The Lord said, "The lordships and possessions. For then, cried an angel,
'Woe! woe! woe! This day is venom shed into the Church of GOD!' For
before that time, there many martyrs of Popes; and since I can tell of
none! but, sooth it is, since that time one hath put down another, and
one hath slain another, and one hath cursed another, as the Chronicles
tell; also of much more cursedness."
Also he said, "CHRIST was meek, and the Pope is proud. CHRIST was poor
and forgave; the Pope is rich and a man-slayer, as it is openly proved.
And thus this is the nest of Antichrist, and out of this nest cometh
Antichrist's disciples, of whom these Monks and Friars be the tail."
Then said [RICHARD DODINGTON] Prior of the Friars Augustines, "Sir, why
say ye so?"
And the Lord of COBHAM said, "For as ye be Pharisees, "divided," and
divided in habit [_dress_]; so ye make division among the people. And
thus these friars and monks with such others be the members of the nest
of Antichrist."
And he said, "CHRIST saith, _Woe be to you, Scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye close up the Kingdom of Heaven before men: for,
sooth, ye enter not yourselves! nor ye will not suffer them that would,
to enter in!_ And thus, ye be the disciples of Antichrist! For ye will
not suffer GOD's Law to go through, nor to be taught and preached of
good priests; which will speak against your sins, and reprove them: but
of such that be flatterers, which sustain you in your sins and
cursedness."
Then said the Archbishop, "By our Lady! Sir, there shall no such preach,
that preacheth dissension and division, if GOD will!"
Then said the Lord of COBHAM to the Archbishop, "CHRIST saith that
_there shall be so great tribulation, as never was since the beginning._
And this shall be in your days! and by you! for ye have slain many men,
and shall more hereafter: but CHRIST saith, _Except that those days were
shortened, no flesh should be saved_: but hastily GOD will short[en]
your days! Furthermore, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons be grounded in
GOD's Law: but not these other Religious [_Monks and Friars_] as far as
I can wit."
* * * * *
=THE 4 DETERMINATIONS OF THE CHURCH.=
Then a Doctor of Law, one Master JOHN KEMP, put to him these four Points
that follow:
"_The faith and determination of Holy Church touching the blessed
Sacrament of the Altar is this. That after the sacramental words be said
of a priest in his_ Mass, _the material bread that was before, is turned
into CHRIST's body, and the material wine that was before, is turned
into CHRIST's very blood: and so there remaineth in the Sacrament of the
Altar, no material bread nor material wine; the which were there, before
the saying of the sacramental words._ Sir, believe you this?"
The Lord of COBHAM said, "This is not my belief. For my belief is, as I
said to you before, that the worshipful Sacrament of the Altar is very
CHRIST's body in form of bread."