The defence of peace: lately translated out of laten in to englysshe. with the kynges moste gracyous priuilege

THe preface of Licentius Euangelus prest, v••••o the Apologye or answere made by Marsilius of Padway, for the defence of Lodowyke, (whiche descended of the moste noble lynage of the dukes of Bauary) Emperour of the Romaynes, agaynst the false & vntrue Hystoryes of certayne persones.

WHan I do consydre dylygently and closely in my mynde, Chrysten reader, the moste greuouse and ieoperdous or daungerful troubles of those tymes, in whiche is so muche synne and myschefe as maye be, and synne taken or accompted for no synne, me thyn∣keth a man maye reasonably without any offence apply this pro∣phecye of Dseas, & say cursynge or euyll spekynge, lyeng, man slaughter, thefte, and adultery do flowe as ryuers, and blode hath touched blode, there is no trouth there is no mercy or pytie, there is no knowledge of god any lenger in the erthe. We all be bocled and made redy to wyckednes, as a horse to ronnynge, or a lyon to his pray. Who nowe hath pytie or compassyon of the pore man? who is moued or styrred any thynge with the Iniury of the wydowe, or orphan beyng through false gyse and deceyte depryued of theyr ryght & goodes? where is nowe any place of Iugement without corrupcyon, or in whiche true & vpryght Iustyce is myny¦stred? what lawes be not nowe more applyed to gettynge of money & lucre, then to equyte and good conscyence? where or of whom (yea I speake euen of the hed∣des and prelat{is} of the Churche) in chosynge or makynge rulers, ouerseers & offy∣cers of theyr diocesse: is not nowe a dayes more respecte and regarde had of suche thynges as are better to augment and encreace theyr yerely Rentes, ryches, and substaunce / then to kepe and retayne innocency & vertue? and to be shorte ryches gyueth honoures, ryches gyueth frendshyppes, ryches gyueth benefyces, ryches gyueth power, and auctoryte, ryches causeth to be regarded and greatly estemed. The poore man be he neuer so good and godly, be he neuer so vertuous and with out corrupte maners, be he neuer so prudent & wyse, lyeth euery wherein the dust. Yf the ryche man speake neuer so folysshely, all men magnyfie and prayse his spe¦che or sayinge, euen to the cloudes / but let the poore man speake neuer so wysely, no man gyueth attendement to hym, or dothe after his sayinge, Mekenes, hum∣blenes, lowlynes, sobrenes, discrecyon, and good aduysement / in whom soeuer it be, is nought set by, but despysed nowe a dayes. And on the other syde bolde pre∣sumpcyon, folysshe hardynes, and vnshamefastnes asmoche made of, and is mer∣uaylously prosperous, and florysshynge. Trouthe in whom soeuer it be / is nowe had in cōmen and open hatred / but on the other syde, glosynge, flaterynge, curry∣enge of fauell / is pryncypally and chyefly made of, and had in pryce. When was euer good mynde or vertue, lesse cared for? When was the thyrste of moste pesty∣lent and poysonfull couetousnes greater? Do we not all from the hyghest to the lowest, from the greatest to the smallest, folowe couetousnes? Who nowe doth de∣fende the innocent man beynge weake and feble, from the iniury of the myghtye men & of great power? What iudge is nowe a dayes so vncorrupte, but that he lo∣ueth gyftes & rewardes? When was euer swerynge or othes lesse had in reuerence or regarded? When was periurye more boldly vsed, and accompted small or none offence? What preuarycacyon, or playenge of both handes, what fraude or gyle / what falshed is there so great, whiche is not gayly coloured and paynted, by the subtylite (I wyll not say duplicite) of the lawyers selues, Yf hope of gylefull mo∣ney do glystre or shyne from any where, the lawes now playnly beynge tourned to mockage? Be they not daylye made mockynge stockes, and tryfles for money

in iudgement / wry••••en and wrasted and made lytle worthe / mocked and despy∣sed after the luste and pleasure of euery lawyer, or pleder of causes? who is nowe a dayes / whiche is a sueter in the lawe / but that he can dye sooner, then he can se an ende of his suete? Oh these are worshypfull and goodly lawes in dede / these are excellent and gaye places of Iudgement whiche succoure the pore wretches, desyrynge ayde and helpe of them, after suche fasshyon & maner / that it had ben moche better to haue loste all that / what soeuer it is, for the whiche they haue be∣gon suete in the lawe / then to haue fallen in to so comberous, and endles labyryn¦thes or mases of the iudgementes, from whenso there is no waye to gette out a∣gayne / yf a man be ones entrede in to them. Forsothe I haue seen my selfe certay¦ne men whiche haue ben lordes and owners of no lytle money / by suche delays, stayes and stoppages made in the lawe, broughte to so great pouertye / that they haue be constrayned of necessytie to begge and aske theyr fode from dore to dore / and certayne other to ende theyr lyues in hospytalles and spytle howses / whi∣che before they began to sue, and trye the lawe, had in theyr possessyon, substaūce worthe foure or fyue thousandes / Is this (as it is called) to decyde and determy∣ne causes, and to ende suetes and stryues? is this to prouyde laufully for the quyet¦nes and profyte of the Cytezens or cōmynalte. But no we passyng ouer the cour¦tes and places of Iudgement, what other thynge besyde is there / other sobre, me∣surable / dyscrete and belongynge to temperaunce / or els accordynge to equyte & good conscyence, whiche we nowe a dayes do exercyse or gyue our mynde vnto? When was euermore wastfull excesse and superfluyte of all maner of thynges? When was couetousnes more feruent and hote? When more vngracyous wan∣tonnes, and outrage of fornycacyons and adulteryes. When more styffe & obsty∣nate pryde. When more shameles ambycyon, or desyre of honour / & vaynegforye, or prayse? When more vnfaythfull and false gyle or deceyte. When more lewde plēty of open robberyes. When more cruelty, or thryste to murther & shedde mans blode. when was euer y^e fury or woodnes and rage of warres & bataylles, or the noyaunce and myscheuousnes of other perelles and daungers, more stronge and present? To what thynge (Chrysten reader) thynkest thou, that we ought to bla∣me this so dyuerse, so manyfolde, so contynuall t̄reble of all thynges in the worl∣de? * 1.1 or wherof iudgest thou all this to belonge / wherof els, but that we haue gre∣uously offended and hurte the truthe of the Gospell. Is not this truthe more ha∣ted of vs / whiche be (as we wolde be accompted and taken) her owne chyldren brone in her owne howse / then it is hatefull to any barbarous hethen men / be they neuer so cruell & beastly? For of what auctoryte or reputacyon is this trouth amonge vs / or what maiesty can she defende and saue to herselfe nowe any len∣ger. Nay rather what thynge is nowe a dayes more despysed, and set at nought / what thynge is more troden vnderfote then it: we haue quenched and put out the lyghte of the world, in ourselues, and yet do we meruayle, yf lyke blynde beastes we do stumble and fall euery where in to all euylles and wretchednes? Yea more ouer (whiche is a more greuous thynge) many of vs not onely stumblynge, but vtterly perysshynge for lacke of knowlege and vnderstandynge, do not perceyue that we do perysshe / but reioyce and be prowde of our hurt{is}, and calamytes, and wrackes, lykewyse as yf we had the victory / I am trouthe, and the lyghte of the worlde (sayth Chryste) who soeuer foloweth me, walketh not in darknes. Behol∣de, we despyse openly the truthe, whiche is Chryste / and yet for all that, we ron a¦wayes, and forsakers of the truthe are nothynge ashamed to pretende royally the name of Chryste, callynge ourselues Chrystyans / yf Chryste be truthe as he is in dede: what is a chrysten man / Is he not by professyon the dyscyple of truthe?

