A Disclosing or Opening of the Man of Sin

The disclosing.

H Ad this bishop been sent unto us in massage from God the everlasting father as was Iohā Baptist, we had had of him the preachīge of repentance for sin. Had he been dyrected from his eternal son Jesus christ as were the meek spreted apostoles, we should have received af him the Ioyfull tiding of salvation in his blessed death and passion. Had he been a true mynystre of that undefiled church which is alone governed by Christ's only word, he had brought to Paul's cross the wholesome doctrine of faith according to that Christian office. But as one shaken out of antichristesnest, he hath mynystred here fruits like himself. Even like the very man of sin, or like him which hath no manner of godly spirit, neither of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strēgthe, knowledge, pyte, nor yet of the true fear of God, as Isaiah doth rehearse thē. I think verylye he is that two horned beast which Christ shown unto Johan boanerges his dearlye beloved Apostle in mystery, that should rise out of the earth. For here he speaketh perverse things and blasphemies as it is said that beast should do. He hath ii horns like the lambs at a blush, as that beast should have for they are also coūterfett. The .ii. prycketes of his myter (his chaplaynes saith) betokeneth the .ii. testaments, which manyfestlye proveth him to be the same. He compelleth here the worldly multitude to worship the first beast, like as that beast should do. He seemeth to fatche fire from heaven in mennys sight, he seduceth the dwellers upon earth, he incorageth aseheades that of late years were dumb dodypols, as are Standyshe, huntyngtō, and such other more, and he sleeth them that will not do homage to the first beasts Image as that beast should do, and there for he seemeth to be the same. Though he be not that whole beast (for that it vniuersallye extendeth to all the spūall promoters of Idolatry in the popes kingdom) yet hath he a great porcyon therein. The massage that he here bringeth and the lyerninge that he here uttereth might come frō the devil well enough, for any goodness is in it. And therefore lete hi stand forth here hardelye, and tell his own tale. I think by that time ye have throughlye hard it having always recourse to the scriptures, ye will say in this matter as I do.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

NOn other is this declaratiō (good Christian Reader) if thu dyligentlye mark it and way it a right, but a new professyon to the Antichrist of Rome and his old rustye rewles▪ his only name suppressed. Necessarye it is for the Christ̄ traueler which walketh here betwixt fire and water, light and darkness, good and ill, life and death to try all spirits, and to prove all beleues by the rewles of faith, whether they be godly or nay. And to that ende were the holy scriptures first givē us of our eternal God, and are made now open unto us by the spirit of his only son Jesus Christ, which are herein and in all such deuylyshe dottages needful to be followed if we covet with thē salvation. For with the false Prophets shall the seduced multitude perish as the children with there mother and the fruit with there tree if they take not the lords aduertysementes. 2. We will not greatly strive with my lord Boner here of Londō for the name of the day▪ whereupon the said new professiō was made by cōpulsiō, though it be somewhat Iewyshe. For neither is it in our power to change it in other, nor yet to command it not so to be observed, though we in our own conscience according to the doctrine of saint Paul, observe neither days nor months, times nor years in bondage, least we turning again to beggarly tradicyons and lowsye customs should have of christ no profyght. This we speak for my lords forth Sunday of aduent or coming of Christ. Wherein we loke not now for his coming again with the iewes, nor yet think to receive him in outward shadows with the hypocrites more upon one day than upon another. But we believe to have him within us at all times. And as the true worshyppers, by him to worshypp the father in spirit and in verite. For why, without him we can do nothing. So perfect must our faith betherfor that he may dwell presentlye with us, and not now be thought coming toward us, if we be of God. For we should now be no babes in Christ having his godly, doctrine of salvation so longe time among us. 3. Thys declaratyon should be made by this present evidence, in the year of our lord God a thousand, five hondreth, and .xli. which year seemeth in this act and such other like, to be rather of the pestylēt regne and perverse dominacyon of my lord of londō under his most holy father of Rome the great god of the earth, patriarch of purgatory, and porter of hell, thā of the eternal living God, he so cruelly exacting • such a shameful professiō and abominable oath as this is here. For in this process is not his glory sought, but there vain glory, pride, and glotonouse co • etousnese. 4. Of the poor simple man ne, called here in scorn master Wyllyā Tolwyn, person of saith Antonines was this open promise to the devils obedience most tyrannouslye coacted by the very satellyte of Satan. 5. In the famous city of London at Paul's cross, to the great dyshonour and seruytute of so noble a city to have such a shameless anti christ for there bishop as giveth no better fruits. Now followeth in course the said declaration.

The man of sin▪

Hys disclosing.

A • Craftye custom hath the wylye fox of wanton play and dallyaunce, whan he myndeth to optayne a pray, which my lord Boner of lōdon useth here as one very subtle in his woluyshe generation. With glosinge words and flatteringe speech he faw neth upon the people by this poor simple sowle, calling them good, as the false pharyseded Christ for a wicked purpose. But necessary it is after the godly counsel of Solomon, not to give a rydie ear unto flatterers, but rather with Isaiah to think they mind deceit towards us which calleth us good. If the people be good (as I am certain and sure they are so many as hath thankefullye received God's word) great pyte it is there goodness should be distayned with so vnwholsom council of deuilyshenesse in hypocrisy as herein is contained. 2. He that was set forth to declare this doctrine, is a master of art here noted. A title it is mete for such lowsye lernige as this is. To subtilte and craft are they compelled to rōne, which hath not gods word vpō there side. For no disprayse of learning nor yet of the poor manne be this sooken, whom my lord of Londō thus cruelly enforceth to stand forth in these colors. 3. He is also here noted to be person of saint Antonynes within the city and diocese of London, to make the matter more glorious. Sure we are that the saint Antonyne which there dwelleth is a profane beastly, Idol, and so are all they that stand up in tabernacles within his temple. To be the vycegerēt, or to represent the person of such an Idol, is non other (I suppose) thā to be an Idol in deed. For, an Idol doth zacharye call that sheparde, which doing Idol service, omytteth to feed his flock with the true laws of god. Wherfor I wish the said poor mā no longer to be under such tyttles and offices, as can ne not be used without danger of sowle. 4. To be a cytezen of London is no more harm before God than it is to be a dweller in any other quarter of the world. But to be of the diocese is to be a member of antichristes kingdom which is moche worse in deed. 5. Non other hath denounced him of errors, detected him of heresy, and presented him to my lord bysshoppe of London for a seditious person, but there own filthy frye, the cursed generation of Idolators, whore mongars, extorcioners, and epycures. Of renon other for the trewthes sake hath he been vehementlye suspected, noted, and infamed, to be a favorer, furderer, and receyuer of heretykes as they call them, than was Christ and his Apostles, with all such like abiectes of this world. 6. Sedicious must he be noted that hath opinyons against the false faith of there whorishe mother the church of antichrist the strompe • t of babylon, the rose coloured harlot • with the cup of all filthy abhominacyons, daily drunken with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. He should not else be the servant, massenger, nor yet a just folower of his master. Neither should the word of God else be found true, no more than is the tale or fable of a sinner. By non other token is the true church of Christ known from the false and cownterfett synagoge, but by persecucyon for ryghtousnesse sake. For his church ys evermore as he was, hated, blasphemed, vexed, troubled, scorned, dysdayned, accused, lied vpō, and cruelly afflicted unto death, else is it not of his mark. Not wurthy is he to be a menber of Christ's body, but to be cut from it, that will not suffer with him. Blessinges of the gospel (wherbye the church is made holy) are neither promised to myter nor rochett, shaven crown nor typpett, whode nor side gown, stole nor cope, cup nor can delstyck, a • oyntinge nor prestode, mass nor matins, sensynge nor ceremony, consistorye nor sessyon sitting. But to them that be meek, merciful, faithful, pyttefull, gē • ill, peaceable, poor in spirit, and that pacyētlye suffer all manner of shame and rebuke for the trewthes sake. No puffed up Prelates, glorious bishops, dysgysed priests, sophysticall masters, nor painted hypocrites doth he know for his, but simple preachers, godly believers, and menne persecuted for his word. For they are those are those which car rye his lyuerye. 7. Catholyck they call the faith of there church (which term the scripture hath not) and it may well be. For catholyck is as moche to say, as universal, or admyttynge all. For in deed they allow all manner of faythes, that faith only excepted which they owght to allow most of all. No Iewyshe ceremonye refuse they, nor yet heythen super stycyon. So longe as the gospel is not trewlye preached, there faith is good ynowgh. For it is catholyck. Vniuersally all false beleues and wicked worshippings contrary to God's prescripcyon it alloweth, no kind of Idolatry and supersticyon rejected. Neither have this generation sense the beginning reproved pylgrymages nor pardons, rellyckes nor false reverences, sensynges nor candel sacrifices, la •• yn bussynge nor lyppe service, dead shadows nor Idel obseruacyons, with such like pylde pedlarye and romyshe ware. For it is there own proper good. And that will plentuouslie appear here after in this present declaratyon, wherein this poor man is more depelye compelled to accuse himself.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

FOr fauourynge, mainteyninge, and defendynge Christ's godly verite, was steuen as a blasphemer stoned unto death at Jerusalem. Antipas the faithful witness of the lord was slain at pergamos. And Christ's Apostles were dyuerselye afflycted the world over, by this viperous generation. Jason for receiving Paul and Silas with other dysciples and teachers of the gospel, was brought before the cownsell at thessalonica, and accused for a sedycious traitor against Caesar. No marvel therefore though this pore mā be vexed of the same sort; mainteininge the same doctrine, and fauorynge the teachers thereof. Is there any other reward following the true servants of God now then hath been afore? No surely, unless christ hath now of late changed his former promise, and is now become a speaker against himself, which is so impossible as he not to be God. If they have persecuted him, needs must they persecute his members. If they have called the master of the house belzebub, so will they do his how should ye shall be hated of all menne (saith Christ) for my names sake. It is no new thing to se poor men thus handled, blasphemed, and openly schamed, without reasonable cause.

2 For heretykes must they be taken, which follow not there traditions, nor regard there sacred sorcerye. Thus may they cal christ an heretic also, for he never allowed there ceremonies. He never went processyon with cope, cross, and candelstyck. He never sensed image nor sange lat • yn service. He never gave orders nor sat in confession. He never preached of purgatory nor pardons. He never honored saints nor prayed for the dead. He never said mass, matins, nor euensonge. He never fasted frydaye nor vygyll, lent nor aduent. He never hallowed church nor chalyce, ashes nor palms, candels nor belles. He never made holy water nor holy brede, with such like. But such domme ceremonies not having the express commandment of God, he called the leaven of the Pharysees and damnable hypocresie, admonyshinge his dyscyples to be ware of them. He curseth all thē that addeth unto his word such beggerlye shadows, wypynge there names clean out of the boke of life. Saint paule testyfyeth them to have no porcyon in Christ, which wrap themselves again with such yokes of bondage.

3 Bokes of heresy must all those works be, which rebuketh any of there abusvons, be they never so godly. That caused them so longe time to lock up the scriptures in a strange language and under an unknown speech, least the people by reading of them should perseyue there works to be nowght, and so rebuke them. Yea, they have not been ashamed of late years, to call the prophecies of the old law, the .iv. gospels, paules epystles, and the holy apocalyps, with other treatyses of the sacred Bible, most detestable books of heresy, and to burn many good godly and innocent creatures for having thē in there houses, and for reading of them unto other, and all under the title and authority of princes laws. In the mean season also have they boasted themselves for the peculyar people of God, for the holy church, the consecrate number, the spiritual sort, the catholyck doctors, the chosen persons, the godly company, the relygious brether hede, the wyuelesse vyrgyns, the good gostlye fathers, and that they have done nothing but in the zealous quarrel of the lord. But no more are they of his kingdom than was phassur and semeias which persecuted Hieremye, Jannes and Jambres which resysted Moses, Caiaphas and Annas which putt Christ unto death and vexed his apostles, with such like bludthurstye prelates and malycyous mourtherers. For his church or kingdom is a congregaciō of simple, meek spreted, lowlye, pytefull, and gentle teachers, and not of proud glottōs, glorious lechours, cruel byteshepes, and rauenouse robbers, as they are. Never shall ye se them trewlye ground there doings upon God's holy word, but either upon there own filthy traditions or upon the crooked customs of the cuntre brought in first of all by there cursed counsel, or vpō the auncyentnesse of there fathers, or holiness of there doctors or else most chefelye upon the mighty authority of princes.

4 Mark how the byssoppe of London layeeh forth here the kings proclamacyons and ordynaunces against this poor mannne, for having in his custody books against the bysshoppe of Rome, and how he doth couple them with his own Antichristiane decree and inhybycyon. Yea, consider how blasphemouslye and trayterouslye he doth here abuse them, to the abhorrynge of all Christ̄ • ares, and the great dolour of all faithful hearts. Here is not the true preaching of the gospel called upon by the kings proclamacyons, to the glory of God. Neither is here sought the adolishment of the bysshoppe of romes usurped pour, nor yet the laȳge aside of deuylyshe supersticyons, (which are all effectuallye required in his godly ordinances) For they are not the things that mi lord seeketh to uphold. But here is sore cōplayned of, the slackness in going of processiō at evensonge, in the saying of romy she hours, in the making of holy water and holy brede. And what make these to the Christian erudycyon, or to any other godly purpose? What are these • oyes either to the maintenance of faith, or of any common wealth? Must so many idle Bishops and priests be masted up so fat to the great hyndraunce of the public wealth, for the vpholdynge of things of so small profyght? Alac that ever the prices authority should thus be used to the blasphemy of God, and to his gre • t dyshonour. Thys maketh forē people to report moche shame which is not here to be spoken, to the great heuynesse of true faithful hearts.

5 If the decrees and inhybycyons of my lord ordynarye of London, and of other such holy ordynaryes of englande (as they be here named) were dilygentlye sought out, and well weighed, I fear me they should appear very scant honest men, well, the lord seeth all, and shall surely judge it at a day.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

GIR euous burdens and intolerable yokes lay they still upon the shoulders of men, sitting in Moses chair. Nothynge esteem they the cōmaūdements of God in comparyson of there own tradi • yons. No fawte ys the brekynge of them here noted. Idolatry, sy money, sacrilege, whoredom, hatred, se dycyon, glottonye, covetousness, cruelty, rape, and mourther ys neither here blamed nor yet spoken ill of. Onlye ys God's verite here condēpned under the black title of heresy, the poor member of Christ made a lawghige stock to all the world for yt, blasphemed, dysdayned, and abhorred. Soch is yet the ab homynacyon of this sixth age of the church. Whan Satan tempted Christ in the desert, in his first .ii. suggestions he named the son of God. But in this declaracyon (yea, rather temptation of his people) schalt thu not find one syllabe mencyoned, neither of him nor yet of his he auenlye father. Read yt over hardelye with judgment, and mark yt with we pynge eyes, lamētynge that the dere flock of the lord ys thus myserablye led. For there is no plage under heaven to it. If this be not the defec • yon from Christ, mencyoned by Paul to the Thessalonianes, I think there ys non. I fear yt that my lord of london hath taken up the third suggestyon of Satan with his couetours and ambycyous kingdom, and as a fearful tempter, seduceth the people to there dampnacyon. For what a doctrine is this • wherein neither God nor his son is mencyoned. Wele may it be called error in hypocrisy and doctrine of devils, yea, and worse if worse may be. Se how the devil resembleth here the angel of light. Sens Christ's ascenciō hath not such a declaracyon been after this sort spredde among the people, by Christian nor Antichristiane, Jew nor pagane, angel nor devil, a poor man compelled so openly to profess the same and no mencyon made of god nor of christ. If this be not a mystery of iniquire, and a working of Satan under a de ceytfull pour, never was there any.

2 A grett matter is made here of a thing of nowght, and it must be proclaimed at Paul's cross. Tolwin must stand forth there for an heretic. And why? For he hath not observed the laudable ceremonies, rites, and custōes of this catholyck church of englande. Wherein I pray yow?

3 He hath not gone processyon upon saturdayes at euensonge. A very heinous offense, and worthy to be judged no less thann high treason against your holy father agapitus popett of Rome, which first dreamed it out, and enacted it for a laudable ceremonye of your whoryshe church, for christ knoweth it not. But I marvel sore that ye observe yt upon saturdayes at night at euensonge, he cōmaundynge yt to be observed upon the sondayes in the morning betwixt holy water making and high mass. Parauēture ye will say, ye do both, and so doble yt (as we perseyue ye do in deed) least the holy obseruacyon of your father should drop away, and yow be found neglygent in your obedyēce. For soth ye show yourself a very natural child to your holy mother, in so holdinge her up for fallynge now in her latter age, and wurthye ye are to have her blessing. If ye would wytsaue to put • the. 7. staciōs of Rome unto it in the worship of the▪ vii. deadly sins after the old wont, your ceremonye might ape • e more solempne. Moch is Sa • urnus beholden unto yow (which ys one of the old gods) to garnyshe the going out of his day with so holy an obseruacyon. Ioye yt ys of your life, so to remember your old friends. Doubtless yt ys a fine myrye pagent, and yow worthy to be called a Saturnyane for yt. Wher of this and other proper pagētes of yours be called laudable, we cannot tell, for we can neither find word nor commandment of god for them and therefore we refer it unto yow.

4 An other laudable ceremonye of yowrs Tolw in hath not well handled, nor as a workemāne of that occupacyon should do. He hath not made his holy water and his holy brede after the old usage and manner, nor as it is customablye yet used of other conynge artyfycers of your lyuerie and mark. Though he hath made thē and well seasoned thē with salt after the rew les of pope alexander, yet hath he left out the holy exorcysmes and cōiuracyōs, supposynge the good creatures of God's creacyon to have no devils within thē, remembering also his princes pleasure, which hath willed all supersty cyousnesse to be taken away frō the ceremonies. Notwithstādinge yow se another thing in it. The laudable institucyon of your holy fathers popes of rome should perish if it were not so used. Yea we, should have nothing to drive away spirits with, nor yet to take away vēge able sins. For neither hath christ nor yet a Christian man's faith the pour that holy water hath. Therfor set hand to it hard lie, and regard neither god nor your king, but lett the heretic knave do opē penaūce in spite of thē both to putt other in fear, least the seat of holy water making be forgottē among thē.

5 Confessyon is also a laudable ceremonye of yowrs, and was first admitted by pope innocent in the most pestylēt counsel of laterane for a maintenance of your markett. Se now that it decay not for want of looking to. Consyder first of all that for your commodite it hath deposed and dysherited more th • ii. hondreth lawful kings, and shorn them into monasteryes of monkerye some of there eyes putt out. It made fredericus barbarossa the Popes foot stole at venys, and subdewed many other noble emprowrs. For such a treasure it is as ever helpeth whan your matters are in danger. By the vertu of confession was the pleasant kingdom of Italy destroyed, and became saint peters patrimonye, the king thereof called desyderius with his wife and children exyled into lions, and endynge his life in greatt myserye. Throwgh the same was the empyre of constantynople translated frō the grekes to the frenchemenne your old friends, because they would not for your profyght to have images worshipped. Kynge Johan of englande a man of no small valeauntnesse and virtue, through the hidden mysteries of the same was brought into hate of his nobyly •• and commons and compelled to give up his crown and title for him and • ys heirs to the apostolyck seat. Raymundus also the last erle of tholose and most valeaunt warryour of all Christendom, abowght the same time only by • ause he would not burn the albigesyanes within his dominyon (whō your holy • athers judged for heretykes for that they • esysted there said ear confessiō, there prymacye, there purgatory, there praynge to • ead saints, with other such pylde ped • arye, which they had establyshed in the • fore said counsel of laterane for new artycles of the Christian faith, and as matters necessary unto saluacyō he was • ruellye compelled to stand forth naked in his shyrt in the face of the world, bare • oted and bareheaded, and to axe mer • ye upon his knees before the legate cardynall of sayn • angel, his natural people standing about him, waylynge, wepynge, and cryenge out for very pyte. For he was not only enforced there by penance (as they call it) to give to there clergy. 27. thousand mark, but also to dysheryte his whole stock forever, and to war upon the Turks without pour, the sonnar to bring him to his ende with other most cruel ininuccyons, as are to be seen more at large in the history of tholose compyled by Nicolas Bertrande doctor of both laws. It shall stand tolwyn in hand therefore from henceforth to take better hede, and not to dallye with your confession as he hath done, seeing yt ys so dangerous a matter

6 No marvel ys yt though ye call •• ere consequētlye upon your Latin mass saying, for that far passeth a laudable ceremony, being the instytucyon of so many holy popes, being also a sacrifice necessary for the quycke and the dead, and so profitable also to the vpholdynge of your glorious glytterynge kingdom. That hath made your purses wayghtye and your kychynes war me, your chekes fat and your flesh ple sa ūt. Therfor Judge the speakīge against yt, no less than heresy and treason, make cruel laws of death, provide fagottes yuowgh and borne the losels apace. For if that ones fall, your precious robes, myters, crosers, fine rochettes, scarlett frockes, sandals, and typettes, with the monstruouse mark of madyan will follow sone after. And than farwel the Romish religion. Adewe than all spiritual vayneglory. Consyder what years yt cost e • e yt cowde be fynyshed, and how many holy popes wer about yt ere yt cowde be browgt to pass. It was more than vi. hondreth and lxx. years after Christ's incarnacyon ere the first Latin mass was said. For as witnesseth platina in the lives of romyshe bishops, Johan bysshoppe of portuense was the first that ever said mass openly, pope Agathō approuynge yt than in the .vi. general synod at Constantinople in the year of ower lord. 677 where as marriage was first forbid̄ to priests and whoredom admytted by this rewle. Si non caste tamen caute. Remēber also that yt was the work of more than. 20. holy fathers of Rome, everyone of thē clowtynge in a patche unto yt, And lett not the labor of so ma • ye perish among these Luthe ranes for a little looking to. Ye have more authority than ever had Caiaphas and Annas. For ye may call sessyons where and whan ye will. Ye may sit vpō life and death, and be both accuser and judge. If the warmode quest will not cōdēpne your accused, bring out a false of your own, of Rome rōners, pardoners, parrysh clerks, and bellryngers, as ye ded now of late for Richard mekyns, a poor simple ladde of. 17. years of age. And give him a bylle of wrōge articles in his hand to read whā he cometh to the fire to shaddow with your myscheff.

