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

How be it they are increased daily ⟨image 29⟩with other hours of the blessed virgin and of the holy cross / & with the noise of those verses which god in the prophet said he would not hear.¹ There is no end / & who can rehearse with how many laws (that is to say authors of sin) & scrupulosity of conscience this one work vexeth & is vexed? There are added voices & songs of infinite kind & variety. For the organs & all instruments of music serve for this face. I will not speak of chalices images / and vessels that they use of gold silver wood / then / veils / copes and vestments and such other ornaments with out measure and number. Lights / lamps / and such like.² And to be short here have they increased the sacraments / Confirmation / Orders / Matrimony / and Aneling / good lord / what a whirlpool have they made to devour money / & mens souls / who can bear in memory the laws which are made that these things may be executed religiously? And these things think they so expedient and needful to the Christen / that they will sooner forgive adultery then one of the offences which is committed against the lest of their holy laws & faces. If our most holy father had left these and all the other faces free & according to the gospel had left us all equal / we should have had none of these innumerable sins / for where is •o law there is no transgression But now he ⟨p. xxix⟩(abusing our scrupulous consciences) hath ordained and made infinite laws / and through them infinite sins and condemnations / and this is the cause that Paul calleth him the man of sin / ³and Son of perdition / that is to say a wilful maker of laws / and most ungodly in things that were made free by Christ to all faithful. Here shall I be condemned of the soldiers and company of this holy father and shall be called a fautor of Walden and Wycliffe / how be it Daniel comforteth me which saith in the .xj. against Antichrist on this manner / ⁴