuly matrimony & right judgement to be kept, and that the ministers of god observe and keep the rule and teaching of holy scripture If a servant work upon the sunday by the commandment of his master let him be blameless, 
Of a servant working upon the sunday  
Of baptism of childris,  let the child be baptized within three days after his birth in pain of xxx s. If any man feght in the church he shallbe marsed in vi. 
Of suspending of churches Of false witness,  pound. If any man before the bishop do bear false witness or record he shallbe mercid in iii s. And the same king hath granted to the Abbot and covent of glastenburi the all causes of murder of sacrilege of wichecrafte, 
The grant of the king to the monastery of Glastōbur●  of theft, of rape, or extortion, In the disposition of the churches, In the ordination of clerks, in all examinations longing to the court should be ended after the sentences or ordinances of them, & he forbade by thauthority of peter & paul & all saints that no bishop should set his cathedral seat within the jurisdiction of the monastery. Also the constitutions of King alureddo manifestly declare That in old time kings of England had  authority in spiritual things. 
Almebus rex,  
Of fornication with a man's wife,  And this king made these laws, that if any man comyt fornication with another man's wife he shall pay to the husband xxx s. for amends.  
If any man in lent season do lie the holy oil in any open or comenplace or in his house he shallbe merced in xxx s. that christen men may love god & forsake there infidelity. If any man do forsake his chrystyndome and follow infidelity he shall louse his life. 
Of him that forsaketh he i● christendom,  If any man being in holy orders do steal or comytte perjury let him be punished, 
Of him that committeth theft being in orders  if a priest at convenient time do not send for cream, or if he deny baptism when need requireth let him die for it If ii 
A priest that denieth baptism shall die,  brother or kinsmen do comite fornication with one woman let them be mersed a certain epistle of eleutherius written to lucius king of britton on this wise doth testify that divers bishops of Rome in times paste did not only not deny to kings of England this ecclesiastical power, 
Some bishops of rome, did not deny but gave kings power ecclesiastical,  but also that that did give it to them and that that did confess that it was the proper office of kings in their Realms so to do. Eleutherius, Lucius king of Britons benediction in christ ye desired us to send to you the laws 
Eleuthery pape ep●a lucio ●egi britannia  of Rom and of th'emperor which ye might use in the land of Briton The laws of Rome & the emperors laws when may oftentimes reprove, the law of god we can not. You have received by the promission of god in the realm of Bryton the law and faith of christ. Ye have with you both the Testaments in your Realm, take of them by the grace of god and council of your realm a law and thereby by the sufferance of god Rule and govern your Realm of Bryton for ye are the vicar of god in that realm as Psalmist saith The land or the earth is the our lords. etc. 
The pope called the king the vicar of god  
Vicarius dei regem appellat,  Further it plainly appeareth by a book of the acts of the bishops of Durham that kings of Engeland had great authority in the ordination of bishops. For it is hade in the book that Chadde was made bishop of york by the 
Kingeg made and ordained bishops.  commandment of king Oswen and King Egfryde caused the reverent Cutberte to be consecreate bishop of Durham. And that Edmonde priest nominate by the marvelous voice of Cuthbert was brought with  honour to king Knute of whose election he was very glad and commanded him to be consecrated solemnly, besides that it is manifest by Matthew parison what authority kings had in consecration of bishops For he doth show that king Henrye did give the archbishop of Canturbury to Raffe bishop of London and did consecrate him by aring and a crouch, And the same king as the same Mathe saith gave the bishop rich of Wynchester to William Gyfforde and by and by put him in possession of all things pertaining to the bishopric and did consecrate him as were 
What authority kings had in consecration of bishops in times past,  following the brothers as following the father's steps Notwithstanding that Vrban bishop of Rome had made a statute and forbiddon with ecclesiastical censure that no clerk should take any dignity of the gift of princes or other lay men, 
Vrban made an act that no● clerk should take any ●mocion spiritual of any king 〈◊〉 lay-man  Innumerable examples of such things are brought to remembrance of men by such as wrote the acts of Englishmen. And if any man will make cavelation that those laws which we have rehearsed concerning spiritual things made the anxiant Kings of England to pretend a temporal, and not spiritual authority. Let him know that Linwod 
Lynwod.  upon the constitutyon provincial doth agree to us with those words These things sayeth Lynnewode be more spiritual that be not mixed with any temporal things. 
