Search York

amiss, that al the Avorld cryeth out of it, that no man should

tel it him. If Solomons wisdom could not save him from

greatest error; nor Davids favor of God did not make good,

but God, to know himself better, did permit him to fal

grievously ; and so grievously with such blindnes, that he,

being a prophet, knew not his own fault, until he was ad-

monished of another prophet ; let not this seem strange to

our prince, that he may grievously erre, and yet so erring,

not know the haniousnes therof, when he hath done. And

if, after his grievous offence, because he is a prince, you

would have no man so bold to tel him his fault, you make

RECORDS AND ORIGINALS. 311

princes in the most miserable state of any men living : al

other men having a mean after their fal, by the admonish-

ing of such as love them, to recover. And from al princes

take away such remedy as those, if chance were so, they

should fal into a river, where without help they must needs

drowne, you forbid any man from laying hand on his Ma-

jesty to touch him.
But you would have men touch him softly and grntlij.

But if that cause him tary longer in peril, and put him in

more jeopardy, what would you then his lovers should do ?

How many years be past, when every man hath used that

way with the King in these innovations of laws and cus-

tomes, and what have they profited, but set him more for-

ward ? That if so be at the beginning, those men to whose

office that did appertain, whose sentence the King did de-

mand, had roundly, without any color of words, set the

danger of such things his Gr. did attempt before his eyes ;

declaring the inconveniences following tlierof, and brutenes

of the things ; surely it is to be thought, that goodnes that

ever he shewed of nature could never have gone further in

those purposes. But before, every man took contrary way,

fearing private displesiu'e of their own part more than the

Kings wealth : the matters be brought to this point now,

that not only the King thinketh not that he hath don any

offence to God, but rather that he hath don so, that no

prince can do better ; the which is the most perillous state

of a sinner. And this he thinketh, albeit his deeds be such

as never prince in the world attempted afore, nor none that

is alive, for the brutenes therof, wil follow his example.

Here now what should an intyre favourer of his honor and

wealth do? Any thing, than by al means bring them to his

knowledg, that he may se them as they be .? How can they

be seen, except they be plainly told ?

But that same plamnes is too sharp. Siu-ely if there be

nothing but words, it is a sharpnes may soon be washed

away ; and more to the writers shame than otherwise. But

if the deeds, joined withal, express and bring in al this a-

cerbity in them, is al the fault, (which is not mine,) my

x4

312 APPENDIX OF
doing there is rather cause of thanks, which show how al

may be amended and turned to good. Which is the con-

clusion of my book, and al mine intent in writing therof.
You wish, / had rather comprized in a short letter my

xvhole opinion., that the King alone might have seen it, ra-

ther than in a long booh : xoherhy the King is forced to com-

mit the reading therof to trusty jjersons of his Counccl. If

2 10 they be trusty, my Lord, what inconvenience followeth of

commiting the reading to them I cannot se. But to com-

prize mine opinion in a short letter, his acts by that means

he could not se ; which was my chief purpose he should see ;

having that trust in the noblenes of his nature, that seeing

them as they were, after the ensample of David and others,

he would abhor more them, than those that writ against

them.
After this, you condemn me of great temerity, to send

such a hook so long a zvay ; zohich if it had perished, it

should a been great slander to the King ; but most of al

great infamy unto me for the xvriting therof. If there be

no other fear but of my slander, let me be punished that

way, and cause them that be displeased with me to put

forth the same my slander. I promise you I wil never ac-

cuse them for my part. But you say it should a been

great slander to the King and to the country. Wherfore,

my good Lord ? For manifesting of such deeds as I have

written in that book to other nations. And what nation,

think you, is there, that is ignorant of any deeds written in

my book : and not only not ignorant, but that liath them

not so prompt, rehersing them with more slander, than

either I or any man else with writing can express ? I

would to God they were no better known than my book

might shew, I promise you there should not pass a quarter

of an houre, but I would brenne my book. But as I saw^

afore I set pen to book, they were etter known, and re-

hersed with more dishonor, than a pen can express. They

be written, my Lord, stylo adamantino, as the Prophet

saith de peccatis Jud(Eorum, in hearts of al Christendom.

Which never shal be abohshed, but only by that salve, vou

RECORDS AND ORIGINALS. 313

say, was little shewed in my book, which is, by penance.

That is the thing that ever I exhort the King unto.

