The Pageant of Popes, Title page – Dedication 1
THE PAGEANT OF POPES, Contayninge the lyues of all the Bishops of Rome, from the beginninge of them to the yeare of Grace 1555. Deuided into iii. sortes bishops, Archbishops, and Popes, vvhereof the two first are contayned in two bookes, and the third sort in fiue. In the vvhichwhich is manifestlye shevved the beginning of Antichriste and increasing to his fulnesse, and also the vvayning of his povver againe, accordinge to the Prophecye of Iohn in the Apocalips.
Shewing manye straunge, notorious, outragious and tragicall partes, played by them the like vvhereof hath not els bin hearde: both pleasant and profitable for this age. Written in Latin by Maister Bale, and now Englished with sondrye additions by I.S.
*Behold I come vponupon thee sayth the Lorde of hostes, and vvill discouer thy skirts vppon thy face, and vvill shevv to the Nations thy filthynes, and to the kingdomes thy shame. I vvill cast filth vponupon thee and make the loathsome, and vvill fet thee as a gazing stocke.
Nahum. 3,
¶ Come away from her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sinnes, and that ye receiue not of her plagues. &c. Reward her as she hath rewarded you, and giuegive her doubte according to her workes.
Apoca. 18.
Anno 1574.
TO THE RIGHT HOnourable Lorde Thomas Earle of Sussex, Uicount Fitzwalter, Lorde of Egremont and of Burnel, one of the Queenes Maiestyes honourable priuye Counsaile, & Lord highe Chamberlaine of her house, Of the noble order of the Garter knighte, Iustice of Oyer, of the Forests, Parkes, VVarraines and chases from Trent Southward, and Captaine of the Gentlemen Pentioners: Encrease of honour and godlye wysedome in Christe Iesus.
AMonge many worthie sayings of the most eloquent Lactantius (right Honourable) this one is especially worthye to be noted, which is so oftē repeated by him: that No wisedome is to be allowed without (true) Religion. And againe that where Religion is not there is no wysedome. VVherby we are instructed that frō those in whō wysedome is requisite, religiō must in no case be seperate. And againe that they in whō greater fruites of wisedome ought to flourishe (as it should be in them whose handes GOD hath framed to guid ye sterne of the cōmon wealth) must also beare a more feruent zeale towards the true seruice and Honour of GOD. So that these twaine VVysedome and Religion, are linked and placed together in ye minde of mā, as the eyes thereof to giuegive light to his whole vnderstanding. And therefore to staye a while in this similitude, as the one eye of our bodye is so assisting to the other for the making perfite of our sight together, that hauing the vse of both we attaine thereunto: and otherwise the one being blinded, the light of the other is somwhat dimmed and shadowed, and perhaps in the ende fadeth away and leaueth vsus altogether in darcknes: Euen so standeth the case betweene Religion and wisedome, the lightes of the minde. And therfore grosse hath bin the errour of manye great estates, who because they being lifted hie in the vew of all mēs eyes and therfore desirous to be accompted wyse, hauehave yet in their wisedome made no accompt of Religiō at all, but set it bie as a thinge nothing pertayning to ther estate. who though for a time they hauehave seemed to groape out the channell well, and so by dilligence to sayle in safetye, and with one dim eye to see their waye perfectly, yet lacking ye light of Religion they hauehave euer bin blind on the one side and wāted the right and better eye: wherby in the ende the eye of their pollicye euer poaring downeward to things on the left band, and not able stedfastly to loke vp to heauen nor to abide the glorye thereof, hath drawne them into such deepe darcknes, that vnware they hauehave strayed farre from the drift of their deuices, and beinge not able to walke vprightlye in their owne wayes without stackering and stūbling, hauehave in the ende fallen so desperatlye yt they neuer were able to ryse againe: wherby to late they finde true that There is no wisedome where Religion is not. And that whereas they thought themselues to be wyse without it, they neuer came to the first step thereof, it being as Salomō sayth: that The feare of the Lord (which such hauehave neglected) is ye beginning of wysedome. The commaundementes of ye Lord are pure and giuegive light to the eyes. Againe Psalm. 8.Thy worde O Lord is a lanterne vntounto my feete, and a light vntounto my pathes. And therefore when soeuer we leaue this light, though the lampe of mās braine burne neuer so bright, we fall perforce in ye end: For neither the wyse head of Achitophell, nor the fayre and flattering face of Absolon that stale from Dauid the peoples hartes, coulde preuaile in their purposes, so pollitickly attempted against the rule of Religion, but yt it turned to their owne confusion: Matt. 15.For euerye plant that the Heauenlye father hath not planted shalbe rooted out▪ Yea most miserable and desperat is their case and cursed of Gods owne mouth, that thincke the care of Religion belongeth not to them.
