The practise of Prelates. Compiled by the faithful and Godly learned man/ William Tyndale.  
IMPRINTED at London, by Anthony Scoloker And William Seres. Dwilling without Temple-bar in the Savoy rents. Anno. 1548.  
¶ Cum privilegio ad Imprimendum solum.   

WHen the old scribes and pharisees had darkenid the scripture with their traditions, false interpretations & wicked persuasions of 〈…〉, and shut up the kingdom of heaven (which is Gods word that the people could not enter in, into the knowledge of the true way, as Chryst complaineth in the Gospel. Math xxiii then they sat in the hearts of men, with their false doctrine in the stead of God & his word, and slew the souls of the People, to devour their bodies, and to rebuke them of their worldly substance. But when chr●st and john the baptist had restored the scripture again unto the true vnderstandinge● and had uttered their falsehood and improved their traditions, and confounded their false interpretations with the clear and evident Texts, and with power of the holy ghost and had brought all their juggling and hypocrisy to light; there they g●tte them unto the elders of the People, and persuaded them, saying: this man is surely of the Devil, and his miracles be of the Devil no doubt. And these good works which he doth in healing the people, yea and his preaching against our covetousness/ are but ●cloke to bring him unto his purpose/ that when he hath gotten him Disciples enough he may rise against the emperor & make himself King, and then shall the romans come and take our Land from ●s and carry away our people and put other nations in our realm, and so shall we lose all that we have/ and the most part of us/ our lives thereto. Take head therefore betimes while there is remedy, yet he go so far that ye be not able to resist him.  
The elders of the people which were rich and wealthy/ though before they in a manner favoured Christ, or at the least way were indifferent not greatly caring whether God or the devil reigned/ so they might bide in authority/ feared immediately (as Herode did of the loss of his Kingdom when the wise men axed where the new borne King of jews was) and conspired with the scribes and pharisees against Christ & took him and brought him unto Pilate/ saying: We have found this fellow perverting the people and forbidding to pay tribute unto Cesar, and saying that he is a king & moving the people from Galylie unto this place: Then Pilate (though he likewise was before indifferent/ but now in fear of the loss of his office thorough such persuasions) slew innocent christ. And in very deed as the scribes and pharisees were all their lives before blind guides unto the destruction of their souls/ even so were they at their last end blind prophets unto the destruction of their bodies. For after that they had slay● Christ & diverse of his apostles, & persecuted those poor wretches that believed on him/ God, to avenge the poor innocent blood the bare witness unto his truth/ poured his wrath among them, that they themselves rose against the Emperor. And the Romans came (according as they blindly prophesied) and slew the most part of them and carried the rest captive into all nations/ and put other nations in the Realm. But whose fault was that insurrection against the Emperor, & mischief that followed? Christ's & his apostles whom they falsely accused before hand? No, Chryst taught that they should give Cesar that which pertained unto Cesar/ & god that which belonged to God: Even that they should give Cesar their lawful bodily service, & god the heart, & that they should love gods law, & repent of their evil, & come & receive mercy, & let the wrath of God be taken from them▪ And the apostles taught that all souls should obey the higher powers or temporal rulers: But their obstinate malice y● so hardened their hearts that they could not repent/ and their railing upon the open and manifest truth which they could not improve, & resisting the holy ghost, and slaying of the preachers of righteousness, brought the wrath of God upon them, and was cause of their destruction.  
Even so our scribes and pharisees/ now that their hypocrisy is disclosed, and their falsehood so brought to light that it can no longer be hid, get them unto the elders of the people, the lords, gentlemen/ and temporal officers, and to all that love this world as they do, & unto who soever is great with the king, and unto the kings grace him self, and after the same ensample and with the same persuasions, cast them into like fear of losing of their worldly dominions, and roar unto them/ saying, ye be negligent and care nothing at all, but have a good spor●e that the heretics rail on us. But give them space a while till they be grown unto a multitude, and then ye shall see them preach as fast against you, and move the people against you, and do there best to thrust you ●●●me also, and shall c●y havoc and make all comen. O generation of serpents how well declare ye that ye be the right sons of the father of all lies? for they which ye call heretics, preach nothing, save that which our saviour jesus christ preached and his Apostles, adding nought th●e to, nor plucking aught therefro/ as the scripture commandeth, and teach all men repentance to God and his holy law, and faith unto our saviour jesus Chryst, and the Promises of Mercy made in him/ and obedience unto all that GOD commandeth to obey. Nether teach we so much as to resist your most cruel tyranny with bodily violence, save with God's word only: intending nothing but to drive you out of the temple of Chryst, the hearts/ consciences & souls of men (wherein with your false head ye sit) and to restore again jesus our saviour unto his possession and inheritance bought with his blood, whence ye have driven him with your Manifold wiles and subtylti●s.  
Take heed therefore wicked prelate's blind leaders of the blind, indurate and obstinate hypocrites take heed. For if the Pharisees for their resisting the holy ghost (that is to say, persecuting the open and manifest truth and slaing the preachers thereof) 〈◊〉 not the wrath and vengeance of god: how shall ye escape, which are far worse than the pharisees? for though the pharisees had shut up the scripture & set up their own professions, yet they kept their own professions for the most part. But ye willbe the chiefest in Christ's flock, and ye will not keep one jot of the right way of his doctrine. Ye have thereto set up wonderful professions to be more holy thereby than ye think that Christ'S doctrine is able to make ●ou, and yet keep as little thereof (except it be▪ with dispensations) in so much that if a man axe you, what your marvelous fasshyoned▪ playing coats and your other popystrye, mean, and what your disfigured Heads▪ and all your appes play mean, ye know not/ and yet are they but Signs of things, which ye have professed. thirdly, ye will be papists and hold of the Pope, and yet look in the pope's law, and ye keep thereof a●l most nought at all, but what soever soundeth to make for your bellies and to maintain your honour/ whether in the scripture or in your own traditions or in the pope's law that ye compel the lay people to observe vyolentlye threatening them with your excomunycatyons & curses that they shallbe dampened both body and soul, if they keep them not. And if that help you not▪ then ye murder them mercylesly with the sword of the temporal powers, whom ye have made so blind, that they be ready to slay whom ye command, and will not yet hear his cause examined, nor give him room to answer for himself.  
And yielders of the people, fear ye god also. For as the elders of the jews, which were partakers with th● scribes and pharisees in resisting the holy ghost, and in persecuting the open truth, and slaying the witnesses thereof, and in provoking the wrath of God, had their part with them also in y●●ay of wrath and sharp vengeance which shortly after fell upon them, as the nature of the sin, against the holy ghost is to have her dampnacion, not only in the world to come/ but also in this life according unto all the ensamples of the bible and auctentike stories since the world began/ even likewise ye, if ye will wink in so open and clear light and let yourselves be led blind fold and have your part with the hypocrites in like sin and mischief/ be sure, ye shall have your part with them in like wrath and vengeance/ that is like shortly ●o fall upon them.  
And concerning that the hypocrites put you in fear of the rising of your comens against you/ I answer: If ye fear your commons, to testify yea against yourselves that ye are tyrants. For if your conscience accused you not of evil doing, what need ye to fear your comens? What commons was ever so evil that they rose against their heads for well ●oynge? Moreover ye witness against your selves also that ye have no trust in God. For he hath promised the temporal officers assistance, if they minister their offices truly, and to care for the depinge of them, as much as they care for to keep his laws.  
The hypocrites happily bid you take an ensample of the uplandish people of Almany which they lie that Marten Luther starred up. For first what one sentence in all the writing of Marten Luther find they that teacheth a man to resist his superior? Moreover if Marten Luther and the preachers had st●rred up the comen People of germany, how happened it that Marten Luther and other like preachers had not p●risshed like wise with them, which ●IUED Long after? Ye will ask me who stirred them up then? I axe yo● Who stirred up the comonnes of the/ Jews to resist the Emperor, after that the scribes and Pharasees with the elders of the People had slain Christ and his Apostles? verily the wrath of God. And even so here the wrath of God stirred them up/ partly to destroy the enemies and persecutors of the truth, and partly to take vengeance on those carnal beasts/ which abused the Gospel of Chryst to make a cloak of it to defend their fleshly liberty/ and not to obey it and to save their souls thereby.  
If Kings, Lords, and great men▪ therefore fear the loss of this world: Let them fear God also. For in fearing God▪ shall they prolong their days upon the earth, and not with fighting against God. The earth is Gods only, and his favour and mercy doth prolong the days of kings in their estate, and not their own power and might.  
And let all men (be they never so great) hearken unto this, and let this be an answer unto them. Wicked king Achab said unto the prophet Elias, Art thou he that troublest Israel? And Elias answered, it ●s not I that trouble Israel, but thou and thy father's household, in that ye have forsaken the commaundementis of the lord & follow Idols. Even so the preachers of the truth, which rebuke sin, are not the troublers of royalmes and comen wealths/ but they that do wickedly, and namely high prelate's and mighty princes which walk with out the Fear of God and live abominably corrupting the comen pe●ple with their Ensample. They be they that bring the wrath of God in all royalmes and trouble all comen wealths, with War/ dearth poverty: pistilence evil lurk and all misfortune.  
And unto all subjects be it said/ if they oppress the law of God and faith of the lord jesus/ & willbe Christ's disciples than let them remember that there was never man so great a subject as Christ was: there was never Creature that suffered so great unright, so patiently and so meekly as he/ Therefore what soever they have been in times passed/ let them now think that it is their parts to be subject in the lowest kind of subjection, and to suffer all things patiently. If the high powers be cruel unto you with natural cruelty/ then with softness and patience, ye shall either 〈◊〉 them or mitigate their fyercenes. If they join them unto the pope/ and persecute you for your faith and hope, which ye have in the Lord jesus: then call to mind that ye be chosen to suffer here with christ, that ye may joy with him in the life to come with joy everlasting that shall infinitely pass this yoore short pain here. If they command that God forbiddeth/ o● forbid the God commandeth/ then answer as the Apostles did A●tes. v. the God must be obeyed more than man, if they compel you to suffer unright/ then Christ shall help you to bear, & his spirit shall comfort you. But only see that neither they put you from God's word nor yet resist them with bodily violence But abide patiently a while till the hypocrisy of hypocrites be slain with the sword of God's word/ and until the word be openly published and witnessed unto the Powers of the world, that their blindness may be without excuse.  
And then will God awake as a fierce lion against those cruel wolves which devour his lambs, and will play with the hypocrites, and compass them in their own wiles, & send them a dazing in the head, & 〈◊〉 sweming in their brains, and destroy them with their own counsel. And then those malicious and wilful blind persecutors, which refusing mercy when they were called thereto, chose rather to have their part with hypocrites in shedding of innocent blood▪ shallbe partakers with them also in having their own blood shed again, God giving an occasion that one wicked shall destroy an other.  
And as for wickedness whence it springyth, and who is the cause of all insurrection, and of the fall of princes, and the shortening of their days upon the earth/ thou shalt see in the glass following, which I have set before thine eyes, not to resist the hypocrites with violence (which vengeance pertaineth unto God) but that thou mightest see their wicked ways and abominable paths, to withdraw thyself from them/ and to come again to christ and walk in his light, and to follow his steps and to commit the keeping both of thy body and soul also unto him and unto the father thorough him, whose name be glorious for ever. Amen.   

axed who should be greatest in the king●●● of heaven, Chryst called a young child unto him/ and set him in the mids among them▪ saying: Except ye turn back and become as children, ye shall not enter in the kingdom of heaven. Now young children bear no rule one over an other/ but all is fellowshype among them. And he said more over: Who soever humbleth himself after the ensample of this Child, he is greatest in the kingdom of heaven, that is, to be (as concerning ambition and worldly desire) so childish▪ y● y● couldst not heyve thyself above thy brother/ is the very bearing of rule and to be great in Christ's kingdom. And to describe the very ●a●ion of the greatness of his kingdom/ he said: He that receiveth one such child in my name receiveth me. What is that to receive a child in Christ'S name? verily to submit to meek and to humble thyself and to cast thyself under all men and to consider all men's infirmities and weaknesses/ & to help to heal their diseases with the word of truth/ and to live purely that they see no contrary ensample in the to what soever thou teachest them in Christ that thou put no stumbling block before them, to make them fall while they be yet Young and weak in the faith: But that thou abstain as Paul teacheth i Thessalo. v. Ab omni specie mala, from all that might seem evil or whereof a man might surmise amiss, & that thou so love them/ that whatsoever gift of god in the is/ thou think the same, theirs and their food and for their sakes given unto the as the Truth is, and that all the infirmities be thine, and that thou feal them and that thine heart mourn for them and that with all thy power thou help to amend them, and cease not to cry to God for them neither day nor night: and that thou let nothing be found in thee/ that any man may rebuke, but whatsoever thou teachest them, thou that be: And that thou be not a wolf in a lambs skin as our holy father the Pope is, which cometh unto us in Name of hypocrisy and in the title of cursed Cham or Ham calling himself servus servorum/ the servant of all servants/ and is yet found tyrannus tyrannorum of all tyrants most cruel. This is to receive young children in Christ's name, and to recave young children in Christ'S name, is to bear rule in the kingdom of christ. Thus ye may see that Christ'S kingdom ●s altogether spiritual, and the bearing of rule in it is clean contrary unto the bearing of rule temporally. Wherefore none that beareth rule in it may have any temporal jurisdiction or ministre any temporal office that requireth Uyolence to compel with all.  

