Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 5 · Body of tract · Part 11
How they proue all their generall counſelles.
WHen the Byſhops and Abbottes and other great Prelates had forſaken Chriſt and hys lyuing, and were fallen downe before the beaſt the vicar of Sathan to receaue their kyngdome of hym, then the Pope called together diuerſe counſeles of ſuch holy Apoſtles and there concluded and made of eueryevery opinion that ſemed profitable, an article of the fayth. If thou aſke where the ſcripture is to proue it? They anſwere we be the church and can not erre. and therefore ſay they, what we conclude, The church can …ot erre.though there be no ſcripture to proue it, it is as true as the Scripture and of equall authoritie with the Scripture & muſt be beleued as wel as the ſcripture vnderunder payne of dānation. For ſay they our truth dependeth not of the truth of the ſcripture, that is, we be not true in our doing becauſe the ſcripture teſtifieth vntounto vsus that we do truely: but contrary, the truth of the ſcripture (ſay they) dependeth of vsus: that is, the ſcripture The Pope ſayth that the Scripture is true not of it ſelfe, but becauſe he alloweth … approueth it.is true becauſe that we admitte it, and tell thee that it is true. For how couldeſt thou know that it were the ſcripture except we tolde thee ſo? and therefore we neede no witneſſe of the ſcripture, for that we do it is inough that we ſo ſay of our owne head, for we can not erre.
Which reaſon is like as though young Mōkes newly profeſſed ſhould A ſimilitude.come by the rules of their order & ordinaunces of their olde founders, and would go about to kepe them: and the old cankerd Monkes ſhould cal them backe vntounto the corrupt and falſe maner that now is vſed ſaying: ye erre. Do onelyonly as we teach you, for your profeſſion is to obey your elders. Accordyng vntounto the rules of our order and ordinaunces of our founder ſhall they ſay. We can teach you no other ſhall the old Monkes ſay, nor can lye vntounto you: ye ought therfore to beleue vsus and to do as we bid you. The yoūg Monkes ſhall aunſwere we ſee that ye lye cleane contrary vntounto all that is written in our rules and ordinaunces. The old Monkes ſhall ſay ye can not This doctrine the papiſtes vſed in thoſe dayes.vnderſtand them except we expounde them vntounto you, neither yet know that they be your rules except that ye beleue that we cā not lye vntounto you. For how can ye know that theſe be your rules and ordinaunces, but as we your elders tell you ſo? Now when we tell you that theſe be your rules and ordinaunces, how can ye be ſure vndoubtedly that it is ſo, except ye beleue vndoubtedly that we can not lye. Wherfore if ye will be ſure that they be your rules and ordinaunces, then ye muſt firſt beleue that we can not lye. Leaue ſuch imaginations and diſputations therfore and laye your rules and ordinaunces out of your handes and looke no more on them, for they make you erre. And come and do as we tell you and captiuate your wittes and beleue that we can not lye vntounto you and that ye can not vnderſtand your rules a…d ordinaunces. Euen ſo if thou ſay it is contrary vntounto the Scripture: they aunſwere that thou vnderſtandeſt it not, & The c… mon and … and … ching of …he Papiſtes.that thou muſt captiue thy witte and beleue that though it ſeme neuer ſo cō trary, yet it is not contrary: no if they determine that Chriſt is not riſē again and though the Scripture teſtifie that he is riſen agayne yet (ſay they) they be not contrary, if they be wiſely vnderſtand. Thou muſt beleue ſay they that there is ſome other meanyng in the Scripture and that no man vnderſtandeth it: but that we ſay, whether with out Scripture, or agaynſt it, that muſt thou beleue that it is true.
And thus becauſe that the Scripture would not agree with them they thruſt it out of the way firſt and ſhut vp the kyngdome of heauen which is Chriſtes Goſpell, with falſe expoſitiōs and with ſuch ſophiſtrie and with falſe principles of naturall wiſedome. And the Abbottes toke the Scripture from The Abbotes keep the monks in ignorāce and the biſſhops ye prieſtes.their Monkes, leſt ſome ſhould euer barke agaynſt the Abbottes lyning, & ſet vp ſuch long ſeruice and ſingyng to wery them with all that they ſhould hauehave no layſure to read in the Scripture but with their lippes, and made them good cheare to fill their belyes & to ſtoppe their mouthes. And the Byſhops in lyke maner to occupy theyr Prieſtes with all that they ſhould not ſtudy ye Scripture for barkyng againſt them, ſet vp long ſeruice wondrous intricate, ſo that in a doſen yeares thou couldeſt ſcarce learne to turne a right vntounto it: lōg Matens, long Euēſongs, long Maſſes, long Diriges with vaū tage yet to mitigate the tediouſneſſe, quia leuis eſt labor cum lucro, for lucre …alne ioyned wt pain maketh …yne nothing,(ſay they) maketh the labour light: euer noſelyng them in ceremonyes & in their owne conſtitutions, decrees, ordinaunces and lawes of holy Church.
