all thynges to the ende of gettyng money in the meane season the care and charge of pore folkes which charge onely Paule doth reherse in his epystle vnto the GalatiaÌ„s to be coÌ„mytted vnto hym and whiche sayd care he doth exercyse stoutly this cure charge I saye is strongly neglected layde quyte apart Act. viii iv Cor. Besydes this eyther of the Apostles that is to wyt both Peter and also Paule amonge other vertues of a very bysshop do noÌ„bre rekeÌ„ this also THat a bysshop ought to abhorre be farre away from fylthye lucre THey wyl therfore that a bysshop shulde get vnto hymselfe suche thynges as are necessary to his sustenaunce and lyuynge by honest godly meanes to the example of other And Paule hym selfe whiche was so excellent an Apostle dyd lyue by the worke and labour of his handes and he dyd not dysdayne althoughe he was greater than all the bysshops that euer were or now be to exercyse a handy crafte in to what towne soeuer he dyd come And for this cause also he lodged and was at hoste in Corynthe with Prisca and Aquila Prisca Aquila for that they were of the same crafte and occupacion and he wrought with them Nowe let vs make a comparyson of the one with the other Is not the most fylthye and more then hoorysshe maner of gettynge money whiche the bysshop of Rome and his clyentes bysshops doo vse Is it not I saye in comparyson of the purytie of the Apostle more stynkynge and more fylthy then any stues then any bordell house when golde is requyred for those folysshe fortye dayes of indulgence and pardon by whiche certeyn nombre of dayes the Romanystes god wot least they shulde be ouer moche lauace in gyuyng forthe so precyous a thynge for noughte haue opeÌ„ly mocked our mytred bysshops is it not I say most shameful filthy lucre in alages and tymes when money is requyred for suche other tryfles bryefly for lyes deceyptes and when those bawdes the Romanystes with suche as they be are fedde and nourysshed with the swete of the poore people But this is but the leaste parte of theyr wycked marchaundyse for other bysshops of theyr complexcyon haue infynyte craftes and moste shameful meanes of gettyng money of whiche we shall hereafter speke more largely yf they beyng offended with this gentle monycyon wyll also vncurtayslye be wroth with me monysshyng theÌ„ so fauourably openly ynough as I suppose And here it is not vnknowen to me what they doo obiecte Is it not ynough nor suffycyent for a prynce saye they to haue meate drynke clothynge excepte he haue also suffycyently wherof he may kepe and maynteyne a garde or bende of men accordynge to the condycyon and estate of a prynce what prynces do in this place obiecte alledge for them selues of the pryncelye state and of prynces courtes aduyse them the Apostle speaketh not of prynces but of bysshops as for these pryncely bysshops bysshoppely prynces he vtterly knoweth nothynge of whiche do begyle the worlde with the name of bysshop with the moste vayne colours of ceremonyes gloues and mytres But therfore Paule and the spyryte of god whiche spake in hym shall not chaunge theyr wordes neyther attempre them selues vnto these prynces but these pryncelyke bysshops shall be fayne to atteÌ„pre and applye them selues in theyr lyuyng accordyng to the mynde of saynt Paule and his wordes or elles they shall not be bysshops nor pastours but mere puppettes vysures I can not here refrayne although I lyste not now great lye to bourde in the rehersall of these thynges but I muste reherse a pleasaunt and merye hystorie An hystory or narracyon It happened vpon a tyme that a certeyn suche maner pryncely bysshop dyd ryde with a royall pompe and goodly company of horsemen as coÌ„menly suche bysshops ar wont to shewe them selues set forthe gaylye and gorgyously euen aboue any worldly or temporall prynces throughe the feldes that laye nere vnto a certeyne vyllage whome when a certeyne shepherde had happely espyed as he rode ouer the feldes he lefte his flocke and dyd ronne vnto hym and starynge and gasyng vpon hym as it had ben one amased he meruayled greatlye at the ryches and the pompe and gorgyousnes which he sawe aboute hym The bysshop seynge hym so gasynge sayde vnto hym what doste thouse here that thou doste meruayle so greatlye Then he as he was an homly rustycall felowe made to hym this playne answere I meruayle sayde he whether saint Martyn dyd vse this same pompe or lyke gorgyousnes and superfluytie To whome the bysshop sayde Forsothe thou arte a starke foole and takest thy marke amysse For saynt Martyne was scacelye one of the vyle and rascall people but I am also a prynce of hygh and noble byrth Then sayd that shepherde agayne I beseche you my lorde wyll you gyue me leaue to speke a worde yea marie sayde the bysshop I gyue the good leaue demaunde what thou wylt Then sayd the shepeherde what yf the deuyll shulde take and bere awaye the prynce shall there remayne any thynge of the bysshop At these wordes that good pryncely bysshop beynge confounded and asshamed