and rightuousnes powred into all the other membres of the chosen For he is our lyfe lyght and ryghtuousnes ▪ Nowe on the othersyde the pope sayeth I am the heade of the church militant Yf ye wyl haue lyght and knowledge of heauenly thynges ye muste come to me For I onelye am a boue all learned and holye menne aboue the counselles and aboue holy scriptures it selfe yea and also aboue youre fayth Wherfore ye must beleue accordinge to my worde and although the wordes of holy scripture be the wordes of god yet must they be expounded and declared after my fashyon and as I say I am onelye he whiche canne not erre Wherefore as concerning matters of faythe euery manne ought to shit his eyes and truste to my worde and sticke thereunto vndoutedly The pope sayeth more ouer yf any manne bee deade in the sight of god and a synner let hym come to me and out of hand by the helpe of my absolutions and pardōs he shal liue and be made rightuouse in the sight of god As thoughe he shoulde saye I am your light and rightuousnes and not Christ. What thinge doth pulle Christe violentlye out of his place and thrust in hymselfe if thys doe not Christe is oure chiefe and euerlasting priest as it is wrytten of him Who whē he had once offred hymselfe vpon the crosse founde out euerlastinge redempcion for vs and satisfied for oure synnes and pleased the wrath of god the father for euer The pope sayeth I am the chiefe byshoppe of the churche of Christ y e sacrifice that Christ made was not sufficyent to satysfye for synne and pacyfy the wrathe of God And therefore haue I ordeyned the sacryfice of the masse and other offeringes and meritoriouse workes To doe thus is not onely to plucke Christ out of his place put in him selfe but it is also a manifest confession that Christe was not an imperfecte prieste because that with hys sacryfice he made not suffycient satysfaction for oure synnes neyther pacifyed the wrathe of god enoughe and therefore hathe he nede of the Popes helpe yea and it is also a confession that the holy goste in holy scripture was a lyer whiche thinge is nothinge elles but a mynde to place himselfe aboue god For the pope canne neyther lye neither erre in matters of faythe and god dyd bothe lye and erre by hys confession Christe also is the onely mediator betwyxt god and manne as it is written No manne commeth to the father but by thys mediatour he is the waye and the gate that leadeth to God he is oure aduocat oure propiciacion oure holynes oure redemption and helthe He onelye is oure Iesus and sauiour neither is oure saluacion in any other but in hym onelye as Peter wryteth And therefore Chryste calleth all menne to hym sayinge come to me all ye that labour and be burdenid with the burden of synne and I wil geue reste and quietnes vnto you Who so thursteth for saluacion let hym come to me and he shal bee refreshed But the Pope contrarywise sayeth I am he by whome ye may pacifye the wrathe of god by me onelye and by my ministers ye maye obteyne remission of youre synnes I am the waye that leadeth to heauen I haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen I canne open and shute at my pleasure to whome when and after what sorte it shall please me By me onelye ye maye haue lyfe euerlastynge and god wylbee mercifull and pleased with you Neyther wyll I that ye shall haue Christe alone youre mediator and aduocat in heauen but I wyll that ye chose some amongest them that bee dead suche as lyke you best so that they bee canonized by me and take them for your mediatours intercessours proctours aduocates and patrones I wyll also that ye seke for youre saluacion not in Christe alone thoughe Peter saye playnly that it canne be founde in none other but chiefly in me in my absoluciōs benedictiōs and pardons and in youre owne workes also and in the merites and intercession of Saynctes Wherfore come to me all that be troubled with sorowe of conscience and in me ye shall finde peace Nowe whether all these thynges be most cruell wicked and blaphemouse or not he maye easly perceyue that is not al together blynde Therfore it is most true that Daniell sayed speakynge of hym that he shoulde bee suche a shameles blasphemor that he should speake agaynste God hymselfe And we also knowe that accordynge to the doctrine of Paule euery christian manne is the temple of god and of a lyke sort the congregacion of the faythfull is called the churche of God and we se that the Pope reygneth in the heartes of some christiā men which worship him euen now as their God And also wee see not onelye howe he reygneth in the heartes of sundrye menne but also in the middest of the churche militant as the supreme of all creatures Therefore it is fullye accomplyshed and performed that Paule spake of hym when he