¶ THE Hateful Hypocrisy, and rebellion of the romish prelacy.  
¶ By Lewis Euans  ¶ Hieron. 
¶ Through the unskilfullnesse therefore of teachers, in the darkness of ignorance through blindness, evon a troop of people have erred in the streets. for, While they give themselves unto the snares of pleasures they have not kept the right path of the divine precepts.  
¶ Anno. M. D. LXX.   

D. Boner's words.  
¶ If thou at any time heretofore have doubted, of the B. of Rome's false pretenced supremacy, as 
In praef.  if thou hadst a good smelling nose, and a sound judgement, I think thou didst not: yet having read over this, which (if thou favour the truth, and hate the tyranny of the bishop of Rome and his devilish fraudulent falsehood,) shall doubtless wonderfully content thee, throw down thine error, & acknowledge the truth, now freely offered the at length: considering with thyself, that it is better late to do so, then never to repent.   

D. Gardiner's words.  
¶ All sorts of People are agreed upon this 
In orat. De obe.  point, with most steadfast consent, learned & unlearned, both men and women, that no manner person borne, and brought up in England, hath aught to do with Rome. All manner of People receaninge and embracing the truth, do with one whole consent, acknowledge, honour and reverence the King, for the supreme head of the Church upon earth,   

To the Reader.  
WHAT Kind of Physician is he (gentle Reader) that in time of a dangerous sickness, will then cease to Minister his remedies, & Physic? what capitain is he, that when his enemies do muster, will then either stand all amazed, or else through cowardlyefeare, will give over the field? what good Christian is he, that when Antichrist by ragewold reign, will then either openly renounce Christianity, or else in any wise cease from the constant acknowledging of the same? if lewd light heads shall rebel against their sovereign lady, who (oh Lord) can but detest them? who can but abhor them? yea, if they rebel against god, & authority, who (trow ye) can hold his peace? where shall I begin? of what shall I first speak? is not their intent more than heinous, is it not most hateful, who to the intent they might bring to pass their traitorous purposes, will not stick to paint their banner with idolatry, to trouble the common peace of this Realm, to annoy (asmuch as in them lieth) all good, loving, and faithful subjects? oh the end of necessity! oh the fruit of hateful idolatry? we may now well say, as the Doctor & friar Uincentius once said. Dant 
sermo: de Trin.  unam medicinam cuilibet morbo, scz missas. etc. They give one Medicine unto every sickness, that is masses. etc. And why? because bankrouteship must have a cover, riotousness must have some defence, treason must have a cloak, traitors will ever have some colour. But God that seeth the inward parts, and meanings of men, will detect their hypocrisy, he will put into the hearts of Good people, to defend the anointed, he will endue his chosen, with the knowlaig of his word, he will suppress all tumults, he will work (according unto his secret & goodwill) all for the best▪ well to speak no more of such, it is so (Christian reader) that being of late in the university of Oxford, I herd there, not by any mean man but by the learnest, how mine adversaries, na, how the truths adversaries had bruited, that I had revolted from, the Gospel, & that I was again gone beyond the seas, I heard also ●owe at my coming to the City of Londen, howeyt was in the mouths of many, that I was dead. two tales, & yet never a one true. alas, beyond the seas, what to do? Stultus 
●eda.  populus quaerit Romam: foolish folks fly to Rome. I think it not wisdom, in these days to flee from Eglande to a foreign realm, I think it no godliness to leave God, & to lean to Antichrist. shall we flee from light to darkness, from the Gospel to vain gloss, frontrueth to falsehood, from faith to infidelity, from religion to superstition? God forbid. For mine own part, I see every day more, & more, the filthy fruits of the romish synagogue, and therefore in despite of satan, say mine enemies what they will, think men as they list, it is the law of God that I profess, & it is traitorous Papacy that I detest. & this is it which moved me at this time (Gentle reader) to set forth these few leaves, wherein we may see, the hypocrisy, from time to time, of the roman prelacy, & where by we may learn to be wise, to know ourselves, to see their doings, & to defy them. but as for late time, even at the dissolution of Abbeus, if thou wilt know what was the lives of the irreligeouse rogues if thou wilt view, what holiness they were then of, let us consider certain of the monasteries put down, let us weigh the honesty of some, for, of all, it were to much, At Windesore kept not eight 
●x br●u: 〈◊〉.  of the Priests, twenty and nine harlates? A holly whoredom. At the Monastery of Battle, were not xv. found to be sodomites? as for such as kept there harlattes their names be set forth, & therefore I will omit them. What were the Divines at Cantur bury? what? eight of 
Canturburye.  them were sodomites, & to let pass many thirteen kept fourteen harlates. At Bath two Priests keepte eighteen harlates, besides that they were proved to be sodomites. come we to moonkenfarleghe, & we shall found that the Prior kept nine harlats, the prior of Maydembradley had five, the Abbate of Bristol had four, the Abbate of Abindon had three, besides that he had two Children by his own natural sister. At Shulbred four monks 
Shulbrede.  kept twenty one harlattes. as for the Prior of Bermoundesey, 
●ermoū desaye.  he kept no less by record then twenty. It is tedious to writ of all, yet it is profitable to speak of these, that even Children, may see the iniquity of the romish idolatry. and therefore to make an end, take a view of the Cathedral church 
Cichester.  of Cichester, whereof Sir John Champion had two Harlattes, sir William Cross one, sir Thomas Parker two, sir Richard busfielde one, Sir Bartholomewe Cokisleye one, Sir Roberte Hunt many, Sir Thomas Cough two, Sir John Hill thirteen, Sir Roberte Moor many, as for Sir George Barrham, & sir John Champion, besides that they were proved adulterers, they were also found to be sodomites. see, Christian Reader, by a few, under the profession of all, behold what is the fruit of a heathenish idolatry. thus they lived in King Henri the eight his time, at what time (not without just cause thou seest) he overthrew their brothel houses, their unclean dens & their filthy caves. but that thou mayst further mark their hypocrisy, read over this little book, dedicated not unto any onne singular, to avoid the note of vain glory, but unto thee, for thy profit, & utility. And if thou wilt profit, and do good unto thine own soul, yea, if thou wilt prospero in this world fear God, embrace the Gospel, obey the queens Majesty, & be not a foe, but (as thou art most bound) a friend unto this Realm, not forgetting, that maugre all the malice of rebels, not only, the truth is great, and prevail, but also as God hath done, so will he ever defend thy sovereign, his anointed. And that he so do, as I with an unfeigned heart, so you with all fayithe fullness, say  
Amen.   