¶ Peter was not greater than the other Apostles, by any authority given him of Chryst.  
THey say that Peter was chief of the Apostles, verily as Apelles was called chief of painters for his excellent cunning above other, even so Peter may be called thief of the Apostles for his activity and boldness above the other: but that Peter had any authority or rule over his brethren & fellow apostles, is false & contrary to the scripture. Christ forbade it the last even before his passion, and in diverse times before, and taught always the contrary, as I have rehearsed.  
Thou wilt say: thou canst not see how there should be any good order in the kingdom, where none wear Better than other, and where the superior had not a law and authority to compel the inferior with violence. The world truly can see none other way to rule, then with violence. For there no man abstaineth from evil/ but for fear, because the love of righteousness is not written in their hearts. And therefore the Pope's kingdom is of this world. For there one sort are your Grace, your Holiness, your fatherhod: An other, my lord bishop my Lord Abbot, my Lord Prior/ another/ master doctor/ father, bachelar/ master parson/ master vicar, and at the last cometh in simple sir johan. And every man reigneth over other with might and have every ruler his prison his jailer/ his chains/ his torments/ even so much as the friars observants observe that rule, and compel every man either with violence above the cruelness of the heathen tyrants, so that what cometh once in, may never out for fear of telling tales out of school. They rule over the body with violence and compel it whether the heart will or not, to observe things of their own making.  
But in the kingdom of God it is contrary. For the spirit that bringeth them thither maketh them willing & giveth them lust unto the law of God, & love compelleth them to work/ and love maketh every man's good and all that he can do, common unto his neighbours need. And as every man is strong in that kingdom, so love compelleth him to take the weak by the hand/ and to help him, and to take him, that can not go upon his shoulders and bear him. And so to do service unto the weaker, is to bear rule in that kingdom.  
And because Peter did exceed the other apostles in fervent service toward his brethren, therefore is he called (not in the scripture but in the use of speaking) the chief of the Apostles, and not that he had any dominion over them. Of which truth thou mayest see all thy practice in the A●tes of the Apostles after the resurrection. For when Peter had been & preached in the house of Cor +nelis an heathen man, the other that were circumcised, chode him, because he had been in an uncircumcised man's house and had eaten with him, for it was forbidden in the law, neither witted they yet that the heathen should be called. And Peter was fain to give accounts unto them (which is not token of superiority) and to show them how he was warned of the holy ghost so to do Acts. xi.  
And Acts the xu when a counsel was gathered of the apostles and disciples about the cyrcuncysion of the heathen, Peter brought forth not his commandment and the authority of his vycarshyppe, but the miracle that the holy ghost had showed for the heathen/ how at the preaching of the gospel, the holy ghost had lighted upon them and purified their hearts thorough faith, and therefore proved that they ought not to be circumcised.  
And Paul & Barnabas brought forth the miracles also that God had showed by them/ among the heathen, thorough preaching of faith. And then james brought forth a prophecy of the old testament for the said party: And there with the adversaries gave over their hold/ and they concluded with one assent by the authority of the scripture & of the holy ghost, thou the heathen should not be circumcised/ and not by the commandment of Peter, under pain of cursing, excommunication interdyting and like bogs to make fools and children afraid with all.  
And Acts. viii. Peter was sent of the other apostles unto the samaritanes/ which is an evident token that he had in jurisdiction over them (for then they could not have sent him) But rather (as the truth is) that the congregation had authority over him and over all other private Parsons, to admit them for ministers and send them forth to preach whether so ever the spirit of god moved them/ and as they saw occasion.  
And in the epistle unto the Gallathians thou seist also how Paul corrected Peter when he walked not the right way after the truth of the Gospel. 
Galla. ij.  So now thou sayst that in the kingdom of Chryst, and in his church or congregation, and in his counsels, 
Scripture is the chiefest of the apostles.  the ruler is the scripture approved thorough the miracles of the holy ghost and men be servants only▪ and Chryst is the head and we all brethren: And when we call men our heads, that we do not, because they be shorn or shaven, or because of their names, parson, vicar, bishop, pope: But only because of the word which they preach. If they err from the word/ then may who soever God moveth his heart, play pavil▪ and correct him. If he will not obey the scripture/ then have his brethren authority by the scripture to put him down & to send him out of Christ'S church among the heretics which prefer their false doctrine above the true word of Chryst.   

¶ How the gospel punisheth trespassers and how by the Gospel we ought to go to law with our adversaries.  
THough that they of Christ'S congregation be all willing: yet because that the most part is always weak & because also that the occasions of the world be ever many and great, in so much that Chryst, which wyste all thing beforehand, saith Matthew xviij. Woe be unto the world by reason of occasions of Evil, and saith also that it can not be avoided but that occasions shall come, therefore it can not be chosen but that many shall overfaule, when a weak Brother hath trespassed, by what law shall he be punished? verily by the law of love/ whose properties thou readest in the xiii. of the first to the Corinthians. If the love of God/ which is my profession/ be written in mine heart, it will not let me hate my weak brother when he hath offended me▪ no more than natural love will let a Mother hate her child when it trespasseth against her. My weak brother hath offended me, he is fallen, his weakness hath overtrowne him: it is not right by the law of love that I should now faule upon him, & tread him down in the mire and destroy him utterly: but it is right by the law of love, that I run to him & help him up again. ¶ By what process we should go to law with our trespacers'/ christ teacheth us Math. xviij. Tell him his fault between him & the with all meekness, remembering that thou art a man & mayst fall also: If ye repet, & thou love him/ ye shall soon agree/ & then forgive him. And when thou forgivest thy neighbour, them thou art sure that god forgiveth the thy trespasses by his holy promise Math. vi. If he hear y● not/ then take a neighbour or two. If he hear them not, them tell the congregation where thou art: & let the preacher pronounce gods law against him & let the sad & discreet men rebuke him & exhort him unto repentance, if he repent, & y● also love him according to the profession, ye shall soon agree. If he hear not the congregation, then let him be taken as an heathen. If he that is offended be weak also/ them let them that be strong ●o between & help them. And in like manner if any sine against the doctrine of Chryst & the profession of a christian man so that he be a drunkard, & Turrian horekeper, or whatsoever open sin he do, or if he teach false learning: then let such be rebuked openly before the congregation & by the authority of the scripture. And if they repent not, let them be put out of the congregation as he then people, if they then be not a shamed ● we have no remedy but patiently to abide what god will do & to pray in the mean time the god will open their hearts & give them repentance. Other law then this, Christ'S gospel knoweth not, nor the officers thereof. It is manifest therefore, that the kingdom of christ is a spiritual kingdom which no man can minister well, & a temporal kingdom to, as it is sufficiently proved: because that no man which putteth his hand to the plough, & looketh back/ is apt for the kingdom of heaven, as Chryst answered Luke. ix. unto him that would have followed him, but would first have take leave of his household. If a man put his hand to the blow of god's word, to preach it/ & look also unto worldly business/ his plough will surely go a wry. And therefore saith Christ unto Turrian other that would likewise follow him, but desired first to go and bury his father. Let the dead bury the dead, but come thou and show or preach that kingdom of god. As who should say, he that will preach the kingdom of God (which is Christ'S gospel) truly, must have his heart no where else.   

¶ What officers the apostles ordained in Christ's church, & what their offices were to do.  
Wherefore the apostles folow●g & obeying the rule, doctrine & commandment of our saviour jesus Christ their master/ ordained in his kingdom and congregation two officers: One called after the greek word bishop, in english an overseer: which same was called priest after the greek, elder in english because of his age, discretion & sadness for he was as nigh as could be all way Turrian elderly man: as thou seist both in the new & old testament also, how the officers of the jews be called the Elders of the People/ because (as thou mayst well think) they were over old men▪ as nigh as could be. For unto age do men naturally obey, and unto age doth god command to give honour/ saying: Levi. nineteen. Rise up before the horehead, and reverence the face of the old man And also experience of things and coldness (without which it is hard to rule well) is more in age then in youth. And this ouersea● did put his hands unto the plough of god's word, and fed Christ'S flock/ and tended them only without looking unto any other business in the world.  
another officer they chose, and called him Deacon after the greek, amynystre in english, to minister the alms of the people unto the poor and needy. For in the congregation of christ, love maketh every man's gift and goods commune unto the necessity of his neighbour. Wherefore the love of god being yet door in the hearts of men, the rich that had the substance of this worlds goods/ brought of their abundance great plenty unto the sustentation of the poor, and delivered it unto the Hands of the Deacons. And unto the help of the Deacons were widows of lx year old, holy, virtuous/ and destitute of friends, chosen to tend and wait upon the sick and to wash the saints feet that came from one Congregation unto an other/ whether for any business or for fear of persecution. And these common goods of the church offered for the succour of the poor, grew in all churches so exceedingly/ that in some congregation it was so much that it was sufficyente to Maintain an host of men In so much that tyrants did oft times persecute the christian for those common goods/ as thou seist in the life of. S. Laurence the deacon of Rome.  
And moreover the covetousness of the prelate's was the decay of christendom and the increasing of the kingdom of Mahomette For by the first springing of the empire of, Mahomete, the Emperors, Kings, and great lords of christendom had given their treasure so mightily unto the church, what after great victories, & what at their deaths, that their successors were not able to maintain battle against the Saracenes and Turks (for the world was not yet in such captivity that they could make their subjects swear on books what they were worth & raise up taxes at their pleasure) so that a certain wrytter of stories saith: The prelate's gaped when the lay men would take the war upon them against the Turks, and that lay men looked when the prelate's would lay out their money to make the war with all, and not to spend it in worse use, as the most part of them were wont to do/ spending the money that was gotten with alms and blood of martyrs upon goodly place and great vessels of gold and silver, without care of things to come, despising God whom they worshipped for their belies sake only and also man. Moreover it was the custom even then/ (saith the auctor) to axe what the bishopric was worth, ye and to leave a worse for a better or to keep both with a union. And at the same time Isacius the debity of the Emperor, came to Rome to confirm the Pope in his se, with the emperors authority, for the election of the pope was then nothing worth, except it had been confirmed by the emperor, and he found so great treasure in the church of saint John Lateran, that for disdain which he had that they should have such treasure in s●ore & not to help the emperor in his wars against the Turckes seeing his soldiers/ lacked wages, he took it away with violence against the will of the prelate's, of which he exiled some/ and paid his own men of war with one part & took an other part unto himself, & sent the third part unto the Emperor: which must needs have been a great treasure in one church.   

¶ By what means the prelate's fell from Chryst  
THe office of a bishop was a room at the beginning, that no man coveted and that no man durst take upon him, save he only which loved christ better than his own life. For as Christ sayeth that no man might be his disciple, except that he were ready to forsake life and all: even so might that officer be sure that it would cost him his life at one time or an other forbearing record unto the truth. But after that the multitude of the christian were increased, and many great men had receau●d the faith, than both lands and rents aswell as the other goods, were given unto the maintenance as well of the clergy as of the poor: because they gave then no tithes to the priests, nor yet now do save in certain countries: For it is to much to give alms/ offerings/ lands and tithes also. And then the bishops made them which they call priest/ and keep the name bishop unto themselves.  
But out of the deacons sprang all the mischief. For thorough their hands went all thing: they ministered unto the clergy, they ministered unto the poor/ they were in favour with great & small. And when the bishops office begun to have rest & to be honourable/ then the deacons through favour and gifts clam up thereunto, as lightly he that hath the old Abbot's treasure, succeedeth with us. And by the means of their practice & accointaunce in the world, they were more subtle and woorldly wise than the old bishops, and less learned in God's word, as our prelate's are/ when they come from studentshyppe in gentlemen's houses, and from surueing of great men's lands, lords secrets, Kings counsels, ambasadourshyp/ from war and ministering all worldly matters/ yea, worldly mischief: and yet now they come not thence/ but receive all and bide there still, 
The prelate's must b●de still in the court.  yea they have enacted by plain parliament that they must bide in the court still or else they may not have pluralytie of benefices. And then by little and little they enhanced themselves and turned all to themselves minishing the poor people's part and increasing theirs, and joininng accoyntaunce with great men, and with their power clam up and entitled them which the choosing and confirming of the Pope and all bishops, to flatter and purchase favour and defenders: trusting more unto their worldly wisdom then unto the doctrine of Chryst, which is the wisdom of God and unto the defence of man, then of God. Then while they that had the plough by the tail, looked ●acke, the plough went a wry▪ Faith waxed feeble and faint/ love waxed cold, the scripture waxed dark, Chryst was no more seen: he was in the mount with Moses, & therefore the bishops would have a god upon the earth whom they might see, and thereupon they began to dispute who should be greatest.   

¶ How the bishop of Rome became greater than other/ and called himself Pope.  
Then quoth worldly wisdom Jerusalem must be the greatest for that was Christ's seat, et factum ●st, so it can to pass for a season And in conclusion where a great city was and much riches, there was the bishop ever greater than his fellows. Alexander in Egypte/ and Antioch in Grece/ were greater than their neighbours. Then those decaying, Constantinople and Rome/ waxed great, and strove who should be greater. And Constantinople said, where the Emperor is, there ought to be the greatest seat and chiefest bishop. For the Emperor lay● most at Constantynople/ because it was (I suppose) nigh the mids of the empire, therefore I must be the greatest said the bishop of Constantinople. Nay quod the bishop of Rome, though the Emperor lie never so much at constantinople yet he is called Emperor of Rome/ & room is the head of the empire, wherefore of right I must be the Father of all waten. And thus whether they challenged their title by the authority of God or man, or by peter or polling, it was all one: so they might be greatest.  
And great intercession was made unto the Emperors of both parties: but in vain a great season/ for the emperors stopped their ears at such ambitious requests long time, till at the last there came an Emperor called Phocas which lay long in Italy & was a very soft man & a pray for prelate's. 
Phocas.  
Pope boniface the 〈◊〉  In whose time Boniface the third was bishop of Rome, a man ambitious & greedy upon honour, & of a very subtle wit nothing inferior unto Thomas wolf ser cardinal of yorcke. This Boniface was great with the emperor Phocas, & with his wylye persuasions & great intercession together, obtained of Phocas to be called the chiefest of all bishops, & that his church should be the chief church. Which authority as soon as he had purchased/ he sent immediately his commandment with the emperors power whereunto all the bishops of almany▪ demanding the every bishop should call all the priests of his diocese, 
the chastity of priests how it came up.  & charge them that every man should put away his wife under pain of excommunication Which tyranny, though great resistance was made against it/ he yet brought to pass with the emperors sword and his own subtlety together: for the bishops were rich and durst not displease the pope for fear of the Emperor.  
As soon as Nembroth the mighty him 〈◊〉 had caught this pray, that he had compelled all bishops to be under him and to swear obedience unto him/ then he began to be great in the earth, and called himself papa, 
Papa.  with this interpreca●yon/ father of fathers. And when the Pope had exalted his throne above his fellows, than the unity that ought to be among brethren in Christ'S Church, brake: and division begun between us and the greeks/ which greeks (I suppose) were at that time the one half of christendom. 
Division in the church.  And when any pope ●ens exhorted them to unity they answered that he which will reign over his brethren with violence breaketh unity/ & not they/ & that they will not be under his tyranny whereunto he calleth them und a colour of unite. And from hence forth with the help of his bishops, which were sworn t● be true lyge men unto him, when before time they were admitted to their bishoprics of the emperors and kings, he began to ley a bayte to catch the hole Empire into his hands also.   