wrote y t he should sitte in the temple ▪ God not in the temple buylded by mannes handes at Hierusalem but in y ◠heartes of men and in the militant church of Christ as though he were God and braggeth hymself before menne as very God And bycause these thynges whiche Paule sayed can not be applied to none other in the worlde it must of necessitie be graunted that he onely is the same ryghte and great Antichriste and the very selfe same horrible abhominacion of whom Christ prophecied that he should stablishe hys seat in the holy place Neither was it ynough for hym to thrust hym selfe in to Christes place and to auaūce himselfe aboue god but also he woulde depraue the holy scriptures be in all poyntes quite contrary to Christ. That all these thynges bee true hereof it maye appeare Euen as Christe hath left nothynge vnproued for vs whiche are necessary for the mayntenaunce of oure naturall lyfe so is it to be beleued that muche lesse he woulde leaue anye of those necessaries vnprouyded whiche shoulde apartayne to the spirituall lyfe Therefore must we beleue that god hath declared vnto vs in the holy scriptures as much as is nedefull wherunto no creature must adde neither take awaye one word as God by Moses doth comaunde for they only be in all poyntes perfect Therfore Paule writinge to Timothie saieth All scripture inspired from aboue is profitable to rebuke and amende to instruct in righteousnes that a manne who is dedicate to God maye be vpryght and perfect in all good workes Then by the doctrine of Paule it is playne that those thynges which be conteyned in the holy scripture be sufficient to make a manne perfecte whiche thynge must nedes be graunted for Christe disclosed to hys Apostles as to hys beloued frendes and children all that he receiued of hys father And afterwarde he opened their myndes by hys spirite and declared vnto
blotted out for my sake The selfe same sentence Marke expressed albeit it wer in other wordes when he sheweth how Christe after his resurrecâ—ion from death saied to his Apostles going through out the vniuersall worlde preache the gospell to all creatures And Mathewe Goe forthe teache al people Lucke wryteth that Christe sayed it is written and therfore it must bee that Christe shall suffer and rise agayne from deathe the thyrde daye in whose name repentaunce and remission of synnes must bee preached to al people beginning at HierusaleÌ„ It is plain that the Euangelistes agre hetherto Iohn furthermore doeth adde that Christe sayed vnto them take ye the holy goste Which thing Luke declareth after another sorte saying that Christ opened theyr myndes that they might vnderstaÌ„d the scriptures which is the very trewe office of the holy goste wherefore he gaue them the holy gost brething vpon them that is as Luke doeth declare he opened theyr myndes and knowledge that they might vnderstande the holy scriptures and that was so done that they myght knowe and perceaue that the Gospell whiche they shoulde preache was no vayne or newe thynge but trewe and of antiquitie spoken of before by the vnfayned sayinges of the prophetes Which thing they beleuinge vndoutedly throughe an earnest styrringe and motion of the holy gost shoulde preache the gospell throughe out the whole world Now afterward when he gaue them the keyes Iohn writeth that he sayed whose synnes so euer ye forgeue they bee forgeuen them and whose sinnes so euer ye retaine they be retayned That is to say I deliuer you the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and giue you authoritye and power to open and shit thesame by the kingdom of heauen he vnderstandeth the kyngdome of grace and the kyngdome of glorye The synnefull manne was driuen out of the kingdome of the heauenly fauour neither can he fynde any meanes or wayes to entre into thesame agayne but by faithe Accordinge to the doctrine of paule He can not beleue of the common sorte onles he heare the worde of the gospell whiche can not be without preaching So that there was authoritie geuen vnto thapostles and keyes deliuered vnto theÌ„ that they should open the kingdome of heauen to the wicked when Christ gaue them authoritie to preache the gospeâ—l that is to saie to teach that men be saued by Christ. Because that when thei were sinners and without the kingdome of the grace of Christe neyther had any waye opened whereby they might entre thapostles in preachinge the gospell opened the gate of the fauour and grace of god vnto them which guided them in y e ready and plaine waye wherby they might obteyne to them selues the fauor of god by beleuing that Christ died for them by whose mean and helpe they are saued thapostles did moue and styre men to giue credit to this truthe And suche of them as beleued entred in the kyngdome of