The Practice of Prelates, Part 10
¶Howe the pope corrupteth the scripture and why.
MOreouer lest these his lyes shuld be spyed & least happly the emperours following / myght saye, our predecessours had no power to bynde vsus, nor to minish our might: And least kinges following, shuld say after the same maner / that the swerd & full power to punish euel doers indifferētly is geuē of God to eueryevery kynge for hys tyme, and therfore yt theyr … decessour coulde not bynde them contrarye vntounto the ordynaunce of God: but rather ye it was vntounto theyr dāpnation to make such graūtes / & yt they dyd not execute theyr office. And therfore ye foule & mysshapē mō stre, gate hym to the scrypture & corrupted it wyth false exposytions / to proue y• such aucthoritie was geuen hym of God / & calenged it by ye aucthoritie of Peter▪ saying / that peter was the head of Christs church and that Chryst had made hym lorde ouer the apostles hys fellowes, in yt he bad hī fe… de hys shepe & lābes Iohn y• last / as who shuld saye ye paule which came longe after, was not commaunded to feade as specyally as peter, which yet wold take no aucthoritie ouer the bodyes or ouer ye faythes of them whych he fed, but was theyr seruaūt for Chrystes sake, Christ euer the lord and head. And as though ye other apostles were not lykewyse as specially commaunded as Peter: And as though we now and all that here after shall louelove chryst, were not cō maunded to …eade chrysts flocke, eueryevery mā in his measure, as well as Peter. Are not we commaunded to louelove our neyghbours as our selues, as well as Peter? Why then are we not cōmaūded to care for his flocke as well as Peter?
Moreouer if to feade Chrystes shepe is to be greatest (as no doubt to feade christs flocke is to be greate and moste to feade▪ is to be greatest (in wc office thogh peter was greate, yet paule was greater) howe commeth that the pope by that aucthorytie chalengeth to be greatest, and yet thys .viij. hū dred yeres feadeth not at al: but poysoneth their pasture with the venamous leuen of his tradicions & wyth wrestynge the texte vntounto a contrary sence?
Then came he to thys texte Mat. xvi Thou arte peter and vppon this rocke I wyll byld my congregation or church. Loo sayth Antichryst the carnall beast / peter is the rocke wheron the church of Chryst is bylt, and I am his successoure, and therfore the head of christes church. When christ ment by the rocke, the confession that Peter had confessed, sayeng: Thou art christ the sonne of the lyuing god, which arte come into this worlde. This fayth is the rocke,Faith is ye roote wherō Chrysts churche is bylte. wheron christs church is bilt. For who is of christes church, but he only that beleueth that Christ is Gods sonne, come into to this world to saue sīners? This fayth is it, agaynst wc hell gates can not prevayle. This faith is it, which saueth the cōgregacion of christ and not Peter.
Then he goeth forth vntounto that which foloweth: Unto the I wyl geue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen / and what soeuer thou bindest in earth, it shalbe bound in heauē ▪ &c. Lo…, sayth he, in yt he sayth what soeuer thou biodest in erth, he excepteth nothī ge, therfore I may make lawes & bīd both king and emperoure. When christ / as he had no worldly kīgdom, euē so he spake of no worldly binding, but of binding of synners.The keies Chryst gaue his disciples the keye of the knowlege of the law of God, to bind all synners / and the keye of the promyses to louse all that repent ād to let them into the mercy that is made vp for vsus in christ.
Then cōmeth he vntounto an other text whiche Christ rehearseth Mathe. la…, sayeng: Al power is geuen men in heauen & earth▪ go ye therfore, and teach al nacions, b… prysyng them in the name of the father, and ye sonn…, and of the holy gost, teachinge them to kepe all that I commaunded you: And behold I am with you vntounto the worldes ende: Loo sayth the pope, Chryst hath all power in heauen and earth, without excepcyon, and I am christes vicar, wherfore all power is mine / and I am aboue all kinges and Emperours in temporall iurisdictyō ād they but my seruauntes to kisse on… my fete only but my. N. also if I list not to hauehave thē stoupe so low. Whē christ as I said because he had no temporal kingdom,Christes powr is to saue sīners euen so he ment of no tēporall power, but of power to saue sinnes / which they professe of, the text declareth by that he sayth, goo ye therfore, and teach and baptyse: th…t is preach this power to all nacions / ād wash of their sīnes thorow fayth in the promisses made in my bloude.o… this man…r …lech he with textes.
