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
mischevouse ennimye of the chirch / this folissh hardye despisare of the fathers / this pestilent deceaver of the people And yet this is no nother but that Petre doth say / by whom the waye of trueth shal be blasphemed â—â— Petri. ij Wherfore Psalm ix For the way of their vanite is coÌ„mended / as the .ix. Psalme doth saye Bycause the weked is praysed in the desieres of his soull / and the vniust reioysinge in him silf hath blasphemed the lord How effectuously doth this chirch of the Pope ful fill this prophesye now adays / which also accomplisshith all thinges that were writeÌ„ in the prophetes / of sotle false / and lieinge prophetes / masters / shepardes / iustitiares / which have infinite other names And these shuld have the cheffe ruell and imperye towardes the ende of the worlde ii Petri. ii And thorow covetousnes shall they with fained wordes make marchandise of you This is so evidently done / by bullys / Pardones / Decrees / Prestes / and soch other / that this place neadith no glosse / what is now a dayes the office and administration of the hole clergye / But covetousnes And that with dissimulation Not only pretendinge a cloke of godlines / but also defiling by abvsion the holy and pure wordes of God / for they do all abvse these wordes / God / Christ the Sprete / the Chirch / Righteousnes / good workes and Merites For they do not applye theÌ„ to fayth / but to their awne actyoÌ„s / so that the people vnderstoÌ„dith theÌ„ fare otherwyse the the scripture meanith It is fained what so ever they preach / for they preache not faith / if they did preach faith / their sectes shuld sone decay and vanissh awaye In the meane ceasone they have deceaved the people / and brought them clene out of their mindes by their clokyd illusions / and despoile them of all their goodes and possessions And live them silf with full stuffed belies / idle / riche / mighty / full of honour / and verye gloriouse And yet the holy name of god must serve these monstres / for they must be called holy religious But let vs returne to Daniel / where we shall here moare of this abhominable kingdome / for this shall be sufficieÌ„t for a prohemye And truely he doth declare vs a mervelous and monstruous kingdome / which vtterly can be applied to none of the kingdomes that ever have bene in the world / nor shal be Bycawse that he prevailith with soch armure and strength / as hath not be hard of / goinge a boute new thiÌ„ges And trewly all that he doth are new aÌ„d mervelouse There shall stond a kinge mighty in faces ¶ Herome did traÌ„slate it / vnshamefacyd but the hebrew doth say mightye in faces A kinge shall stond / he meanyth not one parson but a hole kingdome / nother vnderstondith he a shorte ceason of that kingdome / But a great and longe succession of kinges / for Christ saith / Math. xxiiij when ye shall se abomination stonding in the holye place / that is to say / fixed / stablisshed / and streÌ„gthyde by many adherentes And Paule makith the sonne of perditioÌ„ not to goo / but to sytte in the temple of god Here is a mervelous power of this moÌ„struous kinge / which is mighty not with hornes / nother nayles / nother swerd / nor armure But with faces / fare vnlike all other kiÌ„ges Nother sayth he mighty with one face / but with many faces Wherfore this prophecye can not be applied to the Turke nother to any kingdome which is goten with strengthe and armure / for soch are figured by tethe / hornes and nailes Nother is it the kingdome of Christ / which clene with outen outward face coÌ„sistith in the sprete And figâ— the with a spirituall home / which is the word of god So that this kingdome shall nether bespirituall nother seculare / nother goten by any soch provideÌ„ce Wherwith theÌ„ â—rewly with faces / that is to say by outward clokinge / apperance / and poÌ„pe / to vse fewe wordes with superstitioÌ„s / customes ceremonies which are shewed ovtwardly In clothinge meates / persones / houses / behaveours / and soch life AmoÌ„ge all these faces apparences / superstitioÌ„ hpocrisye which is a cloke of godlines a face of religioÌ„ is most mighty acceptable / therfore it is most noysome / for the wordly faces and buetes / whether they be of maides / yonge meÌ„ / riches / freÌ„des / playes / or what so ever they are / do not so drawe / take / hold meÌ„ But these their ceremones / by cause they couÌ„terfet godly thiÌ„ges preteÌ„d ovtward tokins / of thinges everlastinge / they take deceave theÌ„ that are most wyse / holy mighty / yee somtime the verye chosen children of god There fore it is verye plaine evideÌ„t that this kinge shal be Antichrist / that is to say an adversarye to christ / his kiÌ„gdome / for Christ is a kiÌ„ge mighty in trueth / an extreme adversarye