HVMILIAMINI igi­tur sub potenti manu'dei, ut uos exaltet in tempore ui­sitationis. &c. Priori epi­stola Petri Capit. ultimo. It may ryght well be verified of saynte Peter, that the fa­mouse prynce Salomon wryteth in the .ix. chapytre of his Prouerbes, Sciētia sanstorum prudentia, that is to say, The counnynge and knowledge of perfecte good men is Prudency, not in gyuynge them selfe to knowledge onely of worldely matters, remem­bringe thinges paste, and prouidyng for thinges to come, but also vsynge the same, to the profit of other in spi­ritual thinges: neither hyding their talentis ne precious treasure of their mayster cōmytted to them, more su­perfluously, or vndiscretely expen­dynge the same: but as they se occa­sion [Page]and haue tyme, diligētly labour fruitefully to bestow them. For som­tyme the wyse man must exhort, and somtyme disswade, somtyme prayse, somtyme disprayse, somtyme intrete, and sometyme rebuke, as his causes shall require: sometyme he muste as­swage the proude corage of an high stomacke, and courage and comfort them that are weake and comfortles: and these propreties shal ye se in this blessed apostoll, if ye reuerently rede his epistoll, and obserue euery parte of the same. For he, consyderinge in his tyme the great persecution, that was done ageinst the christians, and howe they were fledde into dyuers parties and scattered about for feare of the same, sent lyke a good Pastor louynge letters to theym, commen­dyng, comfortyng, exhortynge them.

Fyrste he mooste hyghly extolleth, preyseth, and blesseth god, for his in­estimable mercye shewed, to regene­rate [Page]and repare vs by the Resurrec­tion of Iesus Christe from deathe to immortalitie and lyfe euerlastynge, puttynge them in comfort to be part-takers and inheritours of the same glorie, not by their merytes, but by the operation of the holy goste, whi­che by feythe preserued them worthy such rewarde: wylling them for this cause to reioyce in their persecutions and other tribulations, whiche shall proue and declare their vnfeyned & true feyth to their praise, and glorye of god. And for that he wyl not them to haue a countrefet fayth, or a faith of their owne imagination, inuēted by some sensuall diuise: he wylleth and commaundeth theym to lyue ac­cordyngly to their profession. For it is not inough to be christened, & with outwarde dedes or countenances to professe Christ, and so to haue the ti­tle of a Christian, excepte they wyll declare theym to be suche in dede by [Page]innocencye of lyuynge, whiche they muste especially regarde, therby re­presentynge Christ: and also remem­bringe with howe greatte a treasure they are redemed. And these perswa­ded to them in the fyrst chapitre, and parte of the second, he wylleth them, that they shall not vnder the prerexte of Christianitie, to thynke them selfe at liberte to disobey their superiours, but rather euery one to do his duetie to them, although they were infidels and tyrauntis: for herin consysteth the perfection of a christen man, if he wyllyngely suffre iniuries & deserue them not. For if a man suffre losse of goodes, imprisonment, outlawry, ye deathe, and deserue the same, it shall nothyng be rewarded of god: so that the punyshement maketh not a mar­tyr but the cause, as saynct Peter af­fyrmeth in the secōde chapitre. Therfore he wyll all christians to suffre as innocentes, takyng exāple of Christ.

¶ In the thirde chapitre he techeth, howe the woman shal vse her selfe to her husbande, and what conuersati­on she oughte to be of, the maner of her tyringe and of her apparell, ex­pressynge the chastitie of her mynde, he also there teacheth, howe the man shall vse hym selfe to his wyfe. Then he generally exhorteth all to faythe & to vnitie in the same, and to compas­sion fraternal, loue, gētylnes, meke­nes, pacience, not hasty to be reuen­ged, repayinge one iniurie for an o­ther, or one ylle worde for an nother, but gentylle in worde and dede: and thus lyuynge innocently to feare no persection, for no manne can hurte them, but moche blessed are they that suffre for vertue.

¶ He wylleth also the Christianes to be perfectly instructe in feyth and hope, that if any demande any thing of them, they may be in a redynes to answere them, and with wysedome & [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page]example to allure theym to the Reli­gion of Christe and lyke paciency, if they shoulde suffre. lyke persecution for their innocency. For thus Christe moste innocent and voyde of all syn suffred for vs synners, hauyng great care to saue vs, as he also in the tyme of Noe wolde haue saued the people if they had conuerted and done pe­naunce in tyme. Wherfore for as moche as Christe by afflictions and many tribulations is nowe ascended into heuen, it shall become his disci­ples to be of his cōdicions & mynde, and prepare them fyrst to be indewed with vertues, and than to be in re­dynes to suffre for the same. This no lesse thanne thryse he inculketh into them, aduertysynge them to be in re­dynes to suffre, but not as malefac­tours, but to haue a good and a iuste cause to suffre for. And for y^t he wyll not the flocke of Christe to be desty­tute & lack knowlege, instātly he de­sireth [Page]the senyours, that ar assigned to haue the ouersyghte, to fede them diligentely, and that gladdely and wyllyngly, lokynge for rewarde of god. Also the iuniours to be obedi­ent to their elders: and generally all to shewe humilitie to eche other. For god withdraweth his grace from the proude, and gyueth the same to them that are meke. Humble you, sub­mytte and meke your selfes therfore vnder the myghty hande of god. Cō ­mytte your selfes, that is to say fully and holly to his protection, that he maye promote and exalte you in the tyme of his visitation. Commytte to hym all your busynes: for he hathe great care for you. Be you sobre and circumspecte: for your aduersary the dyuell, lyke a rorynge lyon wande­reth about sekyng whom he may de­uoure: hym resyste you stronge in feyth, consyderynge lyke persecution to be done to al your christen brother [Page]heed. The god of all grace, whiche hathe called vs into his euerlastyng glory by Christ Iesus, shal his owne selfe after you haue suffred a lyttell affliction, make you perfecte, shall settyll and strengthe you. To hym be glorye and dominion for euer, and while the worlde endureth. Amen. This is the englyshe of the Epistle, that we rede this presēt sonday: that I may haue grace to declare y^e same more largely to the glory and honor of god, I shall desyre you to calle to god for the assistēce of his grace: and in your prayer to commende to hym the catholike church of Christēdom, in especial this churche of Englāde, our soueraine lord the kyng supreme heed vnder god of this churche, our most gratious queene, queene Anne, my lady Elisabeth princesse and lau­full heire to them bothe. &c. And all though the laste sonday the preacher coude not fynde in his conscience to [Page]pray for the soules departed, saying, that he thought his prayer shuld no­thynge auayle them: yet I wyll de­syre you to praye for them, trustynge that you haue in remembrance, howe in times paste I haue proued by au­ctorities of Hierome, Augustin, Am­brose, and Chrysostome, and also by scriptures, as saynt Augustine vn­derstandeth them, that we shulde so do: for they ar in such case, that they maye be reliued by our prayer. &c.

