can not erre nor commaūde any vnrightuousnes Sainte Paul right honorable lordes setteth forth a nother doctrine of deuels the abstinence from meates in certen tymes and dayes and for conscience sake supposinge the meate to be prophane and vngodly and againste Gods wil and pleasure to be eaten Soch abstinence from meates Paul calleth the doctrine of deuels because it is mere contrary to Christes wordes and the holy scriptures For meate sayeth Paul commendeth vs not to God 1. Cor. 8. nether yf we eate be we the better nether yf we eate not be we the worse Math. 15. For that which entreth in to the mouth defileth not the man but that which procedeth out of the hearte sayeth Christe Also Sainte Paul exhorteth all men that they regarde not soch ordinaunces made by men lyke as the ordinaunces made by God sayenge Collo 2. Let no man trouble youre conscience aboute meate and drinke Wherfore if you be deed with Christe sayeth he from the ordinaunces of the world whic as though ye yet lyued in the world are ye leed with man traditions Touche not tast not handle not All which perishe thorow the veraye abuse after the commaundement doctrines of men Which thinges outwardlye haue a similitude of wysedome by superstitiō humblenes by hurting of the body in that they do the fleshe no worship to the nede therof S. Peter also thought it not meete for hym to eate certen meates that were forbidden in Moses law to be eaten as thinges that were vncleane Act. 10. To whome in a vision was answer geuen that he should not saye that thinge to be comen and vncleane that God had purified thorow his eternall worde Hebr. 13. It is therfore good sayeth Paul to stablish oure heartes in grace and not in meates which profited not them that walked therin 1. Cor. 10. Doutles honorable lordes Sainte Paul wold not haue commaunded generally that we shuld eate of all kinde of meates that come to be solde in the shambles askinge no thinge what they be for conscience sake yf it had not ben lawfull by Gods lawes to eate of all kindes of meates and that in all tymes and dayes so that they be eaten temperatly for the necessitie of the bodie and not for wanton lust to please the flesh and also eatē with out offence of the weake brethrē eatē with thākes geuyng for the same to God that feadeth al thinges But who right honorable lordes hath forbodē these flesh meates and whit meates to be eaten in Lent other prescript tymes Euen he that hath vsurped power to make offences synne of that which God nor his Apostles taught to be synne or offence Of whōe S. Paul warneth you to beware to marke them decline frō them For soch sayeth Paul Rom. 13. sserue not our Lorde but their belies And by pleasaūt wordes blessinges they seduce begyle the heartes of innocentes But wherfore hath our holy father made restraint of meates to be eaten in certayne tymes for conscience sake so manifest contrary to the doctrine of them that he bosteth to be his predecessours Verely that he might set forth his vsurped power And also that as S. Peter sayeth he might make marchaundise ouer vs in couetousnes 2. Pet. 2. For money he will geue licence to eate what you wil to do what you will And therfore all his lawes made of restrainte forbiddyng of those thinges that God lefte free are but a playne arte and crafte deuyse made to begyle the people of their money This moste honorable Lordes I haue sette forth two of Antichristes false doctrines not after myne awne fātesie but as Paul nameth them the doctrine of deuels that you might not be any furder deceaued by the preachers of them And also that you maye assuredly certifie youre consciēces that al they that preache and defende the same doctrines ben vnfaynedly Antichristes disciples which be spirites of erroure that haue departed from the faith or els the Apostles doctrine is erronious and false But that cā not be true Also oure master Christe admonisheth vs to beware lest any mand deceaue vs. For many shall come sayeth Christe in my name sayenge Mat. 24 I am Christe shall deceaue many Who is he that cometh in Christes name sayeng I am Christe None doutles who be they that saye they be Christ but he that vsurpeth to hym Christes office power holynes which no man doeth but the Romish Antichrist and his sluttish secte Euen they that vsurpe absolute power geuen to them to remitte and to forgeue synnes to the people Against thē that vsurpe Christes power and place whiche is the onlye power grace and office of Christe and not of any man Wherfore that man that vsurpeth vpon hym that office of Christe is the very same that sayeth I am Christe that is so anoynted and authorised of God that I haue absolute power geuen me from God to forgeue synnes as Christe hath For euē in soch maner of speaking