Another sort of mē there is which being of better iudgemente proceede a step farther then these, and yet not so farre as they oughte in deede. For some hauing an inward regard of Religion, do yet thincke it pollicye, that it should be hidden and secrete to themselues, and not apparent vntounto other: and in this point especially they would be esteemed wyse. But greatly are these likewyse deceiued: for wysedome is no wysedome and not to be accompted of in anye, so longe as it is dissembled and not employed, that other men maye see good proofe thereof. And Religion is no Religion that sheweth not it selfe by his plētifull fruites.Shevv me thy fayth by thy vvorkes. &c. Iacob. 2. And what choyse so euer they yt seeme wysest or holiest make of religiō, doing it so as other men shal not be able to discerne it in them, nor to he witnesses therof, they are to be esteemed neither wyse nor Religious.Faith if it hauehave no vvorkes is deade in it selfe. Ia. z. For who wil not accōpt him rather blind or blincking thē other wyse, that shall say he hath his eyes sound, pure & perfit, and yet in the open daye will neuer shew vse of them in the presence of men, but continuallye be wimpled and weare a veale, so that no man cā perceaue whether he do see or no? Eyther such are blinde in deede whē as they say that they see, or els their meaning is very deceitfull.
And so may we iudge of these wilye winkers in Religion, that either they be blindstockes in deede and lacke the light of that Heauenlye wysedome, which they pretende to hauehave, or els their wicked wysedome is but a cloake of wickednes▪ & then indeede they doate in their worldly pollicye, not knowinge that the wysest of all hath sayd: Matt. 5.Let your light so shine before men yt they may see your good workes & glorify your father which is in Heauē. And yt EueryEvery tree that doth not beare good fruite shalbe cut downe & cast into euerlastīg fier.Matt. 3. And therfore these Nicodemites that will visit Christ onelye in ye darcke and by night and not openly before men, the Lord will not acknowledge him before his Heauenly father. Such is ye ende of fleshly pollicy. So that (Right honourable) onelyonly such ar to be held as wyse in deede which thincke that it lyeth vpō them & especially belōgeth vntounto them, to make a constant and opē profession of true Religion. If then to be wyse be to professe Religion, it is worthy to be farther considered how a man may attaine to perfection herein.
The heathen that euer measured wysedomē by ciuill pollicy, hauehave accompted best of those by whose good endeuour their commō wealth hath bin most vpheld and strengthned from forain inuasions: and that hauehave employed themselues to breake the force of such as would assault it. And so (my very good Lord) they that hauehave bin the most worthye members of the Church of God, hauehave euer excelled in this point, to shew themselues forward in promoting Religion and suppressing to their power ye enemyes therof: and especially I say in suppressing the enemyes. For the houlding downe of them is the houlding vp of ye other.