Then he cōmeth vntounto an other text Hebre. vij. which is. The presthode b…ing trā slated, the law must nedes be translated also. Now sayth the pope, the priesthode is trāslated vntounto me, wherfore it perteyneth vntounto me to make lawes and to bind eueryevery man. And the pistle meaneth no such thinge / but proueth to euydently yt the ceremo…i…s of Moises must cease. For the prye…es of the old testament must nedes hauehave bene of the tribe of Leui as Aaron was▪ whose dutye for euer was the offeryng of sacrifices. Wherfore when that priesthode ceased, the sacrifices and ceremonies ceased also. Now that priesthode ceased in Christ, which was a priest of the ordre of Melchiscde… ād not of the ordre of Aaron· for thē he must hauehave bene of the tribe of Iuda & of the sede of Dauid. Wherfore they that are vnderunder Christs priesthod are vnderunder no sacrifices or ceremonies. And of this maner iugle they wyth all the scriptur, whyche falshed lest the lay men shuld perceaue wyth readinge the processe of the Texte / is all their feare what soeuer they pretende.
Moreouer y• thou mayst perceaue the popes falshed, marke: Christ sayd vntounto p… ter, I wyl geue and not I giuegive, nether sayde he I wyll giuegive vntounto the only: Therfor …oke in the .xx. chaptre of Ihō where he gaue them the keyes after hys resurrectiō / & thou shalt se that he gaue them vntounto all indyfferentlye sayeinge:Chryst gaue all hys Apostles like aucthor… tye. As my father sente me so send I you. Whether sent he them? in to all the worlde / and vntounto all nations. What to do? to preach ye law that ye people might repēt, & the promyses yt they might beleue in Chryst for ye remyssyon of sinnes▪ sayeng: receaue the holie gost, who so euers synne ye forgeue, they shalbe forgeuen▪ by which holy gost he gaue them vnderstandynge of the scrypture and of all that they shuld preache: as thou mayest see Luk last, where he opened theyr wittes to vnderstā de the scrypture and sayd, that repentaunce and forgeuenes of synnes muste be preached in hys name to all Natyons, and that they were wytnesses to preache it. Wherby thou seyste yt to Bynd and to Loose is but to preache and tell the people theyr fautes,To bynde & louse is to preache. and to preache mercye in chryste to all that repent.
And when he sayeth / all power is geuen me: he saieth not go thou Peter and preach but sayeth vntounto all indifferentlye / go ye & preach thys power geuen me of my father …o saue al that repent, and to dampne them that repent not but folow ye lustes of their flesh, wyth full desire to lyue beastlie beyng ennymyes vntounto the lawe of god.
And Math. xviij. Peter axed chryst how oft he shuld for gyue hys brother / whether seuen tymes.Nota. And chryste sayed / seuentye tymes seuen tymes. As who shuld saye / as ofte as he repenteth and axeth forgeuenesse.
Now though this were spoken vntounto Peter only, because Peter onlye moued the question / yet it apertayneth not vntounto vsus all as well as vntounto Peter? Are not we as muche bounde to forgeue oure neyghboures that repent and axe forgeuenes, as Peter▪ Yes verelye. But because Peter onlye axed ye questiō, therfore did Chryste teache vsus by Peter. Yf an other had axed / he wolde hauehave taught vsus by that other. And in lyke maner when chryst axed who saye ye that I am: yf any other of the Apostles whiche beleued it as well as Peter, had sayde as Peter did, thou arte chryste, the sone of the lyuinge go… / which arte come in to the worlde of synners, to saue them: vntounto him wold Chryst hauehave answered / as he dyd to Peter / that vppon the rocke of that his confession he wolde hauehave bylt hys church, and wolde hauehave Promysed hym keyes as well as he dyd Peter. Yea and in the .xviij. chapter of Mathew, Chryst saith to al the Apostles / yea / and to all congregatyons where synners be,A woman hath powr to bynde. that what soeuer they bound shulde be boūde & what soeuer they loosed shulde be loosed.
