A LETTER FROM THE DEVIL, TO THE POPE AND HIS PRELATES, Written at the beginning of the Reformation, and now published for the Confirmation of Protestants, and Confusion of Papists.  
LUCIFER, Prince of darkness and profound heaviness, Emperor of the high Mysteries of the King of Acheron, Captain of the dungeon Erebus, King of Hell, and Controller of the infernal fire; To all our children of pride, and companions of our Kingdom, and especially to our Princes of the Church of this later age and time (of which our adversary Jesus Christ, according to the Prophet, saith, I hate the Church or congregation of the wicked) send Greeting—: Know ye, that in times past certain Vicars or Vicegerents of Christ, following his steps in Miracles and Virtues, living and continuing in a beggarly life, converted (in a manner) the whole World, from the yoke of our tyranny unto their doctrine and manner of life, to the great derision and contempt of our prisonhouse and Kingdom, and also to the no little prejudice and hurt of our jurisdiction and authority: For than received we no tribute of the World, neither did the miserable sort of common people rush at the gates of our deep dungeon as they were wont to do with continual pealing and raoping, but then the easy, pleasant and broad way that leadeth unto death, lay still without great noise of trampling travellers: and when all our Courts were without Suitors, Hell then began to howl; and thus continuing in great heaviness and anguish, was rob and spoiled.  
Which thing considered, the impatient rage of our stomach could no longer suffer, neither could the ugly wretchless negligence of our great Captain any longer endure. But we, seeking remedy for the time that shall come after, have provided us of a very fit expedient. For instead of these Apostles and other their Adherents which draw by the same line of theirs, as well in manners as doctrine, and are odious enemies to us, We have caused you to be their Successors, and put you in their place, which be Prelates of the Church in these later times by our great and mighty subtlety, as Christ hath said of you, They have reigned, but not by me. Once we promised Him all the Kingdoms of the World, if he would fall down and worship us; but he would not, saying, My Kingdom is not of this world; and went his way when the multitude would have made him a Temporal King. But to you truly that are fallen from the state of grace, and that serve us in the earth, is that my promise fulfilled: and by our means all worldly things which we have bestowed upon you, are under your government. For he hath said of us as ye know, The Prince of this world cometh, etc. and hath made us to reign over all children of unbelief. Therefore our Adversaries before recited, did patiently submit themselves unto the Princes of the World, and did teach that men should do so, saying, Be ye subject to every creature for God's cause, whether it be to the King as most chief. And again, Obey them that rule over you, etc. But I think it long till we have poured our poison upon the earth, and therefore fill yourselves full. And now be ye contrary to those Fathers in your life and conditions, and extol yourselves above all other men. Neither do ye give to God that which belongeth to him, nor yet to Caesar that which is his: but exercise you the power of both the Swords, according to our Decrees, making yourselves doers in worldly matters, fight in our quarrel; entangled with secular labour and business. And climb ye by little and little from the miserable state of poverty, unto the highest seats of all honours, and the most Princely places of dignity by your devised practices, and false and deceitful wiles and subtlety; that is, by hypocrisy, flattery, lying, perjury, treasons, deceits, simony and other greater wickedness, than which our infernal Furies may devise. For after that ye have by us been advanced thither where ye would be, yet that doth not suffice you; but as greedy starvelings more hungry than ye were before, ye suppress the poor, scratch and rake together all that comes to hand, perverting and turning every thing topsy-turvy; so swollen, that ready ye are to burst with pride, living like Lechers in all corporal delicateness, and by fraud directing all your do. You challenge to yourselves names of honour in the earth, calling yourselves Lords, holy, yea, and most holy persons.  
