Therfore / where / as his vicare raigneth / there is no god / for where god is present / there neadeth no vicare / but only ministers / as thapostles called not theÌ„self the vicars of god / but onely his ministres Therfore is the sainge of Paule fulfilled Whe se the maÌ„ of synne sonne of perdition / sittinge in the teÌ„ple of god / ij Thessa ij shewinge him silf as thowgh he were god / beinge an adversary / exalted above the word of god all his worshupe What is more coÌ„trary to the trueth of the gospell theÌ„ these faces and clokes their doctrine how be it / it is worshupped / feared observed above all the worde of god / that vnder the name of him aÌ„d his learninge / but let vs retvrne vnto daniel 〈…〉 Danie viij This word hidoth which Daniel doth put in the hebrew toÌ„ge doth signifye a probleme a ryed all / a darke seÌ„teÌ„ce / which deceaveth the sense if a maÌ„ loke but on the wordes So in the first of IudicuÌ„ judicum j. I will propound vn to yov a ryedell 〈◊〉 xlviij And in the .xlviij. psalme I will opeÌ„ in a songe my darke senteÌ„ce Therfore he is called wittye in these sotle reasons aÌ„d rydels / which caÌ„ with darke wordes / deceave the hearers / so that they may heare one thinge vnderstoÌ„d a nother And it is not thus takeÌ„ that he shuld be wittye in ryedles for to vnderstoÌ„d that that other men shall speake / but that he is apte mete to deceave other by his awne wordes I will put an exaÌ„ple WheÌ„ this kiÌ„ge of faces / The Chirche in his decrees doth use this worde the chirch for him silf and his adhereÌ„res be they never so vngodly and weked goth aboute to persuade all men that what so ever they coÌ„stitute and ordene / it is done of the chirch as they have now prevailed / yee and triumphe by the obtayning of this word thikest thow that he hath not propouÌ„ded a proper rydle / syth that the chirch doth not signifye / but the holye congregation of faithfull which live and are led with the sprete of god / which are the bodye and fulfillinge of Christ / as Paule saith Colo. iâ— What lyes shall not this maÌ„ grouÌ„d and sett forth What obedience shall not he obtayne what lawe shall not he stablisshe when he hath so fare prevailed that both the hearers and he that speaketh do vnderstond the Synagoge of SathaÌ„ for the chirch of god Whâ—â— to he that wold not obeye the church of god we may perceave by this worde that this kiÌ„gdome of faces differith from the maneraÌ„d condition of all other kingdoms by cawse he contendith not with armure / but with wordes Not with plaine and simple wordes as the kingdome of Christ the impery of this worlde is vsed and ministered / for the impery of this world in mannes lawes determe of temporall thinges with evideÌ„te wordes / which of every maÌ„ sone are vnderstond And the kingdome of Christ is rueled by the sure and playne worde of the gospell But this kingdom doth vndermine meÌ„ deceave theÌ„ with darke duble wordes which sounde one thinge and meane an other Nether doth he teach that a maÌ„ may perceave other wordly thiÌ„ges or spirituall / but he faineth to teach spirituall / in very dede they are wordly teÌ„porall And in this crafte they are so wittye / sotle / and apte thorow sathanes helpe that they seduce and being in to errour as Christ prophesied the very chosen nether caÌ„ they be iudged but of them which are spirituall Danie viij Therfore Daniel calleth him sotle and wittye / and his lawes ryedles / by cause he shuld deceave all men / which sharply and wyth greate diligence do not marke and take hede of them Make a proffe thy silf Yf thow be taught to abstaine from / me ates / â—â—thinges / places / persons / and certaine â—ther thinges / and to vse soch or soch garmentes / behaveoure / meate / place persons Beinge in this opinion / that by those meanes and labours / thow shalt do good workes obtaine righteousnes / And after wheÌ„ thow comest to thy self and haste the true vnderstondinge doste perceave that thow hast labored but in temporall thinges which make no more for righteousnes / then other occupations and labours of laye men / woldest thou not say that thou haddest bene properly begyled And haddest thow not in very dede bene deceaved thorow faire wordes And I pray the are not all that the Pope commaundeth even soch phantases Doth he not in his decrees and statutes entreate / and de terme of places / meates / vesture / or persons Where in consisteth no more iustes then if thow shuld go plowe a felde / or weve / or spinne But who playeth the husbond maÌ„ thinkinge to be iustified if he do his worke / or to sinne if he do it not / all though it be a profitable and necessary worke And thow arte commaunded to laboure in that worke which is nother necessary to the liffe nor yet profitable for any thinge hopinge to find righteousnes in it / and to sinne if thow traÌ„sgres for what doth it profite other thy liffe or substance to were a blacke or a russer cotâ— to cate milke or flesshe / to be shaveÌ„ or â—nshaven / to live in this place or in that Aâ— yeâ— in this trifelinge and vnprofitable thingeâ— thow arte commauÌ„ded to be iustified aÌ„d halowed / or els to sinne and offend Are not here problemes / ryedles propounded craftely to the And truely all the world / is replenesshed with this false deceitfull doctrine These be the consciences marked with hotte yerons / i. Timo. iiij for as all that they do be very clokes and faces / even so all that they teach be sotle reasons and fained ryedles / so that both in the thinges and in the wordes / are nothinge els but clokes and faces / and yet they make a fearfull and scrupelous conscience with oute any cause or authorite Observe and note with what sober and meke wordes the sprete doth handell these cruell and odious monstres / for he calleth the abominable pompe and hypocrisye nothinge but faces / which thow canst sufficiently and worthely defame with no word And he nameth this pestilent deceavinge of antichristes dottrine And this mischevous foxy wylinesse to delude men / nothinge but rydles Danie viij This clerly doth Daniel in the .vij. prophesye / where he writeth that after the terrible best that had ten hornes which by the consent of all men is the imperye of Rome he considered aÌ„d sawe an other litle horne spriÌ„s ginge out of the middes of them that is the impery of the Pope which as we saide is spronâ—â—e in the middes of the imperye of Rome â–ª â—â—d behold there were eyes like mennes 〈◊〉 this horne / and