7 Though Christ calleth your Latin hours Idelnesse, hypocrisy, moche bablynge, and lyppe labor, yea, and though saint Paul doth esteem it a po • t of vain folishnes and moche more madness to utter a process in an unknown language among the people, yet set your romyshe wisdom ageinst them both, and stand fast in your old popish opynyon, making God's cōmaundemēts of non effect for your own dirty tradycyōs. Whereas christ hath cōmanded yow syncerelye to preach his gospel, do as though ye owght him no service, nor were non of his. Obeye it not, but say that ye know a moche better way Ye have a master (whose lyuerye and mark ye wear) which giveth better wages for the darkenynge of the gospel thā christ giveth for the preachīge of yt. The pope giveth forth glorious titles, fat bysshopryckes greatt benefices, princely houses, delycyous meats and drynkes, with other men's wives to lie bye whā they be young and fair, where as Christ ys all to the contrary. And there for ye will rather follow him thā Christ Thys maketh yow so straytlye to loke upon yt, that mattēs, pryme, hours, mass, even song, and complyne, be done as they owght to be. That ys to say, according to the holy instytucyon of pope Pelagius, which first ordained them to blemyshe the gospel preaching and to fill the time with Idell vanytees. Yea, ye wuld putt men to death rather than fail, for not obseruīge them, if they ded not thus with pore Tolwyn shamefullye recante. So good, faithful, obedient, and loving are ye to your holy fathers of Rome, though your wylye pretence be another.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

1 THys ys an old practice of our holy prelates, evermore to leave one crafty clause or other as a startynge hole to Rone to, if danger happen to them of there deeds here after. Thynke yow that my lord of London will be found fawtye in this act, in case yt be proved in process of time, blasphemous, trayterouse, cruel, and deuylyshe, by the sacred scriptures and by the kings statutes and laws? Nay, I warande yow. He ys of a more crafty generation than so. I trow my lord will wash his hands here with Pylate. Not one spot shall appear in his rochett of all that ys done in this matter.

2 Rather shall Tolwyn confess himself here to be his own accuser to my lord, not all unlike to him that hāgeth himself or drowneth himself. So workmanlye will this matter be handled. Partlye hath Tolwyn by his own confession denounced him self for a sedycyouse doer, detected himself for an heretic, and presented himself for a grievous offender for not obseruynge the popes holy traditions. And this ys enough to clear my lord, if any lykelyhode of old fryndeshypp toward his holy fatherhede do here after appear. But who extorted this confession more semynge a devil than a man, with thret tenynges of fagottes and fire? That will be easy to know to him that marketh the terms. Never coude tolwyn throughlye know what these rhetoryckes meant, as are denuncyacyon, deteccyon, and presentacyon, so longe as he was in cambryge, neither by his art stodye, nor yet by his scole dyuynyte, till he came to my lord of London's house. There was he sone made perfect in them, by some well stodyed man of the popes law. For from thens they came first in deed. Never ys a man to old to be taught, and be brought in farther practice.

3 The witnesses also received the same doctrine, to the same self ende and purpose. And here they are called suffycyent. Whether yt be for that they were many in number which than accused him, or because they are accounted honest men for there goods falsely gotten or in that yt pleased his Good lord shypp so to accept them for there old faythes sake, lett the dylygent reader judge. Soche allowaunce of catholyck witnesses and records against heretics, for the vpholdynge of holy church, ys no new thing, if ye serche the scriptures and histories. For they that accused Christ for a malefactor, a supporter of sinners, a deuyly she person, a subuerter of the people, a blasphemous heretic, a breaker of there Sabbath, a defyler of there laws, a sower of sedycyon, and destroyer of holy church, a traitor against cesar, and such like, were accepted and abeled of Annas and Caiaphas for honest, credible, wise, and sufficient men, though all the world knoweth them for false periures and knaves. So sone as the Apostles began ones to preach after Christ's ascencyon, by such ghostly chyldrē of holy church were they accused and cō pelled to make answer in the spūall court of the Jews. And sense that time hath the bysshopps been seldom without such prodygyouse pykethankes and glaueringe glosers, to bring men coram nobis. Which think they do God great good scruyce, whan they bring one of his pore lambes unto death, as they do in deed, though there service be nothing to there own souls profyght, as it will appear in the last rekenynge. Well, these suffycyent witnesses and records of my lord, or true upholders of the popes old faith, hath suffycyentlye proved Tol wyn an heretic in that behalf, besides his own confession. That is to say, in that he hath not gone processyon vpō saturdayes at euensonge, nor workman lie made his holy water and holy bread, nor confessed himself as the use of Rome is, and so forth. And vpō these suffycyent accusacyōs would my lord have condēpned him to the fire without mercy, had he not recanted at Paul's cross. Sone may ye know where of your holy prelates smelleth, if ye way this matter a right. Now resort we ageine to the text.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

1 PReposterouse always are the judgments of this vyperouse generation. Euermore esteem they that is evil to be good, and that is good to be evil, as witnesseth Isaiah. Ambycyon, pride, and vain glory take they for spi ritual holiness, clearly reiectynge the ryghtousnesse of God for there own beastly traditions whom his heart abhorreth. Thus putt they darkness for light and light for darkness. Mennys wisdom (which ys but error, dottage, and blindness of the spirit) prefer they to the eternal wisdom of God. Verye folysnnesse, heresy, and madness do they judge the gospel, which ys the strong power of the lord unto salvation to all them that believeth yt. That make they sower which • s more sweet than honye, and that vile which ys most precious, as to putt in the lord our whole confydence and trust, like as his holy word leadeth us. For his undefiled laws, my nystre they the doctrine of devils, with lies in hypocrisy. Thus doth the children of this world pervert all godliness. As the very antychrystes turn they the tree rotes upward. Into a wicked mind therefore hath the lord given them over, strongelye to delude the unbelievers for there vnbeleues sake. S • how this subtle charmer, this conjurer of Egypt, this vnbonere bishop Boner, a very blodye bocher of Babylō doth hand le this poor innocent Chrystyane.

2 So hath he bywytched him with his crafty legerdemayne. So hath he feared him for chynges of no wayght. Yea so hath he compassed him with threttenynges of terrible death, that needs he must grant sin where no sin ys, and openlie confess a grievous offense where as nō ys at all. He must acknowledge to the people to have deserved no small ponnysh ment at my lords hand, though his cōscyence standeth clear to the contrary. What haynouse treasō hast thu done good simple man, that thu standest thus forth for a wonder of the world? What ys thy offense, that yt requireth such open shame? Is yt these or murder, whoredom or Idolatry, superstycyon or sacrylege? Than were yt more mete that my lord stood there than thu. For of these fruits and such other, he hath moche more store than thyselfe hath, as yt ys easy to perseyue by this process. If yt be for not obseruynge the commendable rites, ceremonies, and customs of holy church, as ys said afore. Than ought my lord also to suffer the same self ponnyshment, for not going abought with saint Nycolas clerks, for not hallowynge pelgrimes to Jerusalem annd Rome, for not sensinge the plowghes vpō plowgh mondaye, for not rostynge eggs in the palm ashes fire, and for not singing Gaudeamus in the worshypp of holy Thomas Becket, with such other like, which were sometime more laudable ceremonies, than either saturdaye processyon or yet holy water making upon the sondaye. But my lord doth here moche after the practice of his old predecessors, which heaped upon men's sholders intolerable burdens of traditions. They laid vpō thē heuy yokes enough therselues not ones mouynge there fingars thereunto for soylynge.

3 He that doth covet to know the natural compassyon, gentylnesse, and sauoure, which regneth in a bishop of antichristes kingdom, lett him here as in a glass behold it. For Tolwyn hath found my lord very favorable and good unto hi, as he here {pro}testeth. What though he hath stand forth at Paul's cross to his rudyculouse re{pro}che, for not obseruynge the lowsye laws and Idele ceremonies of the pope, yet is my lord very charitable unto him. What though this vncomelye prospect hath made of his friends his utter enemies, and brought him out of all honest estymacyō of men, yet hath my lord shown great goodness unto him. What though this recantacyon declareth him of a frynde an enemy to godes truth, preparynge him to the fire in case he here after fall in relapse and turn again to Christ, yet ys my lord very plentuouse and large in mercy towards him. Thīke yow that the wolf (which ys naturallye given to rauyne) showeth not great gentylnesse whan he suffereth his pray to pass from his gredye mouthe, and so leaveth him vndeuowred, what though he hath afore spoiled him both of his wolle and skynne? Yes surely doth he, and far otherwise than he hath of his chorlyshe nature. Than commend my lord bonner of London for thus charytablye handelynge Tolwyn, considering that the serpentyne nature of a bishop of that kind would otherwise. But truly if this be my lords charyte, goodness, and mercy, his dyspleasure, hate, and malice ys the devil and all.

4 But how cometh yt to pass that my lord hath shown himself here so mercy full upon my humble submyssyon and penytent suit unto him, saith Tolwyn. Yea marry, now I here the. I would else have thought yt moche more than a miracle, the wolf so to have left the sheep, the fox the capon, and the marleon the poor byrde. I warrand the good poor creature thy submyssion was not small to temper the fury of such a woluyshe tyrant. Thy suit was not little with promise and oath to maintain all Romish poperye, to save thy syllye carkas from the fire. Oh, my serable calamyte of sowle. Oh, most ungodly handelynge of Christian people. Awake ones ye Christian governors out of your slothful dreams, and attend to your right office. For whyls yow are a sleep, the enemy soweth tares among the good seed. Suffre not the people of God to perish among these proud glorious glottons of So dome and Egypt, for want of looking to. Leave them not to the hands of such vnmercyfull tyraūtes, unless ye care not for them. If any blasphemous spectacle may move yow to show yourselves godes true mynysters, lett this be one hardelye. For all the world wondereth of yr, as they may full well, yow suffering the holy ghost to be in such contempt, his graces not regarded.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

F • Or not straynynge out a gnatt (as Christ calleth the fryu • louse obseruacyon of the Idell ceremonies) ys all this terrible tragedy, this outward penance, this open shame of the world, called here the charitable goodness and fatherlye mercy of my lord of Londō. Moche easier had yt been for Tolwyn to have broken all the commandments that ever God gave, great and small, precepts and counseles as they call the, than one beggerlye tradycyon of the popes whoryshnesse, so ferce are his horned warryours in his holy cause, though they speak yt not. For a manne (they say) may love his house well, though he sit not upon the top thereof. Had he committed an hondreth kinds of Idolatry superstycyon, hypocrisy, treason, forcerye, theft, rape, fornycacyon, filthiness, sodometrye, and the devil and all else, (as there smered shauelynges doth dalye) Benedicite under a stool had been able to dyscharge him. If he had betrayed his king .vii. times▪ murdered a score of innocents, and defiled an hondreth vyrgyns (as many of that generation hath done) Ego absoluote had been able to clear him against all men. But an here sye committed against holy church (which ys the very execrable whore of Babylon, having nothing ryghtlye of Christ) is no power able to remytt. That must in the sight of all men with most extremyte be ponnyshed.

2 An open declaracyon must be made thereof to the people, to make yt to appear unto there blind eyes an offense moche more grievous than either whoredom or murder, fellanye or treason, being no sin att all but godliness. Nō other ys yt but an office dewlye belongynge to a Christian heart to abhor such bestelvnesse as obscureth the glory of God

3 Yea, a solempne promise must be made also upon this declaracyon, of studyouse indeuoraunce with all dylygence and power possyble, to Remayne frō hence forth a false perjured Chrystiane, a double sworn papist, a new professed traytoure against God and all godliness

4 Whom my lord calleth a catholycke mā. Whych ys as moche to say, as a manne living still after the same rewles and the same self customs that were used in this realm before the popes putting down. And what ys this else, but layserlye by a little and little to set him up again and to restore him to his old seat, or else to raise up such another antichryst for him though yt may not so be spoken? Whan old practyses will no longer help, thā must new be sought out, to the vpholdīge of our gaye glytterynge Gabaon. This may ye se that yt ys moche less danger to offend a godly minded woman, than a proud painted whore, a meek spreted ladye, than a malycyouse modye qweane. For pacyētlye will she remytt all iniuryes done, where the other will spyghtfullye revenge them. The gentle spouse of Christ (which ys his church without spot) ys evermore redye to forgive, though the offense be done seventye seven times. The cruel synagoge of Satan (which ys the sodomytycall swarm of smered sorcerers) provoketh evermore her horned whoremongers to fight in her quarrel, and to persecute her offenders unto death by many unjust laws and decrees.

5 Far unlike shall ye find these ii. churches, if ye confer them together, bring them to the touche stone, prove there spirits, and try them by the scriptures The office of a Christian byshopp were r • there to preach than to ponnyshe, rather to feed than to famyshe, rather gentyllye to allure than curryshely to rebuke before the world, were he after the order of Christ and his apostoles. But my lord ys of another smokye broad, whose nature us to rauyshe and destroy, to devour the flock and feed them selves with the fat, executynge upon them all tyrānye possyble. Lord pyte thy poor people, and wytsaue ones to open the in ward eyes of worldly rewlers, that they may in thy fear behold these myschefes with Jehoshaphat; hiehu, Hezekiah, and godly Josiah, for as yet we are far from godliness for all our new reformacyon.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

SIE if there be in the world any mischief, abhomynacyō, or deuylyshnesse like unto thers. In every point do they show them selves the very adversaries of God, and the rebellynge seed of the serpent. Christ at his departure from this world, commanded only preaching and baptyme to his apostles, and neither singing nor sensynge, holy watte rynge nor massynge. Thys do they with all threttenynges inhybytt, as ys here specyfyed. For Tolwyn ys here commanded from hence forth neither to preach nor to teache, upon such peynes and penaltees as are due to heretics, which ys no less thā burning in smythfeld, or hanging in the lollars tower at mydnyght whan men be a sleep. Woe ys unto me (saith saint Paul) or dampnacyon to my sowle, if I preach not the gospel. Christ hath not sent me to baptyse, but to publyshe the glad tiding of health, moche less than to go processyon or to say a popysshe mass. Thys necessary mynystracyon in the word, which Christ hath ordained, do they like antichristes condemn. The wholesome office of preaching that he hath commanded, do they most streyghtlye inhybitt. Ryghtlye therefore ded Christ declare thē contempners of his fathers heavenly ordynaunces for there own filthy traditions and customs, which are most abominable blasphemies.

2 But here parauenture my lord will allege for himself, that his present inhy bycyon concerneth the only preaching of heresies and errors, which he will in no wise have taught in his dyoces. If my lord had so well assertayned us what an heresy ys, as he hath here set out Tolwyn for an heretic, we should moche better have understand him. But surely if heresy be a contrary doctrine to the wholesome doctrine of Christ, my lord ys here the most rāke herety qne and wit less antychryst that cuer I hard of. And as for Christ, here ys no manner of mencyon of him. He ys not so moche as ones named in all this frantyke declaracyon. He re ys not one thing that the scripture of God can justly maintain, so Babylonyshe, heythr • ysse, and hellyshe ys yt. And therefore yt ys no doctrine of his, but all against him. My lord thinketh that there are nō other heresies but those which rebuke the superstycyons of his popish church. Non other errors, but that speaketh against there ambycyouse pride and vain glory. Non other noughtye opynyōs but such as toucheth there covetous cloynynge and insacyable auaryce. Thē thinketh he only heretics with Thomas, Bonaventure, Dons, Bachonthorpe, and other sentencyoners, which dysobeyeth the Rome churhe. He remembereth not that according to Christ's promise, the holy ghost at his coming should reprove the world of sin, ryghtousnesse and judgment, which betokeneth infydelyte, hypocryse and man's wisdom. For he fyndeth yt not in his portifolium, nor yet in our ladyes matins. And therefore whan such strange voices soūdeath in his ear for lack of a through acquayntaūce with them, he taketh thē for heresies, errors, and noughtye opynyōs Thus may he also judge Isaiah, Hieremie, Ezekiel, and Daniel with the other prophets, Christ, Johan Baptyst, Paul, and Peter with the other apostles to be heretics, for all there prophecies and writings are full of such heresies.

3 Euerye where are they contrary to the catholic faith of your church, which ys the worshipping of Idols, the calling upon men that are departed, and the gasynge upon gods that are seen with the eye. Euerye where are they against that holy mother of yours, in opynyon, faythey and doctrine. No Christian believe fatcheth there dyscyples, and scolers frō your lay mennys call̄der your dead boke of Images, nor yet from iour Latin service whō they understand not, but frō the living word of the lord. Ther faith ys a substance of things vnseane, and not of gaudes and fables aperynge to the eye. In spirit and verite do they worship there eternal father and not in outward shadows and toys. Vnholie do they judge that mother which bringeth forth daily so many proud porkelynges, so many covetous charmers, so many Idell hypocrites, oiled Idyotes, shorn belly gods, wedlock breakers, defylers of maid̄he de, open persecutors of the truth, sleers of innocents, sodomytes, and beasts, of ferynge thenselves up for astynkige sacrifice unto belphegor in the filthy fire of concupyscence, burning heats of there lusts, and vnsacyable desires of there lueshe with a desperate conscience, contempnynge the just ordinance of God to observe there papistical vow.

4 The catholic faith of this malygnaunt madame, the church of anti 〈…〉 st, the mother of mischief (which ys abominable whoryshnesse) hath Tolwyn promised to his simple power to maintain with holy water making to defend with errors and lies in hypo crysye, and to auaunce with the holy docrysye, of devils, according to his new made oath and professyon in my lords preuye closett, for the scriptures will not thereto serve him. They knowledge nō other church of christ, but the kings daughter which ys from within, as David doth largelye descrybe her in his 44, psalm and ys therefore called the kyn gedome of heaven, which neither hath myter nor cope, matins nor mass, shaven crown nor anoyntynge.

