Confutation of the Popes Bull, Title page – Poem
A CONFVTATION Of the Popes Bull which was published more then two yeres agoe against Elizabeth the most gracious Quéene of England, Fraunce, and Ireland, and against the noble Realme of England: together with a defence of the sayd true Christian Queene, and of the whole Realme of England.
By Henry Bullinger the Elder.
AT LONDON. Printed by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate. AN. 1572.
¶ Cum Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per Decennium.
¶To the right honourable and his singular good Lord Robert Dudley Earle of Leicester, Baron of Denbigh, Knight of the honourable order of the Garter, one of the Queenes Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsell. &c. Arthur Golding wisheth health, prosperitie, and abundaunce of Gods grace.
WHat mischiefe hath of late yeares bene attempted against this Realme, and how great a flame hath bene kindled against the walles of the Church, through the great Treasons that hauehave bene practised to confound the whole state, by reason of the Popes most pestilent Bull: your Lordship right well knoweth: yea and it is euen yet still so apparant (or rather present) in all mens eyes, as there is no wise man but he trembleth at the dreadfull remembraunce, nor simple & godly minded man, but he wondreth at the marueilous disappointing of the daungers, which were sundry times ready to hauehave ouerwhelmed vsus, euen in one moment, had not God reached out his mercifull hand from heauen in the open face of the world to defend vsus. For it can not be denied, but that therby, open defiance hath bene made to faythfulnesse and allegeance: honestie and vertue were shamefully defaced: Religion and Iustice were openly assaulted: neiborod and charitie were trecherously despised: God and godlinesse were wickedly impugned: our most vertuous and renoumed Princes Maiestie was traiterously impeached; her rightfull preheminence diuersly assailed, her vnblameable doinges causelesse diffamed, her gracious clemencie scornfully abused, her noble person priuily pricked at, the welfare of the whole Realme daungerously hazarded, and the state thereof either intitled to inward Competitors, or profered as a pray to forreine enemies. Is it not a straunge case, that a Romishe Bull (or to speake more rightly, a childishe bable) should be able to worke such inconueniences, euen where the Gospell shineth most lightsomely? And yet we see, that not onelyonly some of the rude and witlesse sort, but also many of the greater sort, which thought: them selues no small fooles, ne were in deede no young babes, were contented to become such Calues, as to runne out of Gods blissing, into the warme Sunne, and to turne their weapons into their owne bowells, at the bellowing of an outlandishe Bull, which notwithstanding was but a Leaden Bull, a paper Bull, a painted Bull, and had neither breath, mouing, nor voyce of it own, till the Calues them selues had breathed into it. But righteous art thou O Lord God, and rightfull are thy iudgemētes. They digged a pit for others, & are fallen into it them selues. They layd a snare for thine elected, and their own feete be snarled in it. Yea thou hast turned their purposed mischief vponupon their owne heades. Let the Papistes still feele, and let all the world still see, how it is thou onelyonly that fightest for vsus O Lord God of Hostes. Now albeit that the brunt of that abhominable Bull, were bent directly at our most gracious soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth, & at her Maiesties Realme and faythfull subiectes: yet notwithstāding forasmuch as the matter doth implyingly concerne the whole state of Christes Church, which the Romishe Antichrist laboureth to draw away frō the obedience & louelove of her true husband Christ, to the adulterous imbracing of Sathan: Henry Bullinger the Elder, that godly & painfull minister of Christes Gospell in the Church of Zurike, being by nation a mere straūger, but by Christen Religion a deare brother vntounto vsus, hath (as it appeareth by his owne Epistle) written this present confutation therof in Latin, at the request or motion of certeine of our right reuerend & godly Bishops. By meanes wherof, the case which otherwise had bene more peculiar to our selues, is now become cōmon to all the true worshippers of Christ. For such is the nature & bond of holy Religiō, that whatsoeuer happeneth to any seuerall mēber of Christes Church, the feeling therof disperseth it self into the whole body, so