heathens by naturall reason by exaÌ„ples and by holye scripture fyrste howe to deteste Hipocrisie And before wee begin let vs not studie how to please the vayne waueringe mindes of men we muste loke certayne wee shute at a marke the hyttinge whereof if we sayle it is deathe knowe wee not what saincte Paule saythe An quaero hominibus placere si hominibus placereÌ„ seruus Christi non essem That is Go I aboute to please men if I wolde please men I shoulde not be the seruaunt of Christe I am playne it is not possible to serue two masters and that truelye it is not possible to serue bothe God and the Pope it is not possible to obeye the Pope and thy Prince For what felloweship hathe Christ with Belial or what agremente is betwixte lyghte and darkenes or what parte hathe a Faythefull with an infidell well the Noble Romayne Marcus Tullius Cicero whom for learning I caÌ„ not to much comeÌ„de nor for witte ynough prayse neyther yet for Eloquence sufficieÌ„tlye extolle hee in his fyrste booke of dueties of an Hypocrite sayth thus of all iniustice theyres is most worthie of death who wheÌ„ they deceaue most then speciallye wold they seme to be good men Here let vs remembre the shiepes cloathinge that is the seming to be good and then we shall beware the rauening wolfs we shall espie theyr dissembling we shal aduoyd al their subtill jugling but to speke of no heathen what hath 〈◊〉 Hierome of suche euon these woordes An Hipocrite is inwardely Nero but outwardly he is Cato hee is altogether so variable that you might well say how that one monster a newe beast is coÌ„pacted of contrarie diuersse natures S. Hierome will anone in playne woords declare that the prelacie of Rome the Moonkes Priestes Fryars are they Come we to naturall reason doeth not dame nature her selfe preferre the inwarde partes before the outwarde is not this manifest by the fourming of mans body where nature fyrst worketh about the harte the lyueâ— the lunges before she deale with the outewarde forme or other parts I wil omitte to speke of trees where nature first hath regard vnto the rootes then after vnto the partes apparaunte as the bodye the bowes the leafes and fruit what doth an hipocrite â—a what dothe a Papiste hee againste all nature onlye outwardly to seme good sheweth all his indeuor omittinge the inward partes and neglectinge the chiefe duetie of man. This is he which canne behaue him self humblye and canne dowke with his heade yet is hee but a deceauer within Nowe that we maye touche examples an hypocrite is coÌ„pared vnto a Peacoke which hathe winges as if it were of an Angell but the feete of a thiefe and the heade of a Serpent euen so it is of a Papiste his woordes be pleasaunte his workes are detestable and his heade is full of Poyson and sutteltie to lette passe that hee is compared vnto an Ostriche vnto an ape and suche lyke let vs heare what Sainte Bernarde sayth of them Hypocrites saithe hee are biters as doagges deceaptefull as foxes proude as Lyones inwardely they are raueninge wolffes howling as beares they wil be judges without autoritie witnesses without sight false accusers wantinge all trouth And what gather wee of this euon as Hierome saythe That they doe all thinges to be praysed of men We gather that they be lyke vnto the elder tree which hauinge a faire pleasaunt flowre yet bearth a contageous and a most noysome fruite open your eares therefore o ye Hypocrites and heare open your eyes o you papistes and se be not you them of whom it is written Ye haue eyes but you se not eares haue ye but you here not It proffiteth nothing sayth LactaÌ„tius To haue your conscience secrete hydde within it is opeÌ„ vnto God let no place bee leaft vnto lyenge disseÌ„bling for though that with wales things may be moued froÌ„ mannes sighte yet from the deitie of God you can hide nothinge no not with your intraylles but that he seeth and knoweth man throughely What dothe an Hypocrite I praye you seeke what doethe a Papiste hannt for in all his doynges Reuerentiam honoris gloriam laudis a melioribus metui