inconuenient: not much vnlike to that as Iustine the historician wryteth of the Carthaginēses. The family (sayth he) of so great Emperours was vntollerable to such a free citie. In sembleable wise, this great pride in the Churche of God (especially in these dayes) doth moue not so few to due reuerēce, as many to indignatiō: and yet mo to those things aforesayd, which thinke no lesse but to doe sacryfice to God if they may rob and spoile certayne fat priestes and parsons, namely such as neither haue nobilitie of bloud, & lesse learning to beare themselues vpon but are lyars, seruile & fraudulent, to whom the Lorde speaketh by his prophet Amos. iiij. Heare you fatted kine of Samaria, ye that doe poore men wronge, and oppresse the needye, the day shall come vpon you, &c.MarginaliaAmos. 4.

Marginalia5. Signe. The fift signe is the tyranny of the prelates and presidentes, which as it is a vyolent thing, so it cannot be longe lasting. For as Salom? sayth, Sap. xvj.MarginaliaSap. 16. For it was requisite that (without any excuse) destruction should come vpon those which exercised tyranny. The propertye of a tirāt is, to seeke the c?ommodytie not of his subiectes, but onely hys will and profite.MarginaliaThe tyranny of prelates noted. Such were the pastors that fed not þ^e Lordes flocke, but fed themselues: of whom and to whom speaketh þ^e prophet Ezech. xxxiiij. Wo be vnto those pastors of Israel that feede themselues.MarginaliaEzech. 34. Should not the shepherds feede the flocks? With many other threatninges against thē in the sayd chapter. Wo be vnto them which reioyce at the transgressions of such whom it lyeth in their power to condemne, neyther do they seek what he is able to pay, to whō cryeth Micheas the prophet. iij. chap. Ye hate the good, and loue the euyll, ye pluck of mens skinnes and the flesh, from the bones: ye eate the flesh of my people, and flay of theire skyn: ye breake their bones, ye chop thē in peeces as it were into a Caudron, and as flesh into the pot. &cMarginaliaMicheas. 3. And therefore, the foresayd Ezechiell pronounceth: Behold, I will my self vpon the shepheardes, and require my sheepe from theyr handes, and make them cease from feeding my sheep: yea þ^e shepheardes shall feede themselues no more, for I will deliuer my sheep out of their mouthes, so that they shall not deuour them any more.MarginaliaEzech. 34.

Marginalia6. Signe
Promoting of vnworthy ministers. The sixt signe is the promotyng of the vnworthy, and of neglectyng them that be worthy. This as Aristotle sayeth, is a great cause many times of the dissolution of cōmon weales. And oftentymes it so hapneth in the wars of princes, that the contempt and small regardyng of the valyant, and the exalting of others that be lesse worthy, ingendreth dyuers kindes and kindllinges of sedition. For by the reasō partly of the same, partly of the other causes aboue recyted: We haue red not onely in bookes, but haue seene with oure eyes, diuers florishing Cities welneare subuerted. Where as good men be not made of, but are vexed with sorow and griefe by the euill: the contention at length brasteth out vpon the prince, as Haymo reciteth out of Origen. This hath alwayes beene the peruers incredulitie of mans hard harte, that not onely in hearing, but also in seing: yet will they not beleue that other haue peryshed, vnlesse they also peryshe themselues.MarginaliaHaimo.

Marginalia7. Signe The seuenth signe is the tribulation of outward policy and commotions of the people, which in a great part is now hapned already. And therefore forasmuch as Seneca sayth: Men do complaine commonly that euils onely come so fast: It is to be feared lest also the ecclesiasticall policie be afflicted not onely outwardly but also in it selfe. And so be fulfilled in vs, that in Hieremy is prophecied cap. 4. Murther is cryed vpon murther, and the whole land shall perish and sodenly my tabernacles were destroyed, and my tentes verye quicklie.MarginaliaIerem. 4. And Ezec. 7. Wherefore I will bring cruel tirāts from among the heathen, to take their houses in possessyon, I will make the pompe of the proude to cease, and their sanctuaries shall be taken. One mischiefe and sorow shall folow another, and one rumour shall come after another, then shall they seeke visions in vayne at their prophets: the law shall be gone from the Priestes, and wysedome from their Elders, &c.MarginaliaEzech. 7.