he shal be burned / be it in case he were the verye adversary of Christ but I know none of them that will go to the fyre shuld they then burne him and Christ saye naye Yee forsoth / for they can sett Christ to scole / aÌ„d say this is better / ywes Paule had never bene good corne / yf he had bene destroyed when he was wedes and the adversarye of Christ Let them beware lest they be ordered as Saul was / ij Regum xv which was commaunded to destroye the kinge of Amelech aÌ„d all his goodes / how be it he spared the kinges liffe and the fayrest goodes catelles makinge sacrifice with them vnto God / which if bely wisdoÌ„ were any thinge worth shuld seame a mervelous good deade / how be it / it did displease God so sore that he saide vnto Samuel / he repented that he had made Saul kinge because Saul had forsakeÌ„ him and had not in dede fulfilled his wordes And therfore he was depryved of his kingdom and ranne far in to the indignation of God Even so I feare me these Antichristes which presume to contrary Christes wordes will lese the kingdome of glorye which was prepared for the faithfull before the foundations of the world were caste Ephesi i. Now let vs prove the minor for of these .ij. partes foloweth the conclusion of necessyte ¶ The minor is / that all Popes / Cardinalles / Busshopes aÌ„d their adherentes do per sequute Minor Nedeth this any probation I thinke some of you have proved it I ensuere you they are as mercyfull as the wolf is on his praye they were ordened to blisse men ii Corinth x i. Corin. xiij But they curse as the devill were in them Paule sayeth that he hath power in to edifyinge and not in to destruction But I wot not of whom these bloudy bestes have their authorite which do so moch reioyse in cursinge / and destruction i. Corin. v We read how Paule did excommunicate the CorinthiaÌ„ and treuly for a greate transgression to th entent that he might be ashamed of his iniquite And desyred agayne the CorinthiaÌ„s / to receave him with all cherite / ij Corin. ii but that the Apostles did curse eny man truly we can not read in scripture / for Christe commaunded them to blisse those that cursed them / and to pray for those that persequuted them / sainge vnto them In this world you shall have affliction / and in me you shall have peace Ioan. xvj But the Popes / Cardinalles / with all their ragmaÌ„s roolle have none affliction Therfore other they are none of Christes flocke / or els Christ him silf is a lyar â—i Timo. iij Sancte Paule sayeth that all which will godly lyve in christ shall suffre persequution / but the Pope with his adherentes suffre not / but rather persequute Therfore they lyve not godly in christ or els Paule thou arte a lyar for thou exceptest none I thinke oure minor be sufficiently proved / how be it thou maist not saye so / for truly they will seperate you from their sinagoges yee to this furyous madnes are they come the if they kille you as christ prophesied they will thinke them selves / Ioan. xvj to do honoure and pleasure to god / and this shall they do vnto you because they have not knowen my father nother me / Math. x how be it let vs not feare them that kille the bodye and have no farther power / but rather him that after he hath fild the bodye hath power to cast the soule in to everlastinge fyre And to him let vs praye with one accord that he will shorten â—hese parylous times / â— Timo. iiij and all though we be synners / worthely abiecte / and clene vnworthy this godly deliverance / Danie ix for we have synned and committed iniquite / and have departed / lord / from thy coÌ„maundmentes Yet consider good father thy holy testament aÌ„d promise for thou arte rightuous be we never so weked and must nedes fulfill thy promise for thy trueth sake Psalm lxxiij Arise good lord and avenge thyne awne cawse forgete not these abhominable blasphemes which this folisshe and bestly people clene ignoraÌ„t of thy iustice / and sekinge their awne rightuousnes / do cast vpon the continually / they are thy enymyes And speake odyous weked wordes against thy glorious sonne Iesus christ whom thou hast geven vs / and whom thou haste made oure satisfaction / iustificacion / redemption vaynly presuminge vpon their awne workes and merites Extend thy haÌ„d oh lord against their presumptuous miÌ„des How greatly have they prevayled against thy holye sonne How longe shall thine enimye prouoke the Shall he continew resistinge thy name perpetuallye Remembre the holy congregation whom thou hast chosen from the beginninge ii Timo. â—â— Suffer them not to be brought in to this stroÌ„ge illusion which for aboundence of synne thou hast sent in to the world / that they might be coÌ„dempned / which have not beleved the truthe but had pleasure in iniquite Selyver the soules of thy chosen from these bestes / that thou maist be knowen to be verye god / and that thy name may be glorified thorow all the world / that they which by thy sufferance and lenite have not be brought vnto repentance / Roma ij may feall thy scourge and be compelled as Pharao was to dimitte thy chosen children / Exodi xvi and to knowledge thy power omnipotencye And that we may serve the with a pure hert knowleginge that thou and thy sonne Iesus Christ be but only one God / Ioan. xvij whose grace be with all that love the lord Iesu Christ vnfayned lye / which is very God / and everlastinge liffe to whom be all glorye / now and eternally AMEN ¶ Danielis viij ANd after their kingdoms TransgressioÌ„ and synne invadinge and cominge vpoÌ„ theÌ„ / there shall stoÌ„d a kinge mightye in faces / and vnderstondinge rydles and his power shal be strengthed and not in his awne power and might And he shall corrupte mervelous thinges And he shall prospere and do / and shall corrupte stroÌ„ge thinges / aÌ„d the people which are holy And he shal be after his awne opinion And deceate shal be directed and prosper in his haÌ„d And he shal be exalted in his awne herte And in his prosperite he shall corrupte many / and he shall resiste the prince of all princes And shal be consumed with out hande FIrst they are not to be alowed that vnderstand this and soche other places of the prophetes / and wold have them only verefied vpon one person For they are clene ignorante of the prophetes maner / which are wonte by one person to signifye the hole bodye of a realme And therfore evyll they do applye this Antichriste whoÌ„ Paule do the calle the maÌ„ of sinne / iâ— Thess ij the sonne of perdition
