stroyed the Lordes vyneyard, and made his amiable portion a wast wildernes.

These multitude of shepheardes is become very burdenous to the Lordes flocke. For when two striue to be chief, the state of both their dignities standes in doubt, and in so doyng they geue occasion to all the faythfull of Christ, of a schisme and diuision of the Church. And although both parties go about to subdue vnto their power the whole church militant, yet cōtrary to both their purpose, by working this way, there beginneth to rise now a diuision in the body of the Church. Like as when the diuisiō of the quicke innocent body was asked, when the two harlots did striue afore Salomon: like as the ten tribes of Israell folowed Ieroboham the intruder, and were withdrawen frō the kyngdome for Salomons sinne:MarginaliaDesire to rule in the Church. euen so of old tyme the desire of rulyng hath drawē the great power of the world from the vnitie of the Church. Let your selues remember, we besech you, how that all Greece dyd fal from the obedience of the Romish Church in the tyme of the factiō of the primarche of Constantinople, and how Mahomet with his felowes by occasion of the supremacie in Ecclesiasticall dignitie, deceaued a great part of Christiās, and withdrew them from the Empire & rulyng of Christ. And now in these dayes, where as the same supremacie hath withdrawen it selfe from the obedience of it, in so much that now in very few Realmes the candle that burnes afore the Lord remayneth, and that for Dauides sake his seruaunt. And although now remayne few countreyes professing the obediēce of Christes true vicare: yet peraduenture if euery man were left to his own libertie, he would doubt of the preferryng of your dignitie, or that is worse, would vtterly refuse it by such doubtful euidence alledged on both sides: and this is the subtille craft of the croked Serpent, that is to say, vnder the pretense of vnitie, to procure schismes: as the spider of a wholesome flower gathers poyson, and Iudas learned of peace to make warre. Wherfore, it is liuely beleued of wise mē, that except this pestilent schisme be withstand by and by, the keyes of the Church will be despised, and they shall bynde the consciences but of a few? and when either none dare be bold to correct this fault or to reforme thynges contrary to Gods law, so by this meanes at length temporal Lordes will take away the liberties of the Church, and peraduenture the Romanes will come and take away their place, people and landes: they will spoyle their possessions and bryng the mē of the Church into bondage, and they shall be contemned, reuiled and despised:MarginaliaThe kyng seemeth here to prophesie. because the obedience of the people and deuotions towardes them will almost be taken away, whan the greater part of the Church left to their owne libertie shal waxe prouder thē they be wont, leauyng a wicked example to them that do see it. For when they see the Prelates study more for couetousnes than they were wont, to pursse vp money, to oppresse the subiectes, in their punishynges to seeke for gayne, to confound lawes, to styrre vp strife, to suppresse truth, to vexe poore subiectes with wrōg corrections, in meate and drinke intemperate, in feastynges past shame: what maruell is it if the people despise them as the foulest forsakers of Gods law? but all these thynges do follow if the church should be left long in this doubtfulnes of a schisme, and than should that old saying be verefied: in those dayes there was no kyng in Israell, but euery one did that that seemed right and straight to himselfe. Micheas did see the people of the Lord scattered in the mountaines as they had bene sheepe without a shepheard: for whē the shepheard is smitten, the sheepe of the flocke shall be scattered, the greate stroke of the shepheard is the minishyng of his iurisdiction, by which the subiectes are drawen from his obedience. Whan Iason had the office of the highest Priest, he chaunged the ordinaūce of God, and brought in the customes of the heathen, the priests leauyng the seruice of the holy alter and applying themselues to wrasting other exercises of the Grecians, and despising those thyngs that belōged to the Priests, did labour with all their might to learne such thynges of the Greciās, and by that meanes the place, people, and holy oyntyng of Priestes which in tyme past were had in great reuerence of the kynges, was troden vnder foote of all men, and robbed by the kynges power and was prophaned by thrustyng in for money. Therefore, let the highest vicare of Christ looke vnto this with a diligent eye, and let him be the follower of him by whom he hath gotten authority aboue others.MarginaliaByshops taught by Christ not to play the Lordes. If you marke well most holy father, you shall finde that Christ rebuked sharpely two brethren, couetyng the seate of honour: he taught them not to play the Lordes ouer the people, but the more grace they were preuented with, to be so much more humble then other, and more lowly to serue their brethren. To him that asked his coate, to geue the cloke: to hym that smote him on the one cheke, to turne the other to hym. For the