A newyeares gifte dedicated to the Popes Holinesse, and all Catholikes addicted to the Sea of Rome: preferred the first day of Ianuarie, in the yeare of our Lorde God, after the course and computation of the Romanistes, one thousand, fiue hundreth, seauentie and nine, by B.G. citizen of London: in recompence of diuers singular and inestimable reliques, of late sent by the said Popes Holinesse into England, the true figures and representations whereof, are heereafter in their places dilated.

A newyeares gifte dedicated to the Popes Holinesse, and all Catholikes addicted to the Sea of Rome: preferred the first day of Ianuarie, in the yeare of our Lorde God, after the course and computation of the Romanistes, one thousand, fiue hundreth, seauentie and nine, by B.G. citizen of London: in recompence of diuers singular and inestimable reliques, of late sent by the said Popes Holinesse into England, the true figures and representations whereof, are heereafter in their places dilated.

Table of contents

Title page

Ad Archipapistam

The Contentes of the Booke.

A PREFACE.

The Argument of the foresayde Booke or Letter commended vnto thee.

B. G. To the Reader.

❧A LETTER WRITten by Cutbert Tunstall, late Bishop of Duresme, and Iohn Stokesley, sometime Bishop of London, so acknowledged & confessed by the said Cutbert, about 14. dayes before his departure out of this his naturall life, in presence of the most Reuerend Father in God, Matthew thē Archbishop of Caunterbury & others, which letter was sent by the same two Bishops, to Reginald Pole Cardinall, beeing then at Rome, and sometime Archbishop of Caunterbury.

¶ The maner and meanes of the Popes beginning.

Then another, touching the Charitie of the Pope.

¶The liues of .ij. Popes, vz. Alexander the second, and Gregorie the seauenth.

A Comparison betwixt Christ and the Pope. Those that wright against this Monster, are,

Of another Pope.

¶ A description of certaine of the Popes vvares and merchaundize of late sent ouer into England,

§

And touching the holy Maide of Kent, I wil shortly rehearse hir tragedie, and thus it was.

And now to the merrie miracles of the holy Mayde of Kent.

¶ The first Miracle. Candels vvere lighted vvithout fire.

¶ The seconde Miracle. Womens brestes vvere moystned, vvhich before were drie and wanted milke.

¶The thirde Miracle. The sicke vvere restored to perfect helth.

¶The fourth Miracle. The dead vvas restored to life.

¶ The fifth and last Miracle. Finally, al good vvas done to those vvhich were measured and vowed to hir in Courte of Streete.

§

Conclusio.

Alia Conclusio.

Certaine of the Popes Merchandize lately sent ouer into Englande.

§

§

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¶ A New yeares Gifte, dedicated to the Popes Holinesse, and all Catholikes addicted to the Sea of Rome: preferred the first day of Ianuarie, in the yeare of our Lorde God, after the course and computation of the Romanistes, one thousand, fiue hundreth, seauentie and nine, by B.G. Citizen of London:

In recompence of diuers singular and inestimable Reliques, of late sent by the said Popes Holinesse into England, the true figures and representations whereof, are heereafter in their places dilated.

IACOB. 4.

Vnus enim est Legislator & Iudex qui potest perdere & liberare.

Iura dat vnus, oues cuius clementia sparsas Colligit, & miserum discipat ira gregem.

AT LONDON, Printed by Henry Bynneman. Anno Domini. 1579.

Ad Archipapistam

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IF in the sight of Saintes and men, Ingratitude be nought,

If friendly acts, with friendly mē, in frendly wise be wrought:

If interchanged Gratitude, be natures sole desire,

If good for good in man and beast, dame Duetie do require:

If enterlaced Loue be it, that ioyes the haughtie minde,

If Bountie be the only badge, to vertuous wightes assignde:

If mutural trade in traffique aye, be stil maintayned so:

Ingratitude to Uertue then, must needes be greatest foe.

Who then can take a benefite, and not requite the same?

What vertue great did euer die without reward of fame?

Why should we then forget our selues, to him that is so kinde?

Awake for shame, and at the least retourne a thankfull minde.

Is it not much, that he shoulde thinke to raise thee from thy fall,

And haue a care to see thee safe, which is the Lord of al?

Oh humble then, thy haughtie harte, cut of thy crooked scope,

Returne againe, and yeelde thy selfe vnto the holy Pope ▪

Whose fatherhood hath great regard, to win, that else were lost▪

Who spareth neyther day nor night, nor any worldly cost,

To sende a heape of heauenly things from royall Rome to thee.

Do turne the booke, pervse them wel, and marke thē what they be,

And buy them whiles they may be had, and way not of the charge,

Their grace is gret, their power is strong, their warrāt very large.

For, helth of minde and bodie both, they bring, and feare thy foe:

Ech thunder, lightning, rage, and storme, they quickly ouerthrow.

And what annoyaunce is in man, they take it quite away.

And this is true, if al be true the Pope himself doth say.

Be thankeful then vnto the Pope, cast of thy care of welth,

And gladly giue thy glistering gold, to buy this happie helth.

For so before thy corps be colde, thy soule shal scale the skye.

And thou thy selfe shalt be a Saint, or else the Pope doth lie.

Then neyther wey the Queene, nor lawes, but cleaue vnto ye Pope,

And thou shalt be his sacred sonne, adopted by the rope.

As Storie was, and many moe (I trust) shal be agen,

Which God vouchsafe the obstinate, for Christ his sake, AMEN.

The Contentes of the Booke.

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A Preface to the Reader, whiche sheweth the reason of the writing of this Booke.

The Argument of a Booke or Letter sent to Cardinall Poole.

A Preface to this Booke, made by the Authoure thereof.

The Booke or Letter which was sent to Cardinall Poole.

The manner and meanes of the Popes beginning.

The proofe thereof.

Another touching the charitie of the Pope.

The liues of two Popes, viz. Alexander the second, and Gregorie the seauenth.

Exceptions against them.

A comparison betwixt Christ, and the Pope.

The Popes Wares or Merchandise.

Leo, a child of noble house, and well brought vp, grew wicked by being Pope.

Pope Vrbans present to the Emperour of Gretia.

Lenuoy of the Authour vpon the sayd foure Popes.

The poysoning of King Iohn.

The holy Mayde of Kent.

The exposition of hir miracles.

Howe greate enimies the Pope and his Legates haue bin to Christian Realmes, and how he hath bin expelled.

Diuers letters Inuectiue against the Pope.

A PREFACE.

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THis little Booke ensuing, was addressed to Cardinall Poole in Anno. 1537. whiche when I had redde, and well perused (knowing the impression almost spente) I déemed it worthy a new imprinting, bycause it was written by two auntient Fathers, and learned Diuines, who vouched their authorities from the sacred word of God. Alas, that Arrogācie, which is mother of al mischiefes, & direction to most heresies and treasons, the denial I meane of the supremacie of the Quéene, far surpasseth all other Heresies and Treasons, and without repentance, bringeth destruction of body & soule. Howbeit (the more to be lamented) it is ouer rife in England, for it is not only ye opinion of diuers old men, but of many yong mē, which are destitute of learning, voyde of grace, & ignorant of knowledge, and yet hold opinion, that the Pope is, and ought to be the supreme head. What blinde sorte of euill disposed Papistes be they? nay rather, what Romishe Rebels are they? which (contrarie to the word of God) had rather haue a forraigne Pope their head, than oure most dread and soueraigne Lady, the Quéenes most excellente Maiestie, whose Subiectes naturallie we are, vnder whose obeysance we are borne, vnder whose protection we liue, and vnder whose mightie power (next God) we rest defended from all forraigne Enimies, in suche sorte, as by the lawes of God, by the lawes of Nature, and by the lawes of the Realme, we are bounde to obey hir, and none other. These things considered, I can not but maruell how those Papistes dare so presumptuouslie extoll that enimie of Christe, the Pope, as to call hym Gods Vicar on earth. What Pope hath coniured them? or what Deuill hath bewitched them, that they are so mightilie affected to the Pope? and so slenderlie regard their naturall liege Lady the [Page] Quéenes Maiestie? Sure I am, that by denying the Supremacie, they haue broughte themselues into Premunire, and from thence grow into farther mischiefes, from whēce their holy Father the Pope, with all his Colledge of Cardinals, can not deliuer them. And what else commeth of this Papisticall Religion, but murmuring, contention, strife, sedition, rumors, lewde practises, and priuie conspiracies, to put discord amongst them that liue in peace, and lastly open Rebellion, if they were able to bring it to passe? For want of which habilitie, they nowe vse Prophecies, Coniuration, Nicromancie, Piromancie, and Calculation, wherto they attribute great credite. They séeke out Witches and Sorcerers wheresoeuer they may be found throughout Christendome. Their determinations and elusiōs they hold in great priee, and with their diuelish crafts, they séeke to delude thée, and all the Subiectes of the Quéenes most excellente Maiestie. Wherefore, I wishe all menne to beware, howe they kéepe company wyth Papistes: for euen as the Lepres infect others with theyr foule disease: so doe the Papists infect many, with their pestiferous euill councell, and worse example. They resemble likewise the venemous Toade: for as the foule Toade can not abyde the swéete tast of the fruitefull Uine, so can not they abide the true tast of the doctrine of our sauioure Christe, the flourishing Uyne of eternall life, but wrest the sacred Scriptures, to serue their turnes, preferring the Pope aboue Emperour and Kings, falsehoode before truth, darkenesse before light, ignoraunce before knowlege, a Masse no Communion, a Dirge no Sermon, a Concubine no Wife, Bulles and baggages, before the sincere word of God.The figures of these are sette out at large in this Booke, as in perusing thou shalte finde. And our English fugitiue, runnagate Papistes, whiche are beyonde the Seas, sende into this Realme of Englande, Bulles, Pardons, Beades, Latin Primers, Papisticall Books, Superaltares, Pictures of Sainctes, hallowed Graynes, Crosses, Agnus Dei, wyth Sainct Iohns Gospell in them: and thrée or four droppes of [Page] Balme, Font water, and of a hallowed Candle, done by the Pope, dothe make all these holy Reliques: so as (I thinke) if the paring of the Popes nayles were sente into England, it would be thought no small iewell amongst the Papists. But let this passe, and sée nowe what oure home Papistes sende them againe. I wéepe to write: they cause, that many Gentlemen, and some of greate Worship, doe send their sons to Doway, to the Uniuersitie of Louaine, to Rheynes, to Paris, yea, and some to Rome, to nuzel them in Idolatrie, and roote them in Papistrie. And great are the summes of mony, whiche yearely goe hence for the finding and maintayning of those yong Gentlemē: and farre greater is the charge whiche relieueth the Papistes that are there, for the number is greate, and they are very liberally and boūtifully rewarded out of England by the Papists here: For many Papists sell their lands, and employ their great summes of money in banke, contrary to the expresse word of God,The Iewes entred in the time of King William the Conquerour in Anno. 1067. and were expelled in the raigne of K. Edward the firste. 1291. as the Iewes did in the time of King Williā the conqueror, & employ the foule increase or vsurie therof, to the reliefe of other Papists beyond sea. Moreouer, their Buls, pardons, and such other néedlesse, or rather damnable baggage, trash, & trumperies, are ouer dearly bought, althoughe indéede they be nothing worth, nay worse than naught. For in the raigne of Quéene Mary, I my selfe did know a Gentlewoman, that gaue .xx. pound for a Bull that she might not come to Church, yet was shée as Catholike as the beste of that sorte: but the matter was, for that the priest of the parish and she were fallen out. Truly that Bull was a fit Make for a Cowe, or hir charitie, and aswel worth .xx. pound, as an Owle is worth an ounce of fine gold: and euen of that value be the rest of his Bulles, pardons, and sanctimonies, and graunted vppon as greate considerations. For it is bruted by the Papistes, that the traiterous varlet Feltō is canonized for a Saint at Rome, & so was Thomas Becket, a Prelate, as traiterous, as Felton the Papist was: but Felton obtained the Popes great [Page] grace, for the setting vp of a Bull, which then was newly brought into England, and for his reward, was faire hanged, drawen, and quartered (and had no more harme:) yet that Bull begat many Calues, both Bull Calues, and Cow Calues, whiche it is high time to wayne, for they make suche a bleating, that no man can take rest, or lyue quietly by them, vnlesse peraduenture they receyue the Bulles rewarde. And if it be true that Felton is Saincted, then is it for his Treason sake. And what Traytor then would not loue such a Pope as can make Saincts of Diuelish Traytors? or who can but feare suche a Pope, as can make Diuels of Saincts? for with his holy pardons (if he lie not) he maketh Sainctes, and with his terrible curses (if he say true) he maketh Diuels, so as Sainctes and Diuels are at his pleasure. And the Pope can do more than this too, for he can send Soules to Heauen, and take Soules out of Purgatorie, for that (as he sayeth) is the bayting place by the way to Heauen, or to hell. And what is that the Pope can (not) do? forsooth nothing at all: for as great is his authoritie and power in making of Sainctes, as a Coblers skill and arte is, to make Mappes of the whole World: And I beléeue there are as manye Sainctes in Heauen made by the Popes, as there are blacke Swannes swimming in the Thames. But for all the Popes magnificence, and superabundant authoritie, I had rather be a Collyer at Croyden, than a Pope at Rome, for in my iudgement, it is better to haue a blacke body like a Collier, than a blacke Soule like a Pope, for vnlesse the Pope washe himselfe cleane in the bloud of Christ, with the droppes and teares of repentance, onely trusting in the merites of Christes Passion (which he can not allow sufficient to saluation) hée shall neuer sée the ioyes of Heauen, but in post hast he must néedes goe to his second Sea and patrimonie in Hel, to the blacke féend Lucyfer his fellow companion for Pride, and whose faithfull Uicar he approueth himselfe héere: for as [Page] all men know, in Hell there is no redemption. Now I conclude & demaund, what foolish senselesse Papistes are, they that beléeue the Pope can help them, where he can not help himselfe? for we beléeue in God, who sayeth, Subditi estote omni humanae ordinationi propter Dominum, siue Regi tanquam praecellenti. &c. Be subiect to all humane ordinance for the Lords sake, whether it be to the King, Pet. Epist. 1▪ Cap. 2▪ or to the most excellent. &c. making the King to be most excellent vnder God, by which words of Sainct Peter, it is manyfest that Peter did not chalenge to himselfe any primacie: why then should we yéelde it to the Pope, that only chalēgeth (and yet wrōgfullie) to be the successor of Peter? No no, it is the right, and next God, belongeth to our most dread soueraigne Lady the Quéenes Maiestie (whome God long preserue) and to none other, through all, or any hir Highnesse Realmes or Dominions. And againe, by special prouision or Premunire Anno. 16. Rich. 2. ca. 5. it is set downe, that such as purchace or pursue in the Court of Rome Bulles, Instrumentes, or suche like, shall be out of the Quéenes protection: yet, notwithstanding that both the Lawes of God and Man are against it, Papistes will be Papistes, spéede as they spéede may. Whereto I pray thée (gentle Reader) haue a speciall regard, and amongst the rest, marke our double faced Papistes, whiche Ianus like, in Court, and else-where, doe make their boast to be the Quéenes Maiesties faithfull subiects, comparable with the best Protestantes: but when it commes to the tryall and touchstone, to know what they thinke of the Supremacie, then they cleaue to the Pope, hauing no feare of God, no loue to the Quéene, nor no dread of iustice: for in denying the Supremacie, they take from the Quéenes Highnesse hir Maiestie, regall authoritie, and the due obeysance which she ought to haue of hyr Subiectes▪ and most trayterouslie they renounce theyr faith, loyaltie, seruice, and obedience, whiche they owe to hir excellencie, so as they make thēselues quicke sacrifices [Page] to the Deuill, and manyfest Traytoures to ye Quéene. For to saye the truth, Papistes were the cause of the last Rebellion in the North, whyche was the ouerthrowe of the auntiente house of Westmerlande, and the deathe of the Earle of Northumberlande, and manye other, as Norton, Markamvielde, and others, whyche haue steyned themselues with Treason, and vndone their houses for euer. There were also at that time many Bayliffes and Constables, to the number of thrée hundred or vpwarde hanged, whiche well deserued it, in that they commaunded menne in the Quéenes name, to goe to that Campe, the Camp where the Rebels lay. But Northerne men may say, that euill is that camping where the Gallowes winnes the Goale. These thyngs will not be forgotten in the North partes these hundreth yeares. And therefore take héede Papistes, and thinke that Northerne men will not Rebell, for they haue payde for their learning. You maye not vaunt as you were wont to doe, saying, you were sure that all the North would take your partes, for if you make your reckning so, you recken without your hoste, for neyther Lordes nor Lurdeynes can rayse them, withoute commaundemente from the Prince. Therefore (good Subiectes) vouchsafe to reade this little Booke, whereby you may learne to obey the Quéenes Highnesse truely, and to detest the Popes fayned holynesse vtterly.

Thys little Booke or Letter, was written in Anno 1537. and in the thirtith yeare of the Raigne of our late Soueraigne Lorde of famous memorie, Kyng HENRYE the eyght, at what time Reginalde Poole was made Cardinall, for Cosma and Damian, by Paule the third, Bishop of Rome: so as the Papistes can not mislike it for the noueltie, for it carieth some antiquitie, and was written aboue fortie yeares sithence. Thus for my part, I fare like hym whiche hathe founde a Purse or Capcace of another mans, and then like a playne true dealing man, maketh [Page] enquirie who is the owner of it. Euen so doe I cause thys little Booke to bée newe Printed, that the right owners may be knowen. And sithence they be dead long agoe, that the Quéenes good Subiectes maye haue it amongst them, as the authoures meante it in their lyfe time. And thus I ende, praying God to endue hir Maiestie with perfecte health and all felicitie, long and triumphantly to raigne and rule ouer vs, and to turne the heartes of Papistes, and to make them all good Subiects, to the glorie of God, and strength of the Realme. Amen.

w. w.

The Argument of the foresayde Booke or Letter commended vnto thee.

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TH'aspiring mind, causd Reynold Poole to swarue,

And to become a Traytor to the King,

Troth tryes it out, and law and iustice bring

Vnto his mates such death as they deserue:

He quakes for feare, and through the Seas doth carue

To Rome, and there is by the holy Pope

Made Cardnall, and obteynes a larger scope.

With might and mayne Poole then the Pope doth serue,

And sayth the King may not be supreme head:

Two learned men which do lament his fall,

Send him this Booke, that follie to forbid.

Yet he (God wot) regards it not at all,

But like an Asse, doth for a Scarlet hatte,

Forsake his God, his King, and Countrey flatte.

(B.G.)

B. G. To the Reader.

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THou séest (right gentle Reader) in the fourtéene short lines last before written, the argumente of the Booke or Letter whiche was written to Cardinall Poole, which my right Worshipfull and approued good friend, when he had perused, and ioyed to sée and reade, desired greately to perticipate his benefite vnto thée, chiefly bycause the wéede whiche at that time choked the minds of the subiects of the triumphant King of immortal memorie, Henry the eyght, our late Soueraigne Lorde, touching the Supremacie, now eftsoones breaketh forth, to the intollerable annoy of the déere and louing subiects of our most dread, naturall, and soueraigne Lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God, Quéene of Englande, France, and Irelande, defendor of the faith, and in earthe of the Church of England and Ireland next and immediately vnder Christ, the sole, and alonely supreme head, the daughter and vndoubted heire of hir saide late father, King Henry the eyght. But what haue I said? Supreme head in earth, of the Church of England and Ireland next vnder Christ? Yea forsooth, what make you then of the Popes holynesse may be your demaund: I aunswere, that I make of the Bishop of Rome (so farre forthe as he be a Christian, and the seruaunt of God) the like and as large accompt for his circuit (though not with so great dutie, bycause I am an Englishman, and not of his Dioces) as I make of any Bishop in Englande within his iurisdictiō, vnder oure sayde Soueraigne Lady, so long as the same Bishop of Rome kéepeth him within his compasse, and acknowledgeth himselfe subiect to the King of that Territorie: but so farre forth, as he standeth harlot like vpon the type of hys worldly pompe, I take him to be that Antechrist, whiche Paule calleth the man of Sinne, and child of perditiō. You may further aske me, howe if the Pope himselfe be King there? I answere, that how if, with how if not: for if Christ, whose Uicar on [Page] earth the Pope claymeth to be sayth, Iohn. 18. My Kingdome is not of this world: the Pope (if he be not Antechrist) can not haue kingdome in this world. Me thinkes I sée the Papist smile in his sléeue (for in déede he is a smooth faced fellowe) at this my simple conuersion, saying, that I haue framed a goodly argument, that is, bycause the Kingdome of Christ is not of the world, therefore the Popes holynesse may not be a King in Christendome, as if it should be said, bycause ye Kingdome of HENRYE the eyght reached not ouer Europe, therfore ELIZABETH his right heire, may not be Quéene of England and Ireland. Let me smile wyth him againe (I pray you) for I will yéelde him that Kingdome in Christendome, which Christ did weare the earthlie Crowne of: let him likewise yéelde to euery King royaltie in his owne Kingdome. That I will yéelde it, the Papist laugheth agayne, and so must I to, for in déede, for me to yéeld to the Pope a terrestiall Crowne in earth, and for the Pope to yéeld vnto me a celestiall Crowne in Heauen, haue both like warrant, and like follie, and may be equally laughed at, if damnable things include iest: for I, without treason to my Prince, can not thinke the one, nor he, without Treason to Christ, grant the other: for Christ hathe reserued the Spirituall Supremacie of his vniuersall Churche vnto himselfe, and the terrestiall gouernement of his people to earthly Princes, vnder whome they are gouerned, and tryed as golde in the furnace: and happie is that lande and people, whyche haue a godly Prince on earthe, to beare the sway, and haue Supremacie héere nexte vnder God: and amongst the happyest, we Englishmen most happie, in our gracious Quéene ELIZABETH, whose lyfe and Supreme gouernemente, I beséeche the almighty Lorde long to continue ouer vs. And the same God, for hys Chrystes sake, hathe bestowed that supremacie on oure Quéene within hyr owne Realmes, whiche the Pope falsely chalengeth, through all Christian Regions. [Page] For there is no power but of God, and therevppon Sainte Peter sayeth in hys firste Epistle to the Romanes, the seconde Chapter, as in the former Preface is alleadged, Be yee subiect to all humane ordinance for the Lords sake, whether it be vnto the King, as to the most excellente. &c. Nowe if the Kyng bée most excellente, who maye bée hys supreme? If Peter (whose successoure the Pope claymeth to bée) dothe putte it from hymselfe to the Kyng, howe then can the Pope wythout shame, challenge it? sithence in the spirite of truth, Peter (foreséeyng the Pryde of the Pope) séemed, before any Pope was, to forewarne of the incomprehensible Pryde of the same Pope.