to faces clokes / as we se in the gospell And this kinge is mighty in faces / an extreme adversary of the trueth / therfore it is not with owt a greate cawse that the apostles Petre Paule / do so ofteÌ„ remeÌ„bre vs of this worde / trueth / feare vs froÌ„ the faces for so Paule did prophesye in the secoÌ„de pistle ji Timeth iii to Timothe expounding this place â—i Timoth. iij Men shall be lovers of their awne selves / it folowith haviÌ„ge a similitude of good liviÌ„ge / but have denied the power there of The firste face Now let vs coÌ„sider the kingdome of the Pope / and first the face of the persones / tel me yf thou caÌ„ what impery ever had soch and so many clene decte aÌ„d appareld felowes / first loke on the Pope him silf so proude and glorious with his iii. crownes / with his mervelouse pompe apparell / and noyse of his howsolde / then the Cardinalles with their pompe and riches / which are not fare be hind the other / for this most wretched kinde of meÌ„ makith him silf equalle with kinges After them consider / the Patriarchas / Primates Archbusshopes / suffragames / Provostes / Deanes / Canones / Vicares / Officialles / Scribes And who is able to numbre that sower sortes aÌ„d orderes of the religious And these are they in whom men boste that the state aÌ„d health of the chirch dothe consiste / here behold the most holye decrees of oure holy father the Pope and wherof they entreate / do they not all entreat of this to stablissh their awne profite and kingdome They say them self that they are so necessary that with out them the chirche caÌ„ not be rueled Neverthelesse Christ and his apostles did rule it with the trueth and that falwell Nother se I any profytte
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
the superfluites of the Perses The ryches of the Romayns are nothinge / if thou consider these golden sees and floudes of silver And I pray the what profite cometh on thē Wherfore serve they Are they distribueted amonge the poore and nedye Nay treuly / but rather in to the vices of zodom and Gomorrha / and soch other abominable offenses / how be it why bringe I in soch light examples for the thinge itself passithe all beleve / all sense / and all wordes And yet to stablissh strength this kingdome of faces these helpe moch Insomoch that it is a lighter offence to kille / to do advoutry / and to stelle / tut what for these trifulles I say it is lighter to blaspheme the name of god / to be periured / to have denied the faithe / all though these are coūted but games to thē then thorow the entisemēt of that devill to have hurte a clerke / or to have diminisshed his goodes to the value of one / half-peny / so holye are their abominable theftes it is opēly spokē with a terrible an ferfull noyse that many have sodaynly perisshed and chefly princes / that no mā escapith with out sclawnder / which hath other touched any of their possessions / or els hath not honoured them accordingly They vnderstond not that these are workes of erroure in the signes and false myracles of satā / sith that therfore evill chawnseth to them that touche these / not that they are holy / but rather by cause they are so cursed venemouse which are goten by soch myschevous craftes horrible theftes / that it is very noysome / yee deathe to a goodmā to touche thē / all tough they be prosperouse and greate solas / to thē that stele them / to them which consente to the thefte / to them which support this robbers / and to them that are partakers of this pillage / for they fare well / and live voluptuously They are full gloricus And after their death / they are bueryed with all solemnite and pompe / with graven signes and images / founding perpetuall memorials to obteyne heven with all which they hade no leysure to geate will they were a live / for the in greate besines in these their holy maters / ād so in the meane ceason against theire will are compelled to go to hell After these glories and honours of the chirche / The thirde face that is to say the faces which are prepared full religiously for the prayse of god there folowith an other face which is of houses / palaces / ād soch bildinge / for as the face of riches doth garnisshe the faces of the persones / with oute which the persons shuld seme but vile Even so the face of bildinge doth setfurthe the riches / for the riches are cownted of no reputation / except accordinge to them their places befaire / clene / and glorious Tell me here also yf yow can What nacion is so proude so glorious / so hyghe minded / so prodigall in bildinge / or who hath so many habitations / as this kingdome of faces Is not the most fruerfull grounde theirs Are not the best places / the strongest holdes / and most pleasante dwellinge houses in their hādes What delicates or daintes / what shininge and clenlines in all the world may be compared to theirs They bild / as thowgh they went aboute to prepare a perpetuall paradise for them selves in this world Cōsider the palaces of the most reuerend Cardinalles which they possesse for the glorie of god / ād honour of the chirche And thow shalt be a shamed to compare the palaces of kinges vn to them And it is no mervell for they be the successours of the Apostles and the true chirch of god / therfore they must be equall withe kinges / yee their superiors for the Apostles were fischers But let vs passe these thinges / and touch other that are not so holy / for these thre / apparellinge / riches / and palaces / are counted most holy thinges / for what a mvltitude of lawes be there concerninge dignites / prefermētes / prebendes / iugmētes / courtes / privileges and soch other / which aswell agre with the chirch / as Christ doth with belial ij Corin. vi The fourth face The fourth of these faces / is their vesture clothing and garmētes By the which this weked abomination doth chefly of all defēd him silfe / for who is he / that this redde cape this .ij. horned myter / and purpull hatte / do not make proude / holy / ād worshupfull how say yow to their mules trapped ī gold / theyr gownes sett and adorned with gēmes / and all precious thīges And their variete in all pointes with which they have seperate thē self from the seculare and comen clothing of the christē as from a prophane and vnclene thinge And it is the greateste offence that can be to touch their shaven hedde / their handes which are cōsecrated with that blissed oyle / of their awne halowīge / happye is he that is found worthy to be admitted to kise them And as for the habites of the religiouse thowgh they do stablissh this face greatly / yet they them self do in a maner abhorre them Here maist thow se / if one offende in these habittes and vesturs what great sinnes spring of it / what scrupulosyte of cōscience / and what cases reserved What fornication thinkist thow may be compared to this transgression / if one of their shavelinges go not to the barbar / in a hole month what murther / if he minister at the altar / with oute a stole / with owt a phannen / or wāt any pece of the garment depueted to his office O this is a worthy religion / and a mete honour / to soch sanctes Here lawes / statutes maners and customs / dispensations / irregularites / and soch other abominatiōs which wold cawse a man to cast his gorge in remembring them have their full ruell and impery / here in / consisteth the godlines of the christen These be the holy and pure chirch of god Amonge them the sprite continueth we must beleve that these can not erre / for no nother cawse but that they are shavē / ād so clothed / and caried aboute on mules and charettes / all thowgh thy be never so weked never so ignorant in scripture / yee thowgh they lacke their comen senses / and be moare rude thē asses of archadie This face dothe so bolden them that they dare presume to do all thinges ¶ Ye se how the successors of thappostles / and the vicars of god in the erth / take their crosse vpon them / and folowe Christ The .v. face The fifte This is a goodly craft to lese and consume mony / in bilding / settinge vp garnishing / and making riche Monasteryes / Chapelles / Tēples / Altares soch other workes / for here the most holy
/ Mat. xxiiij that the verye chosen shal be brought in to erroure And Paule sayeth that there shall cume stronge delusion ij Thess ij Truely if I shuld folow myn awne mind take the hebrew wordes in that sence to expounde / for strōge men / strēgthes And for the holy people / thapostles and euangelistes wherto the wordes do also incline / thē shuld the sence be / that the pope shuld be soch one that shuld corrupte / destroy ond suppresse / the holye scripturs which are the only strength of the chirch and the holye people that is to saye thappostles and evangelistes / be cause he wil be taken and helden with no authorite of scripture / but wresteth / despoyleth / corrupteth / ād destroyeth which is very true all scriptures at his awne pleasure Yf we take it / in this sence / thē foloweth the next verse mervelous accordingly ād to the purposse For this is the cause that he will not be subdued vnderscripture / ād brought in to a good order / for he wold that all thinges shuld be done / sayed / taught / vnderstond / and expounded / after his awne wil ād mind This purposse to obtayne he corrupteth in a maner all thinges / vainlye and presumptuously expoundeth them / rather then he will geve place to a nother mannes iudgement though it be truee or els seme to have erred and done amysse And this may be declared by many examples in his decrees where as in every place he doth corrupte the sainges of