for to salute them that come receaueth them allureth them and fedeth them wyth fayre wordes expoundeth the vertues of the saynte and telleth forth the fayned myracles of the Idoll to be shorte he mylketh away the money from the superstycious and foolyshe people And that ther shulde be nothynge to lette hym that shulde offre he hath al sortes of money by hym and therfore he choppeth and chaungeth scrappeth all into the sayntes boxe Ouer the whyche Idoll somme monke or preste hath rule whyche of those offerynges doth noryshe hys shameles housholde whores baudes yesters scoffers knaues and ydle houswyues And before all thynges the moost holy father hath hys parte of these gyftes the whyche hathe confyrmed thys holy marchaundyse by grauntynge of his large indulgences for all that our LORDE hath commaunded Frelye ye receaued frely geue agayn Peter also sayeng and pronouncynge Peryshe thou and thy money because thou thynkeste that the gyfte of God can be gotten wyth money But why do I prosecute these thynges so muche seynge he is not lyuynge that can sufficientlye declare the couetousnes deceates vnshamfastnes of hys mooste vngracious stocke wyth theyr workes moost contrarye to Christe and true relygion Thyrdlye ther followeth in Paule He is exalted aboue a ◠that is called God or worshyped that he is exalted aboue all that is called God or worshypped whyche sentence may be expounded two maner of wayes ether that he is exalted aboue God hymselfe and set vp agaynste all true relygyon and worshyppynge of God ether that he is exalted agaynste all godly thynges that is to say all true worshyppynge of God takyng the persone and name of God for true relygion and godly thynges But why do I stande vpō these thynges so muche seyng that the Apostle hymselfe doth ioyne vnto thys immediatly that whyche maye expounde all the forsayde sentēce so that he shall sytte in the temple of God auauncynge hymselfe as God After thys maner I saye is he exalted agaynste God hymselfe and all true relygion The temple of God is here taken for the worlde for the catholyke and vniuersall churche and the faythfull harte of euery man To sytte is for to raygne to beare rule To auaūce hym selfe as God is to boaste hym of the power of God to promyse and chalenge those thynges as peculyar to himselfe whyche belonge onely to God Lette vs heare nowe howe these thynges are fulfylled in Machomet and the Byshoppe of Rome Mahomet doth not alonly despyse the moost holye trynite but denyeth also Iesus Christe hymselfe to be very God He affirmeth that he gaue a more perfecter lawe then was geuen ether of Moses or of Iesus Christe he gloryed also that ther was wrytten of hym in the lawe and in the Gospel yee and that his name was wrytten from the begynnynge in the throne of God in the vpper parte on the ryghte hāde And among vs yf the Byshop of Rome or hys Legate had come into ony town with greate dilygence the congregaciō fell down before him at his metyng receaued him not as a mā but as God All the relyques were brought forth all mē kneled down to hym loked for hys blessynge thought it healthful yf they myght haue kyssed his fete And yf that ony man had but once thought that he had not had the full power in heauē in earth he was strayght waye taken for an heretyke What shall we saye also that all prestes wyth wycked Freres dyd preache openly in expresse wordes in all the temples of Christen men that the Byshoppe of Rome was the vycare of Christe the heade of the churche and that he had full power in heauen and in earth yee and in purgatorye to and that he dyd geue full remyssiō of synnes that he could not erre that all the interpretacion of scripture was subiecte to hym that hys lawes ought to be kepte as the lawe of God that he was iudge ouer all men that he was vnder no mans iudgemente yee these mē were not ashamed for to put these horrible blasphemyes into publike cōmune lawes Of the whyche thyng I wyll now bryng forth certayn euydēte wytnesses distinc XXII cap. Oēs Vnto Peter sayth Pope Nycolas the keye bearer of eternall lyfe dyd God commytte iurisdictiō ouer heauen and earth Item capit Sacrosancta Although all were Apostelles sayeth Anacletus yet dyd the LORDE graunte vnto Peter yee they wold the same amonge them selues that he shulde haue rule ouer all the Apostles and shulde be called Cephas that is to saye the heade and chefe of the Apostles the whyche also dyd delyuer the same