dyd most shame fully set forth theyr owne wyues theyr fayrest doughters as cōmen women to serue the beastlye luste of who soeuer wolde and it was the cōmen maner and custome that euery man shulde take his pleasure and satysfye his abhomynable luste vpon euery woman that was nerest vnto hym after the maner and facyon of beastes and dogges Cosbi And Moyses wryteth of Cosbi the doughter of a certayne prynce howe as she was vsynge the fylthye pleasure of the flesshe with a certaine prince gouerno ' of Israel both she he as they were ioyned togyther in that fylthye acte doynge were stryken through with a dagger by a preest named Phynees Psalmo 105. of whome the psalme also maketh mencyon ¶ Phynees pacyfyed c. Phinees BRyefly that moste wretched people was so blynded that they dyd also lyke theym selues well and dydde stande in theyr owne conceyte as often tymes as they dydde offre to this Idole theyr best sones and theyr moste tendre doughters / euen lykewyse as nowe a dayes that Idole the Priapus of Rome doth with his doctryne corrupte and defyle the sones of great estates and the doughters of prynces whyles he doth entyse allure theym in to monasteryes or howses of relygyon whiche do wene the theyr selues do very well in theyr wycked opynyon to be iustyfyed by entrynge in to the same and that they do folowe godlynes and the ryght waye of good lyuynge albeit they be neuer so farre from the gyfte of contynauncie Now all the whole scrypture in euery place calleth the madnes of theym whiche do bynde theyr conscyence captyue to the tradycyons of men and in them lye tomblynge Spūall fornycacion who redome lettynge the cōmaūdement of god go whoredome and fornycacion And god in al the prophettes doth rebuke the synagoge whiche for sakyng hym the verye god Synagoge doth cōmytte fornycacyon with the doctrynes of men and with the maysters or teachers of humane tradycyons So that bodely fylthynes and vnclennes of Baal Peor maye sygnyfye none other thynge then spyrytuall adultery and fornycacyon by whiche soules are defyled are ledde away from the symplycytie of the faythe and from the knowledge of Chryste The souse is a spūall virgyne cōceyueth the worde of god by fayth in to the cōfydence of workes for euery soule the scrypture dothe call a spyrytuall virgyne or spouses that is to wyt verely because of faythe in whiche she beynge great and full with the holy ghoste dothe conceyue the wordes of god in whiche same fayth also the holy ghoste makynge plenty full the sede of the worde of god fayth is the mother of truthe doth make her the mother of truth that is to say doth make her full of true substancyall good workes and of the fruites of true pytie and godlynes Besydes this the nature and propryetie of the name dothe meruayllouslve well agre vnto this matyer and purpose For Baal in the Hebrwe tonge sygnyfyeth a man The iterpretacion of Baal and the such a maner man which doth by any meanes cleaue to a woman as yf a woman dydde saye this is my man whether he be her lawfull husbāde or els one to whom she is concubyne And lykewyse as we do say of an harlotte that she hath many mē Baal so Baal doth signifie betoken a man wholly addecte gyuen to women and a housholder / so that this worde doth sygnyfie in his propre sygnyfycacion not any maner man but a man which is gyuen to women and a speaker gouernour of a housholde For elles a man whiche is mete to gouerne the cōmon weale or to make warre or to do any other maner earnest wayghtie busynes Isch / Enosch Beelzehuh Accaron is in Hebrwe tonge called Isch or Enocsh So the Iewes dyd call the Idole Accaron Beelzebub that is to saye the man or husbāde of flyes that is to wyt a man nothyng worthe without all myght or strength scasely worthy to haue euē a flye to his wyfe In the laten tonge suche a maner man is called maritus or coniunx not vir or mas and the same is Baal in the Hebrwe tonge ¶ Nowe Peor and phegor betokeneth an openynge or gapynge Neor Phegor and it belongeth properlye to the mouthe Wherfore Baal Peor in the Hebrwe tonge dothe betoken in Englys she men whiche haue theyr mouthes alwayes gapynge and suche for the moste parte ar fooles without any wyt recheles slouth full dastardes desyrous of womens company nothyng mete to any sadde or earnest busynes / And therfore vnto this fylthy Idole this name Baal Peor was verye well and accordyngly gyuen Baal peor because it was on euery behalfe fylthie and vnclene and or deyned onely to fylthynes baudrye / For what other thyng shulde it meane that that ymage was grauen in suche maner fylthye shamefull facyon but onely that it shuld sygnyfie a flouthfull mā and a folysshe and suche one as were greatly desyrous of the cōpany of women lykewyse as the ymage of one in complete harneys with a salette on his hed doth sygnyfie a man apte mete for warres and bataylles / And albeit that feruent fautoures of bysshop of Rome do cōmytte all these spyrytuall adulteryes for