The Parable of the Wicked Mammon

Forasmuch as with this and divers such other texts, many have enforced to draw the people from the true faith and from putting their trust in the truth of Gods promises and in the merits and deserving of his Christ our Lord, & have also brought it to pass, for many false prophets shall arise and deceive many, and much wickedness must also be, saith Christ. Mat. xxiiii. And Paul saith. Ti. iii. Fuyl men & deceivers shall prevail in evil while they deceive & are deceived them selves, & have taught them to put trust in their own merits, and brought them in belief that they shall be justified in the sight of God by the goodness of their own works and have corrupt the pure word of God to confirm their Aristotle withal. For though that the philosophers and worldly wise men were enemies above all enemies to the Gospel of God, and though the worldly wisdom cannot comprehend the wisdom of God, as thou mayst see i. Corin. i. &. ii. And though worldly righteousness cannot be obedient unto the¹ righteousness of God: Ro. x. Yet whatsoever they read in Aristo, that must first be true. And to maintain that, they rent ⟨image 7⟩and tear the scriptures with their distinctions and expound them violently, contrary to the meaning of the text, and to the circumstances that go before and after, and to a thousand clear and evident texts. Wherefore, I have taken in hand to expound this Gospel and certain otter places of the new testament and (as far forth as God shall lend me grace) to bring the scripture unto the right sense, and to dig again the wells of Abraham and to purge and cleanse them of the earth of worldly wisdom, wherewith these Philistines have stopped them. Which grace grant me God, for the love that he hath unto his son Jesus our Lord, unto the glory of his name.

FOr asmuche as with this and diuers such other textes, many haue enforced to drawe the people from the true fayth and from puttynge theyr trust in the truthe of Gods promyses and in the merites and deseruynge of his Chryst our Lord, & haue also brought it to passe, for many false prophetes shall aryse and deceyue many, and much wyckednes must also be, sayth Christ.