maner to be kepte of theyr successours and other Byshoppes Therfore thys Apostolicall seate is ordeyned of God and of none other to be the heade henge and as the dore is ruled by the henge so by the ordinaunce of God are all churches ruled by the authoryte of thys holy Apostolycall seate Agayne Distinct .xix. Agatho the Pope doth wryte thus vnto all Byshoppes All the decres of the Apostolyke seate are so to be receaued as yf they were confyrmed by the godly mouth of S. Peter hymselfe Item capit In memoriam Although that holy seate do laye a yocke vpon vs scarslye able to be suffered yet let vs suffre it and obediētly abyde it And a lytle after sayeth Pope Steuen Trulye because the holy church of Rome ouer whyche God wolde vs to rule is set forth for a glas and an example what so euer it decreethe or ordeyneth it is to be kepte of all men for euer and wythoute ony gaynsayeng Furthermore .ix. questi capit .iii. Gelasius the Byshop of Rome sayeth vnto all the Byshoppes that were ordeyned thorow out Dardania these wordes All the churche knoweth thorow out all the worlde that the Popes seate whyche is saynte Peters ryghte hathe power to lowse those thynges whyche are bounde by ony mānes iudgementes what so euer they be as one that hathe rule to geue sentence ouer euery churche And agayn All the churche knoweth thorowe oute all the worlde that the holy churche of Rome hath power to iudge ouer all men but it is not lawfull for ony man to iudge vpō the sentēce of it for mē may appeale vnto that oute of ony parte of the worlde but from that no mā is suffred to appeale Item distinct Abused Canon XL. capit Yf the Pope saythe Boniface be found neglygēt aboute hys own health and hys brethrens or els vnprofytable slowe in hys workes or slacke to do good whyche hurteth hymselfe greatlye and all other men and doth also leade wyth hym by heapes innumerable people to be punyshed wyth hym euerlastyngly in hell yet let no man in the worlde be so hardye as to rebuke hys fautes for he beynge ordeyned to iudge all men ought to be iudged of no man excepte he be taken swaruynge from the fayth Agayn IX Questi III. capit saythe Innocencius the Pope No man may iudge
contrary wyse Wherevpon we reade in the Gospell that to the ryche glutton it was sayde Sonne remembre that thou in thy lyfe tyme receauedeste thy pleasure contrarye wyse Lazarus payne Nowe therfore he is refreshed and thou arte tormēted It differeth nothyng frome thys that we reade in the fourthe chapter of the boke of Sapiēce And these thynges truly are to be layd vp in the remembraunce of the faythfull to the intente that in tyme of aduersyte we myght perseuer in truth and ryghteousnes A true sayenge agaynst the tentacions of the deuell For the prosperyte of wycked men whiche they haue in thys world and on the the other syde the trouble of holy mē theyr moost infortunate estate do greatly vexe our myndes for to caste of the kyngdome of God and embrace thys presente worlde Let vs remembre therfore the ryghteous iudgemēt of God and the chaunge of all thynges Forsothe ther were in the tyme of the Prophetes contemners of God and louers of thys worlde which after the maner of our men commendynge the felicite of the wycked and scornynge or condēnynge the perylles that sayntes are in sayde Men serue God in vayne for ther commeth no profyte by that we haue kept hys commaundementes And we se that prowde men and subtyll persons are happy and they that do wyckednes to spede well and to be shorte that suche are safe as do tēpte God And what other thynge is it that men nowe adayes do obiecte agaynste the true worshypers of God what good haue ye gottē by your belefe saye they But what doth Malachie answere The LORDE gaue hede and herde thys and ther was a boke of remēbraunce wrytten before the LORDE ye shall se in tyme to cōme that ther is great differēce betwene the ryghteous the wycked betwene the seruaūte of God the despyser of hym Malachie the .iii. chapter Vvhan the LORDE Iesus shall shevve hymselfe from heauē vvith his myghty angelles in flamynge fyre rendryng vengeaunce vnto them that knovve not god and to them that obey not vnto the Gospell of oure LORDE Iesus Christe vvhiche shal be punished vvith euerlastynge dāpnacyon from the presence of the LORDE and from the glorye of hys povver vvhā he shall come to be glorifyed in hys sayntes and to be made maruelous in all thē that beleue because our testimony that