¶ OF HYPOCRITES, and the Hypocrisy of the Roman Prelacy. CAP. I  
weighing with indifferency the whole estate of this our time, and considering without partiality the disposition of such as now do live: we shall find (a thing to be lamented) the very face of Christendom to be spreadde over with ●●yfe, the Gospel of our Saviour Christ to be in contempt, and hatred, and the professors of the same almost every where to be persecuted, and that, with intolerable slanders, with extreme disdain, & with passing tyranny. the cause whereof is the blind superstition of certain, whereof some are Hypocrites, and some are bewitched, trees they are not only unprofitable, but also most hurtful: whose root is cruelty, but clothed over with a counterfeit face of charity: whose branches are infidelity, heathines, idolatry, though covered with the name of Faith, religion and piety: whose fruit is fornication, yet fenced with the title of Chastity: & whose end, without repentance, is damnation, only outwardly decked with a dissembled hew of salvation. What shall we then say? to omit all circumstances: let us wish that S. Paul were now living: or else, that his words would pierce into the hearts of such as be thus hardened. What? and wrote he only unto the galatians? or wrote he not by their names unto us all that are Christians? and what saith he? O ye senseless galatians (saith 
Gal. 3.  he) Who hath so bewitched you, that you will not obey the truth? Lo, his zeal, and behold the blindness that they were in. but how shall we know that these who now live are bewitched? Cum non videant 
Lactam. lib. 2. de orig. ere.  ea quae sunt: & videre se arbitrantur e● quae non sunt: When they can not see the things that in deed are: and when they seem to see the things which are not. When they can not see, that the scriptures, being the word of God, aught to be had, read, & embraced, and when it seemeth unto them, that follishe legends, that feigned miracles, and that passing fond opinions aught rather to be regarded, professed, & believed. ah 'las (for of such I speak) what is papacy? a mere lump of pride, a den of hypocrisy, a cave of uncleanness, & a very fence for fornication, for example: behold out of their ●oke the lothesomenesse of their law, & the lawless perverse demeanour of their priests. Qui invenerit 
pupillaoculi quiut. par. cap. 18.  clericum cum uxore, matre, sorore, vel filia turpiter agentem, vel parantem se ad opus carnale, in loco privato, & suspecto per oscula, & amplexus, vel si per alia signa aperta opus turpitudinis constat esse expletum: Dicit quod non licet talem percutere. In 
Wil super Ray. h●s.  english it is thus: He that findeth a Priest with his wife, mother, sister, or daughter, behaving himself unhonestli, or preparing, himself unto carnal work, in a place private, & suspected, by kissing, & embracing or else, if it shall appear by manifest signs, that the filthy act hath been committed: yet he saith, that it is not lawful to strike such a one. And further. Si ipsa percutiat eum, incidit 
Ibidem. secundum. Wil  in Canonen. That is: If the woman should strike him, she is to be punished by the Canon law. Who now, except he be more then bewitched, can excuse these men? who may commend their laws? who can like their lives? what shall we say of Laurentius Valla, a Lanon not long a gone of Rome? writeth he not in this wise? Omnino nihil interest, utrum 
De v●▪ lup. lib. 〈◊〉  cum marito co●at mulier, an cum amatore. There is no matter at all (saith he. Whether a woman keep company with her husband or whith her lover. Here we have to consider, that if he wrote this in ●est, yet it becamme not a Cannon to use such jesting, to write it, and to put it forth to printing: but if he wrote it in earnest, than it was to irksome, it was ungodly, it was noisome. these, these certainly are they, of whom Christ long sithence hath said: Beware ye of false Prophets, which come unto you in shiepes clothing, but inwardly they be ravening 
Mat: 7.  wolves. That they came in sheep's clothing how may it appear? how? by their sundry false, and feigned professions, by their inward sighing, by their vain blessings, by their childish ceremonies, by their dreaming desceaptefull miracles, by their hew of holiness, and to be brief, by the beguylinge, and seducing of so many, and of so long a time. But that they be inwardly ravening wolves it is evident, by their cursing, by their hate, by their faggots, by their fire, by their tormenting of true Christians, and by their tyranny: it is evident by their false teaching, by their errors, & by their heresy: it is evident by their fornication: it is evident by their Sodomitical life, & adultery: it is evident by their fruits, by their facts. by their Hypocrisy, and superstition: and this shallbe now evident by ancient authors, by their own writers, by holy Scriptures, and by reason. wherefore I crave, or rather the troth itself craveth at thy hands (gentle reader) three things: first, that to further thine own everlasting joy, thou wilt in reading lay a side all partiality: Secondly, that thou wilt then judge, and that with indifferency: thirdly, that in the end, setting apart worldly frendeshipe, and all vain respects, thou wilt be an earnest defender of Christ his faith, and that thou wilt embrace his Gospel with constanncie. Knowing that unto all such as believe, it is 
Rom. 1.  the power of God unto salvation. For thus doing: His faithfulness & truth shall be 
Psal 81.  thy shield, & buckler, neither shall any evil happen unto thee. But if God offer thee knowledge. if he proffer thee sight, by what means soever, and thou refuse it, beware then, lest thou be in the number of those, of whom Saint Paul thus saith: They are without excuse, by cause that 
Rom. 1.  when they know God, they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful, but waxed all together vain in their own imaginations, and their foolish heart was blinded. considering this then, if thou see the truth take heed, & I say again, take heed that thou dissemble not, take heed of hypocrisy. If God be God, follow him, but if Baal 
〈◊〉. ●eg 18  be he, go after him: And to this end, remember well always, and carry in mind, what Jesus the son of Syrach doth say: A heart (saith he) That goeth two ways, shall 
Eccl. 3  not prospero. Meaning therefore to speak of Hypocrites, before we so do, let us learn by the heathens, by natural reason, by examples and by holy scripture, first how to detest Hypocrisy. And before we begin, let us not study how to please the vain, & wavering minds of men, we must look certain, we shoot at a mark, the hyttinge whereof if we sail, it is death. know we not, what saint Paul saith? An quaero hominibus placere? si hominibus placeren, servus Christi non 
G●●. 1.  essem: That is: Go I about to please men? if I would please men, I should not be the servant of Christ. I am plain, it is not possible, to serve two masters, and that truly, it is not possible to serve both God, and the Pope, it is not possible to obey the Pope and thy Prince: For, what fellowship hath Christ, with Belial? or what agreement 
2. Cor. 6  is betwixt light, and darkness? or what part hath a faithful with an infidel? well, the Noble Roman, Marcus Tullius Cicero (whom for learning I can not to much commend, nor for wit enough praise, neither yet for Eloquence sufficiently extol) he in his first book of duties of an Hypocrite, saith thus: of all injustice, theirs is most worthy of death, who when they deceive most, then specially would they seem to be good men. Here let us remember the sheeps clothing, that is, the seeming to be good, and then we shall beware the ravening wolves, we shall espy their dissembling, & we shall avoid all their subtle juggling. but to speak of no heathen, what hath 〈◊〉. Hierome 
Offic. 1. In exemp. ad Rust. monachum  of such? even these words. An Hypocrite is inwardly Nero, but outwardly he is Cato, he is altogether so variable, that you might well say, how that one monster, & a new beast is compacted of contrary, & diverse natures. S. Hierome will anon, & in plain words, declare, that the prelacy of Rome, the monks, Priests, & Friars are they. Come we to natural reason doth not dame nature herself prefer the inward parts, before the outward? is not this manifest by the fourming of man's body, where nature first worketh about the heart, the liver & the lungs, before she deal with the outward form, or other parts? I will omit to speak of trees, where nature first hath regard unto the roots, then after unto the parts apparent, as the body, the bows, the leaves, and fruit: & what doth an hypocrite? ●a: what doth a Papist? he against all nature, only outwardly to seem good, showeth all his endeavour, omitting the inward parts, and neglecting the chief duty of man. This is he, which can behave him 
Eccl 19  self humbly, and can dowke with his head, & yet is he but a deceiver within. Now, that we may touch examples: an hypocrite is compared unto a Peacoke, which hath wings, as if it were of an Angel, but the feet of a thief, and the head of a Serpent. & even so it is of a Papist: his words be pleasant, his works are detestable and his head is full of Poison, and subtlety. to let pass that he is compared unto an Ostrich, unto an ape, and such like: let us hear what Saint Bernarde saith of them Hypocrites (saith he) are biters as doagges: deceaptefull as foxes: proud as 
Bernard  Lioness: inwardly they are ravening wolves: howling as bears: they will be judges without authority, witnesses without sight: false accusers, & wanting all troth: And what gather we of this? even (as Hierome saith) That they do all things to be praised of men. We gather that they be like 
sup. mat. ad Eus.  unto the elder tree, which having a fair & pleasant flower, yet birth a contagious, and a most noisome fruit. open your ears therefore (oh ye Hypocrites) and hear, open your eyes (oh you papists) and see, be not you 
jerem 5. Lib. 6. Cap. 24.  them, of whom it is written: You have eyes but you see not: ears have ye but you here not. It profiteth nothing (saith Lactantius) To have your conscience secret, & hid within, it is open unto God, let no place be left unto dying, & dissembling, for though that with wales, things may be moved from man's sight: yet from the deity of God you can hide nothing, not not with your intraylles, but that he seeth, and knoweth man thoroughly. What doth an Hypocrite I pray you, seek? what doth a Papist haunt for in all his doings? Reverentiam 
Greg. lib 8. moral  honoris, gloriam laudis, a melioribus metui, sanctus ab omnibus voeari: That is: The reverence of honour, the glory of praise, to be feared of their betters, & to be called holy of all men. Shall I rehearse any scripture against an Hypocrite? or is it not enough only to cousyder the twenty and third chapter, of the Gospel after Saint Matthew? wherein oh how oft doth our saviour Christ reprehend the hypocrites? pro nunceth he not woe there in one place, eight times against them? O ye serpents (saith he) You generation of vipers, how will ye 
mat. 23.  escape the damnation of hell? To speak at once of hypocrites, of papists, or of both: Such as men think to be perfect among 
Esay. 9  these, are but cast aways. It remaineth therefore, that we show plainly, and that we declare briefly who they are: and in shewing this, their own authors, their own friends, and the writings of men ancient, and learned shall describe them. to begin, a Doctor of their own divinity saith thus: first, the pastors of the Church, the 
vivaldus in opere. regali.  Cardinals, Archebusshoppes, bishops, Abbates, Deans, archdeacons, & such which are promoted to high dignity, they have black spots of Hypocrisy, as the spots of a libbard. These are they which come not lawfully, but by evil means unto the prelacy, they are for the most part puffed up with the wind of the vain praise of men, and therefore by their outward signs, and deed, they seem to have more in them, then in deed their is, for above their ability, they maintain great estates, and pompous furnitures, horses, & servants in abundance. They have also their custrells, or pages, decked all in silk, with crisped, or curled hears, having eunuchs faces, against the intention of the Church, and contrary unto the manners, and examples of the holly Fathers, and so they spend the goods of our Lord Jesus Christ (where with the poor should have been refreshed) vainly, and unproffitablye, in vain ornaments, in much superfluity, and curiosity, but Christ his poor members craved for bread, and there was none that would give it them. So well did Viualdus know them, he was of their profession, of their council, of their Company, he saw their works, he was acquainted with their words, he wrote thus of them, more than three score years agonne, and it is Andreas de Soncino, at that time a Fryare that commended his Book, it was the Pope, and all his Prelacy that accepted it, there was then nun that could deny it. But deal we with others and let us hear what Saint Hierome saith, let us hear how he reprehendeth them. 
ad pauli  What profit is it (saith he) to have the walls to shine with Jeweles, and Christ in the poor to starve for hunger? the things that thou possessest are not thine, but the dispensation thereof is committed 
Ad gaudentium  unto thee, & further he saith: nay, he exclayneth: O wickedness: the whole world decayeth through us: but sinners decay not the holly Churches sometime fell into ashes, and sparkles, and we give our whole study unto Covetousness, we build, as though we should live always in this world, the walls do shine with gold, the vawltes do glister with gold, the tops of the pillars are trimmed with gold, and Christ being hungry, and naked dieth before our gates. Mark then the estate of the Prelacy even in Hieromes time, note how he complaineth of them, and consider how he rebuketh their pomp, and folly, their pomp in adourninge without due regard the material temple: and their folly, in neglecting, and despising the poor members of Christ. Yea, and further, to make the same most manifest, he saith: Many 
Ad Nepotianum.  do build, they set up the walls, and pillars of the Church, the marble stones do shine, the roofs, and beams are glistering with gold, the altar is all garnished with precious stones, but of the servants of Christ, there is no election, nor regard, neither let any object here unto me, the rich temple in Judaea, the tables, the lights, the Frankincense, the basins, cups and mortars, and all other things wrought of gold, for the Lord did then allow these, when the Priests did offer sacrifice, and when the blood of beasts was the redemption of sin, although yet all these things went before in a figure, but now when our Lord being poor, did consecrated the poverty of his house: let us think upon his passion, and account riches to be but clay. What marvel we that Christ called it, the wicked Mammon? why do we esteem, or love that, which Pieter with joy testified that he wanted. Such was the estate of the Roman clergy for a thousaund and two hundredth years past, such are the words of saint Hierome, who was as it were notary unto Damasus the Pope, against the Prelacy. What marvel is it therefore, if they fell afterwards from evil to worse? what wonder we, it they waxed, as they did, most wicked? why muse we, if they become superstitious, arrogaunte, ignorant and malicious? in what case (oh Lord, these things considered) was the time of late, when, and wherein eyghtein bishops of Rome were coniureres, and that one Immediately succeadinge the other? of whom writeth not Wierus in this wise? For, from Sylvester 
De prae▪ dem, li. 4  the second (saith he) unto Gregory the seventh that great sorcerer. it is written in their lives, that they were all conjurers. Where we may read most execrable examples of the like sort, who gave themselves unto the sacrifices of the devils, and that in woods, and hills, to the intent that they might allure women to love them. And shall this be winked at? shall we think they did well? or shall we not detest them? well let Ludovicus Viualdus speak of them again, for in these words he writeth: Secoundelye, the clerk priests, and Canons, 
