great sorrowe / many after that they be entred into the knyghthode of Chryst / that is to forsake thys worlde and wilfully suffre payneful lyuynge / efte they be drowned in worldly couetous and ben wrapped / with worldly nedes and busynes / they reuen vp walles but they ben neclygent in good thewes what profytith it to haue hye temples and the walles all gylte with golde / where the spyryte of god wantethe Forsothe god hathe no delyte in suche wretched synful sectes But god wyll that our temples / the which ben our soules / to be honored with holy vertues laste to th ende in good workes The thirde reason is myghty and stronge that spryngeth with other in goddes lawe / that suche as parte them by them selfe from common lyfe of other men / shulde be algates in thys waye as strangers that ben far from home pylarymes in there pylgremage Hebre. 13. As Paule sayeth vnto thebrues we haue here no dwellynge place or cite / but we seken that is to come Lord howe dare these sectes for shame with poore mennes goodes and pyllage of lordes defende this foule apostacye agaynste theyr god holy saynctes tell the lewde people by wordes of ypocresy / that thus they do to god worshyp / and this is doble wyckednes for Bernardê° sayeth we that ben in pylgremage of thys worlde / as abiecte outcast / shulde make no waste houses for to dwel in as lordes of this worlde / but lytle cottes to serue in and sone to leue them go to blysse / Barnard we seruen in a strauÌ„ge contrey we trauelen in a straunge countre Thus sayeth Bernarde The fourthe reason and the last is full lyuely / and on this maner Godes lawe chargeth on all wyse to loue thy neybour as thy selfe / but this loue is lest made knowen by good ensample of worde and dede / in what thynges may these sectes profyte that reuersen here Christes rule / and geuen ensample to their neybour in proude and in false couetice shewen them rychest and most wordly in mete / cloth / in curious buyldynge / but thys forbedyth the doctour Bernarde whome we haue ofte rehersed / forsothe sayth he lowly houses and poore refraynen the couetyse of other / and we owen rather to meruell the greate workes of god / in the syght of heuen than in the sight of buyldyng of mannes handy worke / and moche more we shulde meruayle the great workes of god than the werkes of dedly men that duren but a whyle / Bernard all holy saynctes accordynge in thys that our churche materyall that is ordeyned for pharysshens where they come to geder shal be made with vertuous meanes and in an honest measur But on all sydes it must be flede that in thys church ther shewe no pryde nor outrage passinge the bondes of pouertye / neyther in stone timbre nor lede / neyther in glasse lyme nor playster / neyther in bell / lampe / nor lyght / neyther in chalice / boke / nor vestyment / neyther in steple seetes / nor payntynge / nor in other ornamentes that longen to thys churche And diligently thys must be kept that they bowe to pouertye to eschewe vayne glory of thys worlde / and gloryfye the crosse of god But thys worde of Christes crosse is foly to hym that shulde be dampned / that tenten to signes as commyn hoorys and lesen the vertue of theyr soules Paule coÌ„mendythe the commynge of Chryste / and the lowe mekynge in hys manhode Forsoth sayth he to the Corinthians Ye owen to knowe the grace of our lorde Iesu Chryste / for whan he was riche in all thynges he was made poore in man for vs that ye shulde be ryche in gostely thinges thoroughe this vertuous nede of Christ Christe that blameth all wanton meanes in the seruyce of hys people / wyll not authoryse it hym selfe ne defende it in hys owne house / as saynct Math. 24. Marke 13. Luce. 21. accordyng to gether in this one sentence Mat. 24. Mar. 13. Luce. 21. That when IhuÌ„ went out of the temple theyr pÌ„ized him his dyscyples for to shewe him the buyldynge therof and the curious worke in stones wenyng thus to please theyr mayster in seyng so fayre a temple But Chryste / that had an inwarde syght howe the deuelles brekynge hys lawe went a way with doleful chere and taught his discyples of thynges to come howe thys temple shulde be distroyed and bad hym beware that no man be gyle them / and sore Chryste wept vpon thys cyte for mannes buyldynge stode full stronge / both body soul that he had made to his owne dwellynge place were fall from kepynge of his lawe in to the swolowe of stynkynge synne But scrybes and phareseis were in cause of this greate myschefe as Mathewe saythe wherfore Chryste warned them as hys greatest enemyes all ther folowers to the worldes ende Christ sayth Math. 23. Mat. 23. wo to you scrybes and phareseys that clensen clene all that is outwarde / but certes within ye ben replete with muche raueyne and vnclennes / ye bylden the toumbys of holy ê“phetes wonderly honoren there graues and ye sue your fathers steppes in pursuynge of ryghtwyse bloude / and these sectes doo the same but with more malice in worde and dede O ye edders whelpes howe shall ye flee the iugement of hell / thus saythe our lorde Iesu Chryste wherto make ye shrynes to saynctes yet ye drawen hangen brenne them that holden the way of Chryst and wandren after thys holye saynctes / and you shewe not in your outwarde dedes / ye done thys slaughter in worde and wyll / as phareseys with bysshopes in the thyrde houre foriudged our lorde with there tonges / and after knyghtes after the syxte houre hanged hys bodye vpon the crosse So these sectes gone before to smyte the people with tonge / and after knyghtes of herodes house bene full redy to make an ende / but the cause of thys pursuyte ben two vycyous extremytees One is temporall possessyon the wrongefully standeth in prestes handes The othere is synnefull beggerye of myghty men / with huge byldynge of many waste places / and nedes they muste be amended by charyte of god for to saue theyr soules For tho that maynteyne these .ij. outstrayes bene full of many sclaunders by teachynge of the deuyll of hel / lest his retynewe forsake them / for than we shall fynde peace in erthe whan we kepe Christes ordenaunce / and care nought / though thou be slaundrede / and thou leade a iuste and perfyte lyfe to righten this mysse put to thyne hande / thynke what Christ behitith Marc. 8. Marc. 8. who that hathe lost hys lyfe for me and for the gospell He shall make hys soull safe in the blysse of heuen ♣ ⸫ ♣ ¶ Of good and euyll comynge to this materyall churche Capi. viii AFter thê we shal speake of two dyuerse partyes that
Here begynnethe the Lanterne of lyght ✚ ☞ Take here of our gracious lorde god this lytle treatice that here is offred / called the Lanterne of lyght conteynynge xiij chapyters Fyrst a Prologe GOd that is good hym selfe / fayre in his Angels meruelous in his sainctes / merciful apon synners / haue mercy on vs nowe and euer / and gyue vs grace to holde the way of trought in these dayes of great tribulacyon for now many that semed to be stable in vertue fallen from theyr holy purpose dreding losse bodely paine Mat. 24. Quoniam habundauit iniquitas refrigescit caritas multorum as Chryst sayd That thabuÌ„dauÌ„ce of wyckednes shall coole the charite of many / for Sathan hath nowe destroyed thys worlde by hys leuetenaunt Antechryst / that men be borne aboute in diuers doubtes as waues of the see / wredchydly diuided in diuers opinions one agaynst another But seynt Paule dyd sette one accorde amonge the chisten people saynge / ther is but one Lorde that all men shulde loue and dred / one faythe that all men shulde kepe and byleue with out varyenge / Ephe. 4. Vnus dnÌ„s vna fides vnum baptisma c. and one Baptyme that all men shuld haue stedfastly holde without defouling Alas howe is this vnyte broken that men vnruled walken after their lustes as bestes in the corne truly the wycked man that Christ spake of hath done thys dede for he hath sowen faves cokle vpon the sede of god Math. 13. Inimicus homo super seminauit zi zannia Thys wycked enemye is Antechriste / that cloutyth hys lawes as rotten