scripture / of Christ and his Apostles accordinge to that which now foloweth And he shal be after his awne opinion Danie viij The hebrew sayeth / ve al sichlo / which signifieth And after his awne mīd / vnderstōdinge the verbe shal be / or shall do / or soch like Here is the prerogative of the popes kingdom touched / wherby the pope is elevated above all other / ād is declared to be subiecte to no mannes iudgemēt For he will iudge every man / and will be iudged of no mā as the weked papistes do crake with a lowde and schrile voice / that the thrones and courtes of them that must geve iudgement / must of this sete receave their sētēce / Groūdinge him vpon this he runneth ryote in his decrees like a mad man that the inferior sete shall not iudge the superior To this entēt pertayneth the chapter Cuncta per mundū nouit ecclesia / Where in it is determed that it is not lawfull to iudge of the sentence of the chirch of Rome I pray the what may be spokē or harde more abominable / thē this blasphemous and wretched voice This is it that Peter doth speake of in the .ij. of the .ij. epistle / ij Petri. ij Presūptuous they are ād stondinge well in their awne conceate Is not this an incredible presumption that one weked wretched man / which is oppressed with all iniquite and mischeff / most rude ād vnlearned / shuld take vpon him to be iudged of no man / to erre in nothinge / to iudge all men This is it that they meaned / when they did reach with most cursed blasphemye that the pope was above the coūcell And that it belongeth only to him to expound the scripturs / and that his iudgement must be preferred above the hole congregation Nether have they so moch brayne as to iudge that the congregation yee and every faithfull in Christ hath the holy goste / to whose iudgemēt the very angells ought to obey / and moch more this weked and vnlearned mā / which is compased aboute and instructe only with soch as he is him silf And this is it that againe Peter doth prophesye of in the .iij. of the second epistle sayinge that there shuld come certaine / i. Petri. iij. which shuld walk after theyr awne lustes / what signifieth that to walke after theyr awne lustes But even as Daniel doth saye that all thinge shal be done of this kinge after his awne sence / opinion and will for sichel in the hebrew doth signifye the mind / sense / opinion will / and desire of the flesch / which in the greke tonge is called nous and pronoia / as in the .viij. to the Romayns They that are carnall are carnally minded / and agayne / The desire of the flesch is death This desire this minde and opinion as they call it doth Daniel touch Which we se so vehemēt in the pope that despisinge scripture he dare presume of his awne brayne / to pronounce and diffine / only puttinge his confidence in the greatnesse of his tyrannye / out of this springeth it / that he calleth him silf the chirch / and suffereth no iudgemēte But to be laboreth the master / teacher / hed of all chirches / makinge hī silf the rule of the faith being far from it and vnfaithfull him silf / and yet this weked man is praysed in his desyres Behold now what it meaneth to do all thinges after his awne minde Can there any thinge be thought more abominable / then that the chirch which liveth and is led with the holy gost / shuld geve place in expoundinge the sense of scripture to wretched / weked and vnlearned men / which presume only vpon the violence of theyr tyranny And yet is this bosted now adayes for a hyghe article of the faith Nether is there any heretike counted more pernyciouse / then he which but with a becke doth seame to doute in this one pointe Trulye the kingdome of Sathā / is now come to an ende / for while this folish felowe goth aboute so curiously to confirme his impery and make men obey it It chaunceth in the meane ceason by the hyghe provision of God / that he betrayeth him silf like a shrewd and vnfaithfull patrone And thorow no nother meanes / but by his diligent labour ād curiosite while he setteth great hereses in trifelinge maters / and holdeth his peace paciently if a man wold deney god vtterly / or were endewed with all iniquite / as we may se in the bisshopes / for if they were led with the sprete of god / they wold first and most of all seake those thinges which partaine to God Now because they seake their awne profite nothing regardinge that which pertaineth to god / it appereth playne ynough with what sprete they are caryed Wherfore it is necessary that Paule in the .xiiij. of the first epistle to the Corinthiās be suppressed and destroyed by this kinge of faces and rydles / which will do all thinges after his awne mind / and admitte nothinge to the iudgemēt of scripture / for he sayeth if eny revelation be made to a nother that sitteth by let the first hold his peace / i. Corin. xiiii and againe Let the prophetes speak .ij. atonce or thre atonce / and let other iudge What sayeth the Pope There is nothinge he sayeth revelate to