You write, Yo7i7- heart loas cold, when you understood of

tioo quayers of my book that were out of' my hands. You

may be now of good courage again ; for I promise you they

be recovered. And those surely were one great cause, be-

side others, that moved me more, which was the death of her

that was head of this disorder, why I sent my book at this

time. For I doubted they had been conveyed of some that

would have uttered them unto either the Kings displesure

or my hindrance. Wherin I sincerely (because the King

should not travail his mind, if those quayres came to his

hands, as written of me, to the supplanting of his honor)

sent him the whole book. Which I think Avas the wil of

God I should do. For the quayres afterwards were found

among other quayres in another book.

And wheras your instant desire is, for the sharpnes of my

book, that / should hrenn the originals; if it be so, my

Lord, the Kings mind be so debile, not able to digest the

acerbity therof, (which if he might, al were turned to

sweetnes, and to more honor, than al the books that ever

were written in his praise directly ; but if he have not the

heat of spirit within him, which must come only of the high

gift of God,) I wil be content, examining the book, to sepa-

rate the matter from the person. For the verity therof must

stand, which I intend not to abolish ; nor to do that injury

to Catholick books that is just for heretical.
YoLi write further, declaring your mind, what dishonor

would be to me to exercise my style against him, meaning

the King, zohom I ought in al points, by al my learning and 2 1 1

7oit, to defend. In this, my Lord, you write very wel what

I should do, and no other than that I have ever followed.

And if you judge otherwise of this book I have now writ-

ten, you be a very evil interpreter of my mind in that book,

if you take the same as written against the King. Which

if it had been my mind, I would not a sent it after such

circumstance as I did, to his Gr. nor a tempered it under

such maner, as to shew how to avoid with his honor al dis-

314 APPENDIX OF

honor of such acts as were first known in tlie face of the

world, afore they were expressed in my book. But this is

plain, the King may make it against him, as al truth is

against them that do not accept it. As the Gospel of God

is scandalu77i to them that hear it, and doth not admit the

truth therof. But if his Gr. obtain that grace of God

to return to the light of the truth, there was never book

that should be more unto his honor written.

After this, you come in more to the particularities of my

book, to shew, lioxo my whole book, as you write, ?'uns wide

from the truth. The which you begin on this maner. Be-

cause, you say, / presuppose this ground, the King to be

swarved from the unity of the Church. Now you say very

truth, I take it in my book for a ground, and that is the

cause, as I wrote above, that I put no proof therof, as you

reherse I did. But now, my Lord, that this ground is not

true, can you prove .^ I wish you could, or that we both

could prove the same, there was never thing I wil put my

hand unto gladlier. But I promise you, considering the

Kings innovaticms in the Church, taking upon him the

name and office of him in his realm, the which in the whole

Church doth keep as Head the unity of the same, I am

ashamed to say he doth not separate himself from the unity

of the Church.

And now what proof bring you to this ? You say, first,

That albeit the King be supreme Head in the Church, yet

he doth not take upon him the office of a Priest, as to mi-

nister the sacraments, and to preach and teach. What

proof is this to show that he doth not separate himself from

the unity of the Church, I cannot tell. Because he doth not

utterly break al the whole order of the Church, do you

mean therby he breaketh not the unity ? You seem to cal

unity to agree in rites. Which indeed helpeth to unite,

meaning by unity, concord and peace. But this unity

helpeth not, except he agree in the Head of the Church, that

the rest of the Church doth follow ; whereby Ecclesia is

una. And this you granting the King doth not admit, how

can you defend \i. e. deny] that he is divided from the

RECORDS AND ORIGINALS. 315

unity. But because you write, the King doth not take upon

him to minister the sacraments, nor to preach, which be the

offices of Priests, tho he be supremum Caput Eccleslce in

Anglia : how this agreeth together I cannot se ; but after

such maner as al those that be founded on a false ground.

Which neither agreeth with other truth, nor yet with it-

self. Good my Lord, how is this convenient, that this name,

supreme Head of' the Church in Eng-land, hath not an-

nexed unto the same the supreme office that is exercised in

the same Church ? How is it, that an inferior member shal

exercise an higher act in the Church, than is granted to

the highest.? Is there any higher act in the Church than

the administration of the sacraments ? And this you wil the

Priests, of whom you make die King Head, to exercise; and 2

the Head himself you wil not shall meddle with the same.

After this, you go about to prove the King hath not se-

parate himself from the Church, because [of] the good

purjjose his Gr. hath to reduce his Church of' England to

the prijnitive state. As touching his Graces mind, it is

not my purpose to judg but the best; nor otherwise I

wil not. But this I wil pray, tliat God send him light of the

truth, and strength of mind withal, to execute the same,

which, in great part, the acts that be don in the realm (that

be so strange, that no realm in Christendome nor approveth

nor followeth the same) giveth many men cause to think

otherwise.