Ragges to the clene cloth of Christes gospell And waketh in malice as Iudas chylde / why for Simon slepith and taketh non hede O thou wycked man is there any othere man that may saue soulles than Iesu Chryst / god said by the mouthe of Moyses I shall smyte / and I shall hele and there is none that can delyuer or rydde from my hande / ☞ Apocalipsis 1. who hathe the keyes of Dauid to open heuen gates / and none othere closyth / to close / and then none othere openeth / sayncte Iohn sayeth holy and true Christe hath the keye of Dauid that openeth / whiche castith downe / and than no man reyseth / who reyseth and than no man castyth downe Iob sayeth / whan the Lorde god hathe dystroyed there may none other buylde / ♣ Iob. when the Lord god castyth in pryson ther may none other delyuer or quyte hym of his bondes And therfore in the vertue of this name Iesu / staÌ„deth al maÌ„nes saluation / as it is wrytten in thactes of thaposteles ActuuÌ„ 4. seynct Peter sayde There is none othere name vnder heuen geuen / but thys name Iesu / whereof we may saued be / for alonely in the vertue of thys name Iesu is the remyssyon of synnes / as it is wrytten / Luce .xxiiij. It behoued to be prechyd amonge the people / penaunce remission of synnes in the name of Iesu art thou nat then a wycked man / a folyshe-herde / a cruell beste / the son of perdicion And Antechrist hym selfe that pretendest in the / in thy meÌ„bers / to blesse to cursse to bynde to vnbynde besydes this name Iesu / people wtout noÌ„bre folowynge the thy deuyded lawes ben deuided froÌ„ Christe IhuÌ„ / and go with the blyndefolde into hell for euermore and thys is great sorowe / so ferforth that Chryst maketh lameÌ„tacyon and mournyng ther vpon saynge / IohiÌ„s v. Tu es qui veÌ„turns est an alium ex pectamus I haue come in the name of my father and ye haue not taken me when another shall come in hys owne name him shall ye take / and thys is Antechryste And seyncte IohnÌ„ Crisostome / vpon these wordes of the gospel / Mathei xxj Lucerna pe dibêª meis verbum tull domine For who that wyll not receyue Christ in payne of synne he is coÌ„pelled constrayned to receyue Antechrist / and therfore in this tyme of tribulacion hydeous darkenes / let vs seke the Lanterne of lyght wherof the prophet spekith Lord thy worde is a Lanterne to my fete / Neque verba neque malagina sa nauit illos / sed omnipotens sermo tuus qui sanat omnia for as fer as the light of this LaÌ„terne shyneth / so far darknes of syn cloudes of teÌ„ptacyon of the fende vanyssheth away may not abyde And euermore when thys Lanterne lighteneth into an herte / it purgyth it cleÌ„sith it froÌ„ corrupcion / it swagyth healyth gostely sores / as the wysemaÌ„ sayth / that nether herbe nor plaster hathe heled them / but Lorde thy myghty worde that heleth al thynges For truly Lord wheÌ„ thou dyed apon the crosse thou dydest put in thy worde the spryt of lyfe / Verba que ego locutus sum spuÌ„s et vita smit gauest to it power of quickenyng by thyne owne precious bloud / as thou said thy self Io. vj. The wordes that I spake to you / bene spryte and lyfe c. ¶ A peticion of thauctor Iacobi 2. MultuÌ„ valet deprecatio iusti assidua DEre Brother in Christ helpe me with your prayer to almighty god for seinct Iames saith The busy praier of a right wyse man is moche worthe Ye haue desyered me to take thys trauayle apon me / whiche is full chargeous to me / but as towarde our swete Lorde god nothynge is impossyble as Chryste sayde and in thys fayth Math. 19. Marci 10. Luce. 18. Isaye 18. Deus ipse ola opera operat in nobis Ysaye sayde The Lorde god hym selfe wyrcheth all our workes in vs / fayle we not then god in good leuiÌ„g And he may not faile to geue vs suche wysdom / as is nedefull to vs to tempre our tonge / gyue vs true organ / redy speche / in edefyeng of our neyghbour / for without the helpe of the spirite of god our labour were but lost / as Christ said / that it was not we that couldeÌ„ speke profitably / but the spirite of the father that speketh in vs / for thapostels other holy meÌ„ / Math. 18. Non enim vos estis qui loquimini sed spuÌ„s priÌ„s vestri quiloquitur in vobis that trauayled in dedly letters / meked theÌ„ selfes as simple ydiottes as Hierom sayd / that prechers vnlerned bene sent for to preche / that the faith of the true beleuers shuld be trowed to be brought in not by maÌ„nes vertue but by the spech doctrine of god And seynt Austen wryting vnto Simplician sayth what suffren we / what here we / vnlerned meÌ„ arisen catche heueÌ„ And we with our clergi ben dreÌ„ched in hel And seinct Gregory in his Moralles affirmith this senteÌ„ce and sayth Ryght as trough incarnate / that is Christ in manhede chosith simple poore ydiottes to
what proffyt were it to wyn thys worlde / and brynge thy soull vnto dampnacyon / and the body is a lothesume careyn when the soule is departed therfrom But godes grace passeth these .iij. for where hys grace fayleth / no wysdome auayleth Loke well that these thynges be not myspente / nether worke thou any of them besydes theyr ordre / but that the streynght all to one ende to wyn vnto the promyse and gyfte of god that is the blesse perdurable Romanos 1 An dinitias bonitatis c. But howe thou tournest thys ordre vpsydowne Seynte Poule asketh a questyon of the. whether dyspisest thou the ryches of the goodnes of god and patience / and longe abydyng of thy god Knowest thou nat that the goodnes of god ledyth the or dryuith the to penaunce truly after thyne hardnes and thyne vnrepentaunt herte / thou treasourest to the wrathe in the daye of wrathe / and reuelacyon of the ryghtwyse iugement of god / that shall yelde to eche man after hys workes The .v. synne is Enuy agaynste thy brothers grace as when thy neyghbour is wyse well gouerned / praysed or borne vp / ryche welthy stronge / fayre or vertuous in great abundaunce of grace / then thys enuyous man sklaundreth / vpbreydeth / repreueth / dispyseth / hatith / hindreth / scorneth pursueth / to defoule his brothers grace / Prouerbiocum 14. as moche as he may / as the wysmē sayth A man walkynge in the hygh waye and dredynge the Lorde / is dyspysed of hym that walketh in the wronge way / whan Iesu Christ had cast out a deuel from a man that was dombe as it is wrytten in the gospeles of Math. xij Mar. iij. Math. 12. Marci 3. Luce. 11. Luce. xj Anone thys man began to speke to puplysshe thys myracle amonge the people Than the Scrybes and Pharysees enuyous sectes / that were a false religyon sclaundred Chryste saynge that he dyd thys myracle in Belzebub prynce of deuelles Belzabub is to say a god of Flyes / or elles a god that maketh dyscorde Lorde sythen they durst saye thys of Chryste / hed of al mannes soull / howe moche warse yf warse may be shall they auenture to saye of hys poore seruauntes prechers the truth of hys lawe / but Prelates and Fryers in these dayes ben accombred with thys synne agaynste the holy goste / and shamefully sclaundren / her symple brether / the trauaylen through Christes holy lawe to cast yuel maners from theyr soules prechynge the gospell to Chrystes intente / to tourne the people to vertuous lyuyng / they say Thys man hathe eaten a flye / that geueth hym lore of godes lawe / thys is more foly to eate a flye then be a god and chase these flyes / thus haue they brought theyr malice aboute / to sclaūder for heretyckes that speke of god so dryue they the people from the fayth that they dare not wyrche ne speke for sclaundre But truly they be not wordye Chryste that feare barkynges of these houndes for none is worthy to be with his Lorde / that shameth his seruyce in well or in woo / and suche men shewe them selfes traytours to god / that with theyr deuelysshe lāgage defamen theyr brethern / and sayenge / that the fende may and wyll make wyse hys members that serue hym in synne but so wyll not Christ hys beloued seruauntes that lyuen in clennes to serue hym in vertue O I praye the who harde euer a fouler blasphemy / certaynly thys dyspyte stretched into