ed W T
pies, those "false anointed," of which Christ warneth us before, that they should come and shew miracles and wonders, even to bring the very elect out of the way, if it were pos- shaving is siblc. He anomteth them after the manner of the Jews; and the heathen shaveth them and sheareth them after the manner of the the jews. heathen priests, which serve the idols. He sendeth them forth not with false oil only, but with false names also: for raise names, compare their names unto their deeds, and thou shalt find
2'ihess.ii. them false. He sendeth them forth, as Paul prophesied of
W'T: " them, with lying signs and wonders. What sign is the anointing? That they be full of the Holy Ghost. Compare them to the signs of the Holy Ghost, which Paul reckoneth, and thou shalt find it a false sign. " A bishop must be faultless, the husband of -me wife." Nay, saith the pope, the
NO wife but husband of no wife, but the holder of as many whores as he wwli\rc' listeth. God commandeth all degrees, if they burn, and cannot
Takeadis- live chaste, to marry. The pope saith, If thou burn, take w. T. a dispensation for a concubine, and put her away when thou
Knaveate. art old; or else, as our lawyers say, Si non caste, tamen caule; that is, If ye live not chaste, see ye carry clean, and play the knave secretly. " Harborous:" yea, to whores and bawds; for a poor man shall as soon break his neck as his fast with them, but of the scraps and with the dogs, when i Pet. iii. dinner is done. " Apt to teach," and, as Peter saith, " ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that ye have, and that with meekness."
Boots, w. T. Which thing is signified by the boots1 which doctors of divinity are created in, because they should be ready always to go through thick and thin, to preach God's word; and by the bishop's two-horned mitre, which betokeneth the absolute Mitres. W.T.
and perfect knowledge that they ought to have in the new
Testament and the old. Be not these false signs? For they beat only, and teach not. 'Yea,' saith the pope, 'If they will cite them.
not be ruled, cite them to appear; and pose them sharply, p0'Se them.
what they hold of the pope's power, of his pardons, of his W bulls, of purgatory, of ceremonies, of confession, and such like creatures of our most holy father's. If they miss in any Make them point, make heretics of them, and burn them. If they be of w"r.cs' mine anointed, and bear my mark, disgrace them, (I would w.™.
say, disgraduate them,) and after the ensample of noble Antio- chus (2 Mace, vii.) pare the crowns and the fingers of them2, and torment them craftily, and for very pain make them deny the truth.1 ('But now,' say our bishops, 'because the truth is come too far abroad, and the lay-people begin to smell our wiles, it is best to oppress them with craft secretly, and to tame them in prison. Yea, let us find the means to have them in the king's prison, and to make treason of such doctrine: yea, we must stir up some war, one where or another, to bring the people into another imagination.') ' If they be gentlemen, abjure them secretly. Curse them four curse them.
times in the year3. Make them afraid of every thing; and namely, to touch mine anointed; and make them to fear the Fear them.
sentence of the church, suspensions, excommunications and curses. Be they right or wrong, bear them in hand that they are to be feared yet. Preach me and mine authority, and how terrible a thing my curse is, and how black it Finaketh their souls. On the holidays, which were ordained 'to preach God's word, set up long ceremonies, long matins, AII in Latin, long masses, and long evensongs, and all in Latin, that they Ron them, understand not; and roll them in darkness, that ye may lead sing. w. T. them whither ye will. And lest such things should be too ' T' tedious, sm& some, say some, pipe some, ring the bells, and m fiu11 tnem and rock t<hem asleep.' And yet Paul (1 Cor. fcon'xiT.' T' xiv.) forbiddeth to speak in the church or congregation, save in the tongue that all understand. For the layman thereby is not edified or taught. How shall the layman say Amen (saith Paul) to thy blessing or thanksgiving, when he wotteth not what thou sayest? He wotteth not whether thou bless or curse.
What then saith the pope? ' What care I for Paul? I command by the virtue of obedience, to read the gospel in Latminw T Latin. Let them not pray but in Latin, no, not their Pater say them a noster. If any be sick, go also and say them a gospel, and all in Latin: yea, to the very corn and fruits of the field, in the procession week, preach the gospel in Latin: make the people believe, that it shall grow the better.' It is verily as good to preach it to swine as to men, if thou preach it in a tongue they understand not. How shall I prepare myself to God's commandments? How shall I be thankful to Christ for his kindness? How shall I believe the truth and promises which God hath sworn, while thou tellest them unto me in a tongue which I understand not?
