the glorious name of god which delyvereth vs froÌ„ all evils The second is the flesshe where of it is writeÌ„ The flesshe lusteth coÌ„trary to the sprete / Gala. v the sprete coÌ„trary to the flesshe These are coÌ„trarye one to the other so that ye caÌ„ not do that which ye wolde The flesshe is called not only the desyres of the flesshe but all thinges that we do / thinke or speake / yee our hole body / soule reason / with the cheffe and hyghest powers of them / yf they be not led and gowerned with the sprete of God The sprete is every outward aÌ„d inward worke that a maÌ„ havinge faith aÌ„d cherite which are the frutes and gyftes of the sprete Gala. v. doth worke seakinge spirituall thiÌ„ges This sprete beareth witnes vnto oure sprete that we are the children of god / Roma viij for he that hath not this sprite of Christ / is none of his kingdome But is the boÌ„d seruaÌ„t of synne / vnder which he is subdewed and remayneth captive vnder the lawe ij Pet. il Roma vi Roma vij But ye deare brothren are made dead as concerninge the lawe / by the bodye of Christ / that ye shuld be coupled to him that is rysen agayn from death / that we shuld bringe forth frute vnto god / for when we were vnder the lawe / the lustes of synne which were sturred vppe by the lawe raigned in oure membres / to bringe forth frute vnto death But now are we delivered from the lawe / and dead from it / where vnto ne were in bondage that we shuld serve in anew conversation of the sprete / and not in the old coÌ„uersatioÌ„ of the letter We knowe that the flesshly mind is enmyte against God Roma vij For it is not obedient to the lawe of God nether can be / so that they which are geven to the flessh can not please god We knowe that every maÌ„ is tempted / drawne awaye / and entyesed of his awne concupicence / Iaco. j. and when this concupiscence and lust hath conceaved / she bringeth forth synne / And synne when it is fine sched bringeth forthe death We knowe that as longe as we lyve in this world we carye aboute with vs the old man of synne / which with out he be with contynuall diligeÌ„ce suppressed aÌ„d mortifyed beseageth the new maÌ„ with his venom and concupiceÌ„ces which is original synne planted as naturall ye in him as venom in a serpeÌ„ts toth / syth theÌ„ we can not be with out this old maÌ„ of synne for the which / no man shal be iustified in the sight of god / i. Ioan. j for which Yff we saye that we haue no synne we are lyers / and the trueth is not in vs. For the which also / yf we profite neuer so hygh / yet must we ever saye forgeve vs / Math. vj father oure trespases yet let vs do oure diligeÌ„ce / callinge for the sprete of god / that this coÌ„cupiscence raigne not in oure mortall bodye ever knowleginge with a milde harte oure iniquites to oure father which is in heveÌ„ / Io. vi for he is faithfull iust / i. Ioan. j to remitte vs oure synnes / and to purge vs from all iniquite / thorow the bloude of Iesu Christe his sonne The third which other alone / or els chesly is counted Antichrist / because he resisteth the personall coÌ„minge of Christ in the fleshe for oure redemption / is the world / of the which it is writhen Yf the world hate yow / ye knowe that it hath hated me before you / yf you were of the world / the world wold loue that that is his awne because ye are not of the world but i have chosen you out of the world / therfore hateth you the world / and sanct Ioan exhortteth his brothers like a faithfull minister of Christ sayinge i. Ioan .ij. Se that you love not the world / nether the thinges that are in the world / if eny / man love the world the love of the father is not in him / for all that is in the worlde as the lust of the flesshe the lust of the eyes / and the pride of this lyffe is not of the father but of the world The world in this place is vnderstond for theÌ„ that are carnall carnallie minded / for these trulye are Antichristes But how shall we prove that / sith sanct Ioan seameth contrarye / i. Ioan. iiijj where he sayeth / Derely beloved beleve not every sprete / but prove the spretes whether they are of god or no / for many false prophetes are gone out iÌ„ to the world / hereby shall ye know the sprete of god Every sprete that confesseth that Iesus Christ is comeÌ„ in the flessh / is of god And everie sprete which confesseth not / that Iesu Christ is come in the flesshe is not of god / this is that sprete of Antichriste / of whom you have harde how â—hat he shuld come / eveÌ„ now all redye is he in the world what shall we now saye / Doth the world confesse that Iesus Christ is come in the flesshe yee verely / how shall they theÌ„ be Antichristes Ioan. â— Truely by sanct Paules expounding of this place where he saith / They confesse that they know god / but with dedes they denye him / And are abominable / and disobedient / and vnto all good workes discommendable Do they saye that they know him and denye him in workes yee truely / let vs then also note what sancte IoaÌ„ sayeth / he that sayeth I know hiÌ„ / i. Ioan. â— kepeth not his coÌ„mauÌ„dmeÌ„tes / is a lyer and the verite is not in him To know the lord is to have perfect fayth in him And perfect fayth hath with hiÌ„ sure hope cherite / of these foloweth the fulfillinge of the coÌ„mauÌ„dmites necessarylye / EveÌ„ as the light foloweth the fyre / how be it here had we nâ—de to make a division / for the world hath two sortes of Antichristes The one sorte are in greate power authorite / the other in subiectioÌ„ The one obdurate reproved / the other waÌ„deringe out of the right way untill it shall please the father to drawe theÌ„ vnto grace Ioan. vi The one resistiÌ„ge for subbornesse knowing the trueth so sinne agaynst the holy goste / the other only for ignoraÌ„cye transgresse the preceptes / these will I not speake of because there come not so great ioperdyes perels of theÌ„ / coÌ„mittinge theÌ„ only vnto the provision of god / desyringe hiÌ„ / that his wil be fulfilled to shew his glorye in them The first I will thouch some whate i. Ioan. ij Not for to teach them which are chosen of god for they have an oyntemeÌ„t of the holy gost know all thiÌ„ges And nede not that enyman teach theÌ„ But only to monyssh theÌ„ of that
¶ A pistle to the Christen reader ¶ The Revelation of Antichrist ¶ Antithesis / wherin 〈◊〉 compared to geder Christes actâ—s and ourâ— holye father the 〈◊〉 ¶ Richarde Brightwell vnto the christeÌ„ read Philip. GRace / mercye the peace of god passinge all vndstoÌ„dige which is the jure coÌ„fidence of remission of sinne in the bloude of Christ / and perfaite truste of the heretage of everlasting liffe in the same Christ oure lorde be with the Christen Reader / and with all that call vpon the name of Iesus All be it there was nothinge that Christ spake beinge present amoÌ„g vs in this mortall liffe but it had a quicknes sprete / and conforte Ioannis viâ— yet chefly of all this warning precessed in miâ—iudgemeÌ„t all other wordes / where he exhorted vs / while we had light to beleve in the light / that we might be the children of light And ageyne / yet a litle while / Ioan. xiâ— is the light with you walke while ye have light lest the darkenes come on you for he the walketh in the darke woâ—teth not whether he goeth / who is this light that we are exhorted to beleve in truly it is Christ as saint IoaÌ„ doth testifye He was the true light that lighteneth all meÌ„ / which come in to the world Ioan. â— To beleve in this light maketh vs the childreÌ„ of light / the sure iÌ„heritours with iesu christ EveÌ„ now have we cruell adversaryes which set vp their bristles sainge / why then shall we do no good workes To these we answer as Christ did to the peeple in the .vj. of saint Ioan. Ioan. vâ— Which axed him what they shuld do that they might worke / the workes of God Iesus answered and sayd vn to them This is the worke of god / that ye beleve on him / whom he hath sent and after it foloweth / verely verely I saye vnto you / be that beleveth on me hath everlastinge liffe To this also coÌ„dessendeth saint Ioan in his epistle sainge i Ioannis vâ— These thinges have I written vn to you that beleve on the name of the sonne of God / that you may surely know / how that you have eternall liffe / what is the name of the sonne of god Trvely his name is Iesus that is to saye a saviour / therfore thou must beleve that he is a saviour But what a vayleth this â—ovi ii The devils do thus beleve aÌ„d tremble They knowe that he is the sonne of god â—ath viii And sayd vn to him crying O Iesu the sonne of god / what have we to do with the They know that he hath redemed mankinde by his passion / and labored to let it / â—ath xxvii for when Pilate was set doune to geve iudgement / his wiffe sent vn to him saynge / have thou nothinge to do with that iuste maÌ„ / fore I have suffered many thinges this day in my slepe aboute him No doute she was vexed of the devil to th entent that she shuld persuade her husband to geve no sentence vpon him / so that the lenger SathaÌ„ over mankinde might haue had iurisdiction They know that he hath supressed sinne and death / as it is written / death is consumed in to victory â— xiii â—re ii â—in xvi Death where is thy stinge hell where is thy victory the stinge of death is sinne The strength of sinne is the lawe i. Ioan. vâ—â— But thankes be vn to god which hath geven vs victorye / thorow oure lorde Iesus Christ / Roma viii which bi sinne damned sinne in the flessh / for god made him to be sinne for vs that is to saye a sacryfice for oure sinne / aÌ„d so is sinne taken in many places of the .ij. testamentes which knew no sinne / ii Corinth v â–ª