Thou mayest aske of me, by what authoritie the Kings of the earthe holde thys supremacie? I saye, the wordes of Saincte Peter graunte it. Thou sayest agayne, that texte is often alleadged. I aunswere, thys little Booke following wyll shewe thée manye other authorities, and to that purpose it is imprinted agayne. But bycause thou shalte not runne emptie so farre, lette mée demaunde of thée a question or two. Who delyuered to the Israelites the Lawe of God? Aaron the Prieste thou wilte saye, and true. Of whome dyd Aaron receyue it? of Moyses thou knowest. And of whome dyd Moyses take it? euen from the holy hande of Almightie GOD. When Idolatrie fell amongst the Israelites, who redressed it? not Aaron I warrante you, but Moyses? who directed the Arke of God I pray you? no Priest of them all I assure thée, but Kyng Dauid hymselfe. And thus from tyme to tyme, and at all tymes, the Kyng from the hande of God, and the Priest from the King, receyueth authoritie. Vnus est enim Legislator & Iudex, qui potest perdere & liberare. For there is one Lawgiuer, which can destroy and saue. He wil not varie, his word is permanēt. He hath appointed al earthly power to the Kings of the earth, & their hearts are [Page] in his hande. Then reade this little booke, and be fully satisfied in the premises. But bycause the grauity of the Authors, only admonish an Archtraytor to renoūce his follie, & againe, to become subiect to his liege soueraigne Lorde, whose bounty the traytour had largely felte, and whose liberalitye he had with treacherie requited: I summon thy déepe iudgement, perfectly to ponder both the one and the other, and to satisfie thy selfe in that, whiche the touchstone of truth, the sincere word of God, shall be thy warrant in, and giue me leaue, sithence my calling claymeth not so sage direction, to touche his Papacie, and the paltrie thereof, in playner tearmes, without Premunire: for I promise thée, I wil obserue the lymits of humanitie, to my vttermost endeuor, & wil not be long in that I will write, reade them as thou likest, & way thē as thou wilt, always remembring, yt the marke thou must hit, is set and fully expressed in thys booke, & the reste is but a worke gathered by a lesse skilfull workeman, only set down, bycause an olde matter shal not come out, without some new addition. I make no argumēt of my worke, bycause I will not stande long vpon any one thing: neither doe I will thée to reade more than thou well likest of, bycause ye old worke is it, which only is cōmended to thée. But if thy grauitie will permit thée, thou shalte finde in some of my pamphlets matter to delight thée, & yet not digressing frō the pretended purpose. If frō the same y• falshood of the Pope be any thing at al detected, my laboure is not lost. If Christ be at all glorified, I haue wonne a cō quest. If thou accept it, I haue to thanke thée, and am hereafter at thy request, to do for thée what I can. In ye meane space I commend thée to the almightie, and praye thée and all men to rest humble peticioners to the euerlasting God, to length ye prosperous raigne of our most merciful Quéene his seruaunt and our supreame soueraigne on earth, in perfect health of bodie and Soule, twice natures course to rule and raigne ouer vs. AMEN.

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❧A LETTER WRITten by Cutbert Tunstall, late Bishop of Duresme, and Iohn Stokesley, sometime Bishop of London, so acknowledged & confessed by the said Cutbert, about 14. dayes before his departure out of this his naturall life, in presence of the most Reuerend Father in God, Matthew thē Archbishop of Caunterbury & others, which letter was sent by the same two Bishops, to Reginald Pole Cardinall, beeing then at Rome, and sometime Archbishop of Caunterbury.

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FOR the good will that wée haue borne vnto you in times past, as long as you continued the kings true subiect, wée cannot a little lament and mourne, that ye neither regarding the inestimable kindenesse of the Kings highnesse héeretofore shewed vnto you in your bringing vp, nor the honour of the house that ye bée come off, nor the wealth of the Country that ye bée borne in, should so decline from your duety to your Prince, that yée should bée seduced by faire woordes and vaine promises of the Bishop of Rome, to winde with him: going about by all meanes to him possible, to pull downe and put vnderfoote your naturall Prince and Maister, to the destruction of the Country that hath brought you vp, and for a vaine glorie of a red Hat, to make your selfe an instrument to sette foorth his malice, who hath styrred by all meanes that hée could, all such Christian Princes as would giue eare vnto him, to depose the Kinges highnesse from his kingdome: and to offer it as a pray to them yt should execute his malice, and to stirre, if hée could, his subiects against him, in stirring & nourishing rebellions in his realme, where the office and duetie of all good Christian men, and [Page] namely of vs that be Priests, should be, to bring al cōmotion to tranquilitie, all trouble to quietnesse, all discord to concord, & in dooing the contrarie, we shew our selues to be but the ministers of Sathan, & not of Christ, who ordeined al vs yt be Priests, to vse in all places the legation of peace, & not of discord. But since that cannot be vndone that is done, second it is to make amends, & to follow ye doing of ye prodigal sonne spoken off in ye Gospell: who retourned home to his father,Luke. 15. & was well accepted, as no doubt ye might bée, if ye will say as he said, in knowledging your folly, & do as hee did, in retourning home again frō your wādering abroad in seruice of them, who little care what come of you, so yt their purpose by you be serued. And if you be moued by your conscience, that you cannot take the king our Master as Supreme head of the Church of England, bicause ye Bishop of Rome hath heretofore many years vsurped ye name vniuersally ouer all the Church, vnder pretence of the Gospell of Mathew, Mat. 18. saying: Tu es Petrus, & super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam: Thou art Peter, & vpon this rocke I wil builde my Church. Surely that text, many of ye most holy and auncient expositours, wholly doe take to be ment of the faith then first confessed by the mouth of Peter, vpon which faith, confessing Christ to be the sonne of God, the Church is builded, Christ béeing the very lowest foundation stone, wherevpon both the Apostles themselues, and also the whole faith of the Church of Christ, by them preached through the world, is founded and builded, and other foundation none can be, but yt onely, as S. Paul sayth. Fundamentum aliud, &c. No other foundation can any man lay,1. Cor. 3. besides that which is Christ Iesus. And wher ye thinke yt the gospel of Luke prooueth ye same authoritie of ye Bishop of Rome, Luke. 22. saying▪ Rogaui pro te Petre, vt non deficiat fides tua, & tu [...] aliquando conuersus, confirma fratres tuos. Peter I haue praied for thée, that thy faith should not faile: & thou béeing once conuerted, confirme thy brothers. Surely that speaketh of the fall of Peter, knowen to Christ by his godly [Page] presence, whereof he gaue him an ynckling, that after the time of his fall, he should not dispaire, but retourne againe and confirme his brethren, as he euer, being most feruent of them, was wont to do. The place doth plainly open it selfe, yt it cannot be otherwise taken, but this to be ye very meaning of it, and not to be spoken but to Peter. For else his succescours must first faile in the faith, and then conuert, and so confirme their brethren. And whereas ye thinke that this place of ye gospell of Iohn. Pasce oues meas, Féed my shéepe, was spoken onely to Peter, which woords make him shepheard ouer all, and aboue all: S. Peter himselfe testifieth the contrary in his canonicall Epistle, where he saith to all Priests: Pascite qui in vobis est gregem Christi, 1. Petri. 5. feede the flocke of Christ which is among you, which he bad them do by the authoritie that Christ had put them in, as followeth, Et cùm apparuerit princeps pastorum, percipietis immercessibilem aeterne gloriae coronam. And when the chiefe shepheard shal appeare, ye shall receiue the incorruptable crowne of eternall glory. The same likewise Sainct Paule in the Acts testifieth, saying: Attendite vobis & vniuerso gregi, in quo vos posuit spiritus sanctus, Act. 20. regere Ecclesiam Dei, Geue héede to your selfe & to the whole flock, wherein the holy Ghost hath set you to gouerne ye Church of God. Wherein the originall text, the worde signifying Regere, to gouerne [...], the same woorde that was spoken to Peter, pasce, féede, for it signifieth both in the Scriptures. And that by these woords he was not made and constituted shepheard ouer all, it is very plaine by the fact of S. Peter which durst not enterprise much conuersation amongst the Gentiles, but eschewed it as a thing vnlawfull, and much rather prohibited than commaunded by Gods lawe, vntill he was admonished by the reuelation of the shéete full of diuerse viandes mencioned in the Actes of ye Apostles, where if Christ by these woordes. Pasce oues meas, Féed my shéep, had giuē such an vniuersal gouernance to Peter, then Peter being more feruent then other of the [Page] Apostles, to execute Christes cōmaundement, would of his owne courage haue gone without any such new admonitiō, to Cornelius: except peraduēture you would say, that Peter did not vnderstand the sayde woordes of Christ, for lacke of the light, which these latter men haue obteined to perceiue, & therby vnderstand the woords of Christ to Peter, better than Peter himselfe did. And strange also it were, to condēne Peter, as an high traitour of his Master, after his ascention (as he in déed were worthy) if his Master had signified vnto him that ye Bishops of Rome, by his dying ther, should be heads of all the church, & he knowing by these woords, Pasce oues meas, Féed my shéepe, notwithstanding his Masters high legacy & cōmaundement, yet would flée, as he did from Rome, vntil his Master encountring him by the way with terrible words, caused him to retourne. And bicause this history peraduenture might not weigh against an obstinate minde to ye contrary, what shall we say to ye woords of S. Ambrose, declaring & affirming as great & as ample primacie to Paul, as to Peter, vpon these woords of Paul? Qui operatus est Petro, &c. he yt wrought for Peter, &c. Thus he writeth. Petrum solum nominat, & sibi comparat, quia primatum ipse acceperat, ad fundādum ecclesiam: se quoque pari modo electū vt primatum habeat in fundādis Ecclesijs Gentium. Et paucis interiectis. Ab hijs ita (que) (videlicet apostolis) qui inter caeteros clariores erant probatū dicit Paulus donum ꝙ accepit à Deo, vt dignus esset habere primatum gentium, sicut habebat Petrus in praedicatione circumcisionis. Et sicut dat Petro socios viros egregios inter Apostolos, ita sibi iungit Barnabam, qui diuino iudicio ei adiunctus est: gratiam tamen primatus sibi soli vindicat concessam à Deo, sicut & soli Petro concessa est inter Apostolos, deterunt (que) sibi inuicē dexteras, &c. Et Paulo post. Quis auderet (inquit Ambrosius) primo Apostolo resistere, nisi alius talis, qui fiducia electionis suae sciens se non imparem, constanter improbaret quod ille sine consilio fecerat? Which may thus be englished: He nameth Peter onely, and compareth him to [Page] himselfe, for he receiued a Primacie to buylde a Church, and that he in lyke sort was chosen to haue a Primacie in buylding the Churches of the Gentiles. And shortly after it followeth. Of the Apostles, he sayth, his gifte was allowed which he had receiued of God, that he might be founde worthy to haue the Primacie in preaching to the Gentiles, as Peter had in preaching to the Iewes. And as he assigned to Peter for his companions, which were the chosen men amongst the Apostles, euen so also doth he take to himselfe Barnabas, who was ioyned vnto him by Gods iudgement: yet did he challenge still to himselfe alone the prerogatiue of Primacie which God had graunted him, as to Peter alone was it graunted among other of ye Apostles. So that the Apostles of the Circumcision gaue their hands to the Apostles of the Gentiles, to declare their concorde in fellowship, that eyther of them should know that they had receiued the perfection of ye spirite in the preaching of the Gospel, & so should not néed eyther other in any matter. And shortly after, who should dare resist Peter ye chiefe Apostle, but an other such a one, which by the confidēce of his electiō might know himselfe to be no lesse, & so might reproue boldely that thing, which he inconsideratly had done, &c. This equalitie of dignitie of Paul, which S. Ambrose affirmeth by Scripture to be equally committed to Peter and Paul ▪ Saint Cyprian and Saint Hierome doe extende to all the Apostles. Cyprian saying thus:De simplicitate clericorum. Hoc erant vtique & caeteri Apostoli, quod fuit Petrus, pari consortio praediti, & honoris & potestatis. Undoubtedly, all the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was, endewed with like equalitie of honour and power. And Saint Hierome thus: Cuncti Apostoli claues regni coelorum accipiunt, Contra Iouiniū & ex aequo super eos Ecclesiae fortitudo fundatur: All the Apostles receiued the keyes of the kingdome of heauen, and vppon them as indifferently and equally is the strength of the Church grounded and established. Which Saint Hierome also aswell in his commentaries vpon the Epistle to Titus, [Page] as in his Epistle to Euagrius, sheweth that the Premacies long after Christs ascention were made by the deuise of men, where before Communi clericorum consilio, singulae Ecclesiae regebantur etiam Patriarchales: By the common agréement of the Clergy euery of the Churches were gouerned, yea the Patriarchal Churhes. The wordes of S. Hierome be these. Sciant ergò episcopi se magis ex consuetudine quàm dispensationis Dominicae veritate, Cap. 1. super. Titum. presbyteris esse maiores: Let the Bishops vnderstande, that they be greater than other priests, rather of custome, than by the vertue and veritie of the Lords ordinaunce. And in his Epistle to Euagrius he hath ye lyke sentence, & addeth therevnto: Vbieum (que) fuerit Episcopus, siue Romae, siue Eugubij, siue Constantinopli, &c. Wheresoeuer a Bishop be, eyther at Rome, or at Eugubin, or at Constantinople, &c. he is of all one worthinesse, & of all one priesthood. And that one was elected which should be preferred before other, it was deuised to the redresse of schismes, least any one challenging too much to themselfe, should rent the Church of Christ. These words onely of Saint Hierome, be sufficient to proue, that Christ by none of these thrée texts (which be all that you and others doe alleage for your opinion) gaue to Peter any such superioritie, as the Bishop of Rome by them vsurpeth. And that Peter nor no other of the chiefe Apostles did vendicate such Primacie or superioritie, but vtterly refused it, and therefore gaue preheminence aboue themselues to one, that though he be sometimes called an Apostle, yet he was none of the xij. as Eusebius in the beginning of his seconde booke called Historia ecclesiastica, doth testifie, alledging for him ye great and auncient Clearke Clementem Alexandrinum, saying thus: Petrus, Iacobus, ac Iohannes, post assumptionem saluatoris, quamuis ab ipso fuerant omnibus penè prelati, tamen non sibi vendicarunt gloriam, sed Iacobum qui dicebatur Iustus, Apostolorum Episcopum statuunt: Peter, Iames, and Iohn, after Christs ascention into heauen, although [Page] they were by him preferred wel ny before al other, yet they challēged not that glory to themselues, but decree [...] that Iames, who was called Iustus, should be chiefe Bishop of the Apostles. By these wordes it is cleare, that Iames was ye Bishop of the Apostles, not bicause as some men do glose, he was elected by the Apostles, but bicause he had thereby Primacy and honour of a Bishop in Ierusalem, aboue the rest of the Apostles. And one thing is especially to be noted, and also meruayled at, that the Bishops of Rome doe challenge this Primacie alonely by Peter, and yet Saint Paul, which was his equall, or rather superiour by Scripture in his Apostolate among ye Gentiles▪ wherof Rome was ye principall, suffered at Rome wher Peter did, and is commonly in all the Church Romaine, ioyned with Peter, in all appellations and titles of preheminence: and both be called Principes Apostolorum, the chiefe of the Apostles. Uppon both is equally founded the Church of Rome, the accounting of Bishops of Rome many yeares agréeth thervnto. For Eusebius sayth,Lib. 3. Cap. 21. that Clemens tertius post Paulum & Petrum, pontificatum tenebat: That Clement was ye third Bishop after S. Paul & Peter: reconing both them as Bishops of Rome, & yet therin preferring S. Paul. With lyke words saying of Alexander Bishop of Rome, ye Quinta successione post Petrum at (que) Paulū, plebis gubernacula sortitus est: Alexāder obteined ye gouernāce of ye people by successiō, ye first Bishop after Peter & Paul. Irenaeus also, as Eusebius recyteth,Lib. 5. Cap. 6. saith Fundata & aedificata Ecclesia beati Apostoli, Lino officium episcopatus iniungunt. After the Church was once founded & buylded, they charged Linus with the office of ye Bishopricke of the holy Apostle. Wherby appeareth, yt they both ioyntly constituted him Bishop of Rome, & receiued only their Apostleship enioyned vnto thē by Christ. And therfore if ye Bishops of Rome challēge any preheminence of authority by Peter, they shold aswell, or rather by Paul, bicause thei both soūded it, & both ther preached, & both ther suffred: resigning [Page] that Bishopricke to Linus, and all at once. And if yée will peraduenture leaue to the former preaching there by Peter, which by Scripture cannot be proued, yet then at the least Saint Paul and his successours in Epheso, should haue like Primacie ther, bicause he founded first that church, though Saint Iohn after that did buyld it: as witnesseth Eusebius, saying: Ecclesia quae est apud Ephesum, à Paulo quidem fundata est, Lib. 3. Cap. 23. à Iohanne verò aedificata: The Church which is at Ephesus, in déede was founded of Paul, but it was buylded of Saint Iohn. And so Peter should haue no other Primacie in Rome, but as Paul had in Epheso, that is to say, to be counted as the first preachers and conuerters of the people there to the faith of Christ. And as well might all the Bishops of Ephesus, challenge the Primacie of all Nations, both Gentiles and Iewes by Saint Paul Apostolum Gentium, their founder, as the Bishop of Rome by Saint Peter, Apostolum tantum Circumcisionis, in case hée were the first founder, challenging Primacie ouer all. But vndoubtedly this Primacie ouer all that the Bishops of Rome of late doe challenge, was not allowed nor yet knowen nor hearde off amongst the auncient Fathers, though they had the church of Rome in high estimacion, as well for the notable vertuous déedes, that the Clergie ther did shew and exercise abundantly to their neyghbours, as witnesseth the sayde Eusebius, Lib 4. Cap. 23. alleaging the Epistle that Dionisius Alexandrinus wrote to Sother Bishop of Rome, testifiyng the same. As for ye Citie of Rome, was the most ample and chiefe Citie of all the world, witnessing Saint Cyprian, saying: Planè, quoniam pro magnitudine sua debeat Carthaginem Roma praecedere, illic maiora & grauiora commisit: Certeinly, bicause that Rome ought for hir greatnesse excell Carthage, therefore there he committed the greater and more grieuous offences. Which Saint Cyprian also when he had done certeine actes, yea, & made certeyne determinations and statutes vnto the Bishop of Rome, he did not submit them to his reformation, or iudgement, [Page] but onely signified his owne sentences, to like him also. And yet adding therevnto, that if any Bishops, meaning as well of Rome as of others which were of the contrary opinions to him, would otherwise thincke or doe, hée would not then his sentences should be to thē preiudiciall or compulsorie, but to follow their owne wits & customes, Tum quod vnusquis (que) Episcoporum habeat sui arbitrij libertatem, tum quod vnusquisque praepositus rationem sui actus sit Domino rediturus: Partly for that euery one of the Bishops hath libertie of his owne will: and partly for that euery gouernour shall make an accompt to God of his owne déede, as it appeareth plainely in his Epistle to Stephanus and Iulianus. And in the third Epistle to Cornelius, towardes the ende, speaking of the refuge that one Felicissimus à Nouatian after the condemnation in Affrica made to Rome, he impugneth such appeales, saying: that Quia singulis pastoribus portio gregis est asscripta, quam regat vnusquisque & gubernet, rationem sui actus Domino rediturus, statutū est ab omnibus nobis, aequumque pariter ac iustū censemus, vt vniuscuiusque causa illic audiatur, vbi est crimen admissum. Forasmuch as euery pastour hath his flocke by portion committed to him, which euery one ought to rule & gouerne, and must giue accompt to the Lord of his administration, it is decréede of vs all, and wée thinke it both méete & iust, that euery mans cause and plea, should there be heard, where the crime is committed. This holy & excellent Clarke and Martyre S. Cyprian, would neuer haue either impugned their refuges to Rome, from their owne primates, or so obstinately holden and mainteyned his determinations in the counsels of Affrike, contrary to the opinion of the Bishop of Rome, and to their customes, without any submission by woord or writing, if the primacie ouer all (which the Bishops of Rome doe challenge and vsurpe) had bene grounded vpon the plaine Scriptures, as you with some others doe thinke. And it is to bée supposed also, that hée would in all his Epistles to them, haue called [Page] them Patres or Dominos. Fathers or Lords, as superiours, and not alwaies Fratres & collegas, brothers and fellowes in office, as but his fellowes: which yet more plainly doth appere by the Actes of the Counselles of Africke in Sainct Augustines time, by the which it is euident, that though the faith of Christ, was by the Romaines first brought into Africke as Saincte Augustine doth confesse,Epistolae. 10.2. yet it was not read nor knowne, that the Bishoppes of Rome vsed or challenged any exercise of souereignetie in Africke vnto this time. And yet then hée did not challenge it Iure diuino, but Praetextu definitionis cuiusdam canonis in concilio Niceno: That is, by the right of Gods woorde, but by the pretence of a certeine canon supposed to bée in the counsaile of Nice. Which article could neuer be found, though it were then very diligently sought for through all the principal Churches of the East and South:Vide duas Epistolas ad Bonifacîum pp. 1. to concilioram. Fol. 307.308 But onely alleadged of Iulius Bishop of Rome, out of his owne librarie. And you may bée well assured, that if these in Scriptures had made for it, neither the Bishop of Rome would haue left that certeine proofe by Scriptures, and trusted onely to the testimonie of an article of that counsaile doubted on vnlikely to be founde. Nor yet Sainct Augustine with his holy and learned company,Dist. 16. viginti. would haue resisted this demaunde, if it had bene either grounded vpon Scriptures, or determined in that or other counsayle, or yet had stand with equitie, good order or reason.