any that sitteth / but I alone shall speake first / let the other heare And againe / let not the other iudge / but I will prophesye and other shal be iudged for I am the master / the prophete / and the vicare of God It belongeth vnto vs to speak / or els as it is sayde in the .xj. Psalme We shall exalt oure tonge / oure lippes be oure awne / Psalme xj who is oure lord And so doth this weked / more presumptuous then prowde Pelagius / avaunce him silf in his decrees / sayenge Where as is the maiorite / ther is the authorite of commauÌ„dinge / as for the other of necessite must obey Tel me if thow canste whether any of the kinges which ever have bene syth the beginninge of the world / have commaunded and exacted their lawes with soch pride swellinge / arrogancye / boldnes / stubbornes / standiÌ„ge so well in their awne conecate / with soch imperious a voice / folisshe hardenes / and presumption / as only this one Pope Truly god him silf did never exacte his preceptes with soch imperious mageste aÌ„d power Is he not therfore a worthy successor of Peter which taught in the .v. of his first epistle i. Petri. v. Submit youre selves every man / one to a nother / what meaneth that but to geve place one to the other / and not to be stubborne in his awne opinion And Paule in the xij to the Romayns sayeth Make youre self equall to theÌ„ of the lower sorte / Roma xij be not wysse in youre awne opinions And Solomon Put a measure in thy wisdome And againe sticke not to thine awne wisdome And paule did write cheflye to the Romayns wheÌ„ he exhorted them not to be wise in their awne opinions Even as Peter did also when he prophesied that there shuld come stubborne meÌ„ which shuld stond well in their awne coÌ„ceat and walke after their awne lustes Nether yet only in iudging doth he folow his awne opinion / but also in teachinge aÌ„d livinge / behold the hole face of the chirch / and shew me if thou canst / in what profession / secte or parte / they live accordinge to he preceptes of God / do they not teach yâ—â— and live / Collo ij after chosen holines as the apostle calleth it Doinge soch thinges as they thinke them silf holy and right / as though there were no kinge in Israel / as it is said in the .xxj. of iudicum And the Pope doth prayse and confirme all these thinges / Iudic. xxjâ— all be it the lawe in the .xij. Deutero xij of the Deuteronomye doth instantly and sharply forbed those propre opinions And in the .iiij. of Amos. Amos. iiij Sacrifice yow of leven / prayse / and call vn to you / and shew youre wilfull oblations / for this hath bene your desire you children of Israel And paule doth reprove the inventors and finders of new thinges / how be it this detestable folisshe hardenes of oure / awne mind and opinion is vtterly condemned by the most godly example of Iosue / where as after the sprete had exhorted him aÌ„d faithfully promysed him that he shuld passe over Iordane / yet wold he not that he shuld be directed and ordered by his awnâ— opinion / but by the iudgement of scripture â—aynge in the first chapter Be of good comfort / aÌ„d verye stronge that thou maist kepe and do all my lawe / which Moses my servant coÌ„maunded the not thine awne mind and opinion which no man hath commaunded the Thou shalt not decline from it nether to the right hande / nether to the lefte hand behold he doth clene suppresse / and put out his awne iudgemeÌ„t aÌ„d sense that thow maist perceave all thinges that thou doste and truly they can not be knowne what they are yf they be done after oure awne opinion with out the lawe of god / for we know not whethere they pleace God or nay / we beat the ayer with our fiste / and labour with out certaynte / yee rather it is evident that they do not pleace God that are of this kind as it appereth by his inhibition Iosue i. Nether let the volume of this lawe depart from thy mouth / and thou shalt be be occupied in it day and nyght O this necessary monition which is despised of antichrist Marke I pray the the wordes of this lawe / which monissheth the / that the lawe departe not from thy mouthe / but that thou be occupied in it daye and nyght / that thou maist kepe and do all thinges which are writen in it not other and strange thinges Then shalt thou prospere in thy waye / and shalt be wyse / that is to say then thy opinion and mind shal be hole / then shalt thou se the right / aÌ„d so shalt thou goo furth prosperously and prevaile And contrary / if thou malke in thine awne opinion thou shalt have nothinge prosperous / be cause thou goist furth not accordinge to the lawe of God / but according to