What things be more spiritual.  As fornication, adultery, baptyem, bawdry, heresy, & such other, After the sentence of the epistle that Eleutherius wrete to king Lucius also wylliam king of England that was duke of Normundye which by conquest obtained the dominion and realm that he might make the place where he had victory to be in remembrance to his aftercomers did build a monastery in the same place for the perpetual and devote remembrance of his soul & did make the letters of the foundation on that tenure that he might plainly show. That the supreme authority of Spirtual & Temporal things did remain in princes. Whose letters be of this tenor. In the name of the blessed & indivisible trinity I wyllyam by the grace of god king of England will it be known to all men aswell them that shall come after as those that be now, 
Letera Whilhelmi regis Anglie defundatione montis debell●.  Archbysshops bishops. Abbot's Earls, Barons, & all faithful people both of England and France that when I was come into England against my enemies which wrongfully were a bout to keep from me the kingdom being in harness at the entering of battle before mi Barons, and knights, with the favour of them all, to comfort the hurts made a vow to build a certain Church in the honour of god for the soul health of all men If by the grace of god we might obtain Victory. 
The vow of william Conqueror,  which when we had gotten we did perform our vove & build a chucrh in the honour of the blessed trinity and saint Marten Confessore for my soul health, and the soul health of king Edward my predecessor, and of my wife quen Matildus, and for the souls of misuccessors in mi realm, and for the soul health of all them by whose labour and help I did obtain the realm and most special for the souls of them which died at that battle. And because in this place where it is builded god gave me the victory I willed that place to be called battle in remembrance of the victory. 
Quicquid concedit regali authoritati concedit ut ostendat regalem authoritatem et ad spiritualem pertinere  And therefore to this church of saint Marten in battle I give & grant these libertes by my regal authority that they may have a court of their own in all causes, and that they may have free & regal liberti and custom to keep court of their own matters and business and to minister justice themselves. 
●ota quod ab ●piscoporum sub iectiōe ex imetur rex.  It shallbe for ever free from the subjection of all bishops and from the dominion of all persons as cristes church in Canturbury and if any fellow or murderer or guilty in any offence flee for fear of death and come to this church he shallbe hurt in nothnge but shallbe let go at liberty, it shallbe lawful for the abbot of that church in every place to save a thief from hanging If he chance to come by at that time Also I give and grant to the same church a leyg compass about it free and quiet from all gild and scotte & Hidage, Denegeld, 
The abbet of battle may s●ue a thef where so ever he cometh,  Brige work, Castle work, Park paling, Clawsutes. From finding men of war, all aids and pleas all Plaints, Shires, hundreds, with sare soce, tol heam, & Infangthes. Warpene. Lestage. Hāsocun Forstal. bludwytte and chilwytte, Felony and liberty from all custom of wordly bondage and from all exaction or tapis of bishops. Therefore to this church of saint Martin of battle I give mi regal manyer called Wie with all thappurtenances longing to my regal crown, with all liberties privelegies and regal customs as fire and quiet as I had it first and and queetest as freely as I being king might give it That is to say from all geld, Scott, Hidage Denegild, Brigeworke, Castelworke, Proke work, inclosinge & finally from all custom of worldly bondage, And from all felony or Theft if it chance, likewise I give ii d. of all forfettes & plays of all the hundreds that pertain to the Summoning or lordship of Wye, And indingnariis which is on menbre of weigh. Also I give to the said church of saint Martem the church of Radinges, the church of Culcunton, the church of saint Olavide in Oxford with lands and tenths and all other things partayning to the same churches. And if any of my Baranes or men will give any of their own to the said church as in alms, I grant the same liberty to them as I gave to this things which I gave my self to the same church. And I confirm it with my present writing, and with my regal authority aforesaid: Guylliam king Lauftance archbishop of Cantuatbury, Thomas archbishop of York, Maurice bishop of London, The bishop of Wynchester, Exeter, and Rochester. The Earls of Chester montegue and of ware, but oft-times is there great change and varyabylytie of times and wits, 
The bishops of rome be always subdue,  and as bishops of rome did always excel in wit and subtlety and coude get any occasion to amplisye and enlarge the circutes of there power, so the did always with great diligence labour that the might usurp & bring to there hands all power, and abuse to there own profit the gentleness, patience and simplicity of other men, otherwiles putting them in hope of more profit and commodity. But because that the are gone from god and go about still to amplisy that exceeding and confuse power set up with ill and unsubstancial foundation like the tower of Babylon, 
The power of the bishop of rome never stood a man's life without resistance and contradiction  it could not stand long without resistance nor never yet stod a man's life clear and quiet without any business, princes have suffered moche And the stories do testify that some have been more bold than some, and as every one felt him grieved, so they were more quick and bolder sharply to speak to the high bishops for there right, and warn them of their offices. And the did them dissimule with many things which were not convenient to meddle with all that season. But the same king Wyllaym write to the Pope, of this manner, because he did abuse his promissyons, in the realm of England, the king to the pope. etc.  
