not due glory vnto his name. So when þ^t they vniustly excommunicate & curse, he turneth their cursings into blessings. MarginaliaThe Bish. of Rome seeketh to be worshipped as God.Also the bishop of Rome doth make mē to worshyp him as God, because that þ^e special sacrifice that God doth require of vs, is to be obedient vnto him in keping of hys commaundements. MarginaliaThe commaundementes of the pope more regarded then Christes.But now þ^e Popes commaundemēts be commaunded to be kept, and be kept in very deede, but the commauandements of Christ are contemned and reiected. Thus sitteth the Byshop of Rome in the Temple of God, shewing himselfe as God, and extolleth himselfe aboue al that which is called God, or worshipped as God. But in his fall he shalbe reuealed, because that euery kingdome deuided in it self, shalbe made desolate. He teaching a truthe, is the head of the Churche, but the Prophet teaching a lye, is the tayle of the Dragon. He seducying the worlde, shalbe acknowledged to be the veritie of the doctrine of Christ, but after he is knowne, he shalbee reiected aud naught esteemed. He geueth to small and great, riche and poore, free and bonde, markes in their right hands, & in their foreheades: that no man shoulde buy or sell, but those that shall haue the marks of the name of the beast, or that looketh to haue of him some recompense, small, mean, or great, or els the number of his name, which number is 300. The Pope sayth that in þ^e administration of euery sacrament, he doth imprint a certaine charecter or mark into the soul of him that receiueth. In baptisme he saith that he doth imprint into the soule of hym that is baptised, a marke that cannot be wiped out, and so likewise in other sacraments. MarginaliaIn euery Sacrament 2. thinges conteyned.And I knowe that in a Sacrament are two things, that is, the sacramental signe, & spiritual grace represented by the same sign: the sacramental signe is geuē to man of man, but the spirituall grace is geuen of Christ.

Wherefore, although a vicious or naughty Priest doth baptise any man, if he that is baptised or his parents (if he be a childe) do aske with faithful meaning baptisme, & do meane faithfully hereafter to obserue the wordes of baptisme: is as well baptised, as if hee were baptised of neuer so vertuous a priest. So also the sinner which with al hys hart is sory for his sinnes, and doth aske faithfully mercye of God, is as wel absolued of a vicious priest, as of a vertuous. Because the Lambe of god whych taketh away the sinnes of the word, wipeth away inwardly our sinnes by his grace, because that he is þ^e bishop & pastor of our souls. All other priestes do outwardly worke absolution, which knowe not for a certaintye whether they haue absolued or not. So also is it in þ^e other, because þ^t the grace of þ^e sacrament is geuen of God, and the sacramental signe, of man. In geuing of orders, the chiefe bishop doth imprint þ^e corporall markes, but of the spiritual markes, I know none: vnlesse a man will say, that by receiuing the order he hath some beliefe that he may worke some thinges pertayniug to that order, the which before the receiuing of the order he could not. But this one thing is, that none in the churche ought to sell spiritual marchandise (of which thinges wee haue spoken before) vnles he haue the marke of the beast. MarginaliaCaueat emptor.My counsell is, let the buyer beware of those markes: because that after the fall of Babylon, if any man hath worshipped the beast and her image, & hath reciued the marke vpon his forehead, & vpon his hand, he shall drinke of the wine of gods wrath, which is mixed with the wyne in the cup of his anger, and he shalbe tormented in fire & brymstone in the sight of the holy angels, and in the sight of the Lambe: and the smoke of their tormentes shall euer more ascend, although he looke for a recompence, small, mean, or great, of the beast, or els the nūber of his name. MarginaliaThe rewardes of the beast.The beast doubtles doth recompence his friends, with his small rewarde, that is, with great gifts and benefices corporall: with a meane reward, that is, with great spirituall gifts, in authority of blessing, losing, binding, praying, & exercising other spiritual workes: & with his greatest rewarde, which after that they be dead, maketh them to be honored in earth amōg the saints. MarginaliaThe number of the name of the beast. Dux cleri.The number of his name according to þ^e opinion of some men, is Dux Cleri, the captayne of the clergie, because by that name he is named, & maketh his name knowne, and that name is 666.

