The preface to the reader.  
I Do not think good christian reader any reasonable or indifferent person living of so undiscrete and gross judgement, nor yet so malicious or froward to think this wholesome & profitable doctrine of christ, his apostles & prophets in this little volume hereafter ensuing, worthy either of check, condemn pnacyon, or slander, for the vehemency therein now and then comprised/ if at the least there be any such vehemency at all to the sight of any, but of them which feel themselves sensyblye touched, and their vices plainly rebuked in the same. Truth it is, that there can be nothing so wisely warily or sincerely either pronounced or endited, which the blasphemous tongues of false detractors & enemies unto the truth can not craftily pervert to the worst Examples thereof be not so care, but the thou mayst abundantly find of them in every place enough. Go to christ and his apostles, and see whether the bishops, the scribes, & the pharisees, did not falsely impeach and accuse them of sedition, and to prove their false and most untrue suggestion by them made in that behalf to the high powers, note & mark well I beseech the in reading of the serypture, how develysshely they do calumpnyate, pervert, writhe, and wrest their deeds and doctrine. And yet if they had been any thing so malicious as some such their successors be now a days, how many times more might they have accused them of the same/ As for an example, 
Act. 4.  when the apostles were commanded no more to preach in the name of Ihesu/ yea & the not only by the bishops and priests, but also by the authority of the temporal power, and were for the in frynging and breaking of the said commandment brought again before the higher power aforesaid, and had made their answer, 
Act. 5.  that they were bounden to obey god rather than man. Might not (I say) the jews then if they had been half so maliciously disposed as been our jews have perverted the sayings of the apostles to the worst, and have accused them of sedition, yea and of treason after this manner? ye say sirs, that ye must obey god rather than men: Ergo your doctrine is not to obey men. Now know ye that we be no private men, but men in office, authority and power, and to whom both you and all private men been bounden by the law of god to obey, and yet ye teach to the contrary. Wherefore we conclude you to be traitors both to god & man, & maintainers and styrrers up of sedition, strife, and treason. Might not (I beseech you) the jews (as I said before) thus have wrested the words of the apostles to a false sense, and otherwise then ever they meant? I pray you who could have let or interrupted them? Or if they had so done what remedy? Must not the poor innocent souls, the Apostles have sustained so wrongful and grievous injury? yes certain. Albe it the blessed Apostles intended nothing less than such detestable doctrine. But their meaning was, that where man would command any thing to be done contrary to the will of god, expressed in his holy scripture, that in such case his commandment ought not to be obeyed of what estate, power or dignity, soever he were or might be. And yet not so meaning that he should be withstanded with violence, but that rather than they should assent to the vyolating of god's word and commandment, they were, would, and ought to be ready to abide and meekly to suffer. What soever trouble, or persecucy on might thereon ensue or follow, to the example of all Christ'S posterity after them to be borne. And this to be the true understanding of their words appeareth right manifestly by the practise of the same and that immediately where after they had been sore bet for the preaching of gods true word, 
Act. 5.  which they were forbid to do by man, they departed from the council right joyous, that god had elected them to that dignity of his infinite benygnytie & mercy/ wherefore (I say) in like manner, it is not impossible, but that in this little book, or in any book some thing may be of malice taken to the worst. But let no man maliciously wring, or wrest the contentis & matter thereof of a set purpose or festered rancour. And I doubt not but unto all good men, it shall appear, both meek and mild, godly, & also virtuous, and an argument plenteous of profitable erudition & learning. And as for sedition and treason I dare boldly affirm it to be as innocent and far from them as heaven is from hell. except peradventure it meet with a sophistical devil, which can prove white to be black and truth to be treason. The book describeth painteth and setteth forth before thine eyes (so that no appelles can do it more excellently) the Images both of a very christian bishop, and also of a counterfeit bishop, of a profitable, and of an unprofitable, of a pauline, and of a papist, shortly of a true, and a false, yea and that it doth in such true, natural, fresh, and lively colours, that the one of them once known, it is not possible but a man must feel the other even at his fingers ends, Albeit he were more blind then the Molle. And in this doing, even as it is impossible in describing the good bishop to say any thing of him, but that which is good, honest, virtuous, and godly, whiles he should deadly belie him: even so contrariwise in describing the evil bishop, it is as impossible to say any thing of him, that good honest or virtuous is, whiles he should deadly belie him, which of truth were great pity, for (as men say) it were sin to belie the devil. For asmuch then as there can be no goodness without great losing reported by the evil bishop, what marvel then or why should any man be discontented but an evil byfshop, or the patron and defender of an evil bishop/ if your author do set him forth in his natural proportion, like a monstre as he is? Why should not a man declare a monster after a monstrous fashion? Is it meet for a man to offer a candle to the devil, or to paint him like a good angel? Is it not comely and beseming for every good and honest man, to exalt, & extol virtue to the uttermost of his power. And why then should not it become him aswell to deprive and suppress vice to the uttermost, and to envy against it, and against them that use it with all that he may? Finally he describeth a good, honest, virtuous & godly bishops as doth the scripture, whom when thou knowest (except I be beguiled) it shall be right easy to espy and know the other/ wherein I humbly beseech the father of alconsolacyon once to make us perfect, for the precious blood of his sweet son Ihesu, and thereto to grannte to us his holy spirit.  
¶ So be it.   

BEcause good and gentle reader, It may to some certain persons either corrupt with evil affections or therwyse lightly moved to vain offence & flaundre, seem that I am of right little charity, and that mine whole study, and endeavour soundeth to no purpose else, but only to raise trouble, strife, and seditions in the world as they of a set frowardness/ maliciously do calumpnyate, their condemned conscience testyfyeng the contrary, for that that I in despite of the devil, & for the zeal that I bear to the truth of god's word, & his most blessed name, do (as they think) somewhat to sharply rebuke the vice of some that would be esteemed the heads of the church, all unworthy to be the feet except they amend in tyme. Therefore as we enter into the plain field of our matter we intend purge us of such untrue accusations, and to prove it right meet and convenient, yea and thereto necessary, and that by reasons and scrypturis invincible, so to behave us, in our words and wrytyngis towards such tops and heads of the people which will admit no chartable admonition.  
IN deed the bishop of Rome hath forbidden in his unrighteous and wicked law canonical, 
The Canon faw.  that any man should sharply rebuke the prelate's, or else resist them/ and upon this goodly institution and ordinance, he and his counterfeit bishops, the sons of hypocrisy from the most high majesty of god? 
The office & duty of a pacher.  For the preacher is bound unto this under apparel of damnation, that he shall sharply & sore rebuke wicked men and sinners. For god speaketh hereof manifest and open rebuking, in as much as he hath betaken unto him the office of preaching his word. But I pray you, why doth god with so great vehemency require this thing, command it, and so straightly call upon it without doubt because the preacher, if he do hold his tongue, doth sin most grievously against charity, in that he doth este me at so small valour so great & so precious a treasure/ that is to wit, the soul health of his neigh bower, to whom he ought nevertheless to succour and relieve in meet and drink and clothing, and in far smaller things. 
we ought to be assured the we preach no thing but god's word. The holy scripture.  But yet he addeth this thing expressly, that the prophet should here the word of god's mouth least he might else preach his own word, or else any other word of man. Now we have none other word, than the scriptures of god: and therefore by these all wicked men are to be rebuked/ neither can it help them though, they would make this cavillation, and say that this afore rehearsed place of the scripture doth not speak of great estates and lords, but only of the poor and low commonalty: for in as much as it doth express no manner of person, it is a plain and a necessary conclusion, that this said place is to be understanded also of great estates. For it speaketh generally of wicked men/ whether they be great, or small, and what manner ones soever they be. ¶ The word of god hath no respect or regard unto one person, more than an other. For it is above all persons, and it appertaineth equally unto all manner persons. 
Ezechiel.  For even Ezechyell himself, although he was of low degree: yet that notwithstanding he was sent to preach unto the whole people of Israel, among whom were Princes, priests, and many great estates So likewise saith. Mycheas also in the. 6. vi.chapytre.  
hearken you (saith he) what the lord saith/ Arise and strain thyself in judgement against the mountains, and let the hills here thy voice, let the mountains and the strong foundamentes of the earth here the judgement of the lord, for the judgement of the lord is with his people, and Israel shall be judged.  
WHo are those mountains, 
Mountains.  and the foundamentes & the ground work of the earth unto which he commandeth him to preach? here he doth give commandment and charge, that the judgement of god and the word of the lord should be showed not to the people only, but to the heads & rulers among the people.  
IN like manner all the residue of the Prophets, 
The prophets.  in those places where they are most vehement and most bold and free in rebuking, and do most rise up with those tragical affections, for the most part they do touch and most sharply reprove not the poor commonalty, nor the rascal sort, but the high tops/ that is to say, kings, princes, the priests, & those that were most cunning and most noble a 'mong the people, as their own writings do witness and bea, record sufficiently, though I speak never a word. So also did the lord say unto hieremy in the first chapter.  
LO I have put my words in thy mouth: behold I have set the to day over nations & kingdoms/ For I have ordained and made the to day to be as a fenced City, and a pillar of iron, and a wall of brass, to the kings of juda, to the princes and rulers of it/ and to the priests, & to all the people. And they shall make war against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, saith the lord to deliver the.  
NO we this hieremy as touching to his parsonage & estate, 
Hieremy.  was far under kings, princes, & prestis/ A man utterly contempt and abject/ born in a poor little Town called Anathot: 
Anathot.  and yet all this not withstanding, he was sent by god to preach the word of the lord, and to be a controller over all men, and against all the highest estates and head officers & rulers of the people. Besides this, 
christ.  christ himself, as he is describe in the gospel, was a very contemptyble, an abject, & a low parsonage in the sight of the world, without any high power or empire and lordship at all. Now I pray you, whom did he must principally rebuke? what other persons did he reprove then only the chief priests, the scribes, and the pharisees? & to be short, who soever were great & high in dignity & authority. And in so doing, he would be an example unto all preachers, that they should boldly & without any fere rebuke the great & high heads among the people, when they do work against god because both salvation & perdition resteth most in the heads/ why should we then follow the foolish, furious & mad laws of the bishop of Rome, against the example of christ & of all the prophetis Why (I say) should we spare & forbear those great lord spiritual. whereto should it avail to chide and cebuke the common people: if we do overhip and look besides the princes & rulers of the people? For there could never so much vice and sin be plucked up by pure sincere, and fro teaching, and bold preaching of the gospel: as they should plant by their wicked & sinystre commandments. For it should in this thing plainly come to pass as Solomon saith in the fyrsts chapter of Ecclesiast.  
WHere one buildeth, and an other destroyeth: what can be there but only travail and labour.  
¶ if we must now build among the people, it is necessary to resist those rulers, and those heads the auctors of human do ctryne, and destroyers/ we aught therefore here to hold fast with tooth and nail, and to follow, & toughly cleave unto that free doctrine of the Apostle Paul in the third chapter of the first Epistle to Tymothe, when he saith.  
such as do sin rebuke them in the presence of all men: 
The doctrine of saint Pause.  that other may stand in fear.  
¶ Here Paul excepteth no man neither of low estate and degreneyther yet of high/ And all though he doth say that contrapresbiteroes, that is to say against aged men or seniors (for such were at that time governors & rulers in the church) he should not receive any accusation with out two or three witness: he did not for all that by those words exclude and take away all manner cebuking of them, but rather did confirm the reproving of them/ For after those words which he spoke of witness and record it followeth immediately.  
THey which do offend and trespass, thou oughtest to rebuke them openly before all men.  
¶ But our bishops have interpreted & declared this word presbyter of priests, 
Presbyter.  that is to wit of their own selves, where as the apostle doth mean of well aged and ancient wise men: that is to wit, that such manner men are not to be accused lightly and for every slayghte occasion, likewise as he saith also in the .v. chapter.  
DO not rebuke an old man very sharply, but desire & pray him as a father.  
¶ For the apostle speaketh not of such bishops and priests, as are now in our time, which for the most part at of flowrysshing age, & in a manner young men, to the incerdible hurt & hindrance of the church: but he speaketh of old men and ancient in age, and well skilled in the scriptures. For such manner persons it is meet and according to handle reverently: and if they have trespassed and made a fault in any thing, they are to be desired & prayed that they will leave it, and not to be sharply and sore rebuked.  
OVer & besides this the myny sters of the word of god are pryn cypally bounden here unto, 

The preachers ought much rather to rebuke the spyrytuallheddes, than the temporal, for diverse just causes.  
Nicolaicass bishops, I ween he mean the bishops made of children at saint Nicholas tyme.   that they shall more sharply rebuke the bishops and the primates of the Church, than the worldly princes and rulers, and that for many causes. first because that ecclesiastical highness and dignity, as it is now, is not of god. For god doth not a knowledge neither elect this dysgysed and painted deceitful people, and these childysshe, and in a manner counterfeit, & Nicolaicall bishops, for as much as they do neither teach, neither yet do execute any point belonging to the office of a bishop. Secundaryly these shadows of bishops have not been constytuted by men, but they have exalted their own selves, & they have catched unto themselves empire, dominion, & lordship's against both god and men, against reason, commensence or judgement, 
tyrants.  after the nature and property of tyrants, which do rule only by the wrath and great indignation of god/ The temporal or worldly gover nours and officers are constituted by the gracious favour and merciful ordinance of god, 
Temꝑas princes & governors.  to the chastisement and punishment of evil men, and to the protection defence and maintenance of good men. 
No. 13.  Besides this the worldly governors, although they do injury and wrong never so moche, and do unjustly & wickedly: yet for all that they do but only hurt the temporal goods and the body. But these great estates and prelate's of the church, if they be not good and virtuous, and do promote and set forwards the course of the word of god unfeignedly and with their hearts: they are mere wolves. and most cruel murderers of souls. And it is moche like in evil & wicked bishops, as if Satan himself having a mitre on his head, and rings on his fingers, did sit in a chair and did rule the people. Wherefore even the bishops also, which do not teach the pure word of god, are no less to be eschewed then the devil himself. For wheresoever the word of god is not, 
The word of god.  there without doubt is nothing else but human error, mere doctrine of devils, and butcherye and slaughter of souls, For the consciences or souls, without the word of god can neither live, neither be delivered from the devil. But here I know well enough, they will object and say, that it is jeopardy, least sedition might be raised up against those bishops and prelate's of the Church Loo I make answer, shall the word of god (I beseech you) for this your feigned objection be neglected? and shall therefore the whole people perish? And is it (I pray you) right and conve nyent that all souls should perpetually perish, and be slain, that the temporal and most vain pomp of such men might be preserved and maintained, and might endure and continue in her peace and quietness? Nay, it were better (for spiritual harms are most to be wayede) that six hundreth times all the bishops should perish for ever in their pride and dignity, & that all the church's collegiate, and all monasteries were plucked up by the roots/ were overthrown and utter lie destroyed (so it were done by the authority of the higher powers, than that one soul should perish/ because I will not in the mean season say that infinite souls, yea that all souls shall perish for any thing that such as they do, 
I mean no true bishops.  I pray you tell me, what profit cometh of many of the bishops that now are, 
The profit that cometh of our bishops.  or wherefore serve they, but only to live in voluptuousness and pleasures, & to play the ryotours & wantoness of other men's labour & sweet, and in the mean season with moche grievous three tenynges & with dreadful fears, to condemn, to hiss out, to cast out, and to war against the word of god? Good men they take exceeding great thought & care for themselves, and with marvelous great unquietness of mind fear and dread seditions in the temporal comen weal but as for the death of souls, being thereof all careless, & with out any manner fear or unquietness of mind, they do neglect, and pass nothing upon it. I be seche the good reader, are not these goodly wise, and exceeding bold and manly herds men of the Church. if they did receive the word of god and of truth, and did principally search for the life and safeguard of souls than the god (as the apostle saith) of patience, 
2. cor. 1.  and of comfort and hope would be with them, that they should not need to fear any seditions or rysynges of the people/ which is but their crafty cloaked excuse, to blind the eyes of the princes. But in as much as they like deaf serpent's stopping their ears, 
Psalmo. 57 deaf serpents.  will not here the word of god, but (such is their fury and madness) do rage against it with excommunications, cursings, imprysonementes with the sword, and finally with fire. I beseech you what other thing do they (as concerning their part/ with this their extreme woodness, than (which god defend (even will inly provoke that there should rise up a very great sedition, and that some certain tempest & storm should violently & suddenly come upon them which should rid them at ones out of the world. And surely if any such thing did chance unto them, yet were they nought else but to be laughed & scorned as wisdom saith in the first chapter of the proverbs.  
BEcause I have called & you have refused to come, I have stretched forth my hand, & there was none of you that would look to me, & you have despised all my counsel, & have set at nought my rebukynge: I also will laugh in your destruction, and I will mock & scorn, when that thing, which you did fear, shall be chanced & comen unto you.  
THe word of god doth not stir or raise up seditions and strives: 
They the resist the word of god be seditious persons.  but the stubborn and obynat disobedience of them which do rage against it is the cause that trouble and sedition is stirred up among the people/ and that then by such seditions that thing should happen unto them which they had deserved through their own unbelief and frowardness and wicked blindness. For who soever receiveth the word of god, that manrayseth up no manner seditions at all, albeit that he doth no longer fear those vain bugs, neither doth worship those episcopal puppets, now sins that he doth know the word of god And because that men do not fear & reverence their vain imaginations as here tofore they have done, that same is the thing if I be not beguiled, which they do call seditions, 
What the bysshpoes call sedition.  and this is the thing, that those persons do so greatly fear, which have hitherto suffered themselves to be worshipped and feared like gods, as though they had been true bishops or true herds men of the Church. 
sedition is against the word of god.  And if any man do raise up seditions or war, that man abuseth the word of god to his own affections, and to his own lust and appetite. For the word of christ or the word of god doth never cause no strife or trouble bodily: but to wicked men, and namely unto tyrants it doth oftentimes menace and show before battles and boldly destructions to ensue, as it appeareth in the books of the prophets/ But the said word doth deliver by little and little the souls from the bonds of tyrants, that they may be despised: which is of all other the most mighty and strongest remedy to break & overcome the tyranny of them. For what soever thing beginneth to be little set by, & is despised in the hearts of men, it needeth not to go about with great might & power to destroy the thing. For it is fallen even all ready & can not stand nor continue long, as it is said in the ix psalm. 
9 psalm.  So likewise this people of visures needeth none other destruction then only that it be discovered & openly showed, 
Carnan.  that it is disguised, a counterfeit, & an hypocrytal people. For this thing once known they begin to be little regarded a 'mong all men, & are forsaken. But we will here use a certain plain & family are example. In the old time the bishops mitre was a certain mystical sign & token. 
The bishops mitre.  The two horns in the top of it did signify the two testaments, the old & the new, which the bishops did bear in the top of his mind, that is to say in his understanding/ & he was cunning & well skilled in the holy scriptures as saint Paul commandeth in the first epistle to Tymothe. And the two fyllettes or labels hanging down behind at his back, 
The fyllettes or labels of the my mitre.  did betoken the office of preaching, by which he did freely & boldly pronounce & declare the scripture of both testamentis among the people, and going himself before them by holy & pure honest manner of living, did teach them to counterfeit & follow him. But now a days when we do see the bishops wearing those caps with horns, I beseech thou what shall they signify. There are certain merry conceited fellows, which do suppose that the two horns do betoken that a bishop ought to be learned in the scripturis of both testamentꝭ but the two fyllettes hanging so at all adventures behind their back, they do think to signify contrary wise, that they are exceedingly ignorant in both, & not so much as to be willing to learn them. For the principal virtue which appeareth & moste showeth itself in our bishops & cardinals is in a manner this that they are earthen pots, and scalps or skulls without brain or wit, exceeding dull and insensible, and so ignorant that one would wonder at it/ in so much that in these bitter and miserable times of the decretals, 
The times of decretals.  it hath begun to be accounted a great shame & rebuke, for a bishop to study in the Bible, & not without a cause aꝑduenture. For what should so great a prince & lord vex and trouble himself with these so painful cares, which (if I be not beguiled) do hurt both the head and also remembrance? saying that there are on every side lymoturs enough, & freers, and religious men enough on every side, which may be hired even for a loaf of breed, to declare many such good things out of the bible to him, either whiles he sitteth at dinner, or else whiles he lieth in his bed, and so with reading of such holy writ may bring the reverend & holy father a sleep/ But now in good sadness, I beseech you what other thing are our bishops, in comparison then mere visures & such manner bishops in all points, as children do make when they play: only because they can skill to spyncle dumb stones, (if god be pleased) & with frankincense cast in to the senser to make smokes, & sell smokes/ that is to wit that themselves being nought else but stockis & trees, may also consecrate and hallow trees & stockis, & that themselves being none other thing then dumb stones, may baptize stones. But they do all these things with high countenance & solemn ceremonies/ & because else peradventure they should find none the would give them the looking on of these things: they do hire them with. xl. days of pardon (no little reward god knoweth) as though they were about to consecrated or hallow churches or altars unto god/ And it is very well done forsorth, for where should god else find a dwelling place? or whether could he else flee for succour, if the devil did chase him? (if I may say so (except these profitable men, & these chaste & holy bishops did water those dumb stones, & these dumb walls with certain holy drops of war, & except they did delight his nostrils with sweat fumes & pleasant smells. And doubtless they do all things aswell as can be, according to that that becometh their persons. For in like manner in these holy days (which may well be called Festa luꝑcalia) afore the hungry fasting days we do make these men kings, 
He meaneth from Chrystenmas to Cent.  & for a sport and play clothe them in purple & gold & make them counterfeit bishops/ which in very deed are nothing else but rascals ydyotes & boys. & albeit there is no doubt the those earnest offices & works belonging unto very dysshops, such as the apostle describeth & willeth them to be, are not able to be counterfeited of children: yet not withstanding here it may be a great doubt, whether of them doth counterfeit the other, the bishops the boys, or the boys the bishops  
Now which is the true Image & form of a bishop, the apostle Paul doth describe in the third chapter of the first epistle to Tymothe.  
