that you might be able to stand in battell in the day of the Lord. Let them heare (I speake not to you whiche haue eares and heare not, eyes and see not, which haue made darke the light that is in you) but let them heare (I say) that be well disposed, & haue eares to heare withall. As for you, you haue no vnderstandyng, and if you haue, you cloke it. MarginaliaHe hath vttered more reasō then you are able euer to answere to.Neither haue you any thyng to say, or to proue, by what reason we should be subiect to the Lord Henry whom you call Emperour. And yet (as it is gyuen vs to vnderstand) you go about to perswade, that of necessitie we ought to be subiect to hym, and that by the argument of S. Paul. Let euery soule be subdued to the higher powers, for there is no power but of God, he therfore that doth withstād power, doth resist Gods ordinaunce. The whiche sentence of the Apostle, we say that you doe euill conceyue, and therfore euill interpret: for if euery power be of God (As you do vnderstand) what is ment by that, that the Lord doth speake of some by þ^e Prophete. They did reigne, and were not made princes by me, and I knew them not. MarginaliaWhether euery power is to be obeyed or no.
Osee. 8.Yf euery power be of God as you take it, what is to be thought of that, that the Lord doth say: if thine eye do offende thee, plucke it out, and caste it from thee. For what is power, but the eye? Certenly, Augustine in the exposition of this sentence of the apostle, let euery soule: &c. doth say that if þ^e powers do commaund any thing against God, then haue them in contempt: but yet neuertheles feare them. Is there anye iniquitye with God? is Christ the minister of sinne? God forbid. MarginaliaIf euery power which offendeth his subiectes is to be cast out,then hath this Earle made a fayre argument.What shal we therfore say? doth the apostle preach contrary to the truth? Augustinus saith no: one wind filleth mani pipes of diuers tunes. Therfore let vs heare þ^e apostle agreeyng & expoūding himself, & destroying his enemye & auenger. There is (saith he) no power but of God. What foloweth. He therfore (saith he) þ^t doth resist þ^e power, &c. God forbid? doth nothing follow: But what doth follow? Those powers which be ordeyned of God truely: that is it we looke for. O craftye tongue, O hart imagining mischief. O consuming breath that shal not returne, why has thou lyed to the holy ghost? Thine owne conscience shal accuse thee. Behold the wicked flyeth and no man doth pursue him. Why would you suppresse the truth to the intent to deceyue? Why haue you stolne away the pythe and effect of this sentence? For yf these wordes should be taken away from the middest of the sentence, it should lye contrary to it self, inconuenient, and halfe dead. The worde of the Lord is herein fulfilled. He that diggeth a pit for his neighbor shal fal therin himselfe. Verely you can neyther excuse you of theft, neyther auoyde the punishment due for the same. What (O vnhappy man) what shall you aunswer to the iudge, when he shall require an accompt of his seruants whom he putteth in trust? seyng þ^t you shal be set before him in þ^e myddest, & proued a pyker of your maisters treasure. Wherfore did you not feare the iudgement and execution, when as the giltines of offence doth require cōdigne punishment? The Apostle through þ^e holy ghost did foresee that you & such heretykes as you are should spring in the church, which should call good euil and euil good: and that should put darknes in place of light, and lyght in place of darknes, which also should take occasion by þ^e sentences of truth to bryng in error: MarginaliaHow liuely these papistes describe them selues in their owne colour.When as he dyd set this before, there is no power but of God: to the intent þ^t he might take away the coniecture of false vnderstāding for (sayth he) those powers that be, are ordeyned of God. Geue therfore an ordinary power, and we do not resiste, yea we wil forthwith do our homage. MarginaliaBut Paule iudged the Emperour to be an ordinary power, whē he appealed to hym.But I do maruel (if at the least there remayne in you anye one droppe of bloud) that you are not ashamed, to call the Lord Harry a kyng, or to allow him any ordinary place.

