Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 5 · Body of tract · Part 3 – Part 5
What officers the Apoſtles ordeined in Chriſtes Church and what their offices were to do.
WHerfore the Apoſtles folowyng Officers firſt ordayned in Chriſtes churchand obeyng the rule doctrine & commaundement of our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt their maſter, ordeined in his kyngdome and congregation two officers: One called after the Breeke Byſhop.worde Byſhop, in Engliſh an ouerſear: which ſame was called Prieſt after the Greeke, Elder in Engliſh becauſe of his age diſcretiō and fadneſſe: for he was as nigh as could be alway an elderly mā: as thou ſeeſt both in the new and old Teſtament alſo, how the officers of the Iewes be called the Elders of the people, becauſe (as thou mayſt well thinke) they were ouer old men as nigh as could be. For vntounto age do men naturally obeye and vntounto age doth God commaūde to geue honour Honour the aged.ſaying Leu…. xix. Riſe vp before the horehead and reuerence the face of the old man. And alſo experience of things and coldneſſe, without whiche it is In ye aged is experience.hard to rule well is more in age thē in youth. And this ouerſear dyd put hys handes vntounto the plow of Gods worde and fed Chriſtes flocke and tended thē onelyonly without lookyng vntounto any other buſineſſe in the world.
An other officer they choſe and called Deacon.him Deacon after the Greke, a miniſter in Engliſh, to miniſter the almes of the people vntounto the poore and nedy. For in the cōgregation of Chriſt louelove maketh eueryevery mans gift & goods In the primitiue Church they choſe Deacons to miniſter to y• poore.commō vntounto the neceſſitie of his neighbour. Wherfore the louelove of God beyng yet hoate in the hartes of men, the rich that had the ſubſtaūce of this worldes goodes brought of their aboundaunce great plentie vntounto the ſuſtentation of the poore & deliuered it vntounto the hāds of the Deacons. And vntounto the helpe of the Deacōs were widowes of lx. yeare Widowes.old, holy, vertuous, and deſtitute of frendes, choſen: to tende & wayte vponupon the ſicke, and to waſh the Saints fete, that came from one congregation vntounto an other, whether for any buſineſſe or for feare of perſecution. And Common goodes.thoſe common goodes of the Churche offered for the ſuccour of the poore grew in all Churches ſo excedyngly The …reat and feruēt charitie in the primatiue churchthat in ſome congregation it was ſo much that it was ſufficient to mayntaine an hoſt of men. In ſo much that tyrauntes did oft tymes perſecute the Chriſten for thoſe common goodes, as thou ſeeſt in the life of S. Laurence the Deacon of Rome.
And moreouer the couetouſnes of the Prelates was the decay of Chriſtē dome, The couetouſnes of yt Prelates was the decay of Chriſtendome and ye encreaſing of the kingdome of Mahometeand the encreaſing of the kyngdome of Mahomete. For by the firſt ſpringing of the empyre of Mahomete, the Emperours, Kynges, and great Lordes of Chriſtendome had geuen their treaſure ſo mightely vntounto the Church, what after great victories, & what at their deathes, that their ſucceſſours were not able to maintaine battell againſt the Saracenes & Turkes (for the world was not yet in ſuch captiuitie that they coulde make theyr ſubiectes ſweare on bookes what they were worth, & rayſe vp taxes at their pleaſure) ſo that a certayne writer of ſtories ſayth▪ The prelates gaped whē the laye mē would take the warre vppon them agaynſt the Turkes, & the laye men looked when the Prelates woulde lay out their money to make the warre withall, and not to ſpend it in worſe vſe, as the moſt part of them were wont to do, ſpending the money The proud clergie how they ſpent the treaſure … y• …oore.that was gotten with almoſe & bloude of martyrs vppon goodly plate and great veſſeles of golde & ſiluer, wythout care of thinges to come, deſpiſing God whom they worſhipped for their bellies ſake onelyonly and alſo mā. Moreouer it was the cuſtome euē then, ſaith the auctor, to aſke what the Byſhopprike was worth: yea and to leaue a worſe for a better, or to kepe both with a vnion. And at the ſame tyme Iſacius the deputie of the Emperour came to Iſacius.Rome to confirme the Pope in his ſea The election was cō firmed by the Emperour.with the Emperours auctoritie, for ye election of the Pope was thē nothing worth except it had bene confirmed by the Emperour, and he founde ſo great treaſure in the Church of Saint Iohn Lateran, that for diſdayne which he had that they ſhould hauehave ſuch treaſure in ſtore, and not to helpe the Emperour in his warres againſt ye Turkes, …ng his ſoldiars lacked wages, he tooke it away with violence againſt the wyll Note here the treaſure that ye Byſhops of Rome had at thys tyme.of ye Prelates, of which he exiled ſome, and payde his owne mē of warre with one part, and tooke an other part vntounto him ſelfe, and ſent the third part vntounto the Emperour: which muſt needes hauehave bene a great treaſure in one Church.