that we by his meanis / shuld be that rightewesnes which before god is alowed It is not therfore sufficient to beleve that he is a sauiour and redemer but that he is a sauiour and redemer vnto the / and this canst thou not confesse / excepte thou knowleg thy self to be a sinner / for he that thinketh him silf no sinner / neadith no sauiour aÌ„d redemer Mathei ix And of these Christ sayth I came not to call rightewesmen that is to say them that thinke theÌ„ selves no sinners / Psal xxxiii Roma iii. for in very dede there is none righteous / no not one but sinners to repentaunce For they whiche are stronge have no nead of a phisition / Math. ix but they that are secke There fore knowlege thy silf a sinner that thou maist be iustifyed Not that the enumberinge of thy sinnes can make the rightewesse But rather a greater sinner / yee aÌ„d a blasphemer of the holye name of god / as thou maist se in Cain which said that his sinnes where greater then that he might receave / Gene. iiiâ— forgevenes of God and so was reprobate Thou must kepe therfore an order in thy iustification / first coÌ„sideringe what the lawe requireth on the / which truly bindeth the now to as moch as though thou were in the state of innocencye / and coÌ„maundeth the to be with out concupiscence which is originall sinne Condempninge the infantes that are not baptised in his bloude for this originall sinne yet could not they do with all which God of iustice wold not do / excepte they had transgressed his lawe aÌ„d were bound to be with out this coÌ„cupisceÌ„ce / if thou woldist reason / why God doth thus / take Paules answer Roma ix O maÌ„ what arte thou which disputest with God Know this that it is god which geveth the sentence with whoÌ„ is none iniquite but all iustice and mercy How be it if thou aske me / why he bindeth vs also which are come to perfaite vnderstondinge to that which is impossible for vs to accomplysch Thou shalt have saint Augustyns answer / which sayth in the second boke that he wrote to Hierome / that the lawe was geveÌ„ vs / that we might know what to do and what to eschewe / to th eÌ„tent that when we se oure selves not able to do that which we are bound to / nor avoyde the contrary that then we maye knowe what we shall pray for of whoÌ„ we shall aske this streÌ„gthe so that we maye saye vnto oure father Good father commaund what so ever it pleaseth the And geve vs the grace to fulfill that thou coÌ„maundest And wheÌ„ we perceave that we caÌ„not fulfill his will / yet let vs confesse that the lawe is good and holy / that we are sinners carnall sold vnder sinne / Roma vij but let vs not here sticke for now are we at hell gates / and truly shuld fall in to vtter desperatioÌ„ excepte God did bringe vs agayne shewinge vs his Gospell and promisse / saynge feare not litle flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to
geve you a kingdome Luce. xij Yf we receave the witnes of men / the witnes of god is greatter / for this is the witnes of god / which he testified of his sonne He that beleveth on the sonne of god hath the witnes in hiÌ„ silf i. Ioannis v He that beleveth not god hath made hiÌ„ a lyare be cause he beleved not the record that God gave of his sonne And this is that recorde / how that God hath geven vnto vs eternall liffe / and this liffe is in his sonne / j. Pet. ij Esate liij Philip. ii which was made oure best / bearinge oure sinnes vpon his awne backe / made obedient vnto the death offeringe vpp oure iniquites as a sacrifice vn to his father / beinge oure mediator and Atonement betwixte his father and vs. i. Ioan. j â— Corin. iâ— Made of God for vs / wisdome / rithtewesnes / holynes / and redemption / fulfillinge the lawe for vs. So that sinne hath no power over vs nether can condemne vs / for our satisfactioÌ„ is made in Christ which died for vs that were weked / Roma â—â— naturallye the childreÌ„ of wrath even as wel as the other But god which is rich in mercy thorow the great love where with he loved vs / even when we were dead thorowe sinne / hath quyckened vs with Christ / and with him hath reysed vs vppe / with him hath made vs sitte in hevenly thinges thorow Iesus Christ / for to shew in times to come the exceading riches of his grace in kindnes to vs ward thorow Christ Iesus For by grace are ye made safe thorow faith / aÌ„d that not of your selves / for it is the gifte of God / aÌ„d cometh not of workes / leste eny maÌ„ shuld boste him silf Ioannis .l. But of his fulnes we have all receaved / and favour for favour / that is to saye / the father of heuen hath favoured vs for his sonnes sake / and not for oure awne deservinges as when we se a man favoured aÌ„d loved for an other maÌ„nes sake And hath promised vnto vs frely the enheritance of heven Iacobi i. This promisse must we beleve with sure truste and waver not / for he that douteth is like the waves of the see / toste of the wind and caried with violence Nether let that maÌ„ thinke that he shall receave eny thiÌ„ge of god This gospell and promise must we loke after with vnfayned hope / Hebre. vj. wherin be cause we shuld nothinge doute / God hath added an oth vnto his promes / to shew vnto the heyres of promes the stablenes of his counsayle / that by those two iÌ„mutable thiÌ„ges in which it was vnpossible that god shuld lye we might have perfect consolacion which have fled for to hold fast the hope that is set forth before our faces / which hope we have as an ancre of the soule both sure and stedfast For this promes must we pray dayly vnto our father desyringe to be loosed from this bodye and to be with Christ / Philip. i. ii Corin. v. for we sigh in this bodey desyreng to be clothed with our mansion which is from heven i. Ioan. iij. Ioan. xij And we knowe that then we shal be like him / for we shall se him as he is / and shall be the perfecte children of lighe Hebreo .ij. Therfore dear brothren we ought with all minde and affection to attend vnto tho thiÌ„ges which we have harde lest we be spilt / ij Petri .ij. for yf god spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe in to hell / and put them in chaynes of darknes there to be kept vnto iudgement And every transgression and disobedience / Hebro .ij. receaved a iuste recompence to reward / how shall we escape if we despise so great health Hebreo .iij. Take hede dere brothren / that there be in none of you an evill harte in vnbeleve / that he suld departe froÌ„ the lyvinge God / but exhorte one an other daily / left eny of you were hard harted and be deceaved with sinne RemeÌ„bre that Christ exhorted vs to walke while we have light lest that the darknes come vpon vs / Ioan .xij. for he that walketh in the darknes / Ioan .xi. knoweth not whether he goeth Yf a maÌ„ walke in the day he stombleth not / because he seith the light of this world / yf amaÌ„ walke in the night he stombleth be cause there is no light in him This daye light as we have sayed before is christ which sayeth / I am come a light in to the world / Ioan. xâ— that wo so ever beleve on me shuld not byde in darkenes / who is this darkenes truely the Philosophers sey that yf a man knowe on of the coÌ„traryes he must nedes knowe the other / but the light the darkenes are coÌ„trary / and Christ is the light therfore it is necessarye that the coÌ„trarye to Christ that is to say Antichrist shuld be the darkenes And there are diverse Antichristes and adversaryes to god the father / to christ / to their sprite / Gen â— iij as the devill / the flessh / the worlde The devil was the first tempted Eve in paradise which coÌ„sentinge to his temptatioÌ„ persuaded Adam to eate of the frute which god sorbade theÌ„ / so was he the author of the coÌ„deÌ„pnation of all Adams posteryte / there god coÌ„deÌ„pninge the devill gave a promise of oure redeÌ„ption in christ fayng I will put enmyte be tweÌ„ the aÌ„d the womaÌ„ betweÌ„ thy sede her sede And her sede shall depresse all to breke thy hed / thou shall lye watchinge the sole of his fote To this agreeth sanct Peter saynge / â— Petri. v. youre adversary the divill as a roringe lioÌ„ walketh aboute sekinge whoÌ„ he may devoure / whoÌ„ resiste stedfast in the faith remeÌ„bringe that ye do but sulfill the same affilictioÌ„s which are apoynted to youre brethreÌ„ the are in the world This coÌ„firmeth Christ him silf saynge vnto Peter SimoÌ„ simoÌ„ / behold sathaÌ„ hath desyred you / Luce. xxâ— to sifte you as it were wheate but I have prayed for the that thy faith fayle not Nether is it mervell though he do vs thus assayle / sythge presumed to tâ—pte chast oure lord in the wildernes â—ath .iiij. Let vs not geve place in this teÌ„ptacioÌ„ / but kepe faithfullye oure professioÌ„ for oure hyghe preste christe Iesu Hebreo iilâ— caÌ„not but have coÌ„passioÌ„ on oure infirmites / for he was in all poyntes lyke teÌ„pted / but yet with out sinne / let vs therfore go boldly vnto the seate of grace that we may receave mercye / find grace to helpe in tyme of nead / that we be not tangled with his fayre flateringe delicious entysemeÌ„tes that bringe eternall daÌ„nacioÌ„ / but that we be stroÌ„ge in faith prayesinge
