the glorious name of god which delyvereth vs froÌ„ all evils The second is the flesshe where of it is writeÌ„ The flesshe lusteth coÌ„trary to the sprete / Gala. v the sprete coÌ„trary to the flesshe These are coÌ„trarye one to the other so that ye caÌ„ not do that which ye wolde The flesshe is called not only the desyres of the flesshe but all thinges that we do / thinke or speake / yee our hole body / soule reason / with the cheffe and hyghest powers of them / yf they be not led and gowerned with the sprete of God The sprete is every outward aÌ„d inward worke that a maÌ„ havinge faith aÌ„d cherite which are the frutes and gyftes of the sprete Gala. v. doth worke seakinge spirituall thiÌ„ges This sprete beareth witnes vnto oure sprete that we are the children of god / Roma viij for he that hath not this sprite of Christ / is none of his kingdome But is the boÌ„d seruaÌ„t of synne / vnder which he is subdewed and remayneth captive vnder the lawe ij Pet. il Roma vi Roma vij But ye deare brothren are made dead as concerninge the lawe / by the bodye of Christ / that ye shuld be coupled to him that is rysen agayn from death / that we shuld bringe forth frute vnto god / for when we were vnder the lawe / the lustes of synne which were sturred vppe by the lawe raigned in oure membres / to bringe forth frute vnto death But now are we delivered from the lawe / and dead from it / where vnto ne were in bondage that we shuld serve in anew conversation of the sprete / and not in the old coÌ„uersatioÌ„ of the letter We knowe that the flesshly mind is enmyte against God Roma vij For it is not obedient to the lawe of God nether can be / so that they which are geven to the flessh can not please god We knowe that every maÌ„ is tempted / drawne awaye / and entyesed of his awne concupicence / Iaco. j. and when this concupiscence and lust hath conceaved / she bringeth forth synne / And synne when it is fine sched bringeth forthe death We knowe that as longe as we lyve in this world we carye aboute with vs the old man of synne / which with out he be with contynuall diligeÌ„ce suppressed aÌ„d mortifyed beseageth the new maÌ„ with his venom and concupiceÌ„ces which is original synne planted as naturall ye in him as venom in a serpeÌ„ts toth / syth theÌ„ we can not be with out this old maÌ„ of synne for the which / no man shal be iustified in the sight of god / i. Ioan. j for which Yff we saye that we haue no synne we are lyers / and the trueth is not in vs. For the which also / yf we profite neuer so hygh / yet must we ever saye forgeve vs / Math. vj father oure trespases yet let vs do oure diligeÌ„ce / callinge for the sprete of god / that this coÌ„cupiscence raigne not in oure mortall bodye ever knowleginge with a milde harte oure iniquites to oure father which is in heveÌ„ / Io. vi for he is faithfull iust / i. Ioan. j to remitte vs oure synnes / and to purge vs from all iniquite / thorow the bloude of Iesu Christe his sonne The third which other alone / or els chesly is counted Antichrist / because he resisteth the personall coÌ„minge of Christ in the fleshe for oure redemption / is the world / of the which it is writhen Yf the world hate yow / ye knowe that it hath hated me before you / yf you were of the world / the world wold loue that that is his awne because ye are not of the world but i have chosen you out of the world / therfore hateth you the world / and sanct Ioan exhortteth his brothers like a faithfull minister of Christ sayinge i. Ioan .ij. Se that you love not the world / nether the thinges that are in the world / if eny / man love the world the love of the father is not in him / for all that is in the worlde as the lust of the flesshe the lust of the eyes / and the pride of this lyffe is not of the father but of the world The world in this place is vnderstond for theÌ„ that are carnall carnallie minded / for these trulye are Antichristes But how shall we prove that / sith sanct Ioan seameth contrarye / i. Ioan. iiijj where he sayeth / Derely beloved beleve not every sprete / but prove the spretes whether they are of god or no / for many false prophetes are gone out iÌ„ to the world / hereby shall ye know the sprete of god Every sprete that confesseth that Iesus Christ is comeÌ„ in the flessh / is of god And everie sprete which confesseth not / that Iesu Christ is come in the flesshe is not of god / this is that sprete of Antichriste / of whom you have harde how â—hat he shuld come / eveÌ„ now all redye is he in the world what shall we now saye / Doth the world confesse that Iesus Christ is come in the flesshe yee verely / how shall they theÌ„ be Antichristes Ioan. â— Truely by sanct Paules expounding of this place where he saith / They confesse that they know god / but with dedes they denye him / And are abominable / and disobedient / and vnto all good workes discommendable Do they saye that they know him and denye him in workes yee truely / let vs then also note what sancte IoaÌ„ sayeth / he that sayeth I know hiÌ„ / i. Ioan. â— kepeth not his coÌ„mauÌ„dmeÌ„tes / is a lyer and the verite is not in him To know the lord is to have perfect fayth in him And perfect fayth hath with hiÌ„ sure hope cherite / of these foloweth the fulfillinge of the coÌ„mauÌ„dmites necessarylye / EveÌ„ as the light foloweth the fyre / how be it here had we nâ—de to make a division / for the world hath two sortes of Antichristes The one sorte are in greate power authorite / the other in subiectioÌ„ The one obdurate reproved / the other waÌ„deringe out of the right way untill it shall please the father to drawe theÌ„ vnto grace Ioan. vi The one resistiÌ„ge for subbornesse knowing the trueth so sinne agaynst the holy goste / the other only for ignoraÌ„cye transgresse the preceptes / these will I not speake of because there come not so great ioperdyes perels of theÌ„ / coÌ„mittinge theÌ„ only vnto the provision of god / desyringe hiÌ„ / that his wil be fulfilled to shew his glorye in them The first I will thouch some whate i. Ioan. ij Not for to teach them which are chosen of god for they have an oyntemeÌ„t of the holy gost know all thiÌ„ges And nede not that enyman teach theÌ„ But only to monyssh theÌ„ of that
to one person / syth that he wolde that by Antichriste shuld be meanyde the hole bodye multitude of wycked meÌ„ with all their succession and imperye / for so in the .viij. of Daniel a ramme dothe signifye the kingdome of the Perses And a gote the kingdome of the Grecyans Danie vliâ— Where as he sayth that after the ende of foure kingdomes of the which the laste is the Romayns myghtye with swerde this kynge shall ryse / trewly he towchyth that / that the tyrannye of the Pope dyd begynne after that the imperye of Rome began to decay / yee of the imperye of Rome and in the imperye it is spronge And is succedyd and entered / in the stede of the imperye / as it is evydent by all storyes / and this present experience doth also shew it vs / which also the apostle dyd prophecye before in the .ij. of the seconde pistle to the Tessalonyans saynge Onlye he the holdeth let hym now hold / â— Thess ii vntyll it be taken out of the way / and then shall that wicked be vtteryd and so furthe The name of the imperye of Rome was translated to the Germanes / when there was no imperye in dede / how be it this was an occasion by the which this man was elevatyd and set vp / above all kynges / above all Busshopes / above heven and erthe / and so fixed and stablisshed his kingdome in his awne hande and power / cownterfeytinge to stablisshe this lye a bull both false and folyssh which was of the gyfte of Constantine Danie viij ¶ TraÌ„gression sinne invadinge comiÌ„ge apoÌ„ theÌ„ / that is as Sanct HieroÌ„ did say whan iniquyte and vice do encrease / teachinge manyfestly that this is a kingdome of the furye of God / and shall come for sinne And Paule for the same cawse bringith in the sonne of perdition / saynge they have not receavid the love of the trueth / that they might have bene saved ij Tess ij â–ª And therfore God shall send them stronge delusion that they shuld beleve lyes that all they myght be damned / which beleved not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrightuousnes / the apostle doth sufficiently expresse in these wordes what maner of vnrightewesnes and offenses they are / which also Daniel in the hebrew doth call peschaim / Danie viij which worde hath a notable propertye and secret signification / for it doth signifye a brekinge of the commaundement / an offence / a departinge from the fayth / iiij Reg. i as in the .j. of the fourth boke of kinges Moab departyde from the fayth of Israel Esaie j. And in the firste of Esai I have norysshid vp and exalted children / aÌ„d they have transgressed my commaundemeÌ„t As it is also sayd in the .v. Psalme Psalm v Accordinge to te multitude of their vngodlinesse / and vices / expell them x. Thess ii And Paule in this place copiously doth saye that they will not receave the love of trueth / and also that they will not beleve the trueth / but beleve lyes Ever meaninge the vice of doctrines / opinions / and departinge from the fayth / as he sayd before / except there come a departinge first j. Timoth. iiij And in the .iiij. to Timothe The sprete speakyth evidently that in the latter tymys / some shall departe from the fayth / aÌ„d shall gyve hede to spretes of erroure / and agayne They shall turne theyr hearinge from the trueth The trueth in this place according vnto his maner he callyth the fayth of Christ which also the hebrew tounge doth / devydinge the trueth by contradiction from hypocrisy faynid godlinesse / Ephesi iiij as in the .iiij. to the Ephesians let vs folow the trueth in love and in all thinges growe in him And agayne / put on that newe man which after a goodly wyse is shapen in rightewesnes and true holynes reprovinge the rightewesnes of vanyte and glorious superstition Danie viij Daniel therfore callyth not this word / â—eschaim any maner of sinne / but those speciall and cheff sinnes which resist / aÌ„d fight agaynst the trueth and the fayth / as are the trustyng in workes / superstitiousnes / ceremonyse by the which we decay from the fayth / which alone doth truely iustifye make holye / as Paule doth warne before in the .iij. to the Collossians / aÌ„d in many other places Collos iij And sheweth that he prophesid before that they wold not receave the love of trueth that is to say / ii Thess ij they shall not love the trueth which is in fayth / Exodi xvi Psalm cvâ— but with the children of Israel they shall abhorre this light meate / and desire flessh / that is to say / they shall be tournyd to fables and mennes traditions / wherfore we can applye these iniquites to none of the olde heretikes But only to the traditions of men / and wicked iustice for the old heretikes did contend and strive in the holye scripture But this kynge shall regne with out scripture by his awne traditions aÌ„d doctrines Danie viij Therfore Daniel sayth that transgressions shall darken them And all the hole scripture / chefly Paule / dothe impute this blindnes / darknes / and ignorancye / to nothinge els but to the vngodly and wicked presumption of oure awne iustice and workes as it is evident to them which reade his epistles Ioannis iii. And Christ for that cawse callyth him silf the light that the faith in him doth lighten and iustifie all men Therfore it is clere that this kinge shuld be after christ was preachid / ageynst the lighteniÌ„g of the gospell / with the which the world was illuminate / for where he sayth that they shuld be darkened with trangressions / it is to be supposid that thy shuld be lightenyd before which can not be verefied in those kingdomes that were before Christ / for they coulde not be darkenid which were never lightened / nother coulde they decline from the ryght way which never walked in it But it is meanid of those tymes in the which Christe also did prophesye abomination to come / in a maner with the same wordes / saynge Dâ—â— / xxiiii Be cawse iniquite shall have the vpper hand / the love of many shall abate ij Cess ij And Paul sayth / that all they might be damned which beleved not the trueth / But had pleasure in vnrightewesnes ij Petre ii And Petre in the .ij. of his seconde pistle doth reprove with most sharpe wordes the returninge agayn of them to theyr vomet which shall be in the last tymes And almost he only of all the other dothe expounde and declare what iniquite it is that shall abounde / and with which men shall be darkenyd sayng There were false prophetes amonge the people even as there shal be false teachers amonge you which prevely shall bringe in