thine awne witte aÌ„d provision / but god doth approve the waye of iust men / and the iorney of the weked shall perish / Psal i blissed is he therfore which hath not walked in the councell of vngodly men How be it oure Pope doth so glorye aÌ„d reioyse in his awne opinions / despising the lawe of God / that he doth avaunce him silf to be the chirch / and incredible councell Nether doth he consider that this Iosue had no lesse of the sprete of God then any Pope ever had And yet will the sprete that nothinge shuld be done of him / which was not expresly rehersed in the scripture In so moch that moch more the Chirch ought not to be of his awne opinion / but rather to sticke and lene to the iudgement of god and testimonyes of scripture O thou Pope How be it the stubborne felow that stoÌ„deth over moch in his awne conceat / will mocke and thinke sone to dissolue this reasone / puttinge a differeÌ„ce with a fained distinction and most craftye illusion to scape fre / betwext iurisdiction and charite / affirminge that the forsaide textes of scripture shuld be vnderstond of the office of charite / not of the tyrannye of iurisdiction which is the hyghe hierarchye and impery of the chirch clene ignorant that iurisdiction in the chirch is nothing els / but the administration of charite / seperatinge by weked / aÌ„d folissh hardenes / the office which is ministred in the chirch from charite / suffillinge that which foloweth Danie viij And deceate shall be directed aÌ„d prospere in his hand ¶ For this cause cheflye do the purposses of Antichrist prosperously prevayle / be cause he him silf hath deceaved the chosen children of god As Christ saith There shall aryse false christen and false prophetes / Math. xxiiij and shall geve great signes wonders So greatly that if
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
maner of causes for they bringe money vnto me ix q. iij. Conquestus Math xxii lij Christ sayeth geve the Emperour soch as pertaineth vnto him as tribute and custome / for I have payde tolle for me and Peter Matth. xvij The Pope sayeth I care not for this But I excommunicate all them that aske eny toll or trybute of me and my shavelinges / for I have made them all fre Ca. Nouit de senten excom Et ca. Si quis de coÌ„s dist j. liij Christ sayeth Math xxvi Peter put vppe thy swerde in to the shethe / for he that striketh with swerde shall perissh with swerde The Pope sayeth / you Emperours / Kinges / Princes / and Lordes / take swerdes / speres / holbardes / clobbes aÌ„d gonnes / and helpe me to sle them / that will not obey my tyrannye This muste an Emperoure do or els he must be periured After this maner hath Iulius the Pope slayne .xvj. thowsande menne yn one daye / was not that well pastored Did not he well nouressh the shepe which Christ did committe vnto his tuition liiij Christ sayed Math. xxvj Drinke you all of this cuppe for this is the bloude of my promisse The Pope sayeth I will not graunte this for my prestes alone shall drinke of it be cause it may crye avengeaunce on them alone the other shall not drinke of it in the payne of heresye lv Christ sayeth Ioan. xv ye are my frindes yf you do all thinges that I my silf coÌ„maunde you The Pope sayeth yow shall do as I bid you / for I have power and authorite to make lawes And after theÌ„ shall you lyve .xxv q. j. ca. Sunt quidam Math. xix lvj Christ sayeth that chastyte is not geven vnto every man they that have it geven Let theÌ„ take it gevinge thankes to god And let the other vse the redemye which God hath prepared / for it is better to marye then to burne i. Corinth vij The Pope sayeth all monkes / fryers / and nonnes shall vowe and swere chastite be it geven them or not / my prestes also shall not be wedded / but as for to kepe hores and ravyssh other mennes / doughters and wyves / shal be despensed with all I will se no soch thinges / for my Bisshopes have yearly great monye by it like as bawdes be wont to have Math. xv Roma xiiii Collo ii Titum j lvij Christ sayeth all meates that man taketh with thankes staineth not the soule / for all thinges are pure to them that are pure The Pope sayeth he that eateth / egges / butyr / or flessh in these dayes that I have coÌ„maunded to be fasted / doth not onlye staine his soule with sinne / but also is to be denounced an heretike Dist iiij ca. Statuimus this agreeth with christ even as the light doth with the darkenes And yet have we bene thus blinded longe / that we could never perceave this Antichrist till now in the last dayes lviij Christ sayed vnto his disciples / that you binde in erth shal be bound in heven / that you lose in erthe shal be losed in heven Math. xvi Math. xviij Ioan. xx The Pope chalengeth greater authorite for he will lose soules out of purgatorye / aÌ„d commaunde the