¶ The lord of all lords Jesus' christ which doth govern and rule both celestial and terrestrial, 

Alia carta eiu●dem withelmi regis,  
The epistle of king wylliam conqueror to the high bishop of rome,   things for ever hath of his divine goodness exalted you to the Apostolical dignity for to remove & put away all offensions, to put away all juperdies', & to set forward the profit of his people.  
¶ Therefore we desiring (as we are bound) to provide that, that is necessary, and withstand and put away all manner juperdis from the People of god of whom by the sufferance of god I am ruler, would also gladly defend & increase in our time the honour and liberties of the noble church of England and that that is our right, by inheritance which our predecessors worth of eternal memory did nobly defend, wherefore certain things specially before all other which trouble our mind in purity of spirit, we have opened and certified to your holiness. 
He calleth the church of england our mother  The church of England our mother which amongst all other churches of the world doth excel and abound in Temporal possessions, & in the servis and honour of god, and in the diligence of devout ministers in the works of mercy and hospitality and ever hath florishede with prerogatives of nobleness and honour wile the abundance thereof was at the dispensation of her own children, to the servis and ministers thereof which were called to those dignities, 
The promissions of the bishops of rome intolerable here in England,  not by ambition, but by god. Now by Importable Tapis and exceeding provisions, made by the apostolical see, indifferently as well to strangers as to englishmen we being had in suspicion and hatred for the most part our petitions made for ever learned and discrete & well be loved utterly contemned it is so wasted kept under, diminished, & fortroubled because the profits of many dignites & fate benefices be given to Aliens and foreign persons which be not resident upon the promotions, 
The dignites of the church were given to Aliens whereby came moche decay of virtue and great hurt to the realm,  and know not themself, and understand not the tongue but oneli seek for there Temporal lucre, & I will not speak of other shameful vices. Thereby cometh and riseth moche slander, and the profection of the ecclesiastical discipline is little regarded the charge of souls is neglect, the honour & service of christ is diminished The habitations of the clergy go to decay, which the predecessors did sumptuously build hospitality is lest, and the alms that were wont to be given, be kept away by which the devotion of many is fallen away. Was this the first intent and will and the liberal mind of the founders and prences that the alms and patrimonies of kings and other which were assigned and given to the ministers of the church for the excercise of the honour of god and for works of charity should come and remain to the profit of Aliens or strangers. 
Was lands given to the church of England to feed Aliens and let there own children in hunger and penury,  Is this pleasing to god that the church so endued with possession which bringeth forth so many discrete and wise chyldenr profitable and necessary to take cure and ministration of here should let her own children be in hunger and penury and give her paps to Aliens and strangers not only to take suck of them but rather to tear and pull them in pieces for the childer suck the Milk, strangers wring out the blood letting nothing remain that they may smatch and pluck amongst whom we do not mean nor speak of the right reverent father's Cardinals of the church of Rome which being assistant about your holiness, 
The children suck the milk strangers wring out the blood,  may ease and heal the mother's diseases & help her continualye, for when the treasure of the Realm is spent and wasted, & the church thereof dystroiwed the Realm should be moche weaker in adversities, 
By such promisions the realm is made much weaker and poorer  which thing perchance over enemies do craftily conjecture and cast.  