the godhede / to be ponysshed in the daye of iugemente / for goddes lawe teachethe / forbede hym not that can doo well / but yf thou mayst doo well / doo it The preste shulde not be letted to preache the truth / neyther the people to speke of theyr beleue as it is taught in the booke of Numeri vi Numer 11. where it is wrytten that Heldad and Medad prophesyed / al be it that they were not lycenced by Moyses Iosue the Duke and minister of Moyses / grutched agaynst these men / and complayned on them to Moyses And Moyses sayde to Iosue why arte thou so enuyous towardes me / who may lete or withdrawe that all the people prophecye / if god gyue them hys spyrite This maner of doynge is also confyrmed in the gospel of our lorde Iesu Chryste Seynte Iohn̄ the Euaungelyste complayned / to Chryste sayenge Master we haue seen a man / castynge out deuelles in thy name that foloweth not vs / and we haue forbydden hym Alas se then howe dare our bysshhopes for shame offende agaynste these both godes lawes / and doke theyr prestes on euery syde / geuynge them charge on payne to do pryue thē theyr offyce / that they preach not the treuth But after the bely fasshyon And Seyncte Ierom cōmendyth in prestehode prechynge the gospel blessyng the people before the sayeng of masse Dist 56. 1. Corin. 1. Non me mi sit christus baptizare sed euangelizare And Seynct Paull sayth / that Christ sent hym to preche not to baptyse So by this it apereth that prechynge the gospel is the hyghest feruyce that may be done to god But here the enemyes of trouth obiecten and leyen / for thē this text of Seynct Paule How shall they preche / but yf they bene sente with thys texte they blynden moche people cuttynge the sentens frome the wordes Ro. 10 Quomodopredicabūt nisi mittantur For Poull meanethe that prestes shulde preache For they be sente bothe of god and of the bysshopes for to do that offyce / as the Mayster of the sentence sayeth in hys .iiij. boke / and the .iiij. and .x. Distinctyon It is thoffyce of a deken to preche the gospell / then by the more stronger reason it apperteineth to a preste For Seincte Ierom and Seyncte Bede accorden together sayenge ryght as thapposteles is the forme of bysshops / so in .lxxij. discyples is the fourme of prestes But Chryste gaue charge / bothe to these / bysshopes / and also to these prestes sayenge Math. 10. Ecce ego mitto vos Lo I sende you as shepe amonge wolues And Christe Iesu assygnynge .lxxij. dysciples / sent ◅em to preche Howe shall these bysshopes maynteyne these constitucyons agaynste god and holy saynctes Luce. 10. Designauit 72. et misit c. It shal be more sufferable to Sodom and Gōmer / than to thys people that thus dyscorden godes ordenaunces The syxt synne / is fyghtynge agaynste treuth that man knowith that is as when trouthe is tolde to the gyltye / that is not dysposed to be amended / then he maketh blynde and vngrounded reasons with sutle sophisticall damnynge / the truth agaynst hys owne conscyens / with a bolde face hauynge no shame / as the prophete Ieremie sayth Ieremie 3. Frons mulieris meretricis facta est tibi no luisti erubes cere c. The face of an harlot is made vnto
the / and thou woldest not be asshamed But as Paule sayth Ryght as Iambnes MeÌ„bres agaynste standen Moses in the syght of Pharao so these agayne standen treuthe as men corrupte in theyr owne concyens And yf thou wyll knowe what these meÌ„ be / aske of Seynct Peter and he wyll tell the / for he clepethe them by theyr names / in hys epystle where he sayeth / that they bene mayster lyers that shall brynge in amonge the people sectes of perdicyon / that is of losse and deth / though ye rysen with Lucyfer / and maken your nestes amonge the sterres Thense ye shall / fall and dyssende with the same Lucifer into hell there to be eternally tormented in payne that shall laste / and endure for euermore ☞ Zacharie 11. Sume tibi vasa pastoris stulti c ☞ The Lord sayeth by the prophete zacharie Take to the the vesselles of a folysshe sheparde for lo I shall suffre Antechriste to be reysed by in erthe / the whiche shall not visite them that be forsaken / nor seke them that be scatred nor hele them that be seke ☞ Romanos 8. Qui noÌ„ hebet spiritu christi / nec est cuinâ— O thou folysshe pastor / Antechryste Antechryste god saythe thou arte an ydoll hauynge a bysshops habyte But neyther vertue / spirite / lyfe ne dede that longyth to a bysshop For Paule sayth / that he whiche hathe not the spirite of Chryste he is not his seruaunte / al be it that he haue the outwarde tokens And therfore sayth seynct IohnÌ„ the .v. Apo. 16. Quintê° angelus effudit angell powred his crwette vpon the sete of the beste / and his realme is made darke / and they byten theyr tonges to gether for sorowe / and they blasphemyd god of heuen / for ther sorowes and theyr woundes / and they dyd no penaunce for theyr dedes / that is to meane Archebysshopes and Bysshopes bene the sete of the beste Antechrist for in them he sytteth reygneth ouer other people in the darkenes of his heresye / and in thys they delyten them magnifyenge with theyr tonges ther false ordenauÌ„ces the which is sorowe to them that bene of true vnderstandyng and thus they put abake godes lawe / for prechyng of Christes gospell that which bene sorowes to them gendrynge synnes in theyr soules / that wounden him to the deth And beyng thus wounded shall neuer do medefull penaunce of dedes / for the whiche they shal be dampned LyncolnÌ„ sayth I dred I quake hugely I am aferde but I dare not be styl / left peraduenture the sentens fal on me that the ê“phete sayeth wo to me Ysaye 6. De in quia tacui that I haue bene styll The well / the begynnynge / and the cause of all ruine and myschyefe is the courte of Rome Rome Nowe by thauctoryte of god / one accorde of holy saynctes shewyth an open conclusion sadly grouÌ„ded in true beleue / that in the courte of Rome / is the heed of Antechryst / and in archebysshopes and bysshopes / is the body of Antechrist / but in these patched / and clouted sectes as Monkes Chanons and Freers / is the venemous tayle of Antechriste / these .iij. partyes be verefyed of thapostle Iude sayng wo to theÌ„ that walketh in the way of Cayne these bene false possessioners And wo to them that bene shade out for mede in the errour of Balam these bene myghty nedlesse beggers / and wo to them that haue perysshed in the contradiccyon of Chore. These ben proude and stourdy maynteners Howe this Antechrist shal be distroyed god hym self teacheth by the prophete Danyel Danyel 8. Sine manu conteretur sayenge that thys Antechrist shal be dystroyed without hande / that is without the power of man For Paule sayeth Christ shall sle Antechryst with the spiryte of hys mouthe that is with the holy worde of his lawe and the lorde shall dystroye hym with the shynynge of his comyng / that is with tournyng of mennes hertes by grace to his lawe a litle before his danie â–ª But god taught more playnly this lord to Iob. 40 Lo sayeth god the hope that Antechryst hathe in riches / and in worldly fauour / shall brynge hym to nought / and all men saynge he shal be throwen downe hedlyng So that all the people shall make waylynges vpon him with greate lamentacyon / cursynge waryenge dampnyng him with al his false ordenaunces c. ¶ What is Antechryst in specyall with .v. condicions Capi. v. BVt nowe at the laste / we shall brynge to mynde holy Dauid the kynge that had geueÌ„ to him the full spirit of prophecye / and he seynge the coÌ„mynge of Antechrist / his lyuynge and his fall / marketh .v. hydeous assaultes that he shall haunte agaynst the seruauntes of god Psal 9. Constitue dnÌ„e legeslatorem super eos The first assaulte of Antechrist / is his constitucions / as the prophete sayth Lord suffre thou to ordeyne a law maker vpon the people in payne of theyr synnes for that they consent not to the trought / that is thus to meane / Antechryste vsith falce lucratyfe or wynnyge lawes / as ben absolucions / indulgenses / pardones / priuileges all other