Sv^ordUofh What then saith my lord of Canterbury to a priest that |^terbu°ry? Would have had the new testament gone forth in English? " What," saith he, " wouldest thou that the lay-people should wete1 what we do?"
cross. W.T. "No fighter:" which I suppose is signified by the cross that is borne before the high prelates, and borne before them in procession. Is that also not a false sign? What realm
Turmoiiers. can JJQ 'm peace for such turmoilers? What so little a parish is it, but they will pick one quarrel or another with them, cither for some surplice, clirisom2, or mortuary3, cither for one trifle or other, and cite them to the Arches? Traitors they are to all creatures, and have a secret conspiration be tween themselves. One craft they have, to make many kingdoms, and small; and to nourish old titles or quarrels; that w- Tthey may ever move them to war at their pleasure; and if much lands by any chance fall to one man, ever to cast a bone in the way, that he shall never be able to obtain it, as we now see in the emperor. Why? For as long as the kings be small, if God would open the eyes of any to set a reformation in his realm, then should the pope interdict his interdict.
land, and send in other princes to conquer it.
" Not given to filthy lucre, but abhorring covetousness4;" and, as Peter saith, " Taking the oversight of them, not as i ret. v. though ye were compelled thereunto, but willingly; not for desire of filthy lucre, but of a good mind: not as though ye were lords over the parishes5." Over the parishes, quoth he!
0 Peter, Peter, thou wast too long a fisher; thou wast never Peter went brought up at the Arches, neither wast master of the Rolls, ^c?holsat the nor yet chancellor of England. They are not content to reign w- Tover king and emperor, and the whole earth; but challenge authority also in heaven and in hell. It is not enough for\ them to reign over all that are quick, but have created them!
a purgatory, to reign also over the dead, and to have oncphepope kingdom more than God himself hath. "But that ye be an 'kingdom ensample to the flock," saith Peter; "and when the chief Gjxuiimseif. Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive an incorruptible crown of glory." This " abhorring of covetousness" is signified, as
1 suppose, by shaving and shearing of the hair, that they shearing, have no superfluity. But is not this also a false sign? Yea, mfieth. W.T.
verily, it is to them a remembrance to shear and shave, to heap benefice upon benefice, promotion upon promotion, dig nity upon dignity, bishoprick upon bishoprick, with pluralities,
Tntquot unions and TOT QUOTS1.
First, by the authority of the gospel, they that preach the word of God in every parish, and other necessary minis ters, have right to challenge an honest living like unto one of
Bishops that the brethren, and therewith ought to be content. Bishops w. T. and priests that preach not, or that preach aught save God's word, are none of Christ's, nor of his anointing; but servants of the beast, whose mark they bear, whose word they preach, whose law they maintain clean against God's law, and with their false sophistry give him greater power than God ever gave to his Son Christ.
But they, as unsatiable beasts, not unmindful why they were shaven and shorn, because they will stand at no man's grace, or be in any man's danger, have gotten into their
Tithes. W.T. own hands, first the tithe or tenth of all the realm; and then, I suppose within a little, or altogether, the third foot of all
Temporal the temporal lands.
Mark well how many parsonages or vicarages are there in the realm, which at the least have a plow-land2 a-picce. Then note the lands of bishops, abbots, priors, nuns, knights of St John's, cathedral churches, colleges, chauntries, and?i. free-chapels. For though the house fall in decay, and the ordinance of the founder be lost, yet will not they lose the lands. What cometh once in, may never more out. They make a free-chapel of it; so that he which enjoyeth it shall do nought therefore. Besides all this, how many chaplains do gentlemen find at their own cost, in their houses? How many sing for souls, by testaments? Then the proving of Testaments, testaments, the prizing of goods, the bishop of Canterbury's offering days prerogative; is that not much through the realm in a year? Privy tithes. Four oifering days, and privy tithes. There is no servant, but that he shall pay somewhat of his wages3. None shall receive the body of Christ at Easter, be he never so poor a beggar, or never so young a lad or maid, but they must pay somewhat for it. Then mortuaries for forgotten tithes, as Mortuaries, they say. And yet what parson or vicar is there that will forget to have a pigeon-house, to peck up somewhat both at sowing-time and harvest, when corn is ripe? They will for get nothing. No man shall die in their debt; or if any man do, he shall pay it when he is dead. They will lose nothing. Why? It is God's; it is not theirs. It is St Hubert's rents, St Alban's lands, St Edmond's right, St Peter's patrimony, say they, and none of ours. Item, if a man die in another if yc die man's parish, besides that he must pay at home a mortuary w^r!10" for forgotten tithes, he must there pay also the best that he there hath; whether it be an horse of twenty pound, or how good soever he be; either a chain of gold of an hundred Thou must marks, or five hundred pounds, if it so chance4. It is much, pS.erew!