But what other thynge myght trouthe teache, but it owne selfe? and what other thynge coulde the Scoler learne hauynge trouthe to his teacher / then trouthe it¦selfe? Is it not conuenyent and accordynge so to be? Maye the fyre be vnhote? or can that thynge whiche the fyre hathe touched not take heate and waxe warme of the sayde fyre? So chryste for as moche as he is trouth, howe is it possyble that he hathe not taughte his dyscyples trouthe. Therfore we the sones of men / howe longe wyll we be heuy herted leauynge and forsakynge the trouthe, and folow∣ynge mānes iudgement / that is to say vanyte and leasynge? the doctryne of whi¦che trouthe is this folowyng. Blyssed are the poore men in spyryte, for theyres is the kyngdome of heuens. Blyssed are the meke persones, for they shall possesse the erthe. Blyssed are they whiche waylen and mornen, for they shall be comforted. Blyssed are they whiche hungren and thyrsten after ryghtwysnes, for they shall be fylled. Blyssed are the mercyfull persones, for they shall obteyne mercy. Blys∣sed are they / whiche are clene in herte, for they shall se god. Blyssed are the peacea¦ble persones, for they shall be called the sones of god. Blyssed are they whiche suf¦fren persecucyon for ryghtwysnes sake / for to them belongeth the kyngdom of he¦uens. What of all these thynges do not seme to vs vtterly vnsauery / or els playne folysshenes no we a dayes? To be pore in spyryte, meke, mercyfull, peaceable / to be innocent and harmeles / to mowrne / to hungre and thyrste after ryghtwysnes and to suffre persecucyon for the loue of it / what is more out of vse then these ter∣mes or wordes / what more straunge or vnwonte nowe a dayes? Who dothe not nowe a dayeshysse out / who dothe not stampe out these thynges as it were the dreames of madde men / and starke folysshe tryfles? say these word{is} to Latomus, saye them to Egmondamus, saye them to Hochstratus / whiche be but freres one∣ly (because I wyll not name the moste holy Fathers goddes vycars / and these moste reuerende Fathers hatted and mytrede) they shall by and by caste the forth as beynge a certayne superstycyous persone, and an heretyke / turnynge this say¦inge of Chryste as it were an horne agaynst the. Go behynde vs thou aduersa∣rye, for thou arte a sclaundre to vs. I beseche the for the loue of that truthe / Chrysten reader in whom dothe that trewe pouertye of spyryte breathe nowe a dayes. who sheweth it forthe in his lyuynge? who be they of vs now a dayes / whiche be not rather swolne and puffed vp with the spyryte of our owne wytte and iudge∣ment, condempnynge other in comparyson of our selues / as thoughe we our sel∣ues were more holy then they? who be they amonge vs / whiche yf they be neuer so lytle offended or hurte / but the mountenaunce of one heare, are not euen star∣ke woode and madde angry and wrothe with our neyghboure? who of vs dothe not thyrste and greatly desyre ryches, honours, pleasures, euen to the contumely and reproche of ryghtwysnes. A man shall not lyghtly fynde mercy or pyte now any where amonge vs? more then a good smell and swete sauoure in a soyle of durte and myre / I praye you who of vs now (I do not saye) are cleane in herte? But who dothe not abhorre and hate this clennes of herte / more then the genty∣les or hethen people in the olde tyme dyd hate any vnlucky or abhomynable au∣gury / y^t is to say the flyeng or syngynge of byrdes / wherby was betokened euyll happe or myschaunce to folowe them? where is nowe any place lefte any lenger for peace here in erthe? Is she not vtterly exyled and banysshed? who of vs nowe dothe susteyne or suffre euen the leaste dyspleasure or euyl wyll of any man / whi¦che is of power or myghte / for the ryghtwysnes of god? but rather whiche of oure¦selues do not trede vnder the fote / dothe not suppresse, & dothe not as moche as in vs lyeth / to quenche and destroye this ryghtwysenes of god / that we myghte a∣uaunce

and tere vp our owne ryghtwysenes, and that we myghte not be subiec∣ted (as the apostle Paule sayth) to the Iustyce of god? yf those afore rehersed thyn¦ges were taughte of Chryste, whiche is the lyghte of the worlde / it is no doubte but that the nyght and hylles darkenes hathe taughte these thynges / whiche are diamerterly or cleane contrarye to those other. It is therfore no meruayle, it is no noueltye or straunge thynge, yf we suffre punysshement / worthely for our despy∣synge of the lyght of the Gospell / yf we be daylye tossed more and more, and my serably suffre shypwrake, in the moste thycke darkenes of mēnes superstycyous, * 1.2 as it were in moste greuous tempestes or stormes / yf we be empouerysshed, op∣pressed and consumed with warres / yf we be obsessed and besette or compassed a∣boute on euery syde with roberyes, yf we be vexed with newe straunge fylthye, and abhomynable syckenesses and dyseases suche as hathe not ben herde hereto∣fore / yf we suffre great famyne or hungre / yf we be oppressed of tyrauntes / yf we be greatly troubled and vexed with monsters and wonders: yf we be noyed with the sodayne incursyons and assautes of the wylde and cruell beastes / yf we be de¦stroyed with the breakynge forthe, of floodes and waters / yf we be swalowed in and consumed with the gapynges and openynges of the earthe. Fynally and to conclude, whiche waye soeuer we tourne our iyes and our mynde / we shall se or perceyue nothynge but all cruell, all noysom and hurtefull, all vengeable, all myserable and wretchedfull. The chylde wrangleth / troubleth and stryueth a∣gaynst the aged man / the man of lowe degree: agaynst the noble man or of hygh estate and degree / all thynges are dysparpled and scatered / all thynges are lose, and out of theyr place / all thynges troubled and out of ordre / all thynges are lyke and semen to decay and falle. And the thynges whiche are to come hereafter, are feared and not without cause to be more greuous and dreadefull / then these whi∣che be present. For suche paynes suche punysshementes / suche vengeaunce dothe the trouthe despysed / requyre to be done to vs / suche plages requyren the dyscyply¦ne and learnynge of lyghte refused and sette at noughte / Because we do mocke and scorne the pouertye of spyryte: we haue also nowe caste awaye and loste the hope and promesse of the kyngdome of heuens / settynge all our herte and desyre vpon earthly thyng{is}. Because we haue ceassed to be meke: we do also nowe wor∣thely not so moche possesse the earthe, as we do fyghte for it with murthers and cruell blody bataylles. Because we thyrste after vnryghtwysenes, & nowe euery where doo oppresse the ryghtuouse persone. Therfore worthely and throughe our owne deseruynge / we doo in a maner no where fynde any token or prynte of Iu∣styce remaynynge. And we do eche ouertourne and destroye other with doynge iniuryes & wronges one of vs to an other. Because we refuse and forsake doyn∣ge mercye to other / we our selues also somtyme worthely do mysse and lacke the same towarde vs. Because we nowe embrace, and loue in our herte / nothynge that is pure and cleane: accordynge to our deseruynge / we also do not attayne or gette the moste pure beame of trouthe / but beynge cyrcūuented and begyled with falshed and lyes / we are fallen awaye vtterly from the faythe and the Gospell. For what other thynge is it, (I beseche the good Chrysten reader) to fall awaye from the Gospell: then to vse (as it is done dayly) in the stede of the leuite softnes or gentylnes of Chryste, arrogancye and presumptuous pryde, in stede of vertue and good lyuynge, to vse wantonnes / hatrede in the stede of charyte, warre in the stede of peace, domynacyon / rule or lordshyppe in the stede of humblenes and