angels to fetche them out and all for monye / with out monye you get nothinge / lix Christ sayeth wheÌ„ you have done all thinges that I have commaunded you yet faye that you are vnprofitable servantes Luce. xvij The Pope sayeth do those thinges that I commaund the / and take a sure conscience vnto the that thou art a iuste aÌ„d a religiouse man / and that thou hast deserved heveÌ„ And as for I my silf Oh abâ—mination Yf I do wronge in everye thinge / and bringe many thousandes with me in to damnation / yet shall no man rebuke me / but call me the moste holyest father Dist xl ca. Si papa lx Christ teached vs to fulfille the workes of mercy to the poore / ever coÌ„mendinge mercy above offeringes and sacrifice Math. xxvi Osee vj Math. ix The Pope teacheth vs to geve our monye for pardons / masses / direges / to images aÌ„d chirches / so that we may offer vnto their be lyes And he that sayeth it is better to geve our cherite to the poore as Christ sayeth is counted half an heretike / be cause he goth aboute to marre the Popes markette Roma iiij Ioan. xi lxj Christ suffered death for oure synnes and arose for oure iustificatioÌ„ / or els we all shulde have perisshed The Pope sayeth if thou bye my pardon / or els be buried in a graye fryers cote thou must nedes be saved / so that Christ hath suffered in vayn / syth a fryers cote will save a man j. Ioannis ij lxij Christ onlye is oure mediator which maketh vnite be twixte his father and vs / how be it the prayer of a iuste man is verye good and profitable Iacobi v The Pope sayeth The greatest power salvation next to christ is myne Dist lx ca. Si papa I mervell then why he is so curious to cause vs worshupe the sanctes that are a slepe And not rather him silf / syth he chaleÌ„geth a greater power then ever they did while they lyved Math. v lxiij Christ sayeth / who so ever breke one of my liste commaundemeÌ„tes / shall be called the lest that is to saye none in the kingdome of heven The Pope saieth / what pertaineth his law vnto me I am subiect to no lawes xxv q. i. ca. Omnia therfore dothe the Pope but seldome right And is all wayes against right yee and against his awne lawes / as often as men do bringe him mony / for that loveth he above all thinges lxiiij Christes lawe is suffilled thorow charite Roma xiij The Popes law is fulfilled by mony / yf thou have no monye to geve them / thou shalt carye a fagott / though thou offende not / monye them and they se the not / do what thou wilt lxv Christ is the hed of the chirche as the apostle doth testifye Ephe. i Collo j j. Corin. x And also the stone wheron the chirch is bilded And this chirch is the congregation of the faithfull and the verye bodye of christe The Pope sayeth I am the hed of the chirch Dist xix ca. Enim vero And the sete of Rome is the stone wheron the chirch is bilded Dis xix Ita dominus Can eny thiÌ„ge be more contrarye vnto the honoure and glorye of god / then thus to despoyle him of his kingdome / which he so dearlye hath bought shedinge his precyous bloude for it ij Petri. ij ii Timo iij lxvj Christes lawe which is the holy scripture came by the enspiringe of the holy gost which did enfuse it aboundantlye in to the hertes of the apostles / and of the same sprete hath it his
endewrance and interpretation The Pope sayeth I am lorde of the scripture to alowe and disalowe it / for of me doth it take his full authorite ca. Si oeÌ„s And for a token of this / is the scripture of christ / layde vnder his fete when he is at masse Titum i lxvij Christes apostle sayeth / that a Bisshope ought to be so well learned / that he with the scripture / be able to overcome all them that he against the faith The Pope and Bisshopes will dispute inscripture with no man / but cast them first in preson / and proper engynes they have invented to wringe their fingers so sore / that the bloude shall braste out at their fingers endes / they pyne them / and scorge theÌ„ with infinite other tormentes payninge them / to forsake the trueth And after make theÌ„ swere on a boke that they shall tell no man of it thus cruelly do they entreate them against iustice And yf they can not subdue them to their willes / then do they committe them vnto the seculare power to burned IoaÌ„nis xix lxviij Christes accusation / and cause why he was condemned vnto death / was writen over his hed in hebrew / greke / aÌ„d laten / that all men might know the cause / this was an argument that they vsed iustice all though they condemned him vniustlye syth meÌ„ might se the offence and iudgement Ioyned togedder The Pope and Bisshopes condempne men and committe them vnto the seculare power / that they shuld exequute the sentence But this is a mischevous abominatioÌ„ / that they will not suffer the seculare power / to knowe the cause why