MarginaliaRoman coniurers.the aulter, the church yard, ashes, belles, copes, pallmes, oyle, candelles, salte, the halowing of the Ryng, the bed, the staffe, and of many such like thynges: and I beleue that a man shall finde out many errours of the heathen Magiciās, witches, southsayers, and charmars. And not withstandyng the auncient and olde magicians in their bokes, commaunde those that be coniurers that they in any wise lyue deuoutlye (for otherwise as they say the spirites will not obey their commaundements, and coniurations) yet the Romane coniurers do impute it to the vertue of the holy woordes, because they bee they, whiche woorke, and not the holynes of the coniurers. How commeth it to passe that they say, the thynges consecrated of a cursed and vitious Iauell, should haue so great vertue pronouncyng (as they say) the holy and misticall wordes: as if they were pronounced of a priest neuer so holy. MarginaliaThe good lyfe of a priest, a great matter, to deale in gods matters.But I maruel that they say so, readyng this saying in the Actes of the Apostles: because the charmers pronouncyng þ^e name of Iesus (that is aboue all names) would haue healed those that were possessed with deuils, and sayd. In the name of Iesus whom Paul preacheth, go ye out of the men. And the possessed with deuils aunswered, Iesus we know, and Paul we knowe, but what are ye: and they all to be beate the coniurers. And nowe consideryng this and many such lyke thinges, I maruell wherefore the vitious priestes, do sell their prayers and blessynges dearer (as also their masses and trentalles of masses) then those that be deuot laye men, and holy women: which withall their hartes desire to flee from vices, and take holde of vertue. For as much as God in diuers places of the Scripture doth promise, that he will not heare sinners & wicked persons: Neither should he seme to be iuste, if he should sooner heare the prayers of hys enemyes, then of his faithful frende. Howe I pray you shall a sinnefull priest deliuer an other man from sinne by his prayers, or els from the punishment of sinne: whē he is not able to deliuer him selfe by his prayer frō sinne. MarginaliaThe prayer of a vitious priest, little auaileth before God.What then doth God so much accept in the masse of a vitious priest: that for his masse, hys prayer, or oblation, he might deliuer any man either from sinne, or from the payne due for sinne? No, but for that that Christe hath once offered him selfe for our sinnes, and now sitteth on the right hand of God the father, alwayes shewing vnto him what and how great thynges, he hath suffered for vs. And euery priest alwayes maketh mention in hys masse of this oblation: Neither do wee this, that wee might bryng the same oblation into the remembraunce of God: because that he alwayes in his presence seeth the same. MarginaliaRemembrance of Christes death, needeth not to God, but to man.But that we should haue in remembraunce this so great loue of God, that he would giue his owne sonne to death for our sinnes, that he might clense and purifye vs from all our sinnes. What doth it please God, that the remembraunce of so great loue is made by a priest, whiche more loueth sinne then God? Or howe can anye prayer of such a priest please God, in what holy place so euer he bee, or what holy vestimentes so euer he put on, or what holy prayers so euer he maketh? And where as Christ and his Apostles do commaunde the preachyng of the word of God: MarginaliaPriests more bound to say Masse, commaūded by man: then to preaching commaūded of God.the priestes be now more bounde to celebrate the masse, and more straictly bound to say the canonicall houres: whereat I cannot but greatlye maruel. MarginaliaSpirituall fornication.For why, to obey the precepts of men, more then the commaundements of God, is in effect to honour man as God, and to bestow the sacrifice vpon man, which is due vnto God, and this is also spirituall fornication. Howe therfore are priestes bounde at the commaundement of mā to leaue the preaching of the worde of God, at whose commaundement they are not bounde to leaue the celebration of the masse, or singyng of matines? Therfore as it semeth, priestes ought not at the commaundement of any man to leaue the preachyng of the word of God, vnto the whiche they are bound both by diuine and Apostolicall preceptes. With whom agreeth the writyng of Ie-MarginaliaIeronymus.rome vpon the decretalles, sayng in this wise: Let none of the Bishops swell with the enuie of deuelish temptation, let none be angrie, if the priestes do sometime exhorte the people, if they preach in their churches. &c. for to hym that forbiddeth me these thynges I will say, That he is vnwillyng that priestes should do those thinges, whiche be commaunded of God. What thyng is there aboue Christe? or what may be preferred before hys body and his bloud? &c.

