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In the trea

ing is shew

ed who are the causers of insurrection.

thereto, chose rather to have their part with hypocrites in shedding of innocent blood, shall be partakers with them also in having their own blood shed again, God giving an occasion that one wicked shall destroy another.

God as for wickedness, whence it springeth, tise follow and who is the cause of all insurrection, and of the fall of princes, and the shortening of their days upon the earth, thou shalt see in the glass following, which I have set before thine eyes, not to resist the hypocrites with violence (which vengeance pertaineth unto God); but that thou mightest see their wicked ways and abominable paths, to withdraw thyself from after them, and to come again to Christ, and walk in his light, and to follow his steps, and to commit the keeping both of thy body and soul also unto him, and unto the Father through him, whose name be glorious for ever. Amen.

PRELATES, APPOINTED TO PREACH CHRIST,
MAY NOT LEAVE GOD'S WORD, AND MI-
NISTER TEMPORAL OFFICES; BUT OUGHT
TO TEACH THE LAY PEOPLE THE RIGHT
WAY, AND LET THEM ALONE WITH ALL
TEMPORAL BUSINESS.

And

Our Saviour Jesus Christ answered Pilate, (John xviii.) John xviii. that his kingdom was not of this world. Matthew, in the tenth, he saith, The disciple is not greater Matt. x. than his master; but it ought to suffice the disciple that he be as his master is. Wherefore if Christ's kingdom be not of this world, nor any of his disciples may be otherwise than he was, then Christ's vicars, which minister his kingdom here in his bodily absence, and have the oversight of his flock, may be none emperors, kings, dukes, lords, knights, temporal judges, or any temporal officer, or under false temporal names have any such dominion, or minister any such office as requireth violence.

And (Matt. vi.) No man can serve two masters; Where Christ concludeth saying: Ye cannot serve God and mammon; that is riches, covetousness, ambition, and temporal dignities.

The minisChrist's doctrine

ters of

may not

have any

offices.

Matt. vi.

And (Matt. xx.) Christ called his disciples unto him, Matt. xx. and said: Ye know that the lords of the heathen people

have dominion over them; and they that be great do exercise power over them. Howbeit, it shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you shall be your minister; and he that will be chief shall be your servant: even as the Son of man came not that men should minister unto him, but for to minister and give his life for the redemption of many. Wherefore the officers in Christ's kingdom may have no temporal dominion or jurisdiction, nor execute any temporal authority or law of

The officers

in Christ's kingdom may have

no tempo

ral domi

nion.

Matt. xviii.

violence, nor may have any like manner among them. But clean contrary: they must cast themselves down under all, and become servants unto all, suffer of all, and bear the burthen of every man's infirmities, and go before them, and fight for them against the world with the sword of God's word, even unto the death, after the ensample of Christ.

And (Matt. xviii.) when the disciples asked who should be greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Christ called a young child unto him, and set him in the midst among them, saying: Except ye turn back, and become as children, ye shall not enter in the kingdom of heaven. Now young children bear no rule one over another, but all is fellowship among them. And he said, moreover, Whosoever humbleth himself after the ensample of this child, he is greatest in the kingdom of heaven; that is, to be (as concerning ambition and worldly desire) so childish, that thou couldst not heave thyself above thy brother, is the very bearing of rule, and to be great in Christ's kingdom. And to describe the very fashion of the greatness of his kingdom, he said, He that receiveth one such child in my name, receiveth me. What is that to receive a child in Christ's name? verily, to submit, to meek, and to humble thyself, and to cast thyself under all men; and to consider name, what all men's infirmities and weaknesses; and to help to heal their diseases with the word of truth, and to live purely, that they see no contrary ensample in thee, to whatsoever thou teachest them in Christ; that thou put no stumbling block before them, to make them fall while they be yet young and weak in the faith: but that thou abstain, as 1 Thess. v. Paul teacheth, (1 Thess. v.) Ab omni specie mala, from