°T. verily, for so little pains-taking in confession, and in minis tering the sacraments. Then bead-rolls. Item chrysome, Potty piiiage. churchings, banns, weddings, oifering at weddings, offering at buryings, offering to images, offering of wax and lights, which come to their vantage; besides the superstitious waste of wax in torches and tapers throughout the land. Then brotherhoods and pardoners. What get they also by con- confession, fessions? Yea, and many enjoin penance, to give a certain [sum] for to have so many masses said, and desire to pro vide a chaplain themselves; soul-masses, dirges, month-minds, year-minds1, All-souls-day, and trentals. The mother church, and the high altar, must have somewhat in every testament, r'ro? m\nS' Offerings at priests' first masses. Item, no man is professed, W.T. Of whatsoever religion it be, but he must bring somewhat, conjurations. The hallowing, or rather conjuring of churches, chapels, altars, super-altars, chalice, vestments, and bells. Then book, bell, candlestick, organs, chalice, vestments, copes, altar-cloths, surplices, towels, basins, ewers, ship2, censer, and all manner ornament, must be found them freely; they will not give a mite thereunto. Last of all, what swarms of begging friars Parson. are there! The parson sheareth, the vicar shaveth, the parish paSSi priest, priest polleth, the friar scrapeth, and the pardoner pareth; w- T- we lack but a butcher to pull off the skin, spiritual law. ~~ What get they in their spiritual law, as they call it, in a year, at the Arches and in every diocese? What get the commissaries, and officials with their somners and apparitors, A proper by bawdery in a year? Shall ye not find curates enough of confession, which, to flatter the commissaries and officials withal, that they may go quit themselves, shall open unto them the con fessions of the richest of their parishes; whom they cite privily, and lay to their charges secretly? If they desire to know their accusers, ' Nay,' say they, ' the matter is known Lay your well enough, and to more than ye are ware of. Come, lay book. w. T. your hand on the book; if ye forswear yourself, we shall bring proofs, we will handle you, we will make an ensample of you.' Oh, how terrible are they! ' Come, and swear,' say they, ' that you will be obedient unto our injunctions.' And by that craft wring they their purses, and make them drop, as long as there is a penny in them. In three or four years shall they in those offices get enough to pay for a bishop's bull. What other thing are these in a realm save horse-leeches, and even very maggots, cankers, and caterpillars, which devour no more but all that is green; and those wolves which Paul Actsxx. prophesied should come, and should not spare the flock; and which Christ said should come in lamb's skins; and bade us beware of them, and judge them by their works?
Though, as I have before sufficiently proved, a Christian] NO man may man must suffer all things, be it never so great unright, as hheeiskbn0gunajd long as it is not against God's commandment; neither is it l$^{? office> lawful for him to cast any burden off his back by his own authority, till God pull it off, which laid it on for our deservings; yet ought the kings everywhere to defend their realms from such oppression, if they were Christians; which is seldom seen, and is a hard thing verily, though not impossible. For, alas! they be captives or ever they be kings, yea, almost Kinfsjf e in ere they be born. No man may be suffered about them but^w- T- flatterers, and such as are first sworn true unto our most holy fathers the bishops; that is to say, false to God and man.
If any of the nobles of the realm be true to the king, and] so bold that he dare counsel him that which should be to his honour and for the wealth of the realm; they will wait a season for him, as men say; they will provide a ghostly father for him. God bring their wickedness to light! There is no mischief whereof they are not the root; nor bloodshed but through their cause, either by their counsel, or in that they preach not true obedience, and teach not the people to fear God. If any faithful servant be in all the court, he shall " have twenty spies waiting upon him; he shall be cast out of the court, or, as the saying is, conveyed to Calais, and made a captain or an ambassador; he shall be kept far enough from the king's presence.
The kings ought, I say, to remember that they are inihedutyof God's stead, and ordained of God, not for themselves, but for the wealth of their subjects. Let them remember that their subjects are their brethren, their flesh and blood, members of their own body, and even their ownselves in Christ. Therc-7 fore ought they to pity them, and to rid them from such wily tyranny, which increaseth more and more daily. And though that the kings, by the falsehood of the bishops and abbots, unlawful be sworn to defend such liberties; yet ought they not to keep u> be broken; their oaths, but to break them; forasmuch as they are unright anc^ c^ean against God's ordinance, and even but cruel oppresin si°nJ contrary unto brotherly love and charity. Moreover the spiritual officer ought to punish no sin; but and if any >in break out, the king is ordained to punish it, and they not; but to preach and exhort them to fear God, and that only oujjlit to punish sin: I mean that is broken forth. The heart must remain to God. W. T.
