FIrste we muste all aknowelege that yt ys non article af our fayth which can save vs nor which we are bounde to beleve vnder the payne of eternall damnacion . For yf I shulde beleve that hys verey naturall bodye bothe fleshe and bloode were naturaly in the brede & wyne / that shulde not save me / seinge many beleve that / and receyve yt to ther dampnacyon / for yt ys not hys prsense in the brede that ●an save me / but hys presence in my herte thorough fayth in hys blode / which hathe washed oute my synnes and pacyfied the faders wrathe toward me . And agayne yf I do not beleve his bodely presence in the brede & wine / that shall / not dampne me / but the absence out of my harte thorough vnbeleffe . Obiection Now yf they wolde here obiecte that though yt be truth that the absence oute of the brede coulde not dampne vs : yet are we bounde to bel●ve yt / be cause of goddes worde whiche who belevyth not / as moche as in hym lyeth / makythe god al lyer . And therfore of ann obstinat mynde not to beleve hys worde / may be an occasion of dampnacion

Solucion To thys we may answer / that we beleve goddes worde and knowelege that yt ys trewe : but in this we dissent whether yt be trewe in the sense that we take yt in or in the sence that ye take yt in And we say agayne / that thought ye haue ( as yt apereth vnto yow ) the evident wordes of christe / and therfore consiste in the barke of the letter : yet are we compelled by conferringe of the scryptures to gether within the letter to serche oute the minde of our sauiour which spake the wordes And we saye therdly / that we do it not of an obstinate minde . For he that defendeth a cause obstinatly ( whether yt be true or false ) ys euer to be rep̄hended . But we do yt to sati●fie our consciences whiche are compelled by other placys of scripture / reasons and doctours so to Iudge of yt And evyn so ought yow to Iudge of youre partie / and to defende youre sentense not of obstinatie / but by the reason of scriptures which cause yow so to take yt . and so ought nether partie to dispyse other / for eche sekyth the glorie of god / and the trew vnderstondynge of the scripture . This was the fondacyon of my firste treatise that he hathe left vnshakyn / which ys a great argument that yt ys very true For els hys pregnant wit could not haue passed yt so clene over But wolde haue assayled yt with some sophisticall cavellacyon which by hys paynted poetre he might so haue collered / that at the l●st he might make the ignorant some apparence of trouthe / as he hathe done a gaynste the residewe of my firste treatice / which neuertheles ys true and shall so be proved .

And firste that yt ys none article of our faythe necessarie to be beleved vnder payne of dampnacyon may thus be furder confermed ? The same faithe shall save vs which saved the old faderes before Christ ys incarnacyon But th●y were not bounde vnder payne of dampnacyon to beleve this poy●t / therfore yt shall follow that we are not bounde therto vnder the payne of dampnacyon , The furste parte of myn argument ys proved by . S. Austen ad Dardamū . And I dare boldly ●ay almost in an . C places . For I thynke there be no proposicyon which he dothe more oftyn inculcate then thys / that the same faythe saved vs with saved our faders . The seconde parte ys many●est / that yt nedeth no proba●yon . For how coulde they beleve ●hat thynge which was never sayde nor don / and with out the worde they coulde haue no faythe / vppon the trewth of thes too ꝑtyes mus●e the conclusion nedes folowe . Not withstondinge they all did eat Christys bodye and dronke hys bloode spiritually / allthough they had hym not present to ther teth . And by that spiritual eatynge ( which ys the fayth in hys body & bloode ) wer saved as well as we ar For assone as our fore father Adam hade transgressed goddes precept , Adam . and was fallen vnder cōdempnacyon / oure moste mercyfull father of hys gracyous favour gave hym the ꝓmisse of helthe and confort / wherby as many as beleved yt / were saved from the thrauldom of their trangressyon / the worde and promyse was this / I shall put enmyte betwene the and the woman / betwene thy sede and her sede / that sede shall trede the on̄ the hede / and thow shall trede yt on̄ the hele . Gene. 3. In thys promisse they had knowelege that Christe shulde becom the sede or sone of a woman / and that he shulde distroye the d●vyll with all hys power / and d●lyver hys faytheful from