nycacyons as we shall heare hereafter yet for all that yf I shulde not lye they be so stronge and mighty and as it were twyse maryed that some of them do in verye dede playe the adulterers that notablye as men saye euen with theyr bodyes also For I pray you for the loue of god tell me what is the profyte that cōmeth of this holye and godlye people Are they not in verye dede Baal Peor that is to say recheles and folysshe ydle mē For what other thynge can they skyll of or what other thynge do they saue onely ryde vpon well fedde and fatte palfrayes yf not chastelye yet warely kepe fayre wenches yr not chastlye yet warely for I wyll vse theyr owne wyse terme with whome they maye lye god wotte to auoyde all maner feres that happen in the nyght So then they are pure Baal peors and do contynue alwayes Baal peors and yet neuertheles ī the meane season they do busely make this coloure and semblaunce to begyle men with all as thoughe they dyd gouerne the churche in spyrituall thynges and dyd conueye soules in to heuen as thoughe it were they alone which do plucke vp and rydde awaye errours and heresyes with great dyligence care ¶ Wherfore this Idole spyrytually is nothynge elles but the holy canon lawe The Canon lawe and the doctryne of the Pope the craftye maynteyners of the same For this is that fylthye and vnclene ymage in whiche the soules doo lese theyr virgynyte that is to say in whiche they learne to truste in workes to leaue forsake the chastytie and purytie of the ryghtuousnes of fayth / whiche
it BEcause good and gentle reader It maye to some certayne persones eyther corrupte with euyll affeccyons or therwyse lyghtely moued to vayne offence flauÌ„dre seme that I am of ryght lytle charytie and that myne whole studye and endeuoyre soundeth to no purpose elles but onely to rayse trouble stryfe and sedycyons in the worlde as they of a set frowardnes / malycyously do calumpnyate theyr coÌ„dempned coÌ„scyence testyfyeng the contrarie for that that I in despyte of the deuyll for the zele that I beare to the truthe of goddes worde his moste blyssed name doo as they thynke somwhat to sharply rebuke the vyce of some that wolde be estemed the heddes of the churche all vnworthye to be the fete except they amende in tyme. Therfore as we entre into the playne felde of oure matyer we entende purge vs of suche vntrue accusacyons and to proue it ryght mete and conuenyent yea and therto necessarye and that by reasons and scrypturê inuyncible so to behaue vs in our wordes and wrytyngê towardes suche toppes and heddes of the people whiche wyll admytte no charytable admonycyon IN dede the bysshop of Rome hathe forbeden in his vnryghtuous and wycked lawe Canonycall The Canon faw that any man shulde sharpely rebuke the prelates or elles resyste theym / and vpon this goodly instytucion and ordynaunce he and his counterfayte bysshops the sones of hypocrysye from the moste hygh maiestye of god The offyce duetie of a pÌ„acher For the preacher is bounde vnto this vndre parell of dampnacyon that he shall sharpely sore rebuke wycked men and synners For god speketh hereof manyfest and open rebukyng in as moche as he hathe betaken vnto hym the offyce of preachyng his worde But I praye you why dothe god with so great vehemeÌ„cye requyre this thynge coÌ„maunde it and so straytely call vpon it without doubte because the preacher yf he doo holde his tonge dothe synne most greuously agaynst charyte in that he dothe este me at so small valure so great so precyous a treasure / that is to wyt the soule helth of his neygh boure to whome he ought neuer thelesse to succoure and releue in mete and drynke and clothynge and in farre smaller thynges we ought to be assured the we preache no thyng but goddes word The holy scrypture But yet he addeth this thynge expresly that the prophet shulde here the worde of goddes mouth leaste he myght elles preache his owne worde or elles any other worde of man Nowe we haue none other worde then the scryptures of god and therfore by these all wycked men are to be rebuked / neyther can it helpe them thoughe they wolde make this cauyllacyon and saye that this afore rehersed place of the scrypture dothe not speake of great estates and lordes but onelye of the poore and lowe coÌ„monaltie for in as moche as it dothe expresse no maner of person it is a playne and a necessarye conclusyon that this sayde place is to be vnderstanded also of greate estates For it speaketh generallye of wycked men / whether they be great or smalle and what maner ones soeuer they be ¶ The worde of god hathe noo respecte or regarde vnto one persone more then an other For it is aboue all persones and it apperteyneth egallye vnto all maner persones Ezechiel For euen Ezechyell hym selfe althoughe he was of lowe degree yet that notwithstandynge he was sente to preache vnto the whole people of Israell amonge whome were Prynces preestes and many great estates So lykewyse saythe Mycheas also