heuenly treasure that is brought into safe / to spoyle / the people of their wordly goodes and pryncipally these newe constitucions / by whose auctorytie Antechryste interditeth churches / someneth prechers / suspendith receyuers priueth them theyr benefice / cursyth herers / and taketh away the goodes of them / that furtheren the prechynge of the trought ye thoughe it were an angell of heuen But yf the prest shew the marke of the beste / that they haue properly tourned into a newe name callynge hit a speciall lettre of lycence / for the more blyndynge of the people The seconde Assaulte of Antechryst / Despicis oportunita tibêª iÌ„ tribulacione c. is tribulacion / as the prophete sayth Antechryste vexeth the people ouermyghtely / in huntynge the people on mawmetry / and doynge of Idolatry / but euer Antechryst maketh theÌ„ to wene that they gone on pylgremage And therfore he is warned of god by the prophete sayenge Ysaye 5. wo to you that sayen / good is yll / and yll is good puttynge lyght into darkenesse and darkenesse into lyght Tornynge swete into bytternes / and bytter into swetnesse And thus dothe Antechryste whan he translateth vertues into vices / and vices into vertues / as pylgremage into outrage / and outrage into pylgremage / and for this wawarde intent god despyseth Antechrist with all blyndefelde people / and lateth al theyr myspended goodes in theyr most tribulacion The .iij. assaulte of Antechrist is inquificioÌ„ as the prophete sayth / that Antechrist enquyreth secheth and harkeneth / where he maye fynde any man or woman that wryteth lerneth redith or studyeth goddes lawe in theyr mother tonge to leade theyr lyues after the pleasynge wyll of
god hereth our prayer in a specyall maner / and bowyth his eare to his seruaunt in fourme as he graūted Salamō / sayeng ☞ Re. 9. Parali 7. Myne eyen shal be open / and myne eares shal be lyfte vp to the prayer of thē that hathe iustely prayed in thys place / and this is cleped a materyall place / but it is made by mānes crafte of lyme / timber / stone / with other necessaryes that longeth therto / for mannes profyt thys place is made / but not so / man for the place Math. 12. Mar. 2. Luce. 6. And thys Chryst marketh in the gospel for man shuld not be begyled sayenge that the sabot is made for the man / not man for the sabot / for man by vertue of goddes word / hallowith this place / but this place may not hallowe man But man be first in cause / as Ierom sayth The place halloweth not the mā / but the mā halloweth the place Alas then what wodenes is this to bost of holy places / and we our selfes vicious foles Lucyfer was in heuē which is the most holy place / but for synne he fell into hell / the place myght not holde hym Adam was in paradyce / the moste mery place / and for his syn was dryuen thens / the place myght not defende hym Thou that arte not in heuen nor in paradyce / but in thys wretched worlde where wenyst thou to fynde a place to hallowe the that leuyst not thy synne Be thou seker as god is in heuen it wyl not be / for god is in no place fayre seruyd / but there as his lawe is fayre kepte of hys people Saynct Ambrose sayth Adam that was the more worthy was made without paradice in the vnworthyer place Eue that was the lesse worthy was made within paradice in the worthyer place / moche people demeth a medefull warke to make amendes agayne with curious buyldynges / and many fayre musters in the church / but Ierom forbedeth this thyng to be done / and dampneth hit vtterly for greate syn nowe in this tyme of Christes gospell sayenge Many buylden walles / pillers of the church / they vnder putten with shyninge marble stones / the beames glystern all in golde / the aulters ben dyuersly arayed with precious stones / but of the ministers of god ther is no choyse No riche man bye to me the temple in Iury / bordes / lanternes / sensers / pannes / cuppes / morters / and such other made of golde / for than these thynges were approued of the lorde whan prestes offred hostes and blud of bestes was remyssyon of sinnes / though all these thynges went afore in fygure neuertheles they be wrytten to vs into whome the endes of the worldes be come Nowe truly Chryste our poore lord hath hallowed the house of the churche of our pouertye bere we the crosse of Chryste / riches accompte we as clay Vpon this writteth a great clerke sayenge that suche men semen to tourne the breade of poore men into stones / and in that they ben more crueller than the deuyll / that asked stones to be tourned into brede To thys accordeth sayncte Barnarde sayenge O vanyte of all vanytees / and nomore vanite thā asmoch madder / the church shineth in walles she nedeth in the poore / her stones she lappeth in golde / and her owne sonnes she forsaketh naked of the charges expēces of the nedy is made a vayne seruys to the yes of ryche men But our newe fayned sectes / in thys be moste to blame / that maken great buyldynges / there leste nede were / as Monkes / Chanons / and Fryers / Nōnes / Systers spytlers / for people shulde drawe to parysshe churches / and here the worde of god ther as god hath lymyted / and elles they ben to blame Lorde what meaneth these waste places of these hyd Ipocrytes / but to tell men by theyr synagoges where Satans sete is / there lurken to gethers many rauysshynge wolues / that spoylen the people with theyr falce sines for reasons of holy wryt declared of doctours shulde teche you of this great defaulte yf that ye wyll amende But here me dredeth as Paule fayeth / that the god of this worlde that is called Mammon / hathe caste hys pouldre afore your eyen and blent your gostely lyght / Cor. 4. that ye may not knowe the gospell to the true vnderstandynge / and that one payne of your greate synne / tyll this sentence be fulfylled / eche corruptible / or eche worke that is rotten in the rote shall fall in the ende / and he that is founder of suche vngrounded worke shall fall and worthe to nought therwith in the last ende God plāted neuer these sectes in neyther of hys lawes neyther approued such maner of lyfe Chryst in his lyfe pulled them vp by the rotes / that were ī his dayes as Asseys / Saduceyes / Pharysees and dampned theyr ordenaunce and sayd when they growe agayn in Monkes / Chanons / Fryers that they shulde be drawen vp agayne by the rote / as the gospell wytnessyth where Chryste sayde That eche plante that my father of heuen hath not plāted shalde rent vp by the rotes For all synneful inuencyons in man or in place / that is amonge the people of the whiche god is not auctor / though it growe fast for a tyme / it shal be distroyed The fyrst reason that we shal make is shewed in thys maner These sectes ben ded from thys worlde / as they saye in worde / yf thys be sothe / then shall they haue poore cotes of mournynge to tell in dede that thys dethe is true in them / and in theyr workes and fle the maner of thys worlde in suche sterynge vanyte is as Paule teacheth in hys pystle vnto the Collosenses sayenge Ye that ben dead / from the maners of thys worlde / Collo 3. your lyfe is hyd with Chryst in god / therfore mortefy ye / and make ye deed your members that vpon the erthe the which ben fornicacyon of your members vnclennes of foule desyres with corrupte lykynge of flesshely lustes and foule couetyce of your hertes / and auarice of gredy gatherynge whiche is seruice of ydolles and very ydolatry For these thynges comethe the wrathe of god vpon the sonnes of mysbeleue / yf ye sectes forsake thys lore / the wrathe of god shall sone assayle you The seconde reason that we maken agaynste suche buyldynges is sayde thus / busynes aboute suche costely buyldynges with many afolde worldly occupacyons to reparell them / when they payren and to holde them vp In the same fourme bryngethe in neclygens of gostelye maners quenchynge of vertues / and good thewes As Bernarde sayeth That holye monke / that sued the steppes of Iesu Chryst / and wolde not vary from the gospell to blame these sectes that gon awaye / I se sayde he that maye not be seen / without