And let the kings put down some of their tyranny, and turn some unto a common wealth. If the tenth part of such tyranny were given the king yearly, and laid up in the shire- I towns, against the realm had need, what would it grow to in.) certain years? Moreover one king, one law, is God's ordi-l nance in every realm. Therefore ought not the king to sufferf them to have a several law by themselves, and to draw his \ The spirit subjects thither. It is not meet, will they say, that a spiritual J Snto the * man should be judged of a worldly or temporal man. 0 w. T. abomination! see how they divide and separate themselves: if the lay-man be of the world, so is he not of God! If he believe in Christ, then is he a member of Christ, Christ's brother, Christ's flesh, Christ's blood, Christ's spouse, coheir with Christ, and hath his Spirit in earnest, and is also spiritual. If they would rob us of the Spirit of God, why should they fear to rob us of worldly goods? Because thou art put in office to preach God's word, art thou therefore no more one of the brethren? Is the mayor of London no more one of the city, because he is the chief officer? Is the king no more of the realm, because he is head thereof? The king is in the"? The kings room of God; and his law is God's law, and nothing but the P i'aw. w. T. law of nature and natural equity, which God graved in the hearts of men. Yet antichrist is too good to be judged by the law of God; he must have a new, of his own making. It were meet verily that they went to no law at all. No more needed they, if they would study to preach God's word truly, and be contented with sufficient, and to be like one of their brethren.
i If any question arose about the faith of the scripture, that let them judge by the manifest and open scriptures, excluding the lay-men: for there are many found the lay-men, which are as wise as the officers. Or else, when the officer dieth, how could we put another in his room? Wilt thou so teach twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty years, that no man shall have knowledge or judgment in God's word save thou only? Is it not a shame that we Christians come so we come oft oft to church in vain, when he of fourscore years old knoweth Jjjf fj® wvjr no more than he that was born yesterday?
Moreover, when the spiritual officers have excommunicate! any man, or have condemned any opinion for heresy; let not Kings ought the king nor temporal officers punish and slay by and by l JIouo befieve at their commandment: but let them look on God's word, nambe'isy,op:>' and compare their judgment unto the scripture, and see nvinfisso whether it be right or no, and not believe them at the first W?T.USP< chop2 whatsoever they say, namely in things that pertain unto their own authorities and power: for no man is a right judge in his own cause. Why doth Christ command the ture to be preached unto all creatures, but that it pertaineth Scp unto all men to know them? Christ referreth himself unto the tures' w' T> scriptures, John v. And in the xith chapter of Matthew, John v.
unto the question of John Baptist's disciples, he answered, " The blind see, the lepers are cleansed, the dead arise again," &c. meaning that if I do the works which are prophesied that Christ should do when he cometh, why doubt ye whether I be he or no? As who should say, Ask the scripture, whether I be Christ or no, and not myself. How happeneth it then that our prelates will not come to the light also, that we may see whether their works be wrought in God, or no? Why fear they to let the lay-men see what they do? Why make they all their examinations in darkness? Why examine they not their causes of heresy openly, as the lay-men do their felonsj and murderers? Wherefore did Christ, and his apostles also, warn us so diligently of Antichrist, and of false prophets that should come? Because that we should slumber or sleep careless? or rather that wo should look in the light of the scripture with all diligence, to spy them when they came, and not to suffer ourselves to be deceived and led out of the way? John biddeth judge the spirits. Whereby x shall we judge them, but by the scriptures? How shalt thou
Vknow whether the prophet be true or false, or whether he speak God's word, or of his own head, if thou wilt not see
Bee S judge Pie scriptures? Why said David, in the second psalm, "Be the earth. learned ye that judge the earth, lest the Lord be angry with you, and ye perish from the right way?" A terrible warning, verily: yea, and look on the stories well, and thou shalt find very few kings, since the beginning of the world, that have not perished from the right way, and that because they would not be learned.
