prophaned by thrusting in for money. Therefore, let the hyghest vicare of Christe looke vnto this with a diligent eye, and let hym be the follower of him by whom he hath gotten authoritie aboue others. MarginaliaByshops taught by Christ not to play the Lordes.If you mark well most holy father, you shal find that Christ rebuked sharpely two brethren, coueting the seate of honour: hee taught them not to play the Lordes ouer the people, but the more grace they were preu?ted with, to be so much more humble then other, and more lowly to serue their brethren. To hym that asked hys coate, to geue the cloake: to him that smote him on the one cheeke, to tourne the other to him. For the sheepe that are geuen to hys keeping, hee must forsake all earthly thyngs, and to shedde his owne bloud, yea and if neede required to die. MarginaliaThe right ornament of a true ByshopThese things I say be those that adorne the highest Byshop if they be in him, not purple, not hys white horse, nor his Imperiall crowne, because hee among all men is most bounde to all the sheepe of Christ. For the feare of GOD therefore, and for the loue of the flocke which yee guide, consider these things diligently, and doe them wisely, and suffer vs no longer to wauer betwixte two: although not for your owne cause, to whom peraduenture the fulnes of your owne power is knowen: yet in pitying our weakenes, if thou be he, tell vs openly, and shew they shelf to the world, that al we may follow one. Be not to vs a bloudy bishop, least by your occasion mans bloud be shed, least hel swalow such a nomber of soules, & least the name of Christ be euill spoken of by Infidels, thorough suche a worthy personage. But peraduenture yee will say, for our righteousnes it is manifest inough, and we will not put it to other mens disputations.MarginaliaA bald answere. If this bald aunswer should be admitted, the schisme should continue still, seeing neither part is willing to agree to the other: and where the world is as it were equally deuided betwixt them, neither part can be compelled to geue place to the other without much bloudshed. The incarnation of Christ and his resurrection was well inough knowen to himselfe and his disciples, yet hee asked of his father to be made knowen to the world. Hee made also the Gospel to be wrytten, and the doctrine of the Apostles, & sent his Apostles into all the world, to do the office of preaching, that the same thing might be knowen to all men. The foresayde reason is the subtelty of Mahomet, the which knowing himselfe guilty of his sect, vtterly forbad disputations. If ye haue so ful trust of your righteousnesse, put it to the examination of worthy persones in a generall councel, to the which it bel?geth by right to define such doubts, or els commit it vnto able persons, and geue them ful power to determine all things concerning that matter, or at the lest by forsaking the office on both parties, leaue the Churche of God free, speedily to prouide for a new shepheard.

MarginaliaPublike respect to be preferred beofre priuate.We finde, kings haue forsaken their temporal kingdomes, vpon onely respect of deuotion, and haue taken the apparel of Monkes profession. Therefore let Christes Vicar (being a professour of most high holinesse) be ashamed to continue in his seat of honor, to the offence of all people, and the preiudice and hurt of the Romish church, and the deuotion of it, and cutting away kingdomes from it. But if you say, it is not requisite that the cause of Goddes church should he called in controuersie, and therefore we cannot so easily goe from it, seeing our conscience gainesayeth it. MarginaliaAunswere to a popish obiecti?.To the which we answer, if it be the cause of God and the church, let the general councel iudge of it: but if it be a personal cause (as almost all the world probably thinketh) if ye were the follower of Christ, ye would rather chose a temporall death, then to suffer such a wauering,MarginaliaHard counsell for the pope. I say not, to the hurt of so many, but the endles destruction of soules, to the offence of the whole world, and to an euerlasting shame of the Apostolical dignitie. Did not Clemente named (or that I may more truely speake) ordeined of S. Peter to the Apostolike dignitie and to be bishop, resigne his right, that his 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 neede require) geue ouer your Popedome, that you might gather together the children of God which be scattered abroade. For as it is thought a gloryous thing to defend the common right, euen to bludshed: so is it somtimes necessary for a man to wincke at his owne cause, and to forsake it for a greater profite, and by that meanes better to procure peace. Shoulde not he be thought a deuill and Christes enemie of all men, that woulde agree to an election made of him for the Apostolicall dignitie and Popedome, if it should be to the destruction of Christians, diuision of the church, the offence and losse of al faithfull people? If such mischiefs should be known to al the world by Goddes reuelation, to come to passe by such receiuing of the Popedome and Apostolicall dignitie: then by the like reason, why shall he not be iudged of all men an Apostata and forsaker of hys faith, which chuseth dignitie, or rather worldly honour, then the vnitie of the Churche?MarginaliaVnitie of the church to be preferred before worldly dignitie. Christ died that he might gather together the children of God which are scattered abroad: but such an enemie of God and the Church, wisheth his subiectes bodily to die in battaile, and the more part of the worlde to pearish in soule, rather then forsaking to be Pope to liue in a lower state, although it were honourable. If the feare of God the desire of the heauenly kingd?, & the earnest loue of the vnitie of the church do moue your hart, shew in dede that your workes may beare recorde to the truth.

