OVR SAVIOVR Iesu
Christe dyd not onlye begynne his lyfe in
this world in pouertie and great humblenes:
but also contynued all his lyfe in
the same, in so moch that he seith:
The foxes haue hooles, and the
birdes of the ayre haue nestes, but
the sonne of man (meanynge by
him selfe) hath not wheron to ley
his heed. And he sayde: Blessed
be they that be poore: bycause the
kyngedome of heuen is theyrs.
The pope, whiche taketh vpon
hym to be the successour of saynte
Peter (who folowed his maister
Christe in like pouertie and humblenes)
refuseth that, and hath suche
ryches at his begynnyng, that
he therby opteyneth his lordshyp
and auctoritie: And al his lyfe after

A2

he saithe: Rome is myne, Cecilia
is myne, Corcia is myn: and
consequently he saith, all is at his
commaundement.
Christe was meke and lowe, and
forsoke this worldly glorie: And
fledde alone into the mountayns,
when the people wold haue made
hym a kynge, and he sayde: My
kyngedome is not of this worlde.
The pope is full high & proude
sayenge: I am a lorde of bothe
realmes, heuenly and erthely: and
the Emperour is my subiecte: as
it is mencioned in the popes own
decrees and lawes, in the .lxxxxvi.
distinction. Cap. Si imperator, And
so is it manyfeste, that he hath receyued
of the deuyl the gyfte, whiche
Christe refused.
Christ (as he saith him selfe) came
nat to be serued but to serue, takynge

vpon hym the similitude of
a seruaunte, humblynge and makynge
hym selfe of no reputation
to serue vs.
The Pope wyll be serued, and
suffre kynges to gyue him water,
ye and saith, it were a shame, yf he
shoulde other wyse humble hym
selfe: as it appereth in his owne
lawes, in the .lxxxvi. distinction,
Cap. Quando necessitas.
Christe fulle lowely and mekely
wasshed his disciples feete, and
taught them to do lyke wyse, sayenge:
I haue gyuen you example,
loke that ye doo, as I haue
done to you.
The pope sayth, the emperours
and kynges shall knele and kysse
my feete, and is not asshamed to
expresse it in the lawe, Cap. Cum olim
de priuilegio cler.

Christ went on his fete with his
disciples, bothe in wete and drye,
hete and colde, to teche the people:
as it is euident throughe the gospelles.
The pope wyll kepe his feete full
cleane with showes of golde and
syluer, sette with precious stones,
and wyl not preache the worde of
god, but saythe it is sufficiente to
cause other to preache, as it appereth
in his lawe, Cap. Inter cetera de
offic. In. or. After this maner might
the turke be pope also.
Christe wold not suffre that douues,
shepe, and oxen for the offrynge,
shulde be solde in the temple
of God, but draue out the byars
and sellars with whyppes.
The pope suffreth his chapmen
in the churche, to sylle the sacramentis
that they shulde frely ministre

to the christen people.
Christe commaunded his disciples
to gyue freely that they had
receyued of hym, saying: ye haue
if for nothynge, therfore shal you
gyue it for nothyng.
The pope hath Iudas mynde:
for you get nothyng of hym with
oute moneye, for he selleth bothe
prayer, preachynges, and pardones.
Christe satte at meate amonge
his disciples ful lowly and poorelye,
not requyrynge the hygheste
seate.
The pope sytteth full hygh in a
curious trone, and wyll be serued
gloriously, with greatte princis
and potestatis, and wyl haue men
with iagged cootis, to carue his
morsels, blasphemynge god with
othes, and many other vices, as

