Christ is come in the flesh? Yea, verily. How shall they be Antichrists? Truly, by St. Paul's expounding of the place where he saith, They confess that they Rom. i. know God, but with deeds they deny him, and are abominable and disobedient, and unto all good works discommendable. Do they say that they know him, and deny him in works? Yea, truly. Let us then also note, what St. John saith: He that saith, I know him, 1 John ii. and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the verity is not in him. To know the Lord is to have perfect faith in him. And perfect faith hath with him sure hope and charity. And of these followeth the fulfilling of the commandments necessarily, even as the light followeth the fire. Howbeit, here had we need to make a division, for the world hath two sorts of Antichrists: the one sort are in great power and authority, the other in subjection; the one obdurate and reproved, the other wandering out of the right way until it shall please the Father to draw them unto grace; John vi. the one resisting for stubbornness, knowing the truth, and so sin against the Holy Ghost; the other only for ignorance transgress the precepts. And these will I not speak of, because there come not so great jeopardies and perils of them, committing them only unto the provision of God, desiring him that his will be fulfilled, and to show his glory in them. The first I will touch somewhat; not for to teach them which are chosen of 1 John ii. God, for they have an ointment of the Holy Ghost, and know all things, and need not that any teach them; but only to monish them of that which the Spirit hath taught them, and that Christ himself hath showed them. Christ said that there should arise false pro- Matt. xviii. phets and false Christs, (that is to say, false anointed,) and should deceive many, and gave his disciples a mark to know them, saying, Beware of false prophets, which Matt. vii. come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. What meaneth he by sheep's cloth Phil, iii. Matt. vii. John vii. ing? Truly, nothing else but that they should come Matt. xxiv. in his name, pretending great humility. But what are they in deed? Verily, ravening wolves; that is to say, beasts of the belly, for their belly is their God. And why come they to you? Truly, to despoil and rob you of your goods, promising vain pardons, and deliverance from the Pope's purgatory, to the intent that they might live idly, and in the lusts of the flesh, by your labours. How shall they be known? Christ saith, By their works shall you know them. Lay their works to the Scripture, and ye should lament their abominable living. But alas! you cannot, for they will not suffer you to have it; they keep that mete-yard from you that you should rule all things withal. They burn the Gospel of God, and very Christ himself, for he is nothing but his word, as he testifieth himself, saying, I am that which I speak unto you. And again, In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and God was the word. And why do they hide this word of light from you? No doubt, because their works are evil. For every man that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his works should be reproved; but he that worketh the verity cometh to the light, that his works may be openly seen, because they are done of God. They pretend to keep it from you for pure love, because you should take no hurt of it, neither fall into heresy; but they are jealous over you amiss; yea, they would clean exclude you from Christ, and make you follow them. And because they would the more easily bow you to their yoke, they begin betimes, compelling you, being very children of twelve years, to keep their fasts which they prescribe; and if you eat two meals in these prescript days, then must you to a priest, and confess a great transgression, submitting yourselves unto him, whatsoever he will enjoin unto you, and call it penance necessary for your soul's health. Oh, Lord God! what subtle illusions have they John iii. Gal. iv. invented to reign in men's consciences; yea, and to begin so soon with them; truly, this was a far cast of belly-wisdom, if it were not the devil himself that imagined it. Paul rejoiceth in Timothy, (exhorting him 2 Tim. iii. to stand stiffly in those things which he had learned,) that of a child he had known the holy Scripture, which may instruct him unto health through the faith that is in Christ Jesus, showing the fruit and profit of it, saying, All Scripture, which is inspired from God, is profitable to instruction, to reproving and correcting, and to the bringing up, which is in righteousness, so that the man of God may be whole and consummate, prepared unto every good work. If it be thus profitable, I marvel why they do not suffer men to have it. Howbeit, they know very well that when a cloaked lie cometh to the light, it vanisheth away; and even so their coloured kingdom, if Scripture were known, would soon be dispersed like vapour and most vanity. In the mean season, I will show thee an evident reason, that thou mayest know without doubting