Furthermore when the ungodly multitude hath authority in the Church,1 it ordaineth many false and wicked things in the name and under the title of the Church. Such alike multitude first embraced the application of Masses, for the quick and dead, & moreover the estimation of vows, and worshipping of Saints: afterwards the very example of these things did hurt the godly. And such a multitude, decreed in a certain Synod, that marriages of Priests should utterly be taken away.2 For it oftentimes comes too pass in the church, that ungodly persons of excellent wits boldly challenge unto themselves the ordinance of religion, by mans wisdom: who when they be not moved or ⟨p. 9⟩affected by the word of God, but are led thereunto by the imagination of reason, and seek for apt opinions for their purposes, do breed wicked errors,3 like as Samosatenus, Arius, and Pelagius. Others seek to establish merits, or seek for fair kind of government, good ordering of the people and with these causes are moved to the institution & heaping up of sundry ceremonies,4 as the Monks do,5 as Gregory did, and as at this day the Popes,6 bishops, Princes, & many learned men, (desiring to ordain a form of the church) are moved with mans wisdom: & rejecting the word of God, will establish a church according to their own imaginations, neither do they see it is a horrible impiety to slide away from the word of God, to seek god without his word, to ordain means & manner of worshipping god, by mans opinion, without the express commandment of god, to change the true opinions, & oppress the purity of gods word.
Furthermore when the vngodly multitude hath autority in the Churche,1 it ordaineth many false and wicked thinges in the name and vnder the title of the Churche. Such alyke multitude firste embraced the application of Masses, for the quicke and dead, & moreouer the estimation of vowes, and woorshipping of Sainctes: afterwardes the very example of these thinges did hurt the godly. And such a multitude, decreede in a certaine Synode, that marriages of Priestes shoulde vtterly be taken away.2 For it oftentymes comes too passe in the churche, that vngodly persons of excellent wittes boldly challenge vnto themselues the ordinance of religion, by mans wisedome: who when they bee not mooued or ⟨p. 9⟩affected by the woorde of God, but are led therevntoo by the imagination of reason, and seeke for apte opinions for their purposes, do breede wicked errors,3 lyke as Samosatenus, Arius, and Pelagius. Others seeke to establish merites, or seeke for fayre kinde of gouernement, good ordering of the people and with these causes are mooued to the institution & heaping vppe of sundry ceremonies,4 as the Monks do,5 as Gregory did, and as at this day the Popes,6 bishops, Princes, & many learned mē, (desiring to ordain a forme of the church) are mooued with mans wisedome: & reiecting the word of God, wil establish a church according to their owne imaginations, neither doo they see it is a horrible impiety to slide away frō the word of God, to seeke god without his word, to ordaine meanes & maner of worshipping god, by mās opiniō, without the expres cōmaundement of god, to chaūge the true opinions, & oppresse the purity of gods word.
- 1The ungodly multitude first embraced Masses.The vngodly multitude firste embraced Masses.
- 2The ungodly multitude decreed that marriages of priests should utterly be taken away.The vngodly multitude decreed that marriages of priests shoulde vtterly be taken away.
- 3Samosatenus, Arius, and Pelagius, heretics, living about the years of our Lord.Samosatenus, Arius, and Pelagius, heretikes, liuing about the yeeres of our Lorde.
- 4Samosatenus, 274.
- 5Arrius, 320.
- 6Pelagius, 435.