¶ By what means the pope invaded the Empire.  
AT that same season Mahomete the author of the sect of the turks and saracens began. 
mahomete & the p●pe began at ●●ne time.  And as soon as he had got much People unto him with wiles and feigned miracles, he invaded the empire of Rome in those quarters. And look how busy Mahomet was in those parties so ●esy was the pope in these quarters to invade the empire (with the help of his sworn bishops which preached all of non other God than the Pope) while the emperor was occupied a far of, in resisting of Mahomete. 
Gregory the pope came up by the frenchmen & by the he cotinnueth his estate still.   
And within few years after, when the kings of Italy now and then vexed our holy fathers for the covetous ambition, then Gregory the third joined amity with the Frenchmen, and called them to help/ by whose power they got all they have & also maintain it unto this day, For if any man since that time hither, disposed the pope never so little, he immediately cursed him and excommunicated him/ and proclaimed him no right enheritoure, and that it was not lawful to hold of him, and obsolute his lords and subjects of their alleges aunce, and sent his blessing unto the french king, and remission of sins to go and conquer his land, the pope and french king alway dividing the spoil between them, the bishops and all that served god for the belly, preaching the pope's might▪ how that he had power so to do/ and all things to b●de and lose at his will/ wresting the scriptures to serve for their purpose/ corrupting all the laws both of God and man to prove his godhead with all.  

pope zacharias the i Hilderichus  THen came pope Zacharias the first, in whose time hulderichus was king of france/ a man that governed his royalme (as it oft chanceth) by a debity (as parsons preach) one Pipine a lord of his o●ne & his sworn subject. 
pipinus  This pipine sent an holy bishop to pope Zacharias that he should help to make him king of France, and he would be hi● defender in Italy (as the manner of ●●aul● horses is, the one to claw the other) & Zacharias answered that he was more worthy to be king that ruled the Realm and ●oke the labours, than an idle shadow that went up and down and did nought. And so upon that/ the lords of France by the persuasions of the prelate's, consented unto Pipine, and thrust down their right king, unto whom they were sworn, ynd made a monk of him. And both the lords & also Pipine took dispensations for their oaths of our holy father, and were forsworn. Thus was our holy father the Pope crept up in to the consciences of men with his false interpretation of binding and lo●synge, good eight hundred years agone.  
Then came Pope Stephanus the second out of whose hands Estulphus king of Lombardie would feign have scratched some what, 
pope steven the second estulphus  for he thought that the holy fathers gathered to fa●●●/ and had all ready raked to much unto them. But the new king Pipine of france warned of his duty and service promised and mindful of old friendship, and hoping for part of the pray, came to succour the pope and when he had subdued the King o● lombardy, he gave unto our holy father or rather to saint Peter that hungry beggar, great provinces & countries in lombardy and in italy, with the isle corsica and many great cities, of which some pertained unto the Emperor being then at Constantinople/ & yet the Emperor had sent before unto king Pipine that he should not give of his towns unto the pope. But Pipine answer●● that he came for the same intent, & to enhance our holy father. And our holy father received them.  
And thus the Empire was divided in two part●s: the Pope and the frenchking parting the one half between them. And as the Emperor decayed, the Pope grew. And as the pope grew, so the sect of Mahomete grew, for the Emperor (half his empire lost) was not able to defend himself against the infidels. And the pope would suffer no help hence to come for two causes: One, lest the Emperor should recover his Empire again, and an other because the prelate's of the greeks would not submit themselves unto his godhead as the prelate's of these quarters of the world had ●one.  
AFter Pipine reigned his son great Charles whom we call Charlemagne which known non other God but the Pope nor any other way to heaven then to do the Pope pleasure. 
Pipine Charlemagne  For the Pope served him for two purposes: One to dispē●● with him for what soever mischief he did: an other, to be established in the Empire by his help, for without his favour he witted it would not be/ so great a God was our holy father become already in those days.  
'tis pope steven in his latter days fell at variance with Desiderius king of Lombardye, about the archbishop of Ra●enna.  
AFter Steven succeeded Adrian the first with whom Desiderius the king of Lombardy would fain have made peace, but Pope Adrian would not. 
Steven. Desiderius king of lombardy.  And shortly upon that the brother of this Charlmayn which reigned with him in half the dominion of France, died, whose wife for fear of charles, fled with her ij sons unto Desiderius king of Lombardye for succour. Desiderius was gladdy of their coming trusting by the means of these two children to obtain favour among many of the Frenchmen, and so to be able to resist charles, if he would meddle▪ and to bring Italy unto the right Em●perour again, and would have had that pope Adrian should have anointed them kings in their father's room. But Adrian refused that to do (for he saw charles might and meet for his purpose) and was as wily as Desyderius, and thought to keep out the right Emperor & be Emperor of Rome himself, though he gave an other the name for a season till a more convenient ●ime came.  
Then Desiderius warred upon the pope's jurisdiction. And Adryan sent to Charles/ and Charles came with his army and dra●e out desyderius and his son, which son fled unto the right Emperor to Constantinople. And Charles and the Pope divided the kingdom of Lombardy between them And Charles came to Rome And the Pope and he were sworn together that who soever should be enemy unto the one, should be enemy also unto the other.  
This Adrian gathered a counsel immediately of an. C. liiv. bishops, abbots and religious parsons, & gave unto Charles and his successors the empire of Rome, and ordained that the right and power to choose the pope▪ should be his▪ and that no bishop should be consecrate till he had obtained of him both consent and the ornaments of a bishop also (which they now ●ye of the pope) under pain of cursing, & to be delivered unto black Satan the devil/ and loss of goods. Dist. lxiij.  
And Leo the third which succeeded Adrian, confirmed the same/ & crowned Charles Emperor of Rome for like service done unto him. And then there was appointment made between the Emperors of constantinople and of Rome and the places assigned how far the borders of either empire should reach And thus of one empire was made twain. And therefore the empire of constantinople for lack of help, was shortly after subdued of the Turks.  
The said Leo also called Charles the most christian King because of his good service: which title the kings of France use unto this day/ though many of them be never so unchristened▪ As the last Leo called our king the defender of the faith. And as this Pope Clemens calleth the duke of Ge●der the eldest son of the holy 〈◊〉 of ROME, for non other virtue nor property that any man can know save that he hath b●ne all his life a pickequarell and a cruel and unrighteous bloudeshedde●● as his father that sitteth in that holy se is. So now above seven hundred years to be a Christian king, ●s to fight for the Pope, and most chr●sten that most fighteth & slayeth most men for his pleasure.  

●he life of Charles  This Charles was a great conqueror that is to say a great tyrant/ and overcame many nations with the sword, and as the Turk compelleth unto his Faith, so he compelled them with violence unto the faith of Christ, saith the stories. But (alas) Christ● faith whereunto the holy ghost only draweth men's hearts thorough preaching the word of truth and holy living according thereto, he knew not, but unto the pope he subdued them and unto this superstitious idolatry, which we use clean contrary unto the scripture.  

practise.  Moreover at the request and great desire of his mother, he married the daughter of Desyderius king of Lombardy/ but after one year unto the great displeasure of his mother he put her a way again: but not without the false subtlety of the pope thou mayest be sure, neither with out his dispensation. For how could Charles have made war for the Pope's pleasure with Desiderius her father, and have thrust him out of his kingdom, and banished his Son for ever, dividing his kingdom between him and the pope as long as she had been his wife?  
And therefore the pope with his authority of binding and loosing/ loosed the bonds of that matrimony (as he hath many other since, and daily doth for like purposes) to the intent that he would with the sword of the french king put the Kingdom of lombardy that was somewhat to nigh him ● out of the way: by the reason of whose kings his fatherhood could not reign alone nor assign or sell the bishoprics of Italy to whom he lusted and at his pleasure.  
He kept also four concubines, and lay with two of his own daughters thereto. And though he witted how that it was not unknown, yet his lusts being greater than great Charles, he would not weet nor yet refrain.  
And beyond all that, the saying 〈◊〉 that in his old age a whore had so bewitched him with a ring & a pearl in it, and I wot not what imagery graven therein that he went asaute after her as a Dog after a bitch/ and the do●ehed was beside himself and hole out of his Mind: in somuch that when the whore was dead, he could not depart from the Dead Corpse, but caused it to be embalmed and to be Carried with him whether so ever he Went/ so that all the world wondered at him/ till at the last his lords accumbered with carrying her from place to place, and ashamed that so old a Man, so great an Emperor and such a most christian king, on whom, & whose deeds every Man's eyes were set, should dote on a dead whore, took counsel what should be the cause. And it was concluded that it must needs be by enchantment. Then they went unto the cophyne, & opened it and sought, and found this ring on her finger: which one of the lords took of and put it on his own finger. When the ring was of he, commanded to bury her, regarding her no longer. Nevertheless he cast a fantasy unto this Lord and began to dote as fast on him, so that he might never be out of sight: But where our Charles was/ there must that lord also be, and what charles did, that must he be privy unto: until that th●s lord perceiving that it came because of this enchanted ring/ for very pain and tedyousnesse● to●● and cast it into a well at ac●n in douchland And after that the ring was in the well▪ the Emperor could never depart from the town/ but in the said place where the ring was, cast though it were a foul ma●resse, yet he bylt a goodly monastery in the worship of our lady, and thither brought relics, from whence he could get thē●ād pardons to sanctify the place and to make it more haunted. And there he lieth and is 〈◊〉 saint/ as right is. For he did for Christ's vicar as much as the great Turk for mahomete: but to save his Holiness that he might be canonized for a saint, they feign in his life that his abiding/ there so continually was for the hot baths sakes with be there.  
AFter Charlemagne, jews the mil● was emperor which was a very patient man (an other pho●●● & an other pray for the pope) & so meek and soft, that sca●elye he could be angry ●f any thing at all. When our holy fathers had seen his water and spied what complexion he was/ they chose Steven the iiij. of the name Pope with out his knowledge and bade him neither good morrow nor good even nor once god speed about the matter, 
pope steven 〈◊〉 three  against their own grant unto his father for his good service. And his softness was yet somewhat disposed there with in as much as the election of the Pope pertained unto his right. But the Pope sent Ambassadors and wrote all the excuses that he could and came after himself to france to him, & pleased him and crowned him ye●e emperor and passed the time a season with him, and they became very familiar together.  
After that, they chose Paschalis pope of the same manner, 
pope paschal.  which phascalis sent immediately legates unto the emperor soft jews excusing himself and saying: that it was not his fault but that the clergy and the comen people had drawn him thereto with violence against his will. Then the emperor was conte●t●or that ones and bade they should no more do so, but that the old ordinance ought to be kept. The softness of this Lewes did him much care. For he was after prisoned of his own son 〈◊〉 help of pope Gregory the fourth.  
After this man's days the pope's never regarded the emperors/ nor did the clergy of Rome sue any more to the emperor, either for the election or confirmation of the pope. Moreover after this Lewes there was nev emperor in christendom of any power or able of his own might to correct any pope neither was there any king that could correct the outrages vices of the spiritualty of his own realm after this time For this Lewes left three sons among which he divided the realm of France and all douchlond. Which same for pride & disdain that one should have more than another fell together (as we say) by the ears/ each destroying others power/ so that france was afterward of no might to do any great thing. And then the pope reigned in Italy alone without care of any Emperor: 
Alone pope Niclaus the i  in so much that Nicholaus the first● decreed that no seculare prince or emperor should have aught to do or be at the counsels of the clergy. 
pope adrian the ij  ¶ And after that Adrian the second was choose pope the emperors debit being in Rome and not once spoken to of the matter.  
And when the emperors ambassadors disdained, they answered who can resist the rage of the people, & prayed them to be content & to salute him as pope. And Adrian the third decreed that they should not abide and tarry for the emperors confirmation or authority in choosing the pope, and hat● the pope only should call a general council, and not the emperor, or if the Emperor would presume that to do, the council should be of none effect/ though all the prelat● of christendom were there, & though what soever they did were but GOD'S word. So mighty was the beast now waxed when he once began to reign alone. And from this time hitherward perished the power of the Emperors and the virtue of the pores, saith platina in the life of pope's. For sins that time as there was none emperor of might, so was there no pope of any virtue  
Altar this jews, the empire of France and of all doutchlande was divided between his three sons which (as I said) fought one with an other and destroyed the strength of the empire of france. And from that time to this, which is above vij hundredth years, thou shalt read of few pope's that have not led their lives in bloodshedding/ in so much that if thou consider the stories well, thou shalt easily perceive that there hath been slain about their cause far above xl C. thousand men, besides that there hath been but few princes in christendom that hath not been busied and cumbered a great part of his life about their matter. Either in wars begun at their setting on, either in ceasing schisms or division that hath been among the clergy who should be pope, or striving of bishops who should be greatest/ as between the bishop of York and Caunterbury in Ingland & between the bishops of Inglande & Wales, whereof all the chronicles be full, or in reforming friars or monks, or in slaying them that uttered their false hypocrisy with god's word.  
When the Emperor was down, & no man in christendom of any power to be feared, than every nation fell upon others and all lands were at variance between themselves. And then as the Danes came into Ingland and vexed the Inglishmen, and dwelled there in spite of their hearts/ even so came strange nations whose names were scarce heard of before in these quarters (as the Uandales/ Huns and Goths) and ran throughout all christendom by. C. thousands together, 
Uandales▪ Huns Goths.  and subdued the lands and dwelled therein maugre the inhabitors, as thou mayest see in Douchlond how diverse nations are enclosed in the mids of the land of a strange tongue which no douchman understandeth: and that rule continued well eight or ix. score or two hundred years. And in all this season/ who soever won the mastery/ him, the spiritualty received, and him they crowned king and to him they cleave. And what so ever any tyrant had rob all his life, that or most part thereof must he deal among them at his death/ for fear of purgatory. The spirytualty all that season preached the pope mightily, bylt abbeys for recreation and quietness/ shryninge them alway for saints which purchased them privileges/ or fought for their liberties, or disputed for the pope's power, how so ever they lived (but after. L. year when their lives were forgotten) and if any resisted them what soever mischeven they went about, him they noted in chronicles as a cruel tyrant: ye & what soed misfortune chanced any of his posterity after him, that they noted also, as thouh God had plagued them, because their forefather was disobedient unto holy church ● & ever put the stories that uttered there wickedness out of the way and gathered relics from whence they could g●t them, & feigned miracles, that and gave themselves only unto poetry/ & shut up the scripture/ so that this was the very time of which christ speaketh. Mat. xxiv in which false propheter should arise and show miracles and wonders to deceive the very elect if it had been possible.  
finally in this busy world the Kings of Lombardy got a little might/ and came up again and were diverse times emperors/ th●gh of no great might. 
beringarius.  And one Beringarius king of lombardy began to meddle with our holy father's business. Wherefore the pope fled unto Ottho King of the saxons, which by that time had gotten might, and brought him into Italy against Beringarium, which Ottho overcame Beringarium & was made Emperor for his labour, 
Ottho.  and thus came the Empire first unto deue●●●nde.  
And Ottho recaved the empire of one pope john (●ay they) with this oath, 
pope John the xii.  I Ottho do promise and swear unto the lord Iohn, by the father/ the son and the holy ghost, and by this wood of the cross that maketh living, & by these relics of saints, that if I come to Rome with god's help, I will exalt the holy church of Rome and thee, the governor of the same, unto my power: Neither shalt thou lose life nor members, or that honour that thou hast by my will, counsel, consent or setting a work. Moreover I will make in rome no constitution or ordinance of any thing that pertaineth unto the or unto the Romans without thy counsel. And whatsoever of the lands of saint Peter cometh unto our hands/ I will dilyver it the And unto whom soever I shall commit the rule of Italy/ I will make him swear that he shall help thee, to defend the lands of saint Peter unto his power.  

Pope Gregory the .v.  And Gregory the .v. (when they had got at the last that which they long gaped for) made this ordinance of choosing the emperor/ to stablish it with all: that vi. lords of Almany iij of the spiritualty and three of the temporalty with the king of Bohen the seventh to be the odd man & umpear, should choose him for ever, and send him to the pope to receive his oath, and to be crowned. Nevertheless the pope to keep the Emperor a far of, sendeth him his coronation home to him oftimes much leaver than that he should come any near as a meek spirited man, that had liefer live solitary and alone, then have his holiness seen.   