Chryste by fayth and the Apostles opened the gate vnto theÌ„ by preaching the word of the gospel did set open the waye for their entrye But if y e hearers of this preachiÌ„g beleued not thapostles dyd shut the gate of gods fauor wheÌ„ they taught in their preachinge that onles they beleued the gospell there was no hope of saluacion neither any other way or meanes wherby they mought entre the kingdome of the fauor of god Not withstandinge they had done as many good workes as bee in the whole worlde And so is this opening and shutting as a man may call it a lousing and a bindinge as Christe declared when he saied to Peter to the wil I giue the keies of the kingdome of heuen What soeuer thou shalt bind in earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeur thou lousest iÌ„ earth it shal be also â—oused iÌ„ heaueÌ„ Now these keies and power to open and shut to looâ—e and bynd were geueÌ„ to the Apostles wheÌ„ Christ said vnto theÌ„ whose synnes ye forgeue they shall bee forgeuen and whose synnes ye retayne they shall bee retayned Not that the Apostles themselues should haue power and authoritie to pardon and forgeue sinne for that belongeth to God alone And that shoulde be a wonderful ydolatry and blasphemy to attribute and assigne that thynge to man whiche belongeth to god onely Who is onelye he that forgyueth sinnes for Christes sake euen as it is onely he whiche powreth fayth into vs and men be hys seruantes and ministers in that they preache the gospell and moue men to beleue But the beleuinge it selfe and the faythe it selfe and the remission of synne whiche is by it procured is the gift of God Then the Apostles had no power to remitte and reâ—ayne synnes at their owne wyll and pleasure Neither to loose and bynde neyther yet to brynge manne in or out of the kyngdome of God when they lusted so to doe but they had power to preache the gospell and to shewe that thys preachynge must be beleued and that thys gospell must be embraced with a sound faythe yf they intend to haue forgyuenes of sinnes at goddes handes and so to be loosed to enter into the kingdom of grace For they onely haue their sinnes forgyuen theÌ„ which beleue the gospell they onely be loosed and enter into the kyngdome of god They had also authoritie to declare that their sinnes were retayned whiche beleued not the gospell and that they onelye bee bounde and shut out of the kyngdome of God Yt is euident and playne by Saynct Luke that thys is the wil and mynde of Christe who declarethe the selfesame sentence with more playne wordes saying Christ sayed to his Apostles y t Christ must dey as it was writteÌ„ ryse agayne the thirde daye from death and that repentaunce and remission of sinne must be preached to all nacions in hys name So that by thys it is easie to be perceyued that Christe gaue hys Apostles keyes and power not properly to forgyue synne but to preache remission of synnes to all them that beleue throughe Christ. The selfe same thyng maye also be confirmed by the authoritie of Saynct Marke who expondyng thesame sentence although it be in other wordes sayeth that Christe sayed to his Apostles Goe through out the whole worlde and preache the gospell to all creatures who so beleueth and is baptised shal be saued and he that beleueth not shall be dampned Whereby it maye be well perceyued that the authoritie power which Christ gaue vnto hys Apostles was nor to saue and condempne but onely to preache the gospell and to shewe the waye of saluacion in that they moued meÌ„ to enter into that way and they declared hym to be within the compasse of condempnacion which gaue no credit to the gospell and went about to disuade men from thys vnbelefe These be the keyes thys is the power whiche Christ gaue to hys Apostles and not onely to his Apostles but also vnto all their successors Which thyng doeth
stronge reasons interruptyng his tale past all good maners as a mad man in hys fury cryed out with loud voyce and sayed Ye of the East churches bee full of sectes and heresies And therfore haue you of all other most nede of a supreme visible head in yearth by whose authoritie wisdom ye may be gouerned by whom the cōtenciōs that arise amongest you for sundrye interpretacions of scripture maye be pacified y e thīg being declared opened by the censure and iudgemente of the chiefe Byshoppe by the whiche meanes ye myghte knowe the trueth and remayne firme and stable in the trewe fayth quietly For thys cause shoulde you chiefely desire thys supreme head and gouernoure who nowe labour to hynder y e thyng for lacke of knowlage of y e profit that shall enshewe And therfore can I not stey my selfe but must a litle passe the bondes of pacience and speake my mind frely Yf the whole matter were put to me I know what