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
Therfore / where / as his vicare raigneth / there is no god / for where god is present / there neadeth no vicare / but only ministers / as thapostles called not theÌ„self the vicars of god / but onely his ministres Therfore is the sainge of Paule fulfilled Whe se the maÌ„ of synne sonne of perdition / sittinge in the teÌ„ple of god / ij Thessa ij shewinge him silf as thowgh he were god / beinge an adversary / exalted above the word of god all his worshupe What is more coÌ„trary to the trueth of the gospell theÌ„ these faces and clokes their doctrine how be it / it is worshupped / feared observed above all the worde of god / that vnder the name of him aÌ„d his learninge / but let vs retvrne vnto daniel 〈…〉 Danie viij This word hidoth which Daniel doth put in the hebrew toÌ„ge doth signifye a probleme a ryed all / a darke seÌ„teÌ„ce / which deceaveth the sense if a maÌ„ loke but on the wordes So in the first of IudicuÌ„ judicum j. I will propound vn to yov a ryedell 〈◊〉 xlviij And in the .xlviij. psalme I will opeÌ„ in a songe my darke senteÌ„ce Therfore he is called wittye in these sotle reasons aÌ„d rydels / which caÌ„ with darke wordes / deceave the hearers / so that they may heare one thinge vnderstoÌ„d a nother And it is not thus takeÌ„ that he shuld be wittye in ryedles for to vnderstoÌ„d that that other men shall speake / but that he is apte mete to deceave other by his awne wordes I will put an exaÌ„ple WheÌ„ this kiÌ„ge of faces / The Chirche in his decrees doth use this worde the chirch for him silf and his adhereÌ„res be they never so vngodly and weked goth aboute to persuade all men that what so ever they coÌ„stitute and ordene / it is done of the chirch as they have now prevailed / yee and triumphe by the obtayning of this word thikest thow that he hath not propouÌ„ded a proper rydle / syth that the chirch doth not signifye / but the holye congregation of faithfull which live and are led with the sprete of god / which are the bodye and fulfillinge of Christ / as Paule saith Colo. iâ— What lyes shall not this maÌ„ grouÌ„d and sett forth What obedience shall not he obtayne what lawe shall not he stablisshe when he hath so fare prevailed that both the hearers and he that speaketh do vnderstond the Synagoge of SathaÌ„ for the chirch of god Whâ—â— to he that wold not obeye the church of god we may perceave by this worde that this kiÌ„gdome of faces differith from the maneraÌ„d condition of all other kingdoms by cawse he contendith not with armure / but with wordes Not with plaine and simple wordes as the kingdome of Christ the impery of this worlde is vsed and ministered / for the impery of this world in mannes lawes determe of temporall thinges with evideÌ„te wordes / which of every maÌ„ sone are vnderstond And the kingdome of Christ is rueled by the sure and playne worde of the gospell But this kingdom doth vndermine meÌ„ deceave theÌ„ with darke duble wordes which sounde one thinge and meane an other Nether doth he teach that a maÌ„ may perceave other wordly thiÌ„ges or spirituall / but he faineth to teach spirituall / in very dede they are wordly teÌ„porall And in this crafte they are so wittye / sotle / and apte thorow sathanes helpe that they seduce and being in to errour as Christ prophesied the very chosen nether caÌ„ they be iudged but of them which are spirituall Danie viij Therfore Daniel calleth him sotle and wittye / and his lawes ryedles / by cause he shuld deceave all men / which sharply and wyth greate diligence do not marke and take hede of them Make a proffe thy silf Yf thow be taught to abstaine from / me ates / â—â—thinges / places / persons / and certaine â—ther thinges / and to vse soch or soch garmentes / behaveoure / meate / place persons Beinge in this opinion / that by those meanes and labours / thow shalt do good workes obtaine righteousnes / And after wheÌ„ thow comest to thy self and haste the true vnderstondinge doste perceave that thow hast labored but in temporall thinges which make no more for righteousnes / then other occupations and labours of laye men / woldest thou not say that thou haddest bene properly begyled And haddest thow not in very dede bene deceaved thorow faire wordes And I pray the are not all that the Pope commaundeth even soch phantases Doth he not in his decrees and statutes entreate / and de terme of places / meates / vesture / or persons Where in consisteth no more iustes then if thow shuld go plowe a felde / or weve / or spinne But who playeth the husbond maÌ„ thinkinge to be iustified if he do his worke / or to sinne if he do it not / all though it be a profitable and necessary worke And thow arte commaunded to laboure in that worke which is nother necessary to the liffe nor