¶ A proper similitude to describe our holy father.  
And to see how our holy father can up mark the ensample of an yvirtre: first it springeth out of the earth & then a while creepeth a long by the ground till it find a great tree: than it joineth itself beneath a low unto the body of the tree, & creepeth up a little and a little fair and softly. And at the beginning while it is yet thine and small that the burden is not perceived, it seemeth glorious to garnish the tree in the winter and to bear of the tempests of the wether. But in the mean season it thrusteth his roots into the bark of the tree to hold fast withal/ and ceaseth not to ●●ym up till it be at the top/ and above all. And then it sendeth his branches along by th● branches of the tree, and overgroweth all and waxeth great, heavy and thick and sucketh the moisture so sore out of the tree and his branches, that it choketh and stifleth them. And then the foul styncking ivy waxeth mighty in the scompe of the tree and becometh a seat and a nest for all unclean, bird's and for blind owls which hawk in the dark and dare not come at the light.  
Even so the bishop of Rome now called POPE, at the beginning crope a long upon the earth, and every man trod upon him in this world. But as soon as there came a christian Emperor, he joined himself unto his feet and kissed them, and crope up a little with begging now this privilege, now that, now this city now that/ to find poor people with all and the necessary ministers of God's word. 
the chosīg● of the pope & all bishops pertained unto the emperor & kings once.  And he entitled the Emperor with choosing the pope and other bishops/ and promoted in the spiritualty, not whom virtue and learning but whom the favour of great men commended, to flatter to get friends and defenders with all.  

the alms  And the alms of the congregation which was the food and patrimony of the poor and necessary preachers, 
given unto the poor is become. S Peter's patrimony.  that he called saint Peter's patrimony, saint Peter's rents, saint Peter's lands, saint Peter's right; to cast a vain fear & an heathenish superstitiousness into the hearts of men, that no man should dare meadle with what soever came once into their hands, for fear of saint Peter, though they ministered it never so evil: and that they which should think it no●e alms to give them any more (because they had to much already) should yet give saint Peter somewhat (as N●buchodonesser gave his God B●ell) to purchase an advocate and an intercessor of saint Peter, 
Danielis xiv.  and that saint Peter should at the first knock, let them in.  
And thus with flattering and feigning and vain superstition under the Name of Saint Peter, he crept up and fastened his roots in the heart of the Emperor, and with his sword claim up above all his fellow bishops and brought them und his feet. And as he subdued them with the emperors sword, even so by subtlety & help of them (after that they were sworn faithful) he clam above the Emperor/ and subdued him also and made him s●oupe unto his feet/ and kiss them an other while. Yea Pope Calestinus crowned the Emperor Henrye the fift, holding the crown between his feet. And when he had put the crown on/ he smote it of with his feet again, saying: that he had might to make Emperors and to put them do●ne again.  
And he made a constitution that no lay man should meddle which their matters, nor be in their counsels or wit what they did, & that the Pope only should call the counsel/ and the Emperor should but defend the Pope: provided alway that the counsel should be in one of the Pope's towns, and where the pope's power was greater than the Emperors: then under a pretence of condempnyng some heresy/ he called a general counsel/ where he made one a patriarch, an other Cardinal/ a other Legate, an other Primate▪ an other archbishop/ an other bishop, an other Dean, an other Archdeacon and so forth, as we now see.  
And as the Pope played with the Emperor/ so did his branches and his members the bishops play in every kingdom duckedom and lordship, in so much that the very heirs of them, 
Qualis pater talis filius. Good natural children.  by whom they came up/ hold now their lands of them and take them for their chief lords. And as the Emperor is sworn to the pope, even so every king is sworn to the bishops and prelate's of the realm: and they are the chiefest in all perliamentes: yea they and their money and they that be sworn to them and come up by them/ rule all together.  
And thus the pope the father of all hypocrites hath with falsehood and guile perverted the order of the world and turned the roots of the trees upward and hath put down the kingdom of christ, 
the popish order compared with Christ'S.  & set up the kingdom of the devil whose vicar he is, and hath put down the ministers of christ, and hath set up the ministers of Satan, disguised yet in names and garments like unto the angels of light/ and ministers of righteousness. For Chrstes kingdom is not of the world Ihon. xviij. and the Pope's kingdom is all the world.  
And Christ is neither judge nor divider in this world Luke. xii But the pope judgeth and divideth all the world & taketh the empire & all kingdoms and giveth thē●o whom he lusteth.  
Christ saith Math. v. Blessed are the poor in spirit: so that the first step in the kingdom of Chryst is humbleness or hum●●ytie that thou canst find in thine heart to do service unto all men, and to suffer that all men tread the.  
The Pope saith. Blessed be the proud and highminded that can climb and subdue all under them and maintain their right and such as will suffer of no man/ so that he which was yesterday taken from the dunghill and promoted this day by his prince, shall to morrow for the pope's pleasure cu●se him & excommunicate him, and interdict his royalme.  
Chryst saith. Blessed be the meek or soft that be harmless as doves.  
The pope blesseth them that can set all the world together by the ears and fight and slay manfully for his sake, that he may come h●te from bloodshedding to a bysshopry●e as our Cardinal did, and as saint Thomas of Canterbury did/ which was made bishop in the field, in complete harness on his horseback and his spear bloody in his hand.  
Chryst hath neither holes for foxes, nor 〈◊〉 for birds, nor yet whereon to lay his head, nor promised aught in this world unto his disciples nor took any to his disciple but him that had forsaken all.  
The yvytre the Pope hath under his roots throughout all christendom in every village holes for foxes, and nests for unclean birds in all his branches, and promiseth vn●o his disciples all the promotions of the world.  
The nearer unto Chryst a man cometh, the lower he must d●scende and the Poorer he must wax: but the nearer unto the pope ye come the higher ye must climb and the more riches ye must gather whence soever ye can get them, to pay for your bulls, and to purchase a glorious name & licence to wear a mitre and a cross and a pale and goodly ornaments.   

¶ How the pope receiveth his kingdom of the devil/ and how he distributeth i● again.  
Shortly the kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them (which Chryst refused) Matthew. iiij. did the devil proffer unto the pope, and he immediately fell from Chryst and worshipped the devil/ and received them. For by falsehood (as he maintaineth them) came he thereto/ and by falsehood do all his disciples come thereto. Who of an hundred one is Pope bis●hope or any great prelate, but either by necromancy or simony or waiting on great men's pleasures/ and with corrupting of god's word and fashioning it after their lusts.  
And the Pope after he had received the kingdom of the world of the devil and was become the Devils vicar, 
The pope distributeth his father's kingdom.  took up in like manner all christendom an high, & brought them from the meekness of Chryst unto the high hill of the pride of Lucifer and showed them all the Kingdom of the earth, saying: fall down and worship me, and I will give you these. Unto the spiritualty he saith: fall from Chryst and preach me, and take thou that cardenalshippe, thou the bysshoprycke, thou the Abbotshyppe, and so fourth: thou as many benefices as thou wilt, and a dispensation for what thou wilt. And to monks and friars in like manner, take thou that hole, and thou that nest/ with what privilege ye will desire and dispensations of your rules, if ye will preach me.  
And unto the temporalty he saith: First to the Emperor, if thou wilt fall down & kiss my feat and swear to hold of me and to defend me, I giveth the empire.  
And to all kin●●● in like manner, if they will swear to defend his liberties and to hold of him/ he crowneth them. And even so all temporal Lords from the highest unto the lowest, and all officers, and all manner subjects, if they will enjoy lands, rents, offices, goods and their very lives they must run the same way.  
The very whores (gods honour unregarded) as long as they despite not him and his ordinances, they shall have nests in his rents, and among his Prelates. And the thieves and murderers shall have dens in his sanctuaries, whatsoever they do against God/ so long as they hung on him.  
The Apostles chose pryestes to preach Chryst only/ all other things laid apart and chose none but Learned and Uertuouse  
The Pope shaveth who soever cometh, 
The pope's order compared with the order of the Apostles.  lever ●u●e of the stu●s then from study ● when they be Sworn he Sendeth them unto all great men's houses to preach his godhead to be stewards/ surveyors/ recea●ers & counsellors of all manner mischief: 
〈◊〉 popish priests.  to corrupt wife/ daughter, and maid, & to betray their own master, as oft as it needeth to promote their falsehood with all. For thereto are they sworn together.  
And when they have done all mischief/ there shall no man wit whence it cometh.  
The apostles chose deacons to minister the alms of the rich unto the poor. And to help the deacons they chose widows of ix year old, 
the popish wi●dows.  holy & destitute of friends to ●end the sick. And the Pope in stead of such widows maketh who soever cometh/ whether she be young or old, but none save them that be rich & able to pay. xx.xxx. or xl pound for their profession, to whom for as much more he will give a dispensation on the morrow to marry again. And in stead of such deacons, 
●he popish deacons.  he maketh both deacons and subdeacons which do nothing at all but are vain names without office/ except it be that on some Holydaye in stead of ministering the goods of the church unto the poor, they sing a pistle or Gospel to beg more from the ●●ore. And as his 〈…〉 the ●oodes of the church 〈◊〉 the poor: even so do his pryes●es preac●● Christ's gospel unto his flock.  
And the alms that was given to the sustencation of the poor which thou shalt read in storie● that it was in some cities above. xx.xxx.xl. yea an hundred thousand pound, 
How the pope divideth the poor people.  and all the lands given for the same purpose, they have s●olen from them & have divided it among themselves. And there with did they at the beginning corrupt the great men of the world and clam up to this height were they now be. And for that have they striven among themselves this viii. hundred years. And to maintain that which they have falsely gotten/ hath the pope stirred up answered of war in all christendom this eight hundred years & hath taken peace clean out of the world.  
When the bishops, priests and deacons were fallen and had received of the pope the kingdom that pertained unto the poor people, and had rob them and parted their patrimony among themselves/ then sprang the orders of monks: Whose profession was to abstain from flesh all their lives, to were vile raiment, to eat but once in the day/ and that but butter, cheese, eggs, fruits, roots and such things that wear not costly/ and might every where be found. And they wrote books/ and wrought diverse things to get their living with all. When the lay men saw that the priests were fallen in to such covetousness/ & that the Monks were so holy: they thought, these be meet men to minister our alms unto the poor people. For their profession is so holy that they can not deceau● us as the priests do, and made the monks tutors and ministers unto the poor, and gave great Lands and richesse in to their hands to deal it unto the poor. When the monks saw such abundance/ they fell after the ensample of the priests, and took dispensations of the pope for their rules and straight profession, which now is as wide as their cowls'/ and divided all among them▪ and rob the poor once more. And out of the abbeys took he the most part of his Bysshoprickes and cathedral churches, and the most part of all the lands he hath/ besides that there Remain yet so Many mighty abbeys and nunneries ther●●.  
As soon as the monks were fallen, them sprang these begging friars out of Hell/ the last kind of caterpillars, 
Beggyng● friars.  in a more vile apparel and a more strate religion that (if aught of relief were left among the lay men for the poor people) these horseleeches might suck that also. Which dranebees as soon as they had learned their craft & had built them goodly & costly nests/ and their lymiters had divided all countries among them, to beg in/ and had prepared livings of a certainty/ though which begging/ then they also took dispensations of the pope for to live as largely & as lewdelye as the monks.  
And yet unto the lay men whom they have thus falsely rob & from which they have divided themselves and made them a several kingdom among themselves, 
The charge of the lay people.  they leave the paying of tolle/ custom and tribute (for unto all the Charges of the Royalmes they will not pay a mite (and the finding of all the poor: the finding of scolars for the most part: The finding of these foresaid horseleeches and carcepillers/ the begging friars the repairing of high ways and brydeges the building and recreations of their abbeys and cathedral churches, chapel● colleges/ for which they send out their pardons daily by heaps/ and gather a thousand pound for every hundred that they bestow truly.  
If the lay people have war or what soever charge it be, they will not bear a mite. If the war be theirs (as the one part almost of all war is to defend them) they will with falsehood make them bear the greatest part, besides that, they must leave their wives and children & go fight for them and lose their lives. And likewise in all their charges they have a cast to poll the lay people. The Scots cast down a castle of the bishop of dirams on the scottish bank called Noram castle. And he got a pardon from Rome for the building of it again/ wherewith I doubt not, bu● he got for every penny that he bestowed three.  

How the spyritualtie bestow their treasure,  And what do they with their store that they have in so great plenty every where: so that the very begging friars in short space to make a cardinal or a pope of their sect or to do what feat it were for their profit, would not stick to bring above a kings ransom▪ verily make goodly places and parks of pleasure and gay shrines/ and paint posts and purchese Pardons/ wherewith they yet still polle and pluck a way that little where with the poor which perish for need, and foul in to great in con●enyences might be somewhat holpen and relieved, And lay up in store to have alway to pay for the defending of their faith ●nd for to oppress the truth.   