Ludovi. vivaldus  are Hypocrites, and like unto a libbard, who feign meekness, bountiefullnes, modesty, humility, and in all things do counterfeit Religiousenes: which care not if they may attain unto a benefice, or ecclesiastical dignity, by craft, by theft, or by simony. These covet not to foster virtue, but to cherish vices, and being corrupted through arrogancy, their care is not to profit, but to rule. Whereof this is an evident sign, for, being promoted unto honours, forth with they are lifted up in pride, and swollen in loftiness, they disdain their former friends, and those whom before they knew, they now have forgotten, they hoist up their necks, they speak great things, they are glorious, arrogant, and outerageouse. O how aptly do the words of Esaye agreed with these? 
Esay. 5●.  The pastors (saith he) were void of understanding, every one followed his own way, every one haunted after covetousness, even from the highest to the lowest. Now let us hear Saint Hierome again: Dico quosdam scelere, periurio, 
Ad mercellam.  falsitate, ad dignitatem nescio quam, pervenisse:, Some I say have crept into a dignity, I know not what, by wickedness, perjury, and falsehood. These were means then used, this used they whom the world took for Godly, and whom the simple people esteemed for holly. And further Saint Hierome saith: Some 
Idem.  seek not to appoint those to be aiders in the Church, whom they know may profit best, but whom they love best, or for whom some great man hath entreated, yea, (and that I may keep secret, things that are worse) or those, which obtained to be made priests through rewards. Here you see when favour took place, when rewards prevailed, that simony was offered, that ecclesiastical orders were sold, and to let pass the worse, that gifts were rec●●ued, that kinsfolks were preferred, and that good, and goodly men were neglected. O, then might Simon magus make up his merchandise, then might learning lament, than might truth mourn; then might all godlynés bewail, than might Gregory say, as of his time he justly said: Sacerdotes nominamur, non sumus. We are called Priests, 
Gregr. Maur.  but we are nun. What then were they? Superbiae duces. The ring leaders of pride. They were even such, as of whom God, by his Prophet Hieremye, saith: My people hath been a lost flock, my 
Higher 50.  shepherds have deceived them, and have made them gone a stray upon the hills. And again: The Priests them selves said not: Where is the Lord? the 
Idem. 2.  shepherds offended against me. These are the words of God, uttered against the ungodly Pryestes, to be uttered against those, who served Baal, who obeyed antichrist, and who went after strange gods, after wooden stoackes, after golden Images, after engraven idols, and after not only foolish, but also most filthy and more than heathenisshe superstition. shall we further see, what Hugo de sancto victore 
De claus animam Lib. 2.  saith of them? and shall we learn by him, what, and how great their charity then was? They reach bread (saith he) with a better will unto a dog then unto the poor, and more do wait upon them at their tables, then in time of prayers, they will have with them men servants and maid servants, but clerks they cannot have with them, for they will nun. and 
Ibidem.  moreover he saith: They neither know the law of GOD, neither will they learn it, they are given unto idleness, banqueting, and drunkenness, they smell and gape for earthly things, they are always in the streets, but seledome in in the church, slow are they to redress the faults of a sinner, but swift to seek after the footing of a hare, swifter to gather doagges together, then to call, or to relieve the poor. whether this was to walk in the spirit, or not, judge thou Christian 
Gal. 5.  reader. S. Paul saith, that the works of the flesh, are manifest, and if these be not they, what are they? while (a thing to be lamented) they thus hunted the hare, while in this sort they feed their dogs, while after such manner they banqueted together: God right worthily might say: Et dispersae sunt oves meae eo 
ezec. 34.  quòd non esset pastor, My sheep are scattered abroad, because they had no shepherd. Because they preached not because they lived thus lewdelye, therefore Gregory useth towards them these words: What do we, 
Hom. super. dignus operari us  (oh shepherds,) when we receive the hire, and yet be no labourers? for we receive the profit of the Church, in a daily stipend, but yet we labour not for the aeternal Church in preaching. Let us consider what damnation it is without labouring, to receive the hire of labour. Lo, we live of the oblation of faithful folks, but what do we labour for the souls of the faithful? These were they, who through covetousness got riches, and through negligence corrupted not only themselves, but also others, and yet being such, they thought nun wise, nun learned, nun holly but they. certainly it is in such men a thing most shameless, to come by their wealth so unlawfully, to keep it un orderly, and to spend it ungodly. A 'las, what hope might our forefathers conceive of pure religion, or of true Christianity, if unto such, every thing being lusted for was lawful: and being lawful if they could do it: and being able to do it, if they durst do it: and daring to do it, if they did 
An obiectio.  it: and doing it, if every one allowed it? but oh (will some say) they builded fair houses, passing palaces, great halls, excellent parlours, fine chambers, and such like, and therefore no remedy we must praise, and commend them. well, of all such buildings, & of their like braweries, (not to rehearsse again what saint Hierome in 
An answer.  that behalf hath said) let us here what the said Hugo Victorinus saith. The bishops do build them houses, for greatness, 
De cla. animae. lib. 1.  nothing inferior unto Churches, they will have painted chambers, & there they have images decked with sundry colours, and precious ornaments: But the poor do walk without clothes, and they cry with an empty beallye at their doors. Yea, and that I may confess the truth, the poor are oftentimes spoiled, to the intent that stoans, & wood may be clothed. And is this then praise worthy, because of building, to leave of preaching? shall we commend the clothing of wood, and stones, and leaving of the poor destitute of relief, pinched with hunger, and oppressed with nakedness? what is the duty of a bishop? to preach God's word unto his people. But this they did not. and what should he do more? he aught to feed the hungry, and to clothe the naked. But it can not be said, that they did it. For the poor were spoiled, and in their stead wood, and stones, were clothed this we must confess, for this (saith their own writer) was true, but let their own Doctors go further, of whom one saith thus? thirdly the religious men, and cloisterers 
●…aldus  are hypocrites, who by many and sundry means do counterfeit the myeldenes of a sheep, but they carry within the fierceness of a wolf, some of them feigning the mourning noise of a dove, have the very mind of a doagge. I ask therefore, of these religious men, whether such dealing be good religion? I crave to know at the hands of their cloisterers, whether this ought to be the part of Christians? is it Christianity to counterfeit mildness and to have inwardly pride, cruelty, and fierceness? is it the custom of cloisterers, to feign the mourning noise of a dove, and to have the very mind of a doagge? hear that unto Viualdus, we may add another witness, and so that by the mouth of two or three their hypocrisy may appear. Saint Hierome finding great fault with them, saith thus: Beware of feigned humility 
〈◊〉 ●eme.  follow that which is true that which christ taught, & wherein no pride is shut, for many there be that go after the shadow of for tue, but few do follow the truth thereof, it is an easy thing to have in contempt some attire, to salute humbly, to kiss the hands, and knees, and with the head being bowed unto the ground, and with the eyes looking downward to promise' humility, & meekness, it is easy with a gentle, & smooth voice to frame your speech to sigh often, & at every word to say: that thou art a sinner, & a wretch: but if you be offended never so little, then to lift up your brows, to set up a stiff neck, & to change your fotmer mild speech, into an outcry, & rage, it is an other humility that christ taught, who exhorteth us after his example saying learn of me, for I am meek, and 
mat. 11.  humble of heart. And shall we marvel at the hypocrisy of such Cloisterers: not at all. For Satan himself is changed in 
2 cor 11.  to the fashion of an Angel of light, therefore it is no great thing, though his servants fashion themselves, as though they were the servants of righteousness: whose end shallbe according unto their deeds. For if they deceived the world with Hypocrisy, shall they not sustain shame, if they seduced the people of GOD, shall they not suffer pain: if under their counterfaycte attire there was no troth, if in their dissembled humility, there was nothing else but pride, if in their feigned fasting, there was but surfeiting, if they abused the Gospel of our saviour Christ, shall they not come to extreme torments, to hell fire, to a fowl end, and that according unto their deeds? the leading of a wicked life is evil, but the cloaking thereof is worse, the pride of such cloisterers is to be controlled, but their dissimulation, is to be detested. And shall we yet again, hear in what wise Viualdus proceedeth? 
vivaldus  his words are these: fourthly, those religious men are Hypocrites, who under the pretence of poverty, & need, do seek after gain, and rapine. Therefore if truth may prevail, if reason may take place, if authorities may serve in any stead: then have Friars good cause to acknowledge their own facts, monks have just occasion to consider their lewd disceaptfulnes, all those counterfeit religions have right matter to bewail their Hypocrisy, and we, unto whom God hath disclosed the dissimulation of our adversary, we I say, on whom the Gospel shineth, and amongst whom the truth itself speaketh, have great cause to thank our heavenly Father, and, in sign of due thankfulness, to be obedient unto his william. And to make it more apparent, of whom it is, that Viualdus writeth, to city the words of Saint Augustine, I know it shall not be a miss: What a numbered of 
lib. de opere monachorum.  Hypocrites (saith he) under the habit of monks, hath the wielie enemy scattered abroad every where? they rogue about every province, they ask of all men, and they get, either the expense of their gainful necessity, or else the price of their dissembled sanctity. what should I speak of their peddlery, of their chopping, & changing, and of their chapmanship? in the time of saint Hierome, the priests, & such religious persons, were so drowned in secular affairs, and so addicted unto merchandise, that writing unto Nepotianus, 
Hierom.  he giveth this warning of them: A priest (saith he) that is a chapman, and him, that of a poor man waxeth rich, or being before base, that is now glorious, of such 
Of peddlers they be came priests.  a one take heed, as of a plague. Yea, and he further saith: The most part can not lack their old peddlery, and arts, for, changing the name of Pedlears, they haunt the same trade, not seeking food, & raiment, which the Apostle biddeth, but scratching together greater gains, than the temporal men do: Yea now under 
ad rust. monachum  the title of religion, they exercise unjust advantages, and the honour of a Christian name doth work rather deceit, then suffer persecution: which is a shame to say, but it is needful, that so at the length we may be ashamed at our dishonesty. We live as though we were poor upon gold we attire ourselves with clothe, and contrary unto all men's minds, we die very rich with full coffers: If such than was the estate of the Church in Hieromes days, considering the wickedness of the time that followed, and weyghinge into what a disordered case their proud prelacy fell, might we not with Bernarde say? Serpsit hody putrida tabes hypocrisis per omne corpus ecclesiae, & quò to 
Barnard.  lerantius, eò desperatiùs, eoque periculosius quò communius: This rotten contagion of hypocrisy in these days have crept over the whole body of the Church, which the more it is suffered the more desperate it is, and the communer that it is, by so much the more perilous it is. What answer can any Papists hear make? can they deny, that in their prelacy, there was no such enormity? nay can they disprove any of this, which shallbe further said: 
In chronica.  Sulpitius Severus saith of them thus. As they sit they look for rewards, and all the honesty of their life, is corrupted with hire, setting as it were out their hole lives fully to sale. Neither leaveth Saint Hierome of so, for in this voice he further saith: The monks be richer 
ad Heli. Monac.  now, then when they were secular men, and under poor Christ they possess the riches, which under rich Satan they had not, and so the Church hath them now to be rich, whom the world had before to be poor. To reprehend these and to beat down their passing covetousness, the rehearsal of an history, that Laertius writeth, shall not be unprofitable. Aristippus upon a time as he sailed, perceiving the ship, where in he was to be a pirate, for safeguard of his life, he threw all the Gold that he had into the sea saying (for so some other write of him) Satius est ut haecper Aristippum, 
Lib. 2.  quam propter haec pereat Aristippus: it is better that these should perish by Aristippus then that Aristippus should perish by them. Meaning in deed by this fact, that throwing his Gold away, he had cut of the occasion, which else should have had moved the Pirates to murder him. O that the prelacy of ●ome had been of Aristippus mind. O that they had considered how this world, is but a pirate ship, for, so doing: their pride had not been so great, and their pride once diminished, their pompous estate had not been maintained, but their proud estate being abated, simplicity had pray veiled, the Gospel had flourished, and then in knowledge we Christians had increased. If the bishop of Rome himself had down this: then should not the Grecians have had such occasion to write unto John the Pope in this wise. Potentiam 
mandeu. lib. ca 7.  tuam summam ergatuos subditos, firmiter credimus, superbiam tuam summam tollerare non possumus, avaritiam satiare non valemus, Diabolus tecum, dominus nobiscum: That is: The over great power that thou usest towards thy subjects, we stedefastlye believe, thy passing pride we can not bear, thy covetousness we can not satisfy, the devil be with thee, and God be with us: Thus they then wrote unto him, when he through passing Pride, and ambition, did affirm that there was but one Church, whereof he himself was the head. If the bishop of Rome had learned but the first Point of wisdom, that is, if he had known himself, than had not Platina written of Hiltebrande, and of Paschall, both being bishops of Rome in this source: Hi duo nebulones, Imperatores 
Platina.  Henricos excommunicant, & ab obedientia, & juramento subditos absoluunt, & principes subditos contra proprios Imperatores armant. Apostolicum esset immitari Apostolos, qui praecipiunt ut pro magistratibus oretur, hi verò suos, & quidem Christianos excommunicant, & quod indignissimum est, pedibus suis conculcant: That is to say: These two varlattes do excommunicate Henry's the Emperors, & do set at liberty their subjects from their oath, and obedience. Yea, & they set in armour, Princes that are subjects, against their own Emperors. It had appartayned unto an Apostleship calling to follow the Apostles, who command that magistrates should be prayed for, but these do excommunicate their magistrates, yea, even those which are Christians, and that that is most unworthy, with their feet they tread upon them. Is there any papist, that, reading this, will maintain Rome? is there any being learned, that will defend this hellish Hiltebrande? can any one of any honesty speak in the defence of Paschall? who will like, yea, who will not mislike the tyranny, the pride, and the avarice of pope John? if authority may avail, if truth may prevail, then let the letters of Lewis king of the romans, declare what Pope John was, the said Lewis writeth in these words: Nos Ludovicus Romanorum. Rex, etc. We Lewis king of the romans do allege these things 
Obenh.  against John, who saith himself to be Pope, that he doth abuse the Testament of Christ, altogether disquieting the common peace of Christianity. Neither remembreth he, that what honour so ever he now hath, the same to have been granted by holly Constantine, unto Sylvester then of small account. He is little thankful unto the Roman Empire, whence he took all the glory, which he now abuseth, etc. Plato called Aristotle for his unthankfulness a mule, but the emperors of Rome, might worthily account the bishop there, not only to be a mule, but an ass, a mule for his unthankfulness, & an ass for his great v●curtousie, and rudeness. What? he receiving all that he hath at the hands of the Emperor, shall he curse him: shall he excommunicate him? shall he tread him under feet? Hic pietatis honos? is this the reward of piety? is this the profession of Peter? but what say we unto Clement the sixth, of whom Marius saith? 