ther synnes . And where he sayd that the devyll shulde treade yt on the he le / they vnderstod ryght well that the devyll shulde fynde the meanes by his wyles & wycked ministres to put Christe to dethe . And they knewe that god was true / and wolde fulfyll hys promisse v●to th●m and hartely longed after this sede / and so dede bothe eate hys bodye and drynke hys bloode / knoweleginge with infinite thankes / that christe shuld for ther synnys take the ꝑfi●e nature of manhode vppon hym / and also suffer the dethe . This promisse was gevyn to Adam / and saved as many as did beleve and were thankefull to God for hys kydenes and after yt was establyshed vnto our father Abraham by the worde ●f God / which sayd / in thy sed shall all nacyons of the erthe be blyssed . Abrahā● Gene. 12. And with hym God made a couenant that he wolde be hys God and do hym good . And Abraham agayne promised to k●pe hys preceptes and walke in hys wayes . Then God gave hym the sacrament of cyrc●●sion and cauled that hys covenant which thynge not with stondynge was not the very covenant in dede / although yt were so cauled . But was only asigne / tokyn / sacrament or memoryall of the couenant that was betwene God and hym ( whiche myght expound our matter / yf m●n hadyen to see . After that God promised hym a sone when hys wyffe was past chylde bearynge and he allso very old . Neuerthelesse he doubted not of good●s worde . But suerly beleved that he which promised yt was able to performe yt . And that was recounted vnto hym for ryghtwysnes Thys Abraham did bothe eate hys bodye and dry●ke hys blode ( thorough faythe ) belevinge verely that Christ shoulde take our nature and sprynge oute of hys sede ( as touchynge hys fleshe ) and allso that he s●ulde suffer dethe to redeme vs . And as Christ testifyeth he hartely desyred to se the day of Chri●t . Ioan. 8. And he sawe yt and reioysed he sawe yt in faythe and had the day of christ / that is to say all those thinges that shulde chaunce hym playnly revelated vnto hym / albeit he were dede many hundred yeres before yt were actualy fulfyllyd & re●elat●d vnto the worlde . And by that fayth was he saved / and yet never did eate hys fleshe with hys teth / nor never beleved that brede shulde be hys bodye and wyne hys blode . And therfore sith he was also savyd with oute that faith and the same faythe sha●● save vs which saved hym I thynke that we shall also be saved yf we eate hym spiritually ( as he ded ) although we never beleved that the brede ys hys bodye furthermore that mercyfull Moses Moses . which brought the childern of Israell oute of Egypte in to the wyldernes optayned of God by prayers / both mana from hevyn to fede hys people & also water oute of the stone to refresh & comforte them . T●●s mana and water w●re evyn the same thyng vnto them that the brede and wyne ys to vs for as S. Austyn saythe Quicunque in manna Christum intellexerunt eundem quem nos cibum spiritu alem manducauerunt Quicunque autem de manna solam saturitatem que siuerunt manducabant & mortui sunt . Aug. de viteagen derum . Sic etiam eundem potum : petra enim erat christus . That ys to say / as many as in that manna vnderstode Christ / did eate that same spirituall meate that we do / but as many as sought only to fyll ther bellyes of that manna ( the fathers of the vnfaythfull ) did eate & are ded . And lyke wise the same drynke for the stone was christ . Here may yow gather of S. Austyn that the manna was vnto them . As the brede ys to vs and lykewise that the water was to them as the wyne ys to vs / whiche anon shal apere more playnly S. Aus●yn sayth furder manducauit & Moses manna / manducauit & Aaron / manducauit & Phin●es / manducauerunt ibi multi qui d●o placuerunt & mortui non sunt . Aug. soper Ioā● t●acta . 2● Qu●re ? quia visib●iem cibum spi●itualiter intellexerunt / spiritual●ter esur●erūt / spiritualiter gustauerunt / vt spiritualiter satiar●nt●r . Omnes eandem escam spiritualem manducauerunt / & omnes eundem potum spiritualem biberunt / spiritualem vtique eandem : nam corporalem alteram ( quia illi manna / nos aliud ) spiritualem vero ●andem quam nos . Ut omnes eundem potum spiritualem biberunt aliud illi / aliud nos : sed spem visibili quod tamen hoc idem significaret virtute spirituali . Quomodo eundem potum bibebant ( inquit apostolus ) de spirituali sequenti petra : petra autem erat Christus . This ys to saye Moses allso dede ●ate manna and Aaron and Phinees did eate