yet profitable for any thinge hopinge to find righteousnes in it / and to sinne if thow traÌ„sgres for what doth it profite other thy liffe or substance to were a blacke or a russer cotâ— to cate milke or flesshe / to be shaveÌ„ or â—nshaven / to live in this place or in that Aâ— yeâ— in this trifelinge and vnprofitable thingeâ— thow arte commauÌ„ded to be iustified aÌ„d halowed / or els to sinne and offend Are not here problemes / ryedles propounded craftely to the And truely all the world / is replenesshed with this false deceitfull doctrine These be the consciences marked with hotte yerons / i. Timo. iiij for as all that they do be very clokes and faces / even so all that they teach be sotle reasons and fained ryedles / so that both in the thinges and in the wordes / are nothinge els but clokes and faces / and yet they make a fearfull and scrupelous conscience with oute any cause or authorite Observe and note with what sober and meke wordes the sprete doth handell these cruell and odious monstres / for he calleth the abominable pompe and hypocrisye nothinge but faces / which thow canst sufficiently and worthely defame with no word And he nameth this pestilent deceavinge of antichristes dottrine And this mischevous foxy wylinesse to delude men / nothinge but rydles Danie viij This clerly doth Daniel in the .vij. prophesye / where he writeth that after the terrible best that had ten hornes which by the consent of all men is the imperye of Rome he considered aÌ„d sawe an other litle horne spriÌ„s ginge out of the middes of them that is the impery of the Pope which as we saide is spronâ—â—e in the middes of the imperye of Rome â–ª â—â—d behold there were eyes like mennes 〈◊〉 this horne / and
oure awne merites / not in the pure faith of Christ yee in so moch the we have begon to selloure meretes to other Is not the faith and gospell transgressid and in maner destroied Therfore these ought not to be vndersidoÌ„ of heretikes but of Busshoppes / Shepardes and religiouse wyth their infinite variete aÌ„d diversnes of sectes and workes / which deceave destroye them silf and the people / with a false aÌ„d clokyd hope / teachinge nothiÌ„ge lesse then faithe all stycking to their awne workes And they blind them silf are the leaders of blind meÌ„ What meanith this that he doth not say they shall deme the lord / but the lord which hath bought 〈◊〉 With out doute he prophesieth that Christ shall be denied of them as touchinge iustification / not because they shall plainly denie him for then they shuld not be false doctores / nether prevely bringe in sectes of perdition / counterfettinge the doctrine of trueth But reservinge the titles names will go a boute to be saved by theire awne sectes / and not by the faith in Christ Iesu / for Christ bought vs with his awne bloude / that by the faith in him we might be iustified But the infinite diversite of religions / workes / and sectes / goo aboute to persuade vs / that we must satisfie God with oure actes / and deserve the kingdome of heven All these sectes the Pope makyth full of cloked hypocrisie / and verie noisome by his confirmation / while he doth stablish them as holy orders / and holsom rueles to live after / aÌ„d makith men to put confidence in them And again that holye father of his best beloued childer full blessidly is strengthed and stablisshed in his tyraÌ„nie Proverbe And as Mules do in course one clawyth the other So though they confesse in wordes the lorde to be Christ yet they deme him in dedes Of whom they make vnto vs a nother Moses for he bought vs not with shediÌ„ge his bloud / that onlie he might teach vs to live well But to th entent that he might live and raigne with in vs / and that he might be oure lorde workinge in vs all oure workes / and this is done by only faithe in him But they which now teach vs the gospell make Christ oure master / as a servante which shuld tarie with our and teach vs good / and not rule with in vs and worke oure good dedes But it is well that they shall bringe apoÌ„ theÌ„ selves swifte perdition / ii Pet. ij math xxiiij for those dayes shall be shortenid / or els no flessh shuld be saved / which shortly we trust shall be parformed Many shall folow their pernicyouse doctrine And fewe shall be saved from their perditions / wherfore Christ in the .xxiiij of Mathew doth councell that they flie to the montaynes / and returne not againe in to their howses j. Iuno i. And Paule calleth them parelous tymes for this clokid hypocrisye and famed holinesse But they obiect / the statutes and ordinances are good / holye meÌ„ did make them / as Augustine / Benedicte / Barnarde / Francisce / Dominice / aÌ„d soch other To this I answer That is eveÌ„ it that christ and the apostles meane / that these workes shuld be lyke to