Page:The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe Volume 3.djvu/151



Of this maner of speach I cannot finde in the gospel, ne in no place of holie write, ne I haue not read that Christ vsed this maner of remission, ne none his apostles. But as me seemeth, if the pope had such a power, sithen the paines after a man's death bene much greater than anie bodily pains of the world: me thinketh he should of charitie keep men out of such paines, and then men neede not to finde so manie vicious priests after their life, to bring their soules out of purgatorie. An other thing me thinketh, that sithe the popes power ne may not keep vs in this world fro bodily paines as from cold, from hunger, from dread, from sorrow, and other such paines, how should his power helpe us from spirituall paines, when we bene dead? But for that no man commeth after his death to tell vs the sooth in what pain they bene, men mow tell thereof what hem lust. S. John saithin his Apocalyps, that he saw vnder the aultar, the soules of them which were slayne for the word of God, and for the testimonie which they had. 'And they did crie with a loud voice, saying: 'Howe long Lord, holie and true, doest not thou reuenge our bloud of them which dwell on the earth? And white stoles were giuen to euerie of them to rest a while, till the number of their fellow seruantes and brethren should be fulfilled, which also remained to be slaine as they were,' &c. Here seemeth it, that these soules were not assoiled 'a pœna,' that is, from paine: for their desire ritual, is not fulfillen. And they were bidden abide a while, and that is a pain. And if martyrs were not assoiled from paine, it is hard for anie man to saie, that he assoileth other men 'a pœna.' Also good mens soules haue not but spirituall blisse, and they want bodilie blisse, imtill their resurrection in the day of dome. And after they desiren to haue that blisse, and abiden it, and that is paine to them. And I cannot see that the pope hath power to bring him from this pain. But if anie man can shew me, that he hath such a power graunted in the troth of Holy Write, I will gladlie leefen it.

The 7. point speaketh of the pope and is this: Sithe it is onlie due to God, as I haue said before, to geue and to graunt plener remission, from paine, and from blame, that whatsoeuer he be, pope or other, that presumptuouslie mistaketh vppon him the power that onelie is due to God, in that, in as much as in him is, he maketh himselfe euen with Christ, and blasphemeth God, as Lucifer did, when he said, 'Ascendam, and ero similis altissimo.' That is, 'I will ascend, and be like the highest,' &c.

For that I say, if the pope holde men of armes in maintaining of his temporall lordship, to venge him on them that gilten and offenden him, and geueth remission to fight and to slaie them, that contrarien him, as men sayden hee did by the bishop of Norwich, not putting his sworde in his sheath, as God commaunded to Peter, he is Antichrist. For hee doth the contrarie of the commandement of Jesus Christ, that bade Peter forgiuen to his brother 70. sithe 7. sithe. Well I find in the gospel, that vhen Christ sent his disciples to Samarie, the Samaritanes would not receiuen them. And some of them bidden Christ, that hee should make a fire come downe from heauen, to destroy the citie. And hee blamed them, and said: 'Nescitis cuius spiritus estis: filius hominis non venit animas perdere, se'dsaluare.' That is, 'Ye know not of what spirite ye are: the sonne of man is not come downe to destroy, but to saue the liues and soules of men,' &c. If Christ then come to saue men, and not to slea them, who that doth the reuers hereof, is against Christ, and then he is Antichrist. Christ bad Peter put his sword in his sheath and said: 'Omnes qui gladium acceperint, gladio peribunt.' That is: 'All which take the sword, shall perish with the sworde.' And I cannot finde that Peter drewe out his sworde after that time, but suffered as Christ said: 'Cum senueris, alius cinget te, et ducet quo tu non vis.' That is, 'When thou shalt waxe old, another shall gird thee and lead thee whether thou wilt not.' And therefore said Peter, 'Christ suffered for vs, leauing vs example that we should follow his steppes. And Paule saith: 'Not defending your selues, but geue place to anger: leaue reuenging to mee, and I shall reward them,' &c. And therefore it seemeth to mee, that it is as much against Christes loue, that his vicar should bee a fighter, sithen that hee mote be a shepheard, that should go before his sheepe, and let them come after him, and not with swordes to driue them away from him. For