Clement and Siricius most holy Popes, not only are not reprooued, but rather are reuerenced of all men, because they gaue ouer their right for profitable causes, & for the same cause all the church of holy men shewe forth their praise. Likewise your name should liue for euer and euer if ye would do the like for a necessary cause, that is to say, for the vnitie of Gods Churche.MarginaliaThe Pope will not loose his dignitie for any publike tranquilitie. Geue no heede to vnmeasurable cryings of them that say, that the ryghte chusing of Popes is lost, except ye defend your part manfully: but be afraid, least such stirrers vp of mischiefe looke for theyr owne commoditie or honour, that is to say, that vnder your wing they might be promoted to richesse and honour.MarginaliaWicked flatterers about the pope. After this sort Achithophel was ioyned and Absolon in persecuting his owne father, and false vsurping of hys kingdome.

Futhermore, there shoulde be no ieopardie to that election, because both parties sticke stifly to the old fashion of election, and either of them couet the preheminence of the Romish Churche, counsailing all Christians to obey them. MarginaliaBetter that the order of the popes electi? shuld cease: then the church should suffer any diuision.And although throughe their geuing ouer the fashion of chusing the Pope should be ch?ged for a time: 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 doore by an other fashion of chusing, and that Canonicall inough. And this we are taught manifestly by examples of the fathers: for Peter the Apostle appoynted after him Clement, and that not by false vsurping of power, as we suppose. And it was thought, that the fashion of apoynting of Popes, was lawfull vnto the time of Pope Hillary.MarginaliaBishops of Rome appointed their successours to the time of pope Hillary. Which decreed that no Pope shuld apoynt hys successor.

Afterward, the election of the Pope went by the cleargy and people of Rome, and the Emperors counsaile agreeing 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 Nycholas the 2. was the first whome Martine makes mention of in his councels, to be chosen by the Cardinals. But all the Bishops of Lumbardie (for the most part) wythstode this election, and chose Cadulus to be Pope, saying that the Pope ought not to be chosen, but of the precincte of Italie. Wherefore, we thinke it not a safe way so earnestly to stick to the traditions of men, in the fashion of chusing the Pope, & so oft to chaunge, least we be thought to breake Goddes traditions concerning the vnitie of the church. Yea rather it were better yet to ordaine a newe fashion of his election, and meeter for hym as it hath beene afore.MarginaliaElection of the pope not as was before. But all things concerning the same election myght be kept safe, if Gods honour were looked for afore youre owne, and the peace of the Church were vprightly soughte: for such a dishonouring shoulde be most honour vnto you, and that geuing place shall be the getting of a greater dignitie, & the willing deposing of your honur, shoulde obtaine you the entrie of euerlasting honour, and should procure the loue of the whole worlde toward you, and you shoulde deserue to be exalted continually, as Dauid was in humbling himselfe.MarginaliaGood counsayle lost. O howe monstrous a sight and howe foule a monster is a mannes body disfigured wyth two heades? So if it were possible, the spouse of Christ shoulde be made so monstrous, if shee were ruled wyth two such heades: but that is not possible, she is euer altogether faire, in whome no spot is found, therfore we must cast away that rotten member, & thruster in of hys second head: MarginaliaChristes seameles coat broken.We cannot suffer any longer so great a wickednesse in Gods house, that we shoulde suffer Gods cote that wantes a seame, by any meanes to be torne by the handes of two, that violently draw it in sonder. For if these two should be suffred to raigne together, they woulde so betwixte them teare in pieces that litle coate of the Lord, that scarse one piece woulde hange to another. MarginaliaThe Popes compared to the souldiours that cursed christThey passe the wickednesse of the souldiours that cursed Christ. For they willing to haue the coate remaine whole, said: Let vs not cut it, but let vs cast lots for it, whose it shalbe. But these 2. Popes suffring their right and title to be tried by no lot nor way (although not in wordes yet in deedes) they pronounce this sentence: It shall neither be thine nor mine, but let it be deuided, for they chose rather as it apeareth to be Lords (though it be but in a litle part, and that to the c?fusion of vnitie of the Church) then in leuing that lording to seke for the peace of the church. We do not affirme this, but we shew almost the whole iudgem?t of the world of them being moued so thinke by likely coniectures. We looked for amendement of thys intollerable confusion, by the space that these two inuentours of this mischiefe liued. But wee looked for peace and beholde trouble: for neither in their lyues not in their deaths, they procured any c?fort, but rather dying as it were in a doubt betwixt two wayes, left to theyr successoures matters of contention continuall. But nowe for the space of 7. yeres of their successors, that which we desired and loked for afore (that is, they shoulde beare good grapes and they bryng foorth wild grapes) in thys matter we fall into a deepe despaire. But in as much that we heare the comfort of the Lorde, which promised that miserably he wold destroy those wicked men, & let his vineyarde to other husbandmen which will bring him fruit at their times appoynted, he hath promised faithfully that he wil help his spouse in her nede, to thend of the world: & we leaning on the sure hope of this promise