Hieron. Mari.  Clemens sextus, homo mulierum, honoris, ac▪ potentiae cupidissimus, diabolico furore percitus, etc. Clement the sixth, a man most greedy of Women, honour, and power, a man moved with a devilish fury, etc. Well let us touch farther the whole flock of their romish roagges, for so we must term those, who forsake God, who judge without authority, who usurp regiments without equity, who defend errors who maynetaine heresies of these it is, that Gregory thus saith: Because earthily princes do with great 
In mora  humility submit themselves unto god, therefore lewd religious men are turned unto deceit, for beholding those princes to reverence religion, these men do put on the attire of humility, and so under despised garments, they press down with wicked works, the lives of such as are good they are certainly the lovers of the world, in that they brag to be in themselves, that which others do reverence. they refuse honour only, that they may have, and come by it. Such was the behaviour of religious men; in the time of Gregory, 〈◊〉 was their hypocrisy, for above nine hundred years agonne. But go we so Bernarde who lived above four hundred years agonne, and let us hear what he saith of his time, his words be these: I see a thing, which without grief aught 
Hom. 4. sup. missus est.  not to be seen, that is: how many, having once professed to be soldiers of Christ, do now again entangle themselves with secular affairs, being drowned with earth lie desires. these with great care do build up main walls, but they neglect manners. Also under the pretence of a common utility, they deceive rich men, & matrons, yea, & against their emperors Edict, they covet other men's goods, and seek their own with strife. So that they have crucified neither themselves unto the world, nor yet the world unto them. But those, which before were scaresely known in their own towns, and villages, are now wandering about countries, haunting courts, and getting the acquaintance of kings, and familiariatie of Princes. Here (gentle reader) thou seest how they then entangled themselves with the world, how they were drowned with earthly desires, how they neglected manners, how they deceived rich mon and matrons, how they coveted other men's goods, and thou seest how they wandered roagging about countries, how they haunted courts, and how flattringli● they got the acquaintance of kings, and Princes. Yea and in the same place, against such doth Barnarde go further, saying I see that, whereat I am not a little sorry, I 
Ibidem  see a number after they have contemned the pomp of the world, and being in the school of humility, that now do rather learn pride, and under the wings of an humble, and meek master, they wax marvelous proud, and in the end, they wax more unruly in the Cloister, than they did when they seemed to be worldlings. Let the monks make here their answer, let they friars defend themselves. What have they to say? they learned pride, they waxed marvelous proud, and they were unruly in their cloisters. Go we then further, even unto S. Hieromes time again, and let us hear what he saith, his words be these: Crates the Theban, being a man very 
ad pauli.  rich, as he travailed to Athence to learn wisdom, he threw away a great deal of gold, neither did he think, that he cold possess both virtue and riches, and that at one time. But we (of the priests he speaketh) having our laps full of gold, do follow Christ, that is poor, and under the pretence of alms we cleave still unto our former wealth. How then can we distribute other men's goods faithfully, when we hoard up our own so fearfully? Such hypocrites they were in the time of Hierome, such dissemblers they were for a. xi. hundredth years agonne, and more. but afterwards, how of lewd men they waxed to be mere loordens, and of vicious men, how they proved to be rank varlattes, by the testimony of Antonius Patavinus their own writer, it may more then evidently appear, for he saith: By the fair, and foolish woman, is understanded the priests, who being nice, and kemmed, 
Serm: Domi.  do set themselves as drabs to sale for a penny. they are fair in the glory of their garments, in the number of their nephews, and in the multitude of their prebendaries. they are foolish: for what so ever either they or others do speak, they understand not, they cry all the day in the church, and bark like doagges, and yet they know not what they themselves do say. for though the body be in the quite yet is their heart in the street, or market. these having the golden circle of knowledge, and eloquence, do not stick to bestow it in riotousenes, and covetousness almost all the religious men have stoallen this golden rule, for, they walk not according unto the truth of the Gospel, they live not according unto the institutions of the fathers, but they lead a crooked, and a dissembled life, the monks of benedict's order have stoallen this rule, so have they of Augustine's orders, the canons, and all the rest, who seek their own, and not that which is Jesus Christ's, and therefore in the day of judgement, they shallbe stoaned with sharp rebukes, and then, they shallbe burnt in everlasting fire, and so shall they be cursed for ever, separated from Christ. O Lord how have our forefathers been abused, and by whom? by those nice, and kemmed Priests, by those riotous, and most covetous company, by those who lead a crooked, and a dissembled life, by the monks of Benedictes order, and of Augustine's order, by the chanones, (I use their own words) and all the rest: but what gain they in the end by their hypocrisy? even to be burnt in everlasting fire, to be cursed for ever, and alas to be separated from Christ. Antoniaus also, who was Archebusshop of Florence, speaketh, and writeth of them in this wise: Abbas Silvanus, Diu in excessu 
Anto. part: 2.  mentis factus est, & exurgens flevit amare▪ rogantibus aute fratribus caussam fletus, ait: ego ad judicium raptus sum, & multos vidi de habitu nostro euntes ad tormenta, & multos seculares ad regnum: That is: The abbot Silvanus being long in a trance, at the length rising up he weapte, and when his brethren asked of him the cause of his weeping, he said: I was taken up into judgement, & there I saw many of our company going into torments, and many of the lay men going into the kingdom of heaven. How plain be these words? the religigiouse company went into hell, and the lay men unto heaven. how could they then guide rightly the floacke of Christ, when they themselves fell into the ditch of perdition, into the dungeon of death, and into damnable torments? but if he were a monk no man might reprehend him, no man might blame him, and therefore S. Augustine finding great fault with such foolishenes saith: It is a thing very much to be 
ad ●ure.  sorrowed, if we puff up monks into so ruinous a pride, as to say: that an evil monk is a good priest, whereas in very deed a monk being sometimes good, can yet scarcely be a good priest. Such hollynes you see, was in their Moonkeship: such perfection was in their Moonkerye, that a good monk could scarcely (for so S. Augustin. saith) be a good Priest. perceive we not therefore what they were? shall they lull us still a sleeape? shall we set by them? shall we make any account of them? in the choir they prayed not, but they played, they sang not, but they slept. and thence it 
in examp.  is, that Bernard saith this. He is a singular monk, who is diligent to get a private gain, and to get a common profit is slothful, who in his beadde waketh, and in the choir sleepeth. And again, 
in pol●.  touching their hypocrisy, he writeth further in this wise: It is a great abuse, for it is the graetest care, how the body may be regularelye attired, & contrary unto rule, they leave the soul destitute of his attire. If with such an endeavour, the coat, and the hoodde must be prepared for the body, without which he is thought to be no monk: why then do they not in like manner, provide spiritual attire for the spirit? which attire is piety, and humility. How can here the hood defend them? 
Ibidem.  how may the coat excuse them? yea, Barnarde goeth further, and saith: Our apparel, which I speak with grief, is proudly worn by the monks of this our time. we can not find in all our country wherewith we may be called. for the knight maketh his cloak, and the monk his hood, & all of one cloth. This was the attire, and the proud attire of the Monks in Bernard's time. where then was humility? it was banished. where was simplicity? it was suppressed. and on the 〈◊〉 Pride reigned, arrogancy ruled; hypocrisy triumphed, God was displeased, and Satan rejoiced. O heaven what an unhappy heard of monks were then? oh earth; what an unhappy brood didst thou then bear: but let Bernard's say further▪ 
Ibidem in epistola.  Our eyes (saith he) look all on hy●▪ our feet do, compass about all the Marquette, our tongues are heard in every man's matters, our hands do● snatch away every manes Patrimony: What are they then? pro●de, busy bodies, and P●…rers, An honest Company▪ mere to be reverenced, m●u worthy to be obeyed, ●●●cke deserninge to be favoured. well, what saith Hugo Victori●… of them? he was their very friend, a Papist for ly●e, let us hear him▪ Th● monks saith he do make them Cloisters, that the outward man may be 
de clau▪ anima. Lib. 1.  kept in, but I would to God, that they would make Cloisters, wherein the inward man might be keeped ordinarelye● yea, and further in the person of a monk he saith: I am in the choir with my 
De an lib. 1.  body, & in some wordly business with my mind, I am now within, and now without, I sing one thing, & I think another, I utter the words of the Psalm, but I give no heed unto the sense. in my mind I am a vagabond in mine apparaille, dessolute, & in mine eyes amazed. I gaze here, & there, beholding what is every where done. I have the habit of a monk but not the conversation, yea, amongst a great company, if my large hoodde be safe, I think that all is well. By this time (gentle Reader) what thinkest thou of these men? be they not Hypocrites? by the confession, of Hugo, be they not Uagaboundes? it is in vain to be to vehement, only let us crave at God's hands, tha● he will admende them. and for mine own part, I praise God, I daily thank him, that I know them, yea, & I like in myself, that I mislike them. Now let us return again unto Viualdus, for, in 
opus. regal.  these words he saith: Fyfetelye, a number of religious men, have black spoatof Hypocrisy, like unto a libbard. For, they being rude of nature, & vile in birth, yet in the Cloister with a hoist neche, they feign themselves more delicate, and noble in all their doings, than other men. these do endeavour to live in outward conversation civilly, and politically, but inwardly they are puffed with the wind, & vanity of pride, ambition, and envy. It is long to recite all, and every authority, & the same at large, read therefore in this behalf an epistle, that S. Hierome wrote unto Nepotianus, & therein thou shalt find these false prophets pictured out in their own colloures. There are sixtelye (saith Vivaldus) other clerk, religious men, or Monks, 
Ibidem.  who do conterfaicte sobriety, & abstinence, to the intent they might seem to lead a straight life, to be endued with modesty, and to be adorned with chastity. but within they are full of filthiness, delighting in secular pleasures, & devouring the poor in secret. but shall we believe only Viualdus? na, let us go also unto Hieronimus for in these words he inveigheth against such: He is a drink master who with a full 
〈◊〉 nepo-  beallye disputeth of fasting. in deed a thief may blame covetousness, but the mouth, the mind, and the hands of a priest should agreed together. We have seen the late fasting of Priests, we beheld their dainty dishes, we saw their junkettes, the Popish friday fair is to Hypocrytall, and therefore Saint Hierome having good cause doth say: What doth 
Ibidem.  it profit me not to feed on oil, and to seek after strange dishes, and far almost not to be found? as carets, peaper, nuts, dates, rice, honey, and bake meats. all the gardens are tilled, & why? because we should not feed on bread, but whiles we seek after dainties, we are drawn back from the kingdom of heaven. Fie for shame, blush we not at these foolish toys, and doth it not loath us of our superstition? Here is a proper fast, to abstain from bread, and to feed on bake-meat, to eat carretes, peaper, nuts, dates rice, honey, sugar, and such like. Let those that have reason, regard this thing, and then they must needs confess, that the pope's fasting was counterfeit, that his Chaplains were Hypocrites, and that their profession was mere hypocrisy, take away their caps, and what are they? take away their hooddes, and what be they? take away their outward attire & then naught are they, what more? marry. There is an 
vivaldus  other kind of Hypocrites (saith Vivaldus) who under the cloak of religion, being unmarried, yet do seek a new kind of wives, and so. S. Hierome saith. for writing unto Eustochius he hath these words: A number do attain unto priesthood, and deaconship, 
id eusto●ium.  that they may more freely see & talk with women, they feign themselves to be spiritual fathers of simple women that under the colour of obedience humility, & mortification they might at the length allure them unto filthiness. O not spiritual, but spiteful fathers. O the foes of christianity. O the enemies of true piety. What? vnd●● the colour of religion, to allure women unto fornication? what passing heathenes was this? what? will not their shaven faces be ashamed? will they hear what Sayn●t● Hierome saith? Why delighteth it thee to 
Ad Oce●…,  talk with maids? why dost thou frequent the company of Noonnes, contrary unto thy profession? why findeth Sainct● Hierome with priests this fault? because they were saultie, and that they were so, you may read in the same epistle unto Oceanus at large. further, and to conclude. Many (saith 
Lud: Vivalduus.  Vivaldus) of the clergy, of the monks, and religious men are hypocrites, who being idiots, and unlearned, do yet fayne themselves to know, and to understand much, and when they are bound by reason of their degree, & profession, to study, and to read the holly scriptures, they occupy themselves in light, vain, unprofitable, & secular matters, which appertain nothing unto their purpose. what vain, light, and unprofitable things they read, may appear by an epistle, that Hierome wrote unto Damasus wherein these words are: But 
Ad damasum.  now the priests of god, setting a side the Gospels, and the prophets, do read comedies, they sing the loving songs of sheepehardes tune, they are skilful in Virgil, & they do this, not as children do which is a fault, of necessity, but willingly. and shall we willingly go after them? shall we willingly reject the scriptures and receive those sects? he there unto here, in setting forth though hypocrisy of the romish prelacy, I have used the auctorie of Lactantius, of their own layers, of Laurentius valla, of Hierome, of Barnarde, of Gregory, of Viualdus, of Wierus, of Hugo Victorinus, of Augustine, of Sulpitius, of Mandeuill, of Platina, of Obenhin, of Marius, of Antonius Patavinus, of Antonianus, of the old Testament and of the new, and of others, by whose writing it is plain that Friars are to be misliked, that the monks are to be refused, and that their Priests are to be despised, and that, because they were ignorant, arrogant, false seducers, false Prophets, and the hypocrites of whom it is written in the seven. Chapter of the Gospel after S. Matthew in this wise. Beware of false 
〈◊〉. 7.  Prophets, which come unto you in sheeps clothing, who inwardly are ravening wolves. These false prophets, in the time of Moses law, were the Baalites Malochites, Marothites, Baalmites, the proud Scribes and the lewd Pharisees: in the primitive Church, the were the Simonianes, Cherinthianes, Nicholaits, De●ionites, Nestorians, Sabellians, & Arrianes, in this our time, the are the terminalles, nominalles, reals, and all the roagges holding with the synagogue of Rome, from whom God the father of his mercy defend us.  
Amen   