those thiÌ„ges which are taught in the gospell / for that they call counterfettinge of the doctrine / and prevelye banginge in By cause they take only of the fathers exaÌ„ples of workes / and leve the faith And so they ruÌ„ne hedliÌ„ge with owt any iudgement into all those thinges which the fathers sumtyme erringe have made and ordened and no mervell for it is prophesed that if it be possible the very choseÌ„ shal be brought in to erroure and folowe even the vtter cloke and face of this errour / Math. xxiiij for a good waye / and so are conveied away from the gospell and fayth by a sotle and insensible deccite And chefly when the authorite of the Pope hath approved and alowed those wayes and hath coÌ„firmed and stablisshed that meÌ„ shuld put confideÌ„ce in them / yee and makith them necessary bondes / which the fathers did nother make nor kepe but with the libertye of the sprete / binding no man pepetually to them / for if they did / with owt / doute they erred according to mannes fragilite ij â—â—th iâ—ij By whome the waye of trueth shal be blasphemed / which is the way of trueth Is it not that which is coÌ„trary to the outward face / cloke / and hypocrisye of workes Trewly the apostles did never institute and ordeÌ„ any secte of religion / But tawght to every man the only comen waye of Christen faith The waye therfore of trveth is to beleve in Christ Who are blasphemars truely they which denie the lord And do not they which thorow the authorite of the Pope crake on their leving Bost their sectes / and prayse theyr orders / as holy / right / and holsome / take awaye the prayse and glorye of the waye of trueth / aÌ„d applye the same vnto their orders hath not his blasphemye so prevayled that the only clargye / aÌ„d chefly the religiouse be counted for the christen and the other are called openly seculare and wordly / and are counted for comen Iackes as they were clene out of the way of helth And he that enterith religion / is craked / and belevid to go clene out of the world / fynally it is persuaded comenly / that who so ever wil be saved ought to enteare religioÌ„ Is not this a playne blaspheminge of the way of truthe Math. xxiiij Is not this to teach that Christ is here and there Is not here the way of faith despised left and in his stede taken / the secte and superstition of workes Is not this the waye that teacheth vs to forsake the faith in Christ aÌ„d to cleve and put confideÌ„ce in oure awne workes Do not soch hypocrites so shine and here rule in the world / that the simple christen in the faith are counted in comparison to them but durte and filthe of the strete But let vs go a litle farther / yf any man wold rise and presume to reprehend these wayes chosen of men / or as the apostle callith them in the .ij. to the Collossyans / chosen holines / Col. ij and wold teach that they were the pernicious wayes of sclawnder / confirmed of the Pope and avaunsed of them / to destroy the faith / to evacuate and sette at nought the gospell / to seducie and deceave the soules of the christen And that the christen faith is only the waye of health / what thinke you they wold do to him Shuld he not be called sexhondenth times hercrike / a thousande tymes Antichrist / Satan / Sevill / schismatike / and soch other yees truly / there were no name of hate / punyshmentes and blasphemy / ynough for this
interpreted / for he saith And the firste angell blewe / I sawe a starre fall frō hevē vn to the erth / to him was gevē the kaye of the bottōlesse pytte here will I sumwhate take myn awne minde expositiō It is evident that angelles thorow all the apocalipses do signifye the busshopes of the chirches as it apereth by the second and .iij. chapter / where it is writen to thāgell of Ephesus / to the angell of Smirna / to soch other Apoca. ij Now the other kinde of angelles that blowe the trompettes / which as it is shewed in ye. viij hath sevē heddes can be applied to none but to the Pope of Rome for it is not writen that any other do blowe trompettes / Apoca. viij for to blow a trompett as the agreinge of the place / and the textes folowinge do specifie can be nothinge els But to make decrees / which thing no man hath taken apon him at any time / but the Pope of Rome / Nother is it writen with out a great cause that they prepared them selves to blow for these only Popes have ever hade an impatient furye / ād vnquiett tyrannye / to make lawes and subdew other vnder them But let vs returne vnto oure fyfte Angell which is the first of the thre that shuld bring in .iij. wooes / apō the erth this is he which first did ordene and stablissh vniversites whom it is not easy for me to name / the stories do so differ and dissent But who so ever he was let him be the starre that fell frō heven to the erth / whether