Behold how vehement and sore this excellent apostle is here, how hot he is, how he is kindled, & how he casteth out pure flambes of fire / I beseech you, who are they which do live in pleasures and riotousness of other mens goods? who (I say) are they which supposen it to be sufficient to care only for them selves and for those things which ⟨image 31⟩do belong unto them selves Who be they, which do live (as Peter saith) like brute beasts? and whom no man hitherto durst be bold to rebuke, yea or ones to admonish and tell them of their defaults / I pray thee, needeth this place any gloss or declaracy on at all? Is it not openly & evidently known that bishoprics, cathedral Churches, monasteries, universities, in which holy scripture is not sincerely taught principally before all things, are nothing else but a certain unsatiable and bottomless whirlpool, which swal lowen up the riches of kings, of princes, of dukes, of earls, of the common people, and to be short of all the world? Is it not evident enough, that this sort of men have come unto these so great goods ⟨image 32⟩and riches, not by their own in dustrye & labour, but through other mens foolishness, and a certain madness of giving unto them? They verily them selves (as they be naturally lovers of them selves, and do stand in their own conceit) would swear deeply, that them selves are the most noble sort, and the most fine & pure flour of all the men that are in the whole world, and Peter yet for all it calleth them openly and plainly spots, filths, and pestilences. And these also are they which do rail and speak opprobrious words against the truth, & do condemn it whereof yet they be ignorant and have no knowledge. For they being all together drenched in their humane, yea devilish opinions, and in their most filthy ⟨image 32⟩living, and being all together carnal and brutish are made insensible, and utterly partles & ignorant of faith and of ghostly things. But yet for all that they do allure and beguile unstable souls with those their enticements and pleasures of riches and honours. For hitherto they have aspired unto bishoprics to benefices, and to abbotships and priorships, & have panted for the love of idleness and ease, and for the hatred of the holy cross, for the most part, which in the flour of their youth were most honest good and virtuous.
BEholde howe vehemēt and sore this excellent apostle is here, howe hote he is, howe he is kyndled, & howe he casteth oute pure flambes of fyre / I beseche you, who are they which do lyue in pleasures and ryotousnes of other mens goodes? who (I say) are they whiche supposen it to be suffycyent to care onely for them selues and for those thinges whiche ⟨image 31⟩do belonge vnto them selues Who be they, which do lyue (as Peter sayth) lyke brute beastes? and whom no man hytherto durste be bold to rebuke, yea or ones to admonysshe and tell theym of theyr defaltes / I praye ye, nedeth this place any glose or declaracy on at all? Is it not openly & euydentlye knowen that bysshoprykes, cathedrall Churches, monasteryes, vnyuersyties, in whiche holye scrypture is not syncerelye taughte pryncypallye before all thynges, are nothynge elles but a certayne vnsacyable and bottomles whyrlepole, whiche swal lowen vp ye ryches of kynges, of prynces, of dukes, of erles, of the cōmon people, and to be shorte of all the worlde? Is it not euydent ynough, yt this sorte of men haue come vnto these so great goodes ⟨image 32⟩and ryches, not by theyr owne in dustrye & laboure, but throughe other mēnes folysshenes, and a certayne madnes of gyuyng vnto theym? They verely them selues (as they be naturally louers of them selues, and do stonde in theyr owne conceyte) wolde sweare deapely, that theym selues are the moste noble sorte, and ye most fyne & pure floure of all the men that are in the whole world, and Peter yet for all yt calleth theym openly and playnly spottes, fylthes, and pestylences. And these also ar they whiche do rayle and speake opprobryous wordes agaynst the truthe, & do condempne it wherof yet they be ignoraūt and haue no knowledge. For they beynge all togyther drenched in theyr humane, yea deuelyshe opynyons, and in theyr moste fylthy ⟨image 32⟩lyuynge, and beyng all togyther carnall and brutysshe are made insensyble, and vtterly partles & ignoraunt of fayth and of ghostly thynges. But yet for all that they do allure and begyle vnstable soules with those theyr intysementes and pleasures of ryches and honours. For hytherto they haue aspyred vnto bysshoprykes to benefyces, and to abbotshyps and pryorshyps, & haue panted for the loue of ydlenes and ease, and for ye hatred of ye holy crosse, for the moste parte, whiche in the floure of theyr youthe were most honest good and vertuous.