¶ OF THE IGNOrance, iniquity, and blasphemies of the Roman Prelacy. Capit. II  
I Have set forth (gentle Reader) in the former Chapter, who they are of whom S. Paul writeth in these words unto Timothee: Habentes quidem speciem 
2. ti●…. 〈◊〉  pietatis, virtutem eius autem abnegantes: Having in deed the show of holiness, but forsaking the virtue thereof. And here in this Chapter, thou shalt have a taste, and that in very few words of their further abuses, neither do I know with what first to begin, their faults be so many. of their ignorance, I will say nothing, but, Consta● plures Papas adeo illiteratos fuisse, 
Alfou● dé castr● contra h●res. lib. 〈◊〉  ut Grammaticam penitus ignorarent. It is evident that there were many Popes so unlearned, that they utterly were unskilful in Grammar. touching adultery, and fornication, ●ncestus, adulteria casto connubio pr●fert. 
council. W●…  The pope doth prefer incest, and adultery before chaste matrimony. As for Pope John the twelve: Is adeo à se pudicitiam abijerat, ut mulieres ad se publicè ingr●●erentur. 
●aucler.  He died so baneshe shame fastness and chastity from him, that he suffered light women to come in commonly unto him. For heresy: Li●evius was an Arrian, so was Leo, Pope John doubted of the immortality of the soul, and Mercellinus offered incense, and sacrifice unto devils, Honorius was condemned for an heretic by two general counsels, Ana●●asyus was a Nestorian, Silvester a necromancer, and Eugenius guilty of simony, and perjury: these things considered, let us pronounce with the counsel of Basill. Certum est Papam errare posse. It is certain that the 
cons. basil  Pope can err. It is confessed that he hath erred, it is true, that he is most erroneous. But that we may see at large their folly, let us see what is written in a popish book entitled: Liber conformitatum. In the third lea●e of the same book, they call Frauncos. 
Fol. 3.  The Chancellor, the treasurer, the standard bearer, & the Councillor of Christ. And must Christ have a Chancellor? mu●… he have a treasurer, shall he have a standard bearer? nead he a counsailloure? 〈◊〉 where is this S. Frances? In seed Lu●… ri▪ In Lucifer's feat. For so they 〈◊〉, warning 
Fol. 4.  that he is in heaven. and how prove 
Fol. ●odem  they it? by this. Ipse Diabolus pres bitero Jacobo de Bononi● hoc dixit: The devil himself told this unto sir James a priest of Bononia. shall we believe sir James, who ●●●ened the devil? or shall we believe 〈◊〉 of them both? who, except he had be●… bewitched, could have written such dreams? but with such lies (a thing to be pi●…) were our forefathers blinded, feed, 〈◊〉 seduced▪ and will you see how wicked●… they abused the holly scriptures, in re●…ings the same unto their ●eraunc●●? 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 Chapter of the genesis, thus 
Fol. codem  they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fa●…s 〈◊〉, id est Franci●…, ad 〈◊〉 & similitudinem nostram▪ That is to 〈◊〉 Let us make man, that is ●●auntys after our image, and similtude. And what followeth? Ut praesit piscibus maris. That he should rule the fishes of the sea. O sea, oh Land, oh Fire, oh air, oh ye Elements all, what an exposition is this: made not God at the beginning man after his image, and similitude? made he not him, to bear rule over the fishes of the Sea? why then (Gentle reader) wy●● they expound that to France's particularelye, which was spoken of mankind universally? weigh this, judge it well. but what say they further? forsooth: Franciscus potest dici Petra. Fraunces may 
Fol. 12. Ibidem  be called a roacke, and why? Quia filius fui● Petri Barnardonis, Because he was the son of Pieter Bernardo. Is not this Learning? what a proof is this? let us bring it to their argument, and then it shall appear, as it is, most ridicolouse s. Frances was the son of Bernardo, ergo S. Frances was a roacke. this is their reckoning, this is their logic, this is their learning and can they content themselves with this folly? nay. For thus they proceed: Franciscus est melior Apostolis. Francis is better than the Apostles. what? then the Apostles? O 
Fol. 39  Fatuelle: well you have not yet heard, what gifts sir Frances had in preaching, what Eloquence he had, what gravity he was endued withal. If you will hear then read the. 51. ●eafe of the book, & there you shall sinned these most foolish words: Multitudo maxima avium congregata ad audiendum 
Fol. 51.  praedicationem. B. Francisci: A great company of birds were gathered together to hear the preaching of blessed Francis. & woate you when this was? when Esope made his fables, when the Fox spoke, when the crow had her voice, to be brief, when the ●yrdes kept their parliament when tales went for ●rothe, when fables were credited, when folly prevailed. But because we speak of birds, let us go further, and let us see what is written more of them. And then we shall 
Fol. 53.  have these words: Jacent in loco, S. Mariae fratres, qui audierunt, & viderunt aves alaudas, congregatas, cantantes super tectum ecclesiae S. Mariae in obitu beati francisci: There lay brethren in a place of. S. Maries, who heard, and saw larks gathered together singing upon the top of. S. Mary's church, at the death of. S. Frances. And is it so strange a thing to hear a Lark sing? these men would make a miracle feign, if they could neither care they of what. For what say we of doting Drodro, of whom they writ 
Fol. 75.  in this wise: Brother Drodro was so holy that one Angel served him at Mass, and an other Angel prepared him hoarsses to travail with. With such lies the people were fed, with such vain tales, were Christians at that time taught, to set forth their moaming mass, such dreams were invented. So that with Irenaeus we may well 
lib 1. adverse. haeres. val.  say: Hi anicularum fabulas, assumentes, post deindè et sermons, & dictiones, & parabolas huic indè afferentes, ut aptare volunt fabulis suis eloquia Dei: These men do take in hand old wives tales, and then, even thence they heap together talks, words, & parabales to the intent in deed that they may bring god's word to agreed with their fables. These are the words of Irenaeus sometime Bushop of Lions in France, who lived in the year of our Lord God, one hundredth, three score, and syxetene. but shall we go further? and shall we see how saint Frances his order is proved? to prove the same, they have these words: Nullus dZ ambigere de ordine F. Minorum, patz ex visionibus, inter 
Fol. 83.  quas est etiam haec. Quidam vidit B. Franciscum cum vexillo crucis euntem per coelum, et infinitam multitudinem fratrum suorum ad christum: Nun ought to doubt of the order of saint Francis, as appeareth by visions, whereof this is one: a certain man saw saint Francis with the sign of the Cross, going through heaven, with a great multitude of his brethren, unto christ. O christ what a fondness is this: where was this man, when he saw saint Frauncysse in Heaven? What man was this? his name is not in the book of life, and shall we credit a certain man? to use no more words, what madness is this? and what was the rule of saint Frauncysse? his rule was, (as he himself saith). Liber 
Fol. 101.  vitae, spes salutis, medulla evangelii, clavis paradisi, status perfectionis; pactum aeterni foederis. This book of life, the hope of salvation, the marrawe of the Gospel, the kaye of paradise, the state of perfection, the decree of the everlasting covenant. What blasphemies be these? how intolerable are they? who if he favour the Gospel, if he believe in Christ can abide them? it is in vain to trouble the reader with any more of their vanities, & therefore to omit a great number of other blasphemies, to let pass their sundry dreams, not to speak of the great absurdities contained within that book, let us end with these words 
Fol. 103.  of the same. Franciscus surgens de oration, venit ad fratres turbatissimus, dicens: Ego vellem, quod istum habitum non invenissem, dominus enim mihi revelavit, quod de ordine meo exibit Antichristus, & secta eius. That is, Francis rising from prayer came unto his brethren greatly troubled, saying: I would that I had not invented this habit for God hath revealed unto me, that out of my order, antichrist and his sect shall come. Now you hear what master Frauncys saith of his own flock, how that of his rule antichrist and his sect shall come, how can it then be, The book of life, the hope of salvation. etc. It was not without good cause, that Bernhard, speaking of the miseries of mankind, divided the same into three: which he setteth forth in this wise: Faciles sumus ad seducendum: debiles 
Serm. 7. de adven: Domi.  ad operandum: fragiles ad resistendum: We are esie to be seduced: weak to work: frail to resist: And be we not easy to be seduced, when the very wisest did believe such dreams? when the truth itself was not regarded, and when these untrothes were esteemed? then were men foolish, but now are children wise, than the learned were blind, but now the unlearned do see. therefore in that we do see, let us thank God. hitherunto we have spoken of the Ignorance, of the adultery, & of the heresy, of the prelacy of Rome: we have seen the folly, where in they are drowned, touching Francis, and others. wherefore let us go further, and to begin, hear we what Bernharde saith: his words are these: The offices 
Super psa.  themselves of ecclesiastical dignity are turned into filthy gain, and into the affairs of Darkness, neither is sought in these the safety of souls, but the riotousenes of riches. For these things, the Priest's resoarte unto the churches, they say masses, the sing psalms. Yea, they strive impudently about Busshoprikes, and Archedeaneries, wasting the revenues of the Church in superfluity, & vanity. Such was their abuses for four hundredth years a gone. Afterwards into what folly they fell, it is apparent by histories, which that I may speak somewhat of Antichrist, I may omit. of antichrist Hilarius saith thus: Nominis Antichristi proprietas, est Christo esse contrarium. The property of the name of antichrist, 
contr aurentius.  is to be contrary unto Christ. Well, to the intent that every indifference reader may beware of antichrist, who endeavoureth to diminish the glory of God, to suppress the Gospel, and to banish away all Godliness & piety, I will first speak of Antichristes seat, then of his servants, of his miracles, of himself, and so of his end.  