¶ All thoughe in consyderynge the sensible creatures of god, many ty­mes I am constrayned greattely to meruaylle at the diuyne power: yet nothynge so greatly moueth me, as when I remembre all the regions of Christendome, whiche before the co­mynge of Christe, were spiritually deade, and nowe by his mercye haue lyfe gyuen to them, so knyt and ioy­ned to hym as one principall heed by vnitie of feythe, that nowe they are [Page]one misticall body, hauynge dyuers membres deputed to dyuers offices, and euery one ministrynge for other in Christe. And this is well worthye to be meruayled at, if we wyll consi­der the great multitude of the peo­ple, and the diuersitie of the same, whiche settynge all customes apart, all humayn lawes, all lernynge, all pleasures, al vices (wherin they had al their lyfe tymes accustomed them selfes before) most humbly receyued the feythe of Christ, from the whiche neyther losse of goodes, nor impry­sonement, nor dethe coulde euer dis­swade them.

¶ And surely great meruaylle it is, howe that so many noble men, so many princis, so many kynges, so many emperours, ye of so great power and stomake, wolde gyue credence to su­che symple, vnknowen, abiecte and vile persones as the Apostols were, after the worldly estimation: whiche [Page]preched thinges incredible, as Christ god and man to be borne of a virgin, whiche crucified and put to deth, rise agayne the thirde daye by his owne power from dethe to lyfe, and soone after ascended to heuen. Whiche pre­ched for delicacie of lyuynge, absti­nency: for voluptuousnes, chastitie: for daliance, lamentation and conti­nuall moonynge: for riches, pouer­tie, the spirite of god so workynge, that many nations vnlike in condi­cions, vnlyke in langage, and being in great distance, dyd agree, and yet do agree in professinge Christ Iesus and his religion, one spirit workyng and gyuyng vital operation to them all. For as in the naturall body of man the soule gyueth lyfe and mo­uynge to euery ioynt, so that no man can moue any parte of his body, but by the spirite vitalle extended to the same: no more can any manne moue hym selfe to any poynt of vertue and [Page]goodnes, but by the vertue of the holy gooste excitinge & mouyng him to the same. And as the bodye is one, and hath many membres, and yet al the membres make one bodi, though they be many in theym selfes: so is Christe with all christians one. For al we are christened in one spirite, for that we shulde be one body in Christ. This body was sometyme in Christ and his apostols and disciples, and by them it was nouryshed and incre­ced, some trauaylynge into one coū ­trey, and some into an other: and as they dyd ꝓfyt in them, so did they be­come ꝑtis of Christis misticall body, that is to sey of y^e churche, so that the diuersitie of regions and countreys maketh not the diuersite of churches but the vnitie of feyth maketh all re­gions one churche, all thoughe the same regions were vnknowen to vs and we to them. As if saynt Andrew, Philip, Thomas, and other of the [Page]apostols preached in straunge coun­treys, and conuerted them, spekinge nothynge of eche other, nor of Peter, but onely of Christe and his benefy­tis: yet for their feyth shulde they be of the same churche that Peter was of, al though they neuer harde of Peter, nor Peter of theym. As sayncte Paule after his conuersion, vnkno­wē to Peter and other apostols, pre­ched in Arabie and Damasco .iii. ye­res, Iesus, that he is the son of god: and many by his preachynge recey­ued the feyth, whiche neyther knewe Peter nor other of the apostols, but Iesus Christ, and the same crucified for our redemption: and yet for this feythe, were they made one in Christ, and of his churche. So that it was of no necessytie for them to knowe Peter, as many haue rekened in the byshoppe of Rome, that excepte we knewe hym and his holy college, we coulde not be of Christis churche. [Page]But I am ryghte sure, that manye thousandes are saued, whiche neuer harde of Peter, nor yet of the bishop of Rome: so that the vnitie of Chri­stis church cōsisteth not in the know­lege of any erthely creature: but in the knowlege of Christe and true be­leue in hym. And for this laboured the apostolles, and yet labour theyr trewe successours, whose continuall study must be to maynteyn the same, takynge example of sayncte Paule, whiche regardynge moche this vni­tie, sayth in the .xiiii. chapiter to the Romaynes, Quae pacis sunt, sectemur, et quae aedifi [...]tionis sunt, inuicem custodiamus, Where he reprouynge vnfruitefull disputations, wyllethe vs to folowe those thinges that maye make for v­nitie, & for the edifienge of our bro­thern and vs. And in lykewise in the fyrst chapitre to the Corinthians, in the firste epistle he saythe, Obsecro uos fratres per nomen domini nostri Iesu Christi, [Page]vt idipsum dicatis omnes, et non sint in vobis schismata. sitis autem perfecti in eodem sensu et in eadem sententia, I instauntly desyre you (sayth he to the Corinthians) in the name of our lorde Iesu Christe, that you agree both in word & mynd in one, and lette there be no schisme nor diuision among you. And in the xiiii. chapitre I rede of hym, Non est dissensionis deus, sed pacis, sicut et in omnibus ecclesiis sanctorū do ceo, where the holye apostoll wylleth, that if any man re­ken hym selfe to haue the spiryte