5 To this new professyon and solempne oath of Tolwyn, that he shall durynge his life, maintain, defend, and auaunce the popes old religion or antychristes whether ye will (for yt ys nō of Christ's) the worshipful city of London, my lord mayer, the shryues, and the whole commynnalte must bear record, that they may also obey the same, though they have both godes laws and there kings acts to the contrary. Is not this think yow a bold enterpry fe and a wonderful spectacle unto men, such a thing to be done in the face of the people, the pope so latelye putt down, the gospel so clearly dyuulgate, and the king making such constytucyons for the scrypturs maintenance. Are not the people of this realm wonderfullye abused by such masterye workers as my lord ys? What yow think of yt in En glande I cannot tell, but I wote all Christendom besides wondereth of yt, the king thus doing one thing and the bishops another. If they dare be so bold openly and under the kings nose, I doubt not butt hey are bold ynow a broad and farther of, and there priests lacketh no good counsel there unto in there conuocacyons and seanes. In deed this far passeth the calkynge of doctor Crōke horn with his secrete reuelacyons, and also the pratye practyses of doctor Bockynge and the holy maid of kente, if all things be considered. Now followeth the text in his course.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

O • F a far other sort was Christ in taking of sinners to reap̄taunce, than ys my good lord of London, for he compelled non of them to do such open penance, nor yet shamefullye to slander them selves a fore the multitude. Magdalene, Zacchaeus, the aduowteroose womā, and the thief on his right hand, had favorable words of him, with many sweet commendacyons, blesssynges, and promises. The spyghtfull traitor which betrayed his body unto death, refused not he to kiss. The dyscyples which forsook both him and his doctrine to the great slander thereof, ded not he cōstrayne to recant openly. Lerne of me (saith he) for I am gentle and meek hearted. My yoke ys easy and my burthē light. But perchaūce my lord will say here in his own behalf (as he ys a man of great learning and less godly wit) that he hath done in this as ded Peter whā he strake of Malchus right ear. Thā must my lord cōsydre what thanke Peter had of his master for so doing, and how little pleasure that enterprise ded him. He was by and by commanded like a braynelesse fole to put up his weapon again, with such an ernest check, that he never durst draw yt sense. We must remember also that Malchus was a bysshops servant, which dyschargeth my lord of Peters felyshypp. For non agrement can Christ have with Belial, nor yet light with darkness. A true christiane ought by his Christian professyon, in the spirit of lenyte and gentylnesse to examyne all doctrines, and to prove all spirits whether they be of God or nay, and not rashelye to condemn his poor Christian brother whom Christ hath so derelye redeemed.

2 But this new professyon of my lord in Tolwyn, ys of another vein, and af a far diverse sort from that. For yt must utterly detest, abhor, and avoid all. But what all I cannot tell yow, unless yt be all godliness and verity, or all that England hath done against the pope, for yt ys not here expressed. It ys such an all, as standeth here in mystery, cōprehendynge my lords whole mind in holy churches behalf without utterance.

3 Seynge therefore that this all, being under a secrete trope or figure may not be dysclosed till my lord seeth a better time, we will lett him alone, and pass forth to the all that followeth, which car ryeth his contents with him. That ys to say, all manner of heresies, errors, and noughtye opynyons unnamed, least they should show my lord in his right colors. Not unlike ys my lords honorable lordshypp here in this condempnacy on to the great bellyed braggers or sorbonycall masters in Parys, which coming with rede faces from the cheerful bankett of Bacchus, called prandium theologicum condemned Martyne Luther in the rear of our lord. M. D. and XXIIII his artycles not examined. It must needs be an heresy, an error, and a noughtye opynyō if my lord so judgeth yt though yt be Christ's own word. It ys enough for my lord but to speak yt, for a Christian mā nys believe. For his reverend lordeshypp ys a great pyllar of the popes holy church, which may condemn the gospel by quodcun{que} ligaueris.

4 Yea, he that shall profess this new rewle of old papystrye, must utterly deteste and abhor all these (I wote not what) with the favorers of them, the maynteyners, defēders, or obiecters what so ever they be, king or counsel, for both they have depelye entered such matters.

5 For why yt followeth in the text here, or any of them. Whych ys an anagogycall trope or high speaking of my lord above his compass, I had almost have said, beyond his wit. And this must be forever and ever durynge his life. For so hath Tolwyn promised, for example. Thys vow of religion may never be broken, though godes commandments and Christ's aduertysementes should go all to the devil of hell. For the breaking thereof might bring in both fagottes and fire. And all this must be do ne for the auauncement of holy church, as ys a fore spoken. Butt tell me this. What godly wise man can think that church holy or good, which seeth not in so many years a traytoure from a saint, but auaunceth him with so many false miracles, as there church hath done beckett, and still doth more of the same generation. She shall be of a moche better sight, and of a more godly judgment ere I crust either her, or yet her anointed children as spiritual as they be. Wele I wote that the church, which ys the immaculate spouse of the lamb Jesus christ, had never such a spot in her garment. The eternal father be ones merciful to his people, and deliver them from this damnable plage of darkness, if yt be his pleasure.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

I 1 Wyst yt would at the last appear frō whens all this Pharaonycall tyranny spryngeth, this cruel persecutynge, this murtherynge of innocents. It cometh frō a lordshypp, by there own confession. For his honorable lordshypp ys contented here upon couenauntes made betwixt them, to respyte the resydue of Tol wyns penance. But from whens ariseth this spyrituall lordshyp, or worldye monarchye rather. Not from Christ's doctrine, for they taught evermore the contrary. My kingdom (saith he) ys not of this world. The rewlers of nacyons have the universal domynyon, and are called gra cyouse lords, but yow shall not so. Peter, Iohā, lames, and Paul, with the other apostles and dyscyples were only preachers of the gospel, mynysters, dysposers, and givers Forth of the secretes of god.

They never became any lords, but perse cuted abiectes, as many are uow adays. Thys glorious lordshypp came in wham phocas the false emproure made Rome the head church of the world for money. And yt was spread abroad after a thousan de years from Christ's natyuyte, whan Sa than was loosed out of his preson, and per mytted to go at large to deceive the ungodly multitude for there vnbeleues sake. So that this lordshypp ys non other, but the power, authority, and seat of the dragon given unto the great antichrist, which ys the beastly body of Satan, of whom my good lord here ys a member, and so are all they that work like feats in the same generation.

2 What my lord should mean here byr espytynge of the rest of Tolwyns penance, I cannot well tell, unless he tarrieth a time or wayeht a layser to have him in relapse, and so to burn him up for an heretic all together, like as his holy predecessors hath done ever sense Johan wycleues time and somewhat a fore. As I purpose shortly (the lord lēdyn ge me life) to declare in a far more larger treatise. Yet plucketh my lord back this respyte again full like a merciful father of holy church, to appear charytable if yt may be.

3 Tolwyn upon his good deseruynge may chance to have a full for geuenesle of my lord. But what call ye a good deseruynge I pray yow? Mark that followeth here after, and ye shall se how honorablye my lord hath dyffyned yt he re unto Tolwyn, with a lump of good learning.

4 It ys to do according to his said promise. That ys to say, to become from hence forth a good processyon goer upon saturdayes at evensonge, a good holy water maker, a good mattenser, masser, and so forth, but no true gospel preacher. More over yt ys to become a catholic man, otherwise called a popish rebellion but say never a word I cha ge yow. Yt ys also to auaunce the popes holy church, and to detest and abhor the noughtye heretics, otherwise called good faithful Christian menne. Loo ser, all this ys called here a good deseruynge.

5 If Tolwyn perform all this according to his said promise, my lord ys contented to forgive all together like a good gentle virtuous prelate. If not, the lord of heaven have mercy upon him, for he goth surely to the fire. For that ys the old reward of bishops, whan men will not be rewled and obey the good laws of holy church. That holy mother of thers cannot abide an enemy to blow ones vpō her, but she consumeth them with burning cools, not all unlike to Proserpina and the old god Vulcanus, so full of sober pacyence ys she. Her nature ys now, not to overcome the world with faith as she was wont to do, but with flame, so fervent ys she waxen sense she became a glorious madame of the earth. Fire can she make to come down from heaven in the sight of mē, causynge them to believe that yt ys godes will to have the heretics consumed. Thus provoke she that good creature of God vnwyllyngly (as saint Paul speaketh yt) to serve her vanyte, clean contrary unto his gracyouse ordinance. As where yt ought to be man's comfort to work his confusyon, and where yt ought to serve his need, vnsemynglye to devour him and swallow him clean up. Soche wonders can they do in the face of the world and yet be an holy consecrate order still I doubt not but the lord will ones make there iniquity full known to all men, whan they shall say with horrible fear and anguyshe. These are they whom we sometime had in derysyon. We thought there lives very madness, and there • de without honor. But loo how they are counted among the children of God, and there porcyon ys among the saints. Therfor have we erred from the way of truth, the son of ryghtousnesse hath not shyned unto us, nor the clerenesse of understanding over spredde us, with his bright beams. We have tired our selves in the rewles of wickedness and destruccyon. Tedyouse ways have we gone, but the just way of the lord have we not known. what good hath our pride done unto us? Or what profit hath the pōpe of rychesse brought us. All those things are passed a way like a sheaddowe, and so forth as yt followeth still in the fifth chapter of sapyence.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

O • H what a cōpas of deceit ys this to avoid the suspycyon of tyranny before the blind world? Thys poor man ys shamed openly. He hath lost his good name forever. Of a dere child of Christ he ys made a sworn child of the devil by this new professyon, wherein neither Christ ys named nor yet his eternal father. Yet must his friends come with cap andknee, to give hartye thankes to this terrible termagaunt, this Nēroth, this Pharaoh, this Hieroboam, this Olopherne, this antyochus, this Herod, yea, this mytred mahounde, and very devil incarnate. I have in my time seen letters and writings diverse, which hath come from the great Turk and Souldane. But never saw I any of them without the name of god as this lordlye declaracyon ys. Woe ys that realm that hath many such ghostly gydes. It had been great pyte except yt had been declared at Paul's cross, and that Tolwyns friends sehuld give hartye thanks for yt, there ys in yt so moche goodness.

2 But unto what purpose should these thanks be given? That my lord may be judged a prelate most charytable, and that he hath done all this but of gētylnesse and favor, where as he myghthaue burned the heretic by the popes holy laws, of whom he ys a commensed canonyst. Whye? call ye that an act of charyte, to show such violence for matters of so small wayght? Yea, for thiges which are rather deuylyshe than godly, whose fulfilling ys sylthye abhomynacyon and blasphemy? For non other cause was Peter called Satan of Christ, but for fauorynge things that were not of God but of men. Lete him give him thankes there for that hath set him a work, to kill as many as will not do there homages to the beastly body of the old serpent of hell. And lete not honest godly men now worshypp that Image, which ys latelye raised of the beasts wounded head, of whom I have written a large volume called the Image of both churches comprehēdynge an whole commentarye vpō the reuelacyon of Johan, which I trust ye shall shortly have with other things else. For a doctrine of salvation ys that Apocalypse, and so necessary to be understand & known, as yt ys to be a member of Christ's church, considering yt ys non other but a manyfestacyon of the estate thereof for all ages unto the worlds ende. Now to our purpose again. My lord would fain by these far fett colors hyde a wolf, but yt will not be. Falshede will appear falshede, and axe him no leave. Great peynes he taketh to weue the spyders web, and to hatche the coccatryce eggs, but all will not help.

He under proppeth Babylon with vntempred claye for fallynge, but his building will not fashyō. Her irrecuperable fall ys at hand. The calf of Samaria must be take away. Yet will they do mischief as long as they may, so deuyllyshe ys there nature.

3 Whych ys here included in this latter admonycyon of Tolwyn. Wherein he desireth his friends to take an example of warning by him, and therbye to avoid like claunger. And me thinketh this counsel ys fryndlye, if yt be his. For indeed they should not find yt easy to come in such tyrannouse hādelynge. But I think verily, that this latter ende ys no less my lord of London's, than ys all that went a fore. Not for any good love or benyuolence that the wolf beareth the flock of Christ's lambes. But in purpose to scattre them, and to fraye them away from the sweet pasture and fat fedynge of the gospel which ys his eternal testament. A continual practice hath this been among our spiritual Mahometes ever sense there beginning. And I think they learned yt first of the romanes, as they have done all other deuylyshnesse else. Whose custom was, whan so ever the flood of Tiber raged, to throw in a man ne or a woman, therewith to pacyfye his fury. And in deed waters in diverse places of the scripture, betokeneth the people. Those hastye voices against there proud kingdom, they use oft to apeyse with such a fraye bugge as was Tolwyn at Paul's cross, whom my lord set up the re for a sign of contradyccyon. If Johan Porter that gētill and godly young man ne and true dyscyple of Christ (whom my lord latelye quelled in preson for reading the byble) had submytted himself to this simple office and professyon of papystrye, forswerynge Christ and his verity, he had been manne alive, (and so had other more) where as now he ys dead and gone. But be thu certain and sure of yt (thu terrible and cruel Cerberus) that God hath not lost him. Full dere ys he unto his merciful redeemer though thu hast wretchedly cast him away. Yea, full precious in his sight ys his death, though he died in the stinking dōgyon of new gate with the widows alms of no small wayght upon him, besides the most sharp hunger and grievous famyshmēt which dried up his bowels. Or strangelynge up in the night as your commō seat ys, for ye have your hired slaughter men in such hidden corners for such busy byble readers. Remember what ye said, whan he came before yow, that ye were glad he was come to your hands. Ye thought than to dyspatche him for any more reading in Paul's, as ye have now done in deed, though he were a man of right strong nature and stomach. But blessed be our lord God, though ye have slain his body, ye can do no harm to his sowle. He that loseth his life for Christ, shall find yt ageyn to auauntage. The corn that dieth in the ground, bringeth forth moche fruit. He that loseth his sowle here, shall find yt in the life everlasting, whan tyrants shall have reward with the devil and his angels.

4 Tolwyn hath not done all amys therefore in admonyshynge his friends afore hand to take example by him, for the auoydaunce of like danger or else worse. For if they liest not to beware by him. they may take warning by that hath be done unto Richard mekyns, Robert ward, and now last of all Johan porter, whose blood axeth daily vengeance over this cruel tyrant, as ded the innocent blood of Abel over that spyghtfull murderer Cain. By this and such other, as by most enydent tokens, may christen menne se that yt ys Christ's doctrine which hath been taught now of late, by gods appointment and the kings permyssyon. For if yt were of the world, the flesh, or the devil, yt should have the clergy to frynde, like as hath Idolatry, whoredom and all other filthiness, with the stinking stews whom they never persecute. Our eternal God and merciful father deliver ones his people frō these cruel enemies, whom he hath redeemed with the precious blood of his son Jesus Christ

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

1 I N case like was Tolwy • whā my lord of Londo • examined him, as wa • Christ whan he came b • fore Annas the high pre • of the Jews, as yt ys here manifest. O • his dyscyples and doctrine ded Annas e • amyne him, so ded my good lord of L •• don poor Tolwyn for the order of hy • cure, and what learning he taught them▪ For the first was the afore said declarac • on, and for the other ys this process 〈…〉 following of the names of certain boke • perteynynge also to the same. Dyuerse are there titles partly for the dyuersyte of the matters, and partly for the more solēpne setting forth of this notable work to the vpholdynge of holy church against heretics. The first matters respecteth his dyscyples or parryshners under the title of declaracyon, whom he hath not fed with the pharysees leaven, nor yet pampred up with the popes swylle and dregs according to his first professyō, but now of late with the pure word of god as he coude conuenyentlye procure yt. Thys present process concerneth his doctrine under the title of the names of books, where with he was both detected and presented of them that neither understood them nor knew them, the cō • entes thereof not declared att all.

2 What haynouse heresies and daungerouse doctrine the said books containeth, will here after appear as there names come to hand in there course. But I marvel moche that the bag ys not so well expressed in this title as are the books, considering they came to Paul's cross together. So well ys he worthy to be condemned of heresy by the popes law as 〈…〉 y, for his couerynge, carryenge, and conueyenge of them, as he ded. And as many heresies hath he whan he ys emptye as they have, for ought wese here yet saving onlie the names. What we shall se here after I cannot tell.

3 Wolde Tolwyn have been a good Idol mayntener with holy water and sensynge, Latin Iabberynge and wawlynge, according to the office of saint Antonynes personage, he had not been thus brought forth for ā heretic. Wolde he have shown himself the popes good swyneherde, and have fed his porkelynges apace with sosse and syllybubbes, coddes and swaddes with other like purueaunce, the great swine had not so gredelye devoured him.

4 Neither had they detected him for a loller, nor yet presented him for an heretic. In no wise can they away with the clenlye prouysyon of Christ, nor yet broke the service of his apostles. The sweet brede of the gospel hath in there mouths no saver, nor yet the dulcett gust of the other scriptures. The wholesome delycates that the holy ghost hath prepared, cā they not away with. Geue them the dra • fe they were wont to have, with the swyllynges of the popes old vessels, for they are such worn bottles as will rather burst than hold new wyne. Better ys a filthy puddell unto them to wallow in, than a fair clear river to make them clean. Ye can have a swine no better thā he ys of his own vngentyll nature. Therfor Iete swine be filthy swine, and vile gootes be gootes still. As the meek lambes of Christ, follow yow his voice, which ys the high shepeherde of your souls, and late swine be swine still. Now followeth the seconde process of this declaracyon.

The man of sin

Hys disclosing.

1 Whan the wylye fox fawneth, beware your chyckens, as the common adage admonysheth yow. For naught ys yt not, that he calleth yow here good people, ye may be sure of yt. Wych he, I pray yow? Even my lord bonner of London. For though the voice be Tolwyns, the words of the voice are my lords. Full heuye was he in his heart good sowle, to give him the utterance of thē, if he might otherwise have chosen. But he must needs forth (they say) that the devil dryueth, be he never so vnwyllynge. My lord hath rhetorycallye begun his proposycy on to wynne his audytorye, and to make them attentyue and dylygēt, in calling them good people.

2 But whatys his narracyon or processes Ofserten small books contained in a bag or sachell, which Tolwyn shoke forth at Paul's cross, with a feeble countenance and a more feeble stomach. And what meant my lord in this matter? That the people should judge Tolwyn an horrible heretic, and that they should therbye be ware of such noughtye heresies against holy church. But what were the heresies? Nay, that we cannot tell. For they were fast shut up in a bag, and might in no wise be seen. The fathers in the prymatyue church confounded always there heretics with the open testymonye of the most euydent scriptures, and not with the shakynge of books in a bag. Yea, than was thā, and now is now. Thā were they called herety ques that spake against God. But now ys there non heretics except they speak ageīst holy church. Than were certain philosophers reasons blasphemous, but now they are good dyuynyte, and the very scriptures are fou • e heresies. Therfor my lord ys now moche wiser than so. For if the books were seen and the artycles throughlye known, his self might perchance be judged both an herety que and a traitor, and also a cruel persecutor of Christ in his faithful menbers, which were a great blemyshe to his lordhypp. And that causeth him so secretly to work. It ys Inough for my lord to say, there be errors in the bag, though he never bring them forth. And yt shall become all the kings true subjects to believe yt, under the pain of hanging or else burning. For why my lords quarrel in this, ys the kings quarrel. There ys now non heresy but ys also treason (as yt was in king harrye the fiftes time) that they may be both partyners in one plage of the lords vengeance, if innocent blood be shed. So naturallye good and louyn ge ys he to his prince.

3 But what meaneth my lord to say here, this bag or sachell? Me thinketh the tone of thē had been suffycyēt • nough in so light a matter. No ser, not so. Ye know this word bag ys ā equyuocall term, and hath many diverse sygnyfycacyons. Sumtyme yt betokeneth a safron bag, sometime an alame bag. Sumtyme a money bag, and sometime an old nail bag. Yea, sometime a wallett, and sometime the ende of a worn sack, with such otherlyke. My lord hath therefore declared rhetorycallye by a cyrcūlocucyon what manner of bag yt ys, even a very sachel, that men might throughlye know yt against another time. That if Tolwyn should chance here after to be burned upon relapse, they might yet testyfye that his heresies were schewed at Paul's cross in such a bag as ys called a sachel and that therefore be was well worthy to die.

4 But what meaneth my lord to call these books erronyouse, heretycall and noughtye books▪ That can the bag tell which cōtayneth them, for we are not so far taught as yet. Thys large circūstaunce of speaking (I suppose) cometh of the angry zeal that my lord hath in holy churches quarrel, wherein he would all her ill wyllers wer clearly consumed.

5 The resydue of this text ys easy to understand, as where these heretic books remained, where they where found, and what time they were found, as ys here set forth for a necessary doctrine of this new Christian faith. They were remaynynge in Tolwyns house, and they were found in his custody, such time as he was in my lords custody, and would fain have been farther of.

6 And such time also as he was denounced of the popes sworn friends for not going processyon, and detected of his pr • uye spies for not werkemālie making his holy water,

7 Unto the reverend lord late risen out of the donge hill and now consecrate bysshop of London to uphold rhe regne of antichryst, till the lord turn yt over with the breathe of his mouthe. No less fortunate ys London than ys Rome yt self, to have such a gracyouse gyde and spiritual pastour as mynystreth such godly doctrine as here ys, to the edyfycacyon of sowle. But who yt was that sought out these books to the clerer setting out of this wortlye pagent, that shall remain still as a secrete mystery vndyscussed (whether they were his accusers or my lords own servants, or else both together) because yt ys not here expressed.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

1 SVmwhat we are like to have out of this sachell, to prove Tolwyn an heretic by. We shall have the names of the books therein contained, though we have nothing else. And that ys Inough to make foles believe the mone ys made of a grene chese. If my lord should say that saint Paul's epystles in English we re heresy, as his predecessors hath done they must give credence to yt. For why they must needs believe as holy church doth teache them, though they should go to the devil for yt, as they are like to do, yea, both that holy church and her children, unless they repent in time. For whan the blind doth lead the blind, they must both fall into the dytche. The only light of salvation ys Christ, and alone the way to eternal life. He that walketh not in that light, shall never attain unto that life, have he never so many counterfe • t lyghtes of my lords holy church of antichristes foundacyon. Names of books hath my lord here promised us, which should declare Tolwyn an heretic.

