¶ A pistle to the Christen reader ¶ The Revelation of Antichrist ¶ Antithesis / wherin 〈◊〉 compared to geder Christes actâ—s and ourâ— holye father the 〈◊〉 ¶ Richarde Brightwell vnto the christeÌ„ read Philip. GRace / mercye the peace of god passinge all vndstoÌ„dige which is the jure coÌ„fidence of remission of sinne in the bloude of Christ / and perfaite truste of the heretage of everlasting liffe in the same Christ oure lorde be with the Christen Reader / and with all that call vpon the name of Iesus All be it there was nothinge that Christ spake beinge present amoÌ„g vs in this mortall liffe but it had a quicknes sprete / and conforte Ioannis viâ— yet chefly of all this warning precessed in miâ—iudgemeÌ„t all other wordes / where he exhorted vs / while we had light to beleve in the light / that we might be the children of light And ageyne / yet a litle while / Ioan. xiâ— is the light with you walke while ye have light lest the darkenes come on you for he the walketh in the darke woâ—teth not whether he goeth / who is this light that we are exhorted to beleve in truly it is Christ as saint IoaÌ„ doth testifye He was the true light that lighteneth all meÌ„ / which come in to the world Ioan. â— To beleve in this light maketh vs the childreÌ„ of light / the sure iÌ„heritours with iesu christ EveÌ„ now have we cruell adversaryes which set vp their bristles sainge / why then shall we do no good workes To these we answer as Christ did to the peeple in the .vj. of saint Ioan. Ioan. vâ— Which axed him what they shuld do that they might worke / the workes of God Iesus answered and sayd vn to them This is the worke of god / that ye beleve on him / whom he hath sent and after it foloweth / verely verely I saye vnto you / be that beleveth on me hath everlastinge liffe To this also coÌ„dessendeth saint Ioan in his epistle sainge i Ioannis vâ— These thinges have I written vn to you that beleve on the name of the sonne of God / that you may surely know / how that you have eternall liffe / what is the name of the sonne of god Trvely his name is Iesus that is to saye a saviour / therfore thou must beleve that he is a saviour But what a vayleth this â—ovi ii The devils do thus beleve aÌ„d tremble They knowe that he is the sonne of god â—ath viii And sayd vn to him crying O Iesu the sonne of god / what have we to do with the They know that he hath redemed mankinde by his passion / and labored to let it / â—ath xxvii for when Pilate was set doune to geve iudgement / his wiffe sent vn to him saynge / have thou nothinge to do with that iuste maÌ„ / fore I have suffered many thinges this day in my slepe aboute him No doute she was vexed of the devil to th entent that she shuld persuade her husband to geve no sentence vpon him / so that the lenger SathaÌ„ over mankinde might haue had iurisdiction They know that he hath supressed sinne and death / as it is written / death is consumed in to victory â— xiii â—re ii â—in xvi Death where is thy stinge hell where is thy victory the stinge of death is sinne The strength of sinne is the lawe i. Ioan. vâ—â— But thankes be vn to god which hath geven vs victorye / thorow oure lorde Iesus Christ / Roma viii which bi sinne damned sinne in the flessh / for god made him to be sinne for vs that is to saye a sacryfice for oure sinne / aÌ„d so is sinne taken in many places of the .ij. testamentes which knew no sinne / ii Corinth v â–ª that we by his meanis / shuld be that rightewesnes which before god is alowed It is not therfore sufficient to beleve that he is a sauiour and redemer but that he is a sauiour and redemer vnto the / and this canst thou not confesse / excepte thou knowleg thy self to be a sinner / for he that thinketh him silf no sinner / neadith no sauiour aÌ„d redemer Mathei ix And of these Christ sayth I came not to call rightewesmen that is to say them that thinke theÌ„ selves no sinners / Psal xxxiii Roma iii. for in very dede there is none righteous / no not one but sinners to repentaunce For they whiche are stronge have no nead of a phisition / Math. ix but they that are secke There fore knowlege thy silf a sinner that thou maist be iustifyed Not that the enumberinge of thy sinnes can make the rightewesse But rather a greater sinner / yee aÌ„d