And the remnant of the men which were not kylled by these plages, repented not of the de∣des of theyr handes, that they shulde not worshyppe deuyls, and ymages of golde and syl∣uer, and brasse, and stone, and of wood, which nether can se, nether heare, nether go. Also they repented not of theyr murther, and of theyr sorcery, nether of theyr fornicacyon, ne∣ther of theyr thefte.
Howe heuy and terryble is the might and power of the deuil, & of Antichrist? yea how many of the faithfull electe of God haue bene tormented and slayne by them, bothe in their bodies and consciences? And yet euen in their tyme there wer many that remayned alyue, whiche the mercifull hande of God dyd preserue in all godlynes, and thorow his ayde and helpe they escaped the handes of these tyrannes. Euen in lyke maner as there dyd also many remayne in their wicked purposes, in their cruel tyrannye & in their godles & blasphemous lyfe, whiche not withstanding would be bothe called, and also estemed & taken for holy and spiritual men. And yet they beleue not, y• they haue any nede to repent, & therfore they procede & goe forwarde with their tradicions of men, y• transgressiō wher∣of they punishe more sharply than the transgression of any commaundement of God. For y• doe they esteme in maner, lyghter thā nothing, taking it for suche a synne as may well ynoughe be dyspensed with, & remitted: And thus in the meane tyme, they please, serue and honour the deuel with their ydolatry, super∣sticion, and inuocacion of sayntes, vnto whome they praye & say: Our father in heauen, halowed by the name, euen vnto the very images bothe of men & wemē. (Whiche thing the very lyuing deuyl taught them,) as thoughe the saintes shoulde desire any suche thing, and not rather be dyspleased therwith, vnto the whiche sainctes also, they make and set vp images of golde, syluer, stone, and woode, euen vnto those true sainctes also, which were martired and put to death, for speakynge and preaching against suche heathnyshe customes, and toke it for very wicked and abhominable supersticions and diuil lyshnes, to inuocate and honour suche false goddes. And they doe these thinges so manifestly, that they can not, nor wil not denie it. No they haue no vnderstāding therof. For they thē selues are euē lyke vnto their false goddes, and become so madde, and so farre out of their wittes, that they can no more heare nor see thā their ydols and false goddes can. And they wil heare of no repentaunce at al, muche lesse wil they per∣forme any. But they wyll rather confirme and mainteyne their deuillyshe y∣dolatrye and false religion, with sword and fyre, murther and poyson, yea and sometime they are not ashamed to practyse sorcerye & witchecrafte, to mainteyne their wickednes, againste y• true faith & religiō. And they wil lyue in whordom, whosoeuer say nay, euē of force, beyng extreme enemyes vnto holy matrimony.