vve had vnto you vvas beleued in that same daye He doth here paynt and wyth expresse and very notable wordes sette forthe before our eyes the commyng of the LORD Iesus and the maner of the iudgemenete The same cōmynge shal be vnto all sayntes very acceptable and moost beste welcome and to the vngodly very sowre and sorowful And euery word hath his strēgth and pythe Nowe saythe he the matter goeth all by wordes But whan the ende of all thynges shall come those thynges shall apeare manyfestly of which all sayntes haue disputed so long many yeares For the LORDE Iesus hymselfe to whōe all power is geuen in heauen in earth and to whome all iudgement belongeth shall apeare in a corporall fourme and lykenes for to iudge all fleshe And nowe doth he descrybe the behaueour of thys myghtye Iudge that vnto all hys enemyes shal be so terryble and so desyrous and longed for of hys frendes He shall comme I saye frome heauen not nowe as once crepynge vppon the earthe nor yet lowe and despysed as he appeared in hys fyrste cōmyng But cōpassed about wyth the hoost of angelles For we reade in Daniell the .vii A thousande thousandes mynistred vnto hym tenne thousand tymes tenne thousande stode before hym And therfore euē as a myghty kyng beynge apoynted with a chosen stronge hooste of men doth sett vpon hys enemy so shall the LORDE Iesus vse the mynisterye of angels in subduynge of the wycked mayntenaunce of the godly Therfore doth he call them the myghty angels of God as he wold saye they by whō god doth exercyse hys power or myghte Nother shall he thē come forth gently pleasaunte and for to heale the vnruly but be armed with horryble and flamynge fyre The Apostle Peter beareth wytnesse also that the LORDE shall iudge the world by fyre .ii. Petri .iiii. And the Prophete Dauid descrybynge that maner of Christes cōmyng to iudgement Psal xviii sayeth Fyre shal go forth before him he shall sende forth hys arowes skatter thē he shal cast oute lyghtenynges destroy thē And Daniel A fyry flowde brake forth sayeth he wēt out frō his syghte Furthermore Paul doth in playne wordes declare whō the LORD shal destroy at his cōmynge He shall of his wrath rēdre vēgeaūce vnto thē which knew not god or at the lest wold not know god which followynge the world regarded not hys preceptes obeyed not the Gospell of oure LORDE Iesus Christe Which thyng agreeth very well to the matter that is now in hāde For the Thessaloniās obeyed the Gospell suffered persecuciō for it It was swete therfore to heare that theyr obedience shuld be healthfull vnto thē to theyr aduersaries that persecuted thē damnable For he repetyng agayn the same thyng whiche he had sayd euē now in other wordes which shal be punyshed sayeth wyth euerlastynge damncion For euē so doth he rendre vengeaūce vnto thē For he punysheth these contēpners when he appoynteth them vnto euerlastynge fyre For so we reade in Daniell also the xii chapter Many that slepe in the duste of the earth shall waken some to eternall lyfe and some to shame and euerlastynge fyre After the same maner also dothe the iudge geue sentence Math. xxv Departe fro me ye cursed chyldren into euerlastynge fyre which is prepared for the deuel and hys angels they shall go into euerlastynge payne And S. Ambrose sayth excellently wel The wycked shall haue the paynes whiche are due vnto them that is they shall euermore fele eternall confusyon and yet shall neuer wholy fayle that the payne it selfe myghte engendre renew them after a certayn maner wherby they may euer from tyme to tyme be as it were consumed Therfore they deceaue and are deceaued as many as do promyse themselues delyueraunce out of hell and do fayne that after the day of iudgemente wycked men also shall be forgeuen The whych thynge men saye the Orygen thought I wote nere how truly but it is sure the certayne of the Anabaptystes haue taught this openlye But out of thys place it apeareth howe falsely and wyckedly For the vngodly shall peryshe by euerlastyng death From the presence of the LORDE that is whē the LORDE commeth from the glory of hys power that is when he shall come gloriously for to shewe hys power strength vnto good and euell For wyth these wordes sayeth Theophylactus he sheweth howe easy it is for God to punyshe nether shall it be harde for hym to punyshe because that rebellious and obstynate people shal be tormented euē wyth the very syghte of hym And the diuine