all his filthy secte sittinge in their whorish confessions boost them selfes that they sit in Gods stydde and rowme to forgeue the synnes of soch as confesse their sinnes to them sayenge in their false absolutions in a tonge that the confessed vnderstandeth not By the authoritie of Peter and Paul and by the authoritie to me committed I forgeue the thy synnes to me confessed But nether Peter ne yet Paul did forgeue synnes by their awne authoritie grace or power but only by the preaching of the gospel Act. 4. As Peter sayeth ther is no nother name vnder heauen geuen vnto men nether is ther any other by whom we must be saued Act. 10 but the name of Iesu Christe For to hym all the prophetes beare witnes sayeth Peter remission of synne to be had thorowe his name Also sayeth Paul be it knowen vnto you men and bretherne Act. 13. that thorow this mā meaning Christe remission of synnes is preached and that by hym all that beleue are iustified from all thinges from the which ye could not be iustified by the law of Moses For he is the lambe of God that taketh awaye the synnes of the people / sayeth Ioan baptiste Ioh. 1. And euē so sayeth the Angell to our lady Math. 1. that he shall saue his people from their synnes Wherfore nether by the authoritie of Peter / nor of Paul ne yet by any absolute autoritie to them committed excepte by the autoritie of preachinge of the gospel to the people that trulie repente beleuinge constantly to haue remission of their synnes by the deeth and bloodshedinge of Iesu Christ hath other bisshop or priest any autoritie to forgeue synne Lamente therfore my Lordes the miserable state of this realme consideringe that there can be no remission of synnes geuen but onlye thorow the preaching of the gospell which none of oure priestes thorow all the realme do practise
A short description of Antichrist vnto the Nobilitie of Englande and to all my brethren and contreymen borne and dwelling therin with a warnynge to see to that they be not deceaued by the hypocrisie and crafty conueyaunce of the Clergie Ioh. 10. He that is of God heareth the worde of God OH Lorde God / although suche lordes haue dominiō ouer vs / as knowe the not / yet graunt that we may hope only in the / and kepe thy name in remembraūce For beholde the Lorde will go out of his habitation and visite the wickednes of them that dwell vpon the earth Esa 26. He wil discouer the blood that she hath deuoured / she shall neuer hyde them that she hath murthered Muster you and gather you / muster you and gather you Take your counsaill together Yet muste your counsaill come to nought Go in hande withal / yet shall it it not prosper / except Emanuel / Esa 8. that is / God be wyth vs. For ther is no prudence / ther is no wysdome / ther is no counsaill against the LORDE ☞ ☜ THere is nothing more perilouse right honourable Lordes ne yet more pernitious and euell to the Christē mans religion then so to be corrupted poysoned and blinded in his vnderstanding and iudgement that he estemeth iudgeth euel in the stede of good errour in the stede of veritie cloked superstition in the stede of Christes true religion painted hypocrisie in the stede of godly vertue manifest and open ydolatry in the stede of true worshipping of God mens dreames and traditions in the stede of Gods most holy lawes ordinaunces a cōmen custome long tyme vsed of our forfathers in stede of a sure grounde and firme foundation of our christen faith And finally to accepte and take Antichrist the Man of synne and childe of perditiō as Paul nameth him in the stede of God and of Christ Who neuerthelesse is moste contrary to God and moste hatefull enemye to Christe in all his doctrines workes and conditiōs Such erronious blinde and corrupte iudgementes God by his Prophete Esay pronounces accursed sayeng Esa 5. Wo be to you that saye good is euil and euill is good light is darkenesse and darkenesse is light c. Also the Apostle S. Paul fearing like errour and corruptiō in iudgement to come to the Corinthes thorough the wicked doctrine of subtile and false preachers 2. Cor. 11. exorteth the Corinthes to beware of deceauers sayeng I feare that it come to passe that as the serpente deceaued Eua thorough his subtiltie euen so your wittes shoulde be corrupted frō the singlenesse that you had towarde Christ For false Apostles sayeth he are deceatfull workers and fashion them selues lyke vnto the Apostles of Christ And no merueil for Sathan him selfe is chaūged into the fashiō of an Angel of light Therfore it is no great thing though his ministres fashion them selues lyke as they were the ministers of rightuousnes Whose ende shal be accordinge to their workes Euen so right honorable lordes I can not but feare lest your vnderstandinges and