of god, he shall the rather regarde vni­tie: for that the spirite of god is au­thor of vnitie, and not of discorde. Euen so writinge to the Ephesians, he saythe, Soliciti seruare unitatem spiritus, Eph▪ 4. wyllyng al hautenes to be set apart, and euery man with gentylnes to do his diligente endeuer to maynteyne vnitie. And saincte Paule rekeneth, that he shall sone opteyne his desire, for that they haue one body and one [Page]spirite, and one trust and hope of the enheritance of heuen, that is promi­sed them by their vocation. Further­more they had one lorde, one feythe, one baptime, whiche by the meritis of the passion of Christe was of lyke effect to them all. Also they haue one god, whiche is father of them all, & hath the moste high regency, gouer­nynge all thinge, and by his diuine spirite is present in vs al. And in his epistle ad Hebreos, in the .xii. chapi­tre, he sayth: Pacem sequim ini cum omni­bus et sanctimoniam, fine qua nemo deum uide­bit, contemplantes ne quis desit gratiae dei, ne qua radix amaritudinis sursum germinans im­pediat, et per illam inquinentur multi, Doo your endeuer to haue peace and qui­etnes with al folkes, and to haue pu­ritie and clenlynes of lyuynnge, with­out the whiche no man shall se god, neyther nowe by feyth, nor hereafter by fruition: do I saye your endeuer, consyderynge not onely for your sel­fes, [Page]but also for other that they falle not from grace: And take hede, leste any yll rote of infidelitie springe vp, wherby other may be corrupte. And thus sainct Paule was euer wont to preache, knowinge righte well, that al though diuers and many thinges perteyne to the lyfe of a christian, yet nothyng more then peace and vnite, our sauiour Christe sayeng, Ioan. xiij. In hoc cognoscent omnes, quia mei estis disci­puli, si dilectionem habueritis adinuicem, By this cognisaunce all the worlde shall know you for my disciples, if ye haue vnite amōg you, vnitie I say of feith and spirite, fixed and sette stedfastly in god, and not in any mortall crea­ture, as many haue thought necessa­rie, that if a mā shuld be of the chur­che of Christe, he must be of the holy church of Rome, & take the holy fa­ther therof for the supreme heed, and for the vicare of Christ, yea for Christ hym selfe: and to be diuyded frome [Page]hym, were euen to be diuided frome Christe. Suche dāpnable techynges haue there bē, which haue caused mē to leaue the cōmandementes of god vndone for the humayne traditions: but what so euer hath ben done by i­gnorance, let vs reforme it, and not be ashamed to professe truthe: whi­che is, that nexte vnto god the prince ought to be honoured, and that the bishop of Rome hath no more power by the lawes of god in this realme, than any other foreyn byshoppe, and this wyll I playnely proue: and all though I can not do it eloquentely, yet I shall do it feythfully, and that for truthessake. And for that I wyll not be tedious in rehersyng the kyn­ges in the lawe of nature and lawes written tyll the commyng of Christe, I shall speake that the gospelle, the very worde of god prouoketh me to.

¶ Fyrst the act of saynct Iohn̄ Ba­ptist moche moueth me, [...]uc 3. which being [Page]the elect and chosen prophet of god, & sent from hym, to whom no other creature borne after the common course of nature myghte be compared, ly­uynge in suche greate integritie and innocencye, preachynge veritie, and maynteynynge the same to deathe, demaunded of the moste notable of­fenders in Iury, what they shuld do, commanded them, reuerently to ob­serue the ordinaunces and lawes of their emperour: whiche he wolde not haue done, if that obedience had not ben due by the lawes of god. He dyd not counsayle theym to ronne into a solitude, and leaue their dueties vu­done: nor he dyd bydde them to laye aparte their armours, but that accordingly as god wylled, serue their emperour, doing no violence to any person, nor falsely accuse any man, but to be contente with suche wages as theyr emperour gaue them, to resyst his enmyes, and to preserue the com­mon [Page]welthe. And Christe hym selfe not onely with other dydde write his name, knowledginge his obedience, but he also payde the heed peny, as a token of the same, perswadinge the iewes, whiche had coniured to rebell ageinst their emperour, that without inurmour or grudge they shulde doo their duetie, and conforme them sel­fes to their princis pleasure, sayeng: Gyue to Cesar, [...]. that is dewe to Ce­sar, and gyue to god, that is dewe to god. [...]. 5. And euen so whanne the Iewes wolde haue forsaken theyr prince, & haue chosen Christe to their kynge, he withdrewe hym selfe, and that to auoyde occasyon of rebellion and disobediency. Also teaching his disciples humilitie, and not to be ambitious, whan they stryued, whiche of theym shulde be taken for the bet­ter, [...] he sayde: who so estemeth hym selfe better, let hym vse hym selfe as an inferiour, menyng, that the gret­ter [Page]gracis that a man or woman re­ceyueth of god, the more shall they humble them selfes, in disposyng the same, and not to desyre no hyghe e­state, nor to be the more statelye or proude for them, but euermore to re­ken them selfes moste vnworthy. And for a token herof before his pas­sion, in all his .v. examynations, he neuer grudged at Cesars lawes, nor at the commaundementes of his cō ­missioners.