sanctus ab omnibus voeari That is The reuereÌ„ce of honour the glorie of praise to bee feared of their betters to be called holie of all men Shall I rehearse anye scripture againste an Hypocrite or is it not ynoughe onelye to cousyder the twentie and third chapiter of the Gospell after Saincte Matthewe wherin o howe ofte doth oure sauiour Christ repreheÌ„de the hypocrites pro nuÌ„ceth he not woe there in one place eyghte tymes againste them O ye serpentes saithe hee Ye generation of vipers howe will ye escape the dampnacion of hell To speake at once of hypocrites of papists or of both Suche as men thinke to be perfecte among these are but cast awayes Yt remaynethe therefore that we shewe playnelye and that we declare briefely who they are and in shewinge this theyr owne autoures theyr own freinds and the writinges of men auncient and learned shall describe them to beginne a Doctour of theyr own diuinite sayth thus Fyrste the pastoures of the Churche the Cardinalles Archebusshoppes Busshoppes Abbates Deanes Archedeacons suche whiche are promoted to highe dignitie they haue blacke spottes of Hypocrisie as the spottes of a Lybarde These are they whiche come not lawefullye but by yuell meanes vnto the prelacie they are for the moste parte puffed vp withe the winde of the vayne prayse of men and therefore by theyr outewarde signes and dede they seme to haue more in them then in dede theyr is for aboue theyr abilitie they mayntayne greate estates and pompeous furnitures horsses seruantes in abundaÌ„ce They haue also their custrells or pages decked all in silke with crisped or curled heares hauinge Eunuches faces agaynste the intention of the Churche and contrarye vnto the manners and examples of the Hollye Fathers and so they spende the goodes of oure Lorde Jesus Christe where wythe the poore sholde haue bene refresshed vaynelye and vnproffitablye in vayne ornamentes in muche superfluitie and curiositie but Christ his poore meÌ„bres craued for bread and there was none that woulde gyue it them So well dyd Viualdus knowe them hee was of theyr profession of theyr councell of theyr Companye hee sawe theyr workes hee was acquaynted wythe theyr woordes hee wrote thus of them more then thre score yeares agonne and yt is Andreas de Soncino at that tyme a Fryare that commended hys Booke it was the Pope and all hys Prelacie that accepted it there was then nonne that coulde denye it But deale wee wythe others and lett vs heare what Saincte Hierome sayth lette vs heare howe hee reprehendeth them VVhat proffite is it saythe hee to haue the waules to shyne wyth Jeweles and Christe in the poore to starue for hungre the things
faulte because they were saultie and that they were so you maye read in the same epistle vnto Oceanus at large further and to conclud Many saith Viualdus of the cleargie of the Moonkes and religious men are hypocrites who being ydiotes and vnlearned doe yet fayne themselues to knowe and to vnderstande much and when they are bound by reason of their degre professyon to studie and to read the hollie scriptures they occupye themselues in light vaine vnproffytable seculer matters which appertaine nothing vnto their purpose what vaine lighte and vnproffitable thinges they reade maye appeare by an epistle that Hierome wrote vnto Damasus wherein these wordes are But now the priestes of god settinge a side the Gospelles and the prophetes doe reade comedies they synge the louinge songes of sheepehardes tune they are skillfull in Virgill they do this not as children doe which is a faulte of necessitie but willinglie and shall we willinglie goe after them shall we willingly reiecte the scriptures and receaue those sectes he ther vnto here in settinge forthe tho hypocrisie of the Romishe prelacie I haue vsed the auctorie of Lactantius of theyr owne lawers of Laurentius valla of Hierome of Barnarde of Gregorie of Viualdus of VVierus of Hugo Victorinus of Augustine of Sulpitius of Mandeuill of Platina of Obenhin of Marius of Antonius Patauinus of Antonianus of the olde Testamente