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by King Henry VIII

transcribed by
the Revd Ed Renner
AD 2001

ALTHOUGH I do not rank myself amongst the most Learned and Eloquent; yet (shunning the Stain of Ingratitude, and moved by Fidelity and Piety;) I cannot but think myself obliged, (would to God my Ability to do it, were equal to my good Will!) to defend my Mother, the Spouse of Christ: Which, though it be a Subject more copiously handled by others; nevertheless I account it as much my own Duty, as his who is the most learned, by my utmost Endeavours, to defend the Church, and to oppose myself to the poisonous Shafts of the Enemy that fights against her: Which this Juncture of Time, and the present State of Things, require at my Hand. For before, when none did assault, it was not necessary to resist; but now when the Enemy, (and the most wicked Enemy imaginable,) is risen up, who, by the Instigation of the Devil, under Pretext of Charity, and stimulated by Anger and Hatred, spews out the Poison of Vipers against the Church, and Catholic Faith; it is necessary that every Servant of Christ, of what Age, Sex, or Order soever, should rise against this common Enemy of the Christian Faith; that those, whose Power avails, not, yet may testify their good Will by their cheerful Endeavours.

It is now therefore convenient, that we arm ourselves with a two-fold Armour: the one Celestial, and the other Terrestrial. With a celestial Armour; That he, who, by a feigned and dissembled Charity, destroys others, and perishes himself, being gained by true Charity, may also gain others; and that he who fights by a false Doctrine, may be conquered by true Doctrine: With a terrestrial; that, if he be so obstinately malicious, as to neglect holy Councils, and despise God's Reproofs, he may be constrained by due Punishments; that he who will not do Good, may leave off doing Mischief; and he that did Harm by the Word of Malice, may do Good by the Example, of his Punishments. What Plague so pernicious did ever invade the Flock of Christ? What Serpent so venemous has crept in, as he who writ of the Babylonian Captivity of the Church; who wrests Holy Scripture by his own Sense, against the Sacraments of Christ; abolishes the ecclesiastical Rites and Ceremonies left by the Fathers; undervalues the holy and antient Interpreters of Scripture, unless they concur with his Sentiments; calls the most Holy See of Rome, Babylon, and the Pope's Authority, Tyranny; esteems the most wholesome Decrees of the Universal Church to be Captivity; and turns the Name of the most Holy Bishop of Rome, to that of Antichrist! O that detestable Trumpeter of Pride, Calumnies and Schisms! What an infernal Wolf is be, who seeks to disperse the Flock of Christ! What a great Member of the Devil is he, who endeavours to tear the Christian Members of Christ from their Head!

How infectious is his Soul, who revives these detestable Opinions and buried Schisms; adds new ones to the old, brings to Light (Cerberus-like, from Hell) the Heresies which ought to lie in eternal Darkness; and esteems himself worthy to govern all Things by his own Word, opposed against the Judgments of all the Antients; nay also to ruin the Church of God! Of whose Malice I know not what to say. For I think neither Tongue nor Pen can express the Greatness of it. Wherefore, before I exhort, pray, and beseech, through the Name of Christ (which we will profess) all Christians, who are willing to look upon, and read Luther's Works, especially the Babylonian Captivity, (if he be Author of it) to do it warily, and very judicially; that, as Virgil said, he gathered Gold out of the Dross of Ennius; so they may also gather good Things out of Evil: And if any Thing please them, let them not be so taken with it, as to suck the Poison with the Honey; for it is better to want both, than to swallow both. To hinder which, I wish the Author may Repent, be converted, and live; and, in Imitation of St. Augustine, (whose Rule he professed) correct his Books, filled with Malice, and revoke his Errors. If Luther refuses this, it will shortly come to pass, if Christian Princes do their Duty, that these Errors, and himself, if he perseveres therein, may be burned in the Fire. In the mean while, we thought it fit to discover to the Readers some chief Heads or Chapters in the Babylonian Captivity, which have the most Venom in them, by which it will appear, very clearly, with what exulcerated Mind he began this Work; pretending the public Good, but writing Nothing but malicious Inventions.

We need not seek any foreign Testimonies for proving what we have said; for Luther (fearing that any one should go up and down in Search of such,) discovers himself, and his Mind, of his own Accord, in his very Beginning. For who should doubt of what he aimed at, when he reads this one Sentence of his?

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