Howbeit, the largenesse and magnificence of buildings of that Citie, and auncient excellencie and superioritie of the same, in temporall dominions, was the onely cause that in the Counsailes (where the Patriarchall seas were set in order) the Bishoppe of Rome was lotted in the first place, and not in any such constitution made by Christ, as appeareth well by that that Constantinople béeing at that time of this ordering of the Patriarchall seas, by the [Page] Emperours most amply enlarged, béeing before a small towne, and of no renowne, and by them most magnificently builded, and aduaunced worldly wyth all titles, prerogatiues and priuiledges temporall like vnto Rome, and therefore called Noua Roma, Newe Rome, was therefore aduaunced also to the second sea and place, Antiochia in the East, where Sainct Peter first tooke the chaire before he came to Rome, and Christian men had there first their name gyuen them. Yea, and Hierusalem, which was the first Mother Citie of our faith, and where Christ himselfe first founded the fayth, reiected with Alexandria, to the thirde, fourth, the fift places, bicause at that time they were not in so high estimation in the world, though in the faith of Christ all they were auncientes, and some of them Mothers to Rome.

Truth it is, that the Bishops of the Orient,Hist. trip. Li. 4 cap. 16. for debates in matters of the faith, amongest themselues made sutes to the Bishop of Rome, but that was not for ye Superioritie of iurisdiction vpon them, but bicause they were greatly deuided. And those countries, as well Byshoppes as others, much infected with the heresies of the Arrians, whereof the Weast was in a manner cléere. And among the Orients, none were counted indifferent to decide those matters, but where all suspect of affection for one cause or other: wherefore they desired the opinions of the Bishops of the West as indifferent, vntangled with affections of any of those partes, and incorrupted with any of the Arrians, as appeareth by the Epistles of Sainct Basil written in all their names for the sayde purpose. In the which also it is especially to bée noted, that their suite was not to the Bishop of Rome singularly, or by name, but as the titles doe shewe to the whole congregation of the Bishoppes of Italy and Fraunce, or of the whole West, and sometyme preferring the French Bishops, saying, Gallis & Italis, and neuer naming the Romanes.

[Page]And for a cléere proofe that the auncient Fathers knewe not this primacie of one aboue all, wée néede none other testimonie, but their determination in the counsell of Nice, that Alexandria and Antiochia, and vniuersally all other primates, should haue the whole gouernaunce of their confine countries, likewise as the Bishop of Rome had of his Suburbicans. And this determination proueth also, that your thrée Scriptures ment nothing lesse, then this primacie ouer all. For God forbid that wée should suspect that counsell as ignoraunt of those plaine Scriptures, to the which sith that time all Christendome hath leaned, as the anker of our faith. And if you like to reade the auncient ecclesiasticall histories, there you may sée, that Athanasius & other Patriarkes did execute that primacie, as in making, consecrating, and ordering of Churches, Bishoppes and Clarkes in their countries, East and South, as the Bishops of Rome in that time did in the West and North. And if ye would yet any thing obiect against any of these witnesse, then for to eschewe contention, and for a finall conclusion, let the Bishop of Rome stand to his owne confession made many years past by his predecessour Agatho, to the Emperour Constantine, Heraclius, and Tiberius, in his Epistle written to them in his name, and in the name of all the Synods which he thought to bée vnder the sea Apostolique, wherein soone after the beginning of the Epistle, he comprehendeth them all vnder ye name of the Bishops dwelling in the North and West parts of their Empire. So yt ther, in his owne Epistle, he confesseth all his subiects or obedienciaries, to hée onely of the North and West, & so appeareth euidently by his owne confession, that neither by Gods law nor mans lawe he had to do with any person of the East or ye South. And this his high souereintie ouer all challenged, as you and others say, by Scripture, as by his owne confession quailed and brought to a little & strayght angle. And this Agatho was not a man vnlearned, as appeareth by the Actes of the sixt Synode, Constantinopolitane [Page] in the iiij. acte, wherein is written at large, and expressed the sayde epistle and confession. And afore the Primacie of Peter, which auncient Doctors speake off, that was onely in preaching and teaching the fayth of Christ, which he first among all the Apostles, and first of all mortall men, did expresse with his mouth. That Primacie did so adhere to his owne person, that it was neuer deriued neither to any successour, nor to other Apostle, but chiefely to himselfe: for all other professing after the same, speake it after him, who had professed it before. Moreouer all the Apostles, as Saint Iohn sayth,Apoca. [...]1. be fundaments in the heauenly Ierusalem, & not Peter only. Moreouer Cyprian affirmeth, as is aforesayd, yt all the Apostles were of equall dignitie and power, which all auncient authors lykewise doe affirme. For Christ gaue the Apostles lyke power in the Gospell saying: Ite, Mat. 28. docete omnes Gentes baptizantes eos, &c. Go and teach all Nations baptizing them, &c. And Saint Paul as is sayd before, knewe no other Primacie giuen to Peter to preach in any place, but among the Iewes, as he himselfe had among the Gentiles: as he writeth to the Galathians, where Saint Ambrose, as is aforesayd, affirmeth the same. And that the mother of all Churches is Ierusalem, as afore is sayd, and not Rome: the Scripture is playne, both in the Prophet Esay: De Syon exibit lex, & verbum Domini de Ierusalem: Esa. 2. Out of Syon shall the law procéede, and the worde of the Lord out of Ierusalem. Upon the which place Saint Hierome saythe: In Ierusalem primùm fundata Ecclesia, totius orbis Ecclesias seminauit: Out of the Church first found in Ierusalem, sprong all other Churches of ye whole world. And also in the Gospell, which Christ before his ascension commaunded his Apostles to preach ouer all the worlde, beginning first at Ierusalem: so that the Bishops of Rome vniuersall power by him claymed ouer all, cannot by any Scripture [...]e iustified, as if ye haue red the auncient Fathers expositions of the sayd Scriptures, as we suppose you [Page] haue sith your letters sent hether concerning this matter, and would giue more credence to their humble and playne speaking, than to the latter contentious and ambitious writers of that high, and aboue the Ideas of Plato his subtilytie (which passeth as ye write) the lawyers learning and capacitiy: we doubt not, but that ye perceiue and thinke the same.

And where ye thincke that the king cannot be taken as supreme heade of the Churche, bicause he cannot exercise the chiefe office of the Church in preaching and ministring of Sacraments, it is not requisite in euery body naturall, that the head shall exercise eyther all manner of offices of the body, or the chiefe office of the same. For albeit the head is the highest and chiefe member of the naturall body, yet the distribution of lyfe to all the members of the body, aswell to the head as to other members, commeth from the heart, and is minister of lyfe to the whole bodye as the chiefe acte of the body. This simlitude yet hath not his full place in a mysticall body, although the Scripture speaking of king Saul, 2. Reg. 15. sayth: Cum esses paruulus in oculis tuis, coustitui te caput in tribubus Israel: When thou wert but of small reputacion in thine owne eyes, I made thée head amongst ye tribes of Israel. And if a king amongst the Iewes, were Caput in tribubus Israel: hoc est hominum videntium Deum per vmbram, tempore legis, multò magis Princeps Christianus caput est in tribubus Israel, hoc est verè per fidem videntium Christum, qui est finis legis: The heade in the tribes of Israel: that is, of men which sée God by a shadowe in the time of the law, much more is a Christian king head in the tribes of spirituall Israel, that is, of such which by true fayth sée Christ which is the ende of the law. The office deputed to the Bishops in the misticall body, is to be as eyes to the whole bodye, as almightie God sayth to the Prophet Ezechiel: Eze. 3. Speculatorem te dedi domui Israel. I haue made thée an ouerseer ouer the house of Israel. And what Bishop soeuer refuseth [Page] to vse the office of an eye in the mysticall body, to shew vnto the body the right way of lyuing, which appertayneth to the spirituall eye to doe, shall shew himselfe to be a blinde eye: and if he shall take other office in hande than appertayneth to the right eye, shall make a confusion in the body, taking vppon him an other office, then is giuen to him of God. Wherefore if the eye will take vpon him the office of the whole head, it may be aunswered vnto it: It cannot so do, for it lacketh brayne.

And examples sheweth lykewise, that it is not necessarie alwayes that the heade should haue the facultie or chiefe office of administration, you may sée in a Nauy by Sea, wher the Admiral who is captaine ouer all, doth not meddle with stering or gouerning of euery ship, but euery Maister perticular must direct the ship, to passe the Sea in breaking the waues, by his stering and gouernance, which the Admirall the head of all, doth not himselfe, nor yet hath the facultie to doe, but commaundeth the Maisters of the ship to doe it. And likewise many a captaine of great armyes, which is not able, nor neuer coulde peraduenture shoote or breake a speare by his owne strength, yet by his wisedome and commaundement onely, he atchieueth the warres, and attayneth the victory. And where ye thinke that vnitie standeth not onely in the agréeing in one fayth and doctrine of the Church▪ but also in agreeing in one head: if ye meane the very and onely head ouer all the Churche our Sauiour Christ, Quem pater dedit caput super omnem Ecclesiam, quae est corpus eius: Whome the father hath set ouer all the Church, which is his bodye, wherein all good Christian men doe agrée, ye say truth. And if ye meane of any one mortall man to be heade ouer all the Church, and that to be the Bishoppe of Rome, we doe not agrée wyth you. For you doe there erre in the true vnderstanding of Scripture, or els yée must saye, that the sayd counsell of Nyce & other most auncient dyd erre, which deuided the administration of Churches, the Orient from the Occident, [Page] and the South from the North, as is before expressed. And that Christ the vniuersall head, is present in euery Church, the Gospell sheweth,Mat. 18. Vbi duo vel tres congregati fuerint in nomine meo, ego in medio eorum sum: Where two or thrée be gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.Mat 28. And in an other place: Ecce ego vobiscum sum, vs (que) ad consummationem seculi: Beholde I am with you, vntill the ende of the world. By which it may appeare Christ the vniuersall heade euery where, to be with his misticall body the Church: who by his spirite worketh in all places, (how far soeuer they be distaunt) the vnitie and concorde of the same. And as for any other one vniuersall head to be ouer all, then Christ himselfe, Scripture prooueth not, as it is shewed before. And yet of a farther proofe to take away the scruples, that peraduenture doe to your appearaunce rise of certeyne wordes in some auncient authours, and especially in Saint Cyprians Epistles, as the vnitie of the Church stoode in the vnitie with the Bishop of Rome, though they neuer call him supreme head, if you precisely weygh, and conferre all their sayings together, yée shall perceiue that they neyther spake nor ment other thing, but when the Bishop of Rome was once lawfully elected and intronizate, if then any other would by faction, might, force, or otherwise, (the other lyuing and doeyng his office,) enterprise to put him downe, and vsurpe the same Bishopricke, or exercise the others office himselfe. As Nouatianus did attempt in the time of Cornelius, that then the sayd Fathers reconed them good Catholiques that did communicate with him that was so lawfully elected, and the custome was one Primacie to haue adoe one with an other, by congratulatory letters, soone after the certeintie of their election was knowne to kéepe the vnitie of the Church. And they that did take parte or maintaine that other vsurper, to be Shismatiques bicause that vsurper was a Schismatique for that, Quia non sit fas in eadem Ecclesia, duos simul esse episcopos, nec priorem legittimum[Page]Episcopum sine sua culpa deponi: That it is not lawfull for two Bishoppes to bée at once together in one Church. Nor that the former Bishop béeing lawfull, ought to be deposed guiltlesse, without his fault bee proued. And this is not a prerogatiue of Rome Church, more than of any other cathedrall, speciall, patriarchall, or metropoliticall Church, as appeareth in the third Epistle of the first booke, and in the eight of the second, and of the fourth booke of S. Cypriane to Cornelius. Whose woordes and reasons, all that peraduenture might séeme to conclude the vnitie of the Church in the vnitie of the Biship of Rome, bicause they were all written to him in his owne case, may as wel be written to and of any other Bishop lawfully chosen & possessed, who percase should bée likewise disturbed by any factions of ambitious heretickes, as the Bishops of Rome then were. And where ye thinke ye name of Supreame head vnder Christ giuen, attributed to ye kings Maiestie, maketh an innouation in ye church, & perturbation of the order of the same: it cannot be any innouation or trouble to ye church, to vse ye roume that God hath called him too, which good Christiā Princes did vse in the beginning when faith was most pure, as Sainct Augustine ad Gloriam & Eleusium saith.August. Epist. 162. Ait enim quidam: Non debuit Episcopus pro consulari iudicio purgari: quasi verò ipse sibi hoc comparauerit, ac non Imperator ita quaeri iusserit, ad cuius curam de qua rationē Deo redditurus esset, res illa maximè pertinebat One ther is which saith, that a Bishop ought not to haue bene put to his purgation before the iudgement seate of the deputie, as though he himselfe procured it and not rather the Empeyour himselfe caused this inquirie to bée made, to whose iurisdiction, (for the which he must aunswere to God,) yt cause did especially perteine. Chisostome writeth of that imperiall authoritie thus: Laesus est qui non habet parem vllum super terram, summitas & caput est omnium hominum super terram. Hée is offended that hath no péere at all vpon the earth, for he is the highest potentate, and the heade [Page] of all men vpon earth. And Tertulianus ad Scapulum saith: Colimus ergo & imperatorem sic, quo modo & nobis licet, & ipsi expedit, vt nominē à Deo secundū, & quicquid est à Deo cōsequntū solo Deo minorem, hoc enim & ipse volet: sic enim omnibus maior est, dum solo vero Deo minor est. Idē in Apologetico de Imperatoribus capite. 30. loquēs ait: Sciunt quis illis dederit imperium, sciunt qui homines, qui & animas sentiunt, eum Deū esse solum, in cuius solius potestate sunt, à quo sunt secundi, post quē primi ante omnes, & super omnes Deos. We so honour & reuerence ye Emperour, in such wise, as is lawfull to vs & expedient to him, yt is to say, as a man next & the second to God, of whom is deriued all the power he hath, but yet inferiour to God alone, for so is it his pleasure to haue it. For thus is he greater thā all men, while hée is inferiour but to God alonely. And the sayd Tertulianus in his booke Apologetical, speaking of Emperours: They knowe who hath giuen to thē their gouernement, they know what men they be themselues, & vnderstanding they haue of mans soules, but so yt they perceiue yt God is he alone, vnder whose onely power they be, & take themselues as second to God, after whom they bée the chiefe before other, & aboue all the Gods: Theophilactus ad Romanos super ilud: Omnis onima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit. Rom. 13. Ait apostolū hic vniuersos erudire, siue sacerdos sit ille, siue Monachus, siue Apostolus, vt se principibus subdat. Let euery soule be subiect to ye higher powers. Hoc est, Etiam si Apostolus sis, Etiam si Euangelista, etiā si Propheta, aut quisquis postremò fueris: Non enim subuertit pietatem haec [...]ubiectio. Et non simpliciter, Parcat inquit, sed subdita sit. That is▪ although thou art an Apostle, although an Euangelist, although a Prophet, or whatsoeuer thou art, be subiect, for this subiection ouerthroweth no godlinesse. And he saith not onely, let him obey, but let him bée subiect. And if the Apostles be subiect to princes, much more al bishops & Patriarches, yea, ye bishops of Rome & all other. And it is written in the Cronicles: Dixit Dauid Salamoni: [Page]Ecce diuisiones Sacerdotum & Leuitarum in omne ministeriū domus Domini, assistent tibi, & parati erunt. 1. Par. 28. Et Dauid constituit principem ad confitendū Domino, 2. Par. 16. Asaph & fratres eius. Et, Constituit Iosaphat in Ierusalem Leuitas & Sacerdotes, & principes familiarum ex Israëll, 2. Par. 19. vt iudicium & causam Domini iudicarent habitatoribus eius, praecepit (que) eis dicens: Sic agetis in timore Domini, fideliter & corde perfecto, &c. Dauid saith to Salomon: Behold,2. Par. 16. the Priests and Leuits deuided in companies to do all manner of seruice that perteineth to the house of God, shal assist thée and be ready. And in the xvj. Chapter, Dauid dyd appoint chiefly to thanke the Lord, Asaph and his brethren, &c. And Iosaphat the king, did constitute Leuits and Priests, & the auncient heades of Israel, that they should iudge the iudgement & the causes of the Lord, towards all the inhabitants of the earth. And he charged them, saying: Thus shall ye doe in the feare of the Lord, faithfully & in a perfect heart. Rex constituit turmas Sacerdotales & Leuiticas, vnumquē que in officio suo. Et sequitur, Ezechias praecepit populo vt darent part [...]s Sacerdotibus, qui dedit consequenter decimas. Et sequitur quod ad regem cum Azaria Sacerdote pertinet omnis dispensatio domus Domini, & eorum qui ad eam attinent. Et in fine: Fecit ergo Ezechias vniuersa quae diximus in omni Iuda, operatus (que) est bonum & rectum & verum coram Domino Deo suo, in vniuersa cultura ministerij domus Domini, iuxta legem & ceremonias, volens requirere deum suum in toto corde suo, fecitque & prosperatus est, Iosias quoque constituit Sacerdotes in officijs suis, mandauitque plurima. &c. Furthermore, Ezechias did appoint ye Priests & the Leuites in their order to waite by course, euery man according to his office, whether Priest or Leuit, for ye burnt offerings, & peace offerings, & to minister & to thank & to pray in the gates of ye lodge of the Lord. And Ezechias gaue commaundement to the people dwelling in Hierusalem, that they should giue their portions to the Priestes and Leuites, that they might attende on the [Page] lawe of the Lord. And that by the precepte of Ezechias the king, and of Azarias the Bishop of the house of the Lord, all things were done, to whom perteined all the dispensation of the house of the Lord. And in the ende it is said. Ezechias did all those things in all Iury, he wrought that which was good, right and true before his Lord God, in all the furniture of the ministerie of the house of the Lord, according to ye lawe and ceremonies, desirous to séeke his Lord God withall his heart, as he did, and prospered therein. Iosias also did ordeine Priestes in their offices, and commaunded many things. By al which it may appeare, that Christian Kings be souereigns ouer the Priestes, as ouer all other their subiects, and maye commaund the Priestes to doe their offices, as well as they doe other: And ought by their supreme office, to sée that all men of all degrées doe their dueties, wherevnto they he called, either by God, or by the King. And those kings that so doe, chiefly doe execute well their office. So that the kings highnesse taking vpon him as supreme head of the Church of England, to sée that as well spirituall men as temporal do their duties, doth neither make innouation in the Churche, nor yet trouble the order thereoff: But doth as the chiefe and the best of the kinges of Israll did, and as all good Christian kings ought to doe. Which office good Christian Emperours alwaies tooke vpon them, in calling the vniuersall counsels of all countries in one place, and at one time to assemble, to the intent all heresies troubling the Church, might be there extyrped: calling & commaunding as well the Byshop of Rome, as other Patriarches and all Primats, aswel of the East, as of the West: of the South, and of the North, to come to the sayde counsels. As Marlianus the Emperour did, in calling the great counsaile of Calcedon, one of the foure chiefe and first generall counsailes, commaunding Leo, then Bishoppe of Rome, to come thereto. And albeit Leo neither lyked the time whiche hée woulde for a season shoulde haue bene deferred: nor yet the place which he woulde haue had in Italy, where the Emperour by [Page] his owne commaundement had called it to Calchis in Asia, yet he aunswered the Emperour, that he would gladly obey his commaundement, and sent thether his agents to appeare ther for him. As doth appeare in ye Epistles of Leo to Martian the Emperor .xli.xlvii.xlviii. and in the xlix. epistle to Pulcheria Empresse. And lykewise desireth Theodosius the Emperour to commaund a councel of Bishops to be called in Italy, Epist. 81. for taking away such contentions and troubles, as at that time troubled the quietnesse of the Churches. And in many moe Epistles of the same Leo, it doth manifestly appeare, that the Emperours alwayes assembled generall councells by their commaundements. And in the sixte councell generall it appeareth very playnly,Actione. 4▪ yt at that time ye Bishops of Rome made no clayme nor vsed title to cal them selfe heads vniuersal ouer all ye Catholique church, as ther doth apere, In subscriptione seu saluatione synodica suggestionis antedictae, which is thus ad verbum: Pijssimis Dominis & serenissimis victoribus & triūphatoribus, dilectis filijs Dei & Domini nostri Iesu Christi, Constantino Magno Imperatori, Heraclio & Tiberio Augustis, Agatho Episcopus, seruus seruorum Dei, cum vniuersis synodis subiacentibus concilio Apostolicae sedis. In the superscription or salutacion of the aforesayd synodicall preamble, which is thus word for word: To the most godly Lords & most noble victors & conquerours, the welbeloued children of God, and of our Lord Iesu Christ: to Constantine the great Emperour, to Eraclius and Tiberius Caesars, Bishop Agatho the seruaunt of the seruauntes of God, with all ye conuocations subiect to ye counsell of the Sea Apostolique, sendeth gréetings, and sayth, expressing what countries he reckned and comprehended in that superscription or salutacion. It followeth that these were vnder his assembly, which were in the North and East parts. So that at that time the Bishop of Rome, made no suche pretence, to be ouer and aboue all, as hée now doth by vsurpation, vendicating to himselfe the spirituall kingdome of [Page] Christ, by which he reigneth in the hearts of all faythfull people, and then chaungeth it to a temporall kingdome ouer and aboue all kings, to depose them for his pleasure, preaching therby, Carnē pro spiritu, & terrenum regnum pro coelesti, in damnationem, nisi resipiscat suam: The flesh for the spirite, an earthly kingdome for an heauenly, to his owne damnation if he repent not. Where he ought to obey his Prince by the doctrine of Saint Peter in hys first Epistle saying: Subiecti estote omni humanae creaturae, 1. Pet. 2. propter Deum, siue regi quasi praecellenti, siue ducibus tanquam ab eo missis, ad vindictam malefactorum, laudem vero bonorum: Be ye subiect to euery mans ordinaunce, for the Lords sake, whether to the king, as to the chiefe, whether to the dukes, as sent of him to the punishment of the euill doers, & to the prayse of the good. Againe Saint Paul. Omnis omnia potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit, Rom. 13. with other things before alleaged. So that this his pretended vsurpation to be aboue all kings, is directly againste the Scriptures giuen to the Churche by the Apostles, whose doctrine, whosoeuer ouerturneth, can be neyther Caput nor Infimum membrum Ecclesiae.