lowlynes / & to vsurpe the Empyre of the hole worlde / and yet neuertheles all this notwithstandynge, to stonde in our owne conceytes, and to thynke our selues to haue ryght faythe / and to be Chrysten lyuers? Dyd chryste in any place teache / that earthely Empyres and lordshyppes in this worlde, were to be coueted or desy¦red? dyd he not teache rather all maner wayes / that these thyng{is} were to be auoy∣ded and eschewed, (which doctryne it is euydent and surely knowen, to haue ben perfectlye obserued and kepte of his true dyscyples) when he sayde? you can not both serue god, and also mammon or ryches / who soeuer in olde tyme dyd beleue in hym, duely and as they oughte to doo: doubtynge nothynge at all, this thynge to be true, of theyr owne free wylles dyd forsake, and caste from theym all theyr goodes and possessyons, as beynge heuye and wayghty burthayns / and so then beynge at lybertye and lyghte, folowed the lorde of lyfe / the other, whiche profes∣sed theym selues to be guydes of the blynde persones, laughynge theym to scorne for theyr thus doynge. In the whiche thynge / in this moste peryllous tyme we dreade nothyng at all, our selues to folowe the Phariseys, more then the apostles sayinge that it is moste expedyent and chyefly profytable to the churche, to haue all fatte and ryche thynges, all rentes & profettes to them selfe / craftely and sub∣telly * 1.3 pykynge out, and gatherynge togyther of all the holy Scrypture. A fewe names of ryche men / by whiche we maye any maner waye holde vp strengthe, and maynteyne our owne sentence and sayinges, passynge by purposely for the nones / with our iyes faste shytte and closed (as it is wonte to be sayde) syxe hon∣dreth places, that maketh for the contrary parte / and yet shall there be no lytle dy¦uersyte (yf a man wyll dylygentlye marke and take hede) betwene theyr maner of rychenes and oures. Fyrste I feare leaste we haue not gotten our ryches and goodes, lyke moche holylye and ryghtfully, as Abraham. Isaach, Iacob, Iob, and suche other dyd gette theyr substaūce / whiche gatte not that / whiche they had any other wayes / then by laboures and husbondrye, without the hurtynge or da¦magynge of any other man. But as for vs (I feare) leste we haue made our sel∣fes ryche (withoute any paynes or trauayle taken of our owne parte,) by other mēnes laboure: ye oftentymes with the greefe, smarte and sorowe also of other men. Besyde this, those afore rehersed persones / dyd neuer esteme thyse thynges for ryches, neyther whan they were plentyfull to theym, they dyd sette theyr herte vpon theym / so as we doo / whiche do stryue and kepe warre amonge our selues / one with an other, for thyse thynges more fercely / than for our veray lyfe. I feare therfore (I saye) leste there be veray great dyuersytie betwene theym and vs / yf any man wolde ponder and dylygently consydre the maner of the gettynge, the vse, and the affeccyon of bothe partes / and that our sentence opynyon, or iudge∣ment, can nothynge at all therfore be holpen or defended / by the examples and deades of theym: whiche were as farre awaye or elles more from this our coue∣tousnes (wherby we nowe gape gredely after ryches) as theyr tyme or worlde / is vnlyke & farre awaye from this out tyme or worlde, in temperaunce, mesura∣blenes, contynency or cleane lyuynge / whan dyd they so rage amonge them sel∣ues with murthers and dayly slaughters for thyse thyng{is} onely, as we do / whan dydde not they vse thyse ryches or goodes as Instrumentes of benefycence and lyberalytie, euen towarde straungers of other nacyons / and those whome they dydde not knowe? where as we moste cōmonly vse theym, as helpers and aydes other to do Iniuryes & wronges / or els to exercyse voluptuousnes and wanton∣nes: whan dyd not they so haue theyr ryches accordynge to the sayeng of Paule)

as thoughe they had not hadde theym? contrary wyse we, whan do we not lyue so addicted, vtterly gyuen, or bonde vnto them, that we ar founde and perceyued to be possessed of theym / rather than to be possessours / to be bonde seruauntes vn¦to them / rather than the lordes or maysters of theym? in so moche that we do este∣me no maner benefytes of Chryste done to vs / to be of so great valure / but that we are veray redy to forgette theym, for the cause and loue of this wretched and wycked māmone (thyse thynges are odyouse to be spoken / but it is a more ody∣ouse thyng, that those thynges maye truely be caste agayne vs / and layde to our charge: and we can not truely auoyde theym / or clere our selues of theym) do we thynke, that Abraham wolde haue ben lothe, or euyll wyllynge to haue loste his ryches, were they neuer so great, for goddes sake, for whose loue he was so well wyllynge / and content to forgoo his onely begotten sone / whom vndoutedly he had more pleasure in, than in all the substaunce of the worlde? Doo to nowe, we * 1.4 whiche folysshely seche defence and mayntenaunce to our couetousnes of the ex∣amples of those holye men / Lette vs compare oure mynde with theyr mynde to∣warde these fylthes / and lette vs than say, (yf any shame at all be in vs) suche ho¦ly men were ryche / therfore it is lawfull for vs, day and nyght / by ryght or wron¦ge, hoke or croke / to clyme and labour vp to ryches / by the example of them / who of vs of so many ryche and gaynefull benefyces / whiche we contynuelly with meruaylouse great care and dylygence do heape and sowdre togyther at Rome / wolde be contente to forgoo and lacke but one halfe busshell of beanes, for the lo∣ue of Chryste? But those holy men wolde haue slayne euen theyr onely begotten sones, with moste obedyent mynde, for the hope of his grace and fauour. They at his byddynge, forthwith without any delaye / forsoke theyr countre and all theyr kynsfolke / we clere contrarye to his cōmaundement, do couple and ioyne, togy∣ther felde to felde, howse to howse, withoute any measure or ende / and we haue gone so farre forwarde, (whiche I pray god to tourne to good) that we haue left more narowe spaces / & rowmes, and lesse landes to the lay men, than we haue taken from theym / and yet besydes this we do not reste, afore that we flye vpon the resydewe also whiche is lefte to theym, and vntyll we haue broughte all the people with theyr wyfes and chyldren in seruytute & bondage to vs / and whan we shal haue done this, we woll defende and maynteyne it to haue ben done lau¦fullye by the example of Abraham and other holy men lyke to hym / Shall not this be (I pray you) a proper & goodly comparyson or symylytude. From whom dyd those men at any tyme take awaye wrongfullye / but the mountenaunce of one chekyn? We dayly because of our owne profyte and auauntage, doo ouerthro∣we and destroye hole howsholdes / and yet neuerthelesse we couete to be accoun∣ted the salte of the erthe, (full worthely forsothe) in comparyson of the people. Chryste in many places denyeth other his dyscyples or elles hym selfe also to be of this worlde, sayinge these wordes. Yf the worlde dothe hate you: knowe you that it hathe hated me afore you / yf you had ben of the worlde: the worlde truely wolde haue loued that whiche was belongynge to it selfe / nowe because you are not of the worlde / But I haue chosen you from the worlde / therfore the worlde hateth you. Beholde here, howe that man, whom Chryste hathe chosen / is not of * 1.5 this worlde / and therfore Paule saythe. yf I dyd please the worlde / I shulde not than be the seruaunte of Chryste / And yet we nowe fyghte with all maner Ar∣myes and hoostes, for worldlye domynyon / and rule none otherwyse, neyther after any lyghter fasshyon, than dydde any hethen men, in theyr lyfe tyme, other Alexandre, or Iulius (from the names of whome we doo noo whytte refray∣ne)