2 But he halteth very sore at the first, giving us a boke of frythes without a na me. Of a lykelyhode his lordshypp never opened that boke, or else he lyked not there of the title, iudgynge frythes name, Ynough to cōdempne yt without any farther sight of yt. Yet hath he broken covenant (no derogacyō be yt to his honor) in that he hath promised here not the names of the menne which made the books, but the names of the self books. Sure I am that Johan fryth made no boke without a name. Either yt had the title of a dyspu • acyon against purgatory, or of an answer unto mores epystle, or of the examynacyon of his artycles, or of an exhortacyō to the followers of Christ's gospel, or of a mirror to know our selves by, or of a bulwark against rastell, or else concerning the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, yfyt were his. And as touching the reuelacyō of antichrist, though he ded translate yt out of a foren tongue into English, with an antithesis annexed unto yt, yet was yt not of his making. But truly if I might utter my cōceyt, I would say that this boke of frythes were his disputacyon of purgatory, by cause yt ys here unnamed. In deed by the going down thereof, my lords kychyn ys not the warmer, nor yet his purse the wayghtyer, and therefore yt must needs be heresy.

3 Thorpe and oldecastell are the names of .ii. diverse men, and not of one several boke, and therefore though my lord hath pervsed the bag, yet hath he not dyscretelye pervsed the books. For a monstruouse thing yt were .ii. men to beo • e boke, unless he coude bring yt in by some strange figure of the canon law which nowadays worketh many new miracles. The boke of master Wyllyam thorpes examynacyon comprehendeth only these artycles. That Images should in no case be worshyped. That mē should not go to them on pilgrimage. That priests have no just title to tithes by the gospel. That yt ys not law full to swe are by any creature. And that the sacrament of Christ's body ys no accydent without a materyall substance as friar Thomas hath fantasyed.

4. The other small treatise called the examynacyon of ser Iohā oldecastell the lord Cobhā and worthy warryour of Jesus Christ containeth only these artycles. That bysshopes hath made laws for there covetousness, whom no Christian men ought to follow. That no pressed ought by gods law to sytt upon any man's death. That sense venym was shed into the church they never followed Christ. That the pope in his laws and living ys unto Christ an adversary. That the church of Rome ys the nest of antichrist, whose tail are monks and fryres. That the sacrament of the altar ys Christ's body and bread after Christ's and Paul's doctrine. That mannys salvation, came in by Christ and not by the cross he died on nor yet by any other dead thing. That God oft times curseth where as bishops doth bless. And that an ignorant pressed living wyckedly ought to hear no mannys confession. In the condempnacyon of these artycles, ye also condemn many godly things that our gracyouse prince hath done by the authority of gods word so forgetful are ye of yourself in your drunken generation. Nothynge ys like to be allowed at your hands (I se well) that maketh ageist your glytterīge regne of blasphemy. Styll are ye of the same self burning zeal and stomach, that Tho mas Beckett, Wyllyam Cortenaye, Tho mas Arundell, Harrye Spenser, and such other terrible termagauntes of your spy rytualte were in the quarrel os your holy church. A wonderful thing ys yt, that ye never repent your myschefes, nor yet recant your errors, superstycyons, and blasphemies. But evermore persecute and murder for the vpholdynge of thē playenge still the same partes that other cayphases hath done before yow. Not on lie are ye contented to behold the cruel acts of your popish predecessors, but also ye must conferme them a fresh by a new conclempnacy on of the popes enemies to the great slander of your prince, least ye should lose your part in the vengeance promised for the shedynge of innocents blood. Lett men dylygēt lie serche those. • . treatyses, and they shall easily perseyue what a faithful part ye have played here, in condempnynge in a manner all things that he hath made lawful by the scriptures.

5 The boke of the old God and the new was compyled (so far as I can re member) by one Hermannus a germane more than, xx. years a go. And only yt toucheth the pride, covetousness, and tyranny of the bishop of Rome, the Idotrye of his church, and the hypocrysye of his sects. Moche do I marvel wheri that boke should offend yow, but that I know your heart by your fruits. Thys ys the first time that god ys named in this secō de process of my lords declaracyon, and yt ys in the title of this heresy boke, else had yt gone by at this time, and therefore thank the boke for yt and not him.

6 The commentarye which the vertu ouse learned man master Lancelot Rydleye made upon saint Paul's epystle to the Ephesyanes for the true erudycyon of his Christian bretheren, hath my lord he re also condemned for heresy. But what the cause ys I cannot tell. Unless yt be for auauncynge the gospel, as the thing whereby we are made ryghtouse without either decree or ceremonye. Or else for admony shynge us to be ware of men's traditions and doctrines, least we should by them trust in any other thing than in Christ, and least we should for there glytterynge gawdes refuse the spyrituall armou re against the devil and his members, whom Paul hath there prescrybed unto us. So charytable ys my lord to Christ's congregation, that nothing cometh frō him to there edysyege neither • preachyn ges nor yet in writings, but all in condempnacyons of both to there destruccyō. Here ys this latter boke called rydlyes cō mentaryes, as though they were many upon this one epystle being but one, by cause he will be true in nothing.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

MOche a do have we still with these books. Not yet ys my lords mind satysfyed with them, but more of there names must be blown abroad to prove Tolwyn a rank heretic. Now cometh forth Thomas venatorius, which with great grace, learning, and eloquence hath written an excellent work upon the .ii. epystles of saint Paul to Timothy. Thys boke may not come a broad to be tried by the scrypturs and most auctentyue doctors, but yt must in a bag be condemned at Paul's cross for heresy, non artycles named. And what ys the cause think yow? For yt showeth the right office of a Christian bishop, how he should teathe and govern, which my lord cā not away with. It commaūdeath to resyst false preachers, whom my lord doth daily maiteyne. It describeth such wicked pre lates as teacheth the doctrine of devils with lies • hypocrisy forbyddynge mar ryage and meats, of whose number his lordshypp ys one. It exhorteth all spiritual gydes of the people to be virtuous and charytable, to cleave to Christ's gospel, and to shurne superfluouse arguments, and not to deceive the world with hypo cresye, suffering all abhomynacyons vn der the shaddow of outward holiness to have there free course, but my lord will non of that.

2 The compendyouse treatise of God's providence, which that most notable clar ke Huldricus Zwingli wrote at the instan̄t request of the right worshipful lor de Phylypp the Lādgraue of Hesse, only comprehendeth the matters here folowyn ge. That God necessarylye dysposeth all creatures according to his inscrutable wisdom. That the prouydence of God ys his perpetual and unchangeable admynystracyō of all thiges. That the right consider acyon of the creatures byneth yt a plain way to deduce us into knowle • ge thereof. That man ys not only a terrestryall but a celestyall creature also. What the law of God ys, and unto what ende yt was given unto man. That the eternal wisdom of God knowing man's diverse fall afore hand, coude in no case err, ouershote her compass, nor yet be deceived, neither in creatynge nor yet in giving the law. That God's eleccyon or predestynacyon (as the doctors doth call yt) taketh ground of his goodness and wisdom, and ys immutable. And that his eternal decrees or set purposes are always as he ys, unchangeable, strong, and sure, with such other like. And all these hath my lord of his pontyfycall dyscressyon condemned here for heresy, with all that was spoken of afore. Wherein I stand i moche doubt whether he hath condemned his prince for an heretic or no. I will not say that my lord ys an assehead without true knowledge, nor yet a beast without godly judgment, yet here I diverse learned men so daily report him, for condempnynge this boke, and such other, One thing I would desire the dylygent reader to mark here, which I have oft rehearsed a fore. In the first of my lords declaracyon was neither God nor Christ ones named, neither yet in this latter fytt till we come to the rehearsal of heretics books, and that doth • he all of spyght. But blessed be that lord that he will be found there yet. I thought so moche all this time, that came we ones among them, we coude not be long without him. In the very tyttles of there books doth he appear, much more in the process within. Whereas in the whole matter of an holy spiritual, glorious, glytterynge prelate he cannot ones be seen. True ys that lord of his word and just of his promise, that he will be with the pore contemned dyscyples to the ende of the world.

3 Next followeth. 4. diverse books of one title, called all catechysmes, or instytucyons of the true Christian religion. Whom my lords holy fatherhode in the zeal of a contrary or popish relygy on, condēpneth here for heresy. The first ys the catechysme of Phylypp Melanchtō, whose manifold erudycyon the best learned of chrystendome greatly commendeth. Thys treatise of his, ys an only chrysten instytucyō for the bringing up of yow the, teaching thē the cōmaūdementes of God, the artycles of the Chrysten faith, the lords prayer, and the right use of the sacraments. I wonder what my lord me aneth to condemn these for heresies.

4 The seconde ys the catechysme of Urbanus Regius, a man also Chrystenlye learned and of a sincere living? Thys work containeth the necessary pryncyples of the chrysten religion afore rehearsed, whose knowledge ys life, and whose ignorance ys dampnacyon. Thys coude not my lord reprehēde had he not an eye given to wickedness.

5 Of Balthasar Hiebmeir Pacimontanus ys the third catechysme, whom in deed I know not but by name, as I have red yt in other men's writings. But I cōceyue here the better o pynyon of him, for that my lord hath condemned him among these men, whose doctrine I know to be pure and perfect.

6 Erasmus Sarcerius Anemontanus (whose name ys also notable and his learning famous) made the fort catechysme, whom he elegantlye dyffyneth to be an in stytncyon or teaching by mouthe, comprehendynge the necessary points of the Christian faith and religion. Nothynge ys more bewtyfull in a Christian man, than purelye to worshypp God, and right lie to exercise the wurkes of faith, which these books throughlye teacheth. Rather were such men worthy thankes than rebukes, for so regardynge the Christian common wealth, if bishops not doing such things were as they should be, regardynge the peples health. But such are evermore the unworthy ways of this world, malygnelye to blame men ne for there well doing, and flatterynglye to hold the other sort up in all kinds of wyckydnesse. As my lord doth here full fatherlye, which will neither enter into the kingdom of God his self nor yet suffer any other that would gladly do yt

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

STyll ys my lord busy with this bag or sachell, declaring the contents thereof to the great confusyon of Tolwyn, I had almost said of himself but that I stopped yt in time. For bishops can ta 〈…〉 no scathe here, bnt what ys towards thē in the next world, that ys in the ryghtfull judges hands. More of these erronyouse books must be condēpned yet, no remedy. Specyallye one westmore upon the concylyacyon of fathers. My lord by all lykelyhode was here i some great agonye or hot passyon of prelacye, forgettynge the right title of this boke. In deed he that made yt ys called Bartholomeus Westhemerus, which ys yet a manne of great lytterature and judgment. The title of his boke ys, The cōcylyacyon of the holy scrypturs and most aūcyent fathers, And not westmore upon the concylyacyon of fathers. He compyled the self treaty se, and not wrote upon yt as menne do that gloss a text. My lord therefore being Ignoraunt of the true title, should seme to be ignorant also in the contents of that boke, and so to condemn he woteth not what. But by his absolute power he may do such acts, and condemn Christ to if he come in his way, in so hastye an over sight. In this boke as in a clear mirror, may menne behold wherī the holy doctors, counsels, canons, Rome bysshops, constytucyons, customs, and cronycles dyffereth as concerning Christian religion, from the sacred scriptures of both testaments. And this ys a matter necessary to be known of all men that coveteth to walk ryghtlye, rather than to be condēpned without looking on, if we have either conscience, wytt, or grace. But all my lords labor ys to make his ghostly children to grope still in the dark, till they drop into the dytche for all.

2 I moche blame not my lord for being offended with the boke of the counterfett bishop, partly for that yt was made by Martyn Luther the capytall enemy of antichristes bishops, and partly for that my lord ys therein so lyuelye set out in his pontyfycall colors. Yet wonder I again that he should condemn that pycture which he beareth out so lyuelye in the sight of the world. Parauenture he ys well contented to play the proud pagent, but he would not have the scriptures to busy to tell him thereof. Nothynge taketh this treatise from a right christen bishop, though yt toucheth the tyrants of Sodom, and the glorious, glottons of Babylon. Therfor lett thē wexe furyouse, frātyk, and mad at there spiritual pleasure, full little careth Martyn for that thonderynge or earthquake of thers.

3 The godly confession of faith, which the noble princes of germanye mekelye offered to the emproure for the churches reformacyon (whom my lord calleth here the confession in English full wyselye) with the learned Apologye of Phylypp Melāchton, hath he also blotted with the black title of heresy. Ryghtlye compareth Christ such shamelesle hypocrites to rauenynge dogs and swine cruelly tearynge his truth and treadynge under there filthy fete the precious pearl thereof. Full little knoweth this blind bysye busharde what he doth condemn in these godly books here rehearsed. He dāpneth diverse verytees of God as our iustyfycacyō i Christ, the putting down of the pope, the confutynge of the anabaptystes, the true obedience to princes, the abolyshynge of superstycyōs, with many godly things that our king hath done against the false kingdom of antychrist. What godly wise man cā judge otherwise of him, whan he condēpneth all that ys in them contained without respect. Certain I ā that these are the pryncypall points therein decysed.

4 What the postylles are vpō the epysteles and gospels, (which followeth cōsequentlye under the same condempnacyō) I cannot tell, unless they be Rychard tauerners. Whom he compyled together of a good godly mind, that your asseheaded priests which can do no such things) should not be all Idell, but show some godly instruccyons to the people. By this furyouse act therefore may all menne se, that ye mind no manner of godliness to the dere flock of Christ, but all destruccyon and mischief. In the chamber of this poor man (whom ye thus proclaim for an heretic) found ye diverse books of papystrye and treason to your price were they so narrowlye looked vpō as these are. But them left ye there behind untouched, as matters necessary to the vpholdynge of your holy church. Lett Tol wyn have so many of them as he will, and he shall never be blamed, but be your own whyght sonne. Ye pass not a whytt how moche treasō be a broad, for by that always hath your ruffelynge religion had maintenance. Onlye ys yt heresy (as ye call yt) that moveth your spirits. For by that ys decayed your vain glory. Ye force not though a hundred thousand of those books were abroad that might teache men to be dysobedyent to God in the matters of faith, and unto your prince in the causes of there true allegeaunce. The enchyridion of Eckius that impudent proctor of antichrist offendeth yow nothing at all. Yet cōtayneth yt all doctrine of deuylyshnesse, as the popes authority, power and prymacye, his counsels cōstytucyons and customs, his confirmacyons orders and vnccyons, his worshipping of Images rodes and rellyques, his excommunycacyons interdyccyons and cursynges, his purgatory pardons and pylgrimages, his immunytees pluralitees and tot quo •• es with the devil and all of such filthiness. Euerye where ys this boke sought and enquyred for ī city, markett, and feyer. Euerye ser Johan must have yt that can rede, to make him therewith a Christian curate, a good ghostly father, and a catholyck member of holy church Verye few popish priests with in my lords dyocese are at thyssame hour without yt, either in there chambers, sleues, or bosoms. For yt ys a most precious treasure to him that will hear confessyons and keep a cure well to antychristes behoove. That embrase the gentle men of the popes lyuerye and mark, that culle they, that kiss they, that draw they to them as a work of most holy wholesome catholyck doctrine. No less might harrye pep well in Paul's church yearde, have out of Michael Hillenius house, in Anwerpe at one time than ā whole complete prynte at the holy request of stokyslaye. In a short space were they dyspached and a new prynte in hand, such time as he also commanded Barlowes dyaloges to be preached of the curates through out all his dyocese. I know yt the better for that he at the same time suspended me from preaching in estsexe because I would not leave the gospel and be sworn to the obseruacyon of his iniunccyons. I have known in my time more than vi. diverse pryntes of this erronyouse and deuylyshe boke which ys a manifest token that the utterance thereof hath not been small. Dyuerse of them hath besides this, his drunken dysputacyons against heretics, his apostolyck creed, his crysopassus of dyuyne predestynacyon, his aurycular confessyō, his boke offer will, his primacye of Peter to pope Leo the tent, and his postylles of papystrye. Manye other dirty dyuynes have they else of the same pharyseycall leaven, to maintain the same self doctrine. As Thomas of Aquyne, Bonaventure, Walden, Prierias, Catharinns, Clychtoueus, Radinus, Empser, Cocleus, Lathomus, Scatzger, Herbron, Hochstrate, Natalis Beda. Tregarius, Pelargus, Hofmester, Alphonsus de Castro, Johan Fysher, and Thomas More, with canonystes and Romystes the devil and all. But at these can my lord wynke, in hope of, I say no more. Whether these ways be right or nay, lete men of godly and rype dyscressyon judge.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

NOt yet have we done with these books, but still are they a foul blott in my lords eyes. Now cometh a boke of prayer made by Martyn Luther, yet nothing ys seen but the bag. Anon my lord will say that heretics despise good works, and write against fasting and prayer. But lete him be ware least this boke {pro}ue him a loud liar in the face of all the world. In that small treatise (if yt be his) ys nothing else contained but the lords prayer, the commandments, and creed. It ys moche marvel to me, if they are now become heresy, and legenda aurea, with sancta Maria ora pro nobis out of your ordynarye pye and portas becometh again so wholesome learning. But parauenture yt ys for Luther's names sake. If the whole doctrine of the trynyte came in that name, yt should sure into the sachell without looking on, and be condemned for heresy. Ye, if God came hymfelfe under his title, he should surely stand forth for an heretic in my lords great mode He hath alredye condemned his commandments, his prayer, and the artycles of his faith, for Martyns sake onlie. And no marvel. For he ys the father heretic and enemy of all holy church. If God would ones take him out of the way, doubtless he should hane great thanks of my lord and of the rank rabble of Romish ruffelers.

2 Next cometh forewarde in course the door of holy scripture. Whether this be Christ or no, I am in moche doubt. For in deed he saith unto his dyscyples in the x. chapter of Johan. I am the door into the sheep fold. He that entereth in by me schal go in and out, and find good fedynge. But I fere me that my lord ys one of those thieves and robbers that Christ speaketh of there, for stoppynge up of this door. For he in so doing depryueth the people of that life which ys in him, and so sleeth there souls, holdynge them still captive in sin. Always hath my lords generation been thus rebellyouse against the lord and his word. As we have for example ī the old law, the false priests which compassed Hieremye the prophet, and in the new law the spiritual prelates that sought Christ's death. If this door of holy scripture be a treatise, than had yt been more wisdom for my lord to have christenlye reproved the errors thereof (in case there be any) and not to condemn such a clear perfect title as offereth nothing but godliness. I think either his wyttes are not his own or else he ys drunk with excess of the Babylonyshe cup of his holy mother.

3 The compendyouse postyls of Antonius Coruinus vpō the sondayes ond saints, are judged of men that be syncerelye learned, to be faithful and godly. And so moche the more necessary to a preacher that ys but meanelye learned, that within a small compass they contain moche christen erudycyon. But my lord admitteth nothige that perteieth to that office. He careth for nothing but for holy water and sensynge {pro}cessyō and massynge. He thinketh that .iv. times in the year or ones in a quarter ys enough for preaching, and therein only to declare the kings acts cōcernynge ceremonies and tithes in stead of the popes sentence of cursynges which now is worn out. If they Iyst to preach any other thing else, they have yet there old festyuall, mammotractus, Gesta roma norum, Sermones discipuli, Sermones dormi secure, Rationale diuinorum, Manipulus curatorum, postilla guilhermi, and diverse other more, which are auncyent works allowed of holy church. They have also a famous new work called John Eckāius postyll, which battelleth for the holy fathers primacye hard. These and such other are books of catholyk learning, and shall never be condemned, for they make all together for holy church.

4. In the bottom of the bag lieth .ii. old written books, and they have no names here to fulfill my lords promise with, But thus moche hath my lord gathered of them, that the one of them is for scolers, and the other ys takē out of Io. frythes books. But wonder yt ys to me what that boke should offend which ys only for scolers, and hath non other title. Wyl my lord still destroy all godliness without excepcyon? Non other ys yt to condemn a boke for scolers, (having non other addycyon) but to condemn for heretics doctrine there virtuous bringing up in good letters and manners, In this doth my lord declare himself an enemy unto nature, which delyteth in necessaryes, besides that he hath done unto faith.

