Confutation of the Popes Bull, Part 8
¶Here is expounded that place of Ieremy, I hauehave set thee ouer kynges & kingdomes &c. and it is shewed how the same maketh nothyng to the proofe of the Byshop of Romes tyranny which he exerciseth agaynst kynges and kyngdomes.
LEt vsus procede further, that we may also espye, how truly the Pope of Rome vaunteth himself alone to be ordeined prince ouer all nacions and all kyngdomes. Here agayn I am not ignorant what the decrées and decretalles cheefly of those Byshops whose names I hauehave cyted afore, doe crake and belk out with open mouth concernyng this matter. But we will hauehave no toyes, we will hauehave them shew vsus by Christes expresse wordes, that the Byshops of Rome are lawfully ordeyned Princes ouer all nacions and all Realmes, by the ordinance of Christ our Lord, not by the ordinance of any men.
A few yeares past, Austin Steuchus of Eugubie the Librarikéeper of the sea of Rome, and besides that, a Byshop also, a man otherwise that had read much, but yet for all that, smally séene in the holy Scriptures, and moreouer a most filthy flatterer of the Romish Bishops, did put forth a booke agaynst Laurence Valla, in the defence of Constantines Donation, worthy to be spitted at of all godly men, and méete to be trampled in the myre with dirtie féete. In this booke, among other thynges, in the xv. Diuision. First of all (sayth he) it standes you in hand to know, that Constantine did not giuegive by name those fewe Townes, and those fewe Cities which are called the patrimonie of the Church, but he gaue the whole West part of the world, and so departyng from the Citie, did as it were giuegive place to a greater Prince then hym selfe (that is to wit to the Pope) assuryng him selfe that Rome it selfe was the head and dwelling place of godlinesse, wherein it were vnlawfull for any man to reigne, besides the souereine of Religiō for any two men to reigne in that one Citie to whiche he knew Peter the Prince of the Apostles and head of Religion to be come, he counted it a haynous matter, specially if the earthly Prince should beare the cheefsway in the Citie. And in his xvi. Diuision, It could not be sayth he) that two princes should reigne in one Citie, specially in this respect, that worldly matters would hauehave ouermated holy matters. Namely it would hauehave happened, as it is in the Prouerb, that riuers should hauehave ronne agaynst theyr streames. Also in the 90. Diuision: This is the Maiestie and prerogatiue which Peter gaue vntounto Rome, that lyke as she was Lady of all landes, so she should reigne ouer all Religion, and all thynges should be ruled at her becke. Agayne in his 94. Diuision, he reckeneth vp all the myghtyest kyngdomes of the West, as Fraunce, Spayne, England, Denmarke, Portingale, and all the residue, all which are subiect to their holy and vniuersall mother (for so speaketh he) the Church of Rome. And least he might ouerslyp any thyng, at length in his 103. Diuision he addeth: But what should I alledge any more to proue by this kynde of Argumentes, the most auncient and welnere almightie power of the Church of Rome ouer all kyngdomes and kinges, and the most auncient possession of the same. Consideryng that the auncient monumētes of all the Byshops are full of the highe power wherwith they ruled the whole world at their commaundement, holdyng the souereintie of all Realmes &c. These thynges wherby he hath put all the kyngdomes of the world vnderunder the Pope and Churche of Rome, could not satisfie and content that lying and blasphemous clawbacke, but he must also with extreme shamelessenesse and horrible wickednesse make a God of that wicked wight the Bishoppe of Rome. For in his 26. Diuision he sayth, that the faythfull worshyp the sonne of God him selfe in the Pope, and that they honour, not so much hym as a mortall man, as in him euen God hym selfe who hath made him his deputie vponupon earth. Agayne, in the 67. Diuision, 141. leafe. Thou hearest (sayth he) how the hygh Byshop which is called God, was by Constantine estemed as God. And ye must vnderstand that this was then done, when he endowed him with that noble graunt, for euen then dyd he worshyp him as God, then dyd hee (as much as lay in hym) bestowe godly honour vppon hym as Christes vicare and Peters successour, and then did he reuerence him as the liuely image of Christ. Thus sayth he. And such blasphemous and wicked writynges doth Rome yeld vntounto vsus. Which thynges I hauehave hitherto mencioned, to the end I might disclose vntounto all men, the extreme & vnrecouerable madnesse of the Pope him selfe and of his houshold together with their wickednesse, where through, they beyng most heathenish & shamelesse men, are not afrayd euen in the sight of the whole world as well of Angels as men, to vsurpe vntounto them selues the very Godhead it selfe and all the kyngdomes of the world, and to spit out whatsoeuer commeth at their tounges end.
This Steuchus was also a Byshop, and yet he was not ashamed to offer so blasphemous writinges to the Church, yea & to dedicate them to S. Peter. But let them bryng vsus some one sentēce, or at least wise some one word of Christ or his Apostles, whereby they may shewe and auouch vntounto vsus, that Christ authorized the Pope to be souereine of all kyngs & kingdomes. No, they cannot bryng me oneiote out of all the new Testament. And therfore they flée vntounto Ieremy for succour. But euē this mans holy writyngs also do they defile: béeray, & corrupt with their poyson. For the Prophet speaketh of the ministration of the word, and not of any Lordyng of his owne. For the Lord calleth, authorizeth, and sendeth Ieremy to the charge of preachyng. For he sayth to him by expresse wordes: Before thou camest out of thy mothers wombe, I sanctified thée, and appointed thée to be a Prophet vntounto nations. Afterward when Ieremie excused him selfe by his tender yeares and vnenured childhode: the Lord harteneth and comforteth him, promising to be present with him, and to speake by his mouth. For in the Lordes wordes it foloweth, behold I hauehave put my wordes in thy mouth.Exod. 4. For so read we also that the Lord spake after the same maner in old tyme vntounto Moses, when he drew backe and would hauehave shunned the Lordes callyng. But in those wordes there is no speakyng at all of souereintie, but of the charge of preachyng. Whereupon it ensueth that Ieremie is instructed how to teach, and not how to reigne. And there foloweth in the Lordes wordes: behold, this day hauehave I set the ouer natiōs & kyngdomes, to plucke vp, roote out, destroy, and ouerthrow: to build vp: and to plant. By which wordes the Lord sheweth vntounto Ieremy, to whom he sendeth him, what his office should be, or what should be, end of his ambassade.