❧ Wherefore we saying before these griefs and other such incommodities which if we should dis●anul any longer, might be occasion of greater. Wherefore by the advise & council of our faithful people & learned council gathered together we beseech your holiness with meker and humbly prayers that ye will ponder the primissis in the balance of right judgement with abundance of paciens and devotion and were as we and our realm over clargi and our people hitherto have been before all other obedient to your se Therefore your holiness of your nobility and weldisposed kindness ought to favour and relieve & not to oppress them that ye of your customable benignity which doth suppress Auerice and abhorreth Simony would vochesafe so to moderate your reservations and provisions, 
Popes required and did ex●ort tapis inportable and the goods of them that died intestate and money bequeathed to the holy land with other things ●●o  chiefly for Alyons & strangers and such tapis by your holiness required and oft-times extort by inportune calling up on of them that be ambitius, and other commyssions for the goods of them that be ded under colour that the died intestate and of such money that is bequeathed for the succour of the holy land, and all such goods as be bequeathed uncertaynlye by which our people by the subtlety of your officers I will not say malice contrary to your mind, as we trust hath oft-times wrongfuly be waxed that the Cathedral churches and other churches of our realm may have free elections and efficacity after the grants and confessions given by our ancestors kings of England and confirmed by the apostolical se. 
bishops were elect by the cathedral ses.  And that clerks that be patrons lose not liberty of there patronage, and that this burden which werethe they shoulders of the children may be taken away, least that necessity cause them at the last to cast of those burdens which can not be borne long without overmuch detriment  
¶ But that the devotion of us & ours may increase to the apostolycal se, we instantly desire you that the griefs and burdens may cease for we can not always be sluggards but as we are bound for our power, we must avoid and expel all such gref●es and dangers And therefore king Edgarus that he might show the rule and governance of his people in such causes to pertain to him, 
Oratio regis edgari ad clerum Anglie,  made to his clergy an oration which here followeth consequentli. Because our lord god hath abundantli showed his mercy amongst us it is meet reverent fathers that we should be correspondent to his innumerable benefits in worthy works. For we do not possess the earth by our Sword or power, 
Psalmus, xliii  our strength hath not showed us, but his right hand, his holy arm, it pleased him so to do for us. Therefore it is right that we should make ourselves & our souls obedient and subject to him that did put subject allthing under his feet, and we shall diligently labour that the that he hath made subject to us shallbe subject to him and so his laws. And it pertaineth to me to order the lay People with equity & justice and to give right judgement betwixt neighbour and neighbour to punish transgressors to keep down rebels to save the weak from the oppression of them that be bigger to defend the poor and needy from the spoylets of them. 
What pertaineth to a king of a realm   
But also it longeth to my charge to provide necessatyes for the ministers of the church for the coventh of religious men for the congregation of Nuns. 
The examinations of the manners and l●uing of the clergy pertaineth to the king  And to provide that they may have peace & quietness the examination of whose manners and leaving pertaineth to us.  
¶ If he live chastened, If the behave them honestly to them that be without. Forth If the be diligent in the service of god. If the be busy in teaching of the people. If that be sober in living, If the be moderate in there behaviour, If the be discrete in there judgements. I speak by your licens reverent fathers, if ye had looked upon and inquired those things diligentli we should not have hard so much vice and abominations by Clerks. I let that pass that the have neither open crown, nor convenient censure, and that wantonness in living, pride in behaviour, lightness in communication, do manifest the infame of your souls and hearts Besides that how great negligence is there in the service of god, 
Negligence in the service of god & misbehavour in the clergy.  when ye scant vouchsafe to come to church onhalowe evens. When at the Mass time ye seem rather to come together to laugh & play then to sing, yet will I tell you that good men be sorry, for ill men do laugh at it. Yet will I tell it being sorry for it, if it may be told how the abound and run at large in Banqueting, & drunkenness in sloth and uncleanliness that now the houses of clerks be counted the hospitalites of harlots the covents of jesters & player's, there be dice and cards, there is singing/ and dancing, there is watthing with shouting and crying till midnight, so the patrimonies of Kings the Alines of princes ye and that that is more The price of his Precivos blood is spent and wasted, did our father's waist and spend their treasures for that intent? did the kings treasure house decrease by withdrawing of much Rents for that end did the liberality of kings give lands and possessions to the curches of christ for that, that harlots should be trimode by the abundance and wantonness of the clergy, for to make sumptuos feasts to keep hounds & hawks and other pleasures, this the men of war cry out upon, the people murmuris at it. Minstreles sing and jest of it, & you care not for it, you favour them, you take up on you ye know it not. Where is the sword of levy? 
genesis xxxiiii  Where is the zeal of Simeon which did destroy the sychymytes although they were circumcised because the did misuse the daughter of jacob as a harlot, which sichimites bore the figure of them that pollute the church of christ with vicious living. 
Exodus, x●xii  Where is the spirit of Moses which did not favour his own kinsmen that honered the head of the clase, where is the Sword of phemees the priest that did stick him that committed fornication with the modianite, 
Nunerorun xxv  & by that holy zeal pacified god when he was angri. 
Act, v,  Where is the spirit of Peter, which by his virtue destroyed Avarice, and did condemn simoniacal heresy, 
Act, viii  follow you priests follow you the ways of our Lord and the right wiseness of our god.  
❧ It is time to do against them that destroy and dyssipate the law of god our Lord. 
Clerus anglie gladium petri habet ut non sit necesse a roma petere,  I have the sword of Constantyne, and you the Sword of Peter in your hands, let us join hands together & Swords that the lepers may b driven out of the Tents that th' house of God may be purged and that the CHILD of levy of Levy may minister in the Temple which said to his father and Mother I know you not and to his brother I wot who you be. I pray you take heed dyligentlis lest we repent us of that we have done and that we have given if we see it spent not in the service of god but spent in riot and mislivinge of onthriftes by suferance without punishment. Let the relics of Saints move you whom the leap before, let the holy authors move you before whom they play the mad men. ¶ Let the meruelus devotion of our predecessors moon you, whose alms the unthristines of the clergy doth misuse, my great grandfather as ye know did give the tenth of all his lands to the church and monisteris Alfredus of holy remembrance my great graunfathers' father did not intend to spare neither his 
The king ga●e the tenth of his land to the church,  treasure nor patrimony no manner charges or rents for to enrich the church, it is not unknown to you fathers how much old king Edward my granfather gave to the church, and ye ought to remember how great gifts my father & his brother gave to the churches. O father of father's dunston behold I pray you the eyes of my father shining upon you from heaven here his complaints with moche petty swooning in your ears O father dunston dydist thou give me council of building of monasteries of redifieng of churches thou wast a helper & a labourer with me in every thing I chose the as a bishop & shepherd of my soul and enformer of my manners, 
Saint dunston gave council to the king to build many monasteries to whom the king was obedient in all thing  when did not I do after thee, what treasure did I set more by then thy council, what possessions did not I neclat at thy conaundement if thou willest any thing to be given to the poor I was ready If ye thought any thing to be given to the church I did not the far it. If ye did say that religius men or clerks lacked any thing I did succour their necessity. Thou didst say it was a perpetual alms and that there was no more profitable than that given to monasteries & churches for with that the clergy is sustained and the residue given to the power. O good lie alms. O worthy prece of our soul. O wholesome remedi for our sins which from the bosom of Sibilla stinks in the skin of astrange mouse, that trymmes her ears that becomes her fingers, that bindeth her delicate body in silk and purple. O father is the profit of my alms is this the foot of my desire and of your promise, what answer will ye make to the complaint of my father. I know this well, if thou sawest a thief run thou diddest not run with him, nor thou didst not take thy part with adulters/ thou hast rebuked, thou hast desired for god's sake, thou hast blamed, thy words be not regarded. We must come to punishment, ye have here with you the reverent father Edward bishop of winchester. 
The correction of the clergy committed to the bishops to put out the vicenous & to put in them that be good,  Ye have the honerable bishop of Worceter. Oswalde. I commit this business to you, that by the authority of the bishops and power of the king the that live viciousli be put out of the church, and they that live well be put in their stead. Besides that also the temporal lords and the perliament of England (when the bishop of Rome was about to take upon him that he would know of the title for the kingdom of Scotland which the king of England did challenge) 
The le●●er● written from the perliamē● of England to the bishop of rome,  wrote letters to the bishop of rome on this wise that followeth The holimother church of Rome by whose ministry the Christon world is governed in his acts. As we firmly believe and hold, doth alway proceed with mature deliberation, so that it wills too be prejudicial to no man. But like a loving mother would that all right and justice of every man, aswell in other men, as in herself should be conserved incorrupt and without breech In a parliament lately signed at Lyncolne by our most gracious and noble lord Edward by the grace of god King of england. Our gracious lord did cause certain letters apostolical which he received from you concerning certain business about the condition and stare of the Realm of Scotland, to be delivered to us and earnestly to be expounded and pondered. Which letters hard & diligentli understand, we hard such things contained in them as we marveled at & such things as was never so hard of before. 
Scotland, hath always partayned to the kings of England,  We know holy father & it is manifest in the parties of England/ and openly known to many other, that from the first institution of the kingdom of England that as well in the time of the britons as you the time of the Englishmen the very certain & true dominion of Scotland by succession of time hath ꝑtained to the kings of England & to the same realm in temporalites & by no title or right pertaineth to the church afore named But also the same Realm of Scotland of old time hath been tributer to the ancestors & progenitors of our foresaid lords that were kings of England & to him also. Also the kings of Scotland & the realm were never under aniother then the kings of England or were wont to be subject to any other Nor the kings of England upon their right in the foresaid realm or any other 
Reges anglie de statu regu● coram nullo li●●gare coguntur,  themperaltyes of theirs have answered or wear bound to answer before any ecclesiastical judge or secular judge by the reason of his free peminence of his state & regal dignity & custom observed without any contradiction, wherefore with diligent council & mature deliberation upon the contents in your letters spoken of before this is the holy comen & one consent of all & singular of us & shallbe for ever with the grace of god without variation. That our foresaid lord & king shall not with in any judicial corte answer before you, 
Negani respondere cord episcopo romano,  upon the right & title of his Realm of Scotland or any other temporalties of his nor be obedient to judgement in any wise or bring his foresaid right in any doubt nor shall send any proctor's or messengers to your presence specially because that the premises should manifestli be to the disheriting of the right of the Crown of England & the kings 
The whole parliament denieth to answer in any such cause before the bishop of rome for it should be prejudicial to the realm,  dignity & the manifest subversion of the state of the same realm and also prejudicial to the libertis customs and to the laws of our fathers, unto the observation & defence of the which we are bound by our oaths given which also we will hold with all our power & defend with all our strength by the help of god nor also we will not suffer nor we can not, nor we ought not to suffer our foresaid lord & king although he were willing to do or any ways to atemte such premises not used, and we ought not to do prejudicial & never hard of before wherefore humblis desire your holiness that where as our foresaid lord & king of England hath ever more behaved himself faithful & catholic amongst all other christian princes of the world & ever obedient to the church of rome that ye will lovingly suffer him quietli & peaceably to possess & to remain incorrupt all his riches liberties customs & laws without ani diminution & dysquietnes inwitnes whereof our seals as well for us as for the holecommunalte of the foresaid realm we have set to this present writing given at Lincoln the year of our lord. M. CCCCCx. 
Epistola. Cassiodori  there is also a Epistle of one Cassidore to the church of England of the abusis of the bishops of rome after these words To the noble church of England doing service in lime and stone Peter the son of cassiodore a christian knight a devout chaunpion of christ wysseth health and the abaction of seruitunde and bondage and the receiving of the reward of liberty to whom shall I compare the or else to whom shall I liken that my daughter Jerusalem to whom shall I match the virgin daughter of Zion for thy contrition is great as the se. 
Iheron, i,  Thou art left alone with out solace, 
Iheron, two,  all day wasted with sorrow, thou art put in his hands whence thou canst not rise without help of a lyfter up. 
The bishops of rome be called scribes & pharisees.  For the scribes and pharisees fytting upon the seat of Moses the lords of rome be enemies to the & set abroad there philacteris & go about to enrich themself with the mari of the bones, the lay burdens over heavy and importable on the necks of they ministers & further than is comely or convenient they set the under tribute which in old time waste free. 
The bishop of rome hath married the church of the gentiles and so is mad father to the church of England but he is unkind like a step father  Put away all manner of maruelinge for they mother the lady of the gentleness after the fashion of widows is spoused to her subject and hath ordained him to be thy father that is to say the great byshope of the ceti of rome. which yet in nothing showeth the kindness like a father. upon the he enlargeth the borders of his garments by experience doth show that he is the mother's husband he oft-times remembreth the prophetical words which is surely printed & rooted in his heart rote take that a great book & write in him quickly with the hand of man, 
Ezay. viii, What text of Scripture is printed in the heart of the bishops of rome  hast that to spoil & sped the to rob doth the Apostle say that he was ordained for that intent where he writeth every bishop assumpte from amongs men is ordained for men in these things the long to god. 