of yt and many other dide there eate of yt / which pleassed God and are not dede Wherfore ? Because they vnderstode the visible meate spiritualy . They were spiritualy an hongred / they tasted yt spiritualy / that they might spiritualy be replenished . They did all eate the same spirituall meate / and all dranke the same spirituall ● drynke . E●e● the same spirituall meate albeit an other bodely meate / for they dede eate manna / and we eate ann other thynge / but they did eate the sam● spirituall which we doo . And they all did d●ynke the same spiritual drynke . They dranke one thynge & w● an other : but that was in the owtward apparence / which neuerthelesse dyd signifie the same thyng spiritually . Howe dranke they the same drynke ? They ( saythe thapostl● ) dranke of the spiritual stone followyng them / and that stone was chryst And ther vnto Beda added these wordes . Videte autem fide manente signa uariata . That ys to say . Behold that the sygn●s are altered / and yet the fayth abydeth one . Beda ●uper . 1. cor 10. Of these ●laces yow may playnly ꝑ●eyve not only that yt ys non article necessarie to be beleved vnder payne of dampnacyon / seinge the old faders never beleved yt . And yet did eate crist in fayth bothe before they had the manna / and more exp̄ssely thorough the manna and with no lesse frute whan the manna was ceased . And albeit the manna was to them as the sacrament ys to vs / and they eate evyn the same spiritual meate that we do / yet were they never so madde as to beleve that the manna was chaunged in to christes owne naturall bodye . But vnderstode yt spūaly that as the owtward man did eate the materiall manna which conforted the bodye / so did the inwarde man thorough fayth / eate the bodye of christ belevinge that as that manna came downe from hevin and conforted ther bodies / so shulde their savyour christe which was ꝓmised them of god the fad come downe from hevyn and strength their soules in everlas●yng lyffe redemynge them from ther synne by hys deth and resurrex●ciō . And lyke wise do we eate christe in fayth both before we c●me ●o the sacrament and more expressly thorough the sacrament / and with no lesse frute after we haue rec●yved the sacrament and nede no more to make yt hys naturall bodye / then the manna was / but might moche better vnderstond yt spūalye / that as the owtward man dothe eate the materyall brede wc●ōforteth the bodie so doth the inwarde man thorough faythe ●ate the bodie of christe / belevynge that as the brede ys brokyn / so was christes bodie broken on the crosse for our synnes which conforteth our soules vnto lyffe euerlastynge . And as that faythe did save them with oute belevynge that the manna was altered into hys bodie / evyn so dothe thys faythe save vs although we beleve not that the substance of bred ys torned into hys naturall bodie . For the same fayth shall save vs which savid them . and we are bounde to beleve no more vnd payne of dampnacyon then they were ●ounde to beleve . They beleved in god the fader almighty maker of hevyn and yerth / and all that ys in them . They did beleve that christe was the sone of god . Gene. 1. They did beleve that he shoulde take our nature of a vyrgyn . Psal. 1. Esay . 7. Actes . 3. They beleved that he shulde suffer the deth for our delyuerance which thynge was signified in al the sacrifices / and besydes that testified in every ꝓphet / for ther was not one prophet but he spake of that poynt . Actes . 2. Psal. 1● . They beleved that hys soule should not be lefte in hell / but that h● shoulde arise from deth and reigne euerlasting with his fader And to be shorte / there ys no poynt in ou●e crede / but that they beleved yt / as well as wee doo & those articles are only necessarie vnto salvacion For them am I bounde to beleve / and am dampned withou●e excuse yf I beleve them not . But the other poyntes contayned in scrypture allthough they be vndoubted verites / yet may I be saved with oute them . As beyt in case that I never hard of them / or when I here of them / I can not vnderstond them nor comprehend them / or that I here them and v●derstond them / and yet by the reason of an other text misconstrn̄e them / as the bohemes doo the wordes of christe in the .6 . chapiter of Ioan̄ . All thes I saye may be don with oute anye ieoperdie of dampnacyon . In euery text ys but only one verite ●or which yt was spokyn̄ and yet some textes ther be which of catholike doctours are