mischevouse ennimye of the chirch / this folissh hardye despisare of the fathers / this pestilent deceaver of the people And yet this is no nother but that Petre doth say / by whom the waye of trueth shal be blasphemed â—â— Petri. ij Wherfore Psalm ix For the way of their vanite is coÌ„mended / as the .ix. Psalme doth saye Bycause the weked is praysed in the desieres of his soull / and the vniust reioysinge in him silf hath blasphemed the lord How effectuously doth this chirch of the Pope ful fill this prophesye now adays / which also accomplisshith all thinges that were writeÌ„ in the prophetes / of sotle false / and lieinge prophetes / masters / shepardes / iustitiares / which have infinite other names And these shuld have the cheffe ruell and imperye towardes the ende of the worlde ii Petri. ii And thorow covetousnes shall they with fained wordes make marchandise of you This is so evidently done / by bullys / Pardones / Decrees / Prestes / and soch other / that this place neadith no glosse / what is now a dayes the office and administration of the hole clergye / But covetousnes And that with dissimulation Not only pretendinge a cloke of godlines / but also defiling by abvsion the holy and pure wordes of God / for they do all abvse these wordes / God / Christ the Sprete / the Chirch / Righteousnes / good workes and Merites For they do not applye theÌ„ to fayth / but to their awne actyoÌ„s / so that the people vnderstoÌ„dith theÌ„ fare otherwyse the the scripture meanith It is fained what so ever they preach / for they preache not faith / if they did preach faith / their sectes shuld sone decay and vanissh awaye In the meane ceasone they have deceaved the people / and brought them clene out of their mindes by their clokyd illusions / and despoile them of all their goodes and possessions And live them silf with full stuffed belies / idle / riche / mighty / full of honour / and verye gloriouse And yet the holy name of god must serve these monstres / for they must be called holy religious But let vs returne to Daniel / where we shall here moare of this abhominable kingdome / for this shall be sufficieÌ„t for a prohemye And truely he doth declare vs a mervelous and monstruous kingdome / which vtterly can be applied to none of the kingdomes that ever have bene in the world / nor shal be Bycawse that he prevailith with soch armure and strength / as hath not be hard of / goinge a boute new thiÌ„ges And trewly all that he doth are new aÌ„d mervelouse There shall stond a kinge mighty in faces ¶ Herome did traÌ„slate it / vnshamefacyd but the hebrew doth say mightye in faces A kinge shall stond / he meanyth not one parson but a hole kingdome / nother vnderstondith he a shorte ceason of that kingdome / But a great and longe succession of kinges / for Christ saith / Math. xxiiij when ye shall se abomination stonding in the holye place / that is to say / fixed / stablisshed / and streÌ„gthyde by many adherentes And Paule makith the sonne of perditioÌ„ not to goo / but to sytte in the temple of god Here is a mervelous power of this moÌ„struous kinge / which is mighty not with hornes / nother nayles / nother swerd / nor armure But with faces / fare vnlike all other kiÌ„ges Nother sayth he mighty with one face / but with many faces Wherfore this prophecye can not be applied to the Turke nother to any kingdome which is goten with strengthe and armure / for soch are figured by tethe / hornes and nailes Nother is it the kingdome of Christ / which clene with outen outward face coÌ„sistith in the sprete And figâ— the with a spirituall home / which is the word of god So that this kingdome shall nether bespirituall nother seculare / nother goten by any soch provideÌ„ce Wherwith theÌ„ â—rewly with faces / that is to say by outward clokinge / apperance / and poÌ„pe / to vse fewe wordes with superstitioÌ„s / customes ceremonies which are shewed ovtwardly In clothinge meates / persones / houses / behaveours / and soch life AmoÌ„ge all these faces apparences / superstitioÌ„ hpocrisye which is a cloke of godlines a face of religioÌ„ is most mighty acceptable / therfore it is most noysome / for the wordly faces and buetes / whether they be of maides / yonge meÌ„ / riches / freÌ„des / playes / or what so ever they are / do not so drawe / take / hold meÌ„ But these their ceremones / by cause they couÌ„terfet godly thiÌ„ges preteÌ„d ovtward tokins / of thinges everlastinge / they take deceave theÌ„ that are most wyse / holy mighty / yee somtime the verye chosen children of god There fore it is verye plaine evideÌ„t that this kinge shal be Antichrist / that is to say an adversarye to christ / his kiÌ„gdome / for Christ is a kiÌ„ge mighty in trueth / an extreme adversarye to faces clokes / as we se in the gospell And this kinge is mighty in faces / an extreme adversary of the trueth / therfore it is not with owt a greate cawse that the apostles Petre Paule / do so ofteÌ„ remeÌ„bre vs of this worde / trueth / feare vs froÌ„ the faces for so Paule did prophesye in the secoÌ„de pistle ji Timeth iii to Timothe expounding this place â—i Timoth. iij Men shall be lovers of their awne selves / it folowith haviÌ„ge a similitude of good liviÌ„ge / but have denied the power there of The firste face Now let vs coÌ„sider the kingdome of the Pope / and first the face of the persones / tel me yf thou caÌ„ what impery ever had soch and so many clene decte aÌ„d appareld felowes / first loke on the Pope him silf so proude and glorious with his iii. crownes / with his mervelouse pompe apparell / and noyse of his howsolde / then the Cardinalles with their pompe and riches / which are not fare be hind the other / for this most wretched kinde of meÌ„ makith him silf equalle with kinges After them consider / the Patriarchas / Primates Archbusshopes / suffragames / Provostes / Deanes / Canones / Vicares / Officialles / Scribes And who is able to numbre that sower sortes aÌ„d orderes of the religious And these are they in whom men boste that the state aÌ„d health of the chirch dothe consiste / here behold the most holye decrees of oure holy father the Pope and wherof they entreate / do they not all entreat of this to stablissh their awne profite and kingdome They say them self that they are so necessary that with out them the chirche caÌ„ not be rueled Neverthelesse Christ and his apostles did rule it with the trueth and that falwell Nother se I any profytte