a blasphemer of the holye name of god / as thou maist se in Cain which said that his sinnes where greater then that he might receave / Gene. iiiâ— forgevenes of God and so was reprobate Thou must kepe therfore an order in thy iustification / first coÌ„sideringe what the lawe requireth on the / which truly bindeth the now to as moch as though thou were in the state of innocencye / and coÌ„maundeth the to be with out concupiscence which is originall sinne Condempninge the infantes that are not baptised in his bloude for this originall sinne yet could not they do with all which God of iustice wold not do / excepte they had transgressed his lawe aÌ„d were bound to be with out this coÌ„cupisceÌ„ce / if thou woldist reason / why God doth thus / take Paules answer Roma ix O maÌ„ what arte thou which disputest with God Know this that it is god which geveth the sentence with whoÌ„ is none iniquite but all iustice and mercy How be it if thou aske me / why he bindeth vs also which are come to perfaite vnderstondinge to that which is impossible for vs to accomplysch Thou shalt have saint Augustyns answer / which sayth in the second boke that he wrote to Hierome / that the lawe was geveÌ„ vs / that we might know what to do and what to eschewe / to th eÌ„tent that when we se oure selves not able to do that which we are bound to / nor avoyde the contrary that then we maye knowe what we shall pray for of whoÌ„ we shall aske this streÌ„gthe so that we maye saye vnto oure father Good father commaund what so ever it pleaseth the And geve vs the grace to fulfill that thou coÌ„maundest And wheÌ„ we perceave that we caÌ„not fulfill his will / yet let vs confesse that the lawe is good and holy / that we are sinners carnall sold vnder sinne / Roma vij but let vs not here sticke for now are we at hell gates / and truly shuld fall in to vtter desperatioÌ„ excepte God did bringe vs agayne shewinge vs his Gospell and promisse / saynge feare not litle flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to
geve you a kingdome Luce. xij Yf we receave the witnes of men / the witnes of god is greatter / for this is the witnes of god / which he testified of his sonne He that beleveth on the sonne of god hath the witnes in hiÌ„ silf i. Ioannis v He that beleveth not god hath made hiÌ„ a lyare be cause he beleved not the record that God gave of his sonne And this is that recorde / how that God hath geven vnto vs eternall liffe / and this liffe is in his sonne / j. Pet. ij Esate liij Philip. ii which was made oure best / bearinge oure sinnes vpon his awne backe / made obedient vnto the death offeringe vpp oure iniquites as a sacrifice vn to his father / beinge oure mediator and Atonement betwixte his father and vs. i. Ioan. j â— Corin. iâ— Made of God for vs / wisdome / rithtewesnes / holynes / and redemption / fulfillinge the lawe for vs. So that sinne hath no power over vs nether can condemne vs / for our satisfactioÌ„ is made in Christ which died for vs that were weked / Roma â—â— naturallye the childreÌ„ of wrath even as wel as the other But god which is rich in mercy thorow the great love where with he loved vs / even when we were dead thorowe sinne / hath quyckened vs with Christ / and with him hath reysed vs vppe / with him hath made vs sitte in hevenly thinges thorow Iesus Christ / for to shew in times to come the exceading riches of his grace in kindnes to vs ward thorow Christ Iesus For by grace are ye made safe thorow faith / aÌ„d that not of your selves / for it is the gifte of God / aÌ„d cometh not of workes / leste eny maÌ„ shuld boste him silf Ioannis .l. But of his fulnes we have all receaved / and favour for favour / that is to saye / the father of heuen hath favoured vs for his sonnes sake / and not for oure awne deservinges as when we se a man favoured aÌ„d loved for an other maÌ„nes sake And hath promised vnto vs frely the enheritance of heven Iacobi i. This promisse must we beleve with sure truste and waver not / for he that douteth is like the waves of the see / toste of the wind and caried with violence Nether let that maÌ„ thinke that he shall receave eny thiÌ„ge of god This gospell and promise must we loke after with vnfayned hope / Hebre. vj. wherin be cause we shuld nothinge doute / God hath added an oth vnto his promes / to shew vnto the heyres of promes the stablenes of his counsayle / that by those two iÌ„mutable thiÌ„ges in which it was vnpossible that god shuld lye we might have perfect consolacion which have fled for to hold fast the hope that is set forth before our faces / which hope we have as an ancre of the soule both sure and stedfast For this promes must we pray dayly vnto our father desyringe to be loosed from this bodye and to be with Christ / Philip. i. ii Corin. v. for we sigh in this bodey desyreng to be clothed with our mansion which is from heven i. Ioan. iij. Ioan. xij And we knowe that then we shal be like him / for we shall se him as he is / and shall be the perfecte children of lighe Hebreo .ij. Therfore dear brothren we ought with all minde and affection to attend vnto tho thiÌ„ges which we have harde lest we be spilt / ij Petri .ij. for yf god spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe in to hell / and put them in chaynes of darknes there to be kept vnto iudgement And every transgression and disobedience / Hebro .ij. receaved a iuste recompence to reward / how shall we escape if we despise so great health Hebreo .iij. Take hede dere brothren / that there be in none of you an evill harte in vnbeleve / that he suld departe froÌ„ the lyvinge God / but exhorte one an other daily / left eny of you were hard harted and be deceaved with sinne RemeÌ„bre that Christ exhorted vs to walke while we have light lest that the darknes come vpon vs / Ioan .xij. for he that walketh in the darknes / Ioan .xi. knoweth not whether he goeth Yf a maÌ„ walke in the day he stombleth not / because he seith the light of this world / yf amaÌ„ walke in the night he stombleth be cause there is no light in him This daye light as we have sayed before is christ which sayeth / I am come a light in to the world / Ioan. xâ— that wo so ever beleve on me shuld not byde in darkenes / who is this darkenes truely the Philosophers sey that yf a man knowe on of the coÌ„traryes he must nedes knowe the other / but the light the darkenes are coÌ„trary / and Christ is the light therfore it is necessarye that the coÌ„trarye to Christ that is to say Antichrist shuld be the darkenes And there are diverse Antichristes and adversaryes to god the father / to christ / to their sprite / Gen â— iij as the devill / the flessh / the worlde The devil was the first tempted Eve in paradise which coÌ„sentinge to his temptatioÌ„ persuaded Adam to eate of the frute which god sorbade theÌ„ / so was he the author of the coÌ„deÌ„pnation of all Adams posteryte / there god coÌ„deÌ„pninge the devill gave a promise of oure redeÌ„ption in christ fayng I will put enmyte be tweÌ„ the aÌ„d the womaÌ„ betweÌ„ thy sede her sede And her sede shall depresse all to breke thy hed / thou shall lye watchinge the sole of his fote To this agreeth sanct Peter saynge / â— Petri. v. youre adversary the divill as a roringe lioÌ„ walketh aboute sekinge whoÌ„ he may devoure / whoÌ„ resiste stedfast in the faith remeÌ„bringe that ye do but sulfill the same affilictioÌ„s which are apoynted to youre brethreÌ„ the are in the world This coÌ„firmeth Christ him silf saynge vnto Peter SimoÌ„ simoÌ„ / behold sathaÌ„ hath desyred you / Luce. xxâ— to sifte you as it were wheate but I have prayed for the that thy faith fayle not Nether is it mervell though he do vs thus assayle / sythge presumed to tâ—pte chast oure lord in the wildernes â—ath .iiij. Let vs not geve place in this teÌ„ptacioÌ„ / but kepe faithfullye oure professioÌ„ for oure hyghe preste christe Iesu Hebreo iilâ— caÌ„not but have coÌ„passioÌ„ on oure infirmites / for he was in all poyntes lyke teÌ„pted / but yet with out sinne / let vs therfore go boldly vnto the seate of grace that we may receave mercye / find grace to helpe in tyme of nead / that we be not tangled with his fayre flateringe delicious entysemeÌ„tes that bringe eternall daÌ„nacioÌ„ / but that we be stroÌ„ge in faith prayesinge
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