iudgementes be now corrupted drawen and caryed awaye from the simplicitie and purenes of sincere vnderstandinge and godly iudgemente which late you had of Christe thorow the crafty persuasions deceatefull and false illusions of Antichrist that hath transfigured hym selfe in to the fashion of an Angell of lighte For I am not ignorante that now the monstrouse beaste Antichriste Sathās vicar general in earth and all his adulterous generation of vipers that be his false Apostles most subtile and crafty deceauours and the most malitious enemies of God and Christe cease not daye nor night with false lyes colored with cloked hypocrisie and deceatfull and flatteringe persuasions to deceaue the Quenes magestie and all you my lordes of hyr most honorable counsaill wherby they might draw hyr highnes all you from the godly and most pure knowleage which you had in litle tyme past receaued of Christe in to their fylthy Puddels and vayne inuētions that they of their owne braynes without any authoritie of holy scriptures haue inuented to reuiue and to stablish the vsurped power and bloody kyngedome of Antichrist in this realme By whose false doctrines all the people of this realme shall be drawen from God and from our sauiour Christe to trust in most vayne and deceatefull vanitie But if your lordships wolde both waye and ponder that not only God by his holy prophetes and Apostles but also Christ hymself admonisheth and warneth you and all men to beware of false preachers and of craftye and subtile deceauers your Lordships wold be moch more circumspecte and well ware because that not only the Prophetes and Apostles but also Christ him self to whō you ought to gyue credence hath warned you to beware of soch deceauers And namely because this deceate ys not a manifeste and playne deceate easely to be perceaued and knowen of al men but so craftly coloured and subtylie painted with dessebled persuasions and of soch as shall come euen in the name of Christe and of his holy church And therfore they shal deceaue many sayeth Christe Sainte Paul also sayeth 1. Tim. 4. In the later tymes some shall departe from the faith geuinge eare to the spirites of erroure and doctrines of deuylles 1. Cor. 11. And the same sayeth that heresies must neades be that the proued and godly maye be knowen Sainte Peter also sayeth that there were wicked Prophetes 2. Pet. 2 as there shal be false masters amonge you that shall bringe in sectes of perdition that shal denie the Lorde that hath boughte them Also S. Iohan sayeth 2. Ioh. 4 Antichriste is come and that ther be many Antichristes Consideringe that the Prophetes of God Christe and his Apostles haue this certenly-and diligently admonisshed and warned you and all men of false preachers and of leenge masters that departe from the fayth / and bringe in sectes of perdicion / and of soch that will come in the name of Christe / Math. 24 lyke as they did preach his true doctrine / which neuertheles preach their awne dreames and the doctrines of deuils denyeng the lorde that brought them / and in all thinges folowe the spirites of errour 1. Tim. 4. It behoueth your Lordships and it is the parte and most bounden dutie of euery Christen man diligently to search out these false Prophetes lyenge masters and to laboure studiously to knowe which be the doctrines of deuils and spirites of errour accordinge to the admonition and warninge of the Prophetes of Christe / and of the Apostles geuen to them that they maye circumspectly eschew and auoyde them that they be not deceaued by them and their doctrines And because in the reigne of Edwarde the sixte of famose memory by the cōsent of his honorable counsel ther was a doctrine preached and religion receaued in this realme of Englande which now is reiected and banisshed as a doctrine of the deuyll and as heresye
oure trust and confidence that we oughe to haue of remissioÌ„ of oure sinnes at Gods handes for Christes sake only and now to haue confidence to haue it at Antichristes handes for a litle money that is most contrary to God to Christe in all thinges Oh most abomination of desolation staÌ„dinge in mans coÌ„scieÌ„ce that shulde be the teÌ„ple of God and the dwellinge place of the holy goost Is it not a foule abomination of desolation staÌ„dinge in the holy place In the stede of Christes only one sacrifice which he made of himselfe to God his father for vs vpon the crosse now to set vp a new sacrifice to be made to God for vs of a pece of bread and a cuppe of wyne and to lyfte vp them to be shewed to the people to be gased vpon and to be worshipped and not to be receaued and to be eaten droÌ„ken accordinge to Christes institution and commaundemente Is it not abhomination of deÌ„solation staÌ„dinge in the holy