I had to doe I say no more To these wordes thimbassador aunswered quietlye Master Falsidicus ye say yf the whole matter were put to you ye knowe what ye had to doe Bycause these wordes maye bee taken diuerslye seinge you expoūde them not your selfe there is none of vs that can well tel what ye meane by thē some may peraduenture gesse but none cā haue any certain assuraūce So that you onelye knowe what is ment by them euen as Paule wrote What manne is he liuinge that knoweth the inward partes thinwarde thoughtes desiers and craftes of man excepte it bee the spirit of man that dwelleth within him Euē so because men see not thinwarde thoughtes of menne they vnderstande not to what ende theyr wordes tende therefore is it no meruayle yf they atteyne not the perfect knoweledge of those thinges that be spoken namely when the wordes be douteful and ambigouse Therfore with what face dareth the byshop of Rome beinge a mortall manne chalenge vnto him authoritie and iudgement to expounde the worde of God as it shall please hym and to force menne to folowe his exposicion be it ryght or wronge Yt was the holye ghoste and not Peter that opened the mindes of thapostles whereby they myght vnderstande the holy scriptures and he taught them all his whole wyll as Christ promysed before and as Esay did wryte they were taught of god and the lawe of god was prynted in theyr stomakes and written in theyr hartes frō aboue as Hieremie prophecied longe before Iohn shadowed thesame thinge sayinge Ye haue no nede of any mannes helpe whereby to learne for thanoyntinge it selfe that is to saye the holy goste shall teach you all truethe The holy goste is the trewest teacher of al other and one that performeth his promes most haboundantly He is no lyar as men be that breake theyr faythe and promes it is he onely that canne declare the trew sence of the holy scripture it is he only that can open the myndes of menne that canne teach strengthen and stablyshe vs in all trueth and not the bishops of Rome And if you would say that the pope being lightened by the holy goost geueth light to vs I will aunswere fyrst The Pope is not alone lightened with the light of the holy gost For y e holy gost inspireth where as it pleaseth him and destributeth his giftes amongest men to euery one as hys will is Wherefore mens consciences must not bee bounden and tyed to beleue and thinke that the pope only hath the holy gost that the pope only can not erre that the pope onely is aboue the worde of god that the pope only must be the interpreter the declarer and ruler of holy scripture and that all we muste in all pointes obeye the popes iudgement Because that this is ones suer that visible thynges canne bringe no inwarde lyghte nor confirme menne in theyr faythe and quiet and pacify theyr consciences but the holy goost only canne performe al these thinges plentifully What nedeth many wordes he is very Antichriste whiche boasteth himself that he canne geue light to the mind either by an inwarde lyght or by some other meanes then by thexpresse worde of God as the minister of the worde by good example of lyfe and continuall prayer Yf all we should stande or fall by the iudgement of the pope why is there so much labor spent in gatheringe together of counselles Why spende we our lyues with so muche paine in study for knowledge in turninge our bokes yf we shall leane to the onely worde of the pope Then in the name of god let vs be short let vs come to the pope heare his word as it wer an Oracle and let vs worship him as a god But Paule the Apostle teacheth farre after another sorte when he commaundeth two or thre to speake in the churche in order one after another and the rest diligentlye to waye the iudgementes of them that speake And so the iudgement of Ecclesiasticall matters muste be sought for at the church it selfe and not at the pope of Rome And further Paule willeth in especiall wordes that when one of the members of the churche speaketh the truethe bee reueled to another that sitteth by hym that spake fyrste to holde hys peace thoughe he were Pope and gyue eare vnto the latter vnto whome the truethe is disclosed thoughe he bee one of the basest sorte and vnlerned For many tymes god hydeth the secretes of his wisdome from the prudent and wyse of thys worlde and openeth thesame to lytle ones And in another place he maketh Peter equall with the reste sayinge All thinges be yours whether it be Paule or Apollo or Peter as thoughe he shoulde saye let none bee youre superiors besides Christe and hys worde for Peter and Paule bee youre ministers Yea and Peter in the fyrst councell of the Apostles harkened to other declarynge hys owne iudgement in that poynt and geuynge authorytye to the churche to doe what they shoulde thinke