Is this a seemely order thinke you to geue place to wickednes, and to make a generall confusion in mixing good and euil, gods and mans deuises together? Either do you thinke this good order, for a man to sinneagaynst his owne bodye, as (oh shamefull wickednes) to make his owne wyfe a common harlot, MarginaliaThis is likelye that the Emperour would make hys own wife a cōmon harlot.a mischiefe not hard of at any tyme since þ^e beginnyng of the world before now: or do you alow this for good order, when as þ^e Lord sayth, defend the widowes, especiallye suche as require equity of iustice, and then them to send away most filthely defyled? Mad Orestes doth protest him to be out of his wit that wil say these thinges to be orderly or wel done. Vntil this moste miserable tyme, nature hath euer loued secrecy, but your kyng geuen vp into a reprobate sence, hath vncouered the priuities of nature, who hath not let to lay abroade all shamefastnes: we wyl not speake of other thinges which cannot be numbred, that is to say, burning of churches, robberies, fiering of houses, manslaughters, murders and such lyke, MarginaliaEuil neuer sayth well.the number wherof he knoweth and not we: for let vs speake chiefly of those things which most greue þ^e church of God. Harken therfore to true & not fayned thinges. Harken I say to matters of earnest and to no trifles. Euerye one that doth sel spirituall dignities, is an heretyke: But the lord Harry, whom they call a kyng, doth sel both bishoprikes & abbathyes: for truely he sold for mony the bishoprikes of Constance, Babemberge, Menz, & many others. MarginaliaBy thys argument how many popes maye be proued heretikes.The bishoprikes of Ratisbone, Augusta, and Strasebrough, he solde for a sworde: and the abbey of Fulda for adultery. And for filthye sodomitry he solde the bishopricke of Mon. A wyckednes it is to speake or heare of such a fact. The which things if without shame you wil deny, he is to be condemned by the witnes of heauen and earth: yea and of the sely poore idiotes that come from the smithes forge.MarginaliaRather frō the popes forge of lyes. Wherfore þ^e Lord Harry is an heretike. For the which most wycked euils he is excōmunicate frō þ^e see Apostolike, so þ^t he may not exercise eyther kyngdome or power ouer vs which be catholike. And wheras you burden vs w^t hatred of our brethrē, know you þ^t we purpose not to hate any of affectiō, but of a godly zeale. MarginaliaA zeale, but farre from knowledge.God forbid þ^t we should thinke Harry worthy to be accōpted amōgst our christiā brethrē, who in dede is reputed for an Ethnike and Publicane, in that he refused to heare the Churche whiche so ofte hathe reproued him. MarginaliaAnd whē they shall slay you, they shall thinke they do God great seruice. Iohn. 2. vi.The hatred of whome we offer vnto God for a greate sacrifice, saying with the Psalmist: Lorde shall not I hate them that hate thee? and shall not I triumphe ouer thine enemies? I hate them with an inwarde hatred that be enemies to me for thy sake. The truth it selfe commending the worthynes of this hatred, doth say: If any doo not hate father and mother, brethren and sisters for my sake, he cannot be my disciple. MarginaliaYe true, if he had cōpelled you to forsake the name of Christ, which he neuer dyd.We are not therfore iustlye to bee reproued of hatred, which doo geue ouer our own soule to be in the way of God: who in deede are cōmaunded to hate father and mother, and euery affection which doth withstand vs from walking in the path of god. Hereof it commeth, that we labour with all our studye and endeuour to beware of the enemies of the Church, and them to hate. Not for that they be our enemies, but Gods. Further, where you do perswade peace to be had with al men: you must remember what the Apostle doth put before, if it may be. But if it cannot be that we can haue peace with thē, who can be contrary to God? Who doth not know the Lord our sauiour, to commende not onely peace, whē as he saith: my peace I geue vnto you, my peace I leaue vnto you? but that he is the peace, as saith þ^e Apostle: he is the peace which made of both one: For he calleth him our peace, speaking in commendacion of the peace. Thincke not (sayth he) that I came to send peace. For I came not to sēd peace, but the swoord. What is ment by thys? Why is peace called a sworde? Or doth peace bid battel? Yea truly, to destroy the peace of the deuill. For the deuill hath his peace, whereof the Lord speaketh: When as the strong man keepeth hys house, he doth possesse all his substance in peace. MarginaliaOh how craftely doth Sathan here shape him self to an angel of lyght.Oh how mighthly doth the deuil kepe his soldiours and his house