Yes this to be meke, accordynge to Chrystes teachynge and cōmaundement? is this to be pore in spyryte? is this to be mercyfull? is this to hungre and thyrste ryghtwysnes? Is this to be consentynge and at agrement shortly with thyne ad¦uersarye by the waye? is this not to resyste euyll? is this, whan one stryketh the on the ryght cheke to holde forth also vnto hym thy lefte cheke? Yes this (I saye) whan one is wyllynge to take from vs our coote, to delyuer vnto hym also our gowne? is this to loue our enemyes / and to do good to them whiche dothe hate vs? dare we be bolde to denye that Chryste taughte his Dyscyples thyse thynges or maye we do so without moste euydent cryme of preuarycacyon? what is more manyfest / what I praye you is more knowen than those thynges. But that we may auoyde this, and escape out by some crafte and subtylyte / we do say. Thyse thynges are not to be vnderstande thus after the lyterall or grāmaticall cense / Ye moreouer / we fercely pronoūce hym to be an herttyke forthwith / who soeuer shall Iudge or thynke that the true cense & meanynge of scrypture is rather to be defen¦ded and maynteyned / then the coacte cense imagyned of vs / Affyrmynge that he oughte to cleue and leane to the exposycion & declaracyon of holy Fathers, (that is to wytte of M. dunce, of Thomas, of Sylnester / of Catharinus & suche other of the same sorte) Seynge than / that it is not lawfull to gyue credence to the scry¦pture of hit selfe / in any thyng. But that we must euery where embrace the cense whiche the exposytor maketh / for the moste true cense: what other thynge is this, I pray you / than to be compelled agaynst our wyl / to gyue credence to men (and that to certayne of them but veray tryflers) and not to gyue credence to god? Nay rather what other thynge is this / then to anulle and make voyde the lawe of god and to bynde the chrysten people to the lust and appetyte or pleasure of man / and openly so to fare and do in this behalfe / as thoughe the churche coulde no lenger knowe any certayne Gospelles / haue no certayne apostels and prophettes? for nowe the wyckednes of some men is bolde to affyrme and say (whiche to thynke * 1.6 is abhomynable synne) that the churche shuld haue ben moche better / without the gospels / & therfore that it had ben expedyent / that they had neyther ben wryten / neyther receyued at any tyme. O tonge worthy to be tamed / and holden vndre with brennynge fyre / and brymstone / Chryste sayth to his apostels / Goynge in to all the worlde preache you the gospell to euery creature / the wycked man sayth it had ben better that the gospell had neuer ben spronge vp or ben begon. This, * 1.7 this is to gyue chryste a buffet or blowe vpon the cheke. This thynge (I thynke no man doubteth of / but is euydent to all men / that there is nothynge almoste nowe lefte or remaynyng in the holy scrypture / whiche hath his owne true natu∣rall & {pro}pre cense or vnderstandyng lefte or saued to hit self / we haue wrested & ap¦plyed al thyng{is} in y^e scrypture / to our owne pompe / to our own ambycion, to our owne power / fede my shepe / folowe me / gyue for the & me / thou beyng ones cōuer¦ted / conferme & strength or cōforte thy brethren / here be. ii. swerdes / to the woll I gyue y^e keys of the kyngdom of heuens / whatsoeuer thou shalt bynde vpon erth, it shall be bounden also in heuens. &c. Whiche of all thyse sayeng{is}, is not nowe so applyed y^t it serueth rather our sensual appetytes & lust{is} / then the intencion & pur¦pose of Chryste? And albeit, the cense or meanynge of all thyse is open and veray manyfest, and clere to be perceyued and seen, euen of blynde men / yf a man woll consydre the hole hystory of the gospell. Yet neuerthelesse, we contende, and saye styfly / that they are so to be taken and vnderstanded, as it shall be moste for our profyte, and make beste for or purpose, to abuse them. In lyke maner who of vs can suffre nowe / or abyde it, that thyse sentences folowyng, be otherwyse vnder∣standed, than accordynge to our mynde and pleasure / who taketh not his owne

crosse, and foloweth me, he is no worthy or mete dyscyple for me / do you not ga∣ther treasures to your selues, in the erthe / where theuys maye dygge them out, and moughtes and wormes maye eate and consume them. And prynces and ru∣lers of the gentyles vseth domynyon ouer them / and those whiche be greater: exer¦cyseth power and auctoryte vpon them / it shall not be in lyke case amonge you: but who soeuer is wyllynge to be greater amonge you / lette hym be your myny∣ster. And who soeuer is wyllynge to be chyefe amonge you / he shall be your ser∣uaunte / euyn lykewyse as the sone of man hathe not cōmen to be mynystred vnto / but to mynystre vnto other / we can not in any wyse by thyse sentences fortyfie and strengthe the prymacye and auctorytie of the Bysshop of Rome, * 1.8 (whom we do defende) vnlesse that we can by crafte and subteltie so lay a colour vpon them, and couer them ouer with harde playster to kepe vnder the truth / that it may not freely and at lybertie put forthe or shewe it selfe, at any tyme. For els, without this, it shall appere more clerely than the sōne, that humylytie and low∣lynes is there cōmaunded of Chryste to vs prestes, whan he sayth it shall not be so amonge you: & on the contrarye parte, superyoryte (as they call it) of bearynge rule, to be vtterly forbydden. Are thyse wordes, there shall be no lord{is} or maysters * 1.9 amonge you so as the kynges & rulers of gentyles vse domynyon and exercyse auctoryte vpon theyr subgettes / asmoche for to saye (I beseche you) as this? Be thou Peter with thy successours heyre for euer of the Empyre of Rome. O expo¦sycyon (because I woll say no thyng more greuouse) worthy to be condempned, and as the prouerbe is, to be marked with a lytle rodde or dasshe made with a pen in token of dysalowynge. Furthermore, that whiche foloweth, I cam to myny∣stre, & not to be mynystred vnto, to serue, not to be serued (ye god wote) is asmo∣che to say as this. The Emperours and kynges or rules of the earthe, let them fal downe on theyr knees, and with great veneracyon kysse the fete adorned & gar∣nysshed with precyouse stones, of the, and thy successours, syttynge solemply in a seate or chayre of astate, more gorgyouse then any kynges seate. Moreouer, that sayeng he that woll be cheiffest amonge you, shall be your seruaunt / and he that wylleth to be greater than other amonge you: lette hym be your mynystre / sygny¦feyth or betokeneth nothynge els, but this / we onely haue power and auctorytie to cōmaunde / and all the resydue of the churche muste nedely obey. O Peter, yf thy mayster meaned this by his wordes / why than dydest thou, whan thou was made the chyefe capytayne & hed of thy bretherne / saye thyse wordes thyne owne selfe. Be you subgettes to euery man for the loue of god / whether it be to the kyn∣ge / as to a more excellent persone / or to dukes as persones sent by hym. But here a certayne one of our moste holy fathers / greuously rebuketh & sayth with lowde voyce / that thou Peter dydest not speke thyse wordes to thy self / but onely to thy subgettes. O howe conuenyently, and metely hath he founde this startynge hole to helpe hym selfe with all. As who shulde saye / that what soeuer Peter taughte he dyd reache it onely in wordes (as we do no we a dayes) and not rather & moche more dyd teache it, by his workes or deades / & by contynuell example / folowyng in this poynte also / the custome and maner of his mayster Chryste / of whom the euangelyste Luke sayth / Ihesus began to do / and teache / Lykewyse Paule also sayth. Be you the folowers of me? as I am the folower of Chryste / for whiche cause / the same Paule also cōmaundeth the doer or worker of the worde, not hym whiche is onely the hearer or teacher of it / excepte y^t peraduēture it besemed Peter to teache onely and not to do / and so by a custome begon and brought vp by hym it becōmeth other his successours to do the same / I knowledge playnely (suche is the dulnes of my wytte) that I do not perceyue or vnderstande this theologye or

