Isacius.

The election was confirmed by the emperor.

Note here the treasure that the bishops of Rome

had at this time.

gotten with alms and blood of martyrs upon goodly plate, and great vessels of gold, and silver, without care of things to come, despising God, whom they worshipped for their belly's sake only, and also man. Moreover, it was the custom even then, saith the author, to ask what the bishoprick was worth: yea, and to leave a worse for a better, or to keep both with a union. And at the same time, Isacius, the deputy of the emperor, came to Rome to confirm the pope in his see with the emperor's authority; for the election of the pope was then nothing worth, except it had been confirmed by the emperor: and he found so great treasure in the church of St. John Lateran, that for disdain which he had, that they should have such treasure in store, and not to help the emperor in his wars against the Turks, seeing his soldiers lacked wages, he took it away with violence against the will of the prelates, of which he exiled some, and paid his own men of war with one part, and took another part unto himself, and sent the third part unto the emperor; which must needs have been a great treasure in one church.

BY WHAT MEANS THE PRELATES FELL FROM

CHRIST.

of Rome in the

primitive church

was a dangerous office.

The bishop THE office of a bishop was a room at the beginning that no man coveted, and that no man durst take upon him, save he only which loved Christ better than his own life. For as Christ saith, that no man might be his disciple, except that he were ready to forsake life and all: even so might that officer be sure that it would cost him his life at one time or another, for bearing record unto the truth. But after that the multitude of the Christian were increased, and many great men had received the faith, then both lands, and rents, as well as other goods were

entry of Christ's church, there was

given unto the maintenance, as well of the clergy, as of the poor: because they gave then no tithes to the priests, At the first nor yet now do, save in certain countries. For it is too much to give alms, offerings, lands, and tithes also. And then the bishops made them substitutes under them to help them, which they called priest, and kept the name of paid to the bishop unto themselves.

But out of the deacons sprang all the mischief. For through their hands went all things: they ministered unto the clergy, they ministered unto the poor, they were in favour with great and small. And when the bishop's office began to have rest, and to be honourable, then the deacons, through favour and gifts, climbed up thereunto, as lightly he that hath the old abbot's treasure succeedeth with us. And by the means of their practice and acquaintance in the world, they were more subtle and worldly wise than the old bishops, and less learned in God's word, as our prelates are, when they come from stewardships in gentlemen's houses, and from surveying of great men's lands, lord's secrets, king's counsels, ambassadorship from war, and ministering all worldly matters, yea, worldly mischief: and yet now they come not thence, but receive all, and bide there still; yea, they have enacted by plain parliament that they must bide in the court still, or else they may not have plurality of benefices. then by little and little they enhanced themselves, and turned all to themselves, minishing the poor people's part, and increasing their's, and joining acquaintance with great men, and with their power climbed up, and entitled them to the choosing and confirming of the pope and all bishops, to flatter and purchase favour and defenders: trusting more unto their worldly wisdom than unto the doctrine of Christ, which is the wisdom of God, and unto the defence of man than of God. Then while they that had the plough by the tail looked back, the plough went awry, faith waxed feeble and fainty, love waxed cold, the Scripture waxed dark, Christ was no more seen: he was in

And

no tithes

ministers.

All corthe church came first deacons.

ruption of

out of the

Money

purchased preferment

The prebide still in

lates must

the court.

How the

clergy first by riches, and then by flattery, themselves.

advanced

When the prelates waxed rich, then they disputed who

should be

highest.

the mount with Moses, and therefore the bishops would have a god upon the earth whom they might see, and thereupon they began to dispute who should be greatest.

HOW THE BISHOP OF ROME BECAME GREATER
THAN OTHER, AND CALLED HIMSELF POPE.

was the

first seat of our high bishop.

Constantinople. Rome.

