ready to confirme and stablish errours? Do not all men perceiue as well as we, with what integritie, fidelitie, and Religion these men go about to discusse matters in controuersie, that take them in hand in so troublesome a tyme as this is? Is it not playne what fruite the common weale of Christendome may looke for there, where as Mantua is chosen the place to kepe this Councell at?MarginaliaThe place of the Councel not indifferent. Is there any Prince, not beyng of Italy, yea is there any of Italy, Prince or other dissentyng from the Pope, that dareth come to this assemble, & to this place? If there come none, that dare speake for troden trouth, none that will venture his lyfe, is it meruaile if the Byshop of Rome beyng iudge,MarginaliaNo reason that the pope should be iudge in hys owne cause. no man repyning, no man agaynsaying, the defenders of the Papacie obteyne that Popish authoritie now quaylyng and almost fallen, be set vp agayne?

Is this the way to helpe thinges afflicte? to redresse troubled Religion? to lift vp oppressed trouth? Shall men this way know,MarginaliaThe byshop of Rome in learnyng and lyfe farre under other Byshops. whether the Romane Byshops (which in very deede are, if ye looke either vpon their doctrine or life, farre vnder other Bishops) ought to be made like their felowes, that is, to be pastours in their owne Dioces, and so to vse no further power: or els whether they may make lawes, not onely vnto other Byshops, but also to Kynges & Emperours? O boldnesse, meete to be beaten down with force, and not to be conuinced with arguments. Can either Paul that now Lordeth, or any of his, earnestly go about (if they alone, or at the least without any aduersary, be thus in a corner assembled together) to heale the sickenesses, to take away the errours, to plucke downe the abuses that now are creept into the Church, and there be bolstered vp, by such Councels as now is like to be at Mantua?

MarginaliaPaule the pope proleth for his owne profite. It is very like, that these, which prole for nothyng but profite, will right gladly pull downe all such thinges, as their forefathers made, onely for the increase of money. Where as their forefathers, when their honour, power, primacie, was called into questiō, would either in spite of Gods law, mainteine their dignitie, or (to say better) their intollerable pride: is it like, that these will not trede in their steppes, and make naughty new Canons, whereby they may defend old euill decrees? Howbeit, what neede we to care,either what they haue done, or what they intend to do hereafter,MarginaliaEngland taketh her leaue of the pope for euer. for as much as Englād hath taken her leaue of Popish craftes for euer, neuer to be deluded with them hereafter? Romane byshops haue nothyng to do with English people: the one doth not traficke with the other: at the least, though they will haue to do with vs, yet we will none of their Marchaūdise, none of their stuffe. We will receiue them of our Coūcell no more. We haue sought our hurt, & bought our losse a great while to long.MarginaliaEngland refuseth the popes marchandise. Surely their Decrees, either touchyng thyngs set vp, or put downe, shall haue none other place with vs, then all Byshops Decrees haue, that is, if we like them, we admit them: if we do not, we refuse them. But lest peraduenture men shall thinke vs to folow our senses to much, & that we, moued by small or no iust causes, forsake the authoritie, censures, Decrees, and Popish Councels, we thought it best here to shew our mynde to the whole world.

MarginaliaEngland goeth not from the vnitie of fayth, although it goeth from the Pope. Wherfore we protest before God and all men, that we embrace, professe, and will euer so do, the right and holy doctrine of Christ. All the Articles of his fayth, no iot omitted, be all so deare vnto vs, that we should much sooner stād in ieoperdy of our Realme, then to see any point of Christes religion in ieoperdye with vs. We protest that we neuer went from the vnitie of this fayth, neither that we will departe an inche from it.MarginaliaThe fayth of England Catholicke. No, we will much sooner lose our lyues, then any Article of our belefe shall decay in England. We, which in all this cause, seeke nothyng but the glory of God, the profite and quyetnes of the world, protest that we can suffer deceiuers no longer.MarginaliaEnglād ready to send to any generall Councell, where the truth may be aduaunced. We neuer refused to come to a generall Councell: no, we promise all our labour, study, and fidelitie, to the settyng vp of troden trouth, and troubled religion, in their place agayne: and to do all that shall lye in vs, to finish such controuersies as haue, a great while to long, vexed Christendome. Onely we will all Christē men be admonished, that we can suffer no longer, that they be estemed willyng to take away errours, whiche in deede, by all the wayes theyr wittes will serue them, go about this alone, that no man, vnder payne of death, may speake agaynst any errour or abuse.