That the other treatise taken out of Johan frythes books should be an old boke, yt ys a fowl lie, though yt be newlye practysed of my lord. For he was not. 27 years old in the 8. year afore this declaracyon, whan my lords generation Stokyslaye, Gardyner, and such other, (whō Isaiah calleth the tyrants of Sodoma) putt him to most cruel death in the year of our lord God. M. D .xxxiij. for Christ's congregation sleeth no man for his faith. And therefore it cā not now be old, and collected of his books. Not all unlike ys my lord here, unto the old tyrants in the condempnacyon of these books. Joachim the king of Judah tare Hie remyes prophecy and consumed yt in the fire for vtterynge the truth. Antiochus commanded the books of the scriptures to be brent also, and the readers of them to be putt unto death. Herodes the Ascalonyte or Idumyte destroyed the monymentes of the Jews, and cruelly slew there notaryes. Besydes that hath be done by the consecrate prelates of Constantynople and Rome, which also destroyed many works of Chrysostom and Gregory, as the cronycles mencyoneth. And Tōstall in our time (which ys now bysshop of Durhā) whan the testaments came first into English, bought up a greatt number of them and brent them in Paul's church yearde, for the great deuocyon he had unto them, and because he would show his kind. But what became of the asore named tyrants, for working such wickedness? Trulye Joachim was led captive into Egypt, and at the last died there myserablye, his name secluded frō Christ's genealogye. Antiochus departed in a strange lande, overwhelmed with dyspayre, and innumerable sorrows else. Herod was vexed with many sore disseases, as ytche, scall, mange, gowte, fevers, collyke, and at the last consumed of worms, most wretchydlye ended his life. what shall become here after of my lord bonner and Tohstall for doing like feats I will not nor cannot dyffyne, for yt ys in the hands of God. But sure I am that yt will be remembered whan blasphemers shall receive rewards according to there deeds. My lord parauenture thinketh the men be ill, and therefore he may justly condemn there works. My lord must consydre again, that though Balaam, Saul, and Caiaphas were wicked persons, yet doth not the scriptures condemn there true prophecies. What these menne are there fruits shall declare. For no man can say that Jesus ys the lord (which my lord hath not yet uttered in all his process) but in the holy ghost. And as for my lords thinking, we remember in Isaiah that they which hold darkness light and light darkness, have thoughts and judgments full unlike to the thoughts and judgments of God. They say they do well (saith Micah the prophet) whan they labor to shede blood and hunt there bretheren to death. They slee the sheep (saith Zacharye) and yet they take yt for no sin. No, they suppose they do God good service in so doing. But lete them take hede of yt and they liest, for Isaiah giveth them warning that hell gapeth full wyde and openeth her mouthe at large to reward that good service of thers.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

NOw face out your matter with a carde of ten. Sumwhat must be said here to make foles believe, ye have done a good act though it turn all to allye. A blind rēnaunt of people must ye always deceive to uphold ye still in your mischefes. And they be those dustye dreamers that Isaiah speaketh of, which can have no free conscience to reason with themselves, or ones to think in there mides. Maye not I err? Soche dawyshe dodypolles were the parents of him that was borneblide, which would not confess Christ to have healed there sonne, for fear of dyspleasynge the priests, and least the bishops should them excommunycate, or curse them out of church. In these books (ye say) are contained many sondrye errors and heresies. It may well be your saying, for we se neither them nor the books as yet. Ye have buried thē both in a bag. If ye should reieētet all books that hath errors, ye should retain very few works of saīt Augustine, saint Jerome, Orygene, Tartu lyane, Basil, Chrysostom, Cyril, Damascene, Isodre, Bede, haymo, or any of your other doctors. If errors offend you, I marvel ye suffer Thomas of Aquyne to remain, whose dirty dyuynite hath made the pope Christ's vycar in earth, and all Christian kings his sworn subjects all your scole doctors, canonystes, senten cyonystes, and summystes agreynge to the same.

2 Bokes ye have and that many, which deryueth all princes powers out of the popes authority, as branches out of the vine, and small ronnynge rivers out of the head spring, secundum esse & exercitium (such are your Ynkehorne terms) only to execute in polytyque ordynaūces at his holy mind and pleasure, but them bring ye not forth. In them find ye neither blasphemous lies, detestable errors, nor yet abominable heresies (as ye call them here) though they expreslye say, that there ys no lawful Christian king, unless he receive his vnccyon, other, promise, faith, iurysdyccyon, authority, seat, power, sword, scepter, and crown of hī or of his deputes. Yea, and to make this good ye compare your priests unto the sun, the sowle, and unto fine gold, and the kings with there people unto the mone, the wret ched body, and course lead, As though your princes were a far more unworthy people thā you by reason of your gresynge and shauynge, for few other virtues have ye. If your canon law (whereof ye are a commensed doctor) and all the ceremonies which ye have of the pope were brought to the trial of gods word they should not only appear sondrye errors, but also blasphemous beggary, detestable learning, and abominable wytcherye, the pharysees leaven, lies of hypocrites, adders eggs, spyders webbes, bryres, tares, cockle, chaff, menstrue, rust, dust dregs, dreams, dottage, drunk̄nesse, dogs dyrt, swylle, swynes draff, filthiness, stubble, snares of enemies, execrable doctrine of devils, God's curse, and abhomynacyon sitting in the holy place.

3 These books (ye say) are against the blessed sacrament of the aultre, and against other sacraments of Christ's church. Aud all this ys not else but to color your cautels of mischief under some pretence of godliness. Under this color name ye christ, and yt ys the first time of axynge, though it be not greatly to his honor▪ who are more against that godly myny stracyon than yow? which hath in every point corrected, yea, rather contraryed Christ's clear instytution? Ye give it a new lyuer ye besides the gospel▪ yow call it the sacrament of an altar, which ys as moche to say, as the holy sign of an heap of bryckes. They call yt the holy supper of the lord, or a mutual pertycy pacyon of Christ's body and blood, according to his godly instytuciō. Therfor yow blaspheme yt and not they, yow err and are the heretics, and not they. Moche better yt was with us whā christ was our only altar, and we the living sacrifice offered thereupon in a sincere faith unto god the father, than now having your brycke altars among dead men's graves (as Isaiah telleth your tale) and yow to stand up there as new redemers and sauers for money, with touche me not for I am holyar than thu. Oseas the prophet saith, that ye eat up the sins of the people, and corage them in your wickedness. And therefore vpō your altars shall grow both thystles and thorns whan yow shall hyde your heads. The mutual supper of the lord, whō he made common to all his true believers, have yow turned into a brekefast of your own deuysynge, because ye are moche wiser thā he. wherein ye turn your arses to the people, ye tell a longe {pro}cesse to the walls, windows, altar clothes, and Y dols in a forē language which the more part of yow understandeth not. And whan ye have eat and drōke up all, ye bless all your neybers with the emptye cups bottom and god bewith them, never p̄achynge the lords death till he come. If ye crucyfye christ a fresh (as yow say ye offer a sacrifice for the quycke and the dead) ye must ageyn betray hī, accuse him, scorn him, scorge him, judge him, nail hī to the cross and perce him to the hartwyth a spear. For all these were necessary offices in the first sacrifice. One oblacyon made he ones for all to sanctify us unto god, and that cannot ryghtly be renewed again, unless all these partes be played. And that ye leave undone in this point, ye perform full manerlye in the members of his mystycall body, whō ye never cease to persue unto death.

4 With your other sacraments we will not here medle, because ye do not express them. But of this we assure yow, that church ys not Christ's which followeth your voice and not his. Not his flock are they that goeth a whore hontynge to many strange God's, after your rradicyons and customs.

5 Ye say consequentlye that the afore named books are a gaynst the free will of man, and in so doing they make God the auctor of sin. What yow make of God I cannot tell. But well I wote, this doctrine of yours ys strange. Sumwhat ye would fain have to auaunce your own ryghtousnesse, and depress the ryghtousnesse of God, and that must up for a new artycle of ower faith. For nō other purpose would ye have a free will, but to prove therbye that your whole iustyfycacyon cometh not by Jesus Christ, but moche by your good merits and works. what freedom can we have of that which hath brought us into all bondage of death, sin, hell, and the devil? we are of ower selves nothing (saith saint Austyn) but all together vanyte, a shaddow of death, a dark bottomless pyt and a void barren ground, nothing bringing forth but confusyon, sin, and death. Truthe yt ys that before the fall of Adam, man's will was free. Sens hath yt not been free but in bodylye things, as to eat, drink, and sleep, or to do all manner of wickedness. Now are we not able of that will ones to think a good thought. All ys now sin in us that ys not of faith. Neither of the will of the flesh nor yet of man's will, become we now God's children, but of an only believe in his name, and that ys his gift also. Stoyckes and epycures may that free will make us, but no true children of God. It fareth by the braggers of this free will as by him which boasteth that sometime he had a fair house, where as now ys neither rose nor wall. A title yt hath that such a thing there was, but yt ys nothing less in effect. Fayne would your scole doctors with there vnsauerye sophystrye make sum what of yt, if they coudebrynge yt so to pass. Somtyme with the pelagyanes ye garnyshe yt with the excellent gifts of nature. And whan that will not serve, with the subtle manychees ye prevent yt with a grace, least the first entrance of sin should be imputed unto yt, besides that ye borowe of the Iouynyanystes, Iacobytanes, priscyllyanystes, predestynates and other heretics more. Fynallye with the anabaptystes ye grant it in our pour to fulfill the commandments of god. Thus are ye all one in opinion with heretics old and new, and yet ye pretend to be cōdempners of thē. If God be the worker of all good things, as he reporteth himself in Isaiah. If he worketh all in all, according to his own pleasure. If all goodness cometh frō the father of light. If we cannot speak a right, but in his spirit. If non can come to the father but by christ. If we be saved only by the eleccyon of his grace, what can our free will do? Canne we meryte grace with sin? or deserve to be ryghtoused by folye? O blind beasts block heads, and hypocrites, learn ones to be wise and godly, and to refer more unto god and less to yourselves.

6 Ye say if we allow not this freedom in man's will, we make god the auctour of sin. Yowr argument is as yow are, unlearned, fantastycall, and doltyshe. Thys wise reason of yowrs came first frō Pelagius the first fynder out and mayntener of your free will, as witnesseth saint Austin i hypognostico. Loo (saith he to the pelagyanes) because your best be love or free will, whō ye have so moche commended, hath conceived lewdenesse, engendered sin, and brought forth death ye constytute god the author of sin. Ye call both him and his apostle a tēpter of ill men, because (after your opinion) he hath created the things that provoketh them to evil, and so causeth them to perish. But saint James cleareth this, saying. That man is tempted, drawn, and allured of his own concupiscence, which is now hādefast to your free will. The gentyles (saith chrisostome) vndyscretelye noteth christ a destroyer of the people, for that he called them with so moche gentylnesse and not brought them in by compulsyon. What are these else, but the fruits of men's wisdom and blasphemous fantasyes? The scriptur saith that God commanded Semei to curse David. He reserveth the wicked unto an evil day. He maketh the waster to destroy. He promiseth to be a lying spirit in the mouthe of all false prophets. He hath given men up to there hearts desire to work vncomlye things. Good and ill, life and death cometh all of the lord. Is there any plage (saith Amos) or my shappe in a city, that is not of the lordesdoynge? with such other more. And shall we say for these, that he is the author of sin? No, God is not in case as is man, that he can lie, or do any other wickedness. That is sin ne in man, is eternal ryghtousnesse in him, as witnesseth, all the sentencyoners in amaner. I marvel therefore what my lord will stand to, whā neither the scriptures nor yet his own doctors can serve him. Lete never the pott earth in the hands of the potter reasō what vessel he will make him, least he be brokē in his anger for serchynge so high things. He that mekeneth himself shall find grace. Sure we are that non can perish, which faith fully obeyeth his calling. For he is of infinite mercy. If any be lost for not obey enge it, the faute is thers and not his.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

DEd not I tell ye afore, we should not need to seek far to prove yow a liar, for your own confessyō would do it? ye say these books are against good works, and ye declare here what good works ye mean. Specyally fasting (ye say) prayer, and alms deed. I marvel ye are not ashamed, to be so double of your words. A fore ye said, there was in the sachell a boke of prayer made by Luther and here now ye say, they are against prayer. Of prayer and ageinst prayer is not all one, by any godly man's judgment. But first lete us go to good works. If it be a good work to abhor vnfaythfulnesse, to detest Idols, to shurne hypocrisy to repent wickedness, to resort to christ, to seek his glory alone, to obey christen rewlers of lone, to live after God's commandments, to pray without superstition, to bring up yow the in vertu, with such other like, thā are yow a most wicked blasphemer. For all they are in these books most ernestlye desired. Marrye in deed the good works that might make to the fyllynge of your spiritual purses, are not there greatly cared for and that is the cause of your great anger.

2 As moche care yow for true fasting (which is to cease from sin, and to do the works of mercy) as doth the devil of hell. Whan deliver yow the oppressed? Whan dysolue yow vngolye promises? whan hunger yow for the right ousnesse of God? Abstynēce from meats maketh us not God's servants. For than were the devil most holy, which never eateth nor drynketh. The fasting that ye call upon doth Christ name hypocrisy, and saint paule the doctrine of devils. Mōtanus a perverse heretic was the first that made the laws of compulsyon in fasting, whom yow still occupy to this present day. Ageynst whom at the same time wrote Melciades, Appolonius, and Serapion with other notable fathers, and therefore, ye had need to condēpne there books also, The cause now why ye take such peynes in this matter, ys to hold up (if it may be) your lēt made by pope The olespher{us}, your ēbring days ordained of pope Calixtusthe first, your fryday fast cōfermed by pope leo the fort, as witnesseth master Eckius, your satturdaye vygyle cōstytute by pope Innocent the first and pope Gregory the seventh, with your rogacyons and saints vygyls. Se yow to yt that such ware fall not to the ground for breaking, A wonderful thing is it that yow (whose god ysyour belly) doth call so moche upon abstynence. No men doth less occupy yt than yow, which daily stuff your panches to the very vomete. No man can make us believe, ye would ever take such peynes, were there not more profyght to be had upon the calling on than upon the obseruacyon thereof. Saint Paul saith, that the kingdom of god ys not mere and drink, but peace and Ioye in the holy ghost. Good is it (saith he) not to stablyshe the heart with meats, but with grace.

3 And as concerning prayer, who is more against it thā yow? which hath clearly changed the right use of yt into a brawlynge in the temple and a bletynge in the stretes, in a foren speech and in the sight of men, where as Christ hath required yt to be secretly done and frō the heart without moche bablynge, These many clogges also have ye laid upon yt to confoūde yt altogether, your canonical hours, matins, mass, processyon, sensynge, saints honorynge, holy-days, euensonge, complyne, letanyes, inuocacyons, knelynge to Images, dyryges for the dead our ladyes psalters, with baptized belles bedes, organs, song, wax, light, pycturs, rellyques, banners, crosses, aultres. holy water, and the devil and all of such Idolatro use beggary. Ye bind it fynallye to the cyrcumstaūce of place and time more superstycyouslye than ever ded Mahomete with all hysfalse prophets, enforcynge the poor cōscyences of the simple to the cōfydēce of creatures. Ye have (saith the prophet Amos) set up tabernacles to your God Moloch (which ys all that ye worshypp besides God, after rabi Moses) and the fygurs of your Idols, to have them worshhpped. All these do the lord tell yow by his prophets that he doth abhor, and yet ye believe yt not. Ageynst yow also in these pointes, are saint Johan chrisostome, Cipryane, Cyril, Austyn, Jerome, Ambrose, Clement, fulgencius and other, I marvel therefore ye condemn them not.

4 No men may with less honest complain of them which are against alms than yow. For nō hath been so great enemies unto yt as yow, which hathcuer sense your beginning consumed the patrymony of the poor. Remember what emprours, kings, dukes, and other men of power hath lest in your hands to the behoove of the sick, nedye, impotent, halt, lame, and blind, and what they have now of it at your hands, and hardelye leave seeking of motes in other men's eyes, iudgynge your selves very ill stewards. Cōsydre also your daily pollage in offerings, confessyons, deuocyōs tithes, courts of bawdrye, and such other, wherein without just title of Christ's gospel, ye suck up the sweat, and eat up the labor of the poor manne that ysmore vertuose than you, deuourynge a great camel for strayninge out a g • at, or doing a thing of naught. What your alms ys to the poor, specyallye if they be of god, ye have largelye instruct us by Johan porter whom ye latelye famyshed or else strangled up in newgate, and by other more that hath selt your benyuolēt charity. Soche a benefactor are ye to fasting, prayer, and alms deeds, that ye cando such miracles yet. Ye can murder the living saints, and make ye advocates of them that are dead, though there ends were doubtful. Ye can dāpne them for heretics, and set up the other for saints. Ye can burn the bodies of the living, and decke the graves of the dead for auauntage. For soth great ys your charyte I dare say so moche for yow, that there was no martir this five hondreth year, sense Satan was throughlye at large, that hath not been putt to death by your holy generacyō, so Good alms men are ye, Lete other men judge therefore whether ye be against yt or nay. Never are Good works spoken against but whan your abhomynacyons are touched. Soche mystes ye have still, to blind the eye sight of the world with.

5 Now come ye in with confessyō in the ear, that these heretic books should be against that also. But ye speak nothing of confession to god and our neyber whan we offend them, (which only are allowed in the scirpturs for they bring in no sweet profyghtes with thē. Some of the fruits of this your ear confession, have I told yow afore. Notwithstandynge whan new occasyōs be offered new matters cometh oft to remembrance. Gracianus monachus the first sower together of your popish laws, in the first dystynccyon of penance, leaveth it all in doubt whether a man be bound to confess himself to a pressed or no, being only but an ordinance of man. The grekes (he saith) were never bound because they received not the same constytucyon. Begonne yt was in deed at constantynople by Nectarius the bishop, and by him again putt down upon this occasion. A gentle woman confessed there to a pressed, and enjoined to fast and pray in the church, was in the time of her penance constuprate by an holy deakon, which toke great peynes there in the saint warye, to observe the vow of chastity. And therefore upon the peples exclamacyon, yt was utterly there dyssolued again. Chrysostom saith ypon the. 12. chapter to the hebrues. I say not unto the that thu schuldest bewraye thyselfe abroad neither yet accuse thyselfe before other. But I will that thu obey the prophet which saith, Show unto the lord thy way. Peter mourned and wept (saith saint ambrose) because he erred as a man, but I find not what he said. I know that he wept, and I read of his tears, but I read not of his satisfaccyon. What have I to do with men (saith saint Austyn) that they should hear my conscience, as though they coude heal all my dyseases? here ys a curyouse and a bysye kind of men, to know another man's life, and a slow sort to amende there own. Wherfor seek they to hear of me what a man I am, which will not hear of the (o lord) what there selves be? Soche sentences are there innumerable among the old doctors both grekes and latynes, I marvel therefore that my lord doth not bag them up and condemn them at paules cross. All this yet denieth not our coming to the pressed for counsel, in case he be a sober wise manne and learned in the scriptures. For the lord saith, we schal seek the law at the mouthe of the pressed, but not number our sins in a bondage▪ we shall require to be taught, but not coacted to accuse our selves. But if he be a blasphemous and unlearned papist (as the most of them are) we ought to shurne him as the most noyful poison. For in thē hath confession been a sure hold of conspyrycye and treason this five hondreth years and more, as all the cronycles witnesseth. That made captain cobler and master ask full notable captaynes, and raised them up a valeaunt army in there late pilgrimage of grace.