departed from the man and rode his way So the Apostle Paule in comparyson of those dukes and Nemrothes Pause was a playne symple craftes man lyuyuge by the worke of his owne haÌ„des And therfore he went somtyme on his feete and preached the gospell all abrode he coulde playe the Apostle but suche a pore and lewde persone as he was could neuer haue played the royall and pryncely bysshop after this fasshyon and the wrathe and the furye of god ¶ The thyrde vertue THese bysshops are content and do suffre that the preachers do publysshe the indulgeÌ„ces bulles of the pope of Rome by whiche the sayd pope doth mercyfully graunt lycence to kepe styll other meÌ„nes goodes goten eyther by robberye and extorcion or elles by some other vnlawfull and myghtye meanes so that some porcyon therof be gyuen to hym to the holy churche of Rome to the proctours and coÌ„myssaryes of the pardones that is to wyt so that them selues also may get some part of the sayd spoyles and wrongfully gotten goodes And here verely I am in doubte with my selfe with what tytle I myght beste garnysshe these so moÌ„struous poyntê of couetousnes and of truthe I am halfe in doubte whether I maye call the pope with his bysshops folowynge and alowynge these thynges dull asses or elles insensyble blockes or elles peuysshe madde and vtterly furyous men whiche with so great shameles boldnes and with so great madnes do not onely exercyse openly so fowle and shameful deceytes but also do in euery couÌ„trey and place teache the same by theyr freers and other relygyous persones sent forthe to preache For god hath coÌ„maunded thou shalt not stele This precept these monsters of Rome with suche other these cruell wylde beastes with meruaylous fyersenes and with
as moche as I am prouoked with so iuste grefe For not without cause we chrysten men doo sorowe with herte and mynde whiche be dayly compelled to se and suffre so shamefull so manyfest and so furyous blasphemye agaynst god For euen this one thynge alone the bysshops were worthy to be far more sore rebuked of me For all thynges what soeuer I am able to saye or to crye out be they neuer so hote so sore and so vehement yet are they to lytle for to expresse scasely the thousande part of so excedynge and vnmeasurable madnes Paule the Apostle dothe boldlye condempne bothe hym selfe and also the aungelles of heuen yf they wolde teache I do not saye any thynge agaynst the gospell any thynge besydes that which is pure gospell what wolde he theÌ„ do now to those meÌ„ whiche do teache not onely besydes the gospell but also with more then fantastycall madnes or with more then deuylysshe boldnes do openly teache thynges contrary to the gospell And let no man thynke it to be spoken agaynst the ecclesyastycal state agaynst true bysshops or good pastours He rebuketh no vertuous estates what soeuer is sayd agaynst these tyrauntes Let no man thynke it to be sayde or done agaynst the heddes and gouernours of Chrystes churche what soeuer is sayde or done agaynst these slouthefull ydle and sluggysshe beastes gyuen all to the belye For they are not bysshops but playne Idoles and dumbe ymages / ydle puppettes vysurê blockes / shadowes / dysguysed game players / which do not so moche as knowe what this worde Episcopus / that is to saye bysshoppe dothe sygnyfye / so farre of they be from knowynge what is the offyce or duytie of a bysshoppe / wylte thou that I tell the at one worde what they are wolues they are tyrauntes / traytoures / manquellers / moÌ„sters of the worlde burdeynes of the earthe / the apostles of Antechryste graueÌ„ made to corrupte and destroye the worlde and to extincte destroy the gospell And to vtter at ones what I thynke Lo I wyll here playe the bedell or coÌ„men cryer Be it knowen to al men that the bysshoppes of Rome with theyr clyentes bysshops which do now exercyse tyranny vpon so many cyties in moste ample and large domynyon are not bysshops by the ordynacyon of god but by errour and by the seduccyon of the deuyll and by the tradycyons of men Wherfore without doubte they are the messangers and vycars of Satan yf I do not shew and proue this by so euydent testymonyes that myne enemyes shall be constrayned to confesse this verytie and that euen them selues so that they do meanely repent and waxe wyse can not denye it then let theÌ„ be bysshops then let me be thoughte to do iniurye vnto them Fyrste Paule wryteth vnto Tite that he shulde constytute and ordeyne presbyte ros in euery towne presbyter Here I suppose that no man can denye that all one thynge is sygnyfyed by this worde bresbyter and by this worde Episcopus in saynt Paules wrytinges for as moch as he dothe bydde Tite that he shulde in euery cytie constytute presbyteros And because a bysshop ought to be vnreproueable therfore he calleth hym presbyterum It is euydeÌ„t therfore what Paule doth sygnyfye meane by this worde Episcopus Episcopus bysshop that is to saye a man excellently good vertuous of rype age whiche also hath a chaste wyfe