Wherefore, albeit ye haue héeretofore sticked to the said wrongfully vsurped power, moued therto (as ye write) by your conscience, yet sithens now ye sée further, if ye list regard the méere truth, and such auncient authours, as you haue bene written to off in times past, we would exhort you, for the wealth of your soule, to surrender into the Bishop of Romes handes, your red hat, by which he seduced you, trusting to haue of you, béeing come of a noble bloode, an instrument to aduaunce his vayne glory, wherof by the sayd hat he made you participant, to allure you thereby the more to his purpose. In which doing yée shall retourne to the truthe, from which you haue erred, doe your duetie to your souereigne Lord from whom ye haue declined, and please thereby almightie God, whose lawes ye haue transgressed. And in not so doing, ye shall remaine [Page] in errour, offending both almightie God, and your naturall souereigne Lorde, whome chiefely ye ought to search to please. Which thing, for the good minde that we héeretofore haue borne you, we pray almightie God of his infinite mercy, that you do not. Amen.

§

AT LONDON Imprinted by H. B.

¶ The maner and meanes of the Popes beginning.

[Page]

[Page]

Like as

THe Iuie budde which from the beake of Iay

Falles to the ground, a thing of moment small,

By some kinde meanes at first is clad in clay

Then taketh roote, and after ginnes to scrall,

In groueling wise, vpon the slipprie grounde,

And smoothly so with leaues and tenders softe,

Holdes on the course, till some strong tree bee founde,

Through whose stoute helpe it may climbe vppe alofte:

Thereto it commes, and at the lowest foote

Takes holde of barke, and body doth embrace:

And feeling then increase of sappe and root,

Doth still climbe vppe, and windeth to the face

Of that same tree, and girds it in so faste,

As Iuie lyues, but tree is killde at laste.

Euen so the Pope

By warrant small, or none at all to find

In sacred writte, in humble flattring wise,

At firste did seeke to please the hawtie minde,

Of Christian Kings, by whome he sought t'arise:

And cleauing so, vnto that mightie stay,

Lifte vppe himselfe into his stately throne,

And by degrees hath got the rule and sway

Of al the world, and subiect is to none.

Not so content, doth counterchecke the Lord,

Whose Vicar sole on earth he claymes to be.

To Christian Kings, no rule he will afforde,

For all is his, and none must rule but he:

And so the prop, whereby he got his strength,

He would confound, and ouerthrow at length.

Euen like a Pope.

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How proue you that?

Thus:

COnstantinus which the Monarchie did holde

Of Christendome, an Emperoure full good,

Gaue to the Pope, who then might be controlde

A sorte of lands, which did exalt his bloude.

But warely yet (preuenting Prelates pride)

Did call his gifte, the patrimon of Church,

Till afterwardes the Papistes do decide

That title, and to giue the troth a lurche,

They by that sparke do kindle first their fire,

Whereby they claime dominion of the Weast,

And then likewise to place the Pope the higher,

They seeke which way to breed the Prince vnrest.

And Iuie like, would wrap in homage bande,

The mightie Prince which gaue him first that lande,

In subtile wise.

For Steuchus writes in flattry of the Pope

Gainst Valla, that th'Emperour did giue

To Rome, the landes of all the Westerne scope:

And he himselfe, euen whiles that Pope did liue,

Did graunt the Pope to be the greater state.

And therevpon is ordred by decree,

Rome to be chiefe, and haue no earthly mate,

And that the Pope must rule, and none but hee,

In matters of Religion forsooth,

Nor other King hee will not there vouchsafe,

Bicause his sacred sword eache wrong must smooth.

And thus both swordes (you see) the Pope will haue,

And Iuie like, paste shame, doth pull adowne

Th'empire great, that gaue to him renowne,

In wonted guise.

Once is no custome.

Then another, touching the Charitie of the Pope.

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ALexander the thirde of that same name,

Succeeded Adrian that was callde the fourth,

Whome Fredrike erst, that Emperour of fame

Lovde well, and gaue him gifts of greatest worth:

But Wealth made Pride, and Pride did cause the beast

To swell in minde, and beare himselfe so high,

As of the reste hee made the Emprour leaste,

And thought himselfe an ace aboue the skie.

Good Fredrike then repenting of his deede,

Thought good t'abase, a beast that so coulde rage,

And thrust him out of Germany with speede,

The Prelates pride, and peoples wrath t'asswage.

The Priest doth storme, and sweares he will requite

Th'Emprours acte, with sword and cruell spight,

If he were Pope.

And Pope hee was, and then immediatly

The smothring heat thrust forth a frantike fire,

His cursed Buls

Of Excommunication.

against this Prince doe fly

With roughest rage, to quenche the Popes desire.

The Pope doth cause th'Italians to rebell,

And for to builde the Citie of great fame

Of Alexandrîa, bycause he would expell

The Prince himselfe, and tooke the Cities name.

Not so content, at Venice afterwarde

Th'Emprour is, where Pope (through passing pride)

Alonely not vilependes the Prince, nor sparde

In worde and deede from modestie to slide,

But caused him full humblie to kneele downe,

And with his foote stroke off the Royall Crowne,

VVhen he was Pope.

The vvorst is saide.

¶The liues of .ij. Popes, vz. Alexander the second, and Gregorie the seauenth.

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THen hearken to the best, which I wil wright plainely, bycause the fewer exceptions shall be taken, and also bycause in one Glasse thou maiste sée the liues of many, Popes, or at least, the mischiefes which abound in manye of them. And yet I wil but briefly touch the blacke vertues of one Pope, to witte, Gregorie the seauenth, which before was called Hildebrandus, by his nation an Hetruscan, by his Countrey of Senensis, by his sect a Monk of Cluniacensis. But to shew him the playner, I muste begin with his Predecessor Alexander the second, whom the same Hildebrand did both electe and ouerthrow, thereby to make himselfe Pope.

THis Alexander the seconde Pope of that name, by his countrey a Millionese, Presumption. and Bishop of Lucensis, was named (before he came to ye Papacie) Anselmus, who by the wylie subtiltie of ye saide Heldebrand (the rather thereby to get the Papacie to hymselfe) was in his absence from Rome chosē Pope there, without eyther good wil or knowledge of the Emperour. By reson whereof, the Lumbards, by consente of the Emperour, (being present himself at ye assēblie) at Basil did coūtremaūd ye said Pope Alexāder with a new Pope, whose name was Cadol, & Bishop of Pamensi [...], who with a gret army goeth to Rome, and after he had fought a battel or two, was with his army put to flight againe. Then Henricus the Emperour, to take away that Scisme, sent thither with his aucthoritie Otho the Archbishop of Colyn, who at his cōming to Rome, did greatly trauell to auouch the right of the Emperour in the election of the Pope, and greatly blamed Alexander, for [Page] that without the Emperours consent, he would be elected. Then Heldebrand (a man borne to the distruction of many) ye more puffed vp with pride, through ye late obtayned victorie, interrupteth ye Archbishops Oratiō, & sharply defendeth ye Bishops déed, alleaging yt the election appertayned to the cleargie. Otho (peraduēture in that matter) regarding more ye Bishops than the Emperour, easily yéeldeth, & requireth yt a Synode might be assēbled at Mantua, for the appeasing of this Scisme, in the which Synode, it was constituted by Alexander, that no Masse ought to be hearde, whiche was saide by any Priest that had a Concubyne: which thing séemed very straunge, for that thereby no man almost through the whole iurisdiction of ye Pope was like to heare a Masse. Then he willed that all Bishops, Priests, & Decons, which were maried, should be depriued of their benefices. Neuerthelesse, he permitted that priests sons (by the consent of the Bishops authoritie) might take orders. He decréed, that the Pope should be elected alonely by the Cardinals: & did many other things in the behalfe of the Clergie and Monks. He commaunded also that Alleluya should be omitted frō Septuagesima till Easter.Bishops. In these dayes Bishops were made more mightie than Princes, and endeuored to commaunde and prescribe lawes vnto kings. They wrung out Tythes with gret rigor. And the Christian religion of their Uicars was this: they made no scruple to set all nations togither by the eares, so they themselues were thereby preferred to Bacchus and Venus. Well, vppon the sodaine (as Cardinal Benno reuealeth) this reporte of Alexāder brake forth, that where Alexander (sayeth he) nowe at the laste doth vnderstande that he by the guyle and subtiltie of Heldebrande, and of the Emperours enemies,Conscience accuseth the Pope. was elected and enthronized: he hath euen nowe betwéene the times of the solemnization of the Masses, vttered this spéeche vnto the people, viz, that he would not sit in the Apostolyke Seate, without the licence of the Emperour, and openlye vttered, [Page] that he would write to the Emperour to that effect. Which when the Brande of Hel, (Heldebrande I woulde saye) vnderstoode, he coulde scarcely withhold his handes till Masse was done: but so soone as Masse was ended, he raged with violent hands vpon Alexander, and carried him to the Aulter, to a by corner (where before his Pontificalibus or Bishops roabes were fully from his backe) he did bobbe and buffet him cruelly, and taunted, and checked the silly Pope, bicause he had respect to the Emperour, and sought his fauour. And therfore the said Heldebrande presently decréed, that frō ye day forwarde the Pope should haue no better allowaunce, than fiue shillings of the coyne of Lucensis. And frō thenceforth Heldebrande himselfe receiued to his owne vse, the whole reuenue of the Church of Rome (poore Pope Alexander stil in prison) and thereby gathered togither a masse of money innumerable. And afterwardes, in the yeare of our Lorde one thousand thréescore and fourtéene, the silly miserable Pope Alexander, yet remayning vnder the seruile yoke of Heldebrande, in a certaine euening (peraduenture not vnpoysoned) gaue vp the ghoste. The selfe same houre Heldebrand, by ye force of his souldiers, without consent of Cleargie or people, is enthronized, in doubt, least throughe delay, some other might be elected. To the election of which Pope, not any one Cardinall subscribed. To which election when the Abbot of Cassimensis came, Heldebrande sayde vnto him▪ my brother, thou hast hastned to slowlye. And the Abbot aunswered again: And thou (oh Heldebrande) haste h [...]d thée ouer hastily, in that thou against the Canons hast vsurped the seate Apostolike, before thy maister the Pope is buried. But Heldebrande thus enthronized, howe he liued, in what sort he remoued the modest Cardinals, whych should haue bin both stay and testimonie of his life and doctrine, how miserably he perplexed them, with how manye Heresies he infected the world, with how muche periurie & intollerable treasons he enriched himself, a number of men [Page] coulde scarcely write. But the innocent bloud of the christned lambes of Christe, whiche by his bloudie meanes and tyrannous aucthoritie was shed, crieth yet reuenge against him. Thus much sayth Benno.

Nowe sir, this courteous Gentleman is nowe Pope, and called Gregorie the seauenth, howbeit, a Sorcerer, Inchaunter, and diuelish Iuggler stil, by which meanes, and by his wonderful tiranny, he obtayned his Apostolike seat. The maner of his créeping vp to that dignitie was thus:The maner of his creeping He at first left his Monasterie, & came to Rome, and there crept into the speciall fauor of Laurentius the wicked Cardinall, of whome he diligently learned Witchcaft and Necromancie, whiche Sorceries the same Laurence in hys youth sucked amongst others out of that Sathanical monster Pope Siluester the seconde of that name. There was singular friendshipppe betwéene this Laurentius, Theophilactus, Iohannes, Gratianus and Heldebrande, and they were chiefe Prelates or Cardinalles of the Romishe Sinagog: throughe whose helpe Heldebrand being very subtile, brought euery thing to passe euen as pleased hym, and specially, when the same Theophilactus was Pope, who was called Benedictus the ninth, in whose time the saide Heldebrand renued againe euery mischiefe which in anye former Popes time had bin practised. He had one especiall Sathanicall elusion,Ellusio. for when he li [...]ted (as Benno doeth witnesse) to shake his gowne sléeue, he woulde make sparcles of fire to flye out thereat, by whiche diuelishe miracle he so blinded the eyes of the simple people, as they déemed it a speciall token of singular holinesse. And bycause (sayth he) the Diuell coulde not persecute Christ openly amongst ye Pagans, he craftily subuerted his name in a false Monk, vnder colour of Religion. Good Authours write,The Pope a poysoner of Bishoppes. that this Heldebrand, by the helpe of Gerardus Brazantus, poysoned sixe or eight Bishops, therby to haue the more plain passage to the Papacie, yet amiddes all these mischiefes, thys well-disposed Prelate carryeth hys craft so [Page] cunningly, as it was not once suspected, that Heldebrande desired to be Pope. For before he had the name of a Pope, he only for the most part was y• Popes instrument, by wicked inuentiōs to deuise by little and little those mischiefes, which in his owne Papacie he established with effect. This notable Hypocrite, vnder pretence of Religion and godlinesse committed euery kind of vniuste, detestable, & wicked villanies. He accused his Lord & Master Alexander ye secōd, for that he soughte the aide of Caesar againste his enimies, saying in dirision: It is méete (forsooth) that he, according to the Cannons, shoulde holde the Pontificall dignitie, which contrarie to the same lawes, desireth succoure from a prophane Prince: and therefore vppon his owne aucthoritie, he not onely depriued the Pope of his Papacie, but caste him into prison, and there secreatly murdered him, and vsurped his place before he was buryed. He imparted both his substaunce and secreat aduise (as Benno sayth) vnto Brasutus, and one Iudeus, his familiar friendes, throughe whose meanes and persuasion, many men wincked at hys wickednesse. For those bribed persons (before Alexander the late Pope was in his graue) euen trumpet-like sounded abroade, that Peter the Apostle had chosen Heldebrande, & therevpon inthronized him Pope, by the name of Gregorie the seauenth. And this was done. 1000. yeares after the destruction of Hierusalem, in the whiche time, these Uicars of Sathan beganne openly to chalenge to themselues the name of God, and the office and vertues of Christe Iesus, very God, and very Man. For in this yere, in the declaration and election of this Gregorie, it was proclaymed, that the true Uicar of Christe was created Pope. And thys Gregorie also tooke vpon him those things which are written of Christ in the second Psalme. He changed the lawes of Christ and the omnipotente God the Father, in forbydding the mariage of Priests, and spoiling Princes of their kingdomes. This Gregorie was originall of the discorde [Page] and battell betwixt Gog and Magog mentioned Apoc. 20. than the which was neuer any conflict more pernicious or wicked,Vrbanus, a wicked Pope. whose example Vrbanus one of his familiars dyd follow. Of this Gregory, Benno further declareth the hystorie ensuing. Upon a time (sayth he) when Gregory came from Albania to Rome, he forgat to bring with him his vsuall and accustomed Booke of the blacke arte, withoute ye which Booke, he seldome or neuer wēt forth to any place: which thing,A suddayne passion of the Pope. whē in his iourneying he had called to memorie, euen at his entrāce into ye gate called Lateranensis, he half amazed, called hastely to him a couple of his most familiar friends, and the accustomed and faithfull ministers of hys mischiefs, those he straytely charged to fetch him the same Booke with all spéede possible, vrging them extreamely, that they shoulde not presume to open that Booke by the way, nor séeke to discouer the secretes therof by any deuise. This streight charge so much repugned their affections, as how much the more strongly he forbad them, so muche the more their desire kindled, to searche the mysteries of the same Boke. They go, and in their returne, they vnclasped the same, and diligently perused the detestable preceptes of that diuelish arte: and therevpon the pretie knaues, and ofspring of Sathan, came suddaynely aboute them in horrible multitude, whiche when the two yong men (almost out of their wittes) perceyued, with much ado at last they reuiue agayne, and as they themselues did afterward declare, ye euill sprightes were very instant vpon thē, saying: To what purpose did you call vs vp? Wherefore did you trouble vs? command vs quickly what we shall doe, or else will we extend our violence againste your selues, if you deteyne vs héere any longer: whiche when one of the yong men with no small feare heard, he sayd,The walles of Rome throwen downe by the Deuill. Cast downe to the ground spéedily those walles, poynting with his hande to the high walles of Rome, not farre distāt from them, which the wicked Sprites in a momente perfourmed. The Nouesse [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] Coniurers, making manye Crosses in sundry places of their bodies, trembling and shaking with horrible feare, were so sore astonyed, as hardly they could finde the way to Rome, vnto the Arch [...]oniurer their maister. Thus much of that matter writeth Benno. His Papacie also scarcely yet begunne, he practized euen in his entraunce thereof, to rack and wrest the Cannons, whiche other Popes, his predicessours, by his owne politike counsell had before ordayned, concerning Simonie, and single life: not to the end that hée might abolishe the wicked sale of spirituall benefices, but that vnder pretence of honestie, he might take from princes their autoritie, in the bestowing of Ecclesiastical lyuings, and that thereby al Bishoppes should be brought vnder the seruitude of the Sea of Rome, which, concerning the right of their election, were more subiecte to the Prince, than to the Pope. And for y• Henry the Emperour was then the mightiest of all Princes, this proude varlet déemed it beste, at the very first, to assay the first fruite of his Tirannical exercise vppon him. And therefore called a counsell togither at Rome in Larino (Laterino I woulde saye) touching those matters: But Caesar occupyed in the warres, coulde not be present at the contentions of the Synode: the Pope therefore notwithstāding the ineuitable let of this renoumed Emperor,An horrible deuice of the Pope, thereby to destroy the Emperour his liege Lorde. so stomaked his absence, as he neyther spared treason nor murder, stil stirring vp ciuil battels in many places, wt other innumerable kindes of calamities. But chiefly laying snares for the Emperours life, he put in practise diuers his cunningest meanes howe to destroy him, and amongst the rest, concluded vppon this pernicious determination, to bée accomplished in the Temple it selfe, euen at the time of publike prayer. Cardinall Benno thus expresseth the Historie. The vertuous Emperour (sayeth he) did often tymes vse to goe vnto Sainte Maries Churche whyche standeth vpon the hill called Auentyne, [...]to praye. Thys viperous Heldebrande being fully perswaded by his wicked espials, [Page] of the Emperoures accustomed order therein, commaundeth good view to be taken of the place where the Emperour commonly vsed to stand, sitte, or knéele, in his deuotions. That knowen, he allured (for money) a certayne villayne (a holy counsell of a Pope) secretely to place stones of huge weight, in the windbeames of the Churche, directly ouer the Emperoures head, that by that meanes, and the direction of the traytor, they mighte euen in the middest of the Emperours Prayers, fall vpon him, and dash out hys braynes. But God, who in miraculous sort defendeth hys people, and when him pleaseth, conuerteth the treason to the subuersion of the Traytor, thus finished this tragedie: The vagabond varlet hireling is nimbly occupyed aboute the accomplishment of his businesse, and placeth the murthering stones, as best séemed to him to serue the purpose, and bycause he would be sure to haue such stuffe as shoulde perfourme his practise, he loadeth himselfe with one stone of more weight than he could wel gouerne, and farre greater than the séeling of the Churche coulde beare, by reason whereof, before he could bring the same to his appoynted place, the waynescot brake, and so the stone with the miserable Traytor fell downe to the pauements of the Church, and was with the same stone crushed in péeces from top to toe, a wonderfull example of Gods iust iudgement to suche Regicides. The matter & misfortune at first was strāge to ye beholders: but whē ye Romanes vnderstode this enterprise, & the wickednes therof, they fastned a cord to one of ye legs of ye brused, dismēbred, & trayterous body, & caused the same carcasse to be drawen through the high stréetes of ye Citie thrée dayes togither, to the terrible example of all others.The charitable clemencie of the Emperour towardes a Traytour which soughte his destruction Yet neuerthelesse, the Emperour of his accustomed clemē cy cōmanded that the dead body should be buried. Againe, the same Benno thus writeth, that one Iohn, Bishop of Portua, a man to whome Heldebrand was accustomed, aboue all other, to reueale the secrete cogitations of his hearte, béeyng in the Pulpitte in Saincte Peters [Page] Churche in disburthening of his conscience (as it were) reuealed diuers horrible things, before a great audience, and amongst the rest, this for one. There was (sayd he) so detestable a thing by vs and Heldebrand committed, as for the doing thereof, we were all worthy to be buryed quicke: And thus it was. Heldebrand thirsting the death of the Emperour,A notable blaspemie against Christ, done by the Pope. Paganlike sought diuine answere in forme of Oracle at the Sacrament of the body of our Lorde Iesus, touching the death of the Emperour (as the Pagans were wont to do of their Idols) and bycause the Sacrament answered not, he fell in a rage, and in the same this rage, dyd throwe it into the fire, notwithstanding that the Cardinals whiche were present, resisted to their vttermost, in forbidding him the fact, and therevpon immediately, without lawfull accusation, canonicall assemblie, or order in iudgement, he excommunicated the Emperoure, notwythstanding that he was ouerobedient to that Pope, and seuered the Princes of his Kingdome from him, and by priuie conspiracies, wroughte by sundrie secrete Traytours, sought the death of the good Emperoure: but God (maugre the Pope) alwayes defended him. Oh monstrous strange Treason, procéeding from the Sanctuarie, yea, and from him that will haue the name of high Prieste, and séeme to gouerne the Church, and direct the elder Iudges whatsoeuer.Compare this with the Popes proceedings nowe towards the Queenes Maiestie. And further, the same Heldebrād, by terrour & threatnings, commanded, that none should be so hardy, to defende the Emperoures cause, nor in any wise to beare fauour or good will towards him, wresting the Scriptures violently, to corrobrate his falsehoode. But so soone as this Deuill incarnate did arise out of his Iudiciall seate, wherein he had excommunicated the Emperoure, the same his throne, which lately before was new built of most stoute & strong timber, suddaynely by the Prouidence of God, was terribly shiuered in many places, by the which each man conceyued, and euidently did sée, howe that wicked decrée of [Page] lawes had by the same his presumptuous excommunication sowed most terrible Scismes in the Church of Christe. But when he sawe that his deceytefull deuise toke no successe, he beganne to vse open violence and hostilitie against Caesar: and the Emperour being thus excommunicated, the Pope absolueth all men from their oth of fidelitie (as they tearme it) and sente the Crowne of the Empire to Ralph Duke of Swethland, Note howo Ralph speedeth afterwards. with this barbarous verse engrauen in the same. Petra dedit Petro, Petrus Diadema Radulpho, whyche may be thus Englished, Christ gaue to Peter the Diademe, and Peter giues it Ralph. By reason whereof, Henry was sore troubled in his minde, and layde aside his royall ornamentes, & then he accompanyed wyth his wife, & his yong sonne, in a cruel sharp Winter, trauelled woolward by dangerous passages towards Rome, humbly to craue pardon at the Popes hand, where he stoode at the Citie gate, withoute meate or drinke, from morning to night (a pitifull spectacle both to Angels and men) bearing the opprobrious scoffes of Heldebrand his Harlots and his Monkes,The Emperor and his wife, and yo [...]g son, way [...]e three dayes t [...] c [...]me [...]o the speeche of the Pope. with most lamentable affliction thrée dayes togither, and yet his sute was no greater, thā to be brought to the spéech of the Pope: but he mighte not be suffered once to enter into the gates. At the third dayes end, the Emperour making his petition somewhat more earnestly, obteyned a spightefull answere, which was, that the Pope (that detestable Antechrist) had not yet any leysure to talke with him. Henry yet taking all things paciently, gaue his diligent attendance without the gates, suffering in the suburbes many discommodities, for the Winter was sharper, than accustomably it is want to be, and euery thing almost frosen, entreating for pardon, and at length, that is to say, vpon the fourth day, at the earnest request of Mathilda, a Countesse, whiche (as the story sayth) the Pope loued very wel, and of the Abbot & Monkes of Cluniacensis, and of Adellaus the Earle of Sabaudia, the Emperour had accesse to the Popes holynesse, of whome he [Page] humblie desired pardon, and into whose handes he offered his Crowne, howbeit the Pope would neither pardon him, nor absolue him from excommunication, vnlesse he woulde first auow to make satisfaction in the Synod for his offence (which was none at all) according to the Popes decrée, and performe other vnlawfull, and vnreasonable conditions. To all whiche vnreasonable requestes of the Pope, Henry yéelded, and promised to performe, and yet coulde not be restored to his Kingdome. But héerein somewhat differeth Sleydan, for he in ye third Boke of Monarchies sayeth, that Caesar Henry was again in fauor with Heldebrād, but the Péeres of Italy were mightily offended, that ye Emperoure with so great dishonor & shame had yéelded himself to him, which inuaded ye Papacie by diuelish coniurations, & defiled all things with bloudshead, & adulterie. The Pope and Cardinals did not a little swell in pride in this respect, that they had brought Henry the Emperor vnder their yoke, & thervpon toke encouragemēt to attempt greater matters. But Henry (assuring himself in ye strength & spirit of God) reuenged these things presently by force of Armes, & after lōg conflict, subdued Rodulphus in ye field, whose right hand was cut off in that battell:The reward of an intruder. wherevpon Rodulphus cōmanded, that all the Bishops & authors of this conspiracy shuld be brought before him, in whose presence, he caused ye same his dismembred right hand to be layd before him, & thervpō vttered these words: I confesse (saith he) that I am wel and rightly dealt withall, for this is the hand with the which I gaue my faith, troth, and loyaltie, to my soueraigne Lorde Henry, but by youre instigation, I haue oftentimes vnluckilie waged warre against him, and violated my faith, & therefore haue receyued this iust reward of my periurie. I appeale therefore to youre consciences, whether you haue ledde me the right way or no: let me therefore be example vnto you, & returne you againe to your King, & perfourme your former faith, and I my selfe will goe to my fathers: [Page] and at that instante, Rodulphus departed this life, after whose death, they (by the Popes cōmandement) created another Emperoure, whose name was Hermannus Saxo, Earle of Lacelburge, whiche seconde Emperour also (by the ordinance of God no doubte) was in beséeging a certayne Castell in Germany, slayne by the hand of a woman, whych tumbled from the toppe of one of the Towers a mightye stone vpon him. But yet for all this, the vnspeakeable malice of that sauage Tirant could not be restreyned, for hée yet raysed against the said most godly Emperour the third Traytor, whose name was Egbart, a Marquesse, and Cousin to the sayd Henry, which Egbart was apprehended in a certayne Mill, and by the Cesarians themselues miserably murthered.

