doctrine, and have set him for an ensample to judge all other by. Whatsoever thou art that readest this, I exhort thee in Christ, to compare his sermon and that which I I have written, and the Scripture together, and judge. There shalt thou find of our holy father's authority, and what it is to be great, and how to know the greatest. Then followeth the cause why laymen cannot rule temporal offices, which is the falsehood of the bishops. There shalt thou find of miracles and ceremonies without signification; of false anointing, and lying signs, and false names; and how the spiritualty are disguised in falsehood, and how they rule the people in darkness, and do all thing in the Latin tongue, and of their petty pillage. Their polling is like a soaking consumption, wherein a man complaineth of feebleness and of faintness, and wotteth not whence his disease cometh; it is like a pock that fretteth inward, and consumeth the very marrow of the bones. There seest thou the cause why it is impossible for kings to come to the knowledge of the truth. For the spirits lay await for them, and serve their appetites at all points; and through confession, buy and sell and betray both them and all their true friends, and lay baits for them, and never leave them till they have blinded them with their sophistry, and have brought them into their nets. And then when the king is captive, they compel all the rest with violence of his sword. For if any man will not obey them, be it right or wrong, they cite him, suspend him, and curse or excommunicate him. If he then obey not, they deliver him to Pilate, that is to say, unto the temporal officers, to destroy them. Last of all, there findest thou the very cause of all persecution, which is the preaching against hypocrisy. Then come we to the sacraments, where thou seest that the work of the sacrament saveth not, but the faith in the promise, which the sacrament signifieth, justifieth us only. There hast thou that a priest is but a servant to teach only, and whatsoever he taketh upon him more than Miracles are done by faith, and not by ceremo nies. The use of allegories. to preach and to minister the sacraments of Christ, (which is also preaching) is falsehood. Then cometh how they juggle through dumb ceremonies, and how they make merchandise with feigned words; penance, a pœna et a culpa, satisfaction, attrition, character, purgatory, pick-purse; and how through confession they make the sacraments and all the promise of none effect or value. There seest thou that absolving is but preaching the promises; and cursing or excommunicating, preaching the law; and of their power, and of their keys, of false miracles, and praying to saints. There seest thou that ceremonies did not the miracles, but faith: even as it was not Moses' rod that did the miracles, but Moses' faith in the promises of God. Thou seest also that to have a faith where God hath not a promise, is idolatry. And there also seest thou how the pope exalteth himself above God, and commandeth him to obey his tyranny. Last of all, thou hast there that no man ought to preach but he that is called. Then followeth the belly-brotherhood of monks and friars. For Christ hath deserved nought with them. For his sake gettest thou no favour. Thou must offer unto their bellies, and then they pray bitterly for thee. There seest thou that Christ is the only cause: yea, and all the cause why God doth ought for us, and heareth our complaint. And there hast thou doctrine how to know and to be sure that thou art elect and hast God's spirit in thee. And hast there learning to try the doctrine of our spirits. Then follow the four senses of the Scripture, of which three are no senses; and the fourth, that is to wit the literal sense, which is the very sense, hath the pope taken to himself. It may have no other meaning than as it pleaseth his fatherhood. We must abide his interpretation. And as his belly thinks, so must we think, though it be impossible to gather any such meaning of the Scripture. Then hast thou the very use of allegories, and how they are nothing but ensamples borrowed of the Scripture to ex similitudes. press a text or an open conclusion of the Scripture, and as it were to paint it before thine eyes, that thou mayest feel the meaning and the power of the Scripture in thine heart. Then cometh the use of worldly similitudes, and how The use of they are false prophets which bring a worldly similitude for any other purpose, save to express more plainly that which is contained in an open text. And so are they also which draw the Scripture contrary to the open places, and contrary to the ensample, living, and practising of Christ, the apostles, and of the holy prophets. And then, finally, hast thou of our holy father's power, and of his keys, and of his binding and excommunicating, and of his cursing and blessing, with ensamples of every thing. |