The kings The emperor and kings are nothing now-a-days, but even ifa"gSents ^angmen unto the pope and bishops, to kill whosoever they Wt T< condemn without any more ado; as Pilate was unto the scribes and Pharisees and the high bishops, to hang Christ. For as those prelates answered Pilate, when he asked what he had done, " If he were not an evil doer, we would not have brought him unto thee;" as who should say, We are too holy to do any thing amiss, thou mayest believe us well enough: yea, and " his blood on our heads," said they; kill him hardly, we will bear the charge, our souls for thine: " We have also a law by which he ought to die, for he calleth himself God's son:" — even so say our prelates, ' He ought to die by our laws, he speaketh against the church.' And, ' Your grace is sworn to defend the liberties and ordinances of the church, and to maintain our most holy father's authority; our souls for yours, ye shall do a meritorious deed therein.' Never theless, as Pilate escaped not the judgment of God, even so is BC learned ye it to be feared lest our temporal powers shall not. "Whereearth" w. x. fore be learned, ye that judge the earth, lest the Lord be angry with you, and ye perish from the right way."
who slew j Who slew the prophets? Who slew Christ? Who slew w!E°p s jhis apostles? Who the martyrs, and all the righteous that
(ever were slain? The kings and the temporal sword at the
\request of the false prophets. They deserved such murder to jdo, and to have their part with the hypocrites, because they why were 'would not be learned, and see the truth themselves. Where- siain? w. T. fore suffered the prophets? Because they rebuked the hypowhat deeds CI>ites which beguiled the world, and namely princes and *a™thye rulers, and taught them to put their trust in things of vanity, mercy as were profitable unto no man, but unto the false prophets themselves only; making merchandise of God's word. Wherefore slew they Christ? Even for rebuking the whysiew hypocrites; because he said, " Woe be to you scribes and W^T. " Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven before men," Matt, xxiii.: that is, as it is written, Luke xi. "Ye Lukexi. have taken away the key of knowledge." The law of God, which is the key wherewith men bind, and the promises, which The keys. are the keys wherewith men loose, have our hypocrites also taken away. They will suffer no man to know God's word, but burn it, and make heresy of it: yea, and because the people begin to smell their falsehood, they make it treason to Christ is a the king, and breaking of the king's peace, to have so much a breaker of as their Pater noster in English. And instead of God's law, peace, w.x. they bind with their own law: and instead of God's promises, HOW the they loose and justify with pardons and ceremonies, which bind and loose. W. T.
they themselves have imagined for their own profit. They preach, ' It were better for thee to eat flesh on Good Friday, than to hate thy neighbour:' but let any man eat flesh but on a Saturday, or break any other tradition of theirs, and he shall be bound, and not loosed, till he have paid the uttermost farthing, either with shame most vile, or death most cruel. But hate thy neighbour as much as thou wilt, and thou shalt have no rebuke of them; yea, rob him, murder him, and then come to them and welcome, They have a sanctuary for thee, to save thee; yea, and a neck- verse, if thou canst but read a little Latinly, though it be never so sorrily, so that thou be ready to receive the beast's mark. They care for no under standing: it is enough if thou canst roll up1 a pair of matins, or an even-song, and mumble a few ceremonies. And because they be rebuked thus, they rage. " Be learned, therefore, ye that judge the world, lest God be angry with you, and yetjMwu perish from the right way."
" Woe be to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" saith For rebuking Christ, Matt, xxiii. "for ye devour widows' houses under a colour of long prayer." Our hypocrites rob not the widows only, but knight, squire, lord, duke, king, and emperor, and even the whole world, under the same colour; teaching the people to trust in their prayers, and not in Christ, for whose sake God hath forgiven all the sin of the whole world unto as many as repent They be not and believe. They fear them with purgator 7, and promise to t°hfaptumgaakery Pra7 PerPetually, lest the lands should ever return home again perpetuities. unt0 the right heirs. What hast thou bought with robbing thy heirs, or with giving the hypocrites that which thou robbest of other men? Perpetual prayer? Yea, perpetual pain: for they appoint thee no time of deliverance, their prayers are so mighty. The pope for money can empty whyitis^ purgatory when he will. It is, verily, purgatory; for it tory. w. T. purgeth and maketh clean riddance: yea, it is hell; for it devoureth all things. His fatherhood sendeth them to heaven sraiaccEii. with Scala coeli1; that is, with a ladder to scale the walls:
The door is for by the door, Christ, will they not let them come in. yemu^tciniib That door have they stopped up; and that because ye should waiis. w. T. buy ladders of them. For some they pray daily, which gave vrayedfor, them perpetuities, and yet make saints of them, receiving also. w. T. offerings in their names, and teaching other to pray to them. The craft, None of them, also, which taketh upon them to save other with
Sthnofhfi" tneir players, trusteth to be saved thereby themselves; but
^rrmaster. hire other to pray for them.