4

ye may se dayly.
Christe was in hylles wepynge
and prayinge, and walked in deserte,
fedynge many thousandes
bothe with meate and prechynge.
The pope sitteth in his castelles
and towres with mynstrelsie and
laughters: And the hungrye and
poore shall sytte at the gate, and
wyll not serue them hym selfe: for
he thynketh it shame to him, to folowe
Christes example.
Christe lay and slepte in a boote
on the harde bourdes, and had to
his chamberlaynes, but fysshers,
whiche cried to hym vpon the see
in the tempest, when they were aferde
to perisshe.
The pope slepeth full softe and
easely, and no man maye awake
hym, vntyll he haue slept inough:
for his chamberlaynes woll be redye

with mershals and vsshers, to
kepe his chaumbres from noyse,
and the porter at the gate to kepe
out the pore, and that pouertie in
no wyse enter therin.
Christe fasted, and soughte the
fruite on the tree to eate, when he
was hungrye, and founde none
thereon.
The pope hath great prouision
made in cities and townes to get
hym of the best that may be found
well dressed and deyntily, to make
digestion, with spices, and sauces,
and syrropes coloured owte of
kynde.
Christe lay in a stable with fewe
clothes, betwixte an oxe and an
asse, for there was no place in the
ynnes for his parentes, because
they were poore.
The pope lyeth in ryche chaumbers

A5

with quiltis, curteynes, carpettis,
and cusshens, sprede all about
with swete smelles, and peynted
walles, and with golde and
tissue hanged.
Christe chose to hym poore men,
and commaunded them to be simple
as doues.
The pope choseth vnto him men
that be subtyle and crafty and full
of pride, or elles they are not mete
for his seruice and purpose.
Christe rode pore & simply on an
asse, and had twelue poore menne
that folowed hym a fote.
The pope rydeth royallye on a
moyle or a white palfrey, moche
higher than his maister dyd, and
hath many mo then .xii. folowing
him on horse backe, with swerdes,
billes, and halberdes, as it were
men redy to battaille.

Christe bad his disciples to go
in to all the worlde, and preache
the gospelle to euery creature.
The pope commandeth his ministers
to preache his lawes and
auctoritie to the worlde: And that
no man be so hardy, vppon peyne
of exco~munication, to take vppon
him to preache the gospell.
Christe was stryped oute of his
clothes, all to beaten and scourged,
and false wytnes brought in
ageinst hym.
The pope is well clothed with
precious garmentes, and hathe
chaunge for euery day, and commandeth
other to be beaten and
soore punyshed, and false wytnes
to be brought in to testifie what so
euer they wylle haue ageinste the
pore innocentes, christen people.
Christe teacheth, that the poore

6

shulde be bydde to dyner, and that
we shoulde gyue vnto the poore,
and we shuld therby make our tresure
in heuen.
The pope sommoneth and citeth
them, be they neuer so poore, not
regardynge theyr aduersitie, but
doth curse them if they come not:
and if they come, they go a waye
soryer and sicker in soule and in
purse, then they came.
Christe commaunded that we
shulde not swere at all, nother by
heuen nor by the temple .&c. but
that our wordes shulde be ye ye,
nay nay.
The pope saieth if any man wil
receyue anye office vnder vs, he
shalbe sworne before: ye and gyue
a great somme of money. Ca. Significasti
de elect.
Christe had a crowne of sharpe

thornes set vpon his heed, with so
great violence, that the bloudde
ranne downe ouer all his amiable
face, and boystous nayles dryuen
through his precious handes.
The pope woll weare vpon his
heed .iii. crownes of golde, sette
with riche precious stones: & wol
haue his handes and fyngers all
royally dyghte with ouches and
rynges, he passeth poore Christe
farre.
Christe toke the crosse of peynefull
affliction vpon hym selfe, and
commaunded his disciples to folowe
hym, sayenge: He that taketh
not this crosse and foloweth
me, is not mete for me.
The pope takithe the crosse of
pride, and hathe hit borne before
hym, well gylte and amelde, to
haue worshyp of this worlde, as