MarginaliaWhether priestes may bargē to sing for soules departed.Do priests therfore sinne or not, which bargain for many to pray for þ^e soule of any dead man? It is wellknown that Iesus did whip those that were byers & sellers oute of the temple, saying: My house shalbe called the house of prayer, but you haue made the same a denne of theeues. Truly he cast not out such marchantes from out of the church, but bycause of their sinnes. Wherupon Ierome vpon this text saith. Let the priestes be diligent and take good hede in this churche, that they turne not the house of God into a denne of theeues. MarginaliaIeronymus.He doubtles is a theef whiche seeketh gayne by religion, and by a shew of holynes studieth to finde occasion of marchandise. Hereupō, the holy canons do make accursed, Symoniacal heresie, and do commaunde that those should be depriued of the priesthood, whiche for the passyng or maruelous spirituall grace, do seeke gayne or money. Peter þ^e Apostle sayd to Simon Magus, Let thy money and thou go both to the deuill, which thinkest that the giftes of God may be bought for money. Therfore, the spiritual giftes of God ought not to be sold. Verely prayer is the spirituall gifte of God, as is also the preachyng of the worde of God, or the laying on of handes, or the administration of other Sacramentes. Christ sendyng foorth his Disciples to preache, sayd vnto them: Heale ye the sicke, Cast out deuils, Rayse the dead, Frely haue ye receaued, frely giue ye agayne. If the priestes haue poure by theyr prayers to deliuer soules beyng in Purgatorie, from greuous paynes: without doubt, he hath receaued that poure frely from God. MarginaliaSellyng of prayer abhominable.How therfore can he sell his acte, vnles he resiste the commaundementes of God, of whom he hath receaued that authoritie? This truly cānot be done without sinne, which is agaynst the cōmaundement of God. How playnly spake Christ to the Pharisies, and priests saying, wo bee vnto you scribes & Pharisies hipocrites, because ye haue eaten þ^e whole houses, of such as be wydowes, by makyng long prayers, and therfore haue you receaued greater dampnation. Wherein I pray you do our Pharisies and priests differ from them? MarginaliaReligious men and women, deuourers of wydowes houses.Do not our priestes deuoure wydowes houses and possessions, that by their long prayers they myghte deliuer the soules of their husbādes from the greuous paines of Purgatory? How many lordships, I pray you, haue bene bestowed vpon the religious mē and women to pray for the dead, MarginaliaPraying for soules in Purgatory.that they by their prayer might deliuer those dead men from the payne (as they say) that they suffer in purgatorie, greuouslye tormented and vexed? If their prayers and speaking of holy wordes, shall not be able to deliuer them selues from payne, vnles they haue good workes: How shall other men be deliuered from payne by their prayers whiche whilest they liued here, they gaue ouer themselues to sinne? MarginaliaEuil gotten landes, as euil bestowed, for praying for soules in Purgatory.Ye peraduenture those lordships or landes which they gaue vnto the priests to pray for thē, they themselues haue gotten by might, frō other faythful men, vniustly and violently. And the Canons do say, þ^e sinne is not forgeuen, til the thing takē away wrongfully, be restored. How then shall they be able (which doe vniustlye possesse such lordshippes or landes) to deliuer them by their prayers from payne, which haue geuen to them these lordships or landes, seing God frō the beginning hath hated all extortion in his burnt sacrifices? Not euery one that sayth vnto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdome of heauen: but he which doth the will of my father which is in heauen. And agayne, not