Confutation of the Popes Bull, Part 14
¶That the latter Byshops of Rome degenerated vtterly from the first and middlemost Byshoppes of Rome, and that they vsurpe the cursed title of full power, agaynst all right and reason.
NOt vnfitly are diuerse godly and learned men of the Church reported to hauehave sayd, that among the latter Byshops of Rome that are worthy to be reckoned among Shepherdes, Gregory is the last. For as for the hindermost sort that hauehave folowed after hym, they were not sheepefeeders but sheepebyters, a few excepted, for through their neglecting of Gods worde, and their earthly affections, they hauehave not onelyonly in wonderfull wise darkened the clearnesse of the christian doctrine with mens inuentions and traditions, but also defiled and marred the simplicitie and purenesse of Gods seruice, with vncleane superstitions, differing little or nothing from the heathenish & wicked Idolatries. Many of them hauehave opēly defended corrupt doctrines, and the Idolles themselues, and other abhominacions, and therewithall hauehave forced them vppon the people. Othersome of them treading all discipline and honestie vnderunder foote, hauehave wallowed themselues in filthy and vnlawfull lustes, in ryot and lecherie, in vnchastnesse, in aduowtrie and whoredome, in incest and other horrible offences, as it were in the myre of Cocytus, and the poole of Stix. Others of them hauehave not refrayned themselues from poysonynges, from Necromancie, or felowshyp with Deuilles, from magik, damned in all ages, from murtheryng, and from treasons. All of them for the most part, and specially the latter Bishops of Rome, being blinded with diuelish desire of soueraintie, and swolne and puft vp with such pride as the lyke was neuer heard of, hauehave not bene ashamed before God, nor before his aungels and the whole world, to aduaunce themselues into that seate by simonie, and to intangle themselues in secular kyngdome, and therwithall to withdraw themselues from the subiection of kynges and princes ordayned by God, to vsurp other mens rightes, to beare both the persons of spiritualtie and temporaltie, and to chalenge to themselues the iurisdictson of both the swordes, to suffer no man to be equall wyth them, and much lesse to be aboue them: also to deny dutie and honour vntounto their betters, and to such as are ordayned of God, or rather to take it frō them to thē selues: to raigne ouer the Princes themselues, and to appoint them lawes, and finally to trample them vnderunder their féete, contrary to Gods commaundement and the example of the Apostles.
But least in this behalfe I may séeme to yelde to affection or to speake these thinges vppon malice, or to fayne neuer so little: go to, let vsus stand to the tryall, let inquisitiō be made vppon the liues of the Bishops, and read the liues of Iohn the twefth, of Siluister the second and Siluester the third, of Bennet the ninth, of Gregorie the sixt, and Gregorie the seuenth, of Vrban the second, of Paschall the second, of Calixt the second, of Honorius the second, and Honorius the third, of Innocent the second, Innocent the third, & of Innocent the fourth, of Adrian the fourth, of Alexander the third, of Gregorie the nynth, of Clement the fourth, and here I am fayne to stop, least I might make a beadroll ouer long and wearisome to the reader, for I could name yet mo of the byshops that ensued, fewe better then these, but too many worser. But in thys behalfe it is best to heare the iudgement of some Byshop, yet will I not alledge the testimonie of Cardinall Benno and certayne others, but of Eberhart Erle of Abensperg, who being byshop of Salisburg, did in the counsell that was helde at Regenspurg the yeare of our Lord 1240. make a méetly long oration against the tyranny of the Romane byshops, which oration Iohn Auentine hath copied out whole into hys history of yearly affayres in the seuenth booke, the 683. leafe. Among other thing, Christ our Sauiour, Lord and God, leauing (saith he) his heauēly throne, became mortall and poore, that he might make vsus immorand rich. And when he had conquered hell and was returning triumphantly into heauen, he gaue vsus hys peace, he left vsus his peace, and he assigned concord and mutuall louelove to be as it were the badge and cognisance whereby his citizens might be discerned from the souldiers of the infernall Ioue. And he gaue vsus earnest warning to beware of false Christes and false Prophetes, namely men that should séeke to raigne ouer vsus, and to mocke vsus vnderunder the Christian name and byshoply title. If we be not blynde, we sée a most cruell woolfe in a shéepes skinne, vnderunder