for other crosse he knoweth none.
Christe prayde his father to forgyue
them, that treaspaced hym,
ye and prayde for them that putte
him to deathe.
The pope commaundethe bothe
kynges and emperours to aue~ge
his quarelle on them that resiste
his mynde, with forgyuenes he
hath none acqueyntance.
Christe sente forth and badde his
disciples go preache the gospelle
amongest the people.
The pope sendith his pardoners
to publishe fables and lyes vnto
the people, and therto graunteth
he letters & seles, and many days
of pardon, and all for money.
Christe commaunded his disciples
to knowe his lawe, and bad
the iewes to serche the scriptures:
And Moyses exhorted the Israelities,

to teache the lawe of god to
their yonge children, and that thei
shuld haue it bounde as a signe in
their handes, that it might be euer
before their eies, & caused them to
write it on the polles and dores of
their houses.
The pope saith it is not mete for
vs, that be christened, to know it,
he maketh it herisie and treson ageynst
kinges & princis, to knowe
Christe or his lawes: he hath digged
cesternes of his owne traditions,
& hath stopped vp the pure
fou~teines of Christis doctrine. O
lord in whom is al our trust, come
doune from the heuens, why doest
thou tary so lo~ge, seing thin aduersarie,
thus preuailing ageinst the?
Christe approued his lawe, and
confirmed it with his owne dethe.
The pope is ful busy to distroy it

and to maynteyne his owne law,
and that with the dethe of al them
that wil say the contrary:
Christ wold haue men visite the
poore prisoners, to comforte and
delyuer them.
The pope always discomforteth
the poore and the trewe christen
people, & putteth them in prison
for the truth sake.
Christe dyd neuer prison nor persecute
any man: but he commanded
to his disciples, that they
shoulde loue theyr ennemies, and
do well to, and pray for those that
persecute them.
The pope that taketh on hym
to stande in Christis stede, and folowe
his example, persecuteth, punysheth,
prisoneth, and putteth to
deathe them that are disobedient
to his voluptuous pleasures / Se

ye not howe fast he foloweth Christis
steppes.
Christe commaunded his disciples
thus: If thy brother trespace
agaynste the, go and reproue him
priuely betwene the and hym: if
he woll not obeye & be reconciled,
then take with the one witnes or
tweyne, if he woll not then here
the, then telle hit to the Churche,
whiche is the catholike congregation
of Christen people: and if he
then stande stylle in his stubbournes,
take hym as a paynym, and
auoyde his companye.
The pope wyll caste them that
displeaseth hym, streyght into prison,
there to remayne in irons, to
make them reuoke the truth, and
graunt to his wyll: And if any be
stronge, and wyll not forsake the
truthe, he wyll condempne hym

B

withoute audience, for feare of
losynge his temporall winnynge.
And as to the charitable reconcilynge,
that oure sauiour Christe
gaue in commaundment vnto as
manye as do take vppon them to
be his ministers, he vtterlye refuseth,
and wil none of it.
Christe charged Peter thre times
to kepe well, & norishe his shepe.
The pope chargeth moche more
to kepe well his moneye: and as
for the shepe, he shereth and punissheth
with infinite exactions.
Christ helyng the sicke, & doinge
many myracles, did lightlye euer
comaunde that they shoulde telle
no man, who dyd heale them.
The pope geueth great gyftes
to mynstrelles, and messangers,
and to lowde liers, and flatterars,
to crye his name aboute, that he

maye haue worsshyppe in this
worlde.
Christe had no courtes to pleate
the maters of his disciples, for he
bad them they shoulde not resiste
euyll.
The pope hathe his courtes and
manye riche menne of lawe to oppresse
the poore, and to calle vnto
iudgement whome he listethe, for
what so euer cause he will, vexing
al maner people, withoute mercye,
for forgyue he wyll not.
Christe as he passed throughe cities
and townes, hunted fendes
out of men, that they dwelled in,
with the wordes of his mouth.
The pope hunteth the wild dere,
the foxe, and the hare in his closed
parkes, with great cries, and hornes
blowynge, with houndes and
catches ronnynge.