of Rome for to inuade and gette the Empyre For yf the one had not broken the strength of the Empyre of Rome the other had not raygned But we haue expounded all these thynges more at large in the hystory here before Nowe followeth the ruyne destruccion of Antichrist Of the destruccion of Antichrist He shall not fall by and by after that he is stryken wyth a stroke or weapon but by lytle and lytle after he hath bene made weake by many battaylles he shall at the laste peryshe But he shall not be caste down with mans hande nother yet by the multytude of hoostes nor strēgth of souldyers or gonne strokes but by the hande and power of God For Christ shall fyrste consume hym wyth the sprete of hys mouthe and after that shall he put hym cleane out of the waye wyth hys moost gloryous commynge into iudgemēt The fyrste of these two dyd Paule take oute of the eleuenth chapter of Isaie whose wordes are these With ryghteousnes shall he iudge the poore and wyth equite shall he contende for the meke of the earthe he shall stryke the worlde wyth the rodde of hys mouthe and wyth the sprete of hys lyppes shall he slaye the wycked Nowe the sprete of the mouthe or of the lyppes of God is the true exposycion of the worde of god For the worde of God is the same swearde wherewyth the heade of thys proude Golyas shall be stryken of For Antichrist speaketh on the syde of the moost hyghest and he sayeth that all that he doth is deduced or taken out of the Decrees of the holy scrypture For vnder the pretence of this hath he hetherto raygned safely But when that thoroughe the goodnes of God the lyght of the Gospell that is Goddes worde begynneth to shyne the clowdes of thys deceauer do strayght waye vanyshe awaye For it is playne vnto all men that thys fellowe in hys maners and lawes is clene contrarye to Christe Therefore it commeth to passe that all godlye wytted men the truthe once knowen do abhorre and forsake hym Therfore the swearde wherwyth this man is slayne is the word of God for thē is he moost surely slayne when that hys nature and dysposyciō are manyfestly knowen by the doctryne of truthe The knowlege of hym dothe kyll hym and cast him downe and the clokyng and ignoraūce of hym doth sette hym vp For they that knowe hym not do beleue that he is an Apostolycall prophete yee a god to but they that knowe him trulye are sure that he is Antichriste The latter of these two dyd Paul take out of the .vii. chapter of Daniell where we reade I loked tyll the seates were prepared and the olde aged satte hym downe and beholde ther came in the cloudes of the ayre one lyke the sonne of man and he came vnto the olde aged and the iudgemente was sette and the bokes opened Then toke I hede therevnto because of the voyce of the proud wordes whyche that horne spake And I behelde styll tyll that the beaste was slayne and hys bodye destroyed and geuen ouer to be burnte in the fyre And therfore sayeth Paule Whom the LORDE shall destroy wyth the bryghtnes of hys cōmynge that is to say with his moost gloryous cōmyng For our LORDE sayde in the Gospell Euen as the lyghtenynge commeth oute of the Easte and appeareth vnto the Weste so shall the commynge of the sonne of man be For he shall come in the cloudes of heauen wyth greate power and glory Math. xxiiii And euen as darknes as sayeth S. Ierome is dryuen away at the cōmynge of the Sonne The battail vanquyshyng of Antichriste so shall the LORDE destroy and put hym awaye wyth the bryghtnes of hys commynge Thys glorye and vyctorye is reserued vnto Christe onely For they are deceaued whyche thynke the Antichriste before the daye of iudgemēte shall by abolyshed by the strength of armes But thys battayll betwene Christe Antichriste shall rather endure vnto the ende of the worlde And he beynge bolde of the strength of armes shall breake a sondre treade vnder hys fete the sayntes of the moost hyest but the membres of Christe shall wythstonde hym and shall sette vpō hym with the swearde of the worde of God shall bewraye hys deceate shall accuse his wyckednes and so slaye hym For by thys meanes shall he be put oute of mens hartes and hys authoryte shall fall The vyctory of the Christen stādeth in the truth of Goddes worde and constauncy And in the meāseason although he be ouercome yet shall he take on vntyll Christe the iudge shall putte hym quyte down And therfore my brethren our vyctorye must stande alonly in the truth of Gods worde in the constanucy of our