We would haue a Councell, we desyre it, yea and craue nothyng so oft of God, as that we may haue one.MarginaliaWhat a true generall Councell ought to be. But yet we will that it be such, as Christen mē ought to haue, that is franke and free, where euery man, without feare may say hos mynde. We desire that it be an holy Coūcel, where euery man may go about to set vp godlynes, and not apply all their study to oppressyng of trouth. We will it be generall, that is to say, kept at such tyme, and in such place, that euery man which seeketh the glory of God, may be present, and there frankely vtter his mynde. For then it shall seeme generall, MarginaliaConditions of a true generall Councell. either when no man þ^t dissenteth frō the Bishop of Rome, is compelled to be from it, or when they that be present, are not letted by any iust terrour, to say boldly what they truely thinke. For who would not gladly come to such a Coūcell, except it be the Pope, his Cardinalles, and Popishe Byshops? On the other side, who is so foolishe, where as the chiefe point that is to be handled in this Councel, is þ^e Popes owne cause, power and primacie, to graunt that the Pope should reigne, should be iudge, should be President of this Councell?MarginaliaThe pope would be iudge in hys owne cause. If he which in deede, can neuer thynke himselfe able to defend his cause, before any other Iudge, be euermore made his owne iudge, and so controuersies not decided, but errours set vp, what can be deuised in the common wealth of Christendome more hurtfull to the trouth, then generall Councels?

And here to touch somwhat their impudent arrogancie, by what law, power, or honest title, take they vpon them to call kynges, to summon Princes to appeare, where their Bulles commaunde them?MarginaliaThe Pope hath no power to summon Councels. In tyme past, all Councelles were appointed by the authoritie, consent, and commaundement of the Emperour, Kynges, and Princes: Why now taketh the Byshop of Rome thys vpon hym? Some wyll say, it is more lykely that Byshops will more tender the cause of religion, gladlyer haue errours taken away, then Emperours, Kinges, or Princes. The world hath good experience of them, and euery man seeth, how faythfully they haue handled Religious matters. Is there any man that doth not see, how vertuously Paule now goeth about by this occasiō to set vp his tyrany agayne? Is it not like that he þ^t chooseth such a time as this is, to keepe a coūcel, much entendeth the redresse of thinges that now are amisse?MarginaliaThe Pope how he chooseth his tyme. that he seeketh the restoring of religion that now calleth a Coūcell, the Emperour and the French king, two Princes of great power, so bent to warres, that neither they, nor any other Christē Prince can, in maner, do any thyng but looke for þ^e end of this long warre? Go to, go to bishop of Rome, occasion long wished for offreth her selfe vnto you: take her, she openeth a window for your frendes to creepe in at. Call your Cardinals, your owne creatures, shew them that this is a iolye tyme to deceiue Princes in.

O fooles: O wicked men. Maye we not iustly so call you? Are ye not fooles, which being long suspected, not onely of Princes, but of all Christen people in maner, that in no case you coulde be brought to a generall Councell, plainely shewe the whole worlde, that by these your conciliables, your hutter mutter in corners, you take away all hope of a lawfull Catholicke and generall Coūcell? Are you not wicked, which so hate trouth, that except shee be vtterly banished, ye will neuer cease to vexe her?MarginaliaTrouth may be pressed, it can not be oppressed. The lyuing God is alyue, neither trouth his dearlyng, he being aliue, can be called to so great shame, contumely, and iniurie: or if it may be called to all these, yet can it come to none of them.MarginaliaThe Pope enemy to Christ. Who is he that greuously lamenteth not, men to be of such shamefull boldenes, to shew apertly, that they be enemies vnto Christ himselfe? On the other side, who will not be glad to see such men as foolishe, as they be wicked? The world is not now in a light suspition, as it hath bene hetherto, that you will no reformation of errours, but euery man seeth before hys eyes, your deceites, your wicked myndes,MarginaliaThe popes hatred agaynst the trouth. your immortall hatred that ye beare against the trouth. Euery man seeth, how many miserable tragedies your pretence of an vnitie and concorde, hath brought into Christendome.MarginaliaThe pope troubler of all Christen realmes. They see, your faire face of peace hath serued sedition, and troubled almost all Christen Realmes. They see, ye neuer oppugne religion more, then whē ye will seeme most to defend it. They be sory to see, þ^t great wits, a long season, haue spent their whole strength in defence of deceites: reason to put his whole power to the promotyng of pride, and vngodlines: vertues to serue vices: holynes to be slaue to hypocrisie: prudencie, to subtilitie: Iustice, to tyrannie. They be glad, that Scripture now fighteth for it selfe, and not agaynst it selfe. They be glad that God is not compelled to be agaynst God: Christ agaynst Christ. They be glad, that subtilitie hathe done no more hurt to Religion in time past, then now constancie doth good to trouth.MarginaliaThe popes markes where to he shooteth. They see the markes, that ye haue shot at in all your Councells past, to be lucre, money, gaines. They see you sought your profite, yea, though it were ioyned with the slaughter of trouth. They see, ye would euer, that sooner iniurie should be done to the Gospell, then that your authoritie, that is to say, arrogant impudencie, should in any point be diminished.

MarginaliaThe popes craft in stealing a generall Councell. And we pray you, what may Paule, the Byshop of Rome, seeme now to go about, which seeing all Princes occupied in great affaires, would steale (as he calleth it) a generall Councell? What other thing, then hereby to haue some excuse to refuse a generall Coūcell hereafter whē time and place much better for the handling of matters of Reli-