he were Alexander of hales / or els which I soner beleve sanct Thomas / Saint Thomas de aquino which after the vniversites approved and the trompett of this Angell other was the first / or els the greatist author to bringe in philosophye amonge the christē / beinge a subtyle ād very craftye disputer yee very Aristotel him silf into whom as in to the erth he fell from Christ in heven / grounding him silf apon the authorite of the most vngodly and weked Angell which did approve soch maner of studye / he toke the kaye of the bottomlesse pitte / and opened it / brought out vnto vs philosophye which a Collo ii litle before was deade and comdemned by the apostles / and from thense did assend the smoke of this pitte that is to say very wordes and opinions of Aristotle and other philosophers as it hade bene the smoke of a greate fornace / Apocalx◠for phylosophy so did prevaile that he made Aristotle equale with Christ as concerning authorite and faith / where with was darkened the bright sonne of righteousnes and trueth Christ / for in the stede of the faith were brought in morall vertues / and for the trueth infinite opinions the ayer / by the reason of the smoke of this pitte / that you myght vnderstond / that it was not an eclipse of the sone / but a darkenesse both of the sonne and of the ayre thorow the smoke that ascended from beneth / that is to say thorow mens traditions and learninge / Christ and his faith which are the ayre and sprete be oppressed and darkened And there came out of the smoke locustes vpon the erth Locustes This is the people of the vniversite which is rootide and brought vpe in philosophye and are called with a propre name locustes / By cause they folowe the Angell of the bottomlesse pitte / which is the Pope clene forsakinge their kinge Christe and flye on swarmes / as it is said in the .iij. of the Proverbes Prouer. iij And then they despoile / and burne vpe all that is grene / in that parte where they sitte so that the gramarians suppose that they are called locustes a loco vsto which signifieth a burned and wethered place So this people burneth and consumeth the hole grene springe of Christ / that is to say / the fructe of faith And to them is geven power / as the scorpions of the erth have power / that is to say to wond the conscience / for after that the grene and florisshinge frute of faith which healeth the cōcōscience is whethered and destroyed / the cōsciēce cānot but be hurte And it was said vnto them that they shuld not hurte the grasse of the erth nother all the grene nether all the trees / that is to say the chosen / for they shal not hurte all men Nother naturall locustes do hurte all grene / The seall of god but some certaine place / like wisse here / but only he saith those men which have not the seale in their forheddes / that is some grasse / and thē which have not faith which is the seale of God that we beare in a pure conscience and fre conversation And to thē was commavnded that they shuld not kille them / Morall philosophye but that they shuld be vexed .v. monthes And this as I suppose was spoken of morall philosophy / which syth it doth not teach the true knowlege of synne it doth not kille as the lawe of God doth / but only with vayne affections doth vexe and prike them ij Timo. iij Ever learninge never attayninge the knowlege of trueth / for they that are killed with the lawe are quickened againe with the everlastinge sprete / and are not vexed .v. monthes / that is to say thorow all the time of their sensuall lyffe / in the which morall vertues rule And we se all morall divines to have a parelous and weked conscience / full of scrupulosite / never quiet which nother cā attaine good nor evill Therfore it foloweth / and their paine was as the paine that cometh of a scorpione when he hath stonge a man / be hold the prikinge of the cōscience / he expoundeth that / which he spake of That they are not holsomly kild / nether quickened spiritually And in these dayes shall men seake death shall not find it / they shall desyre to deye death shall flye frō them / that is the death of sinne which raigneth is over quicke / stikinge in the cōscience / and yet is it not knowen to the pointe as it ought to be / for if it were well knowen it shulde sone perissh and deye But this is not the office of the Etikes of Aristotle / but of the lawe and sprete And the similitude of the locustes was like vnto horses prepared vnto batell / Batell ▪ that is of sotle disputations and brawlinge scole maters / which in an allegory are called batell for they are ready to dispute on this side and that / with it against it And on their heddes were as it were crownes / like vnto gold / they be / names and titles of degrees Oure noble master / humble and vnworthy professor of divinite ād so furthe And their faces were as they had bene the faces of