that cometh by theÌ„ other to the chirch or to the word of god but rather moch hurte Vnderstond you now what is this kinge mightye with faces TheÌ„ vnderstond you also What is the abominatioÌ„ stoÌ„dinge in the holye place / Danie viij Math. xxiiiij yf so be you coÌ„pare together their clokinge hypocrisye with the trueth and godlines of the apostles And the Hebrew word that signifiyth myghty / doth properly meane a naturall strengthe / and not a violent and outwarde power by the which we defend our awne goodes or persequute other But even as we speake of the strengthe aÌ„d power of herbes signifiyng his naturall might in operation Even likewyse the naturall power of this kinge is nothinge els but a cloke / a face and a vicsar / which is multiplied and encreased by infinite meanes / of the which thinge Iudas the apostle did prophesye on this maner They have men in greate reverence be cause of avantage And Iames in the .ij. Iude. j. have not the faith of oure lord Iesus Christ in respecte of persons And againe Iudas / Iacob ij there are certayne craftely crepte in of which it was writen a fore tyme vnto soch iudgemeÌ„t / Iude. i they are vngodlye and turne the grace of oure lorde god vnto wantannes / and denie god the onlye lord And oure lord Iesus Christ Nether here will I improve forsake saint HieroÌ„s traÌ„slatioÌ„ which calleth him vnshamefaced / for there he plainly declarith the presumption of these hypocrites / for scant any man can beleve / howe sure / bold / and presumptious this face and cloke of godlinesse doth make them / for they cownt them self / above all men most worthy heven and as the prophete sayth they set their neste amonge the sterres / Psal lxxiij finally they are come to soch vnshamefacednes that they have coÌ„passion of the other multitude / and devoueringe their possessions and howsses communicate and sell vn to them their merites And some as the Pharise did to the Publicane do crake on them silf revilinge the poore people Luce xviij In this sence semede he to speake which translated the .xxj. Prouer. xxj of the proverbes on this maner A weked man doth boldly and with oute shame stablissh his countenance / which in the Hebrew is thus A weked man is mighty in his face / and a righteous man doth directe and order his way As thowgh he shuld say the weked man is sure and puâ—teth all his confidence in his outward face of godlines But the rightuous man doth ever procede and go forward to that that is be for him / as thâ—ppostle teacheth Philip. iij. And his securite is well described in the x. Psal x. Psalme where as it is saide The weeked man sayd in his herte I shall not be moved froÌ„ one generatioÌ„ in to an other I shal be with oute evill And againe Thy iudgmeÌ„tes are takeÌ„ away from his face / soch a saing hath Esaias in the .xxviij. Esaie xxviij and speakith it on the wecked that were in his tyme which had made a bargane and a greament with death and hell Let vs now consider certayne other faces which stablissh the power of this kingdome The seconde face Here present them silf Thenches of the chirch / the patrimony of Christ and spirituall goodes / for the power of this kingdome doth make temporall goodes spirituall / wordly goodes the tresures of the chirch And bodely goodes hevenly / with these is their chirch endewed / garnisshed and glorified / in so moch that the greatist parte of their clokes and faces consiste in these / shew me what emperoure ever had soch aboundance of richese Every man knowith that more then half the richesse of the world are possessed of the spiritualte / so many cytes / castelles / dukedomes / kingdoms countres are incorporate to this kinge The imperye of Rome did only take a tribute / custome of his subiectes But this king chalengith the hole goodes substans of theÌ„ which are subdewed vnder his magestye to be his private / at his pleasure / which of the coÌ„soulles that ever raigned in Rome may be coÌ„pared / to one of these Cardinalles / or archbusshopes Trewly there is no impery that hath so many punces / so many lordes / soch aboundaÌ„ce of riches / soch superfluite soch glorye / how be it they not satisfied not coÌ„teÌ„t with all this which is as we have sayd the half of the christente presume to claime the seculare riches / goinge aboute to despoyle them of their rucles / powers and offices / at their pleasure / and subdew to them selfe Countres / provinces / Cytes / Castelles aÌ„d townes / by their awne authorite / finally to rule in every place where it plesith theÌ„ / and if any men resist them / they wroppe them to gether in batelles and other trobles Other with their awne sodyars / or els they sturre priÌ„ces and officers to distord against them / will never leve them / vntyll they have had their plesures Nother yet is this kingdome of faces coÌ„tent that he hath obteyned all the riches of the hole world to be his awne but bether he hath proceded that he hath brought to passe to claime all thinges iustly / how ofteÌ„ many tymes as he liste / for the Pope sucketh the swete from the Busshopes And the Busshopes serche the Curattes purses / pretendiÌ„ge infinite titles to robbe them / as institution and induction / the first fruetes / sinage / and proxsy with soch other This can not they pay excepte they dispoyle the people / by cause their thefte shall not be openly knowen / they cloke it vnder godes lawe And say they must pay open tithes and prevey tithes / and sell them the sacramentes And by cawse their falshod shuld not come to light / they kepe them from lokinge on the scripture So the Curattes aÌ„d the religious do swalow vpe the people that they mayfill the Busshopes and their selves And this crafty thefte doth the Pope excercise by the which he hath stolen half the goodes that are in the chirche / the other parte hath he ravisshed with Pardons / Bulles / Confessionalles / Privileges / Dispensations / who is able to numbre the titles that he hath craftelye invented to delude and blind the people / that he might the more frely / dispoylle them And all these thinges do these faces worke yee and be encreased continuallye / that they may so worke from day to day These are the holy / meake / and faythfull offices of Curattes and heedes of the chirch / with the which they shine as the lightes of the world be is holden a cursed which saith not that these are good and well done / and sufferethe them not to engrosse all thinges for to encrease / garnisshe / and strength their holy chirch / trewly these passe