Thus, either by violence ye raven, or else by ambition subtly ye pilfer away, and wrongfully wrest, and by false title possess those goods, which for the sustentation of the poor members of Christ (whom from our first fall we have hated) were bestowed and given, consuming them as yourselves list, and therewith ye cherish and maintain an innumerable sort of Whores, Strumpets and Bawds, with whom ye ride pompously like mighty Princes, far otherwise going, than those poor beggarly Priests of the Primitive Church. For I would ye should build yourselves rich and gorgeous Palaces: far like Princes, eating the daintiest meats, and drinking the pleasantest wines that may be gotten: hoard and heap together an infinite deal of treasure, not like to him that said, Gold and Silver have I none; and serve and fight for us according unto our wages. O most acceptable society, promised unto us by the Prophet, and of those Father's long ago reproved, whilst that Christ called thee the Synagogue of Satan, and the mighty Whore which committed fornication with the Kings of the earth, the adulterous Spouse of Christ, and of a chaste person made a strumpet. Thou hast lest thy first love, and hast cleaved unto us, O our beloved Babylon, O our Citizens, which from the transmigration of Jerusalem come hither: we love you for your deserts, we rejoice over you which contemn the Laws of Simon Peter, and embrace the Laws of Simon Magus our friend, buying and selling spiritual things in the Church of God, and against the commandment of God. Ye give benefices and honours by petition, or else for money, for favour, or else for filthy service. And refusing to admit those that be worthy to Ecclesiastical Dignities, and preferring those that are unworthy, ye call unto the inheritance of God's Sanctuary, Bawds, Liars, Flatterers, your Nephews and your own Children, and to a childish Boy ye give many prebend's, the least whereof ye deny to bestow upon a poor good man: ye esteem the person of a man. and receive gifts, ye regard money, and have no regard of souls. Ye have made the house of God a den of thiefs. All abuse, all extortion is more exercised a hundred fold in your judgement-seats, than with any Secular Tyrant. Ye make Laws and keep not the same, and ye dispense with your dispensations as it pleaseth you: ye justify the wicked for rewards, and ye take away the just man's desert from him. And briefly ye commit all kind of mischief, even as it is our will ye should. And ye take much pains for lucre's sake in our service, and especially to destroy the Christian faith. For now the Lay people are almost in doubt what they may believe, because if ye preach any thing to them at some times (although it be but seldom seen, and that negligently enough, even as we would have it) yet notwithstanding they believe you not, because they see manifestly, that ye do clean contrary to that you say. Whereupon the common people, doing as ye do who have the government of them, run headlong into a whole Sea of Vices; and so continually a very great multitude flocketh at the strong and well fenced gates of our dungeon. And thus the Sovereignty of our Empire by you hath been reform, and our intolerable loss restored. Wherefore, most specially we commend you, and give you most hearty thanks, exhorting you all, that in any wise ye persevere and continue as hitherto ye have done and that from henceforth ye slack not your enterprise. For why? by your helps we purpose to bring the whole World again under our power and dominion. Furthermore we counsel you which occupy the highest rooms of all other, that ye work subtly, and that ye (feignedly) procure peace between the Princes of the World, but that ye cherish and procure secret causes of discord. And like as craftily ye have destroyed and subverted the Roman Empire; so suffer ye no Kingdom to be overmuch enlarged or enriched by tranquillity and peace; lest perhaps in so great tranquillity they dispose themselves to view and consider your most wicked works, suppressing on every side your estate; and from your treasures take away such substance, as we have caused to be reserved and kept in your hands. We would ye should do our commendations to our entirely beloved daughters, Pride, Deceit, Wrath, Avarice, Belly-chear and Lechery, and to all other my daughters; and especially to Lady Simony, which hath made you men, and enriched you, and hath given you suck with her own breasts, and weaned you, and therefore see that in no wise ye call her Sin. And be ye lofty and proud, because that the most high dignity of your estate doth require such magnificence. And also be ye covetous, for whatsoever ye get and gather into your fardel, it is for St. Peter, for the peace of the Church, and for the defence of your patrimony and the Crucifix; and therefore ye may lawfully do it. Ye may promote your Cardinals to the highest seat of Dignities without any  in all the world, in stopping the mouth of our adversary Jesus Christ, and alleging again, that he preferred his kinsfolks (being but of poor and base degree) unto the Apostleship; but do not you so, but rather call, as ye do, those that live in arrogance, in haughtiness of mind and filthy lechery, unto the state of wealthy riches and pride; and those rewards and promotions, which the followers of Christ forsook, do ye distribute unto your friends. Therefore as ye shall have better understanding, prepare ye vices cloaked under the similitude of virtues. Allege for yourselves the glosses of the holy Scripture, and wrest them directly to serve for your purpose. And if any preach or teach otherwise than ye will, oppress ye him violently with the sentence of Excommunication, and by your Censures heaped one upon another, by the consent of your brethren, let him be condemned as an heretic, and let him be kept in most straight prison, and there tormented till he die, for a terrible example to all such as confess Christ. And setting all favour apart, cast him out of your Temple, lest peradventure the engrafted Word may save your souls, which word I abhor, as I do the souls of other faithful men. And do you endeavour, that ye may deserve to have the place which we have prepared for you, under the most wicked foundation of our dwelling place. Far you well with such felicity as we desire, and intent finally to reward and recompense you with.  
Given at the Centre of the earth, in that our dark place, where all the rabblement of Devils were present, specially for this purpose called unto our most dolorous Consistory, under the character of our terrible seal, for the confirmation of the premises.  
FINIS.