dyuynyte. Besyde this, why dyd than y^e same Peter go to Samarye with Iohn̄ * 1.10 whan he was bydden so to do of the other apostels, or why were not than the apo¦stels, asshamed to abuse the prerogatyue and prehemynence of theyr hedde and ruler to this mynysterie or seruyce / or why I pray you, doth he hym selfe not she∣we forthe nor take vpon hym any suche maner pretogatyue, and auctoryte, and dygnyte at all, aboue other in his epystles sayinge. I one of the felowe bysshops my selfe, and equall with them / beseche the bysshoppes, whiche are amonge you. I praye the good reader, canst thou perceyue any where in these wordes / any tut¦le or poynte belongynge to prymacye? what coulde be spoken more mekely, or in more lowlywyse? what more symplye or playnly. Fyrste in callyng hym selfe fe∣lowe bysshyp, he chalengeth to hym selfe / or taketh vpon hym, none excellence or prehemynence aboue other / but maketh hym selfe felowe lyke with theym. Whan he besecheth them, in so doynge, he chalengeth to hym self no rule, no domy¦nyon, no prymacye, no power or auctoryte vpon them. And forsoth, yf we woll herken and gyue credence vnto Peter, to Paule hym selfe, and to other / whiche speake to vs in the holy scrypture of god, both profyttes and apostels, rather than to our owne dreames and fantasyes / certaynly we shall perceyue and fynde, that they do call them selues no thynge els but mynysters, & theyr power noughte els but a mynysterye / hauynge theyr myndes farre awaye from all kynde, ye appa∣raunce of honoure: not onely from the ambycyons desyre of prymacye, superyo∣ryte. Dothe not our lorde and mayster hym selfe, (for this is often tymes to be re∣hersed) say, I am not cōmen to be serued / but to mynystre, and serue. And shall it not be suffycyent to the seruaunt to be as his lorde and maystre is, but doth he de¦syre to be greatter than his mayster, what nedeth it to make any more wordes. With our scholyes, gloses cōmentes, and interpretacyons, we haue taken away & * 1.11 destroyed well nere all the whole scrypture of god. Srypture is not peraueuture ouertourned and destroyed / but beynge as it were dombe, in a maner speaketh no more / neyther may do any more vnder vs tyrauntes, then may the chylde: whi¦che is vnder the rodde or correccyon of his gouernour or mayster: that is to say, no¦thynge but onely that, whiche shalbe veray lykynge and pleasaunt to vs / as do∣mynyons, prymacyes, chyefe rulers, kyngdomes. Notwithstandynge that in the meane season (our tryflynge and vayne ymagynacyons and fantasyes taken a∣waye (she doth put vs in mynde and remembraunce of nothynge more, chyefly in euery place / than that we shulde dyspyse and set at nought all thyse thyng{is} / cry∣eng out playnly, and openly: that empyres, ryches and golde, are vyle stayle and transytorye thynges. Peter sayd to Symon magus the enchauntour / offerynge golde to hym / kepe thy golde to thy selfe to perdycyon. The wyse man sayth in his boke entyled Ecclesiasticus. Golde is the wood or tree of offensyon / wo be to them / whiche coueteth & foloweth it. And yet we (good lorde) what hokes, what wyles / what nettes, do we not make contyuually now a dayes, to catche this so euyll or myscheuous a thynge? what do we not enterpryse or take in hande bolde¦ly and swyftly for the loue of money power and auctoryte / what place of the scry¦pture do we not adulterate / counterfeyte / and cortupte. By these fewe wordes (lo¦here be. ii. swerdes) we haue wrythen and wrested the swerde / and empyre of the worlde out of the Emperours hande / and stoutely & manfully god saue vs, cha∣lenged it to the churche / Albeit y^t Chryste hym selfe doth say & affyrme / that his kyngdom is not of this worlde / and Paule also his sworne oratour and Ambas∣sadoure cryeth out, sayeng. Our wepons & armour are not carnall / but stronge, * 1.12 and myghty in god. And because that no poynte of boldnes / and presumptuous pryde shulde be wantynge in vs / we haue our selues made a foundament and hed