a mowth speakinge great aÌ„d mervelous thinges These eyes be the rydles / and the sotle vnderstondinge of these ridles / is the wisdome of the flesshe / the blasphemous mowthe against Christ Ephe. iiij Paule in the .iiij. to the Ephesians doth moch more fersly entreate of these rydles sainge / let vs hence forth be no more children wavering and caried with every wind of doctrine by the wylynes of men and craftenes where by they lay away te for vs to deceave vs. But the two greke wordes which thapostle vseth have moch more mistery then here can be expressed / for the first signifieth not only wylines / but also castinge at dyse / and the second is both a craftenes / aÌ„d sotle illusion as it were of iuglers which with their sportes aÌ„d pastimes deceave meÌ„nes senses So these weked masters castinge the wordes of god as they were dyse accordinge to their awne minde and plesure / with their trifeling ceremonies / deceave vs aÌ„d make vs vnstable / vndermininge vs with these sotle craftes to make vs fall and erre / this is their hole entent that they vse their wordes aÌ„d deceytfull ceremonies / to vndercrepe vs craftely / and prevely deceave vs or we be ware So he monissheth vs in the .ij. to the Collossians Collo ij Be ware lest any man come and spoyle yow thorow philosophye 〈◊〉 deceatfull vanyte / thorow the tradâ—◠〈◊〉 of men and ordinations after the 〈…〉 after Christ And a litle after even â—s pointinge with his finger to this hidoth and bely wisdome / doth say After the coÌ„maundmentes and doctryns of men / which thenges have a similitude of wisdome in chosen holines and humblenes and in that they spare not the bodye / and do the flessh no worshupe vn to his nede Marke howe their hydoth hath a similitude of wisdom and is but very superstition and hypocrisye ii Petri. jii And Peter in the .iij. of his second pistell saith There shall come in the last dayes deceatfull mockers which will walke after their awne lustes Doth he not here touch both the deceate and the illusion by cause they deceave in wordes and mocke and illude in clokes and faces imputinge the one to the doctrine / aÌ„d the other to the workes / even as Paule did meaninge no nether thinge by this deceate and illusion / Ephe. iiij but that which Daniel signifieth by this worde hydoth This also must be observed and noted that this word / vnderstondinge / doth pertaine vnto the mind and affection / for Daniel in the xi speakinge of the same monsire doth say Danie xiâ— And he shall have no vnderstoÌ„dinge that is to say minde affectioÌ„ to the god of his forefathers / nother to the desire of wives / nother to any god / where it is evident that the word 〈◊〉 signifye affection / and regarde / for he shaâ—â— not be so ignorante / not to know what 〈◊〉 is / what a woman is / what a wiff is / â—hat it meaneth to desyre a womaÌ„ or a wiff but he shall not regarde them / but make statutes contrary to god and matrimonye / takinge no thought how impossible it is to beare and suffer this bourden of matrimony / and wedlocke which is denied theÌ„ EveÌ„ so Daniel when he calleth this kinge wittye / Danie viij and vnderstondinge rydles / vseth the same maner of speakinge and meaneth rather the affection and mind / then the vnderstondinge And truely there was never thinge ordened in the worlde more folisshe and vnsaverye then the Popes lawes In so moch that they are gested at / yee and abhorred of the verye Canonistes which reade and professe them / Proverbe for they have a proverbe amonge them silf that a pure Canoniste is a greate Asse / forther more the world had never imperye whose princes were redyare aÌ„d maddere to make lawes then the Popes of Rome / so that in their decrees is as moch want of learninge as superfluite of folisshe hardenes / and both are above mesure What doth the Pope in the chirche buâ—daye by daye hepe vpe and accumulate moo newe lawes / which he stablisshith and cancelleth / confirmeth and disanunlleth / chauÌ„geth rechaungeth / without any cause with oute any reason / eveÌ„ as it cometh to his wittes ende / be â—e dronke or furious And no doute vseth and â—â—â—eth oure weke and wretched conscience EveÌ„ as they were dyse / which when he playeth for his pure pleasure he casteth and turneth hether and thethere as he list him silf / yee somtime to his bawdes and herlottes O this is a worthy reward for oure vnfindnes ii Thessa ij Be hold vs which wold not receave the love of trueth that we might be saved / are worthely comitted in to the handes of this man of sinne / and sonne of perdinon which thorow trifeling / lawghinge / and gaminge hath layde sinnes and perditions vpon vs / with an incredible and malicious furye And to be shorte we may perceave