Thus still the liuing Lord defended his seruant against the Pope, that enuious Uicar of Sathan, vnto whose pleasure, his irremoueable mate Mathilda the Countesse,The chastitie of the Pope. called the Daughter of S. Peter, all this while was whollie addicted, and cléerely did forsake the Marquesse of Estensis hir husband, whereby it came to passe (as Lambertus Hirswaldensis writeth) yt al men mistrusted incest betwixt thē: and the common fame was, that Mathilda was the Popes aulter by stealth, & had vnlawful cōpany with him, and yet notwithstanding, this Pope did forbid honest wedlocke [...]n Priests. The Abbot of Vspergensis, called Conradus de Bichtenaua, in his Chronicle, writeth thus muche more of the Pope: It is manifest (sayeth he) that Heldebrand was not chosen Pope by God, but by guile and golde intruded hymselfe into the Papacie: for he ouerthrew all Ecclesiasticall Prelates, disturbed the Kingdome of a Christian Emperour, pretended the deathe of a peaceable Prince, defended periured persons, maynteyned malice, raysed discord, stirred vp contentions, made diuorcements, and vtterly abolished whatsoeuer séemed good amongst godly people. This Pope (oh notable hypocrite) was ye first Sathanical father, [Page] whiche by excommunication, depriued Ministers of theyr wiues, and filled the world with all kinde of vicious loue, in so much as that famous Citie, whiche is spiritually called Apoc. 11. the Romane Church, became afterwardes by his meane very Sodome and Aegipt, by disordred Venus, and wicked Idolatrie. And maruellous Tragedies were made through Italy, France, Germany, and England, touching the sayd Pope, whiche in this place were ouertedious to rehearse, for this his ordinance was greatly misliked of by many learned men of that time, in that there was in Germanie and France (besides those which were in Englande and Italy) aboue foure and twenty Bishops maried, and so for the most part, were all the Cleargie of their Dioces, and they all stoutely defended their wedded estate. These were the Popish actes of that diuelish monster. He commaunded the Cleargie, vnder payne of excommunication, to take the vow of chastitie: he forbad the Monkes to eate fleshe: charged the Christiās to fast the Sabaoth: he decréed offerings to be made in solemnization of Masses. Liberius Arrianus (as one Heretike loueth to preferre another) was canonised,The Pope canonizeth an Heretike. and his feast (as Benno sayth) kept Holyday. By hym were Priestes wedlocks alwayes renounced, by his commandement tythes were payde to his sacrifices, and vppon his controlment, the King of Polonia lost his Crowne. This Heldebrand condemned the opinion of that godly man Berengarius, cōcerning the sacrament, & (as it is said) first practised ye transubstantiation. By his iudgement, if a lay man possessed Tithes, he committed sacriledge: if he toke vpon him to giue benefices, he was an Heretike, and he that so receiued them of a lay man, was giltie of Idolatrie. And at length, he made his leaden sworde so strong, that by force therof, he from thenceforth kept down the stéeled sceptre of the Empire. These things, and manye more like to them, the Papistes at this day put in vre.

After long forbearance, Henry ye Emperour armed himselfe [Page] against the wicked practises of Heldebrand, and in the yeare of our Lord God .1083. in the Synode at Brixis, & layd his lewde dealings to his charge,The Pope put from his Papacie, and an other placed by the Emperour. & worthyly put him from his Papacie, and substituted another Bishoppe in his place, whom he called Clement the third, and sent his power to Rome, whereby he expelled Heldebrande out of the Citie, which done, he led Clement into Sainte Peters Churche, arrayed in his Bishops roabes, & there created him Pope, and broughte the Citie to such penurie, that they were constrayned to entreate for peace. But Heldebrande whyche was foresaken and reiected of the Romaines, fled to Salerna, bycause he woulde not come in Caesars sighte, whiche was done in the yeare of our Lorde 1086. where he ended in banishment miserably his tirāous life, wherin he had slaine by sword, famyne, poyson, and other kinds of death, so great a number of men.

Howbeit, the Papists make their boast, that this minister of Sathan did many notable miracles after his death: and after that (as Sigebert witnesseth) a certayne Prieste, which died in Saxon, had séene him tormented in Hel. Antonius and Vincentius doe both say, that this Heldebrande in the houre of his death called vnto him a certaine Cardinal, and did confesse that he had grieuously offended, for that he by the Diuels enticemente hadde raysed vproares, discorde, hatred, and open wars amongst men: and he commā ded this Cardinal to go vnto Henry, to aske pardon of him, for the offences whiche the sayde Heldebrande hadde committed against him.

A Comparison betwixt Christ and the Pope.
Those that wright against this Monster, are,

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Hugo Candidus Cardinall of Prenestyne.

Walramus Bishop of Niemburgh.

Venericus Bishop of Vercella.

Rolandus Priest of Permensis.

Sigebertus Gemblacensis, and diuers other.

And Benno numbreth thirtene Cardinals, which sharply did reproue him.

And I my selfe dare expresse against the saide Pope, the fifth Chapter of Esay the Prophete, who in the figure of Christe and his Uineyarde, séeth and foretelleth the abhominations of Rome, the sincke and puddle of all wickednesse: of the which Chapter I will expresse thée some part, the whole Chapter thou mayest reade when thou wilt, for (God be praysed) the Quéenes Maiestie hathe layde that Booke of saluation open to all men to reade. And these that follow are part of the sentences of that Chapter. Viz.

Therefore commeth my folke into captiuitie, bycause they haue no vnderstanding.

Their glory is famished with hunger, and their pryde is marred for thirst.

Therefore gapeth Hell, and openeth hir mouth maruellous wide, that their pride, boasting, and wealth, with suche as reioyce therein, may descend into it.

Thus hathe man a fall, and is broughte lowe, and the [Page] high looke of the proude shal be layde downe.

But the Lord of hostes shall be exalted in iudgemēt, and God that is holy is praysed in righteousnesse: Then shal the sheepe eate in order, and the rich mans landes whiche were layde waste, shal the straungers deuour.

Woe bee vnto them, that drawe wickednesse vnto them, with cordes of vanitie and sinne, as it were with a Carterope▪

Woe be vnto them that call euil good, and good euill: which make darkenesse light, and light darkenesse: that make sowre sweete, and sweete sowre.

Wo vnto them that are wise in their owne conceite, and thinke themselues to haue vnderstanding.

Woe bee vnto them that are strong to sup vp wine, and expert men to set vp drunkennesse.

These giue sentence with the vngodlye for rewardes, but condemne the iust cause of the righteous.

Therefore like as fire licketh vp strawe, and as the flame consumeth the stubble: euen so their roote shall bee as corruption: and their blossome shall vanishe awaye like duste: for they haue caste awaye the Lawe of the Lorde of hostes, and blasphemed the worde of the holy maker of Israel:

Therefore is the wrathe of the Lord kindled. &c.

IF these exceptions and euerye other, in the saide fifthe Chapter of the Prophesie of Esay, touche not Rome directly, and the Popes holynesse properly, I am farre from my purpose: but comparing the Pope and his doings with our vndoubted sauioure Christe, we shall finde the one directlye repugnaunte vnto the other, and then finding them contraryes, it muste néedes followe, that if Christe be Christe, then the Pope hymselfe is Antichriste. For CHRIST in hys death and passion assureth to vs Saluation: Whereas the Pope [Page] alludeth the cause of our saluation, to consist in his Masses, pardons, pilgrimages, beades, and baggages. Two absolute contraries, and therefore as the one is most excellente, and sufficient to saluation: so the other is execrable, and the direct passage to damnation. For thy greter comfort therefore, compare them togither in this sort, and let the infallible troth of Gods eternal word, be vmpire in the cause. Viz.

§

IF that be true, which can nor will not lye,

If that be false, which was nor can be true:

If cone for tother tane do leade awry

The mindes of men, & make these mischiefes new:

If troth bring blisse, and falshood carke and care,

Is it not good to know them as they are?

Let troth haue then a blamelesse passage frée,

And let Gods word, be ballaunce of the cause:

This little booke wil then declare to thée,

How farre the Pope, dissenteth from the lawes

Of God, and séeking honor, gold, and gayne,

Nought dreadeth God, nor feares eternal payne.

A florish fayre, alone he séekes to make,

And vnder white, to shrowde his colour blacke:

And then by craft, and for his profit sake,

The sincere word of God by force to racke:

So as the simple may not therof déeme,

But be deceiude, and thinke them as they séeme.

As Zeuxis worke, the liuely birds deceivd,

Which peckt for grapes vpon a painted wall:

Euen so the Pope, if he be once receivde,

Wil leade awry the wisest wit of al:

For Zeuxis skill in paynting was not such,

But that in craft the Pope hath twice so much.

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That so let sequele shorte expresse the cace,

Let Truth be Tutche to trie the golde from drosse:

Take nowe a time his farthell to vnlace,

Great is the gaine, and none at all the losse:

For treasons so shal die, or not increase,

Cut off the cause, and then th'effect wil cease.

Compare the Pope (which chalengeth to be

Christs Uicar here, and ouer all the earth)

With Christ our Lord, and they so well agrée,

As light with darke, and blisfull life with death:

Then, if from Christe directly he doe ierre,

Lette Christ be Christe, and giue him leaue to erre.

The wordes of Christe.

IOHN. 14.

I Am the way to Heauen by path direct:

Why séekst thou then to Heauen an other waye?

I am the truth, my word without suspect:

Why then in vaine, goste thou more vaine astray?

I am the life to myne, most certaine sure,

That neuer failes, why puttst thou more in vre?

MATH. 12.

Come hither all that sinned haue to mée,

My bloudy wounds are in my fathers sight,

Discharge youre loades, youre burthens lay on mée,

The lawe is dashte, and you are claymed quite:

What man of flint from suche a Lorde will starte,

As buyes his foe by bléeding at the harte?

And true it is, sith he is Truth alone,

And none could quench the fathers wrath but hée:

And clayming all, he willes the death of none,

But by his death, from death hath set vs frée:

Oh hearken then, and come when he doth call,

No Popish pelfe, but Christ hath bought vs all.

[Page]Yet heare one of the Popes vvayes to safegard, for he hath a great many:
Whiche I will not marre, by making into Metre, but set it downe in playne Englishe as I founde it: the thing it selfe is extant at this Printers house, and thus it is, and yet I find it not in any of the thrée Créedes.

Viz.

This is the true Copie of the holy writing, that came downe from Heauen by an Angell to Sainct Leo Pope of Rome, Some of Heldebrands Angels. and he bad him take it to King Charles, what tyme he went to the battell of Roncewall: and he sayde, what man or woman that beareth this wrighting vppon them wyth good deuotion, and sayth euery day thrée Pater Nosters, and thrée Aues, and one Creede, that day he shall not be ouercome with his enimies, neyther bodily nor ghostly, nor with Théeues be robbed nor slayne, nor with no pestilence be vexed, nor with no thunder be slayne, nor with no lightning be brent, nor with no fire be troubled, nor with water be drowned, nor with no wicked Sprightes be combred, nor he shall haue no wrath with Lords nor Ladyes, nor falsely be damned with no false witnesse, nor taken wyth no Fayries, nor with no maner of Axies, nor with no Falling euill be smitten. Also, if a woman trauell with childe, lay this wrighting vppon hir, she shall haue easie delyuerance, and the childe right shape and Christendome, and the Mother purification of holy Churche, through the vertue of these holy names of oure Lorde Iesus Christe. And these be the names.

A notable medicin both for body, soule, health, life, and goodes.

✚ Iesus Christus ✚ Messias ✚ Sothor ✚ Emanuel Sabaoth Adonay Vnigenitus Maiestas Paraclitus Saluator noster ✚ Agios iskiros ✚ Agios Adonatos ✚ Iasper ✚ Melchior ✚ & Baltazar ✚ Marcus ✚ Mattheus ✚ Lucas ✚ Iohēs ✚

[Page]Also this wryting saues a man from wicked cumbrance of euill fellowship, and from byting of any woodde Dogge: ‘Sancte Michael, S. Gabriel, S. Raphael, orate vt illa me protegant & defendant, à morte perpetua liberemur. Amen. Quare fremuerunt gentes. &c.’

This tale (I trowe) doth somwhat touch the quicke,

And as it came from Heauen, so is it true,

For wrytings come from thence (you know) as thicke

As men make nuttes: this matter is not newe:

And more is done in Heauen, than we may know,

Beléeue the Pope, and reade another scrowe.

Haec est epistola Sancti Saluatoris, quam Leo Papa transmisit Carolo Regi, dicens, quòd quandocunque aliquis eam super se portauerit, in die, vel etiam qua eam legerit, vel viderit, non occidetur ferro, nec igne comburetur, nec aqua submergetur, nec malus homo, nec alia creatura ei nocere poterit. Haec sunt verba: ‘Crux ✚ Christi est armae mirabilis ✚ Crux Christi sit semper mecū ✚ Crux est quem semper adoro ✚ Crux Christi est vera salus ✚ Crux Christi superat gladium ✚ Crux Christi soluit vincula mortis ✚ Crux Christi est veritas & via ✚ Super Crucem Dominicam aggrediar iter meum ✚ Crux Christi pedit omne malum ✚ Crux Christi dat omne bonum ✚ Crux Christi aufert poenam aeternam ✚ Crux Christi salua me ✚ Crux Christi sis super me, ante me, & post me ✚ quia antiquus hostis fugit vbi vidit te ✚ Crux Christi salua, custodi, guberna, & rege me, Thomam, portantem hanc notam diuinae Maiestatis tuae ✚ Alpha & Omega ✚ Primus ✚ & Nouissimus ✚ Mediū ✚ Finis ✚ Principium ✚ primogenitus ✚ Sapientia ✚ Virtus.’

[Page] Which may be thus Englished:

This is the Epistle of Saint Sauior, which Pope Leo sēt ouer to King Charles, saying: that whensoeuer any man caryeth the same about him in the day, or else in what day soeuer he shall reade it, or shall see it, hee shall not bee killed with any Iron toole, nor be burned with fire, nor be drowned with water, nor any euill man or other creature maye hurte him. And these are the words: ‘The Crosse ✚ of Christe is a wonderfull defence, ✚ The Crosse of Christ bee alwayes with mee, ✚ The Crosse is it which I doe alwayes reuerence, ✚ The Crosse of Christe is true health, ✚ The Crosse of Christe ouercommeth the sword, ✚ The Crosse of Christe doth loosen the bondes of Death, ✚ The Crosse of Christe is the Truth and the Way. ✚ I take my Iorney vppon the Crosse of the Lord. ✚ The Crosse of Christe beateth downe euery euill, ✚ The Crosse of Christe giueth all good things, ✚ The Crosse of Christe taketh away the paines euerlasting, ✚ The Crosse of Christ saue me. ✚ Oh Crosse of Christ be vpon me, before me, and after me, ✚ bycause the auntient enimie cannot abide the sight of thee. The ✚ Crosse of Christ saue, kepe, gouern, & direct mee, Thomas, bearing this note of thy diuine Maiestie ✚ Alpha and Omega ✚ firste ✚ and last ✚ middest ✚ and end, ✚ beginning ✚ and first begottē, ✚ Wisdome ✚ Vertue. ✚’

This thing that thus the Crosse of Christe doth show,

Must néeds preuaile and take the full effect:

The argument is strong, there is no man I trow,

The Crosse of Christe that will or maye reiect,

But whiche is meant? his dome, his death and smarte?

Or else the Crosse which man did make by arte?

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Know mortal man▪ the Crosse was made of wood,

The like whereof is yet vpon the ground:

But our safe port, consisteth in the bloud

Of Iesus Christ, the meane which God hath found,

Againe to get which Adams fall had lost,

Not else to winne for any worldly cost.

If so, then take these trifling toyes as vaine,

And trust to Christ which bids thée come at call:

Christ séeketh thée, the Pope doth séeke his gaine,

And will for golde make chaffre of vs all.

Let Pope be Pope, and truste in Christe alone,

For Crosse of life, besides his death is none.

But yet reade this next Iuggling trick I pray thee, and take it for thy labour, It was neuer deuised so cheape, nor heretofore solde for so little money.

Hoc carmen nunquam dicetur, sed super hominem, Mulierem, & puerum feretur, pro latronibus.

VAdo & venio ad vos cum amore Dei, cum humilitate Christi, cū sanctitate beatae Mariae, cum fide Abraham, cū iusticia Isaac, cum virtute Dauid, cum potestate Petri, cum fiducia Pauli, cum verbo Dei, cum potestate Gregorij, cum oratione Clementis, cum flumine Iordanis. ꝑ. ꝑ. c. p. 9. L. e. g. a. q. q. est. p. t. i. K. a. b. 9. L. K. 2. a. x. T. 9. t. b. a. m. 9.2.4.2.1. b. p. x. c. 9. K. (que). A. 9.9. p. o. qq. 3. Vince Pater, ✚ vince Domine ✚ vince Alpha & w. Adonay ✚ Iesus autem ✚ Transiens per medium illorum ibat. ✚ In nomine Patris ✚ & filij ✚ &c.

