❧ A little TREATISE against the mutterynge of some papists in corners. ❧  
LONDINI IN aedibus  
THO. BERTHELETI.  
AN. M. D. XXXIIII.  

cum PRIVILEGIO.    

TREATISE  
FOr so much that somme controversy, at the first sight of certain books, of late put forth concerning the bishop of Rome, called the pope, rose among the people, some meruaylynge, that we should so suddenly relynquysshe and forsake that custom, that had so long continued, and some were so blinded, that they thought it should be against our feythe, to forsake the pope( but I think they, that so supposed, did put more their trust in the pope, then in christ.) And the most parte of that sort made none other reason but this: That if we do well now, thus to forsake the pope, then all our forefathers did amiss, and so did we also, till this present time, which were under obedience and subiection of the bishop of Rome, name pope: and they believed, that he had authority and power to make laws, & to bind& leuse what,& whom he would. This was the greatest reason that many men made: which I suppose they did either of affection, or else through ignorance. I haue thought it therfore very expedient to labour for my power, to answer and partly to satisfy their doubts, to the intent that after they know the truth, they should be ashamed so to clatter in corners against it, and also( all things known) against their own profit. And shortly to answer unto their fore made reason, I say that if our forefathers did believe the pope to haue had such a power and authority given him by god, that he might make laws, and order all matters and businessis of christendom, after his own lust& pleasure( like as very many of them haue done this. viii. C. yeres and more) then were they blind and in a wrong believe, which thing I think verily they did not, but that al our fore fathers, as many as were learned and wise, knew it for certain, that all such authority and power, as the pope had, more then al other byshops or over and upon the same, was not immediately given him by god, but he had it granted him by kings and princis, and the consent of men, or else came by it by wrong usurpation and tirrannye. For the same fathers knew right well, that by the laws of god, all bishops were, and yet now be in power and authority equal, and that the bishop of Rome in al poyntes of our faith, and belief is subject unto holy scripture and the general counsel, and may by the authority of the same as well be deposed for sufficient causes, as any other bishop may: And this right well may they know that rede such holy fathers, as both for life and learning haue ben ever most approved in Christis church, as saint cyprian, saint Hierom, saint Ambrose, saint Augustine, with other like. The which thing surely could never haue been true, yf that the pope( as some papists both writ& sai) be heed of the church& may do in earth what he will,& al be it that many good simplo& vnlerned folk haue thought the great usurped power of the bishop of Rome, to haue ben given to him by the lawe of god,( hervnto induced by such as seeking their own profit, in the maintenance therof, haue ben accounted learned) yet was not this matter unto them damnable nor they therfore so much to be blamed, but rather such as haue seduced them herein. But this not withstanding, to say truly in this matter, that is not so much to be regarded, what our fore faders haue done, as what they ought to do. For as their good examples must be followed, so their yuel must be fled. Almighty 
Eze. 20.  god, by the mouth of his prophette Ezechiel, saythe: walk not in your fathers rules, neither keep their iudgementis, ne be not polluted with their idols: for I am your lord god, but walk ye in my commandementis( with he) and keep my iudgementis, and fulfil 
1. Cor. 11.  them. &c. Also saint paul, one of our best fore fathers, biddith us follow him, even as he followed Christ. mark now. He saythe, even as he followed christ: meaning, that in no case we should follow him, where as he swerved from christ. wherefore if any of our fore fathers, of ignorance, or for their own glory or lucre, haue brought any custom in to Christis church, contrary to truth and his holy doctrine: we ought of duty( refusing such erroneous custom) to follow the truth. For if saint paul himself( which with a fervent zeal kept his fathers traditions and laws, ye and fiersely persecutid the transgressors of the same) had walked still in his fathers steps, and had not forsaken them to come to the truth: he had never ben saved. hereunto accordeth saint Augustins words, in his second book entitled De unico baptismo, truth ones known( saith he) custom must give place to the truth. For who doubteth that custom ought to give place to the truth ones published? Nor let no man prefer custom afore reason and truth: for alweys Reason and truth putteth custom out of place.  
