A Disclosing or Opening of the Man of Sin, Book 2 · Part 12
¶ The manne of ſynne.
¶ 1 Imprynted at london in 2 ſaynt Sepulchres paryſhe in 3 the olde bay lye… 4 by Rycharde lant. 5 Ad imprimendum ſolum.
¶ Hys dyſcloſynge.
SO notable ys thys new worke of my lorde here that yt maye want no cyrcōſtaūceThey are not aſhamed of ther deuilyſhneſſe. to ꝓmote yt for warde, ād to brige yt to a worſhypfull ſale. The gret workes of ſaint Auſtyn ād Chriſoſtome hath not a more ſolēpne ſealynge vp, thā hath thys pylde patche of papyſtrye, nor yet Chriſtes holye teſtament neyther. It ys hereThe blaſphemoſe frutes are Boners. ſayd to be imprynted at Lōdō, though it be not greatlye to the honour of ſo worſhypfull a cyte, to ſende forth ſoche blaſphemouſe frutes. Not with ſtādynge there ys no fawte in the cite in that, for whye the frutes be not thers but ther byſſhoppesA plage to be vnderunder Antichriſt. A ſorowfull plage ys yt ſurelye vntounto thē to be in captyuyte of conſcyence vnderunder ſo che ā apoſtle of Antichriſt as mynyſtreth no better lernynge. Great confort wolde yt be vntounto them, yf yt wolde pleaſe the lorde te ſēde them ſoche a paſtoure as PolycratesPolycrates. Polycarpus. And Meliton. was vntounto Epheſus, Polycarpus vntounto Smyrna, and Meliton vntounto Sardis, delyuerynge them from thys tyraunt. He firſt ſett vp Bybles in Paules not purpoſynge anye chriſten erudicyon to the peple, but as ſnares to catche them by. For inHys bybles are ſnares to knowe and to catche. mediatlye after he ſett vp a cōmaūdement that God ſhuld geue place to the Pope, ād Chriſt vntounto Antichriſt. There ſhall be no readynge (ſayth he) for the tyme of gods ſeruyce. As though ther wayne, Idell, and blaſphemouſe ſuperſticyons were onlye gods ſeruice and the byble readynge noGod muſt geue place to ther vanytees. part therof, but a verye prophane thynge VponUpon thys polycie ded he ſett them vpp there, to knowe whych were the buſy byble menne of Londō, that he myght ſpeake with thē at layſer. For he had hysſpyes euermore and hys Iudaſes there at hande.Cōſydre the cruell. Some hath al redye proued yt ād alſo payed the harde pryce therof. So that they whych at ther firſt commynge helde vphandelynge of …o…ā ▪ porter ther handes vntounto god for ther good byſſhopp, doth now holde downe ther heades and can ſaye, that Sathan hath ſhewed hymſelfe for all hys angelyk face.
2 In ſaynt Sepulchres paryſhe was thysVvhat ſaynt Sepulchre ys ād where he was borne. famouſe worke imprinted in the olde bailye. But what maner of ſaynt ys thys ſame ſaint Sepulcre? where was he borne, or where ys he ſhryned? Is he Martyr or a Cōfeſſour, a Virgine or a Matrone? I wolde fayne knowe the certen…e. He ys non of all thoſe ſer. It ys the graue that Chriſtes bodye was layed in after yt wasBartholomeus a ſaligniaco. Brocardꝰ Iudolphꝰ Nicolaus Huen. taken from the croſſe. Naye, that ys a falſe tale. for that was beaten out of the harde rocke, and coude neuer be remoued from the place yt ys in, as all the writers and Luke alſo doth wytueſſe. And what yf yt were the ſame? Yet coude yt be made no ſaynt. The pope vſeth to canonyſe no ſoche thynges for ſayntes, though heOnlye ys ſaynt Sepulcre the ſhaddowe of an Idoll. ſuffreth them to be worſhypped. But now I perſeyue yt ys made by ſome caruer, and garnyſhed with colours by ſome paynter. And than ys yt ſum what worſe▪ than an Idoll, for yt ys but his ſ…addowe or ſimylitude, and parauēture nothynge like yt. The ſcripture ſayth,Pſal. 96. Sap. 13. Oſe. 11. Gala. 3. that vnhappye are they, whych hauehave a▪ vayne ſtone to ther patron…. And they that ſenſe Images are gone quyte frō god. But be there neuer ſo moche abhominacion in ſoche thynges, neuer ſchall ye ſe them at Paules croſſe condemned by the byſſhopp. Manye teſtamentes of criſt hathTeſtamē tes brēt at paules but no Idols. there bene brent, but neuer Idolls openlye rebuked, ſauynge the gapynge rode of Boxlaye ād the duckes blood of Hayles. My lorde can ſuffre both ſaynt Sepulchre and ſaynt Antonyne, and allowe them here … hys boke for ſayntes, notwithſtandingeNon re…ā teth for Idolatre nor yet for ther buggerye all the myſchefe they hauehave done in caſtinge awaye ſo mayne thouſāde ſowles through Idolatrye, ād yet neuer cēpell thē to recant at Paules, nor yet his ſelfe for the ſufferaunce of them. No, this ys non hereſye thys. It ys euen the holye