he had bene an heretike that had receaved both but now sith he doth not forbed it / aÌ„d so ordeneth no sinne in the receavinge / but rather doth orden both partes to be receaved / his vicaâ—e in a thinge not forbed / but lawfull and fre / yee aÌ„d ordened of Christ hiÌ„silf / hath made not onlye synne but also hyghe heresye Nether so is Antichrist knoweÌ„ / but is yet worshupped / as the vicare of God O the rowghnes of the wrath aÌ„d furye of god Playnly I thinke that the hole is takeÌ„ away sith I se manifestly on parte gone for the bred and the wine is but one sacrameÌ„t the other is left only for a laughinge stocke / for he that in one parte offendeth against god is giltye in all / except paraventure god by his secreate iudgemeÌ„t hath reserved it in the faith / with out any outward receavinge of the sacramente Therfore it were better to receâ—ve nether of the partes then the one alone / for so we might the more suerly eschew the traÌ„sgression of that which Christ did institute Yet he not satisfied with this his furye setting a most cruell and deadly snare to tangle the consciences / suffereth not the vse of this sacrament to be fre But compelleth all to gedder on one certaine daye ons in the yeare to communicate Here I pray the good ChristeÌ„ brother / how many dost thow thinke do excommunicate only by the compulsion of this precept which truely in their harte had lever not to communicate And all these synne for they do not communicate in sprete / that is to say nether in faith nor will / but by the compulsion of this letter and lawe syth that this bred requireth a hungery harte / and not a full / aÌ„d moch lesse a disdayning and hatefull mind And of all these synnes the Pope is author constrayning all men by his most cruell lawe to theyr awne destruction / where as he ought to leve this communion fre to every man / and only call and exhorte them vn to it / not coÌ„pelle and dryve them to it Consider well / whether by this occasion the world be not replenisshed with synnes vpe to heveÌ„ And with this floude ynough destroyed So he doth not only despoyle vs of oure sacrameÌ„t / but also that which he leveth vs / he ordereth on that maner / that thorow the occasion of it he fulfilleth the world with sinne / and so bringeth vs vnto destruction How be it he doth moch more mocke aÌ„d illude the prestes for fyrst he turneth the masse which is a sacrament and testament / to be reputed for a benefite and good work by the which prestes shuld make sacrifice for synnes / and shuld helpe the qwicke and deade in all tribulations Chalenging vn to him filf by this fayned lye all ryches / glorye / and powers of the world So that now the masse is clene vnprofitable vn to oure healthe / and is only of value for luker vnder this incredible perversite and vngodlinesse / forthermore they make a sacrifice of it / By the which they do well and geve thankes vnto God / as though he had nede of oure goodnesse / of whom we receave all thinges / playnly this weked perversite passeth all sense and wordes / and yet hath it beseaged / yee and oppressed the hole worlde Thierdly / he maketh a private thinge of a comen / for the masse in both partes never ought to be suffered vn to one maÌ„ / sith that Christ wold have it comen / so that the prest executinge shuld communicate both partes vn to some congregation gadered vn to him How be it now the prest celebratinge doth communicate only to him silf both partes And yet in the meane ceason he doth communicate and applye spiritually the fruere of the masse vn to whoÌ„ so ever he will that is to saye he dreameth that he doth coÌ„municate some thinge as though it were a good worke sacrifice And so where it ought to be receaved comeÌ„lye / he only doth receave it / aÌ„d yet not as the gifte of god to possesse it / but as his awne gifte to offer it O what profund sees of synnes / abound in this one sacrament Good lorde / how fewe / or rather none are there which vse it lawfullye as Christ did orden it / and as his apostles kepte it Auriculare confession The same and like madnes doth corrupte all thinges in the auriculare confession of oure sinnes / for first / sith this confession is a thinge verye holesume / it ought to be fre for oure new lawe which is the gospell will not suffer any lawe of compulsion / but only of councell and exhortation But so many synnes doth