¶ By what meanes the Prelates fell from Chriſt.
THe office of a byſhop was a roume at the beginning that no man coueted, The Byſhop of Rome in y• primatiue Church was a daū gerous office.and that no man durſt take vpō hym, ſaue he onelyonly which loued Chriſt better thē his owne life. For as Chriſt ſaith that no man might be his diſciple except that he were ready to forſake life and all: euen ſo might that officer be ſure that it woulde coſt him his lyfe at one time or another for bearing record vntounto the truth. But after that the multitude of the Chriſten were encreaſed & many great men had receaued y• faith, then both landes, and rentes, as well as other goodes were geuen vntounto the maintenaunce as well of the clergie as of the poore: becauſe they gaue then no At the firſt entry of Chriſtes Churche, there was no tythes payde to ye miniſters.tythes to the Prieſtes, nor yet now do ſaue in certaine countryes. For it is to much to geue almes, offeringes, landes, and tithes alſo. And then the Byſhops made them ſubſtitutes vnderunder them to helpe them, which they called prieſt, and kept the name of Byſhop vntounto themſelues.
But out of the Deacons ſprang all the miſchiefe. For thorow their hands All corruption of the Churche came firſt out of the Deacons.went all thing, they miniſtred vntounto ye clergie, they miniſtred vntounto the poore, they were in fauoure with great and ſmall. And when the Byſhops office began to hauehave reſt and to be honorable, then the Deacons thorow fauour and Money purchaſed prefermēt.giftes climed vp therunto, as lightly he that hath the olde Abbotes treaſure ſuccedeth with vsus. And by ye meanes of their practiſe and acquintaunce in ye worlde they were more ſubtile and worldly wiſe then the olde Byſhops, & leſſe learned in Gods woorde, as our Prelates are, when they come frō ſtuardſhips in Gentlemens houſes, and from ſurueying of great mens landes, Lordes ſecretes, kinges counſels, Embaſſidourſhip, from warre and miniſtring all worldly matters, ye worldly miſchiefe: and yet now they come not thence, but receaue all and bide there ſtill, yea they hauehave enacted by playne parliament that they muſt byde in the The Prelates muſt bide ſtill in the courte.courte ſtill, or els they may not hauehave pluralitie of benefices. And then by litle and litle they enhaunſed thēſelues, and turned all to themſelues, miniſhing the poore peoples part, and encreaſing theirs, and ioyning acquaintaunce with great men, and with their power climed vp and entitled them wt the chuſing and confirming of ye Pope and all Byſhops, to flatter and purchaſe How the clergie firſt by riches & thē by …attery aduaunced thēſelues.fauour and defenders: truſting more vntounto their worldly wiſdome thē vntounto the doctrine of Chriſt which is ye wiſdome of God, and vntounto the defēce of man then of God. Then while they that had the plow by the tayle looked backe, the plow went awry, faith wax ed feble and faintie, louelove waxed colde, the Scripture waxed darcke, Chriſt was no more ſeene: he was in ye moūt When the Prelates waxed riche, then they diſputed who ſhoulde be higheſt.with Moſes, and therefore the Byſhops would hauehave a God vppon the earth whom they might ſee, and therupon they begā to diſpute who ſhould be greateſt.