But I mervail much how you can deny the King sepa-

rateth himself from the unity of the Church, in as much as

you cannot name him, as you would have him named, the

supreme Head of his Church in England ; but withal you

show, he taking the same upon him, that the unity is

broken. And where is this ever found in the primitive

Church, that kings were heads of the Church ? This, my

Lord, you, that say the King would reduce al things to the

good order of the primitive Church, shal never find, that it

was at any time in the Church. And bringing in so strange

a thing in so gi-eat a matter, I mervail that you wil ever

speak of reducing things to the primitive Churches order ;

316 APPENDIX OF

except you cal in this to be reduced to the primitive Churches

order ; bycause at that time the best men were sorest per-

secuted, Churches plucked down, their goods taken from

them. Here might be a simihtude of the times of the pri-

mitive Church. For thus princes, that were ahenate from

the name of Christ, did order the Christen part ; but

Christen princes never.
After this, you 'make mention o/*viii. universal counccls^

•which you -wish greatly that I had read, afore I had ivritten

defence of the Pojiys authority : wherin I should a seen

many things contrary to that I intend to prove. How so,

good my Lord ? I would to God you had expressed wher-

in : for this you do not specify : but that there be many

things which the Pope doth not observe. And so, my Lord,

be there in the Gospel things of more weight than those of

the covmceis, which the Pope himself wil grant he doth not

observe. But is this against any thing that 1 have writ-

ten .? Do you think my book goeth to defend [deny] the

religious observance of the laws of the Church in the Popys,

according as they be bound by the laws of God, and their

high authority and office.'* I never took that matter in

hand, my Lord, nor never wil. Nor is it this Popys or

that Popys authority in particular that I defend. But in

general, that there is such an authority in the Church

founded by Christ : which, as he was Caput super omnem

Ecclesiam, being in earth ; so leaving to be conversant by

his humanity in earth, left his Vicar in earth : willing that

no man in eardi there should never lack of men, that should

bear his room, as be pastors to his Church, as he was ; and

willing this order should ever continue in the Church as it

hath done. Which S. Augustin, considering at his time in

the succession of the Bishops of Rome, beginning of Peter,

and numbering by succession the Bishops unto his time,

said, he could not mervail too much at the high providence

of God in so great persecution, how yet he maintained that

Church : which, he granted, was one great thing confirmed

213 him in his faith. Against this, my Lord, you that have

read the general councels better than I, you should a

RECORDS AND ORIGINALS. 317

brought somewhat, if you tliink they be ag^'.nst that I have

written. But, whether I have read them or no, this 1 can

tel you, neither you nor no man else, not only out of such

holy councels, can bring no such thing against mine opi-

nion ; nor yet, I wil say, out of no one mans writing, that

ever was counted a holy man, senyth the beginning of the

Church, no such thing can be found.
Further you write. That if those places of the Gospel that

I allcdg do prove, you say, that the Councel of Nice must

needs erre, xohich ordained the contrary. This is a streight

argument, my Lord, if it were as you say : but by cause you

show not wherin the Councel of Nice ordained the contrary,

I can say no more, but deny the same, until the time that

you show the place of this contrariety, which I know you

shal never. And I remember to read in the Council of

Nice, written in Greek in S. Anthonies library at Venice,

where Sylvester, the Pope of Rome, lett by impediment of

sicknes, as I remember, could not be there present; who

sent in his place the Bishop of Corduba in Spain, with two

others of the senior priests of Rome, which be there also

named; and that Bishop bare chief authority in that

Councel.
Your reason forward, Bycause, you say, / stick so much

to the custome of the Church in confirmation of my opinion^

you wil, that customc should be contrary to that is used noio

by the Bishop of Rome. In many things, my Lord, there is

no doubt ; but that it should be contrary, that there should

be one Head in the Church, this was your part to shew; and

in some maner you might have shown it, bycause of the

persecutions in the Church. This lett many times and

many years also, that this Head could not so appear, to ex-

ercise his power in al points, according to that authority

God had given. This likewise might be showed. But for

al this, it remained ever in the consent of the Church, that

there should be one Head-pastor of the whole. But, my

Lord, here is the cause why I may say surely, I know that

you have not with any advertisement read my book ; for

this and other arguments, \\ hldi I have answered to there.