IF any man desire the office of a bishop or an overseer, 
The image of a true bishop.  he doth desire an honest work/ a bishop therefore aught to be unreprovable, the husband of one wife, watchful or diligent, sober discrete and lowly/ A keeper of hospytalytie/ apt to teach/ no drunkard/ no fyghter/ not dysyrouse of filthy lucre/ but equal & indyferent, hating fighting, abhorring covetousness, and a man which ruleth his own house well, and which hath his children in subieccy on and obedience with all reverence. For if it be so that a man can not skill to rule his own house: how shall the man order the church of god? he must be no novice newly entered in to the christian religion, least he be puffed up with pride, & do fall in to condempnaryon of the evil speaker/ he must also have good report among strangers and the infidels, least he do fall in to rebuke, and in to the snare of the evil speaker.  
LOnsydre now whether it be not a good work, 
The office of a Bishop.  to desire the office of a bishop, in which are so many excellent and goodly virtues. Saint Paul will not a bishop to be a novice, which hath lately come to the faith or which is little confirmed and established in the faith: least the bakbyter & evil tongued person might have occasion to judge & say/ Se what manner fool they have made ruler & overseer of so great things. But he willeth him to be a man having experience, well skilled, sad & wise, so that his evil willers may be ashamed to speak evil, yea & also can not speak evil or judge evil of him/ likewise also he must have a good report even of the Insydelles, & he must not be of vile reputation not so much as even among them: for else he shall blaughed to scorn of them, & he shall be bounden & holden in on every side, as it were with a rope. that he may neyter boldly exhort, nor say any thing, nor rebuke any thing, for asmuch as there are in himself also many things, which may be turned to his reproach, and rebuke which thing should be both a great slander to all the whole congregation, and also a great cause of offensyon to the infidels. For in the time of the apostle the christian men were mingled among heathen men.  
Wherefore it was necessary, that the life of them, & namely of the bishops should be unreprovable commendable, & on every side pure & faultless. So like wise he saith unto Tymothe in the first chapter.  
FOr this cause I left the in Crete or Candy, that thou shouldest continue and hold on to amend such things as are wanting, and that thou shouldest ordain priests in every town, as I appointed unto the. if any man be unculpable, the husband of one wife, having faithful children and not skaundred of riot, nor sturdy and unruly. For a bies shop must be faultless, as being the minister of god/ not stubborn & self willed/ not angry/ no drunkard/ no fyghter, not given to filthy jucre/ but harberfull/ a lover of good things, sober, righteous, holy, temperate, tough  cleaving unto that true word which is according to doctrine that he may be able also to exhort by wholesome doctrine, and to confute and dysprone them, that do say against it.  
☜ ☞ ❧ ❧  
LO these at the fasyons and virtues belonging unto true christian bishops, of which sort there ought to have been in every City or communalty at the least one, or two, after as necessity and need did require/ But what say you now? saying that there is a certain new fasyon, yea and a more gentle and noble example (if god be pleased) of bishops showed now a days, should these old manners and qualities, whereof the apostle doth speak, and which are worn out of use many years ago, should they (I say) belong unto these bishops? There are in the papistical bishops (if I be not beguiled) far better fasyons and virtues, whereof least any man might hereafter desire a rehearsal: I shall rehearse as many of them as I can call to remembrance, and they are commonly such as here followeth.  
THe first propriety chiefly belonging unto them is, 
The image & proꝑties of a papystystycal bishop.  to be exceedingly ignorant, & without any manner perceiving of all learning to flee & eschew matrimony or wedlock, and in stead of it to keep as many harlots as they list/ to bear in their hands a sheephook of silver bound about with a towel, to wear a mitre with horns/ to go after the manner of pageauntꝭ in processions/ to have their crown broad shaven/ to have many titles & towns & a very large dominion under their sprinkle, (for I will use their own term) to lead about with a certay ne pomp goodly palfreys, 
aspsio.  and that a great many of them, after the manner of one triumphing, to be proud with all manner pomp & gorgyousnes after the court fashion/ to keep officials/ that is to say, certain robbers & pillars of provinces, & tormentors of poor men/ to kill souls by tyranny & exconicacyons/ & (which thing I had almost forgotten) to paint & set up in every place the arms of their kynned ramping lions, & such other monuments, with a sheephook & a bishops cross put thereunto to set forth their fingers to the show, decked with goodly rings of gold to arm their hands with purple gloves, lest else they might be a cold in the mids of their ceremonies/ to sprinkle dumb stones & stocks in the churches, havig a ladder set to every wall) with I wots not what war to confirm,  
unkind, wicked/ without affection/ false accusers. ryotoures/ cruel despisers of good men/ traitors/ rash and hasty, puffed up with pride/ the lovers of pleasures, rather than the loners of god/ having the semblance and appearance of virtue and godliness, but denying the virtue and power thereof/ those that are such, do thou abhor.  
LO here (if I be not utterly beguiled) Paul hath descry bed & workmanly set forth our idle & unlearned bishops with their own meet colours. And with the same colours the apostle Peter also (whose successors the pope boasteth himself to be) doth paint them and set them out to the eye, 
Peter.  in the second chapter of his second epistle.  
THere were also false prophets among the people, like wise as there shall be among you false teachers, which shall privily bring in pervycyous & mischievous sectis, even renyeng the Lord which hath bought them, seaching unto them selves hasty destruction, and many shall follow their deadly ways, by whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of and thorughe covetousness with counterfeit words they shall make mar chaundyse of you.  
THese words can not be understanded any other wise then of the bishops & of the great platꝭ & rulers of the church. For we do see, how they have devised diverse sectis, diverse orders, diver se fations, & have brought them in to the world contrary to the doctrine of christ & of the gospel/ which things every one of them being clean out of the right and the high way of the christian faith, do prescribe and teach peculiar works and fasyons of living, by which the knowledge of christ is put away & quenched, 
christ.  and christ himself, (whom only the apostle Paul doth well near in every syllable teach unto us) is denied, which christ alone for all that did redeem us. For those good holy men do teach, that we are justified by works, and by the endevermentes of free will: where as in very deed only Chryst hath been made unto us righteousness, and sanctify cacyon, and redemption. i Cor. i. besides this they do with evil words & blasphemies rail and speaketh against the way of the gospel and of the truth, neither will they suffer their errors to be disproved, or themselves to be taught that only christ is our health, our life, and our righteousness/ Again this is more evident, then that it needeth any probations, how they all being blinded and made stark mad through covetousness, do direct altheyr whole doctrine unto this end, that all things should be given unto themselves alone/ that temples and monasteries, & cathedral churches collegyate, might be builded/ and that we should suffer them to be rich, to be well moneyed, and to have abundance of all manner things And these are lies & guiles, and these are the deceits, which they do so cover and cloak, with the colour of holy life, and of spiritual estate: and in very deed they do deny the virtue and power of true virtue and godly living. And yet for all this in the mean season every man doth so give unto them, as though they were such as did live in holy life, when in very deed it is nothing but deceit and mere hypocrisy, & these guileful simulation with out faith. So that saint Peter did not without a cause say, nay men shall follow the errors of them.  
Besides this saint Peter saith, whose judgement is not slow of coming, and their utter destruccy on doth not sleep. For if god did not spare the angels which had offended, 
angels  which had offended, but did cast them down in to hell bounden with chains of darkness to be kept there unto the judgement, neither did spare the world in old time, 
Noe.  but saved No the eight preacher of righteousness and brought in a flood over the world of wicked men/ and did bring the Cities of Sodom & Gomorre in to ashes, & did condemn them with utter destruction, and did make them an example unto all those the afterwards should work wickedly. And did deliver righteous Loth which loath was oppressed of the wicked men by their unclean & Lecherous conversation. For he being righteous both in saying and hearing, when he dwelled among them, he did daily vex his righteous soul with their wicked deeds. The lord knoweth how to deliver good & virtuous men out of temptation, and how to keep the unrighteous persons unto the day of judgement for to be punished/ namely such as following the flesh do walk in the concupisbence & lust of uncleanness & do despise the governors & rulers, being presumptuous, stubborn, & which do not fear to rail and speak evil words on them which are in high authority.  
THe apostle here in these most vehement and sore words, setteth forth unto those gretestates and lords three terrible and dreadful examples/ that is to wit of the angels, of the world, and of Sodom. But all these things are in vain showed and preached unto them. Our delicate bishops do not believe that this was spoken of them, and besides that they do not read nor hear these things.  
¶ But I beseech the good reader mark here, how well the words of Peter do agree with Paul, when he dyscrybeth their filthy & unclean life. For where he saith presumptuous stubborn: there are scantly any men, to whom those words do sooner agee. For it is they, which of all men do most set by themselves, in so much that they do despise all worldly rulers and officers, and what soever other person is of high dignity & authority in world, in comparison of themselves, & do also rail upon them & speak opprobrious words against them, For the Pope hath many years ago taken this monstrous tyranny unto himself, 
The tyranny of the Pope.  that he hath not been afraid to tread kings & princes under his feet to depose them/ to excommunicate them/ to curse them unto the four v. and. vi. generation/ and after their own pleasure to exercise all things which any manner of way what soever it be may be long & help unto extreme and wonderful tyranny, none other wise then if the princes & governors were swine or else dogs Notwithstanding that the scripture willeth all men to be subject and obedient unto the princes & governors for the public peace and tranquylytie of this life, namely for as much as they are constytuted and ordained to serve the divine ordinance as ministers of the sword. And yet nevertheless there are found some kings and princes so faint hearted, & of so little manfulness and courage, that they do fear these harmless thunders and vain cursing, and do humbly beseech & obtain the extreme and uttermost foolishness and insensy by little that they may be blessed again (for so they call it) of the Pope I wots not with what charms or conjurations and words appointed for the same purpose only: that is to wit to the end that that cruel presumption, and that wonderful tyranny of his (as though he were not mad enough of his own swing) might by the reason hereof the sooner gather power & strength, and with those most vain deceits of cursings might deceive all the whole world. Besides this the bishops do stoutly and manfully help the Pope, and so do all the great lords belonging to the Pope/ & they be in very deed the despisers of all rulers & potestates, which will in no wise be subject to any manner high power, neither in body neither in goods, but only they being presumptuous & stubburue and more than wood do on every side make business & rage to excommunicate and curse all kings, and princes, and other which are in authority.  
¶ Tell me I beseech you, hath not our Peter here largely and plainly touched our most delicate & tender bishops? I pray you of what other persons may these words be understanded, that they are not subjects nor obedient unto the rulers? that they speak evil of kings and princes? briefly that being presumptuous & stubborn they do fear no man? is it not openly known to the world, who they be, that commit these lewd deeds? Besides this Peter saith.  
WHen the angels themselves which are greater in might & power do not receive of the lord judgement with evil words against themselves. 
1. petri. 2.  But these persons as brute beasts naturally ordained to be taken & destroyed, speaking evil of those things which they understand not, shall perish in their own destruction, and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness: and they do account it a pleasure, if they do live deliciously/ they be spots and filthy which feasting and banqueting together in their errors do play the ryotours of your goods having their eyes full of adultery, and which can not cease to sin, beguiling and alluring to sin unstable souls having also their hearts exercised with ravines and extorsyons.  
☞ ❧ ❧ ☜  
Behold how vehement and sore this excellent apostle is here, how hot he is, how he is kindled, & how he casteth out pure flames of fire/ I beseech you, who are they which do live in pleasures and riotousness of other men's goods? who (I say) are they which supposen it to be sufficient to care only for themselves and for those things which do belong unto themselves Who be they, which do live (as Peter saith) like brute beasts? and whom no man hitherto durst be bold to rebuke, yea or ones to admonish and tell them of their defaults/ I pray thee, needeth this place any gloze or declaracy on at all? Is it not openly & evidently known that bishoprics, cathedral Churches, monasteries, universities, in which holy scripture is not sincerely taught principally before all things, are nothing else but a certain unsatiable and bottomless whyrlepole, which swal lowen up the riches of kings, of princes, of dukes, of earls, of the common people, and to be short of all the world? Is it not evident enough, that this sort of men have come unto these so great goods and riches, not by their own in dustrye & labour, but through other men's foolishness, and a certain madness of giving unto them? They verily them selves (as they be naturally lovers of themselves, and do stand in their own conceit) would swear deeply, that themselves are the most noble sort, and the most fine & pure flower of all the men that are in the whole world, and Peter yet for all that calleth them openly and plainly spots, filths, and pestilences. And these also are they which do rail and speak opprobrious words against the truth, & do condemn it whereof yet they be ignorant and have no knowledge. For they being all together drenched in their human, yea devilish opinions, and in their most filthy living, and being all together carnal and brutysshe are made insensible, and utterly partles & ignorant of faith and of ghostly things. But yet for all that they do allure and beguile unstable souls with those their enticements and pleasures of riches and honours. For hitherto they have aspired unto bishoprics to benefices, and to abbotshyps and pryorshyps, & have panted for the love of idleness and ease, and for the hatred of the holy cross, for the most part, which in the flower of their youth were most honest good and virtuous. For even now a days also many foolish and wicked fathers & mothers do bryngeup their sons & their doughtes for the same purpose, 
The foolishness of fathers & mothers  that they should enter in to these manners of living, not verily for the love of god or of virtuous & good living, but only that (as they call it) they may be well provided for, and sure of a living/ and that of other men's goods they may live idly in all manner delyciousnes and pleasures/ that is to wit, that they need not to get their living with their own hands, and their bread or sustenance with the sweat of their face, unto which thing all men are bounden.  
¶ Now they have their heart exercised with covetousness and ravines, 
Sene. 3.  as every man perceiveth for they never make any end of devising & finding out crafts, and subtyleties: whereby they may catch unto themselves the goods of all the world. And to this buying and selling and get ting of lucre, 
buying & selling of spiritual things.  they do (which is abominable) abuse god, the sacraments, the mass, and all spiritual things though I pass over in the mean season what things they do exhort, and get from men by usury, lies, frauds and guiles. But if thou do ask, who they be that have the full eyes of an adulteres without doubt the apostle here rebuketh the most filthy and a very strumpets life, which they do lead. 
An adulteres.  For even likewise as an adulteress is passed all shame, & with full & wanton eyes looketh round about upon every man, being set forth & ready to serve the fleshly lust of every manner man/ even so are they also without shame, moche like unto an adulteress, which have laid away shamefastness for ever. For they are given all together unto filthy lechery, in which they do live careless at liberty, and without the rebukes of any man Besides this saint Peter saith.  
THey are the children of malediction or cursing, which have forsaken the right way & gone a wrong way, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, which loved the reward of wickedness, but he was rebuked of his wickedness. The tame dumb beast speaking with man's voice did forbid & let the madness of the prophet. These are fountains lacking water, and clouds carried about of a tempest.  
FOr likewise, as Balaam was rebuked of the Ass, even so do we see covetousues to reign among them with so great madness and unshamefastness, that even the unleraned common people do now begin to cry against it, and hereof hath taken up a comen proverb, 
The common proverb.  which is this. He is more covetous (say they of a covetous person) than other priest or monk. Bryeflye there is no man, which doth not for their covetousness most odyously speak against them, and give them evil words. But I pray you how fearful a thing is this, that Peter calleth them openly the sons of malediction Who else durst call the Pope of Rome, & the bishops with their under officers, a cursed people? Now peter that so excellent apostle, yea and the holy ghost by Peter doth call them, and doth curse them/ Who now would not be sorry and tremble in his heart, that ever he hath given & bound himself to this cursed kind & manner of living? Oh I say, who soever may let him eschew let him eschew, now in these days, these manners of lyvyuge of priests, & freers, and of such other. Afterwardis he doth again gaily garnish the bishops with their meet titles. For what other thing is meaned here by a fountain without water, 
A fountain without water.  and a cloud without rain: then by a bishop without ministration of the word of god? For this office lieth unto the bishops charge, and yet they do not fulfil it accordingly/ much like as the dry and broken wells have the name of a fountain or well, & do occupy the place of a well, & yet for all that give no water at all. And the clouds, which troubled with the wind are carried & driven fro one place to another, are in deed in the air in stead of very cloudis: & yet they do not give somuch as one drop of moisture So likewise our bishops also being tossed with the wind of glory are in deed in the high room of the very Apostles/ but yet for all that they be moved & driven according to all that cogitations of the devil/ & they be greatly advanced in the honours & pleasures of this world but they send down no drops of moisture. They preach nothing at all/ wherefore there is reserved for them also ifernall darkness for evermore. But if thou wilt say unto me how can they be called fountains without water & clouds without rain, in asmuch as they do enough & more then enough fill and replenish all the world with their teaching and do on every side with loud voice speak great things? Peter maketh answer & granteth that without doubt they do preach to much, to the great hurt of all the world: and he saith furthermore.  
FOr when they have vehemently spoken proud words of vanity, they beguile & allure men through lusts of the pleasure of the flesh, such as were clean escaped, such as are in error, whiles they do promise unto them liberty, and yet they are themselves the bond servants of corruption.  
HEre he showeth the cause, why he doth compare & liken them to Balaam, 
Balaam  and he describeth the nature of their doctrine. wherefore let us look upon this somewhat steadfastly & with good advisement. 
Nun 24 et. 31.  Moses writeth in the book of Numeri in the xxiiii. and xxxi chapters, how that Balaam made motion to the king Balach, he should set up an Idolle called Baal peor and instytude and ordain sacrifices, in which certain women & maids should after the manner of comen women stand forth ready to satisfy the fleshly lusts of all manner persons, in the honour of the god Baal/ & that he should provoke the children of Israel to idolatry and fornication, and so by that means might bring the wrath and indignation of god upon them/ when he could by none other ways overcome, whose counsel king Balach did follow & obey. So then the children of Israel enticed by the women of the madyanites, did sacrifice with them to the Idolle Peor/ & after that they had given themselves most shamefully to lechery and gluttony, they were deceived with the flattering words and behaviour of the women. wherefore god being disposed & angry, caused the princes and rulers to be hanged against the son, and he slew. xxiiii. M. persons. Lo the author and beginner of this so great & abominable sin was Balaam so great a prophet/ Lo this great offence committed he, which not long afore had preached so godly things. But for as much as the apostle Peter doth refer and apply all these things unto our bishops, let us now consider more largely of this matter. What manner Idolle Baal Peor was, 
Baal peor  the scripture doth not so plainly declare, albe it that in the xxi chapter of Ezechyell it doth somewhat touch of the wonderful, and unsatiable fleshly lust of that spiritual adulteres/ when it doth most sharply rebuke her for that she did desire and lust after the flesh of horses.  
ANd she was made (saith he) with lust to lie by them, 
Ezech. 21.  whose flesh are as the flesh of Asses, & the flux & issue of them as the flux or issue of horses.  
Author's do say, 
Priapus  that this same Idolle was Priapus of the which matter all together, I had moche liefer hold my tongue then to speak any thing at all not but that it might be uttered penned & spoken well enough (so it were done with honest shamefastness & reverence were not for the capcyousnes of certain persons which when they can fide off their long poring and pryeng) no fault or challenge in the argument or matter, will be right glad otherwise to find some thing, which (albeit unworthily) they may with some feigned colour of honest & virtuous pretense, deprave & calumpnyate. Therefore who so listeth to know more of the filthy rites and ceremonies of this detestable Idolle priapus or Baal Peor, used at the matrimony of honest matrons among the gentiles before Christ'S nativity, Let him resort to a book of. 
De civitate dei. fib. 6. ca 9  S. augustine's, entitled De civitate dei. where the holy doctor, is not ashamed (for why should he) no more thenne men needed to be now a days, if the devil did not rage's so sore in his membres, to show the detestable sacrifice done unto this abominable god filthy lechery and uncleanness/ Baal peor or Priapus. The which abomination every whit notwithstanding, was done & committed under the cloaked colour of a ghyhe sacrifice offered unto god. where note to what great in convenience, the blind nature of man is brought unto, and carried headlong, by the hypocrisy of feigned religion, and painted holiness, when he hath not the word of god, to testify with him that his service is good and godly, 
The blindness of man.  yea what thing can be imagined or devised so fowl so abominable, and shameful/ but men may be persuaded unto it: so that religion & holiness be feigned & pretended, under the abuse of the blessed & most worshipful name of god: is not this a thing more than miserable, more than horrible, in so foul and so abominable a thing as was this sacrifice of Priapus to misuse the name of god? and by that cloak & pretence so many thousands of souls to be seduced, beguiled & led out of the right way? And yet god in the mean season held his peace, 
Note here the great sufferance of god.  and suffered his name in ungodly and shameful wise to be polluted and blasphemed, to the intent that to those which were unkind, and had forgotten his grace and favour, so great blindness, & so exceeding great error should be as a reward and a recompensacyou of their wickedness, likewise as they had deserved/ And look if it have not been even so among us christian men For what soever thing that wicked tyrant the Priapus of Rome, 
Priapus of Rome.  & those sons of malediction the bishops & doctors, the hold of his doctrine, learning & law, dare either devise or feigned & imagined, & offer unto us: that thing forth with we do receive & embrace & do think it sufficient. And the for nothing else, but only because they do pretend the name of god, & therewith do cover & cloak their priapyshe doctrine & sacrifice. And when they praise their inventions only with great titles, calling them holy virtuous & christian devices established by the church of god: we forth with do run upon them in all the haste, & do receive them never so much as one's bethynking us or consydringe whether it be also commanded of god or standing with his scripturis so that this comen proverb came not up for nought, 
A proverb.  neither is itused without a cause/ In the name of the lord is be gone all mischief & ungraciousness But god did in especial threaten and forbid this very diligently that we should not rashly & undiscretely receive every manner thing, that is offered unto us under the pretence & colour of his name, and as it were showing and painting with his finger the Pope & his bishops of our time, he saith in the xxiiii chapter of Mathewe.  
