A pistle to the Christen reader The revelation of Antichrist. Antithesis

Finally / through the authority of the pope in a manner all the creatures of god and all the use of them is made sin / for Christ would that in none of these should be any sin neither yet justice / the cause was peradventure be cause he only was holy. How be it it was convenient for the most holy vicar of Christ / that he resisting Christ should here multiply and increase since and justices / and replenish the world (corrupting the christen liberty and suppressing the faith) with foolish / fearful / erroneous and perishing consciences. Behold now who is the man of sin and son of perdition. Nether yet have I enumbered the thick swarm / and infinite host that depend on him / as cardinals / bishops / priests / monks / fryers / nuns / decanes / subdecanes / and other shavelings which boast them self free from the law. For these through their shavings / vestures / hours / and behaviours / abound with as many since / as the duns men with relations / or thomists with their realities / & yet put they so many of them in every thing / as there are creatures in the world / and ⟨p. lxix⟩considerations in them. Good lord / All this wretched multitude of men is nothing but sin / for he is counted a very apostate and breaker of his religion / which is not shaven / if he read not his prescribed hours / if he be not clothed with a priestly colour / if he were not a hood or a coal / if he be not apparelled with purple and silk / or else change any of those things which are appointed him to do / who would not judge a religious man to be an apostate / if he went in a lay mans apparel / or would not be shaven in due time? But for to play the apostate & depart from the faith is nothing regarded / In transgressing the high decrees the popes own dispensationis scant counted enough / though it be redeemed with never so much money (all though for a little try full he will remit any offence to wards god / ye and sometime offer the remission for nought) So deep entereth the tyranny of his law in to our wretched consciences Therefore Daniel doth very well say / that he shall corrupt marvellous things / for what is it that he leaveth uncorrupt? ye and so he doth corrupt them that they can not be repaired / for the consciences are so weakened and brought into bondage.

Finally / thorow the authorite of the pope in a maner all the creatures of god and all the vse of them is made synne / for Christ wold that in none of these shuld be any synne nother yet iustice / the cause was paravē ture be cause he onlye was holy. How be it it was cōvenient for the most holye vicare of Christ / that he resistinge Christ shuld here multiplye and encreasse synnes ād iustices / and replenisshe the world (corruptinge the christen libertye and suppressinge the faith) with folisshe / fearfull / erromous and perisshinge cōsciences. Behold now who is the man of synne and sonne of perditiō. Nether yet have I enumbered the thicke swarme / and infinite hoste that depend on him / as cardinalles / bisshoppes / prestes / monkes / fryers / nunnes / decanes / subdecanes / and other shavelinges which bost thē silf fre frō the lawe. For these thorow their shavinges / vesturs / houres / and behaveours / abound with as many synnes / as the duns mē with relatiōs / or thomistes with their realites / & yet put they so manye of them in every thinge / as there are creatures in the world / and