A01279:139
A pistle to the Christen reader The revelation of Antichrist. Antithesis
A pistle to the Christen reader The revelation of Antichrist. Antithesis, wherein are compared to gather Christs acts and our holy father the Popes.A pistle to the Christen reader The revelation of Antichrist. Antithesis, wherin are compared to geder Christes actes and oure holye father the Popes.
At Malborow in the land of Hesse i.e. Antwerp : the. xij. day of July, anno. M.CCCCC.xxix. by me Hans luft i.e. Johannes Hoochstraten, 1529At Malborow in the lande of Hesse i.e. Antwerp : the. xij. day of Iulye, anno. M.CCCCC.xxix. by me Hans luft i.e. Johannes Hoochstraten, 1529
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
¶That is through his faces and riddles / sith there is nothing of more efficacy & might to deceive and destroy then the cloak of godliness / chiefly of all sith it is advanced under the name of god / Nether yet so should he have profited except he had been helped with the operations of satan / after that god for the abundance of sin had forsaken the world. For what natural reason doth not perceive what foolish and wicked things the Pope many times doth command and do / ye with out any cloak. And yet these things have so prevailed / that hole Greece hath resisted him in vain. How many times also have the emperors of Germany? how often have other kings / how often have many bishops? how often have many good and well learned men resisted this monster? how be it / they are all overcome / suppressed / ⟨p. lxxvij⟩and extinct / The operation of error hath prevailed / and they are so swollen with presumptuous pride / that they may boldly boast that they are to be feared / as though Christ him self did work with them defending his Church. These things are well known to them that have read the stories / in the which they are so plainly perceived / that the stories of Italy / which corrupt all things to flatter and advance the popes highness / could not cloak and keep secrete much of his mischief / So the tenor of his acts which were wrapped & involved under so many colours & cloaks of lies / & covered by the disguising and flattery of parasites / doth at the length put forth his abomination / & revelate their author / to his great rebuke and slander (be these flatterers never so much against it) Plainly declaring that the popes have resisted and fought against the gospel / Nether do these wretched parasites obtain any thing through their lies / but that the pope for his church (which is his tyranny) hath manfully / fought / despoiled ravished / killed / and replenished the world with murder / blood / & other misery / And how these things differ from the gospel (how so ever they please the blondes / platines / & such like) he is a very stock that understandeth not / be he never so rude.