father of Romes relligyon, and therfor yt maye not be hyndred. Oh moſt abhomynable workers, whan wyll ye forſake yowrNeuer aſhamed of ſinne. vngodlineſſe? whā wyll ye be aſhamed of ſynne? No where cāne ther dwell anye peple, but they make them captyue ſlaues vntounto ſoche Idols. Eyther muſt they be vnderunder the tittle of ſaint Thomas of acres, ſaitAll are captyun to Idols. Do…ſtone, ſaynt Botolp…e, ſaynt Bryde, ſaint Magnꝰ, ſaint Foſter, ſaint Gyles, ſait Benett, ſaint Crowche, ſaint Sprite, or of ſoche other like. And all thei are made but of paynters …d caruers. More godlyneſſe were in it to ſett vp ther makers than thē Rather worſhyp the caruer than thē.for they are yet the creaturs of god. A godlye acte was yt to ſeclude the byſſhopp of Rome, But a moche more godlie acte were yt, to putt a ſyde hys fylthineſſe. For that remaineth yet ſtill vnderunder the tyttle of lawdable rytes and ceremonyes, and …eweThe popes fylthyneſſe remayneth. menne are greued therwith. A farre other waye went Aſa, Ioſaphat. Iehu, ād Ioſias the godlye kinges of Iuda and Iſrael to worke in deſtroynge the wyckedneſſe2. Pa. 14. 4. reg. 10. 2. Pa. 34. 4. Reg. 18 Nume. 21 Eccle. 48 of Idolatrye, Speciallie good Ezechi as whych brake the braſen ſerpent in peces that Moyſes had made at the lordes cō maūdement, whan he ſe yt ones becomē an abhominacyō. He wolde in no caſe at the counſell of falſe preſtes, ſuffre the thynge to remayne the onlye ſuperſticyons taken awaye. But he toke awaye the occaſiō Moche worſe ys the occaſion than the ſuperſtycion.with the ſuperſticyōs, leaſt they ſchuld ryſe ageine. Neuer come thinges ryghtlye to paſſe, be owr pretenſes neuer ſo godlye ſo longe as we myngle with the eternall wyſdome of god ower owne carnall wyſdom.
3 Vvhat ys ment here by the olde baylye,The olde baylye, what yt meaneth. I can not wele tell, vnleſſe yt be a ſtrete, where as they ſūtyme dwelt whych ſawe the beſt rewle obſerued. If a newe or dre were takē in thys matter, God wolde be moche better pleaſed.Richarde laut ꝓmoteth thys. worke.
4 Now cōſequentlye cometh Rycharde Lant, and he alſo ſetteth hys name to thys notable worke, not as the maker but as the putter forth of yt by hys prynt. He ys wele contented to be vnderunder that vengeApoc. 18. Sap. 15. Math. 15. aūce whych hangeth ouer Babylō, to gett a lyttle moneye. My lorde ys hys dioceſane, ordinarye, and byſſhopp, and therfor he dare be the bolder to ſett hys fote whereA thefe to god and his verite my lorde ſetteth hys, though yt be in a fylthie ſoyle. A ſayenge there ys that as yll ys the thefe as he which ſetteth him a worke. If Rychard lant had bene a true tenaūtSaynt ſepulchres tenaūt ageynſt God. of the eternall lyuige god as he ys to ſaynt Sepulchre, hys fore ſyght wolde hauehave bene moche better. If he had dwelt in the newe baylie as he dwelleth in the olde, he wolde hauehave done no ſoche thynge. But yf both the hande and the tole of bym thatProue. 8. Sap. 14. Exod. 20 Deut. 27. maketh an Image be accurſed (as the lorde ſaith they are) I thynke Richarde Lant ys not farre frō the ſame.
5 And wher as he hath Ioyued hys prynces auctoryte vntounto yt, Ad imprimendumAd iprimēdū ſolum, not golye vſed here. ſolum, to bringe hym alſo vnderunder the ſame curſe of God (for I knowe God ys true of hys worde) he hath played no honeſt mā nys part, nomore than hath ſome other more of his …ellawes▪ Beſydes that he hath done here ageynſt the glorye of god, heGod, kynge, and cū tre ys herin dyſhonoured. hath dyſhonoured hys kinge and dyſhoneſted his cuntre, in offerynge vntounto the peple vnderunder his tyttle of preuylege to drynke ageine ther owne fylthie vomete of abhominable papiſtrye to the vtter deſtruccyon of ther ſowles more thā afore. Lete menne of godlie knowlege iudge but accordynge to cōſcyēce what lernynge thisNehē. 1. 1. Ioan. 5. Hiere. 7. Hebre. 10 ys, ād lament with heuyneſſe the ſeduccyon of Chriſtes dere herytage. Herin are they cōpelled bi cruell ēforcemētes, to ſine the ſynne vntounto deathe to the blaſphemye of Gods name for whō remayneth neither ſacrifyce nor yet prayer, but a fearfull expectacyon of iudgement without mercye The eternall father with hys ſonne Ieſus2. Theſ. 3. …. Ioan. 5. Chriſt and the holye ghoſt, thre perſones in one euerlaſtinge godhede redreſſe ones thys matter with ſoche other more▪ to hys owne glorye ād the peples helthe. ¶ Amē