But among all other, as soon as the pope was taken? the cardinal wrote unto the emperor that he should make him pope. And when he had got an answer that pleased him not, according unto his deservings toward the emperor, then he waxed furious mad, and sought all means to displease the [3 Polydore Vergil, in reference to the circumstance, says: Quamvis re vera princeps illa, mulier optima, noluerit quicquam audire de nuptiis, que nuptive non possent conjungi sine miserabili Catharinze casu.’—p. 1735. It is well known that Margaret was favourable to the reformation.]
[4 Grafton says, The 22d day of July [1527] the cardinal departed out of Calice, and with him was the lord Cutberd Tunstall, bishop of London, Sir Thomas More, &c.’—p. 1151.]
[5 The treaty which the cardinal made with Francis is given in Rymer.]
[6 Day had omitted all the previous part of this chapter; and begins this paragraph as follows; But at that time the pope, taking part with the French king, had war with the emperor; and at the last the pope was taken, &c.’ The text of Day then proceeds in agreement with that of the first, or Marburg edition, to the close of the next - paragraph, with which Day finishes the chapter.] ol
TYNDALE, 11.
emperor!, and imagined this? divorcement between the king and the queen, and wrote sharply unto the emperor with menacing letters, that if he would not make him pope, he would make such ruffling between christian princes as was not this hundred year, to make the emperor repent: yea, though it should cost the whole realm of England.
The Lord Jesus be our shield! What a fierce wrath of God is this upon us, that a misshapen monster should spring out of a dunghill into such a height that, the dread of God and man laid apart, he should be so malapert, not only to defy utterly the majesty of so mighty an emperor, whose authority both Christ and all his apostles obeyed, and taught all other to obey, threatening damnation to all them that of would not; but should also set so little by the whole realm οὗ England, which hath bestowed so great cost and shed so much blood to exalt and maintain such proud, churlish, and unthankful hypocrites, that he should not care to destroy it utterly for the satisfying of his villainous lusts.
The emperor sent forth a little book in print, both in Spanish and also in Dutch, in which he answereth unto the eardinal’s menacing, and unto many articles that the cardinal layeth against him, and among all other repeateth this threatening of the cardinal Ye will (saith the emperor) to do me displeasure, if I will not make you pope, set such a ruffling among christian princes as was not this hundred year, though it should cost you the whole realm of England.’ Whereunto the emperor answereth, saying, Ye go about to give your king another wife, which if you do, it may be the next way to cost you the realm of England. And I believe verily, that the prophecy of this caitiff Caiaphas, the cardinal, through the mischief that he hath wrought for the diyorcement of the marriage, shall be fulfilled, and that it will cost the whole realm of England, if it be not seen to betimes. By what means, I will shew you after that I have spoken a word or two of this divorcement.: [! See Sh. Turner, Hist. Hen. VIII. ch. xx. Vol. m. p. 150—1.] ὁ [2 So M. ed., but D. has the.]
Of the divorcement
If the king’s most noble grace will needs have another wife, then let him search the laws of God, whether it be lawful or not; forasmuch as he himself is baptized to keep the laws of God, and hath proposed them and hath sworn them. If the law of God suffer it, then let his grace put forth a little treatise in print, and even in the English tongue, that all men may see it, for his excuse and the defence of his deed, and say, Lo, by the authority of God’s word do I this’ And then let not his grace be afraid either of the emperor, or of his lords, or of his commons and subjects: ~ for God hath promised to keep them that keep his laws. If we care to keep his laws, he will care for the keeping of us, for the truth of his promises. If it be found unlawful, then let his grace fear God, and cease to shame himself and his blood, his lords, his subjects, and his realm, and specially the blessed name of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and his holy doctrine, and the profession of our faith: for whosoever professeth the faith of Christ, and liveth contrary unto his doctrine, shameth the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Moreover whatsoever God coupled, man may not loose, no, though he name himself pope. — Wherefore, if this marriage be of God, the pope cannot dispense with it: for God hath given no power against himself; but to preach his ordinances only hath he given power. Therefore if we will see what is right and what is wrong, let us bring it unto the light of God’s law, and let us submit our causes unto the judgment thereof, and be content to have our appetites slain thereby, that we lust no farther than God’s ordinance giveth us liberty. For verily to desire more than God permitteth, is to tempt God, and to provoke wrath and indignation upon us, unto our destruction, as the children of Israel did under Moses, and perished: whose froward deeds are warning for us (saith Paul, 1 Cor. x.) that we, feared with the terrible ensample of their fall, should abstain from like wickednesses.