Confutation of the Popes Bull, Part 25
¶That the Pope of Rome doth falsly and tyrannously giuegive sentence that the Queene of England is depriued of her kingdome and of all right of her crowne.
AFterward the Pope in his sayd definitiue sentence determineth peremptorily that the Quéene of England is depriued of her crowne and of all right of her crowne, and of all other authoritie, dominion, dignitie, and priuilege whatsoeuer. But who hath made the Pope a souerein Monarche ouer the whole world, to reigne alone, and to hauehave all kingdomes vnderunder him, and to hold all kynges and princes vnderunder his allegeance as his vassals or tenauntes at wil, so as he might set them vp or thrust them out of their kyngdomes at his pleasure? Heretofore when I discoursed vponupon Ieremies wordes I hauehave set thee ouer kynges and kyngdomes &c. I hauehave shewed openly and sufficiently inough, (so as there néedeth no more at this tyme) that the Pope is not set ouer kynges and kyngdomes by God, but rather vsurpeth superioritie and power ouer kynges and nations, contrarie both to the open example and commaundement of the Lord. Therfore as now I wil adde no more but this, that the Pope doth falsly or rather through mere tyranny without any right or regard of shame chalenge to him selfe this power, which the Lord neuer deliuered to any man. For the wise Prophet Daniel sayth:Dan. 2. Wisedome and power belong vntounto the Lord. He it is that altereth the tymes, and chaunges of tymes. He it is that putteth downe kinges and setteth vp kinges.Iob. 12. The same thyng also hauehave Iob, and Dauid in his Psalmes affirmed afore him. Yea and the holy histories setting forth the same thyng most plenteously, declare that God ordeined Saule kyng of the Israelites by the Prophet Samuel,1. Samuel. 9.10.12.15. and by the message of the same Prophet deposed him agayne for his disobedience and rebellion, aduauncing Dauid to his roome,1. Sam. 16. a man accordyng to Gods owne hart. Agayne, vnderunder Salomon Dauides sonne, the kyngdome was rent a sunder,1. Kynges. 11 and God by the message of his Prophet Ahia gaue ten partes of the kyngdome to Ieroboam: and those ten partes of the kyngdome were not taken away from Salomon and his posteritie for any other cause, then for that Salomon him selfe had withdrawen his hart from God, and allowed his outlandish wiues wherewith to set vp and exercise their Idolatrie. But the same Ieroboam is deposed agayne,1. Kynges. 14 and none other cause of hys deposing (by the report of the same Ahia the Prophet) then for that he hearkened not to the word of the Lord, but according to mans policie vponupon a good intent of his owne, made him straunge Gods, and set vp the same for the children of Israel to worship, and cleaued not vncorruptly to the word of the Lord.1. Kynges. 15 16. Other kinges of Israel also were deposed from from their kingdome by God, as Baasa, Ela, Achab, & such other like, and for none other cause, then that they had leuer to folow the Idolatrie of Ieroboam, then the word of the Lord.2. Kinges. 9.10. Furthermore, when Iehu had destroyed Iezabell king Achabs wife and all his posteritie, and therewithall made cleane riddance of all the Priestes of Baal, yea & beaten downe the Temple of Baal and made a draught of it: the Lord said vntounto him, for asmuch as thou hast earnestly executed the thing that is right in mine eyes, and done vntounto the house of Achab according to all that was in my hart: thy sonnes shall sit vppon the seate of Israell to the fourth generatiō. I could rehearse many other thinges of this sort, no lesse notable then these, but that I séeke to be brief as far as the matter giueth leaue.
And I hauehave rehearsed these thinges to the end that all men may manifestly perceiue,God vsed the seruice of hys Prophetes in puttyng kyngs downe. how it is God himselfe and not the pope, that createth kinges and displaceth them, yea and which remoueth, shaketh, ouerthroweth, repaireth, and stablisheth all kingdomes vniuersally and seuerally. Now although he hauehave disposed it by his messengers the Prophetes, as by Samuell, Ahias, Eliseus, and others: yet is not the Pope called to these matters, as those men were, neither hath he receiued any commission from God in this case, so much as by one little word: but rather is commaū ded to attempt no such thing. Besides this, God deposed kinges as it were extraordinarily by the Prophetes & not by the high Priestes (which were ordeined by God to be in Israell with the kinges) least the kingdome and the Priest hode might be set at oddes betwene them selues. Therfore although ye Pope were the souerein Bishop, yet should not the disposing and ordering of kinges belong to his charge. Moreouer if a man consider wherefore God deposed those kinges by the meane of his Prophetes: the Quéene of England hath wherwith to comfort and confirme her, and the Pope hath that which graffeth him into the nomber of false prophetes, discorageth him, and vtterly ouerthroweth him. For Ahias said out of the mouth of the Lord vntounto Ieroboam: if thou wilt hearken to my commaundementes and walke in my wayes, as my seruaunt Dauid did, I will be with thée and I will build thée a sure house, and so forth as foloweth, in the third booke of kinges and the xj. chapter. And I hauehave already rehearsed out of Gods word what reward Iehu reaped at Gods hand for taking away of Idols, Idolatrie, and Idolaters. Seyng then that the Quéene of England hath made reformation in her Realme according to Gods word, and taken away the Idols and Idolatrie of Baal, yea and Baals chappels and temples, and his chapleynes also together with all Popish abhominations: she hath not lost her kingdome, but rather knit it more strongly vntounto her, and is sure of Gods protection and fauour, and by Gods grace shall alwayes be sure of it, if she continew in the faith. Therfore there is no cause why her most gracious Maiestie should be troubled any whit at the Popes most peruerse sentence of deposition. For God in his word hath giuen a contrarie sentence to the Popes, so as the pope is most manifestly reputed among the false Prophetes. Also in the times of Ioachim, Iechonias, & Zedechias kinges of Iuda, there were false Prophetes and fauorers of Idolatry, which warranted good lucke to these Idolatrous kings, and cursed the king of Babylon (whom God had stalled in the kingdome, and whom he would hauehave to reigne, and who afterward in the time of Daniell was turned from Idols to the true God,) and drew away the miserable people from his obedience. But they were greuously rebuked and disproued by Gods holy and true Prophetes Ieremie and Ezechiell, who prophesied that all maner of miseries should be powred out vppon the Idolaters: according as the falling out of thinges proued in the end by Gods large powring out of a sea of miseries vppon them. The same God also a thréescore and ten yeares after, ouerthrew the kingdome of Babylon, chiefly for Idolatries sake, as it is read in the fifth chapter of Daniell: and conueyed the Empire to Cyrus king of Persia, who proclaymed the true God of Israell, and let Gods people go frée out of captiuitie, and commaunded Gods temple and holie Ceremonies to be set vp agayne. Therefore after so great light of Gods word, and the goodly consent of the holie histories, there is no cause why any Princes or sacred Magistrates should be afrayd of the Balaamish popes cursinges, depriuations, and manaces, brandished and denounced for putting away Idolles and for treading vnderunder foote that new Baalishnesse the Poperie. For God likes well of all such as reuerence Gods word, reforming them selues purely according to Gods word, and framing all thinges in Rellgion by the same. But it is most manifest that Gods word condemneth and reiecteth all Idolatrie, and all seruing of God that is counterfet and deuised by mans good intent, inuented and receiued at the good pleasure and appointement of men, without Gods woorde or agaynst it.