the desire of the heauenly kingdome, and the earnest loue of the vnitie of the church do moue your hart, shew in dede that your workes may beare record to the truth.

Clement and Siricius most holy Popes, not only are not reproued, but rather are reuerenced of all men, because they gaue ouer their right for profitable causes, and for the same cause al the church of holy mē shew forth their praise. Likewyse, your name should lyue for euer and euer if ye woulde do the lyke for a necessary cause, that is to say for the vnitie of Gods Church. MarginaliaThe pope wyll not loose his dignitie for any publique tranquilitie. Geue no heede to vnmeasurable cryinges of them that say, that the right of chusing of Popes is lost, except ye defend your part manfully: but be afrayd, least such stirrers vp of mischiefe looke for theyr owne commodity or honour, that is to say, that vnder your wyng they myght be promooted to riches and honour. MarginaliaWicked flatterers about the pope. After this sort Achithophel was ioyned and Absolon in persecutyng hys owne father, and false vsurpyng of his kyngdome.

Furthermore, there should be no ieopardy to that election, because both parties sticke stifly to the old fashion of election, and eyther of them couet the preheminence of the Romish Church, counsailyng all Christians to obey them. MarginaliaBetter that the order of the popes election should cease: thē the church should suffer any diuision. And although through their geuing ouer the fashiō of chusing the Pope should be chaunged for a tyme: it were to be borne, rather then to suffer any longer this diuision in Gods church. For that fashion in chusing is not so necessary required to the state of a Pope, but the successour of the Apostle as necessary cause required, might come in at the dore by another fashion of chusing, and that Canonicall inough. And this we are taught manifestly by examples of the fathers: for Peter the Apostle appointed after him Clement, & that not by false vsurpyng of power, as we suppose. And it was thought, that that fashion of appointyng of Popes, was lawfull vnto the tyme of Pope Hillary. Which decreed that no Pope should appoynt his successour.