of whom to seake / find and obtaine / helpe and conforte to do and leve vndone But no maÌ„ is compelled Every maÌ„ is suffered other to perissh or to be saved but accordinhe to their awne will Therfore in the .xviij. Math. xviij of Mathew he theacheth that a rebellion shuld not be kilde / but avoided and put out of cumpanye / like a gentill So he hath not delivered vs from the lawe / but from the power and violence of the lawe / which is the very true losinge / gevinge all men libertye at their awne perill to do other good or evill But for all that he hath not taken a waye from the powers and officers their righte / swerd / and authorite to punisshe the evill / for soch pertaine not to his kingdome vntyll they are made spirituall / and then frely and with a glade harte serve god And sith these thinges are so in the preceptes of god moch more they are of value in the ceremonies / which are clene vanisshed away so that we can not offend against them / let vs thanke our father which hath plucked this yoke from our neckes And desyre faith of him / which faith onlye is most sufficient vn to our iustification / but sith this kinge of faces the Pope doth nothing but commaund and compell in all his decrees / and that in the sted name of God / it is evident ynough how that he is the adversarye of Christe / and the corruptor of the new testament / yee and the Enimye of the Christen lybertye Compellinge meÌ„ against their willes to do the workes which he commaundeth them / thorow the which tyrannye he is the author of so many synnes be cause the workes are done of no glad minde / for while they thinke that they are bouÌ„d to his commaundemeÌ„tes / they have a blotte in their scrupelous consciences if they omitte any thinge / and yet be cause they do it with an evyll will truely they offend in their hartes / where as they shuld not have offended / thorow their resistinge and hatiÌ„ge will of the lawe / if he had commaunded nothinge / but only exhorted and desyred And contrary wisse to them that obey him / he is the author of false fayned rightuousnes / for while they beleve that they have done well / and repute their obedience for iustice / they are brought to this blindnes that they thinke they are good / not thorow the faith of Christ / but by these lawes and workes And thus truely doth he corrupte the faithe aÌ„d trueth / both multiplye and encreasse evyll consciences / and make fayned good coÌ„scieeÌ„es And sith he doth so thorow all the world / it is evident what a corrupter and dispoylare he is / for even so many he corrupteth / as he hath subdewed and ledde vnder his lawes and imperye And who is be in the world that is not subiect vnder him Excepte they be infantes or paraventure some simple persons / which are reserved by the inscrutable councell and provision of god O thow maÌ„ of synne O thou sonne of perdition O thow abomination O thow corrupter O thow author of evill consciences O thow false master of good consciences O thow ennimye of faith aÌ„d christen libertye / who is able for to reherse / yee or containe in his minde the infinite waves of this monstruous kinges evilles How be it the end of these mischevous evils are not yet come Yf he had ordened these his lawes / in those workes of vertues that are commaunded in the .x. preceptes / or els in soch as the philosophers and naturall reason did describe / as are iustice / strength temperaÌ„ce / Chastite / mildnes / trueth / goodnes / and soch other Paraventure they shuld only have made a Sinagoge / or els have ordened in the world a certaine civile iustice / for thorow these also faith shuld have bene corrupted / as it was amoÌ„g the Iewes / how be it now he kepeth not him silf with in these bondes / but rvnneth ryâ—ot more at large raysinge infinite tempestes of mischeffe yet are we compelled to saye he dothe no hurte for he entyseth and driveth vs to cerimonyes aÌ„d his awne fayned traditions / as to places persons / clothinge / meattes and dayes / aÌ„d bindeth vs like asses / and ignorant foles / â—ee and stockes vn to them with an indissoluble bond enduringe our hole lives / so that it maketh me sorye and ashamâ— of this pernitious abomination / and maketh me vtterly abhorre it vn to death / for Christ as I have saide takinge awaye all lawes to make vs fre aÌ„d at libertye / did most of all suppresse aÌ„d disanulle the ceremonyes which did consist in places / persones / garmeÌ„tes / meattes dayes and soch other / so that their vse shuld be to all men most fre and indifferent / nether addressinge the conscience to synne / nor yet to iustice which is obtayned thorow only faith in Christ How be it the Pope not content / at the lest with those places / meates / clothinges / and dayes / which were prescribed in the lawe of moses Doth werye corrupte / and destroy / the christeÌ„ coÌ„gregation with new observations / other invented by his awne pregnant witte / or â—ls by the sotle imagination of his adherentes / which also he doth encreasse daylye and coÌ„maunde after his awne lust / that yow may perceave this the more evidently / we will vse certaine examples after the maner of an induction to rote and stablissh it in yow Christ takinge away the difference of all places will be worshupped in every place Nether is ther in his kingdoÌ„ one place holye / an other prophane with out holines But in everye place all thinges are indifferent Nether canst thou more hartely better / beleve trust / and love god in the temple qwire / altare / and chirch yerd / then in thy barne / vineard / kichen / and bed And to be shorte the martyrs of Christ have honoured him in darke dongeons and presons And sancte agnes In the sâ—ues for gat not her redemer But the Pope doth consecrat Churches gevinge greate pardon and privileges vn to the halowinge Makinge straite lawes to condemne their consciences / the other in sporte or els in ernest do violate the house that they have halowed / which shuld nothing offend if they had hurte their awne houses or any other mannes Be sides that if thou obey the Popes commaundmentes / thow arte made a religious man / and an obedient and faithfull sonne of the chirche / thow hast found a conscience of a good aÌ„d rightuous weake Now compare Christ and the Pope to gedder Christ sayeth There is no synne coÌ„mitted thorow the vsinge of any place except it be to the hurte of thy neghbour The Pope sayeth It is sinne if thow do any bodelye worke in the chirch Or els if thow counte it not
/ for what so ever is not of faith the same is synne But this beleve the pope requyreth in his lawes / aÌ„d yet caÌ„ he not geve the mind to do it And truely so litle necessite and authorite hath he to exacte it / as he hath power to geve the mind to fulfill it So that there is no eâ—use but even / his pure pleasure which replenischeth the world with these synnes and perditioÌ„s / and devoreth the Christen / ij Petri. ii as Peter doth saye / they which were clene escaped / of them are agayne wropped in erroures therfor Christ wold not call him abominable / But the verye abominatioÌ„ it silf And Paule entending to publish his mischeff called it not the synne of the man / and perdition of the sonne / ij The. ij but called him the very man of synne / weked sonne of perditioÌ„ / signifyinge that there was nothinge of value in him but all synne and perditioÌ„ And truelye this we se fulfilled in the pope / Insomoch that excepte Christe do shorteÌ„ these dayes no flesshe shuld be faved / And who knoweth whether that these dayes which were spoken of to be shortened pertayne vnto the infantes which dye before the tyme / that they know this weked abomination Satisfaction The lawes also of satisfactions o Christ oure saviour how many soules do they destroy Who caÌ„ attayne to know these passyons / vexatioÌ„s / deathes of consciences For first of all in publisshiÌ„ge his lawes he doth not onlye take away our libertye in this thiÌ„ge / but also maketh a conscience to every maÌ„ to make satisfaction / which thinge syth no maÌ„ doth it frely / he is coÌ„pelled thorow this weked lawe erronious coÌ„scieÌ„ce agreing in one to synne with out ceasinge Yet doth he not prescribe in his lawes / how moch the satisfaction shal be / As he determeth of the sacrameÌ„t of the altare / of confessioÌ„ but even as his lyeing harte geveth him / aÌ„d as his vaine pleasure is / thow shalt satisfye / geve / suffer so moch / as he bis adhereÌ„tes will / or lacke monye And so sathaÌ„ doth here spote playe him / in vexinge our coÌ„scieÌ„ces / to accoÌ„plisshe all his malice Here doth he chaleÌ„ge the victories of martyrs / And fighteth with the sede of theÌ„ which caste hiÌ„ out of heveÌ„ / havinge a greate wrath / as we may se in the apocalipsis And so doth heswage pacyfye his wrath / that he sporteth lawgheth in our perditioÌ„s / as it were in a most vile thinge / of no reputatioÌ„ / Oh we wretches that thus slepe rought / out of ceason Yf so be the pope wold suffer all these thinges fre / not snaringe our coÌ„scieÌ„ces / theÌ„ shuld he worke no synne perditioÌ„ How be it / it wold turne in to the destructioÌ„ of his facye kingdome / therfore it wer better that the hole word shuld perissh / then his kingdome shuld decay / So thow maist se / how that Christ is the author of iustice / Never ordeninge / lawe synne and perdition / but rather callinge deliveringe vs from the lawes and constitutions / And contrary how the pope is author of synne / in every thiÌ„ge makinge lawes / corruptinge iustice and health / Drivinge and constrayninge all men to be subdewed vnder his lawes / he is not called holye / but most holye / Not the minister of Christ but his vicare Not the equalle felow and companion / but prince of prelates / And hed of all shepardes / woo be to the. It foloweth â—â—ie viij And he shall prospere and do ¶ That is thorow his faces aÌ„d rydles / syth there is nothinge of more efficacite might to deceave and destroye then the cloke of godlines / chefly of all sith it is avaunsed vnder the name of god / Nether yet so shuld he have profited except he had bene holpe with the operations of sathan / after that god for the