and of the newe and of others by whose writtinge it is playne that Fryars are to bee myslyked that the Moonkes are to bee refused and that their Priestes are to bee despised and that because they were ignoraunte arrogant false seducers false Prophetes and the hypocrites of whoÌ„ it is writen in the vii Chapiter of the Gospell after S. Matthewe in this wise Beware of false Prophetes whiche comme vnto you in sheepes cloathinge who inwardlye are raueninge wolffes These false prophetes in the tyme of Moses lawe were the Baalites Malochites Marothites Baalmites the proude Scribes and the lewde Pharisees in the primitiue Churche the were the Simonianes Cherinthianes Nicholaits Deâ—ionites Nestorians Sabellians Arrianes in this our time the are the terminalles nominalles reales and all the roagges holdinge with the sinagogue of Rome from whom God the father of his mercye defende vs. Amen ¶ OF THE IGNOrance iniquitie and blasphemies of the Romayne Prelacie Capit. II. I Haue sett furthe gentle Reader in the former Chapiter who they are of whom S. Paule wryteth in these woordes vnto Timothee Habentes quidem speciem pietatis virtutem eius autem abnegantes Hauinge in dede the shew of hollinesse but forsakinge the vertue therof And here in this Chapiter thou shalte haue a taste and that in verye fewe woordes of theyr further abuses neyther doe I knowe withe what fyrste to beginne theyr faultes be so many of theyr ignoraunce I will saye nothinge but Constaâ— plures Papas adeo illiteratos fuisse vt Grammaticam penitus ignorarent It is euident that there were manye Popes so vnlearned that they vtterlye were vnskilfull in Grammer Touchinge adulterie and fornication â—ncestus adulteria casto coÌ„nubio prâ—fert The pope doeth preferre inceste and adulterie before chaste matrimonie As for Pope Ihon the twelfe Is adeo à se pudicitiam abijerat vt mulieres ad se publicè ingrâ—â—erentur He dyde so baneshe shame fastenes and chastitie from him that he suffred lighte women to comme in communely vnto him For heresye Liâ—evius was an Arrian so was Leo Pope Ihon doubted of the immortalitie of the soule and Mercellinus offred incense and sacrifice vnto Dyuels Honorius was condempned for an heretique by two generall counsailles Anaâ—â—asyus was a Nestorian Siluester a nigromaÌ„cer and Eugenius gyltie of simonie and periurie these thinges considered lete vs pronounce with the counseil of Basill CertuÌ„ est Papam errare posse Yt is certen that the Pope can erre It is confessed that hee hathe erred it is true that he is moste erroneous But that wee maye see at large theyr follye let vs see what is written in a popisshe booke entituled Liber coÌ„formitatum In the third leaâ—e of the same booke they call Frauncos The Chauncellour the Treasourer the staÌ„darde bearer the Councellor of Christe And must Christ haue a Chauncellour muâ—… he haue a treasourer shail hee haue a standarde bearer nead hee a counsailloure 〈◊〉 where is thys S. Fraunces In sede Luâ—… ri â–ª In Lucifers feate For so they 〈◊〉 wâ—â—ninge that he is in heauen and howe proue they it by this Ipse Diabolus pres bitero Jacobo de Bononiâ— hoc dixit The Dyuell him selfe tolde this vnto syr James a priest of Bononia shall wee beleue syr James who â—â—â—ened the Dyuell or shall wee beleue 〈◊〉 of them bothe who excepte he had beâ—… bewitched coulde haue writteÌ„ such dreames but with suche lyes a thing to be piâ—… were our forefathers blinded feadde 〈◊〉 seduced â–ª and will you see howe wickedâ—… they abused the hollye scriptures in reâ—…ings the same vnto theyr â—erauncâ—◠〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 Chapiter of the genesis thus they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faâ—…s 〈◊〉 id est Franciâ—… ad 〈◊〉 similitudinem nostraÌ„ â–ª That is to 〈◊〉 Let vs make man that is â—â—auntys after oure image and similtude And what followethe Ut praesit piscibus maris That he shoulde rule the Fisshes of the sea O sea o Lande o Fyre o ayre o ye Elementes all what an exposicion is this made not God at the beginninge