B2

God was called the holy father
of Iesu Christe his sonne, as it is
wrytten.
The pope is called the moste holy
father of Sathanas chyldren,
& taketh that name on hym with
Lucifers pride, his disciples sey,
that he is god on erthe. And we
ar taught by Christis law to haue
but one god.
Christe sat in the myddes of the
doctours, not thynkyng scorne to
aske and here them in the lawe of
his father.
The pope sitteth in his glorious
trone, and ministreth his owne
lawe, and traditions to all menne,
and holdeth a small matter longe
in pleatyng, which myght sone be
determyned by the lawe of god, if
he wolde vse it, but then his wynnynge
wolde be the lesse, and his

lawe without profyte.
Christe taught that a man shuld
forsake his wyfe for no cause, but
for aduoutrie.
The pope, if he be not monyed,
wyll make deuorces for what so
euer cause a man wyll haue hym,
yea and for money he wyll ioyne
them, whom the lawe of god wold
not suffre to marie.
Christe sent the holye goste in feruent
loue to teache all the truthe
vnto them, whiche were chosen
of god.
The pope sendeth out his commaundementes
all about to curse
and aske vengeance on them, that
resiste his tiranny. And woll absolue
them agayne cleane for money.
All his doctrynes haue golden
tayles: for money is euer the
ende, gyue hym money, and you

B3

haue fulfilled all his lawes.
Christe fulfilled and kepte the
olde lawe, and the newe, and all
ryghtuousnes.
The pope kepeth his owne tradicions
and lawes, but as for the
lawe of god is clene oute of his
mynde.
Christe sayde, that men shoulde
knowe his disciples by their charitie,
if they loued one an other, as
he had loued them.
The pope causeth his to be knowen
by theyr habites & vestures,
and punyssheth theym, if they vse
not theyr habites: but for theyr couetousnes
and ambicion, he doth
not punysshe them.
Christe badde theym, that he
healed, to go and synne no more.
The pope gyueth licence to people
to contynue in synne, and doeth

lycence them to kepe oker houses,
stewes, and baudye howses,
and receyueth money therfore.
Christe sent forth to preache seuentie
and two disciples, whiche
frelye promised heuen to theym,
that wolde beleue in the name of
Christe.
The pope sendeth out his preachers
and pardoners, whiche teachethe
the people, to beleue his
power, and pardones, and sayth,
that without money, they can not
be assoyled nor come to heuen.
Christ was buried in a pore monume~t,
without any funeral po~pe.
The popes are buried in glorious
tumbes wel gilte, with many
torches, and greatte solempnitie,
and with angels gloriously portured,
that beare their soules to
heuen, not withstandynge it is to

B4

be feared, that they goo to supper
with the deuyil.
Christe saithe. If thou wylte be
perfyte, go and sel all thy goodis,
and gyue hit vnto the poore: for
then shalte thou haue a treasure
in heuen.
The pope saythe: If thou wylt
be perfyte, gyue me thy moneye,
and I wylle gyue the a pardone,
that shall absolue the cleane A pœna
et culpa, I wyll for thy moneye
gyue the, the key of heuen gates.
Christe sayd vnto his apostels:
The kynges and Princis of he
gentils haue rule and power ouer
them, but you shall not so haue.
The pope saith: Al emperours,
kynges, and lordis be my subiectis.
This is daily red in his bulles,
wherin he comandeth the nobilitie,
like as a mayster doth his

seruant.
Christe saythe: Loke whiche amonge
you woll be greatest, lette
hym be lowest of all, and the seruant
of you all.
The pope saithe: the emperour
muste swere vnto me, as vnto his
lorde, that he wyll be my subiecte,
and exalte and worshyp me with
honour, as it appereth in the popis
decrees. Cap. Tibi domino. Di. lxiij.
Christ saith, that they worshyp
hym in vayne, that teache the doctrines
and traditions of men.
The pope sayth: My traditions
in the spirituall lawe shall be kept
as duely, as yf god had commanded
them hym selfe: or saynte Peter
had preached them hym selfe.
Cap. Si omnes. distinct. xix.
Christe saith: I am the weye, the
truthe, and the lyfe, beleue in me