To receive

a child in Christ's

it is.

all that might seem evil, or whereof a man might surmise amiss; and that thou so love them, that whatsoever gift of God in thee is, thou think the same theirs, and their food, and for their sakes given unto thee, as the truth is, and that all their infirmities be thine, and that thou feel them, and that thine heart mourn for them; and that with all thy

is a wolf

in a lamb's

power thou help to amend them, and cease not to cry to God for them, neither day, nor night: and that thou let nothing be found in thee, that any man may rebuke, but whatsoever thou teachest them, that be thou: and that The pope thou be not a wolf in a lamb's skin, as our holy father the pope is, which cometh unto us in a name of hypocrisy, skin. and in the title of cursed Cham, or Ham, calling himself Servus servorum, the servant of all servants, and is yet found tyrannus tyrannorum, of all tyrants the most cruel. This is to receive young children in Christ's name; and to receive young children, in Christ's name, is to bear rule in the kingdom of Christ. Thus ye see, that Christ's kingdom is altogether spiritual, and the bearing of rule in it is clean contrary unto the bearing of rule temporally. Wherefore none that beareth rule in it may have any temporal jurisdiction, or minister any temporal office that requireth violence to compel withal.

PETER WAS NOT GREATER THAN THE OTHER
APOSTLES, BY ANY AUTHORITY GIVEN HIM
OF CHRIST.

was called

chief of the

THEY say that Peter was chief of the apostles, verily, Why Peter as Apelles was called chief of painters, for his excellent cunning above others, even so Peter may be called apostles. chief of the apostles, for his activity and boldness above the other: but that Peter had any authority or rule over his brethren and fellow apostles, is false, and contrary to the Scripture. Christ forbade it the last, even before his passion, and in divers times before, and taught alway the contrary, as I have rehearsed.

Thou wilt say: Thou canst not see how there should be any good order in that kingdom, where none were better than other, and where the superior had not a law and au

Peter had

no autho

rity above the apos

the rest of

tles.

The pope's kingdom is

of the world.

A rabble of

the pope's guard, that wear his badge.

The minis

ters of the kingdom of God

must gov. ern with

all love, meekness,

and patience.

Peter in use of

speaking for his diligence, is called (but not in the Scripture) the

chief of the

apostles.

thority to compel the inferior with violence. The world, truly, can see no other way to rule than with violence. For there no man abstaineth from evil, but for fear; because the love of righteousness is not written in their hearts. And therefore, the pope's kingdom is of the world. For there one sort are your grace, your holiness, your fatherhood: another, my lord bishop, my lord abbot, my lord prior: another, master doctor, father, bachelor, master parson, master vicar, and at the last cometh in simple sir John. And every man reigneth over other with might, and have every ruler his prison, his jailor, his chains, his torments, even so much as the friars' observants observe that rule, and compel every man other, with violence above the cruelness of the heathen tyrants: so that what cometh once in, may never out for fear of telling tales out of school. They rule over the body with violence, and compel it, whether the heart will or not, to observe things of their own making.

And

But in the kingdom of God it is contrary. For the Spirit that bringeth them thither, maketh them willing, and giveth them lust unto the law of God: and love compelleth them to work, and love maketh every man's good, and all that he can do common unto his neighbour's need. as every man is strong in that kingdom, so love compelleth him to take the weak by the hand, and to help him, and to take him that cannot go upon his shoulders and bear him. And so to do service unto the weaker, is to bear rule in that kingdom.

And because Peter did exceed the other apostles in fervent service toward his brethren, therefore is he called, not in the Scripture, but in the use of speaking, the chiefest of the apostles, and not that he had any dominion over them. Of which truth thou mayest see also the practice in the Acts of the Apostles, after the resurrection. For when Peter had been and preached in the house of Cornelius, an heathen man, the other that were circumcised chode him, because he had been in an uncircumcised

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