the title of the chiefe byshop. The Romish flamines hauehave warre against all Christians, being growen great by aduenturing, by deceiuing, and by sowing warre vppon warre, they kill the shéepe, they slea, they driue peace and concord out of the world, they bring vp ciuill warres, and household debates from hell, and they weakē all mens strēgthes dayly more and more, that they themselues may leape ouer all mens heades, deuour all men, and bring all men in bondage. They prouide not for their flocke like byshoply shepheardes, but rather make hauocke of them with outragious licenciousnes like tyrantes. Iustice waxeth skant: vngodlinesse, couetousnesse, desire of honor, louelove of money, and lechery waxe rise. Christ forbiddeth vsus to hate our enemies, and commaundeth vsus to louelove them. Contrariwise the Romish sort vnderunder great pretence of holinesse, commaund men to breake stedfast couenauntes, to abuse Gods holy name to deceiue men withall, to be vnkinde to such as hauehave deserued well, to recompence good déedes with euill déedes, to make warre, to quarrell, to beguile, and to betray. Hildebrand (the same is Gregory the seuenth) a hundred threscore and tenne yeares agoe layde first the foū dacion of Antichristes kingdome, vnderunder pretence of Religion. He was ye first that began this horrible warre, which is continued vntounto this day by his successors. First they thrust out the Emperour from the election of the byshops, and cōueied it to the people and the clergie. After they had geuen them a mocke also and hist them out of doores, now they labour to bring vsus also vnderunder coram and bondage, that they may raigne alone. Moreouer being nouzeled in custome of bearing rule, and hauing throughly wayed the power of themselues and of their aduersaries, they will vse the beutifull colour of stablishing ye libertie of the Church, as an occasion to plucke the soueraintie to themselues and to oppresse Christian libertie. Beleue me (I speake of experience) they will not cease till they hauehave gotten all into their owne handes. The Pope imagineth new deuises in his brest, to the intent he may stablish his owne Empyre, he altereth lawes, he stablisheth his owne, he defileth, he filtheth, he spoyleth, he defraudeth, he killeth. That lost man whom men are wont to call Antichrist, in whose forehead is written a name of blasphemy, that is to wit, I am God, and I cannot erre, euen that lost soule I say sitteth in Gods temple and raigneth far and wide. These and many other thinges like these, did that holy byshop discourse with great boldnesse and constancie. Neither was this Prelate altogether a vayne Prophet, considering that within thréescore yeares after, Boniface the eight of that name, a most filthy and vngracious wight is reported to hauehave bene puffed vp into so diuelish and brasenfaste pride, that openly in the Iubilie (which he himselfe first inuented and ordayned contrary to the Christian fayth) he durst vaunt himselfe as highest byshop and chiefe Emperour, before a great assembly and prease of people of all nacions vnderunder heauen. For the first day he came forth in hys byshoplike apparell, and gaue the foolishe people his Apostolike blissing as they terme it. And the next day wearing an imperiall crowne, and being clothed in robes of estate, he commaunded a naked sword to be borne before hym, and sittyng downe in a throne, cryed out, Behold here be the two swordes. And being not satisfied with this Luciferlike gaze, he durst yet further at the same time most spitefully reiect the Ambassadours of the Princes Electors which gaue him to vnderstand that they had chosen Albert Prince of Habspurge and Austrich, the sonne of king Rodolphus, to be king of Romanes: yea and also to make a lawe in all respectes tyrannicall, and Antichristian, which is extant in the extrauagantes, in the booke of maioritie & obedience, beginning with vnam Sanctam. &c. In that lawe, after he hath attributed all power both spirituall, & temporall to the Pope: in the end he concludeth the same and saith: moreouer we declare, auouch, determine, and geue sentence that it is vtterly of necessitie of saluation, that all men be subiect to the byshop of Rome. Whereas there is commonly blazed abroad of the same byshop this commendation of his, that he entred as a Fox, raigned as a woolfe, (others hauehave as a Lion) and dyed as a dogge: And whereas Phillip the fayre king of Fraunce appeached him of heresie, murther, simonie, and all maner of most heynous crimes: yet are not the Papistes ashamed to alledge still the sayd stinking lawe of this rancke varlet for the maintenaunce of their monarchy.
