to one person / syth that he wolde that by Antichriste shuld be meanyde the hole bodye multitude of wycked meÌ„ with all their succession and imperye / for so in the .viij. of Daniel a ramme dothe signifye the kingdome of the Perses And a gote the kingdome of the Grecyans Danie vliâ— Where as he sayth that after the ende of foure kingdomes of the which the laste is the Romayns myghtye with swerde this kynge shall ryse / trewly he towchyth that / that the tyrannye of the Pope dyd begynne after that the imperye of Rome began to decay / yee of the imperye of Rome and in the imperye it is spronge And is succedyd and entered / in the stede of the imperye / as it is evydent by all storyes / and this present experience doth also shew it vs / which also the apostle dyd prophecye before in the .ij. of the seconde pistle to the Tessalonyans saynge Onlye he the holdeth let hym now hold / â— Thess ii vntyll it be taken out of the way / and then shall that wicked be vtteryd and so furthe The name of the imperye of Rome was translated to the Germanes / when there was no imperye in dede / how be it this was an occasion by the which this man was elevatyd and set vp / above all kynges / above all Busshopes / above heven and erthe / and so fixed and stablisshed his kingdome in his awne hande and power / cownterfeytinge to stablisshe this lye a bull both false and folyssh which was of the gyfte of Constantine Danie viij ¶ TraÌ„gression sinne invadinge comiÌ„ge apoÌ„ theÌ„ / that is as Sanct HieroÌ„ did say whan iniquyte and vice do encrease / teachinge manyfestly that this is a kingdome of the furye of God / and shall come for sinne And Paule for the same cawse bringith in the sonne of perdition / saynge they have not receavid the love of the trueth / that they might have bene saved ij Tess ij â–ª And therfore God shall send them stronge delusion that they shuld beleve lyes that all they myght be damned / which beleved not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrightuousnes / the apostle doth sufficiently expresse in these wordes what maner of vnrightewesnes and offenses they are / which also Daniel in the hebrew doth call peschaim / Danie viij which worde hath a notable propertye and secret signification / for it doth signifye a brekinge of the commaundement / an offence / a departinge from the fayth / iiij Reg. i as in the .j. of the fourth boke of kinges Moab departyde from the fayth of Israel Esaie j. And in the firste of Esai I have norysshid vp and exalted children / aÌ„d they have transgressed my commaundemeÌ„t As it is also sayd in the .v. Psalme Psalm v Accordinge to te multitude of their vngodlinesse / and vices / expell them x. Thess ii And Paule in this place copiously doth saye that they will not receave the love of trueth / and also that they will not beleve the trueth / but beleve lyes Ever meaninge the vice of doctrines / opinions / and departinge from the fayth / as he sayd before / except there come a departinge first j. Timoth. iiij And in the .iiij. to Timothe The sprete speakyth evidently that in the latter tymys / some shall departe from the fayth / aÌ„d shall gyve hede to spretes of erroure / and agayne They shall turne theyr hearinge from the trueth The trueth in this place according vnto his maner he callyth the fayth of Christ which also the hebrew tounge doth / devydinge the trueth by contradiction from hypocrisy faynid godlinesse / Ephesi iiij as in the .iiij. to the Ephesians let vs folow the trueth in love and in all thinges growe in him And agayne / put on that newe man which after a goodly wyse is shapen in rightewesnes and true holynes reprovinge the rightewesnes of vanyte and glorious superstition Danie viij Daniel therfore callyth not this word / â—eschaim any maner of sinne / but those speciall and cheff sinnes which resist / aÌ„d fight agaynst the trueth and the fayth / as are the trustyng in workes / superstitiousnes / ceremonyse by the which we decay from the fayth / which alone doth truely iustifye make holye / as Paule doth warne before in the .iij. to the Collossians / aÌ„d in many other places Collos iij And sheweth that he prophesid before that they wold not receave the love of trueth that is to say / ii Thess ij they shall not love the trueth which is in fayth / Exodi xvi Psalm cvâ— but with the children of Israel they shall abhorre this light meate / and desire flessh / that is to say / they shall be tournyd to fables and mennes traditions / wherfore we can applye these iniquites to none of the olde heretikes But only to the traditions of men / and wicked iustice for the old heretikes did contend and strive in the holye scripture But this kynge shall regne with out scripture by his awne traditions aÌ„d doctrines Danie viij Therfore Daniel sayth that transgressions shall darken them And all the hole scripture / chefly Paule / dothe impute this blindnes / darknes / and ignorancye / to nothinge els but to the vngodly and wicked presumption of oure awne iustice and workes as it is evident to them which reade his epistles Ioannis iii. And Christ for that cawse callyth him silf the light that the faith in him doth lighten and iustifie all men Therfore it is clere that this kinge shuld be after christ was preachid / ageynst the lighteniÌ„g of the gospell / with the which the world was illuminate / for where he sayth that they shuld be darkened with trangressions / it is to be supposid that thy shuld be lightenyd before which can not be verefied in those kingdomes that were before Christ / for they coulde not be darkenid which were never lightened / nother coulde they decline from the ryght way which never walked in it But it is meanid of those tymes in the which Christe also did prophesye abomination to come / in a maner with the same wordes / saynge Dâ—â— / xxiiii Be cawse iniquite shall have the vpper hand / the love of many shall abate ij Cess ij And Paul sayth / that all they might be damned which beleved not the trueth / But had pleasure in vnrightewesnes ij Petre ii And Petre in the .ij. of his seconde pistle doth reprove with most sharpe wordes the returninge agayn of them to theyr vomet which shall be in the last tymes And almost he only of all the other dothe expounde and declare what iniquite it is that shall abounde / and with which men shall be darkenyd sayng There were false prophetes amonge the people even as there shal be false teachers amonge you which prevely shall bringe in
Christ sate in the middes of the doctors axinge / and hearinge them Luce. ii The Pope and Bisshopes syt in thrones with glorious mytres / iudginge and condeÌ„pninge by their awne made lawes A litle matter loÌ„ge in pleatiÌ„ge which might be sone determed by the lawe of god / if they wold vse it / but then were their winninge the lesse / and their lawe with out profite xxxiiij Christ taught that a man shuld forsake his wiffe for no cause but for advoutrye Math. v. The Pope and Bisshoppes will make devorces for mony / as often as they liste / and so they pille the poore and make them selves rych / nothinge regardinge to breke the lawe of god Actuum ij xxxv Christ sente the holy goste in fervent love / to teach all the trueth vnto them which were chosen of god The Pope aÌ„d Bisshopes sende commaundements all aboute to curse aÌ„d aske aveÌ„geaunce on them that resist theyr tyrannye / And absoile them againe clene for monye / all their doctrines have golden tayles / for monye is ever the ende / geve them monye and you have fulfilled all their lawes Math. iij. xxxvi Christ fulfilled aÌ„d kept the old lawe and the new / and all rightewesnes The Pope and Bisshoppes kepe theyr awne traditions and lawes / but the lawe of god is clene out of their mindes Ioan. xv xxxvij Christ sayd that men shuld know his disciples by theyr charite / by cause they shuld love one an other as he hath loved theÌ„ The Pope causeth his to be knowen / by theyr shaven crownes / by gaderinge vpe of tithes / masse pence / and offeringes / by the gylten trentalles / and salaryes to singe / by Peter pence gaderinge / and shryvinge for monye / by penye weddinge / and holye water sprinkelinge aÌ„d many moo merkes hath he geven them / As for cherite / â—hey knowe it not at all Ioan. ix xxxviij Christ bad them that he healed to go and synne no more The Pope and Bushopes have fayned penance / and commaund men to fast bred and water / to go barefote / with out a sherte / and to offer to certayne idolles monye or catell / some masses must be songe for theÌ„ be cause theyr confessours shuld have some profite / Some must go aboute