aboundance of synne had forsaken the world For what naturall reason doth not perceave what folyssh aÌ„d weked thinges the Pope many times doth commaund and do / yee with out any cloke And yet these thinges have so prevayled / that hole grecye hath resisted him in vayne How many times also have the emperours of germanye how often have other kinges / how ofteÌ„ have many bisshoppes how often have many good and wel learned men resisted this monstre how be it / they are all overcome / suppressed / and extincte / The operation of errour hath prevayled / and they are so swollen with presumptuous pride / that they may boldly bost that they are to be feared / as though Christ him silf did worke with theÌ„ defendinge his Chirch These thinges are well knoweÌ„ to theÌ„ that have reade the storyes / in the whiche they are so playnly perceaved / that the stories of italye / which corrupte al thinges to flatter and avaunce the popes highnes / could not cloke aÌ„d kepe secrete moch of his mischeffe / So the tenore of his actes which were wropped involved vnder so many colours clokes of lyes / covered by the disgysinge and flaterye of parasites / doth at the lengthe put forth his abomination / revelate their author / to his greate rebuke aÌ„d sclaunder be these flaterers never so moch against it Playnly declaringe that the popes have resisted aÌ„d fought against the gospell / Nether do these wretched parasites obtayne any thinge thorow their lyes / but that the pope for his chirch which is his tyrannye hath manfully / fought / despoyled ravisshed / kild / and replenisshed the world with murder / blod / other miserye / And how these thinges differ from the gospell how so ever they please the blondes / platines / soch like he is a verye stocke that vnderstondeth not / be he never so rude For peace aÌ„d the ministerye of peace / the care and regard of spirituall thinges and that with all affection and desire / pertayneth vnto the pope / Bvt thistoriographes of Italye prayse the popes be cause they have vexed imperyes / kingdoms / bisshoprikes / and dukedoms / have schratched them to them selves thorow violeÌ„ce deceate / as though they were due vn to them by right Therfore he hath prevailed aÌ„d prospered in all his willes beinge a lewed adversary of god And so hath done and fulfilled / that which he hath desyered all men resistinge him in vayne / both godly and vngodly / holy and prophane / rude and learned / and that is fulfilled which foloweth Danie viij And he shall corrupte stronge thinges and the people which are hoyle ¶ The same thinge doth Daniel in the .viij. prophesye vpon Antiochus which was the figure of the pope Danie viij And he did caste doune the sterres of heveÌ„ did trede theÌ„ vnder his feate And Christ in the .xxiiij. of Mathew doth prophesye
lawes of the Pope / Bulles / aÌ„d seales not one way graunt heven to them that put to theire helpinge handes / and to the foundars / here are ye taught to trust in youre workes Here are in numerable tresures gadered to gether for the house of god / here the greater / the more gorgeous / the richer / and better garnisshed houses they bild / the more christe they are And they do better as they saye which geve their almes to that / theÌ„ they which distribute it to the poore and nedy Nother bild they that it may be a mete place to here the word of god But that they may be sene of god and men They bild a house for god which sith that on s he did denye by sanct StephaÌ„ in the .vij. of the Actes / Actes vij 〈◊〉 â—e â—iâ—i and longe before him by Natan and David to dwell in temples made with mannes hand / yet now like an outlawe he beggeth of vs houses for him silf and his sanctes And oure most holy father the Pope with his Busshoppes doth not only confirme the vayne and folish mindes of the people with his halowinges / blissinges / fredoms and protections j. Timot. iiij But also pursueth / and condemned / with curses aÌ„d imprecations with threatninges / and great sentences them that violate / despise / and abvse these phaÌ„tasyes / as it well decuÌ„meth the godlines of these faces Thus he moveth entiseth men to it Out of this springeth not a small part of his most holy lawe which vexeth the world with folish and scrupulous coÌ„scieÌ„ces marked with an hort yeroÌ„ In the meane ceason what is done concerninge the word of god and the faith Let god take hede to that in his kingdome of trueth As for this kinge must se his kingdome of faces well ordered / and see it a loft with all the craftes and streÌ„gth he may Tell me what is worshuppiÌ„ge of wodde stones if this be not it truely god coÌ„mauÌ„ded not these superstitious ceremonyes / but rather these thiÌ„ges that he commavnded by these are transgressed and destroyed The .vj. face The sext is not one face but a hole foreste of faces / touchinge all the holy workes that are done in the temples for lukere / and avaÌ„tage Here are mateÌ„s / prime / and houres / rored out and mumbeled vppe with greate labour / so that they are never prayed How be it they are encreased dayly with other houres of the blessed virgin aÌ„d of the holy crosse / with the noyse of those verses which god in the prophete said he wold not heare Amos. v There is no ende / who caÌ„ reherse with how many lawes that is to say authors of sinne scrupulosite of coÌ„scieÌ„ce this one worke vexeth is vexed There are added voices songes of infinite kind variete For the organes all iÌ„strumeÌ„tes of musike serve for this face I will nat speke of chaleses images / aÌ„d vessels that they vse of gold silver wodde / then / vailes / copes and vestimentes and soch other ornameÌ„tes with out mesure and numbre Lightes / lampes / and soch like The sacrameÌ„tes are encreased And to be shorte here have they encreased the sacramentes / Confirmation / Orders / Matrimonye / aÌ„d Anelinge / good lord / what a whorlepole have they made to devoure mony / meÌ„nes soules / who can bere in memorye the lawes which are made that these thinges may be exequuted religiously And these thinges thinke they so expediente and nedefull to the Christen / that they will soner forgeve advoutrye then one of the offences which is committed against the leste of their holy lawes faces Yf oure most holy father hade left these and all the other faces fre accordiÌ„ge to the gospell had lefte vs all equal / we shuld have had none of these iÌ„numerable sinnes / for where is â—o lawe there is no traÌ„sgression But now he abvsinge oure scrupulous conscieÌ„ces hath ordened and made infinite lawes / and thorow them infinite sinnes and condemnations / and this is the cawse that Paule calleth him the man of sinne / ij Tess ij and sonne of perdition / that is to say a wilfull maker of lawes / and most vngodly in thinges that were made fre by Christ to all faithfull Here shall I be condemned of the sodiars and company of this holy father and shall be called a fautor of WaldeÌ„ and Wiglefe / how be it Daniel conforteth me which saith in the .xj. against Antichrist on this maner / Dani. xi he shall worshippe in his bildinge the God of Maozim / and the god whom his fathers did not know shall he honour with gold silver / precyous stones and other glorious riches And he shall labour to stablish Maozim with the straÌ„ge god whom he knowith not / and he shal encrease glory / aÌ„d geve theÌ„ power on many thinges / and shall divied the erth frely It is sufficient for me to know that all these thinges are fre and not necessary for my health / therfore that they are nother necessary preceptes nother yet profitable / but only so fained by most cruell wekednes and tyraÌ„nie of Antichrist to th eÌ„tent that sinnes and coÌ„deÌ„nations might be multiplied / they are but faces not the very body The seventhe face may be called the hole abvse of the masse wyth his soleÌ„nites / The .vii. face The abvse of the masse with vigilles / with year mindes / foundatioÌ„s / buâ—rialles / and the hole besines that is done for the deade / for what is in it but a face aÌ„d cloke of godliÌ„esse which deceaveth the people aÌ„d swaloweth vp theyr mony we have now adays no masse for th entent to be partakers of the altare and to heare the gospell / yet this is the cheffe cause of the masse / but we vse theÌ„ as good workes rather for them that are departede then for the qwicke / reserved that qwicke prestes gett them a substaÌ„ciall levinge by this office / finally we vse it as thowgh it pertayned no thinge to communion They kepe the sacrament / after masse to ministre to the seake / and bere it a boute in mynion pixes as thowgh it were a thinge to wonder at All these are the inveÌ„tioÌ„s of maÌ„ and were never commauÌ„ded of god / nother are they necessary / but rather weked aÌ„d forbed / chefly those that pertayne to the masse But this most holy fontayne of sinne / and perdition causeth them to be necessary In so moch that he shal be counted an heretike that will once qwinche against it The viij face Fastes The .viij. face / is the choyse of meate and fastinge which are indifferent for ech day But now a dayes men fast on the maner not that the flesch shuld be mortified / but bicawse it is a good worke to have fasted this day / to have abstayned froÌ„ meate this day