in the. vi.chapytre HErken you sayth he what the lorde sayth / Aryse and strayne thy selfe in Iudgemente agaynst the mountaynes and let the hylles here thy voyce lette the mountaynes and the stronge foundameÌ„tes of the earthe here the iudgement of the lorde for the iudgemente of the lorde is with his people and Israell shall be iudged WHo are those mouÌ„taynes MouÌ„taynes and the foundamentes the grounde warkes of the earthe vnto which he coÌ„maundeth hym to preache here he dothe gyue coÌ„mauÌ„dement and charge that the Iugement of god and the worde of the lorde shuld be shewed not to the people onely but to the heddes rulers amonge the people IN lyke maner all the resydue of the Prophettes The prophettes in those places where they are moste vehement and most bolde and free in rebukynge and do moste ryse vp with those tragycall affeccyons for the moste parte they doo touche and moste sharply reproue not the pore coÌ„mynaltie nor the rascal sorte but the hygh toppes / that is to say kynges prynces the prestes those that were most coÌ„nynge and moste noble a monge the people as theyr owne wrytynges do wytnesse and bea re recorde suffycyently thoughe I speake neuer a worde So also dyd the lorde saye vnto hieremy in the fyrste chapytre LO I haue put my wordes iÌ„ thy mouthe beholde I haue sette the to daye ouer nacyons kyngdomes / For I haue ordeyned and made the to daye to be as a fenced Cytie and a pyller of yron and a walle of brasse to the kynges of Iuda to the prynces and rulers of it / and to the preestes to all the people And they shall make warre agaynst the but they shall not preuayle agaynst the for I am with the sayth the lorde to delyuer the. NO we this hieremy as touchynge to his personage estate Hieremy was farre vndre kynges prynces prestê / A man vtterlye contempte and abiecte / borne in a pore lytle Towne called Anathot Anathot and yet all this not withstandynge he was sent by god to preache the worde of the lorde and to be a comptroller ouer all men and agaynste all the hyghest estates and hed offycers rulers of the people Besydes this Chryste Chryste hym selfe as he is descrybed in the gospell was a verye coÌ„temptyble an abiecte a lowe personage in the syght of the worlde without any hyghe power or empyre and lordshyp at all Nowe I pray you whome dyd he muste pryncypally rebuke what other persones dyd he reproue then onely the chyefe prestes the scrybes and the pharyseys to be shorte who soeuer were great hygh in dygnytie auctorytie And in so doynge he wold be an example vnto all preachers that they shuld boldely without any fere rebuke the great hyghe hedes amonge the people when they do worke against god because both saluacyon perdycyon resteth moste in the hedes / why shulde we then folowe the folysshe furyous mad lawes of the bysshop of Rome agaynst the exaÌ„ple of chryst of al the prophetê Why I saye shulde we spare forbeare those great lordê spuÌ„all wherto shulde it auayle to chyde and cebuke the coÌ„mon people yf we do ouerhyppe and loke besydes the prynces rulers of the people For there coulde neuer so moche vyce and synne be plucked vp by pure syncere and fro teachyng and bolde preachynge
euery place the armes of theyr kynned rampyng lyons suche other monumeÌ„tes with a shepehoke a bysshops crosse put therunto to set forth theyr fyngers to the shewe decked with goodly ryngê of golde to arme theyr haÌ„des with purple gloues leste els they myght be a colde in the myddes of theyr ceremonyes / to spryncle dombe stones stockes in the churches hauig a ladder set to euery wal with I wot not what war to coÌ„fyrme vnkynde wycked / withoute affeccyon / false accusers ryotoures / cruel despysers of good meÌ„ / traytours / rasshe and hasty puffed vp with pryde / the louers of pleasures rather then the loners of god / hauynge the semblauÌ„ce and apparauÌ„ce of vertue and godlynes but denyenge the vertue and power therof / those that are suche do thou abhorre LO here yf I be not vtterly begyled Paule hath descry bed workemanly set forthe our ydle vnlearned bysshops with theyr owne mete colours And with the same colours the apostle Peter also whose successoures the pope bosteth hym self to be doth paynte theym and set theym out to the iye Peter in the seconde chapytre of his seconde epystle THere were also false prophetes amonge the people lyke wyse as there shall be amonge you false teachers whiche shall pryuely brynge in peruycyous myscheuous sectê euen renyeng the Lorde whiche hathe bought theym seachynge vnto them selues hasty destruccion and many shall folowe theyr deadely wayes by whome the waye of truthe shall be euyll spoken of and thorughe couetousnes with counter fayte wordê they shal make mar chaundyse of you THese wordes can not be vnderstanded any other wyse then of the bysshops of the great pÌ„latê rulers of the church For we do se howe they haue deuysed dyuerse sectê dyuerse orders dyuer se facyons haue brought them