which is the very Antichrist; and this argument may be grounded of their furious persecution, which Paul doth confirm, writing to the Galatians. We (dear brethren) are the children of promission, as Isaac was, not the sons of the bond-wo- Gal. iv. man, as Ishmael; but even as he that was born after the flesh did persecute him that was born after the Spirit, even so now. Mark Paul's reason: By Isaac are signified the elect, and by Ishmael the reprobate. Isaac did not persecute, but contrary, Ishmael did persecute Isaac. Now, let us make our reason. All they that Sillogisdo persecute are Ishmael, the reprobate, and Antichrists. But all the popes, cardinals, bishops, and their adherents, do persecute; therefore all the popes, cardinals, bishops, and their adherents, be Ishmael, the reprobate, and Antichrists. I ween our sillogismus be well made, and in the first figure. The major is Paul's Major. saying, Even as he that was born after the flesh did mus. Rom. ix. Gen. xxvii. 1 Reg. xix. 2 Reg. xv. It was never read that the persecute any. Matt. ii. now. persecute him that was born after the Spirit, even so And of this mayest thou have many examples in the Testaments: as Jacob and Esau. Jacob was the chosen, and Esau was forsaken, and did persecute his brother Jacob; and not the contrary. Likewise David was chosen of God, and fled from Saul, yea, and from his own son Absalom. Here might I enumber all the prophets, which did never persecute, but ever were perchosen did secuted, yea, and many of them killed. Let us descend unto Christ, and we shall see that he was no sooner born than persecuted of Herod, and compelled to flee into Egypt, and his persecution never ceased until he was brought to death. The apostles were all persecuted, beaten, prisoned, and at length killed. And I think verily, that so long were the successors of the apostles good Christians, when they were persecuted and martyred, and no longer. So impossible it is that the word of the cross should be without affliction. Simeon prophesied, and said unto Mary the mother of Christ, Behold, this child is put into the destruction, and into the resurrection of many of Israel; and into the sign which shall be resisted and spoken against. Not that he should resist them, but that he should be resisted, and even caused to fly; for the world was never so faithful but the more part were wicked. I Matt. xiii. wonder they fear not the parable of Christ, where he gave commandment they should suffer the weeds to grow among the corn until the harvest, expounding the weeds to be the children of Satan and reprobate persons; for now-a-days, if a man believe not as they will have him, he shall be burned. Be it in case he were the very adversary of Christ, (but I know none of them that will go to the fire,) should they then burn him and Christ say nay ? Yea forsooth, for they can set Christ to school, and say this is better. I wis Paul had never been good corn if he had been destroyed when he was weeds and the adversary of Christ. Let them be Luke ii. ware lest they be ordered as Saul was, which was com- 2 Reg. xv. manded to destroy the king of Amalech and all his goods; howbeit he spared the king's life and the fairest goods and cattels, making sacrifice with them unto God; which, if belly-wisdom were any thing worth, should seem a marvellous good deed; howbeit it did displease God so sore, that he said unto Samuel, he repented that he had made Saul king, because Saul had forsaken him, and had not indeed fulfilled his words. And therefore he was deprived of his kingdom, and ran far into the indignation of God. Even so I fear me these Antichrists, which presume to contrary Christ's Eph. i. words, will lose the kingdom of glory which was prepared for the faithful before the foundations of the world were cast. Now let us prove the minor, for of these two parts followeth the conclusion of necessity. The minor is, that all popes, cardinals, bishops, and Minor. their adherents, do persecute. Needeth this any probation? I think some of you have proved it. I ensure you they are as merciful as the wolf is on his prey. They were ordained to bless men, but they curse as the devil were in them. Paul saith, that he hath power 2 Cor. x. into edifying, and not into destruction. But I wot not 1 Cor. xiii. of whom these bloody beasts have their authority, which do so much rejoice in cursing and destruction. We read how Paul did excommunicate the Corinthian, 1 Cor. v. (and truly for a great transgression,) to the intent that he might be ashamed of his iniquity, and desired again the Corinthians to receive him with all charity: 2 Cor. ii. but that the apostles did curse any man, truly we cannot read in Scripture, for Christ commanded them to bless those that cursed them, and to pray for those that persecuted them, saying unto them, In this world you John xv. shall have affliction, and in me you shall have peace. But the popes, cardinals, with all their ragman's roll, have none affliction. Therefore either they are none of Christ's flock, or else Christ himself is a liar. St. Paul |