good and willinglye and gladlye to obeye the iudgement which the whole congregacion approueth to be perfecte and suer And althoughe Christ sayed I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faythe should not fayle yet foloweth it not therefore that Peter coulde not erre For he erred after that tyme sundrye tymes and namely whē he expresselye denyed Christe the sonne of God But when Christe perceyued Peters temerous boldnes y ◠shortly after he would shamefully denye him to arme and strengthen hym agaynste the temptacion which shoulde insewe lest the greatnes of the fault myght hurle hym downe into desperacion he sayed vnto them Satan goeth about to sift you like chaffe and to vndoe and destroye you Yea you had bene all ready vtterly lost yf I had not praied for you and for the especially Peter by name that thy faythe should not fayle beecause thou wylt fall foulier then the rest and I knowe that God hathe herd my
them the true meanyng of those thynges which the same apostles dyd writ preache and publishe abrode plentifully So that the gospell is moste perfecte and full as Paule wrote to the Hebrues And as for the pope he is all together contrary to all these thynges that be spoken First and formost he sayeth that holy scripture is imperfect and is not sufficient to declare fully all mattiers that belonge to saluacion and that he can adde vnto it as he hathe done when he allowed those bokes that be apocripha and of none authoritie for holy bokes as though they were in the canon And also when he made an innumerable sorte of decrees and decretalles and commaundementes of manne and articles of our fayth And he sayeth more ouer thougheit be closly that the twelue articles of the faythe deliuered and preached by the Apostles be not sufficient to saluacion And then the Apostles bee damnned all christian men who hath not receyued the lyghte of the articles obseruacions and commaundementes of the Pope So that it must folowe in the name of God that the Popes were wyser then Christ hym selfe or at the least wyse were more mercifull bycause they haue opened so many thynges to the worlde whiche bee as they saye necessarye to oure saluacion and neuer opened neither by Christe nor god But what a mischeuous dede is it that all these articles of the faythe made by the Pope bee all together repugnaunt and quite contrarye to the articles of the Apostles and to all holy scripture as it is well knowen For brefely in the Creade and in holye scripture it is comprehended that it is god by whose goodnes and grace throughe Christe who suffered death for vs who rose againe and ascended into heauen and sitteth on the ryghte hande of God the father all creatures muste receyue saluacion and also fele hys plentiful loue towardes vs through the holy gost and that he who beleueth in Christ shal haue lyfe euerlastyng as he hym selfe is a witnes But the contentes of the Popes articles bee all together contrary to thys geare that is to say that fayth in Christ is not sufficent to saluacion and that it is necessarye to beleue that the Pope hath authoritie ouer all And that we must beleue accordyng to the doctrine of y e Pope that neither the grace of Christ nor the death of Christ is sufficient to saluacion but that our meritorious workes must also of necessitie be added with confession deuised by the Pope and hys absolutions pardons and prayer to Sayntes and besydes all thys the fire of purgatory And that the holy gost as they saye is not enoughe for the vnderstandynge of holy scripture and to knowe the wyll and pleasure of God but that the Pope muste expounde all thynges No manne canne denye but thys is a very settinge of him selfe aboue God Daniel wrote wonderfull learnedly of hym saying that he shall induce men noughtely and wickedly to breake their promises that they haue made to God For euen as God who is the well springe of all goodnes promised in Aabraham to be our god that he woulde take y e charge of euery one of vs woulde gyue himself for vs makyng vs pertakers of all hys felicitie And we agayne haue promised hym that we wyll be hys people to aske and loke for al goodnes at his hand only to acknowledge him onely our God and will gyue thankes and render honor wurshyp to him alone On thother side the pope sayeth naye to this geare that God is angry with vs and that Christ coulde not sufficiently pacifie hys wrath but that the Pope must helpe with his authoritie and the Saynctes with their prayers and merites also we our selues with our good workes and also the deuells with theyr fyer of purgatory Therfore is it very trewe that Daniel sayd that he should chaunge the tymes he shoulde transpose the tyme of grace into the tyme of the lawe the tyme of light into the tyme of darknes Neyther