Moreouer euerye man and woman that knowe Chryst and hys doctrine, hauehave the keyes and power to bynde and loose: in an ordre yet and in their measure, as tyme place and occasion geueth and pryuatelye. Maye not a wyfe, yf hyr husband synne agaynste God and hyr, and take a nother woman / tell hym hys taute betwene hym and hyr secretelye, and in good maner humblye, and bynd hys concyence with the law of god? And yf he repente may she not for geue hym ād loose hym as well as the Pope? Yea, and better to, as longe as the synne is secret, in as muche as he synne the specially against hy… ▪ and not against the pope.
And so maye the sōne do to the father / and a seruaunte to the master / and euerye man to hys neyghboure, as thou seyst in y• sayde .xviij. chaptre of Mathew. How be it to bynde and loose in the concience by open preaching perteyneth vntounto the offycers that are apoynted therto. And to bynde ād loose open Synners, and them that wyll not repēt tyll they be complayned on vntounto the congregacion, perteyneth vntounto the congregacion.
Finally there were many that preached christ at Rome,R…sōs ye peter was not ye greatest by any aucthoritie geuen hī of Chryste. yet Peter cam thither if he cam euer thyther: as Paule and many other. Had they not auctoritie to bynd and loose? Or els how did they conuerte the people? Peter was also an Apostle and went from place to place as Paule did, ād as Paule ordeyned Bysshopes in euerye place to teach the people, so no doubte dyd Peter. Why then might not those Bysshopes calenge auctoritie by Peter as well as they of Rome? they saye also in their owne legēdes that Peter had his seate ot Antioch first. Did he runne to Rome lyuyng no man behinde him to teach the people at Antioch? God forbyd. Why then myght not that Bysshop calenge Peters aucthoritie? They wyll haply say soner then proue it, that Peter dyed at Rome, ād therfore his auctoritie is greatest ther. Then by that rule christs power is no where so ful as at Hierusalem. But what hath Chrystes inuisible kyngdom to do with places: Where Chrystes Gospell is,Chryst… powr is in the gospell their is his power full and all hys auctroite as well ī one place as in an other.
Fynallye to gett auctoritie whence so euer, they can snatch it, they ioyne Paule wt Peter in their awne lawes Distinctio. xxij sayinge: By the auctorytie of peter and Paule. Whych is clene agaynst thē selues.paull is called to help For they say in their awne lawe in the presence of the superior, the power of the inferior ceaseth, and is none at all. Nowe if Peter be greater then Paule, then by that rule / where Peter is present theire Paule is but a subiecte and wythoute auctorytie: As where Christ is present bodil…e ād preacheth hī selfe, there ye apostles geue vp their auctorytie / ād hold their peace ād sitt doune at hys fete, and become scolers and herken to.
Wherfore in that they ioyne Paule with Peter, and chalēge their superioritie as wel by ye auctoritie of Paule as of Peter, there they make Paule felow ād equall with peter. And thus it is false that Peter was …eater then hys fellowes, but the blynd onles care not what they houle, seyng it is night and the daye lyght of gods worde, shut vp that no man can spye them.
Moreouer wt this terme Peters seate they iugle a pase (as wt infinite other) saying that Peters seate, is the chefe seat / but what Peters seat is that they tell you not For wyste ye that / ye shuld some perceaue that they lye. Peters seate is no stole or chayre (for what hath the kingdō of Christ to do wt such baggage) but, it is a spiritual thyng. Chryst sayth in the gospell Math. xxiij. The Scrybes and pharyzees syt on Moses seate. What was moses seat ther, a chayre …or the temple / or the churchs, or synagoge of the land? Nay verely▪ for moses came neuer there. But Moses seate was Moses lawe and doctrine. Euē so peters seate, is peters doctryne, ye gospell of christ wc peter taught. And the same doctrine is Peters keyes: so that peters seate, Peters keyes and Peters doctrine is all one thing Nowe is peters doctryne, Paules doctrine & the doctrine of all the .xij. Apostles in differently, for they taught all one thynge. Wherfore it followeth / that peters keyes, and peters seate, be the keyes and seate of Paule also, & of all the other .xij. Apostles and are nothing saue the gospell of Christ And thus as Peters doctryne is no better then Paules but one thing, euen so Peters seate is no greter nor hier or holyer then y• sete of ye other .xij. Peters sete now is christes sete / Chrystes gospell on whych all the appostles sate & on whych this daie sitteth all they only that preache christ truly Uherfore as Antichrist preacheth not peters doctrine (which is christs gospell) so he sytteth not on peters sete / but on the sete of sathan whose vicar he is and on the sete of his owne lawes and ceremonyes and false doctryne wher vntounto he compelleth all men wythe vyolence of swerde.