copiously by the forsaide faces / these sotle ridles for sithe the hole Popes lawe doth nothinge els but order these clokes and faces And sithe in the faces is nothing but mockinge and deceavinge by the which the trueth of the faith in the gospell is suppressed it is evident ynough which experience doth teache vs that the Popes doctrine is mockinge and deceatfull / for he gothe not aboute to make vs serve / obaye / aÌ„d beleve in god But only to serve hem and to be subdewed vnder his iurisdiction And truely it were impossible if he were of God / but that he shuld entreat / move / and entyse vs to the gospell with all his might and power And teach vs plainly that all thinges are fre / aÌ„d that 〈◊〉 can not synne in vsinge clothinge / meates / places / parsones / or any soch thinges / for synne coÌ„sisteth not in the vse of thinges / but in the inordinatte desire or hate of theÌ„ / but the pope putteth synne rightuousnes only in the vsinge / therfore he is the maÌ„ of synne sonne of perditioÌ„ / filling the world with these folisshe and vaine / sinnes iustices And yet by cause he feareth the coÌ„scieÌ„ces vnder the title aÌ„d preteÌ„ce of Christes name he maketh of those thiÌ„ges which in theÌ„ self are no synnes / very grevous offences For he that beleveth that he doth sinne / if he eat flesshe on the Apostles eve / or say not matens prime in the morninge / or els leve vndone any of the Popes preceptes No doute he synneth Not by cause the dede which he doth is synne / but by cause he beleveth it is sinne against this folissh belefe coÌ„scieÌ„ce / offeÌ„deth / of the which folyssh coÌ„science only the Pope is hedde author / for a nother doinge the same dede / thinkinge that he doth not sinne trvely offendeth not And this is the cause that the sprete
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
maner of causes for they bringe money vnto me ix q. iij. Conquestus Math xxii lij Christ sayeth geve the Emperour soch as pertaineth vnto him as tribute and custome / for I have payde tolle for me and Peter Matth. xvij The Pope sayeth I care not for this But I excommunicate all them that aske eny toll or trybute of me and my shavelinges / for I have made them all fre Ca. Nouit de senten excom Et ca. Si quis de coÌ„s dist j. liij Christ sayeth Math xxvi Peter put vppe thy swerde in to the shethe / for he that striketh with swerde shall perissh with swerde The Pope sayeth / you Emperours / Kinges / Princes / and Lordes / take swerdes / speres / holbardes / clobbes aÌ„d gonnes / and helpe me to sle them / that will not obey my tyrannye This muste an Emperoure do or els he must be periured After this maner hath Iulius the Pope slayne .xvj. thowsande menne yn one daye / was not that well pastored Did not he well nouressh the shepe which Christ did committe vnto his tuition liiij Christ sayed Math. xxvj Drinke you all of this cuppe for this is the bloude of my promisse The Pope sayeth I will not graunte this for my prestes alone shall drinke of it be cause it may crye avengeaunce on them alone the other shall not drinke of it in the payne of heresye lv Christ sayeth Ioan. xv ye are my frindes yf you do all thinges that I my silf coÌ„maunde you The Pope sayeth yow shall do as I bid you / for I have power and authorite to make lawes And after theÌ„ shall you lyve .xxv q. j. ca. Sunt quidam Math. xix lvj Christ sayeth that chastyte is not geven vnto every man they that have it geven Let theÌ„ take it gevinge thankes to god And let the other vse the redemye which God hath prepared / for it is better to marye then to burne i. Corinth vij The Pope sayeth all monkes / fryers / and nonnes shall vowe and swere chastite be it geven them or not / my prestes also shall not be wedded / but as for to kepe hores and ravyssh other mennes / doughters and wyves / shal be despensed with all I will se no soch thinges / for my Bisshopes have yearly great monye by it like as bawdes be wont to have Math. xv Roma xiiii Collo ii Titum j lvij Christ sayeth all meates that man taketh with thankes staineth not the soule / for all thinges are pure to them that are pure The Pope sayeth he that eateth / egges / butyr / or flessh in these dayes that I have coÌ„maunded to be fasted / doth not onlye staine his soule with sinne / but also is to be denounced an heretike Dist iiij ca. Statuimus this agreeth with christ even as the light doth with the darkenes And yet have we bene thus blinded longe / that we could never perceave this Antichrist till now in the last dayes lviij Christ sayed vnto his disciples / that you binde in erth shal be bound in heven / that you lose in erthe shal be losed in heven Math. xvi Math. xviij Ioan. xx The Pope chalengeth greater authorite for he will lose soules out of purgatorye / aÌ„d commaunde the