MAny men shall come in my name, and shall say, I am christ, and shall beguile many, & lead them out of the right way.  
ANd for this cause, also he did so dy gently provide & ordain that we should not take his name in vain in to our mouth, or otherwise abuse it/ again he hath also taught us to parye in this wise.  
" ¶ hallowed be thy name. That is to say, 
The name of god  grant that the holy and worshipful name of god may coutynue holy and in honour, & only be applied unto those things/ which are truly holy, and truly godly, and so that we may not be seduced & beguiled by the name of god, but that we may be saved by it/ And that by all these things is signified that incredible pestilence and calamity of human traditions, 
Priapus was a figure of the pope's traditions, as proveth Moses. Deute. 4.  wherewith god now doth punish and scourge the world by the Pope & his clyentꝭ. first Moses showeth & declareth it in the four chapter of Deuteronomium, when he saith.  
YOu shall not add unto the word which I do speak unto you, neither shall you take away any thing therefro/ keep you the commandments of your Lord god, which I do command and teach unto you/ And immediately after it followeth. For your eyes have seen, what god hath done to the Idol Peor, And how he hath destroyed the worshypers of it, and hath taken them from among you.  
Now why should Moses put Baal Peor for an example most specially afore all other things, when he doth command that they should neither add any thing to the word of god, nor minish any thing thereof: except it were becanse he would openly show that human traditions are nothing else but an Idol Peor? 
Man's traditions  For these do take away the law of god, and do add human things. Likewise as even at these days the Pope hath suppressed, or at the least wise hath neglected and despised almost all the commandments of god, and hath added his own human abominations as patches sowed thereunto. 
The here tycall doctrine of the papists.  For (as we have said often times) the papists do teach, that it is no need that god be loved with the whole heart: so by this is taken away the first commandment/ again they do teach, 
The papists destroy all god's commandments.  that faith is not sufficient to justification, but that good works are required unto rightwiseness so by this the second & third precept falleth to ground. Besides this they do teach the sons to be dysobedyent unto the fathers & mothers, as themselves are to the high governors & rulers: (as we have said heretofore) by this is taken away the fourth precept/ Also they teach that it is not needful to love our enemies: by this they do teach wrath and hatred be of strength, against the .v. precept. Moreover they have invented and devised innumerable means and crafts both of knitting or cowpling matrimony, and also of devorsing or departing matrimony: by this is annulled & put away the six commandment. Besides all these things, they do teach to get and to hold & keep still other men's goods, other men's things, and money gotten by usury, contrary to the vii precept. Also all their hole doctrine is false witness: contrary to the viii precept. So under that Idol the Priapus of Rome there is no precept of god any longer safe: but all are abrogate and put away. On the other side he hath added and put to of his own, how that by the habits of his religious ordres, by sects begging songs, organs, franken sense, smokes, bells, loud noise belowynges or rorynges, pardons, satisfactions/ & by such other visible things, the favour of god is purchased and the works of rightwiseness are fulfilled, which things every one of them god doth hate and abhor, and will not know the best them, if they be done without faith, as all the prophets do openly witness/ wherefore even the doctrine also of him is very Baal Peor/ Here unto Moses also is consonant & very well agreeing, 
The manner of Baas honour and sacrifice. Nun. 25  when he describeth the sacrifice and manner of worshipping Baal Peor. How it was done all together in gluttony & lechery. For the gentiles or paynims were fallen in to so extreme blindness, 
The blindness of the gentiles.  that in the honour of that Idol, they did most shame fully set forth their own wives & their fairest daughters as comen women to serve the beastly lust of who soever would, and it was the comen manner and custom, that every man should take his pleasure, and satisfy his abominable lust upon every woman that was nearest unto him, after the manner and fashion of beasts and dogs. 
Cosbi.  And Moses writeth of Cosbi the daughter of a certain prince, how as she was using the filthy pleasure of the flesh with a certain prince & governo ' of Israel, both she & he as they were joined together in that filthy act doing, were stricken through with a dagger by a priest named Phynees, 
Psalmo. 105.  of whom the psalm also maketh mention.  

¶ Phynees pacyfyed etc. 
Phinees.   
briefly that most wretched people was so blinded, that they did also like themselves well, and did stand in their own conceit, as often times as they did offer to this Idol their best sons, and their most tender daughters/ even likewise as now a days that Idol the Priapus of Rome doth with his doctrine corrupt and defile the sons of great estates, and the daughters of princes, whiles he doth entice & allure them in to monasteries or houses of religion, which do ween the theirselves do very well in their wicked opinion to be justified by entering in to the same, and that they do follow godliness and the right way of good living albeit they be never so far from the gift of contynauncie. Now all the whole scripture in every place calleth the madness of them which do bind their conscience captive to the traditions of men and in them lie tumbling, 
Spunall fornication & who redome.  letting the commandment of god go, whoredom and fornication And god in all the prophets doth rebuke the synagogue which for saking him the very god, 
synagogue.  doth commit fornication with the doctrines of men, and with the masters or teachers of human traditions. So that bodily filthiness and uncleanness of Baal Peor, may signify none other thing, then spiritual adultery and fornication, by which souls are defiled & are led away from the simplicity of the faith and from the knowledge of christ, 
The sauce is a spiritual virgin & conceiveth the word of god by faith.  in to the confidence of works for every soul the scripture doth call a spiritual virgin or spouses, that is to wit verily, because of faith, in which she being great and full with the holy ghost doth conceive the words of god, & in which same faith also the holy ghost making plenty full the seed of the word of god, 
faith is the mother of truth.  doth make her the mother of truth that is to say doth make her full of true & substantial good works, and of the fruits of true pity and godliness. Besides this the nature and propriety of the name doth meruayllouslve well agre unto this matter and purpose. For Baal in the hebrew tongue signifieth a man, 
The iterpretation of Baal.  and the such a manner man which doth by any means cleave to a woman, as if a woman did say, this is my man, whether he be her lawful husband, or else one to whom she is concubine. And likewise as we do say of an harlot, that she hath many men: 
Baal.  so Baal doth signify & betoken a man wholly addecte & given to women, and a householder/ so that this word doth signify in his proper signification not any manner man, but a man which is given to women, and a speaker & governor of a household. For else a man which is meet to govern the common weal, or to make war, or to do any other manner earnest & weighty business: 
Isch/ Enosch. Beelzehuh. Accaron.  is in hebrew tongue called Isch or Enocsh. So the jews did call the Idol Accaron Beelzebub, that is to say the man or husband of flies: that is to wit a man nothing worth & without all might or strength scarcely worthy to have even a fly to his wife. In the latin tongue such a manner man is called maritus or coniunx (not vir, or mass) and the same is Baal in the hebrew tongue. ¶ Now Peor and phegor betokeneth an opening or gaping, 
Neor. Phegor.  and it belongeth properly to the mouth. Wherefore Baal Peor in the hebrew tongue, doth betoken in Englys she, men which have their mouths always gaping: and such for the most part are fools without any wit reckless, sloth full, dastards, desirous of women's company, & nothing meet to any sad or earnest business/ And therefore unto this filthy Idol this name Baal Peor was very well and accordingly given: 
Baal peor.  because it was on every behalf filthy and unclean, and or deigned only to filthiness & bawdry/ For what other thing should it mean that, that image was graven in such manner filthy & shameful fashion: but only that it should signify a slothful man and a foolish, and such one as were greatly desirous of the company of women? likewise as the image of one in complete harness & with a salad on his head, doth signify a man apt & meet for wars and battles/ And albeit that fervent fautoures of bishop of Rome do commit all these spiritual adulteries & for nycacyons, as we shall hear hereafter: yet for all that (if I should not lie (they be so strong and mighty and as it were twice married, that some of them do in very deed play the adulterers, & that notably as men say even with their bodies also. For I pray you for the love of god tell me what is the profit that cometh of this holy and godly people? Are they not in very deed Baal Peor, that is to say reckless and foolish idle men? For what other thing can they skill of, or what other thing do they, save only ride upon well fed, and fat palfreys: 
if not chastely yet warily.  & keep fair wenches your not chastely yet warily (for I will use their own wise term) with whom they may lie (god wot to avoid all manner feres that happen in the night. So then they are pure Baal peors and do continue always Baal peors, and yet nevertheless in the mean season they do busily make this colour and semblance to beguile men with all, as though they did govern the church in spiritual things, and did convey souls in to heaven, & as though it were they alone, which do pluck up and rid away errors and heresies with great diligence & care. ¶ Wherefore this Idol spiritually is nothing else, but the holy canon law, 
The Canon law  and the doctrine of the Pope & the crafty maintainers of the same. For this is that filthy and unclean image, in which the souls do lose their virginity, that is to say in which they learn to trust in works, & to leave & forsake the chastity and purity of the righteousness of faith/ which the Apostle calleth the simplicity, which is in christ Ihesu.  
¶ Wherefore also the Pope should of right be called not the pope, but Priapus: 
1. Co. vi.  and the papists not papists, 
Priapystes.  but priapystes And likewise as it was a very filthy and a shameful thing/ and even also plain against alreason and that comen judgement of men, that the paynims should so set up an image of extreme uncleanness or ribaldry, by which men were provoked unto lechery, and by twice more filthy & stinking use thereof did worship this Idol as it were with comen & solemn ceremonies. So in like manner and a thousand times worse, and a thousand times more filthy and unclean is the doctrine, the manner and usage of the papists, which by their Bulls & by their doctrine do allure and draw the consciences of men unto confidence & trust in works/ to pardons & satisfactions: weening that then principally they have done excellent and high honour and service unto god, if by inventing and devising very many works and traditions of works, they do daily increase this spiritual fornication: as though the god of glory, and of sovereign Majesty were made this Idol of rybaldrye & uncleanness/ when in very deed the true honour & service of god, 
The true honour & service of god.  & that true spiritual chastity standeth or resteth in faith only, & in the works which god by grace doth work in us. So we do see through out all the world that the papists do set souls upon this Idol of Priapus, and do fill the world with such manner spiritual uncleanness and monstrous kinds of spiritual lechery. For they do set up the mere doctrines & works of men in the holy place, where only the word of god ought to reign. And likewise as that abominable image of Priapus is made like unto a young man most shameless, desirous of woman's company, even so that papistical Idol also, 
The doctrine of men.  that is to wit that doctrine of men, is a certain madness and fury continually raging in polluting of minds, and in vyolating & defiling the chastity of faith. For we do see with how great labour and diligence, 
Nota.  with how great striving/ yea even yet at this day in England, the papists do nosell the silly poor people in their doctrine, but after such manner, that by their wills they will not be a known thereof, and so craftily (as they think) that no man can perceive them, albeit in that mean time every fool may espy them. We see (I say) how wood they are, and how they rage, as it were men vexed offends, as often times as their doctrine is judged or examined and tried by the rule of holy scry ptures. For they would not that so much as one soul should escape that stews of spiritual lechery, and those fowl bordello houses, & that fowl lust, wherein they do continually burn to maintain their Idol, and so to provide that there shall not one soul keep the chastity of her faith. This is signified by the name Baal, 
Baal.  that is to say a man given to love of women, that is to wit, because such manner doctrine of men is only ordained to the polluting, corrupting, and defiling of souls.  
¶ This same also is signified by the word Peor/ that is to say a gaping mouth. 
Peor.  For they will not hearken nor give ears that they may here the word of god but only that stubborn, dysobe dyente, and shameless mouth, with continual gaping doth bark forth human doctrines. For they only will teach and give laws in the church, & they require & look that theirselves only should be herd, & that themselves only should be taken for bishops & overseers/ And this is the cause, why they do outwardly pretend so goodly and glorious names with so many colours and deceitful hypocryses where as in very deed they are nothing else but Peor/ that is to say men full of tongue, babblers tryflres, and shameful liars (as saint Paul saith in the first epistle to Tymothe.)  
Willing or desiring to be teachers of the law, & yet they do not understand what things they do speak, nor of what things they do affirm.  
By these things we may now understand the words of the apostle Peter, why, and for what cause he doth compare and liken the Pope & his privy bishops and secret friends unto the prophet Balaam. 
Balaam  For first this word Balaam in the hebrew signifieth a devourer, likewise as the papists also have devoured & swallowed up the riches of the whole world. secondarily like wise as Balaam for respect of money, or for rewards sake gave counsel unto king Balach, that he should set up the Idol Baal peor, and did beguile the people of Israel, and let them ou● of the right way: even so saith the Apostle, that that papists whether they been privy or known, and such other men do follow the ways of Balaam: and also do raise or set up the Idol Baal peor for filthy lucre's sake. For as we see, what soever human doctrine there is, it is every whit ordained to th'end, to gather riches, to increase worldly substance/ briefly to get plentiful lucre and advantage as we see in the king doom of the Pope and his. On the other side the word of god or the gospel, 
The gospesscan get no money.  or the word of the cross is barren & unfruitful to bring forth any lucre or gains. For there is no man but he flieth from the cross, & every man greatly hateth tribulations and adversity, which do always accompany and follow the word of god. For the apostle could not of all the scripture have found out a more meet example to describe and set forth the filthy and the double wicked life of Rome & of the romanists, than this Balaam. For I pray you what other thing is all the whole kingdom of the Pope and his upholders where soever they be and all the whole wicked monarchy of him and his, 
The monarchy of the pope.  than covetousness & greedy desire to gather gold, than money, money, money? for all things are there so ordered and appointed, that they may bring in lucre. For how tyrannously the pope with these byenges & sellynges, with suits about prebends, with the whirling processes of the rote at Rome, with so many palles & coats belonging to the bishops, hath pilled, made bare beggared the world: the thing itself, that is to wit the extreme poverty of all christendom doth evidently witness & declare. How beit those losses of money & goods were not to be passed upon, if he had not set up this Idol of his devylisshe & wicked doctrine and called away all the whole world from very god unto idolatry, only for this execrable & most filthy lucre. For therein that Balaam of Rome & his doth most hurt, and teacheth spiritual adulteries & fornications, by which god is provoked to wrath & vengeance. So that not only (as Moses writeth) xxiiii M. do perish & are destroyed: 
Humeri. xxvi.  but innumerable souls and consciences are slain and dampened if they persist in his doctrine. Furthermore the apostle saith, the they do speak exceeding proud and dysdaynfull words. Without doubt by these words he doth signify and rebuke that wicked doctrine, of the Pope and his, as if he should say the doctrine of them is up and down the veryeryghte Baal peor. For the masters and teachers of that doctrine with marvelous pride, & with great gaping and opening of the mouth do preach and teach things unfruitful and whereof shall come no profit at all. I beseech you is not this opinion commonly rooted in men's minds? and hath it not been so used in our time, as though only the life of Monks, freers, & priests, were the very right way unto salvation and heaven? No man durst hope to be saved, except he were one of those holy saints or else at the least wise did buy heaven of them. And they their own selves dare very boldly hope to be saved, & dare sell salvation unto other being exceedingly shameless: likewise as they do openly excerse merchandise, selling Masses, fastyngis, prayers, and good works done in their Monasteries, as though by these means they should convey other men in to heaven/ are not these great things I pray you? but what is hid under the royal & goodly cloak & pretence: Nothing else but hypocrisy, stark lies, and craftis & deceits romish falsehood, guiles, flattering slayghtes, briefly snares & grins of the devil. For in all that whole wicked and ungodly people is there not one crumb of faith or fidelity: but all their holiness standeth in their shaven crowns/ in their long robes, in saying or singing of Psalms in the diversity of garments or habits, in hyocrytyse fastings, in bells, in the smokes of the sensers, in such things as these (I say) resteth all their holiness. And of these things they do challenge and take unto themselves those noble titles: of spiritual state, of holy ordres, of priests & bishops as though they should be means between god & other men, that is to wit making their own selves new medyatoures or means, least that only mediator, whom god hath ordained & appointed, Chryst Jesus' were not yvough for all sufficient, but had lain him down to sleep. 
1. Timothe .2.  O Balaam the son of belial god give the short time to continue with thine abominable Idol, which gathering & scraping together money on every side dost kill and slay souls. Besides this the apostle saith, the by so goodly a colo & so glorious a cloak & pntemce they do only allur & draw men unto the lustis desyrꝭ of the flesh, in so much the those men are compelled to live in error which sometime had truly escaped. I verily do not doubt, that the spyryteof god doth here by the mouth of peter rebuke not one error alone, or one sin and abomination alone but doth touch and rebuke all the whole heap of sins & vices, which lieth hid under the goodly colour and hypocrisy. For we see how wide and largely the religion of men of the church doth extend and stretch itself, how many sects it doth contain, which sects are equally bounden all the rabble of them to chaster not without a religious and a devout oath. when notwithstanding the scripture and with daily experience doth teach, that perpetual chastity is an high gift of god far above the power and strength of nature, which gift chanceth but even to very few holy and spiritual men also. But our bishops here being blind & maddo con on headlong, & do bind all manner psones indifferently with this bond, none otherwise than if chastity were a very easy thing and light to be kept of every man/ and so with those high praises of virgynytie & of their spiritual state (for they so do call it) they do allure & draw silly youth in to their nets of their single life, 
The fruits of the pope's chastity.  which youth then afterwards doth defile itself continually with fowl lechery and unclean lusts. And hereof it is that we dose them both men and women, which being letted and holden in within the prisons of monasteries, & with iyerne locks and grates can not have the company of man or woman, to sin more fylthelye & more abhomynablie (saving reverence) in sodomytrie or buggery, than a man dare be bold to utter or express. For albeit they do never so moche contain outwardly, as concerning the bodily act: 
Nota.  yet that notwithstanding they do inwardly foil & burn with unclean lust so that among them either there is whoredom under the colour & cloak of spiritual & ecclesiastycal life, or at the least wise there is constrained & tyrannously extorted chastity. And of a surety, there are more grievous jeopardies of consciences & greater calamity & misery there, than any man may either express with his tongue or think with his heart, & this is it the Peter rebuketh here, when he saith.  
THey allure & draw men with pleasuris of the flesh through concupyscences and lusts.  
AS though he did say of those our bishops & priests In deed they do preach many things of the spiritual & ecclesiastycal state, & they do marvelously praise & magnify chaslytie: but with those their fair & pleasant words they do beguile silly poor young men & women, & do lead them & all other in to the mids of the filthy stinking pump of lechery & unclean lusts, which a little before through baptism had truly escaped the power of sin and of the devil, and had begun well in the christian faith and in the gospel. 
Why so many con to religion.  For hereof it is that so many men do run so headlong & blyndlye in to these kinds of living: because they do suppose that baptism & the virtue thereof is lost through actual sin, and doth work nothing any longer in them. And hereof also it is that they do not regard but do despise faith, 
faith.  as a vain & a trifling thing without any fruit or profit (which for all that is the only thing that doth justify) and they do take upon them a more holy and a more pure manner of living, and (as it appeareth to them) also a more spiritual and a more high kind of living, that is to wit to live sole and chaste. And then this thing without faith & without the spirit is unpossible for them to do, and so they are cast down in to the mids of this deep dungeon of misery & wretchedness, for it is possible that the devil may for the space of one year or two, yea & also sometime of hole ten years suffer such manner men to be quiet (howbeit this happeneth very seldom) but yet for all the the same men at length do not continue chaste, unless they do learn faith and Christ, or else do get some higher gift. For the devil hath that man, who soever he be, 
A man without faith.  which is without faith, so surely & so fast bound in the snares of lechery & unclean lusts: that he need not to lie in wait, or to use his devilish crafts about them, wherefore he doth so mock him, and doth suffer him for a certain season to live quietly, yea in so much that he beginneth also to have great delight and pleasure in chastity: but yet he is more than sure that the man can not escape out of his snares without faith and the spirit, or else some spiritual gift of god, namely saying that even those men also have business enough & much work to keep themselves upright and unovercomen in this behalf, which are spiritual in very deed, and which trusting and being bold upon their manly & strong courageous faith, always watchful, & standing up right do continually wrestle and fight with him continually. Bryesly take this for sure and undoubted, that all that so highly praised chastity and contynencie of ecclesiastical persons, 
The chastity of alecclesyastycal persons/ which have not the faith that justfieth  whose hearts are not purified & raised up with faith (as all the priests for the most part are ignorant of christ) is nothing else but mere hypochrisye & devilish deceit, by which they do allure youth into most great jeopardies, when in the mean season no good thing at all is hid under this goodly and deceitful semblances or appearance. And would to god that now an hundred monasteries were brought unto one, and that of one hundred churches collegyate there were left scantly one or two, and the same to be instituted and ordained for a school of chryscen youth, and not for a gage or place to boast and she we forth ceremonies in. Believe me this so great and so excellent Apostle did not speak in vain & for nought, wherefore as I have said always even so I say again now, who soever may, let him keep himself even as far away from all manner bonds of religion, from all monasteries and temples, where the scripture & faith is not earnestly taught, and where soever Christ is not taught, and spiritual works are exercised both day & night, as he would from a pestilence. For it is not possible to be otherwise, but that these monasteries and churches both cathedral & collegiate are the gates of hell: 
Cathedral churches.  if the gospel be not there continually preached and sincerely taught. And except the gospel do reign in such places, and be exercised by the cross, by temptations and tribulations, always through most sure and upright hope and most lively faith: it is not possible, but that all things there done are and must be corrupt, hypochritycall, and devilish, how soever holy they appear in sight. Neither is there in such a place any hope of counsel or remedy. Wherefore good reader, I do oftentimes lovingly admonish, and heartily exhort thee, flee flee (wilt thou that I shall speak it a thousand times?) flee and eschew the estate of religious men, which is so chosen, sought and invented by the madness and vanity of man's counsel, without scripture, without the bidding, without the comaun dement and word of god. 