6 More over, these books (saith my lord) are against the vow of chastity. yea, so ys my lord also with his whole generation, if we speak of that chastity that saint Paul commendeth in the coryntheanes, besides there fornycacyon, whoredom, sodometrye, sacrylege, and all other filthiness else. I would fain but know how they coude be chaste, having an execrable whore to there mother, and they brought up in whory shnesse all the days of there life. Canne his clothes be vnbrent that hath fire in his bosom? Is yt possyble that he hath whole fete which evermore goeth vpō hot cools? Nay, who so toucheth pytche, with the same shall be defiled. what have yow else to keep your chastity with but Idle vanitees? All the world knoweth, ye abhor the scrypturs, and all godly verytees else, which schulde make ye chaste. If men want probacyons of this, lete them come hither and prove this doctrine of yours and they shall find yt so true as ys possyble. Fewe examples have we of your honest living, but innumerable of your filthiness. Johan the. 10. pope of that name was begot in aduouterye by pope Sergius of an whore called Marozia in the time of his holy papacye. Pope Johan the. 13. by Iohā the. 12. also, after such another contynēt sort. Betwixt an holy nonene and a pressed were borne at one time Petrus lōbardus the master of your sentences or scole dyuynyte, Petrus commestor the master of your histories, and Gratianus monachus the compyler of your canon Iawes. And with the doctrine of these. 3. fruits of one fornycacyon, hath both the church and the scriptures been corrupted these. 4. hondreth years, yet are they not brought to your satchel. Phylypp the holy abbott of vallisolett and archbishop of hispalis in spayne, kept his own brother Alphonsus wife called Christian the king of denmarkes dowter, he being a live. Petrus mendosa the cardynall of valence in the same regyon occupied helysabeth the wife of king Ferdinandns, and had by her. 2. bastards he being also alive, besides other wonders which are not to be named. Ower last cardynall Thomas wolsaye was not all behind with his part, as appeareth by master winter, and other more abroad. what business popeIulius made with the cardynall of Nātes to have had the occupȳge of. 2. young laddes which the frenche queen Anne had committed unto him to be brought up in vertu, yt would abhor any manne to hear, and therefore I write yt not. Soche noble stews ded pope Sixtus build at Rome in his time, as yet bringeth in yearlye more than. 20. thousand duckates to the augmentacyon of saint peters patrimonye. Iohā stokyslaye your predecessor, a mighty mayntener of that vow, died not without issue, as his fruits declareth not far out of london. Neither yet wyllyam warham the old archbishop of caunterburye, whose increase ys well known in kēt, besides his dallyaunce with the holy maid there. Manye prodygyouse wonders are yet told in sothfolke by certain worshipful gentylwomen of Rychard nyxe the blind bishop of norwych (which putt master bylneye the true martyr of god to most cruel death by the counsel of P • lles and Godsalue) besides his continual occupyenge with the balyes wife of hoxton. Dyuerse fine tryckes of good relygyouse bawdrye wrought by bishop Brygett, kyte, and vnderwode, all three holy p̄lates, are not yet all forgote among the people. Not many years ago a bishop removed a nonne from ycklyngton in cambryge shere, unto dat forth in kent which hath had in her time a good honest increase, I coude name them both if I liest. wylye wynchester also hath not wrought so warelyein the wanton works of venus sense his 21. years, but he hath been smelled out of some parties, besides the store that he is steward of for the common wealth of the city. The people of Israel were longe without whores, like as God had commanded them. But our Nycolaytanes condempnynge the scriptures and all godly order, will have no common wealth without them, hycause they will have afore God there portion with thieves and aduouterers. There is yet alive another bysshop in England which shall be nameless at this time, that kept a man's wife and my cosyne. 20. years ago, before he was bishop, whom I chaunsed to find sitting at his table within these .iv. years. If I should recyte all the wholesome fruits of your chaste vow, which I have red in cronycles and histories, and known by your examples besides forth, many men would marvel that ye synke not to hell with your prodygiouse chastity. For innumerable knaueries hath your holy abbottes, priors, doctors, priests, persons, curates, and relygiouse (as ye cal thē) done. Some one ghostly father of yowrs hath for his life time corrupted an hondreth nonnes and maids, some. 2. hondreth that we rede of, some more some less, and yet have they been chaste geldynges and good wyuellesse virgyns. So longe as they have not married, all hath been well. For some of there doctors hath not been ashamed to write yt, that monks and priests hath not utterly for sworn whoredom, but marriage only. It is no small sone of money that some of yow in the world and your notaries taketh of priests for whore kepinge, and all is (I know well) for the abatemēt of that vow, which ye call your seconde baptym. Henricus agrippa doth testyfye that a sertē bishop boasted at his table, that he had in his dyocese a .xi. thousand priests, which paeyd yearlye a frenche crown a piece for whore keeping, besides the price of occupyenge with other men's wives. And therefore it is no marvel though it still be maintained, and matri money put back, for the profyghtes there of are sweet,

7 Now cometh in the sorest matter of all, and that doth most ernestlye move yow. And that is the marriage of priests. Afore were these books against frewyll, fasting, prayer, and so forth, which in the kind ye use them, are your own proper wares. Now are they with marriage, which is nō of yours. Ye utterly for sake it as a thing hurtful to your holy orders, which whoredō and buggerye cannot defile. Though God the father hath instytute yt, God the son consecrate it, and God the holy ghost moche commended it in the scriptures, yet is it not wholsō for yow. Though it were in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, i Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, in Gedeō, Job, and Tobias, a way of rightousnesse in the lords sight. Though it were in Zacharye the pressed and Helysabeth his wife a walking before him without rebuke. Yea, though Jesus christ were borne under it, and his blessed mother lived longe in it, and the apostles embraced it, yet is it no honest state of living for yow, for your office (ye say) is above all thers. Though saint Paul doth say that wedlock is honorable among all people, and the chambre thereof undefiled. Though he saith also that God will condemn aduouterers and whore kepers, and that the forbyddynge thereof is the very doctrine of devils, all that cannot move yow. Though the primatyue church had it in great price, and so still ded use it till Sylvester the 2. ded fatche the devil fron hell by his nicromancye (where as he was a fore tied up for a thousand years) to seal the obligacyon of his papacye. yet do yow take it for carnal be astlinesse, because master Eckius doth so report it, which never the less had. 3. bastards the same self year that he disputed that matter at lipsia. Oh, very seed of the serpent, and cytezens of sodome. Not without cause was it that Christ called yow a false and an aduouterouse generaciō. Full well knew he what we should have of yow, the heavenly father be merciful unto us. With all abominations have you filled the world, and yet to this day Imagyne ye non other thing. Is your doctrine in this any other than the dyrt of the pope, and the filthy shytynges of old heretics? The Tacyanes taught that matrymonye was in no case lawful. The Marcianistes would admytt nō to baptism, unless they renounced wed lock. The Eustachyanes held opynyon that non coude be saved in marriage. Mōtanus with his sect, leadynge women abought, with him, noted yt a light thing, and said it might be broke well enough. The priscyllyanystes separated the men from there wives, and the womē from there husbands against there willes. The Abelynes allowed marriage, but no carnal copulacyon therein. The Adamytes improved it as an unclean thing for that Adam knew not his wife before he sinned. The Nicolaytaynes were of this opynyon, that wives ought to be common. The Cataphrygeanes, Catharystes, and Tartulyanystes, condemned for aduoutrye the marriage of widows. The Esseanes, Nouacyanes, Carpocracianes, Apostolyckes, Iouynyanistes, and other more, hath opinion of matrimonye in diverse other respects. Last of all cometh your holy father of Rome with his rabble of rutters, myters, hattes, hoodes, cappes, crowns, conyes skynnes, cattes tales, in all manner of colors and proporcyons, and he hath an ore with them all, as an upholder of all heretics against this holy estate. Yea, holy I say ageyn, though it be vnreuerentlye used of many. For it maketh neither whore keeper not sodomyte as your chastity doth daily innumerable. Vyhan now in this latter age, this buyldinge of yowrs through the gospel preaching suffered a great earthquake, and was like to fall to the ground without recover, cometh forth master Eckius a very connynge artifycer in the se works of yours, and he vnderproppeth it with an old broken sparre. Marryage may be granted to no pressed (saith he) by no manner of dispensacion, for the vow that is annexed to there chastity. And for the establyshment of this doctrine, he bringeth in the inhibicion made by pope Calixtus, because no scriptures will serve him. But where as he saith with no small cyrcumstaūce, to make his matter good, that the pope never yet dispensed with that vow, He lieth of his holy father. Raphael volateranus saith that a certain monk called Nicolas married Anne the duke of venys dowter by the popes consent. Burghardus the prouost of tryere or uttereth in Germany had to wife the prince of the ruzeanes syster by the dispēsacyon of pope Gregory the. 7. otherwise called hyldebrande, the same self year he inhybited the marriage of prestr̄es. Pope pelagius ded create a bisshopp at syracusa in the lande of sycill, and he had both wife and children. Henricus agrippa maketh mention of a Cardinal in Rome, whom the Pope permytted to take a wife in marriage, and at his pleasure to return ageyn to his cardinalshypp after he had children, without any manner of irregularyte. Colomannus the bishop of uaradyne, left that spiritual office and was made king of hungarye by the Popes dyspensacyon of purpose to have issue, about the year of our lord. M. lxxvi. and regned there .xix. years. Daniel a pressed was like wise constytute king of fraunce by a like dyspensacion, and was called after ward Chylpericus, gouernynge that regyon the space of .iii. years. Petrus Elsacius a pressed and elect Bishop of Cameryk, was dubbed a knight and married leonor the countesse of nyuerne, which had been called Sybyll. Reme lius a monk being aged, was taken out of his monastery by the popes lycēs, and made king of Aragone after the disseace of his father Sanccius about the year of our lord, a thousand a C. and lx. and had by his wife Mawde a dowter which was afterward married to Raymondus the erle of Barchinona. Pope Ce lestyne the third lycensed Henry the. 6 emprour, to have to wife Cōstaunce king Rogers dowter of sycyll for a yearlye pensyon, which was a professed nonne at panorme. Fredericus dongianus was releaced of his vow to the Carmelytes order, and constytute king of Sycyll▪ Sardo nye, and Calabre, for the singular cōmodyte of those lands. Matthew the erle of bulleyne married Mary king Stevens dowter of englande, and had her out of ramsaye abbeye where as than she was ab basse, and had. 2. dowters by her called Ida and Matilda. Bochardus aueniensis a man ne of great birth and learning forsook his priesthood and benefyces (which than he had many) and Ioyned himself in we diock to Margarete, the emprour Baldewyne of constantynoples dowter, and had many fayr chydren by her, pope Gre gorye the. 9. after moche suit and expēses iudgynge yt godly. Johan the bastard son of Fardynandus being a cysteane monk was constytute king of portyngale, Johan of gaunte thā being duke of lācastre and king of castele giving him his dowter Phylypp to marry after that he had in the year of our lord. 1388. optayned a dyspensacyon of pope vrbanus the. 6. James the last king of cypres being bishop of Nycose not longe afore was permytted of pope paule the seconde to have a Venecyane to wife, to that intent that his lande should become the Venecyanes, as yt now ys in deed. In like case Canutus, which had been a professed monk. 6. years at clunyake, was dyspensed with for money to have a wife. Sowas a sertē abbott of Redynge here in England. So was vrsynus a pressed of nursia and a great number else, as we find in diverse cronycles and writings. Whye should such a furyouse beast than so shamefullye lie, to establyshe an error of de uyllyshenesse? But that he ys ignorant in the histories, and also that such dirty doctrine standeth only by lies. Johannes andreas (whom they call the fountain of there canon law) was a priests son, so was Franciscus phylelphus that famous orator and poete, so was my lord Boner of london by report of his next neybers, with diverse other more. I read of more than. 13. popes that had priests to there fathers. I moche marvel where there vow of chastity dwelte in those days. Soche time as contencyon was betwyn Lanfrancus and Thomas norman the arche bishop of yorke for the prehemynence of Caunterburye, he proved him a priests son before pope Alexandre the seconde. Eckius would fain have sum what to prove a thing of naught, but yt cometh scant wyselye to pass. Than worketh wynchester on the other side with his one and twentye years, to hold up this broken byldynge of vnadduysed vows and as vnaduysedlye made. If these 2. stoles hold not, we are like to fall to the ground with our unchaste vow, for these are the last stays in that matter. Therfor stand fast now or else never. Whan David made a solemn pne vow to destroy Nabal and all that Belonged unto him, Peter to stand by his master to the death, Herod to grant what so ever Herodias dowter axed, And the xl. men at Jerusalem neither to eat nor drink till they had slain Paul, were above .xxi. years of age. Yet was there non of them that performed his vow but Herod, whan yt had been better for him to have brokē yt, for all the standing of a kings word. wynchester also was beyond that age whan he made his solēpne vow in Cābryge to be the popes true servant, yet hath he sense made a vow to the contrary, and broken that also in maynteynynge a fresh the same dirty doctrine of his. If ye will needs have such vows observed, set up your monasteryes and cloisters again. Lete them have again the houses ye toke from them, if ye will have the same religion kept. Geue them not abroad more occasyons to fall, and than ponnyshe them worse than afore. Oh tyranny tyranny, God gave ye to know the abominable fruits of that stinking vow in the general vysytacyon of abbeyes and pryoryes, yet will ye still yoke the poor wretches with yt. So vnmercyfull are ye to that people, whom ye ought to gyde and not to devour, to norryshe and not thus shamefullye to destroy. Wolde ye consydre your own lives in that behalf, ye should find them bad enough. Ye snare there conscyences with that ye ought to take from them (which ys sin) were ye as ye should be. All that ys besides the will of the spirit and the sacred scriptures. (as ys that popish vowynge) ys plain Idolarrie and wickedness. Parauēture ye will now lashe at me with Ecki{us} first argument vpō, Vouete et reddite, saying with dauid. Vowe and perform, promise and pay. But than ye must take with yow the clause that followeth, which is. Onnes qui in circuitu eius affertis munera. All you round about that bring offerings with yow. Here are no monkyshe vows mencyoned, for there were no such shorn sodomytes in those days. Here is no chastity called upon, for yt was spoken to them that had wives Not withstanding marriage is a chastity, or a gift of God to avoid fornycacyon. But herein was than required a faithful obedience unto god in the fulfilling of his commandments, and no so domytycall sacrifice to Belphegor as ye would have yt yet still. In foolish vows (saith the wise man) hath the lord no pleasure. I coude tell ye wonders of children that hath been buried in the lakes, for saving the honor of that vow, with other maruels else, but I lete yt alone for this time. The utterance of your virtuous examples in that holy obseruacyō, might teach more mischief thā goodness. To confute this obieccyon of yours Saint Paul said he had no commandment for vyrgynyte. Moche less than for a popish promise, or a snare of the devil If we should (saith he) observe the vows thā used, we should have no manner of porcyon with Christ. Soche vyllenouse contempt of matrimonye, spryngynge now of late out of Eckius old dyuynyte and wynchesters new canon law, hath brought upon David for all his wonderful vyctorye over the lyon, bear, and phylystyne, the plage promised of the lord for such ungodliness, the sun looking broad vpō yt in the myd day to no small dyshonour. I can not justly tell whether yow perseyue yt or no, but well I wote all the whole world else beholdeth yt. And that may chance hereafter to appear, whan menne shall be occasyoned to seek examples in such purpose. I write this with heuyneste as a premonyshment afore, lamentynge the thing and fearing worse to follow if repentance come not in time. Whereas other menne may chance after this with Moses and Samuel to describe yt at large, to the warning of other in that behalf, and to our perpetual reproach. Wyth such holy prophets and coūsellers (as yow are) now a days were Joram, Ahab, Ochosias, Joachim, Sedechias, and other kings more of Israel and Judah deceived, and brought into the great indygnacyon of God. Thys tyrannouse coaccyon to filthiness came in first of all by pope Hyldebrāde a superstycyouse monk, a nycromanser, a murderer and a cruel suppresser of Christian princes, in the year from Christ's in carnacyon. M .lxxiiij. as all the cronycles mencyoneth. Whych Hyldebrande never the less that pharaonycall constytucyon, kept Mawde the duchesse of lotharye both by the life days of her husband Gozilon, and also after his death, leadynge her abought with him, and she maynteynynge him again in mischief with the great possessyons that she had there and in Italy. He toke like wise Agnes the emprours mother clearly from him, not without a black report also upon her side. At the same self time beganne the bishops and great benefised priests to build nonncryes for remedy of that sore dyssease. He that shall read the history of V do the archebysshop of magdeburgh and prymate of almayne, how he ordered his nonenes in his holy vysytacyōs, shall find yt no bad matter. What cōmocyons, scysmes, lyghtenynges, tēpestes, earth quakes, and other terrible mouīges apered at that time, yt were a wonder to reherce. Amonge all other a Comete was seen at that season, of whom Elmerus a monk of malmesburye in England gave thyssentēce. Art thu come (saith he) art thu come? Unto many mothers hast thu brought woe and sorrow. I saw the longe afore, but now in deed I behold the more terrible, Even the very destruccyon of thyslande. Soche another warning brought the law master of Turnay in massage unto Coleyne to the emprour at the same very time, of a woman prophecyenge that antichrist was thā in his full course. Whych woman so vanyshed away and was never more seen. Yet coude not this cruel enforcemēt be received in England, till Anselmus a frenche monk also, and arche bishop of Canturburye brought yt in by a synod holden at london, in the year after Christ's natyuyte, M. C .ix. which Anselm bad longe contended afore with king wyllyā rufus and king Henry the first for the commodytees of antichrystes glorious kingdom, and had than gote the vyctorye of them in deed. Yet wash at that time so accombred with so domytes, that he was every sondaye compelled openly to excommunycate them. After this kept the priests concubynes otherwise called whores (for that was more holy than marriage) the space of more than .xv. years, till loannes de Cremona an holy legate frō the popes right side, came in a great heat from Rome, and toke that from them also hy another counsel holden at Paul's, his self taken with an whore the night following to begin the religion with. Se how busy thei are yet with all deuylyshe deuyses possyble to hold up this wickedness still, which was begun with such myschefes, and hath contynued with filthiness unspeakable. The multitude of priests (saith Oseas the prophet) is like an heap of thieves, murderers, bloudthurstye rauenours, for they have wrought ab homynacyon. In the desire of vnclenlye lusts (saith Heremye) they are become altogether like rank stoned horse neyenge everywhere after there neybers wife. They go about (saith the lord) with there own inu • ̄ • yōs, but I se thē well enough. They make the king and princes to have delight in there wickedness and lies. All these burn in aduouterye as yt were an oven that the baker heateth, whan he hath left knedynge. I will vysyte all those (saith the lord also by Sophonias the prophet) which weareth strange clothynge, and treadeth over the threshold so proudelye, which fyllther lords house with roborye and falshede. But now they have plowed wickedness they shall surely reap sin, and eat the fruit of lies wherein the mother shall perish with her children and the branches with there stock, because they are not the lords.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

