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
¶ 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
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
which the sprete hath taught theÌ„ that christ him silf hath sewed theÌ„ Math. xxiiij Christ said that there shuld aryse salse prophetes false christes that is to say false anoynted shuld deceave many / Maâ— viâ— gave his disciples a marke to know theÌ„ sainge he ware of false prophetes which come in shepes clothinge / but in wardly they are raveninge wolves / what meaneth he by shepes clothinge / truly nothinge els but that they shuld come in his name / pretendinge greate humilite / Math. xxiiij but what are they in dede verely raveninge wolves / that is to saye bestes of the belye for their belie is their god / and why come they to you Philip. iij truly to dispoyle and robbe you / of your goodes / promisinge vayne pardons / and deliveraÌ„ce from the popes / purgatorye / to thenteÌ„te that they might lyve idelly / and in the lustes of the â—â—essh by youre labours / how shall they be knowen Christ sayeth / By theyr workes shall you know them / Mat. viâ— laye their workes to the scripture / and ye shuld lamente their abhominable lyvinge But alas you can not / for they will not suffer you to have it / they kepe that meryard froÌ„ you that you shuld rule al thinges with all They burne the gospel of god yee very Christ him self / for he is nothing but his word as he testifieth him silfe sainge Ioan. vii I am that which I speake vnto you / and agayne Ioan. j. In the beginninge was the worde / and the worde was with god and god was the word And why do they hyed this word of light from you Ioan. iij No doute be cause their workes are evill for every maÌ„ that doth evill hateth the light / nether cometh to the light / lest his workes shuld be reproved / but he that worketh the verite / cometh to te light / that his workes may be openly sene because they are done of God They pretend to kepe it from you for pure love / be cause you shuld take no hurte of it / nether falle in to heresye / Gala. iiii but they are gelyous over you amysse / yee they wold clene exclude you from Christ and make you folowe them And because they wold the more easyly bowe you to their yoke they beginne be times / compellinge you beinge verye children of .xij. yeares to kepe their fastes which they prescrybe / yf you eate ij meales in these prescripte dayes then must you to a prest confesse a greate transgression / fromittinge youreselves on to him / what so ever he will enioyne vnto you and call it penance necessary / for youre soulle health O lorde God what sotle illusions haue they invented to raigne in mennes consciences / yee and to begine so sone with them / truly this was a far caste of bely wisdom yf it were not the devill him silf that imagened it ii Timo. iij Paule reioyseth in Timothe exhortinge him to stond stifly in those thinges which he hath learned that of a child he hath knowen the holye scripture which may instructe hiÌ„ vnto health thorow the faith which is in Christ Iesu / shewinge the frute and profit of it saynge All scripture which is enspired from god / is profitable to instruction / to reprovinge and correctinge and to the bringinge vpe / which is in rightewesnes / so that the man of god may be hole and consummate / prepared vnto every good worke Yf it be thus profitable I mervell why they do not suffre men to have it / how be it they know very well that when a cloked lye cometh to the light it vanisshethe a way / and even so their coloured kingdome if scripture were knowen wold sone be disparsed lik vapore and most vanite In the meane ceason I will shew the an evideÌ„t reason that thou maist know with out doutinge which is the very Antichriste and this argumeÌ„t may be grounded of their furious persequution / which Paule doth confirme writinge to the Galathians Gala. iiij We deare brethren are the children of promission as Isaac was / not the sonnes of the bond womaÌ„ as Ismael / but even as he that was borne after the flesshe did persequute him that was borne after the sprete eveÌ„ so now Mark Paules reason / by Isaac are signified the electe / and by Ismael the reprobate Isaac did not persequute Ismael / but contrarye Ismael did persequute Isaac Now let vs make oure reason 〈…〉 All they that do persequute are Ismael / the reprobate / and Antichristes But all the Popes / Cardinalles / Busshopes aÌ„d their adherentes / do persequute Therfore all the Popes / Cardinalles / Busshopes aÌ„d their adherentes / be Ismael / the reprobate / and Antichristes Maior I wene oure sillogismus be well made and in the first figure The maior is Paules saynge Even as he that was borne after the flesshe / Gala. iiij did persequute him that was borne after the sprete / eveÌ„ so now And of this maist thou have many examples in the testamentes / as Iacob and Esau Iacob was the chosen / Roma ix Malach. j Genesi xxvij and Esau was forsaken / and did persequute his brother Iacob / and not the contrarye / likwisse Dauid was chosen of God / and fled from Saul / yee aÌ„d from his awne sonne Absolon i. Regum xix ji Reg. xv Here might Ienumbre all the Prophetes which did never persequute / but ever were persequuted yee and many of them kild / It was never read that the chosen did persequute eny let vs descend vnto Christ / and we shall se that he was no soner borne / then persequuted of herod aÌ„d compelled to fle in to Aegipte / Math. ij aÌ„d his persequution never ceased vntill he was brought to death / the apostles were all persequuted / beten / presoned / and at the lengthe kild And I thinke verely that so longe were the successours of the apostles good christen / when they were persequuted and martyred / no lenger So impossible it is that the worde of the crosse shuld be with out affliction Simeon prophesied and sayed vnto Marye the mother of Christ / behold this child is put in to the destruction / Luck ij in to the resurrection of many of Israel And in to the signe which shal be resisted and spoken against Not that he shuld resist them / but that he shuld be resisted and ever caused to flye / for the world was never so faithfull / but the more parte were weked Math. xiii I wonder they fear not the parable of Christ where he gave commaundement they shuld suffre the wedes to growe amonge the corne vntill the hervest expoundinge the wedes to be the children of Sathan and reprobate persons / for now a dayes if a maÌ„ beleve not as they will have him /
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
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
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