B5

and folowe me in my learnyng, and
rule you by the scripture, for that
shalbe your iudge.
The pope saith, ye shal in al thynges
folowe the churche of Rome,
mening therby him selfe & his Cardinalles,
as appereth distinction
xi. Cap. Quis nesciat. And as for the
scripture (sayth he) it stondeth in
my power and auctoritie, for I
may make of hit what so euer I
wyll. Cap. Si Romanorum.
Christe saithe: He that beleueth
and is baptised, he shall be saued,
but he that beleueth not, shall be
dampned.
The pope saith: He that gyueth
moche money for my pardon, shal
be absolued a pœna et culpa, and then
muste he nedes be saued. And he
that teacheth otherwise, is an heretike.
This his bulles & pardones

do testifie.
Christe promysethe forgyuenes
of synne, and the kyngedome of
heuen vnto them, that repent and
wyl amende their lyues.
The pope saith, that no man can
be saued, excepte he be fyrste shryuen
of his priestis and fryers, for
they brynge in money. Cap. Omnes.
Christe saith, you shal loue your
enemies, and shal blesse them, that
curse you, and shall do good vnto
them, that hate you.
The pope wyll not loue, blesse,
nor do good to his enemyes, but
he sayeth, they that be enimies to
me be cursed in the greate excommunication,
and can not be absoyled
without moche money. This
is euident inoughe.
Christe commaunded his disciples
not to resiste euyll: but yf

a ma~ strike them on the one cheke
that they shoulde offer hym the other
also.
The pope sayth, I may auenge,
and dryue away force with force.
De sente~tia excommunicationis. Ca. Dile.
Christe (saith god the father) is
my dere sonne, hym shal you here.
And Christe sayth, take on you my
yocke: for my yocke is swete, and
my burden lyght.
The poope sayth, you shall here
me, and my co~mandementes shal
be receyued & kept of euerye man.
Distinc. lxxxxiii. Cap. Si cuius. And if
any commaundment and burden
were so heuye, that it can not well
be susteyned and borne, yet shall
you obey me. Dist. xix. Cap. In memoriam.
Christe sayde vnto the two bretherne:
who hathe sette me to be

your iudge in temporall goodes:
as thoughe he shulde say, It parteyneth
not to me, but vnto worldly
iudges.
The pope sayth, I am iudge in
al maner of causes, for they bryng
money vnto me. Nono. q. iii. Conquestus.
Christe sayth: Geue the emperour
such as perteineth vnto him,
as tribute & custome. And Christe
sayde to Peter: Go paye tolle for
me and the.
The pope saithe, I care not for
this, but I excommunicate all
them, that aske any toll or tribute
of me and myn: for I haue made
them al fre. Cap. Nouit de sen. excom.
et cap. Si quis de consec. dist. 1.
Christe sayth: Peter put vp thy
swerde into the shethe, for he that
stryketh with the swerde, shal peryshe

27

with the swerde.
The pope saith: you emperours,
kynges, princis, and lordes, take
swerdes, speares, halberdes, and
gonnes, and helpe me to flee them
that wyll not obey my tyrannye.
This muste an emperour doo, or
elles he muste be periured. After
this maner Iulius the pope hath
slayne .xvi. thousande men on a
day. Was not that wel pastured?
Dyd not he wel norishe the shepe,
whiche Christe did co~mitte vnto
his tuicion?
Christe saythe: ye are my frendes,
if ye do what so euer thinges
I comaunde you.
The pope saythe: you shall doo
as I byd you, for I haue power
and auctorite to make lawes, and
after them shall ye lyue. xxv. q.i. Ca.
Sunt quidam.