expounded in .vi. or .vij. sondry fashions . Therfore we beleve thes articles of our crede : in thother ys no pare●● / so that we haue aprobable reason to dissent from them . But now to retorne to our porpos●e / yf we wyll examen the auctorytyes of s. Austyn and Beda before alleged / we shall espie that besyde the probacyon of this forsayd proposicyon / they open the misterie of all our mater to them that haue eyen to see . For. s. Austyn sayeth that we and the olde faders do differ as touchynge the bodely meate for they eate manna / and we bred / but albeit yt varyed in the outeward apperance / yet neverthelesse spn̄ally yt did signyfye one thynge . For bothe the manna and bred do signifie christe . And so both they and we do eate one spiritual meate / that ys to saye we bothe eate the thynge wc●ignyfieth & representeth vn●o vs the verye one spiritual meate o● our foules which ys christe . And beda doth playnly call both the manna and the brede signes / saynge be holde that the sygnes are a●tered and yet the fayth abydeth one Now yf they be sign●s / than they do signifie and are not the very thynge yt sellffe which they do sygnifye for the ●igne o● a thinge defferenth from the thynge yt se●●f which yt doth signifie and represent As the ale poleys not the a●e yt sellfe which yt dothe signifie or represen● . Here thou wylt obiecte agaynste me that yf this faith be sufficient what nedeth the institucyon of a sacrament ? I answer that sacramentes are ins●ituted for .iij. causes ? The firste ys assygned of . s. Austyn which fayth on this maner . Aug. contra Fa●●stum Li● 19. cap. ●● In nullum autem nomen religionis , seu verum , seu falsum , coagu lari homines possunt , nisi signaculorum seu sacramentorum visibilium consortio colligantur , quorum sacramentorum uis inenarrabiliter ualet plurimum● & ideo contempta sacrilegos facit . Impie quippe contemnitur sine qua perfici non potest pietas . That ys to saye men can not be ioyned in to any kynde / of religion whether yt be trew or fa●se except they be knyt in felowshyp by som vi●ible tokenes or sacramentes the power of which sacramentes ys of suche efficacite / that can not be expr●ssed . And therfor yt makyth them that dispice yt to be abhorred / for yt ys wickydnes to despice that thynge with oute which godlines can not be brought to passe● Thus yt aperith that necessite ys the first cause . For ther can no congregacyon be severed oute of the multitude of men but they muste nedes haue a signe token sacrament or comen badge by the which they may knowe eche other . And ther ys no defference betwene a signe or a badge and a sacrament / but that the sacrament sygnifyeth ann holy thinge and a signe or a badge dothe signy●ie a wordly thinge as . Augusti . ad Marcell●n●●● 2 s. Austē●ayeth / signes when they are referred to holy thinges are called sacramentes . The seconde cause of their institucyon ys / that they may be a meane to brynge vs vnto hys fayth and to enprent yt the deꝑ in vs / for yt doth costomably the more move a man to beleve / when he ꝑceyvyth the thynge expressed to diuerse senses at once / as by example / yf I promise a man to mete hym at a day apoynted / he wyll somwhat truste my worde . notwithstondynge he trustyth not so moche vnto yt / as yf I did both promise hym with my worde & allso clape handes with hym or holde vp my fynger / for he counteth that this promiseys strong & more faythefull then ys the bare worde / because yt moveth mo senses . For the worde doth but only certifie the thynge vnto a man by the sense of herynge / but when with my promise immediatly after I holde vp my fynger / then do I not only certifye hym by the sense of hearynge : But allso b● hys sight / he perceyvyth that that facte confyrmeth my worde . And in the clapynge of handes he perceyvyth both by hys sight and fealyng ( be side the word ) that I wyll fullfyll my promise . And lykewise yt ys in this sacramente Christ promised them / that he wolde geve hys bodye to be slayne for their synnes . And for to establishe the faythe of this promise in them / he did institute the sacrament which he called hys bodye / to th entent that the very name yt selfe might put them in rem●mbrance what was ment by yt / he brake the brode before them signifying vnto them outwardly / evyn the same thynge / that he by his wordes hade before ꝓtested & evyn as his wordes hade enformed them by their hearynge / that he entended so to do so the brekynge