Hereunto perteineth it, that the Bull of Iohn the xxij. published agaynst Lewes the 4. Emperour of that name, (which Bull Auentine rehearseth whole in his vii. booke of Chronicles) sayth among other thinges: When the chief Empire happeneth to be without a head, the souerein power of it is in the handes of the highest Bishop, whole benefite the same is, &c. This durst he write the yeare of our Lord. 323. So greatly were their corages increased since Boniface dyed in prison, which was within xxiij. yeares space. But the Emperour Lewes aunswereth the Bull at large by a proclamation, which is to be read copyed whole by the same Auentine into his booke of histories. In the same proclamation, among other thinges, The Byshop (sayth he meaning Iohn the xxij) thristeth, after Christian bloud, and soweth eueryevery where the mischief of discord and seditions among Christians. Neither can the Christians kéepe the peace giuen them of God, by reason of this Antichrist. So great is the madnesse of that man, or rather of that féend, that he preacheth his owne wicked doynges as if they were good déedes, in open audience. When Christian Princes (sayth he) are at variance one with an other, then is the Romish Priest the hyghest Byshop in déede, then reigneth he, then is he in his ruffe. And so the debate and discord of the Germanes is meate and drinke to the Byshops of Rome. Therfore it standes the high prelate in hand to weaken the Empire of the Almaines. And a little after the Emperour sayth. Looke who soeuer kéepe their allegeance to the Emperour, and to Christ our Sauiour which commaundeth them to obey: Them for so doyng and for none other cause, doth he brond with the marke of heresie. What soeuer he listeth, he déemeth it lawfull. How shall I therfore deale with him? He mindeth not to execute or to know any right, any equitie, any good. He séeth nothyng, he doth nothyng, but what he listeth himselfe. He taketh to him the spirit of Sathan, and maketh himselfe like the highest. He suffereth himselfe to be worshipped (which thing a certaine aungell forbade Iohn to do vntounto him) and his féete to bée kissed, after the maner of the most cruel tyrantes Diocletian and Alexander, whereas Christ our Lord and kyng washed the féete of his Disciples beyng but fishermen, to the intent that his messengers should do the same agayne to those that they were sent to: & so forth. I hauehave rehearsed these things, to the end that the manifest record and iudgement not onelyonly of a famous Byshop, but also of a most glorious kyng or Emperour, concernyng this latter vnhappy and vngracious Bishops, might remaine in record.
In the same tyme of Lewes the iiij. about the yeare of our Lord .1330. that is to say, two hundred and forty yeares ago, florished the renowmed and sage Lawyer Marsilius of Padua, who wrate a singular booke for the Emperour Lewes the 4. agaynst the Byshops of Rome, and intitled it the defence of peace. In the same booke Dict. 2. Chap. 4. he sheweth by many and those most euident reasons that neither the Byshop of Rome, no nor any other Byshop, or Priest hath any souereintie ouer any man, either clerks or layman: and that by the example of Christ, if any such be offered them they ought to refuse it: and that all Byshops and Churchmen ought to be subiect to the souerein that ruleth them. Agayne the same man in Dict. 2. Cap. 25 sayth thus: They hauehave taken to them the title which they make their boast of, namely The fulnesse of power: which they say that Christ gaue peculiarly vntounto them in the person of S. Peter, as to the successors of the same Apostle: & they indeuer to make it the instrument of this naughtinesse. By which cursed title, & by sophisticall spéech, they labour to bring all Princes, people, and persons politike and seuerall, in bondage to them. And agayne, Although the Euangelist sayd trew in auouchyng Christ to be kyng of kynges, and Lord of Lordes: yet notwithstandyng he that hath auouched any power of souereintie at all & much lesse any full power, to be graūted to the Bishop of Rome, or to any other Bishop, in the persō of S. Peter, or of any other Apostle, hath spoken and written a false and an open lye agaynst the manifest opinion of Christ, and of his Apostles Peter, Paule, & Iames. But such power is, was, and shalbe forbidden by Christ vntounto the Byshop of Rome and all others in the person of any of the Apostles, accordyng as we hauehave vndoubtedly certified you by the Scripture and the authorities of holy men in the 4.5. & 9. Dist. hereof. This farre Marsilius.