MarginaliaBishops of Rome appointed their succesours to the tyme of pope Hillary. Afterward, the election of the Pope went by the clergy and people of Rome, and the Emperours counsaile agreyng therto, as it appeareth in the election of the blessed Gregory. But Martinus Pope with the consent of the holy Synode graunted Charles the power to chuse the Pope. But of late Nicholas the 2. was the first whom Martine makes mention of in hys councels, to be chosen by the Cardinals. But all the Bishops of Lumbardy (for the most part) withstoode thys election, and chose Cadulus to be pope, saying that the pope ought not to be chosen, but of the precinct of Italy. Wherefore, we thinke it not a safe way so earnestly to sticke to the traditions of men, in the fashion of chusing the Pope, and so oft to chaunge, lest we be thought to breake Gods traditions concernyng the vnitie of the church. MarginaliaElection of the pope not as was before. Yea rather it were better yet to ordayne a new fashion of hys election, and meeter for hym as it hath bene afore. But all thinges concernyng the same election might be kept safe, if Gods honour were looked for afore your owne, and the peace of the Church were vprightly sought: MarginaliaGood counsayle lost. for such a dishonouryng should be most honour vnto you, and that geuing place shall be the getting of a greater dignitie, and the willyng deposing of your honour, should obtaine you the entry of euerlasting honour, & should procure the loue of the whole worlde toward you, and you should deserue to be exalted continually, as Dauid was in humblyng hymselfe. O how monstrous a sight and how foule a monster is a mans body disfigured wyth itwo heads? So if it were possible, the spouse of Christ should be made so monstrous, if she were ruled wyth two such heades: but that is not possible, she is euer all together faire, in whom no spot is foūd, therfore we must cast away that rotten mēber, and thruster in of his second head: MarginaliaChristes seameles coat broken. We cannot suffer any longer so great a wickednes in gods house, that we shold suffer Gods cote that wantes a seame, by any meanes to be torne by the handes of two, that violently draw it in sonder. MarginaliaThe popes c?pared to the souldiours that cursed Christ. For if these two should be suffred to raigne together, they would so betwixt them teare in pieces that little cote of the Lorde, that scarse one piece would hang to another. They passe the wickednesse of the souldiors that cursed Christ: For they willyng to haue the coate remayne whole, sayd: Let vs not cut it, but let vs cast lots for it whose it shall be. But these two popes suffring their right and title to be tryed by no lot nor way (although not in wordes yet in deedes) they pronounce this sentence: It shall neyther be thyne nor myne, but let it be deuided, for they chose rather as it appeareth to be Lordes (though it be but in a little part, and that to the confusion of vnitie of the Church) then in leauyng that lordyng to seke for the peace of the church. We do not affirme this, but we shew almost the whole iudgemēt of the world of them, beyng moued so to thinke by likely coniectures. We loked for amendment of this intollerable confusion, by the space that these two inuentors of this mischief liued. But we loked for peace and behold trouble: for neither in their lyues nor in their deaths, they procured any comfort, but rather dying as it were in a doubt betwixt ij. wayes, left to their successors matter of contention continuall. But now for the space of 7. yeres of their successors, that which we desired & loked for afore (that is, they should beare good grapes and they bring forth wyld grapes) into this matter we fall into a deepe dispayre. But in as much that we heare the comfort of the Lord, which promised that miserably he would destroy those wicked men, and let his vineyard to other husbandmen which will bring hym fruite at their tymes apointed, he hath promised faithfully that he wil help his spouse in her nede, to the end of the world: and we leaning on the sure hope of this promise, and in hope contrary to hope beleuing, by gods grace will put our helping handes to easing of this misery, when a conuenient tyme shall serue, as much as our kingly power is able, although our wit doth not perceiue how these thinges afore rehearsed may be amended: MarginaliaA godly purpose if it had bene put in execution. yet we beyng couraged to this by the hope of gods promise, will do our endeuor, like as Abraham beleued of his sonne beyng slaine by sacrifice, that the multitude of his sede shold encrease to the number of the starres, accordyng to gods promise. Now therfore the tyme drawes nere to make an end of this schisme, lest a third election of a schismaticke agaynst the Apostles successor make a custome of the doyng, and so the pope of Auinion shalbe a double Romish Pope, and he shall say with his partakers, as the Patriarch of Constantinople sayd vnto Christs vicare when he forsoke hym: The Lord be with thee, for the Lord is with vs. And is much to be feared of all christen men. MarginaliaSeculare princes are to bridle the outrages of the pope. For that Pharise begins now to be called the Pope of Auiniō among the people, but peraduenture it would be thought of some men, that it belongeth not to seculiar princes to bridle outrages of the popes: to whom we aunswer, that naturally the members put themselues in ieopardy for to saue the head, and the partes labour to saue the whole. Christ so decked his spouse, that her sides should cleaue together, and should vpholde themselues, by course of tyme and occasion of thinges, they should correct one another and cleaue together tunably. Did not Moses put downe Aarō, bycause he was vnfaythfull? Salomon put doun Abiather, who came by lineall dissent from Anatoth, and remoued his priesthood from his kinred to the stocke of Eliazar in the person of Sadocke which had his beginnyng from Ely the priest? 3. Reg. 2. Otho Emperor, desposed Pope Iohn the 12. bicause he was lecherous. Henry the Emperour put down Gratianus, because he vsed Simony in buying and selling spirituall liuings. And Otho deposed Pope Bennet the first, because he thrust in hymselfe. MarginaliaPopes put downe by princes. Therfore by lyke reason, why may not kings and princes bridle the Romish Pope in default of the church, if the quality of his fault require it, or the necessitie of the Church by this compell to helpe the Church oppressed by tiranny. In old tyme schismes whiche rose about makyng of the Pope, were determined by the power of secular princes: as the schisme betwixt Symachus and Laurence was ended in a counsai, afore Theodoricus K. of Italy. Henry the Emperour when two did striue to bee Pope, he deposed them both, and receiued the third beyng chosen at Rome to be Pope, that is to say, Clement the second, which crowned him with the Imperiall crowne. And the Romans promised hym that frō thenceforth, they wold promote none to be Pope without his consent. Alexander also ouercame 4. popes schismatikes, all which Friderike the Emperor corrected.

Thus looke on the register of Popes and their deedes, and ye shall finde that schismes most commonly haue bene decised by the powers of seculare princes, the schismatickes cast out, and sometimes new popes made, and sometymes the olde ones cast out of their dignities, & restored to their olde dignitie agayne. If it were not lawful for secular princes to brydle the outrages of such a pope lawfully made, & afterward becomming a tyrant: In such a case he might oppresse ouer much the Church, he might chaunge Christendome into Heathenes, and make the labour of Christ crucified to be in vayne, or els truely God should not haue prouided for hys spouse in earth by all meanes as much as is possible by seruice of men to withstand daungers. Therfore we counsell you with such a louing affection as becomes childrē, that ye cōsider in your hart wel, least in working by this means ye prepare a way to Antichrist, through your desire to beare rule, and so by this meanes as we feare the one of these twoo shal chaunce: MarginaliaLawful that princes should wythstand the tyranny of the pope Either ye shal cause all the princes of the world to rise against you to bryng in a true follower of Christ to haue the state of the Apostolical dignitie, or that is worse, the whole world despising the ruling of one shepeheard shall leaue the Romish church desolate.