manne after hys image and similitude made he not hym to beare rule ouer the Fisshes of the Sea why then Gentle reader wyâ—â— they expounde that to Fraunces particularelye whyche was spoken of mankinde vniuersallye weyghe thys judge it well but what saye they further forsoothe Franciscus potest dici Petra Fraunces maye be called a roacke and why Quia filius fuiâ— Petri Barnardonis Because he was the sonne of Pieter Bernardo Is not this Learninge what a proofe is thys lette vs bring it to theyr argumente and then it shall appeare as it is most ridicolouse s. Frances was the sone of Bernardo ergo S. Fraunces was a roacke this is theyr reckeninge this is theyr logique this is theyr learning and can they contente them selues with this follye nay For thus they proceade Franciscus est melior Apostolis Francis is better then the Apostles what then the Apostles O Fatuelle well you haue not yet heard what gyftes syr Fraunces had in preaching what Eloquence he hadde what grauitie hee was endewed withall Yf you will heare then reade the. 51. â—eafe of the booke there you shall synde these most foolishe woords Multitudo maxima auium congregata ad audiendum praedicationem B. Francisci A great company of byrds were gathered together to heare the preaching of blessed FraÌ„cis woate you when this was when Esope made his fables when the Foxe spake wheÌ„ the crowe had her voyce to be briefe wheÌ„ the â—yrdes kept
theyr parliameÌ„t wheÌ„ tales went for â—rothe when fables were credited when follie preuayled But because wee speake of birdes let vs goe further and let vs se what is written more of them And then we shall haue these woordes Jacent in loco S. Mariae fratres qui audierunt viderunt aues alaudas congregatas cantaÌ„tes super tectum ecclesiae S. Mariae in obitu beati francisci There lay brethren in a place of S. Maries who hearde and sawe larkes gathered together singing vpon the toppe of S. Maries churche at the deathe of S. Fraunces And is it so straunge a thinge to heare a Larke synge these men woulde make a miracle faine if they coulde neither care they of what For what saye we of doating Drodro of whom they write in this wise Brother Drodro was so holie that one Angell serued him at Masse and an other Angell prepared him hoarsses to trauaile with Withe suche lyes the people were fedde with suche vaine tales were Christians at that time taught to set forthe their moaming masse suche dreames were inuented So that with Irenaeus we may well saie Hi anicularum fabulas assumentes post deindè et sermones dictiones parabolas huic indè afferentes vt aptare volunt fabulis suis eloquia Dei These men doe take in hand olde wiues tales and then euen thence they heape together talkes words parabales to the intente in dede that they may bring goddes worde to agree with their fables These are the woordes of Irenaeus sometime Bushop of Lions in Fraunce who liued in the yeare of our Lorde God one hundreth thre score and syxetene but shall we go further and shall wee see howe sainct Fraunces hys order is proued to proue the same they haue these woordes Nullus dZ debit ambigere de ordine F. Minorum patz patet ex visionibus inter quas est etiam haec Quidam vidit B. Franciscum cum vexillo crucis euntem per coeluÌ„ et infinitam multitudinem fratrum suorum ad christum Nonne oughte to doubt of the order of saincte Frauncis as appeareth by visions whereof this is one a certayne manne sawe sainct Frauncis with the signe of the Crosse goinge throughe heauen with a greate multitude of his brethren vnto Chryste O Chryste what a fondenesse is thys where was thys man when hee sawe Sayncte Frauncysse in Heauen What manne was thys hys name is not in the booke of lyfe and shall wee credyte a certayne manne to vse no more woordes what maddenesse is thys and what was the rule of Sayncte Frauncysse hys rule was as hee hymselfe saythe Liber vitae spes salutis medulla Euangelij clauis paradisi status perfectionis pactum aeterni foederis This booke of life the hope of saluation the marrawe of the Gospell the