¶ Now good Christiās, if there were no other scriptures to teche vs to do our dueties to our soueraigne: yet it semeth to me, that these fewe exam­ples shulde sufficiētly moue vs, if we dyd loue and drede god. For if saynct Iohn̄ and Christ shewe suche obedi­ence to princis being infidels and ti­rantis: howe moche more shal we be bounde to do the same to our christen prince? And if they neuer wente a­bout to diminish the royaltie of their [Page]Emperour, what good christian can with good conscience attempt the cō ­trarie? Saynct Peter, whiche neuer challenged so high honour or digni­tie, as many haue gyuen to hym, all proude prelacy set aparte writeth not to one countrey or citie, but vniuer­sally on this wyse: [...] Humble your sel­fes vnto all maner ordinance of man for goddis sake, whether it be to the king as most excellēt, or to his cōmis­saries sent from hym, for the punysh­mēt of iuel doers, & the laude of them that do wel. Marke here, y^t the prince is called most excellent: whiche if he so be, than none in his realme shall excell hym. And he sayth also: Feare god and honour the kynge. Se here howe that he putteth no meane per­son betwixte god and the prince: but immediatly after god, the kyng must be honoured. [...] Thus taught sayncte Paule the Romayns, that euery mā and woman shulde be obedient vnto [Page]the auctoritie of the hygher power: for there is no power but of god, the powers that are, ar ordeyned of god. who so euer therfore resisteth power, resisteth the ordinance of god: And they that resiste, shal receyue to them selfes damnation. For rulers are not to be feared for good workes, but for iuell. wyll you be without fere of the power? do wel than, and so shal thou be praysed of the same. For he is the ministre of god for thy welthe. But and if thou do yuell, thā feare: for he beareth not the swerde for naughte, but is the ministre of god, to take vē ­geance of them that do euyll. Wher­fore you muste nedes obeye, not for feare of vengeance only, but also bi­cause of cōscience. And euen for this cause paye you tribute: for they are goddis mynisters, seruynge for the same pourpose. O good lorde, what maiestie is in these wordes? howe er­nestly shulde euery christen man and [Page]woman haue this in mynde. For if suche power be of god (as in dede it is) and the resister therof, resisteth the ordinance of god, if god haue giuen the sworde to punisshe and slaye the deniers herof, if eternall damnation remayneth for theym, that disobeye this godly ordinance: what damna­tion are they in, which contempnyng trewth, shall studye to procure theyr owne dethe, and so cause other to fal in lyke damnable errour with them? I can not nor dare iudge them, but the worde of god iudgeth them, whi­che oppugnen verite. God of his in­finite mercy pardon the ignorāt, not of this realme onely, but of all chri­sten realmes, and graunt them light to se his truthe, and open theyr har­tes, with pure conscience to receyue the same.

¶ Howe erneste this holy apostolle was for this veritie, it maye ryghte well appere in his epostol sent to his [Page]disciple Titus, whom he had assig­ned to be byshop of Crete, gyuynge hym amonge all other thinges in cō ­maundemente, to warne the people in his sermons, that they submytte them selfes to princis and powers, & redily to obey their commaundemē ­tes, as he hym selfe in all thinges o­beyed them: & made refuge to them, as whā he apeled to Cesar in a cause of heresie, gyuing example of his o­bedience. Whan I redde this fyrste, I meruayled moche, that Paule, in a mattier concernynge the helthe of his soule, wolde appele to Cesar and not to Peter, if Peter hadde ben the chiefe prelate ordeyned of god. But full well he knewe, that good Peter neyther had nor wold haue any high estate, or imperiall power, although Christ had vsed hym familiarly. Nor good Paule him self challenged any more authoritie, all thoughe Christe called hym his electe and chosen ves­sell. [...] [Page]Emperour, what good christian can with good conscience attempt the cō ­trarie? Saynct Peter, whiche neuer challenged so high honour or digni­tie, as many haue gyuen to hym, all proude prelacy set aparte writeth not to one countrey or citie, but vniuer­sally on this wyse: Humble your sel­fes vnto all maner ordinance of man for goddis sake, whether it be to the king as most excellēt, or to his cōmis­saries sent from hym, for the punysh­mēt of iuel doers, & the laude of them that do wel. Marke here, y^t the prince is called most excellent: which if he so be, than none in his realme shall excell hym. And he sayth also: Feare god and honour the kynge. Se here howe that he putteth no meane per­son betwixte god and the prince: but immediatly after god, the kyng must be honoured. Thus taught sayncte Paule the Romayns, that euery mā and woman shulde be obedient vnto [Page]the auctoritie of the hygher power: for there is no power but of god, the powers that are, ar ordeyned of god. who so euer therfore resisteth power, resisteth the ordinance of god: And they that resiste, shal receyue to them selfes damnation. For rulers are not to be feared for good workes, but for iuell. wyll you be without fere of the power? do wel than, and so shalt thou be praysed of the same. For he is the ministre of god for thy welthe. But and if thou do yuell, thā feare: for he beareth not the swerde for naughte, but is the ministre of god, to take vē ­geance of them that do euyll. Wher­fore you muste nedes obeye, not for feare of vengeance only, but also bi­cause of cōscience. And euen for this cause paye you tribute: for they are goodis mynisters, seruynge for the same pourpose. O good lorde, what maiestie is in these wordes? howe er­nestly shulde euery christen man and [Page]woman haue this in mynde. For if suche power be of god (as in dede it is) and the resister therof, resisteth the ordinance of god, if god haue giuen the sworde to punisshe and slaye the deniers herof, if eternall damnation remayneth for theym, that disobeye this godly ordinance: what damna­tion are they in, which contempnyng trewth, shall studye to procure theyr owne dethe, and so cause other to fal in lyke damnable errour with them? I can not nor dare iudge them, but the worde of god iudgeth them, whi­che oppugnen verite. God of his in­finite mercy pardon the ignorāt, not of this realme onely, but of all chri­sten realmes, and graunt them light to se his truthe, and open theyr har­tes, with pure conscience to receyue the same.