True chastity.  To the keeping of true chastity, first there is need of a lively, effectual, strong, proved, tried, and very angelical gift, which may of a certain efficacy and strength properly belonging unto itself, & of her own courageous force coming by the grace of god carry up the spirit above the flesh, and which also may rule and command desires and affections, and which may as it were a certain very hot fire, dry up the issues & flowings of the flesh, and bring a man in that case, that he begin to set light by this life, and by himself, in a manner turned by the gift of god in to an angely call nature.  
ANd except that god, with the most free & passing high gift of contynencie or chastity in body & mind do gird in and hold under his reins: it is but labours all in vain, to go about by any might or power of man to bridle or subdue the flaming heat of the flesh. But those mad men and utterly ignorant of faith & spirit, and also unskilled of spiritual things, do go about to provide for these things, and to remedy them by their cold works, with fastings, with habits or vestures, with prayers set & appointed, with the prysonnes of monasteries or religious houses, 
A similitude.  none otherwise than if one would go about to stop the river of Thaymes of his course, with a bank made of straw, leaving in the mean season the spring or head of it unstopped. This fellow that would so do, might ꝑaduenture sooner destroy the lands lying near, with the over flowing of the said river: them stop or let the course of the same. So these men do leave unto nature her natural flowings, whiles they do not teach the knowledge of the gift of chastity, & yet do go about with eating of fish and with diversity and choice of garments, and with the prisons of monasteries, to stop and keep under the said nature, that she shall not break forth in to issues or flowings: when that natural power and that natural desire to continue and increase his kind is so deeply rooted and grounded in the flesh that it can not by any power or strength of man be plucked up & put away. and so the goodly and excellent purity of their chastity is this only, to keep themselves unmarried: 
The chastity of the papistical spirituality.  but yet nevertheless in the mean season to follow fleshly lusts, commonly being the worst livers of all other. And so it is true that Peter the Apostle saith, that with their goodly hypochrisy, & with their high and glorious praises of this coloured and painted chastity, they do allure & beguile the comen people, & very many unskylled young men, making them to believe that by this spiritual (for so they call it) estate & by works they shall be chaste and holy, and do most high honour and service unto god, and this is that error of all other far the worst in the which they are compelled to live, which a little before were delivered from all error through baptism & the faith of Christ. Is not this then a goodly and an excellent praise of priests and religious men, which so great an Apostle giveth unto them: that is to say, that the life of them is nothing else, but great & goodly sounds of words, under which there is no good thing hid or meaned, under which manner of living also most fowl uncleanness and most gross sins are covered, & with which them selnes do seduce and lead christian men from the high way of faith, and from the knowledge of Chryst, in to cumbrous & inextrycable mazes of errors? if I should paint & set out bishops, priests & religious persons with such manner colonrs, I should be proclaimed. cccccc. times an heretic, and these praters of vain things (I should have said preachers of divine things) would cry our a thousand times & more. To the fire, to the fire. Thou canst not deny (say they) but that many saints, as Augustyne, saint barnard, and Francyske, did profess this manner of living, what thereof? (I say) you blind guyders, do you not see, the those father's Barnard, Augustyne, & such other holy men were saved not by their works, not by these orders, so as you do ween: 
How the ofde fathers esteemed outwatde works.  but by that knowing of christ but by faith? & that they did not account or take these outward exercises for that way & cause of salvation: but only for an outward exercise to chastise & subdue the pride & rebellion of that flesh. Let this therefore be sufficient to us now that we have open & plain testimonies of that most excellent Apostles Peter & Paul, which have describe & have set forth to our eyes that papists with all their wicked life & doctrine: that is to wit, that they are that sons or children of malediction & monsters of that world, but denies of the earth, to be shoned & eschewed of all those which are the lovers of true virtue & good living But what Christ himself, and what the prophets isaiah/ Hieremie/ and Ezechiel with other do say with most vehement and very tragical affections, and with marvelous plainness and boldness, concerning this matter: we shall differre & put of in the mean season whiles, the pope and bishops with all their guard and retinue fretting & foaming against this verity after their accustomed manner, shall blow on those my little sparks. Now if the men, which are by nature so desirous of glory, and which are wont to flaterynges, do complain that they be not handled of me like bishops according to their dignity: no man shall greatly blame me therefore, for asmuch as they do not behave them selves, as it becometh bishops to do. For I do forbear them and give them more honour, than they be worthy to have in that I do vouchsafe to call them by so holy and so old a word, 
The name of a hysshop.  I mean the name of bishop, for they ought to be called by very odious titles, if I should call them as doth saint Paul the Apostle, and as Steven the first martyr doth call them. 
Acts. xii  For a bishop ought to be very cunning in the Bible, and day and night to labour and study in the holy scripture, and to be such one, which should in his own person teach his people, both privately and openly, 
Acts. seven  & instruct them to know christ (as saint Paul doth rehearse) & which also in his own proper person should visit sykmen, & succour & relieve poor, and needy men. Now they are noting else (I mean the papists) but blind guides, which defending the traditions of men and the papistical merchandise, by frauds and guiles do pluck away, and by infinite crafts do extort the goods of other men. Therefore likewise as shepherds when it fortuneth them to see the wolf, do make a great outcry upon him, saying the wolf, the wolf, the wolf, even so also will I cry out here even until I be hoorse with crying to such time as they amend their manners. I will describe some of their virtues, to th'intent that all christian men both now living & hereafter to come may have knowledge thereof, howbeit yet I will forbear from showing their names and persons, neither will I rebuke and inveigh against that worldly administration & dignity which they bear, but I shall principally touch that thing, which concerneth the captivity of consciences, that they may once see & perceive, that there is by the gift of god some sheep of so great a flock sprungen up which all other hitherto being afraid dare be bold to say. Lo under these goodly dysguysyngꝭ, under this fair name, and under this appareyll of bishops are hid ravenous wolves. And of this my liberty and bold plainness, I have an excellent example the Apostle Paul, 
Pause. Ac. xxiii.  which did in open audience very sharply and sore rebuke the high priest Ananias, 
Ananias  and said.  
GOd shall strike thee, thou whyted wall, thou sittest here to judge me according to the law, & yet contrary to the law dost commaundeme to be stricken  
THere he calleth the high priest a whyted wall, the is to say, a person which with certain painting and vain colouring outwardly doth pretend to be that thing, which he is not, and the Apostle doth threaten unto him punishment of god, and doth handle him nothing reverently, but likewise as if he had been not only a private person, and not the high bishop. And when certain men had blamed and rebuked him, for that he had spoken evil to the ruler of the people: he answered. brethren I did not know that he was a bishop, what those words of the Apostle do mean, it is eath to conjecture. For if he had feared the himself had done amiss in that he had so wished vengeance to him from god, no doubt of it he would have asked after an humble manner forgiveness of the high bishop, & would have revoked his rebukeful word, but this thing Paul in no wise did. Neither can these words of saint Paul be so taken, as though he was utterly ignorant that he was bishop. For who would think it likely, that Paul was openly brought forth unto the place of judgement, and that no man gave to him any monition or knowledge before with these or like words. Lo Paul thou shalt be presented before the bishop sitting in judgement, or else to the same effect. Lo Paul he that sitteth there, is the chief bishop: namely saying that we are wont in so open and comen matters diligently to inquire & learn the persons, namely of the judges. And though Paul had been never so much ignorant, that he was the high bishop: yet for all that he saw him sit in the highest place, and by that he perceived that he was the judge, be cause he did command Paul to be stricken. He ought therefore here of right to spare & forbear the power and pre-eminence which he himself doth confess & know ledge. Wherefore this saying of Paul of necessity must thus be understand, brethren I did not know that he is bishop, as if he had said, he ought in deed to be bishop: but I see nothing in him, nor I do know any point in him that is belonging unto a bishop. He ought verily to play the bishop in very deed: but he doth not but openly doth injury to me being not convict or cast. For thus also doth Augustyne himself expound it, if now Paul the Apostle doth so sharply and boldly rebuke the priest, which was constituted by the law of Moses, yea by the law of god: why then should I be afraid to touch and rebuke these coloured and painted bishops, which by the tyranny of the pope, by the favours of men, and by holy gold have invaded bishoprics, without the commandment either of god, or of men.   

¶ The first propriety and virtue of the papistical bishops.  
first these bishops have suffered and now a days do suffer in stead of the word of god (which only, only, only, only, I say aught to be preached in the church) their indulgences and pardons to be published & preached, and the this thing is not only wicked, but also blasphemous & devilish, and full of death and hell, it appeareth evidently enough even hereof, saying that it is against the first precept & commandment of god, 
The first precept.  where he did command that none other ought to be preached, save only the word of god, and that to him alone honour is to be given in all things, that he might be our god, our teacher & master, as he saith by isaiah.  
I Am thy god teaching the profitable things.  
ANd Christ doth most grievously and sore inveigh against the doctrines of men, 
Mat. w.  wherefore all human doctrine is none other thing than an Idol, & a certain image, which being set up in the stead of the living and very god, doth lead men in to perdition & a eternal destruction. 
Pardone  But now no man can denay that bulls & pardons are not the word of god, and that nothing concerning these things is contained in the scriptures. Besides this we are also compelled to confess and grant, that all these places of scripture and other out of number do condemn all doctrine, which is not the word of god. Again god himself doth give sentence that all such manner things are unprofitable, vain, and appertaining to Idolatry: & which are to be eschewed under pain of the indignation and wrath of almighty god. But for as much as these delicate and tender bishops have foreheddes of iyerne and necks of brass, as it is said in the prophets, & will not here: they can not be persuaded & they run forth on, according to their own madness, 
The sconthefusnes and reach sesnes of bishops.  their own course, and their own swing, & where as they ought to spend their blood and their life (I mean not in any worldly fight) for the maintenance of the word of god against the doctrines of men: they sleep all careless, and give their minds all togethers to pleasures, and to far well, and the souls, of which they boast themselves to be the pastors and feders, they do most slothfully neglect, and nothing care for. But such is their negligence They do only think and study how they may bring in the dreadful wrath of god upon men, and draw souls unto the deep pit of hell, and that they may at the last carry the consciences of men clean overthwart from the word of god in to lies and devilish errors, and the doctrines of men, wherefore we ought here so much the more diligently to take good heed, & to look well about, the we may show & utter unto the world these so cruel & so bloody wolves, which do lie hid under forked miters set with peerless and precious stones, I do therefore exhort all christen men in our lord, that they will here consider and ponder the wrath of god. And therefore likewise as you would do with a visible Idol: even so do now with the bulls of these Romysshe Balaam, the tourmentour & sleer of souls. consider how pleasant a thing you shall do unto god, if you do break and dash in pieces (with the word of god, and not with the sword) these Idols, & do sanctify his glorious name, and do deliver it from the filthy abomination of Idolatry, wherefore who soever I say who soever may: let him here boldly and manfully con on and tear the said Idolatry call bulls, let him rent them in small pieces, let him burn them, let him utterly destroy them. And trusting unto his own good conscience and faith, let him boldly pluck up by the roots these abominations brought in contrary to the word of god, for the most precious and the most holy and devout worshipping of god is (if it be done by the high powers) to beat down & destroy Idols, and to overthrow them, and to break them in to small gobbets, which thing Moses doth so oftentimes teach & command in Deuteronomium. 
Moses. Gedeon.  So did Gedeon break the Idol Baal, in the viii chapter of judicum. 
Asa.  So did the king Asa break the Idol of Papus in the third book of kings the .v. chapter. And all these said persons were highly praised of god, and rewarded again with marvelous grace. No doubt of it the time that now is, is that last age or time of the world, in which it is to be feared, that the flock shall take more hurt of the shepherds, then of the wolves.   

¶ The second virtue and propriety of these foresaid bishops.  
¶ christ saith.  
freely you have received: freely give you.  
Clean contrary to this every dent & plain saying of christ our bishops do run on headlong, and not only they do suffer lies & the doctrines of men, such as be contrary to to the gospel, to be preached: but also with a bold shameless face they do use and apply all their ceremonies, prayers, masses, baptism, holy oil, and halowynges of churches, they do (I say) apply all these things to lucre, and do sell them for money. notwithstanding that they be bound to give freely all these spiritual gifts under pain of eternal dampna cyon. Now the case put, that indulgences and pardons were of some strength, & were good and profitable: yet they ought to offer undesired and freely and lybe rally to give forth the same, and the goodness and benefit thereof unto all manner men, according to the commandment of Chryst, how much more sinful a thing than & how much more shameful & abominable a thing is it, now, to sell stark lies, mere deceits and more than harlots guiles, to Christ'S faithful people for money, after a blasphemous manner and fashion? For even the holy ghost hath by saint Paul describe the riches of christian men.  
" Having (saith he) meat, drink & clothing: 
The riches of christian men.  let us hold us content therewith.  
I Beseech the now good reader hath not this Balaam of Rome, riches enough, possessions enough, lordships, and dominions enough, cities, and kingdoms enough, even in Italy alone, that he may compare with the most mighty kings that are? though I speak no thing in the mean season of the most shameful byenges and sellynges, of the most stinking bawdy crafts and of the most ungracious and devilish subtyletyes and deceits by which he doth every where through out the whole world scrape together gold and silver measuring all things by gold, & referring all things to the end of getting money, in the mean season the care and charge of poor folks, (which charge only Paul doth rehearse in his epistle unto the Galatians to be committed unto him, and which said care he doth exercise stoutly this cure & charge (I say) is strongly neglected & laid quite apart. 
Act. viii. iv. Cor.  Besides this either of the Apostles, that is to wit, both Peter and also Paul, among other virtues of a very bishop do number & reckon this also THat a bishop ought to abhor & be far away from filthy lucre.  
THey will therefore that a bishop should get unto himself such things as are necessary to his sustenance and living by honest & godly means, to the example of other. And Paul himself, which was so excellent an Apostle, did live by the work and labour of his hands, and he did not disdain (although he was greater than all the bishops that ever were or now be) to exercise a handy craft, in to what town soever he did come. And for this cause also he lodged and was at host in corinth with Prisca and Aquila, 
Prisca. Aquila.  for that they were of the same craft and occupation, and he wrought with them. Now let us make a comparison of the one with the other. Is not the most filthy and more than hoorysshe manner of getting money, which the bishop of Rome and his clients' bishops do use. Is it not (I say) in comparison of the purity of the Apostle, more stinking and more filthy than any stews, than any bordello house? when gold is required for those foolish forty days of indulgence and pardon, by which certain number of days the romanists (god wots lest they should be over moche lavace in giving forth so precious a thing for nought) have openly mocked our mitred bishops? is it not I say most shameful & filthy lucre in alages and times, when money is required for such other trifles, briefly for lies & deceits, and when those bawds the romanists, with such as they be, are fed and nourished with the sweet of the poor people? But this is but the least part of their wicked merchandise, for other bishops of their complexion have infinite crafts, and most shameful means of getting money: of which we shall hereafter speak more largely if they being offended with this gentle monition will also uncurtayslye be wroth with me monysshing them so favourably & openly enough, as I suppose. And here it is not unknown to me what they do object. Is it not enough nor sufficient for a prince (say they) to have meat, drink, & clothing, except he have also sufficiently whereof he may keep and maintain a guard or bend of men according to the condition and estate of a prince, what princes do in this place object & allege for themselves of the princely state, and of princes courts, advise them, the Apostle speaketh not of princes, but of bishops, as for these princely bishops & bysshoppely princes he utterly knoweth nothing of, which do beguile the world with the name of bishop, & with the most vain colours of ceremonies, & gloves and mytres. But therefore Paul and the spirit of god, which spoke in him: shall not change their words, neither attempre themselves unto these princes: but these pryncelyke bishops shall be fain to attempre and apply themselves in their living according to the mind of saint Paul and his words, or else they shall not be bishops, nor pastors, but mere puppets & usuries. I can not here refrain (although I list not now great lie to board in the rehearsal of these things) but I must rehearse a pleasant and merry history. 
An history or narration.  It happened upon a time that a certain such manner princely bishop did ride with a royal pomp and goodly company of horsemen, (as commonly such bishops are wont to show themselves set forth gaily and gorgeously even above any worldly or temporal princes) through the fields that lay near unto a certain village, whom when a certain shepherd had happily espied as he road over the fields: he left his flock, and did run unto him, and staring and gazing upon him, as it had been one amazed, he marveled greatly at the riches, and the pomp and gorgyousnes, which he saw about him. The bishop saying him so gazing, said unto him: what dost thousese hear, that thou dost marvel so greatly? Then he as he was an homely rustycall fellow, made to him this plain answer. I marvel (said he,) whether saint Martin did use this same pomp, or like gorgyousnes and superfluity. To whom the bishop said. Forsooth thou art a stark fool, and takest thy mark amiss. For saint Martyne was scacelye one of the vile and rascal people: but I am also a prince of high and noble birth. Then said that shepherd again, I beseech you my lord will you give me leave to speak a word? yea marry, said the bishop, I give the good leave, demand what thou wilt. Then said the shepherd, what if the devil should take and bear away the prince: shall there remain any thing of the bishop? At these words that good princely bishop being confounded and ashamed, departed from the man, and road his way. So the Apostle Paul in comparison of those dukes and Nemrothes, 
Pause.  was a plain simple crafts man, lyvyuge by the work of his own hands. And therefore he went sometime on his feet, and preached the gospel all abroad, he could play the Apostle, but such a poor and lewd person as he was, could never have played the royal and princely bishop after this fashion, and the wrath and the fury of god.   

¶ The third virtue.  
THese bishops are content, and do suffer that the preachers do publish the indulgences & bulls of the pope of Rome, by which the said pope doth mercifully grant licence to keep still other men's goods gotten either by robbery and extortion, or else by some other unlawful and mighty means, so that some portion thereof be given to him & to the holy church of Rome, & to the proctors and commyssaryes of the pardons, that is to wit, so that themselves also may get some part of the said spoils, and wrongfully gotten goods. And here verily I am in doubt with myself, with what title I might best garnish these so monstrous poyntis of covetousness: and of truth I am half in doubt, whether I may call the pope with his bishops following and allowing these things, dull asses, or else insensible blocks, or else peevish, mad, and utterly furious men which with so great shameless boldness, and with so great madness do not only exercise openly so fowl and shameful deceits but also do in every country and place teach the same by their freers and other religious persons sent forth to preach. For god hath commanded, thou shalt not steel: This precept these monsters of Rome with such other these cruel wild beasts with marvelous fyersenes and with marvelous woodenness do withstand and gainsay, & do openly teach and say, that thou art in no peril, though thou dost possess & keep still evil gotten goods, so that thou wouldest gladly restore them if thou knowest from whom they were taken, & so that thou purchase & buy the pope's pardons. I beseech the what other thing is this in effect, then if a man did say, verily thou mayst steal & be a thief, & god which forbade this, was mad. Lo thus the god & lord of majesty is compelled to be a scorning stock to these children of malediction, whom they also openly & evidently reprove & condemn for a liar & a fool For this precept those beasts do blaspheme openly to his face & contrary it (though they would cloak or colour the matter) they do in very deed teach thefts, robberies, extortions, deceits, and frauds. Go to now thou pope of Rome, tell I pray thee, whereby dost thou claim & take upon the so much authority that thou darest say, that goods evil gotten, or part of the goods evil gotten is thine? God which hath created all things, and which is lord of the earth, and of the fullness thereof, saith/ that he will not receive any oblation of goods gotten by ravin or robbery. And thou far the most cruel tyrant of all that ever were borne sins the first creation of man, being openly blasphemous against so great and so high majesty, against the voice and commandment of god alive against so great a precept, dost advance and lift up thyself above god and dost take upon the greater power and authority, and dost teach men by thy devilish bulls to break and transgress the commandments of god, and to exercise theft, robberies, extortions, and usuries, contrary to nature and reason, and the comen judgement of men. Thus must they needs be cast down into a reprobate sense or judgement and be utterly turned out from god which do condemn the gospel, 
Brenning and condemning of Books without teading of them.  and which do burn the books which they never saw, nor looked through, which do violate and break the public faith or fidelity, contrary to the law of all nations, the so ronning forth all mad & wood against god, they should strike their foreheddes against the stumbling stone christ, 
Ro. iv.  and afterwards do impugn all the words and works of god, and that they should come to that madness & extreme blindness, that they should openly teach the breaking of god's law. O how excellently, how plenteously and mightily with a stretched forth hand, and an high arm hath god avenged the contempt of the gospel: with how great increase, & as it were a treasure or heap of wrath, 
the wrath of god.  he hath requited this injury, striking them with so obstinate mind with so great blindness and with so great Ice or coldness of heart? Here now the thing itself, and the very heinousness of this of fence would require that not only the bulls of the pope, but also that the very posts and the doors whereupon the said bulls are wont after the comen manner to be hanged up, being roborated and strengthened with many Cardynalles seals, were brent, were overthrown, and brought unto ashes, and so utterly destroyed, that there might be one's some end of these abominations, wherefore who soever thou art good christian reader, I beseech thee, and require the for Christ'S sake, do not suffer thyself to be seduced and led out of the right way by these so cruel and mad beasts, remember that thy god, hath not only forbidden the deed, saying: Thou shalt not steel: but also he hath forbidden the affection and desire of the heart, saying: Non concupisces, thou shalt not lust or desire, believe me, he will not revoke his own word, how is it possible then, that any man or any creature can give the liberty to have or to possess thy neighbours goods.  
