MarginaliaBying and sellyng of prayers in the popes church.the bearers of the law, but the doers of the lawe shall be iustifyed. If therfore the wordes of him that prayeth, do not deliuer himselfe from sinne, nor from the payne of sinne: how doe they deliuer other men from sinne or frō the paine of sinne, when no man prayeth more earnestly for an other man then for hymselfe? MarginaliaBying and sellyng of pardons.Therfore many are deceaued in the byeng and selling of prayers, as in the byeng of pardons that they might be deliuered from payne: whē as commonly they pay dearer for the prayers of proude and vitious prelates, then for the prayers of deuoute women and deuoute men of the laye people. MarginaliaPerson, place, apparell, curiositie or eloquence of prayer not regarded of God.But out of doubt, God doth not regarde the person of him that prayeth, neither the place in which he prayeth, nor his apparel, nor the curiousnes of his prayer, but the humilitie, & godly affection of him that prayeth. Dyd not the Pharisie and the Publican goe vp into the temple to praye? MarginaliaThe prayer of the Pharise, and of the Publicane compared.The Publicans prayer for his humilitie and godly affection is heard. But the Pharisies prayer, for his pryde and arrogancie is contemned. Consider, that neither the person, nor the place, nor the state, nor the curiousnes of his praier doth helpe the Pharisie: Because the Publican not thinking himself worthy to lift vp his eyes vnto heauen, for the multitude of his sinnes, saying (O God be mercifull vnto me a sinner) is iustifyed by his humilitie, and his prayer is heard. But the Pharisie boasting in hys righteousnes is despised, because God thrusteth down the proud and exalteth þ^e humble and those that be meke. The riche glotten also, that was clothed with purpull and silke, and fared euery day daintelie, prayed vnto Abraham, and is not heard, but is buried in paynes and tormentes of hell fire. But Lazarus which lay begging at his gate (being full of sores) is placed in the bosome of Abraham. Behold, that neither the riches of his apparell, nor the deliciousnes of his bākates, nor þ^e gorgiousnes of his estate, neither the aboundance of his riches: doth helpe any thing to prefer þ^e prayers or peticions of the riche glotton, nor yet diminishe his tormentes, because that mightie men in their mightines shall suffer tormentes mightely. MarginaliaPrayer that doth more for mony then for charitie, disproued.How dare any man by composition demaunde or receaue any thyng of an other man for hys prayers? If he beleue that he can by his prayer deliuer his brother from greuous paine, he is bounde by charitie to releue his brother with hys prayers, although he be not hiered therunto: but and if he will not praye, vnles he be hiered, then hath he no loue at all. What therfore helpeth his prayer, which abydeth not in charitie? Therfore let him first take compassiō of himself by prayer, þ^t he may come into charitie, and thē he shalbe the better able to helpe others. If he beleueth not, or that he standeth in doubt to be able to deliuer his brother by his prayer: wherfore doth he make with hym an assured bargen, and taketh his monie & yet knoweth not whether he shall releue him euer a whyt the more or not, from his payne? I feare least the wordes of the Prophet are fulfilled saying: Frō the least to the most all mē apply them selues to couetousnes, and frō the Prophet to the priest all worke deceatfully. For the poore priestes excuse them selues, of such barganyng & sellyng of their prayers, saying: The yong cock learneth to crow of the olde cock. For sayth he, thou mayst see that þ^e Pope hym selfe in stallyng of Bishops and Abbats, taketh the first frutes: In þ^e placing or bestowing of benefices, he alwais taketh somewhat, and specially if the benefices be great. MarginaliaSellyng of pardons.Also he selleth pardons or bulles, & to speake more playne he taketh money for them. MarginaliaSellyng of orders.