¶ Howe erneste this holy apostolle was for this veritie, it maye ryghte well appere in his epostol sent to his [Page]disciple Titus, whom he had assig­ned to be by shop of Crete, gyuynge hym amonge all other thinges in cō ­maundemente, to warne the people in his sermons, that they submytte them selfes to princis and powers, & redily to obey their commaundemē ­tes, as he hym selfe in all thinges o­bedience. Whan I redde this fyrste, I meruayled moche, that Paule, in a mattier conceruynge the helthe of his soule, wolde appele to Cesar and not to Peter, if Peter hadde ben the chiefe prelate ordeyned of god. But full well he knewe, that good Peter neyther had nor wold haue any high estate, or imperiall power, although Christ had vsed hym familiarly. Nor good Paule him self challenged any more authoritie, all thoughe Christe called hym his electe and chosen ves­selle. [Page]And I dare boldely saye, that none of the apostols, what partis so euer they preched in, desired euer any iurisdiction, but onely desyred the high powers to vse their authorities in seruyng god, as before tymes they had in seruinge the worlde: conside­ringe that it is two thynges, to be a prince and a christen prynce, [...]ce of [...]ace. whose office is to procure peace for his peo­ple, to se the liberties of his common welth maynteined, to se that the pore people famishe not for lacke of suste­naunce, some hauyng to moche, and excessiuely expending the same, and other some hauynge nothinge at all, to se who be called to offices, to be of his counseylours, to se the sedicious and other malefactours punished, remembringe that god hath not giuen him his sword for naught. And ther­fore sayncte Augustyne saythe, that al though he were ones of this opi­nion, that malefactours, as herety­kes, [Page]shoulde onely be resysted with scriptures: yet he perceyuynge ma­ny incommodities to ryse thervpon, chaunged his mynde, and thoughte the argumentis of scripture not suf­ficient, onelesse the temporall power wolde assiste and gyue aide to them. And he saith that these wordes of the prophete, Et nunc reges intelligite, erudi­mini qui iudicatis terram, Psal [...] Seruite domino in timore, were spoken sometyme in pro­phecy nowe to be put in effect of eue­ry christē prince, that they shall nowe lerne to knowe god, of whome they haue their kyngdomes, and meking them selfes vnder the mighty hande of god, shall lerne true and holsome doctrine, to iudge the people & serue god with due fere and reuerence, di­uisinge lawes to represse errours & other vices repugnaunt to the plea­sure and wyll of god: and that their subiectes may lerne to preferre truth to mans inuentions and imaginati­ons. [Page]And therfore he preyseth the la­wes made by emperours against the pagans, sayeng: Quis enī nostrū, quis ue­strū nō laudat leges ab imperatoribus datas ad uersus sacrificia paganorū? And in y^e same epistol he sayth, that such sharpe and penalle lawes haue caused many to leue their errours, & afterward haue gyuen moste harty thankes to theyr princes, which by such meanes haue called them from their errours. For lyke as a man beinge in a phrenesye may not be suffred to haue his wyl­ful libertie, but must be bounde with chaynes lest he destroy him selfe: and as they that be diseased with a deed­ly slepe, in latine called Morbus lethar­gicus, may nat be suffred to haue their appetite, but muste be kept wakyng, orels they shall slepe to deth: so must malefactours be loked vppon with fearefull lawes and peynes, lest they bothe distroy them selfes and other: and in so doinge the princis do their [Page]due seruice to god, or els not. For as saynct Augustine sayth in an nother place, Quomodo reges seruiūt domino in ti­more, Ep [...] ▪ la. 5 [...] nisi ea, quae cōtra domini iussa sunt, reli­giosa seueritate ꝓhibēdo at (que) plectēdo? Our lorde Iesus putte this in the heedes and hartis of princis, to know their powers gyuen of god, and to execute them in his seruice: thanne shall we nothyng nede to ronne to Rome, but euery mā in his realme shall say and reporte by his prince, as Tertuliane dyd by his emperour, whiche in a li­tell treatise made ad Scapulam, saythe, Christianus nullius est hostis, nedum impera­toris, quem sciens à deo suo constitui, necesse est ut et ipsum diligat, et reuereatur, et hono­ret, et saluum uelit, cum toto Romano imperio, quous (que) saeculum stabit. tam diu enim stabit. Colimus ergo et imperatorem sic, quomodo et nobis licet, et ipsi expedit, ut hominem à deo secundum, et quicquid est, à deo consecutum, solo deo minorem, A christen man is no mans ennemie, moche lesse is he the [Page]emperours ennemye, whom he kno­wynge to be ordeyned of god, of ne­cessite must loue him, reuerence him, and honour hym, and desire hym to prospere with al his empire of Rome euen to the worldes ende. For so lōge shall it stande. We therfore honour our emperour, as moch as is lauful for vs, and conuenient for hym. We honour hym as a man nexte to god, hauyng what so euer he hath of god, inferiour to god onely.