of the vnyuersall churche. Hereof came vp those straunge names (whiche in olde tyme were not knowen any thynge at all of the holy men) generall vycar / grea∣test bysshop / and many suche other / yet farre more straunge then these / of whiche * 1.13 we do not rede in al Peters epystles, that euer he vsurped or toke any one to hym¦selfe / Paule knoweth no hed of the churche, but onely Chryste. But we make our¦selues a hed bothe of the churche, and also of the empyre / howe great tragedyes & troubles, we haue for this cause raysed vp hetherto / to the churche, howe many of vs haue stryuen after a lay maner with Emperours aboute this name and tytle It were to longe an hystorye, to reherse / amonge whiche emperours, Lodowyke * 1.14 of Bauarye / that noble and renōmed emperour, the beautye and worshyp of the moste honourable stocke of the dukes of bauarye, and whiche was inferyour to none of the prynces in his tyme, in gentle courage of mynde in mercye and pytie, in deuocyon or holynes, in all vertues to be vsed / other in peace or in warre, & to cōclude, in all qualyties or propertyes whiche are cōmendable, in any emperour / whose defencyon we haue put to here folowyng (for the whiche we wolde that he shuld be beholden to a germayne borne rather than to an other of an out nacyon) was so proudely, & presumptuously handled and entreated, and also so dyspyte∣fully, and cōtumelyously. Fyrste of Iohn̄ the. xxii. of that name / and after that of Benedicte, the. xii. & last of all of Clement the syxte, beyng al thre bysshops of Rome / that it is not possyble to haue hanled any man in more prowde or dyspy∣tefull maner. And that for no greuous offence / as baptista Egnatius hymselfe also doth confesse (albeit in other thynges he is wel nere to to great a fauourer of the bysshoppes of Rome) but for this onely / that he durste be bolde to take vpon hym the name of an Emperour, without the assent and agremēt of Iohn̄. This semed to the holynes of that bysshop of Rome a reasonable cause and suffycyent. Wherfore he shuld not onely interdicte so excellent and so noble a prynce from the Sacramentes & alldyuyne seruyce▪ ••ut also denounce & publysshe hym (thoughe he were fautles (to be an heretyke, by preachers sent forth a brode by hym in to al places for the same purpose. And moreouer for the entent and purpose to rayse & styrre vp rebellyon of his subgett{is} agaynst hym / he dyd absolue al y^t were sworne to hym by any maner of othe, whatsoeuer it were / from theyr sayd othes & theyr allegeaunce. And besyde this, vexed hym with warre & bataylle / chosynge Car∣dynalles and Abbottes for to be the chyefe & pryncypall capytaynes in the same * 1.15 warre. And Clement also dyd procure Charles kynge of Boheme, aduersarye to the sayd Lodowyke / to be named and made Emperour of the prynces electours / to the ende, that so moch the more dyscorde and murther myght be kendled amon∣ge the Chrysten prynces / whiche is the onely crafte and subtyle practyse / wherby they haue alwayes hytherto maynteyned thus theyr power & auctoryte / whiche hath caused so moche blode to be shedde: & so many lose theyr lyues in the worlde. Yf any vycar of Chryste maye be of suche maners and condycyons, truely I can not se / why any maner tyraunte of the worlde, may not also be the vycar of chry∣ste. But yf he ought not to take vengeaūce / yf he ought to praye euyn for his per∣secutoures, and to do good also to them / whiche hate hym, yf he ought to refuse / and exchewe erthely kyngdom / yf he ought to absteyne from all maner couetous¦nes, yf he oughte to walke after the spyryte / and not after the flesshe: than I can not se, but that there is excedynge moche dyfference and dyuersyte, betwene the aforesayd maners / and the ordynaunce of Chryst. Neyther it is vnknowen to me what dyspleasure here I purchase to myself, whyles I styrre and trouble in this pompe of theyr abusyon and abhomynacyons. But in the meane season farewel they, I saye farewell they, who soeuer they be, ye thoughe they be preestes: whose

fauoure I can not retayne, excepte that I woll renounce and forsake the truthe whiche truthe itselfe hath sayd and tolde before this that the worlde shulde come when the one brother shulde delyuer the other brother vnto deathe, and the father the sone, and when moreouer the sones shulde ryse vp agaynst theyr fathers, and put them to deathe. So farre it is awaye, that other I may or ought to be frende to any man / whiche is not hymselfe frende to the truthe: that I ought not to be∣leue any man / or to gyue place to hym, be he neuer so nere of naturall kynne vnto me, no neyther yet to any angell of heuen, yf he preched any thyng cōtrary to the * 1.16 gospell. Seynge than that this truthe (whiche onely gyueth true peace and cha∣ryte to men) do the fearefully warne her scolers awaye euery where, in so many places and by so many maner of wayes from worldy kyngdom, rehersynge and iteratynge so ofte: My kyngdom is not of this world and ye be not of this worl∣de / And except a man renounce al that he possesse. Item it is more easy for a Ca∣mell to entre in through a nedles iye, than a ryche man to entre ī to the kyngdom of heuēs / Moreouer you can not bothe serue god and Mammon all at ones. Also the perable of the ryche gloton buryed in helle) & of that other ryche man dreamyn¦ge of the enlargynge of his barnes. Also that moste sharpe and sore cōmyncacy∣on or thretenyng agaynst ryche men / woo be to you ryche men, whiche haue here your consolacyon and comforte. Woo be to you, whiche be full fedde: for you shall be hungry / woo be to you, whiche do laughe nowe: for you shal wayle and wepe Are not thyse so many saying{is} of Chryste y^e sone of god, euydent tokens ynough Howe he wolde haue his dyscyples and seruauntes mynded to warde thyse erthe∣ly thyng{is}. And yet this notwithstandynge, Benedicte the. xii. whan at Mylane at Verona, at Vicentiū, at Mantua, at Rhegiū, at Carariū, at Padway, at Ferrarye, at Mutine, at Argent / he dyd instytute and make the Mayres and go∣uernours of the sayd places, in the Emperours Lodowykes absence, his owne vi¦cars or deputyes, (cōmaundynge a certayne trybute to be payde yerely of them) * 1.17 by his craftefull apostolyke spoylynge Lodowyke of the possessyon of Italye? he sayd that all the power & rule of the Empyre was his owne / for asmoche as who soeuer is the successoure of Peter, is the onely vycar or deputie in erthe, of Ihesu chryste the kynge of heuen. Is this I praye you to walke after the spyryte? or is this not to entangle them selues in secular and worldly busynes? accordynge to the cōmaundement of Paule wrytynge thyse wordes to Tymothe, Let no man that warreth no goddes parte / entangle hym selfe with seculate busynes / that he may please hym. &c. But here is redy at hande for vs two solucyons or answeres the one that the bysshop of Rome is not bounden to the wordes of Paule, for as moche as the inferyor persone hath no power or auctorytie ouer or vpon the supe∣ryour / the other, that to hym selfe alone belongeth bothe the swerdes to whiche so¦lucyon the thyrde is put vnto in the stede of an Auctarye to make heaped measu∣re / and it is this / that all thynges is the sayd bysshops / because that Chryste dyd saye thyse wordes. All power and auctoryte is gyuen to me bothe in heuen and in erthe. Of thyse wordes we haue goten forthe to our selues absolute and perfy∣te power / hereof haue we taken to our selfes bothe the swerdes hereof, we do at∣trybute to our selues auctoryte aboue all the councels, ye and also aboue the ve∣ray gospels / hereof haue we chalenged empyre, and we haue caught and snatched to our selues domynacyon and rule / neuer to haue ende or reste / vpon the kynges and emperours / albeit that Chryste hath taught vs clene contrary thynges / that * 1.18 is to wyt, that we shulde not gather treasure here in erthe: but in heuen / that we shulde beare our crosse: & not to beare a threfolde cowne on our hed of golde gar∣nysshed with precyous stones / that we shulde mynystie and serue: not be fordes