Then he clame to purgatorye with the ladder of the sayde texte,Purgatori what so euer thou bindest in earth. &c. purgatorie sayeth he, is in earth: wherfore I am lorde ther to. Neuerthelesse as he can proue no purgatorye / so can he not proue that yf ther were any / it shuld be in the earth. It myght well be ī ye elemēte or sphere of fyre vnderunder ye mone as well as in the earth. But to bynd ād loose, is as I hauehave aboue sayde / to preache and to fede and with Chrystes doctryne to purge soules. And they that be dead be not of the flocke which christ bad Peter fede, but they that lyue onlye.
Then clam he vppe wyth the same ladder styll ouer all vowes and professions of all relygious parsones,Uowes. Othes. testamēts. and ouer othes made betwene man and man to dispence wyth them / and ouer all mennes testamentes to alter thē. For what thou makest an hospytall, that will he shortely make a college of preastes, or a place of relygyon, or what he lusteth. Thē all maner monkes ād fryers and lyke d…affe toke dyspensations of hym for the ordenaūces of theyr olde founders
And because, as they thought, they had prayed & distributed for theyr Souls Inough to bring thē out of purgatory, they thrust thē out of their beedrolles and toke dayly mo and mo.
But euer sens they toke dyspensations of the pope both for their rules and to deuide all among them, they receued in the name, not of the poore / but of purgatorye, to quench the ragīge fyre ther of / which is as hote as theyr belyes can fayne it, and foles be out of theyr wyts to beleue it: promys… ge a masse daily for .xl. shilyngs by the yeare / of whych foūdations when they hauehave gotten twentie,Union. they wil yet with an vnion purchased of the pope, make but one chaū trie. For if they shuld do all that they hauehave promised from the fyrst founder vntounto thi… day .v. hunderth monkes were not ynough in many cloysters.
Thynkest thou ye mē were euer so mad to make the fassions that are now among them? to geue the sell…rar such a sōme, & ye priour and the suppriour and the other offycers so much for their partes as they hauehave yerelye, and to …empte the Abbot from his brethrē & to send him out of the abbaie into suche parkes ād places of pleasure, ād geue hym a thousand, fyftene hundred, two thousand or .iij thousand pounde yerely to sporte hīselfe with all? Nay, but when thorow hypochrisie thei had gottē lād ynough then they turned vntounto the pope ād toke dyspensacions both for their rules whych were to harde for such aboundaūce, and for ye wylles of their foūders, and serued a great sort of founders vnderunder one per dominum, ād deuyded among fewe that whych was ynough for a great multitude.
It was the pope that deuised all these fassions to corrupt the prelates with abū daunce of worldelye pleasures, of whyche he wist that ye worst wold be most gready and for which he wist also y• he shuld fynd Iudasses ynow that wold forsake Chryst and betraye the truth, and be sworne false vntounto him and hys godhead. He maketh of many chauntries one, of an abbay, a cathedral church, and out of the abbays plucketh he the Bysshoprykes. And as Bysshoppes paye for theyr bulles, euen so do an infinyte numbre of abbots in chrystendom, in all landes some▪ whyche Abbots be bysshops within them selues and immediatly vnderunder the pope. And other abbots & prioures sēd after the same ensample dayly vntounto rome to purchesse lycence, to weare a mitre and a crosse & gaye ornamētes, to be as gloryous as the best. &c. And where before God, no mā is a priest, but he yt is appointed to preache Chrystes gospell vntounto the people, & the people ought not to geue ought vntounto ye spiritualtye / but for the maintenaunce of the preaching of Gods word, the Pope taketh vi. or .vij. yea ten .xx. and as many benefices as he lysteth, & geueth them vntounto one ye preacheth not at all as he doth all other dygnities of the spiritualtie: he that wyll purchasse and paye / and be sworne, shall hauehave what he wyll.