To this saying of saint Augustine 
C●si consuetud. di. 8.  agreith saint gregory, writing thus: If percase thou leyest against us custom, it must be regarded, that our 
jo. 8.  lord with: I am the wey, I am the truth, I am the life. He said not, that I am old usage and custom, but the truth. And certainly( as saint Cyprian saith) every custom, be it never so old, never so common& general, is to be utterly forsaken for the truth sake: and that usage, that is contrary to the truth, is utterly to be destroyed. wherefore not withstanding any usage or custom, it is lawful, and standeth very well with goddis word, the truth ones known, to withdraw our obedience from the bishop of Rome: by over much obedience unto whom of long seson we haue ben seducid and led out of the right wey, and haue allowed many of his vices for high virtues.  
hereof saint gregory warneth us 
2. q. 7. c. Admonendi.  to take heed, saying: Subiectes ought to be admonished, not to be obedient unto their prelatis more than is expedient, lest whiles they endeuoir themselves to be obedient to men more than need is, they should be compelled to reverence, allow,& praise their vices.  
Se here, saint gregory alloweth not such obedience, whereby prelatis vices should be meynteyned. And surely in such things, wherein they openly slander the church, it standeth right well with the lawe of god, openly to reprove them: and from this the bishop of Rome, all though he were ten times called Pope, is not except: orlels we must needs grant, that saint paul did amiss, which reproved Peter( that is called the prince of 
Gal. 2.  the apostles) even in the face, that is to say, before the whole congregation of the church. If saint paul did thus to saint Peter, that was instituted by christ himself, and when saint Peter erred not in his feythe, but for eating of meatis prohibit to the iewes, which was but a ceremony, and at that time having no strength: howe much more joanne ought the pope to be reproved of all good christen people, the which being chosen and institutid by men, without miracle or reuelacion( I will not say oft times by simony) doth not only fle from the following of our saviour Iesu christ, and his blessed apostoll Peter, whose successor the pope and papists say that he is, but also he excludeth clene christ with his meekness, poverty, and obedience, expressed in the holy euangelistis, and for christ he wolbe known, and for Christis laws, he bryngethe forth laws and traditions of his own diuisyng, the which wollen him to be lord and sire over all, to be strong, rich, and mighty, and that all men should be obedient to his will.  
And all though some bring in, in this place here, this text, Credo sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam, it can little help their argument. For I suppose, that there was never wise man so far over seen, neither of our forefathers, nor of those that be in our time, that believed, that the Pope is the catholic holy church: but they knew well, that he is but a member therof, and the child of our mother the holy church( if he be a true christen man) and brother to every christen man.  
And for a plain proffe that this is true, our saviour Iesu Christ taught us al to pray one prayour: Our father 
mat. 6.  that arte in heaven. &c. Then seeing that we all haue but one father, which is in heaven, and one mother the holy church in earth, it is manifeste and clear to all the world, that the pope and we be al brethren( if he be a true christen man.) And then seeing the Pope is our brother, why should not he haue& abide brotherly correction, according to the lawe of the gospel, where christ saythe: If 
Mat. 18. luke. 17.  thy brother offend thee, correct him between the and him alone.  
And if some will yet say( supposing that he hath such authority of god, as he presumeth to haue) that the pope ought not to be thus laid unto, and so sharply constrained to show to the world, what authority he hath to do, as he long hath done, as for example, to dispense in any case against the lawe of god: then the apostles and 
Act 11.  brethren ought not in judea to haue laid it to saint Peters charge, when he was come to jerusalem, and capitain him to show the reason why he viseted and taught Cornelius the gentle, with whom by the iewes laws he ought not to haue companied.  