¶ Of his Seat.  
¶ Rome the whore of Babylon, the mother 
Francisc. petrarch.  of idolatry, & fornication, the sanctuary of heresy, and the school of error.  
¶ Rome is as the second Babylon. 
August. Joach: Abba●. Hieron. ad allga. 9 11.   
¶ Antichrist hath already his beginning at Rome, and shall advance himself higher in the Apostolic See. ¶ according unto the revelation of s. John, there is written in the forehead of the purple harlatte a name of blasphemy, that is, of Rome eternal.   

¶ Of his servants.  
speaking of the Priests, which were for three hundredth years agone, he saith thus: For the most part they be thieves, & murders, 
S Albert. ●nagnus L  rather katchers, than feeders: rather killers, than keepers: rather deceivers, than doctors: they be the messengers of Antichrist, and the subverters of Christ his sheep.  
Would god they were not gone wholly, with general consent, from religion, to 
Cornel. bitonti.  superstition, from faith, to infidelity: from Christ, to Antichrist: from god, to an Epicure.  
His Doctors shall fall from the understanding 
Antoni.  of scriptures, giving themselves deceptefullye with great eloquence, and subtlety of words, to expound the same.   

¶ Of his Miracles.  
The people are most deceived with feigned miracles, wrought either by the priests, 
Nich. Lyra.  or else by their adherentes, for lucre's sake.  
In the sacrament itself, there appeareth 
Alexan. de Hales  flesh, sometimes by the devise of men, & sometimes by the working of the devil. My god hath made me ware of these huck 
augu. in Joan.  sters of miracles: for he saith false prophets shall rise up in the latter days, working signs, and wonders, to deceive the elect of God, if it were possible.  
They have deceived my people with their 
Hier. 23  lies, & with their miracle. ¶ Of himself.  
Who so ever is exalted above all, that is called 
2. the. 2.  God, or that is worshipped, so that he as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God: such is the man of sin, and the son of perdition:  
The Bushop of Rome is exalted above all that is called God, & is worshipped, so that he as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God:  
Therefore, the bishop of Rome, is the man of sin, & the son of perdition. for proof of the less proposition, behold with indifferency, what, & how blasphemousely the papists have written of their pope. Our lord god the pope 
In gloss. council. latronum hostiens. panormi. Cornel. Biton. Zarabel. Cardin. Lib, 5.  To thee is given all manner of power, above all powers, aswell of heaven, as of earth.  
The pope is all and above all.  
The pope can do as much as Christ can do.  
The pope is the light, that came into the world.  
The pope is more than a God. Of him writeth Irenaeus in this wise: Notwithestandinge that Antichrist be but a slave, yet will he be worshipped, as if he were a God.  
That Beast which is spoken of in the book of 
Bern. epist. 12●  Revelations, unto which beast is given a mouth to speak blasphemies, and to keep war against the Saints of God, he is now gotten into Peter's chair, as a Lion prepared unto his pray.   

