These words can not be understanded any other wise then of the bishops & of the great p̄ lattice & rulers of the church. For we do see, how they have devised diverse sects, diverse orders, diver see factions, & have brought them ⟨image 26⟩in to the world contrary to the doctrine of Christ & of the gospel / which things every one of them being clean out of the right and the high way of the christen faith, do prescribe and teach peculiar works and fashions of living, by which the knowledge of Christ is put away & quenched, 1and christ him self, (whom only the apostle Paul doth well near in every syllable teach unto us) is denied, which Christ alone for all that did redeem us. For those good holy men do teach, that we are justified by works, and by the endevermentes of free will: where as in very deed only Christ hath ben made unto us righteousness, and sanctify cation, and redemption. i. Cor. i. besides this they do with evil words & blasphemies ⟨image 26⟩rail and speaketh against the way of the gospel and of the truth, neither will they suffer their errors to be disproved, or them selves to be taught that only Christ is our health, our life, and our righteousness / Again this is more evident, then that it needeth any probations, how they all being blinded and made stark mad thorough covetousness, do direct all their whole doctrine unto this end, that all things should be given unto themselves alone / that temples and monasteries, & cathedral churches collegiate, might be builded / and that we should suffer them to be rich, to be well moneyed, and to have abundance of all manner things And these are lies & giles, and these are the deceits, which they ⟨image 27⟩do so cover and cloak, with the colour of holy life, and of spiritual estate: and in very deed they do deny the virtue and power of true virtue and godly living. And yet for all this in the mean season every man doth so give unto them, as though they were such as did live in holy life, when in very deed it is nothing but deceit and mere hypocrisy, & these guileful simulation with out faith. So that saint Peter did not without a cause say, nay men shall follow the errors of them.
THese wordes can not be vnderstanded any other wyse then of ye bysshops & of ye great p̄ latꝭ & rulers of ye church. For we do se, howe they haue deuysed dyuerse sectꝭ, dyuerse orders, dyuer se facyons, & haue brought them ⟨image 26⟩in to the worlde contrarye to the doctryne of Chryste & of the gospell / whiche thynges euery one of them beynge cleane out of the ryght and the hyghe waye of the chrysten fayth, do prescrybe and teache peculyer workes and fasyons of lyuynge, by whiche the knowledge of Chryste is put away & quenched, 1and chryst hym selfe, (whome onely the apostle Paule dothe well nere in euery syllabe teche vnto vs) is denyed, whiche Chryste alone for all that dyd redeme vs. For those good holy men do teache, that we are iustyfyed by workes, and by the endeuermentes of free wyll: where as in verye dede onely Chryst hath ben made vnto vs ryghtuousnes, and sanctify cacyon, and redempcyō. i. Cor. i. besydes this they do with euyll wordes & blasphemyes ⟨image 26⟩rayle and speaketh agaynst the way of the gospel and of the truthe, neyther wyll they suffre theyr errours to be dysproued, or them selues to be taughte that onely Chryste is our helthe, our lyfe, and our ryghtuousnes / Agayne this is more euydente, then that it nedeth any probacyons, howe they all beynge blynded and made starke madde thorough couetousnes, do dyrecte altheyr whole doctryne vnto this ende, that all thynges shulde be gyuen vnto themselues alone / that temples and monasteryes, & cathedrall churches collegyate, myght be buylded / and that we shuld suffre theym to be ryche, to be well monyed, and to haue habundaūce of all maner thynges And these are lyes & gyles, and these are ye deceytes, whiche they ⟨image 27⟩do so couer and cloke, with the coloure of holy lyfe, and of spyrytuall estate: and in verye dede they do denye ye vertue and power of true vertue and godly lyuynge. And yet for all this in the meane season euery man dothe so gyue vnto them, as though they were suche as dydde lyue in holy lyfe, when in very dede it is nothyng but deceyte and mere hypocrysy, & these gylefull symulacion with out faythe. So that saynt Peter dyd not without a cause say, nay men shall folowe the errours of theym.
- 1Christ.Chryste.