[Page] Which may be thus Englished. ‘I Doe goe, and I doe come vnto you with the loue of God, with the humilitie of Christ, with the holynesse of blessed Marie, with the faith of Abraham, with the iustice of Isaac, with the vertue of Dauid, with the might of Peter, with the constancie of Paul, with the worde of God, with the auctority of Gregorie, with the prayer of Clement, with the floud of Iordane, ꝑ. ꝑ. c. p. 9. L. e. g. a. q. q. est. p. t. i. K. a. b. 9. L. K. 2. a. x. T. 9. t. b. a. m. 9.2, 4.2.1. (que). p. x. c. 9. K. (que). A. 9.9. p. [...]. qq. 3. Oh only father ✚ oh only Lord ✚ oh only beginning and end: our Lord ✚ & Iesus ✚ passing through the middest of thē went ✚ In the name of the father ✚ & of the son ✚ &c.’

This charme at any time néed not be sayde,

But man or wife, or childe that beareth it,

Of these at al, néede not to be afraide,

The charme it selfe will therof set him quite.

Thus hath it vertue, more than I can tell,

Or else the effect therof is very smal.

But if you reade and marke it very wel,

The shew is gay, and blasphemous withall.

But prating Prelates, which proll and prie for pence,

Wey God nor Diuel, so gaine may grow from thence.

Yet another. ‘Hoc scriptum inuenit Ioseph Aromathia super plagam lateris Iesu Christi, digitis Domini scriptum, cùm tolleretur Corpus d [...] Cruce: Quicun (que) hoc super se portauerit, mal [...] morte non morietur, si in Christo crediderit. Et in omnibus angustijs cito liberabitur. Nec timeat aliquod periculum huius mundi. &c.’

Thus in English: ‘IOseph Aromathia did finde this writing vpon the woūd of the side of Iesus Christ, written with the fingers of God, when the bodie was taken from the Crosse: whosoeuer shal [Page] carrie this writing about him,A good Parentesis or faire shadowe, to a foule lie. shal not die any euill death (if he beleeue in Christ) and in al perplexities he shal soone be deliuered, nor let him not feare any worldly daunger at al.’

And this is the writing as followeth.

FOns ✚ Alpha ✚ & Omega ✚ figa ✚ figalis ✚ Sabaoth ✚ Emanuel ✚ Adonay ✚ O ✚ Rentone ✚ Neger ✚ Sahe ✚ Pangeton ✚ Comon ✚ A ✚ g ✚ l ✚ A ✚ neray ✚ Eloy Ihe ✚ Marcus ✚ Matheus ✚ Lucas ✚ Iohannes ✚ ✚ ✚ Titulus Triumphalis ✚ Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudeorum.See how the faith which we should repore in the bloud of Christ, is transported to a peece of Crossed Papacie. Ecce dominicae crucis signū, fugite partes aduersae, vicit Leo de Tribu Iudae, Radix Dauid. Alleluya, Kirieleison, Christe eleison, Pater Noster, Aue Maria, Et ne nos: & veniat super nos salutare tuum.

Oremus.
Omnipotens & sempiterne Deus, parce metuentibus, propiciare supplicantibus.

Here hast thou séene my friend, foure noble things,

The first came down from heauen vnto the Pope,

Which he must yéeld to Charles that noble king,

Therein to put his comfort, life, and hope:

For he, and his, and all that beare the same,

Are therby quit from dolor, sinne, and shame.

An Epistle is the second writing flat,

Sent to the Pope by Sauior the Saint:

So long as Charles doth beare, or readeth that,

No foe, nor fire, haue force to make him faint:

No water drowne, no launce, nor sharpest knife,

Nor Iron toole, haue power to hurt his life.

The third, a charme should séeme of great effect,

Preseruing aye both man, and child, and wife,

From naughtie théeues, and persons to suspect,

That would impaire their bodies, goods or life:

Such strength it hath, thou néedst not it to réede,

But beare the same, it will perfourme the déede.

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The fourth thou séest, the place wher it was foūd,

By whom, and when, and what the vertue is,

A place of life, a place that doth abound

With streames of grace, of ioyes, & perfecte blysse:

That writing to, as suredly was there,

As now the Pope himselfe is present here.

If then thou wilt be cleare from force of warre,

If fires flame, nor waters rage shall dreade:

If neyther théef nor Iron toole shall scarre,

Thy iourney once: Then sticke not this to reade:

For sure, they must be perfect strong and true,

Or else the Pope is worse than Turke or Iew.

A Turke? nay worse. A Iew? a helhounde sure,

That thus would wash the bloud of Christ away:

The Diuel himselfe durst neuer put in vre,

The flocke of Christ so fouly to betray,

As to deface the merites of his death,

And make vs trust in trifling things on earth.

If Christ affirme, that he is life alone,

If other way to heauen there cannot be,

If other truth besides his truth be none,

What is he then, but may this mischiefe sée?

A franticke man with pride bewitched still,

For money sake, the Saints of God will kill.

And yet for that I would not credite craue,

Without iust cause, note what this Leo was,

Iaphetus writes (my wordes you shal not haue)

A thing right straunge, and how it came to pas:

A noble childe, brought vp in vertuous hope,

Was made a wicked man by being Pope.

[Page] These are the vvords of Iaphetus. ‘LEo the tenth, by his Countrey a Florentine, of the most noble stocke of Medices, and called before he was Pope Iohn de Medices, was sometime of Saint Maries in Dominica. He was placed by the Cardinals (beyonde all expectation) in the place of Iulius deceassed. He was from his infancie diligently broughte vp, and instructed in learning, & had most learned teachers, chiefely Angelus Politianus, a man right skilfull both in the Gréeke and Latin tongs, & did afterwards loue learned mē aboue all measure. In the thirtenth yeare of his age, he was made Cardinall, by Innocentius the eyght, and the eyght and thirtith yeare, hée was made Bishop of Rome. This Leo, of his owne nature was quiet and milde, but for ye most part ruled by troublesome and cruell persons, at whose pleasure, he arrogantly suffered many things to be done. And being giuen to the delicious ease of his body, he pampred his fleshe in sundrye delightes and desires of voluptuous pleasures. In his delicate banquets, to make him more pleasant at the table, he greatly respected Musitions and Wine: but he persecuted the Kingdome of God in Luther and others (like a seconde Caiphas) with continuall hatred. For at a time, when Cardinall Bembos proponed a certaine question of that ioyfull message of God, he wretchedly aunswered, Howe greately that fable of Christe hathe bin beneficiall to vs and oure coate, it is euident ynough to all the Worlde. The most wicked verlet did héere most playnely expresse himselfe to be that Antechrist, which Paule calleth, the man of Sinne, and child of perdition. He sent forth pardons no lesse large than foolish, to extorte money at his pleasure, for the maintenance of his Harlots and Bastards, and dispersed an innumerable number of prolling Friers, to carrie his trashe through all Christian Realmes.’

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Did Peter thus? is this the way to féede

Christs little flocke, whereof he tooke suche care?

No no God wot, this rauening Wolfe in déede

Will rend them quicke, and eate them as they are:

A Tigre fierce, a lumpe of raging sinne,

That séekes to spoyle, that Christe by death did winne.

What man or beast, what féend of Hell coulde say,

The Gospell pure a fable but to be?

But that the Lorde would by his mouth bewray

This Antichrist, that al the worlde might sée

A Diuel in fleshe: which would for money sake,

Himselfe, and al the worlde to Hel betake.

But since of monstrous things we speake, procéede:

A monster foule begets as foule a whelpe,

A monstrous worde at first, and now a déede

In monstrous sorte, doth spring to be his helpe:

He prolles and pries, stil farther gaine to winne,

And gets him mates, to helpe his marte therein.

VVherevpon Conradus Grebelius vvriteth against Caietanus in this sorte.

Germanos, decimas tunc cùm extorquere pararet,

Qualem Oratorem iussit adire Leo?

Demisit quendam, labor esset dicere qualem,

Nimirum, verbum est dicere sat, Monachum.

Thus in English:

When Leo did purpose t'extorte the tithes of Germany,

What Oratour did he command into that place thinke ye?

One did he sēd, but paine it were, what one for to expresse,

Yet at a worde I will declare, forsooth a Monke, no lesse.

[Page] And further Conradus sayth: ‘Tot aureorum nummorum millia, Sampson Franciscanus ille Mediolanēsis, per eas, in varijs terris collegit, vt mūdus super eo prodigio valde admiraretur. Supra. 1200000. enim ducat orum summā erat, quos vno die pro Papatu emendo obtulit.’ In English. ‘Sampson that Monke of Saint Fraunces of Millaine, Auarice in a Monke. gathered by those trumperies so many thousandes of golde in diuers Countries, as al the world greatly wondred at that monster, for he profered aboue the summe of twelue hundred thousand Duckets in one daye, to buy the Popedome.’

A masse of mony here was lewdly gote,

And yet more lewdly would haue bin imployde,

A myching Monke, and eke a myser hote,

Which many soules through falshood had destroyd,

Would nowe be Pope, through Simonie you sée,

Symonie.

As suche there haue bin manye moe than hée.

Leo (sayth Conradus) did make one and thirtie Cardinalles in one day, by the which he scraped vp a huge summe of money:

The Pride and rauine of the Pope, controlled wyth the gentle admonition of God.

The chaste Pope had proper children.

and fore-tokens of most horrible thinges to followe, were séene in the selfe same day. In the yeare of oure Lorde .1520. when Solimon conquered the Rhodes by force of Armes, euen vppon Christemasse day when Leo shoulde goe oute of his priuie Chamber, to saye his firste Masse in the morning, a certaine house builded moste beautifully of Marble, fell sodainely down at his backe, and slew a number of his guarde. By this foretoken, God signified to the Pope, that he shoulde shortly perishe for his cruel and wicked offences. For he had wōderfully enriched his bastards, and exalted them (by doing manifest iniuries to others) to most high promotiōs spiritual & tēporal. For he made Iulianus, who [Page] was accompted but his Nephew by the Sister side, Duke of Mutius, and Laurentianus Duke of Vrbyn, and marryed the one of them with the Sister of Carolus Sabaudus, and the other with the Dutchesse of [...]olon. And he depriued the Duke of Vrbin of hys Dukedome,Tiranny. thereby to place the one of them in his stead. And he endeuoured the like againste the Duke of Ferrary, but preuayled not, howbeit, hée made Iulius hys Nephew a Cardinall.

In the yeare of oure Lord God .1521. the first day of December, so soone as he had heard that the Frenchmen were vanquished, slayne, taken prisoners, and banished out of Italy, An impassible ioy conceyued in bloudshed, was the death of the Pope. by the Emperoures subiects, and his power, in the middest of his pottes, being merrie, and laughing beyonde measure, he gaue vp the ghost, and in a good minde, when he beléeued not that there was Heauen or Hell after thys life.

Wherevpon Actius Sennazarius pleasantly writeth thus.

Sacra, sub extrema, si fortè requiritis, hora,

Cur Leo non poterat sumere? vendiderat.

In English.

And if thou aske, why Leo could not take the sacred ryte

In his last houre? the reason was, that he had solde thē quite.

A prettie iest (if serious things be gamesome) Māmon hath deliuered to Belsebub his patrimonie, the iudgement apperteyneth to God, and there I leaue it.

[Page]

Of another Pope.

Vrbanus quintus ad Grecorum Imperatorem misit tres Agnus dei, cum versibus infrascriptis.

BAlsamus, & munda Cera, cum Chrismatis vnda

Conficiunt Agnum, quod munus d [...] tibi magnum.

Fonte velut natum, per mystica sanctificatum

Fulgura de sursum depellit, omne malignum

Peccatum frangit vt Christi sanguis & angit,

Pregnans seruatur, simul & Partus liberatur.

Dona defert dignis, virtute distruet ignes,

Portatus, mundae de fluctibus eripit vndae.

In Englishe:

Vrbanus the fifth, sendeth to the Emperor of the Gretians, three Agnus Dei: with the verses that folowe.

Balme, waxe & water of the Chrisme an Agnus Dei make

Which worthy Iem of my free gift, to thee I do betake.

For as it is of water made, and sanctified by speach,

So in effecte, as Christes bloude, the vertues thereof reache,

Eche lightning to suppresse, and driue away eche sinne,

It helps the child wife, & doth yeeld hir child succes therin:

It giueth to the worthy man rewarde, and quencheth fire,

It saues the wight that bears the same, frō waters rage & ire.

[Page]On the backe side of whiche Latine verses, (whiche were lost from an Archpapist) I finde these conclusions written: viz.

From lightning and thunder,

From fire and water,

A woman in trauell,

From all euill spirits.

And also these two verses are written vppon the backe side thereof, whiche I thinke not incident to that matter, for that heretofore I haue hearde them properly alluded in an other sense. The verses are these, and concerne Mariages I suppose.

Prima dies grata est, secunda & aduena gratae,

Tertia grata parum, quatridiana fetat.

They may be thus Englished:

The firste day is honourable, the second commendable,

The thirde tollerable, the fourth abhominable.

Good Reader here I haue with long discourse

Laide forth these Popes euen somewhat plaine to thée,

Thereby the better to direct thy course

In playnest wise their packing parts to sée,

Digest it wel, and wey the thing aright,

And then (no doubt) thou wilt detest them quite.

Their trinkets here I bring vnto thy showe

As if it were into a Market place,

Peruse them wel, and viewe them all arowe,

And fansie those, wherein thou findest grace,

And fancied once, doe take them for thy hyre,

Accept my paine, I do no more requyre.

[Page]

¶ A description of certaine of the Popes vvares and merchaundize of late sent ouer into England,

1 SVperaltare, is a quadrant or stone, four square of Marble, and hathe at euerye corner, and in the middest, a Crosse, and is halowed: these stones are portible, and scrue to say Masse on in any secrete place, where there is no Altare, and to that purpose are they sent ouer into Englande.

2 This Crosse representeth the Crosse of Christe, and the very Crosse it selfe once hallowed and bestowed in secreate place, where it maye be honoured, or else caried about man, woman, or child (and being strengthned with the Epistle of Saint Sauior) saueth and defendeth them whiche beare it, from al manner of perill, both bodily and ghostly, as Pope Leo the tenth promiseth.

3 IHS. This pendent, with the charme aforesaide, begining Vado & venio ad vos. &c. written and inclosed within the same, and borne about man, woman or child, defendeth them from théeues, and all other daungers in trauaile, either by water or lande.

4 The Agnus Dei, was sent to the Emprour of Grecia by the Pope, and hath as gret vertue as the bloud of Christ it selfe, it is composed of Balme, Uirgin waxe, and Font water, it suppresseth thunder, lightning and tempest, and helpeth women in their trauaile, and saueth the infant &c. and nowe is conueyed into Englande with promisses of like effect.

5 Bulla, is a patent from the Pope, whereof there are sundrie, some yéelde a vile sort of his blessings, some a good sorte of his curses, some his desperate excommunications & communications: but all sortes are sealed with lead, the true impression of which seale followeth vnder the laste figure, which is .15.

6 This figure of a pierced contrite & torne heart, was cutte out in faire white paper, wherein was folded a little [Page] Iette beadstone, & in the middest of the hearte, lengthwise, was written, Bauariae granum benedictum, and directed with these wordes: To his louing friende E.D. with graunte of fiue hundreth dayes of pardon.

7 A paire of hallowed beads of that proportion, sente from a Catholike friende to an auntient Gentlewoman in England, the beades were of Boxe, with promise of safetie to the receiuer, who did purchace them.

8 A paire of beades of the like number, but lesse beads, [...]ent likewise from one friend to another, with promises of larger successe, than hath fallen out (God be praised therefore) the beads séeme to be darke brassel, or bright Ibonie.

9 A Crucifix with Mary and Iohn, vnder whiche are written these wordes: Haec tres mihi spes, These are my thrée hopes, as if Christe alone were not of sufficient value.

10 An other Agnus Dei which is hollow, & hath the gospell of S. Iohn written in fine paper, and placed in the cō cauitie of the said Iewell, & worketh wonders in the defēce of such as weareth them: in somuch, as it defēdeth them frō all perills whatsoeuer.

11 The figure discloseth it selfe: For he knoweth not whether Christ or Mary be of greater power, and therfore standeth in doubt whiche way to turne himselfe.

12 Are one set, or tenne greate Iet beads, and they promise so many hundred days of pardon, as they are recorded ouer in, that is, for euery one day wherin they are repeted, euery one beade yéeldeth one hundreth dayes of pardon.

13 These foure little beades whiche séeme to be vpon a string, were hallowed by the Pope as all the reste were, but they speciallye were putte in a péece of paper likewise hallowed, in whiche paper is written as followeth. viz. Of these foure graines, two are for Maister G.L. and the other two for Maister I.B. sent thē by Sir P.S. who also requested of the receiuers to haue saide a Pater noster for his fathers soule, another for his mothers, & the third for himselfe: with [Page] whiche, if also they will adde one for me, who am partely causer of the sending of them to thē, I (P.S.) hope to requite it: euery graine yéeldeth a thousande dayes of pardon. The other loose beads were sent to other friends to like purpose, but howe muche affiaunce both the sender and receiuer do attribute to these baggages, wer both too long & too shamefull to write, but at the least they yéelde more dayes of pardon in one yeare, than there be natural daies in two yeres.

14 These are likewise hallowed graines, sente ouer, with promise of infinite dayes of pardon to al those whiche wil buy them.

15 The Popes common Seale to al Bulles.

§

To which purpose.

Christe with his bloude hath bought vs, not with golde:

The Pope for gaine both Christe and vs dothe sell.

My life (saith Christ) to saue your liues was solde:

My trashe (saith Pope) will kéepe you all from Hell.

Lament your sinnes (saith Christe) and followe me:

My pardons (saith the Pope) must set you frée.

My Kingdome is not of this worlde (saith Christe)

Let him that woulde be chiefe be made your thrall.

Upon the earth (saith Pope) I am the highest,

The fullnesse of my power includeth all.

Nowe if the Pope and Christe do thus agrée,

Howe can the Pope (on earth) Christs Uicar bée?

Legatus and Apostolus are one,

In sense, (I meane) they differ but in tongue.

Christ had but twelue apparantly is known:

The Pope (forsooth) hath such a shameful throng,

As euery King he can salute with one,

And yet he wanteth not a beaste at home.

And of the twelue that Christs had here on earth

One (traitorlike) was euer gladde of golde,

And he beganne: and since Christs pretious deathe

(Euen Iudas-like) these Prelates aye haue solde

[Page]The merites of his agony and smarte,

And say oure health consisteth in their arte.

Well, Christs Apostles were poore Fishermen,

And taught the worlde the sacred worde of life,

And for their paines were whipped nowe and then,

Some stoande to death, and some were kilde with knifes

His Saincts were slaine, for that they blamed sinne,

They preached Truth, and spent their liues therein.

The Popes are Lordes and mates with euery King:

They come from him that neuer felte no want:

They take good golde for al the trash they bring:

They must haue store, they care not who haue skant:

His Saintes are such, as séeke their Princes spoile,

Their countries sacke, and conquest of the soyle.

§

§

Shewe one such I pray you:

The Diu'lish Monke that poysoned King IOHN,

Doth prooue (alas) this Tragedie too true:

The Mayde of Kente, may well come forth for one,

That sought to change our Hony into Rue:

But as they sought, so God that is most iust,

Did yéeld them méede, and will do still I trust.

And howe? The Monke.

THe heartes of Kings are in the hande of God,

Their rule and powre are lent them by the Lorde:

The Tyrant stout is but his scourge and rod:

The godlie Prince also he doth avorde

Where he doth please: and straightly hath appointed,

No violent hande to touch the Lordes annointed.

[Page]

This Monke forsooth that Symon Swynsted hight,

A Swine in déed, and quite deuoyde of grace,

When that King Iohn had broughte this Realme in plight

From Rebelles rage, to somewhat better cace:

In doubt the King (who in that Abbey lay)

Should touch their state, deuisde this wicked way:

I wil (ꝙ he) vnplace this cruell King,

And ridde hys life, thoughe I do die therefore:

A desperate Monke.

For why (sayth he) it is a worthy thing

For one to die, to saue a number more:

I can but die, and die I will herein,

And kill my selfe, a Martyrs name to win.

A stinking Martyre.

Then goth he to the greasie Abbot straight,

And breakes to him the treason in his thought,

Talis pater qualis filius.

Who wéepes for ioy, and nowe concludes the baight,

Whereby (alas) this Regicide is wrought.

The Monke will die to kill his liege and King,

The Abbot eke absolues him of the thing.

And thus (absolvde) the Monke and Abbot parte:

Forthwith the Monke doth to a garden go,

And there beginnes experience of his arte:

He takes a Tode, and beats and prickes it so,

As that same Tode, through rigor of the paine,

Casts vp his gorge, wherewith the King is slaine.

The same he puts into a cuppe of wine,

And to the King he commes with smiling cheare,

My Liege (saith he) here is a draft so fine,

As like to it, thou neuer drankest yeare:

The falsest hart shews fairest face.

I will beginne, accept it at my hande:

This washaile shall be ioyous to thy lande.

The Monke therewith did drinke a hartie draught,

And humbly gaue the rest vnto the King,

[Page]Who dranke the same, whereby his death he caught:

A wicked déede and lamentable thing,

A miser Monke with smooth and smiling showe

To kil a King, the Lords annointed so.

This deadly drinke on either side thus tane,

The Monke vnto the Farmorie doth go,

His guts do swell, his belly breakes in twaine,

A death too good for him that liued so,

To slaye hymselfe, thereby to kill his King,

A traytrous déede, and detestable thing.

The King also a thrée dayes after that

Gaue vp his life, to liue with God aboue.

The Abbot and the Monkes whiche ioyed thereat

Concluded then, that for the constant loue

The murdrer bare to them in doing this,

Their Popishe aide should bring his soule to blisse,

And graunted by decrée, in Chapter Courte

Thrée other Monkes continually to sing

For his swéete soule, that did preuent the hurte

Of them and theirs, by poysoning the King:

So as by massing meane the Diuell must misse

The earthly Diuel, whiche durste accomplishe this.

