The justification of man by faith onlyThe iustification of man by faith only

If they will put it from them, and lay it on the lay mens shoulders, I will answer them and say that the cause of the sedition was not the lay cause but the spiritual cause (as they call it) for to maintain and uphold their ungracious power, kingdom and dominion, and that the lay men were but ministers of their fury & madness, provoked by them with most false persuasions. Wherefore they most justly suffered not like traitors, but traitors in deed. If it was not the popish cause or cause of religion (as they do call it) in the defence of their sodomitical monasteries, and maintenance of the most stinking & proud Babylon with the great crowned whore and all her harlots, for what ⟨image 96⟩cause did their chalices, crosses, pyckes of silver and gold (which no lay or profane secular man might touch for the holiness thereof, but not to holy & good to commit treason with them fly so fast about to the maintenance of this great evil: with all their cattle, as oxen, sheep, and grain also, that no thing should lack to the furtherance and setting forward of so evil and devilish a purpose The badge and token that their souldy ours did were on their backs & breasts for a knowledge, and in their standard was it not the sign of the five wounds of Christ, in token and signification that their rising was in the right of the church. Then must you confess that the spirituality there being, was the whole cause of that tumult and sedition, how soever the pore laity did bear the brunt (not unworthily) for consenting and aiding of their treason. But such hath ben alway the practice of Antichrist and his true sworn servants, to set kings with kings together by the ears, & to stir the commons against their kings plucking their own necks forth of the halters, they have ways enough to shift for them self. Yet they will and affirm that among them only doth and must remain the word of god, which hath nothing ⟨p. lxxxxv⟩to do with any such matter, no nor yet can not, nor will not be, where any such feats be used and practised. For commonly where the word of God is absent, there wanteth no kind of mischief, there is stirring & moving of hatred, between the subjects and rulers. This is the practise of the Devil in his ministers.

If they wyl put it from them, and laye it on the lay mennes shulders, I wyl answere thē and say that the cause of the seditiō was nat the lay cause but the spiritual cause (as they cal it) for to maynteyne and vphold theyr vngracious power, kingdom and dominion, and that the lay men were but ministers of theyr fury & madnes, prouoked by them with most false persuasions. Wherfore they most iustly suffered nat lyke traytors, but traytors in dede. If it was nat the popyshe cause or cause of religion (as they do cal it) in the defence of theyr sodomiticall monasteries, and mayntenance of the most stinking & proud Babilon wt the great crowned whore and al her harlottes, for what