the superfluites of the Perses The ryches of the Romayns are nothinge / if thou consider these golden sees and floudes of silver And I pray the what profite cometh on thē Wherfore serve they Are they distribueted amonge the poore and nedye Nay treuly / but rather in to the vices of zodom and Gomorrha / and soch other abominable offenses / how be it why bringe I in soch light examples for the thinge itself passithe all beleve / all sense / and all wordes And yet to stablissh strength this kingdome of faces these helpe moch Insomoch that it is a lighter offence to kille / to do advoutry / and to stelle / tut what for these trifulles I say it is lighter to blaspheme the name of god / to be periured / to have denied the faithe / all though these are coūted but games to thē then thorow the entisemēt of that devill to have hurte a clerke / or to have diminisshed his goodes to the value of one / half-peny / so holye are their abominable theftes it is opēly spokē with a terrible an ferfull noyse that many have sodaynly perisshed and chefly princes / that no mā escapith with out sclawnder / which hath other touched any of their possessions / or els hath not honoured them accordingly They vnderstond not that these are workes of erroure in the signes and false myracles of satā / sith that therfore evill chawnseth to them that touche these / not that they are holy / but rather by cause they are so cursed venemouse which are goten by soch myschevous craftes horrible theftes / that it is very noysome / yee deathe to a goodmā to touche thē / all tough they be prosperouse and greate solas / to thē that stele them / to them which consente to the thefte / to them which support this robbers / and to them that are partakers of this pillage / for they fare well / and live voluptuously They are full gloricus And after their death / they are bueryed with all solemnite and pompe / with graven signes and images / founding perpetuall memorials to obteyne heven with all which they hade no leysure to geate will they were a live / for the in greate besines in these their holy maters / ād so in the meane ceason against theire will are compelled to go to hell After these glories and honours of the chirche / The thirde face that is to say the faces which are prepared full religiously for the prayse of god there folowith an other face which is of houses / palaces / ād soch bildinge / for as the face of riches doth garnisshe the faces of the persones / with oute which the persons shuld seme but vile Even so the face of bildinge doth setfurthe the riches / for the riches are cownted of no reputation / except accordinge to them their places befaire / clene / and glorious Tell me here also yf yow can What nacion is so proude so glorious / so hyghe minded / so prodigall in bildinge / or who hath so many habitations / as this kingdome of faces Is not the most fruerfull grounde theirs Are not the best places / the strongest holdes / and most pleasante dwellinge houses in their hādes What delicates or daintes / what shininge and clenlines in all the world may be compared to theirs They bild / as thowgh they went aboute to prepare a perpetuall paradise for them selves in this world Cōsider the palaces of the most reuerend Cardinalles which they possesse for the glorie of god / ād honour of the chirche And thow shalt be a shamed to compare the palaces of kinges vn to them And it is no mervell for they be the successours of the Apostles and the true chirch of god / therfore they must be equall withe kinges / yee their superiors for the Apostles were fischers But let vs passe these thinges / and touch other that are not so holy / for these thre / apparellinge / riches / and palaces / are counted most holy thinges / for what a mvltitude of lawes be there concerninge dignites / prefermētes / prebendes / iugmētes / courtes / privileges and soch other / which aswell agre with the chirch / as Christ doth with belial ij Corin. vi The fourth face The fourth of these faces / is their vesture clothing and garmētes By the which this weked abomination doth chefly of all defēd him silfe / for who is he / that this redde cape this .ij. horned myter / and purpull hatte / do not make proude / holy / ād worshupfull how say yow to their mules trapped ī gold / theyr gownes sett and adorned with gēmes / and all precious thīges And their variete in all pointes with which they have seperate thē self from the seculare and comen clothing of the christē as from a prophane and vnclene thinge And it is the greateste offence that can be to touch their shaven hedde / their handes which are cōsecrated with that blissed oyle / of their awne halowīge / happye is he that is found worthy to be admitted to kise them And as for the habites of the religiouse thowgh they do stablissh this face greatly / yet they them self do in a maner abhorre them Here maist thow se / if one offende in these habittes and vesturs what great sinnes spring of it / what scrupulosyte of cōscience / and what cases reserved What fornication thinkist thow may be compared to this transgression / if one of their shavelinges go not to the barbar / in a hole month what murther / if he minister at the altar / with oute a stole / with owt a phannen / or wāt any pece of the garment depueted to his office O this is a worthy religion / and a mete honour / to soch sanctes Here lawes / statutes maners and customs / dispensations / irregularites / and soch other abominatiōs which wold cawse a man to cast his gorge in remembring them have their full ruell and impery / here in / consisteth the godlines of the christen These be the holy and pure chirch of god Amonge them the sprite continueth we must beleve that these can not erre / for no nother cawse but that they are shavē / ād so clothed / and caried aboute on mules and charettes / all thowgh thy be never so weked never so ignorant in scripture / yee thowgh they lacke their comen senses / and be moare rude thē asses of archadie This face dothe so bolden them that they dare presume to do all thinges ¶ Ye se how the successors of thappostles / and the vicars of god in the erth / take their crosse vpon them / and folowe Christ The .v. face The fifte This is a goodly craft to lese and consume mony / in bilding / settinge vp garnishing / and making riche Monasteryes / Chapelles / Tēples / Altares soch other workes / for here the most holy