in to the worlde contrarye to the doctryne of Chryste of the gospell / whiche thynges euery one of them beynge cleane out of the ryght and the hyghe waye of the chrysten fayth do prescrybe and teache peculyer workes and fasyons of lyuynge by whiche the knowledge of Chryste is put away quenched Chryste and chryst hym selfe whome onely the apostle Paule dothe well nere in euery syllabe teche vnto vs is denyed whiche Chryste alone for all that dyd redeme vs. For those good holy men do teache that we are iustyfyed by workes and by the endeuermentes of free wyll where as in verye dede onely Chryst hath ben made vnto vs ryghtuousnes and sanctify cacyon and redempcyoÌ„ i. Cor. i. besydes this they do with euyll wordes blasphemyes rayle and speaketh agaynst the way of the gospel and of the truthe neyther wyll they suffre theyr errours to be dysproued or them selues to be taughte that onely Chryste is our helthe our lyfe and our ryghtuousnes / Agayne this is more euydente then that it nedeth any probacyons howe they all beynge blynded and made starke madde thorough couetousnes do dyrecte altheyr whole doctryne vnto this ende that all thynges shulde be gyuen vnto themselues alone / that temples and monasteryes cathedrall churches collegyate myght be buylded / and that we shuld suffre theym to be ryche to be well monyed and to haue habundauÌ„ce of all maner thynges And these are lyes gyles and these are the deceytes whiche they do so couer and cloke with the coloure of holy lyfe and of spyrytuall estate and in verye dede they do denye the vertue and power of true vertue and godly lyuynge And yet for all this in the meane season euery man dothe so gyue vnto them as though they were suche as dydde lyue in holy lyfe when in very dede it is nothyng but deceyte and mere hypocrysy these gylefull symulacion with out faythe So that saynt Peter dyd not without a cause say nay men shall folowe the errours of theym BEsydes this saynt Peter sayth whose iudgemeÌ„t is not slowe of coÌ„mynge and theyr vtter destruccy on dothe not slepe For yf god dyd not spare the auÌ„gelles whiche had offended aungelles whiche had offended but dyd caste theym downe in to hell bounden with chaynes of darkenes to be kept there vnto the iudgemeÌ„t neyther dyd spare the worlde in olde tyme Noe. but saued Noe the eyght preacher of ryghtuousnes and brought in a floode ouer the worlde of wycked men / and dyd brynge the Cyties of Sodome Gomorre in to asshes dyd condempne them with vtter destruccyon and dyd make theym an example vnto all those the afterwardes shuld worke wyckedly And dydde delyuer ryghtuous Loth which loth was oppressed of the wycked men by theyr vncleane Lecherous conuersacyon For he beynge ryghtuous bothe in seynge and hearynge whenne he dwelled amonge theym he dyd daylye vexe his ryghtuouse soule with theyr wycked dedes The lorde knoweth howe to delyuer good vertuous men out of temptacion and howe to kepe the vnryghtuous persones vnto the daye of iudgement for to be punysshed / namely suche as folowyng the flesshe do walke in the concupyscence luste of vnclennes do despyse the gouernours rulers beynge presumptuous stubburne whiche do not feare to rayle and speake euyl wordes on theym whiche are in hygh auctoryte THe apostle here in these moste vehement and sore wordes setteth forth vnto those gretestates and lordes thre terryble and dreadfull examples / that is to wytte of the aungelles of the worlde and of Sodome But al these thynges are in vayne shewed and preached vnto theym Our delicate bysshoppes do not beleue that this was spoken of theym and besydes that they do not rede nor heare these thinges ¶ But I beseche the good reader marke here howe well the wordes of Peter doo agree with Paule when he dyscrybeth theyr fylthy vnclene lyf For where he saith presumptuous stubburne there are skantly any men to whome those wordes do soner agee For it is they whiche of all men doo most set by them selues in so moche that they do despyse al worldly rulers and offycers and what soeuer other persone is of hyghe dygnytie auctorytie in worlde in comparyson of them selues do also rayle vpon theym speake opprobrious wordes agaynst theym For the Pope hath many yeres ago taken this moÌ„struous tyranny vnto hym selfe The tyraÌ„ny of the Pope that he hathe not ben affrayde to treade kynges prynces vnder his fete to depose them / to excoÌ„munycate theym / to curse theym vnto the .iiii. v. and. vi generacion / and after theyr owne pleasure to exercyse all thinges whiche any maner of way what soeuer it be may be longe helpe vnto extreme and wonderfull tyranny none other wyse then yf the prynces gouernours were swyne or els dogges NotwithstaÌ„dynge that the scrypture wylleth al men to be subiect and obedyent vnto the prynces gouernours for the publyke peace and tranquylytie of this lyfe namely for as moche as they are coÌ„stytuted and ordeyned to serue the dyuyne ordynauÌ„ce as mynysters of the