and rulers / This is the maner and fasshyon of our lyuynge nowe a dayes / thus the scrypture is expounded after our mynde and pleasure. Thus nowe we lear∣ne and rcceyue & take the sense or meanynge imagyned by men, in the steade of the true sense and meanynge of the scrypture / and the spyryte of men, in the stede of the spyryte of god, we herken to man, we beleue man, we do obey man. But as for Chrystes wordes: who of vs nowe any where doth herken, or who doth be¦leue? And yet he sayd my shepe knoweth my voyce, and I agayne of my parte do knowe them. A straunger they do not here, but ronne awaye / yf than the she∣pe of Chryste here the voyce of hym onely, and fleeth or ronneth awaye from a straunger: howe can we (I praye you) proue ourselues to be his shepe: whiche in this moste wretched tyme, not onely do not here his gospell: but moreouer do hate it and wolde haue it cleane destroyed and tydde out of the worlde / sayenge that the churche shulde be better (oh abhomynable impyetye) without the worde or gospell of Chryst / whiche in euery place teacheth vs so oft, that his wordes onely his cōmaundementes alone, are to be obserued and kepte / sayinge / he that hathe my cōmaundementes, and keapeth them / he it is that loneth me / contrarywyse, what other thynge dothe he more sharply lay to the Iewes charge and rebuketh them for more greuously, than for this y^t they regarded not his wordes, nor wold do after theym / whan he sayth / yf you shall abyde in my wordes. you shal be true¦ly my dyscyples / and you shall knowe the truthe, and the truth shall delyuer you agayne a lytle after / he y^t is of god: hereth y^e words of god / but therfore you do not here / because you are not of god / yf thou seche dylygently & ransake the holy scry∣ture (good crysten reader) from the begynnyng that man was created: thou shalt fynde that all those whiche are therin rehersed to haue pleased god / dyd alwayes teache men the worde of god, and not theyr owne. When I praye the) dydde euer * 1.19 Moyses, whan Heliseus, whan Helias, and so forthe in ordre vnto the laste pro∣phette, say after this maner? These thynges do I Moyses say / these thynges do I Helias say / and not rather at all tymes. These thynges sayth your lorde god? whan dyd euer Peter? whan dyd Paule preache other theyr owne gospell, or els of any man, and not the gospel of Ihesu chryste? doth not Paule playnly & open¦ly wytnesse and recorde, that y^e gospel which he dyd teache, was not of man / but of Chryste? & he boldely curseth hym: who euer he be (ye although it were an aun∣gell from heuen) whiche wolde presume to teache any other gospell, than that of Chryste? Besyde this these foure golpelles whiche the churche dothe onely alowe Ezechiell dyd se before (the spyryte of god shewyng them vnto hym) about. vi. C. yeres before chryste was incarnate / expressyng perfytefy y^e Prophesye of the. iiii. gospelles, by the symylytude or lykenes of. iiii. sensyble creatures of y^e whiche the fyrste was of a man, the seconde of a lyon, the thyrde of an oxe, the fourthe of an Egle, in eche one of the whiche. iiii. lykenesses, is fygured one mystery of Chryst. In y^e lykenes of man, was fygured y^e bodely natyuyte of hym / in the shape of a lyon: was sygnyfyed the rorynge or great sounde of the preachyng of the gospell, or y^e mysterye of his resurreccyon / In y^e fygure of an oxe was betokened his euer lastyng presthode, in the symylytude of an Egle: was fygured the mysterye of his dyuynyte and godhed to be vttered & shewed to the churche, whiche shulde be spre∣de abrode through out all the worlde. Shall the churche lacke or wante y^e gospels of theym whom the holy ghoste selfe / gaue euangelystes & gospellers to his owne churche? Mathew whan he was a publycane and called to his offyce, of Chryste selfe (who can doubte hereof) wrote & sette forthe fyrste the gospell in the Hebrew language, for the Iewes whiche were conuerted to Chryste, Marcus gospell, is the gospel of Peter / to whom specially chryst dyd say, fede my shepe. And so lyke

wyse, the gospell whiche Luke wrote: is the gospell of Paule, the doctour of the gentyles / whiche attayned & vnderstode the secresies and pryuyties of god, whi∣che is not lawfull to any man to speke / of the whiche paule prayse is gyuen to the same Luke, in the gospell throughe out all congregacyons / Iohn̄ whiche de∣serued to here of Chryste hangynge on the crosse these wordes. Beholde thy mo∣ther: at the contynuall and feruent request, and instant desyre of all the bysshops of Asye, & theyr Ambassadours wrote the gospell last of all. iiii. And yet he dur∣ste not enterpryse or take that worke in hāde, afore suche tyme, that they had pur∣chased the mercy and fauoure of god, by fastynge openlye bydden or cōmaunded to the people, and by prayers also / Shall we thynke perauenture, that the chur∣che (yf it had pleased them) myght haue forsaken and left this gospell, whiche to be wryten, they obteyned with so many intreatynges and desyres, with so many ambassages, moreouer with processyons & fastyng{is} openly cōmaūded? wherfore let hym (who soeuer he be) the more scasely & more seldome obiecte agaynst vs, y^t these gospelles were receyued of the churche as though it had ben in theyr choyse or lybertie also, not to haue receyued them / & to haue reiected & refused the worde * 1.20 of truthe. Therfore that the churche hath approued and allowe these gospelles, is not thus moche to say, as the churche hath gyuen auctoryte to theym, whiche au∣ctoryte, yf it had pleased them, y^e same churche myght also haue taken from them, as the workers of Plato and Aristotyle hathe ben hytherto approued and al∣lowed, by the consent of all learned men, and yet no man lyghtlye wolde be bol∣de to dye for the truthe, of the same workes. But to saye, that the churche hathe approued and allowed the gospels, is nothynge els, but y^t the churche hathe inse∣perablye cleued to the vndoutable truthe of the sayde gospelles, as it were to the worde of Chryste speakynge presentlye afore our face / for the whiche truthe, she ought also to dye, yf that she woll be saued. Shulde the churche presume, & be bol∣de, * 1.21 to take vnto herselfe suche auctoryte and censure ouer the worde of hym, by whose mercye she is saued: as that she myghte dyssent & dysagree from any (euen the leste) tytle therof, and not rather ought to honour and worshyp it all maner wayes? But it is not thought suffycyent nowe a dayes, to ascrybe this ouermo∣che lybertie to the churche, that she maye iudge and gyue sentence of the gospell of Chryste, in to whether parte she please other approuynge, or dysprouyng, but the¦re ben also certayne whiche affyrme, that it had ben beste the gospell neuer to ha∣ue be made or wryten. And than ergo it shulde be best that thyng not to haue ben wryten at all, whiche no man (excepte he be to tomoche wycked, dothe denye, to haue be wryten by the inspyracyon of the holy ghost, to the erudycyon and conso¦lacyon * 1.22 of the churche? And ergo the euangelystes were then bothe pernycyouse, & noysome & hurtefull to the churche? And ergo the apostles / whiche fyrste taught the worlde this gospell so hurtefull, were no teachers to y^e churche, but destroyers of the truthe? And ergo chryste hymselfe, whiche gaue them in charge & cōmaūde¦ment to preache it, dyd not cōmaūde that which was best, but whiche to haue for¦bydden had ben best. O good god, what a monstruouse thyng is this to say, that it had ben expedyent, for the vtilyte & profyte of the churche, that no gospels had euer ben wryten? And I pray you for Chrystes sake, what maner a church shuld it haue ben of chrysten men, without the worde of chryste? vpon whiche worde a∣lone as vpon a sure stone, it is grounded and buylded. Shulde we thynke, that it shuld haue ben a churche, or els rather some synagoge of Satan, without the gos¦pell of Chryste? why hath the churche selfe instytuted and ordeyned, no Masse to be celebrated, no sermon to be made, without the gospell? why do we ryse vp reue¦rently, accordynge to the manour and custome, whan the gospell is redde or son∣ge,