FOr isaiah saith, I am the god loving justice, and I do hate sacryfycie or oblation made of stolen good or of ravines.  
ANd though these foresaid things be openly devilish yet those wolves do teach us not only to make sacrifice of ravin: but also to possess & keep still goods stolen or gotten by ravin & extortion. See how with their blasphemies and extreme madnesses they do bring in the wrath of god upon thee, and condemnation unto hell, and yet nevertheless they desire and look for to be called bishops, & reverend fathers in Chryst, and pastors or feders of souls, flee flee from them my brother, they are wolves. I verily although I be but a wretched poor caytef, as oftentimes as I do see, behold, & consider that blindness of bishops, I do very oftentimes think thus in my mind, that it is best utterly to hold my tongue, & to leave them unto the judgement of god, and not meddle with them any thing at all. For oftentimes such manner thoughts do come in to any mind, that all things are desperate, & that there is no hope left at all: all good things are so by those Romysshe hypochrytes & very monsters not only feblysshed and corrupted but also extinc and utterly destroyed, in so much they have undone the whole world drowning them with so great a flood of errors and abominations: that there are evident and plain tokens on every side, that that day of the lord is near at hand. 
The last day.  But yet again on the other side, that so miserable perdition and piteous destruction of many souls, which those monsters do with so great cruelty & with so great tyranny flee, seching nothing else but only money doth not suffer me to be still and to hold my tongue, but compelleth me to speak, to the intent that if it may be brought about I might by some means happily deliver at the least some souls from the mouths of the wolves, if therefore my brother, thou hast evil gotten goods do not in any wise think, that thou canst be excused. Restore it therefore, for thou shalt not change the word of god. It were a good and a godly thing, if thou couldst by the consent of thy neighbours obtain, that he whom thou hadst deceived would for give thee (for every man is bounden unto his neighbour to forgiveness) if peradventure thou hadst any of thy neighbours goods, which could not be restored very well and conveniently unto him, nor without greater peril and jeopardy. But concerning this thou mayst redemore in other diverse places. Of these things now guess thyself whether both the pope & also his bishops have not berry great need of an instructor to teach them, likewise as we do teach ignorant young children, the ten commandments, that they might at the last learn, that we ought not to steel, nor to desire the thing that belongeth to our neighbour, and that moche less they ought to teach other men to exercise & use thefts, ravines, extortions, & usuries. For except they themselves do despise those mad & furious bulls of the pope: they are bishops in deed, but not of christen men. What are they then? bishops of thieves, of robbers, of extortioners, of usurers, chief captains (I say) & defenders, and the authors and counsellors of great sins and abominations, as it is easy to know and perceive by these things, which we have already said. And it is a miracle or wonder of the divine wrath and indignation many days a go provoked and stirred up against us, that ever these things could have been persuaded unto any man which are so repugnant and contrary to the comen sense or judgement and also to that blind light of reason. It is like a monster and a wonder that so open and manifest thefts, robberies, and blasphemies of romanists could so long be hid. And there is no man forsooth, which would be leave, that there were even among the Scythyans any men so rude and uplandysshe, and so much without wit or perceiving, that they would have suffered so gross deceits: if it were not so, that experience did compel him to confess, that this dullness and insensybilytie hath been even in our own selves, which are yet living. For what man or woman of Scythia will allow or hold with this that evil gotten goods may be possessed & kept by the dispensation or bulls of the Pope. Swine and asses, stones and stocks are scant so insensible, and so much without perceiving, as we have been made under the pope. And here I know well enough, what they are wont to allege & bring in for their part against me. The pope (say they) is the highest bishop, and head, of all christian people generally, through out christendom. It belongeth to him to dispense of goods evil gotten, whereof it is doubted who is the right owner here I make answer thus. I be seche you, where is this in all the scriptures? where is it written? Is it peradventure at Rome with saint Peter in some chimney or furnace, as it is commonly said? Forsooth, it is an excellent lie, why should not then every man his own self by his own self dispose, according to his own conscience of his own, which way soever they have been gotten? what needeth him to have another dyspensatour, namely such a tyrannous one as is the pope? It is therefore nothing else, but a gross and a most shameless lie imagined doubtless for this intent and purpose, that the pope might be made the general head of all thieves, of extortioners, of usurers, and that so by all the hands of all thieves, and of all extortioners, he might steel and snatch away more than all the thieves under heaven and so might be captain and chief ruler among the most errant thieves and extortioners of the whole world, and among such other like unthrifts who soever they be, if he were head & highest in the church, he ought according to the ensample of the Apostles, to commit the administration even of honest riches & goods to other men, to give himself holy to prayer and to the gospel, and to say with the Apostles.  
IT is not meet the we should leave the ministry of the word of god, 
Act. vi.  and to minister at the tables.  
Now he clean contrary wise challengeth and taketh upon him the care & business to administer a sclaunderfull and unhonest kind of goods, thefts, ravines, usuries, and such other godly & holy riches (if god be pleased) I beseech thee, is not this a worshipful and a goodly vicar of Christ and an excellent successor (for so he calleth himself) of the Apostles? why doth he not by the same right make himself the general steward and dispenser of all things, what soever christian men have in any place, and why doth he not adminystre them? saying that he hath ones taken this aucrorytie unto himself by this primacy, that all we besides might live in rest and idleness, and the most holy father might care for, & also order both us, and all that ever belongeth to us. Oh these things, aught to have been done to stones and trees, and not to men: though I do speak nothing in the mean season, the these things are done to christian men.   

¶ The four virtue.  
IN all the bulls of indulgences and pardons, he promiseth full remission of sins to all men being truly confessed and contrite. 
The fountains of errors.  This is the most strong venom and most deadly poison of most pestilent error, that ever came forth of this fountain and spring of errors & human traditions, which is the pope. Chryst in the ix. of Mathewe did not say to the man diseased of the palsaye. Go put thy money in to a chest, than thy sins be forgiven thee: but he said.  
Trust or believe son, thy sins are forgiven the.  
FRom that simplicity and purity of faith, and from the sure and steadfast trust or believe in the grace and promises of god, 
Trust in the promises of god  which believe only doth justify, which only doth obtain remission of sins, as Paul the Apostle doth declare through out all his epistle written to the Romans: from this believe (I say) that wolf and abominable monster doth pluck away the people, & doth lead them in to trust and confidence in his bulls, and in dead wax, & in the payenges of certain sums of money limited & assigned unto them, in so much that the simple hearts do learn to put their confidence not in the grace and mercy of god, promised but in their own works and satisfactions. This invention of the devil so magnifying bulls, is more heinous and abominable, then may be expressed with words, or else compassed with man's thoughts. For the first and chief commandment of god is here condemned and extinc, by which we are commanded to trust only to mercy and grace, briefly to god alone. Now they do teach the people to put their confidence in paper and wax, and in their flattering and bawdy lies, & upon these things to build their consciences. And without doubt the bishop of Rome's bishops if they had any point of a christen mind, they would themselves (I say teach and preach this faith) which Paul doth well near in every syllable inculke in to us, 
faith.  and they would also suffer and exhort other men to preach the same in every place. Now for asmuch as these papistical usuries are rude, foolish, unlearned, which like unto their creature the Pope are created to the intent that they should pursue and strive against the verity of god (but doubtless though they would burst they shall never overcome it) it becometh them and is seemly for their personages, likewise as they be disguised and hypochrytes: even so also to suffer deceits, smokes, usuries, puffed proud words, trifles, and briefly mere madnesses to be preached, and that only for profit and lucre. Here again I desire christen reader for Christ's sake, that no man do desire her in me temperance and measurablenes: for as much as I am provoked with so just grief. For not without cause we christian men do sorrow with heart and mind: which be daily compelled to see and suffer so shameful, so manifest, and so furious blasphemy against god. For even this one thing alone the bishops were worthy to be far more sore rebuked of me. For all things what soever I am able to say or to cry out, be they never so hot, so sore, and so vehement: yet are they to little for to express scarcely the thousand part of so exceeding and unmeasurable madness. Paul the Apostle doth boldly condemn both himself and also the angels of heaven, if they would teach (I do not say any thing against the gospel) any thing besides that which is pure gospel, what would he then do now to those men, which do teach not only besides the gospel: but also with more than fantastical madness, or with more than devilish boldness do openly teach things contrary to the gospel. And let no man think it to be spoken against the ecclesyastycal state & against true bishops or good pastors: 
He rebuketh no virtuous estates.  what soever is said against these tyrants. Let no man think it to be said or done against the heads and governors of Christ'S church: what soever is said or done against these slothful idle and sluggish beasts given all to the belie. For they are not bishops, but plain Idols and dumb images/ idle puppets vysurꝭ, blocks/ shadows/ disguised game players/ which do not so much as know what this word Episcopus/ that is to say, bishop doth signify/ so far of they be from knowing what. is the office or duytie of a bishop/ wilt thou that I tell the at one word what they are? wolves they are, tyrants/ traitors/ manquellers/ monsters of the world, burdeynes of the earth/ the apostles of antichrist, graven & made to corrupt and destroy the world, and to extinct & destroy the gospel. And to utter at ones what I think: Lo I will here play the bedell or comen crier. Be it known to all men, that the bishops of Rome with their clients' bishops which do now exercise tyranny upon so many cities in most ample and large dominion, are not bishops by the ordination of god, but by error, and by the seduction of the devil, and by the traditions of men. Wherefore without doubt they are the messengers and vicars of Satan, if I do not show and prove this by so evident testymonyes, that mine enemies shall be constrained to confess this verity, and that even themselves (so that they do meanly repent and wax wise) can not deny it: then let them be bishops than let me be thought to do injury unto them. first Paul writeth unto Tite, that he should constitute and ordain presbyteros in every town. 
presbyter.  Here I suppose that no man can deny that all one thing is signified by this word bresbyter, and by this word Episcopus in saint Paul's writings, for as much as he doth bid Tite that he should in every city constytute presbyteros. And because a bishop ought to be unreprovable, therefore he calleth him presbyterum. It is evident therefore what Paul doth signify & mean by this word Episcopus: 
Episcopus.  bishop, that is to say a man excellently good & virtuous, of ripe age, which also hath a chaste wife, and children obedient in the fear of the lord. And the Apostle will that he should have the oversight and governance of the congregation, in the ministry of the word and the administration of the sacraments. Wherefore it is necessary also, that he be learned, and well exercised in the scriptures, and also as touching his life, unreprovable. I beseech thee, is there any man here so much a stone, that he can either deny these words of the apostle, or else wrist them to any other sense, if he do consider and way well the words that go before, and that follow after? Besides this it pleaseth me here to ask one question, whether the word of saint Paul be the word of god? whether the ordination of the Apostle be the ordinance of god? For I am assured, that neither the pope, neither the devil himself (although both of them do busily strive & labour all that ever they can to extinct & destroy the word of god) dare deny this the Paul's word is god's word, 
the word of saint Paul.  and that Paul's ordination is the institution and ordinance of the spirit of god. For albeit that the word of god doth greatly grieve the devil: yet he dare not deny it, but only he useth these subtleties, and devilish crafts that under the colour and cloak of the word of god, and under hypochrysie, he may do & enterprise all things contrary to the word, if then it be the word of god and the ordination of the holy ghost, what soever Paul doth say or ordain: it followeth that what soever thing is done contrary to his word and ordination, the same is done against god, and contrary to the ordinance of the holy ghost. Now if it be against god and his spirit: undoubtedly it is of the devil. Could this thing be any more clear? could it be more evident? is there yet any thing whereof any man may doubt? For how can god be contrary to himself saying that Chryst saith, that. 
Luce. vi.   
Even the devil himself is not repugnant, nor contrary to himself?  
secondarily it followeth, that all christian men are bounden under pain of god's indignation and of everlasting death, to maintain & defend the word & ordinance of god, which saint Paul doth teach. And contrary wise again they are as much bound to impugn to destroy, to overthrow, and utterly to extinct the ordinance of the devil, which is so repugnant and contrary to god and his ordinance, and let them spend about this if need require as when they shall be called by the high powers, both their goods and their friends, and also their life, and their blood, or else they can not extinc and destroy it, at the least wise let them eschew it and flee from it, as from abomination and from the devil himself. This thing verily is open and manifest. For all things are to be forsaken for the defence and maintenance of the word of god, that his will may be fulfilled both in heaven and in earth and the errors of the devil are to be plucked up by the roots afore all things, to the uttermost of our power. hereunto now take you heed you bishops. For in as much as ye delight so moche in bulls, I shall read unto you a bull of a new making, I pray god it may please you.   

¶ The bull of the author and reformation.  
ALl men who soever they be, which by all honest & lawful means do spend & bestow their goods, honour, blood, & life, to the end that these bysshoprykes so pompous and courtly, so far unlike & contrary to all the office & duty of an Apostle, namely to the ministration of the word, & that all this devilish kingdom of the bishop of Rome may be overthrown & destroyed or if they can not in very deed destroy it, do cry against it, do dispraise and condemn it, and do avoid it as abhomynacy on: all those persons that so done, are the sons of god, and true christian men, fighting and helping the faith of the gospel in spiritual battle against the gates of hell. Contrary wise, who soever do favour the kingdom of the pope's bishops so wicked and that so tyrannous and devy lysshe cruelty, and do willingly and gladly submit themselves, and obey unto it: those persons are the mynystres of the devil, fighting as enemies against the words, the laws, and ordinances of god. This sentence of mine, nay rather of god's judgement. I prove with strong effectual arguments in this wise. The apostle Paul commandeth Tite, that he should ordain and constitute a bishop in every city, such one as was the husband of one wife, a man virtuous, & unreprovable. etc. This is the word, this is the will and sentence of god. Against this said will of god these men do now strive and fight, which have taken quite away all true bishops out of all cities, and in stead of true bishops have constituted shops or workehouses of most cold ceremonies, monasteries, and churches collegyate, & have brought in themselves in their stead, that by this mean they might be made bishops or over seers of many cities, and also of many provinces. Now the sentence of Paul, or rather the words of the holy ghost doth continue firm, stable, and not able to be moved or stired of the gates of hell, & doth stand as stiff, as a brazen wall, which saith plainly and evidently, that in every city there ought to be constituted and ordained one bishop, and these than shall be every one of them of equal power with the other. For Paul speaketh plainly of every city, and he giveth to every bishop full power & authority in his own city. God to therefore now ye worldly bishops. Why do you not here rise? Why do you not boldly and manfully resist? why do you not break forth all the meinie of you together? here you have to do not with me, but with the Apostle Paul. Here you resist (that may I say with the holy martyr Stevyn) not me, 
Act. seven.  but the holy ghost which likewise again of his part doth myghtcly resist you. Go to then what will you say here I beseech you? will you all hold your peace, and say nothing at all? Lo your sentence is given, and pronounced against you, you have the matter judged, that is to wit, that, unto all christian men it belongeth, of their part (with the word of god) again to destroy, to pluck up by the roots, and utterly to extinct both you and your kingdom, which you do tyrannously exercise, to extinct and destroy the gospel, you have hard now that they be in the indignation of god, who soever favoureth you: and on the other side that they are in the favour of god, who soever overthroweth, and destroyeth you. But I will not in any wise these words, which I do speak of the destruction and utter subversion of the kingdom of false bishops, so to be understanded or taken, 
ye see here, the the preacher of the gospesl, teach no sedition, shedding of blood, or fighting with the hand  as though it ought to be done with the hand, or with sword, or with violence, or bodily invasion of them. For with this destruction of the men, we shall be nothing further in this so great a matter, that is to wit, god's cause or business But as Daniel prophesied in the viii chapter.  
THe kingdom of antichrist is to be broken all to pieces without any hand of man.  
ANd it shall come to pass that every man shall speak and preach against it by the word of god, until that wretched sinful man be of his own accord confounded, and forsaken of all men and so do fall down dead, and be utterly destroyed. This is the very true destruction belonging to christian men: to the bryngunge of which to pass, we ought to bestow all that ever we have, or else may do. But here I will give you meetly good counsel (if you will so take it) because you shall not think that I do utterly hate all your hole order. 
The coilsayf of author.  It is expedient for you here to retain and hire, what so ever it do cost you (as you are bishops of gold and of money) some excellent crafty liar, which may so write a pleasant little book, likewise as many a foolys she ass of your sort have done, as though they could have changed the whole world with those wretched papers. For if the words of saint Peter, in which he speaketh of all christian men saying.  
YOu are a regal priesthood and a priestly kingdom.  
IF these words (I say) may be wrested unto this, that they do signify, priests shaven and anointed, as though Peter would that all christian menshulde be such manner anointed and shaven priests: what thing doth let that Paul's words may not by the same craft (see that a crafts man have that handling of it which is inferior to no man in lies & unshamefastness (have the neck of them writhen, & so be applied to this sense, as though we ought to understand it of two manner bishops, 
spiritual hysshops.  so that spiritual bishops after that exposition are all the preachers of the word of god in cities, towns, & villages, although they do neither buy pall, nor gown, ne yet any other garment of those bawds the romanists. 
Corporal hysshops.  And the corporal bishops are you which bearing forked miters on your heads under the apparel of Aaron do in very deed play the very stark tyrants, & are fellows unto Nero & Caligula, riding upon fat & well fed palfreys, and slyke mules, & afterwards with your rings only, & your gloves, & your silver shepehoke (if god be pleased) you do play the bishops. Now if Paul being god wots but a simple & an abject creature, would refuse & disallow this gloze, or exposycion of so holy fathers: he were worthy to be stricken with that spiritual sword of excommunication, & to be feared with the indignation at the least wise of saint Peter, for as much as he is guilty here in this thing after that style of the Roman bulls, or else at that least wise he were worthy to be honestly rewarded with a good buffet on the ear, likewise as Ananias the bishop did unto him For why should not he being but one person alone, be content to be taught & to learn of so many holy fathers? why should not they with a proud countenance by their authority command silence and say. Paul I say be content to be admonished and counseled. That word city doth betoken there by the determination of the church of Rome, and of us an hole province or kingdom. For if it be lawful and free for the pope to change the true sense of scripture, which the words and arguments do declare & fortify: why should it not also be in his liberty & power, after his own lust and pleasure to change and turn clean contrary ways both the words and the vocabules of the same? For words (to use their own paradox) do signify at pleasure. 
Words do signify at pleasure.  Wherefore as soon as it shall please any such so mighty, and so well mitred and hatted a papist, or as soon as it shall come to his mind upon his wine bench: both the Greek and also the Latin letters and words, shall be constrained to go in to an other nature, so that if it like them well, from henceforth this word garden shall betoken a city, and a star, a stabule, 
Garden. City. Star.  and an ass, a man. And if any man, that thinketh himself wise, will here object against me and say, hitherto thou haste rebuked the pope, and now thou dyspraysest the bishops, what then? wilt thou alone confunde, mengle, and turn all things up and down? Here I say, who soever thou art that dost think these things, be thou thyself which art the dysputer) both judge and umpyer, I say I appeal unto the thyself as judge, all affections laid apart, give thou thine own self the sentence. May I not by right, here make that answer unto the bishops, 
Besias. Achab.  which Helyas made to king Achab in the xviii chapiter of that third book of kings?  
IT is not I that trouble & disquiet Israel, but you. etc.  
I Say discern and judge thyself, 
Who turneth all things up set down.  whether of us is here in the default, & whether I do turn all things up & down and the wrong way, so as they do complain (which do teach the word of god, that clear ordinance and decree of the holy ghost) or else they which teaching their own ordination, do extinct the ordinances of god. Tell me whether of these two things is more tolerable, whether less against equity that they should overturn & destroy the ordinance of god: or else that I do overthrow and cast down the devilish furies and madnesses of them, & their erroneous & human ordinances? do not consider here what I do, but consider the very things selves, whereupon I do principally ground, which of themselves do this thing that is to wit the word of god, & the scriptures. 
The office & duty of a preacher.  The preacher ought not so mochto regard and consider what manner men, how great, how mighty they be, against whom he doth preach, or what he may get by his sermons, but this thing only and nothing else he ought to care for, that he may preach the pure word of god, for this is not to be watered, or to be attempered, and made to agree unto the affections of men, what soever things may chance, or else may be feared to be done unto him of man. This word I say is purely and sincerely to be preached, although not only the bishops but also all the angels of heaven would resist & say against it. Now if thou wilt here again object, that they are very great, very high, very wise, and very well learned men after the worldly judgement, against whom I do write these things: I answer unto thee, Peter, Paul, and all the prophets did prophecy before, that there should not come a more and vengeable mischief upon the earth, then that of antichrist and of the last days. Dost thou suppose these so high words of the holy ghost to have been spoken of the leaves of trees, or of small trysles? The word of god (as it appeareth in the prophets) always speaketh against kingdoms, against peoples, of great things, against them that are the heads among the people, against many & great nations, which way soever thou dost look: they are utterly great and wonderful things, whereof god doth speak. How much more likely is it than, that they should be great, noble, worshipful, and very wise men as concerning the flesh: which shall be the doers and workers of this extreme mischief of the last days, whereof all the prophets have prophesied and spoken before? namely saying that the scripture doth speak so horrible things of these times.  