and chyldren obedyent in the feare of the lorde And the Apostle wyll that he shulde haue the ouersyghte and gouernaunce of the congregacyon in the mynysterye of the worde and the admynystracyon of the sacramentes Wherfore it is necessarye also that he be learned and well exercysed in the scriptures and also as touchyng his lyfe vnreproueable I beseche the is there any man here so moche a stone that he can eyther denye these wordes of the apostle or elles wrest them to any other sense yf he do consydre and waye well the wordes that goo before and that folowe after Besydes this it pleaseth me here to aske one question whether the worde of saynte Paule be the worde of god whether the ordynacyon of the Apostle be the ordynaunce of god For I am assured that neyther the pope neyther the deuyll hym selfe althoughe bothe of them do busylye stryue labour all that euer they can to extyncte destroy the worde of god dare denye this the Paules worde is goddes worde the worde of saynte Paule and that Paules ordynacyon is the instytucyon and ordynaunce of the spyryte of god For albeit that the worde of god doth greatly greue the deuyll yet he dare not denye it but onely he vseth these subteltyes and deuylysshe craftes that vnder the colour and cloke of the worde of god and vnder hypochrysie he may doo entrepryse all thynges contrarye to the worde yf then it be the worde of god and the ordynacion of the holy ghoste what soeuer Paule doth saye or ordeyne it foloweth that what soeuer thynge is done contrary to his worde and ordynacion the same is done agaynst god and contrarye to the ordynaunce of the holy ghoste Nowe yf it be agaynst god and his spyryte vndoubtedly it is of the deuyll Coulde this thynge be any more clere coulde it be more euydeÌ„t is there yet any thyng wherof any man may doubt For how can god be coÌ„trarye to hym selfe seynge that Chryst sayth that Luce. vi EUen the deuyll hym selfe is not repugnaunt nor contrarye to hym selfe SEcondarely it foloweth that all chrysten men are bounden vnder payne of goddes indygnacyon and of euerlastyng deathe to maynteyne defende the worde ordynaunce of god which saynt Paule doth teache And contrary wyse agayne they are as moch boundeÌ„ to impugne to destroy to ouerthrowe and vtterly to extyncte the ordynaunce of the deuyll whiche is so repugnaunt and contrarye to god and his ordynaunce and let them speÌ„de about this yf nede requyre as when they shall be called by the hygh powers both theyr goodes and theyr frendes and also theyr lyfe and theyr bloode or els they can not extyncte and destroy it at the least wyse let them eschewe it and flee from it as from abhominacyon and from the deuyll hym selfe This thyng verely is open and manyfest For all thynges are to be forsaken for the defence and mayntenaunce of the worde of god that his wyll may be fulfylled both in heueÌ„ and in earthe and the errours of the deuyll are to be plucked vp by the rootes afore all thynges to the vttermost of our power Herunto now take you hede you bisshops For in as moche as ye delyte so moche in bulles I shall reade vnto you a bull of a newe makynge I pray god it may please you ¶ The bulle of the author and reformacyon ALl men who soeuer they be whiche by all honest lawfull meanes do spende bestowe theyr goodes honour bloode lyfe to the ende that these bysshoprykes so pompous and
do bynde nothynge at all Do you not knowe by open experyence that this moste vngracyous and verye deuelyshe tradicy on of syngle lyfe and chastyte is impossyble to be kept of preestes and that throughe it the whole worlde is fylled with fornycacyons and adulteryes And yet for all this you moste vncharitable persones that euer were syns the world fyrst beganne do for most fylthy lucre and auayle constrayne and dryue selye wretched consciences to synne and to assured destruccyon / you se and perceyue playnely yea in a maner you feele it that this chastyte of syngle lyfe can not be obserued and kepte and yet you do compell dryue meÌ„ to kepe it without any necessytie O you most cruell tormentours of consciences howe do you embrue how do you pollute and defyle your handes in the bloode of innocent persones O howe sore an accompte shall you gyue of your tyrannye Besydes this it is euydent ynoughe that all those humayne tradicyons of syngle lyfe and forbyddyng matrymonye are the doctrynes as the apostle calleth them of the deuylles / as it is proued and declared by those places a lytle before alledged of his epystles to Tite Timothe / as in the thyrde chapytre of the fyrst epystle to Timothe ABysshop ought to be the husbande of one wyfe THis is the instytucyon and ordynaunce of god This is the constitucyon promulged and publysshed by the apostle Paule Wherfore it can not be otherwyse but that all that doctryne is of the deuyll what soeuer is taught or elles commaundyd by any lawes contrarye to it For god is not contrary to hym selfe neyther dothe he proue hym selfe a lyer / lykewyse as the scrypture hathe all this