of that brede enformed their ye sight that he wolde fullfyll hys promise . Then he dide distribute yt amonge them to enprynt the mater more depely in them / signifinig therbye that evyn as that brede was devidid amonge them / so should hys bodie and frute of his passyon be distributed vnto as manye as beleved his wordes . Finaly he caused them ●o eate yt / that nothynge shoulde be lackynge to confyrme that necessarye poynt of faythe in them / signifyinge therbye that as verely as they fellte that brede within them / so sure should they be of hys bodye thorough fayth . And that evyn as that brede doth norishe t●e bodye so dothe the fayth in hys bodye breakynge norishe the soule vnto ever lastynge lyffe . This did our mercyfull saviour ( which knowyth our fraylte & weakenes ) to establishe and strenghth their fa●th in hys bodye breakynge & blode shedynge which ys our shoteanker and laste refuge with oute which we shoulde all perishe . The th●rd cause the inst●tucyon & profit that comythe of yt ys this . They that haue receyved thes blessyd tidynges and worde of helth / do love to publishe this felicite vnto other men . And to geve thankys before the face of the congregacyon vnto their bountteons benefactour / and as moche as in them ys / to drawe all people to the praisinge of God with them / which thinge though yt be partly don by the prechynge of goddes worde & fructefull exhortacyons / yet dothe that visible token & sacramente ( yf a man vnderstond what ys ment therbye ) more effectuously worke in them both fayth and thankisgeuynge / then doth the bare worde / but yf a man wot not what yt meaneth / and seketh helthe in the sacrament and outeward signe / then may he well be lykened vnto a fonde fellow / which when he ys very drye / and an honest man shewe hym an alepole & tell hym that ther ys good ale ynough / wolde goo and sucke the ale pole / trustynge to get drynke oute of yt / and so to quenche hys thurste . Now a wise man wyll tell hym that he playeth the fole for the ale pole doth but signifie that ther ys good ale in the howse / where the alepole stondyth and wyll tell hym that he must goo nere the howse / and there he shall fynde the drynke / & not stond suckynge the alepole in vayne . For yt shall not ease hym but rather make hym more drie for the ale pole doth signifie good ale : yet the ale pole yt sellfe ys no good ale / nother ys there ony good ale in the alepole . And lykewise yt ys in all sacramentes . For yf we vnders●ond not what they meane / and seke helth in the outeward signe : then we sucke the alepole & labour in vayne . But yf we do vnderstond the meanynge of them / than shall we seke what they signifye / and go to the signyficacions & ther shall we fynde vndoubted helth . As to oure purpose in thys sacrament wherof we speake / we muste note what yt signyfyeth / and ther shall we fynde oure redempcyon . It signifyeth that Christys bodye was broken vppon the crosse to redeme vs from the thrauldom of the deuell / and that hys blode was shed for vs to washe oure synnes . Therfore we m●ste runne thider yf we wyll be eased . For yf we thynke to haue our synnes forgeuyn / for eatynge of the sacrament / or for seinge the sacrament onece a day / or for prayinge vnto yt : then suerly we sucke the alepole . And of thys yow may perceyue what profyt comyth of thes sacramentes the which ether haue no signyficacyons put vnto them or els when ther sygnifycacions ar loste and forgotten . For then no doubt they are not commended of God / but are rather abhomynable / for whan we knowe not what they meane / then seke we helth in the outward dede / and so are iniuryous vnto Christe and hys blode . As by example / the sacrifices of the Iewys were well alowed & accepted of God as longe as they vsed them aryght and vnderstode by them the deth of Chryste / the shedynge of hys bloude & that holy oblacyon offered on the crosse once for euer . But when they begon to forgett thys significacion and sought there helthe & rightwisnes in the bodely worke & in the sacrifice ytsellfe / them were they abhominable in the sight of God / and then he cryed oute of them bothe by the ꝓphet Dauid and Isaye : And likewise yt ys with our sacramentes let vs therfore seke vp the significacions / and goo to the very thinge which the sacrament ys set to pres●nt vnto vs . And ther shall we synde such● frutefull foode as shall never fayle vs / but com●ort our soules in to lyff euerlastynge .