there seme peryls of dethe I conscience shall nothynge abasshe / for socour is kept for al faythful in the tresure of Christes passyon The fysshers that drawen thys forsaid net are sent afore the dome / that shullen weyghtly do goddes message and brynge all folkes by fore the face of godallmyghty in to the vale of Iosophat Iohel 3. Iohel 3. The lorde god sayth that he shal gather to geder al folkes he shal lede them into the vale of Iosophat / ther he shall make with them a ryghtwyse reckenynge vpon hys people / Israel / that is his owne heritage / and than shall Christe with his sayntes departe the yll from the good Chryst chesith the good of his churche into the vessell of blys / but the uyel are casten out into the chymnye of fyre ther shal be wepynge for bytternes of smoke / and gnastyng of tethe for quakynge of colde ¶ Of discrecyon to knowe good from yuell Cap. ix NO man descriuith these two partyes veryliche from other wandrynge in this seconde churche / for lykenes that they vsen / and also they haue in common many heueÌ„ly thinges For our lorde hath in his churche / labourers aboute hys vynetre / both fasters / prayers / and also wakers / almysdoers ben in thys churche / with preachours / and reders of lessons / and syngers trauelen here also / with ministers of sacrameÌ„tes with studyers in goddes lawe / men that maken loue dayes / and lyke seruauntes hathe the fende in the thyrde churche / but they doo theyr seruyce in a straunge maner / neuertheles they ben harde to knowe Therfore we shall marke them howe wonderfully they varyen in these forsayd conditions / certes / fasters in Christes churche absteyne them from lustes for to temper the coragis of the rebell fleshe kepe theyr body clene / chast / subiecte to there soule For sayncte Austyn techith this lore Thy body leuyth of thy soule / the soule hathe her lyuynge of the god / the body liueth ryghtfully after the soule whan the soule lyueth after god / god is our souerayne good / and our soule a great good that lyueth bytwext the souerayne good / and our body a lytle good for it is goddes creature / therfore it is cleped a lytle good / forsothe the soule is not debytrice to lyue after the flesshe / but euen on contrary wyse the fleshe must nede be mortyfyed / and whan thou leuest soule desires than thy flesshe is mortyfyed This is the dede that we shall do This is the offyce of our knyghthode ☞ Austen Thus sayth Austen But fasters iÌ„ the sendes church fasten for vngrouÌ„ded causes Some fasten for ipocresye sheweth them rufull to the people suche Christ blameth by his gospel clepith them sorowfull hypocrytes Math. 6. Math. 6. Cum ieniâ—…atis nolite â—eti sicut â—…pocrite â—istes For all the vayne praysyng of mannes mouth they haue receyued all theyr mede Some withdrawen from theyr wombe bothe mete and drynke / to spare theyr purse And Gregory saythe that thys fastynge is for theyr sachell / and not for god / and this is a carefull fastynge to payne our flesshe and lese our mede as the wyse man sayth Eccle. 6. Eccle. 6. He sawe vnder the sonne a nother yuel that is full ryue and commen amonge the people / a man that god hathe gyuen ryches with catell and moche worshyp / and nothynge fayleth hys lyfe of all that he desyeryth / but then wantyth grace and power to eate or to take hys parte therof / but a man that is a straunger shall deuoure hit after hys day / but thys is a vanyte and great wretchednes Some fasten for a medycyne to gete them bodyly helth / neyther for god nor for theyr soule / but for to clense theyr beawtye Ierome Saynct Ierom blameth this fastyng / and saythe Abstynence of body is clere to god whan the mynde fastethe from vyces what profytyth hit to tere the bodye with hungre whan the mynde within swelleth with pryde what fastynge is thys to withdrawe / lyflode and to be wode in enuy or foole hastyte God saythe by the prophete Ysaye Lo whan ye fasten ye make stryfe and debates amonge your selfes Thys is not the fastynge that I chose say the god the Lorde / and sythen the fende neuer eatythe ne drynkyth / neyther is lapped in precyous clothes / yet he shal be euer in payne for them lackyth charyte Than is thys an euydence / that all suche fasters bene members in the fendes churche in folowynge theer fathers prayers that bene in Chrystes churche prayeng with deuocyon / with al theyr strength of herte and of mouthe / accordynge / knockynge with a perfyte dede / after helpe of god / of mercy and forgyuenesse of tyme myspended / and after grace and gouernaunce for tyme that is present / and for good contynuaunce of tyme that is to come / fresshely bryngynge to mynde the kyndenesse of theyr god / howe he hathe ruled them in thys lyfe / and kepte them from myschyefe as thoughe he had no mo but one / so he saueth all that louen them That they thynken of foule synnes and fele that they haue done bothe wyttyngly and wylfully agaynste goddes wyll they haue ben recheles on his seruices and that them rueth sore / and whan they thinken on this world howe sodenly it passeth / and of the tourmentes of hell / that dampned soules shall suffre / and on the blysse that god hath ordeyned for his trewe seruauntes anone they fynden a wasshynge well that spryngeth from theyr herte and renneth forth from theyr eyen by many warme stremes / Gregorye as Gregorye sayeth Than we fynden rendles of waters / when we wepen for all our synnes to wasshe clene bothe body and soule / and clense theÌ„ from corrupcyon But prayers in the fendes churche maken muche noyse / mumlynge with theyr lyppes they rekkenen what / so that men prayse fast theyr fayned occupation as Chryst sayth in hys gospel This people worshyppeth me with theyr lyppes / but theyr herte is farre awaye from me Lorde whan thy body is in the churche thyne herte be in the worlde or cumbred with vnclene thoughtes with fantasyes / and thy tonge with mynstrelsy on lewde iangelynge / thy wytte ouercome with seculer nedes Arte thou not then wrechydly dyuyded in thy selfe Saynct Iames saith ☞ Iames. Suppose not this vayne man / that he may take any thynge of the lord / he may in no wyse be herde in prayer that suffreth his herte to slepe in synne / and efte god sayeth by Ysaye in generall wordes to wycked synners whaÌ„ ye haue multiplyed your prayers I shall not here you graciously / and the cause why is thus / for your handes be ful of bloude / that is / your workes be ful of syn / that partyn you and me atwyne / thus sayth the lord god / but
your grace But prechers in the fendes churche prechen vnder colour for to take gyftes But Gregory reproueth them sayenge who so euer preche for goodes of this worlde or to make a gatheryng for such an heuenly office vndowtedly they pryuen them selfe from the mede that is to come of euerlastynge rewarde / and they prechen cronycles with poyses and dremynges and many other helpeles tales / that ryght nought auaylen They clouten falshed to truthe / with moche vngrounded mater tarynge the people from true beleue that they may nat knowe it / and these preachers waueren aboute in many flesshely lustes as Iude saith ☞ Iude. These ben spottes in theyr meates / feastynge / and fedynge them selfe withouten drede / worshyppynge the persones of men / for they wolde haue wynnynge / reders in Christes churche reden holy lessons / and tenden to theyr redynge with medefull deuotyon as Iierom saythe So rede thou holye wryt that euer thou haue in mynde that tho wordes that thou redyst ben goddes law / that coÌ„mauÌ„ded it not only to be rede / but also that the readers shuld kepe it in theyr workes what ê“fiteth it to rede thynges to be done / not to fulfyll them in dede as a clene myrrour of life the lesson of holy wryt is to be reade had / that all that is good / may be made better / that this yuel may be amended / these reders reden dystynctly / that is treatable openly in scripture withouten interrupcyon / or any faynyd intermission / without corruptynge or ouerhippyng of letter / worde / or sillable they shal accorde in charyte do all thynges in ordre But reders in the fendes church Iangle theyr lessons as iayes chatteren in the cage / and wote not what they meane / stryuing with them for nought eche agaynst other / for rules of ther ordynall and many vayne questions / and if they vnderstanden the lesson whan it is reade or any parte of godes lawe / whan it is declared sone they treden it vnder the fote / and haten it in theyr workes / as Ieremy the prophete sayth in wytnessynge agaynst all suche / howe may ye saye saythe Ieremy we bene wyse and the lawe / and the lawe of the lorde is amonge vs. Certes the false style of the scrybes hathe wrought opyn lesynge / and your wyse men / bene confounded and aferde / and caste in theyr owne snare / they haue throwen abacke the worde of the lorde / there is no wysdome leaste amonge them / and efte god saythe by Ieremy to the veyne reders Cursyd be he that dothe the worke of god fraudulently / that is to say-falsely or disceyuable And here sayth Gregory Onely in goddes seruyce that man do no fraude that wakyth full busyly in study of good dede and neyther boweth to medes of bodylye thyng / nor seketh the wordes of mannes lewde praysynge / nor loketh after the fauour of a foules iugement Syngers ben in Christes church that syngen heuenly songes with theyr swete melody pleasen god at the full / ☞ Paule as Paule sayth in his pystle to the Colo. Suffre ye the worde of god to dwell plenteously amonge you in all maner heuenly wysdome / encresynge you in vertue / techynge and monestynge your selfe / in psalmes and ympnes gostely songes syngynge in grace with feruent deuotion in your hertes to your god / and what euer ye shal do in worde or worke do ye that thyng perfytly in the name of our lorde Iesu Chryst / yeldynge thankynges to the fader by the same Iesu Christe And sythen he is bothe god and lorde and kynge of all the worlde The prophete Dauyd counseyleth vs that we shulde synge wysely For he that is occupyed in heuenly desyres / though his tonge be styll make no noyse He syngeth a songe / sayth / sayncte Austyne / that lyketh god best Austyn Ananye / Azarye / Mizael also soÌ„gen blessed songe to the lorde in suche maner song when they weren in Babylon in the bournynge surneys But syngers in the fendes church broken curyous notes / that is but a puffe of wynde / As sayth sayncte Bernarde wysely / to please the people with lykerous voyce / and fyll theyr eares with veyne deÌ„ne But se what sainct Gregory saith which accordith with saynct Barnard whan fayre glosyng voyce is sought / parfyte lyfe is forsaken / and the people is ledde into synne / Ezechi 33. as god sayth by his ê“phete / Ezechiel 33. My people sytten afore the and heren thy wordes / but they do not after them / whan there backe is tourned / for the prestes turnen them in songe of theyr mouth / and the hertes of the people folowe theyr prestes auarice / and is to them as a songe of musyke / that is songen busyly / and meryly with a lusty sounde / and they heren the sermons / but they kepen them not / sayth the lorde god / and efte god sayth by hys ê“phete Amos. ☞ Amos. Do away from me the pryde of thy chauntynge / and I shall not here the songe of thyne harpe Lord what may this meane that prestes in theyr churche gyue them selfe thys moche to songe / and so lytle to prechynge / and in fewe places or none of the newe testamente shullen we grounde thys maner of songes / neyther among our doctours / but efte they ben charged to preache / ye vnder great payne / and all gates that they haue good wyll to do that they may that the people were truly taught to lede a sober lyfe Therfore Gregory in hys decree smyteth them with a curse that busyen them in the courte of Rome aboute suche syngyng where shuld be vsed the office of prechynge / mynisters of sacramentes that ben in Christes churche be thynken them full besyly of the great worthynes Howe these sacrameÌ„tes coÌ„mmen of Christ / and of his holy passyon taken of his blessed body for treasour of his churche / and they ben salue and medycyne for all the sycke members thaâ— wol shewe theyr great sores / to goddes prestes of wyse discrecyon / and vse these sacramentes in theyr kynde As saynct Paule techeth Christ sayth he is offered our paske that noryssheth vs with his sacrameÌ„tes / and therfore make we vs mery in this gostely foode / not in angre and tene of malyce and wyckednes But in the fayre pured past of clennes and of trouthe These two vertues techen vs to clense body soule / whether that we shulde geue or receyue the seuen sacramentes / baptysme / confermyng / penaunce / ordre / Christes body / Matrymony / and the last anoyntynge These helpen vs in this fightynge churche agayne the seuen dedly sinnes / that ben vij cruell deuylles The fyrst is Lucyfer / that raignyth in his malyce / ruleth ouer the chyldren of pryde The secoÌ„de is called Belzabub / that lordeth ouer enuyous The thyrde
in hys Moralles These wordes of great sorow to them that ben gylty who that is fedde with plesures or lustes of this present lyfe without any doute that man is departed from the vnderstandynge of euerlastynge wysedome And sithen these prestes be geuen to this flesshely lustes they faylen gostely syght and wysedome / to ransake any gostely syckenes or to serche aboute the perell of a wounde / and yet they ben presumpteous to profer false medecyne / vndertake great cures for to make men hole / but they hurten them moche sorer than they were before / as the lorde moueth by his ê“phete Ieremy Ieremy These prestes helydden the contrycyon of my people with shenshyp or with shame / that is with foule symony as we rehersed aforne And they sayen Peace / peace / whan theyr was no peace / they ben worthy to be spent that haue done abhominacyon moch rather in thys cofasyon they ben not confunded / for they haue not ben ashamed of theyr owne felony Thus sayth the lorde god / and efte he sayth from the preachours that commeth defoulynge vpon all the erthe These thynges sayth the lorde wyll ye here the wordes of these preachours that prechen desceyuen you They speken the visyon of theyr herte / but not of the lordes mouth / they sayen to tho that blasphemen me The lord spekyth that peace shal be to you / and they haue sayde to eche man that walkethe in shrewdnes of his herte theyr shal come none yll vpon hym And Gregorye saythe Gregory Yuyll prestes ben cause of ruyne decaye of the people / no wounder for whaÌ„ the lyght is quenched that shulde shyne in prestes / thaÌ„ is theyr moche stynke with wickked fauour / and blyndnes that cumbrith the leder the folower into the derkenes of hell as the gospell wytnessyth whan the blynde ledith the blynde / fall they not thaÌ„ both into the dyke or lake yes playnly The former blynde is the prest that wantith vnderstandyng / for you haue the lettryne fayle in good lyuyng / than he is a blynd prest of whome Christ spekith / as the commen glose sayth / aboute nought he bostith the knowyng of godes law that distroyeth the lore with his wycked workes The other blynde is man woman that trusten in such prestes to lede them in the way of lyfe / bryng them to saluacion But Christ hath iuged both these partyes to fal into the dungyon Of such prestes coÌ„meth debate in all the world that distrobleth very peace cryeth open vengeaunce And these prechours ben no prechours but only in name / as a luschborne is clepid apeny is nought worth Knyghtes Knyghtes also ben to blame that mysusen theyr power wyl not rede is goddes lawe neyther lerne theyr office And therfore the wysemaÌ„ blameth theÌ„ sayeng Here ye knyghtes vnderstande ye knyghtes for power is only of the lorde and strength cometh of them that is hyest that shall aske rekennynge of all your workes / and shal serche fully the inwarde of your thoughtes For whan ye were mynysters of godes realme neyther ye demed ryghtfully / neyther kepte ye his lawe / neyther ye walked in the way after goddes wyll / but ye strayed all away as yf it