angels to fetche them out and all for monye / with out monye you get nothinge / lix Christ sayeth wheÌ„ you have done all thinges that I have commaunded you yet faye that you are vnprofitable servantes Luce. xvij The Pope sayeth do those thinges that I commaund the / and take a sure conscience vnto the that thou art a iuste aÌ„d a religiouse man / and that thou hast deserved heveÌ„ And as for I my silf Oh abâ—mination Yf I do wronge in everye thinge / and bringe many thousandes with me in to damnation / yet shall no man rebuke me / but call me the moste holyest father Dist xl ca. Si papa lx Christ teached vs to fulfille the workes of mercy to the poore / ever coÌ„mendinge mercy above offeringes and sacrifice Math. xxvi Osee vj Math. ix The Pope teacheth vs to geve our monye for pardons / masses / direges / to images aÌ„d chirches / so that we may offer vnto their be lyes And he that sayeth it is better to geve our cherite to the poore as Christ sayeth is counted half an heretike / be cause he goth aboute to marre the Popes markette Roma iiij Ioan. xi lxj Christ suffered death for oure synnes and arose for oure iustificatioÌ„ / or els we all shulde have perisshed The Pope sayeth if thou bye my pardon / or els be buried in a graye fryers cote thou must nedes be saved / so that Christ hath suffered in vayn / syth a fryers cote will save a man j. Ioannis ij lxij Christ onlye is oure mediator which maketh vnite be twixte his father and vs / how be it the prayer of a iuste man is verye good and profitable Iacobi v The Pope sayeth The greatest power salvation next to christ is myne Dist lx ca. Si papa I mervell then why he is so curious to cause vs worshupe the sanctes that are a slepe And not rather him silf / syth he chaleÌ„geth a greater power then ever they did while they lyved Math. v lxiij Christ sayeth / who so ever breke one of my liste commaundemeÌ„tes / shall be called the lest that is to saye none in the kingdome of heven The Pope saieth / what pertaineth his law vnto me I am subiect to no lawes xxv q. i. ca. Omnia therfore dothe the Pope but seldome right And is all wayes against right yee and against his awne lawes / as often as men do bringe him mony / for that loveth he above all thinges lxiiij Christes lawe is suffilled thorow charite Roma xiij The Popes law is fulfilled by mony / yf thou have no monye to geve them / thou shalt carye a fagott / though thou offende not / monye them and they se the not / do what thou wilt lxv Christ is the hed of the chirche as the apostle doth testifye Ephe. i Collo j j. Corin. x And also the stone wheron the chirch is bilded And this chirch is the congregation of the faithfull and the verye bodye of christe The Pope sayeth I am the hed of the chirch Dist xix ca. Enim vero And the sete of Rome is the stone wheron the chirch is bilded Dis xix Ita dominus Can eny thiÌ„ge be more contrarye vnto the honoure and glorye of god / then thus to despoyle him of his kingdome / which he so dearlye hath bought shedinge his precyous bloude for it ij Petri. ij ii Timo iij lxvj Christes lawe which is the holy scripture came by the enspiringe of the holy gost which did enfuse it aboundantlye in to the hertes of the apostles / and of the same sprete hath it his
endewrance and interpretation The Pope sayeth I am lorde of the scripture to alowe and disalowe it / for of me doth it take his full authorite ca. Si oeÌ„s And for a token of this / is the scripture of christ / layde vnder his fete when he is at masse Titum i lxvij Christes apostle sayeth / that a Bisshope ought to be so well learned / that he with the scripture / be able to overcome all them that he against the faith The Pope and Bisshopes will dispute inscripture with no man / but cast them first in preson / and proper engynes they have invented to wringe their fingers so sore / that the bloude shall braste out at their fingers endes / they pyne them / and scorge theÌ„ with infinite other tormentes payninge them / to forsake the trueth And after make theÌ„ swere on a boke that they shall tell no man of it thus cruelly do they entreate them against iustice And yf they can not subdue them to their willes / then do they committe them vnto the seculare power to burned IoaÌ„nis xix lxviij Christes accusation / and cause why he was condemned vnto death / was writen over his hed in hebrew / greke / aÌ„d laten / that all men might know the cause / this was an argument that they vsed iustice all though they condemned him vniustlye syth meÌ„ might se the offence and iudgement Ioyned togedder The Pope and Bisshopes condempne men and committe them vnto the seculare power / that they shuld exequute the sentence But this is a mischevous abominatioÌ„ / that they will not suffer the seculare power / to knowe the cause why