The practise of prelates. CompiledThe practyse of prelates. Compyled

The elders of the people which were rich and wealthy / though before they in a manner favoured Christ, or at the lest way were indifferent not greatly caring whether God or the devil reigned / so they might bide in authority / feared immediately (as Herod did of the loss of his Kingdom when the Wise men axed where the new borne King of Jews was) and conspired with the scribes and pharisees against Christ & toke him and brought him unto Pilate / saying: We have found this fellow perverting the people and forbidding to pay tribute unto Cesar, and saying that he is a king & moving the people from Galilee unto this place: Then Pilate (though he likewise was before indifferent / but now in fear of the loss ⟨image 3⟩of his office through such persuasions) slew innocent Christ. And in very deed as the scribes and pharisees were all their lives before blind guides unto the destruction of their souls / even so were they at their last end blind prophets unto the destruction of their bodies. For after that they had slay• Christ & diverse of his apostles, & persecuted those poor wretches that believed on him / God, to avenge the poor innocent blood ye bare witness unto his truth / poured his wrath among them, that they them selves rose against the Emperor. And the Romans came (according as they blindly prophesied) and slew the most part of them and carried the rest captive into all nations / and put other nations in the Realm. But whose fault was that insurrection against the Emperor, & mischief that followed? Christs & his apostles whom they falsely accused before hand? No, Christ taught that they should give Cesar that which pertained unto Cesar / & god that which belonged to God: Even that they should give Cesar their lawful bodily service, & god the heart, & that they should love gods law, & repent of their evil, & come & receive mercy, & let the wrath of God be taken from them ▪ And the apostles taught y• ⟨image 3⟩all souls should obey the higher powers or ten porall rulers: But their obstinate malice y• so hardened their hearts that they could not repent / and their railing upon the open and manifest trueth which they could not improve, & resisting the holy ghost, and slaying of y• preachers of righteousness, brought the wrath of God upon them, and was cause of their destruction.