THat is to wit, that no flesh shall be saved, except those days were shortened. And in an other place, that the son of man at his coming shall scarcely find any faith upon earth. And also that even the very elect and chosen persons should be seduced, and led out of the right way, if it were possible.  
I Beseech & require the good christian reader, I beseech the for Christ'S sake, consider well, & way these words. For they are not words spoken of any light person upon his ale or wine bench, neither yet any inventions of man's mind: but the words of the eternal majesty. For if thou do consider these words stedfastedly & with good advisement, thou shalt find the they shall be great men, & men of might & power, & that it shall be a mighty kingdom, which shall do and work this last great & most sore & vengeable mischief as the pope, his bishops, & other his prelate's are in very deed, briefly what matter I pray you maketh it, how great, how high, & how cunning they are: saying that it is more evident and clear then day that all they and their doctrine is against god? Is not god greater and higher than all creatures? The great Turk also is a great lord of many provinces, 
the furke.  & greater then is any of them: and yet he is against god, and the enemy of god. And here again I guess what they will object. For all that (say they) oftentimes many saints have been bishops not only of one city: but of many cities. I make answer. As many as have been holy bishops in very deed and called pastors by the calling of god: all those for the most part were the bishops of one city alone, as Cyprian, Hilary, Ambrose, Augustyne, Hireneus, and these observed the tradition of the Apostles, it is found in deed in historiographers, that there have bencerteyne (such was holy Boniface, 
Boniface. Tite.  and such also Tite unto Paul) which did after their own judgement constitute other bishops in the cities, as Titus did: but yet were they not therefore the bishops of many cities And albeit that such manner example could be showed of the saints: 
The exampfes of holy men may not be preiudicyaff to god's holy word. For all men may err.  shall the examples of holy men be preiudycial to the word of god? Is not god greater than all saints, how oftentimes dough find that holy men have sinned and erred? God saved Daniel in the dungeon of Lions, & he saved Ananias, Azarias, and Misael in the flaming furnace of Babylon. Is the hand or power of god now shortened and minished? 
God saved Daniel in the dungeon of Eyons Dani. vi Dani. iii.  Is it any doubt but that he might preserve and keep his elect and chosen persons, if it should happen them by any means to be seduced, & led out of the right way (as Christ prophesied) even in the mids of men's ordinations & traditions, & of the errors of the devil? 
Nota.  we ought not to put confidence in any ensample, deed, or word of saints: but our consciences ought to lean & to be grounded only upon the word of god, which only is he (as Paul saith) that can not lie. But let us furthermore here Paul, what he saith of this ordinance of god, for in this wise Luke writeth of him in the twenty chapter of the Acts.  
ANd sending messengers from Miletum to Ephesus, he sent for priests of the church, which when they were come to him, he said unto them. Take heed to yourselves & to all the flock in which the holy ghost hath set or ordained you bishops, to govern the church of god, which he hath purchased and gotten with his own blood.  
❧ ☜ ☜ ❧  
GO to now, is here any new thing? Is Paul a fool, & doth he not know what he doth? Ephesus was but one city alone and Paul calleth openly all the priests or elders by one common name Episcopos: bishops. 
All the priests of one city be called of Pause bishop.  But peradventure Paul had not red those books & those Apologies wretchedly patched together of papists, nor the holy decretals. For how would he have been bold else to make many bishops overseers to one city, & to call all the preestes of one city bishops, in as much as they were not all princes, neither kept a guard of men, & goodly palfreys, but were certain rascal persons, and of the most abject and vile sort of men, after the worldly estimation? For Paul peradventure wasig noraunt of that, which is grown in use now in our time, that no man can be a great bishop in very deed, whiles he do (as the Poet saith) keep an hundred horses in goodly stables, whiles he have a gorgeous house full of royal pomp, unless he have many royal titles of lordships. For this alone is sufficient now in our time, to that that knights and princes (be they never so much unlearned and foolish, yea and though their minds otherwiles do stand nothing towards it) may by the commendacyons of their parents & kynsfolkes, and otherwiles by gifts and rewards be suddenly made bishops. But in good sadness. Thou sayst plainly that the Apostle Paul doth call these only bishops, which do preach the gospel unto the people, and do minister unto them the sacra mentes, as now in our time be the parish priests and the preachers, 
All true preachers been bishops.  wherefore I do not doubt but these, although they do preach the gospel, but to very little villages and granges, and if they be the faithful and true my nysters of the word: I do not doubt (I say) that they have by good right the title and name of a bishop. contrariwise those valiant horsemen and tyrannous bishops have no point of the office of a bishop, saving only those bare goodly titles, & certain disguised apparel, in like manner as those bishops which are painted on a wall, have in deed the shape and likeness of bishops, but they are without life and speech. For even such dead and idle stocks and blocks are the pope's bishops in every point: albeit that then they are over more strong and quick when they do exercise tyrannous cruelty against the very pastors, which do busily govern cities in the ministration of the word of god, and by more than devilish tyranny do forbid them holy wedlock, & to the open slander of the church do wink at the keeping of whores do blaspheme the gospel, do extinc the word of god, & under the pretence & colour of virtue and godliness do with incredible woodness exercise continually extreme tyranny upon the silly poor people. By the reason whereof we do see in the courts & places of some bishops, likewise as in the fountain of all vice and mischief the court of Rome, 
the court of Rome.  not so much as one crumb, not so much as the least shadow to be found of christian manners, we see also all the cities of priests, and namely those noble seats of priests, to be nothing else but scoles of uncleanliness & bodily pleasures, warkehouses of vices, in so much that in comparison of their houses the courts of the seculare princes may be accounted monasteries and holy scoles of virtue & godliness, yea & Sodom and Gomorre in comparison of them may seem temperate measurable, & thryftye. For out of their courts or houses cometh forth neither the gospel, nor any other holy doctrine: but only citations, excommunications, exactions, in terdyccyons, citations (I say) in very deed peremptory, that is to say sleers both of goods and of souls. For such as the bishops are themselves, such also is their doctrine. 
Proverhes.  And though thou do never so much cloth an ass with a lions skinned: yet he continueth still an ass, and an ape is still an ape, although he be clad in purple, besides this saint Paul writeth to the Philippians in this wise.  
Paul and Timothe the servants of jesus Chryst, 
Philippi  to all the saints in christ jesus, which are in the city Philippi and to the bishops also and the deacons. etc.  
LOo Philippi was but only one city, and yet saint Paul saluteth all them that believeth, together with the bishops, undoubtedly the bishops, whom he meaneth there, were the priests, likewise as he was wont to constitute and ordain in all the other cities. This is now the third place of Paul, in which we do see, what god and the holy ghost hath constituted and ordained, that is to wit, that they only are called bishops in very deed, & by right, which do take & bear the charge of the people in the administration of god's word/ in caring for the poor flolke/ in the administration of the sacraments as are now in our days the christian curates or parish priests if they might be suffered for those mitred horse men. 
Curates or parish prestis.  And the this belongeth to the office of a bishop, the very word itself doth very well declare/ For this word Episcopus is deryvyed of. 
Episcopus.  two. greek words, Epi, and Scopin which signify to give attendance to oversee, to give diligence, to play the keeper or watch man over the people, in like manner as watch men do keep watch upon the walls of a city/ or as sheep herds do keep watch upon their sheep. And episcopus in greek doth properly signify in english an overseer/ and in the Hebrew it signifieth a vysytoure, the is to say, one which visiteth men at their own house, & doth diligently inquire and search the condition of them, and the state of their life, being ready equally and indifferently to help and comfort all men. So christ saith in the xix chapter of Mathewe.  
BEcause thou haste not known the time of thy visitation.  
THat which is there called, time of visitation/ we call the time of thy bishopric. But our papistical bishops have found and devised a certain new proof and declaracy on of that Episcopal office, seemly for such as they are/ that is to sit themselves a high in a chair guilded, clad in purple, with cusshens of cloth of tissue under their buttocks and their elbows, having abundance and plenty of all manner delights and pleasures, as much as any kings can have: and in the mean season to offer and set forth the men belonging to their governance, to be pill: led, 
Officialses.  tormented, and slain of their officials (to whom they make their flocks subjects (men for the most part wicked, ungodly, & which do think that there is no god/ which then may also with their commandments at their own pleasure by compulsion cause to appear at those their holy consistories, persons the dwell very far of, not without damage and hurt both in goods & in their soul's/ and may exercise & use all manner of extreme tyranny upon them. For as much then as now it is evident and open of these three places of the apostle, that those bishops, which are so far away from ministration of god's word, and be negligent about their duty, are not only no true bishops, but rather the people of malediction before god, as the men which have settled their minds against the statutes and ordinances of god to extinct the gospel, and do exalt themselves to destroy souls. It is every christian man's duty by all lawful and honest means that he may, to procure that their tyrannous & sinful traditions, may once be utterly continued and come to confusion. It belongeth (I say) to every christen man's duty man fully and with great confidence and boldness where charity will suffer without offending the weak to endeavour himself to do all things which are contrary to their traditions, none otherwise than he would do against the devil himself. And also to tread under the feet and utterly despise the obedience of them, by which they desire to have, their own traditions greatly regarded and observed, the word of god neglected and nothing set by) even as they would tread under their feet the very devil himself. All we therefore (if it so be that we have pity of so many souls which do perish for ever, if we be earnestly moved and stirred with the word of god) own with our uttermost diligence to go about, & with very great contention and straining of ourselves to labour about this, 
Old evil bissops to be charitably reform & if yey refuse to be reform, then new and good bishops to be put in their places.  that there may again according to the institution of the apostle, very bishops & shepherds be constytuted every where in cities, which be men pure, & virtuous, and well learned in holy scripture, and in spiritual things/ which have chaste wives, and children obedient (as the apostle saith) in the fear of the lord. Wherefore saying that the bishops and pastors every where in the Cities, which are now a days, have hitherto rather obeyed the devil than god, byndind themselves, against the scripture, to this wicked vow of living, single, or sole (if there be any point of christian breast or mind in us) we ought to give diligence and bestow labours, for a reformation of the same to be had, by the king our only supreme head of the church, in whom only the reformation lieth, so that onesuch a reformation had, the poor captive souls may bollye, to contempt of the devil, & his papistical traditions, revoke those vows, as being through error made with the devil and with the very gates of hell, and that they may according to the word of god wed wives/ and rather be willing (according to the institution of saint Paul) to be good married men in the sight of god, then for the pleasure of those bawds the romanists to be adulterers and door keepers. For the very time itself doth now in so great revelation of the gospel require that one's at the last the holy ordination of the spirit of god, which can not be but very good, should be restored and set up against those profane and abominable traditions of men. Loo this is my decree against those proud puffed Bulls of the devil, 
The decree of the author.  and of the devylysshe Romanystes and their fautors. Neither do they here and obey me, but they here & obey god and the spirit of god: who soever do here & obey this. And therefore I can also in very deed promise both everlasting life, and also the favour of god to all those, what soever they be that do in faith observe and keep it. And because this shall not be judged the ordination of Paul alone/ (For it is reported, that the dean & canons of a certain cathedral church did say after a blasphemous manner & fashion, openly to a preacher, whom they did expulse for the gospel sake, what of paul? 
Canons and Chanonlyke.  what of paul: The pope hath received more power of christ then ever Paul did) and for the pleasure of those so sweet and gentle men and excellently devilish priests, let us see what Peter, & what christ himself do say concerning this matter. In the fift chapiter of the first epistle of Peter, it is thus written.  
THe priests that are among you I beseech (which am also myself a pressed, 
Presbiteros.  and a record of the afflictions of christ, and also a part taker of the glory, which shall be showed) feed, as much as lieth in you to do, the flock of Chryst taking the charge and oversight of them not by compulsion, but willingly. Not for the desire of filthy lucre but of a good favourable and loving mind/ neither as men exercising dominion, in their in heretaunces but that you may be yourselves ensample to the flock.  
¶ And when the hedshepeherde shall appear, you shall receive an incorruptible crown of glory. Here thou sayst that.  
PEter, evenlykewyse as Paul did, doth use these two words presbyter and Episcopus both for one thing/ that is to wit, that they are Episcopi, which do teach the people, and do preach the word of god/ and he maketh them all of equal power one with another/ and he for biddeth them to behave themselves so, as if they were lords, or had dominions over those whom they have charge of, he calleth himself a fellow priest, (that I may so say) by these words evidently declaring & proving, that all parish priests & bishops of cities are of equal power among themselves, and as touching to the authority of a bishop, that one is nothing superior to an other, and that he himself also is fellow priest with them, and hath no more power and authority in his own city then have the other or every one of them in their own congregation. Lo peter maketh himself equal & not superior to the bishops/ what I beseech you will those beasts allege here against these things which do not cease not only to be lords and have dominion, but also to exercise most cruel tyranny upon our souls & our goods/ which also do never cease with exceeding mad brawlings and suits to contend & strive among themselves about the difference, & degrees of power & authority. And that I may once make & end, christ himself in the xxii chapter of Luke saith.  
THe princes of the paynims are lords over them, and they which have power and authority over them are called be nefycyall and gracious/ but it shall not be so among you/ but he that is eldest among you, let him be made as youngest.  
HEreunto, hearken and give good attendance you pom pous & lordly bishops. Lo all the hole christian people require of you a reason & cause of your domination and lordship, which you have hitherto with so many titles and also with so many tyrannous deeds taken, violently usurped, & challenged unto yourselves/ Lo I say the christian world requireth a cause of this your doing/ for this you can not deny which is so open & evident afore the iyes of all men, that your kingdom is an outward and a worldly kingdom/ yea and that more worldly, than the kingdom of any worldly prince. For you play the lords openly both upon the bodies, and also the minds/ and that not by the word of god, but by exterior pomp/ by exterior and worldly tyranny/ as other princes and rulers of the heathen people do/ I say go to therefore now and tell me, 
Do non sic.  how those words of Chryst vos autem non sic/ that is, but so shall not you do/ how do they agree with that your kingdom go to now because you shall not (as you are very slipper) slip from me: let us enserche and ponder well the natural strength and sygnyfycatyon of the words, what is the meaning of these words. But you not so? For here undoubtedly is rebuked your kingdom, and your condy cyon and state. For this ought not to be such a one as it is, if it were a christian state.  
¶ Now let it be what soever manner one you will? yet for all that christ speaking of the domination of those worldly princes, saith plainly unto you (for you will seem to be bishops.) But you shall not do so/ tell me I say, do not both your ears ring and glow at these words of the sovereign majesty, but you shall not so/ why do you keep silence? why are you dumb? Now let us see what you begin to answer with so many great books of decretals unto these words of one syllable vos autem non sic. But you not so? I say to you what can you say to this little sentence of three syllables, vos non sic, you not so? peradventure, as you are bold to do and say all things/ such is the madness of you) you will begin to make a cavillation as though these words/ vos non sic, 
The papystꝭ will keep the true signification of words no longer than they list  were as much to say as ye shall do so, for so ye be wont to change at your pleasures the signification of words.  
And shall teach, that the Pope hath also more power and authority than Chryst himself. But why do I thus rebuke those obstinate persons? They are blind and guides of the blind/ I will here earnestly advertise the good gentle reader, that thou do leave and forsake these men, and even likewise as if thy deadly foo and enemy did come unto the under the semblance and likeness of a much dearly beloved brother, thou wouldest at the least wise have him in suspectyon, and wouldest with great diligence eschew his company: even so now flee from those tormentors of consciences, and have them in suspection, which do come under the usuries and titles of true bishops and be none. For Paul hath showed before that likewise as the devil doth transfygure himself in to an Angel of light, even so those his Apostles should take upon them the likeness and the name of the ministers of justice, and of the Apostles of christ/ but by their fruits, that is to say, by their works and their doctrines we do know them. For they do not preach nor suffer to be preached any other things, than lucre/ and the chests and coffres of Indulgences and pardons.   

¶ The fift virtue of the bull of the bishop of Rome.  
I He Pope taketh upon him power and authority to change vows, 
For money vowcebe changed.  in to other good works, and that not freely and for nothing, but for money: but yet always the vows are excepted of going to saint james, to Rome, to Hyerusalem, and also the vow of chastity. Many things been heretofore written concerning vows which be nothing needful to be rehearsed here again in this place. But if I do here demand of the Pope of Rome, that blind head, 
A questy on concerning vows.  and begin to call sore upon him for an answer, what is the cause that he dare dispense with certain vows only, and not with all vows indifferently. I know well enough, he knoweth not what other answer to make, then that of the things which are vowed some are great, as for example, to live chaste: and some again are small things and of no great weight, as for example to fast bread and water. And therefore he may change the vow of little things, but not likewise of great things/ Lo how stark blind this people of usuries is, and without either wit or brain: which do esteem and judge the weight and value of vows not according to the virtue and strength of god's commandment, but according to works. But I pray the tell me, is it not an oath aswell, when thou swearest deeply in a matter of three halfepens as if thou hadst sworn in a matter of an hundred talentes? Is not the Religion and strength of the oath in all points equal in both those things why then should it not be equally kept both in little things and in great things: Should it therefore be broken in a great sum, be cause it is an harder thing to pay an hundred talentes, then to pay three halfepens? This people therefore of usuries is pleynlye mad, and in all points stark furious wood, wherefore embrace thou this substantial and fyr me and stable sentence.  
¶ Never make thou in man's law any difference of vows as concerning the bygnes or smallness of the work self, as though one vow were dyspensable, and another indyspensable. For the bond, religion, and strength of the vow, is of like effycacytie and strength aswell in great things as in little things, so that the vow of living sole without a wife, may as well be dispensed with all as the vow to Jerusalem. For in the one, the oath, and promise is sworn, and made as depelye and earnestly as in the other and aught therefore to be performed the one aswell as the other. This shallbe more easy to perceive if we compare the nature of man's law with the nature of gods law. The nature of god's law is such, that it may not be dispensed with all, either in great things or little things, as all good christian men grant. Neither doth it make any difference between great things & small things, saying. Thou mayst leave undone the vows of little things, but the vows of great things thou shalt be compelled to keep observe and fulfil, nor yet contrariwise. Thou must observe and keep the vows of small things, but as for the vows of painful, great, and heavy things, thou mayst leave undone and be dispensed with all. The law of god saith not so I say, but bindeth all men indifferently to the observation thereof under the pain of damnation without any remedy of man's dispensation. Wherefore in man's law, whose force and strength may not be like, the contrary must needs be true, that all other vows not contained within the precept of god, as the vow to live sole without a wife, to visit Saint james in compostella, with all other such like, and all monkysshe, monysshe, and freerrysshe vows, be they great or small, be clearly dyspensable, and may be broken as well one as an other, as well the great as the small.  
Or else must the bishop of Rome and his fautors, the lords of such vows and laws confess and defend, their laws to be of the same nature that is the law of god, that is to wit, that they may not be dispensed with all, & that they themselves been moreover in that point check mate with god in power, yea in every point, where in their law is (as they say) indyspensable. And for asmuch as nothing in any condition can be equal to god but that needs that same thing also must be god, it argueth then that, that sinful man of Rome, with any such as he is, which in any degree or point shall take upon them to be of like & equal power with god, must of necessity make themselves gods, all though it be but half gods, quarter gods, pesyd gods, and patched gods, yea false gods and Idols.  
¶ Wherefore do not in any wise good reader give credence to these deceivers. Neither do thou trust and put confidence in those byenges and sellynges of dispensations, and commutations of vows. For they have none authority, whereby they may change any vow contained with in the word of god. For where they may change vows as in things of man's invention and in things indifferent, there may thou thyself & any other man who soener he be do the same. I mean betwixt god and thee, so that there rise no offence and slander thereof, and boldly dispense for all manner vows. Forels to change vows comprehended within god's word is nothing else, 
The vo: was are not to be changed.  but to abrogate & adnul this precept of god/ vovete et reddite/ that is to say/ vow you and pay your vows. if the commandment of god may be abrogated in one article: by the same right it may be abrogated in all points. For it is a plain and a general commandment of all vows comprised within the limits of holy scripture. For if this window be opened to the Pope, that he hath power to change such vows, whether they be small or great/ then might he forth with do the same likewise in all vows. And then it should follow by and by after, that he may also dispense in the first commandment, that is to wit, that god ought not to be loved with all our heart, & that our neighbour ought not to be loved as our own selves/ And it should follow forthwith, that he might give licence to worship an Idol with exterior worship/ or to commit adultery with poor means wives, although it were never so unlawful to commit the same with great Lords wives because it is in a great matter. briefly in a thousand other like, I will not say inconvenient & unreasonable things, but wonders, but monsters of errors should follow, as soon as it shall be one's lawful to change but even one title of any one commandment of god/ So thou seest now and perceivest, that this covetous Balaam, and these hypochrytes and usuries, do give their minds to none other thing, then unto this only that they may for lucre & avail make the commandment of god of small strength and effect. wherefore flee, flee this Balaam/ for he can in no wise change not even the least vow that is corroborate by the word of god. But if it be so that one vow may be changed, I say unto thee, it is free for the without any cost or charge though thou dost pay nothing to the romanists, to change all manner other vows. Here we my ghte have large matter to dispute of concerning vows: but it appertaineth not to this place/ For in other places it is largely enough spoken of, & peradventure (if need require) we shall he reafter entreat more largely of the same. Let these things suffice now at this pervert tyme. first there are certain vows or promises made unto men. 