Numb. xvi. Moses taketh record of God, that he took not of any of the people so much as an ass, neither vexed any of them, i sam. xii. Samuel, in the first book of Kings, the xiith chapter, asked all prayer was Israel, Whether he had taken any man's ox or ass; or had the ow time, vexed any man, or had taken any gift or reward of any man? and all the people testified, ' Nay:' yet these two both taught the people, and also prayed for them, as much as our prelates i Pet. v. do. Peter, 1 Peter v. exhorteth the elders to take the over sight of Christ's flock, not for filthy lucre, but of a good will, Acts xx. even for love. Paul, Acts xx. taketh the priests, or elders, to record, that he had taught repentance and faith, and all the counsel of God; and yet had desired no man's gold, silver, or vesture, but fed himself with the labour of his hands. And yet these two taught and prayed for the people as much as our prelates do, with whom it goeth after the common saying, 'No penny, no Paternoster:' which prelates yet, as they teach not but beat only, so wot they not what prayer meaneth.
Moreover, the law of love, which Christ left among us, is to give, and not to receive. What prayer is it then, that Their prayer thus robbeth all the world, contrary to that great command- great com-16 ment, which is the end of all commandments, and in which all g£Ce that the others are contained? If men should continue to buy prayer K-eeJ0re.up four or five hundred years more, as they have done, there W'T' would not be a foot of ground in Christendom, neither any worldly thing, which they, that will be called spiritual only, should not possess. And thus all should be called spiritual.
" Woe be to you lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens Luke xi. which they are not able to bear, and ye yourselves touch not the packs with one of your fingers," saith Christ, Luke xi. Our lawyers, verily, have laden us a thousand times more. What The burdens spiritual kindred have they made in baptism to let matrimony!2 tuaiuwyers. besides that they have added certain degrees unto the law natural for the same purpose. What an unbearable burden of chastity do they violently thrust on other men's backs, and how easily bear they it themselves! How sore a burden, confession how cruel a hangman, how grievous a torment, yea, and *££££ ~rob how painful an hell, is this ear-confession unto men's con- Jj^jf sciences! For the people are brought in belief, that without 5?Suiafd that they cannot be saved; insomuch that some fast certain falth' W'T* days in the year, and pray certain superstitious prayers all their lives long, that they may not die without confession. In peril of death, if the priest be not by, the shipmen shrive themselves unto the mast. If any be present, they run then every man into his ear: but to God's promises fly they not, for they know them not. If any man have a death's wound, he crieth immediately for a priest. If a man die without shrift, many take it for a sign of damnation. Many, by reason of that false belief, die in desperation. Many, for shame, keep back of their confession twenty, thirty years, and think all the while that they be damned. I knew a poor woman with child, which longed, and, being overcome of her passion, ate flesh on a Friday; which thing she durst not confess in the space of eighteen years, and thought all that while that she had been damned, and yet sinned she not at all. Is not this a sore burden, that so weigheth down the soul unto the bottom of hell? What should I say? A great book were not sufficient to rehearse the snares which they have laid to rob men both of their goods, and also of the trust which they should have in God's word1.
" The scribes and Pharisees do all their works to be seen of men. They set abroad their phylacteries, and make long borders on their garments, and love to sit uppermost at feasts, and to have the chief seats in the synagogues;" that
Matt.xxiii. is, in the congregations or councils, "and to be called Rabbi;" that is to say, masters, saith Christ, Matt, xxiii. Behold the deeds of our spiritualty, and how many thousand fashions are among them to be known by: which, as none is like another, so loveth none another: for every one of them supposeth that all other poll too fast, and make too many captives. Yet to resist Christ are they all agreed, lest they should be all
Badges or compelled to deliver up their prisoners to him. Behold the known by. monsters, now they are disguised with mitres, crosiers, and hats, with crosses, pillars, and poleaxes, and with three namS"w T crowns • What names have they? My lord prior, my lord abbot, my lord bishop, my lord archbishop, cardinal, and legate; if it please your fatherhood; if it please your lord ship; if it please your grace; if it please your holiness; and
Ste^meV?67 innumerable such like. Behold how they are esteemed, and w- T- how high they be crept up above all; not into worldly seats only, but into the seat of God, the hearts of men, where they sit above God himself. For both they, and whatsoever they make of their own heads, is more feared and dread than God and his commandments. In them and their deservings put we more trust than in Christ and his merits. To their pro mises give we more faith than to the promises which God hath sworn in Christ's blood.
The hypocrites say unto the kings and lords, * These heretics would have us down first, and then you, to make of all common.' Nay, ye hypocrites and right heretics,^ approved by open scripture, the kings and lords are down 'Kings are already; and that so low, that they cannot go lower.
tread them under your feet, and lead them captive, and havef made them your bond-servants to wait on your filthy lusts, j and to avenge your malice on every man, contrary unto the: right of God's word. Ye have not only robbed them of their, land, authority, honour, and due obedience which ye owe unto them; but also of their wits, so that they are not without understanding in God's word only, but even in worldly mat ters, that pertain unto their offices, they are more than chil dren. Ye bear them in hand what ye will, and have brought them even in case like unto them which, when they dance naked in nets, believe they are invisible. We would have; them up again, and restored unto the room and authority which God hath given them, and whereof ye have robbed them.' And your inward falsehood we do but utter only with the light of God's word, that your hypocrisy might be seen. " Be learned, therefore, ye that judge the world, lest God be angry with you, and ye perish from the right way."