Sellyng of church halowings.Byshops in giuing orders, in halowing churches and churcheyardes, do take money: MarginaliaSelling of discipline.In ecclesiasticall correction they take mony for the mitigation of penaunce: In the greuous offences of conuict persons, money is required, and caused to be payd. MarginaliaSelling of fraternitee.Abbats, monkes, and other religious men that haue possession, will receaue no man into their fraternitie, or make them partakers of their spirituall suffragies, vnlesse hebestow somwhat vpon them, or promise them somwhat. MarginaliaSellyng of diriges, yere minds, confession, weddings, buriynges.Curates and vicares hauyng sufficient lyuinges, by the tythes of their parishioners, yet in diriges and yeares mindes, in hearing confessions, in weddynges and buryinges, do require and haue money. The friers also of the foure orders of beggers, whiche thinke them selues to be the most perfectest men in the churche, do take mony for their prayers, confessiōs, and buryinges of the dead: MarginaliaSellyng of Sermons, &c.and when they preach, they beleue that they shall haue either money for some other thyng worthy money. Wherefore then bee the poore priestes blamed? ought not they to bee held excused, although they take money for their prayers by composition? Truly me thinketh, that this excuse by other mēs sinnes, doth not excuse them: for as much, as to heape one mischief vpon an others head, is no sufficient discharge. MarginaliaExample to bee takā by the fall of Babylon.I would to God that all the byers and sellers of spiritual suffrages, would with the eyes of theyr hart behold the ruine of the great Citie, and the fall of Babilon, and that whiche they shall say after that fall. Doth not the Prophet say: And the marchauntes of the earth shall weepe and mourne for her because no man shal bye any more their marchaundise, that is, their marchaundise of golde and siluer, and of precious stone and of pearle, and of silke and purple: And agayne he sayth. And the marchauntes whiche were made riche by her, shall stande aloafe for feare of her tormentes, weepyng, mournyng, and saying, Alas Alas, That citie Babilon, that great citie, which was wont to weare, purple, white silke, crimsin, gold, pearle, and precious stone, bycause þ^t in one houre all those riches are come to nought: And agayne: And they cast dust vpon their heades & cryed out weepyng and mournyng and saying, Alas, Alas, That great and mighty Citie Babilon, by whom all such as had shippes vpō the sea were made rich by her rewards, Bycause that in one houre she is become desolate. MarginaliaThe citie of Rome, Babilon.This Babilon, this great City: is the Citye of Rome, as it appeareth by the proces of the Apostle. Because the Aungell which shewed vnto saint Iohn the destruction of the mighty harlot sitting vpon many waters, with whom the kyngs of the earth haue committed fornication, and all they whych dwell vpon the earthe are made droonke wyth the wyne of her whooredome, sayd vnto him: And the woman whych thou sawest, is the great city whych hath dominion aboue kings. &c. MarginaliaApoc. 18.And in dede in the daies of saynt Iohn the whole world was subiect to the temporal empire of the city of Rome, and afterwardes it was subiect to the spirituall empire or dominion of the same. MarginaliaThe temporall dominion of the citie of Rome.But touching the temporall gouernment of the City of Rome, it is fallen alredy: and so that þ^e other also, for the multitude of her spirituall fornication, shal fall. MarginaliaThe spirituall dominion of the citie of Rome.The emperours of this city, gaue them selues to idolatrye, and woulde haue that men shoulde honour them as Gods, and put all those to death that refused such idolatry, and by the cruelty of their tormentes, all infidels gat the vpper hand. Hereupon, by the image of Nabuchadnesar, the empyre of the Romanes is lykened to yrone, which beateth together and hath the masterye of all mettals. And in the vision of Daniel, wherein he sawe the foure wyndes of heauen to fight in the mayne sea, and foure great beastes commyng out of the sea: MarginaliaThe fourth Beast in the prophesie of Daniel meaneth Rome.The kyngdome of the Romaynes is lykened to the fourth terrible and marueylous beast, the whych had great yron teeth, eatyng and destroying, and treadyng the rest vnder hys feete: and this beast had ten hornes, and as Daniel saith he shall speake woordes agaynst the moste hyghest, and shall teare wyth hys teeth the sayntes of the most hyest: and he shal thinke, that he may be able to chaūge tymes and lawes, and they shall be deliuered into hys power, vntyll a tyme, and tymes, and halfe a tyme. In the Apocalips, saint Iohn saw a beast commyng out of the sea, hauing. 7. heades and. 10. hornes, and power was geuen to him to make monthes. 42. So long tyme endured the