And therfore let no man think, but that our forefathers took the pope alway to be a man, a sinner,& such a one as might well err,& such a one as ought much rather to be examined of his life and state, then the holy apostle Peter for viseting of Cornelius: yea& our fore fathers never took him for any other but such one as might well and ought to be reformed, corrected, ye and clene deposed and put down, as many popis haue ben in times paste, by juuenis& princis, whereof no man is ignorant, that hath red the stories that entreat of the business of christendom. And therfore no man ought to marvel& mutturre in corners, as though we should now attempt a thing in england, which our fore fathers had never attempted in times paste.  
For undoubtedly all men, that were before time, which were wise& well learned, and that knew christ& his doctrine, and that willed christ and his doctrine to reign,& to be known& followed of al christen people, did abhor the pompose and worldly state of the pope, and his traditions, that he made to uphold the same:& they sparid not to speak and writ against his abominable abusions: and for that cause they were alway put either to silence or else to death, by the great princis of the world, at the instance of the pope& his papists, of whom there is sprung up to great a number in every region and country: and al that was by reason that the noble princis themself were vnlernid, and could not iuge in such matters, but they gave alway credence to the false, welcome, and sly persuasions of the pope and his bolsterers. But now thankes be to almighty god, from whom cometh al goodness, the father 
jac. 1.  of lightis, the princis hartis begin to be lighted with the knowledge of Christis doctrine, and they begin to perceive, what wey this wily wat hath walked all this long while: and what great hurt, wrong,& oppression they haue sufferedde: And howe much more injury he intended to do to our most gracious sovereign lord the king, whose highnes, with his most honourable counsel, haue been constrained, by their great labour and study, to try out the truth. For if they themself had not, by their diligent study, sought out his false fraud, the popish form should never haue ben refourmedde, nor it should never haue ben known, that the pope is but a bishop in his own diocese, and that he ought to preach and teach the people,& that he ought not to occupy lordships of this world, but utterly to refuse al worldly honour, delight, or pleasure, in riches and renome, as christ and his blessed apostles did, whom he ought to follow.  
¶ AND furthermore to say, that the kingis highnes is displeasid, because the Pope will not follow his gracis mind in his most weighty cause: is a saying both false and untrue, and it beseemeth no loving subject so to surmise. For the very truth is, that his grace hath of long season utterly refused the popis iudgement in his great and weighty cause, and not now suddenly, as these men imagine: and hath committed the handling therof unto all the beste learned universities, and to all the beste learned men in christendom, as unto such that for their learning could best judge in goddis lawe, whereon his gracis cause holly hangeth, never intending to stand to the popis iudgement, unless he judged the same, that the lawe of god wolde him herein to do, and that not because of his power and authority, but for the truths sake. To the which learned men and universities determination( as a prince most just and virtuous) he alway offered himself to stand and abide, and according thereto hath now prosecuted his cause. which thing ye may well wit his grace wolde never haue done, except he had seen the lawe of god clearly on his side: Nor so many universities& excellent learned men, wolde never haue so determined, except it had stand styffely with the lawe of god.  
If his gracis matter had not ben, as afore is said: it had ben far more easy for his highnes, if he had rekenid the popis authority sufficient therfore, to haue shortly corrupted him, being but one man, the which thing is easy to be done: then with so great and importable charges, and with so long tract of time, to haue sought for the truth in so many vniuersitis, in which are so many men of diuers opinions and wits. AND according to the truth, thus well and orderly known, his gracis cause hath ben by sufficient authority of the church of england, fully ended and determined: wherein no man ought to doubt, the holy ghost to be resident, as well as at Rome: as right well may appear by the epistole of african council, written unto pope coelestine.  