fayth Therfore let vs betake our lyues vnto our faythfull creator go forward in the affyrmyng of the canonical truth glory of Christ ourredemer LORD agaynst the blasphemies of this vnpure draggō Christ wyll be presēt with hys although he delyuer vs into hys handes Vvhose cōmynge is by the vvorkynge of Satan vvyth all povver and lyenge sygnes and vvonders and in all deceueablnes of vnryghteousnes amōg thē that perysh because they receaued not the loue of the truth that they might haue bene saued And therfore god shal sende thē strōge delusiō that they shuld beleue lyes that all they myght be dāned vvhych beleued not the truthe but had pleasure in vnryghtousnes Antichriste raygneth by power and lyes Hetherto hath the Apostle entreated of the reuelacion of Antichrist of the ruyne and confusion of hym he hath spoken also of hys kyngedome and propertyes nowe he turneth hym from that and descrybeth hys strengthe and workes more at large That deceauer shal come sayeth he prepared wyth the sprete and power of Satan the whyche shall shewe forth them selfe in hym moost manyfestly For thys maner of speakynge Vvhose cōmynge is by the vvorkynge of Satan is so much to saye Nowe the strength and workynge of Satan ar chefely murther and lyes as our saueoure sayeth He was a manslayer from the begynnynge and abode not in the truthe because the truthe is not in hym Whan he speaketh a lye he speaketh of hys owne because he is a lyer and the father of it And Paule in this place shewynge the workes of Satan by partes doth teken vp power and sygnes that is lyenge wonders and the deceaueablenesse of vnryghteousnesse also For Mahomet sayeth that he is sente of God in the strength of armoure for thys cause doth he destroye all thynges wyth fyre and swearde And the Byshope of Rome hath abused the armour of al kynges and prynces persecuteth and slayeth the sayntes ether callynge vpon the secular arme or els by excercysynge hy◠owne strength The greate destruccion of moost stronge nacions nowe in our dayes do testifye what he maye do by strength and what murthurs yee and betrayēge of kyngdomes and robberyes the deuell hath done in the world by
but turne vnto prayer And he prescrybeth the pryncypall thynges whyche they shuld aske of God by theyr contynuall prayer Fyrste that the worde of God myghte runne abrode and be glorifyed amonge all other nacyoÌ„s euen as it was dyuulgate amonge the Thessalonians and receaued of godlye meÌ„ wyth an holy reioycynge And all the scrypture beareth wytnesse that thys was the perpetuall moost feruenteste wyshe or desyre of all saynctes And in the fourth chapter of the Actes of the Apostles the Apostolyke church dyd aske thys one thynge of God that he wolde geue the apostles grace strengthe to speake the worde of God wyth boldnes We offende greatly nowe a dayes that we do aske these thynges so coldlye of God yee and I wolde to God that we dyd not vtterlye forgette to aske them at all Nowe where as he sayde to runne abrode he spake it after the commune speche and he mente that it might encreasse and spreade abrode apace wyth oute ony lette And the worde is gloryfyed when it is receaued of men and all the glorye geuen vnto God onely The secoÌ„de thynge that he teacheth to be asked wyth prayer is that we maye be delyuered from vnreasonable and euell men that is from inordynate and frowarde men Who vs vnreasonable euâ—ll men whyche do nothynge in theyr tyme and place but all thynges peruerslye And the Apostle mente the enemyes of Gods worde whoÌ„ nothynge can please and yet in the meanseason they can do nothynge well themselues They fynde fautes and peruerte all thynges and depraue those thynges whych are well sayd and done and do lade them and defyle them wyth shamefull suspycions They are also called shrewde malycious and peruerse meÌ„ And Dauid in hys psalmes dothe desyre very ofte to be delyuered froÌ„ them And our LORDE dyd adde vnto the ende of that holy prayer Delyuer vs froÌ„ euell not alonly from the deuell but also from all hys armye and bodye and specially from that spyrytuall wyckednesse those crafty deceauers For ther is more ieopardye in a false frende and one that dissembleth all thynge theÌ„ in an opeÌ„ enemye Al meÌ„ haue not faythe And herevnto belongeth that which followeth For all men haue not fayth For this meaneth Paul All they are not faythfull and true whyche wolde seme to be faythfull For faythe in thys place is