the chirch / and chirch yarde / with a taper borninge in his hande And ever some be punisshed by the purse / thoughe they offend not xxxix Luce. x Christ sente to preach seventye and two disciples / which promised frely heven to them that wold beleve in the name of Christ The pope and Busshoppes sende aboule .iiij. sectes of beggars to geve pardon vnder their master Antichrist And to sell heven to whom so ever they liste / the Apostles knew no soch thinges xl Christ was buryed in a garden in a poore monument with / out eny funerall pompe Ioan. xix The Pope and Busshopes are buried in tombes wel gilt with many a torch greate soleÌ„nyte / with Angels gloriouslye portered that here their soules to heveÌ„ Not withstondinge it is to be feared that they go to supper with the devill xli Christ sayeth if thou wilt be perfecte go and sell all thye goodes and gevâ—â—â—â—nto the poore for then shall thou have a 〈◊〉 in heven Math. xix The Pope sayeth if thou will be perfect geve me thy mony aÌ„d I will geve the a pardone that shall absoile the clene a pena et culpa I will for thy monye geve the / the kaye of heven gates Luce. xxii xlij Christ sayed vnto his Apostles the kinges and princes of the gentles have ruell and power oure them / but you shall not so have The Pope sayeth all emperours / kinges and lordes be my subiectes / This is dayly read in his bulles / wherin he coÌ„maundeth the nobilite / like as a master doth his servant Mat. xxiij Marci ix xliij Christ sayeth he that amoÌ„ge you wil be greatest / let him be all youre servantes The Pope sayeth / The emperour must swere / and oth vnto me as vnto his lorde / that he wil be my subiecte and exalt and worshupe me with honour Ca. Tibi domino di lxiij Matth. xv xliiij Christ sayeth that we worshuppe him in vayne with mennes doctrines and traditions The Pope sayeth my traditions in the spirituall lawe / shall be kept as deulye / as if god had commaunded it him silf or sancte Peter had preached it him silf ca. Siomnes distinct xix Ioan. xiilj xlv Christ sayeth I am the waye the trueth folow me in my learninge And rule you by the scripture for that shall be youre iudge The Pope sayeth / ye shal in all thinges folowe the chirch of Rome by that meaneth he him silf and his cardinalles dist xi ca. quis ne sciat And as for the scripture / it stoÌ„deth in my power and authorite / for I may make of it what so ever I will dist xix cap. Si romanorum xlvi Christ sayeth he that beleveth and is baptised / he shall be saved / but he that beleueth not shal be damned Marci xi The Pope sayeth he that geveth moch mony for my pardon shal be absoyled a pena a culpa And then must he neades be saved / And he the teacheth otherwise is an heretike / this testifieth his bulles and pardons xlvij Christ promisseth forgyvnes of synne Matth. iiij And the kingdome of heven vnto them that repent and will amend their lyves The Pope sayeth / that no man canne be saved excepte he be firste shreveÌ„ of his prestes and fryers / for they bringe yn mony ca. omnes xlviij Christ sayeth you shall love youre ennimyes / and shall do good vnto them that hate you Math. v The Pope sayeth they that be ennimyes / to me aÌ„d my cardinalles / be cursed with the greate excommunicatioÌ„ / and can not be absoyled with out moch monye / this is evident ynough xlix Christ commaunded his disciples not to resist evill / but if a man strife them on the one cheke / that they shuld offre him the other also The Pope sayeth we may avenge and dryve awaye force with force Desen exco ca. dilecto Math. xvij l. Christ sayeth god the father is my deare sonne / him shall you heare / for his yocke is swete and his burden light Math. xi The Pope sayeth you shall heare me / my commaundment shall be kepte and receaved of everye man Dis xciij .. ca Si cuius And if my commaundemeÌ„t and burdeÌ„ were so hevye that it can not well be sustained and borne / yet shall ye obey me Dist xix ca. In memoriam Luce. xii lj Christ sayed vnto the .ij. broders / who hath set me to be youre Iudge in temporall goodes As though he shuld saye It pertaineth not to me / but vn to worldly iudges The Pope sayeth I am iudge in all
