e
their mind and slip away, getting them again to Jerusalem to the temple
of God, there he exhorted them with a long tale to be steadfast, saying
thus unto them: "O Israel, these calves be thy gods. In this sort
commanded your God you should worship Him, for it should be wearisome and
troublous for you to take upon you a journey so far off, and yearly to go
up to Jerusalem, there to serve and honour your God." Even after the
same sort every whit, when these men had once made the law of God of non-
effect through their own traditions, fearing that the people should
afterward open their eyes and fall another way, and should somewhence
else seek a surer mean of their salvation, Jesu, how often have they
cried out, "This is the same worshipping that pleaseth God, and which He
straitly requireth of us, and wherewith He will be turned from His wrath.
That by these things is conserved the unity of the Church. By these all
sins be cleansed, and consciences quieted, and that whoso departeth from
these hath left unto himself no hope of everlasting salvation." For it
were wearisome and troublous, say they, for the people to resort to
Christ, to the Apostles, and to the ancient fathers, and to observe
continually what their will and commandment should be. This ye may see,
is to "withdraw the people of God from the weak elements of the world,
from the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees, and from the traditions of
men." It were reason, no doubt, that Christ's commandments and the
Apostles' were removed, that these their devices might come in place. O
just cause, I promise you, why that ancient and so long allowed doctrine
should be now abolished, and a new form of religion be brought into the
Church of God.

And yet whatever it be, these men cry still that nothing ought to be
changed: that men's minds are well satisfied herewithal: that the Church
of Rome, the Church which cannot err, hath decreed these things. For
Silvester Prierias saith, that the Romish Church is the squire and rule
of truth, and that the Holy Scripture hath received from thence authority
and credit. "The doctrine," saith he, "of the Romish Church is the rule
of most infallible faith, from the which the Holy Scripture taketh his
force. And indulgences and pardons, saith he, are not made known to us
by the authority of the Scriptures, but they are made known to us by the
authority of the Romish Church, and of the Bishops of Rome, which is
greater." Pigh