organes / musike / and diversite of songes / but these are nothinge to the sprete / which rather is extincte thorow these waÌ„tan trifels Ah Christe / with what violeÌ„ce / with what hoste and power are they driven heddelinge to synne and perisshe / thorow â—his abomible abomination / It is an â—â—â—rible / tremblinge and feare to loke in â—o these cruell whorlp oules of consciences / which perisshe with soch great paynes and labour xi Reg. xxi O what light and childisshe offeÌ„ces are these / wherin Manasses and other weked kinges synned by doing sacrifice with their awne children and progenye Truely the cursed sacrifices of the most rude gentils / no not of the lestrigones / Maâ—h xij may be compared vn to oures / The sayeinge of Christ may be verified in vs seven more weked spretes make the end worsse then the beginninge / for I saye that we gentiles are worsse seven times theÌ„ we were before we knew Christ And that we may be shorte concerninge this corruptioÌ„ / and that thow maiste perceave that there is nothing in the pope but synne and perdition Marke well / not only his lawes are synes / but also all the workes that folow them and not those alone which are fained and done with werynes as I saide before yee and the rewardes are the greatest synnes of all / So that the lesse sinnes are rewarded with the greater Thow will axe me how I will tell the. They are not contente to binde and destroy Iesus but also they let go Barrabas the theffe / that is to say / he doth exempte thorow his privileges the hole multitude of his clargye / from the burdeÌ„s and labours of all men / that they may lyve in idelnes and riches / regardinge nothinge to committe the abomination of Zodom Gomorrha Nether is it lawfull for any maÌ„ to reprove / accuse or correcte them wheÌ„ they transgresse But only the pope / which nether will do it / nether yet caÌ„ yf he wold here spriÌ„ge out of fatte their iniquites By these meanes abound / defloueringe of virgins / advoutrye / fornicatioÌ„ / vnclennes / covetuousnes / soreltye / deceate / and the hole cloude of wekednes / yee and not only abound / but also raigne vnpunisshed / with out feare of god or man And if any maÌ„ rebuke or checke theÌ„ he is reputed a weked transgressor of the popes privileges / and is giltye for hurtinge his mageste To this pertaine the most holy lawes and decrees / de foro competenti And all those in the which the clergye is exempte from the accusation / iudgement / and punishmeÌ„t of the laye men yee and their possessions finally / this most holye adversarye of Christ hath made vsurye / sotiltye / and rape / lawfull vn to them / while that he doth admitte to the encreasse of the honour and worshuppe of God / vniust restoringes vnlawfull bargaynes / and despenseth graciously with pety bryebrye / geving thapostles benediction to be pertaker with them As for the abstayninge from matrimonye we have spoken of it bot / he how Sathan was the author that it was forbede / and what synnes and perditions are entered / yee aÌ„d daylye encreassed thorow the forbedinge of it Have we any ende of this bottomlesse pitte and hell Were not only the othes where with he bindeth / bisshopes / prestes / moÌ„kes / princes aÌ„d vniversites / sufficient to make him the man of synne and sonne of perdition For who is able to recite the periuryes / syth there is in a maner no maÌ„ that swereth with his will / and yet is he compelled to swere / where as is no necessite of the faith or of his neghburs profite / wherfore thow takist the name of god in vayne / for that which is not done with the affect and mind of the harte / is done vaynly and with synne So that this kingdome of faces hath not only prevayled to corrupte the fayth / but also to destroy good maners In so moch that he hath lefte nothinge But it is attaynted aÌ„d in a maner putrified And yet hath he cloked and covered these cursed moÌ„stres with soch a fyne aÌ„d beutyfull colour of faces / and hath so defended theÌ„ against every power both of vertue wepon / that this kinge of faces was most mete to be the laste monstre in the end of the world / prepared against the great cominge of Christ / that Christ might shew his great vertue and power / in the greatnes of this monstre / here speake I nothinge of the infinite evilles by the which he transgresseth the iiij.v.vij and viij commaundmentes / for he taketh awaye thobedience which the children owe to their parentes / sturringe vp and arminge the sonnes against the fathers as it is sene en HeÌ„rie the .iiij. and manye other / Henry the iiij emperoure for he will that he be hard above / and afore all other Also that he replenissheth the world with bloude and murther / makinge debate at his awne plesure be twixte kinges and princes / beinge the occasion of great warres and coÌ„tentions So that a man may doute / whether sathan him silf if he raigned presently among vs might bring soch thinges to passe as the Pope doth Now doth this mighty these invade aÌ„d subdew hole kingdoÌ„s and dukedoms And devoreth bisshoprickes benefices / aÌ„d all the goodes movable immovable in the hole world / thorow subsidyes bulles / and other infinite craftes very sotle / craftye and lyeinge / knittinge / and vnbindinge all thiÌ„ges / according to his pleasure And this man of synne and sonne of perditioÌ„ / conveyeth his matters on that facyon / that he denieth them to be synnes / yee and affirmeth that it is synne if any man resist or laughe at them And that so abominable synne that no hell is sufficient to punissh it And he hath drawen vn to him in to this weked mind and sentence all though not the hole world yet truly at the lest the hole hepe of the clergye / and a great parte of the laye people / destroyng them that consente vnto him perpetuallye / so that not by one maner of waye / but by all wayes he corrupteth and destroyeth all thinges / and may well be called a corrupter of mervelous thinges The sacrament of the altare But let vs procede to the greatest most abominable mischeffe of all other / concerninge the sacrament of the altare and baptime or repentance First he hath taken from the chirch the holy misterye of the masse And so hath corrupte it concerning the laye people that he hath clene taken awaye the one parte from them / and not only takenie awaye / but also made it sinne / yee aÌ„d extreme heresye if any man according to the ordenance of Christ vse both the kindes O lyvinge immortall god / what presumptuous boldnes hath this weked abominatioÌ„ If Christ had forbeden any of the kindes /