Of vowꝭ made to men.  And these vows do bind so long, as he to whom they have be made, doth exact & require the same to be performed/ & of this manner vows, we do not speak here. 
Dove's made to god.  Secunda rylye there are certain vows made to god, or to his saints. And those also are made in two manners or wise. first they are made against god and his precepts, and those are utterly not to be observed. But those which are not against god, are to be observed and kept. Here now riseth a very hard doubt, which are those vows that are made against god and his precepts. Here it is profitable and expedient to consider and weigh diligently and sadly the ten commandments/ & we will begin at the least of them all. if thou wouldest vow to lust after the goods or the wife of thy neighbour, 
A sinful and a cursed vow.  if thou wouldest vow to bear false witness, steal, commit adultery, kill or slay/ briefly if thou wouldst vow not to love thy neighbour, nor own to him good will: thou perceivest well and seest that such manner vow is wicked and unlawful/ and such one, as thou cannest not keep without the indignation & displeasure of almighty god. This thing (I suppose) is more evident, then that any man may deny it more over if thou wouldst vow not to obey thy father and mother: doubtless it is evident, that all these things are plain repugnant and contrary to the commandments of god. Why are we then so blind so obstinate, & so brutysshe, and unreasonable, that we do observe these vows, which are so openly and evidently against the precepts of god? Is it not against the precept of god, when the daughter is married to a man of young or middle age against the will of her parents, or else without any knowledge at all given unto them? Is it not contarye to the precepts of god/ when the son or the daughter, against their parents will do vow to enter in to religion, or else doth receive those unholy orders, which the comen sort of priests do receyne calling them holy ordres/ Hath not god himself in the xxx chapter of Numeri abrogated and annulled such manner vows or promises? 
Numeri. 30. devotꝭ  and moreover hath he not in this wise interpreted & declared this precept? Again is it not against the commandment of god, when either the husband or else the wife doth vow to go in pilgrimage to saint james? to do this thing or that thing, namely when the wife may not be without her husband, nor the husband want the presence of his wife? Come of now and tell me, 
The vow of matrimony.  is this vow a 'gainst the precept of god, which hath enjoined to the husband that he should provide and set diligently for his wife and his children, & not to go from them, and leave them destitute of his help and succour/ And yet for all this that Idol of Rome, & that king of usuries, maketh this vow of pilgrimage to saint james inviolable, & such one as no man may in any wise break in so moche the he doth also in his bull except it by name as a thing indyspensable. notwithstanding that if he would show himself a very bishop, he ought (& not without good cause) both to speak against, yea and also to abolish and utterly destroy all such manner of vows. But the Pope doth in all points, as be cometh such one as he is to do. For it is fit and, seemly for him after this manner to prohibit & forbid that which god doth promyt and also command/ and contrary wise again, to command that, which god doth forfend/ and to destroy that, which god edyfyeth/ & to build that, which god doth destroy. For how could he else be Pope? But O would god these abominable & devilish hypochrytes and usuries did err only to there own hurt/ did lead themselves only out of the ryghtway, were evil and wicked to their own harms alone: for them they might somewhat be suffered/ or else if nedelye it pleased them in this wise to be mad, they were to be honoured worldly, as men which had deserved well of us/ to be tolerated, as heathen princes/ But now for as much as they do with so incredible fury and woodness seduce so many consciences, do murder and slay so many souls, and with their own traditions do openly not only obscure and make dark and deface the word of god, but also do scrape it out, & put it out of mind, and utterly destroy it: no man undoubtedly that wise is & advised will desire moderatyon to be used here, no man will require silence to be used in this matter, in which no man may keep silence without abominable great sin/ and without open and evident unkindness & blasphemy against god. pick the hence with thy moderation and silence, who soever thou be, that for fear of men, thinkest it but a small thing openly to commit so open blasphemies against god. Let no man here speak to me of moderation, of somewhat milder writing, and of such other vain trifles. Let no man babble to me of reverence to begive to them. Let no man prate to me of patyence and of christian sufferance here in this matter It is an accursed silence which leaveth these things untouched. It is a cursed reverence, which here forbeareth and giveth place, and doth as it were open a certain great door, and give occasion to so bloody tyrants, and to so cruel wolves, bloody & freely to murder and to make havoc of men's souls and consciences. But now for as much as we have spoken enough of these let us touch somewhat concerning the vows of religious persons. 
The vows of religious persons.  Albeit that in an other place it be treated of in a hole book peculyerlye appointed to the same. And here first our bishops and goodly usuries shall have both their ears ringing and glowing/ and here they shall first gnasshe with their teeth. Here they shall make grievous and tragical exclamations I say you goodly pastors, (for I will demand a questy on here of you (come of now and tell me, if priests, monks, freres, and nuns, did vow to keep the rules and ordinances of their ordres in unbelief, or in supersty cyon or in the judycall belief. I pray you make answer, should they be any better than adulterers, or those which had made a vow to corrupt and defile their neighbours wife? Tell me I be sech you, should not this be a plain renyenge of Christ'S faith, and to offend more grievously than if a man did commit ten adulteries? But how many are there now in all this hole sect of priests, of monks, of freers, of nuns, which have not by the reason hereof forsaken the faith of christ, and hath enwrapped and entangled hym self and his conscience in judycall superstition? And peradventure these things seem strange things unto thee. But I beseech the hearken what is the very christian faith. The very christian faith is this, 
The very christen faith.  thou dost believe the thou art justified & saved not by any works, but only through faith in christ, as mediator, & by the mercy which is freely given in him (as it is written in the first chapter to the Galathyanes') so the a man do despair of all his own strength & power & of all his own enforcements, & all his own works/ & do all together & holy trust & hang upon the merits & the justice of an other man, that is to wit of Chryst. It is not a judaycall faith, to be willing to be justified, to that is to have remission of sin & to be saved by works/ by their own proper strength and merits? Roma. x. Is not the faith the of Chryst by this reject and refused, as of whom those holy men have no need, or at the least wise have no great need? Now therefore let every man even of the comen people be judge whether a great part of priests, of monks, freers, and nuns, do not begin the ordinances of their sect in that faith. For these goodly boasting words they do use commonly & openly for this intent (say they) I do embrace & profess this manner of living: that I may purchase some merit unto myself above the comen manner of living of christian men/ for why should I else be a monk, or a freer/ & they do ascry be that thing to works & ceremonies which ought to be ascribed only to Christ, and faith only I pray you tell me, what other thing is this, then to deny christ, & to seek holiness and rightwiseness in unbelief and hypochrysie: that is to say, to be made of christian men very jews and paynims/ saint Petre saith.  
THose, which were verily escaped, they allure and be guile, and do keep them still in error.  
ANd that themselves are jews and paynims, 
jews paynims.  they do their own selves confess/ For what intent (say they) should I be a monk, a frere, or a nun? Why should I trouble and vere myself with so many holy observances and ceremonies: except I could by these means purchase and get a prerogative, and short speed unto salvation above the comen sort of christian men, or above worldly persons? For this is their communication. Thou hearest that these are more than pharysaycall words of hypochrytes, and of men putting confidence & trust in their own works: in whom christ hath no manner place or work at all. Is it any doubt, that all these men do look for that thing of the works, and I wots not what observances of their ordres: which they ought to have looked for of christ, and of the mercy of god promised in Chryst, wherefore it is as certain as any thing may be, that all Collegyate churches and all monasteries, in which there are priests, monks or freers living in such manner hypochrysy & perilous trust and belief: are far more filthy and abominable, than any stews, than any bordello houses/ or any dens of thieves. And therefore it is also brought to pass by the wrath and indignation of god that as it were for a sign & mark, these priests are most polluted and defiled with all kinds well near and sorts of fleshly lusts & pleasures. For when through such manner hypochrysie of works they do violate the chastity and purity of the christian faith then for a punishment, 
Hypochrysye of works.  they are given in to that uncleanness, that they do also violate the chastity of their bodies/ as saint Peter doth say, that they do allure unto the desires and lusts of the flesh/ So all orders, and all vows, because they are most part of them against the first the second, and the third, commandment of god/ are to be eschewed, and fled from, as from a pestilence. And I would heartily advertise and counsel all religious persons and all such manner justycyaryes, 
religious persons.  that they should here choose either the one or the other of these two: that is to wit, either to leave and forsake this judaycal faith and trust in works/ and to lean to the acknowledge and the use and profit of christ/ and to begin their life again in faith: or else rather let them, if they may not freely, obtain licence to for sake, both their religious habit, and also their monasteries/ and let them return unto the symplycyte, which is in our saviour christ Ihesu, and let them chose rather any other honest and godly kind of living. And thou oughtest to do none otherwise here in this thing, then if thou didst openly keep an harlot in thy company. For there, if thou wilt live virtuously and godly: either thou must forsake thine harlot or else marry her to thy wife. Lo here is that spiritual Baal, of whom by the gift of god there is written a little book, wherein by scriptures and arguments it is strong enough proved, that the profession of monastical vows is of itself, wicked and heretical, and that it is a very hard thing to bring about, that a man may use it well. And I doubt not but that by these things good minds and consciences, and also reason been there by well satyfyed so that from henseforth I hope that there shall not be so many, which shall be beguiled and perish thorough the religious life and that wretched clarkshype. And if some certain men been therewith myscontent, as though in the said book were preached liberty to priests, monks, freers: and nuns, and that monasteries and temples, should be pulled down and destroyed. I do not greatly marvel hereof. For who can satisfy those wicked men, which will hear nothing, but that which seemeth good to themselves/ and which (as salomon saith) been settled in their own foolish hearts. Again on the other side if they should be demanded a reason and cause of their traditions, they can do nothing else but show their purple cardinal hats, & their bishops miters, & with a lordly countenance break out & say, dost thou not see that I am a cardinal, dost thou not know, that I am a bishop? What dost thou require the know league of srypture, or a cause of his belief in a bishop? What need hath a bishop of any such small trifles, the cure & charge whereof may be put unto his chaplains? And what marvel is it, that those presumptuous men & trusting to theirselves, do use so earnest, so weighty, & so proud words sith it is so that they only have the holy ghost, in so moche that where soever they be assembled & gathered together, there is undoubtedly the holy ghost? Sith it is so (I say) that they have not only the holy ghost, but even the most holy spryre/ that is to wit the sprite of the Pope, which is not only (as Chryst is called of Peter in the acts) righteous & holy: but also is most holy. But verily I am utterly weary to speak any more hereof those cursed abuses & bulls of the Pope/ & I will defer & put of, until they happily do begin to grant against these things, which I have said. At this time it is sufficient to know, that all men are bounden before god with his word, yea & otherwise if they been in just authority to destroy, & utterly to extinct these bulls of the pope's indulgencꝭ & pardons. Besides this not only to condemn & despise those hypochrytes & usuries, which do publish & preach them as unlearned & wicked beasts: but also to shunte them & to flee from them, as from wolves, and cruel Lions, according to the doctrine of the apostles, both Peter & also Paul. And that I may once end these complaints proceeding of most rightful sorrow and grief. I beseech you tell me, is not this also an excellent deed, and such as hath not been hard of before in any nation or in any age or time, that our bishops by the grace of god bearing small favour towards god's word and likewise again standing but smally in favour, with it do not secretly but openly forbid priests honest matrymonyes. And (that a man may know the apostles of Satan dryved at ones of all furies) do they not with threatening of emprysonementes and of the sword, stoutly go about this, that that holy and goodly chastity (which is no thing at all minished nor appaired by so many thousands of harlottꝭ by so many monsturous kinds of lechery) should not by wedlock, that is to wit (as they call it) a lay and a profane thing, peradventure suffer some damage and hindrance. And lord how my mind coveteth and desireth here to make rehearsal by name of these cities belonging to priests, in which every where almost thorough out all christendom we do see so many and so great flocks of unhonest women and that for none other cause but because they are kept not of the comen people, but of priests) to be maintained none otherwise, then if it were a company of honest matrons, to the open slander of the church/ & to be fed in idleness with delicate meats and drinks/ to have the honourable name and titles of families/ and moreover after the similitude & manner of temples (as the psalmist saith) to be clad in purple, 
Psalmo C. vliii.  and decked, and garnished with gold, pearl, and precious stones. I say I have much a do to hold my tongue from naming of them: but yet I will refrain until some defender of such manner chastity do rise, which will go about to defend and maintain this holy continency of priests, But oh peevish fool, and unmannerly carter that I am, which dare be so bold to call such bishops bawds, and their worshipful cathedral churches stews. But go forth on you papists bishops proceed luckily to that whereunto your virtue leadeth you/ & for as much as you think it a small thing, and not enough that all men do dispraise you, and speak evil of you/ that are hated of the people/ and that in a manner your name is despised of every good man: increase you & heap you harred upon hatred/ for (as he sayeth) they which once overleaped and passed the bonds of shamefastness, 
Cicero in his epistles  must needs be exceeding bold & shameless for if you had not short lie as it were, washed away this your so great favour of the people, with some new hatred/ if you were not now images & dumb blockꝭ: it lacked not much, but the for excedige great love, & for so many excellent benefytis of yours, we would have set vp your images made of gold, in the market place/ and why should we not put you to worship, setting up images & such other monumentꝭ for a memorial to be had of you: sith it is so the you) if I be not beguiled (have very well deserved it with your merits/ and even now also openly defending the keeping of hoores both with your words and your deeds, do heap meritis upon merits/ first you are yourselves more unchaste than I will rehearse, & do wink at so many whoredoms, and at so many stu●s & bordel houses builded round about your churches (for what other thing are commonly all the priests houses?) and some of you which I could name do yourselves also keep harlots. Secundarylye you do feed and nourish yourselves most delicately and tenderly in riot and pleasures with the blood and sweet of poor men/ Besides, empoveryshing and beggering the world with your guiles and deceits, you do with your excommunycacions and interdictions vex and toss all things up & down, afflicting and tormenting poor men, both in soul, in body, and in their goods/ you do extinct and destroy the gospels/ & not only you yourselves do no manner work belonging to the office of a bishop, but also you will not suffer any other men to preach the word of god/ you do pursue the preachers, from city to city, (as it was prophesied in the xxiii chapter of Mathue) and you do expulse them as knaves and vile wretches out of all your dominions/ and yet in the mean season yourselves are nothing else in comparison but visures, whom as unprofitable burdeynes of darthe the world can no longer bear nor suffer, one les you do wax wise & amend. Wherefore here labour & apply yourselves lustily & stoutly the you do not please the people over moche/ increase your benefits & good deeds/ give diligens lustily that there may not need any great business to destroy your tyranny, whiles you do shake out your own selves, and do your own selves wilfully run forth to your own confusion and destruction/ I verily (to give you good & faithful counsel) would not advertise you that you should purchase & ger unto yourselves the favour & love of the people, with mildness, with mercifulness, with softness, with pascience/ and sincerite apostolical/ that is to wit, with those virtues, with those holy means, which saint Paul did use/ go forth & hold on as you have begun/ this is even the right & next way to undoubted destruction, whereunto you do so greatly make haste/ for even so did your father's the jews, into whose hypocrisy you are succeeded, which when they had slain the lord & author of life jesus christ, & had by decrees ꝓmulged and published the gospels to be forbeden yet could they not so rest until they had provoked the romans and so had sought their own undoubted mischief/ which said romans at the last setting violently upon them, slew them up, & utterly destroyed them/ for how could you better observe & fulfil the which becometh your personages to do: then if you do go about & endeavour to prove & show yourselves the very right & true sons & heirs of such manner parents/ but here (I ween) they will do upon them all the hole episcopal armour, 
The hole armour or harnayse of the pope's bishops.  that is to wit a purple pall, and a forked mitre, upon their head, their gloves and their rings with precious stones, to fence both their hands with all/ they shall also have their feet should not in the preparation of the gospel of peace, but of the sādalle of vanity/ & a silver cross hanging down to the mids of their breast/ & (if I be not deceived) a Roman pallealso covering their shoulders/ & a shepherds staff to measure their pace/ and so then having this armour upon them, with a stately and a solemn gate they shall come forth, & say/ wilt thou the we should show the more plainly a cause, why we do keep priests from wedlock: hath not the most holy father the pope forbidden this by his laws and holy canons: adding also a penalytie upon the same. For these shall be all the arguments, reasons, and syllogisms, by which those excellent men and worshipful pastors may show the cause of their deed (with the licence & favour of the most holy pope, and of his worshipful bulls be this spoken) I verily do nothing doubt, that the laws exacting this single life, are devilish doctrine, and most gross phantasms of the devil/ And here I can not refrain, but I must needs clearly and plainly show, what I do think of the contynencie of priests. Thou shalt grant me this one thing good christian reader, that I may here with bold & scoffing words, mock and cheek these their so earnest counsels and proud words of the decretals. Tell me I pray you, why do the poetis, that make commedyes, 
Writers of commedyes.  always imagine the men bawds and the women bawds to be such manner ones, that they do retain young men with pleasures, and by certain policy and certain crafts do counsel them from marriage? Doubtless it is not for any good will, that they do bear to the young men: but because by the mary ages of young men they do lose a great part of their gains. Even so the bishop of Rome with his clientes the authors of the foresaid law of unchaste continency have a great part of their yearly rents and profits by the bawdry of priests, and by priests hoores. For who soever will at his liberty keep hoores and men's wives with praise and favour: he is compelled to pay yearly to the bishop a crown of gold. And this tradition is so commonly known that it is now a comen saying, that chaste persons and good livers are nothing profitable to the office of a priest (for so they call the tyranny of the offycyales) in somuch that (as some say) the officyales do also hate the priests, 
Dnprofytable to the office of a priest.  that are chaste livers/ I beseech you tell me, when at any time were bawds more rich, or more honourable? When was ever bawdry more unpunished then in the pope's bishops? & what marvel is it, if those holy fathers, when they have received money, do wink at the keeping of hoores: saying that it is an old saying, 
a proverb.  that lucre smelleth well of what soever manner thing it be gotten? who will then be so uncurtayse, and so ungentle, as to blame the wisdom of the bishops, for that they do approve and allow harlottꝭ. Who is he, but he knoweth, that there are divers crafts, and divers means, by which merchants do get gains, and that there are divers and sundry kinds of mercers? one selleth pepper/ another saffron/ another cloth/ another purple or cloth of gold/ what marvel is it then if bishop Kayface of Rome (least he only should set nought by lucre) as it were in certain fairs or markets ordained and set up round about those goodly and gorgeous churches, do sell the flesh and the skin (I had almost spoken a fouler word) of a quick harlot/ for which way else should that holy father and his have a sufficient living, if they did not play the merchants in such honest wise? Further more if it fortune so that at any time, that some priest do give unto any such manner harlot any whit more of his chastity then need is, so that her belie doth sweet, and she doth bring forth to him the seal of his contynency, some pretty child: then forth with increaseth that yearly rent of the bishop/ for then above that yearly crowen, the bishop getteth again occasy on to exercise mercy/ & to this wretched father and to the child newly borne, them first he selleth this harlot again: and he doth not suffer so much as the silly poor infant to have his own mother, which god hath given to him, freely, & without paying of money/ lo thus this profit & gains, which would scarcely come single to the comen bawds: to the bishops is properly & craftily doubled/ is not this then a goodly & a gay market to sell thus the harlots belies twice every year, if fortune be their friend? is not this a goodly merchandise seemly for bishops and so holy officiales to get lucre by the whoredom of other men: & so with those secret and pruye baudryes to pass any stews? And it is no marvel if for the augmentation and conservation of the goods of the church (for the goods of the church they do call gold and silver, 
the goods of the chutche.  contrary to the words of saint Peter (these holy fathers do busily give their mind to this lucre if they will not grant unto the preestes honest wedlock, which helpeth nothing to the getting of lucre & gains/ forlauful wives are nothing profitable to the office and to the coffers (as I said before) of the most reverend fathers and lords. I beseech the good reader take in good worth these my bourdes & gests, though they be somewhat large and plain: which do proceed undubtedly not of any lust or pleasure that I have therein, but of very great grief and sorrow of my heart. For who would not mourn greatly? Who would not heartily sorrow? that seeth these so abominable dyspysers of the word of god which are so destitute of all wisdom, reason, and wit/ that sooner will any brute beasts, Oxen, or Asses have wit, than thes excellent herdsmen of the church. And this is it which the lord threateneth by isaiah saying.  
I Shall give them children to be their princes, and effeminate persons shall have dominion over them.  
FOr they can here lay none other excuse for themselves/ that all these things are done, & do proceed of a devilish covetousness and an horrible blindness: it is more open and evident then the it may be hid/ for though they did pass very asses in ignorance, and very stocks and blocks in dullness and in insensibilite: yet could they not deny, that god did never in any place forbidden priests to wed wives/ So far of it is, that he did for bid it: that Paul hath also charged the stead of god, yea or else above god. But here again they will bark out their old song against me. The pope hath prohibited it. The pope hath forbidden it. What is this that you say? O good sirs and sweet men, as who should say, that if the pope do command me, that I should not be obedient to my parents, likewise as he hath done in the profession of religion, that I should not keep the commandments of god: it did not belong to the office which you do falsely profess, with all your power and might to withstand and resist him/ and his commandments/ have you not red the words of saint Peter in the .v. of the acts of the Apostles.  
WE ought to obey god, rather than men.  