thinke they it a dede mischieuouse enoughe to make newe articles of the faythe at theyr pleasure contrary to tharticles of god excepte also they depraue the lawe of god with their preceptes and commaundementes which commaundementes be also contrary to the commaūdementes of God For it is without controuersy that all the lawe of God doeth depende vpon the loue towardes god and towardes oure neighbour and the pope myndynge to destroye bothe the partes of the lawe of god hathe infected purposely these two chiefe groundes vpō the which hange al the lawe ◠the prophetes For he affirmeth cōtrary to thexpresse worde of God y t god requireth not necessarely of vs that we shoulde loue hym with all our hart with all oure soule and all oure mynde but that we shoulde loue hym aboue al other thynges affirminge that to be the commaundemente and to loue god with all oure hearte is but a counsell And as touchinge oure neyghbour of a lyke sort he sayeth that it is a counsell and a perfection and not cōmaundement to loue oure enemy with all our harte but that onelye we ought to shewe outward tokens of loue towardes our enemyes And agayne whereas the lawe is most perfect there sayth he that it is vnperfecte therfore he holdeth that it is lawfull and that wee ought to adde some thing vnto it and to doe some workes besydes them that be commaunded in the lawe of god whiche be called supererogatory workes that is to say workes that be not commaunded For this cause hathe he deliuered new rules to the world new trades of lyuyng ordinaunces and commaundementes suche it may chaunce as he dremed when he was in some frensy vtterlye pugnant cōtrary to y e cōmaūdementes of god wheras god commaunded himself onely to be wurshipped he will also be wurshipped of vs and moreouer commaundeth vs that we shall not onely worship Sainctes but also theyr dead bodies and relikes God willeth and commaundeth vs that we shal make no ymage neither of himselfe neither of any other creature any picture or similitude to be worshipped The pope willeth commaundeth ymages and pictures of Sainctes to be made to bee set vp all aboute in the churche in euery corner there to be wurshipped that no place there bee voyde of ydolatrye Of a lyke sorte god commaundeth that no man should take hys name in vayne that is to saye when a man promyseth any thynge by an othe takinge god to witnes he muste kepe the thinge that he promyseth but the pope denieth that promes ought to be kept with heretikes as he taketh heretikes that is to saye with true Christian men willinge and commaunding with expresse wordes to deceaue thē that they maye be betrayed and burned thoughe he haue sworne the cōtrary neuer so much taking god and all saynctes to witnes Yea he doeth pardon forgeue and absolue men from theyr rightfull othes in honest ciuile matters so that it redounde
to hys profyte and glory that he be rewarded lyberally therfore God commaunded the Sabboth day to be kept holy And sence Iesus Christ y e soÌ„ne of rightuousnes appered to the worlde we ought to iudge all tymes of grace to be a most holy Sabboth to take all the times of our life without putting diuersitie betwene one daye and another to be all together holy and to spende all together in the honour and glory of God But the pope commaundeth the contrary that there shal be a diuersitie betwene dayes and tymes in holynes that some daies shal be halowed yet with none other kinde of religion but idelnes idolatry supersticion in the remembraunce of some feast deuised by hym or of some Sayncte that he hathe canonized all other tymes he taketh not to bee holye God commaundeth honour to be geuen to the father and mother and obedience to princes whiche be ordeyned of hym The pope contrarywyse willeth that the chyldren may contrary to the myndes of theyr parentes professe some supersticiouse deuelish kinde of relygion and remaine tyed therein to theyr wicked vowes yea though theyr father and mother pine for hungar and wantethe comfort of theyr children by the reason of extreme necessitie He will also haue all his priestes monkes and nunes to be fre discharged from all obedyence to theyr prince and magstrates whiche be ordeyned of god God commaundeth that no man shall kyll but this bloudy paricide and mankiller being made dronke with the bloud of martirs and of Christian men graunteth full pardon to mankillers and parricides to suche as saye they fought vnder the banner of the crosse of Christe that by the meanes of thys deuelishe licence he may increase and amplify hys cruell tyrannye God forbiddeth adultery and all vncleannes commaundeth by the mouth of Paule hym who hathe not the gifte of chastitie to to mary a wyfe but this shameles baude dothe the contrary he forbiddeth marriage to al