church of God in the stede of the gospell to be preached and declared vnto the people in soch maner that they mighte receaue comforte and hope therby to haue the gospell and other partes of the holy scriptures / to be read songe in a speache nether vnderstanded not knowen of the hearers of them Rom. 15. Sainte Paul sayeth / what so euer was written was written for our doctrine and learninge that thorow patience and consolatioÌ„ of the holy scriptures we mighte receaue hope But Antichrist hath ordeyned a payne sownde to occupie the eares of the people callinge it the gospell although therbe no interpretation or declaration therof made to the people Ephe. 5. For he his filthie secte well knowe that the Apostle sayeth that all thinges that be declared opened bringe lighte Which Antichriste his filthy generation maye not suffer nor abydes because their workes Ioan. 3. which be al wycked and done in darkenes shuld by the lighte he made manifest and openly knoweÌ„ to the world For euen as Christe came an to the world to geue light to the world Euen so is Antichriste came in to the world to take awaye from the people the light that Christ broughte in to the world 1. Cor. 14. The Apostle commaundeth that what so euer be done in the church that it should be done to the instruction and edificatioÌ„ of the congregation For sayeth he yf any man speake with tonges let it be by two or thre at the moste and that by order let one interpretate or declare And yf ther be no man there to let him kepe sileÌ„ce and speake not to the congregacion Do not your lordships perceaue plainly how Antichriste his filthy generation study and laboure with policy to subuerte all godly and profitable ordinaunces made by Christ and by his Apostles Wherfore coÌ„trary to Paules doctrine and the godly ordinaunces receaued do ye suffer our priestes to reade a synge the holy scriptures dayly in the churches to the people in a tonge that they vnderstande not nor perceaue that is spoken calling it Gods seruice coÌ„pelling the people to come to heare it Who vnderstaÌ„deth or is taught any thinge therby They mocke the people with a vayne souÌ„de wherby they haue no lust nor commoditie nor profite Is not this Antichristes ordinaunce of the holy scriptures to be reade in a tonge or speche nor vnderstande nor perceaued of the people Collos â—â— coÌ„trary to the scripture that commaundeth that the worde of God shuld dwel in vs abundauntly that we mighte teach the one the other A woÌ„derfull crafty abomination of desolation standing in the holy place depriuinge the people of the vnderstandinge of holy scriptures And where Christe hath ordened certen Apostles certen prophetes some Euangelistes and doctours to fynish a nomber of the electe and to buylde the misticall body of Christe In the stede of which ministers of Christe by Antichriste are entred in theues that receaue and take greate reuenuwes and profites of the benefices but they do no thinge the office that Christe appointed and assigned vnto the office to be done Euen raueninge wolfes that nether spare nor fauoure the flocke of Christe And no meruayl it is for in that they take the profites of their benefices and do not the office ther vnto belonginge by Christes senteÌ„ce they be theues by daye and by nighte Ioan. 10. Whose office and cominge is not to feede and to fauoure the flocke sayeth Christ but to steale to kyll and destroye as your lordships haue therof to moch experience and most certen profe Is it not therfore abomination of desolation standinge in the holy place to see a thefe and a murtherer stande in the church of God in the steade of a true and diligente pastoure and godly feader or bisshop Is it not abomination of deslation standinge in the chief cytie of Englande to sea franked fat Boore sittinge at euery sermoÌ„ preached at Pauls crosse and thesame not be founde ones in the yere in the same pulpet feadinge the flocke committed to his spirituall charge Is it not abominatioÌ„ of desolation staÌ„dinge in the holy place to se the holy scriptures in oure natiue English tonge writteÌ„ vpon euery wall in the churches now to be by commaundemente blotted out and in the stede therof erected kerued ymages of wood and of stone by Gods owne sentence accursed and all they that make the same And how they that cause theÌ„ to be set vp shall escape the same curse I know not They also vpon palmes sondaye lifte vp a cloth and saye hayle oure kynge to a Roode made of a wooden blocke Doutles a worthy kinge for soch a people Now right honorable Lordes I trust ye be not ignorante of the tyme wherin Antichriste shall come regne and rage againste God and Christe Euen verely now when there was neuer moare abomination of desolation standing in maÌ„s conscience