¶ Here is a wonderful sayenge and a notable, and to many incredible: but to cōfirme this, hark what Iohn̄ and Paule the holy martyrs sayd to Iulyan, when he thretned them with these wordes: Si contemptus fuero à uo­bis, necesse mihi erit agere, ut contempni non possim. Ioannes et Paulus dixerunt, Non prae­ponimus tibi personam qualemcun (que), deum tibi praeponimus, You shall vnderstande, that this Iuliam had gyuen in com­maundement, that all his subiectes [Page]shoulde make sacrifice to idols, and that all professinge Christe shulde be banished: none so hardy to mayntein or receyue into his house any of that sorte: but Iohn & Paule, not with­standynge this commandement che­rished the christianes. Wherfore the emperour beinge discontented, sayd to theym: If you contempne me, hit shalbe necessarie for me so to do, that I be not contempned. The holy men Iohn and Paule made aunswere on this wise: we preferre no person, no creature, what degree so euer he be of, vnto you, god we preferre. Howe fortuned this, that these holy menne forgotte here the byshoppe of Rome? why dydde they not preferre hym: as theyr supreme heed nexte vnto god? Except you wyll be blynde styl, these fewe authorities may suffice to shew vnto you, that nexte to god we shall honour our prince.

¶ Nowe lette vs se howe it maye be [Page]proued, that the byshoppe of Rome hathe no more authoritie, then an o­ther foreyn byshoppe: but fyrste lette vs see what scriptures the papistes reste moste vpon, whiche if we can pulle away from them, their matter is lyke to falle. They saye, that this texte maketh moche for theym,uc 9. Tues Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo eccle­siam meam, Thou art Peter, and vpon this stone I wyll buylde my church, ergo Peter was the heed of the chur­che. Truly this argument is framed moche lyke their matter: For if the church had ben stably shed vpon Pe­ter, than when Peter dyed, all shuld haue fallen with hym, bothe churche and chancell: but saynte Augustyne techeth vs an other maner of lesson,Episto la. 165 whiche is, that these wordes, Thou arte Peter, and vppon this stone I wyll buylde my churche, were spokē to Peter, not as to a priuate persone but to Peter representynge the holle [Page]nombre of the apostols, and the vni­uersall churche. And this agreethe well with the gospell, where Christe asked his disciples, whom the people sayd that he was, and they answered and sayde: Iohn̄ Baptiste, some say Helias, and some say one of the olde prophetes is risen agayne: He sayd vnto them: who saye ye that I am? Peter answered and sayd, Thou art the Christe of god. And he warned & commaunded them, that they shulde tell no man that thynge. Of this hit may appere, both in as king the que­stion, and also of Christis comman­dement, that Peter made answere in al their names. For the questiō was not purposed to hym, but to them al: and therfore makinge aunswere, he made answere for them all. And this commaundement, that they shoulde not speke this thinge to any persone, was gyuen not to Peter only, but to theym all: whiche proueth, that the [Page]reuelation was made as welle to o­ther as to Peter. And the same au­thoritie, that he gaue to Peter in the name of theym all, to bynde and to loose: the same he gaue to euery one of theym, sayenge, Sicut misit me Pa­ter, ego mitto uos, As my father sente me, I sende you, and euery one of you with the same authoritie bothe to preche the glorie of god, and also to remyt synne. Nowe if Peter wold challenge more authoritie than his felowes: than he must haue such au­thoritie aboue Christe: For such au­thoritie as Christe had, he gaue to al his apostols. Also whan Christ sayd, A ccipite spiritum sanctum, quorum remiseritis peccata, remittuntur eis, et quorum retinueri­tis, retenta sunt, Rehersynge this texte, saynt Iohn̄ sayth, that he brethed v­pon them, and n̄o more vpon Peter, then Andrew or Iohn̄: nor he spake these wordes more to Peter than to the reste, but sayde, Take the holye [Page]gooste: whose offencis or synnes you remytte or forgiue, they shall be for­gyuen, and whose synnes you do not forgyue, they shall not be forgyuen. And lykewise whan he sent them in­to all the worlde to preche, he placed none of them all, but bade them go to the brode worlde, and preache the gospell to euery man and womanne: And therfore no more honour to Pe­ter, than to other of his felowes. And this the holy apostoll Peter teacheth hym selfe, in his fyrst epistol saying: The elders, whiche are amonge you I exhorte, whiche am also an elder, and a wytnesse of the afflictions and tribulations of Christe, and also a part taker of the glorie that shall be opened: Se that you fede Christis flocke, which is amonge you, takyng the ouersight of them: not as though ye were compelled thereto, but wyl­lyngely: not for the desyre of fylthy lucre, but of a good mynde: not as [Page]though ye were lordes ouer your pa­rysheners, but that ye be an example to the flocke. Here saynt Peter doth not onely knowledge hym selfe to be equal with other: but he also sheweth that he desireth no royall regiment: and so doth he exhorte other to be of the same mynd with hym. They ther fore, whiche extolle so moche the iu­risdiction of Peter, sclaunder hym. And I am sure, he is not contented to be so reported ageynst the veritie. Therfore whanne so euer you shall haue any scripture, that soundeth for Peters authoritie, vnderstande the same spoken to all the apostols, re­presented in Peter. And this is saynt Augustynes mynde, as I haue sayd before. And euen so saynt Hierome in his fyrste boke ageynste Iouinian, although he may be sene to some re­der, that he speaketh vtterly for the prelacy of Peter, yet he sayth euen there, that all the apostols receyued [Page]the keys of the kingedome of heuen, and that the substance of the church was equally builded vpon them all. So that saynte Hierome mente not, that Peter had more auctoritie than the other, but that he was chosen as one to be preloquutour and speaker for his felowes, and that to auoyde confusion, whiche shulde haue bene, if all shoulde speake to gether. And yet this pueth hym not to haue more authorite thā an other. As although my lorde Mayre, the aldermen, with other, shulde sende mayster Recorder in message to the kynge for some cō ­mon matter of the citie: maister Re­corder is not nowe a priuate person, but a common persone: and what so euer he speaketh, durynge his com­mission, the holle citie speaketh it: & what answere so euer is made to him is made to the hole cite. And yet this proueth not mayster Recordar to be of more authorite thē my lord maire [Page]and the aldermen. And truely onles we shulde thus vnderstonde sayncte Hierome, he shuld be cōtrarye to him selfe. For in his epistoll sent to Eua­grius, he maketh all bishoppes of al places equall, these are his wordes: The churche of Rome is not to be thoughte to be diuided frome other churches in the worlde, both France, Britayne, Affrica, Persis, Oriens, and India, and all other strange na­tions honour Christe, and kepe one rule of truth. If auctoritie be asked therfore, the worlde is bygger then one citie. Where so euer the byshoppe shall be, eyther at Rome, or elles at a poore citie in Italy called Eugubiū, or at Cōstantinoble, in Macedonie, or in Rhegio, a citie in Grece, or in Alexandria and Tanis cities in E­gipte: he is of lyke meryte, and of lyke prelacy. The abundance of ry­ches, and the humilitie of pouertie auseth not a byshoppe to be more or [Page]lesse in auctoritie, but all indifferent­ly ar the successours of the apostols.