STyll is my lord reparynge his broken pyttes, to hold in the filthy waters if it may be. In no wise can he away with the wholesome watter, that refresheth to life everlasting. All his neybers would he have of the same diet that he ys of, so charytable ys he, making this good prouysyon for thē. He thinketh god to lack wit and his son dyscressyon, and therefore he will non of there rewles. There ys another way which pleaseth him moche better, and that he will have observed in his dyocese, so longe as he ys lord ordynarye of londō. The law dable rites and ceremonies of his mother the holy church of Rome which brought him up of a whelp and gave him the sweet suck frō her paps, shall not drop away, so longe as he may uphold them. A sort of noughtye heretics hath writ̄ against thē now of late, but yt maketh no matter (saith our ser Iohā) for my lord hath condēpned all there books in a sachell. I marvel what my lord meaneth by all this ruffelynge abought matters of no wayght nor yet godliness. In all the new testament ys no mencyon made of these .ii. words Ceremonyes and Rytes in the Latin, neither i the Gospels nor yet in the Epystles, neither in the Acts nor yet i the Apocalypse. I would fain know thā what we have to do with them? like wise in the Psalms and Prophets we rede not of thē by those .ii. terms, saving ones in Ezekiel, and that ys but a rehearsal of things done in figure. In Moses .v. books and in other hystoryall treatyses are they oft spoken of in deed, and there are they to us but shadows of good things to come, which we are at a point with, having Christ p̄sent. yet rites are there more reprehended than praised, as the very superstycyouse customs of the paganes. But what doth my lord mean, if he should go to the best of them? will he make us Jews again? will he make us bond servants, and christ hath made us free children? Saint paule saith. If we clog our selves again with that yoke, we fall from grace, we go quite from christ, and his death shall profyght us nothing. Therfor there ye offer us wrong. Your own laws and doctrynes besides the scpiture, graūteth abrogacyon of the laws ceremonyall. If ye bring us in any rites therefore taken of the heythen customs, as are your saints holy-days, your processyons, your letanyes, your dyryges, your sensynge of altars, your knelynge to Images, your calling upon dead men, your kyssynge of relics, your coniurynge of spirits your consecracyons, vows, and sacrifices for sin, with such other, ye do us great injury also. Non that setteth hand to the plough (saith christ) and looketh ageyn back, ysfytt for the kingdom of god. ye know, loathes wife for doing such a seat, was turned into a salt stone, Christ hath said also in Iohā, that the true worshyppers should worshypp god only in spirit and in verity. Than are they the false woshyppers which worshypp in outward things, specyallye the outward thing self. As for baptym and the supper of the lord are Christ's holy instytucyons, and non of your popish ceremonies. Happye yt ys that ye cā not accuse these beretyque books for speaking against the right use of them. Bycause of the trust that the Jews had in the commanded ceremonies, god detested them. Here. 7. Esa. 1. psal. 50. Amos. 5. zach. 7. and Mychee. 6. much more the wātō rites of your p̄scripcyon. The Ceremonyes of cristē mē (if ye will have thē so called) are now spūall offerings of the heart. 1. cor. 10. Eph. 5. Col. 3. for the true christē church ys all frō within. ps. 44. The outward are all for the benyuolence, aid, confort, and other needs cōcernynge our neyber. Tobi. 4. Malachi. 2. Rom. 13. Eph. 4. Eccle▪ • . Esa. 28. Math. 7. 1. Ioā. 3. And though we grant unto those that be honest and semelye for an outward comelynesse in things necessary, yet ought they nat to bind our conscience or be any part of our iustyfycacyō. Neither may they be superstycyouse, or in any point against Christ's doctrine. But so ys our christen religion (as you call yt, and as I would yt were) clogged with your heythnysh rites, that neither Jew nor Saracene, Arabyane nor Turk wylcome unto our faith, thinking there own rites much better, as they may well enough. To whom'ye will hame us refer the clause that here followeth, that ys to say, Comparynge the manner of weddynge to the beastly fashyon of a sawte bytche, we cā not well tell, ye have putt yt here so dyffuselye. As well may yt extend to your ceremonies as to the books, standing in place here as yt doth. Well, we will take yt that ye mean the books. But than there ys a doubt again, whether ye mean all the books or part of thē, because ye have not here declared yt. If ye mean all, than have ye marred your markett in prouynge yourself a liar, for in deed the most of them speaketh little or nothing of marriage. If ye mean someone pertycular boke, yet are ye a liar also for falsely reportynge yt, and so shall ye be a liar both ways. Para uēture yt saith (as yt may fullwell) that your neglygēt priests or ignorant hob lurches doth Join thē together, with who shall have this womā and a few other bablynges more, giving them no manner of godly istruccyōs how they should in the fear of god behave themselves the one to the other in that comelye estate of living. Neither do they tell them what marriage ys, nor yet to what ende yt was instystute of god. They declare not unto them that yt ys an only remedy against fornycacyon, and ought to be used with moche honest, clennesse, and soberness, after the Godlye example of Tobias and Sara. But turn them forth together with tyrlerye tregobett, neither barell better hearing. Hoppe whore, and run thief. I am as good as thu, and I besure we thy whoresons heart, till they fall to the trial of the matter for the best game to catch thē an heat. And what ys this else, but dog and bytche? Is yt so haynouse a matter to tell you of this? The examples thereof are to euydēt a broad. Who so ever be rebuked for there vycyouse living, your anointed mustre may not be ones touched. Your ser Nycolas nydypolles may not ones be blown upon, but straytwayes yt must be proclaimed heresy. O father of heaven, whan will ye be ashamed of your lewdenesse? Neither speak ye here of the thing self, but of the manner of usage of the Ceremonye thereof calling yt weddynge and marriage, as though yt were ii. diverse things. I thought this blast was for some matter of yowrs. I would have marueled, if ye had sought so moche honor to marriage. But I wonder sore how yt now becometh but only a ceremonye, and was sometime one of your sacraments? Surelye ye have conceived some dyspleasure against yt now of late. And I think yt ys for that ye have known priests gone so fast unto yt within few years, contrary to your holy decrees and canons, to the destruccyon of your Sodom and Gomor, which ye have gloryouslye maintained ever sense the days of Anselm .iv. hondreth years and more.

3 But where as ye write that ye marry vyrgyns, yt ys not true, specyallye in such marryages as yow promote. I have hard of, and known diverse of your generation that hath marred virgyns before they have married them, yea, sometime in the self morning afore, whyls the pyes were in bakynge, so spūallye have they used that godly ordinance. I think thvs be yet worse than dog and bytche. Neither ys yt true in other marryages where as yow are no medlers, if ye make a dyfference betwyne wives and vyrgyns. For wives they are before they come there, else are they made nou by yow. The lord hath knytt them together afore in one mutual knotte of love, Whych yow have no more power to knytt again than ye have to dyssolue yt. As for grace and the holy ghost whom ye pretend therein to dyspense, little need have yow to give them from yow, having so small store at home. Never saw I men so full of those gifts and so rydye to give them, having so few of thē in there own living. He that made the bande a fore hath plenty of them with out yow. At his hand must they needs be had, and not at yowrs. The couplynge of thē in the face of the congregation despise we not, but greatly allow upon many consyderacyons necessary, were yt godly done, as there ys nothing clean in your hands. Notwithstandynge all this, in marriage and out of marriage we would call them a chaste virgyne, as Paul doth the corryntheanes, were they clear from the aduoutrye of your Romish laws and customs. But that will not be in your days.

4 For here ye hold yourself also grieved with these books (ye say) for being against men's laws and traditions. If ye coude so well have said, against gods laws, we had had yt of you ere this. But blessed be our lord ye cannot so speak yt wout a great lie. The laws of men •• e to be allowed, so longe as they ag • ello the laws of God. For else are they no laws, but violence and tyranny. Prynces and magystrates being the mynysters of god, ought to make no laws for there private cōmodite, but for the publyque wealth of there commons. Neither ought they to decree any thing against God's honor. If they do, than this rewle of the lord must be observed. Necessarye yt ys rather to obey God than man. And so ye ought to tell thē. But whoo child there. Rather set ye them a work thā stay them, whan such things are in doing like old temptynge serpentes. Mathathias would in no case obey the cruel decrees of Antiochus. Nomore would the mydwyues of egypt the ungodly commandment of Pharaoh. For dysobeyenge a wicked precept, was Rahab blessed of God, so was Eleazar{us} with the .vii. machabees and there mother. The apostles preached not whithstandynge the inhybycyō of Annas, Caiaphas, Johannes, and Alexander with other of the high counsel of the Jews. That constytucyon (saith saint Austyn) ys no law at all, which ys not ryghtose. A law (saith Isidorus) ought to be just, honest, easy to be borne, commodyouse to the cōtree, respectynge time and place, necessary, profitable plain without cautels, for no private wealth only, but for the common profyght of the whole multitude made.

5 But as touching your lowsye traditions, wherewith ye loke to be lords over the saith and conscience of men, the scripture saith they can mynystre to us no goodness. For they are but chaff, swylle, men's dyrte, menstrue, dreams, drunkenness, Gall, wormwode, venomed darts, filthy waters, whoredom, abhomynacyons, errors, lies, deuylyshnesse, the curse and cup of the lords indygnacyon, as I have told yow afore. Ye can nō otherwise say, but these your tradycyōs are mennys commandments, unless ye will be holden all together for God's. And Christ telleth yow plain, that all they worshypp him in vain which worshypp him after them. Yea, he saith more to yow, that they make men double the chyldrē of hell. Saȳt Paul saith also they are lies ī hypocrisy, and the very doctrine of devils. Than what would ye have us to make of them, whan they make so little of them? Wolde ye that we should believe yow and not them? Wolde ye have us count them false liars, and yow true spiritual men? Be that far from us. Though Christ sent ye forth at the first to preach his gospel (whom ye now persecute) he bad ye make no new laws, for he had made laws suffycyent. Saint James saith, there ys but one law giver that cā save and destroy. But yow put his laws a part, to have your own observed for auauntage. And nothing do ye else after Sophonias, but fill the lords house with roborye and falshede. Euermore are ye increasynge lies to destruccyon. All hypocrites yokes bring ye upon the people, to clog them down to hell, for nothing make they towards heaven. Paul the first pope of that name made your lēt service, Vitellianus your singing with organs, Gregory the first your ceremonies, Theodorus your pascal, Honorius your letanye, Fabianus your oil and creme, Felix your dedycacyons and altars, Agapitus your processyons, Gaius your holy orders, Calixtus your embrynge days, Boniface .iv. all hallowne day, Felix .iv. your extreme vnccyons, Euticianus the blessing of benes upon the altar, Alexander your holy water, Paschalis your relly ques, Gregorius .iii. your worshipping of Images, Stephanus .iii. your sensynge of them, Virgilius candelmasse day, Anicetus your shauynge, Sergius your shrynes, Zepherinus your chalyces, Le • ii. your paxe at mass, Urbanus .ii. your ladye matins, loānes .xix. all sowle day Sylvester your confirmacyons of children, Sauinianus your bell ryngynge, Hyldebrandus your vow of chastity, Boniface .v. your saint waryes for thieves, Mamertus the bishop of vyenne (which was no pope) your rogacyon daves, and the devil and all else. With all these and with many more besides over charge ye the people. In all these kinds of Idelnesse do ye bring thē up, there christen dewtye commanded clearly laid a part. That will the judge only demaūde at the latter day, whan all these shall go with yow to the devil. If I should confer them with the sincere scriptures of the prophets and apostles, they would appear the very fruits of hell. Consydre what the lord saith by his prophet Isaiah. Whye offer yow (saith he) so many sacrifices unto me? I have no pleasure in them. Who hath required such things at your hands? Offre me no more oblacyons, for yt ys but lost labor. I abhor your incense. I may not away with your solempne feasts. Yowr assemblies are all in vain. I hate your fastynges and new holy days, even at my very heart. They make me werye, I cannot abide th • Though ye hold out your hands, yet turn I mine eyes from yow. And though ye make many prayers, yet hear I nothing at all. For your hands are full of blood Full are all the {pro}phecyes of such terrible chrettenynges against such wretched beg gerye and beastlynesse. Yet this do yow make the peples God. To this hold they up there hands. To this run they by heaps. And upon this wonder they, as though there were non other heavē. Thus yow blind asses lead thē blind with yow into the dytche of dampnacyon.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

Thys folower of Balaam seeketh yet more colors of deceit, to optayne the reward of iniquity. The dry foūtayne ys he without water, and the cloud carried forth, of a tempest, to whom ys reserved the myst of darkness forever. He uttereth proud words to entyce unto wantonness against god. Hys labor ys to bring menne into bondage of sin, and to make the last error worse than the first. He enforceth the dog to turn again to his vomete, and the sow that was washed to wallow her a geyne in the mire. Se what a cūpass this subtle charmer fatcheth, to call the people back, least they should clearly fall frō there old errors. But set your heart at rest ye crastye Sathā, for non will follow yow but dogs and swine, such as never regardeth the graces of the lord. The lambes knoweth there shepherd. Hys voice will they hear, as there heavenly father hath commanded. They will no more be acquainted with the voices of strangers. Isaiah hath sent ye word, they will give no more money for the thing that fedeth not. They will spend no more labor about that satysfyeth not. Ye lay yokes very fast upon menne (saith oseas) but ye ease thē not of there burden. These books (saith my lord) are against the communyon and howselynge at easter, and specyallye under one kind. What the cōmunyō ys we are throughlye assertayned by the scriptures.

• But of your easter howsell we cannot skyll. And therefore ye have done well here to make them diverse. Surelye yt ys the most learned point we se in yow yet, for they are diverse in deed. So diverse, that the one ys with Christ, the other ys against him. The one allureth unto him, the other scattereth frō him. And no marvel, seeing the one ys of Christ, the other of Anticrist. Christ said unto his dyscyples, Take yt and deuyde yt among your selves, And so cōstytuted therein a mutual perticipacyō of his body and blood. Yow will suffer nō to touche yt, be they never so clean that day, because they have not your oils. But ye give every man his brekefast alone, because yt should be no communyon. After this sort received Judas a soppe alone, as non of that communyon. Ye think ye have done well in changynge Christ's ordynaūce. Alas wretched creatures, ye have done most wyckedly. No saracene nor Turk dare change one Iote of Mahometes law (which ys but a wretched thing) and yow spare not to alter the set purpose of the eternal god. And where as yewyll suffer no lay menne to takeyt in there hands yt ys but a superstycyose nycenesse of ye. For Christ's dyscyples were never smered with your popish grease and yet they laid hands upon yt. Yea, Eusebius cesariensis and Dyonisius Alexandrinus also writeth that a young ladde ded mynystre yt unto one Serapion at Alexādria, as he lay a dyenge, and yt was than well allowed. Theodosius the emprour had yt given him into his own hands by the assygnaciō of saint Ambrose the bishop of millayne. Hypolitus a lay man ded mynystre yt unto his how should servants, and is yet to this day commended of many auncyent writers for so doing. The communyon ys a mutual socyete of men in one Christian faith, knytt together in one brotherlye love, as members in one body to there head, in the true partycypacyon of that heavenlye mystery Unto this communyon was Paulus and Barnabas received, whan Peter, Iohanand James gave them there right hands of felyshypp.

2 Wherof your how sell riseth, or where upon yt hath cawte that name, we cā not well tell. Unless yt be upon this How sell ye? that ys to say, those wares for there ys nothing else but merchandyce in yt. The one selleth his master with Judas, and the other byeth the holyeghost with Simon magus. And to maintain this rewle, must tithes and offerings with other deuocyōs and dewtyes be paid, the whole accōptes thereof than made in confession. I coude write many things cōcernynge there crafty cloyninge and pyllage of the poor labourynge men and womenne, servants and prenteses, to be catchynge yet of sūwhat, but for this time I lete yt pass. Thys your Easter how sell was first instytute by pope Zepherinus and after confermed by a popish decretal called, Omnis vtrius{que} sexus. The communyon of Christ ys free to his people, and bound to no day, but all days at there pleasure bound unto yt, for they are now no servants to the day, but the day unto them. For the lord created not man to serve the day, but the day to serve man. How happeneth yt (saith saint Paul) that ye turn ageyn to the weak and beggerlye traditions, de syerynge a fresh to be in bondage? Ye observe days and months, times and years I am in fear of yow, least my labors be in vain among yow.

3 In the ende of this artycle, ye condemn these books for admyttynge both kinds ī the Eucharystye unto the lay people (as yow name them) though they be unto Christ more holy thā yow which hath the popes vnccyons. Whether yow be the heretics or they that made the books, lete Christ be judge. He ernestlye commanded his dyscyples to drink of yt all. And they drank of yt all, saith Mark. Yow say, hand of in pain of burning or else hanging, because Eckius drunk̄ dyuynyte hath so taught yow. Parauēture ye will say with him, that the body ys not without the blood? Christ knew that also so well as yow. Yet mynystred he the chalyce, as ye call yt. Saint Paul in like case writynge a law of christen living unto the Corintheanes (which were lay men and no priests) commended both kinds unto them, like as he had of the lord received, and yow make laws of death for yt. In the wicked counsel of Constaunce was yt first inhybytt in the .xiii. sitting, by pope Johan the .xxiij. which was there deposed for poysenynge his predecessor Alexander, by the false working of Mar silius de parma a phesycyane. Whereas the holy men of God Johannes huss and Hieronimus de praga for withstanding yt, were done to most cruel death, in the year of ower lord. M .cccc. xv. yet was yt .xxiij. years after granted again unto the Bohemes in the general counsel of Basyll after many great dysputacyons. And therefore yt ys a sore matter to putt men to death for, but that ye must follow the steppes of your fathers to be partyners with them in that plage. Both must ye be thieves and murderers depryuynge the people as well of health as of life.

4 And where as ye seek to maintain the inuocacyon of saints, condempnynge these books for speaking against yt. Ye she we your self a more foolish heretic, Idolatour, and papist than any that I can hear of else. Though master Eckius be a very obstynate adversary to Christ and his word, and an unshamefast captain of antichristes wars, yet ys he not so foolish ā Idolatour, as to allow inuocacyon to the saints, though he allow them both veneracyon and prayer. Therfor ye are like in this to stand fole alone without the help of his doctrine or yet of any other, unless ye seek to the old queresters of Baal, or the chapleynes of Bell the old God of Babylon that ded eat up all the sacryfyces as yower generation doth still. What I should write of this I cannot tell, yt ys so foolish. Sauynge that I remember .viii. years ago I was afore Edward lee the archbishop of yorke. Whereas I was examined upon the artycle of honourynge and prayenge to saints, divided into .xvij. artycles. In the time of that examynacyon was there an old doctor which greatly lamented (as my lord doth here) that he might no longer make inuocacyon to saints, and thought him self half lost for yt, good doctor Downes standing by and smylynge at his folyshnesse. Unto whom the archebysshop said these words. Speak not (saith he) of inuocacyon concerning saints. For that respecteth a peculyar worshypp only due unto God. And with that the mā was pacyfyed, and argued no farther. So that I can se non agre with my lord here in this opynyon, unless they be blind dastardes and asseheades, as this old dottynge fole was. Thys ys yet sūwhat worse than ys the popes doctrine. For though pope Sergius gave them shrynes, Theodatus churches, Felix holy days, Gregory veneracyon, Honorius prayenge to, Leo hympnes and psalmodye, Johan .vii. pycturs, Constantyne Images and tabernacles putting them in the mass. Theodorus wax, Stephanus sensynge, and Alexander holy water, yet wa there non of them all that ever gave them honor under the title of invocacyon. That ys the only new years gift of my lord of londō here, borrowed altogether of the old Idolators. And as moche worshyppys he worthy to have for yt as had Herostratus, which burned the great temple of Diana at Ephesus only be spokē of. Neither granteth the scriptur saints honorynge, nor yet there prayenge to. Neither are they allowed there for intercessors, medyatours, nor advocates. In the primatyne church were they had in memory, only for imytacyon of there godly works, but yet of non other than Christ had commanded. For saint Paul his self would non otherwise be followed of other, than he had followed Christ afore.

5 Yet ys not the raging fury of my lord pacyfyed for these books, but needs they must be condemned for having mater against mass, matins, and euensōge, though they be only offices of antichristes religion, yea, rather superstycyō What your mass is we have partly declared afore as occasion hath been offered us. If every pope should have home again the fedder he hath putt unto yt, yt should be a very naked monstre, not all unlike unto Isopes choughe, whom we commonly call Jack dawe. Yet must yt be a sacrifice satisfactorye for the quycke and the dead, to the great derogacyon and blasphemy of that only sacrifice of ow • redemption, which Christ ones made for all. These beastly bellygoddes hath not been ashamed in there scolastycall learning or deuylishe diuynite', to say that the mass of the work self delyuereth from actual sin, optayneth remyssion, granteth deseruīge, giveth meryte, minystreth grace, and dischargeth both the gyltynesse and pain due thereunto, where as Christ's death is no more but a dyscharge for oryginall sin only, Yea, it is not longe a go sense Stokyslaye and other besides, ministered the same for a Christian doctrine at paules cross. Standyshe that blasphe mouse Idyote, maynteyninge the same self lowsye lewd learning, was not abashed to compare the precious blood of Christ to the filthy blood of a swine in his deuylyshe preaching. Which I have touched more at large in another boke against his slaunderose reproach of Barns, Never are such matters condemned nor yet recanted. No, they are to sweet to there purses, panches, and pratye pygeons of paules, to be thrown away so sone. It were better a hondreth thousand souls went to the devil, than they should lose an ynche of those wanton pleasures. Oh, wretchedness, of men. If there were in yow but one spark of godliness, it would abhor yow thus to delude, slee, dāpne, and destroy your poor simple bretheren with this wicked mass of yowrs Of whom ye boast christ and his apostles to be the authors, not being able throughlye to bring one godly manne for the author thereof as yt ys now. I speak only of your patched mass, and not of cristes words in the right kind.