¶ How the Byſhop of Rome became greater then other, and called hymſelfe Pope.
THen quod worldly wiſdome, Ieruſalem was y• fir…t ſea… of ou… … byſhop.Hieruſalē muſt be the greateſt, for ytwas Chriſtes ſeat, Et factū eſt, ſo it came to paſſe …or a ſeaſon. And in concluſion where a great Citie was and much riches, there was the Byſhoppe euer greater then his felowes. Alexandre in Egipte and Antioch in Grece, were greater then their neighbours. Then thoſe decaying Conſtantinople and Rome waxed Conſtantinople. Rome.great, and ſtroue who ſhoulde be greater. And Cōſtātinople ſayd, where the Emperour is there ought to be the greateſt ſeat and chiefeſt Byſhop. For the Emperour lay moſt at Conſtantinople, becauſe it was (I ſuppoſe) nigh the middes of the Empyre, therfore I muſt be the greateſt ſayde the Byſhop of Conſtātinople. Nay quod ye Byſhop H… Rome come to be y• chifeſt citie.of Rome, though ye Emperour lye nener ſo much at Conſtātinople yet he is called Emperour of Rome, & Rome is the head of the Empyre, wherefore of right I muſt be the father of all Watē. Rome the ſeate and mother of all wickedneſſe.And thus whether they chalēged their …itle by the auctoritie of God or man: or by Peter or pouling, it was all one, ſo they might be greateſt.
And great interceſſion was made vntounto the Emperours of both parties: but in vayne a great ceaſon, for ye Emperours ſtopped their …ares at ſuch ambitious requeſtes long tyme, till at ye laſt there came an Emperour called Phocas which lay long in Italye, and Phocas.was a very ſoft man & a pray for Prelates. In whoſe tyme Boniface the iij. Pope Boniface the thirde.was Byſhop of Rome, a man ambitious and greedy vppon honour, and of a very ſuttle witte, nothing in…erior vntounto Thomas Wolſee Cardinall of Yorcke. This Boniface was great wt the Emperour Phocas, and with hys wyly perſwaſions and great interceſſion together obtayned of Phocas to be called the chiefeſt of all Byſhops, and Phocas the Emperour firſt gaue priuilege to the Byſhop of Rome …o be the chief Byſhop.that his Church ſhould be the chiefe Church. Which auctoritie as ſoone as he had purchaſed, he ſent immediatly his commaundement with the Emperours power vntounto all the Byſhops of Almany commaunding that eueryevery byſhop ſhould call all the prieſtes of hys dioceſe, and charge them that eueryevery man ſhould put away his wife vnderunder The chaſtitie of Prieſtes how it came vp.payne of excommunication. Which tyranny though great reſiſtaunce was made againſt it, he yet brought to paſſe with the Emperours ſworde, and his ſubtletie together. For the Byſhops were riche, and durſt not diſplea…e the Pope for feare of the Emperour.
Aſſoone as Nemroth that mighty hunter had caught this pray, that he Note … the climing vp of the Pope.had compelled all Byſhops to be vnderunder him and to ſweare obedience vntounto him, then he began to be great in the earth, and called hymſelfe Papa, wyth this interpretation, father of fathers. And when the Pope had exalted hys throne aboue his fellowes, then the vnitie that ought to be among brethren Diuiſion in the Church.in Chriſtes Church brake: and deuiſion began betwene vsus and ye Grekes, which Grekes (I ſuppoſe) were at yt tyme the one halfe of Chriſtendome. And when any Pope ſince exhorteth them to vnitie, they aunſwere, that he which will raigne ouer his brethren with violence, breaketh vnitie and not they, and that they will not be vnderunder The Grekes will not be vnderunder the Popes tyranny.his tyranny wherunto he calleth them vnderunder a colour of vnitie. And from henceforth with the helpe of hys Byſhoppes which wereſworne to be true ligemen vntounto hym, when beforetyme they were admitted to theyr byſhopprikes of the Emperours and Kinges, he beganne to lay a baite to catch the whole Empyre into his handes alſo.