damnable sectes / even deniynge the lorde that hath bought them / and bringe on their â—wne heddes swyfte damnatioÌ„ / and many shall folowe their damnable wayes / by which the waye of trueth shal be evill spoken of / and thorow coveteousnes shall they with fained wordes make Merchandyse of you Truely here Petre towchith the master shuppes / Bisshoprekes and as they call it the administratyon and offices of the chirche / and sheweth that this mischeff shall come by their ministeringe which sitte in the stede of God / and ought to ruel the people in his word Therfore we have the priÌ„ces and heddes of the chirch the authores of these evylles Trewly this is the plage of God to send operacyons of erroure / and false prophetes for it is the scourge of mercy to send pestileÌ„ce / batell / hunger / and soch other bodely evilles But to take away the word of helth / and to sende the venoÌ„ of erroure / that is the most extreme and last token of the wrath of god Danie viii Daniel might seme to have spokeÌ„ of the Turke in whose impery / vice iniquite have darkenyd the people / ii Pet. ij except that Peter had tawght vs to vnderstonde it of the rule and lordshuppe which is exercised in the people of god / of theÌ„ which sitte in the stede of doctores bisshopes Dani. ix As also Daniel doth she we afterwarde that he speakyth of soch / as in the old people were the false Prophetes These thinges do nothinge parteyne vnto the Turke which despisinge baptime and the gospell is nother the people of god / nother yet cownted amonge theÌ„ / as they are which have Busshopes ruelinge amonge them / let this then be oure first supposition / that this kinge shall be as greatt / as other the kinge of the Perses / or of the Grecyans / or of the Romayns And that the shall regne in teachinge men in the people of Christ contrary to the lighteninge of the gospell For oure enteringe in to this vision let vs coÌ„sidere the wordes of Petre. And who seith not that these iniquites in every poynt do agre with the shepardes of the chirch of Rome ij Pet. ij To whom shuld Peter speake but to his awne Romayns / of whoÌ„ his bokes were receaved / and where his authorite was of most value Did not Moses and the Prophetes speake vn to their awne people As Saint Paule sayth in the third to the Romaynes / Roma iij. we knowe that what so ever the lawe sayth / he sayth it to them which are vnder the lawe And he sayth there shal be amonge you / whom meanith he but theÌ„ which heare him and know him Therfore these wordes touche vs / which are vnder the Babilon and captiuite of Rome / and in vs it muste be fulfillid that Daniel / Christ / Petre / Paule / Iudas / Ioan in the Apocalipses did prophesye Have we not now many yeares suffered false teachers / which suppressinge the gospell have thaught vs their awne traditions and learninges All Bisshopes / Shepardes and Devines / are here noted which all are runne in to one madnes / to exalt the Decrees of the Pope and to teach them vn to men / with what a full and notable signification doth he speake these wordes / which prevely shall bringe in damnable sectes / ij Petri. iâ— the Greke word hath a greate misterie / for it signifiyth that vnder the doctrine of godlines which they shall faine they shall beinge in vngodlines / mingelinge by their secret deceites their awne traditions with the gospell / for they shall not denie the gospell but they shall so wrest it by their inventioÌ„s glosses and additions / and bringe vp soch statutes / and constitutions / by a litle and a litle that it be not perceaved / that they shall clenelede the people out of the hygh waye of faith / in to sectes of workes with the which they shall destroy and corrupte the gospell / that at the length it shal be clene vn profitable to teache the faith So in tyme past the false Prophetes did not denie the name of the lorde / but rather did come in his name / whom Christ paintith in ye. xxiiij of Mathew on this maner Dat. xxiiii There shall ryse false Prophetes and false Christes / and shall deceave many Many shall come in my name sainge I am Christ And agayn / if they say behold here is Christ or there beleve them not What signifiyth here there but sectes of perdition What is this perdition / 〈◊〉 the destruction of the faithe aÌ„d the gospell Ephe. iiij So also Paule in the .iiij. to the Ephesians dothe call these sectes and doctryne of workes where by they laye a