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

¹The fifth. This is a goodly craft to lose and consume money / in building / setting up garnishing / and making rich Monasteries / Chapels / Temples / Altars & such other works / for here the most holy laws of the Pope / Bulls / and seals (not one way) grant heaven to them that put to their helping hands / and to the founders / here are ye taught to trust in your works. Here are in numerable treasures gathered together for the house of god / here the greater / the more gorgeous / the richer / and better garnished houses they build / the more christ they are. And they do better (as they say) which give their alms to that / than they which distribute it to the poor and needy. Neither build they that it may be a mete place to here the word of god. But that they may be seen of god and men. They build a house for god which sith that once he did deny by sanct Stephan in the .vij. of the Acts / ²and long before him by Nathan and David to dwell in temples made with mans hand / yet now (like an ⟨p. xxviij⟩outlaw) he beggeth of us houses for him self and his saints. And our most holy father the Pope with his Bishops doth not only confirm the vain and foolish minds of the people with his halowinges / blessings / freedoms and protections.³ But also pursueth / and condemned / with curses and imprecations with threatenings / and great sentences them that violate / despise / and abuse these fantasies / as it well decummeth the godliness of these faces. Thus he moveth & enticeth men to it. Out of this springeth not a small part of his most holy law which vexeth the world with foolish and scrupulous consciences marked with an hot iron In the mean season what is done concerning the word of god and the faith? Let god take heed to that in his kingdom of trueth As for this king must see his kingdom of faces well ordered / and see it a loft with all the crafts and strength he may. Tell me what is worshipping of wood & stones if this be not it? truly god commanded not these superstitious ceremonies / but rather these things that he commanded by these are transgressed and destroyed.⁴ The sext is not one face but a hole forest of faces / touching all the holy works that are done in the temples for lucre / and advantage. Here are matins / prime / and hours / roared out and mumbled up with great labour / so that they are never prayed.