were wylde lyons / in oftyn takyng of moch meate that styryth you to moch drynkynge / than ye lyggen longe in cowchis that draweth you to Lechery / sometyme to spousebreche and other foule vnclennes / and of this commethe stryuynge and fyghtyng euer anon that bryngeth you to enmyte and hate of eche othere Howe shulde ye knyghtes maynteyne peace whan ye forsake it in your selfe / for with your greuous tirannye oppression extorcyon your awe is lawe who dare say nay / but as ye woll your selfe But wete you well thys is the voyce of them that shal be dampned as the wyse man sayth Our strength / our power / be it to vs the lawe of ryghtwysnes Here ye therfore howe dredfully it folowith the sentence sayd afore if that ye wyl not amende you Ferefully and sone it shall shewe to you that most harde iugemente shal be to them that lorden or that holden lordeshype ouer poore bretherne / mercy is graunted to them that ben lowe in herte mighty men myghty shullen suffre turmentry / forsothe the Lorde shal not withdrawe the person of any man neyther he shal be ashamed of any mannes greatnesse / for he hathe made bothe small and great / and chargith ne one ne other / forsothe to the stronger is made stronger crucyacyon in payne Thhese forsayde prestes and knyghtes throughe such vicious dedes leden the commennes on theyr rynge / and bolden them in synne / so that all this worlde is set in errour in batayle and in warre But nowe be coÌ„men to the preste the wordes that god hath sayde by the prophete Ieremy to teache his chosen seruauÌ„tes Ieremy Al these ben aduolterers and a company that breken the lawe / they haue stretched forth theyr tonge as a bent bowe to shutte lesynge no trouth / eche man at other / they ben comforted in the erthe / for they gone from yuell to yuel / and they haue not knowen me sayth the Lorde god / eche man from his neybour kepe them selfe full wysely / and in his owne brother he may haue no truste / for eche brother in dysseyte shal begyle othere / and the man shall scorne hys brother and they shall not speke truth / forsothe they haue taught theyr tonge to speke lesyng / and for they wolde done wyckedly they haue sore traueled / they haue forsaken in trechery to knowe me / saythe the lorde god / wherfore these thynges sayth the lorde of hostes Lo I shall wele them to geder / and I shall proue them / what shall I elles do / from the face of my people an arrowe wouÌ„deng is theyr tonge / for it spekyth gyle / and he spekyth with his frendes / peace with his mouth / but pryuely he layeth for hym spyes to disceue them Nowe whether shal they not vysyte vpon these thynges saythe the lorde god or shall not my wyll be venged vpon suche a folke as yf he wolde faâ—e I shal be venged / for as theyr wyl is to go from me so my wil is to be venged vpon theÌ„ when I se my tyme / but happely here some woll saye god woll not take vengeans on hys christen people / god woll not lese that he dere bought with his precyous blode To the fyrste we answeren by the mouthe of god Iere. 16. Ieremy 16 your fathers sayth he haue forsaken me / and gone after goddes for to do them seruyce / and worshyp them also / but they haue forsaken me and not kepte my lawe But ye also done moche werse than euer wrought your faders Lo eche of you walketh after the shrewydnes of his euyl herte / that he here not
in his mēbers agaynst godes heftes / as the cloude in the day so marrith he mānes wites The first heft of god is this Exo. xx Math. xxij Mar. xxiij I am the lorde thy god that haue lad the out of Egipt frō the house of thraldome / before me thou shalt haue none alyen goddes / thou shal not make to the any grauen thyng / that is in heuen aboue nor in erthe beneth or of tho thynges that ben in waters vnderneth I am the lord thy god a strong Ielous louer visytyng the wyckednes of fathers vpon sonnes into the thirde fourth generacion of thē that haten me / I doynge merry into thousandes to them that louen me kepen myne heftes Agayne this cōmaūdement the fende hath leyde two snares / in them he catcheth the people that they may not scape but ether they must graūten to his wyl / or elles they shuld to prison The first is cleped obedyens that the fende chalengeth chiefly for to be done to him / or to his leef tenauntes / as to prelates or to prestes that ben his officers / asken this obedyence / what euer they cōmaūden / the symple mē obey to thē / hye low Al this world crieth loude after this obedience sayen what euer thy souerayn biddeth thou shalt obey therto Here we graūten of beleue that we owen obedyence to our soueraynes that techen vs to knowe god drede him / ye whether they that ben ministers in the spūall parte or officers in the temperalty / we must obey to them in that they obey to god / and lerne vs obedyence / for thus is wryten 1. Reg. 15. No whether wyl the lorde brent offerynges or sacryfyces / and moch better it is to take to lawe thā to offre the fatnes of rammes / for it is as the syn of wytchcrafte / to fyght agayne god / as the felony of Idolatry not to consent to goddes worde for this cause / therfore that thou hast cast awaye the worde of the lorde / the lorde hath cast the away that thou be no longer kynge And to this the wyseman accordeth and sayth Moch better is obedyence than sacryfice of fooles / for yuell folkes wote not what they done And saynct Paule teacheth an open rule of this maner of obedience with the cause of souerantye and knyttyth them both to geder Obey ye sayth he to your soueraynes vnderlowte ye to them / and the cause why / is this Forsothe they waken perfyttely as for to yelde a rekenynge for your soules yf thys cause be taken away / obedyence cessyth there also as the philosopher sayth / whan the cause cessyth / the spede therof shal also cesse But saynt Peter teacheth obedyence that we shuld done to lordes that in more larger maner than we owen to the clergy Seruauntes sayth he be ye subiectes in all drede to your temporall lordes / not only to good and easy lordes / that is to say in loue / but also to tyrantes that is to say in pacyence / but fendes lymmes faynen them to be on Chrystes syde and to do corrections after Christes wil / seyn / they aske obedyenee to amende soules whan they do thys thyng in dede that they here speken than we shal obey to them / and elles we shall answere as Peter sayde to prestes bysshopes / of the law Act. 5. It behoueth more to obey god than man Sayncte Ierom sayth Ierome Yf the prelate or the Lorde bydde any thynge that accordeth with goddes wyll / obey thou then to them / yf they bydde the contrary to god and to hys lawe than say thus / I must rather obey to the lorde of the soule / than to the lorde of the body For Christ sayth Mat. 10. Luce. 12. Math. wil ye drede them that slayne the body / forsoth they may not slee the soule / but rather drede ye hym that may slee bothe body and soule / into hell / thus I say to you drede ye him And saynt Gregory sayth This forsayd rule of obedyence shal be streytly kept In chyldren to theyr parentes In seruaūtes to theyr lordes In clerkes to ther maysters In prestes to there prelates And yf we passe this rule in doynge of obedyence / than we were vnbuxum to god / and folowers of Lucyfer The seconde trappe of the fende is clepyd pylgremage / but moch rather it shulde be sayed the outrage of fooles For pylgrimage in dewe fourme is euermore good The payntours makith an ymage forged with dyuers colours tyll it seme in foles eyen as a lyuely creature that is set in the church in a solempne place fast bounde with bondes for it shulde not fall Prestes of the temple begylen the people with the foule syn of Balaam / in there open prechynge they sayen that goddes power in wyrchyng of his miracles lowyth downe in one ymage / more than in a nother / and therfore commyth and offrith to this for here is shewed moche vertue Lorde howe dare these fēdes for drede thus blaspheme theyr god and vse the synne of Balaam that goddes lawe hath dampned Sithen Christ and his discyples