He is sent vntounto nacions and kyngdomes as a preacher of Gods word, and not set ouer them as a prince or a king. For there foloweth to plucke vp &c. Which is the office of a teacher, and the end of the Lordes ambassade. And a Prophet plucketh vp, ouerthroweth buildeth vp and planteth, two wayes. First when by Gods word he declareth to people, nacions, and kyngdomes, that the Lord which hath planted the nations & kyngdomes, will roote out the same for their outrageous sinnes, vnlesse they amend. For Ieremy of himselfe did not ouerthrow or build vp kyngdomes, but the Lord alone did it. But Ieremy beyng Gods minister and messenger, told them out of the Lordes mouth or by his word, that the Lord would do it. And this sence is ministred and furthered by the thynges that folow in the 45. chapter, where the Lord sayth: behold, I pull downe the thynges that I hauehave builded, and I plucke vp the thynges that I hauehave planted. And agayne in the 42. chapter, I will build you vp and not pull you downe, I will plant you and not plucke you vp. Besides this, to plucke vp and to plant are termes of husbandry, like as to build and to pull down are termes of masonry and carpentry. Hereupon now the Prophet is by an allegoricall speach informed, what he must do and wherunto his commission extendeth. Like as husbandmē and builders do first prepare their ground and cut it vp with the plough, and afterward sow it with séede, or first pull downe the decayed buildynges and clense the floore, and then afterward build vponupon it: So is it the dewtie of a Prophet or preacher, first and formest to confute by Gods word to pull downe and plucke vp wicked opinions, Idolatrie, and whatsoeuer thynges els are raysed vp agaynst God: and afterward in place of the thynges that be rooted out, to plant agayne sound doctrine, the true worshyppyng of God, and all maner of godlinesse, and finally to kéepe the Lordes field in tilth and to decke Gods house with all diligence. These thynges wilbe the more enlightned, if ye compare them with the Lordes owne wordes in the 13. and 15. of Mathew, and with the wordes of the Apostle Paule in the third chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthiās, and in the tenth chapter of the second Epistle. Once againe therfore by the cleare, natural, and right construed interpretation of this place of Ieremye, we hauehave wonne, that the Pope by that Bull of his, hath wickedly and trayterously to the Lord Godward, corrupted and inuerted his wordes, and wrested them to his own souereintie or rather to his owne tyranny, which the Lord hath not ordeined or defended by his word, neither here nor in any place els.
And if they be not yet ashamed of their wicked wrestyng and corruptyng of this place of the Prophetes: Let them tell vsus what maner of souereintie Ieremy bare in Hierusalem the chief Citie of Iewry, or ouer what nation or kyngdome he reigned? From the death of kyng Iosias, he liued vnderunder the wicked kynges Ioachaz, Ioachim, Iechonias, & Zedechias. The horrible déedes of these princes are described both in the holy stories of the Bible, & also in the same Ieremyes booke, let them tell vsus then in what wise Ieremy by the vertue of these the Lordes wordes, I hauehave set thee this day ouer nations and kyngdomes. &c. dyd roote out or plant, and which of those vngodly kynges he plucked vp and excommunicated? or where he taught that bycause of the wickednesse of these kynges, their people ought to yeld no obedience vntounto them? Let them tell vsus where or when he discharged the noblemen and commons of the Realme of their othe made vntounto the sayd kinges, yea or vntounto Nabuchodonosor which was a heathen kyng? Or which of the kinges Ieremy cast downe frō his throne, and afterward aduaunced another to it at his owne pleasure? Tell me, tell me I say. Why are ye thus dumine. Bicause ye be neuer able to proue by any Scriptures, the thyng that you take vponupon ye. For the truth witnesseth manifestly that Ieremy was the humble seruaunt of the Lord God, a poore Minister, and therewithall a faithfull Prophet of the Lord God, and that he was pitifull vexed, imprisoned, and persecuted by those kynges: agaynst whom for all that, he ment so litle to draw any sword at all: that in all ciuill cases he willyngly obeyed them, and taught all the people yea the nobilitie also to obey them, and finally acknowledged and reuerēced them as his soueraine Lordes. In déede he did sharply rebuke the wicked offences of these kynges, and preached Gods greuous iudgementes, not so much to them as to the Priestes and to the whole people, vtterly after the same maner that the Lord had commaunded him to do it. But in the meane while he made no commotions in the Realme, but rather patiently suffered persecution at their handes, & prayed earnestly for their welfare. Yea and this selfe same Prophet dyd diligently & carefully teach the very people of God to obey euen the kyngs of Babylon, Nabuchodonosor, Euilmerodach, and Baltazar. Like as Ezechiel also blameth Zedechias very sore, for falsifying his othe and breakyng his fayth geuen vntounto Nabuchodonosor. Therefore there is no reason why the Byshop of Rome should cloke his tyranny with Ieremyes wordes, consideryng that Ieremyes wordes fight agaynst hym, and that he in no poynt resembleth Ieremyes patterne.