A short instruction for to arm all good Christian people against the pestiferous errors…A short instruction for to arme all good Christian people agaynst the pestiferous errours…

¶ The answer. I am almost ashamed to rehearse such vain things. But forasmuch as I do perceive that the simple and rude are seduced by such: I am constrained to advertise them, how they may avoid them. Every man knoweth the foolish fantasy which the Jews had of Messiah. That is, they thought that he should have his kingdom flourishing in this world, to make them live in this world at their case, and in good ⟨image 36⟩rest, and to make them triumph. In so much that the very Apostles, till after his resurrection, had also this fantasy in their heads: as. S. Luke declareth in the .i. of the Acts. This moved the people to make Christ a king perforce, that they might thereby be made free from the subjection of the romans. Therefore it is no wonder if the Lord hid him self, forasmuch as this proceeded from an evil and perverse error, & drew with it a very pernicious consequence. It is certain that his kingdom is not carnal nor of the world: but spiritual, and which doeth consist in things that do not appear upon the earth. Now what kingdom would men give him? Therefore if he had consented unto the folly of the people, should he not have confirmed that error which was already to much rotted? should not he also by that means, have buried his grace and his verity, for as much as men should have imagined nothing of him but carnal. Besides this, he should have been ordained king, by sedition, and by them by whom it appertaineth not. For seeing that Jury was in subjection unto the Roman Empire: the people had none authority to chose a new king at their pleasure. Thus for these causes Jesus Christ refused to be king, and not to reprove the estate as wicked or repugnant to a christen life. But in the mean while it is said,¹ that it is by him that Kings do reign: that it is he which doth give grace to the ministers of justice, to make laws and statutes, and to govern the people in equity. What will we have more Jesus Christ is not a king in his person, but ⟨image 36⟩he is the protector of all kingdoms, even as he hath founded & instituted them. But these fan tasticals do reply, that he hath also commanded us to do the like, saying to his apostles. The kings of the nations have dominion over them:

¶ The answere. I am almoste ashamed to rehearse such vayne things. But for asmuch as I do perceyue that the symple and rude are seduced by suche: I am cōstrained to aduertise them, how they may auoyde them. Euery manne knoweth the folyshe fantasye which the Iewes had of Messias. That is, they thought that he should haue his kyngedome florishing in this world, to make them liue in this worlde at theyr case, and in good