kaye of paradise the state of perfection the decree of the euerlastinge couenaunte What blasphemies be these howe intollerable are they who yf hee fauoure the Gospell yf hee beleue in Christe canne abyde them yt is in vaine to trouble the reader with any more of their vanities therefore to omitte a greate number of other blasphemyes to let passe theyr sundry dreames not to speake of the greate absurdities contayned within that booke let vs ende with these woordes of the same Franciscus surgens de oratione venit ad fratres turbatissimus dicens Ego vellem quod istum habitum non inuenissem dominus enim mihi reuelauit quod de ordine meo exibit Antichristus secta eius That is Frauncis risinge from prayer came vnto his brethren greatlye troubled sayinge I would that I had not inuented this habite for God hathe reuealed vnto mee that out of my order Antichriste and his secte shall come Nowe you heare what master FrauÌ„cys saythe of his owne flocke howe that of his rule Antichriste and his secte shal come howe canne yt then bee The booke of lyfe the hope of saluacion c. It was not without good cause that Bernhard spekinge of the miseries of mankinde deuided the same into three which he setteth furth in this wyse Faciles sumus ad seducenduÌ„ debiles ad operanduÌ„ fragiles ad resistendum Wee are esie to be seduced weake to worke frayle to resiste And be we not easye to be seduced when the verye wysest dyd beleue such dreames when the truethe it selfe was not regarded and when these vntrothes were estemed then were men foolishe but nowe are childreÌ„ wyse then the learned were blinde but nowe the vnlearned do see therfore in that wee doe se let vs thanke god hythervnto wee haue spokeÌ„ of the Ignorance of the adulterie of the heresye of the prelacie of Rome wee haue sene the follye wher in they are drowned touching Frauncys and others wherfore let vs go further and to beginne heare wee what Bernharde saythe hys woordes are these The offices them selues of ecclesiasticall dignitie are tourned into filthie gayne and into the affayres of Darkenes neyther is soughte in these the safetye of soules but the riotousenes of riches For these thinges the Priests resoarte vnto the churchs they say masses the singe psalmes Yea they stryue impudentlye about Busshoprikes and Archedeaneries wastinge the reuenues of the Church in superfluitie vanitie Such was theyr abuses for foure huÌ„dreth yeres a gone Afterwardes into what follye they fell it is apparante by hystories whiche that I maye speke somwhat of Antichrist I may omitte of Antichriste Hilarius sayth thus Nominis Antichristi proprietas est Christo esse contrariuÌ„ The propertie of the name of Antichriste is to be contrarie vnto Christe Well to the intente that euerye indifference reader maye beware of Antichriste who endeuoreth to diminishe the glorie of God to suppresse the Gospell and to banishe away all Godlinesse pietie I will fyrste speke of Antichristes seate then of his seruauntes of hys miracles of him selfe and so of his ende ¶ Of his Seate ¶ Rome the whore of Babilon the mother of ydolatrie fornicatioÌ„ the sanctuarie of heresye and the schoole of errour ¶ Rome is as the secound Babylon ¶ Antichrist hath already his beginning at Rome and shall aduance him self hygher in the Apostolique See. ¶ Accordinge vnto the reuelacioÌ„ of s. Ihon ther is writen in the forehed of the purple harlatte a name of blasphemy that is of Rome aeternal ¶ Of his seruantes Spekinge of the Priestes whiche were for thre hundreth yeres agone he sayth thus For the most part they be thieues murthers rather katchers then feeders rather killers theÌ„ kepers rather deceauers theÌ„ doctors they be the messengers of Antichrist and the subuerters of Christ his sheepe Wold god they were not gonne whollye with generall consente from religion to superstition from faythe to infidelitie froÌ„ Christ to Antichrist froÌ„ god to an Epicure His Doctors shall fall froÌ„ the vnderstandinge of scriptures geuinge theÌ„ selues deceptefullye with great eloquence and subteltie