Christe sayth all meates that ma~
taketh with thankes, stayneth not
the soule: for al thinges are pure,
to them that are pure.
The pope sayth: he that eateth
egges, butter, or chese and these
dayes, that I haue commaunded
to be fasted, dothe not only stayne
his soule with synne, but also is to
be denounced an herityke. disti iiij.
capi. Statuimus. This agreeth with
Christe, euen as the lyghte dothe
with the darkenes: And yet haue
we bene thus blynded longe, that
we coulde neuer perceyue this Antichriste
tyll nowe in the last dais.
Christe sayth vnto his disciples,
what so euer you bynde in erthe,
shalbe bou~d in heuen, & what so euer
you lose in erth, shalbe losed in
heuen. And he spake nothynge of
losynge and byndynge in purgatorye

for money.
The pope chalengeth greter and
larger auctoritie: for he will lose
soules out of purgatory, and commaunde
the aungelles to fetche
them out, & all for money. Without
money you get nothynge.
Christ saith: when you haue done
al thinges that I haue commanded
you, yet say, that you are vnprofitable
seruantes.
The pope saythe: do those thynges
that I commaunde the, and
take a sure conscience vnto the,
that thou arte a iuste and a religious
man, and that thou haste deserued
heuen. And as for I my
selfe, If I doo wronge in euerye
thynge, and brynge manye thousandes
with me into damnation,
yet shall no man rebuke me, but
call me the mooste holiest father.

Dist.xl. Ca. Si papa.
Christe teacheth vs to fulfyl the
workes of mercye to the poore, euer
co~mendynge mercy aboue offrynges
and sacrifice.
The pope teacheth vs to gyue
our money for pardons, masses,
dirges, to images, and churches,
so that he wyll no mercye, but all
offerynges. And he that sayth, it
is better to gyue our charite to the
poore (as Christe sayth) is counted
halfe an heretike, bycause he goeth
abowte to marre the popes
market.
Christe suffered deathe for oure
synnes, and arose for our iustifienge,
or els we al shulde haue perysshed.
The pope saith: yf thou bye my
pardon, or els be buried in a greye
friers coote, thou muste nedes be

C

saued: so that Christe hathe suffered
in vayne, sith a friers cote wyl
saue a man.
Christe is onely our mediatour,
whiche maketh vnitie betwyxte
his father and vs, howe be it the
effectuall prayer of a iuste man, is
verye good and auayleable. And
saynt Paule writinge to the Romaynes,
desyred theym to helpe
hym with their prayers.
The pope saith: The greatteste
power & saluation next to Christe
is myne. dist. lx. cap. Si papa. I meruaylle
then why he is so curious
to cause vs to worship the seintis,
and not rather hym selfe, sithe he
chalengeth a greatter power then
euer they dyd, while they lyued.
Christ sayth, who so euer breketh
one of the leste of my commaundmentes,
shalbe called the lest, that

is to saye none, in the kyngedome
of heuen.
The pope saythe, what perteyneth
his lawe vnto me, I am subiecte
to no lawes. xxv. quest. i. Ca.
Omnia. Therfore the pope dothe
but seldome ryght, and is alweis
ageinst right, ye and ageynste his
owne lawes, as often as men do
brynge hym money. For that loueth
he aboue all thinges.
Christis law is fulfilled through
charitie: for saynt Paule saythe,
the fulfyllyng of the lawe is loue.
And ageyn he sayth: All the lawe
is ful complete in this one worde,
Thou shalt loue thy neyghbor as
thy selfe. And saint Iames saith,
thou shalt loue thy neighbour as
thy self to performe the law of god.
The popes lawe is fulfylled by
money: yf thou haue no money to