and erected and set vp in the temple and church of God Where as in the stede of a constante fayth in Christ is planted a most wicked faith trust in the man of sinne And in the place of Christes only one sacrifice made vnto for vs for euer sufficiently is erected and set vp a sacrifice made of bread and wyne daylye to be made a sacrifice for vs. And in the stede of the holy scriptures to be declared that the people might vnderstaÌ„de the sence and meaninge therof is erected and ordeyned the gospels and holy scriptures to be read and spoken in a tonge and speache that the people which heare the voyce â—aâ—e no profite or comforte therby By this pointe of abhomination of Desolation all the clergie for forth them selfes that they abhorre no thinge moare then the lighte of Gods worde Ioan. 3. Which no man doeth but he that doeth euill sayeth Christe that lyeth not In the stede of pastours and spiritual teachers be entred in theues and most cruel murtherers And in the stede of
how contrary your bishops be to Christe and how contrarie they be to his doctrine and to the doctrine of his Apostles and also how wicked your law lately by your consētes reuyued is contrary to Gods worde But good my lordes thinke not that you can gather grapes vpon thornes This their mortheringe of their brethern for their faith declareth vnto all men whose vnderstandinge is not takē awaye by God that they be the theues of which Christe speaketh Ioh. 8. of whome cā not come any good frute For morther is a worke that proueth them to be the deuels seruātes who was a mortherer from the beginninge sayeth Christ that lyeth not But as Abraham had two children one borne after the fleshe called Ismael Gal. 4. and an other after the spirite called Isaac As then he that was borne carnally persecuted him that was borne spirituallye euē so is it now sayeth Sainte Paul Did Christ my good lordes compel any mā to come to his religion with imprisonemente or with fyre Did Christe kill the Iewes scribes pharisees that hearinge his doctrine and seinge also his wonderous miracles not withstandinge both wold not beleue in him Ys not faith honorable lordes the only gifte of God liberally geuen to whome it pleaseth him Can any man by his awne industry studie and laboure obteyne faith If you will suffer youre byteshepes so cruelly to morther men for wante of soch faith as it hath pleased them to deuyse by lyke equitie and Reason maye you suffer them to morther all them that haue not the lyberall gifte of God to make whole the sicke And also with moare equitie you your selfes maye hange vp the bishop of London and all youre other bisshops preistes as theues and mortherers that take charge of soules receaue the profites of their benefices which haue not the gifte of God to preach the gospell to the flocke accordinge to Christes commaundemente And by no lesse equitie all they must suffer deeth that haue not the gift of chastitie allthough to deceaue the people they saye they haue auowed it And although your lordships as ye thinke do not any violence against soch as now suffer by force of that wicked law that by youre consentes is reuiued because your lordships haue referred al the determinatiō iudgemēte of heresie vnto your byteshepes Yet be your lordships and all they that haue consented to the reuiuinge and makinge in force strēgth of the sayd law gyltie of the blood and deeth of all thē that haue suffered deeth shall suffer or do suffer by force s trēgth of the said law For not only all they that committe do euill be worthy deeth sayeth Paul but also all they that consente therto Rom. 1. Not only because the law by force wherof many suffer deeth was reuyued by your consētes But also bycause the same law is manifest wicked vnrightuous because it is contrary to the worde of God Wherfore it cā not be but wicked And therfore the same law wherby all they suffer vniustlie and the blood of thē that suffer deeth shal be a witnes before God against you of their tormentes and deeth And then good my lordes remember the sētence of God pronounced against al them that shede innocēte blood vnrightuously not only that they be mortherers who shal neuer inheret the kingedome of heauen 1. Cor. 5. Gene. 9 But also the holy goost sayeth he that shedeth innocente blood of men his blood shal be shed againe by men If your lordships do not thinke God false in his promises loke most certēly for your blood if ye do not vnfaynedly spedely repente to be shed of men againe And although you wold not beleue the promises of God to be true Yet way you the late experience of that trueth verefied in the late dukes of Somerset and Northumberlande whose doinges to al them that did know them do manifestlie prooue the sayed promises of God to be