of whom to seake / find and obtaine / helpe and conforte to do and leve vndone But no maÌ„ is compelled Every maÌ„ is suffered other to perissh or to be saved but accordinhe to their awne will Therfore in the .xviij. Math. xviij of Mathew he theacheth that a rebellion shuld not be kilde / but avoided and put out of cumpanye / like a gentill So he hath not delivered vs from the lawe / but from the power and violence of the lawe / which is the very true losinge / gevinge all men libertye at their awne perill to do other good or evill But for all that he hath not taken a waye from the powers and officers their righte / swerd / and authorite to punisshe the evill / for soch pertaine not to his kingdome vntyll they are made spirituall / and then frely and with a glade harte serve god And sith these thinges are so in the preceptes of god moch more they are of value in the ceremonies / which are clene vanisshed away so that we can not offend against them / let vs thanke our father which hath plucked this yoke from our neckes And desyre faith of him / which faith onlye is most sufficient vn to our iustification / but sith this kinge of faces the Pope doth nothing but commaund and compell in all his decrees / and that in the sted name of God / it is evident ynough how that he is the adversarye of Christe / and the corruptor of the new testament / yee and the Enimye of the Christen lybertye Compellinge meÌ„ against their willes to do the workes which he commaundeth them / thorow the which tyrannye he is the author of so many synnes be cause the workes are done of no glad minde / for while they thinke that they are bouÌ„d to his commaundemeÌ„tes / they have a blotte in their scrupelous consciences if they omitte any thinge / and yet be cause they do it with an evyll will truely they offend in their hartes / where as they shuld not have offended / thorow their resistinge and hatiÌ„ge will of the lawe / if he had commaunded nothinge / but only exhorted and desyred And contrary wisse to them that obey him / he is the author of false fayned rightuousnes / for while they beleve that they have done well / and repute their obedience for iustice / they are brought to this blindnes that they thinke they are good / not thorow the faith of Christ / but by these lawes and workes And thus truely doth he corrupte the faithe aÌ„d trueth / both multiplye and encreasse evyll consciences / and make fayned good coÌ„scieeÌ„es And sith he doth so thorow all the world / it is evident what a corrupter and dispoylare he is / for even so many he corrupteth / as he hath subdewed and ledde vnder his lawes and imperye And who is be in the world that is not subiect vnder him Excepte they be infantes or paraventure some simple persons / which are reserved by the inscrutable councell and provision of god O thow maÌ„ of synne O thou sonne of perdition O thow abomination O thow corrupter O thow author of evill consciences O thow false master of good consciences O thow ennimye of faith aÌ„d christen libertye / who is able for to reherse / yee or containe in his minde the infinite waves of this monstruous kinges evilles How be it the end of these mischevous evils are not yet come Yf he had ordened these his lawes / in those workes of vertues that are commaunded in the .x. preceptes / or els in soch as the philosophers and naturall reason did describe / as are iustice / strength temperaÌ„ce / Chastite / mildnes / trueth / goodnes / and soch other Paraventure they shuld only have made a Sinagoge / or els have ordened in the world a certaine civile iustice / for thorow these also faith shuld have bene corrupted / as it was amoÌ„g the Iewes / how be it now he kepeth not him silf with in these bondes / but rvnneth ryâ—ot more at large raysinge infinite tempestes of mischeffe yet are we compelled to saye he dothe no hurte for he entyseth and driveth vs to cerimonyes aÌ„d his awne fayned traditions / as to places persons / clothinge / meattes and dayes / aÌ„d bindeth vs like asses / and ignorant foles / â—ee and stockes vn to them with an indissoluble bond enduringe our hole lives / so that it maketh me sorye and ashamâ— of this pernitious abomination / and maketh me vtterly abhorre it vn to death / for Christ as I have saide takinge awaye all lawes to make vs fre aÌ„d at libertye / did most of all suppresse aÌ„d disanulle the ceremonyes which did consist in places / persones / garmeÌ„tes / meattes dayes and soch other / so that their vse shuld be to all men most fre and indifferent / nether addressinge the conscience to synne / nor yet to iustice which is obtayned thorow only faith in Christ How be it the Pope not content / at the lest with those places / meates / clothinges / and dayes / which were prescribed in the lawe of moses Doth werye corrupte / and destroy / the christeÌ„ coÌ„gregation with new observations / other invented by his awne pregnant witte / or â—ls by the sotle imagination of his adherentes / which also he doth encreasse daylye and coÌ„maunde after his awne lust / that yow may perceave this the more evidently / we will vse certaine examples after the maner of an induction to rote and stablissh it in yow Christ takinge away the difference of all places will be worshupped in every place Nether is ther in his kingdoÌ„ one place holye / an other prophane with out holines But in everye place all thinges are indifferent Nether canst thou more hartely better / beleve trust / and love god in the temple qwire / altare / and chirch yerd / then in thy barne / vineard / kichen / and bed And to be shorte the martyrs of Christ have honoured him in darke dongeons and presons And sancte agnes In the sâ—ues for gat not her redemer But the Pope doth consecrat Churches gevinge greate pardon and privileges vn to the halowinge Makinge straite lawes to condemne their consciences / the other in sporte or els in ernest do violate the house that they have halowed / which shuld nothing offend if they had hurte their awne houses or any other mannes Be sides that if thou obey the Popes commaundmentes / thow arte made a religious man / and an obedient and faithfull sonne of the chirche / thow hast found a conscience of a good aÌ„d rightuous weake Now compare Christ and the Pope to gedder Christ sayeth There is no synne coÌ„mitted thorow the vsinge of any place except it be to the hurte of thy neghbour The Pope sayeth It is sinne if thow do any bodelye worke in the chirch Or els if thow counte it not
/ for what so ever is not of faith the same is synne But this beleve the pope requyreth in his lawes / aÌ„d yet caÌ„ he not geve the mind to do it And truely so litle necessite and authorite hath he to exacte it / as he hath power to geve the mind to fulfill it So that there is no eâ—use but even / his pure pleasure which replenischeth the world with these synnes and perditioÌ„s / and devoreth the Christen / ij Petri. ii as Peter doth saye / they which were clene escaped / of them are agayne wropped in erroures therfor Christ wold not call him abominable / But the verye abominatioÌ„ it silf And Paule entending to publish his mischeff called it not the synne of the man / and perdition of the sonne / ij The. ij but called him the very man of synne / weked sonne of perditioÌ„ / signifyinge that there was nothinge of value in him but all synne and perditioÌ„ And truelye this we se fulfilled in the pope / Insomoch that excepte Christe do shorteÌ„ these dayes no flesshe shuld be faved / And who knoweth whether that these dayes which were spoken of to be shortened pertayne vnto the infantes which dye before the tyme / that they know this weked abomination Satisfaction The lawes also of satisfactions o Christ oure saviour how many soules do they destroy Who caÌ„ attayne to know these passyons / vexatioÌ„s / deathes of consciences For first of all in publisshiÌ„ge his lawes he doth not onlye take away our libertye in this thiÌ„ge / but also maketh a conscience to every maÌ„ to make satisfaction / which thinge syth no maÌ„ doth it frely / he is coÌ„pelled thorow this weked lawe erronious coÌ„scieÌ„ce agreing in one to synne with out ceasinge Yet doth he not prescribe in his lawes / how moch the satisfaction shal be / As he determeth of the sacrameÌ„t of the altare / of confessioÌ„ but even as his lyeing harte geveth him / aÌ„d as his vaine pleasure is / thow shalt satisfye / geve / suffer so moch / as he bis adhereÌ„tes will / or lacke monye And so sathaÌ„ doth here spote playe him / in vexinge our coÌ„scieÌ„ces / to accoÌ„plisshe all his malice Here doth he chaleÌ„ge the victories of martyrs / And fighteth with the sede of theÌ„ which caste hiÌ„ out of heveÌ„ / havinge a greate wrath / as we may se in the apocalipsis And so doth heswage pacyfye his wrath / that he sporteth lawgheth in our perditioÌ„s / as it were in a most vile thinge / of no reputatioÌ„ / Oh we wretches that thus slepe rought / out of ceason Yf so be the pope wold suffer all these thinges fre / not snaringe our coÌ„scieÌ„ces / theÌ„ shuld he worke no synne perditioÌ„ How be it / it wold turne in to the destructioÌ„ of his facye kingdome / therfore it wer better that the hole word shuld perissh / then his kingdome shuld decay / So thow maist se / how that Christ is the author of iustice / Never ordeninge / lawe synne and perdition / but rather callinge deliveringe vs from the lawes and constitutions / And contrary how the pope is author of synne / in every thiÌ„ge makinge lawes / corruptinge iustice and health / Drivinge and constrayninge all men to be subdewed vnder his lawes / he is not called holye / but most holye / Not the minister of Christ but his vicare Not the equalle felow and companion / but prince of prelates / And hed of all shepardes / woo be to the. It foloweth â—â—ie viij And he shall prospere and do ¶ That is thorow his faces aÌ„d rydles / syth there is nothinge of more efficacite might to deceave and destroye then the cloke of godlines / chefly of all sith it is avaunsed vnder the name of god / Nether yet so shuld he have profited except he had bene holpe with the operations of sathan / after that god for the aboundance of synne had forsaken the world For what naturall reason doth not perceave what folyssh aÌ„d weked thinges the Pope many times doth commaund and do / yee with out any cloke And yet these thinges have so prevayled / that hole grecye hath resisted him in vayne How many times also have the emperours of germanye how often have other kinges / how ofteÌ„ have many bisshoppes how often have many good and wel learned men resisted this monstre how be it / they are all overcome / suppressed / and extincte / The operation of errour hath prevayled / and they are so swollen with presumptuous pride / that they may boldly bost that they are to be feared / as though Christ him silf did worke with theÌ„ defendinge his Chirch These thinges are well knoweÌ„ to theÌ„ that have reade the storyes / in the whiche they are so playnly perceaved / that the stories of italye / which corrupte al thinges to flatter and avaunce the popes highnes / could not cloke aÌ„d kepe secrete moch of his mischeffe / So the tenore of his actes which were wropped involved vnder so many colours clokes of lyes / covered by the disgysinge and flaterye of parasites / doth at the lengthe put forth his abomination / revelate their author / to his greate rebuke aÌ„d sclaunder be these flaterers never so moch against it Playnly declaringe that the popes have resisted aÌ„d fought against the gospell / Nether do these wretched parasites obtayne any thinge thorow their lyes / but that the pope for his chirch which is his tyrannye hath manfully / fought / despoyled ravisshed / kild / and replenisshed the world with murder / blod / other miserye / And how these thinges differ from the gospell how so ever they please the blondes / platines / soch like he is a verye stocke that vnderstondeth not / be he never so rude For peace aÌ„d the ministerye of peace / the care and regard of spirituall thinges and that with all affection and desire / pertayneth vnto the pope / Bvt thistoriographes of Italye prayse the popes be cause they have vexed imperyes / kingdoms / bisshoprikes / and dukedoms / have schratched them to them selves thorow violeÌ„ce deceate / as though they were due vn to them by right Therfore he hath prevailed aÌ„d prospered in all his willes beinge a lewed adversary of god And so hath done and fulfilled / that which he hath desyered all men resistinge him in vayne / both godly and vngodly / holy and prophane / rude and learned / and that is fulfilled which foloweth Danie viij And he shall corrupte stronge thinges and the people which are hoyle ¶ The same thinge doth Daniel in the .viij. prophesye vpon Antiochus which was the figure of the pope Danie viij And he did caste doune the sterres of heveÌ„ did trede theÌ„ vnder his feate And Christ in the .xxiiij. of Mathew doth prophesye
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