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

And to them was commanded that they should not kill them / ¹but that they should be vexed .v. months. And this as I suppose was spoken of moral philosophy / which sith it doth not teach the true knowledge of sin it doth not kill as the law of God doth / but only with vain affections doth vex and prick them.² Ever learning & never attaining the knowledge of trueth / for they that are killed with the law are quickened ⟨p. xxxiiij⟩again with the everlasting spirit / and are not vexed .v. months / that is to say through all the time of their sensual life / in the which moral virtues rule. And we see all moral divines to have a perilous and wicked conscience / full of scrupulosity / & never quiet which neither can attain good nor evil. Therefore it followeth / and their pain was as the pain that cometh of a scorpion when he hath stung a man / be hold the pricking of the con science / he expoundeth that / which he spake of. That they are not wholesomely killed / nether quickened spiritually. And in these days shall men seek death & shall not find it / they shall desire to die & death shall fly from them / that is the death of sin which reigneth & is over quick / sticking in the conscience / and yet is it not known to the point as it ought to be / for if it were well known it should soon perish and die. But this is not the office of the Ethics of Aristotle / but of the law and spirit.

And to thē was commavnded that they shuld not kille them / ¹but that they shuld be vexed .v. monthes. And this as I suppose was spoken of morall philosophy / which syth it doth not teach the true knowlege of synne it doth not kille as the lawe of God doth / but only with vayne affections doth vexe and prike them.² Ever learninge & never attayninge the knowlege of trueth / for they that are killed with the lawe are quickened ⟨p. xxxiiij⟩againe with the everlastinge sprete / and are not vexed .v. monthes / that is to say thorow all the time of their sensuall lyffe / in the which morall vertues rule. And we se all morall divines to have a parelous and weked conscience / full of scrupulosite / & never quiet which nother cā attaine good nor evill. Therfore it foloweth / and their paine was as the paine yt cometh of a scorpione when he hath stonge a man / be hold the prikinge of the cō science / he expoundeth that / which he spake of. That they are not holsomly kild / nether quickened spiritually. And in these dayes shall men seake death & shall not find it / they shall desyre to deye & death shall flye frō them / that is the death of sinne which raigneth & is over quicke / stikinge in the cōscience / and yet is it not knowen to the pointe as it ought to be / for if it were well knowen it shulde sone perissh and deye. But this is not the office of the Etikes of Aristotle / but of the lawe and sprete.