The images of a very Christen bishop, and of a counterfeit bishopThe images of a verye Chrysten bysshop, and of a couterfayte bysshop

but yet he is more than sure that the man can not escape ⟨image 57⟩out of his snares without faith and the spirit, or else some spiritual gift of god, namely seeing that even those men also have busyness enough & much work to keep them selves upright and unovercome in this behalf, which are spiritual in very deed, and which trusting and being bold upon their manly & strong courageous faith, always watchful, & standing up right do continually wrestle and fight with him continually. Briefly take this for sure and undoubted, that all that so highly praised chastity and contynē city of ecclesiastical persons, ¹whose hearts are not purified & raised up with faith (as all the priests for the most part are ignorant of Christ) is nothing else but mere hypocrisy & devilish ⟨image 57⟩deceit, by which they do allure youth into most great jeopardies, when in the mean season no good thing at all is hid under this goodly and deceitful semblances or appearance. And would to god that now an hundred monasteries were brought unto one, and that of one hundred churches collegiate there were left scantly one or two, and the same to be instituted and ordained for a school of christen youth, and not for a gage or place to boast and she we forth ceremonies in. Believe me this so great and so excellent Apostle did not speak in vain & for nought, wherefore as I have said always even so I say again now, who soever may, let him keep him self even as far away from all manner bonds ⟨image 58⟩of religion, from all monasteries and temples, where the scripture & faith is not earnestly taught, and where soever Christ is not taught, and spiritual works are exercised both day & night, as he would from a pestilence. For it is not possible to be otherwise, but that these monasteries and churches both cathedral & collegiate are the gates of hell: ²if the gospel be not there continually preached and sincerely taught. And except the gospel do reign in such places, and be exercised by the cross, by temptations and tribulations, always through most sure and upright hope and most lively faith: it is not possible, but that all things there done are and must be corrupt, hypocritical, and devilish, how soever holy they appear