Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 5 · Body of tract · Part 7
¶ A proper ſimilitude to deſcribe our holy father.
ANd to ſe how our holy father came vp, marke the example of an Iuytree: firſt it ſpringeth out of y• earth, & The Iuytree ſpringeth.then a while crepeth along by yt groūd till it finde a great tree: then it ioyneth it ſelfe be neath alow vntounto the body of the tree and creepeth vp a litle and a litle fayre and ſoftly. And at the begynnyng while it is yet thynne and ſmall The maner how y• pope did ſpring vp to hys great auctoritie.that the burthen is not perceaued, it ſemeth glorious to garniſhe the tree in the wyntre & to beare of the tempeſtes of the weather. But in the meane ſeaſon it thruſteth his rootes into yt barck of the tree to hold faſt with all and ceaſſeth not to clyme vp till it be at the top and aboue all. And then it ſendeth hys braunches a long by the braunches of the tree and ouergroweth all and waxeth great, heauy and thicke and ſucketh the moyſture ſo ſore out of the tree and his braunches, that it choketh and ſtif…eth them. And then the foule ſtinckyng Iuye waxeth mighty in the ſtōpe of the tree and becommeth a ſete and a neſt for all vncleane byrdes & for blind Oules whiche hauke in the darke and dare not come at the light.
Euen ſo the Byſhop of Rome now called Pope at the begynnyng crope a long vppon the earth, and eueryevery man trode vponupon him in this world. But aſſoone as there came a Chriſten Emperour he ioyned him ſelfe vntounto hys feete and kiſſed them, and crope vp a litle with beggyng nowe this priuilege now that, now this Citie now that, to finde poore people with all and the neceſſary Miniſters of Gods word. And The chuſing of the Pope & all Biſhoppes perteyned vntounto the Emperour and kinges once.hee entitled the Emperour with choſing the Pope and other Biſhops, and promoted in the ſpiritualty, not whom vertue and learning but whom the fauour of great men cōmended: to flater to get frendes and defenders with all,
And the almes of the congregation which was the fode and patrimony of The almes geuen vntounto the poore is become S. Peters patrimony.the poore and neceſſary preachers, that he called S. Peters patrimony, S. Peters reutes, S. Peters landes, S. Peters right: to caſt a vayne feare and an heatheniſh ſuperſtitiouſneſſe into the hartes of mē, that no man ſhould dare meddle with what ſoeuer came once in to their handes for feare of Saint Peter, though they miniſtred it neuer ſo euil: and that they which ſhould thinke it none almes to geue them any more (becauſe they had to much already) ſhould yet geue S. Peter ſomewhat (as Nabucodoneſſer gaue his GOD Beel) to purchaſſe an aduocate and an Dani. xiiij.interceſſor of S. Peter, and that S. Peter ſhould at the firſt knocke let thē in.
And thus with flateryng and fayning and vayne ſuperſtition vnderunder the name of S. Peter he crept vp and faſtened The Pope firſt gat aboue all the Biſhops, & then aboue the Emperour.his rootes in the hart of the Emperour, and with his ſword clame vp aboue all his felow byſhops & brought them vnderunder his feete. And as he ſubdued thē with the Emperours ſword, euen ſo by ſutiltie & helpe of them (after that they were ſworne ſaythfull) he clame aboue the Emperour, and ſubdued hym alſo, and made ſ…oupe vntounto his feete, and kiſſe thē an other while. Yea pope Coeleſtinus crowned the Emperour Henry the fift holdyng ye crown O Lucifer.betwene his feete. And when he had put the crowne on, he ſmote it of with Note this deuiliſh & …nable pride.his feete agayne ſaying: that he had might to make Emperours and put them downe agayne.
And he made a conſtitution that no …e …e by the Pope.lay man ſhould medle with their matters nor be in their Councels or witte what they did, and that the pope onelyonly ſhould call the Councell, and the Emperour ſhould but defēd the Pope, prouided allway that the Councel ſhould be in one of the Popes Townes, and where the Popes power was greater then the Emperours: then vnderunder a pretence The Pope createth his ſhauelyngs into dignities.of condemnyng ſome hereſie hee called a generall Councell, where he made one a Patriarcke, an other Cardinall, an other Legate, an other Primate, an other Archbyſhop, an other Biſhop, another Deane, another Arch deacon, and ſo forth as we now ſee.
And as the Pope played with the Qualis pater talis filius, good naturall children.Emperour, ſo dyd his braunches and his members the Byſhops play in eueryevery Kyngdome, Dukedome, & Lordſhyp: in ſo much that the very heyres of them by whom they came vp, hold now their landes of them and take thē for their chief Lordes. And as the Emperour is ſworne to the Pope, euen ſo eueryevery kyng is ſworne to the Byſhops and Prelates of his Realme: and they are the chiefeſt in all Parlamentes: yea they and theyr money and they that be ſworne to them and come vp by them rule all together.
And thus the Pope the father of all The popes order compared with Chriſtes.hypocrites hath with falſehode & guile peruerted the order of the worlde and turned the rootes of the trees vpward and hath put downe the kyngdome of Chriſt, and ſet vp the kyngdome of the deuil whoſe Ʋicare he is, and hath put downe the Miniſters of Chriſt, and hath ſet vp the Miniſters of Sathan, diſguiſed yet in names and garmentes lyke vntounto the aungels of light & miniſters of righteouſnes. For Chriſtes kyngdome is not of the world Iohn. xviij. and the Popes kyngdome is all the world.
And Chriſt is neither iudge nor diuider in this world Luke. xij. But the Chriſt a…d the Pope compared together.Pope iudgeth & deuideth all the world and taketh the Empyre and all kyngdomes and geueth them to whom he luſteth.
Chriſt ſayth Math. v. Bleſſed are the poore in ſpirite: ſo that the firſt ſtep in the kyngdome of Chriſt is humbleneſſe or humilitie, that thou canſt finde in thyne hart to do ſeruice vntounto all mē and to ſuffer that all men treade thee.
The Pope ſayth. Bleſſed be the proude & hygh mynded that can clyme and ſubdue all vnderunder them and mayntaine their right and ſuch as will ſuffer of no man: ſo that he which was yeſterday taken from the dongehill and promoted this day by his Prince, ſhall tomorow for the Popes pleaſure curſe him and excommunicate him and interdite his Realme.
Chriſt ſayth. Bleſſed be the meke or ſoft that be harmleſſe as Doues.
The Pope bleſſeth them that can ſet all the world together by the eares and fight and ſ…ea mafully for his ſake, that he may come haote from bloudſheddyng to a Byſhopricke as our Cardinall dyd, and as S. Thomas of Canterbury did, which was made Byſhop in the field in complete harneſſe on his horſe backe and his ſpeare bloudy in his hand.
Chriſt hath neither holes for Foxes nor neſtes for byrdes nor yet whereon to lay his head, nor promiſed ought in this world vntounto his Diſciples nor toke any to his Diſciple but hym that had forſaken all.
The Iuytree the Pope hath vnderunder his rootes thoroughout all Chriſtendome in eueryevery village holes for Foxes and neſtes for vncleane byrdes in all his braunches, and promiſeth vntounto his Diſciples all the promotions of the world.Chriſt bringeth a man lowe, but the Pope lifteth vp a hygh.
The nearer vntounto Chriſt a man commeth, the lower he muſt deſcende and the poorer he muſt waxe: But the nearer vntounto the Pope ye come, the hygher ye muſt clyme and the more riches ye muſt gather whence ſoeuer ye can get them, to paye for your Bulles, and to purchaſe a glorions name and licence to weare a mitre & a croſſe and a palle and goodly ornamentes.