it were possible / even the chosen shuld be brought in to erroure And here doth he monissh vs that the elect shall not be brought in to erroure all though they be deceaved that is to saye that errour shall not vtterly subdew them / and hold them perpeally / but that at the lest in death they shal be redemed Like as in the pater noster it is not the will of god that we shuld not be tempted with diverse temptations / but that we-shall not be brought in to temptations / that is to saye that we shuld not be overcome / and holden perpetually vnder temptation / for the righteous man falleth .vij. tymes / how be it he lyeth not still / but ryseth as often againe Even so I doute not but that sanct Barnarde / Francisce / Dominike and many other holy men and women have erred as concerning the Pope not perceaving his kingdome of faces / and so approvinge many of his actes / or els they wold have resisted them with the worde of God / how be it his tyme was not then come In this numbre I couÌ„te also BonaveÌ„ture which passeth all other with out coÌ„parison in the vehemeÌ„cye of sprete which have bene reserved of all vniversites Among these may be numbred saint Thomas aquinas / if he be a saÌ„cte / for truly I doute of it greatly / because he savoreth nothiÌ„ge of the sprete of god I say all these holye men have ben deceaved / folowinge the abominatioÌ„ of the pope / how be it / it was with out pertinacite stubbornesse / and were delivered froÌ„ it / at the lest in death Therfore if he deceave corrupte the chosen / all though he can not retaine theÌ„ in his pernicyous illusion / what shall we thiÌ„ke is done of the other which are not only deceaved / but also stobbornlye defend their errour for godlines O what a weake argument is this which the papistes do gether of the dedes and workes of holy meÌ„ Sotinge after their old maner / syth that Daniell doth prophesye that he shall corrupte stronge men / and the people which are holye / he speaketh not of fained sainctes / for Christ expoundinge him calleth theÌ„ the chosen Therfore we must put confidence in no man vsinge an example of the holye meÌ„ / but only sticke to the suer testimony of scripture / and vn to the trueth / he hath destroyed Ioan husse / and Hierome / and I can not tell what other / but I know not whether I may refarre that vnto this place / be cause he destroyed only their bodyes aÌ„d not theyr soules / for I thinke he speaketh here of spirituall corruption And how shuld not painted visars / clokes faces / other deceatfull illusions as Paule sayeth hypocrisye of his awne traditioÌ„s / rather prospere in his haÌ„de then the trueth of the gospell / sith he corruptinge the streÌ„gth of the scripture / of all the good authores of it / is only stablisshed by the example of a fewe sanctes stoÌ„dinge on his side what may not he prosperously bringe to passe / sith that now not only his faces rydles / the is to saye his deceates / but also they whom thou knowledgest to be sanctes make for his purposse who dare here once qwinch / against him / sith that his lyeinge cloke is holpe with the trueth / his hypocrisye with holines / his deceat with simplicite / And his iniquite with godlines O this parilous times / most worthye for the last dayes / wher as to the reprobate parsons all thinges are turned in to evill / yee though they seame never so good As coÌ„trarye to the chosen all thinges worke for the best / though they seame never so evill / and this is done thorow the sprete of god / even as the first is done thorow the spret of Sathan as the apostle prophesyed Let him now go that dare aÌ„d live with out eny regard trustinge in the sainges and deades of his forfathers / No doute / here Daniell meaneth SathaÌ„ / when he sayeth that deceate shall prospere in this kinges hand / for he is not mighty in his awne power / Nether shall his awne hand order and directe his deceate / but Sathan shall led his hande and so shall deceate be directed in his hand How could he better have described the kingdome aÌ„d workes of the pope which is nothinge but very deceate and yet prevaileth so prosperously / that even with open lyes and tryfels he blindeth and deceaveth the folissh worlde / as it is evident ynough though it wer but only in the pardons / for what so ever the Pope dare take vpon him / be it never so abominable a lye / it prospereth effectuously Therfor the deceate which is in his haÌ„d doth chefly pertayne vnto the corruptinge of the scripture / for here he hath cast doune the sterres of heven / and trode them vnder his feate / and in his deceate how fortune hath favored him / experience doth playnly bere wittnes For what so ever he wold have / that spake he in expoundinge scripture And what so ever he sayd in his exposition / that was counted for an oracle of god / and so is reputed vnto this day In so moch that it is not lawfull nether with reasons / nether with scriptures / nother yet with manifest experiences to affirme eny thinge agaynst it / on till it have taken awaye the comen sense of mannes nature from all men / hath attemted soch thinges / which if the gentils in the old time shuld ever have done / meÌ„ wold have sayd that they had bene starke mad Now after that all these thinges did prosper luckely with him / so that nether faith / nether the sprete / nether yet the authorite of the scripture might resist him theÌ„ what remayned but that which foloweth â—anie viij And in his awne harte he shal be exalted ¶ For there is no man but now the pope preferreth him silf above him / There is no maÌ„ but he dare be bold to commaund him all thinges / he will subdewe all thiÌ„ges vnderneth him silf ScaÌ„t admittiÌ„ge hyghe emperours and kinges to the kysse of his blessed feate Nether is there eny maÌ„ whom he will have equal with him in the erthe be he never so holye aÌ„d well learned Finally he beinge no apostle but a very bisshoppe if he be that fare vnder the dignite of the apostles / maketh him silf equal with sanct Peter The prince of all men The emperour in all spirituall as they call them and temporall thinges The lord of the world For in Peter he will that he hath receaved the right authorite / of the erthly and hevenly emperye And that do his .iij. crownes / pride / aÌ„d waÌ„tonnesse / testifye which passe all the vayne presumptions in the world Thus doth the vicare of poore Christ / and successor of Peter / present their parsons and
