broade to drye, demaunded of them,
whether they were those that shoulde come to devide the worlde with the
Emperour; and as they answered yea, he tooke up his shirte behinde and
shewed them his buttocks, sayenge unto them: Drawe your lyne throughe the
middest of this place. This, saieth the author, was published in contempte
all abroade, bothe in the towne of Badayos and also in the assemblye of
these committies. The Portingales were greately angrie therewithall, but
the rest turned yt to a jest and laughed yt oute.

But what wise man seeth not that God by that childe laughed them to
scorne, and made them ridicullous and their partition in the eyes of the
worlde and in their owne consciences, and caused the childe to reprove
them, even as the dombe beaste, speakinge with mans voyce, reproved the
foolishnes of Balam the Prophett!

4. The fourthe pointe which I purpose to touche, is the forme and manner
of the stile of the donation itselfe, after a large preface and connynge
preamble; and that begynneth in this manner: Wee therefore, by the
aucthoritie of God Almightie, which is geven to us in the person of
Saincte Peter, and which wee enjoye in this worlde as the vicar of Jhesus
Christe, give unto you all the ilandes and firme landes, with their
seigniories, cities, castells, &c. In which repetition of his donation the
seconde time for failinge, he woulde shewe unto the world by what
aucthoritie and warrant he gave away from all the Indians their landes,
contries, seigniories, cities, castells, places, villages, righte,
jurisdictions, and all other appurtenances and thinges belonginge to the
same, to the Kinges of Spaine onely, and to their heires and successors
for ever. This usurped aucthoritie, as I have plainely confuted and denied
in begynnynge, so nowe, in a worde or twoo, I will shewe, that never gave
unto the Popes any suche aucthoritie. (M252) The chefest and greatest
aucthoritie that ever was geven by Christe to Peter, is mentioned in the
16. chapiter of St. Mathewe, where Christe saieth unto him: I will give
unto thee the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalte
binde in earthe shalbe bounde in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalte loose
in earthe shalbe loosed in heaven. St. Hierome, expoundinge of this place,
saieth, that the priestes or bisshops duetie and aucthoritie of the keyes
to binde or loose, is to knowe and declare by the holy Scripture, and by
the judgemente of the Catholicque Churc