2. Sam 5.8So the godly Dauid did both fetch home ye arke of God, and scourged his ennemyes the Philistines and Iebusites. So the zealous king Iosias both restored the Law of the Lord, and put downe ye wicked Chemerinus that sacrificed vntounto Baal.2. Reg. 23. So ye noble Cyrus deliuered Israell and held Babilō captiue. Finally so the worthy Cōstantine (the sonne to Helen borne in this Island) brought peace to ye Church,Euseb. li. 9 cap. 9. Eccles. hist. set Christian Religiō at libertye, and also ouerthrew the cruell ennemy and tyraunt Maxē tius. If these godly examples were euer to be followed in any place: If this zeale in Religion were euer to be shewed in any age, where more then in this our natiue countrye? If this perfit wysedome were euer to be wished in any gouernours, of whom rather then of the nobility of England? when rather then in this our time, against the tyrannye of the bishop of Rome? For what enemye bath made such greedy spoyle and wrought such broyle in any countrey, as he and his hath done continuallye in this little Isle, (as but for being tedious might be shewed) almost in eueryevery kings time since ye cōquest, as VVilliam Rufus and Hēry the first, both were sore combred wt Pope Vrban ye second and Paschal the second, through Anselmus bishop of Cāterbury. Henry the second much more with Thomas Becket and Pope Alexander the 3. Richard the first complayned greuously of the Popes shamefull polling his Realme and yet could not redresse it. K. Iohn suffered a thousand stormes and ye Realme was myserablye spoyled and made tributarye to ye Pope for euer, by the treachery of Stephē Langtō bishop of Canterbury. In the time of Hēry the 3. the Pope ransackt all the Churches in Englande, and so hath he continued with the rest, vexing by exactiōs, excommunications, or some such meanes euerye one. But because his staffe hath here bin brokē & he throwē out of ye dores in this our time, what meanes doth he dailye leaue vnproued to worke our confusion, as sturring rebelliōs, mouing treasons, seditions and conspiracies within ye land, cursing and excōmunicating both Prince and people, nobilitye and commons, and yelding vsus a praye vntounto him whō he hath assigned by his bulls to enioye their lyuings and dignities abroad, who hourelye wait whē eyther by nature it selfe or their violent hand, the thred shoulde faile whereon dependeth the staye of our estate. Such is the purpose of Antichrist against vsus, and yet practised with colour of holines. So that if euer the bloud of Christ his Church ought euer to be precious in the eyes of men, the time is now. Now lyeth it vponupon eueryevery one to shew himselfe a freind to his countrey, by withstanding to his power the common enemye therof: and especially those that stande in the hyest place, both for their owne sakes because their fall shalbe the greater, and for charge of Gods people cōmitted vntounto them, whose bloud he wil require at their hands if they leaue them to the wolfe.
For the which cause (Right honourable) I as a member of that bodye which is so assaulted by this Dragon both for the safetye of my selfe and other, employed my self a litle to discouer ye secret traynes of this deceitful ennemye: and because this my enterprise of it selfe lyeth open to ye perill of the malicious mouthes of many his partakers, so yt it shold not be able to beare out it selfe agaīst their force. Therfore necessitye driueth me to seeke for ye succour of such a Patrone in whom I might assure my selfe of that perfite wysedome which Lactancius alloweth, and find that rescue which this cause requireth: that is one who by power should be able, by wysedome skilfull, and in zeale and affection willing and forward to encounter this aduersarye with anye of his faction: whereof because it is not vnknowen to mee by many priuate occasions, that your honour hath made proofe that this perfite wysedome is planted in you as it was in Dauid, Iosias, Cyrus and Constantine, bearing on your lefte arme a target of defence for Religion, and hauing your right hand armed with a sword to wound the ennemye Antichrist: And againe seing it hath not bin so priuate but that this zeale hath shewed it selfe openlye in biddinge battell to the members of Antichrist, marchinge against them in fielde and pursuing them out of the countrye: I thought your Lorship most meete and I assured my selfe yt your honour would be most willing to suffer this my little volume to fight vnderunder your bāner in that quarrell against the Pope, wherein your honour hath heretofore personallye proceeded. If therefore the worthines of the matter herein contayned & written by maister Bale, maye so excuse the vnworthines of my simple stile in translating it, that your honour vouchsafe to accepte the one with the other and beare with the one for the other, your curtesye shall the rather confirme all the professours of ye Gospel in that vndoubted opinion which they hauehave iustlye conceyued of you, and giuegive them cause still to glorifye God for such nobility, wishing the good encrease and longe prosperitye of such: and I hauing my trauaile most happely bestowed, shall acknowledge my dutye alwayes bounde vntounto your honour for it. And thus crauinge pardon of this tedious volume wherewith I hauehave troubled your Honour ouer longe, I leaue you to the Almightye.
Your honours most humble Iohn Studley.*Put your selues in araye against Babilon round about, all ye that bende the bovve shoote at her, spare no arrovves, for she hath sinned against the Lord. Iere. 50: