lawes of the Pope / Bulles / aÌ„d seales not one way graunt heven to them that put to theire helpinge handes / and to the foundars / here are ye taught to trust in youre workes Here are in numerable tresures gadered to gether for the house of god / here the greater / the more gorgeous / the richer / and better garnisshed houses they bild / the more christe they are And they do better as they saye which geve their almes to that / theÌ„ they which distribute it to the poore and nedy Nother bild they that it may be a mete place to here the word of god But that they may be sene of god and men They bild a house for god which sith that on s he did denye by sanct StephaÌ„ in the .vij. of the Actes / Actes vij 〈◊〉 â—e â—iâ—i and longe before him by Natan and David to dwell in temples made with mannes hand / yet now like an outlawe he beggeth of vs houses for him silf and his sanctes And oure most holy father the Pope with his Busshoppes doth not only confirme the vayne and folish mindes of the people with his halowinges / blissinges / fredoms and protections j. Timot. iiij But also pursueth / and condemned / with curses aÌ„d imprecations with threatninges / and great sentences them that violate / despise / and abvse these phaÌ„tasyes / as it well decuÌ„meth the godlines of these faces Thus he moveth entiseth men to it Out of this springeth not a small part of his most holy lawe which vexeth the world with folish and scrupulous coÌ„scieÌ„ces marked with an hort yeroÌ„ In the meane ceason what is done concerninge the word of god and the faith Let god take hede to that in his kingdome of trueth As for this kinge must se his kingdome of faces well ordered / and see it a loft with all the craftes and streÌ„gth he may Tell me what is worshuppiÌ„ge of wodde stones if this be not it truely god coÌ„mauÌ„ded not these superstitious ceremonyes / but rather these thiÌ„ges that he commavnded by these are transgressed and destroyed The .vj. face The sext is not one face but a hole foreste of faces / touchinge all the holy workes that are done in the temples for lukere / and avaÌ„tage Here are mateÌ„s / prime / and houres / rored out and mumbeled vppe with greate labour / so that they are never prayed How be it they are encreased dayly with other houres of the blessed virgin aÌ„d of the holy crosse / with the noyse of those verses which god in the prophete said he wold not heare Amos. v There is no ende / who caÌ„ reherse with how many lawes that is to say authors of sinne scrupulosite of coÌ„scieÌ„ce this one worke vexeth is vexed There are added voices songes of infinite kind variete For the organes all iÌ„strumeÌ„tes of musike serve for this face I will nat speke of chaleses images / aÌ„d vessels that they vse of gold silver wodde / then / vailes / copes and vestimentes and soch other ornameÌ„tes with out mesure and numbre Lightes / lampes / and soch like The sacrameÌ„tes are encreased And to be shorte here have they encreased the sacramentes / Confirmation / Orders / Matrimonye / aÌ„d Anelinge / good lord / what a whorlepole have they made to devoure mony / meÌ„nes soules / who can bere in memorye the lawes which are made that these thinges may be exequuted religiously And these thinges thinke they so expediente and nedefull to the Christen / that they will soner forgeve advoutrye then one of the offences which is committed against the leste of their holy lawes faces Yf oure most holy father hade left these and all the other faces fre accordiÌ„ge to the gospell had lefte vs all equal / we shuld have had none of these iÌ„numerable sinnes / for where is â—o lawe there is no traÌ„sgression But now he abvsinge oure scrupulous conscieÌ„ces hath ordened and made infinite lawes / and thorow them infinite sinnes and condemnations / and this is the cawse that Paule calleth him the man of sinne / ij Tess ij and sonne of perdition / that is to say a wilfull maker of lawes / and most vngodly in thinges that were made fre by Christ to all faithfull Here shall I be condemned of the sodiars and company of this holy father and shall be called a fautor of WaldeÌ„ and Wiglefe / how be it Daniel conforteth me which saith in the .xj. against Antichrist on this maner / Dani. xi he shall worshippe in his bildinge the God of Maozim / and the god whom his fathers did not know shall he honour with gold silver / precyous stones and other glorious riches And he shall labour to stablish Maozim with the straÌ„ge god whom he knowith not / and he shal encrease glory / aÌ„d geve theÌ„ power on many thinges / and shall divied the erth frely It is sufficient for me to know that all these thinges are fre and not necessary for my health / therfore that they are nother necessary preceptes nother yet profitable / but only so fained by most cruell wekednes and tyraÌ„nie of Antichrist to th eÌ„tent that sinnes and coÌ„deÌ„nations might be multiplied / they are but faces not the very body The seventhe face may be called the hole abvse of the masse wyth his soleÌ„nites / The .vii. face The abvse of the masse with vigilles / with year mindes / foundatioÌ„s / buâ—rialles / and the hole besines that is done for the deade / for what is in it but a face aÌ„d cloke of godliÌ„esse which deceaveth the people aÌ„d swaloweth vp theyr mony we have now adays no masse for th entent to be partakers of the altare and to heare the gospell / yet this is the cheffe cause of the masse / but we vse theÌ„ as good workes rather for them that are departede then for the qwicke / reserved that qwicke prestes gett them a substaÌ„ciall levinge by this office / finally we vse it as thowgh it pertayned no thinge to communion They kepe the sacrament / after masse to ministre to the seake / and bere it a boute in mynion pixes as thowgh it were a thinge to wonder at All these are the inveÌ„tioÌ„s of maÌ„ and were never commauÌ„ded of god / nother are they necessary / but rather weked aÌ„d forbed / chefly those that pertayne to the masse But this most holy fontayne of sinne / and perdition causeth them to be necessary In so moch that he shal be counted an heretike that will once qwinche against it The viij face Fastes The .viij. face / is the choyse of meate and fastinge which are indifferent for ech day But now a dayes men fast on the maner not that the flesch shuld be mortified / but bicawse it is a good worke to have fasted this day / to have abstayned froÌ„ meate this day
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
he had bene an heretike that had receaved both but now sith he doth not forbed it / aÌ„d so ordeneth no sinne in the receavinge / but rather doth orden both partes to be receaved / his vicaâ—e in a thinge not forbed / but lawfull and fre / yee aÌ„d ordened of Christ hiÌ„silf / hath made not onlye synne but also hyghe heresye Nether so is Antichrist knoweÌ„ / but is yet worshupped / as the vicare of God O the rowghnes of the wrath aÌ„d furye of god Playnly I thinke that the hole is takeÌ„ away sith I se manifestly on parte gone for the bred and the wine is but one sacrameÌ„t the other is left only for a laughinge stocke / for he that in one parte offendeth against god is giltye in all / except paraventure god by his secreate iudgemeÌ„t hath reserved it in the faith / with out any outward receavinge of the sacramente Therfore it were better to receâ—ve nether of the partes then the one alone / for so we might the more suerly eschew the traÌ„sgression of that which Christ did institute Yet he not satisfied with this his furye setting a most cruell and deadly snare to tangle the consciences / suffereth not the vse of this sacrament to be fre But compelleth all to gedder on one certaine daye ons in the yeare to communicate Here I pray the good ChristeÌ„ brother / how many dost thow thinke do excommunicate only by the compulsion of this precept which truely in their harte had lever not to communicate And all these synne for they do not communicate in sprete / that is to say nether in faith nor will / but by the compulsion of this letter and lawe syth that this bred requireth a hungery harte / and not a full / aÌ„d moch lesse a disdayning and hatefull mind And of all these synnes the Pope is author constrayning all men by his most cruell lawe to theyr awne destruction / where as he ought to leve this communion fre to every man / and only call and exhorte them vn to it / not coÌ„pelle and dryve them to it Consider well / whether by this occasion the world be not replenisshed with synnes vpe to heveÌ„ And with this floude ynough destroyed So he doth not only despoyle vs of oure sacrameÌ„t / but also that which he leveth vs / he ordereth on that maner / that thorow the occasion of it he fulfilleth the world with sinne / and so bringeth vs vnto destruction How be it he doth moch more mocke aÌ„d illude the prestes for fyrst he turneth the masse which is a sacrament and testament / to be reputed for a benefite and good work by the which prestes shuld make sacrifice for synnes / and shuld helpe the qwicke and deade in all tribulations Chalenging vn to him filf by this fayned lye all ryches / glorye / and powers of the world So that now the masse is clene vnprofitable vn to oure healthe / and is only of value for luker vnder this incredible perversite and vngodlinesse / forthermore they make a sacrifice of it / By the which they do well and geve thankes vnto God / as though he had nede of oure goodnesse / of whom we receave all thinges / playnly this weked perversite passeth all sense and wordes / and yet hath it beseaged / yee and oppressed the hole worlde Thierdly / he maketh a private thinge of a comen / for the masse in both partes never ought to be suffered vn to one maÌ„ / sith that Christ wold have it comen / so that the prest executinge shuld communicate both partes vn to some congregation gadered vn to him How be it now the prest celebratinge doth communicate only to him silf both partes And yet in the meane ceason he doth communicate and applye spiritually the fruere of the masse vn to whoÌ„ so ever he will that is to saye he dreameth that he doth coÌ„municate some thinge as though it were a good worke sacrifice And so where it ought to be receaved comeÌ„lye / he only doth receave it / aÌ„d yet not as the gifte of god to possesse it / but as his awne gifte to offer it O what profund sees of synnes / abound in this one sacrament Good lorde / how fewe / or rather none are there which vse it lawfullye as Christ did orden it / and as his apostles kepte it Auriculare confession The same and like madnes doth corrupte all thinges in the auriculare confession of oure sinnes / for first / sith this confession is a thinge verye holesume / it ought to be fre for oure new lawe which is the gospell will not suffer any lawe of compulsion / but only of councell and exhortation But so many synnes doth the Pope make / and so many soules doth he condeme / as are confessed against their willes how ofteÌ„ so ever it be / for when they confesse thorow the compulsion of the Popes lawe their mind resisteth his lawe And so do they synne / belevinge in their weke and wretched conscience that they are bounde of necessite to confesse them selves / and yet confesse they against their willes / and knowlege their sinnes with their mouthes and not with their hartes / that is to say faynedly And so offend grevouslye Now consider substantiallye what surges and waues the Pope hath excitate in the world by this one lawe of compelled confession How manye is there that with a glad and fre harte confesse them selves Yet no maÌ„ doth thinke that this is sinne / in so moch the all men perissh or they beware thorow this same sonne of perdition abominable man of synne And to th entent that this profoundite of sinnes and perditions shuld be greatter / he compelleth also that the offenses which are coÌ„mitted against his lawe shuld be confessed / yee and that chefly of all / with all the differences of synnes / kindes / natures / doughters / nesys / branches / circunstances / aÌ„d infinite other abominations / in so moch that the most spirituall maÌ„ of all / shuld here begyne to synne aÌ„d perisshe / that is to say coÌ„fesse against his will / for this sentence stoÌ„deth firme and stable / he that doth a thinge against his will doth it not And againe CoÌ„pelled servises please not god Sith theÌ„ the Pope hath no nede of these lawes / but only to stablissh and encreasse his tyrannye it is evident that he is the author of infinite synnes and infinite perditioÌ„s / while that by his lawes / he geveth a greate occasion of evill to weake and froward coÌ„sciences / which thinke them self to be bound vn to the fulfilling of his lawes / for if a man beleve that he is bounde / and doth not fulfill that which he thinketh him silf bound to with harte aÌ„d miÌ„de / he doth sinne with out câ—asinge as Paule saieth in the .xiiij. Roma xiiij to the Romayns he that maketh conscience is damned if he eate
¶ 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
meÌ„ / Faces for their doctrine and liffe was not governed with the sprete of faith / but with the rightinge and information of their â—â—â—e naturall reason Aristotle the light of nature lighteninge them And thy had heares as the heares of women Phylosophy bringeth forth weke and effeminate prestes / Heareâ— which are all geven to pleasurs and superfluites / in whom raigneth nether sprete nor manlye wisdome in Christ / for heares do signifye prestes as in the .lxvij. Psalme / and in the iij. of Esai / and other places Psalm lxvij Esaiâ— iij Nether is it lawfull to be a divine except he be soch a preste first In so moch that devines are comenly evill spoken of among the comeÌ„ people And their teth were / as the teth of lyons Tethe Consider duns men among all other devines whethere they be not bytars Checkers / sclawnderers and devourars / of all these that speake against Aristotles divinite howe be hit it is no mervell / for the duns men / and sanct Thomas meÌ„ which are now adays wold them self devoure ech other / aÌ„d sharpen their teth as ferse as lyons Nether is there any kind of men which wold fight moare cruelly with moare hate / then these sectes of devines In so moch that every one of them desiringe the others destruction wold faine raigne alone And they hade harbergions as it were harbergions of yeron HarbergioÌ„s This is the pertinecyte / stiffnes / and sure presumption of every secte concerninge the stabilite / and trueth / of their awne opinions / with these their yeron brestplates they can not be overcome And these are the principles in every sect And the sounde of their winges was as the soundes of charectes when many horses rune to gether to batell Winges The winges be the wordes of these brawlinge disputars with the which they fight and runne at ech other / violently / checkinglye / and with great noyse As we se in the contentious brawlinge of these disputars both in wordes and writinge / where as none will geve place to the other / but remayne invincible stickinge still to his opinion be it right or wronge This stubburne mind and affection in disputations is signified by the runninge to gedder of charactes and horses Tayles And they had tayles lyke vn to scrorpions and there where stinges in their tayles And their power was to hurte men .v. monthes He expoundeth that which he spake of before / shewinge that the fructhe / ende / and effect of this divinite is nothinge els but to vexe evill consciences thorow all their sensuall liffe But to them that are spirituall this divinite is abomination / for they are separate from these .v. monthes / in the sprete of libertye King And they had a kinge over them which is thangell of the bottomlesse pitte whos name in the hebrew tonge is Abadon / but in the greke tonge Apollyon Here let vs coÌ„sider the most generall rulare of act vniversites Not Christ / not the holy goste / not the angell of the lorde / but thangell of the bottomlesse pitte / and of them that are dead aÌ„d damned / whom meaneth he then Truely the light of nature Aristotle which well may be called Apollion that is to say a destroyer and corruptoure of the chirche raigneth in the vniversites Nother was he worthy in scripture to be named by his awne name we said that this angell did signifye a doctor and teacher in the chirch And it is evident that Aristotle dead and damned / is now a dayes the instructore of all vniversites / moare then Christ / for Aristotle commended by the authorite and diligence of sanct Thomas is sett a loffte and raigneth Raisinge againe and stablisshinge fre will / teachinge morall vertues / and naturall philosophye / and may be called thre hedded Cerberus / or rather Geryon with thre bodyes Cerberus Behold the first woo that the chirch hath receaved of the Pope of Rome thorow the helpe and meanes of sanct Thomas It had bene their duetes most of all to have forbed and suppressed these thinges / and they chefly have brought it vp and stablisshed it Tell me christen reader Are not these faces and clokes counted the hedde tayle / and all to gedder Are not these the ground and substance of the Canon lawe Canon law What do the weked canonistes learne But the observation and fulfillinge of these clokes and faces / invented and ordened by vngodly men which partaineth nothinge to god or the chirch Tell me if thow find one good worke in them that God commaunded Read over the hole Canon lawe / and shew me one place where the Pope or any Busshope is moved to the office of the Gospell All is decreed of iurisdictions / and nothinge of the word of God / all thowgh there be nede of no other thinge in the chirche but of his word But that is lefte to chappellayns and hegge prestes / and to them that are most rude and vnlearned O wo be to the thow Pope wo be to yow Cardinalles wo be to yow Busshopes wo be to yow prestes wo be to yow relligious persons / and to all the orders of Satans Sinagoge / who shall teach yow to flye from the vengeance which shall come and is now at hand Mathâ— iii. What shall yow answere / for the office of the word which yow have taken apon yow / and have not fulfilled it Thinke yow that he will accepte yower .iij. crownes / hattes / myters / ringes / gold / purpull / and all yower clokes and faces This sentence is sure and stable he loketh not vpoÌ„ the face of men Wherfore he that can / let him heare the counsell of christe where he teacheth in the .xxiiij. Math. xxjiij of Mathew to flye vn to the montaynes aÌ„d not returne again in to oure houses Let him forsake the world that may / let him go in to the wildernes that is fre Desire not / desire not man who so ever thow arte / to have a Bâ—sshoprike / a Canonrye / an Abbottes coulle or any orders of presthode / for there is synne and perdition in them all / as the forsaid faces do shew the. Or els if thow have a greate mind or be compelled to take orders / Orders then despise these faces of Antichrist / aÌ„d do thy diligence purely to serve the gospell / other by thy self teachinge it / if thow have that gyfte / or els assistinge / helpinge / aÌ„d servinge them which have the grace to teach / as the Apostles did testifye them selves that they had many By sides this desire god hartelye with pure prayer for then crease of the gospell Beleve me / excepte thou do thus / thow takist thiÌ„ orders to thy daÌ„natioÌ„ / yee thowgh thow do miracles / and committe thy silf to the fire to be burned There is but one specialle office that pertayneth
to thyne orders / and that is to preach the word of god / yf thow do not this / thow art not anoynted inwardly with the holy goste / but only vtwardly for a cloke But lord / how hath this most holy kiÌ„ge prevailed that he hath clene suppressed the gospell And why shall I not curse this cursed abominatioÌ„-The lord Iesus Christ destroye these idolles of the world / yower Popedoms and Cardinalshuppes / with all yower clokes faces / in to the depth of hell for ever Amen Now I thinke thow vnderstondist what it meaneth that this kinge is mightye in faces It foloweth And vnderstondinge rydles ¶ Soch a kinge / soch a lawe Danie viij Soch a lawe / soch people Soch people / soch maners / soch maners soche studies affectioÌ„s Sillogismus But the kinge is a very cloke / face / idolle Therfore his lawe must nedes be a starke lye faÌ„tasye / as Petre did prophesye ij Petri. ij There shal be false teachers among you / which thorow covetuousnes with fained wordes shall make marchaÌ„dise of yow ij Timoth. iij And in the fourth of the first pistell to Timothe which speake false thorow hypocrisye And how can he teach the trueth which is nothing him self but a cloke and lye / for he that is endewed with that opinioÌ„ that he will counte these fâ—ces substantiall thinges in erneste / he will not only speake lyes / but he shall not be able to sustayne nor abyde the trueth Is not this a notable / yee an abominable lye to teache ceremonyes for the faith of Christ / for the sprete / to ordeÌ„ traditions and learninges of men Doth not the Pope with his lawes avaunce and bost him silf that he governeth fedeth the chirch of god doth he not commend as good deades those thinges which are done by fulfillinge his lawe doth he not persequute and condemne those that obey not him al thowgh they observe and kepe all the hole gospell O this weked and cursed abomination Here is the sainge of Paule fulfilled / which is an aduersarye and is exalted above all that is called god / ij Thessa ij or that is worshupped / so that he shal sit in the teÌ„ple of god and shew him silf as god Doth not he sitte in the temple of god which saith and professeth him self to be the master in the hole chirch what is the temple of god Is it stones aÌ„d wodde doth not Paule say The temple of God is holy which temple are ye j. Corint iij. ij Co. in vj. Nether in the time of paule was there any house which was called the temple of god as we now call theÌ„ What meaneth this sittinge / but raigninge teachinge / and iudginge Who sith the beginniÌ„ge of the chirche / durst presume to call him self the master of the hole chirch But only the Pope None of the holy men / none of the heretikes / durst ever let scape them soch an horrible voice of pride Paule bosted him selfe to be the master of the gentils in faith and trueth but not the master of the chirch / doth he not avaunce him selfe as he were god while that for the wordes of Christ he teacheth his awne / aÌ„d for the rightuousnes of the faith he stablissheth his awne rightuousnes May he naturally be exalted aboue god ij Thessa ij Nay truely / but above all that is called god saith the apostle / that is to say above the word of god preached / for he is called god when he is preached and beleved in how be it above this god the Pope a greate while hath bene exalted aÌ„d sitteth still / for in the faithfull hartes in the stede of preachinge aÌ„d belevinge god / he preacheth him silf and his awne constitutioÌ„s / and so is preferred as the greke worde doth signify which the Apostle reherseth both above the honour and worshupe of god / and also above god which is worshupped As thowgh he shuld say in the harte of maÌ„ he shal be preferred above god / that is to say / his word shall more be feared then the worde of god / and they shall more obeye him and more worshup him / theÌ„ very god him silfe Doth this agre with any man but with the Pope In every place the word and precept of God is despised / But every man feareth the word of the Pope Trewlye there is no god nether in heven nor erthe whose word is reccaved with soch obedience as is the Popes word which thinge experience doth so clerly shewe and derlare vnto vs / that he which lacketh halfe his witte can not denye it Forthermore who did ever say that he came in the name of Christ / but only the Pope / for he only the first of all men doth boste him silf with intollerable blasphemye / The pope is the vicare of 〈◊〉 on erthe and pride to be the vicare of Christ and the vicare of god in the erth What signifieth the vicare of god But to sitt in goddes stede what is it to sitt in goddes stede But to shew him silf as thowgh hewere god Dowtest thow yet whether the prophesye of Paul be fulfilled sith these two are so like to be the vicar / of god / and to shew him silf as thowgh he were god Therfore Christ did well prophesy / that these Apostles of Antichrist shuld come in his name / for the other heretikes all thowgh they did couÌ„terfet dissemble the trueth / yet they never pretendid to do it vnder the name of Christ / but that was only reserved to Antichrist Wherfore Christ in the xxiiij of Mathew not content to have prophesied that they shuld come in his name / did adde and expownd him silf Sainge that I am Christ / as thowgh he shuld say / They shall take myn awne name vpoÌ„ them / Math xxiiij which is Christe And say that they be Christ And that they have obtayned / for of the Pope and Christ with their chatteringe they have made one / sainge that they are so annexed coÌ„ioyned to gedder / that Christ caÌ„ not be seperate froÌ„ the Pope nether the Pope froÌ„ him O what a furyous malicious blasphemye is this A weked wretched bawde / vsurare / theffe cruell tyraÌ„ne / is mingled ioyned with the lord Christ / is made one with him Come lord Iesu Christ aÌ„d perscribe some order / or els finishe and make an end of this horrible and blasphemous abomination Yet I pray you what doth this vicare of god settinge in the stede of god Doth he fulfill teach the coÌ„mavndmentes of his prince Nay trewly / what doth he theÌ„ Only teach his awne constitutions / yet doth theÌ„ not him self How be it if he did teach the coÌ„maâ—ndmentes of god / yet shuld not he be the vicare of god / for a vicare is there as the prince and hedde is absent
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
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
any that sitteth / but I alone shall speake first / let the other heare And againe / let not the other iudge / but I will prophesye and other shal be iudged for I am the master / the prophete / and the vicare of God It belongeth vnto vs to speak / or els as it is sayde in the .xj. Psalme We shall exalt oure tonge / oure lippes be oure awne / Psalme xj who is oure lord And so doth this weked / more presumptuous then prowde Pelagius / avaunce him silf in his decrees / sayenge Where as is the maiorite / ther is the authorite of commauÌ„dinge / as for the other of necessite must obey Tel me if thow canste whether any of the kinges which ever have bene syth the beginninge of the world / have commaunded and exacted their lawes with soch pride swellinge / arrogancye / boldnes / stubbornes / standiÌ„ge so well in their awne conecate / with soch imperious a voice / folisshe hardenes / and presumption / as only this one Pope Truly god him silf did never exacte his preceptes with soch imperious mageste aÌ„d power Is he not therfore a worthy successor of Peter which taught in the .v. of his first epistle i. Petri. v. Submit youre selves every man / one to a nother / what meaneth that but to geve place one to the other / and not to be stubborne in his awne opinion And Paule in the xij to the Romayns sayeth Make youre self equall to theÌ„ of the lower sorte / Roma xij be not wysse in youre awne opinions And Solomon Put a measure in thy wisdome And againe sticke not to thine awne wisdome And paule did write cheflye to the Romayns wheÌ„ he exhorted them not to be wise in their awne opinions Even as Peter did also when he prophesied that there shuld come stubborne meÌ„ which shuld stond well in their awne coÌ„ceat and walke after their awne lustes Nether yet only in iudging doth he folow his awne opinion / but also in teachinge aÌ„d livinge / behold the hole face of the chirch / and shew me if thou canst / in what profession / secte or parte / they live accordinge to he preceptes of God / do they not teach yâ—â— and live / Collo ij after chosen holines as the apostle calleth it Doinge soch thinges as they thinke them silf holy and right / as though there were no kinge in Israel / as it is said in the .xxj. of iudicum And the Pope doth prayse and confirme all these thinges / Iudic. xxjâ— all be it the lawe in the .xij. Deutero xij of the Deuteronomye doth instantly and sharply forbed those propre opinions And in the .iiij. of Amos. Amos. iiij Sacrifice yow of leven / prayse / and call vn to you / and shew youre wilfull oblations / for this hath bene your desire you children of Israel And paule doth reprove the inventors and finders of new thinges / how be it this detestable folisshe hardenes of oure / awne mind and opinion is vtterly condemned by the most godly example of Iosue / where as after the sprete had exhorted him aÌ„d faithfully promysed him that he shuld passe over Iordane / yet wold he not that he shuld be directed and ordered by his awnâ— opinion / but by the iudgement of scripture â—aynge in the first chapter Be of good comfort / aÌ„d verye stronge that thou maist kepe and do all my lawe / which Moses my servant coÌ„maunded the not thine awne mind and opinion which no man hath commaunded the Thou shalt not decline from it nether to the right hande / nether to the lefte hand behold he doth clene suppresse / and put out his awne iudgemeÌ„t aÌ„d sense that thow maist perceave all thinges that thou doste and truly they can not be knowne what they are yf they be done after oure awne opinion with out the lawe of god / for we know not whethere they pleace God or nay / we beat the ayer with our fiste / and labour with out certaynte / yee rather it is evident that they do not pleace God that are of this kind as it appereth by his inhibition Iosue i. Nether let the volume of this lawe depart from thy mouth / and thou shalt be be occupied in it day and nyght O this necessary monition which is despised of antichrist Marke I pray the the wordes of this lawe / which monissheth the / that the lawe departe not from thy mouthe / but that thou be occupied in it daye and nyght / that thou maist kepe and do all thinges which are writen in it not other and strange thinges Then shalt thou prospere in thy waye / and shalt be wyse / that is to say then thy opinion and mind shal be hole / then shalt thou se the right / aÌ„d so shalt thou goo furth prosperously and prevaile And contrary / if thou malke in thine awne opinion thou shalt have nothinge prosperous / be cause thou goist furth not accordinge to the lawe of God / but according to thine awne witte aÌ„d provision / but god doth approve the waye of iust men / and the iorney of the weked shall perish / Psal i blissed is he therfore which hath not walked in the councell of vngodly men How be it oure Pope doth so glorye aÌ„d reioyse in his awne opinions / despising the lawe of God / that he doth avaunce him silf to be the chirch / and incredible councell Nether doth he consider that this Iosue had no lesse of the sprete of God then any Pope ever had And yet will the sprete that nothinge shuld be done of him / which was not expresly rehersed in the scripture In so moch that moch more the Chirch ought not to be of his awne opinion / but rather to sticke and lene to the iudgement of god and testimonyes of scripture O thou Pope How be it the stubborne felow that stoÌ„deth over moch in his awne conceat / will mocke and thinke sone to dissolue this reasone / puttinge a differeÌ„ce with a fained distinction and most craftye illusion to scape fre / betwext iurisdiction and charite / affirminge that the forsaide textes of scripture shuld be vnderstond of the office of charite / not of the tyrannye of iurisdiction which is the hyghe hierarchye and impery of the chirch clene ignorant that iurisdiction in the chirch is nothing els / but the administration of charite / seperatinge by weked / aÌ„d folissh hardenes / the office which is ministred in the chirch from charite / suffillinge that which foloweth Danie viij And deceate shall be directed aÌ„d prospere in his hand ¶ For this cause cheflye do the purposses of Antichrist prosperously prevayle / be cause he him silf hath deceaved the chosen children of god As Christ saith There shall aryse false christen and false prophetes / Math. xxiiij and shall geve great signes wonders So greatly that if