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It is our parte (dearely beloved brethren in Christ) to learne here, that these men ar cleane voide of al sparkes of charitie, & al together colde in their consciences. For if they were any whitte charitably affected, surely that bitter famyne & intolerable dearthe of vitaile, which the countrey of Germanye hathe ben miserably pressed withall (and now at leynght is scarcely ridde of it) wolde never yet have gone out of their myndes: and having [Page 85] remembraunce therof, they wold never have admitted, that (for their owne private profite) the people should be destroied now with sweorde and fire, whom so sore an hongre hathe so bitterly vexed.

But no common miseries move them, no casualties move them, no lamentacion also of the sorowfull wretched people move them, so they may see their owne maters provided for. As for the complaintes and pitifull cryenges of the poore, none pearceth their eares. The gronynges also of the afflicted, strike nothing in to their eares, nother doo they geve any hede to the wailinges of the hongrie. But this is their common studie, this is their care, this is their paynes taking and travaile, to hunt away the sely poore shepe (whom Christ hathe redemed with his blood) from the most holsome pastures of Goddes worde, in to that olde stynking slaughter-house of theirs again: and to thintent whan they have them under their subjection, they may not only fleece them at their pleasures, but also pull of their skynne: and not that only, but also[Page 86] bocherlye to slea them, woorie them, flea them, and devoure them. Although ther perishe men innumerable, though fieldes be wasted, townes destroied, private and publike goodes violently taken away, though wyves crye out for the slaughter of their husbandes, the parences of their sonnes, the children of their parentes, the frendes and alliaunce, of their frendes and allyaunce: though the honestye of matrones be defiled, although the maidens (being subjecte to the conquerours filthie appetite) do make mone, though every body (both man, woman, and childe) doo perishe: & to conclude, though al hole Germanye were set on a most terrible read burnyng fire, yet they will thinke al this damage easyly recompenced, if they may lyve safely, and take their pleasure, with their covent of erraunt hoores, flattering bely cheare myniones, and detestable daunceing lecherours. They are therfore voide of all charitie, and (as concerning it) they are Men of synne, and in all thinges geven to al maner of wickednes and abominacion.

Let us procede now over to the thrid point, which concerneth the leading of a righteous and an innocent life: and therin we shal perceave them to be Men of synne, no lesse than in the other pointes before. For the innocencie of a christian life requireth this specially above other, that we avoyde the common enemye of faythfull Christianes, Sathan: that we abhorre, flee and deteste to have any thing a doo with him. But and if we wolde considre the actes of bishoppes of Rome, we may fynde mo that have not ben afraide, to bynde them selves holly to be the servauntes of sathan, and therwith have set their studies upon suche practices as are develishe, and forbidden by the lawes of God. And in the nombre of these, Cardinal Beno dothe frely recorde, that Gregorie the. 7. is to be compted, and bringeth out many abominable testimonies of that mater.

Of Silvester the seconde of that name,Silvester the. 2. the most diligent patrone & mayntenour of the popes dignitie, Platina is ye autor: yt he was a practicer

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Nevertheles albeit the furst waye spedde not, yet they went to their bulynesse an other waye, & never ceassed, till (wyth alluring now these men, now those men, to saye as they said) they obteyned their purpose: and yet it could not be brought to passe among the Germanes, untill it was almost to late, that is to saye, about CCCCC. yeares agoo, in the dayes of Emperour Henry yt 4, it was brought about[Page 140], by (helhounde hildebrande, called) Gregorie the 7. the varlet of all wickednesse and mischief.

But to tell what frutes have proceded of this law; it nedeth not much rehearsal. For in this case though no man speake a worde, their owne beastly lustes tel, their owne hooremonging declareth, & their owne cuckolde making (wherwyth they have defiled the hole churche) cryeth out upon them.

Well, if we take here this worde lust, either for ye only love to women, or for ye desire of womanes company, we must speake yt of these most holy and most blessed fathers (& God before) yt is to filthie, & to badde to be spoke, yea no christiane cares could abyde it, but yt ye playne truthe of the mater wolde force men to speake. For we must saye, yt these men are not so muche enamoured wt ye lust & naturall company of women, as they are mare woode upon ye abominable beastly lust of buggery, which synne God revenged in tymes past wt flamyng fire from heaven, & commaunded it to be punyshed wt like correction. And yet these helhoundes so haunt it, & are so rageing madde upon it, yt it is[Page] manifest, bothe they and theyr courtyers committe it, and no man saithe, blacke is their eye. In this behalfe I wil take recorde to as many, as by any evil lucke have ever ben brought to that Sodomitical stewed state, and have hade to doo in Popes, Cardinalles, and bishoppes courtes & retinues.

Fyfthly Daniel saythe, that Antichrist shal also rewarde them with his treasures, that wilbe content to serve, to honour, & to acknowlage that God Mayzim of his. And Daniel maketh mencion here of three maner of rewardes. For furst he sayth, that he shal advaunce them to honour, that is to say, with glorious titles and names. Secondly he shal make them lordes over many people. Thirdly he shall distribute the lande unto them with rewardes. Which thinges (yf we wil searche the dedes and stories of bishoppes of Rome) we maye fynde to be, even as Daniel tolde before.

Furst the very tricke of their owne workmanship is, to set up those, that be of their secte, with highe honourable titles, & to advaunce their names with glorious gaye stiles. So in tymes past he adourned Pipine wt the[Page 141] stile of The stile of most christian king geven by the B. of Ro. to pipine the traitour.Most christian Kyng, bycause he ayded the sea of Rome, and delyvered the God Mayzim, from the power of Lumbardes, & enriched him also wt great landes, & exceding great privileges. And the Frenche kynges beare them selves highe, upon the honour of that stile even at this present daye.

Lykewyse mynding to decke the king of Englande also wt a new stile, Defendour of the faith. he gave him (above. 20. yeares agoo) the name of Defendour of the faythe, in so much that he made a great a do, without regarde of the kinges regal estate, to have set the king (bycause of that stile) against Lutere, ye most earnest adversary of ye sea of R. & most invincible beater downe of the Popes tyrannie. But what nede we to make rehersal of kinges, & other folkes (of whom some are called most renowmed, some catholike, some defendours of the sea Apostolike) whan we see before our eyes, a mightie rable of popishe prelates, yt bragge & loke aloft, by those glorious gay stiles?