Hebreos, v  Not to spoil not to leye on them Annual tapys not for murdering of men but to offer gifts and sacrifice for sin which also can have compassion upon the ygnorant & be out of the way, 
What is the office of a bishop.  and it is red of Peter a fyssherman whose successer he saith that he is that after the resurrection of christ he returned again to his excercise of fishing with other apostles which when he could take nothing one the left side of his boat at the biding of christ he turned to the right side of the botte and drawing his net to the ground full of great fishes therefore 
john, xxv,  
The ministers of the church is profitable if it be exercised on the right side.  the ministry of the church is profitably to be exercised in the right side by which the devil is over come and many souls are taken to christ, surely the labour on the lift side is not so. for on that side faith Wavers/ Sadness raineth when that is sought for is not found When can think that he can serve god and Mammon at once at one time and follow his own pleasure And follow the desires of the flesh and blood/ and offer to christ condign or worthy rewards. And without doubt the shepherd, that will nat watch a upon the edifinge of his flock doth prepare another way the ramping lion seeking whom he may devour. 
The bishop of rome is called the father of the church of england but he is not in deed  See daughter the acts/ & doing of him that is named thy father, such as thou hast not hard before which putteth away good shepherds from the sheep cots & putteth in the stead of them to be rulers of them & not for to good or profit to them his own nepheves his kinsmen and his parents and some that have no learning, 
bishops of rome use to exalt there kinsmen with the good of the church although they be unlarned,  & some that be as dumb and deaf that can not understand the tongue of his flock and such as care not for the biting of wolves, but like hired servants bearing away the flese, and that reap that other men have sown whose hands be ever in taking the coffynne and there backs turned a way from any burden of which it is manifest that the priesthood is proverted now a days The service of god is withdrawn and the alms given is misused by which things the holy devotion of kings, 
Psalmo, viii,  princes, and of all christian men, is decayed Ought not every man to marvel that where as christ commanded tribute to be paid to kings for himself & for peter he doth labour to make subject to his power Realms & kings & rulers of realms contrary to the mind of him whose vicar he saith that he is which did refuse and put fro him realms & the judgements of the world, 
The bishops of rome challenge as much to their own as the list to write to be there own,  & the by the dominion of his stile or pen for the calengeth all that he will write to be his, what doth he more daughter to ye. 
The bishops of rome were not content with the tenth but the would have also the first fruits  ¶ Lo he taketh away fromme the what he list and yet he holdeth not himself content if he take from thee the tenth part of the goods unless he also have the first fruits of the promotions of ministers as thoo there were new patrimony given to the same for him and his blood, 
bishops of rome made lately execrable ordinances, for stepend of Messengers & Posts,  the wyllis of the founders being little regarded, and now lately he hath made cursed and exerrable ordinances for stipend of messengers and posts whom he sendeth to England which cari away not the living of the and thine & there consecrations but the tear there flesh & fells like dogs. Is not he to be likened to Nabugodonosor the king which distroweth the temple of god and robeth them of all there silver and gold vessels, that he did doth now this fellow, 
iiii, regum, xxxiiii,  he robbeth the ministers of the house of god & lafte the house with out necessaries. 
The bishop of rome may be likend to king Nabugodonose●  The same doth this tyrant, yet in better case be they that die with sword, than the that die for hunger, for the die shortly. and those be consumed by the batannes of the ground let all those that go by the way have compassion one the daughter for there is no sorrow like to them, for now by exceeding Sorrow and continual effusion of tears thy face is blacker than any coals. And therefore because ye are no more known in the streets, Thy foresaid superior hath set the in darkness, and hat fed the with Wormewode and gall.  
¶ Here good lord the affliction & sighings of the people See good lord and come down for the heart of that foresaid man, 
The bishop of rome hath set the church in darkness & fed it with gall.  is much more indurate & hardened than the heart of Pharo. For he will not let thy people go away fte, 
The bishop of rome punisheth men after the be bed & is a new enemy to england  but with the power and strength of thy hand. For he doth not punish them miserably upon Erth. but also after there death, for he stendeth to have all the goods of them that die untestate. Therefore let the commons of England consider how in times past Frenchement casting there covetous eyes upon the Realm of England whent about to Subdue it to there power but that that the could not bring to pass, it is to be feared lest the forcast & subtlety of that foresaid man our new enemy fulfil. For when the treasure of the realm is wasted and spent and the church dystrowede the realm most be much impotent & weaker against our enemies, therefore daughter lest thou & thy ministers be brought to longer misery it is expedient that for thy safeguard and health of thine, also thy most noble christened king and the nobles of the Realm which have endued the with great benefits which in this case should defend you and there benefits, 
It is expedient for the king & the nobles of the realm to defend the church from the tyranny of the bishop of rome  should resist the polices, consperesis, arrogancy, presumption & pride of that foresaid person, which having no respect of god earnestly laboureth with a new manner of dominion to scrape away all the treasure of England for to enrich his parents & like an Eagle to set up on height his nest or stock by such tapis and burdens laid upon the by the same person least that the simplicity of the realm dissimmuling in this matters should cause subversion thereof and lest it be to late or the provide for remedy.  