¶ Of his end.  
Then shall Babylon, which is Rome, fall, 
Prima.  when she shall last of all take power to persecute the saints of God.  
Whom our lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and shall destroy 
2. the. 2.  with the brightness of his coming.  
When thou seest that dark iniquity hath 
Chris: in Matth: home 34.  taken hold upon the priests being placed in the high top of spiritual dignities, how may it be doubted, but that the end of the world is at hand?  
jesus himself with his presence, shall end 
Aug: de civit: dei cap: 18.  that last persecution, which shallbe wrought by antichrist.  Apoc. 8. Great Babylon is fallen, her plagues shall come in one day, death, and sorrow, and hunger, and she shall be brent with fire. A prophesy of Rome. 
Long tottering Rome at length shall waste, in errors long being thrall.  
she shall consume, and cease to be, the head, and chief of all.  
Here we see, by the authority of Petrarcha, that Rome is the whore of Babylon, whereunto. S. Augustine: also doth agreed we see that antichrist (for so writeth Joachimus) hath already his beginning in Rome we see by the words of. S. Hierome, that it is the purple harlatte. next unto this, Albertus witnesseth that in his time the priests were thieves and murderers, yea, & the messengers of Antichrist, neither dissenteth Cornelius Bitontinus therefrom. Antoninus also avoucheth the same. For his seat therefore, what answer can they have? that it is not Rome what have they to say? and to excuse their priests what excuse can they bring? that they be not the ministers of antichrist, by what means can they prove? touching his miracles: Vim habebit in imperio, dolum in miraculis. He shall have (saith S. Augustine) 
in praef.  rage in his reign, & deceapte in his miracles. Whether he hath used deceit in his miracles, or not, let the words of Lyra declare, and to join with Lyra more witnesses read again what Alexander of Hales hath written, and read further what S. Augustine hath set forth. Concerning antichrist himself, that the Pope is he, S. Paul doth manifestly declare, weigh the argument consider their blasphemies, peruse against the words of Irenaeus, ponder what Bernharde doth say. and here I might have cause to remember thee, of a book most vehemently written, by doctor Steven Bardiner, against the bishop of Rome, unto which book doctor Boner, who now o● late died, hath made a preface, wherein he calleth the bishop of Rome, an usurper, a wicked man, an Antichrist. Last of all, and of the fall of that beast Prymacius doth write very well. S. Paul hath written best of all: Chrisostome writeth not amiss: saint Augustyne did write right true. Therefore unto us, that believe these testimonies, God hath s●…e his Gospel to our comfort, his truth to our edifying, his word to be a light unto our words, & to be a path unto our works: but of the contrary part, of them which have eyes, & yet will not see, we may say, as it is said, Mittet illis deus operation●m erroris, ut credant 
3. the. 2.  mendacio. God shall send unto them the operation of errors, that they may believe lying. Yea, and as it is further said: seducentur 
Idem.  eis signis & prodigijs, qui seduci merebantur pro eo quod dilectionem veritatis non receperunt, ut salui fierent: They shall be sednced with those signs & wonders, who deserved to be beguiled, because they have not received the truth, that thereby they might be saved. what deceapt was it, to have flesh to appear in the sacrament: what folly was it, for men to be seduced thereby? these things and the like, did the Priests by most wicked means bring to pass. the priests I say, of whom S. Hierome writeth in this wise: Per dulces sermons, & benedictiones decipiunt 
In malach. cap: 2.  corda innocentium: & qui inique agunt, benedicuntur ab eyes: adulanturque peccatoribus, dummodo divites sint. By flattering speech, and vain blessings, they deceive the hearts of the innocentes: who do evil, those they bless: and they flatter sinners to the intent they may be rich. If we examine the estate of the Scribes, & pharisees, we shall find no greater abuses in them, then in these: if we consider the Priests of Isis, and Serapis, we shall find these and they in all things to agreed, for, the priests of Isis did shave their heads, and so did these. the Priests of Serapis did shave themselves, and what did these? this they did against the express commandment, which is: caput autem suum non radent, 
ezchil. cap. 44.  But their head shall they not shave, we see, (and therefore what need we to read any further?) the abuses that hath be●e, and we see that this is the time, whereof Chrisostome spoke thus: ad nullam rem 
in Mat:  fugient, nisi ad scripturas: alioqui incident in abominationem desolationis: Then will they flyed to nothing, but unto the scriptures, otherwise they shall fall into the abomination of desolation, that is (as he saith) Into heresy. neither can I forget the words of Gregory, (who making mention of the great troubles, and persecution, which the people of Christ shall suffer) declareth the end, and the estate wherein they shall be. His words be these: Ecclesia post eosdem dies, 
Greg: In Job.  quibus de primitur, tamen circa finem mundi, grandi praedicationis virtute, roborabitur: The church after those days, wherein she is persecuted, shall yet at length about the end of the world, be strengthened with the great power of preaching. what plainer words can be then these, to touch this our time? let papists nod, let enemies devise, let men practise, let the people muse, and yet, maugre all the malice of Satan. The truth is great, and prevaileth. As for the note of 
3. esd. 4.  heresy, wherewith the adversaries daily accuse us, for mine own part, with s. Paul I say: This I confess unto thee, that after 
act. 24.  that way, which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things, which are written in the law, & the prophets, and have hope towards God, that the same resurrection of the dead. (which they themselves look for also) shallbe both of just & unjust, & therefore stu die I, to have always a clear conscience toward God, and toward man also. From this belief, let us pray, that we may never start, and let us put away all worldly respects: for, if we be banished, Domini est terra, the earth is the Lords: if we be sawen a sunder, we have Esaye to our guide: if we be thrown into the seas, let Jonas be our example: if we be cast into the lions den, then let Daniel come to our remembrance: if we be stoaned to death, let Steven be thought upon: if we lose all our Goods, let us then call this to our mind, naked we camme into this world, and naked we shall go hence. to be brief, if we be spitted at, buffeted, mocked, scourged, wounded, reviled, & put to death, then let Christ be our Captain, he went before, let us take his cross, and follow him: which thing if we do unfeignedly, then in this world we shall have quiet consciences, & in the world to come we shall live with Christ, unto whom, with the father, and the holy Ghost be all honour, glory, praise, and dominion, now and everlastingly.   
Amen.   