¶ How the pope made him ● law, and why.  
AFter that the pope with tyranny was clomb up above his brethren and had made all the spirituality his subjects and had made of them and him a several kingdom among them selves, and had separated them from the lay in all things/ and had got privileges that what so ever they did, no man should meddle with them: and after also he had received the kingdoms of the earth of Satan and was become his vicar to dystrybut them, and after that the Emperor was fallen in like manner at his feet and had worshipped him as God, to receive his empire of him, and all kings had done like wise to be anointed of him and to be crowned of him, and after that the world both great and small had submitted themselves to receive the beasts bag: then because that Christ's doctrine was contrary unto all such kingdoms, and therefore had no law there in how to rule it he went, and made him a several law of his own making, which passed in cruelty and tyranny, the laws of all heathen priests.  
And in his law he thrust in feigned gifts of old emperors, that were out of memory, 
What subtlety the pope useth to stablish his kingdom.  saying that the emperor Constantinus had given up the empire of Rome unto. S. Sylvester, which is proved a false lie for diverse causes: one that saint siluester being so holy a man as he was/ would not have received it contrary to his master's commandments & doctrine: an other that the emperors reigned in Rome many years after and all bishops sued unto the emperor and not to the pope, which was but bishop of Rome only/ & not called father of fathers. Moreover that no authentic story maketh mention that any emperor gave them their patrimony/ but that Pipine which falsely & with strength invaded the empire gave it unto him. Then put 'em the grant of Phocas/ then the gift of pipine confirmed by the great charles: then a feigned relief of the election of the pope/ given up again unto pope Paschale by the emperor Lewes. For they themselves had granted unto charlemayne, & his successors for ever the election or denomination of the pope & bishops to flatter him with all, & to make him a faithful defender, and that in a general Counsel which (as they say) can not err. Nevertheless pope Paschal though he believed the counsel could not err, yet he thought them somewhat overseen, to make so long a grant, & therefore he purchased a relief of gentle ●ewes as they pretend But verily it is more likely that they feigned that grant to excuse their tyranny after they had taken the election into their hands again with violence/ when the emperors were weak & not able to resist them▪ as they feigned the gift of Constantine, after they had invaded the empire with subtilty and falsehood. And last of all they broughe in the Oath of Ottho with the order that now is used to choose the emperor   

¶ How the pope corrupteth the scripture and why.  
Moreover lest these his lies should be spied & least haply the emperors following/ might say, our predecessors had no power to bind us, nor to minish our might: And lest kings following, should say after the same manner/ that the sword & full power to punish evil doers indifferently is given of God to every king for his time, and therefore that their ● decessour could not bind them contrary unto the ordinance of God: but rather the it was unto their damnation to make such grants/ & that they did not execute their office. And therefore the foul & misshapen monster, gate him to the scripture & corrupted it with false exposytions/ to prove that such authority was given him of God/ & calenged it by the authority of Peter▪ saying/ that peter was the head of Christ's church and that Chryst had made him lord over the apostles his fellows, in that he bad him fe●de his sheep & lambs john the last/ as who should say the paul which came long after, was not commanded to feed as specially as peter, which yet would take no authority over the bodies or over the faiths of them which he fed, but was their servant for Christ'S sake, Christ ever the lord and head. And as though the other apostles were not likewise as specially commanded as Peter: And as though we now and all that here after shall love christ, were not commanded to ●eade Christ's flock, every man in his measure, as well as Peter. Are not we commanded to love our neighbours as ourselves, as well as Peter? Why then are we not commanded to care for his flock as well as Peter?  
Moreover if to feed Christ'S sheep is to be greatest (as no doubt to feed Christ's flock is to be great and most to feed▪ is to be greatest (in which office though peter was great, yet paul was greater) how cometh that the pope by that authority challengeth to be greatest, and yet this eight hundred years feedeth not at all: but poisoneth their pasture with the venamous leaven of his traditions & with wresting the text unto a contrary sense?  
Then came he to this text Mat. xvi Thou art peter and upon this rock I will build my congregation or church. Loo saith antichrist the carnal beast/ peter is the rock whereon the church of Chryst is built, and I am his successor, and therefore the head of Christ's church. When christ meant by the rock, the confession that Peter had confessed, saying: Thou art christ the son of the living god, which art come into this world. This faith is the rock, 
Faith is the root whereon Christ's church is built.  whereon Christ's church is bilt. For who is of Christ's church, but he only that believeth that Christ is God's son, come into to this world to save sinners? This faith is it, against which hell gates can not prevail. This faith is it, which saveth the congregation of christ and not Peter.  
Then he goeth forth unto that which followeth: Unto the I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven/ and what soever thou bindest in earth, it shallbe bound in heaven▪ etc. Lo●, saith he, in that he saith what soever thou biodest in earth, he excepteth nothing, therefore I may make laws & bind both king and emperor. When christ/ as he had no worldly kingdom, even so he spoke of no worldly binding, but of binding of sinners. 
The keys  Chryst gave his disciples the key of the knowledge of the law of God, to bind all sinners/ and the key of the promises to louse all that repent and to let them into the mercy that is made up for us in christ.  
Then cometh he unto an other text which Christ rehearseth Mathe. la●●, saying: All power is given men in heaven & earth▪ go ye therefore, and teach all nations, b● prising them in the name of the father, and the sonn●, and of the holy ghost, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you: And behold I am with you unto the worlds end: Loo saith the pope, Chryst hath all power in heaven and earth, without exception, and I am christes vicar, wherefore all power is mine/ and I am above all kings and Emperors in temporal iurisdictyon and they but my servants to kiss on● my feet only but my. N. also if I list not to have them stoop so low. When christ as I said because he had no temporal kingdom, 
Christ's power is to save sinners  even so he meant of no temporal power, but of power to save sins/ which they profess of, the text declareth by that he saith, go ye therefore, and teach and baptize: th●t is preach this power to all nations/ and wash of their sins thorough faith in the promises made in my blood. 
o● this manner ●●●lech he with texts.   
Then he cometh unto an other text Hebre. seven. which is. The priesthood b●ing translated, the law must needs be translated also. Now saith the pope, the priesthood is translated unto me, wherefore it pertaineth unto me to make laws and to bind every man. And the pistle meaneth no such thing/ but proveth to evidently that the ceremonies of Moses must cease. For the prye●●es of the old testament must needs have been of the tribe of Levi as Aaron was▪ whose duty for ever was the offering of sacrifices. Wherefore when that priesthood ceased, the sacrifices and ceremonies ceased also. Now that priesthood ceased in Christ, which was a priest of the order of Melchiscde● and not of the order of Aaron· for them he must have been of the tribe of juda & of the seed of David. Wherefore they that are under Christ's priesthood are under no sacrifices or ceremonies. And of this manner juggle they with all the scripture, which falsehood lest the lay men should perceive with reading the process of the Text/ is all their fear what soever they pretend.  
Moreover that thou mayst perceive the pope's falsehood, mark: Christ said unto p●ter, I will give and not I give, neither said he I will give unto the only: Therefore ●oke in the twenty chapter of John where he gave them the keys after his resurrection/ & thou shalt see that he gave them unto all indifferently saying: 
Chryst gave all his Apostles like authority.  As my father sent me so send I you. Whether sent he them? in to all the world/ and unto all nations. What to do? to preach the law that the people might repent, & the promises that they might believe in Chryst for the remission of sins▪ saying: receive the holy ghost, who so e'er sin ye forgive, they shallbe forgiven▪ by which holy ghost he gave them understanding of the scripture and of all that they should preach: as thou mayest see Luk last, where he opened their wits to understand the scripture and said, that repentance and forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations, and that they were witnesses to preach it. Whereby thou sayst that to Bind and to Loose is but to preach and tell the people their faults, 
To bind & louse is to preach.  and to preach mercy in christ to all that repent.  
And when he sayeth/ all power is given me: he saith not go thou Peter and preach but sayeth unto all indifferently/ go ye & preach this power given me of my father ●o save all that repent, and to damn them that repent not but follow the lusts of their flesh, with full desire to live beastly being enemies unto the law of god.  
And Math. xviij. Peter axed christ how oft he should for give his brother/ whether seven times. 
Nota.  And christ said/ seventy times seven times. As who should say/ as oft as he repenteth and asketh forgiveness.  
Now though this were spoken unto Peter only, because Peter only moved the question/ yet it appertaineth not unto us all as well as unto Peter? Are not we as much bound to forgive our neighbours that repent and axe forgiveness, as Peter▪ Yes verily. But because Peter only axed the question, therefore did christ teach us by Peter. If an other had axed/ he would have taught us by that other. And in like manner when christ axed who say ye that I am: if any other of the Apostles which believed it as well as Peter, had said as Peter did, thou art christ, the son of the living go●/ which art come in to the world of sinners, to save them: unto him would Chryst have answered/ as he did to Peter/ that upon the rock of that his confession he would have built his church, and would have Promised him keys as well as he did Peter. Yea and in the xviij chapter of Matthew, Chryst saith to all the Apostles/ yea/ and to all congregatyons where sinners be, 
A woman hath power to bind.  that what soever they bond should be bound & what soever they loosed should be loosed.  
Moreover every man and woman that know Chryst and his doctrine, have the keys and power to bind and loose: in an order yet and in their measure, as time place and occasion giveth and privately. May not a wife, if her husband sin against God and her, and take another woman/ tell him his taute between him and her secretly, and in good manner humbly, and bind his conscience with the law of god? And if he repent may she not for give him and lose him as well as the Pope? Yea, and better to, as long as the sin is secret, in as much as he sin the specially against hy●▪ and not against the pope.  
And so may the son do to the father/ and a servant to the master/ and every man to his neighbour, as thou sayst in the said xviij chapter of Matthew. How be it to bind and loose in the conscience by open preaching pertaineth unto the officers that are appointed thereto. And to bind and loose open Sinners, and them that will not repent till they be complained on unto the congregation, pertaineth unto the congregation.  
Finally there were many that preached christ at Rome, 
Reason's the peter was not the greatest by any authority given him of christ.  yet Peter came thither if he came ever thither: as Paul and many other. Had they not authority to bind and loose? Or else how did they convert the people? Peter was also an Apostle and went from place to place as Paul did, and as Paul ordained Bysshopes in every place to teach the people, so no doubt did Peter. Why then might not those bishops calenge authority by Peter as well as they of Rome? they say also in their own legends that Peter had his seat ot Antioch first. Did he run to Rome living no man behind him to teach the people at Antioch? God forbid. Why then might not that bishop calenge Peter's authority? They will haply say sooner than prove it, that Peter died at Rome, and therefore his authority is greatest ther. Then by that rule Christ's power is no where so full as at Jerusalem. But what hath Christ'S invisible kingdom to do with places: Where Christ'S Gospel is, 
Chryst●● power is in the gospel  their is his power full and all his auctroite as well in one place as in an other.  
finally to get authority whence so ever, they can snatch it, they join Paul with Peter in their own laws Distinctio. xxij saying: By the authority of peter and Paul. Which is clean against themselves. 
paul is called to help  For they say in their own law in the presence of the superior, the power of the inferior ceaseth, and is none at all. Now if Peter be greater than Paul, then by that rule/ where Peter is present their Paul is but a subject and without authority: As where Christ is present bodily and preacheth him self, there the apostles give up their authority/ and hold their peace and sit down at his feet, and become scholars and hearken to.  
Wherefore in that they join Paul with Peter, and challenge their superiority as well by the authority of Paul as of Peter, there they make Paul fellow and equal with peter. And thus it is false that Peter was ●eater than his fellows, but the blind unless care not what they howl, seeing it is night and the day light of god's word, shut up that no man can spy them.  
Moreover with this term Peter's seat they juggle apace (as with infinite other) saying that Peter's seat, is the chief seat/ but what Peter's seat is that they tell you not For wist ye that/ ye should some perceive that they lie. Peter's seat is no stole or chair (for what hath the kingdom of Christ to do with such baggage) but, it is a spiritual thing. Chryst saith in the gospel Math. twenty-three. The scribes and pharyzees sit on Moses seat. What was moses seat there, a chair ●or the temple/ or the churches, or synagogue of the land? Nay verily▪ for moses came never there. But Moses seat was Moses law and doctrine. Even so Peter's seat, is Peter's doctrine, the gospel of christ which peter taught. And the same doctrine is Peter's keys: so that Peter's seat, Peter's keys and Peter's doctrine is all one thing Now is Peter's doctrine, Paul's doctrine & the doctrine of all the twelve Apostles in differently, for they taught all one thing. Wherefore it followeth/ that Peter's keys, and Peter's seat, be the keys and seat of Paul also, & of all the other twelve Apostles and are nothing save the gospel of Christ And thus as Peter's doctrine is no better than Paul's but one thing, even so Peter's seat is no greater nor higher or holier then the seat of the other twelve Peter's seat now is Christ's seat/ Christ'S gospel on which all the apostles sat & on which this day sitteth all they only that preach christ truly Uherfore as Antichrist preacheth not Peter's doctrine (which is Christ's gospel) so he sitteth not on Peter's seat/ but on the seat of sathan whose vicar he is and on the seat of his own laws and ceremonies and false doctrine where unto he compelleth all men with violence of sword.  
Then he claim to purgatory with the ladder of the said text, 
Purgatori  what so ever thou bindest in earth. etc. purgatory sayeth he, is in earth: wherefore I am lord there to. Nevertheless as he can prove no purgatory/ so can he not prove that if there were any/ it should be in the earth. It might well be in the element or sphere of fire under the moan as well as in the earth. But to bind and loose, is as I have above said/ to preach and to feed and with Christ'S doctrine to purge souls. And they that be dead be not of the flock which christ bad Peter feed, but they that live only.  
Then clam he up with the same ladder still over all vows and professions of all religious parsons, 
vows. Oaths. testaments.  and over oaths made between man and man to dispense with them/ and over all men's testaments to alter them. For what thou makest an hospital, that will he shortly make a college of priests, or a place of religion, or what he lusteth. Then all manner monks and friars and like d●affe took dyspensations of him for the ordinances of their old founders  
And because, as they thought, they had prayed & distributed for their Souls Enough to bring them out of purgatory, they thrust them out of their beedrolles and took daily more and more.  
But ever since they took dyspensations of the pope both for their rules and to divide all among them, they received in the name, not of the poor/ but of purgatory, to quench the raging fire there of/ which is as hot as their belies can fain it, and fools be out of their wits to believe it: promys●ge a mass daily for xl shillings by the year/ of which foundations when they have gotten twenty, 
Union.  they will yet with an union purchased of the pope, make but one chauntrie. For if they should do all that they have promised from the first founder unto thi● day .v. hundred monks were not enough in many cloisters.  
thinkest thou the men were ever so mad to make the fashions that are now among them? to give the sell●rar such a some, & the priour and the suppriour and the other officers so much for their parts as they have yearly, and to ●●empte the Abbot from his brethren & to send him out of the abbey into such parks and places of pleasure, and give him a thousand, fifteen hundred, two thousand or iij thousand pound yearly to sport himself with all? Nay, but when thorough hypocrisy they had gotten land enough than they turned unto the pope and took dispensations both for their rules which were to hard for such abundance, and for the wills of their founders, and served a great sort of founders under one per dominum, and divided among few that which was enough for a great multitude.  
It was the pope that devised all these fashions to corrupt the prelate's with abundance of wordly pleasures, of which he witted that the worst would be most greedy and for which he witted also that he should find judasses enough that would forsake Chryst and betray the truth, and be sworn false unto him and his godhead. He maketh of many chantries one, of an abbey, a cathedral church, and out of the abbeys plucketh he the bishoprics. And as bishops pay for their bulls, even so do an infinite numbered of abbots in christendom, in all lands some▪ which Abbots be bishops within themselves and immediately under the pope. And other abbots & prioures sand after the same ensample daily unto rome to purchase licence, to wear a mitre and a cross & gay ornaments, to be as glorious as the best. etc. And where before God, no man is a priest, but he that is appointed to preach Christ'S gospel unto the people, & the people ought not to give aught unto the spiritualty/ but for the maintenance of the preaching of God's word, the Pope taketh vi. or vij yea ten twenty and as many benefices as he listeth, & giveth them unto one the preacheth not at all as he doth all other dignities of the spirituality: he that will purchase and pay/ and be sworn, shall have what he will.   

