he loue
that they beare to their lyfe / bodie and goodes do not chose to
abide the losse of them all / in refusing to come to these
detestable masses / to gayn therby lyfe / and saluacion euer
lastinge. And so do they committ doble synne. Furst they synne
willingly. Then they do prefer earthly thinges before heauenly /
outward thinges before inward / the bodie before the soule /
their Goodes before God: Which is not done but of such / as ar
the very children of the world. Of affection verily / though they
do saye nay / they do that which they do / but of that
inordinate affection which they do beare to their riches.
Wherfor this is no iust excuse which they make. For as well
might the Corinthians / euen by the very same reason / haue
sayde to Paule. If we do comme vnto these feastes wher the
meates offered vnto Idols are eaten / we do it not with that
mynde as thoughe we allowed such sacrifices / but we ar
compelled therunto / for if we shuld auoide theise solemne
feastes / we shuld be taken as sedicius men / euell citizens /
vncourteous / we shuld loose our frends / and most profitable
healp and defence / Yea and paraduenture our goodes and
countrith, Paule hearith noone of all these thinges / but doth
sharply reproue them / as in the furst epistle which he wrote
vnto them it doth appeare.

[[Exod. 32.]]

Aaron also by the same reason might haue excused the making of
the golden calf / and sayed / I did it not with my mynde / I was
compelled / and if I hadd not folowed the mynde of the poeple /
they wold haue stoned me. &c. But Moses / who did well perceyue
that this was not of an absolute necessite / but did rise of
such a corrupt grownd and matier as neither righteousnes doth
suffer to be receyued / neither Godd doth admitt / he condemnith
the act / and doth sharply reproue Aaron for it. Thise men ought
also to thincke this: That the masse is as it wer the signe and
sure marke / the pleadg / and seale / by which the papists do
knowe who be theirs / from others. For whether a man gyuith
almos / whether he prayeth / whether he lyueth a chaste lyfe /
and so forth / they passe not at all: This only they do
regarde / whether he hearith Masses: which thing if they perceyue
that he doth / for the which they thinke that man to be ther own /
and on the other parte / to abhorr the Masse and not to heare
it / is euen the begynninge of fallinge from ther kyngdom / and
from Antichriste. Wherfor we may call Massehearinge /