¶ AND yet for further contentation of al men, so that none either learned or vnlerned, should be with his gracis most just cause and doing herein offended, considering that a great parte of the world did believe, as many yet doth( other wise then treuthe is) that the pope bi goddis lawe hath authority above all other bishops, to here and determine causes within this realm of england: his highnes attemperinge himself to the infyrmitie of the multitude, where he might leefully haue withstanded by his own authority, the popis usurped jurisdiction( whereby he wolde haue enforced our sovereign to the breach of the lawe of god) and might right well unto him haue said: we must rather obey god then men: he 
Act. 5.  hath from all such vsurpacion and other injuries, wherewith the poop wolde, if he had been suffered, haue aggreued his highnesse: from all these( I say) he hath appeled unto the general council, and is herein( like a true christened and a good catholic prince) very well contented to abide such determination, as the said councelle next to be assembled in our saviour Iesu christ, shall ordain.  
nothing hereby doubtinge the iustenes of his cause, so manifest to al the world: nor hereby bringing his said just cause, all redy well and sufficiently determined, into controversy and new suit: the which to do is not his gracis purpose.  
¶ AND admit that the pope had as great authority, as he usurpeth, and as the papists would fain bear men in hand that he hath: yet could he let no man to appeal from him: for that were clearly against the lawe of Nature, which is not contrary to the lawe divine. For then a man being harmed or wrongid by the pope, either in body, membres, or famed, should not in this case be holpen nor eased. And if it be leeful for any christen man, what so ever he be, to appeal to the council general, as it is in dede: then what injury doth the pope to our sovereign, which doth all that he can to drive him from his appeal? Yea what injury intendeth he to all men, which labourynge to make our prince and king a president, woll in time to come, suffer no man to appeal from his cursed court?  
¶ AND though it were so, that the pope( admittynge him to haue such authority) did to no man, but according to the will and word of god: yet he can not choose, but is bound to show the reason why he so doth, before the church, which the general council, gethered in the holy ghost, doth represent: like as saint Peter in jerusalem, where the church was, did meekly make answer unto 
Act. 11.  those that were of the circumcision, which disputed against him, saying: Why hast thou entred in among, and eaten and drunk with those that be not circumcised? To this the holy apostoll did not onely, humbly and mekelye answering, show them the cause why he did it: but also he gave a lesson to all them, that should follow him, humbly to do like wise: Be ye redy alway, saith 
〈…〉 Pe●… i. 3.  he, to answer& satisfy every man that asketh you a reason of your feythe& hope, with meekness and reverence.  
¶ BY al these reasons it is to you evident, that our sovereign hath now right good cause to open unto you, what maner of person the bishop of Rome is, the which after many monitions, refuseth at length to here the church, that is to wit the general council, but woll himself be judge at his own pleasure: he forcethe not for the doctrine of christ, nor for the example of Peter, nor his teaching, but saith he woll be obeied, and according to his laws, the which be none other but his own will, he will haue us do.  
¶ MORE over, if any papist will come yet forth and tell you, that the pope may do what he will, and may bind and leuse what he listeth here on earth, because christ said to Peter, 
Matth. 6.  I will give to the, the keys of the kingdom of heaven: let him not therwith blind and deceive you.  
For saint Augustine, speaking of these keys in his first book De doctrina christiana, saith thus: Those keys he gave to his church, that what so ever the church wolde leuse in earth, should be lowsed in heaven: and what so ever the church should bind in earth, should be bound in heaven.  
now it is well proved to you before, that the pope is neither the church, nor the heed therof, but a member( if he be a christen man) and the child of our mother the holy church.  
¶ AND further if any will yet tell you, that at the least wise the Pope hath the key of divine knowledge, whereof christ speaketh luke. xi. whether he so haue or no, ye shal perceive it thus: The gloze saith, that this key is the humility of christ, the which who so hath, hath the gaate open to the understanding of scripture. now take heed and se whether the Pope haue this humilytie: christ the very son of god, did 
Philip. 2.  humble himself even to the very death, yea to the shameful death of the cross: The pope( ye se very well) woll be exalted above all other, in so much that kings, princis, dukes, and lords must kneel to him and kiss his feet, and do to him all the honour and worship, that can be devised in this world. wherefore it appeareth plainly, that he hath not this key of knowledge, which is Christis humility.  