wayte for vs to deceave vs / as it were a deceitfull cominge to deceave / because that the wickede which go aboute to deceave come vn to the people with crafty and sotle sermones / by the worde of god other wrested into their porposse / or els darkenyd by their awne doctrines and sclawnders which are sette in the way / soch as the woman in the .ix. of the Proverbes doth figure sitting in the hige place of the citie Proverbe ix And Paule in the last to the Romayns saith Roma xvj Marke them which cawse division geve occasions of evill covnterfettinge the doctrine which ye have learned what are these divisions but those which Petre callith sectes ij Petri. ij Dat. xxiiii And Christ him silf / behold here is Christ / Roma xvj ij Petri. iâ— Math. xxiiiij Roma xvj ii Pet. ij behold there is Christ What meanith this / evill occasions / but that which Petre callith perdition / that Christ hiÌ„ silf callith deceavinge seductioÌ„ what signifieth this couÌ„tersettinge of doctrine but that which Peter callith the prevely bringiÌ„ge in of sectes And Christ callith it the comiÌ„ge in his name Marke the proper sure wordes of this prophecye coÌ„cerninge the abominatioÌ„ of these false speakers / he saiâ—h that they take not awaye the doctrine of Christe / Roma xvj nother denie the learninge of the gospell if thou that sider the outward face but that they set to it evill occasions and dissentions with the wich in processe they everrunne aÌ„d distroy the hole waye and gospell of the lord reserving it only by name title So not we se all these thinges fulfillid sith that the chirch of Rome doth abound thorow all the world with so many sectes of workes religâ—oÌ„s which desever amoÌ„ge theÌ„ silf with extreme fâ—erye madnes by the which is expelled and put oute the right way which bringith men to faith and charite What faine they in these sectes but high pure godlines Do not we also prayse these wayes and avance theÌ„ vnto heven Are we not here taught to sticke and put oure confidence in
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
that are not counted for people All these sainges are sharpe and ferse against the covetousnes / wantannes / and vngodlines of Bisshopes and prestes / which are made folissh and carnall / and are wexed grosse / forsakinge to be the people of god Nother only for this cause doth he liken them to Balam / but also that they are cursed chldrē as he was / which geving councell to the Moabites / thorow the ydoll Beelphegor did greatly corrupt and destroy the Israelites Nume xxiiij Nume xxv And this hole storye here doth Peter applye vnto the bishoppes / which reysinge vp the idole of their awne doctrines traditions And havinge to do with the harelottes of the Madianites that is to saye with the delicious and voluptuous plesurs of this world begile vnstable soules / and besides the do speake evill as it is sayed before of the waye of trueth and glorye Evē as he went aboute / to curse the people of god Which loved the reward of vnrightewesnes ij Petri. ij But was rebuked of his iniquite / the tame dome beast speakinge with mānes voice forbade the folishnes of the prophete behold the covetousnes ād folishnes of bisshoppes which are geven so hedling to covetuousnes / that they are more insensible then brute bestes These are welles with out water by cause they have the shape and name of sheperdes with out the worke and office / as Zacharias in the .xi. sayeth O thow sheperd and idole And rackes caried aboute of a tēpest Rackes are like cloudes / but they geve no raine Even so these are caried vnder the title / and in the place of shepardes / and they teach nothinge / but rather are tossed thorow their wordly affections vnto every motion of sathās will To whom the mist of darkenes is reserved for ever / good lord / how fearfull are these thinges Who wold not feare to be counted among the numbre of these shave linges / against whom all these thinges are prophesied with a hole and full sprite ii Petri. ij For when they have sownded the swellinge wordes of vanite / they begile with wātannes thorow the lustes of the flessh them that were clene escaped It is mervell if this place do not chefly pertaine to vniversites and studyes of the canon lawe / for we se with what pride Antichrist soūdeth in everye