¶ What can be more plainly spoken for equalitie of byshoppes? Rede it, and rede it agayne, and imprint it in your hartis, and muse vpon it: and then iudge saynct Hieromes mynde. you shall well perceyue, that he mea­neth all byshops to be of lyke autho­ritie in their owne diocese: and that none shall challenge by the lawes of god any prelacye aboue an nother. Saint Cyprian in lyke maner, what so euer he semeth to say in other pla­ces, yet in his epistolle ad Cornelium, whome he calleth brother, he saythe, that it is decreed to hym and all by­shops, that euery one shall haue the ouersight & gouernāce of their owne diocesans, for whom they shal make accompte to god. And in his boke called De simplicitate praelatorū, he saith: that all the apostols were lyke in ho­nour and power. And if they so were, [Page]what is then become of Peters pre­lacye? I thynke if in this matter he were reuerently handeled, he shulde be vnderstōde as saint Ierome was: whiche commendynge the auctoritie of byshoppis dyd neuer derogate the royaltie of princis, but wolde euery byshoppe to haue the gouernance of his flocke, maynteyninge alway the auctorytie of princes. And in good feythe I can not rede the contrarye in theym: but ofte I doo rede, howe they submytted them selfes and cal­led vpon temporal power for helpe & maintenance of truth, not presuming to call any general Councels, but v­pon their fauours: As the councelle of Nicene, whiche was celebrate by the commaundement of Cōstantine the emperor, to represse heresies: In the whiche councell it was determy­ned thus, Mos antiquus perduret in Aegy­pto, uel Lybia, et Pentapoli, ut Alexandrinus episcopus horum omnium habeat potestatem, [Page]quoniam quidem et Romano episcopo parilis mos est. Simíliter autem et apud Antiochiam, ceteras (que) prouincias honor suus unicui (que) ser­uetur ecclesiae, We wylle that the olde custome and maner shall continue in Egipte, Libie, and Pentapoli, whi­che is that the bysshoppe of Alexan­dria shall haue gouernance and rule ouer al these: for that there is a lyke custome for the bysshoppe of Rome. In lyke maner we wyll, that at An­tiochie, & other prouincis, euery one shall haue their due honour. This mooste honourable councell, whiche was kepte in the .iii. hundred & .xxiiii. yere after Christe, then beinge pre­sent .iii. hundred and .xviii. byshops and holy fathers, determined that y^e byshoppe of Alexandria shulde haue as moche authoritie in his parties, as the byshop of Rome shall haue in Italy and other places in the weste, & sayth, that so it hath ben of a longe custome, approuing the same. Nowe [Page]if that custome were good, and well allowed of suche holy fathers, howe can it be thought: that Peters suc­cessour shoulde by the lawes of god haue more iurisdiction then any o­ther byshoppe? seinge that these ho­ly fathers iudged than and decreed the contrarie, whiche beinge so nigh the apostels tyme not only approued the custome, but also made a decrre thervpon, whiche they wolde neuer haue done, except it myght haue stōd with the lawes of god.

¶ Also in the councel of Constanti­noble it was ordeyned, that byshops shulde not be troubled oughte frome their dioceses, nor one shulde medle with an others iurisdiction: but the byshoppes of Alexandria shuld haue the gouernance of the orientall par­ties, the honour of primacy reseruid to the church of Antiochie, as it was ordeyned in the Nicene councel. And euen so the bysshoppes of Asie shall [Page]ouersee Asie, and order all thynges perteynynge to Asie. Lyke myse the byshoppe of Ponte shal gouerne the diocese of Ponte. And the bysshops of Thrace, their dioceses: so that this coūcel also denieth prelacy to Rome, and to the byshop therof, reseruynge euery diocesse to his owne byshoppe.

¶ And of this we also rede in an e­pistoll, sent frome the councell of Af­frike to Celestine byshoppe of Rome: whiche accordynge to other coun­celles, and also to the mynde of saynt Cypriane, concludeth, that no forein byshoppe shulde meddell out of his owne diocesse.