the Pope make / and so many soules doth he condeme / as are confessed against their willes how ofteÌ„ so ever it be / for when they confesse thorow the compulsion of the Popes lawe their mind resisteth his lawe And so do they synne / belevinge in their weke and wretched conscience that they are bounde of necessite to confesse them selves / and yet confesse they against their willes / and knowlege their sinnes with their mouthes and not with their hartes / that is to say faynedly And so offend grevouslye Now consider substantiallye what surges and waues the Pope hath excitate in the world by this one lawe of compelled confession How manye is there that with a glad and fre harte confesse them selves Yet no maÌ„ doth thinke that this is sinne / in so moch the all men perissh or they beware thorow this same sonne of perdition abominable man of synne And to th entent that this profoundite of sinnes and perditions shuld be greatter / he compelleth also that the offenses which are coÌ„mitted against his lawe shuld be confessed / yee and that chefly of all / with all the differences of synnes / kindes / natures / doughters / nesys / branches / circunstances / aÌ„d infinite other abominations / in so moch that the most spirituall maÌ„ of all / shuld here begyne to synne aÌ„d perisshe / that is to say coÌ„fesse against his will / for this sentence stoÌ„deth firme and stable / he that doth a thinge against his will doth it not And againe CoÌ„pelled servises please not god Sith theÌ„ the Pope hath no nede of these lawes / but only to stablissh and encreasse his tyrannye it is evident that he is the author of infinite synnes and infinite perditioÌ„s / while that by his lawes / he geveth a greate occasion of evill to weake and froward coÌ„sciences / which thinke them self to be bound vn to the fulfilling of his lawes / for if a man beleve that he is bounde / and doth not fulfill that which he thinketh him silf bound to with harte aÌ„d miÌ„de / he doth sinne with out câ—asinge as Paule saieth in the .xiiij. Roma xiiij to the Romayns he that maketh conscience is damned if he eate
it were possible / even the chosen shuld be brought in to erroure And here doth he monissh vs that the elect shall not be brought in to erroure all though they be deceaved that is to saye that errour shall not vtterly subdew them / and hold them perpeally / but that at the lest in death they shal be redemed Like as in the pater noster it is not the will of god that we shuld not be tempted with diverse temptations / but that we-shall not be brought in to temptations / that is to saye that we shuld not be overcome / and holden perpetually vnder temptation / for the righteous man falleth .vij. tymes / how be it he lyeth not still / but ryseth as often againe Even so I doute not but that sanct Barnarde / Francisce / Dominike and many other holy men and women have erred as concerning the Pope not perceaving his kingdome of faces / and so approvinge many of his actes / or els they wold have resisted them with the worde of God / how be it his tyme was not then come In this numbre I couÌ„te also BonaveÌ„ture which passeth all other with out coÌ„parison in the vehemeÌ„cye of sprete which have bene reserved of all vniversites Among these may be numbred saint Thomas aquinas / if he be a saÌ„cte / for truly I doute of it greatly / because he savoreth nothiÌ„ge of the sprete of god I say all these holye men have ben deceaved / folowinge the abominatioÌ„ of the pope / how be it / it was with out pertinacite stubbornesse / and were delivered froÌ„ it / at the lest in death Therfore if he deceave corrupte the chosen / all though he can not retaine theÌ„ in his pernicyous illusion / what shall we thiÌ„ke is done of the other which are not only deceaved / but also stobbornlye defend their errour for godlines O what a weake argument is this which the papistes do gether of the dedes and workes of holy meÌ„ Sotinge after their old maner / syth that Daniell doth prophesye that he shall corrupte stronge men / and the people which are holye / he speaketh not of fained sainctes / for Christ expoundinge him calleth theÌ„ the chosen Therfore we must put confidence in no man vsinge an example of the holye meÌ„ / but only sticke to the suer