¶ How they prove all their general counsels.  
WHen the bishops and abbots and other great Prelates had forsaken christ and his living, and were fallen down before the beast the vicar of Satan, to receive their kingdom of him/ then the pope called together diverse counsels of such holy apostles, and there concluded and made of every opinion that seemed profitable/ an article of the faith. If thou axe where is the scripture to prove it? They answer we be the church & can not err, and therefore say they, 
The church can not err.  what we conclude, though there be no scripture to prove it/ it is as true as the scripture & of equal authority with the scripture and must be believed as well as the scripture under pain of damnation. For (say they) our truth dependeth not of the truth of the scripture that is, we be not true in our doing because the scripture testifieth unto us that we do truly: but contrary/ the truth of the scripture (say they) dependeth of us, that is, the scripture is true because that we admit it and tell the that it is true▪ For how couldst thou know that it were the scripture except we told the so? & therefore we need no witness of the scripture for that we do, it is enough that we so say of our own head for we can not err  
Which reason is like as though young monks newly professed, 
A similitude.  should come by the rules of their order & ordinances of their old founders and would go about to keep them: & the old cankered monks should call them back unto the corrupt and false manner that now is used, saying: ye ere. Do only as we teach you/ for your profession is to obey your Elders. According unto the rules of our order and ordinances of our founder shall they say: We can teach you none other, shall the old monks say/ nor can lie unto you, ye ought therefore to believe us and to do as we bid you. The young monks shall answer, we see that you lie, clean contrary unto all that is written in our rules and ordinances. The old monks shall say ye can not understand them except we expound them unto you/ neither yet know that they be your rules/ except that ye believe that we can not lie unto you. For how can ye know that these be your rules and ordinances/ but as we your elders tell you so? Now when we tell you that these be your rules and ordinances how can ye be sure undoubtedly that it is so/ except ye believe undoubtedly that we can not lie? Wherefore if ye willbe sure that they be your rules & ordinances/ then ye must first believe that we can not lie. Leave such imaginations & disputations therefore and lay your rules and ordinances out of your hands and look no more on them, for they make you err And come and do as we tell you/ and captivate your wits and believe that we can not lyr unto you, and that ye can not understand your rules and ordinances. Even so if thou say it is contrary to the scripture: they answer that thou understandest it not/ and that thou must captive thy wit and believe that though it seam never so contrary, yet it is not contrary: no if they determe that christ is not risen again & though the scripture testify that he is risen again/ yet (say they) they be not contrary, if they be wisely understand. Thou must believe/ say they, that there is some other meaning in the scripture & that no man understandeth it: but that we say/ whether without scripture or against it/ that must thou believe that it is true.  
And thus because that the scripture would not agree with them/ they thrust it out of the way first, & shut up the kingdom of heaven which is Christ's gospel, with false●●● positions and with such sophistry & with false principles of natural wisdom. And the abottes took the scripture from their monks lest some should ever bark against the abottes living, 
the abottes keep the monks in ignorance, & the bishops the priests  and set up such long service and singing to weary them with all that they should have no leisure to read in the scripture but with their lips, and made them good cheer to fill their bellies and to stop their mouths. And the bishops in like manner to occupy their priests with all, that they should not study the scripture for barking against them, set up long service wonderouse intricate/ so that in xii. years thou couldst scarce learn to turn a right unto it: Long matenses, long Euen●onges, long Masses/ long Dyryges with vantage yet to mitigate the tediousness/ quia levis est labor cum lucro/ for lucre (say they) maketh the labour light: ever noseling them in Ceremonies and in their own constitutions, decrees, ordinances and laws of holy church.  
And the promises and testament which the sacrament of Christ's body and blood did preach daily unto the people, that they put out of knowledge and say now that it is a sacrifice for the souls of purgatory, that they might the better sell their mass. And in the universytes they have ordained that no man shall look on the scriyture until he be nuzzled in heathen learning eight or nine year and armed with false principles, 
the cast of the universities.  with which he is clean shit out of the understanding of the scripture. And at his first coming unto the university, he is sworn that he shall not defame the universytie what soever he seeth. And when he taketh first degree/ he is sworn that he shall hold none opinion condemned by the church/ but what such opinions be/ that he shall not know. And they when they be admitted to study divinity, because the scripture is locked up with such false expositions and with false principles of natural philosofye that they can not enter in, they go about the out side and dspute all their lives about words and vain opinions pertaining as much unto the healing of a man's hele as health of his soul. 
Proviso  Provided yet always/ lest god give his singular grace unto any parson/ that none may preach except he be admitted of the bishops. Then can Thomas de aquino & he made the pope a god with his sophistry, 
Saint thomas de Aquino.  & the pope made him a saint for his labour, and called him doctor sanctus, for whose holiness no man may deny what soever he saith save in certain places where among so many lies he said now and then true. And in like manner who so ever defendeth his traditions, decrees and privileges, him he made a saint also for his labour, were his living never so contrary unto the scripture, 
saints.  as Thomas of Canterbury with many other like whose life was like Thomas cardinals but not Christ's neither is Thomas cardinals life any thing save countrefayting of saint Thomas of canterbury. Thomas becket was first seen in merchandise temporal, 
Thomas of caunterbury.  and then to learn spiritual merchandise, he gatt him to Theobald archbishop of Canterbury which sent him diverse times to Rome about business of holy church. And when Theobald had spied his activity, he shore him deacon lest he should go back, & made him Archdeacon of Canterbury & upon that, presented him to the king. And the king made him his chauncelare in which office he passed the pomp & pride of Thomas cardinal as far as the one's shrine passeth the others tomb in glory & riches. And after that, he was a man of war, & captain over .v. or vi thousand men in full harness as bright as saint George and his spear in his hand and encountered who soever can against him/ & overthrew the jolliest rutter that was in all the host of France. And out of the field hot from blood shedding was he made bishop of Caunterburye and did put of his helm and put on his mitre/ put of his harness and on with his robes, and laid down his spear and took his cross, yet his hands were cold/ & so came with a lusty courage of a man of war, to fight an other while against hi● prince for the pope. Where his prince's causes were with the law of God, & the pope's clean contrary. And the pomp of his consecration was after his old worldly fashion. How be it yet he is made a saint for his worshipping of the holy seat of saint peter/ not that seat of peter which is Christ's gospel/ but an other lied to be Peter's, & is in deed cathedra pestilencie/ a chair of false doctrine. And because he could no skill of our lords gospel he said of matins with our lady, say they. If any man understand the latin, let him read his life & compare it unto the scripture, & then he shall see such holiness, as were here to long to be rehearsed. And every abbey & every cathedral church did shrine them one God or other/ & mingled the lives of the very saints with stark lies/ to move men to offer/ which thing they call devotion.  
And though in all their doings they oppress the temporalty & their comen wealth, & be grievous unto the rich, and painful to the poor: yet they be so many & so exercised in wiles & so subtle & so knit & sworn together that they compass the temporalty & make them bear them whether they will or will not (as the evye doth the oak) partly with juggling, & beside that with worldly policy. For every abbot will make him that may do most in the shire or with the king/ the stuarde of his lands &, give him a fee yearly, and will lend unto some, & feast other, that by such means they do what they will. And little master parson after the same manner, if he come into an house & the wife be snoutefaire he will rote himself there by one craft or other: either by using such pastime as the good man doth/ or in being beneficial by one way or other, or he will lend him/ and so bring him into his danger, that he can not thrust him out when he would, but must be compelled to bear him and to let him be homely whether he will or not.   

¶ An ensample of practise out o● our own chronicles.  
Take an ensample of their practice out of our own stories. 
King Herolde.  King Herold exiled or banished Robert Archbisshope of Canterbury. For what cause the Inglysh polychronicon specifieth not. 
Robert of canterbury.  But if the cause wear not sum what suspect, I think they would not have Passed it over with silence. This Robert got him immediately unto king William the conqueror than duke of Normandye. And the pope Alexander sent duke William a banner to go and conquer Ingland and clean remission unto whosoever would follow the banner and go with king William/ here mark how straight the pope folowed-christs' steps and his apostles: 
Remission of sins to conquer england.  they preached forgiveness of sins, to all that repented throw Christ's blood shedding: the Pope preacheth forgiveness of sins to all that will slay their brethren bought with Christ'S blood: to subdue them unto his tyranny. What so ever other cause duke wylian had against king Herold/ thou mayest be sure that the pope would not have meddled if Herold had not troubled his kingdom ●●e: neither should duke willyam have been able to conquer the land at that time except the spyritualtie had wrought on his side. What blood did that conquest cost England/ thorough which almost all the lords of the Inglysh blood were slain, & ● the normans became rulers/ and all the la●es were changed into French? But what careth the holy father for shedding of lay men's blood? It were better that ten hundred thousand lay knaves lost their lives, than that holy church should louse one inch of her honour, or saint Peter's seat one jot of her right.  

Ancelmus  And Ancelmus that was bishop in short time after, never left striving with that mighty prince king William the second/ until he had compelled him maugre his teeth, to deliver up the investiture or election of bishops unto saint Peter's vicar/ which investiture was of old time the kings duet●e.  
And 〈…〉 when the said king William 〈…〉 the tribute that pryestes gave 〈…〉 to their bishops for their whores 〈…〉, did not Raffe bishop of Chich● 〈…〉 god's service (as they call it) 〈…〉 the church doors with thorns thorough out all his di●cese, until the king had yielded him up his tribute again? For when the holy father had forbidden pryestes their wives/ the bishop permitted them whores of their own for a yearly tribute, & do yet in all lands, save in Ingland where they may not have any other save men's wives only.  
And again for the election of Steven langton archbishop of Canterbury, what misery and wretchedness was in the royalme a long season? Then was the land interdicted many years. And when that holp not, than Ireland rebelled against king john immediately, 
Note.  and not without the secret working of our Prelates I dare well say. But finally when neither the interdicting neither that secret subtlety holp▪ & when John would in no means consent the saint Peter's vicar should reign alone over the spiritualty, & over all that pertained unto them, and that they should sin & do all mischief unpunished/ the pope sent remission of sins to the king of France for to go and conquer his land. 
〈◊〉▪ of sins to conquer  Whereof king John was so sore afraid that he yielded up his crown unto the pope, & swore to hold the land of him and that his successors should do so likewise.  
And again in King Richard's days the second/ Thomas Arundel archbishop of Canterbury & chauncelare was exiled with the Earl of Darbye. 
Thomas Arundel.  The outward pretence of the variance between the King and his lords was for the deliverance of the town of Brest in britain. But our prelate's had an other secret mystery a brewing They could not at their own lust slay the poor wretches which at that time were converted unto repentance/ and to the true faith/ to put their trust in christs death & bloodshedding for the remission of their sins by the preaching of johan Wyclefe/ As soon as the archbishop was out of the royalme, 
practise.  the Irishmen began to rebel against king Richard as before against King John: But not hardly without the invisible inspiration of them that rule both in the court and also in the consciences of all men. They be one kingdom sworn together one to help an other scattered abroad in all royalmes.  
And how be it that they strive among themselves who shallbe greatest, yet against the temporal power they be always at one though they dissemble it and fain as though one held against the other to know their enemy's secrets to betray them with all. They can inspire privily into the breasts of the people, what mischief they list, & no man shall know whence it cometh. Their letters go secretly from one to an other thorough out all kingdoms. Saint Peter's vicar, shall have word in xu or xvi days, from the uttermost part of christendom. The bishops of England at their need/ can write unto the bishops of Ireland, scotland, denmark, douchland/ france and spain, promising them as good a turn an other time/ putting them in remembrance that they be all one holy church/ & that the cause of the one, is the cause of the other, saying: if our ●ugglyng break out/ yours can not be long hid. And the other shall serve their turn/ and bring the game unto their hands, & no man shall know how it cometh about. As soon as king Richard was gone to Ireland to subdue these rebellious, the bishop came in again, and prevented the king, and took up his power against him and took him prisoner/ and put him down/ and to death most cruelly, and crowned the earl of derby king. O merciful Christ/ what blood hath that coronation cost England? But what care they? Their causes must be avenged. He is not worthy to be king that will not avenge their quarrels For do not the kings receive their kingdom of the beast, and swear to worship him and maintain his throne? And then when the earl of Darbye which is king Henry the fourth/ was crowned, the prelate's took his sword and his sons Henry the fifth after him, as all the kings swords sins and abused them to shed christian blood at their pleasure. And they coupled their cause unto the kings cause (as now) & made it treason to believe in Christ as the scripture teacheth & to resist the bishops (as now) and thrust them in the kings prisons (as now) so that it is no new invention, that they now do but even an old practise, though they have done their busy cure to hide their science/ that their conveyance should not be espied.  
And in king henry the uj days, how raged they as fierce lions against good duke Humfre of Gloceter the kings uncle, and protector of the realm in the king's youth and childhod, 
Duke Umfre.  because that for him they might not slay whom they would, and make what chevisance they lusted. Would not the bishop of Wynchester have fallen upon him/ and oppressed him openly with might and power, in the City of London, had not the citizens come to his help?  
But at the last they found the means to contrive a drift to bring their matters to pass, and made a parliament far from the citizens of London, where was slain the good duke and only wealth of the royalme, and the mighty shield that so long before had kept it from sorrow, which shortly after his death, sell thereon by heaps. But the chronicles can not tell wherefore he died/ nor by what means. No marvel verily. For he had need of other eyes then such as the world seeth with all that should spy out their privy paths. Nevertheless the chronicles testify that he was a virtuous man, a godly and good to the comen wealth. Moreover the Protector of Purgatory saith in his Dialogue/ quod I, and quoth he/ and quoth your friend, how that he was a noble man/ and a great clerk, and so wise that he could spy false miracles and disclose them, and judge them from the true/ which is an hateful science unto our spirituality and more abhorred them necromancy or witchcraft and a thing wherefore a man by their law, I dare well say, is worthy to die/ and that secretly if it be possible. Now to be good to the comen wealth/ and to see false miracles, and thirdly to withstand that France then brought under the feet of the Inglyshmen, should not be set up again, by whose power the pope holdeth down the Emperor & reigneth in his stead, becauses why he might die though by what means be not known. For to be good to the comen wealth, is to be hurtful to the spiritualty, 
three causes  seeing the one is the others pray/ as the lamb is the wolves. Secondarily if a man be so clear eyed that he can spy false miracles/ how can jugglers get their living and be in price where such a fellow is? thirdly to keep down the kingdom of france, is to pull. S Peter'S vicar out of his seat.  
Now if the great bawd the whore of babylon were destroyed, then would the bordel and stews of our prelate's shortly perish. If Abadon that destroyer king of the grasshoppers which devour all that is green, were destroyed, then were the kingdom of our caterpillars at an end.   

¶ By what craft the pope keepeth the Emperor down.  
Mark an other practice of our most holy prelate's. When the empire was translated unto the germans/ though the emperor was fallen down, and had kissed the Pope's feet, and was become his sworn servant: yet there was much strife and open war oftimes between the pope's and the emperors. And the pope's have put down many good Emperors/ by help of the bishops, which every where secretly persuaded the lords, to forsake the emperors/ & to take dispensations of the pope for their oaths.  
And contrary wise, the emperors have now and then deposed diverse pope's at request of the Cardinals & other great prelate's, by whose help only they were able to do it. For else verily though all Kings christened/ had sworn to depose one Pope out of his seat, if they had not the favour of other prelate's thereto, they might haply by the secret practice of them, to be put out of their own seats in the mean time. The pope therefore, to be sure of himself & out of the fear & danger of the emperor, were he never so mighty, & that the emperor should not see/ his daily open pastimes, made friendship and amity with the Venetians on the one side of him, and let them come in to certain cities of the Emperors in Italy and with the French king on the other side/ and late him also up into certain cities and possessions of the Emperors: and he himself in the mids: And shot out the Emperor from coming any more to Rome, and ever sent him his coronation home to him. 
No man rebuk the pope  And then he made a law that no man should rebuke the Pope for what so ever mischief he did, saying, that the Pope was above all/ and judge over all, and none over him, and therefore forbade in his law. Distinctio xl Si Papa. saying: though the pope be proved negligent about himself/ and also the soul health of his brethren, and slack in his work and speechless as concerning any good, and draw with him by his ensample innumerable people to hell to be punished with him with diverse torments everlastingly: yet see that no mortal man presume once to rebuke his faults here. For he shall judge all men and no man him. O antichrist. Is he not antichrist that will not have his life tried by God's word?  