¶ ALSO this key of knowledge may be taken and called the feythe, according as esay, the prophette 
Esaie. 7.  saythe: Except ye woll believe, ye can not understand. now mark well whether the Pope haue this key of feythe or no. christ saythe, that he 
Mat. 17.  that hath as much feythe as a little mustard seed, shall be able to commande mountains to remove from one place to an other: and ther should be nothing impossible unto him. And again christ saith: All things 
Mar. 19.  are possible to him that believeth. And again yet he saythe in an other place: He that believeth in me, shall 
jo. 14.  do the archdukes that I do, and greater then those. This is to understand, that if the pope were ioynid to Christ in his feythe, as the apostles were, he should be able to do like as the apostles did, that is to wit, by his preaching of the gospel truly, he should convert and turn nations of mysbeleuynge people, to the feythe of Iesu christ. which thing all the world seeth plainly he doth not: but by his pride, his tyranny, and most grievous exactions he hath and doth( I fear me) compel great multitudes of people and hole countreys& nations, to forsake the faith of christ. wherefore seeing he hath neither the keys of heaven, nor the key of divine knowledge, nor the key of feythe: I can perceive none other, 
Mat. 5. Mar. 9.  but that he is the unsavoury salt, whereof our saviour christ speaketh in the gospel, which is no better worth, but to be thrown out of the doors, and to be trodde under mens feet.  
AND now to come to a conclusion of this little treatise: Where as it hath ben spoken of many and diuers, that it was a merry world before men spake of any such matters, that is to wit, to haue any reformation among them of the clergy, and before that men began to set light the pope, and to call him the bishop of Rome: that is as wise a saying and opinion, as this is of them that say, sens the crying down of Galy halfpens, the learning of Duns never prosperedde, And also sens Tenterdyn steeple was builded, Sandwiche haven hath ever more decayed. But I pray you behold, howe the favourers of blind abusion wolde fain blow abroad smoky and mystie reasons to dark& dim mens eyes with all. They say it was merry before such matters were moved, but they tell not what time it was, with whom, nor wherein it was merry. And if they mean, that the nobility and commons of this realm of england had more riches, and greater plenty of food and victual, and lived in much more wealth, and more at their hartis ease in lawful liberty: then let them consider, that this was before the pope and his clergy were grown so great, so strong and mighty, and to so huge possessions and riches, as they weld at this day: for before that time they preached the gospelle trewlye, they were meek and lowly spirited, and sufficiencye was to them abundance, they were charitable, they were mild and merciful, and gave good example, and men gladly followed them, then reigned love& liberality, then there was peace and unity, that causedde great plenty in every place: But after they were ones endowed with possessions, and their minds inordiatly drowned in them, and that covetousness began to creep in among them, after that( I say) followed all mischief and misery, all wretchedness and penury: The pope, he polled a place for his parte: yea whom wolde it not make right soroweful& heavy in heart to remember, what riches this cursed caytiffe the pope hath polled out of this realm by the space of these three hundred yeres, ye within these. xl. yeres, or within these. xx. yeres? What pilleth he yearly? what mischievous means doth he invent and seek out, to rob and spoil us of our wealth? What laws hath he devised, what legations, what and howe many diverse courts? What dispensations, what pensions out of abbeys exempt, what peter pens out of parishes, what reseruacions, what constitutions, what citations, what suspencions, what pardones, what kind of cursynges,& blessings& absolucions? what wiles, what gyles, what fraudes, what diuilishe deceits and snares, are daily covertly couched to catch coin from the people? Oh good lord, how the pope and his ministers daily devise and practise to polle and pylle the people of this realm of their money? And yet I speak nothing of the great unquietness and vexation that many sely souls haue, over and besides the loss of their goods. He the most unhappy patron and his, be the very cause of all our misery, of all our scarcity, and of all our vexation and trouble. Who be the occasion and styrrers up of war and stryffe in christendom, but the pope and papists? look who so listeth, and he shall surely finde, that the pope and his, to save and keep up still their pompose and worldly state, haue alway ben the inventors of myschieffe and destruction of people, by their ungodly instigations of princes to war. Yea if the truth should be shewed of the great ruin that hath risen by them and their means, in christendom, it wolde abhor any man, were he never so partial on the popis side, either to rede or here it. But I woll let that pass, I am right sorry, that we should haue cause to show you so much of him as I haue done, save alonely I wolde all such as be blinded, or be ignorant, should perceive: that our most gracious sovereign lord the king, is most specially mouedde to do as he doth, of his princely pity and zeal, that his highnes beareth to his true and loving subiectes. Surely I say, this his tyranny and pyllage in maner constraynethe the king his grace, to deliver this his realm from the captivity& bondage of the pope: and keep within the said realm( for the wealth and safeguard of the same) the great and huge sums of money, that were wont to run to Rome.  
