The Practice of Prelates

When the old scribes and Pharisees had darkened the scripture with their traditions, and false interpretations, and wicked persuasions of fleshly wisdom; and shut up the kingdom of heaven, which is God’s word, that the people could not enter in unto the knowledge of the true way, as Christ complaineth in the gospel (Matt. 23); then they sat in the hearts of men with their false doctrine in the stead of God and his word, and slew the souls of the people to devour their bodies, and to rob them of their worldly substance. But when Christ and John the Baptist had restored the scripture again unto the true understanding, and had uttered their falsehood, and improved their traditions, and confounded their false interpretations with the clear and evident texts, and with power of the Holy Ghost, and had brought all their juggling and hypocrisy to light; then they gat them unto the elders of the people, and persuaded them, saying, ‘This man is surely of the devil; and his miracles be of the devil, no doubt. And these good works which he doth in healing the people, yea, and his preaching against our covetousness, are but a cloak to bring him unto his purpose; that, when he hath gotten him disciples enough, he may rise against the emperor and make himself king. And then shall the Romans come, and take our land from us, and carry away our people, and put other nations in our realm: and so shall we lose all that we have, and the most part of us our lives thereto. Take heed, therefore, betimes, while there is remedy, ere he go so far that ye be not able to resist him.’

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