of Paule coÌ„plaineth that manye shall departe from the faith ij Timo. iiij And for this folissh conscience / mennes tradititions be pernicious and noysome / the snares of soules / hurtinge the faith / the libertye of the gospell / if it were not for this cause they shuld do no hurte Therfore the devill thorow the Pope abvseth these coÌ„scieÌ„ces to stablissh the lawes of his tyrannie / to suppresse â—â—e with and libertye / and to replenisshe 〈◊〉 worlde with errours / vngodlines / synnes and perditions And well doth Paule calle those coÌ„sciences marked with an hotte yeroÌ„ / by cause they are not so of their awne nature / nother yet of the sprete / but are marked against nature with the hotte yeron of mannes traditions and doctrines / Paule teacheth that there is nothinge to be refused i. Timot. iiij And the vicare of Christ saith / yes butyre / and whitmeates most be refused ever on certayne prescripte dayes Christ in the .x. of luke said Luc. x Latinge and drinkinge soch as they have But his vicare saith / eare no flessh nor egges Christ suffereth all maner of garmentes frely and indifferently But his vicare commaundeth one maner of rayment to the laye men and taketh a nother maner to him silf and his adherentes / and that vnder deadly synne and precepte of the chirche And in all these thinges they make them selfe a scrupulous conscience as though they did well in kepinge them and synned deadly in transgressinge / though it be nothiÌ„ge so Therfore truely soch conscieÌ„ces are violently made / yet neverthelesse they be sore hurte as we have said in the transgression of these payne preceptes for soch a kinge / soch a lawe Soch a lawe / soch synne and merite and soch a conscieÌ„ce also reserved that as I said of a folishe vayne synne is made a true synne / thorow the erroure of the coÌ„scieÌ„ce / this is the hort yeron which doth marke him It foloweth And his strength shal be stablisshed / and not in his awne might and power Danie viij ¶ This third propertye of this moÌ„struous kingdome is also mervelous and vnlyke all other imperies / by cawse it shal be streÌ„ghted stablisshed with a straÌ„ge power For who hath harde any soch thinge in all other kiÌ„gdoms The imperye of Rome was gotten / encreased / mayntened thorow his awne strength The hole scripture doth rebuke the horses aÌ„d flessh of Aegipte and other kingdoÌ„s / in the which the Iewes did put their trust and confidence / forthermore the kingdome of Christ doth more consist in his awne powre then any of the other For the trueth of it silf is stronge ynowgh And only this kiÌ„gdome is stablisshed with others streÌ„gth Strength in this place doth signifye the power / which oure philosophers do call the power to worke vtwardly / which is not of the soule / iii. Reg. xix Gene. xxxj but of the meÌ„bers So Ezechias in the xix of the fourth boke of kinges The childreÌ„ came to the birth / the mother had no power to deliver them And in thâ— xxxj of Genesis I have served youre father it 〈◊〉 all my power And Iob. I counted fâ—â— hinge the power of their handes / thuâ—â— to say that they were able to do In the Hebrew tonge it was called â—uth / and the Apostle in the greke toÌ„ge calleth it energeran And the interpreter called it in the latin tonge / efficaciam / and in the englissh toÌ„ge it must be called might and power as in the .ij. to the Galathians / he that was mighty in Peter in the apostleshippe over circunsition / the same was mighty in me amoÌ„ge the geÌ„tils Gala. ij Therfore the power of this kinge sith it stoÌ„deth not in armure / nor in the gospell of Christ / must nedes be raysed vp by his awne doctrines and stablisshed by the power of other Marke this goodly order / first are faces And then lawes / and both are fained and clene alien at from the trueth After theÌ„ cometh his power / which is not staâ—lisshed by him silf But with other strange powers and strenghtes / for truely a lye can not endure by his awne power And so hath the kiÌ„gdome of Antichrist of Rome prospered / that even in the apostles time it began to lene sticke to workes Afterward the chirch as they call it was endewed aÌ„d garnisshed with certayne ceremonies And at the length the Pope patched theÌ„ all to gedder made aswere sawce / and thorow them suppressed all liberty / turninge theÌ„ into most strayre 〈◊〉 lawes In so moch that it is with out 〈◊〉 â—â—re a greater offence to transgresse these lawes and ceremonyes / then the preceptes of god So of these faces are sproÌ„ge lawes / of the lawes the streÌ„gth / of the streÌ„gth greate power authoryte as it shall folow / for as maners make a lawe / so of the lawe ryeseth a strength to confirme the maners And of the strengthe springeth powre and authoryte Therfore let vs coÌ„sidre with what power this king of perdition is strengthed and stablisshed ij Thessa ij The Apostle in the .ij. of the second pistell to the ThessalonyaÌ„s doth attribute applye it vnto sathan sainge Whose cominge shall be thorow the operation of Sathan in lyeinge and mervelous signes / for eveÌ„ as Christ did trulye stablissh the faith his worde by signes miracles thorow his awne vertue power Even so this counterfettinge Ape / and adversarye of Christ / shall stablissh his faces and lewde lawes / thorow lyeing signes of others that is to say Sathans power The first operation of Sathan in his signes and illusions is this / that the chirch of Rome hath had perpetuall contention with the chirch of the GreciaÌ„s / yet being weked and vniust hath ever prevailed though it were defeÌ„ded / with false causes wrested scriptures so prevailed that she hath exalted coÌ„firmed her self to be the lady mestres of the faith mother of all chirches Besides 〈…〉 subderved all men with mervelâ—â—â— good chaunce aÌ„d prosperyte were he next also greate / learned holy which ever hath resisted her lawes / statutes / iudgementes glorious pleasurs Who will not iudge that these were mightye signes mervelles / that no maÌ„ did ever attribute to any / but to god which did fight for the holye chirch of Rome As though god did not vtterly abhorre this abominable and pernicyous doctrines of men with the arrogante pride of these faces Now to this pointe is it brought that kinges / princes / and Bisshopes / which other hurte the holy decrees / libertes or patrimonyes of the chirch of Rome or els do not honour and prefere them above the preceptes of god / shall perisshe by the stroke of the terrrible swerd of excommunication ExcoÌ„munication In so moch that the hole world is in
of Rome with his Pope is returned to worse gentilite / then it was before / sainge / for if they after they have escaped by fayth from the filthines of the world thorow the knowledge / Math. xij of the lord and of the saviour Iesus Christ / are yet tangeled agayne therin / and overcome / then is the latter end worsse with theÌ„ / theÌ„ the beginninge / for it had bene better for them not to have knowen the waye of rightewesnes that is to say of faith then after they have knowne it / to returne from the holy commaundemeÌ„t geven vn to them which is of faith in Christ It is happened vnto them according to the true proverbe Prover xxvi The dogge is turned to his vomet agayne And the sowe after she is wasshed is / returned to her wallowinge in the myre EveÌ„ so do wese that in the Popes kingdome faith is extincte And that we now are worse gentilles / then ever we were And for this we may thanke the abominable rydles and lawes of this kinge of faces / which Peter Iudas as we se have described and painted effectuouslye / with his saces and exterior powers Now foloweth the frute and finall worke / of them Danie viij And he shall corrupte mervelous thinges ¶ This word / mervelous / in the hebrewe is called niphlaoth and in other places is traÌ„slated / great / misticall / and secrete / as in the xj of Daniel / Danie xi He shall speake greate wordes against the god of goddes / And this word / Gene. vj. corrupte / signifyeth here as it doth in the .vj. of Genesis where it is writeÌ„ that the erth was corrupte / aÌ„d that all flessh had corrupte / their waye / and that god wold corrupte / or destroy them with the erthe So that paraveÌ„ture we might saye better in this place / And he shall corrupte greate thinges And Daniel is indifferent to be taken .ij. wayes Other to vnderstond those great aÌ„d mervelous thinges / which this kinge shall invade to corrupte them Or els his workes that he doth / exercyse in corruptinge other thinges / signifiinge that his actes be mervelous and incredible / And this latter sense doth oure interpreter folowe / whom also we will folow / all though the first sense be even as true / for / no doute / they are greate and mervelous thinges which he doth corrupte / but they are onlye knowne and attayned by faith Therfore the sense shal be / He shall corrupte mervelouslye / aÌ„d shall be as a great and incredible corruptor / he doth not describe what evill good thinges / shall suffer of him / But what great abominatioÌ„ he shuld worke against good thinges / shewinge his fortune and prosperite Therfore he speaketh not of violent corruption and destruction / as tyrantes spoile and destroye kingdoms and contres thorow warres aÌ„d violeÌ„ce of armure / for soch a kinge as he is / soch a destroyer is he also / that is to say he shall do all thinges with faces and rydles / which shall not be streÌ„ghthed by armure / witte / nor learninge / but thorow a strange and outward power as the next verse doth specifye / which sayeth And he shall prosper / and shall do / aÌ„d shall corrupte stronge men / and the people that are holye / and deceate shall prosper in his haÌ„d It foloweth therfore that he destroyeth not Cytes and provinces / but rather those thinges which are wont to be suppressed of these faces / rydles / and deceates / and which are clene contrarye to them that is to say the trueth and word of trueth the sprete and playne symplenes / which is the faith in Christ / and kingdom of good consciences / and that Christ calleth the kingdom of God / the kingdom of heven and the kingdome of trueth For so before pilate he confesseth and knowlegeth that his kingdom is the kingdom of trueth for he sayeth every man which is of the trueth heareth my voice Ioan xviij Wherfor this kiÌ„ge which is the destroyer of the kingdome of heven / and corruptour of the simplicite which is in Christ Iesu as it is said to the CorinthiaÌ„s is no nother but very Antichriste teaching in sted of the faith / workes / for the trueth / a cloked vysare / for secreat mysteryes / outward faces / for the gospell / lawes and rydles / for pure clennes sotle craftes / and for the word of god / their awne traditions and decrees / so destroing the consciences / and corruptinge the sprtte Let vs now iudge whether the pope fulfill this parte First this is evideÌ„t that thorow Christ all synnes wer so damned and taken awaye / i. Timo. j. that also the occasioÌ„ of synne which is the lawe did not remayne / but was suppâ—essed / for thorow the faith he made all thinges / fre So that a christen shuld worke nothinge by the coÌ„pulsion of the lawe / but all thorow the sprete of libertye / as Paule sayeth in the .j. of the first epistle to Timothe The lawe is not geven to a righteous man / for what so ever is done by compulsion of the lawe is synne / for it is not done with a glad and willinge sprete / but with a contrarye will and rebellinge against the lawe / aÌ„d this truelye is synne ij Co. in iij. Therfor in the .iiij. of the second epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s he calleth the preachers of the new testament the ministers of the sprete and not of the letter because they teach grace and not the lawe Wherfore in the hole new testameÌ„t are there no vrgent grevous preceptes But only exhortatioÌ„s to observe those thinges which were verye necessarye to oure helth Nether did Christ and his apostles at any time coÌ„pell any man And the holy goste was for that cawse called paracletus / that is to say an exhorter and coÌ„forter And here is theffecte of the hole matter / that they are the people of Christ / which willingly do heare and folowe him / not for any feare of the lawe / but only entysed and led with a gracyous libertye aÌ„d faithfull love / Not doing any thinge be cause it is commaunded / but because it is pleasant and acceptable vnto them / though it were not commaunded / for they the wold do otherwisse shuld be counted the people of the lawe / and synagoge / wherin the transgressers were killed Wherfor in the .xix of Mathew / he speketh coÌ„ditionally / Math. â—ix if thow wilt entre kepe the commaundmentes And in the .v. of Mathew he sayth not / Dat. v. I will that you be poore but he exhorteth them geÌ„tyll ye sayinge / blessed are the poore in sprete / and so forth And to be shorte in the new testament are all thinges declared which we ought to do and leve vndone / what reward is ordened for them that do and leve vndone And
to be more holy then a comen house Doth not the Pope here make synne in vsinge of those places / in the which christ maketh none but dimitteth vs fre Doth not the Pope make a scrupelous coÌ„science / wher as Christ setteth vs at libertie Doth not the pope ordeÌ„ thorow his doctrine / boÌ„dage / feare / captivite / snares ioperdeys where as christ settethe sure coÌ„fideÌ„ce fredoÌ„ Is not theÌ„ the Pope Antichrist / the author of sinne and consciences / by his tryfelinge / folissh / vnprofitable / aÌ„d weked lawes what nedeth any christeÌ„ these lawes observaÌ„ces vnto iustice O this deceauinge childissh illusioÌ„ which is worthy to be laughed 〈◊〉 yet is it of soch strength might that it causeth great sinne and perdition Christ teacheth the iustice or his worshupe coÌ„sisteth not in these places Actuum vii Ioannis iiij But the pope saieth the it is iustice worshupe of god to bild chirches / to halow theÌ„ / to preferre theÌ„ above comeÌ„ houses for the holines which is geven vnto theÌ„ O what a worthy religion is this for this idolle how mete coÌ„veniently did Christ provide / that the coÌ„secratioÌ„ of chirches belles shuld oÌ„ly pertaine to bisshopes truely it is even a mervelous mete office for a bisshoppe For soch as the bisshopes are soch shuld also their workes be And they are nothinge but idolles / and visars while that they set aparte their office of preachinge and are only Bisshoppes in titles apparell Therfore it was not convenieÌ„t that they shuld sancrifie the faithfull soules that is to saye the verye chirch of God with their worde and prayer / but rather to anoynt and sprintell with holy water belles / wodde / and stones / in which myse / spiders / and birdes might dwell / not Christ So a stocke doth consecrate stockes / a stone stones / a blocke blockes / a painted visare / visars / and an ydolle idolles / and in all poyntes he him silf is like that he haloweth And yet in reachinge / kepinge / aÌ„d garnisshinge these thiÌ„ges / good lord / what lawes and glosses are there / inveÌ„ted / what scrupulosite of coÌ„scieÌ„ce what cases reserved / what penance satisfactions are there imagined for the traÌ„sgression of theÌ„ And our most revereÌ„d father doth very hardly forgeve these fayned synnes I tell you not with out monye / he will soner a great deall remitte advoutrye and the most mischivous offences that caÌ„ be against god / yee and rather then fayle maynteÌ„ you in theÌ„ forthermore with what great pardons doth he reward these iustices And it is verye well ordered / for soch sinners are worthye soch remissions And soch rightuousmen ought to be crowned with soch rewardes so that the indulgences and absolutions must be as true / as are the synnes and iustices O this abominable abomination Likewisse Christ did put no difference in meaâ—tes and dayes as the apostle teacheth in many places Galath iiij Nether wold he that in the vse of any meate or any daye there shuld be synne / for in the gospell the vse of meate is not reproved / but only the concupiscence of meate But this most holy adversarye of Christ / nothinge regardinge the concupiscence doth forbed thorow the authorite of god and vnder his name / the vse of flesshe / Milke / egges / butyre and soch other / thorow all the lente / and other certaine dayes which he hath prescribed to be fasted / makinge and ordeninge his folisshe faste not in refrayninge the concupiscence / but in forbeddinge the vse / i. Timo. iijj as Paule in the .iiij. of the first epistle to Timothe did prophesy vpon him sayenge Forbigginge to mary / and coÌ„maundinge to abstaine from meattes / which God hath created to be receaved with gevinge thankes wherfore here also are sinnes made thorow the weked will of this maÌ„ of synne / where as of their nature they were fre and with out synne And he bindeth to these thinges / mennes consciences / and vexeth them with folisshe lawes In so moch the the rude people now a dayes do abhorre nothinge so vehemently as the transgression of these fastinge dayes And put their confidence so moch in no thinge as in this fast of the Pope / for they count it a thowsand times lesse faute / to kille to do adoutrye aÌ„d to stele / then for to have eaten egges / butâ—re / milke or flesshe in the lent ceason Nether is this master of the chirches / the fontayne of lawes and rightuousnes / the shepard of the hole congregation / aÌ„d hed of the catholike chirch / moved any whitte to mercye aÌ„d coÌ„passioÌ„ / by cause the faith is thus suppressed / weke coÌ„scieÌ„ces thus wickidly brought in to errours / but rather reioyseth in this destruction of soules / and corruptinge of faith / yee and calleth vpon them aÌ„d constrâ—yneth theÌ„to it Nether will he ever forgeve the transgression of one of his lawes vntill he be well moyned Sith theÌ„ the pope doth make synne / where Christ taketh it away / and ordeneth iustice where Christ sayeth is none And doth bind and snare coÌ„scieÌ„ces where Christ doth set theÌ„ fre And doth all thinges clene coÌ„trarye / puttinge synne in the stedde of grace and the lawe in sted of the faith / dost thou yet doute whether he be the very antichrist and abomination standinge where it ought not stond Are not these contarye / Christ sayeth here is no sinne / the pope sayeth yes here is sinne Christ sayeth here is no iustice / bâ—th the pope sayeth yes here is iustice Yf he wold suffer them indifferent or els only wold exhorte men vn to them / he shuld not be antichrist / but now be cause â—e commaundeth it in in the name of Christ though he lye and doth exacte it vnder the payne of dedly synne / he doth vtterly corrupte the chirch / suppresse the faith / avaunce synne destroy the consciences of the christen Of this kind are all the worshuppinges of vesturs / vessels / relikes / where of springe a fayer sorte of sinnes Yf a nunne / â—ouch the superaltare or the corpores / as they call it there is a synne committed / to touch the chalice it is a great transgression / to saye masse with an vnhalowed chalice is a grevous offence / to do sacrifice in vestimentes which are not consecrated is a carefull crime / It is also reputed for a synne yf in ministeringe any sacrament / he lacke any ornameÌ„t that pertayneth therevnto Yf he call a child or speake in the wordes of the canon He offendeth also that doth stammer or stutte in the wordes of the canon / he synneth that toucheth the holy relikes of saintes / And he that toucheth the sacrament of the altare other with haÌ„d or singer though it be for necessite to plucke it from the rouffe of his mouthe coÌ„mitteth soch vilonous