Marginalia8. Signe. The eight signe is the refusing of correction, neyther will they heare their faultes tolde them, so that it is hapned to the princes and rulers of the church, as it is wrytten in the prophet Zach. cap. 7.MarginaliaZach. 7.
Refusing of correction in the clergie. They stopped their eares þ^t they would not heare: yea they made their hartes as an Adamant stone, least they should heare the law & words which the Lord of hostes sent in hys holy spirite by the Prophets aforetyme. Also Esay witnessyng after the same effect, cap. 30. sayeth: For it is an obstinate people, lying children and vnfaythfull, children that will not heare the law of þ^e Lord: which say to the Prophets, meddle with nothyng, and tell vs nothyng that is true and right, but speake frendly wordes to vs, &c.MarginaliaEsay. 30. All this shall be verified when the Prelates begin to hate them that tell them truth, and haue knowledge, lyke vnto such of whom Amos speaketh, chapter 5. They beare hym euill wyll that reproueth them openly, and who so telleth them the playne truth, they abhorre him.MarginaliaTruth shent.
Amos. 5. And therfore sayth the Lord to the church of Ierusalem, Ose. 4. Seyng thou hast refused vnderstandyng, I haue refused thee also, that thou shalt no more be my priest. And for so much as thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I wil also forget thy children, and change their honor into shame. And so shall it be like priest like people. &c.MarginaliaOse. 4. And many other sayinges there be in the prophets, speaking of the deiecting and casting downe of the priestly honor.

Besides these foresayd signes and tokens hitherto recited, there be also diuers other:MarginaliaLacke of learned priestes. As the backslidyng frō righteousnes, the lacke of discrete and learned priestes, promotyng of children into the church with such other lyke. But these beyng already well noted and marked, you may easily iudge and vnderstand, whether these tymes now present of ours be safe and cleare from tribulation to be loked for, and whether the worde of the Lord be true accordyng to my theame. Iuxta est iusticia mea vt reueletur, my righteousnes is nere at hand to be reueled, &c. And thus much of the second part.

MarginaliaThe third part or member of the subdiuision. Now to the third part or member of my subdiuision, which is concernyng the false and perilous opiniōs of some, vpon this word of my theame vt veniat. &c. which opinions principally be 4. repugning all agaynst the truth of the canonicall Scripture.

MarginaliaThe first opiniō. The first opinion is of such men, who hauyng to much confidence in themselues, do thinke and perswade with thēselues, that the Prelates be the Church, which the Lorde wyll alwayes kepe and neuer forsake as he hath promised in the persons of the Apostles, Mathew. 28. saying: And I will be with you to the ende of the world, &c. But this is to be vnderstanded of fayth, whereof Christ speaketh Luc. 21. I haue prayed for thee, that thy faith shall not faile.MarginaliaThe Church where it is, in whom it consisteth. Wherof we reade Ecclesiast. 40. faith shal stand for euer, &c.MarginaliaEccle. 40. And albeit Charitie waxe neuer so colde, yet fayth notwithstandyng, shall remayne in fewe, in all distresses of the worlde: of the whiche distresses, our Sauiour doth prophecye in many places to come. And least peraduenture some should thynke themselues to be safe from tribulation because they bee of the Churche, this opinion the Lorde hymselfe doth contrary in Ieremy the 7. Trust not (saith he) in false lyeng wordes, saying: the temple of the Lorde, the temple of the Lorde, and a litle after, but you trust in wordes and lyeng counsailes which deceaue you and do you no good.MarginaliaHiere. 7.

MarginaliaThe 2. opinion. The second opinion is of them, which deferre tyme, for thys they well graunt, that the Church shall abide trouble, but not so shortly: thinkyng thus with themselues, that these causes and tokens afore recited, haue bene before at other tymes as well in the Church. For both by Gregory and Bernard holy doctors, in tyme past the prelates haue bene in lyke sort reprehended, both for theyr bribynges, for theyr pompe and pryde, for the promootyng of persons and children vnfitte vnto ecclesiasticall functions, and other vyces moe, which haue reigned before this in the Church of God more then now, and yet by God hys grace, the Church hath prospered and stande. Doe ye not see, that if an house haue stand and continued ruinous a long season, it is neuer the more neare the fall thereby, but rather to bee trusted the better? Moreouer, many tymes it commeth so to passe in realmes and kyngdomes, that the posterity is punished for the sinnes of their predecessoures. Whereof speaketh the booke of Lamentations the 5 chapter. Our fathers haue sinned, and are now gone, and we must beare their wickednes, &c.MarginaliaThren. 5. Agaynst this cogitation or opinion, wel doth the Lord aunswer by the Prophet Ezech. cap. 12. saying: Behold thou sonne of man the house of Israell sayeth in thys maner. Tush as for the vision that he hath sene, it wyll be many a day or it come to passe: It is farre of yet, the thing that he prophecieth. Therfore say vnto them, thus sayth the Lord God: The wordes that I haue spoken shall be deferred no longer, loke what I haue sayd, shall come to passe sayth the Lord, &c.MarginaliaEzech. 12. We haue seene in our dayes thinges to happen, whiche seemed before incredible. And the lyke hath bene sene in other tymes also: as we read written in the booke of Lament. cap. 4. The kinges of the earth, nor all the inhabitaunce of the world would not haue beleued, that the ennemy and aduersary should haue come in at the gates of the Citie, for the sinnes of her priestes, and for the wickednes of her elders that haue shed innocentes bloue wythin her, &c.MarginaliaThren. 4. by Hierusalem, as I sayde, is ment the Church.

The third opinion or errour is very perilous & peruerse,