¶ Lykewise in the councell Mile­uitane it was prouided, that al cau­ses concernynge one prouince shulde be determyned in the same. Wher­fore as you haue harde, I truste hit be playnly proued, that the bishoppe of Rome shall neuer proue by scrip­tures suche preheminence to be due [Page]to hym, as he challengeth: but he de­fraudeth tēporal princis of the honor that god gaue them: & causeth theyr subiectis dampnably to disobeye the ordynaunce of god, as of late you haue had experien ceof some, whom neyther frendes nor kynsfolkes, nei­ther the iudgemente of bothe vni­uersities, Cambridge and Oxforde, nor the vniuersall consente of all the clergie of this realme, nor the lawes of the parlyament, nor their mooste naturall and louinge prince, coude by any gentylle wayes, reuoke from their disobediency, but wolde nedes persist therin, giuing pernicious oc­casion to the multitude to murmour and grudge at the kinges lawes: se­inge that they were men of estimati­on, and wolde be sene wyser then all the realme, and of better conscience then other, iustifienge theym selfes, and condemnynge all the realme be­syde: whiche being condemned, and [Page]the kinges prisoners, yet ceassed not to conceyue yll of our souerayne, re­fusynge his lawes, but also in prison write to theyr mutualle comforte in their damnable opinions, I meane doctour Fysshare and syre Thomas More, whom I am as sory to name as any man here is to here them na­med: Sory, for that they being som­tyme men of worshyppe and honour, men of famous lernynge, and many excellent gracis, & so tenderly some­tyme beloued of their prince, shulde thus vnkyndely, vnnaturally, and traiteroufly vse them selfes, our lord gyue them grace to be repentaunt: Let neyther their fame, lernyng, nor honour moue you louynge subiectes to your prince, but regarde you the truthe, as I haue here before to you rehersed, and for that this is the wyll of god, and he cōmandeth the same, humble your hartis therevnto: and commytte your selfes holly to god, [Page]that whan he shall come to iudge the worlde, he may exalte you into eter­nall glorie. And if the bysshoppe of Rome wyll thrette you with interdi­ctions or excommunications, or any other person or persons with warris or other displeasures, referre all to god: for he hathe moche regarde of you. For what nede you regarde the byshops curse at Rome, when Christ blesseth you at whom? sayeng Mat­thei .v. Beati estis cum maledixerint uohis homines, et persequuti uos fuerint, et dixerint omne malum aduersum uos, mentientes prop­terme, Blessed ar you, when men wyl course you and persequute you, and saye all that ylle is agaynste you for my sake lyenge vpon you. As longe as you be cursed for sayinge truthe, neuer feare: for defendyng that, you defende god, whiche is Truthe. But lette hym do his charitie and course, I am sure that saynct Paule curseth him for oppugnyng the treuth, & not [Page]hym onely, but also all other, what sorte so euer they be of, eyther apo­stols or aungelles in heuen, that tea­cheth contrarie to the truthe of scri­ptures, ye and Christe courseth hym in the gospelle of Matthew,M 23 Ve uobis scribe et phariseihypocritae, quiae clauditis re­gnum celorum ante homines. uos enim non in­tratis, nec introeuntes sinitis intrare, Cut­sed be you, whiche professe truth, and so haue the keyes to open heuen ga­tis, & yet ye neyther entre in to theym your selfes, nor suffre other to entre.

¶ It foloweth in the epistoll, Sobrij estote, et uigilate, Be sobre in your diet, and of a sobre conuersation bothe in worde and dede. Here, If I myght be harde, I wolde exhorte suche as are of my sorte, and vse preachinge, so to tempre their wordes, that they be not noted to speake of stomacke, and ra­ther to prate then to preache: Nor I wold haue the defenders of the kyn­ges matters to rage nor rayle, nor to [Page]skolde, as many are thought to doo, callynge the byshoppe of Rome the harlotte of Babylon, or the beaste of Rome, with many suche other: for a wise auditorie woll rather iudge su­che prechers (and I haue hard some say so) to be meter to prech at Paulis wharfe then at Paulis crosse: And suche maner of preachynge blemys­sheth and defacethe good mattiers, and causith them many times to lose theyr graces. Lette preachers rede the seconde chapiter of the seconde e­pistolle to Timothe, and they shall lerne an nother maner of fourme of preachynge, thenne many haue vsed of late. It is nat commended in westmynster halle, that aduersaries shall stande rayllynge and braw­lynge and skoldynge, but there they wolde bydde theym shewe theyr e­uidences, and they shal trye the mat­ter betwyxte theym. Soo we intrea­ [...]ge our princis cause, lette vs see [Page]what euidence he hathe: and if his euidence be better then the byshop­pes of Rome thenne lette the ryghte be gyuen there as the ryghte is.

And as for the byshoppe of Rome god be with hym, and make hym his seruaunte. Therfore I saye to my bretherne, with sayncte Peter: So­bre your selfes in your wordes, and be circumspecte, for your aduersarye the dyuell, raungethe aboute in eue­rye corner, seekynge whome he may deuoure: whome resyst you stronge in feyth remembryng that in Christe you maye doo all thynge and ouer­come all youre spirituall ennemyes. And thinke not that the dyuelle and his mynysters persecute you onelye: for all good. Christyanes are maly­gned and persecuted; and shall be to the worldes ende. The lorde of all grace, whiche hathe called you to e­ternalle glorye, by the meane of his sonne Iesu Christe, for your lyttelle [Page]sufferaunce, shall performe and sta­blysshe you in vertue by grace: to hym be chefely glory and gouernāce imperiall for euer: and secondarily nexte after hym to our prince be ho­nour, and quietnes to his subiectes, here by grace in erth, and afterward in eternalle glorye: whiche graunte vnto vs, that hath redemed vs with his precious bloudde, our Sauyour Christ Iesus. Amen.