¶ A view of certain rebellions, and of their ends.  
IN the year of our lord god. 1088. one Odo bishop of Bayon, the Earl of Northhumberlande and others rebelled against w. Rufus King of England, but they were discomfited.  
In the year. 1380. one John wall a priest was the auctor of a rebellion, & this spread very far, so that the King, Richard the second was in great danger, but the rebels came to confusion.  
In the year. 1466. a rebellion began where in the king, Edward the fourth, was banished & that by his own subjects, but in the end God restored him unto his kingdom, and all hisenemies were discomfited.  
In the year of our lord. 1486. a rebellion was begun, wherein King Henry the seventh stood in great distress, but at length, the rebels were executed.  
In this time also one sir Simond a wielie priest, was the author of a commotion, but in th'end he was taken, and his enterprise came to nought.  
In the year. 1496, a rebellion began in Cornwall, and they rebels did so prevail that they came to black heath, and there ●aue a field, but God overthrew them, an● gave unto the king the victory.  
In the year. 1535. an insurrexion began at Lynconshice, by the means of abbots, and priests but they prospered not.  
In the year. 1540 a new rebellion began in yorkshire, stirred up by certain priests and gentlemen, but their end was according unto their treason.  
As for the time of late memory, how rebels have sped therein, we can well enough remember, therefore for fear of the like end, and to avoid the plague of 
2. peit. 〈◊〉.  God: Submit yourselves unto all ordinance of man, for the lords sake, Whether it be unto the King, as unto the chief head, or else unto rulers, as unto them that are sent of him. And when 
Idem. 5.  the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive an incorruptible crown of glory. Otherwise, in this world a miserable death remaineth for you, and in the world to come death everlasting.   

 

  

  

  

  

  

   

¶ IGNATIUS IN epistola ad Heronem.  
Every one that sayeth otherwise then is set forth, although he seem to be worthy of credit, although he fast, although he keep his virginity, although he work wonders, although he Prophesy, yet take him to be a Wolf among the floacke of sheep, seeking to destroy them.   

If there be any fault in the Printing, the gentle Reader will bear with me, for, mine absence at the correcttinge of some leaves may excuse it.   


LUCRECIA-ROMANA   
¶ Imprinted at London in Paul's Churchyard, at the sign of the Lucrece, by Thomas Purfoote.