thy father which is in heveÌ„ / to whoÌ„ only be all glorye AmeÌ„ ¶ Antithesis WE have annexed Christen Reader vnto the end of the Revelation / a litle tretyse after the maner of an Epitome aÌ„d shorte rehersall of all thinges that are examined more diligently in the aforsayd boke / wherin their false aÌ„d cloked hypocrisye is aboundantly opened / by the coÌ„payringe of Christes actes and theirs togedder / Mathe. vij for Christes rule can not be deceavable / which sayth that we shuld knowe thy by their workes / ij Corin. xj for Paule sayeth that soch false Apostles are weked workers which be traÌ„sfigured in â—o christes apostles And no mervell for sathaÌ„ him silf / is somtime traÌ„sfigured in to an angell of light / therfore it is no great thinge / if that his ministres do take vpon / them a similitude / as though they were the ministres of iustice / whose end shall be accordinge to their workes ChristeÌ„ men shuld marke soch and flye away from them for soch serve not christ but their awne belyes And by swete preachinges / flateriÌ„ge wordes deceave the hertes of the innoceÌ„tes And eveÌ„ as IaÌ„nes Iambres withstode Moses / eveÌ„ so these resist the truthe / ij Timo. iij. Exodâ— viij meÌ„ they are of corrupte mindes / and lewead as concerning the faith / but they shall prevaile no lenger / for their madnes shal be vttered vnto all men as theirs was Thus the people be blinded fallinge in to vnbelesse And are deceaved thorow the sleghtye coÌ„veyance of Antichrist and his adherentes Sanct Ioan sayed that there were many antichristes in his time no wonder if now be moo / Ioannis iiij how be it by their workes they shal be knowen / and also by their wordes / for they shall contrarye Christ both in liffe and learninge / whom they professe to folow Now let vs consider Popes / Cardinalles / Bisshoppes / Suffregannes / Archedeacons / Decons / Officialles / Persons / Abbotes / with Deanes / and fryers / Sumners / Perdoners / and these papall Notaryes / take hede to / Monkes / chanons / Ankers / heremites / Nunnes / and Sisters / and marke how they folow Christe We will cheflye thouch the hed which is the Pope / all though it may be verefied thorow all his meÌ„bres Firste Math. viij CHrist was poore / saienge The foxes have holes / and the birdes of the aier have nestes / but the sonne of the man hath not where on to laye his hede The Pope and his adherentes are rich / for the Pope sayeth Rome is mine / Sicilia is mine / Corsica is mine c. And his adherentes have also / fruetefull possessions / this everye man knoweth Ioan. vi ij Christ was meake and lowe / aÌ„d forsoke this worldly glorye Ioan. vj And fled alone vnto the montayns when the people wold have made him a kinge Ioan. xvij Sainge my kingdome it not of this world The Pope / is full hygh and proude / sainge I am a lord of both the realmes erthly and hevenly and the Emperour is my subiect / this witnessheth his lawe Si. xcvj ca. Si imperator ij Christ full lowlye and meakly / Ioan. xiij wasshed his disciples feate The Pope saieth The Emperours aÌ„d kinges / shall knele and kysse my feaâ—e / and is not ashamed to expresse it in the lawe ca. CuÌ„ olun de priuil cle iiij Christ cam not to be served but to serve / Luce. xxij Philip. ij takinge vpon him the similitude of a servante humblinge him silf and made him silf of no reputation to serve vs. The Pope / will be served And sayeth it were a shame if he shuld so humble him silf Dist lxxxvj ca. Quando necessitas v. Christ went on his feate with his disciples both in wette and drye / hete and colde / to teach the people / as it is evident thorow the gospells The Popes aÌ„d Bisshopes will kepe their fete full clene with showes of gold silver Sight with precyous stones / and will not preach them selves / but say it is sufficient / to cause other to preach ca. Inter ceteraÌ„ de offi Iu or After this maner might the Turke be Pope also Math. xxi vj. Christ wold not suffer that doves / shepe / and oxen for the offeringe / shuld be solde in the temple of God / but drave out the byars and seffers with wippes The Pope and Bisshopes / suffer chapmen in the chirche that minister the sacrameÌ„tes for mony / dayly vnto the comen people And they geve great pardon vnto it / that they may be partakers of the winninge / to maynten their cradels and other necessaryes with all this may you se daylye Math â— vij Christ sayeth / ye have it for nothinge therfore shall you geve it for nothing The Pope hath Iudas mind / for you gette nothinge of him with out monye / for he selleth both prayer and preachinge Luce. xxij viij Christ sate at meate among his disciples fullowly and porely Not reqwiringe the hyghest seate The Pope syttyth full hygh in a curyous throne aÌ„d will be served gloriously with loÌ„ge knelinge and men to serve his mossels / with Iagged cotes / blaspheminge god with othes / and many other vices as we may se daylye Math. xiiii Et. xv ix Christ was in hilles with wepinge prayinge and walked in deserte / feadinge many thousandes / both with meat and preachinge The Pope sitteth in his castels and toweres with minstrelsye and laughter And the hungrye poore shall sitte at the gate / he will not serve theÌ„ him silf for shame he thinketh it were x. Christ laye and slepte in abore on the harde bordes and had to his chamberlaynes but fysshers / Math. viij cryinge to him apon the see in the tempest when they were a ferde to perisshe The Pope slepeth ful soste and easylye / aÌ„d no maÌ„ may awake him vntill he have slepte ynough / for his chamberlaynes shal be readye with mershalles and vsshers / to kepe his haule aÌ„d chambre from noyse And the portare at the gate to kepe out the poore Their lord they will not awake xj Christ fasted and sought the fructe on the tree when he was hungerye / Math. xxi and founde none there on The Pope hath greate provision at cytes townes to get him of the best that may be founde / well dressed and dayntely to make digestion / with spycerye / sawces / and syropes / coloured out of kinde xij Christ laye in a stable / with fewe clothes / Luce. iâ— be twixte an oxe and an Asse for the place was narrow The Pope / in rich chaÌ„bres / with quiltes curtaines / carpettes quisshins spred all aboute with swete smelles painted walles â—iij Christ chose to him poore men / and coÌ„maunded them to be simple as doves â—ath x The Pope choseth subtyle men