6 And as touching your mattēs and euensonge, they are also filthy drynkes of the same whores cup of Babylō, very execrable and noyfull to them that shall receive them in faith without understanding, as a fulfilling of there duty to god. Onlye are they instytucyons of popes, As of Damasus, Gelasi{us}, Pelagius, Gregorius, Vitelianus, Urbanus. And such like. And of monks agreynge to the same, As of Johannes cassianus, Paulus Diaconus, Isuardus, Alcuinus, Rabanus, Osmiidus, and such other more, takē out first of the supsticiose use of the gētiles and the hypocritishe customs of the pharysees. Whan ye pray (saith Christ) speak not moche as doth the heythen, nor stand not up in the synagoges as doth the hypocrites. For the one thinketh to be hard by moche bablynge, and the other seeketh to be seen of men. They both are without reward of God. Whan Christ went from the world, he sent forth non other but preachers only to instruct the multitude to live after the rewles which he had afore taught by his gospel. Now cometh the pope which is of a contrary religion from him, and he sendeth forth matins mongers, mass momblers, holy water swyngers, and euensonge clatterers with other hypocrites else, to fulfill the time with there Idell supersticyons, and clearly to exyle the gospel. And this is the religyō that my lord laboreth here with tothe and nail to maintain. But God (I doubt it not) will shortly deliver his, and the ways of the wvcked shall come to naught.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

RYghtlye hath the apostle Jude, otherwise called Thadeus described this false generation in his epystle, calling them blasphemers, mockers, murmurers, quarellers, and proud speakers, walking in ungodliness according to there own lusts. These are they which separate them selves from the multitude, and are not as other menne be. Beast lie are they in there doctrine and living, having neither spirit nor grace. Mark well the fruits of my lord in this process, and ye schal say they are the same. Styll cōplayneth he of these poor books without either wytt or learning, and will in no wise be pacyfyed. Next ys he in hand here with that he observeth least, which ys to swear to be true and perform yt. These books (saith he) are against the giving of an oath before a judge. I wote he meaneth here the unjust examynacyōs of the very martyrs of God, ser Iohā oldecastell the lord cobham, and of master wyllyam thorpe pressed, which utterly refused to be sworn to antichristes abhomynacyons before that uerye mynystre of sathā Thomas arundell thā archbishop of caunterberye and chancellor of England. I shall first infourme the (good christen reader) of the cruelty of this tyrant, • I find in diverse cronycles, and thā cōsydre thu the new practyses of my lord here. As Thomas arundell perseyued the verity of God to spring and floryshe by the continual lecturs, determynacyons, and preachynges of master Iohā wycleff and his clyentes (which was in those days of most wonderful life and learning) and that king Edward the third in his latter age somewhat favored the same, and also that king Richard the seconde succedynge him, would not persecute yt to his mind. He first conspyred against the said king Richard with the erle of Darbye which was also duke of harforde. Than procured he the Iryshe men to rise, his own commons to rebel, his lords to depose him of his regne, and fynallye to settvp in his rome the said erle of Darbye, famysshynge him unto death at the last in the castle of pomfrett. Than caused he the gospel reading to become both heresy and treason, and procured for yt both hanging and burning, where as afore yt was but exylynge only, or else headynge at the most. So that there were in one day at his procurement both hanged and brent in saint Giles feldo .xxxvi. besides ser Roger acton knight, master Johan brown esquyre, and ser Johan beuerlaye pressed, in the year of our lord. M .cccc. xiii. And all was for that they would not obey the popes religion. Greuouslye ys my lord of london offended here with these books because this great prelate was not obeyed there in these wholesome works of holy church. Trulye this ys the oath he cōplayneth of here, that ys there denied afore a judge. It will not away they say, that ys bred by the bone. In deed yt so appeareth, if ye way this gere well.

2 Who hath cōstytute bishops for judges in life and death over menne? Not the eternal God which only gave that authority to kings, but the infernal serpent that hath given power to the beast to make battle with the saints and to over come thē. Were ye of Christ's institucyō as ye are of anticristes, your office were to preach like poor dyscyples, and not to sytt in judgment of them whose believe ys now moche better than yowrs. But yt fareth by yow as by the first bretheren of saint Frāces (as the tale goeth among the people) he left them penytentes, and found them thieves at his return. So christ left yow preachers, and now fyndeth yow murderers up of his people. Ye ought rather to counsel from swearing (being in yt so great parell as there ys) than to enforce men cruelly unto yt. A damnable use have ye brought into the world among many other, to swcare vpō a boke which ys but a creature, where as men's oaths ought to be upon God only. For this abominable custom of pleyne Idolatry, are ye sore rebuked of saint Johan Chrysostom in his .xliiij. homelye upon Matthew, as ye shall find yt more at large declared in the christen exhortation unto customable swearers. How bosshop peshath bestowed there oaths to there princes sense the conquest and somewhat afore, they that are expert in the cronycles knoweth full well. Robert the arche bishop of caunterburye within a while after his oath of allegeaunce to king Herolde, brought into this realm duke wyllyam of normādie a bastard, with a bāner frō pope Alexander the seconde, and clean remyssyon of sin to subdue both him and yt. What pranks hath been played sense by Egelwinus, Odo, Anselm, Randolf of durham, Rafe of chychester, Alexander of lyncolne, Nigelli{us} of helye, Roger of salesburye, Thomas becket, Stephen lāgton, Edmonde of pountnaye, Thomas of herforde, Rychard scrope, Hērye spenser, Thomas arundell, Thomas the late cardynall of England, and a great number of thē more, yt would axe great time to declare: And therefore yt ys no marvel thow my lord looketh here so strayghtlye upon the matter, yt ys so faythfullye observed among thē. It were mete for him to reck̄ with him self how he hath bestowed his own. He hath been thryse sworn to the Pope at the least before a judge for his spiritual degrees, and yet hath he of late years been against all those promises out wardlye. Sens hath he sworn to his prince, and now becometh he a periure to the same, so depelye maynteynynge the kingdom of Anticrist as he doth here.

3 In the ende of this matter to prove him self altogether a liar, he accuseth these books of a very perverse and sedycyouse opynyō, which in deed they have not, but are utterly against yt. As to have all things common amongst the people. Onlye ys this opynyon holden and maintained of the Anabaptystes, which had yt first of there mōkyshe sects, whose custom was sometime for themselves to have all in common, but for no man else. In this vncristen artycle hath Martyn luther, Melanchthon, Zwingli, Venatorius, Urbanus regius, Westmerus, Sarcerius, Coruinus, and diverse other confuted the said Anabaptystes, not only with invyncybl • arguments but also with books written, as all the world knoweth. Whereas my lords oiled generation was not able to do yt, or at the least would take no such labors upon them. And therefore my lord shall in this point be a liar by day light. But in deed in this he useth the practice of his old scolemasters the holy pharysees and scrybes, which laid first unto Christ, than unto Paul, and consequentlye unto the other dyscyples, that they were sturrers up of sedycyon, whan they se non other thing would help them out of the way. And this hath contynued ever sense in Antichrists church as a necessary polycye against heretics. To say they are subuerters of the people, and destroyers of good laws, whan they play the partes there selves. Though my lords spiritualte are not of this opynyon towards other monne, yet are they of yt towards themselves, seeking to make all men's goods common unto them by title of tithes, offerings, deuocyons, pylgrimages, absolucyons, indulgences, bequestes, mortuaryes, monthesmyndes, yearmyndes, and the devil and all besides, deuourynge up poor widows houses with the patrimonye of the desolate and fatherless

4 Now last of all whan this matter of my lords ys fynyshed, cometh poor Tolwyn as a man half heartless with pen and ynke in his hand, and subscribeth unto yt for fear of burning. Ita est (saith he good simple sowle) yt ys even as my honorable good lord of london hath said here. These books are all heresy, and I have been an heretic for retaynynge of them. But now from hence forth I will become (I trust) an obedyent child to the popes holy church. And than he played Jack a napes, swearing by his tēne bones, with Wilhelmus Tolwyn, manu propria.

5 I Wyllyam Tolwyn make my new professyon to my lords grace here in the Popes stead, and promise to observe these in iunccyōs of mine ordinarye without the grace of god and my kings true obedience, unto my lives ende. Myne own hand writing to witness least any thȳge be laid to my lords charge for yt ā other day. I dare say yfhys good lord of london should have said unto him at that hour that Christ was a these and his father an hangemanne, he would have subscribed unto yt for the safeguard of his life. And with as good a conscience might he have done that as this, the ver • tees considered which are herein condemned. Th{us} draw they poor innocents to the devil by compulsion. Ye hypocrites (saith christ) ye compass see and lande to make a preselyte, or a novice as monks call thē, and so to bring him into your believe. And whā he ys ones brought • ye make him twofold more the child of hell thā ye yourselves are.

The man of sin.

Hys disclosing.

SO notable ys this new work of my lord here that yt may want no cyrcōstaūce to {pro}mote yt for ward, and to brige yt to a worshipful sale. The gret works of saint Austyn and Chrysostom hath not a more solēpne sealynge up, thā hath this pylde patche of papystrye, nor yet Christ's holy testament neither. It ys here said to be imprynted at Lōdō, though it be not greatly to the honor of so worshipful a city, to send forth such blasphemous fruits. Not with stādynge there ys no fawte in the cite in that, for why the fruits be not thers but there bishops A sorrowful plage ys yt surely unto thē to be in captyuyte of conscience under so che ā apostle of Antichrist as mynystreth no better learning. Great confort would yt be unto them, if yt would please the lord te sēde them such a pastoure as Polycrates was unto Ephesus, Polycarpus unto Smyrna, and Meliton unto Sardis, delyuerynge them from this tyrant. He first set up Bybles in Paul's not purposynge any christen erudicyon to the people, but as snares to catch them by. For in mediatlye after he set up a commandment that God should give place to the Pope, and Christ unto Antichrist. There shall be no reading (saith he) for the time of gods service. As though there wayne, Idell, and blasphemous supersticyons were only gods service and the byble reading no part thereof, but a very profane thing Upon this polycie ded he set them up there, to know which were the busy byble men of Londō, that he might speak with thē at layser. For he had hysspyes evermore and his Iudases there at hand. Some hath all redye proved yt and also paid the hard price thereof. So that they which at there first coming held up there hands unto god for there good bishop, doth now hold down there heads and can say, that Satan hath shown himself for all his angelyk face.

2 In saint Sepulchers paryshe was this famous work imprinted in the old bailye. But what manner of saint ys this same saint Sepulcre? where was he borne, or where ys he shryned? Is he Martyr or a Cōfessour, a Virgin or a Matrone? I would fain know the certain • e. He ys non of all those ser. It ys the grave that Christ's body was laid in after yt was taken from the cross. Nay, that ys a false tale. for that was beaten out of the hard rock, and coude never be removed from the place yt ys in, as all the writers and Luke also doth wytuesse. And what if yt were the same? Yet coude yt be made no saint. The pope useth to canonyse no such things for saints, though he suffereth them to be worshipped. But now I perseyue yt ys made by some caruer, and garnished with colors by some paynter. And than ys yt sum what worse▪ than an Idol, for yt ys but his s • addowe or simylitude, and parauēture nothing like yt. The scripture saith, that vnhappye are they, which have a▪ vain stone to there patron • . And they that sense Images are gone quite frō god. But be there never so moche abomination in such things, never shall ye se them at Paul's cross condemned by the bishop. Manye testaments of crist hath there been brent, but never Idols openly rebuked, saving the gapynge rode of Boxlaye and the duckes blood of Hayles. My lord can suffer both saint Sepulcher and saint Antonyne, and allow them here • his boke for saints, notwithstanding all the mischief they have done in casting away so main thousāde souls through Idolatry, and yet never cēpell thē to recant at Paul's, nor yet his self for the sufferance of them. No, this ys non heresy this. It ys even the holy father of Rome's relligyon, and therefore yt may not be hyndred. Oh most abominable workers, whan will ye forsake your ungodliness? whā will ye be ashamed of sin? No where canne there dwell any people, but they make them captive slaves unto such Idols. Either must they be under the tittle of saint Thomas of acres, saith Do • stone, saint Botolp • e, saint Bryde, saint Magn{us}, saint Foster, saint Giles, saith Benett, saint Crowche, saint Sprite, or of such other like. And all thei are made but of paynters •• d carvers. More godliness were in it to set up there makers than thē for they are yet the creatures of god. A godly act was yt to seclude the bishop of Rome, But a moche more godly act were yt, to putt a side his fylthinesse. For that remaineth yet still under the title of laudable rites and ceremonies, and • ewe men are grieved therewith. A far other way went Asa, Jehoshaphat. Jehu, and Josiah the godly kings of Judah and Israel to work in destroynge the wickedness of Idolatry, Speciallie good Ezechi as which brake the brazen serpent in pieces that Moses had made at the lords commandment, whan he se yt ones becomē an abhominacyō. He would in no case at the counsel of false priests, suffer the thing to remain the only supersticyons taken away. But he toke away the occasiō with the supersticyōs, least they should rise ageine. Never come things ryghtlye to pass, be our pretenses never so godly so longe as we myngle with the eternal wisdom of god ower own carnal wisdom.

3 What ys meant here by the old baylye, I cannot well tell, unless yt be a strete, where as they sūtime dwelt which saw the best rewle observed. If a new or dre were takē in this matter, God would be moche better pleased.

4 Now cōsequentlye cometh Richard Lant, and he also setteth his name to this notable work, not as the maker but as the putter forth of yt by his prynt. He ys well contented to be under that venge aūce which hangeth over Babylō, to get a little money. My lord ys his diocesane, ordinarye, and bishop, and therefore he dare be the bolder to set his foot where my lord setteth his, though yt be in a fylthie soil. A saying there ys that as ill ys the thief as he which setteth him a work. If Rychard lant had been a true tenaūt of the eternal lyuige god as he ys to saint Sepulcher, his fore sight would have been moche better. If he had dwelt in the new baylie as he dwelleth in the old, he would have done no such thing. But if both the hand and the tole of bym that maketh an Image be accursed (as the lord saith they are) I think Richard Lant ys not far frō the same.

5 And where as he hath Ioyued his princes authority unto yt, Ad imprimendum solum, to bring him also under the same curse of God (for I know God ys true of his word) he hath played no honest mannys part, no more than hath some other more of his • ellawes▪ Besydes that he hath done here against the glory of god, he hath dyshonoured his king and dyshonested his cuntre, in offering unto the people under his title of preuylege to drink ageine there own fylthie vomete of abhominable papistrye to the utter destruccyon of there souls more thā afore. Lete men of godly knowledge judge but according to cōscyēce what learning this ys, and lament with heuynesse the seduccyon of Christ's dere herytage. Herin are they compelled bi cruel ēforcemētes, to sine the sin unto death to the blasphemy of God's name for whō remaineth neither sacrifice nor yet prayer, but a fearful expectacyon of judgment without mercy The eternal father with his son Jesus Christ and the holy ghost, three persons in one everlasting godhede redress ones this matter with such other more▪ to his own glory and the peples health. Amē

The conclusion or Epyloge.

AL this have I done (Good Christ̄ reader) brotherly to admonish the to be ware of this cruel enemy and such other, which seeketh by there dailye crafts to rob the of that life which thu hast in Christ Jesus. Parauenture thu wilt be moved, not because the manne of sin ys thus set forth in his right colors, but for that yt ys done here with such extremyte Consydre for that the ernest vein in the scriptures against this wicked generacyō frō the beginning. Both ded the holy prophets and Apostles evermore fercely reprehēde the blasphemy of the lords name and verity. Full are all there prophecies and writings of terrible rebukes and thret tenynges. Yea, Christ our most gētill and pacyēt redeemer, spared not to call thē strangers, hyrelynges, thieves, wolves, murderers, dogs, swine, adders, liars, devils, hypocrites, serpētes, oppressers, destroyers, tiraūtes, abhominaciō, ā whores broad, and many other names of great indignaciō. Moche better ys yt to the Christ̄ beleuer that Sathā appear Satan, and the devil be known for the devil, thā still to lurk under a fair similitude of the angell of light, For whā he ys ones known, he may sone be avoided, where as under a glitterynge covert he may lead to destrucciō, yea, the very elect vessels, were not the lord to thē more merciful. Thow Ies{us} Christ mekelie suffered the adversary to remain vnrebuked ī his own cause, yet with fercenesse ded he reuyle hī ī the • ̄rell of his everlasting father, and bad him with no small dyspleasure, avoid Satan. All that this Boner doth here, and other like lecherouse locusts of Egypt, y • to obscure the glory of God▪ and to demynyshe that people which daily seeketh yt to there power. But there cruel enterprise ys now all in vain. The more Pharaoh commandeth the mydwyues to flee the men children of the hebrues, the more they increase and multyplye. The more the people of the lord are oppressed, the more they prosper and floryshe. The more the poor blind manne by the way side frō Hierico ys forbydden to speak, the more he crieth upon Jesus the son of David for mercy. The small grayne of mustarde seed which ys cast into the garden, will grow into a great tree, though all the devils of hell say nay to yt. The lord which commanded Johan in the beginning of his reuelacyon to write that he saw, and in the mids thereof to seal up the voices of the .vii. thonderynges, charged him again in the ende to suffer them to pass at large. In the prymatyue church was the gospel gredylye received of the universal world. In the mids thereof whan Satan was at liberty, was yt in a manner contempned of all men, and hypocrisy takē up in the stead thereof. Now in the latter ende are men again very desyerouse of yt, and doubtless yt shall be received both of the Jews and paganes, withstand yt the adversaries never so sore. If the Jews tare there outward vesturs whan they hard there God blasphemed, moche more ought we our inward hearts, and to suffer our flesh to be torn of those terrible termagauntes of Babylon. Rather ought we to die, than to leave those Antichrists unto wched, that so depelye blasphemeth his wholesome ways and withstandeth his godly testymonyes. Not by the power of princes nor yet by the working of menne, but by the only breathe of his mouthe (which ys his word by Christ alredye taught) hath he ernestlye promised to overthrow in this latter age that filthy and false generation. Sonner shall heaven and earth pass, than that promise pass by vnfulfylled, trust upon yt surely. The inyqytees of the Amorreanes are almost fulfilled, there utter destruccyon at hand. In non other mind am I concerning the reproach of this enemy, than was Helias whan he brought Baals priests to the broke of Cyson, saving only that I would not cut of there head • , nor yet any other bodylye harm unto them, the lord ys my judge, but as his pleasure ys. But in deed I would as many men more would, rather God's honor to regne, than there filthy Idolatry. Hys glory rather than there spyrytuall vain glory. Onlye covet I in this there amendment if yt might be▪ referrynge all vengeance unto God. I would they ded ones cease from ouerloadynge the peples conscyences with there wretched beggary. For doubtless as yet they have done nothing in all there spiritual syttynges, but renewed again the decayed mystery of iniquity. Loke if this written work of this holy bysshop showeth any other here. The learned men of Germany demandeth many times of there merchaūtes as they be returned home again from England, the fruits of there new christyanyte or newlye preached gospel there. And they deliver unto them with no small laughter the foolish treatise of Johan Standyshe against Barns, the frātyk Genealogye of heresy made by Johan Hontyngton, and the. ii▪ draffyshe Declaracyōs of my lord Boner, with such other dirty dryselynges of Antichrist. By that means came I by thē first of all. For few other have they elsthe re no • under the kings preuylege, A • imprimendū solū, but such filthy dregs of the devil, the eternal father be mercy full to that people, and hold from them the promised plage for such unthankfulness. For never was the word of the lord yet sent to any nation. and so blasphemouslie ordered, but wonderful destruccyōs hath solowed thereupon. Consydre for an example the great city of Nineveh preached unto by Jonah, Nahū, and other holy prophets. Hierusalē also whō our saver Jesus Christ in his own person called unto repentance, And ye shall find there afflyccions most terrible and fearful. If such warnynges had be givē to Tyrus and Sidō, or to Sodom and Gomor as hath of late days been givē unto England, they had received thē to the amēdemēt of life and not been so destroyed. Praye there for unto God feruētlye, that yt will ones please him to putt your prince in mind (as the heart of a king ys in the hands of God) to take frō yow these dyrtie donge Hylles which never will give other saver than yssueth frō the bottomless pytte. Alredye hath he takē from yow by the authority of God's word, Mōkes, Canons Nōnes, and Fryres, but still yet remaineth all there doctrine of deuylishnesse ī ā other blospher •• use use broad, Babylon ys there yet an habita 〈…〉 on of devils, and a lodgynge of unclean spirits. Yet still contynueth there a filthy cage of hateful and vene mouse birds, with all superstycyōs lurkynge, and waytynge there time to hoppe again at large, would the world ones apply to there minds. Do but mark the crafty cloynynge of wynchester whan he either preacheth or dysputeth, how he clowteth the old brokē hooles with patches of old papystrye, sowynge them to gyther with new subtiltees and wyles. Hys chatterynge charmers a broad doth follow the same self trade also, saving that they want moche of his crafty conueyaūce, as all menne may behold in the aforeseyd boke of Standyshe a wise learned chaplain of his. Hontyngtō another of his retynewe, cannot among all his heretics find one Pope of Rome, nor one false Bysshopp, nor one scysmatyk Prest, friar, monk, nor chanō, of so many as be in the cronycles. He cannot find out one traitor nor one sturdye Papyst, as many as hath been of them and are yet to this day. Though he beheld Barns that was brent in Smythfelde for being the popes enemy, yet coude he se neither Powell, Abel, nor Fetherston which were God's enemies and the kings, though they were at the next door by. No his eye sight would not serve him upon that side, for his holy fathers sake. But I think his popish poesyes and scriptures most deuylyshlye perverted, are metelye well tried where as yt ys, to the manyfestacyon of such a shameless Antichrist and presumptuose Idyote. The lord gyde all faithful hearts in the love of his he auenlye word and pacyēce of Jesus Christ among those deceitful workemenne, and shortly remove the clouds of darkness with the clear light of his coming. Amen.