testimony of scripture / and vn to the trueth / he hath destroyed Ioan husse / and Hierome / and I can not tell what other / but I know not whether I may refarre that vnto this place / be cause he destroyed only their bodyes aÌ„d not theyr soules / for I thinke he speaketh here of spirituall corruption And how shuld not painted visars / clokes faces / other deceatfull illusions as Paule sayeth hypocrisye of his awne traditioÌ„s / rather prospere in his haÌ„de then the trueth of the gospell / sith he corruptinge the streÌ„gth of the scripture / of all the good authores of it / is only stablisshed by the example of a fewe sanctes stoÌ„dinge on his side what may not he prosperously bringe to passe / sith that now not only his faces rydles / the is to saye his deceates / but also they whom thou knowledgest to be sanctes make for his purposse who dare here once qwinch / against him / sith that his lyeinge cloke is holpe with the trueth / his hypocrisye with holines / his deceat with simplicite / And his iniquite with godlines O this parilous times / most worthye for the last dayes / wher as to the reprobate parsons all thinges are turned in to evill / yee though they seame never so good As coÌ„trarye to the chosen all thinges worke for the best / though they seame never so evill / and this is done thorow the sprete of god / even as the first is done thorow the spret of Sathan as the apostle prophesyed Let him now go that dare aÌ„d live with out eny regard trustinge in the sainges and deades of his forfathers / No doute / here Daniell meaneth SathaÌ„ / when he sayeth that deceate shall prospere in this kinges hand / for he is not mighty in his awne power / Nether shall his awne hand order and directe his deceate / but Sathan shall led his hande and so shall deceate be directed in his hand How could he better have described the kingdome aÌ„d workes of the pope which is nothinge but very deceate and yet prevaileth so prosperously / that even with open lyes and tryfels he blindeth and deceaveth the folissh worlde / as it is evident ynough though it wer but only in the pardons / for what so ever the Pope dare take vpon him / be it never so abominable a lye / it prospereth effectuously Therfor the deceate which is in his haÌ„d doth chefly pertayne vnto the corruptinge of the scripture / for here he hath cast doune the sterres of heven / and trode them vnder his feate / and in his deceate how fortune hath favored him / experience doth playnly bere wittnes For what so ever he wold have / that spake he in expoundinge scripture And what so ever he sayd in his exposition / that was counted for an oracle of god / and so is reputed vnto this day In so moch that it is not lawfull nether with reasons / nether with scriptures / nother yet with manifest experiences to affirme eny thinge agaynst it / on till it have taken awaye the comen sense of mannes nature from all men / hath attemted soch thinges / which if the gentils in the old time shuld ever have done / meÌ„ wold have sayd that they had bene starke mad Now after that all these thinges did prosper luckely with him / so that nether faith / nether the sprete / nether yet the authorite of the scripture might resist him theÌ„ what remayned but that which foloweth â—anie viij And in his awne harte he shal be exalted ¶ For there is no man but now the pope preferreth him silf above him / There is no maÌ„ but he dare be bold to commaund him all thinges / he will subdewe all thiÌ„ges vnderneth him silf ScaÌ„t admittiÌ„ge hyghe emperours and kinges to the kysse of his blessed feate Nether is there eny maÌ„ whom he will have equal with him in the erthe be he never so holye aÌ„d well learned Finally he beinge no apostle but a very bisshoppe if he be that fare vnder the dignite of the apostles / maketh him silf equal with sanct Peter The prince of all men The emperour in all spirituall as they call them and temporall thinges The lord of the world For in Peter he will that he hath receaved the right authorite / of the erthly and hevenly emperye And that do his .iij. crownes / pride / aÌ„d waÌ„tonnesse / testifye which passe all the vayne presumptions in the world Thus doth the vicare of poore Christ / and successor of Peter / present their parsons and