they put men to deth worshupfull / dis divines / Master doctor / O you gentle nobilite pondre this matter indifferently Be ware how you do exequution except you knowe the cause why Thinke you the bloude shall not be requyred on you / yf for a nothers pleasure you destroye the worke of God They will saye vn to you / as the Iewes sayed vnto Pilate coÌ„cerninge Christ / yf he were not an evill doer we wold not have delivered him vnto you Trust not their wordes / for no doute they are lyares / know the cawse youre selves And heare the matter vnfaynedly Thinke you they wold not let you know the cause iudgement Yf they did iustice and not tyrannye Be therfore no lenger boyes to theÌ„ / which ought to be youre servaÌ„tes / god hath geven you his sprete / grace / and vnderstoÌ„dinge / hyde not the talente that God hath geven you / but do youre diligence to se iustes exequuted secludinge all tyrannye / for that is youre office appoynted you of God Luce. vjâ— lxix Christ sayeth blissed are ye when meÌ„ hate you / curse you / and excommunicate you for the rightuousnes / that is to saye / you no thinge gyltye nor worthye soch affliction The Pope and Bisshopes saye that their curse is sore to be feared / ye and that it maketh men as blake as a cole in the sight of God though they have not offended Insomoch that they must neades be dampned excepte they absoile them ageine / how be it Christ sayeth / that they are blessed / wherfore other Christ is false / or els they are most vayne lyers Luce. xiiij lxx Christ sayed when thou makest a dyner or feaste calle not thy frindes kinsmen / and negheburs that are riche / but the poore / lame and blinde / which are not able to recompence the then shalt thou be happye / for it shall be rewarded the in the resurrection of the iust The Pope and Busshopes will call none soch / for they thinke it greate shame / but they call men of greate authorite aÌ„d riches-which will receave theÌ„ with an other feast / they had lever have their belyes well stuffed in his world / then to tarye for the promisse of Christ They thinke it longe acomynge Math. v Luce. vj lxxi Christ sayeth other make the tre good his frute good also / or els make the tre naught and his frute naught also / Meaninge that the tre first shuld be good / aÌ„d theÌ„ bringe forth good frute / the frute maketh not the tre good But the tre maketh the frute good / al though we caÌ„ not know that the tre is good / but by his frute for we can iudge nothinge but by his outward operation yet god seyth the quickenes in the rote / which in the tyme that god hath apoynted him / shall bringe forth his frute And approveth the tre to be good / although he seme dead vnto 〈◊〉 â–ª The tre is faith which is the mother of all good workes / which ever worketh by charite when he seyth occasyon The pope and Bisshopes saye that the frute maketh the tre good / clene contrarye to all scripture and reason / And thus tvrne they the trees and the rootes vpwarde while they affirme that faith springeth aÌ„d is made good of workes And not the contrarye / even as a man wold saye / the frute bringeth furth and maketh good the tre / And not the contrarye O what madnes is this They wold make men beleve if they shuld longe continewe / that the mone is made of a grene chese lxxij Christ sayeth / I am the dore of the folde he that entereth not in by the dore but by some other waye is a thefe and murderare and regardeth not the shepe The Pope / yee and all the clargye for the most part enter not in by Christ / but they runne yn and are not called nor sent of Christ / One entereth by a bagge of monye / wherwith he byeth a fate benefyce A nother entereth by serviÌ„ge greate meÌ„ / coryinge favell A nother / by cause he is a greate maÌ„ borne / must be made a cardinal / or els a bysshope Some have â—ysons of abbayes other places / to speake a good worde for the to that kiÌ„ge or other great meÌ„ Some enter thorow their curious singinge / aÌ„d minyon dawnsinge / fewe or none for vertue and learninge lxxiij Christ sayeth I am a good shepard A good shepard geveth his lyffe for his shepe The Pope and Bisshopes saye also that they are good shepardes / how be it they pille and shere their shepe so nighe / that they leve not one loke of wolle on theyr backes And in all poyntes maye be likened vnto the shepardes that Zacharias prophesied of / which sayeth / I shall reyse vppe a sheparde in the erth / which shall not visite tho thinges that are for saken / and shal not seke that which is gone astraye / nother yet heale the discased / nor norysche and mayntayne that which stondeth / but soche a sheparde that shall norysh him silf and not the shepe and cryeth out of him sayinge O thou sheparde and idoll / thinke you that this sheparde will geve his lyffe for his