This is my opinion of the beast ascending out of the earth, and shall vntill suche time as I shalbee of the same beast better instructed. And although that this beast doth signifie the Romaine bishops: yet the other cruel beast ascending out of the sea, doth signifye the Romayne Emperours. And although that the Dragon being a cruel beast, and the false Prophet geuing the marke, must be throwen into the lake of fire and brimstone to be tormēted for euer: I woulde haue no man to iudge, but I leaue such things altogether to the finall iudgement of Chryst to bee determined. But Martine the Popes confessour which maketh the Chronicle of the Emperours and Popes, recytethmany errours of the Popes, more horrible and abhomynabl then of the Emperours.MarginaliaMartinus pœnitentiarius. Mo wicked popes then Emperours For he speaketh of the idolatrous Popes, hereticall, simoniacal, and Popes þ^t were murderers, that vsed nigromancie, and wytchcraft, that were fornicatours, and defyled with al kinde of vice. But I haue partly declared how that the Popes law is contrary to Christes lawe, and howe that he sayeth, that he is the chiefe vicar of Christ in earth: and in his deedes is cōtrary to Christ, and doth forsake both hys doctrine & lyfe. I can not see who els may be so well Antichrist, and a seducer of the people. For there is not a greater pestilence, then a familiar enemy.

MarginaliaMatters of Idolatry.As concrning idols, and the worshipping of them, I think of them as Moses, Salomon, Isayas, Ieremy, and the rest of the Prophetes, which all spake agaynst the making of Images, as also þ^e worshipping of Images. MarginaliaImages.And faithful Dauid full of the spirit of God, sayth: Let all those be confounded þ^t worship Images, and that reioyce in Idols: And againe he sayth: Let thē be made like vnto them þ^t make them, & al such as put their trust in them. Wherefore I pray god that this euil come not vpon me, which is the curse of God pronounced by Dauid the prophet. Nor I wil be by Gods grace, neither a maker, nor els a woorshipper of Images.

MarginaliaOthes how far they are tollerable.As cōcerning othes, I beleue and obey the doctrine of the almighty God, & my maister Iesus Christ, which teacheth: that Christian men in affirmation of a truth, should passe the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises of the olde Testament, or els he excludeth thē from the kingdom of heauen. For he saith: Vnles your righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises, ye cannot enter into þ^e kingdome of heauē. And as concerning othes he sayth: It hath bene sayd to them of old time, thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe, but shalt performe vnto the Lorde those thinges which þ^u vowest. But I saye vnto you thou shalt not sweare at all, neyther by the heauē nor yet by the earth. &c. But let your cōmunication be yea, yea, nay, nay, for whatsoeuer shalbe more then this, proceedeth of euill. Therefore, as the perfection of the auncient men of the old Testament was, not to forsweare themselues: so the perfection of Christian men is not to sweare at all, because they are so cōmaunded of Christ, whose commaundement must in no case be broken: although that þ^e Citie of Rome is contrarye to thys doctryne of Chryst euen as in manye things she is found contray to her selfe.

MarginaliaWhether temporall goods may be taken away from ecclesiasticall persons offending.As touching the taking away of temporal goods from those that are ecclesiastical persons offendyng habitualiter: by such as are temporall Lordes, I will not affirme anye thing to be lawful in this matter (as in other matters before) that is not agreable to charitie: And that for because it is a hard matter for a man to take another mans goods from him without breaking of charity, because peraduenture he that taketh away, is the more mooued to suche maner of taking away be reason of the desire he hath to those goods, which he indeuoureth to take away: or els, because of some displeasure or hatred to the person, from whom he goeth about to take away those goods, then that hee from whom those goodes be taken, should be amended. Therefore, vnlesse he that taketh away, be onely mooued of charity to the taking away of such goodes, I dare not affirme that such taking is lawfull. And if such takyng away proceede of charitie, I dare not iudge it vnlawfull: because that the Byshop of Rome which receyued hys temporall dominion of the Emperour, when the Emperour rebelled and was not obedient vnto hym, he depriued him frō hys temporall iurisdictions: MarginaliaPopes take from Emperours their benefactors, temporall dominion when they offend: Ergo, much more may Emperours take from popes temporall dominion whē they offend.Howe much more then may temporal Lordes do the same which haue bestowed vpon them many temporall dominions and lordships, onely to the intent that they might the better intende to serue God and keepe his commaundementes. Nowe if they perceiue that they be against the lawes of God, and that they be ouer busily occupied about worldly matters: I cannot see but þ^t they may wel inough take frō them those temporall goodes, which to a good purpose they gaue them. But if in time to come after this, those that be temporal lordes shall take from ecclesiastical persons such temporalties: let him that desireth to vnderstand this, read the prophet Ezechiel in the chapiter of the shepeherds of Israel, which fedde themselues in stead of their flocke: and also let hym reade the Apocalips of the fall of Babylon. Let hym also reade the Popes decretalles agaynst heretikes, and in those hee shall fynde, that the takynge awaye of the temporaltyes from the Cleargy, shall come to passe for the multitude of their sinnes.MarginaliaA prophecie of Walter Brute, that temporall goods shall be taken a way frō the clergie for the multitude of their sinnes.

Thus reuerend father, haue I made mine aunswere of the matter wherof I am accused: beseching you, that as I haue bene obedient to your desire, and that euen as a sōne