Lo, double murder is absolued here:

A Thiefe doth kill himselfe his King to slay:

The holy Monkes herewith not only beare,

But make a meane to take this sinne away.

Thoughe God doth saye full plaine: Thou shalt not kill:

The Pope doth say againe: He did not ill.

If God and Pope herein not disagrée,

Then ayre and earth are both in nature iuste.

But from suche Popes the faithfull flocke are frée,

Which in the death of Christ alonely truste.

Triumph oh God, beate backe thy foes againe,

And graunte our Quéene long dayes and good to raigne.

AMEN.

[Page] IF other men be of my nature and conceite, then surely in reading this short repetall of the destruction of king Iohn, they are in double wise perplexed: the first, for that a noble king, after many battels fought with forraine foes: many conflicts with his nobilitie (set againste him by the Pope:) many cursses and excommunications pronounced against him by the Pope himselfe: shoulde nowe at laste bée murdered, by a foule, fatte, false, flattering Monke. And the second, for that the same Diuel incarnate, must to the delusion of the world, and to make a path way to teach the practise of Prince murthur, be in a manner defied, or at least so zealously delt withal, as if he had bin a worthy Martyre of Christ, and died by the Tiranny of some Prince in the hū ble defence of the faith of Christ. But these perplexities and many moe, are, and must be patientlye putte vp, where the preposterous orders of the Pope are in place. But (God be praysed) we are cleare from them, and so I beséech the Lord to continue vs. But when I had déepelye perpended, howe straightly the omnipotent Lord forbiddeth murder, I could but trēble, at ye arrogancie of the Abbot, that durst absolue the same, & chieflye before y• déede was done, as though he might haue said: In despight of him which forbiddeth murder, I wil dispence with murder. Of what sect was this Abbot think you? certainly he was no Barnardine. Wel, bicause thou shalt not staye long, I will tell the of what coate hée was: forsooth a Caian, and if thou aske me what a Caian is, I must expresse them thus. They are the Heretikes that worship Cayne, saying, that he was made of the one vertue or power, that is, of the Diuell, and Abel of the other. These Caians say, that Iudas was a good man, and his acte a benefite to mankinde: for he perceyuing howe much the passion of Christe shoulde preuayle, deliuered him to the Iewes, that by his death man might be redéemed. They affirme, that the olde lawe was noughte, and denye the Generall resurrection: Of whiche religion no doubte this Abbot [Page] Swinesheade (this Abbot of Swinsted I should say) was: for had he eyther feared the law of God, or beléeued the Gospel of Christ, he woulde neuer haue consented to the detestable déede of the Monke, nor so grossely haue absolued (or rather committed) suche execrable murder. But being a Cayan, and made of the one vertue and power, as Cayne was, he myght dispense with Monke Simon, as the Caians do with Iudas. For séeing there might be a benefite to the Monkes by the poysoning of king Iohn, why shoulde not the Abbot (Iudas-lyke) deliuer the king his maister into the handes of the Monke to be poysoned, so well as Iudas deliuered his maister Christ into the handes of the Iewes to be crucified? The reason is like, and sure they be Saincts alike, and therefore I leaue Saint Cayn, S. Iudas, S. Abbot, and S. Monke, to that one vertue or power, wherof the Caians affirme their Cayn was made: And I commende poore murdered Abel, & king Iohn poysoned, vnto Christ crucified, in whome and by whome I hope of ioyfull resurrection to eternall life, by the only merites of Christ his death and passion, to the which god bring vs all. AMEN.

And touching the holy Maide of Kent, I wil shortly rehearse hir tragedie, and thus it was.

ABout the time of Easter in the seauententh yéer of the raigne of K. Henry the eight, it hapned a certaine mayden named Elizabeth Barton, then seruaunt to one Thomas Kob of the parishe of Aldington, twelue miles distant from Canterburie in the Countie of Kent, to be touched with a great infirmitie in hir body, which did ascēd [Page] at diuerse times vp into hir throate, and swelled greatly, during the time wherof, she séemed to be in grieuous payne, in so much as a man would haue thought, that shée had suffered the panges of deathe it selfe, vntill the disease descended, and fell downe into the bodie againe.

Thus she continued by fits the space of seauen monethes and more: and at the laste in the moneth of Nouember (at which time also a yong childe of hir maisters lay desperately sicke in a Cradle by hir) she being vexed with the former disease,The beginning of hir diuinations, and yet a troth by chaunce. asked (with greate paynes and groaning) whether the childe were yet departed this life or no: and when the women whiche attended vpon them both in their sicknesse, aunswered no, she replyed that it should anone: which worde was no soonrr vttered, but the childe fetched a great sigh and withal, the soule departed out of the bodie. This hir diuination and foretelling, was the first matter, that moued hyr hearers to admiration: But after this, in sundrie of hir fits following, although she séemed to the beholders to ly as stil as a deade bodie (not mouing any part at all) as well in the traunces themselues as other the panges passed also, shée tolde playnely of diuerse things done at Church, and other places, where she was not present, which neuerthelesse shée séemed (by signes proceeding from hir) moste liuelye to beholde (as it were) with hir eye. She tolde also of Heauen,Things before taught hir by hir cōfederates Hel, and Purgatorie, and of the ioyes and sorrowes, that sundrye departed Soules hadde, and suffered there. She spake frankely againste corruption of manners and euill life.

She exhorted to repayre to the church, hearing of Masse, confession to Priestes, prayer to our Lady, and Saincts, and to be shorte, made in all pointes, confession, and confirmation of the Popishe Créede, and Catechisme, and that so deuoutely and discréetely (in the opinion of the Recorder of this Historie) that he thought it not possible for hir to speak in that manner.The marke she shotte at.

[Page]But amongst other things, this one was euer muche in hir mouth, that Here beganne the Pageant. she would go home, and that she had bene at home, whereas (to vnderstanding of the standers by) she had neuer béene from home, nor from the place where she lay: wherevppon being (in the time of another traunce) demaunded where that home was, she aunswered, Here beganne the Pageant. where she sawe and heard the ioyes of heauen, where Saincte Michael weyed soules, where Saincte Peter carried the keyes, and where she hir selfe had the companye of our Lady at Courte of streete, and had heartilye besoughte hir to heale hir disease, who also hadde commaunded hir, to offer vnto hir a Taper in hir Chappel there, and to declare boldly to all Christian people, that oure Ladye of Courte of Streete had reléeued hir from the very point of death:

A sweete preparatiue to to a newe Pilgrimage.

A lye at first dash, for there were no belles in the steeple.

and that hir pleasure was, that it should be rong for a miracle.

A sweete preparatiue to to a newe Pilgrimage.

A lye at first dash, for there were no belles in the steeple.

Which words when hir maister heard, he said that there were no Belles at that chappel,A ready aunswere. wherevnto the mayden answeared nothing, but the voyce that spake in hir procéeded, saying. Our blessed Ladye will shewe moe miracles there shortly, for if any depart this life sodainely, or by mischance in deadly sinne, if he be vowed to our Ladie hartily, he shall be restored to life againe, to receiue shrifte and housel, and after to depart this world with Gods blessing. She was informed immediately after dinner, of the best dishe that the Hermite shoulde haue to supper. Besides this, she tolde them what meate the Heremyte of that Chappel of our Ladie at Court of streete had to his supper, and manye other things concerning him, whereat they maruelled greatly.

And from that time foreward, she resolued with hir selfe, to go to Courte of streete, and there to pray and offer to our Lady: whiche also she did accordinglye, and was there delayde of hir cure for a certayne season, but yet (in the meane tyme) put in assured hope of recouerie. Duryng whyche meane whyle, the fame of thys marueylous Mayden was so spreade abroade, that it came to the eares of Warham the Archbyshoppe of Canterburye, who [Page] directed thither Doctor Bocking, Mayster Hadleigh, and Barnes, thrée Monkes of Christes Churche in Canterburie, father Lewes and his fellowe, two obseruant Friers, his Official of Canterburie, and the Parson of Aldington, with commission to examine the matter, and to enforme him of the truth.Papacie hydeth Treason, and aduāceth Traytours. These men apposed hir of the chiefe poyntes of the Popish beléefe, and finding hir sound therin, not onely waded no further in the discouerie of the fraude, but gaue it great countenance, and ioyned with hir in the setting forth of the same: so that at hir next voyage to oure Lady of Court of streete, she entred the Chappell with Aue Regina Coelorum in pricksong, accompanyed with these Commissioners, many Ladyes, Gentlemen, and Gentlewomen of the best degrée, and thrée thousande persons besides of the common sort of people (as my Authour sayth.) There fell she eftsoones into a maruellous passion before the Image of our Lady,The weake mayde is nowe a strong hypocrite. much like a body diseased with the falling Euill, in the whiche, she vttered sundry metricall and riming spéeches, tending to the worship of oure Lady of Court of streete (whose Chappell there she wished shuld be better maynteyned, and to be furnished with a dayly singing Priest) tending also to hir owne bestowing in some Religious house (for such (sayde she) was our Ladyes pleasure) and to the aduancement of the credite of suche fayned myracles as the Authour héereof reporteth.

This done, and vnderstoode to the Archbishop, she was by him appoynted to Sainct Sepulchres, a house of Nonnes in Canterburie, where she laboured sundry times of hir disease, and continued hir wonted working of miracles, resorting often (by way of trance only) to our Lady of Court of streete, who also ceassed not to shew hirselfe mightie in operation there Miracles in shew and not in deede, as shall be shewed how in the end of this story. lighting Candles without fire, moystning womens breasts, that before were drie and wanted Milke, restoring all sortes of sicke to perfect health, reducing the dead to life againe, and finally, doing all good to all [Page] such as were measured, and vowed (as the maner was) vnto hir, at Court of streete.

Thus Elizabeth Barton was aduanced from the condition of a base seruante, to the state of a glorious Nonne: The Hermite of Court of streete was enriched by dayly offering:She was made a Nonne, you see the cause why. Sainct Sepulchres gotte the possession of a holy Mayden: God was blasphemed: the holy Uirgin hys Mother mishonored: the sillie people were miserably mocked: the Bishops, Priestes, and Monkes in the meane time, with closed eyes wincked, and the Deuill and his limmes with open mouth laughed at it.

And thus the matter stoode sundry yeares togyther, vntill at length the holy Mayden (not contenting hir selfe within hir former boundes of hipocrisie) stepped into matters whyche touched the Kings Maiestie Henry the eyght of immortall memorie, and the state of the Realme, so déepely and so peruersely, as tended to the ouerthrow of all togyther, as commonly the Popes practises doe: wherevpon by his highnesse commaundement, hir doings were once agayne examined (not by men giuen ouer to beléeue illusions,Hipocrisie is found out, whē sinceritie pursueth hir. but by suche as had the prudent power of prouing Sprightes,) and then was manifestly founde, apparantly proued, and by the offenders themselues confessed, that the weakenesse of the Mayden, and the rigour of hir infirmitie at firste, caused hir to speake in the time of hir trance she knew not what (as familiarly we sée many sicke folkes in the extremitie of their sicknesse do) and that Richard Mayster Clearke,Ri. Mayster was the man which told hir what shoulde be done at the Church and Hermitage alwayes before hande. Parson of Aldington aforesayd, did persuade hir, and brought hir in beléefe, that the maruellous wordes which she spake in hir trance, procéeded of the inspiration of the holy ghost, and that she was greatly to be blamed, if she woulde hide, or dissemble the wonderfull workes of God shewed in hir: for afore thys his sayde instruction, she sayde constantly, that she coulde not remember, that shée spake anye suche notable wordes in hir trances as was [Page] reported to hir by the sayde Richarde Mayster, but after that instruction, she not alonely founde courage to forge, fayne, and counterfet suche maner of traunces, and craftie spéeches, as the sayde Parson tolde hir that she vsed in hyr sicknesse, but also imagined what mighte best serue the turne of hir, and hir confederates,Now waxed she cunning. and that would she in dissimuled traunces vtter, and what she vttered, that woulde they delyuer abroade as verities reuealed by the holy Ghost: and at last, by the counsell of Edwarde Bocking Monke, professed in the Monasterie of Christes Churche in Canterburie, and Doctor of Diuinitie, the sayde Elizabeth séeming to be in the extasie and extremitie of hir sicknesse, in a maner distract in a trance, sayde amongst other wonderfull wordes, that she should neuer take health of hir bodye, tyll suche tyme as she had visited the image of oure Lady, being in the Chappell of Court at streete aforesayde: and that oure Lady appéered vnto hir, and shewed hir, that if she came to the sayd Chappell at the daye to hir appoynted,Another lye, for she was not healed at hir comming, nor at all by miracle, but by Phisicke, as appeareth in the Statute Anno. 25▪ Henrici. 8. she should be restored to hir healthe by miracle (where in déede she was before that restored to hir perfect healthe by dyet and Phisicke, and by the course of nature, whyche expelled the matter béeyng cause of hir sicknesse in the meane times, whyles the sayde Parson of Aldington was with the sayde Archbishop of Canterburie in aduancing hyr credite as aforesayd: wherevpon, the sayde Edwarde Bocking, and Richarde Mayster, councelled and procured the sayde Elizabeth to be broughte and conueyd to the sayde Chappell of our Lady, and there openly in the presence of the people (whiche were aboue two thousande persons) she vsed and experimented suche lyke traunces and alterations of hir face, & other the outward sensible parts of hir body,This lye wrought wonders by the help of hir ghostly father. as she vsed in the extremitie & extasie of hir said sicknes: she declared that she then & there receiued hir health by miracle of our Lady, whose image was in ye said Chappel, and that it was the pleasure of God, that the saide Edward Bocking [Page] should be hir ghostly father, and that she shoulde be a Religious woman, as she was taught by the sayd Edward Bocking, and R. Maister. And within a while after the demonstration of such false, feyned, and dissimuled traunces, she appeared to the people to be suddaynely reuealed from hyr sicknesse and afflictions, by the intercession and meanes of the Image of oure Lady, being in the same Chappell, A dead blacke made a liue woman, as the blinde man receyued his sight by miracle at S. Albanes. by meanes of whiche false feyned hypocrisie, dissimuled and cloked sanctitie, so conspired, and craftily ymagined by the sayd Edward Bocking, and Richard Maister, the sayde Elizabeth was broughte into a maruellous fame, credite, and good opinion of a greate multitude of people of thys Realme. And to encrease the fame of the saide false feyned hypocryte, the sayd Elizabeth afterwardes, by the councell and procurement of the sayd Edward Bocking, entred into the religion, and became a Nonne professed in the sayde Priorie of Saint Sepulchres The holy Nonne scarce honest. to whome the sayde Edwarde Bocking had commonly his resorte, not without probable, vehemente, and violente suspition of incontinencie, pretending to be hir ghostly father by Gods appoyntmente, and by conspiracie twixte him and hir, caused hir still to persist and abide in the practising of hir saide false hypocrisie, and dissimuling traunces and raptes, and that she shuld surmise to the people, that when she was in such dissimuled alteration of hir sensible partes of hir body Blasphemy. that she was then rapt by Almighty God, from the affections of this worlde, and told by the holy spirit of God, many things that should follow to the world, for punishmente of sinnes of the Princes and the people. And that she shoulde saye, that she was muche prouoked and tempted, as well to the sinne of the fleshe,She felt hir selfe a woman, yet honest ynough she sayth. as otherwise, by hir ghostly Enimie the Deuill, at diuers and sundry times, in diuers and sundry fashions, and yet neuerthelesse, that she by the grace of God was preserued, and stedfastly resisted such temptations. By occasion of whiche counsell and procuremente of the sayde Edwarde [Page]Bocking, the sayde Elizabeth by continuance of time, toke such a courage vpon hir, that she falsely fayned, and sayde that she had many reuelations of Almighty God and hys Sainctes, wyth heauenly lightes, heauenly voyces, heauenly melodyes and ioyes, and specially in a Chappell of Saint Giles in the sayde Nonnerie,Sweete pastime in S. Giles his Chappell in the night time. to the which Chappell she oftentimes resorted, to receyue visions and reuelations, as commanded by God (as she falsely reported) and specially by nighte, saying, that the Dorture dore was made open vnto hir by Gods power, vttering the same as well to the sayde Edwarde Bocking, as diuers other persons, by which hir false feyned reuelations, and cloked hypocrisie, she was reputed amongst diuers people of this Realme, to be a very holy woman enspired with God, where indéede she had neuer vision or reuelation from God, as she hathe playnely and openly confessed hir selfe. And therefore hir stealing forth of the Dorture by night (which was once or twice wéekelie) was not for spirituall businesse,I beleeue heerein she sayd true. nor to receyue reuelations of God, but rather for bodily communication and pleasure with hir sayd ghostly father, and other hir friends, which coulde not haue so good leysure and oportunitie with hir by day. And for a perpetuall memorie of the sayd fayned and dissimuled hipocrisie, and false reuelations of the sayd Elizabeth, the sayd Edward Bocking, Richard Mayster, and Iohn Diring a Monke in the sayd Monasterie of Christes Church aforesayde, made, writte, and caused to be written sundry Bookes both greate and small, both Printed and written, concerning the particularities of the sayde false and feyned hipocrisie and reuelations of the sayde Elizabeth, or the defence or greate prayse of the same, amongst the which, one Pamphlet, conteyning foure and twentie leaues (penned I wote not by what doltish dreamer) Printed by Robert Redman, entituled, A maruellous worke of late done at Courte of streete in Kente, and published (as is pretended) to the deuoute people of that[Page]time, for their spirituall consolation, was one, in the whych was founde the very firste beginning to haue bin as aforesayde, so farre as the premisses tende any thing at all to the credit of the sayd Elizabeth Barton: but the rest amōgst a number more, were founde out by the greate wisedome of the sayde late Kyng HENRIE, and hys politique Counselloures, for the better safegard of the sayde King, and tranquilitie of hys Realme and Subiectes, the subuersion and destruction of the whyche,The marke whiche the Pope and Papistes did, and do shoote at to ouerthrow. was all that thys feyned hypocrisie pretended, of the whyche I will yet rehearse a Pageante or two more, and make an ende.

There is further amongst the sayde false and feyned reuelations (surmised by the sayde Elizabeth, and put in writing in dyuers Bookes, by the false conspiracie, meanes, and procurement of the sayde Edwarde Bocking, Richarde Mayster, The Deuill did often visit hir. Iohn Dering, and other their complices) expressed, that the Deuill shoulde appeare to the sayde Elizabeth in dyuers fashions, sometimes lyke a man wantonly apparelled, sometymes lyke a Birde deformed, and sometime otherwise: and that Mary Magdalene shoulde often appeare to the sayde Elizabeth, and reueale to hir many reuelations, and at one tyme, shoulde delyuer to hir a Letter written in Heauen,The Angell which brought the writing to Pope Leo from Heauen, brought this to the holy Mayde of Kent. parte whereof was limned wyth golden letters, where in déede the selfesame Letters were written by the hande of a Monke of Saincte Augustines in Canterburie, named Hawkherst, and so approued and confessed.

There was also written, and conteyned amongst the sayde false and feyned myracles and reuelations, that when the Kings hyghnesse was at Caleys, in the enteruiew betwéene hys Maiestie and the Frenche Kyng, and hearing Masse in the Churche of our Lady at Caleys, that God was so displeased wyth the Kings highnesse, that hys [Page] grace saw not in the tyme of the Masse the blessed Sacramente in forme of bread,Good subiects I warrant you. for it was taken away from the Priest (béeyng at Masse) by an Angell, and ministred to the sayde Elizabeth, béeyng there presente and inuisible, and suddaynely conueyed agayne, and rapt thence by the power of God into the saide Nonnerie,The woonted guise of the Pope againste such Princes as aduance the Gospell of Christ. where she is professed, with many other false feyned fables and tales, deuised, conspired, and defended by the sayd Elizabeth, and hir sayde accomplices, to the vtter reproche and perill of destruction of the Kings person, his honoure, name, and fame, meaning thereby to bring hys Maiestie into a grudge, and euill opinion of hys people, and so to cause a generall insurrection, to the vtter subuersion of this noble Realme.

But God, whiche holdeth the enimie of Man, and Prince of darkenesse, the Deuill hymselfe, and father of falsehode, in suche compasse, as he can not passe one heares breadth beyonde hys limittes, checketh nowe the reine of these most wicked imaginations, in suche sorte, as they are quite ouerthrowne in theyr owne deuises, maugre the Pope, and all theyr Popishe comforters, and accordyng to due deserte, euerie offendour punished, as the qualitie of theyr offence deserued: for euery deuice was deciphered, the hipocrite and hyr comforters bewrayed, the deceyued people fullie satisfyed, these daungerous deceyuers worthily executed, and the Deuill their mayster quite and cleane confounded, and that triumphant King HENRIE the eyght, lyued and raigned many yeares after in hys regall Throne, wyth greate conquest ouer hys Enimies, and to the vtter ouerthrowe of the Pope hymselfe, and all suche false Dreamers, and dyed the Seruante of GOD in fayre age, when it pleased the Almightie to ende hys fatall file, in perfite memorie, and quiete deathe, and leafte [Page] behynde hym, amongst other his famous Children, oure dredde and soueraigne Lady Queene ELIZABETH, to treade downe the Pope, and all hys Papisticall▪ and phantasticall practises, and to rule and directe thys hyr Realme, and hyr louing subiectes thereof, in the righte and true Religion of oure Sauioure Iesus Christe, wyth suche quietnesse in gouernemente, and suche defence from forrayne foes, as no man liuing hathe séene, nor any Chronicle recordeth the lyke, wherein I beséech the Lorde long to continue hir, to the glory of GOD, and ouerthrow of Antechrist.

And now to the merrie miracles of the holy Mayde of Kent.

BY protestation first I warne thée note,

Some Papist Priest bewitched in the Pope,

By cunning help did make this craftie coate

To hide the troth, and had or was in hope,

To haue therfore the custodie and gayne

Of some lewde Sainct, to counteruayle his payne.