place of his decrees / where he sayeth / we Commaund / bedding and Commaunding yow straytlye / and soch other proude wordes he hath / with the which he doth occupye all scholes So the Peter doth well call the not speakers / but sounders / for they are nothing but very voyces / the teachers of most vaine vanite / And yet with these infections they have entised seduced the more noble parte of the faithfull / which studcige this vaine trifelinge doctrine / applye folow their awne pleasure desires For who is in these uniuersites which studieth not for thērēt of luker glorye / or that afterward he maye live the more idellye yet will I not speake of that / how manye soules do perishe by the lascivious life / licēs of these vniuersites Breflye to cōclude The canō lawe causeth the people of Colleges scholes to be geven onely to vanite / ryot / wātānes / idelnes / pōpe pride And yet with an incredible noise the presumptuous pope with his Apostles doth bost cōmēd in his decrees / their state / riches / hypocrisye So that Peter maye truely call the cloke ād out ward face of godlines / religiō / cōninge wherewith this people is so greatlye bolne the swellinge wordes of vanite / for they are in very dede drenched destroyde in voluptuous pleasurs This sēce doth Iudas helpe sainge / whose mouthes speake proude thinges wōderinge at faces / Iude. j. having thē in reverēce be cause of avātage / here calleth he faces / the persones / clokes pōpes which we spake of before / for this kinge of faces / displayeth his noble titles / privileges / libertes and soch other ij Petri. ij And he doth verye well adioyne / Them that were clene escaped / but now are wropped in errours As I thinke thus it meaneth That what thinge so ever was clene delivered from synne thorow baptime and the word of god / after it had growen and encreased a certaine ceason was drowned and suppressed vnder their lawes and doctrines So that they are compelled to be wropped in errours all though thorow Christ they have escaped clene which is done while they runne hedelinge from faith in to ceremonyes / from the sprete in to persones / from grace in to workes / from the trueth in to cloked hypocrisye / and the hole pompe of faces / thorow the most weked decrees of their presumptuous vanite They promise them libertie and are themselves the bond servantes of corruption This doth both pertaine to pardons / and to all the deceatfull illusion by the which they commend their cloked faces and say they are good / Affirminge that who so ever walke in them / shuld be cownted to walke holelye and godly For so are the orders of prestes / monkes / and of the hole clargye avaunced / that they only are counted to be in the state of helth / and all other are reputed wordly and seculare / forthermore / they fell their labours / merites / and masses / And promise forgevnes of synnes How be it they are the bōd servantes of corruption / that is to saye they teach nothinge but vaine ād corruptible thinges ād that he thoucheth in the .ij. to the Collosyans sainge Col. ij which all perish with the vsinge of them / and are after the commaundmentes and doctrines of men And yet be cause they teach men to put confidence in them / thorow that are they the authores of eternall corruption and damnation How be it the tenor and concordance of the scripture doth so lye / that it compelleth vs to take and vnderstond the bonde scroantes of corruption / for them that are the subtectes of synne So that the sense is / syth they them selves with their weked hypocrisye and manifest vices do perishe then presume they to profite other and bringe them to helth cmmunicatinge vnto them their brotherheddes and pardons And it folowith For of whom so ever a man is overcō / vn to the same is he in bondage ij Petrij ij So we not here dayly / that the Pope though he be a mischevous and weked man doth presume to dispēce the merites of Christ of his saincres open hevē with his fayes to whō he wille And the hole multitude of this clergye folowe him So a weked mand chalengeth the treasure / of the chirch into his awne hand / And he him self being the bond servant of corruptiō goth abuote to delivere other ij Petri. ij Therfore Peter doth conclude that the chirch
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