iniquite / the they will scrape aÌ„d shape of / the quicke flesshe of the parte which did touch it / so that very madnes it self can not be more out of order and resone / I think at the length they will flee the tonge / the rouffe of the mouth the throte / and the bely because they touch the sacrament But to hurte thy neghbure / or prevelye to convay away any of his good / or not to helpe him in his nede / is in a maner nether counted for synne / nor yet regarded / But what nedeth me to reherse any of these abominations / sith the hole world is replenisshed with his iniquite What moÌ„struous abominatioÌ„s doth not he with his adherentes bring to passe / which are not only superstitious / But also deâ—sye in the hed furious / and foles of extreme madnes Finally / thorow the authorite of the pope in a maner all the creatures of god and all the vse of them is made synne / for Christ wold that in none of these shuld be any synne nother yet iustice / the cause was paraveÌ„ture be cause he onlye was holy How be it it was coÌ„venient for the most holye vicare of Christ / that he resistinge Christ shuld here multiplye and encreasse synnes aÌ„d iustices / and replenisshe the world corruptinge the christen libertye and suppressinge the faith with folisshe / fearfull / erromous and perisshinge coÌ„sciences Behold now who is the man of synne and sonne of perditioÌ„ Nether yet have I enumbered the thicke swarme / and infinite hoste that depend on him / as cardinalles / bisshoppes / prestes / monkes / fryers / nunnes / decanes / subdecanes / and other shavelinges which bost theÌ„ silf fre froÌ„ the lawe For these thorow their shavinges / vesturs / houres / and behaveours / abound with as many synnes / as the duns meÌ„ with relatioÌ„s / or thomistes with their realites / yet put they so manye of them in every thinge / as there are creatures in the world / and consideracions in them Good lord / All this wretched multitude of men is nothing but synne / for he is counted a very apostata and breker of his religion / which is not shaven / if he read not his prescribed houres / yf he be not clothed with a prestly colour / yf he were not a hode or a coule / yf he be not appareiled with purpull and silke / or els chaunge any of those thinges which are appointed him to do / who wold not iudge a religious man to be an apostata / if he went in a laye maÌ„nes aparell / or wold not be shaven in due time But for to playe the apostata departe from the faith is nothinge regarded / In traÌ„sgressinge the hyghe decrees the popes awne dispensationis scant counted ynough / though it be redemed with never so moch monye all though for a litle try full he will remitte any offence to wardes god / yee and somtime offer the remission for nought So depe entereth the tyrannye of his lawe in to our wretched consciences Therfore Daniel doth verye well saye / that he shall corrupt mervelous thinges / for what is it that he leveth vncorrupte yee aÌ„d so he dothe corrupte them that they can not be repayred / for the consciences are so weaked and brought into bondage In so moch that I am in doute / if the pope wold abrogate all his lawes / whether that by those meanes this scrupulosite might he weded out of mennes hartes / so that their conscieÌ„ces might be heled / so cruell and incurable is this plage of the people / which is sowen among them Yf I may vse Esaias wordes of this kinge Assure â—â—e x. Here hast thow the fruete of these faces and rydles / which is the corruption / of the chirche / of the faith / of Christes libertie / of the sprete and trueth / and of all the goodnes which are geven vs of god / This is the true Antiochus in the .viij. of Daniel / which there was named to be a figure / of this kinges faces / Danie vij This is he which was exalted against the strength of heven / and did cast donne of the streght / and of the sterres / aÌ„d did trede them vnder his feate / prevailed vntill he cam vnto the prince of strength / and toke of him a great sacrifice that is to say faith And caste doune his holye place that is meÌ„nes coÌ„sciences he hade streÌ„ght geveÌ„ him against the greate sacrifice because of synne / the trueth in the erth shal be felled cast doune / And he shall prosper do Doth not the pope fulfill all these thinges avauncynge his faces ridles against the trueth faithe Marke well what sathan speaketh by their moutes / They saye that all thinges were not sette in a perfayte order of Christ but were lefte to the iudgement of the Chirch to be ordered / syth Christ ordened that there shuld be no synne but vnbeleffe and no iustice but faith As he sayeth in the xvj of Ioan. he shall rebuke the world of synne / because they beleve not in me / And agayne He that beleveth not shal be coÌ„demned / All thinges that are with out a man do not defile man but are clene fre / except we offend against them with an evill concupiscence which cometh from with in How be it the Pope defileth the hole world by these outward thinges / and is nothinge moved with the inward pollusioÌ„s Be hold how playne Christes wordes are / and yet we will not se this his adversary and corrupter of the faithe Besides thes maners of synnes perditions / the pope hath ordened other traÌ„sgressions first the false trust of soch workes / which is duble iniquite / for they which obey the pope in his preceptes / eschew soch thiÌ„ges as the pope coÌ„mawndeth / do thinke with hyghe presumptioÌ„ yee also are counted of other that they have done well desâ—roed heveÌ„ And this is the other pernicious instrumeÌ„t of corruptioÌ„ which rageth thorow the hole world / Be cause the with this trust coÌ„fideÌ„ce the faith of Christ caÌ„ not coÌ„sist / forthermore be cause they are so oppressed lade with the multitude of lawes / that they fulfill them only with the outward worke for their willes are clene coÌ„trary wold resist them / As we se by experieÌ„ce in the trobleous besines / of vigilles / masses / aÌ„d houres which both must be sayd aÌ„d songe / In the which they labour with soche weryenes / that now adayes no laboure is more tedyous Yet neverthelesse the heddes masters cruell exactores of these most hard workes compell vs to worke soch thinges with out ceassinge / which before god are nothiÌ„ge but grevous synnes / all though before men they be good workes / and counted for the service of god / here are inveÌ„ted thentismentes of the senses thorow
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 /
he had bene an heretike that had receaved both but now sith he doth not forbed it / aÌ„d so ordeneth no sinne in the receavinge / but rather doth orden both partes to be receaved / his vicaâ—e in a thinge not forbed / but lawfull and fre / yee aÌ„d ordened of Christ hiÌ„silf / hath made not onlye synne but also hyghe heresye Nether so is Antichrist knoweÌ„ / but is yet worshupped / as the vicare of God O the rowghnes of the wrath aÌ„d furye of god Playnly I thinke that the hole is takeÌ„ away sith I se manifestly on parte gone for the bred and the wine is but one sacrameÌ„t the other is left only for a laughinge stocke / for he that in one parte offendeth against god is giltye in all / except paraventure god by his secreate iudgemeÌ„t hath reserved it in the faith / with out any outward receavinge of the sacramente Therfore it were better to receâ—ve nether of the partes then the one alone / for so we might the more suerly eschew the traÌ„sgression of that which Christ did institute Yet he not satisfied with this his furye setting a most cruell and deadly snare to tangle the consciences / suffereth not the vse of this sacrament to be fre But compelleth all to gedder on one certaine daye ons in the yeare to communicate Here I pray the good ChristeÌ„ brother / how many dost thow thinke do excommunicate only by the compulsion of this precept which truely in their harte had lever not to communicate And all these synne for they do not communicate in sprete / that is to say nether in faith nor will / but by the compulsion of this letter and lawe syth that this bred requireth a hungery harte / and not a full / aÌ„d moch lesse a disdayning and hatefull mind And of all these synnes the Pope is author constrayning all men by his most cruell lawe to theyr awne destruction / where as he ought to leve this communion fre to every man / and only call and exhorte them vn to it / not coÌ„pelle and dryve them to it Consider well / whether by this occasion the world be not replenisshed with synnes vpe to heveÌ„ And with this floude ynough destroyed So he doth not only despoyle vs of oure sacrameÌ„t / but also that which he leveth vs / he ordereth on that maner / that thorow the occasion of it he fulfilleth the world with sinne / and so bringeth vs vnto destruction How be it he doth moch more mocke aÌ„d illude the prestes for fyrst he turneth the masse which is a sacrament and testament / to be reputed for a benefite and good work by the which prestes shuld make sacrifice for synnes / and shuld helpe the qwicke and deade in all tribulations Chalenging vn to him filf by this fayned lye all ryches / glorye / and powers of the world So that now the masse is clene vnprofitable vn to oure healthe / and is only of value for luker vnder this incredible perversite and vngodlinesse / forthermore they make a sacrifice of it / By the which they do well and geve thankes vnto God / as though he had nede of oure goodnesse / of whom we receave all thinges / playnly this weked perversite passeth all sense and wordes / and yet hath it beseaged / yee and oppressed the hole worlde Thierdly / he maketh a private thinge of a comen / for the masse in both partes never ought to be suffered vn to one maÌ„ / sith