vsurped in the same sygnifycacion that the Poete taketh it when he sayeth Nusquam tuta fides a man woteth neare whome he maye truste Yf ye wyll not grauÌ„t this maner of speakynge then thys is the meanynge Touchynge the I do requyre your prayers so greatlye that we myght be delyuered from vnreasonable and froward men it is because I knowe that ther are many false brethren amonge you For all they whyche pretende fayth and professe it wyth theyr mouthe haue not the true fayth in dede For oure LORDE sayeth in the Gospell Math. xx Many are called but fewe are chosen And althoughe these two sences dyffer not muche yet the fyrste lyketh me better Nowe ther followeth But the LORDE is faythfull vvhyche shall stablyshe you and kepe you from euell For leste he shulde dyscoÌ„forte the myndes of the saynctes through the vnfaythfulnes of manye althoughe sayeth he that ther be many vnfaythfull amonge you yet the LORDE is faythful and true whyche wyll kepe hys promyse wyth vs and be wyth hys for euer They do resyste the Gospell but they shall not ouercome it they lette it that it can not go much abrode but they shall not dryue it cleane backe They do betraye the fauourers of the truthe but yet they shall not vtterlye oppresse the truth For Iesus Christ whyche is faythfull is euer at haÌ„de for to fyghte for hys He shall streÌ„ghthen hys agaynste the vnhappynesse of these men and shall kepe theÌ„ from euell For as much as he is true he wyll luckly perfourme those thynges whyche he hath begonne in vs. These wordes that are so full of consolacion shulde be often layde forth to such as are in perrell are greatlye aferde also of vnreasonable and euell men Nowe to mytygate and as it were to correcce that whyche he sayde before he sayeth But vve haue good hope of you throughe the LORD c. As though he wolde saye We saye not these thynges because that we doute of your constauncy no we do rather hope of you by the helpe of the LORDE Iesus that those thynges whyche I commaunde you of prayer of watchynge and stedfastnesse ye both do and hereafter wyll do And it hath muche grace wyth it yf that in oure admonycion we do reioyce of the thynge whyche we desyre to receaue optayne as it were receaued optayned already Agayne leste that ony man shulde attrybute ouermuche vnto theyr owne strengthe but that rather we shulde all knowe that euery gyfte is geuen vs of God from heaueÌ„ the LORDE sayth he guyde youre hartes into the loue of God and lokynge after Christe To the wyhche Erasmus dothe adde Charite shall cause you for to studye to do good vnto all men euen as God is benefycyal towarde all men The lokynge for the coÌ„mynge of Christe shall cause you to suffer all afflyccions manfully Therfore in all trubles and perylles we haue these two styltes for to beare vs vp prayer stedfaste fayth BrethreÌ„ let vs remembre these thynges I praye you in as muche as our tymes also are mooste corrupte troublesome and that for thys cause it is not possible but the sayntes shuld be vexed let vs praye to God and constauntly beleue that he wyl neuer fayle vs although that in the meanseason many vnreasonable and euell men do ether persecute or betraye the truthe God is true fayth full whyche can not denye hymselfe and the truthe shall remayn euermore inuincyble let vs cleue therfore vnto the truthe and we shall haue the vyctory althoughe that when we be ouerthrowen of the worlde we seme to be ouercome Vve commaunde you brethren in the name of our LORDE Iesus Christe that ye vvythdravve your selues from euery brother that vvalketh inordynately and not after the instytucion vvhyche he receaued of vs. It is manyfeste in the fourth chapter of the fyrste Epystle He condemneth deliâ—es exhort the men to laboure what gaue hym an occcasion of thys commaundemente That is to saye because that immediatlye after the tyme of the Apostles certayn curious men beganne to thruste themselues into the church of God and vnder the pretence of relygion or euell sciences and slouthfull ydelnes dyd gette them a swete lyuynge And where as befor in his fyrst epistle he dyd but easlye as it were bycker or skyrmyshe wyth them he dothe nowe comme in open felde vpon them ouerthrowe them and put theÌ„ to flyghte Fyrste of all he settethe forthe the matter generally and sayeth I wyll not that you haue ony conuersacion wyth inordynate fellowes and suche as ordre themselues otherwyse then we dyd ordeyne And he speaketh not