Wherefore ye must needs obey, not for fear of vengeance only: but also because of conscience. That is though thou be so naughty (as now many years our Pope and Prelates every where are) that thou needest not to obey the temporal sword for fear of 1vengeance: yet must thou obey because of conscience. First because of thine own conscience. For though thou be able to resist, yet shalt thou never have a good conscience, as long as Gods 2word, law and ordinance are against thee. Secondarily for thy neighbours conscience. For though through craft and violence thou mightest escape and obtain liberty or privilege to be free 3from all manner duties: yet oughtest thou neither to sue or to seek for any such thing, neither yet admit or accept, if it were proffered, lest thy freedom make thy weak brother to grudge & rebel, in that he seeth thee go empty and he him self more laden, thy part also laid on his shoulders. Seest thou not if a man favour one son more then an other, or one servant more then an other, how all the rest grudge, and how love, peace and unity is broken? What Christianly love is in the to thy neighbour ward, when thou canst 4find in thine hart to go up and down empty by him all day long and see him over charged, yea to fall under his burden, and yet wilt not once set to thine hand to help him? What good conscience can there be among our spirituality to gather so great treasure together, and with hypocrisy of their false learning to rob almost every man of house and lands, and yet not therewith content, but with all craft and wiliness to purchase so great liberties and exemptions from all manner bearing with their brethren, seeking in Christ nothing but lucre? I pass over with silence how they teach Princes 5in every land to lade new exactions and tyranny on their subjects more and more daily neither for what purpose they do it say I. God I trust shall shortly disclose their juggling and bring their falsehood to light, and lay a medicine to them, to make their scabs break out. Nevertheless this I say, that they have robbed all Realms, not of Gods word only:
Wherfore ye must needes obey, not for feare of vengeaunce onely: but also because of conscience. That is though thou be so naughty (as nowe many yeares our Pope and Prelates euery where are) that thou nedest not to obeye the temporall sword for feare of 1vengeaunce: yet must thou obey because of consciēce. First because of thine owne conscience. For though thou be able to resiste, yet shalt thou neuer haue a good cōscience, as lōg as Gods 2word, law and ordinaunce are against thee. Secondarily for thy neighbours conscience. For though through craft and violence thou mightest escape and obteyne libertie or priuilege to be free 3from all maner dueties: yet oughtest thou neither to sue or to seeke for any such thing, neither yet admit or accept, if it were profered, lest thy fredome make thy weake brother to grudge & rebell, in that he seeth thee go emptie and he him selfe more ladē, thy part also layd on his shoulders. Seest thou not if a man fauour one sonne more then an other, or one seruaunt more then an other, how all the rest grudge, and how loue, peace and vnitie is broken? What Christenly loue is in the to thy neighbour ward, when thou canst 4finde in thyne hart to go vp and down empty by him all day long and see him ouer charged, yea to fal vnder his burthen, and yet wilt not once set to thyne hand to helpe him? What good conscience cā there be among our spiritualtie to gather so great treasure together, and with hypocrisie of their false learnyng to robbe almost euery man of house and landes, and yet not therewith content, but with all craft and wilenes to purchase so great liberties and exemptions from all maner bearyng with their brethren, seekyng in Christ nothyng but lucre? I passe ouer with silence how they teach Princes 5in euery lande to lade new exactions and tyranny on their subiectes more and more dayly neither for what purpose they do it say I. God I trust shall shortly disclose their iugglynge and bryng their falshode to light, and lay a medecine to thē, to make their scabbes breake out. Neuerthelesse this I say, that they haue robbed all Realmes, not of Gods word onely:
- 1They make no conscience at any evil doing.They make no consciēce at any euill doyng.
- 2They care for their neighbours as y• wolf doth for the sheep.They care for theyr neighbours as y• wolfe doth for the shepe.
- 3The evil ensample of the spirituality causeth the lay to believe that they are not bound to obey.The euill ensample of the spiritualtie causeth the lay to beleue that they are not bound to obey.
- 4There is no Christen love in them.There is no Christē loue in thē.
- 5What purpose? even to flatter the princes that they may abuse their authority to sle• who soever believeth […] Christ and to maintain the Pope.What purpose? euen to flatter the princes that they may abuse their authoritie to sle• who soeuer beleueth 〈…〉 Christ and to mainteine the Pope.