that Christ wold have it comen / so that the prest executinge shuld communicate both partes vn to some congregation gadered vn to him How be it now the prest celebratinge doth communicate only to him silf both partes And yet in the meane ceason he doth communicate and applye spiritually the fruere of the masse vn to whoÌ„ so ever he will that is to saye he dreameth that he doth coÌ„municate some thinge as though it were a good worke sacrifice And so where it ought to be receaved comeÌ„lye / he only doth receave it / aÌ„d yet not as the gifte of god to possesse it / but as his awne gifte to offer it O what profund sees of synnes / abound in this one sacrament Good lorde / how fewe / or rather none are there which vse it lawfullye as Christ did orden it / and as his apostles kepte it Auriculare confession The same and like madnes doth corrupte all thinges in the auriculare confession of oure sinnes / for first / sith this confession is a thinge verye holesume / it ought to be fre for oure new lawe which is the gospell will not suffer any lawe of compulsion / but only of councell and exhortation But so many synnes doth the Pope make / and so many soules doth he condeme / as are confessed against their willes how ofteÌ„ so ever it be / for when they confesse thorow the compulsion of the Popes lawe their mind resisteth his lawe And so do they synne / belevinge in their weke and wretched conscience that they are bounde of necessite to confesse them selves / and yet confesse they against their willes / and knowlege their sinnes with their mouthes and not with their hartes / that is to say faynedly And so offend grevouslye Now consider substantiallye what surges and waues the Pope hath excitate in the world by this one lawe of compelled confession How manye is there that with a glad and fre harte confesse them selves Yet no maÌ„ doth thinke that this is sinne / in so moch the all men perissh or they beware thorow this same sonne of perdition abominable man of synne And to th entent that this profoundite of sinnes and perditions shuld be greatter / he compelleth also that the offenses which are coÌ„mitted against his lawe shuld be confessed / yee and that chefly of all / with all the differences of synnes / kindes / natures / doughters / nesys / branches / circunstances / aÌ„d infinite other abominations / in so moch that the most spirituall maÌ„ of all / shuld here begyne to synne aÌ„d perisshe / that is to say coÌ„fesse against his will / for this sentence stoÌ„deth firme and stable / he that doth a thinge against his will doth it not And againe CoÌ„pelled servises please not god Sith theÌ„ the Pope hath no nede of these lawes / but only to stablissh and encreasse his tyrannye it is evident that he is the author of infinite synnes and infinite perditioÌ„s / while that by his lawes / he geveth a greate occasion of evill to weake and froward coÌ„sciences / which thinke them self to be bound vn to the fulfilling of his lawes / for if a man beleve that he is bounde / and doth not fulfill that which he thinketh him silf bound to with harte aÌ„d miÌ„de / he doth sinne with out câ—asinge as Paule saieth in the .xiiij. Roma xiiij to the Romayns he that maketh conscience is damned if he eate
and craftye / full of pryde or els they are not mete for him Math. xxi xiiij Christ rode simplye on an Asse / an had twelve that folowed him a fote all aboute The Pope on a mule or a whitt palfraye moch hyghare then his master did And hath many moo then twelve folowinge him on horsebacke with swerdes and bokelars / as it were to bataylle marâ—i xvj xv Christ bade his disciples to goo in to all the world and to preach the Gospell to every creature The Pope and his Bisshopes forbede it in the payne of disobedience and excommunication / save only soch as they will assigne Ioan. xix xvi Christ was naked / beten / scourged / false witnes brought against him The Pope and his adherentes are well clothed with percyous garmentes / and have chaunge for ech day / and false wittnes they have ynoughe / not against them / but to testifye with them what so ever they will have against the innocentes xvij Christ came to seake the poore aÌ„d coÌ„fort them / he was not chargefull vnto theÌ„ / but was mild / and had pyetye on them The Pope and Bisshoppes / somen and cyet them be they never so poore / not regardinge their adversite But curse if they come not So that they go away soryer / and sycker in soule / and in purse then they were before xviij Christ coÌ„mauÌ„ded that we shuld not swere at all / nother by heven / Math. v nother by the temple c. But that oure wordes shuld be / yee / yee / naye / nayer The Pope sayeth if eny man will receave eny office vnder vs / he shall be sworen before / yee and geve a great some of monye Ca. Signifi de elect xix Christ had a crowne of thorne thrust vpon his hed / Ioan. xix so that the bloud ranne downe vpon his amiable countenance / and sharpe nayles thorow his precyous handes The Pope must were .iij. crownes of gold / Ca. ConstaÌ„ti dist xcvi set with rych precious stones / he lacketh 〈◊〉 diademes / his handes and fingers with owches and ringes are ryally dight he passeth poore christ farre xx Christ toke the crosse of painfull affliction vpon him silf / Math. x and commaunded his disciples to folowe him saynge / he that taketh not his crosse / and folowe me is not mete for me The Pope and his Bisshopes take the crosse of pryde / and have it borne before them well gilt and amelde to have a worshuppe of this world / as for other crosse know they none Luce. xxiij xxi Christ prayed his father to forgene them that trespased him / yeâ— and for them that put him to death Our Bisshopes / playe the kinge to be avenged on them that resiste their mindes / with forgevnes they have no accoyntance Math x xxij Christ bade his disciples to preach the gospell The Pope and his Bisshopes will have men to preach fables / aÌ„d therto graunt letter and seall / and many dayes of pardon Ioan. xix Exodi xvi xxiij Christ commaunded his disciples to know his lawe / aÌ„d bad the Iewes to serch the scriptures And Moses exhorted the Israelites to teach the lawe of god to their loÌ„ge childreÌ„ And that they shuld have it bounde as a signe in their haÌ„des / that it might ever be before their eyes / And caused theÌ„ to write it on the postes and doores of theâ—â— howses The Pope and his Bisshopes saye / that it is not mete for vs to knowe it / they make it heresye and treasonne to the kinge to knowe Christ or his lawes / they have digged cisternes of their awne traditioÌ„s / and have stopped vpe the pure fontaynes of Israel Oh / lord / in whom is all oure trust / Come downe from the hevins / why dost thow tarye so longe / seinge thine adversarye thus prevaylinge against the Hebre. ix xxiiij Christ approved his lawe and coÌ„firmed it with his awne death The Pope and Bisshopes be full besye how they may destroye it aÌ„d magnifye more their awne lawe then christes to maynten their fatte belyes xxv Christ wold men visited presoners to comfort and deliver them Matthe xxvâ— The Pope with his adherentes discoÌ„fortâ—â—he poore and the true / and put them in preson for the trueth xxvi Christ whom they call their example did never presone nor persequute eny The Pope and his champyons / persequute / punisshe / presonne / aÌ„d put to death / them that are disobedient to their voluptuous pleasurs Ye se how straytte they folow Christes steppes xxvij Christ commaunded his disciples that yf eny man trespased against them / Math. xviiâ— they shuld go and reprove him prevelye / yf he wold not obey and be reconcyled / then shuld they take with them one witnes or tweyen / yf he wold not then heare theÌ„ / that they shuld tel it to the hole congregation And if he wold still continew in his stubbornnes / that they shuld avoyde his companye The Pope and Bisshopes wil cast streght in to preson / there to remayne in yerons to make them revoke the trueth / and graunt to their willes / and if he be stronge and will not forsake the trueth / they will condempne him with out audieÌ„ce / for feare of losynge of their temporall winninge And offeringe to their wombes / and takinge awaye of their teÌ„poraltyes / wherewith the chirch is venomed Ioan. xxi xxviij Christ charged Peter thryes / to kepe well and noryssh his shepe The pope chargeth moch more to kepe well his monye / As for the shepe he shereth and punissheth with infinite exactions Math. viij Mar. i Luce. v. xxix Christ healinge the seake and doinge many myracles / did lightlye ever commaunde / that they shuld tell no man who did heale them The pope aÌ„d Bisshoppes / geve great gyftes to minstrelles and messengers / to lewed lyers and flaterars / to crye theyr name aboute / that they may have worshupe in this world Matthe v xxx Christ had no seculare courtes to pleate the matters of his disciples / for they wold not resist evill The Pope and Bisshopes have many with men of lawe to oppresse the poore against mercye forgeve they will not / but ever be avenged Math. viij et xvij xxxj Christ in cytes and townes hunted the fendes out of men that they dwelled in with the wordes of his mouth The Pope and Bisshoppes huntre the wild deare / the fox and the hare in their closed parkes / with great cryes / and hornes blowinge / with hundes and ratches runninge xxxij God was called the holy father of Iesu Christ his sonne Ioan. xvij The Pope is called most holy father of Sathans children / and taketh that name on him with Lucifers pride / his disciples say that he is god on erth / and we are taught by Christes lawe to have but one god xxxiij