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gyue hym, thou shalte bere a fagotte,
thoughe thou offende not,
money hym, and he seeth the not,
do what thou wolte.
Christe is heed of the churche, as
the holy appostell Paule doth testifie,
& also he is the stone, wheron
the churche is buylded: And
this churche is the congregation
of faithefull christen people, and
the very body of Christe.
The pope sayth: I am the heed
of the churche. Distinct. xix. Cap. enim
uero. And the sete of Rome is the
stone, where on the churche is builded.
Distinct. xix. Ita dominus. Can anye
thinge be more contrarie vnto
the honour and glorye of god,
then thus to dispoyle hym of his
kyngedome, whiche he soo derely
hath bought sheding his precious
bloudde, for it?

Christes lawe, whiche is the holy
scripture, came by the enspiring
of the holy gost, whiche dyd infuse
it aboundantlye in to the hartes
of thapostles: and of the same spirite
hath it his endurance and interpretation.
The pope sayth: I am lord ouer
the scripture to alowe or disalow
it, for of me it dothe take his full
auctoritte. Cap. Si omnes. And for a
toke~ of this the scripture of Christ
is laide vnder his fete, when he is
at masse.
Seyncte Paule Christes holye
apostelle saythe, that a bisshoppe
shoulde be apte to teache, and
that he oughte to be wel learned,
that he may be able by his holsom
doctrine to exort and to ouercome
all them that resyst and be ageinst
the faithe.

C3

The pope wylle teache nor dispute
in the scripture with no man
for meyntenance of Christis feith,
but onely for to augmente his
owne lawes: and if any wyll dispute
with hym, they shall be caste
fyrst in prison: and he and his ministers
haue diuised and inuented
propre ingins, to wrynge their
fyngers so sore, that the bloudde
shall braste oute at their fyngars
endes, he wol pyne them, & scurge
them, and with infinite other tormentes
punysshe theym, to make
them forsake the truthe: And after
make them sweare on a boke,
that they shall telle no man of it.
Thus cruelly doth he intrete men
ageynst iustice, and yf he can not
subdewe theym to his wylle, then
he dothe commyt them vnto the secular
power to be burned.

Christe saythe, blessed are ye,
when menne hate you, curse you,
and excommunicate you for rightousnes,
that is to seye, you beinge
nothynge giltie nor worthie
of suche afflictions.
The pope saythe, that his curse
is sore to be feared, ye and that it
maketh men as blacke as a cole in
the syghte of god, thoughe they
haue not offended. In soo moche
that they muste nedes be damned,
excepte he absolue them agayne.
And yet Christe saythe that they
are blessed. Wherfore eyther
Christe is false, or els he is a very
lyer.
Christe cursed the fygtree, vpon
whiche he founde no frute, and
forthe with the fygge tree wythered
and neuer bare frute after.
The pope hath cursed and enterdited

C4

landes and realmes: and yet
dyd not the people dye but prospered,
and the erthe brought forthe
her fruite, nothynge the lesse, thankes
be vnto god.
Christe sayth, either make the
tree good and his frute good also,
or els make the tree noughte and
his frute naughte also, meanyng
that the tree firste shulde be good,
and then brynge forth good frute,
the frute makith not the tre good,
but the tree makethe the fruite
good, al though we can not know
that the tree is good but by his
frute: for we can iudge nothynge
but by his outwarde operation,
yet god seeth the quicknes in the
roote, whiche in the tyme that god
hath apointed hym, shall brynge
forthe his frute. And approueth
the tree to be good, all though he

seme deed vnto vs. The tree is
faith, whiche is the mother of all
good werkes, whiche euer worketh
by charitie, when he seethe
occasion.
The pope saithe, that the fruite
maketh the tree good, cleane contrarie
to all scripture and reason.
And so tourneth he the rootes of
the trees vpwarde, while he affirmeth,
that Faithe springeth of
good workes, and a man is made
good by his workes, and not the
contrarye: euen as a man wolde
saye, the frute bringeth forth and
maketh a good tree. O what madnes
is this? he wolde make men
(if he thus be suffred to contynue,
and his lawe to reigne ouer vs) to
beleue, that the moone is made of
a grene chese.
Christe saythe: I am the doore