DO you not know, 
when men's traditions ought to cease all though they be profitable  that all traditions of men, all though they be good and profitable, yet in the time of necessity, and when they are intolerable, they do cease & do bind nothing at all. Do you not know by open experience, that this most ungracious and very devilish tradicy on of single life and chastity, is impossible to be kept of priests and that through it the whole world is filled with fornications and adulteries? And yet for all this you most uncharitable persons, that ever were sins the world first began, do for most filthy lucre and avail constrain and drive silly wretched consciences to sin, and to assured destruction/ you se and perceive plainly, yea & in a manner you feel it, that this chastity of single life can not be observed and kept: and yet you do compel & drive men to keep it, without any necessity. O you most cruel tormentors of consciences, how do you imbrue, how do you pollute and defile your hands in the blood of innocent persons? O how sore an account shall you give of your tyranny. Besides this it is evident enough, that all those human traditions of single life and forbidding matrimony are the doctrines (as the apostle calleth them) of the devils/ as it is proved and declared by those places a little before alleged of his epistles to Tite & Timothe/ as in the third chapter of the first epistle to Timothe.  
ABysshop ought to be the husband of one wife.  
THis is the institution and ordinance of god. This is the constitution promulged and published by the apostle Paul. Wherefore it can not be otherwise, but that all that doctrine is of the devil, what soever is taught, or else commanded by any laws contrary to it. For god is not contrary to himself neither doth he prove himself a liar/ likewise as the scripture hath all this in every place, and doth also compel every man, be he never so blind, to confess it: so also every man is compelled to confess, that the law of the pope concerning the single life of priests is openly against the ordination of Paul, and of god. Are not these things clear enough are not they evident enough to you, you blind and guides of the blind? I say go to search all your wits, and do the best that you can, What can you allege or bring here for yourself? What dare you even proffer to speak here against? Are not your hard forehedes of iyerne, and your brazen necks now at the last ashamed, when it doth come to your mind and remembrance, that you do with so great tyranny compel so many consciences, to observe the commandment and doctrine of the devil, against the ordinance & commandment of god? The third place of the apostle is, in the four chapter of the first epistle to Timothe.  
THe spirit speaketh of a surety that in the last days certain men shall shrink away from the faith, giving heed to the doctrines of devils.  
TO there the apostle calleth those doctrines of devils, which do forbid matrimony/ & the apostle doth not there speak of the Tacianes, so as that most wretched & foolish writer went about to imagine, in that bare & unfruitful trifling treatise entyteled/ de loco petri/ that is to say of the place of Peter. 
The heresy of the Tacyanes'  For the Tacianes did prohibit matrimony as a thing evil of it own nature, & as sin. But Paul speaketh of them, which do only prohibit matrimony, and do not also condemn & disallow it as sin/ likewise as the papists do also prohybite certain meats, and yet they do not account it for sin to eat these meats or those meats. So also the pope doth not say, as the Tacianes did, the wedlock is sin/ neither doth he say that to eat eggs or to eat flesh is sin/ but he doth only prohibit them, to make a deceitful colour & hyprocrysye of great holiness, as saint Paul saith.  
IN hypocrisy they do speak losings, and of the doctrines of devils,  
FOr as much then as these three places of Paul, as being the word of the sovereign majesty and of god, do abide & stand as stiffly as it were a brazen wall or a great rock, and do also effectually and mightily prove, that the tradition of this single life against the ordinance of god, is doctrine of devils, as it is plainly expressed in the words of Paul: than it resteth and remaineth, that the priests, which can not contain & live chaste, with a bold mind and a very free conscience do here betake themselves to these words of god/ yea & even those also which have no need of a wife, yet ought now to mary a wife only to shame and scorn the devil and this his so renowned and poisoned doctrine. And you also excellent prelate's, if you had liefer be the apostles of christ, then of Satan: aught stoutly and manfully to labour and do your endeavour, to pluck up those stews about your churches, & that that priests might marry/ but here you will object and allege for yourselves, that priests, when they were consecrated, did swear to live sole without wives. Fair words I beseech you/ have I not said here before? and is it not proved with many arguments, in other places that all the vows, which are made contrary to the precept and ordinance of god, are of none effect/ and that they are to be forsaken and broken under the pain of eternal indignation and dreadful wrath of god. 
the vow of living single.  Now that such vows of abst ayning from matrimony hath been made and of all men is made contrary to the precept and indyngnation of god: it is certain & undoubted. 
The priests do vow to the pope and not to god  Besides this, the priests do not vow their vow to god, but to the pope/ but to the traditions of man/ and therefore men ought to dissolve it/ For such manner vow doth never come, nor appertaineth any thing at all to god. Wherefore there is no jeopardy at all of conscience in that matter if priests do wed lawful wives: but those hypochrytes maskers and mummers do of themselves feign & imagine I wot not what perils and jeopardies of health and salvation even as spiders do of themselves make their webs/ again on the other side, whoredom, in which are mere dangers of souls, & unchaste places sumptuously buelded about their churches, these things they do sell for money/ & do permit all men to use them at their liberty unpunished, so that they do give, & pay somewhat. Are not these then holy pastors, & excellent bishops? They crucify christ, & let Barrabas the errant thief go at liberty. woe, woe, woe, be to them, unless they amend. What can I do more? I monysshe them, and cry unto them, and to all that do hold with them, that they should repent and amend, and that they should take heed to themselves for the ingement of god doth not slack/ god will not always suffer the contempt of his word.  
Now finally I will gently and heartily here exhort all those, who soever they be that will rebuke those mumming and disguised bishops with writings: that they do it openly, boldly, and plainly/ according to the doctrine of the gospel and of the apostle Paul/ And that they do provoke them, unto the law of the scriptures, likewise as I have done hitherto. For though they be never so worshipful in the world, yet at the least wise in this point we are superiors, that this comen sort of bishops for their exceeding great ygnorauncye, dullness, and idleness/ hath had these many years a slanderous name among all men/ and again is sore dispraised, and hath an evil report, because they will not come forth to light/ and do refuse to be judged according to the scriptures/ do i'll from the place of open and not suspect audience. By the reason therefore of this self same thing their hypocrisy is now opened once and abolished, and they themselves (like unto the crow in Aesopes' fables) having their goodly feathers plucked a way from them, do provoke the lookers on to laughter. There can not therefore a more displeasure, nor a more painful thing in the world chance unto them: then if we do resist them openly to their face/ and do provoke and call them forth unto the scriptures/ and boldly calling and crying on them, do require of them to show the foundation, whereupon they have the very ground of their doctrine There they can not chose but be a shamed (though they do dissemble and hide it never so much) in their hearts within, and in their consciences so that they shall utterly hold their peace, and can allege nothing for themselves. And if they would go about to break out with tyranny and violence, then shall their shame and rebuke be somuch be the greater and they shall straight and the sooner come unto this mischief & evil, which they do so greatly shunte and eschew/ and by so much, the sooner their estimation shall decay and perish both with god & men/ for they could not by any other mean, more help oursyde and the course of the word of the lord: then if they do greatly grudge & be angry, and do most greatly rage's and be rough out their diocese boldly and purely preach the gospel in the bishops stead. Which said preachars being in danger of persecutions (for evermore the world shall hate the word of god) the bishops also shall asmuch as lieth in their power lawfully to do, maintain and defend/ and bestow their blood and life, to maintain and fortify the truth of the gospel, against the traditions of men, likewise as christ himself and also Paul both taught, and also gave example of the same with their deed. 
Dalerye  So we read that saint Valery bishop of Hyppom. 
Augustine  did substytute Augustyne as preacher in his stead (before that the said Augustyne was made bishop) and did defend him/ and it was the comen manner and custom in the most part of the regions and churches of the caste and of Grece land, the priests did preach for the bishops, in the presence of them. Besides this, let such manner bishops in especial study by bestowing care and benefits upon poor folk, to make amends for that, which is wanting of their part in the ministry of the word. What soever bishop he be that doth not, all other things set apart, set his mind upon these things only as greatest things and the very things belonging to a bishop let him not believe to be saved/ for asmuch as he is a mere tyrant, tormentor, and murderer of souls/ But here they will object and say, how or in what wise can such manner care for poor folk, and the keeping of a house and princely port (such as our bishops for the most part do keep now a days) stand both together the one with the other? I answer, we do not here speak how thou mayst be made a prince: but how thou mayst be a good bishop and be saved/ for who hath commanded that bishops should so play the galandes, & use such pomp and gorgyousnes of the court? Chryst did openly forbid them to be as the kings and princes of the gentiles, where he doth by express and open words separate and divide them from princes of the world, and saith.  
THe kings and rulers of the gentiles are lords over them but you shall not do so.  
THese words, that prince, of princes, the king of kings and that lord of majesty, will not revoke/ he will not abolish them/ ne suffer them to be thrust out of place, & made void for thy peevish excuses, wherewith thou dost in thy conscience coldly and faintly comfort thyself/ why dost thou not rather forsake thy lordly port, be it never so pleasant: if thou canst not execute and fulfil the office of a bishop/ why dost thou for tran sytory and most vile honour, for get thine own health and salvation? yea moreover wittingly & willingly dost cast away thine own soul, for the most deceitful pleasure of this life? Why dost thou (I say) wittingly & wilfully perish? Even those men are scantly saved at the last which with courageous faith continually wrestling and fighting with their flesh and the devil, do live in a good & a virtuous kind of life. Why dost thou then hope in vain, that thyself shalt be saved among so many jeopardies, among so many voluptes and pleasures?  
WHat doth it profit (saith christ him self) if he do possess all the world, & all the kingdoms: & do cast away his own soul?  
But whereof or which way (will some say) should kings princes, earls, barons, kynghtis briefly all the nobles of the world, provide for their younger children if these bishoprics, if those cathedral and collegiat churches were not? And therein first we may openly see the exceeding foolishness & blindness of the all Christendom which hitherto have bought commonly of the Romanistes the benefices and prebends founded by themselves, with the blood of their children. Lo here I do speak unto the who soever thou art, which dost wittingly so cast away thy children/ if any ploughman or smith did wound or kill thy son, or else did defile thy daughter or thy sister: thou wouldest for anger and woodness go about to do the uttermost mischief that thou couldst/ to overthrow & destroy even hold cities, to destroy hole provinces for the revenging thereof, would seem but a small matter unto the thou wouldest think in thy mind it to be so high and so heinous an offence, that was done unto the. But I beseech thee, here open the eyes of thy mind, and look, whether there can be any a more sore homicide and murderer of thy children, any more grievous and more cruel enemy unto them than thou art thine own self, advancing and promoting them unto a bisshopryke or thrusting them down in to such a church (as they do call it) for thou makest thy son a bishop, which state (as it is now far away from the ministration of the word, 
the state of a bishop.  and from all godliness) thou knowest undoubtedly to be a devilish state, in which thy son can in no wise be saved. Sith it is so, that thou dost know this: tell me I beseech the whether thou dost not more sore rage, and use more cruelty against him, then if thou cut him in to gobbets, & didst throw his flesh unto dogs to be devoured/ if thy son, through ignorance or error had stumbeled & fallen into such a certain kind & manner of living: 
He meaneth when 〈◊〉 hath not the gift of connnency & can not keep his profession/ or when the ꝓfessyon is made with any wicked opinion of justification to be had thereby.  thou oughtest with all diligence, & with all thy power to labour & go about (if there were any wisdom, or any point of a christen mind in thee) to rid him out of it, although thou hadst but only one loaf of bread to live on thyself, whereof thou shouldest be fain to give him the one half, but here I beseech the look upon thyself somewhat more near and more narrowly/ who soever thou art which dost cast down thy children headlong in to these kinds & manners of living, & consider what manner father thou art only to keep thy dominion & thy riches upright & from decay, only lest thy gold & silver should be minished, if it were divided among many heirs: thou dost thrust down & willingly cast headlong thy sons & kynnesmen in to the deep dungeon of hell/ neither doth it move or stir the any whit, to see thine own blood souped & swallowed up in the throat of the devil, & perpetually to perish: so the thou be not compelled to minish or debate any thing of thy superfluity, or any parcel of thy pomp & royalty. Lo this most ungracious opinion this custom is crept in & used in many places, that as often times as any great man's son being meet rather for any other thing, than for a bishopric, is choose & elected bishop, or is brought into the temple. Than with solemn pomp, and a solemn company set in their array are made cries and loud shouts, as it were in a triumph, than all the halls and courts do sound & ring with the noise of trumps with trumpets/ with tabrets, then are in every place lighted tapers and torches than that solemn song. Te deum laudamus is thundered out/ so that these triumphs do plainly represent unto us the image of those foolish kings of Israel, which did burn up their sons & daughters for a sacrifice in the honour of the Idol Moloch, 
Mosoch.  and with the diverse loud sounds of trumps did bring to pass, that the lamentable crying out and wailing of them, that were in the mids of the fire, could not be hard. After the same manner do these excellent parents handle their daughters and their neces, of whom they allure some by fair means, and some full sore against their wills/ they do thrust down in to the prisons of monasteries/ and for none other cause, but that their riches, their possessions, and that dignity of their high blood may be preserved and upholden, they are ashamed to bestow them in marriage upon persons of lower parentage. Howbeit yet this self same study, only to preserve their riches, doth turn unto their very great damage & loss of goods and substance/ for god doth avenge and punish this unbelief and mistrust, so that the riches of dukedoms and earldoms do nevertheless decay, & all things do go backward as it were by a certain fatal and predestined destruction/ which thing doubtless should not be so if the wicked parents had not deserved this wrath and vengeance of god, with their so cruel oblations & sacrifices of their sons and of their daughters to the Idol Moloch/ for the innocent blood so cruelly shed forth, for cause of most vile riches, doth cry mainly in to heaven, as did the blood of righteous Abel, 
Abel.  which cry, with how attended & heedful an care the lord doth hearken unto it, he hath sufficiently declared in Abel. Now to declare the thing with a more plain and more familiar example. 
Nuns.  The Nuns or sacred virgins now in our time, are for the most part lusty damoiselles, and of flourishing age/ and created of god, to the intent that they should wed and bring forth children/ And it is not possible for them continually so to contain and live chaste, at the least wise of their own good will. For perpetual continency and chastity is an high and the most spiritual gift of god, 
Continence  which chanceth but to few men. Besides this god, when he did first create man, and did make them male & female. This his general law, & his word spoken by his own mouth, he will not to be so commonly taken away in so many persons/ or always by the gift or rather the miracle of contynencye to be abrogated & annulled, but perpetual contynencie & chastity is a very seldom thing before god. if now thou hadst a daughter or a kinsman, which through error had been enticed in to this manner of living as a fish in to a we'll: thou oughtest rather (if thou were a good man) to lose thy life and all thy goods, then to leave this soul thus in the mouth of the devil. But thou least thy riches, least thy dominion, lest thy glorious titles, least thy dignity might be any thing my nyshed, wilt thrust down thy children with thine own hand in to the deep dungeon of hell, yea being very loath and full cuyll willing. And what doth then follow? hearken, and I shall tell the in few words/ verily I did never here that auricular confession of Nuns, but yet by the scriptures & words of the spirit of god (which do on every side touch and most deeply search the affections of the hearts) I shall easily guess & as it were touch with a needle/ unto what end this chastity doth come/ and I know well enough, 
a proverb  that this my divination and conjecture will nothing at all deceive me. first the young damosel, in which this high gift of chastity is not can no more easily be without an husband and the company of man than she can live without meat & drink, and sleep, & such other works of nature. On the other side also young men or men of middle age cannot be without a wife, for it is as deeply graffed in them & as naturally given unto them to continue and increase their kind by propagation: as it is either to eat or to drink. Who soever therefore coveteth & goeth about now to stop and hold back by his own proper might & strength, this natural inclination, virtue & force given him of god, what other thing doth he, then if one would go about to cause & bring to pass, the the fire should not burn/ or the water not make moist, or the a man should live without either meat or drink, Of this I do now infer & conclude, that all such manner Nuns, how soever many there be of them, whether they be gentle men's or poor men's daughters, not having the rare gift of chastity, as very few have or can have do not keep chastity with their own goodwill but full sore aghast theri wills they are without husbands. Now if they do contain by compulsion & with an evil will undoubtedly they do lose both lives/ that is to say, this life, & the life eternal/ for on both sydꝭ they shall be in hell pains here in intolerable heat & brenning of the flesh, and there in eternal fire except repentance at the last Lo unto this extreme infelycyte, unto this most wretched and miserable state thou dost thine own self bring thine own children and kins folk: & all to the intent only, that thou mayst reign & keep upright thy riches, & thy dominion. This is that excellent & goodly fruit of constrained & enforced chastity, and of certain cruel princes & officers, which with so great madness do go about to defend monasteries and these great cruel prisons as an holy thing/ & to stop & hold back nature, which can not be stopped it is an easy thing to persuade other folk, to compel other folk unto chastity: if thou thyself haste a wife, and canst provide for thyself against the heats and flames of nature. But the most wretched company, through this enforced single life, doth in the mean season perish in the mids of the fierce of the flesh as it were in a certain hell/ For where there is not wilful chastity by the special gift of god: the nature be she never so much holden back and kept under by our power & strength, yet she holdeth on to do her own operation and work, & she continueth even such one, as god did create her/ consider the rest thyself, which of truth might here be spoken, for shamefastness will suffer me to declare no further of the inconvenience and abomination the followeth all though necessity say the contrary, considering the blindness of the world. And albeit that I do of shamefastness repress my pen from that which ought as I said before to be declared, yet notwithstanding those young persons both men and women aforesaid do I know well feel in themselves what I mean & are thereof both ashamed, & sore tormented, where upon it cometh to pass, that not only they do curse their parentis but also god/ and do dispraise & extremely hate their condition & state, and do detest and cry out upon all them, which gave them counsel unto this thing, and curse the time that ever they were borne or gotten to live in that wretchedness. Lo this was the purpose of the devil, this was the thing that he enriched, and went about when he taught the under the colour and semblance of holiness to stop and keep under nature which without this high and very seldom gift of god can not by any means be stopped & kept under. But to return to our purpose. I say it is a thousand parts better to leave and forsake bishoprics, and all manner high offices and dignities, and to be a mean citizen or an husbandman: then under the colour and semblance of holiness to neglect and not regard the office of a bishop, or not to give diligence at the least wise that it may be executed and fulfilled by other men. For there is no mean, and it is but vain labours to seche for an excuse.  
THe word of god abideth & continueth perpetually. 
The word of god   
NOt only bishoprics, but also heaven and earth shall pass away: but the word of god shall not pass away Take this as an oracle/ & believe this as verily to be true, as if god had spoken it to the mouth to mouth. if now the pope, or his papists (so as he now doth) will not suffer the to preach the gospel purely, 
preachers ought to preach. boldly  & (as Peter saith in the acts) boldly: then haste thou a greater and a more lawful cause to forsake the bishopric.  
WE ought to obey god rather than men.  
Neither do thou think, that thou haste gaily well fulfilled the office of a bishop, or that thou art excused, if now before that thou thyself hastred through earnestly, and hast learned the bible & the scriptures, thou do begin to walk every where abroad throughout thy cities, and conduct or higher a preacher ye far less learned than thyself, to preach not the gospels, but men's inventions, and perseverance in the traditions of men and in the old custom/ so as a certain bishop did now of late tyme. When the wretched men have suppressed the gospel, and have taught human things, and now with the only colour and brightness of the episcopal name (as though so great a prince could not teach any false things) now with persons, I say (which god doth not accept) they do go about to blear the eyes of men, and to break forth with their authority only. And in deed they should be wise in so doing, if this were as sure & as a true way to amend these so great damages & losses of consciences, as it is an easy & an exceeding speedy way. But why do they now to late abuse the symplycytye of the comen people, by such manner high & proud promises. Why do they feed us forth with most vain promises? we will not (say they) refuse to lay our souls to pledge before god, that our doctrine is true/ if they will earnestly preach the gospel and the word of god: why do they not duly prepare themselves unto the office of a bishop? Why do they not hire a wise & a virtuous master, & take a bible in their hands, and first do learn their own selves, that they may afterwards teach other men? I truly would make answer to such a bishop, that did with great words promise to lay his soul to pledge, & I would say unto him, that he should lay his soul to pledge unto other creditors that are light of giving credence. For I had liefer here leave and trust unto the manifest word of god, then to the pleage even of so great a lords soul. For what if the devil should bear away this pleage, be it never so precious? How should I then be provided for, and saved harmless? Away therefore with thine uncertain pledge and unsure cautyon, For I would for my part have no such bishop which shall make his soul the foundation of my health & salvation, to the which soul I can not tell what shall happen, or what shall betide it in an other world. But I would have such manner a bishop, which shall preach the gospel unto me, and set christ unto me for the foundation of my health For here I am sure to whom I may trust. And here I do give no counsel of amendment to that papistical sort that will not amend, For they do stop their ears, and do not suffer themselves to be taught. But if peradventure there be any yet among them, which have repent, & do desire to be good and christian bishops and to work the health and safeguard of themselves & of the people: the only & principal office and duty of them (in comparison of which all other things do nothing belong unto a bishop) is to take care for the churches & congregation/ their office and duty is to take care & provide for poor folk/ to walk about every where, and to give diligent labour either to preach or else to cause to be preached not the traditions of men, but the pure gospel/ and the word of god And as for those shadows and dumb images blocks, mummers and maskers, which spend a great part of their life in pomp and riot, and whose belie is their god, and which do set their mind all upon earthly things: I have (if I be not beguiled) largely and plainly enough spoken of them/ I have now openly preached and showed unto them that they should turn from their wicked way. What can I do more? I beseech our lord that he will vouchsafe to help forward