And gayne thou knowst will make the carelesse man

To stretch a string, and countermand a truth,

And Papistes do, and haue done what they can

By Masking meanes, to bring this Realme to ruth.

What lets them then to make or sell a lye,

So they themselues haue secret gayne thereby?

But yet I thinke he was a merrie man,

For euery wonder bréedes a prettie iest,

Of which my selfe so playnely as I can

Will shew thée part, gesse thou but at the rest:

For tempted sore the Mayden saith she was,

And Women weake must sometime yéelde alas.

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¶ The first Miracle. Candels vvere lighted vvithout fire.Sainst Giles Chappel.

THe Candle ment is euen hir tender hart

Which Edward Bocking set on flaming fire,

For he must play the ghostly fathers part,

And shrift was such, as they did both desire.

The place was apt, they toke their times by night.

I thinke I haue resolvde this riddle right.

¶ The seconde Miracle. Womens brestes vvere moystned, vvhich before were drie and wanted milke.

The Lady which at VValsingham did stande,

Had grace also to worke the like effect:

The Ladie of VValsingham and the holye Mayde had vertue alike.

For in hir time a thousand in this lande.

Did séeke to hir that sicknesse to correct,

And séeking founde, and had their ful desier:

By Pylgrisme, Priest, by Monke, or else by Frier.

¶The thirde Miracle. The sicke vvere restored to perfect helth.

It followeth still to ratifie the same,

The breast hath milke, which else had stil bene drie,

Such women then had greatly bin to blame

If they praisde not their Pilgrimage pardie,

The cause wherof was not to gather welth,

But for to haue, which there they had, their health.

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¶The fourth Miracle. The dead vvas restored to life.

The pensiue soule, which was ful sad at home,

And dead through care, by meanes of watching eye:

Did by this cloke abrode, as Pilgrysme rome,

And found the mate, which in the hart did lye.

And thus, the harte which was starke deade before,

To life againe this Mayden did restore.

¶ The fifth and last Miracle. Finally, al good vvas done to those vvhich were measured and vowed to hir in Courte of Streete.

The vowe and measure made to hir you sée,

Did neuer fayle to finde a perfect méede,

For mayde, or wife, or widdowe that it bée,

That cōmes to hir, are certaine for to spéede:

The well of life so mightily did spring,

As they were spedde in euery kinde of thing.

If she were wife, hir husband was not sad,

That barren bedde had brought him forth a childe:

The wanton wife could laugh with hart as glad,

To sée the man so willingly beguilde:

The Widowe and the Mayde cannot mis [...]éeke,

Since they do finde the very thing they séeke.

And where before they serued but for droyle,

Hereby they finde a much more better lucke,

They lay aside their labour and their toyle,

And sit ful soft to giue an infant sucke:

A thousand ways yong women may do wursse,

Than change their toyle, to be a Merchaunts nursse.

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And thus, all good you sée was fully done,

To those were vowde and measured to hir,

The riddle is resolude, thou néedst not runne

A further course, nor once thy compasse stir,

An Oracle to finde of more effect,

For troth is troth, and voyde of all suspect.

FINIS.

§

§

THe reasons which leade me to this construction of ye premises, are great, and manye, which are euident to euery man, that mindeth to see the same, for who so will bestowe the laboure to reade the statute, made Anno 25. Henrici octaui, intituled, An act concerning the attainder of Elizabeth Barton and others, whiche vnder coloure of Hipocrisie, dissimuled Sanctitie, and false fained Miracles, trayterously intende to destroy our soueraigne Lorde the King, and to depriue him of his Realme and dignitie royall. Cap. 12. shall sée such abhominable practises done vnder pretence of sanctitie, as were to much to be expressed here. And peraduenture, such as will plainely leade him to further cō structions, than here were comely to expresse: for surely (except the life of Saint Dominicke, which is in Legenda aurea, wherein is expressed both the cure and manner of curation of a yong Nonne, so beastly as would loath any honest eare to heare) I did neuer heare any thing, that was more abhominable, nor further repugned the lawes of God and nature, than the life and practises of this abhominable Nonne, whiche for humanitie sake I ceasse further to write off, knowing that I am alreadie tedious herein, as well to the Catholicall Christian, as to the preposterous Papist.

Thus haue I passed ouer eche thing promised in the contentes of this Pamphlet, sauing certaine Letters inuectiues against the Pope, which now shal be performed by Gods grace, although for ye better introduction therof, I am [Page] driuen to enter commons with Pope Boniface, called for his vertue sake, the eight Nero. And thus it is.

Pope Boniface was worthilye called the eight Nero: of whom it is rightly saide, he came in like a Foxe, he raigned like a Lion, and died like a dogge. For succéeding, or rather inuading after Celestinus, he behaued himself so imperously, that he put down Princes, and excommunicated kings, such as did not take their confirmation at his hande. Diuers of his Cardinals he droue awaye for feare, some of them as Schismatikes he deposed, and spoyled them of all their substaunce. Phillip the Frenche king he excommunicated, for not suffering his money to go out of the Realme, and therfore cursed both his and him, to the fourth generation. Albertus the Emperour not once or twice, but thrice soughte at his handes to be confirmed, and yet was reiected, neither could obtayn, vnlesse he would promise to driue the French king out of his Realme. The factious discorde in Italye, betwéene the Guelphes, and Gibellines, whiche the parte of a good Bishop had ben to extinct,A good consideration. so little he helped to quenche the smoke, that he of all other was chiefest firebrande to increase the flame: In so much, that vpon Ashe weadensdaye, when Porchetus an Archbishoppe came and knéeled downe before him to receiue his Ashes, Pope Boniface looking vpon him, and perceyuing that he was one of the Gibellines parte, cast his handfull of Ashes in his eyes saying: Memento homo quòd Gibellinus es &c That is, remember man that a Gebelline thou arte, and to ashes thou shalte goe. This Pope moreouer ordeined first the Iubiley in Rome, in the solemnizing whereof, the first day he shewed himselfe in his Pontificalibus, and gaue frée remission of sinnes to as manye as came to Rome out of all the partes of the world. The seconde day (being arrayed with imperial insig [...]es) he commaunded a naked sworde to be carried before him, and sayde wyth a loude voyce, Ecce potestatem vtriusque gladij: That is, loe here the power and aucthoritie of both the swordes. &c.

[Page]By this sayde Pope Boniface, diuerse constitutions extrauagants of his predecessors, were collected togither, wyth many of his owne newly added thereto, and so made the booke called Sextus decretalium. &c. By whome also firste sprang vp pardons and indulgences from Rome.

These things thus premised of Boniface the Pope, nowe will I come to the cause of the strife betwéene him and the French King: concerning which matter, first I finde in the historie of Nicholas Triuet, that in the yeare of our Lord. 13 [...]1. the Bishop of Oppanaham, being accused for a conspiracie against the French King, was brought vp to his Course, and so committed to prison. The Pope hearing this, sendeth worde to the king by his Legate, to set him at libertie. The Frenche king not daring to the contrarie, looseth the Bishop: but when he had done, he discharged both the Bishoppe and the Legate, commaunding them to auoyde his realme. Wherevpon Pope Boniface reuoketh al the graces & priuileges graūted either by him or his predecessours before to ye kingdome of Frāce: also, not long after, thundreth out the sentence of his curse against him. And moreouer he citeth al the prelates, al diuines, and lawyers both ciuil & common, to appeare personally before him at Rome, at a certaine day, which was the firste of Nouember. Against thys citation, the king againe prouideth, and commaundeth by streyght proclamation, that no manner of person should export out of the realme of Fraunce, eyther golde or siluer, or any other maner of ware or Merchandise, vpon forfeyting all their goods, and their bodies at the kings pleasure: prouiding withall, that the wayes and passages were so diligently kept, that none might passe vnsearched. Ouer and besides that, the sayd French king did defeyte the Pope, in giuing and bestowing prebends and benefices, and other ecclesiasticall liuings, otherwayes than stoode with the Popes profite. For the which cause, the Pope writeth to the foresayd king, in forme and effect as followeth.

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Boniface, Bishop and seruant to Gods seruants, to his vvelbeloued sonne Philip, by the grace of God King of Fraunce, greeting and Apostolicall blessing.

BOniface the seruaunt of Gods seruaunts, &c. Feare God, & obserue his commandements. We will thée to vnderstande, that thou arte subiecte to vs, both in spirituall and temporall things, and that no gift of benefices or prebends belongeth vnto thée: and if thou haue the kéeping of any being vacant, that thou reserue the profites of them to the successors: But if thou haste giuen any, we iudge the gifte to be voide, and call backe, howe farre soeuer thou haste gone forwarde. And whosoeuer beléeueth otherwise, we iudge them Heretikes.

Vnto which letter of the Pope, King Philip maketh aunsvvere againe in manner and order as followeth, which is thus:

Phillip by the grace of God King of Fraunce, to Boniface not in deedes, behauing himselfe for Pope, little friendshippe or none. TO Boniface bearing himselfe for chiefe Bishop, little health or none.

Let thy foolishnesse know, that in temporall things, we are subiect to no man, & that the giftes of prebendes, & many benefices, made, and to be made by vs, were and shall be good, both in time past, and to come: And that we wil defend manfully the possessors of the said benefices: and we thinke them that beléeue or thinke otherwise, fooles and mad men.

Giuen at Paris this Wednesdaye after Candlemasse. Anno▪ 1301.

[Page] ¶ Thus muche for Fraunce I haue thoughte sufficient to expresse, althoughe there are more to finde, and common to euerye viewe. And nowe for SCOTLANDE, I will only set downe an Oration made by a Scottishe Byshop to the King of Scottes, 373. yeares since, in these wordes.

HOwe be it sundrie things presentely occurreth, which affrayeth me to shew such maters as are preiudial to the common wealth (yet most noble Prince) when I consider thy humanitie, fayth, & constancie, giuen to nothing more, than defence and welth of thy lieges, I cannot ceasse for the action of common libertie, to shewe the sooth. For sithens the tyrannie is intollerable, which is exercised by Kings or Princes descending of lineal succession to their kinglie heritage: much more is the tyrannie insufferable, when it is exercised on vs by men of vile and obscure linage. Therfore if the sundry and manifest wrongs done to vs these many yéeres by-gon, had come by the Popes mind, they were to be suffred in some maner. But sithens līmers of vile & obscure linage, which are promoted to benefices for their horrible vices, haue not only interdicted our realme without any cōmission, but haue spēded in their corrupt vices, the money that they gathered in our countrey by the Popes authoritie, for raysing of armies against the Turks, I think their cursed auarice should haue no further place amongst true people, specially amongst vs, bicause they haue our simplicities and méeknesse in conteption. Thrée yeares passed ye complained the iniuries done by Cardinal Guallo, when he held your realme interdicted, and many of all your Prelates vnder curssing, bicause they woulde not aunswere him money to susteyne his lustes. Moreouer, this Guallo was so perillous a fountaine of all iniquitie and vice, that howe be it he was sente to treate concorde betwixt Englishmen and Scottes, yet by his [...]uarice he gaue such occasion of battayle, as both the realmes [Page] (had not their hatred bene the more hastily pacifie [...] inuaded ech other to their vtter destruction. And sith [...] these things be apparant, what néedeth them to be remembred, to your displesure? Moreouer, after we wer exonerate of Guallo, came in his place another Legate, of no better life but rather worse: For when he had gotten large money for redemption of prisoners, and raysing of newe armies againste the Turkes, he spendeth it all in his insolence, and fayned that it was stolne by théeues and briggens. Therefore sithence we haue experience of so many wicked and heauye damagies done to vs, by these two Legates afore rehearsed, we shal be reputed miscreant fooles to admitte the third. For it is not to be beléeued, that this newe Legate shal be of better conditions than his fellowes were before. And if anye man shal demaunde me what is to be done in this matter, I say, neyther this Legate, nor yet any other Legate in time comming, shoulde be receyued within this realme, bycause the same is heriot and wasted of money by their continuall exactions. If any of you haue superfluous money, you maye rather dispose it to poore folke▪ than to such corrupted vse of vicious Legats. Finally, these wordes are so apprysed by ye counsell, that this Legate was not admitted, to come within the realme of Scotlande.

King Alexander the thirde woulde not receiue the Legate of Pope Clement the fourth within his realme, but commaunded to shew his message on the borders. He would not receiue certaine statutes made by him in his voyage, right profitable for the gouernance of the Scots, to whome king Alexander aunswered, The Scots would not receiue any statutes but such as were commaunded by the generall counsell. For aye the more precepts sayde he be giuen, the more transgressors be founde. Anno. 1271.

[Page] Thus in what estimation the Scottes (this long agoe) held the Pope and his Legates, this short Oration sufficiently sheweth. And nowe of Englande.

IN the .xxix. yeare of the raigne of King Edwarde the first, in a certaine declaration made against Pope Boniface the eyght, by a singular learned man, these words amōgst other were vttered. ‘I propounde also (saith he) that ye said Boniface is wrapt in infinite manifest heynous sinnes: his mouth is full of cursing: his féete and steppes are swifte to shedde bloud: he vtterly teareth in péeces the Churches which he ought to cherish, wasting wickedlie the goodes of the poore, and making much of wicked men that giue hym rewards, persecuting the righteous, and among the people, not gathering, but scattering, bringing in new sectes of destruction that haue not bin heard of, blaspheming the way of truth, and by robberie, thinking himselfe equall to the Lorde Iesus Christe, which is blessed for euer. And beyng most couetous, thirsteth for golde, coueteth golde, and by some deuise, getteth golde of euery people, and vtterly not regarding the worshipping of God, with feyned wordes, sometime by flattering, sometimes by threatning, sometimes by false teaching, and all to get money withall, hée maketh merchandise of vs all, enuying all things but hys owne, louing no man, nourishing warre, persecuting and hating the peace of his Subiectes. He is rooted in all vnspeakeable sinnes, a contrarie and strife againste all the wayes and doctrines of the Lord. He is truly the abhomination of the people, whiche Daniell the Lords Prophete described. Therefore I answere, that lawes, weapons, and all the Elements ought to arise againste him, whiche thus ouerthroweth the state of the Churche, for whose sinnes, [Page] God plagueth the whole worlde. And finallye, nothing remayneth to him being so vnsatiable, to satisfie him withall, but onely the vnsatiable mouth of Hell, and the fire whiche cannot be quenched, continuing for euer.’

And thus (gentle Reader) saying as Pasquillus sayd:

Roma vale, vidi, satis est vidisse: reuertar.

Quum leno, aut meretrix, scurra. cinoedus ero.

Which may be thus Englished:

Oh Rome farewell, the sights I see suffize: Ile backe again.

But whē I wil be baud, or whore, or scolde, thine am I then.

I take my leaue of thée, and of all these auntient matters, and pray thée to holde the same opinion of Rome, whiche Fryer Mantuan, a Poet of later time helde, and properly vttered in these two verses following, viz.

Si quid Roma dabit, nugas dabit, accipit aurum,

Verba dat. Heu Romae nunc sola pecunia regnat.

In English thus:

If Rome yeeld aught, they are but toyes, she taketh glistring golde

For words: alas, Rome nowe by coyne, hir royall raigne doth hold

And amongst those gifts of Rome, I will for thy farewell yéeld thée one more of the Popes benefits, which perchance may pleasure thée, if thou neuer vse it. It is forsooth a medicine to staunch bloud by words. And I wil tell thée howe thou shalt come best cheap by it: but first to ye wordes, whiche are these: L [...]ngius miles perforauit Lancea ✚ latus Christi, & continuo ✚ exiuit sanguu redemptionis ✚ et aqua baptismatis ✚ In nomine Domini cessat sanguu iste ✚ In nomine spiritus sancti amen ✚ and after say S. Ihons Gospell: In principis erat verbum, & verbum erat apud Deum, & Deus erat verbum &c: and this wil suffize, so thou do it in order, wherein I wil tel thée thy readiest & beste cheape waye, bycause I sée thou arte affected.

[Page]Turne backe againe to the place in this booke, where the Popes wares are desciphered, and vnder the number of 10. thou shalte finde an. Agnus Dei which is hollow, that must be bought (get it as good cheape as thou canst, for I wil haue nothing for my counsell) then muste thou gette written in fine parchment or paper by the hande of some deuout religious man, the Gospell of S. Iohn, and ye charme aforesaide, but take héede that he be well contented for his labour, or else it auaileth not. This writing muste he put into the Agnus Dei, and close it vp againe, and weare it about thy ne [...]ke by a string of purple or crymson silke: and so soone as thy nose bléedeth, clap it to the Gospell, and then if it bléede, trust me no more. Vale.

Conclusio.

We see the bird ful braue abroad, and free from euery ill,

Is brought to baine through Fowlers fraude by sweete [...]co [...]ding quill:

The hony harlots sugred speach so snares the minde of man,

As wisest wits, in wantons webbe, is tangled nowe and than.

Bur beaten fishe can safely swimme, and by a piercing looke

Foresee the fraud of fishers [...]rie, and shunne both bayte & hooke.

So he that stirs his beaten ba [...]ke, by compasse, carde, and skill,

At laste obtaines his wished porte, & holds himself harmlesse stil.

No fish nor fowle by craft nor skill, nor youth by female fraudes

Haue bin deceivde, as al the world hath bin by Romish gaudes.

An apple or an egge, may call a child to Butchers boule,

The Pope by baggage, beads, and buls, hath bittē many a soule,

His blyssyngs e [...]st haue made vs blyth, who hath not feard his curse,

His buzzing bees haue bleard our eies, whiles falshod fild their purse.

What Diuel bewitched worldly wits, yt none estate could scape,

But gaue their goodes (as if it were) for mowing of an Ape.

Nay worse, for happy had we bin, if none but coine were lost:

We left our God and folowed Baal, & bought ye Diuel with cost.

Shake off therefore this costly course, and bea [...]en nowe beware,

Of fisher, fouler, foxe or Diuell, the Pope hath craftiest snare.

Foresee therefore in time, his Cha [...]ibdes and his Scill,

The compasse of the worde of God auoydes the daungers still:

And brings thy beaten barke, from storms to port in perf [...]e test,

Where through the bloud of Iesus Christ, his saincts for aye arc blest.

To which, when yt our noble Q. hath livde the age of No [...]

And beaten & quite conquered Baal: God sēd hi [...] soule with ioy.

And graunt eche subiect still to see, that vnder Chris [...]i [...] earth,

For England is no supreame head, but Queene Elizab [...]th.

[...]end loyaltie and loue in al, confound hir foes, and [...]en

[...]hall Babilon be ouerthrowen: which [...] gra [...] oh God. Amen.

FINIS.

B.G.

[Page]

[...]

[Page]

[...]

Alia Conclusio.

[Page]

THe wādring wight that succour seekes in dāgers deep distresse,

As Hecuba when greedy Greekes did ransackt Troy possesse,

Is fayne to try such foraigne friends, as league of former loue

Yeeldes cause to trust, but fortune lends, to glad, & spoiles to proue,

For in the end yong Polidore, King Priams sonne was slayne

By fathers friende, wo worth therefore the loue that lokes for gayne.

Then England seeke thy Prince t'obey, and aske no foraigne ayde,

Shake off in time the shauelings sway, whome truth hath nowe bewrayd,

The Qu. by nature, law, & right, vpholds hir royal crowne,

Whose grace & mercy mixt with might, hath won so large renowne

That Subiects true do deeme them sure, that foes are forst to quake,

Change Bulles for blysse, from doctrine pure, run not to Lerna lake.

FINIS.

ꝙ B.G.

Certaine of the Popes Merchandize lately sent ouer into Englande.

[Page]

[Page]

1

Superlatare

2

3

4

4

5

Bulla

6

Bauarie granum benedictum.

7

8

9

9

10

10

11

POSITVS IN MEDIO O VO ME VERTARNESCIO

ST NICHOLAVS

CRISTESIS M [...]ROPITIVS

MARIA SIS MIHI PROPITIA

12

13

14

15

INNO CENTIVS pp. 1111

15

SPASPE

Information about this book

Title statement

A newyeares gifte dedicated to the Popes Holinesse, and all Catholikes addicted to the Sea of Rome: preferred the first day of Ianuarie, in the yeare of our Lorde God, after the course and computation of the Romanistes, one thousand, fiue hundreth, seauentie and nine, by B.G. citizen of London: in recompence of diuers singular and inestimable reliques, of late sent by the said Popes Holinesse into England, the true figures and representations whereof, are heereafter in their places dilated.

B. G. (Bernard Garter)

Edition statement

1579

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2004-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A01507

ID [STC]

STC 11629

ID [STC]

ESTC S102867

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99838629

ID [PROQUEST]

99838629

ID [VID]

3014

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Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A01507)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 3014)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 294:11)

Source

— A newyeares gifte dedicated to the Popes Holinesse, and all Catholikes addicted to the Sea of Rome: preferred the first day of Ianuarie, in the yeare of our Lorde God, after the course and computation of the Romanistes, one thousand, fiue hundreth, seauentie and nine, by B.G. citizen of London: in recompence of diuers singular and inestimable reliques, of late sent by the said Popes Holinesse into England, the true figures and representations whereof, are heereafter in their places dilated., B. G. (Bernard Garter), Tunstall, Cuthbert, 1474-1559. Letter written by Cutbert Tunstall late Byshop of Duresme, and Iohn Stokesley somtime Byshop of London., Stokesley, John, 1475?-1539., Googe, Barnabe, 1540-1594..

Extent

[104] p., folded plate

Printed by Henry Bynneman,. At London :: Anno Domini. 1579.. (B.G. = Bernard Garter; sometimes also attributed to Barnabe Googe.) (Partly in verse.) (Signatures: [par.]⁴ 2[par.]⁴ A-L⁴.) (Includes a reprint of: Tunstall, Cuthbert and John Stokesley. A letter written by Cutbert Tunstall late Byshop of Duresme, and Iohn Stokesley somtime Byshop of London.) (Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.)

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