that be anoynted of hym whether they haue the gift of chastitie or not as thoughe mariage were an vnholy and an vncleane thynge and not muche more holy and more honest then is theyr wiueles lyfe and as thoughe accordinge to the doctrine of Paule matrimonie were not honorable holye and vndefyled in all states Yet in the meane space he graunteth to suche as hange vpon hym all kindes of beastlynes and fylthye vncleanes And also at sundrye tymes of the yere and within sundry degrees deuised by him he forbiddeth maryage for none other intent but to kepe hys honor in estimacion and to get greate suÌ„mes of money by dispensinge therewith God commaundeth that no maÌ„ shal desiere another mans goodes but this thefe vnder the pretence of Annates Dimes Pardones Iubelies compositions absolutions dispensations priuileges blessinges greues and deuelish coactioÌ„s he ouer runneth and robbeth al the whole world And as sone as these goodes bee gotten or rather stolen together come he by them by robbinge or stealinge neuer so yet be they strayght waye made holy so holy y â— they may not bee alienated without this theues licence But why stand I so longe in this matter For to knit vp so great a matter in fewe wordes whereas Christ came not to breake the lawe but rather to fulfyll it he corrupted infected and depraued al the whole law Wheras Christe did abrogate y â— ceremoniall preceptes of the Iewes he hathe brought in al the deuelish supersticions of the gentiles Therfore is that vndoutedly trewe that Daniell spake of him that he shoulde chaunge the lawes And he is not conteÌ„t to professe opeÌ„ly that the merites of Christ be not enough that he fulfilleth the thing y t waÌ„teth in theÌ„ except he maye further haue his saing y t he is y e â—uarde and the destrybutour of thesame merites of Christ and that it is hys office to applye them for the quicke and the dead as he shall thynke good as who shoulde saye that Christ can not applye them or els that he would not prouide for the health of soules so that there is moche more charitie in the Pope then in Christ. What nedeth so many wordes Christe neuer had nor neuer shall haue neither was there euer a greater enemie in the worlde to the gospell then he is He hathe continuall warre with theÌ„ that beleue in Christ and with all that bee godly and vertuous and them he ouercommeth with deceyte and crueltie as Daniell sayed of hym before Wherfore we be bound to confesse that he is the trewe greate Antichriste hymselfe Papi Then erred the counselles where in it was decreed that he should be Pope Tho. arch That is as muche to saie as Then erred the Byshoppes and Pharyseis when they gathered a counsel together and determined to crucifie Christ. I praye you doeth that seme so straunge a thynge â—o confesse that they haue erred whiche bee Byshoppes by name onely but in dede tyrannes and wolues and wretched verlettes ioyned together in their sessions onely to maynteyne and stablishe their tiranny wyckedly deprauinge the worde of God Yf youre counselles can not erre howe commeth it to passe that many tymes one of them hathe made contrary lawes to an other And yf one counsell be contrary to an other as they be in dede it must bee graunted that one of them erred Where as they speake purposely of the Pope the counsell of Affryke made a lawe that the Byshop of Rome shoulde not onely not be Pope but also that he ought not to haue that name Then either erred that counsell or yours Truely theÌ„ wyll I beleue your counsell is gathered together by y e holy gost erred not when I shall perceyue that it was not reuled and lead by your sensuallitie ambicious sekynge of honor and by gyftes and rewardes but by the worde of God Yf you woulde expounde the scriptures to the contempt of youre selfe and to the glory of God I woulde thynke the matter might bee well taken But if ye will be the Iudges of holy scriptures and then wyll expounde thesame as your dulnes tirannye and selfe wyll shall leade you wrythynge the worde of God otherwise then the trewe sence and meanyng therof leaedeth you to the increasynge and establyshement of your tyrannye mynding to vsurpe the dominion of the earth heauen and hell that ye maye be wurshypped in earthe as goddes to the great rebuke of god I doubt not but that you are gathered together in the spirite of the deuill And you intende to proue to me the Pope to be Pope by authoritie of the counsel But those thinges that be established in the counsell as you saye be of none effecte onles the Pope confirme them but the Pope canne not confirme them onles he first be Pope Therfore tell me first howe the Byshoppe of Rome was made Pope and howe he can not erre in confirminge the decrees of the counselles and then maye ye proue the Popeship by