most certenly and truely verefied in them As they can not be otherwise in all men And now I trust your lordships do well vnderstande and perceaue that this law by your consentes lately reuiued made a law in force and stength is contrary both to the doctrine and example of Christe and of his Apostles and Prophetes Wherfore it can not be but a wicked law Esai 10. Woo therfore be vnto you that make wicked lawes sayeth God by his prophe Esaias And if a nother magistrate shuld by the prouision of God be called to reigne oue vs who iudgeth the forme of religion last receaued of vs to be contrary to Gods worde and therfore to be worthely abolished then maye he persecute all youre bishops and thē that now haue consented to morther christen men for their fayth but nor because he perceaueth that they haue no perfite faith or els a wicked faith for then should he commit lyke iniquitie but because the worde of God sayeth The same measure that you haue measured to other the same shal be measured to you againe By this sentence that is no wicked law al youre mortheringe bishops maye iustly be handles as they haue handled them This law of late by youre consentes reuyued and made in force and strength as a perfite law doeth not only reproue youre lordships of youre inconstauncie who not longe tyme before vpon reasonable and godly causes wel wayed frely disputed and reasoned did dysanull make frustrate voyed the same as a wicked law but also this youre sodeine reinuinge of the same declareth that you care not what you do be it neuer so wicked contrary to God so that you maye auoyde the displeasure of the magistrate and supreme eyuill gouernour Wherby it appereth manifestlie that you regarde more the displeasure of man then the displeasure of God Doeth nor your lordships consider that God saith by the prophere Psal 5. The lorde shall breake the bones of them that do studie to please men Halas right honorable lordes who har◠so be witched you now that you so sodenly aye fled from Gods trueth Gal. 3. Your awne cōnsciēces so longe tyme approuīg the same Before whose eyes Iesus Christ was so lyuely preached and so faithfully set forth And neuertheles now not only his doctrine and the true and profitable vse of the sacramentes be by your consētes repelled for heresie but also Christ him self in his holy membres and misticall body most truelly tormented and slayn Halas that foreyne nations shal obsecre this inconstantie to your dishonours namely to be so in constante and ◅inge in the principall pointes concerninge a Christen mans religion and faith consideringe that by your owne consentes the same religion now by you repelled as heresye was by your commandemes set forth and commaunded thorough all the Realme and dominions of Englāde to be taught and also to be receaued of the people To what trueth and to what religion maye the subiectes of this realme here
dispence or discharge Wherfore as they be minisers contrary and not according to Christes commauÌ„dement Euen so be they Antichristes that be euer against Christ in all his doctrine and forme of lyuing As Christ sayeth â–ª he that is not with me is against me Matt. 12. And how many so euer be come against me be sâ—…s by daye and nighte Ioan. 10. And consequently Christ myndinge to shew vnto you the coÌ„dicions wherby ye maye euer know who be spirituall theues sayeth the thefe commeth not but to steale to kill and to destroye Of their stealinges youre Lordships be not ignorauÌ„te How many beneficed men be within this Realme as well bishops as deanes Archedeacons persons uicars and prebendaries which take the profites from their benefices / and do not feede their flock with the word of God Mat. 4. with out the which the soules of the flocke caÌ„ not lyue Wherfore they steale the profites that do not the office And of their cruell mortheringe you haue to moch experience that nother of thefe mortherere robber or traytour but of the best lerned meÌ„ of this realme or that euer were in this realme Euen of soch as were hable to reproue and coÌ„trolle them in all thinges by Gods worde Wherin they deceaue and mocke you and all the people And to proue theÌ„ veraye theues And as youre lordships haue to moch experience of their stealinge and of their mortheringe Euen so shal your lordships not sayle to haue more certen and sure experience that they shal be most miserable destroyers of this realme of Englande and that at soch tyme when your lordships nor any of youre posteritie shal be hable to prouyde any helpe or remedie to redresse their destruction For euen as Christes wordes be vnfaynedly true that the thefe cometh not for any purpose but to steale and to kyll so must the residew of his wordes euer be founde to be true most certen and