And the promiſes and Teſtament which the Sacrament of Chriſtes body & bloud did preach dayly vntounto the people, that they put out of knowledge and ſay now that it is a ſacrifice for the ſoules of Purgatory, that they might the better ſell their Maſſe. And in the Ʋniuerſities they hauehave ordeined that no man ſhall looke on the Scripture vntill he be noſeled in heathē learning viij. or nyne yeare & armed with falſe The vſe of vniuerſities▪principles, with whiche he is cleane ſhut out of the vnderſtandyng of the Scripture. And at his firſt commyng vntounto Ʋniuerſitie he is ſworne that he ſhall not defame the Ʋniuerſitie what ſoeuer he ſeeth. And when he taketh firſt degree he is ſworne that he ſhall hold none opinion condemned by the Churche, but what ſuch opinions be that he ſhall not know. And they whē they be admitted to ſtudye Diuinitye, becauſe ye Scripture is locked vp with ſuch falſe expoſitions & with falſe principles of natural Philoſophy that they can not enter in, they go about the out ſide and diſpute all their lyues about words & vaine opiniōs pertaining as much vntounto the healyng of a mans hele as health of his ſoule. Prouided yet all way, leſt god geue his ſingulare grace Prouiſo.vntounto any perſon, that none may preach except he be admitted of the Byſhops. Then came Thomas de Aquino and he made the Pope a God with his ſophiſtrie, S. Tho. de Aquino.and the Pope made him a Sainte for his labour and called him Doctour Sanctus, for whoſe holyneſſe no man may deny what ſo euer he ſayth ſaue in certaine places where among ſo many lyes he ſayd now and then true. And in like maner who ſoeuer defendeth hys Saintes.traditiōs, decrees and priuileges him he made a Sainte alſo for his labour were his liuyng neuer ſo contrary vntounto the Scripture, as Thomas of Canterbury with many other like whoſe life was like Thomas Cardinalles, but not Chriſtes, neither is Thomas Cardinals life any thyng ſaue a counterfaytyng of ſaint Thomas of Canterbury. Thomas Becket was firſt ſene in marchaundiſe temporall and then to learne Thomas of Canterbury.ſpirituall marchaundiſe he gat hym to Theobald Archbyſhop of Canterbury which ſent him diuers times to Rome about buſineſſe of holy Churche. And when Theobald had ſpyed his actiuitie he ſhore him Deacon leſt he ſhould go backe & made him Archdeacon of Canterbury and vppon that preſented him to the kyng. And the kyng made hym Tho. …e… ket & Tho. Wolſey copared together.his Chaunceller in which office he paſſed the pompe & pride of Thomas Cardinall as farre as the ones ſhrine paſſeth the others tombe in glory and riches. And after that, he was a man of warre and captaynē ouer fiue or ſixe thouſand men in ful harneſſe as bright as S. George & his ſpeare in his hand & encountred who ſoeuer came againſt him and ouerthrew the iolyeſt rutter that was in all the hoſt of Fraūce. And out of the ſi…ld hoate from bloud ſhedyng was he made Biſhop of Canterbury, and did put of his helme and put on his mitre, put of his harneſſe & on with his robes, and layde downe hys ſpeare & tooke his croſſe, yer his hādes were cold, and ſo came with a luſty corage of a mā of warre to fight an other while againſt his Prince for the Pope. Where his Princes cauſes were with the law of God and the Popes cleane contrary. And the pompe of his conſecration was after his old worldly faſhiō. Howbeit yet he is made a Saint The Pope rewardeth his ſeruāts highly whē they be dead.for his worſhyppyng of the holy ſeate of ſaint Peter, not that ſeate of Peter whiche is Chriſtes Goſpell, but an other lyed to be Peters and is in deede Cathedra peſtilentiae, a chayre of falſe do ctrine. And becauſe he could no ſkill of our Lordes Goſpell, he ſayd of Matene with our Lady. Such as vnderſtand the Latin, read his life and compare it vntounto the Scripture, and thē he ſhall ſee ſuch holyneſſe as were here to long to be rehearſed. And eueryevery Abbay & eueryevery Cathedrall Church did ſhrine them one God or other, and myngled the lyues of the very Saintes with ſtarke lyes, to moue mē to offer whiche thing they call deuotion.
And though in all their doings they oppreſſe the temporaltie and their cō mon wealth, and be greuous vntounto the rich, and paynfull to the poore: yet they be ſo many and ſo exerciſed in wyles & ſo ſutill, and ſo knit and ſworne together that they compaſſe the temporalitie and make them beare thē whether they will or will not (as the Oke doth the Iuye) partly with iugglyng and beſide that with worldly policy. For eueryevery Abbot will make him that may do Policie.moſt in the ſhyre or with the kyng, the ſtuard of his landes and geue him a feeyearely, and will lend vntounto ſome, and feaſt other, that by ſuch meanes they do what they will. And litle maſter The practiſe of little maſter parſon.Parſō after the ſame maner, if he come into an houſe and the wife be ſnoutefaire he will roote him ſelfe there by one craft or other: either by vſing ſuch paſtime as the good mā doth, or in beyng beneficiall by one way or other, or he will lend him, and ſo bryng him into his daunger, that he can not thruſt him out when he would, but muſt be compelled to beare him and to let him be homely whether he will or no.