318 APPENDIX OF

The which if Jl>u had read, you would not reherse with-

out some new replying. 1 may say withal, that you do not

take my mind, what I mean by the custome and consent of

the Church ; which is a higher thing than your lawyers,

wherin I perceive your studies hath been more exercised,

doth intreat of, which I have by a long process intreated in

my book ; and now to repeat the same it were too long a

process. I would think to satisfy you, if you read my pro-

cess there, to take the same as the divines do take it, that

be most practised in these matters spiritual. Your lawyers

may entreat wel, but not after such a maner, which is a

great ground to know the strength of the dogmata in divi-

nity. Wherwith if you had been as well exercised, as I

know your diligence in your profession, you would never

have made these arguments of the genei-al councils under

such a maner as you do, nor yet that that followeth :

wherin you declare your mind on this maner, saying.
Whosoever shal go about by the primacy of Peter, which

was in preaching the word of God, to establish the worldly

authority of the Bishop of Rome, which he claimcth in di-

vers rccdmes in worldly things for profit temporal ; he shal

no more couple them together, than light and darhnes.

4 Good my Lord, against whom speak you this ? In al my

whole book there is no such discourse. I never descend

there to speak of the Popes authority for temporal profit :

for it was nothing my matter. These be the matters wher-

upon the law-books much do run : and that causeth you

at this time, I think, to encline to think, that wheras au-

thority is defended, it must needs touch temporal profit,

or else it is of no value. And this is one thing that I have

noted in al those books that have been written of these mat-

ters against authority of the Pope, that they put no dif-

ference between the civil order, that is in realmes and ci-

ties, and that is in the Church ; but take these two bodies

as one, which be further asunder than heaven and earth ;

and in their ends and purposes like distance. Wherfore the

imagination of this to be one of those, that cannot wel per-

ceive this difference, must needs be cause of great errors, in

RECORDS AND ORIGINALS. 319

entreating such matters as I have at lai-ge intreatcd in my

book, being a matter most necessary to be known.

Another ground is, wherin they do greatly erre, bycause

they read in the Gospel, the preaching therof to be com-

mitted equally to al the Apostles ; therfore they say Peter

had no power superior to others. Howbeit you, meseems,

write contrary to those men, and yet the matter is not

mended therby. For your words be speaking of the pri-

matie of Peter : loMcJi was, you say, in the preaching of the

xooj'd of God, contrary to others. But their reason faileth

in the concluding, yours in the principle. For this is not

so, that Peter had his primatie for the office of preaching ;

for in that the other Apostles were equal with him, Christs

words being indifferent to them al, Ite ct j)fCEdicate Evan-

gelium omni creahircB. But the conclusion followeth not,

that thereby he had no superior authority : for he was made

Pastor ovinm Christi, and set in that room, ad conjirman-

dum Jratrcs in Jide. And to him alone was said, Petre,

Pasce oves meas : and it is another office to be Pastor, and

another to preach the word of God. Which I would not

doubt to make so plain, that it should be wel perceived,

if it were not that I thought my letter somewhat too long

already.
Wherfore now I wil come to your conclusion. But first,

wheras you write, I am deceived in the mind of the people,

thinhing that they should not well bear the abolishing of the

Pojjcs power ; lohich rejoyce much, you say, at the taking

away therof, as of a great burden. To this I wil say no

more, but that those that have perverted the peoples minds,

if it be so, hath more burden on themself afore God to an-

swer for. Qid scandalizat unum dc pusilUs istis, you know

the rest what followeth of Christs words. But they that

scandalize a whole nation, what shal follow ? If the first be

true, the second is more plain. But if there were such a

burden as you write of, could there no means be found to

relieve that, without taking away the Popes authority spiri-

tual, that the rest of the whole Church so many ages of men

hath agreed unto, and yet doth, you only except ? But let

320 APPENDIX OF

the spirituality say plainly, as lliey feel it earnestly, whether

al the Popes together, that ever exercised their authority in

the realm, hath pressed them so sore as they have been this

little time, syneth the authority of the Pope was suppressed.

At last you come to answer to the fault that I layd unto

you, That you fainted to follow those captains to heaven-

5 ward, for the testification of Christs doctrin : to whose

vertue, learning, and wisdom you were ever conformable,

until the time came of making up their life with so noble a

conclusion. To this you make answer under such maner

surely, that if you had cause afore to say, I gave you occa-

sion to be heavy in your heart in reading my book, a thou-

sand part more just cause you give me, for the reverence

and love I have ever born unto you, to mourn and lament

that mind, which you show by your answer. For, good my

Lord, what answer is this, where you say. You never

thought to shed one di'op of blond in that cause, Jbr you were