yf there be no profyte therof, at all in the churche? Beholde, what maner tragi¦call troubles and great busynes or stryfe is raysed and styrred vp nowe a dayes, and all for the entent that we myght make one wretched man egall and pete to Chryste, in power and auctoryte / whiche we do not hope, that it may be brought any other wayes to passe, excepte we vnder the pretence of the name of the chur∣che, doo chalenge and ascrybe to hym auctoryte also to forsake or put downe the gospell, yf he lysted. But Chryste sayth he that is of god: hereth the wordes of god therfore you here not because you are not of god / yf this sayeng be true: than who soeuer dothe not here y^e gospell, that was shewed by the inspyracyon of god, (whi¦che thynge no man woll denye, but the deuyll hym self as I haue sayd heretofore who soeuer affyrmeth or sayth that it is pernycyous and hurtefull to the churche he is not of god, but of the deuyl his father, whose desyres he coueteth to performe and fulfyl / yf you shal abyde and contynue in my worde: (sayth the same Chryst our sauyoure) you shall truely be my dyscyples, and shall knowe the truthe, and the truthe shall delyuer you / who soeuer therfore shall not contynue & abyde sted∣fastly in his gospell: shall not be the true dyscyple of Chryste / of whom than? of Antechryste? Neyther he shall knowe the truthe / what shall folowe than? he shall worke the lesynges or lyenges of his father the deuyll / neyther shall he be deleue∣red by the truthe / what shall he suffre than? he shall be set on the lefte hande, with the kyddes, that is to saye with wycked men. But nowe not forgettynge our be∣gynnynge, to retorne agayne to the pryncypall and chyef poynte of our matyer or purpose: Seynge that the truthe, that is to saye the belefe of the worde of god, onely dothe delyuer from dethe, and incredulyte or lacke of belefe dothe destroye / why do we doubte yet, but that we do sustayne and suffre thyse present euylles, and that we shal dayly suffre more greuous calamyties, for that we haue on eue¦ry syde caste out and bannysshed this truthe? Oure lorde sayde by the mouthe of Ieremye the prophet, I haue planted the a chosen vyneyarde, all true sede, howe fortuneth it than, that thou arte tourned to me in to a croked and euyll one, thou vyneyarde of a straūge kynde? Beholde, he hathe planted all true sede in his cho∣sen vyneyarde / But we haue torned the true sede, in to euyll and noughtye / ther∣fore also, we be not the chosen vyneyarde of the lorde / but a straunge one and of an other kynde / why so straūge and of an other kynde? because we do adulterate and corrupte his worde / he sayd, you shall not put any thyng to the worde which I speake to you: neyther shall you take awaye any thynge from it. But we no∣thynge dredynge or ferynge this his threatenynge, in the stede of his holy worde we compell his churche beynge oppressed, to receyue our sense and Iugement / af∣fyrmyng with asseueracyon: that, whiche we speake, to be the worde of the lorde: nothynge remēbrynge, that fearefull saynge of the prophete / woo be to you, whi¦che are wyse in your owne iyes, & whiche are prudent in the syght of your selues / woo be to you whiche call euyll good, and good euyll / makynge darkenes lyght, and lyght darkenes. But what other thyng do we, applyeng the scripture to our owne wyll / and luste, or appetyte / than make our owne wordes lyghte / and the wordes of god darkenes. Therfore Ieremye worthely vpbreydyng and rebukyn¦ge vs, sayth thyse wordes / the prophete & the preest, be polluted / and in my howse I haue founde the wyckednes of synne of them, sayth the lord. Therfore the way of them shall be as a slypper groūde or place in darkenes / for they shall be dryuen and shall fall in hit / for I shall brynge euylles vpon them, the yere of theyr vysy∣tacyon, sayth the lorde / Peter also hathe gyuen vs warnynge of the same, sayng * 1.23 these wordes / it is tyme nowe, that the Iudgemente begyn at the howse of god / and yf it shall begyn fyrste at vs, what shall be ende of them whiche hath not gy∣uen

credence to the gospell of god? But they speake these thynges to vs all in vayne / and no more fruyte cōmeth therof, as touchynge our parte: than shulde come, yf one tolde a tale (as it is cōmenly sayde) to deafe men / for we are vtterly hardened and styffe mynded agaynst the truthe / and as it were y^e deeffe serpent{is} called Astoides we obstynatly stoppe our eares, to speke out the voyce or sounde of scrypture, enchauntynge, and charmynge vs to our porfyte. Farewell crysten reader, and sorowe thou, & syghe with me, (seynge that in a maner there remay∣neth nothyng els that we may do) for the decaye of the ecclesiastycall discyplyne and good ordre, whiche dayly appereth, and waxeth worse and worse. The yere of our Lorde. M. CCCCC. xxii.

¶ To god onely be honoure and glorye.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The despysin¦ge and settyn¦ge at nought of godes wor¦de: is the cau∣se of all y^e pre¦sent euylles ī the worlde.
• * 1.2

  we be worthe¦ly punysshed for the despy∣synge of the lyghte of the gospell.
• * 1.3

  Men of the churche now a dayes at ra¦ther the folo∣wers of the phariseys thē of y^e apostles.
• * 1.4

  we do folysh∣ly and madly to defēde our couetousnes, by the exam∣ples of our ho¦ly Fathers.
• * 1.5

  They ar not of this world whom chryst hath elected.
• * 1.6

  The wykyd∣nesse of some papystes.
• * 1.7

  To gyue chri¦ste buffet, or blowe.
• * 1.8

  The bysshop of Rome.
• * 1.9

  I praye the good reader, attende & ta∣ke hede howe goodly thyse thynges agre togyther.
• * 1.10

  ¶ Nota. Peter by the cōmaūdemēt of y^e Apostles went to Sa∣maria.
• * 1.11

  That w^t our gloses wel ne¦re all dyuyne scrypture is clene taken away.
• * 1.12

  Our armour or weapons ar not carnal
• * 1.13

  Names of dy¦gnyte.
• * 1.14

  The iniuries and contume¦lyes done by the Popes of Rome to Lo∣dowike of ba¦uarye the em∣perour.
• * 1.15

  Cardynalles and Abbott{is} capytaynes ī warre.
• * 1.16

  An angell is not to be bele¦ued spekynge agaynst the gospell.
• * 1.17

  Because chry¦ste is kyng in heuen / therfo¦re the pope is Emperour or hedde ruler in erthe / is not this a goodsy reason. Two solu∣cyons.
• * 1.18

  Men of the churche shuld be mynisters & not lordes.
• * 1.19

  That neither the prophetts neyther the a∣postels, dydde speake or tea∣che to men, a∣ny other thynge / than the worde of god.
• * 1.20

  The churche had not so au¦ctoryte to ap∣proue the gos∣pelles that it had lye lyke∣wyse in theyr power to dys∣alowe y^e same
• * 1.21

  Howe the sen¦tence of them is to be vnder standed that saye, that the churche hathe approued & al¦lowed the gos¦pell.
• * 1.22

  Take hede & marke this wycked blas∣phemye.
• * 1.23

  Petri. 5.