¶ AND if it be not sufficient enough to persuade some of you, to se and so clearly to behold, howe clene contrary to the lawe of god the pope demeneth himself, the which he is bound in all that ever he may do, to follow: then at the least wise let the great misery and poor state, that this most noble, and sometime the most florishynge realm of christendom, is brought into by the pollynge of the pope, move and stir you to stand styffely with our most benign and loving sovereign lord and prince, that is fully bent and gothe about to rid his realm of this thraldom, and to restore and bring it again out of poverty to plenty, and from rauyne to riches, and from trouble and grievous vexation to quietness and rest, and so finally to al the former wealthy state. whereunto as good and true subiectes, with all your hartis ye are also bound by the laws of god, his quarrel being thus just, and he intending so great a commodity to all the realm. according as the holy apostle paul saith: Let 
Ro. 13.  every soul be subject to the high powers: for the powers that be, are ordained of god. So that he that resisteth the high power, resisteth the ordinance of god. And they that resist, seek their own damnation. look howe straightly the apostoll byndethe us to the obedience of our prince: for in the same chapitre he nameth none other powers, but onely of princis.  
And the holy apostle Peter likewise 
●. Petri, 2.  doth commande us to demean ourselfes like lowly and obedient subiectes, whether it be to the king himself, as to the most chief and excellent of all, or else to the dukes and gouernours, that are sent by him. And consequently he saythe: Honour the king. now seeing that we be commanded by the holy scripture, to love, to obey, and honour our prince, not only outwardly in bodies, but also inwardly in our hartes, without any dissimulation or feynynge, and that because he is the minister of god, and doth represent and occupy the place of god here in earth: howe much more then are we bound to love, to obey, to honour, and aid our most gracious prince, with all our very hartis, which specially for our sakes taketh so great pain, and that so diligently doth seek the means howe to rid us out of bondage, out of misery, out of need and vexation, that we be brought into by the covetousness of the brybynge bishop of Rome( the which by that name of Pope polleth and pylfereth away the riches of this realm) and that so much mindeth to restore us to all our old welthynes and liberty again?  
thus ye se plainly proved to you by reason and authority of holy scripture, that we do none other wise in our time now, then our wise and well learned fore fathers did, though the time then wolde not suffer them to bring to pass their well intended purpose. And it is shewed, that the old holy doctors of Christis church affirm, that neither custom, nor usage should be regarded, when the truth ones appeareth, but the truth should be embraced and followed.  
AND also it is well proved that our prince& sovereign doth it not now for or of any evil will or displeasure: for they that either so think or say, do think and say vntrewly, and besides that, in their so doing, they greatly offend god. for it is written: 
Gen 22. Eccl 10.  Thou shalt not speak evil by the prince of the people. And again it is written: In thy thought thou shouldest not detract the king.  
AND it is like wise manifestly proved, that though the pope had as great authority, as he usurpeth and taketh on him to haue: yet could he let no man to appeal from him.  
AND it is like wise proved, that the pope is neither the catholic holy church of christ, nor yet the heed of the same, but if he be a Christen man, he is the child of our mother the holy church, and brother to every christen man.  
AND finally it is like wise shewed, that the misery, need, poverty, and scacitie, that we be in, cometh all together by the pope and his means. from whom and whose captivity, christ deliver us, that bought us on a three. Amen.  
FINIS.