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39

of the folde:
he that entrethe not
in by the doore, but by some other
wey, is a thefe and murderer, and
regardeth not the shepe.
The pope saith, he is the dore of
worldly dignitie, wherby byshops
doo enter into promotions. And
yet they shall not enter without a
large paiment for their bulles.
Christe saith: I am the good sheparde.
The good sheparde giueth
his lyfe for his shepe.
The pope saith, that he is a good
sheparde: and yet he pylleth and
sheareth the shepe so nere, that he
leaueth not one locke of wolle on
their backes. And thynke ye not
that he is in all poyntes the selfe
same sheparde, of whome Zacharias
prophecied, whiche saythe
in the persone of god: Beholde I
shall lette be reised vp a sheparde

40

in the erth, whiche shall nat visite
tho thinges, that ar forsaken, and
shall not seke that whiche is gone
astray, neyther yet heale the broken,
nor norysshe and maynteyne
that whiche is holle: but suche a
shepard, as shal norishe him selfe,
& not the shepe. And this prophet
cryeng out on him saithe: O thou
sheparde and ydoll forsakyng the
flocke: he calleth hym here ydoll,
not for his vnhappy worshipping
of ydols, but bicause he wolle be
worshypped of the people as he
were god. Thynke you that this
sheperde wylle gyue his lyfe for
his shepe?
Christe saith to his disciples: desyre
not you to be called maisters.
For you haue but one mayster,
whiche is Christe. Nor be ye not
called fathers in erth: for ye haue

al but one father, whiche is in heuen,
and all you be as bretherne.
The pope wyll not onelye be called
the lorde of al christendome,
but also moste holy father in erth,
goddis vicare in erth, and heed of
the churche.
And thoughe that Christe commaunded
his disciples, that they
shulde calle no man father on the
erthe, shewinge them they hadde
but one father, which is in heuen:
yet the pope muste be called moost
holy father. And if ye gyue hym
not that name, he wyll excommunicate
you out of his sinagoge.
Reason not with hym: ye maye
lay vnto hym the scripture, but it
shall not auayle, for he wyll wrest
it and wringe it in to a thousande
fashions, and wyll neuer leaue,
tille he hath brought it vnto his

owne purpose.
Christe (to whom al power was
gyuen in heuen and erthe) saythe
thus: Lerne ye of me, for I am
meke and humble in harte.
The pope seythe, that the highe
power in erthe is gyuen to hym of
god: and whether he be humble,
that he doth co~temne none other,
I reporte me to you, when he dispiseth
emperoures, kynges, and
princis, and wyll not be obedient
to them nor their lawes. And whether
he be so meke as Christ was,
that he wyll hurte no man, consider
likewise, what his actes haue
ben and be, whiche to mayntayne
his pompose state, and his traditions
and lawes, ye clene agaynste
the lawe of god, styrreth vp prince
ageynst prince, & realme ageynste
realme, and setteth al christendom

in debate and stryfe: where vpon
haue folowed theftes, murders,
and so great famine in some countrayes,
that besides the gret nombre
that haue died for hungre, som
haue ben constrayned to eate their
owne children.
Christe sayde vnto Peter: Thou
art Simon the son of Iona, thou
shalte be called Cephas, whiche
by interpretation syngnyfieth a
stone, as seint Iohn~ saythe in his
gospell the firste chapiter.
The pope saith, that Cephas signifieth
the heed: & of that he gathereth
to be heed of al the bysshoppes,
here dothe he playnly contrarye
to the gospell, whiche expoundeth
Cephas to be a stone. what a
shame is this? I thinke he wold also
say that an asse were a man, if he
thought to get any va~tage therby.
Finis.
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