●enecians.  If the Venetians catch any of our holy father's towns or possessions whether by war or that they have bought it, or that it be laid to mortgage unto them or that the old Pope hath given it with the marriage of some daughter unto the duke of Uenyce: then the holy father that succeedeth, when he seeth his season, sendeth for it again, saying that it is not lawful for lay men to with hold saint Peter's patrimony. If they allege that they bought it and so forth: his fatherhod answereth that the old Pope had none authority to make any such chevisance with saint Peter's inheritance: he could have but the use of it his life long/ and after it must needs return unto his successor again. And upon that he interdyt●th them and curseth them as black as coals/ and down to the pit of hell.  
But the Venetians knowing more of our holy father's practise, for their nyenes than we which dwell a far of/ and wiser than we of cold countries/ perceiving also that their colour changeth not with his cursing, and that they sink not, and that their meat digesteth as well as before/ and that (as Erasmus sayeth) they s●yte as easily as before (with reverence of the holy course I speak it) & therefore fear not his interdiction nor excommunication.  
Then our holy father raiseth up all his power that he is able to make in Italy, against them/ & sendeth for the zwytzers to come and help. If he be not yet strong enough/ then he sendeh unto the bishops of france, warning them that if his seat decay/ theirs can not long prosper, and therefore that they put their king in remembrance how that he is called most christian king and that they desire him to do somewhat for his tytie against this disobedient rebellions, unto the most holy see of Rome our mother holy church.  

Frenchmen  If an other time the frenchmen come to nigh our holy father, as they be ever gaping for Italy, to bring the empire home again to france. Then the most holy vicar bringeth his whole power against them with the power of the venetians, and with his old friends the zwytzers. If he be not yet strong enough/ then he sendeth to the bishops of England, 
Englishmen  to help their god, and to move their king to do somewhat for holy church, putting him in remembrance of whom he holdeth his crown & of his oath, and how many caps of maintenance have been ever sent unto his forefathers, and what honour it was unto them, and that he may easily get as great honour as they/ and haply a more excellent title/ if he will take our holy father's part, besides that he shall purchase remission of all his sins.  
Then must the peace and all the apointementes made between us and france, be broken, and the king must take a dispensation for his oath. For the king of france will attempt nothing in Italy, until he have sent his ambassadors/ and have made a perpetual peace with our king, the Sacrament of the body of our saviour broke between them, to confirm the appointment. But I suppose that the breaking signifieth that the appointment shall not long endure/ for a great deal of flower would not make so many hosts, 
The abuse of the sacrament.  as they call them, or singing loves, as hath been broken in our days between christian princes (as they willbe called) to confirm promises that have not long been kept. Other use of that blessed sacrament will the princes none know: but christ ordained it to be a perpetual memory that his body was broken for our sins upon the cross, & that all that repent should receive as oft as they ea●e of it/ forgiveness of their misdeades thorough faith. If the kings of the earth when they break that sacrament between them, do say on this wise: The body of our saviour (which was broken on the cross for the sin of all the repent & have good hearts & would feign keep his law) be broken unto my damnation, if I break this oath: them is it a terrible oath, and they had need to take head how they make it. ●d if it be lawfully made, not to break it at all. But as they care for the ●rothe/ which they make in wedlocks so they care for this.  
Whatsoever nead the pope hath, he will not send to the Emperor to come & help hi● in Italy, for fear lest he would take to himself what soever he conquered of the frenchmen/ and wax to strong and minish our holy father's power, and become our holy father's vicar/ as he is saint Peter'S. Nevertheless if we englishmen will hire the Emperor to come and fight against france for the right of the church in these quarters that ●e next unto us, his fatherhod is content to admit his service.  
When our king hath granted to take our holy father's part/ then the pretence & cloak out ward must be, that the king will calenge his right in france. And to aid the king in his right, must the commons be milked till they bleed again. Then to do the king service, the lords sell or lay their lands to mortgage. Then is clean remission given to sleo french dogs. 
Remission of sins.  He that dieth in the quarrel shall never see purgatory/ but file tor heaven straight, even with a thought.  
WHen the Pope hath what he desireth in italy, then must we make peace with the Frenchmen again immediately/ that france be not all together trodden under the feet: but that it rema● alway in a mean state/ strong Enough to match the emperor & to keep him down, but not to mighty for oppressing the pope, and then our prelate's to bring the peace about/ send immediately a friar forest/ or a vicar of croyden/ to preach before the king & his lords/ which preacher roareth and crieth unto them as though he hallowed his hounds and maketh exclamations, saying: Alas what will ye do? spare christian blood: will ye slay your own souls? Be not the frenchmen as well christian as ye? Moreover ye slay poor innocents that never offended? make peace for the passion of christ, kill not one an other as though Christ had not died for you: but fight rather against the turks.  
Then come in the Ambassadors of france, and money a few prelate's and certain other the kings playfellows/ that be sworn with them to betray both the king and the royalme too: And then is peace concluded. But outwardly there is nothing save a truce taken for half a year/ till our soldiers be at home again/ for fear lest they would not be content▪ Then cometh the whole host home beggared both great and small And the poor that can not suddenly get work, fall to stealing and be hanged at home. This could More tell in his Utopia before he was the cardenalles sworn secretary, and fallen at his feet to betray the truth/ for to get promotion.  

Henry the .v.  Take an ensample: the bishops sent king Henrye the fift out to conquer France. The cause was (saith the chronicles) that the king went about to take their temporallyes from them. And therefore to bring the king into an other imagination, they moneyed him, and sent him into france.  
When they had sent out the king, he conquered more than was their will and more than they supposed possible for him in so short space/ and brought france clean under feet: so that our prelate's had much secret business, to set it up again, but what is impossible unto so great Gods?  
In king Henry's days the vi our holy father of Rome made the bishop of Wynchester a cardinal, 
Henry the vi  which went shortly after into france to treat of a truce between Ingland & france. And him met a legate of Rome, a cardinal also: after which meating/ Inglyshmen had ever the worse in france, and their chiefest friend the duke of Burgayne forsook them. For when cardinals & bishops meet together, they have their secret counsel by them selves, wherein they conclude neither what is good for Inglande, nor yet for france, but what is best for our holy father's profit to keep him in his state.  
When king Henry was of age, there was a marriage made between him and the earl of Arminackes daughter in Gian, with the which should have been given many castles and towns in Gian and a great sum of money thereto. But the marriage was broken not without the secret working of our prelate's and dispensation of our holy father thou mayest be sure. And a marriage was made between him and the kings daughter of Cecyle, for which Ingland gave up the whole dukedom of Gyan and Earledom of Maim/ whereby we lost all Normandye, whereof they were the kaye. And beside y●, the communes gave a, xv. & an half to ●ette her in with pomp. And then was the good duke of Glocetter traytourously murdered/ partly because he could judge false miracles, & partly because of the deliverance of these two countries. For he being a live, they durst not do it.  
And when king Edward had put down king Henry●, a marriage was made and concluded between him & the king of spaives this queens mother that now is. But yer the Ambassadors were come home, our Prelates had be witched king Edward by their apostle Friar bongay/ and married him unto a widow that was a knight's wife/ lest if spain and Ingland had been wyned together/ king Edward should have recovered france again. But what followed after the breaking of that marriage, between king Edward & the earl of warwick and what came of his children? ye and what came on king Henry of windsores children also? But what care our prelate's what v●geaunce or mischief fa●●e on princes or on their royalmes/ so their kingdom prosper?  
In King Henry's days the vij the cardinal Murton & bishop ●ox of winchester, delivered unto the kings grace the confessions of as many lords as his grace lusted. Who soever was mistrusted, it he shrove himself at the chart●rhouses sy●n Greenwich/ at saint Iho●s, 
Confession  or where soever it wa●, the confessor was commanded by the authority of the pope to deliver his confession written & sworn that it was al. And cardinal Murton had a licence of the pope for fourtyne, to study nycromancy●, of which he himself was one/ and other I have heard named which at this time I pass over with silence. And how the holy friars observants carried feigned letters to try who was true, I pass over with silence also. How beit such temptations and feigned proffers were enough to mo●e them that never would have thought amiss: yea and in confession men will shrive them s●lues of thoughts which they never went about in the outward dead.  
When any great man is put to death how his confessor entreateth him & what penance is enjoined him, concerning what he shall say, when he cometh unto the place of execution/ I could guess at a practice that might make men's ears glow  
And did not the subtle counsel of the said two prelate's feign the siege of Bolen to make a pretence to gather in a fifteen, when there was no more war between the king of France and of england, then is between a man's head that hath lust to sleep, & his pilow? Which siege yet cost many a man their lives, yea & some great men thereto, which knew not of that feigning. The kings grace went over with a ten thousand men to conquer all France and spent haply an hundred thousand pound, of which he saved the fourth part in the dandyprattes and gathered at home .v. or vi hundred or more. And two other such feigned voyages could I haply rehearse, which I pass over for diverse causes, where many an English man lost his life. But what care they for men's lives?  
And did not our cardinal with like policy think ye/ to gather the which he thought would not well be paid, except the commons saw som● cause, bring a great multitude of scots unto the english pale eth●● by some bishops of Scotland or by some great man, whom he corrupted with some yearly pension? against which the po●re northern men/ must go on their own cos● to keep them out. And general procession was commanded at London/ thrice in the week, and thorough out all the land, while ● Kings receivers gathered the tax of the comen people. Which plague and such like after the threatening of god. Levi. xxvi. & duty. xxviij. and xxix I am sure will fall on all christendom without cease, until they either defy the name of christ with the turks, or if they willbe called christian, they turn and look on his doctrine.  
Yea and what feigned the cardinal at the great love to beguile his own pryestes/ to make them swear what they were wroth and the better willing to pay, for the comen priests be not so obedient unto their ordinaries, that they will pay money except they know why. Now it is not expedient that every rascal/ should know the secrets of the very true cause, for many considerations. And therefore Turrian other pretence must be made and an other cause alleged. And therefore the priests were charged by their ordinaries to appear before the gentelm●● of the court and temporal officers/ & swea●e what every man was worth. Now the pryestes had ●euer be slain and die martyrs after the ensample of saint Thomas of Caunterbur●, then to swear before a lay judge, for they think it greater sin/ then to slay their own fathers, and that then the liberties of the church were clean lost, and they no better than the vile lay people. And when they were in that perplexity that they must either swear or run into the kings danger & lose their gods (I would say their goods) then my lord cardinal sent down his gracious power that they should swears unto their ordinaries only. And then the pryests for joy that they were rid out of the lay men's hands, were so glad and joyous, that they wist not what thanks to give my lord cardinal/ and so were obedient to swear and to lend, or else for all the curses that my lord Cardinal hath and the Pope to, they would neither have sworn or paid a penny.   

¶ The practice of our time.  
WHen the Kings grace came first to the right of the crown and unto the governance of the Royalme young & unexpert, 
Thoms wof●e.  Thomas wolffe a man of lust & courage, and bodily strength to do and to suffer great things/ and to endure in all manner of voluptuousness, expert a●d exercised in the course of the world, as he which had hard, red & seen much policy & had done many things himself/ and had been of the secret council of weighty matters, as so●●e as simon that betraaed troye, utterly appointed to semble and dissemble, to have one thing in the heart/ and an other in the mouth, being thereto as eloquent as soot & able to persuade what he lusted to them that were unexpert: so desirous and greedy of honour/ that he cared not but for the next and most compendious way thereto, whether godly or ungodly: this wily wolf I say/ and raging sea and shipwreck of all England, though he showed himself pleasant and calm at the first (as hores do unto their lovers) came unto the kings grace and waited upon him, and was no man so obsequious and serviceable/ and in all games and sports the first and next at hand and as a captain to courage other and a gay finder out of new pastimes to obtain favour with all.  
And thereto as the secret communication went, which by many tokens thou mayst well conjecture and gather to be true, 
bishops calk kings nativities.  he caulked the kings nativity and birth, which is a comen practise among prelate's, in all lands, whereby he saw whereunto the kings grace should be inclined all his life, and what should be like to chance him at all times. And as I hard it spoken of diverse, he made by craft of nicromancye, graven Imagery to bear upon him, wherewith he bewitched the kings mind, and made the king to dote upon him more than ever he did on any lady or gentle woman/ so that now the kings grace followed him, as he before followed the king. And than what he said, that was wisdom, what he praised, that was honourable only. Moreover in the meantime he spied out the natures and dispositions of the kings play fellows, and of all that were great, and whom he spied mere for his purpose, him he flattered, & him he made faithful with great promises, & to him he swore, & of him he took an oath again that the one should help the other for without a secret oath, he admitted no man unto any part of his privities.  
And ever as he grew in promotions & dignity, so gathered he unto him of the most subtle witted, & of them that were drunk in the desire of honour most like unto himself And after they were sworn/ he promoted them, and with great promises, made them in falsehood faithful: & of them ever presented unto the kings grace, & put them into his service, saying: this is a man meet for your grace. And by these spies (if ought wear done or spoken in the court, 
The king is betrayed  against the cardinal) of that he had word within an hour or two. And then came the cardinal to court with all his magic, to persuade the contrary. If any in the court had spoken against the Cardinal, and the same not great in the kings favour/ the Cardinal bade him walk a villain, and thrust him out of the court headlong. If he were in conceit who the kings grace, then he flattered, & persuaded and corrupt some with gifts, and sent some Ambassadors, and some he made Captains at Calais, Hams, Gynes, jernsey & Gersey, or sent them to Irlande & into the north, and so occupied them till the king 〈◊〉 forgotten them and other were in their rooms/ or till he had spied what they extended.  
And in like manner played he with the ladies and gentle women. 
the queen 〈◊〉 betrayed  Whosoever of them was great, with her, was he familiar and to her gave he gifts▪ Yea: and where saint Thomas of canterbury was wont to come after, Thomas Cardinal wē● oft before/ preventing his prince and perverted the order of the holte man. If any were subtle witted and meet for his purpose, hi● made he sworn to betray the queen likewise●●nd to tell him what she said or did. I know one that departed the court for none other Cause then that she would no long●● betray her mastresse.  
And after the same example he furnishe● the court with chapelains of his own sworn disciples & children of his own bringing up, to be alway present and to dispute of vanities and to water what soever the Cardinal had planted. If among those cormora●̄t●s any yet begun to be to much in favour with the King, and to be somewhat busy in the Court, and to draw any other way then as my lord Cardinal had appointed/ that the Plough should go, a nun he was sent to italy or to SPAIN: or some quarrel was picked against him and so was ●●●ust out of the court, as stokesly was.  
He promoted the bishop of Lyncolne that now is, 
the bishop of Lincoln  his most faithful friend & old companion/ and made him confessor: to whom, of what soever the kings grace shro●e himself, think ye not that he spoke so loud that the Cardinal heard it? and not unright: for as God's creatures ought to obey God and serve his honour, so aught the pope's creatures to obey the pope & se●ue his majesty?  
Finally Thomas wolfse became what he would, even porter of heaven, so that no man could enter into promotion, but thorough him.   