in euery place and dothe also compelle euery man be he neuer so blynde to confesse it so also euery man is compelled to confesse that the lawe of the pope concernynge the syngle lyfe of preestes is openlye agaynste the ordynacyon of Paule and of god Are not these thynges clere ynoughe are not they euydent ynoughe to you you blynde and gydes of the blynde I saye go to searche all your wyttes and do the beste that you can What can you allege or bryng here for your selfe What dare you euen profer to speake here agaynste Are not your harde forehedes of iyerne and your brasen neckes nowe at the laste ashamed when it dothe come to your mynde and rememberaunce that you doo with so great tyranny compelle so many conscyences to obserue the commaundement and doctryne of the deuyll agaynst the ordynauÌ„ce coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t of god The thyrde place of the apostle is in the .iiii. chapytre of the fyrste epystle to Timothe THe spirite speaketh of a suertye that in the laste dayes certeyne men shal shrynke away from the fayth gyuynge hede to the doctrynes of deuylles TO there the apostle calleth those doctrynes of deuylles whiche do forbyd matrimony / the apostle dothe not there speke of the Tacianes so as that most wretched folysshe wryter went aboute to ymagyne in that bare vnfrutefull trifelynge treatyse entyteled / de loco petri / that is to say of the place of Peter The here sye of the TacyaÌ„es For the Tacianes dyd prohibite matrymony as a thyng euyl of it owne nature as synne But Paule speaketh of them which do only prohybyte matrymonye and do not also condempne dysalowe it as synne / lykewyse as the papistes do also prohybite certayne meates and yet they do not accompte it for synne to eate these meates or those meates So also the pope dothe not saye as the Tacianes dyd the wedlocke is synne / neyther doth he saye that to eate egges or to eate flesshe is synne / but he doth onlye prohybyte theÌ„ to make a deceyptfull coloure hyprocrysye of great holynes as saynt Paule saythe IN hypocrysye they do speke lesynges and of the doctrines of deuylles FOr as moche then as these thre places of Paule as beynge the worde of the souerayne maiestye and of god do abyde stonde as styfly as it were a brasen walle or a great rocke and do also effectually and myghtelye proue that the tradycyon of this syngle lyfe agaynste the ordenaunce of god is doctryne of deuylles as it is playnely expressed in the wordes of Paule then it resteth and remayneth that the preestes which can not contayne lyue chast with a bolde mynde and a very fre conscience do here betake them selues to these wordes of god / yea euen those also whiche haue no nede of a wyfe yet ought nowe to marye a wyfe only to shame and scorne the deuyl and this his so renomed and poysoned doctrine And you also excellent prelates yf you had leuer be the apostles of cryste then of Sathan ought stoutely and manfully to labour and do your endeuour to plucke vp those stues aboute your churches that that preestes myght mary / but here you wyll obiecte and allege for your selues that preestes when they were consecrated dyd swere to lyue sole without wyues Fayre wordes I beseche you / haue I not sayde here before and is it not proued with many argumentes in other places that all the vowes whiche are made contrarye to the precepte and ordynaunce of god are of none effecte / and that they are to be forsaken and broken vndre the payne of eternall indygnacyon and dredefull wrathe of god the vowe of lyuiÌ„ge syngle Now that suche vowes of abst aynynge from matrymonye hathe bene made and of all men is made contrary to the precept and indyngnacion of god it is certeyne vndoubted The prestes do vowe to the pope and not to god Besydes this the preestes do not vowe theyr vowe to god but to the pope / but to the tradycyoÌ„s of man / and therfore men ought to dyssolue it / For suche maner vowe dothe neuer come nor apperteyneth any thynge at all to god Wherfore there is no ieoê‘dy at al of conscience in that matyer yf preestes do wedde laufull wyues but those hypochrytes maskers and mummers do of them selues fayne ymagyne I wote not what perelles and ieoperdyes of helthe and saluacyon euen as spyders do of theÌ„ selues make theyr webbes / agayne on the other syde whoredome in whiche are mere daungers of soules vnchast places suÌ„ptuously buelded aboute theyr churches these thynges they do sell for money / do permytte all men to vse them at theyr lybertye vnpunysshed so that they do gyue paye somwhat Are not these then holy pastours excellent bysshoppes They crucyfye chryste let Barrabas the erraunt thefe go at lybertye Wo wo wo be to them onles they amende What can I do more I monysshe them and crye vnto them and to all that do holde with them that they shuld repent and ameÌ„de and that they shulde take hede to them selues for the ingement of god doth not slacke / god wyll not alwayes suffre the contempte of his worde NOwe fynally I wyll gentelye and