¶ Lord of all power put away the covering from the heart of that man, 
Here he prayeth god to bring the bishop of Rome out of Ignorance & to make him to be louli & to know his office.  and give him a lowli and a contrite heart and make him know the steppis of god, by which he may be rid from his igorance and compelled to give, up all such sinister and naughty labours and intents aforesaid/ and that the Vineiarde which was planted by the right hand of god may always busily be replete and exercised with faithful people let the words of our lord and the prophecies of Hiereme hearten us to put away & withstand the intents of this man, which words be these. 
Hieren. xxiii.  
The shepherd that hath dispersed the people of god shall be grevesly punished,  Thou shepherd that hast dispersed my people and driven him out of his habitations Lo I punish upon the malice of thy studies & entens, and there shallbe none of thy stock that shall sit upon the seat of David, nor that shall have any longer power or authority in juda. The nest shall be desert and forsaken and clean subverted & dystrowed like Sodom and gomor. And if by these words he be not feared and scase from his purposes, and make no restitution of that he hath extort and received. 
Psalm, C, viii  Let them sing for him that is indurate thee. Cviii Psalm to god to whom all this is open every day with a loud voice and good devotion in christ, deus laudem. etc. And verily as favour jentylnes, benevolence, doth many things remit, 
gentleness overmuch oppressed & grieved seeketh for the truth desiring to be reed from bondage and put of the yoke & come to liberti  & little regard so gentleness over moche oppressed and grieved while it desireth to be red & seeketh easement laboureth to come to the veri cognition of the truth and where as it is grieved it putteth of the yoke & pain all manner ways that it can. And so these of whom we have spoken before. Where as the meddled but with few things, yet every on perceiving themselves some ways and in some part grieved as the time required & convenient opportunity was given very sorry to see such importable burdens laid upon them by the church of rome, 
Mani resisted the bishops of rome  and were about to resist. But the truth was so shadowed and kept under with the darkness of Ignorance and by error of the people, that of truth some shrank and gave over, that is to say they gave over that the began well. And submitted themselves to the bishops of Rome being of more power, not induced or brought thereto by virtue of the truth but by power of man. And so put the heads again in the yoke of that in tolerable servitude & so the truth was oppressed as the time required & where it was hide of long continuance it cometh to light again. Which truth hath not his virtue & stablishement because men wrote so but they wrote so because it is truth and because time was corrupt and people could not abide the austeryte of the truth, it was thought more agreeable to reason to defend & save worldly things letting the truth for a while under silence than to take upon them the defence thereof & put themselves in jeopardy & danger of body and goods in which doing they did show themselves men as they were in deed, which do not all times follow & prosecute that is well be gone, nor would not for the setting forth of the truth put themself in danger of life, goods, honour & other human things In which cause this world is veri fortunate & happy where as men leave the old doting & have there ears opened to here the truth & be diligent to receive the persuasion of the same sith it 
The time is happy when men may say the truth with out any danger  is lawful for them to show the truth without any juperdi or offension Now sith it is so that the true limits of both the powers be with so plain & manifest reasons showed and proved unless men list to wink from the light at none days. 
Exortation to the readerg to lain to the truth.  Good and well-beloved readers awake let doubleness and Ignorance give place to the truth let the light of truth expel & put away darkness that ye be not lad about willingly with diverse and strange doctrines. But after the council of Peter now ye be warned. Keep yourselves that ye be not plucked away & seduced by the arror of the wicked and fall away from your own steadfastness. ¶ But grow in grace & in the knowledge of our lord and saviour jesus christ to whom be glory both now and ever. Amen.   
☞ FINIS.   

¶ Imprinted at London in the Fletestret at the sign of the Rose Garland by William Copland.  
¶ Cum gratia et privilegio ad ●mprimendum solum,