Now wyll I in order answer to master mo●es boke and as I fynde occasion gevyn me / I sha●l indevoure my sellfe to supply that thynge which lacked in the fyrste treatise & I trust I shall sh●we suche lyght that all men whose eyes the prence of thys worlde hath not blynded / shall ꝑceyve the truthe of the scripture & glorye of christe . And where as in my firste trea●ise the truthe was set forthe with all symplicite / and nothyng arm●d agaynste the assau●e of sophesters that haue I somwhat redressed in this boke and haue brought bones feyt for their teth which yf they be to busye / may chaunce to choke them .

And verely I marvyll that any thynge can rune in hoker moker or be hyde from yow . For sythe yow mought haue suche store of copyes / concernynge the thynge which I moste desyred to haue byn kept secreat / how shu●d yow than lake a copye a those thynges which I moste wolde haue published ? And here of ye may be sure / I care not though yow & al● the bushoppes with in englo●d loke on all that euer I wrote / but rather wolde be glade that ye so did . For yf there be any sparke of grace in youre breastes / I trust yt shulde be an oc●a●ion somwhat ●o kyndle yt / that you may consyder and knowe your sell●es / with ys the fyrst poynt of wysdom

More● And wolde God for nys mercye ( sayth M more that syth ther can nothynge refrayne ther ●tudye / from deuise and compassyng of euyll & vngracyous wryting that they wolde & coulde kepe yt so secreatly tha● neuer man shulde se yt . But suche as are so ferre corrupted / as neuer wolde be cured of ther canker .

Fryth It ys not possyble for hym that hathe hys eyen and seth hys brother which lackyth sight in Ieoperdye of peryshynge at a pery●ous pyt / but that he must com to hym and guyde hym tyll he be past that Ieoperdye / and at the lest wi●e / yf he can not come to hym / yet wyll he calle & crye vnto hym to cause hym chose the better waye / excepte hys herte be ●ankered with the contagion of suche hatered that he can reioyse in hys neighbours distructyon . And euyn so ys yt not possyble for vs whiche haue receyuyd the knowelege of goddes worde / but that we moste crye and call to other / that they leue the ꝑillous pathys of ther owy● folishe phantasyes . Dene● 12 And do that only to the lorde / that he commandeth them / nether addinge any thinge nor diminishyng . And therfor vntyll we se som meanes founde / by the which a reasonable reformacyon may be had on the on ꝑtye / And suffecyent instructyon for the pore comens I insure yow / I nether wyll nor can cease to speake / for the worde of God boylyth in my bodye / lyke a feruent fyere / and wyll ●edes haue an issue and breakyth oute / whan occasyon ys geuyn .

But this hath byn offered yow / ys offered / and shall be offered ? Graunt that the worde of God / I meane the text of scrypture / may goo a brode in oure ynglyshe tonge / as other nacyons haue yt in ther tonges / and my brother Wyllyam tendale / and I haue don / & wyll promisse you to wryte no more . Yf yow wyll not graunt this condicyon then wyll we be doynge w●yle we haue brethe and shewe in f●we wordes that the scrypture doth in many : and so at the lest saue some .