" Woe be to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For Matt xxiii. ye make clean the utterside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of bribery and excess," saith Christ, Matt. JS^s jft°~by xxiii. Is that which our hypocrites eat and drink, and all theft w- T their riotous excess, any other thing save robbery, and that which they have falsely gotten with their lying doctrine? " Be learned, therefore, ye that judge the world," and compel them to make restitution again.
" Ye blind guides," saith Christ, " ye strain out a gnat Matt xxiiiand swallow a camel." Matt, xxiii. Do not our blind guides also stumble at a straw, and leap over a block; making narrow consciences at trifles, and at matters of weight none at all? If consciences o that are so any of them happen to swallow his spittle, or any of the JJ water wherewith he washeth his mouth, ere he go to mass; Jf^, or touch the sacrament with his nose; or if the ass2 forget to breathe on him1, or happen to handle it with any of his fingers which are not anointed; or say ' Alleluia' instead of * Laus tibi, Domine;' or ' Ite, missa est' instead of ' Benedicamus Domino; ' or pour too much wine in the chalice; or read the gospel without light; or make not his crosses aright, how trembleth he! How feareth he! What an horrible sin is committed! I cry God mercy, saith he, and you, my ghostly father. But to hold an whore, or another man's wife, to buy a benefice, to set one realm at variance with another, and to cause twenty thousand men to die on a day, is but a trifle and a pastime with them!
The Jews boasted themselves of Abraham; and Christ said A°shthejews uu^° them, John viii. " If ye were Abraham's children, ye would 3renhoef Abra- ^° ^iG deeds of Abraham." Our hypocrites boast themselves of the authority of Peter, and of Paul, and the other apostles clean contrary unto the deeds and doctrine of Peter, Paul, w?T.es' and of all the other apostles; which both obeyed all worldly authority and power, usurping none to themselves, and taught all other to fear the kings and rulers, and to obey them in all things not contrary to the commandment of God; and not to resist them, though they took away life arid goods tS?typhave wrongfully; but patiently to abide God's vengeance. This feartheS && our spiritualty never yet, nor taught it. They taught their traditions: insomuch that the evil people, which fear not to resist a good king and to rise against him, dare not lay hands on one of them, neither for defiling of wife, daugh ter, or very mother. When all men lose life and lands, they They win remain always sure and in satety, and ever win somewhat, always. For whosoever conquereth other men's lands unrightfully, ever giveth them part with them. JTo them is all thing lawful. In all councils and parliaments arc they the chief. Without them may no king be crowned, neither until he be 42$ sworn to their liberties. All secrets know they, even the very thoughts of men's hearts. By them all things are ministered. No king nor realm may, through their falsehood, live in peace/? To believe they teach not in Christ, but in them and their disguised hypocrisy. And of them compel they all men to buy redemption and forgiveness of sins. The people's | sin they cat, and thereof wax fat. The more wicked the I people are, the more prosperous is their commonwealth. If kings and great men do amiss, they must build abbeys and colleges; mean men build chantreys; poor find trentals, and brotherhoods, and begging friars. Their own heirs do men disherit, to endote2 them. All kings are compelled to sub mit themselves to them. Read the story of king John, and of other kings. They will have their causes avenged, though whole realms should therefore perish. Take from them their disguising; so are they not spiritual. Compare that they have taught us unto the scripture; so are we without faith.
Christ saith, John v. " How can ye believe, which receive John v. glory one of another?" If they that seek to be glorious can ffae^°nf°utn have no faith, then are our prelates faithless, verily. And, "heyhdo clod's John vii. he saith: " He that speaketh of himself, seeketh his w^f • own glory." If to seek glory and honour be a sure token John vu* that a man speaketh of his ownself, and doth his own mes sage, and not his master's; then is the doctrine of our pre lates of themselves, and not of God. " Be learned, therefore, ye that judge the earth, lest God be angry with you, and ye perish from the right way."