¶ The cause of all that we have suffered this twenty years.  
About the beginning of the Kings grace that now is/ france was mighty/ so that I suppose it was not mightier this five hundred years. King Lewes of France had won Naples/ and had taken Bonony from saint Peter's s●. 
king jews  Wherefore Pope july was wroth and cast 
Pope july  how to bring the frenchmen down, yet soberly lest while he brought him lower/ he should give an occasion to life up the Emperor higher. Our first voyage into Spain was to bring the frenchmen lower. For our many were set in the forefront and borders of spain toward Gaskayne: partly to keep those parties, and partly to fear the Gascaynes, & to keep them at home while in the mean time the spaniards won Naverne. When Naverne was won our men came to house as many as died not there, and brought all there money with them home again/ save that they spend there. Howbeit for all the loss of Naverne the frenchmen were yet able enough to match Spain, the Venetians and the Pope with all the Zwytzers that he could make: so that there was yet no remedy but we must set on the frenchmen also, if they should be brought out of Italy.  
Then pope july wrote unto his dear son Thomas wolfse that he would be as good/ as loving and as helping to holy church/ as any Thomas ever was/ seeing he was as able. 
the new Thomas.  Then the new Thomas as glorious as the old/ took the matter in hand and persuaded the kings grace. And ●hen the kings grace took a dispensation for his oath made upon the appointment of peace between him and the French king and promised to help the holy seat where in Pope Peter never sat. But the Emperor Maximilian might in no wise stand still lest the frenchmen should money him, & get aid of him/ saying the Almains refuse not money whence soever it be proffered then quoth Thomas wolfse, 
Maximli●  Oh and like your grace/ what an honour should it be unto your grace if the emperor were your sodyare? So great honour never chanced any king christened. It should be spoken of while the world stood. The glory & honour shall hide and darken the cost that it shall never be seen, though it should cost half your realm. Dixit & factum est, it was even so. And then a parliament: and then pay: and then upon the French dogs▪ with clean remission of all his sins, that slew one of them, 
Remision of sins.  or if he be slain (for the pardons▪ have no strength to save in this life, but in the life to come only) them to heaven straight without feeling of the pains of purgatory.  
Then came our kine with all his might, by sea and by land, and the Emperor/ with a strong army and the spaniards and the pope & the Uenecyan all at once against king Lewes of france. As soon as the pope had that he desired in Italy, than peace immediately. And frenchmen were christian men/ and pity, yea and great sin also were it to shed their blood/ and the frenchkinge was the most christian king again. And thus was peace concluded and our Inglyshmen or rather sheep came home against winter and left their fleces behind them. Wherefore no small number of them, while they sought them better raiment at home, were hanged for their labour.   

¶ Why the kings sister was turned unto france.  
WHen this peace was made, our holy cardinals and bishops (as their old guise is to calk and cast xl▪ L. yea an hundred year before what is like to chance unto their kingdom) considered how the Emperor that now is, was most like to be chosen Emperor after his grandfather Maximilian/ for Maximilian had already obtained of dyverie of the electors that is should so be.  
They considered also how mighty he should be: first, King of spain with all that pertaineth thereto, which was wont to be v. vi or vij kingdoms: then Duke of Burgoyne Earl of Flaunders, of holland/ Zelande/ and Braband, with all that pertain thereto: then Emperor, and his brother Duke of austrich/ and his sister queen of hungry. Wherefore thought our prelate's, if we take not heed betimes/ our kingdom is like to be troubled & we to be brought under the feet. For this man shallbe so mighty that he shall with power take out of the french kings hands, out of the hands of the venetians/ and from the Pope also, what soever pertaineth unto the empire/ and what soever belongeth unto his other kingdoms and dommions thereto. And then he will come to Rome and be crowned there, and so shall he overlook our holy father and see what he doth. And then shall the old heretics rise up again & say that the Pope is antichrist, and stir up again, and bring to light that we have hid & brought a sleep with much cost, pain and bloudesheding more than this hundred year long. Considered also that his aunt is queen of England, and his wife the king of England's sister, considered the old amity between the house of burgom, & the old kings of england so that they could never do aught in france with out their help: & last of all considered that course of merchandise that ingland hath in those parties/ & also the natural heart that englishmen bear to frenchmen. Wherefore if we shall use our old practise, and set the french king against him: Then he shall lightly obtain the favour of the king of Ingland by the means of his Aunt and his wife, and aid with men and money. Wherefore we must take heed betimes and break this amity Which thing we may by this our old craft/ ●easely bring to pass. Let us take a dispensation & break this marriage, and turn the kings sister unto the French king If the french King, 
practise.  get a male of her. than we shall lightly make our kyngepro, tectoure of france/ and so shall Inglande and France be coupled together, and as for the queen of Inglande, we shall trim her well enough, and occupy the king with strange love/ and keep her that she shall bear no rule. And as the goddiss had spoken so it came to pass. Our fair young daughter, was sent unto the old pocky king of france/ the year before our mortal enemy and a miscreant/ worse than a Turk/ and disobedient unto our holy Father, and no more obedient yet then he was compelled to be against his will.   

The cause of the journey to Calyce.  
IN short space thereafter Thomas wolfse/ now Cardinal and Legate a latere and greatly desirous to be Pope also/ thought it exceeding expedient/ for his many secret purposes to bring our King and the King of France that now is together: both to make a perpetual peace and amity between them, and that (while the two kings and their lords dallied together) the great cardinals and bishops of both parties, might becraye them both/ and the Emperor and all christian kings thereto.  
Then he made a journey of gentlemen arrayed all together in silk, so much as th●ir very shows and lining of their boots, much more like their mothers then men of war: yea I am sure that many of their mothers would have been ashamed of so ny●● and wanton array: howbeit they went not to make war but peace for ever and a day longer. But to speak of the pompous apparel of my lord himself and of his chaplains, it passeth the twelve apostles. I dare swear that if Peter and Paul had seen them suddenly and at a blush/ they would have been harder in believe that they or any such should be their successors/ then Thomas ●●dimus was to believe that Chryst was risen again from death.  
When all was concluded between the king of France and ours, that Thomas wolffe had devised/ and when the prelate's of both parties had cast their penny worths against all chances and devised remedies for all mischiefs Then the right reverend father in God Thomas cardinal and Lega●●, would go see the young Emperor newly chosen unto the room, and have a certain secret communication with some of his prelate's also. And got him to bridges in Flaunders, 
Prelate's  where he was received with great solemnity as belongeth unto so mighty a pillar of Christ's church, and was saluted at the entering into the town of a merry fellow which said, salve rex regis tui atque regni sui. 
salutation▪ ●  Hail both king of the king and also of his realm. And though there were never so great strife between the Emperor and the French king/ yet my lord cardinal juggled him favour of them both/ and finally brought the Emperor to calais, unto the kings grace, where was great triumph/ and great love/ & amity showed on both parties in so much that certain men marveling at it, asked the old bishop of Deram. How it might be that we were so great with the Emperor so shortly upon so strong and ever lasting a peace made between us and the frenchmen, the Emp●rour and the king of France being so mortal enemies? My lord answered that it might be well enough if he witted al. 
A certain secret.  But there was a certain secret said he, whereof all men knew not. Yea verily/ they have had secrets this viij hundred years, which, though all the lay men have felt them, yet few have spied them, save a few Judases which for lucre have been confederate with them, to betray their own kings and all other.  
Then were we indifferent & slode still. And the Emperor and the French king wrestled together. And Ferdinandus the emperors brother wan milan of the frenchmen/ and the Emperor turnay our great conquest which yet after so great cost in Building a Castle, 
Milane. Turnay.  we delivered up again unto the frenchmen in earnest and hope of a marriage between the dolphin & our princess.   

¶ How the Emperor came thorough england.  
AFter that the Emperor would into Spain and came thorough england where he was receive with great honour & with all that pertaineth to love and amity. The king's grace lent him money and promised him more. And the Emperor should tarry a certain years & marry our princess: Not that the cardinal intended that thou mayest be su●e, for it was not profitable for their kingdom, but his mind was to dally with the Emperor and to keep him without a wife that (in so much as he was young and lusty) he might have been noselled and entangled with hores (which is their nurtering 
Nurtering. of kings.  of kings) and made so effeminate and that he should never have been able to lift up his heart to any goodness or virtue: that cardinals and bishops might have administered his dominions in the mean time unto our holy father's profit.  
The king of france hearing the favour that was showed unto the Emperor, sent immediately a diffiaunce unto our king, not without our cardinals & bishops counsel, thou mayst well wit.  
For frenchmen are not so foolish to have done it so unadvisedly and so rashly/ saying they had to many in their tops already. Then our king spoke many great words that he would drive the frenchk out of his realm, or else the frenchk should bryve him out of his▪ But had he added as the legate Pandulph taught king john/ with the pope's licence, his words had sounded much better. For there can no vow stand in effect/ except the holy father confirm it.  
We sent out our sodiars, two summers against the frenchmen/ unto whose chief captains the Cardinal had appointed, how far they should go, and what they should do▪ And therefore the frenchk was nothing afraid/ but brought all his Power against the Emperor in other places. And ●o was the Emperor ever betrayed. And thus the cardinal was the emperors friend openly, and the frenchkinges secretly, For at the m●●●ng/ with the frenchkinge besides Cal●s, he utterly betrayed the Emperor▪ yet for no love that he had to France, but to help the Pope, yea and to have been Pope happily/ and to save their kingdom. Which treason/ though all the world smelled it, yet it broke not out openly to the eye/ till the siege of Pauye. And the cardinal sent the emperor much money openly/ and gave the frenchk more secretly. He played with both hands to serve their secret▪ that all men know not, as the bishop of Deram said. But what soever the frenchmen did, they had ever the worse, no● withstanding the secret working of our holy prelate's on their side.  
finally unto the siege of Pauye came the frenchk parsonallye with lx thousand men of war, 
Pauye.  of which xij, thousand were horsemen, and with money enough And the emperors host was under twenty thousand, of which were but three thousand horsemen, with no money at all. For he trusted unto the Pope for aid of men, and unto our cardinal for money. But the Pope kept back his men till that the frenchmen had given them a field, and our Cardinal kept back his money for the same purpose. And thus was the silly Emperor betrayed, as all his predecessors have been this viiij hundred years. How be it there be that sa●e, how that the emperors sodiars so threatened Pace, 
Pace●  the kings grace's ambassador, that he was fain to make che●esaunce with merchants for money in the kings name, to pay the soldiers with all. Wherefore the cardinal took from him all his promotions, and played tormentors with him when he came home, because that he presumed to do one jore more than was in his commission But how so ever it was, the emperors men, in tarrying for help/ had spent out all their victuals. Whereupon Bourbon the chief captain of the Emperor said unto his under captains: ye see, 
Burbo●  help cometh not, and that our vitales are spent. Wherefore there is no remedy but to fight though we be unequally matched. If we win, we shall find meat enough: if we lose, we shall lose no more th●n we must lose with hungers/ though we fight not. And so they concluded to set upon the Frenchmen by night. The king of france and his lorde● purposing that the moan would sooner have fallen out of the sky, then that the Emperors host durst have fought with them/ were some what negligent, and went the same night a mumming that Bourbon set upon them. The emperors host therefore with their sudden coming upon them, amazed the frenchmen/ and drove them upon heaps together one on an other, so that they never could come in array again, and took the king and diverse of his lords & slew many and wan the field. And there came out all the Cardinals privy treason/ for in the frenchkinges tent (say men) were letters found/ and beside that in the Frenchkyngs treasure, and in all the host among the sodiars were english ships found innumerable which had come sailing a thousand miles by land. But what wonder, ships be made to sail over the sea, and wings to i'll into far countries & to mount to the top of high hills.  
When the frenchk was taken, we sang Te deum. But for all that singing we made peace with frenchmen. And the Pope, 
Te deum.  the Venetians, France and England were knit together, lest the emperors army should do any hurt in france Whereby ye may conjecture of what mind the pope & the cardinal were to ward the emperor▪ and with what heart our spiritualty with their invisible secrets, sang Te deum. And from the time hitherto/ the emperor and our cardinal have been twain.  
After that, when the king of fraun●● was delivered home again/ and his sons left in pledge, many ways were sought to bring home the sons also: But in vain/ except the frenchking would make good the which he had promised the Emperor. For the bringing home of those children no Man more busied his wits/ then the Cardinal. He would in any wise the emperor should have sent them home/ & it had been but for our kings pleasure, for the great kindness that he showed him in times past. He would have married the kings daughter our princess unto the Dolphin again, or as the voice went among many, unto the second Brother, and he should have been prince in England and king in time to come, so that he sought always to pluck us from the Emperor and to join us unto France, to make france strong enough to match the Emperor/ and to keep him down, that the pope might reign a GOD alone, 
the mart should have been at Ca●●●ce.  and do what pleased him/ without countrolling of any overseer. And for the same purpose, he left nothing unprovided to bring the mart from Andwerp● to Cales.  
This be sufficient at this time, though I could say more, and though other have deserved that I more said: ye and I could more deeply have entered into the practice of our cardinal, but I spare for diverse considerations, and namely for his sake/ which never spared me/ nor any faithful friend of his own, nor any that told him truth, nor spareth to persecute the blood of Christ in as clear light as ever was, and under as subtle colour of hypocrisy as ever was any persecution sins the creation of the world. Neither have I said for hate of any parson or parsons (God I take to record) but of their wickedness only, and to call them to repentance/ knowledging that I am a sinner also, & that a grievous. Howbeit, it is a devilish thing and a merciless to defend wickedness against the open truth, and not to have power to repent. And therefore I doubt not, if men will not be warned hereby, but that God will utter more practice by whom he will, & not cease, until he have broken the band of the wytye hypocrites/ which persecute so subtilely.  
And finally, let them remember that I, to prevent all occasions and all carnal beasts that seek fleshly liberty, sent forth the true obedience of a christen man with yet they condemned, but after they had condemned the new testament, as right was, whence the obedience had his authority. Now then if when the light is come abroad in which their wickedness can not be hid, they find no such obedience in the people unto their old tyranny, whose fault is it? This is a sure conclusion: none obedience that is not of love can long endure: and in your deeds can no man see any cause of love: and the knowledge of Chryst, for whose sake only a man would love you, though ye were never so evil, yea persecute. Now than if any disobedience rise/ are ye not the cause thereof yourselves?  
say not but that ye be warned.