sure that is that he shall also destroye And although you now do not regard nor beleue Christes wordes to be true yet when you thinke least theron your infidelitie shal be requyred with the fealinge and peynful sufferinge the destruction of you and of youre posterytie and the most miserable chaunge and alteration of the state of this realme This miserable mischiefe ensueth and cometh of this misorder that the gouernaunce of this realme by your lordships consentes hath be committed and done agaynst God in makinge a bishop that by Gods worde and appointemeÌ„te was assigned to feed the flocke committed to his spirituall charge to leaue his office committed to hym by God to be executed and done to be a chauncelour wher by he was so occupied and busied in the hearinge of the matters affaires of this realme that he could not attende his flocke to feade them accorddinge to Christes commaundemente Wherby he was put out of that order and rule that God had appointed to him Beinge out of the which order appointemente of God he could neuer be coÌ„modietie or profite to this realme For he was entred into the office not by the dore Christ but ascended by a nother waye therfore was a thefe fromÌ„ whoÌ„e no good counsaill or any other godlines can procede nor more then of thornes maye grapes be gadered And that his doinges will proue to well For in that office he hath brought to passe by his counsaill and persuasion and by your lordships sufferauÌ„ces soch incurable euill that all Englande shall lamente and bewayle the same Not only in kyllinge the preachers and lerned meÌ„ of this realem but also in the vttâ—r destruction of this Realme the alteratioÌ„ of the state and honour of the same And although God hath delyuered you of that spirituall thefe Yet be your lordships and all the Realme burdened with a nother in the same office that shall do no lesse euil then the other hath done Yf so moch euill maye be done For as a ioynte ordeyned by God in the bodye is appointed and set in a dew order to helpe the bodie which ioynte beinge out of that order that God hath set it in can not be any commoditie and helpe to the bodie but great peyne and trouble to the bodye Euen in lyke maner if a bishop that is appointed and ordeyned by God to teach his flocke be taken from that office wher in God had assigned and ordered him he can neuer be profitable but great hurte and peyne to the bodie For I thinke that there is no man that hath any knowlege in the holy scriptures or any good conscience towarde God but he well knoweth that a bisshop that feedeth not his flocke is a thefe Otherwise he beleueth not Christe to be true in his wordes And if he be a thefe as the trueth sayeth he is then is his cominge for no nother purpose then to steale to kyll and to destroye And who so euer doubteth ther of doubteth whether Christe be true And I feare me that because the gouernours haue not beleued Christe to be true that they shall proue it true by experience to their great peyne Soch shal be the frutes of a bishop set in autoritie to be a counselour for the temporall affaires of the Realme that he is one of them that is come to steal to kill and to destroye Of whome God by his prophete Esai complayneth sayenge Esay 1. Heare oh heauens and herken oh earth for the Lorde speaketh I haue noreshed and brought vp childerne and they are falleÌ„ awaye from me How happeneth it that the righteous citie which was ful of equitie is become vnfaithful as an whore Rightuousnes dwelled in her but now mortherers In tymes past it was the office of Nero and of other tyrantes to tormentt men to death for their faith but now oure english bishops haue takeÌ„ vpoÌ„ them to put the tyraÌ„tes out of that office For they them selfes condemne both lerned and vnlerned for their faith and make you right honorable lordes to execute the office That they might set forth to all meÌ„ that they be the veraye theues of whom Christ that can not lie speaketh Whose cominge is for no nother purpose then to steale to kill and to destroye And yet to deceaue the people they be crepte in vnder the cloke of my lorde bishop a reuerende father But to this my lorde bisshops and their accomplisshes saye that they kil none for their fayth but for their heresie which ought of all Christen men to be abhorred and auoyded accordinge to the true sayeÌ„ge of the Apostle that commaundeth sayenge an heretike after he is twise reproued auoyd him 2. Tit. 3. But yet sayeth he not kil min but auoyd him As al the fathers of the primatiue church haue shewed manifest example in the exile of many that in veraye dede were heretikes approued by gods worde to be heretikes and yet were not persecuted to deeth for their heresyes Vntil Antichrist of Rome the heed of