Be learned, lest the hypocrites bring the wrath of GodjBeieamed. upon your heads, and compel you to shed innocent blood; as they have compelled your predecessors to slay the prophets, to kill Christ and his apostles, and all the righteous that since were slain. God's word pertaineth unto all men; as it God>s WOTd pertaineth unto all servants to know their master's will and pleasure, and to all subjects to know the laws of their prince. S?3tiy? a11 ket n°t the hypocrites do all things secretly. What reason is w> T* it that mine enemy should put me in prison at his pleasure, and there diet me, and handle me as he lusteth; and judge me himself, and that secretly; and condemn me by a law of his own making, and then deliver me to Pilate to murder me? oughtTord ket God's word try every man's doctrine, and whomsoever^ judge, w. T. GOC[>S word proveth unclean, let him be taken for a leper. waVounder ^nc SCI>ipture will help to declare another. And the cirscrnnure. cumstances, that is to say, the places that go before and W-T- after, will give light unto the middle text. And the open and manifest scriptures will ever improve the false and wrong exposition of the darker sentences. Let the temporal powerj to whom God hath given the sword to take vengeance, look or ever that they leap, and see what they do. Let the causes be disputed before them, and let him that is accused have room to answer for himself. The powers, to whom God hath committed the sword, shall give accounts for every drop of blood that is shed on the earth. Then shall their ignorance not excuse them, nor the saying of the hypocrites help them, It°hunot!lelp" ' My soul for yours, your grace shall do a meritorious deed;' 'your grace ought not to hear them;' 'it is an old heresy condemned by the church.' The king ought to look in the scripture, and see whether it were truly condemned or Jno, if he will punish it. If the king, or his officer for him, iwill slay me; so ought the king, or his officer, to judge me. taie king cannot, but unto his damnation, lend his sword to ^kill whom he judgeth not by his own laws. Let him that is accused stand on the one side, and the accuser on the other side; and let the king's judge sit and judge the cause, if the king will kill, and not be a murderer before God. ^ Hereof may ye see, not only that our persecution is for the same cause that Christ's was, and that we say nothing that Christ said not; but also that all persecution is only for rebuking of hypocrisy; that is to say, of man's righteousness, and of holy deeds, which man hath imagined to please God and to be saved by without God's word, and beside the testa ment that God hath made in Christ. If Christ had not rebuked the Pharisees because they taught the people to believe in their traditions and holiness, and in offerings that came to their advantage, and that they taught the widows, and them that had their friends dead, to believe in their prajcrs, and that through their prayers the dead should be saved; and through that means robbed them both of their goods, and also of the testament and promises that God had made to all that repented in Christ to come; he might have been uncrucified unto this day.
If St Paul also had not preached against circumcision, that it justified not; and that vows, offerings, and ceremonies justified not; and that righteousness, and forgiveness of sins, came not by any deserving of our deeds, but by faith, or believing the promises of God, and by the deserving and merits of Christ only; he might have lived unto this hour. Likewise, if we preached not against pride, covetousness, lechery, extortion, usury, simony, and against the evil living both of the spiritualty as well as of the temporalty, and against inclosings of parks, raising of rents and fines, and of the carrying out of wool out of the realm; we might endure long enough. But touch the scab of hypocrisy, or popeholiness, and go about to utter their false doctrine, wherewith they reign as gods in the heart and consciences of men, and rob them not of lands, goods, and authority only, but also of the testament of God, and salvation that is in Christ; then helpeth thee neither God's word, nor yet if thou didst miracles; but that thou art not an heretic only, and hast the devil within thee, but also a breaker of the king's peace, and a traitor. But let us return unto our lying signs again.
What signifieth that the prelates are so bloody, and pe prelates clothed in red? That they be ready every hour to suffer p^'w.V martyrdom for the testimony of God's word. Is that also) not a false sign? When no man dare, for them, once open his mouth to ask a question of God's word, because they ard ready to burn him.
What signifieth the poleaxes that are borne before high ™e^eslegates a latere? Whatsoever false sign they make of them, I care not; but of this I am sure, that as the old hypocrites, when they had slain Christ, set poleaxes to keep him in his sepulchre, that he should not rise again, even so have our hypocrites buried the testament that God made unto us in Christ's blood; and to keep it down, that it rise not again, is all their study; whereof these poleaxes are the very sign.
Is not that shepherd's hook, the bishop's crose1, a false sign? Is not that white rochet, that the bishops and canons wear, so like a nun, and so effeminately, a false sign? What other things are their sandals, gloves, mitres, and all the whole pomp of their disguising, than false signs, in which Paul ProPnesied that they should come? And as Christ warned us ^° ^eware °f wolves in lamb's skins, and bade us look rather unto their fruits and deeds than to wonder at their disguisings, run throughout all our holy religions, and thou shalt find them likewise all clothed in falsehood.