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[unspec 14] D. IF they thinke him to bee the very Sonne of God, and that his Gospell is the worde of God, they nede not to
tarye for a Councell to determyne whether it shal be recea∣ued and obserued, or no, but woulde rather endeuour them¦selues to put in execution those things which are not in cō∣trouersie, but are alreadye agreed vpon & resolued amonge all men, as well by the word of God, as by their own Coun∣cels. Let them therfore correcte their ignoraunce and beast∣lynes, their negligence and slouthfulnes in the executing of their office, and their pompes and ambition, their insatia∣ble couetousnes, their execrable whooredome, with ye num∣ber of those horrible vices which raigne among them. For there nedeth not any tarying for yt Councell, to condempne or allowe it, for it is alreadie resolued. Why do they not ob∣serue the decrees of the Pope Alexander ye thyrd, of Gelase, of Nicolas the seconde, of the Elibertin Councell of Tolede, of Carthage, of * Cabylone, of Chalcedonie, and of Laterane, which haue forbidden to any, money or presentes for the sa∣tisfaction of sinnes, for baptisme, for the churches, for the Sacramentes, and for the gifts of God: which ordeyned al∣so that none should be aduaūced to any place in the church for money, ne yet for rewardes: and that he should be holdē for Apostatike, and not for Apostolike, that shoulde obtayne the seate of Rome, eyther by money or els by fauour? Why are not the poore nourished and clad, and also the sicke and weake, by the Bishops, according to the ordinaunces of the Aurelian Councel? Why do the Monkes possesse any thyng in proper, contrarye to the determination of that same Councell? But all thys is olde and abolyshed, why may we not lawfullye reproche them in that sorte that Iesus Christ dyd those Iewes, which soughte to haue him dead, because he hadde healed a man sicke of the Palsey vppon the Sabboth daye: and yet lefte not they to violate and breake the whole law vpon the Sabboth daye? And ther∣fore he sayd vnto them, dyd not Moyses geue you the lawe, and none of you obserueth the same? Why doe you seeke to put me to death? They declared playnely by that what
zeale they hadde to the lawe, and yet woulde they shewe as though they had a greate care for the obseruation ther∣of, and chiefely in the pursute which they made against Ie∣sus Christ. These good men doe euen the lyke, making a shewe as though they dyd greatlye desire the reformation of the Church, and yet in the meane tyme there is no one peece of the worde of God, Councell nor Canon which they doe not violate and corrupte, without geuing order in anye one thing. Nowe seing that men are come so farre, there needeth nowe but a Councell to abolishe the reast that re∣mayneth: for who be they that shall holde it? Euen those which haue sowed, authorised, and allowed these errours and abuses. And yet will they glorye that their law, and fayth, with their whole religion is so well approued, that no one iote thereof ought to be called in doubte. It may be no more disputed of, then maye the Alcoran of Mahomet a∣monge the Turkes, but must be holden for fullye resolued, what so euer they do approue or disalowe.
Iohn. vii.