How beit those losses of money & goods were not to be passed upon, if he had not set up this Idol of his devilish & wicked doctrine ⟨image 52⟩and called away all the whole world from very god unto Idolatry, only for this execrable & most filthy lucre. For therein that Balaam of Rome & his doth most hurt, and teacheth spiritual adulteries & fornications, by which god is provoked to wrath & vengeance. So that not only (as Moses writeth) .xxiiii. M. do perish & are destroyed: 1but innumerable souls and consciences are slain and damned if they persist in his doctrine. Furthermore the apostle saith, ye they do speak exceeding proud and disdainful words. Without doubt by these words he doth signify and rebuke that wicked doctrine, of the Pope and his, as if he should say the doctrine of them is up and down the very right Baal peor. For the ⟨image 52⟩masters and teachers of that doctrine with marvellous pride, & with great gaping and opening of the mouth do preach and teach things unfruitful and whereof shall come no profit at all. I beseech you is not this opinion commonly rooted in mens minds? and hath it not ben so used in our time, as though only the life of Monks, friars, & priests, were the very right way unto salvation and heaven? No man durst hope to be saved, except he were one of those holy saints or else at the least wise did bye heaven of them. And they their own selves dare very boldly hope to be saved, & dare sell salvation unto other being exceedingly shameless: likewise as they do openly exercise marchaū dice, selling Masses, fastings, ⟨image 53⟩prayers, and good works done in their Monasteries, as though by these means they should convey other men in to heaven / are not these great things I pray you? but what is hid under the royal & goodly cloak & pretence: Nothing else but hypocrisy, stark lies, and crafts & deceits Romish falsehood, giles, flattering sleights, briefly snares & grins of the devil. For in all that whole wicked and ungodly people is there not one Crumb of faith or fidelity: but all their holiness standeth in their shaven crowns / in their long robes, in saying or singing of Psalms in the diversity of garments or habits, in hyocrytyse fastings, in belles, in the smokes of the censers, in such things as these (I say) resteth all their holiness.
How beit those losses of money & gooddes were not to be passed vpon, yf he had not set vp this Idole of his deuylisshe & wicked doctryne ⟨image 52⟩and called awaye all the whole worlde from very god vnto Idolatrye, onely for this execrable & moste fylthye lucre. For therin yt Balaā of Rome & his doth most hurte, and teacheth spyrytual adulteryes & fornycacyons, by whiche god is prouoked to wrathe & vengeaunce. So that not onelye (as Moyses wryteth) .xxiiii. M. do perysshe & are destroyed: 1but innumerable soules and conscyences are slayne and dampned yf they persyst in his doctryne. Furthermore the apostle sayth, ye they do speake excedyng prowde and dysdaynfull wordes. Withoute doubte by these wordes he dothe sygnyfye and rebuke that wycked doctryne, of ye Pope and his, as yf he shuld say the doctryne of theym is vp and downe the veryeryghte Baal peor. For the ⟨image 52⟩maisters and teachers of that doctryne with meruaylous pryde, & with great gapynge and openynge of the mouthe do preache and teache thynges vnfruytfull and wherof shall come no profyte at all. I beseche you is not this opynyon comenly rooted in mennes myndes? and hathe it not ben so vsed in our tyme, as though onely the lyfe of Monkes, freers, & preestes, were ye verye ryght way vnto saluacyon and heuen? No man durste hope to be saued, excepte he were one of those holye sayntes or elles at the leaste wyse dyd bye heuen of them. And they theyr owne selues dare verye boldely hope to be saued, & dare selle saluacyon vnto other beynge excedyngly shameles: lykewyse as they do openly excerse marchaū dyse, sellynge Masses, fastyngꝭ, ⟨image 53⟩prayers, and good workes done in theyr Monasteries, as though by these meanes they shuld conuaye other men in to heuen / are not these great thynges I praye you? but what is hydde vnder ye royall & goodly cloke & pretence: Nothynge elles but hypocrysye, starke lyes, and craftꝭ & deceytes Romyshe falshode, gyles, flaterynge slayghtes, bryefly snares & grynnes of the deuyll. For in all that whole wycked and vngodly people is there not one Crūme of fayth or fydelytie: but al theyr holynes standeth in theyr shauen crownes / in theyr longe robes, in sayenge or syngyng of Psalmes in ye dyuersitie of garmētes or habytes, in hyocrytyse fastinges, in belles, in the smokes of the sensers, in suche thyngꝭ as these (I saye) resteth all theyr holynes.
- 1Humeri. xxvi.