Jerusalem THEN, quoth worldly wisdom, Jerusalem must be the greatest, for that was Christ's seat: Et factum est: so it came to pass for a season. And in conclusion, where a great city was and much riches, there was the bishop ever greater than his fellows. Alexandria in Egypt, and Antioch in Greece, were greater than their neighbours. Then those decaying, Constantinople and Rome waxed great, and strove who should be greater. And Constantinople said, Where the emperor is, there ought to be the greatest seat and chiefest bishop. For the emperor lay most at Constantinople, because it was ( I suppose) nigh the midst of the empire, therefore I must be the greatest, said the bishop of Constantinople. Nay, How Rome quoth the bishop of Rome, though the emperor lie never so much at Constantinople, yet he is called emperor of Rome, and Rome is the head of the empire; wherefore of right I must be the father of all waten. And thus, whether they challenged their title by the authority of God or man; or by Peter or polling, it was all one, so they might be greatest.

came to be the chiefest

city.

Rome the seat and

mother of all wicked

ness.

And great intercession was made unto the emperors of both parties; but in vain a great season; for the emperors stopped their ears at such ambitious requests long time, till at the last there came an emperor called Phocas, which lay long in Italy, and was a very soft man, and a prey Pope Boni- for prelates. In whose time Boniface III. was bishop of Rome, a man ambitious and greedy upon honour,

Phocas.

face the

Third.

and of a very subtle wit, nothing inferior unto Thomas Wolsey, cardinal of York. This Boniface was great with the emperor Phocas, and with his wily persuasions and great intercession together, obtained of Phocas to be called the chiefest of all bishops, and that his church should be the chief church. Which authority, as soon as he had purchased, he sent immediately his commandment, with the emperor's power, unto all the bishops of Almany, commanding that every bishop should call all the priests of his diocese, and charge them that every man should put away his wife, under pain of excommunication; which tyranny, though great resistance was made against it, he yet brought to pass with the emperor's sword, and his subtilty together. For the bishops were rich, and durst not displease the pope for fear of the emperor.

As soon as Nimrod, that mighty hunter, had caught this prey, that he had compelled all bishops to be under him, and to swear obedience unto him, then he began to be great in the earth, and called himself Papa, with this interpretation, Father of fathers. And when the pope had exalted his throne above his fellows, then the unity that ought to be among brethren in Christ's church brake; and division began between us and the Greeks; which Greeks (I suppose) were at that time the one half of Christendom. And when any pope since exhorteth them to unity, they answer, That he which will reign over his brethren with violence, breaketh unity, and not they; and that they will not be under his tyranny, whereunto he calleth them under a colour of unity. And from henceforth, with the help of his bishops, which were sworn to be true liegemen unto him, when beforetime they were admitted to their bishoprics of the emperors and kings, he began to lay a bait to catch the whole empire into his hands also.

Mahomet and the pope began

at one time.

Gregory

the pope came up by

men, and

his estate

still.

AT that same season, Mahomet, the author of the sect of the Turks and Saracens, began. And as soon as he had got much people unto him with wiles and feigned miracles, he invaded the empire of Rome in those quarters. And look how busy Mahomet was in those parts, so busy was the pope in these quarters to invade the empire, (with the help of his sworn bishops, which preached all of none other God than the pope,) while the emperor was occupied afar off in resisting of Mahomet.

And within few years after, when the kings of Italy now and then vexed our holy fathers for their covetous ambition, then Gregory III. joined amity with the Frenchmen, and called them to help, by whose power the French they gat all they have, and also maintain it unto this day. For if any man, since that time, either displeased the by them he continueth pope never so little, he immediately cursed him, and excommunicate him, and proclaimed him no right inheritor, and that it was not lawful to hold of him, and absolved his lords and subjects of their allegiance, and sent his blessing unto the French king, and remission of sins to go and conquer his land; the pope and French king alway dividing the spoil between them: the bishops, and all that served God for the belly, preaching the pope's might, how that he had power so to do, and all things to bind and loose at his will; wresting the Scriptures to serve for their purpose, corrupting all the laws, both of God and man, to prove his godhead withal.

Pope Zacharias the

THEN came pope Zacharias the First, in whose time Hildericus was king of France, a man that governed his Hildericus. realm (as it oft chanceth) by a deputy, (as persons preach)

First.