as they ioy together & sorow together, & also lay all their forces together, to withstand their cōmon enemy, & to put him to flight by the power of the word, & of the spirite, wherwith they be led & gouerned. Therfore to the end that such as hauehave any where ben bewitched by the sorceries of the Romish Circe and her Idolatrous hypocrites, may returne to their right wits, & ceasse to be deceaued: and that the simple & ignorant may not be seduced by such fond toyes heerafter: He learnedly, pithely, & breefly confuteth the vnhonest and shamefull slaunders of that rayling and reprochfull libell, defendeth the innocencie of our most vertuous souereigne Lady, maintaineth the Religion now stablished by publike authoritie of this Realme, disproueth the false vsurped supremacie of the Romane Prelates, sheweth the right vse of the keyes which Christ hath cōmitted to his Church, bewrayeth the weaknes of the Romish Iupiters thūdercracks, and discouereth the horrible crueltie and outrage of the Popes, in maintaining their wrongfull & vnmeasurable power. And heerwithall, his desire is, that the same his doing may turne to the profit & cōmoditie of as many as may be. For the accōplishment wherof, & that our nation (in whose behalfe it was chiefly writtē) may the more largely & plenteously enioy the benefit, wherof the first cause hath sprong frō thēselues: I hauehave turned the sayd boke into our own mother toung: a worke right necessary & profitable for all such as mind to keep them selues true seruauntes to God, & faithfull subiectes to their prince, or can finde in their hartes to loke vpō the light of the truth to their own benefite & incomparable comfort. For doubtlesse, if there be any whom the present experience of our owne times can not moue: they shall see it euidently proued by this booke, that the fruite which the crediting or receauing of Popishe Buls, & such other pedlary trash of Rome yeeldeth, is nothing els but horrible murther, Rebellion, slaughter, Treason, & all maner of diuelish & mischieuous wickednesse, matched with most extreme calamitie, hartgreef, & misery: and in the end (vnlesse Gods wrath be pacified by timely repentance) accōpanied with vneschewable losse both of body & of soule. Wherfore, as well in consideration of the premisses, as also presuming vponupon the apparant signes of your Lordships former fauour & great good will towardes me: but specially forasmuch as you are of that most honourable nūber, vponupon whose wisedome, foresight, trustinesse, pollicie, & stoutnes, God hath ordained the securitie of our most gracious soueraigne Lady, & of her Maiesties Realme & subiectes, & (which more is) of his owne Religion and holy word to rest & depend: I hauehave takē boldnes to dedicate this my trauell vntounto you, assuring my selfe that your good liking & well accepting of the same, shall cause it to be the more readily receaued, & willingly imbraced of all others, which thing I most humbly and hartily desire. And thus I cōmit your good Lordship to the continuall protection of almightie God.
Dated at London the x. of Ianuary. 1571.
De Sereniss. Angliae, Franciae, & Hiberniae Regina Elizabetha. &c. Et Bulla impij Pij Pontificis Romani in illam edita.
TErrifico nuper crepitantem fulmine Bullam
Expuit irato feruidus ore Papa.
Perculit insolitus quorundam pectora bombus,
Ast horum fortis risit Elisa metum.
At que ait: ah miseros, crepitus quos terret aselli:
Haec ex Tarpeio culmine Bulla venit.
Scilicet hoc os est, quo vana tonitrua ructat
Bestia, quae in terris creditur esse Deus.
Ex opere artifices, mea tu nunc Anglia, disce
Latrones, fures, sacrilegos que Papas.
Aethereo hanc Christus difflabit flamine Bullam.
Stultus, qui bullas pondus habere putat.
In Bullas Pontificum.
DVm vendit terras, Coelum, Coeli que potentem
Roma, diu emptores lusit auara suos.
Iam deerant merces, cum mox diuendere bullas
Coepit, & his fumos miscuit ipsa suos.
Cur igitur Romae Coelum Coeli que potentem
Quaeris adhuc? alijs vendidit ista prius.
Mordaces praeter fumos, bullas que tumentes,
Nunc nil, quod posthac vendere possit, habet,
Si quis emis bullas, bulla tu vanior omni es:
Sin fumos: oculis, vae malè sane tuis.
In Bullas & Venias Papisticas.
NVgis fictitijs, & Bullis Roma superbit,
Nugas & Bullas vendere Roma solet,
Bullatas nugas, nugales improba Bullas
Non vereor Venias dicere, Roma, tuas.
Nomina conueniunt rebus, cum vanius illis
Nil sit, cum nil sit prorsus inutilius.
Ast vt aquis bullae citò nascuntur, pereunt que .
Sic pereant Bullae, Roma superba, tuae.