Confutation of the Popes Bull, Part 6
¶ Here is expounded the mysterie of the Armes & cognisances of the Romane Bishops bearing brauely in their scutchions a triple crowne with a payre of Keyes.
BEfore I depart from hence, I will glauncingly and bréefly set forth the thinges which séeme to perteine peculiarly to the keyes, not of the kingdome of heauen, but the keyes which the Bishops of Rome take to them selues, and which they blaze abroad in their Armes, that is to wit, by painting and stamping them commonly in a scutchion and vnderunder an helmet, yea and by fastening them vntounto all their Bulls. For vnderunder those armes and cognisances of theirs, after the maner and fashion of scutchions and helmets, doe they shadowe the fulnesse of their power, and blaze it abroad to the knowledge of all men. For the scutchion it selfe beareth the armes of the house of the Bishop that sitteth in the Sea. And ouer the scutchion stand two keyes a crosse, so set, that in stead of an helmet or crest, they beare vp, or hauehave set vponupon the shéeld and keyes a triple crowne or cap of mainteinance, which (according to the interpretation of Austin Steuchus) they them selues call their Royaltie. The cap of mainteinance it selfe sheddeth out little Labells such as are hanging at Bishops Miters. And all these thinges, which were vtterly vnknowen to the Apostles and the first Bishops of the Romane Sea, are according to the arte of Haraldrie, made significatiue to shew forth the puissance or power of this king & kingdome of all other the greatest.
The shéeld it selfe which beareth the armes of the Bishops linage, sheweth that the kingdome, and the power of the kingdome belongeth to him whose armes those be, and which presently sitteth in that Sea. And the two keyes set crosse aloft vponupon the shéeld (like as also their two swordes) doe (according to their holy and misticall diuinitie) betoken that vnmeasurable power of theirs which extendeth it selfe foreward and backward through the whole earth, and aduaunceth it selfe also aboue the very cloudes euen into heauen. In the meane while, it was Gods good will to teach wise men by such fatall badges, who and what maner a one this prince is, verely euen the same of whom S. Iohn hath written in his Apocalips, saying: And I saw an other beast comming out of the earth, and hauing two hornes, like vntounto the Lambes. But those two hornes are Préesthood and Princehood: and both of them belong to Christ the Lord, who is, continueth alone both King and Préest for euer. For he is that Lābe of God. Therfore it is piththely sayd that those hornes which the beast taketh vntounto him, are not the Lambes hornes (for the Lambe kéepeth his still, and lendeth them to no man) but like the Lambes hornes. For the Bishop will hauehave all men beleue, that by Peter, Christ hath geuen them equall power with him selfe, that is to wit, Préesthood and Princehood, and so prate they in those tyrannicall Decretalls of theirs, which thing for all that, is but of their owne making, neither hauehave they receaued any such thing of Christ or yet of Peter.
Furthermore their Royaltie or Crowne hath Labells hanging at it, yea euen bishoply labells flaring about, and wrythed with the keyes to the sides of the crowne, meaning therby that this prince is no cōmon prince, but both a prince and a préest. Yea & the crowne which this préestly king, prince, and Emperor beareth, is not single and one, but triple, such as neuer any Monarkes wore, that men can read of, were they neuer so puissant: neither are there any princes liuing at this day, that weare the like. And who (I pray you) would dout that there were a great mysterie in these thinges, if it were not such a one as knoweth not that the matters of these men are stuffed with mysteries like the holy letters of the Egyptians? This triple crowne therfore signifieth, that he which beareth it is Lord of Lordes, and King of Kinges, or rather that he is the only prince vponupon earth, which hath power in earth, in heauē, and in purgatory vnderunder the earth, or more verely which is king of heauen, of the earth, & of the vnfortunate Ilandes, or of the new found land Purgatory. And this crowne is not of lesse value then the crownes of other kinges, but much statelyer, wrought with wonderfull cunning, and garnished and beset with iewels and things of great price, that at least wise euen therby they might do men to vnderstand that that power of theirs hath not his match in all the world, but in all pointes surmoūteth all others. Again, it is come to passe by the goodnesse of God, that none of all the princes in the world weareth such a crowne, but onelyonly the Bishop of Rome. For so was it Gods will to shew openly by this peculiar marke, that this prince thus capped with a triple crowne, is the very same whom Daniell in his vij. chapter termeth the little horne. For the little horne in déede is the bishop and shepeheard which is bedecked with humilitie, and whom God hath forbidden to reigne as a Lord. This little pretie horne springeth vp among the tenne hornes. For whē the Romane Monarchie which is the olde beast, was diuided and decayed, there appeared vp a little slender horne, and a despised one among the rest, and swept away thrée of the other hornes. By doing wherof he purchased him self power. For the Bishops of Rome, at the beginning of their créeping vp, dispatched thrée princes. First Gregory the second of that name, pluckt vp Leo the third Emperor of Constantinople one of these thrée hornes, by procuring his Exarke to be slaine in a hurlyburly at Rauenna, and dispatching the Emperor quite out of Italy. Afterward Pope Zachary draue Childericke king of Fraunce to decay, by counselling to depose Childericke, and to aduaunce Pippin to the kingdome. And so was an other horne ouerthrowen by the little horne. The third horne (which was the kinges of Lombardie) was brought lowe at the incensing of the Popes, and finally also vtterly wiped away by Pippin and Charles kinges of Fraunce. But by the vndoing & oppressing of these kinges, the wealth of the Bishops of Rome increased, and their power waxed strong, whom Gods will was to shew by this triple crowne, as it were with the fingar, to be very Antichristes. Thus much concerning the Keyes, Armes, and Cognisances of the Romane Bishops. Now come to my way againe.