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

Now let us consider the kingdom of the Pope / and first the face of the persons / tell me if thou can what impery ever had such and so many clean decte and apparelled fellows / first look on the Pope him self so proud and glorious with his iii. crowns / with his marvellous pomp & apparel / and noise of his household / then the Cardinals with their pomp and riches / which are not fare be hind the other / for this most wretched kind of men maketh him self equal with kings. After them consider / the Patriarchas / Primates. Archbishops / suffragans / Provosts / Deans / Canons / Vicars / Officials / Scribes. And who is able to number that sower sorts and orders of the religious. And these are they in whom men boast that the state and health of the church doth consist / here behold the most holy decrees of our holy father the Pope and whereof they entreat / do they not all entreat of this to stablish their own profit and kingdom? They say them self that they are so necessary that with out them the church can not be ruled Nevertheless Christ and his apostles did rule it with the trueth and that full well. Neither see I any profit that cometh by them other to the church or to the word ⟨p. xxiiij⟩of god but rather much hurt Understand you now what is this king mighty with faces? Then understand you also. What is the abomination standing in the holy place / ¹if so be you compare together their cloaking & hypocrisy with the trueth and godliness of the apostles

Now let vs cō sider the kingdome of the Pope / and first ye face of the persones / tel me yf thou cā what impery ever had soch and so many clene decte ād appareld felowes / first loke on the Pope him silf so proude and glorious with his iii. crownes / with his mervelouse pompe & apparell / and noyse of his howsolde / then ye Cardinalles with their pompe and riches / which are not fare be hind ye other / for this most wretched kinde of mē makith him silf equalle with kinges. After them consider / the Patriarchas / Primates. Archbusshopes / suffragames / Provostes / Deanes / Canones / Vicares / Officialles / Scribes. And who is able to numbre that sower sortes ād orderes of the religious. And these are they in whom men boste that the state ād health of the chirch dothe consiste / here behold the most holye decrees of oure holy father ye Pope and wherof they entreate / do they not all entreat of this to stablissh their awne profite and kingdome? They say them self that they are so necessary that with out them the chirche cā not be rueled Neverthelesse Christ and his apostles did rule it with the trueth and that falwell. Nother se I any profytte yt cometh by thē other to ye chirch or to ye word