they put men to deth worshupfull / dis divines / Master doctor / O you gentle nobilite pondre this matter indifferently Be ware how you do exequution except you knowe the cause why Thinke you the bloude shall not be requyred on you / yf for a nothers pleasure you destroye the worke of God They will saye vn to you / as the Iewes sayed vnto Pilate coÌ„cerninge Christ / yf he were not an evill doer we wold not have delivered him vnto you Trust not their wordes / for no doute they are lyares / know the cawse youre selves And heare the matter vnfaynedly Thinke you they wold not let you know the cause iudgement Yf they did iustice and not tyrannye Be therfore no lenger boyes to theÌ„ / which ought to be youre servaÌ„tes / god hath geven you his sprete / grace / and vnderstoÌ„dinge / hyde not the talente that God hath geven you / but do youre diligence to se iustes exequuted secludinge all tyrannye / for that is youre office appoynted you of God Luce. vjâ— lxix Christ sayeth blissed are ye when meÌ„ hate you / curse you / and excommunicate you for the rightuousnes / that is to saye / you no thinge gyltye nor worthye soch affliction The Pope and Bisshopes saye that their curse is sore to be feared / ye and that it maketh men as blake as a cole in the sight of God though they have not offended Insomoch that they must neades be dampned excepte they absoile them ageine / how be it Christ sayeth / that they are blessed / wherfore other Christ is false / or els they are most vayne lyers Luce. xiiij lxx Christ sayed when thou makest a dyner or feaste calle not thy frindes kinsmen / and negheburs that are riche / but the poore / lame and blinde / which are not able to recompence the then shalt thou be happye / for it shall be rewarded the in the resurrection of the iust The Pope and Busshopes will call none soch / for they thinke it greate shame / but they call men of greate authorite aÌ„d riches-which will receave theÌ„ with an other feast / they had lever have their belyes well stuffed in his world / then to tarye for the promisse of Christ They thinke it longe acomynge Math. v Luce. vj lxxi Christ sayeth other make the tre good his frute good also / or els make the tre naught and his frute naught also / Meaninge that the tre first shuld be good / aÌ„d theÌ„ bringe forth good frute / the frute maketh not the tre good But the tre maketh the frute good / al though we caÌ„ not know that the tre is good / but by his frute for we can iudge nothinge but by his outward operation yet god seyth the quickenes in the rote / which in the tyme that god hath apoynted him / shall bringe forth his frute And approveth the tre to be good / although he seme dead vnto 〈◊〉 â–ª The tre is faith which is the mother of all good workes / which ever worketh by charite when he seyth occasyon The pope and Bisshopes saye that the frute maketh the tre good / clene contrarye to all scripture and reason / And thus tvrne they the trees and the rootes vpwarde while they affirme that faith springeth aÌ„d is made good of workes And not the contrarye / even as a man wold saye / the frute bringeth furth and maketh good the tre / And not the contrarye O what madnes is this They wold make men beleve if they shuld longe continewe / that the mone is made of a grene chese lxxij Christ sayeth / I am the dore of the folde he that entereth not in by the dore but by some other waye is a thefe and murderare and regardeth not the shepe The Pope / yee and all the clargye for the most part enter not in by Christ / but they runne yn and are not called nor sent of Christ / One entereth by a bagge of monye / wherwith he byeth a fate benefyce A nother entereth by serviÌ„ge greate meÌ„ / coryinge favell A nother / by cause he is a greate maÌ„ borne / must be made a cardinal / or els a bysshope Some have â—ysons of abbayes other places / to speake a good worde for the to that kiÌ„ge or other great meÌ„ Some enter thorow their curious singinge / aÌ„d minyon dawnsinge / fewe or none for vertue and learninge lxxiij Christ sayeth I am a good shepard A good shepard geveth his lyffe for his shepe The Pope and Bisshopes saye also that they are good shepardes / how be it they pille and shere their shepe so nighe / that they leve not one loke of wolle on theyr backes And in all poyntes maye be likened vnto the shepardes that Zacharias prophesied of / which sayeth / I shall reyse vppe a sheparde in the erth / which shall not visite tho thinges that are for saken / and shal not seke that which is gone astraye / nother yet heale the discased / nor norysche and mayntayne that which stondeth / but soche a sheparde that shall norysh him silf and not the shepe and cryeth out of him sayinge O thou sheparde and idoll / thinke you that this sheparde will geve his lyffe for his