But a lacke this wyll not be / for as S. Paul sayth / the contagion of heresye crepyth on / lyke a canker . More . For as the canker corrupteth the bodye forther and forther and torneth the hole partyes in to the same dedly syknes / so dothe thes heresyes crepe forth amonge good symple soules / tyll at the laste yt be almoste past remedie .

Thys ys a uery true sayinge & makyth well agaynst hys owyn purposse / for in dede thys contagyon began to sprynge evyn in . Fryth● S. Paulles tyme . In so moche that the Galathians were in a maner hole seduced from hys doctrine . An● he sayd to the Thessalonians the mistery of iniquite euyn now beginnith to worke . ● Thes. ● And. S. Iohn testifie●h that ther were all redie many antichristes rysyn in his dayes . 1. Ioan. 4● And allso Paule prophesied what should folow after hys tyme / Actes . xx . sayinge : Actuum 20 take ye hede to your sellffys and to all the flocke / ouer whiche the holy gost hathe put yow ouerseers / to feede the congrigacion of GOD whiche he purchased with hys owyn bloude . For I knowe this well / that a●ter my departing shall enter in greuous wolues amonge yow / which shall not spare the flocke . And euyn of your s●llffes shall aryse men / speaking peruerse thinges / to drawe disciples after them and therfore wache . &ce . Thys canker then began to sprede in the congrigacyon / and did full sore noy● the bodie / in so moche that with in .iiii. C. yere there were very many sectes scatered in euery cost . Natwithstondinge there were faithfull fathers that diligently subdued them with the swerde of Goddes worde . But suerly syns Siluester Siluest. receyued suche possess●ons / hath the canker so crept in the churche / that yt hath almoste lefte neuer a founde member . And as Cistercensis wrytith in the .viij. bocke / that day that he receiuid reuenuens was a voice herde in the ayere / cryinge ouer the courte which sayd / this day ys ve●ime shed in to the churche of god . Before that time ther was no bishope greadye to take a cure . For yt was non honour and profit as yt ys now / but only a ●●refull charge which was like to cost hym his liffe at one tyme or other . And therfore no man wolde take yt / but he that bare suche a loue and zele to god and his flocke / that he coulde be content to shede his blode for them . But after that yt was made so honorable and profitable / they that were worste bothe in ler●ynge and ●euynge / moste labored for yt . For they that w●re vertuous wolde not entangle them sellffys with the vayne pryde of thys worlde / and weare .iij. Mat. ●7 . Marc. 15 Crounes of golde / where Christe weare one of thorne . Io●● . 19 And in conclusion yt cam so fare / that who so euer wolde geue moste mony for yt or best could flater the prince ( which he knewe well all good men to abhore ) had the preheminence and goote the best bushoprike / & then in sted of goddes worde / they publisched ther owyn commandementes / and made lawys to haue all vnd them / & made men beleue thei coulde not erre what so euer they did or sayd and euyn as in the roumes & stede of Moses / Aaron / Eliazer / Iosue / Calib / and other faythfull folke / came Herode / Annas / Caiphas / Pilat & Iudas / which put christe to deth So now in the stede of christe / peter / paulle / iames and Ihon & the faithfull folowers of christe / we haue the pope / cardinallis / archebushoppes / bushoppes / & proude p̄lates with their ꝓctour / the malytious minister of ther masters the deuill / which notwithstondinge transforme them selues in to a likenes / as 1 C●r. 11. though thei were the ministers of rightousenes whose ende shal be acordinge to ther workis . So that the bodye ys cankered longe agoon / & now are lefte but certaine smale membris / which God of his puyssant power hath reserued vncorrupted and be cause they see that they can not be cankered as ther owyn flesheys / for pure anger they bourne them / leste yf they contynued there might se●me some deformyte in their owne cankered carkase / by the comparing of thes hole membres to ther s●●bed bodye .