forsoken this / the welthe of this worlde and lyueden a poore lyfe / as our beleue techith why gadren ye prestes rychesse with your painted ymages to make your selfe worldy ryche in spoylynge of the people / and yet ye done moche worse / and for ye and your consentours / thus doynge bene very Idolatrers / ☞ Paule as sayncte Paule sayth Corinth 1. This people sayth he sayeng them selfe to be wyse / they bene mad fooles / for they haue chaunged the glorye of god that maye not be defouled / into the lykenes of mannes image that maye be defouled And Paule saythe when they knewe the ryghtwysnes of god / they wolde not vnderstande that they that done suche thynges bene worthy of dethe / not onely the doars but also they that consenten to the yuell doers / for god saythe thou shalte neyther worshyp ne lowte them for thou shalte neyther do sacryfyce to image ne offerynge and that meaneth god when he sayth / thou shalt not worshyp them with no godly worshyp / but / yf they be paynted truly as nye as man maye to brynge to mynde as Gregory sayth the passyon of Iesu Chryste / Gregory marterdome of sayntes as lewde mennes bokes But sayncte Austen sayth vpon all wyse they haue deserued to erre that seken god not in bokes / but in paynted wowis / he also sayth thou shalt not vowe to these ymages / thou shalte not seke these ymages / thou shalt not swere by them / neyther knele to them ne kysse thē / neyther put fayth / ne Hope / ne truste in one ymage / more than in another / and thus menyth god whan he saythe thou shalt not loute them But true pylgrymage is done on .vj. maners Fyrst we ben pilgrimmes when
/ and them that they falsely sclaunderen Of the thyrde it is wryten Gene. 4. Howe that cursed Caym slewe his innocent brother Abel / and howe his bloude cryeth to god from the erthe For saynte IohnÌ„ sayth Apoc. 6. I sawe vnder the aulter the soules of them that weren slayne for the worde of god / and wytnesse that they hadden / and they cryed with a great voyce sayeng / holy lorde and true / tyll whan shalt thou abyde or thou wylt iuge and venge our bloude on them the dwellen in erthe and it is sayd vnto them / that they shal be styll yet a litle whyle / tyl theyr felowes be comyn / and theyr bretherne that bene to be slayne / as they ben theÌ„ selfe Vnderstande thou that god forfendyth all vnlawful sleynge As Crysostome declareth Omeli To smyte is vnyustly to smyte forsothe who that smyteth for the cause of ryghtfulnes / he is not seen to smyte / by tytle of goddes lawe / forsoth he smyteth not to venge his owne wretchefull herte / but to do the wyll of god / and to saue his neyghbours soull / as iuste wrath is no wrath / but a feruent diligence / so is rightwyse smytynge no smytynge / but agaynst amendynge For by such a feruent loue / Phinyes slwe two lecherous / tourned the wrathe of god from the chyldren of Israel / as it is wryten Numeri xxv Also god sende his hostis Tytus and Vaspasyan two and fourty wynter after that Christ was slayne for to venge Christes dethe vpon the cursed Iewes / as it is wryten Math. xxij Fyue thynges men must auoyde whan they shullen go to batayle / for they ben agaynst this heste And thus saythe saynt Austen Couetyse of noyenge Cruelty of auengynge / vnpeaseablenes of mynde / ferueÌ„tnes of fyghtynge / lust of lordshyppynge / and what ben like to these for these ben tho thinges that of ryght ben blamed in batayle agaynst this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t the fende in his members settyth watche / besy spye / where that he may fynde any people that woll rede preuy or aparte goddes lawe in englysshe that is our mother tonge anone he shal be sumnyd to come afore his iuges to answere what is sayde to them / and brynge his boke with hym / and eyther he must forsake his boke and redynge of englysshe / and algates he shall forswere to speke of holy wrytte They seyne / lyue thou as thy father dyd / and that is ynowe for the / or elles thou shalt to preson as yf thou were an heretyke / and suffre paynes many and straunge and lykely the dethe / but thou wylte reuoke thy worde and make an open wonderment at thy parysshe churche at home or in the commyn place / and with this they prison many an hungry soule wherof groweth in this realme a greuous gostely morreyne / for who dare nowe in these dayes talke of Chryste or of his dome and certes the body cannot lyue without bodely foode / no more may the soule without goddes worde As saynt Austen sayth Austyn The soule dyeth for hunger but yf it be fedde with heuenly brede this brede is goddes word As Christ sayth in his gospel Math. 4. Deut. 4. Mar. 1. Luc. 4. A man lyueth not only in bodelye brede but he lyueth a better lyfe after his soule of eche word that passeth from the mouth of god God taught longe afore this hungre / for to come that vntaught men shulde aske this brede / and no man shulde geue it them / as he sayth by the mouth of the ê“phete Amos. Loo dayes commen sayth the lorde / and I shall suffre hungre to be sent into the erthe / neyther of brede ne of water / but of herynge the worde of god / than men shullen be moued from the one see to the other / and from the northe / to the eest / sekynge the worde of god / and they shall not fynde it / sayth the lorde god For there ben many prechours but theyr bene fewe trewe prechours / and yf any preche the trouthe / the multytude shal agayne say him / and thus meÌ„ abyden styl in theyr gostly hungre for they wete neuer whom to folowe theyr prechynge is so wonderful / ioynynge in theyr curyous wordes the trouth to the falshede who that hauntyth to thys brede for to sleke hys hungre thoughe he were so holye as euer was saynt IohnÌ„ the baptyst he shulde not fayle to be sclaundrede for a cursed lollarde / and pursued as an heretyke of these cruell enmyes But in this they bene moche worse than the hethen folkes / that trowen in theyr mawmettes for wantyng of byleue / but these haue receaued the fayth / and falsely gone therfro / and also dryuen beestly men / to pynde them in theyr poundfolde / without gostely meate and drynke / tyll they sterne for hungre But we reden the contrary of an hethen kyng for he dyed moch beter to the chyldren of Israell 4. Reg. whan the chyldren of Israell beganne to dwell in samary they dreden not the lorde / and the lorde sent amonge them lyons that slewe them / and than it was tolde to the kynge of Assyre / and sayde The folke that thou haste translated and made them to dwell in the cytees of samarye / they knowe not theyr lawfull thynges of the god of the erthe Forsothe the kynge of Assyrye commaunded / sayeng / ledeth thether one of the prestes that ye haue brought into this thraldome that ye may go and with them dwell / and teche them the lawfull thynges of the god of the erthe God graunt our christen kynges to marke well this story / that they mouen passe this hethen kynge in thys forsayde matter / than shulde lyons / that bene synnes / sone be dystroyed / yf all men had the lawe wryten in theyr hertes As the lorde sayth Ieremy .xxxi. Iere. 31. I shall gyue my lawe in the bowelles of them / and I shal wryt my lawe in the hertes of them O ye prestes ye bene moche to blame that taken from the people the lawe that god hathe wrytten hym selfe in the myddes of theyr hertes So thorowe you these foresayde lyons nowe bene commen amonge vs / that all to teren Chrystes shepe / and murtheren them to the dethe Certes ye neuer lerned thys lore in dedes of thaposteles / for thys it is wryten Acte viij Lo a clene chaste man the quenes treasourer of ynde / thoughe he weren and hethen man and had not taken the fayth / yet he rad in Esaye / syttyngr in the chayre Philip toke not away his boke / neyther he warned hym to rede therin But what than Philip declared him the prophecye / and taught him for to vnderstande it / tyl he beleued on IhuÌ„ Christ to be goddes sonne of heuen what betyde than of Philyp by styryng of the spyryte whan this maÌ„ beleued / confermed in Christes name / gaue to him the baptyme