shepe that are geuen to his kepyng, he must forsake al earthly things, & to shed hys owne bloud, yea & if nede required to die.MarginaliaThe right ornament of a true Byshop. These things I say be those that adorne the highest Bishop if they be in hym, not purple, not his white horse, nor his Imperiall crowne, because he among all men is most bound to all the shepe of Christ. For the feare of God therefore, and for the loue of the flocke which ye guide, consider these thinges diligently, and do them wisely, and suffer vs no longer to wauer betwixt two: although not for your owne cause, to whome peraduenture the fulnesse of your owne power is knowen: yet in pitieng our weaknes, if thou be he, tell vs openly, and shew thy selfe to the world, that all we may follow one. Be not to vs a bloudy bishop, least by your occasion mans bloude be shed, least hell swallow such a number of soules, and least the name of Christ be euill spoken of by Infidels, thorough such a worthy personage.MarginaliaA bald aunswer. But peraduenture ye will say, for our righteousnes it is manifest inough, and we will not put it to other mens disputations. If this bald aunswer should be admitted, the schisme should continue still, seyng neyther part is willyng to agree to the other: and where the world is as it were equally deuided betwixt them, neyther part can be cōpelled to geue place to the other without much bloodshed. The incarnation of Christ and his resurrection was wel inough knowen to hymselfe and his Disciples, yet he asked of his father to be made knowen to the world. He made also the Gospell to be written, and the doctrine of the Apostels, and sent hys Apostles into all the world, to do the office of preaching, that the same thyng might be knowen to all men. The foresayd reason is the subtlety of Mahomet, the which knowyng himselfe guilty of his sect, vtterly forbadde disputations. If ye haue so full trust of your righteousnesse, put it to the examination of worthy persones in a generall councell, to the which it belongeth by right to define such doubtes: or els commit it vnto able persons, and geue thē full power to determine all thinges concernyng that matter, or at the least by forsakyng the office on both parties, leaue the Church of God free, speedily to prouyde for a newe shepeheard.

MarginaliaPublike respect to be preferred before priuate. We finde, kinges haue forsaken their temporall kyngdomes, vpon onely respect of deuotion, and haue taken the apparell of Monkes profession. Therfore let Christes Vicar (being a professour of most high holynes) be ashamed to continue in his seat of honour, to the offence of all people, and the preiudice and hurt of the Romishe Church, and the deuotion of it, and cutting away kingdomes from it. But if you say, it is not requisite that the cause of Gods Church should be called in controuersie, and therfore we cannot so easely go from it, seing our conscience gainsayth it. To the which we aunswere,MarginaliaAunswere to a popishe obiectiō. if it be the cause of God & the churche, let the generall councell iudge of it: but if it be a personall cause (as almost all the world probably thinketh) if ye were the follower of Christ, ye woulde rather chose a temporall death, then to suffer such a wauering, I say not, to the hurte of so many, but to the endlesse destruction of soules, to the offence of the whole world, and to an euerlastyng shame of the Apostolical dignitie.MarginaliaHard counsell for the pope. Did not Clemence named (or that I may more truly speake) ordeyned of S. Peter to the Apostolike dignitie and to be Bishop, resigne hys right, that hys dede might be taken of his successours for an example? Also Pope Siricius gaue ouer his Popedome to be a comfort of the 11000. Virgins. Therfore much more ought you (if nede require) geue ouer your Popedome, that you might gather together the children of God which be scattered abroad. For as it is thought a glorious thing to defend the common right, euen to bloodshed: so is it somtymes necessary for a man to winck at his owne cause, & to forsake it for a greater profit, & by that meanes better to procure peace. Should not he be thought a deuill and Christes enemy of all men, that would agree to an election made of hym for the Apostolicall dignitie and Popedome, if it should be to the destructiō of christians, diuision of the church, the offence & losse of all faithfull people? If such mischiefes should be knowen to all the world by Gods reuelation, to come to passe by such receyuyng of the Popedome and Apostolicall dignitie:MarginaliaVnitie of the church to be preferred before worldly dignitie. then by the lyke reason, why shall he not be iudged of all men an Apostata and forsaker of his fayth, which chuseth dignitie, or rather worldly honour, then the vnitie of the Churche? Christ dyed that he might gather together the children of God which were scattered abroade: but such an enemy of God and the Church, wisheth his subiectes bodily to dye in battayle, and the more parte of the worlde to perishe in soule, rather then forsakyng to be Pope, to lyue in a lower state, although it were honorable. If the feare of GOD