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(16) But when any fall to Firing, killing with the Sword, to undo People, ruin Towns and Countries, there is no Christ, but the Anger of the Father, and it is the Devil that blows the Fire. For the Kingdom of Christ is not found in such a Way, but in Power; as the Examples of the Apostles of Christ declare, who taught no Revenge, but they suffered Persecution, and prayed to God, who gave them Signs and great Wonders, so that People flocked to them; and so the Church of Christ grew mightily, so that it overshadowed the Earth. Now who is the Destroyer of this Church? Open thy Eyes wide and behold; it is Day-light, and it must come to the Light, for God would have it so, for the Sake of the Lily. It is the Pride of the Learned.

(101) Thou blind Minister to the Kingdom of Antichrist, when thou sayest Mass for Souls, how is it, that sometimes thou takest upon thee to ransom a Soul which is in Heaven, or altogether in the Abyss with the Devil? Dost thou not think that the Devil mocks thee? Or how canst thou help them that are in Heaven? Thou criest out [and sayest,] They are in Pain [and Torment,] and thou art a Liar in the Presence of God. And how then will that holy Soul bless thee, and give thee Thanks? How is it, when thou thyself art in the Abyss with all Devils, that thou standest, and wilt ransom others out of Purgatory, and that for Money, which thou afterwards spendest with Whores? O fie upon thee! thou great Whore [or Harlot,] how hast thou made for thyself a heavenly Kingdom upon Earth, for thy Voluptuousness, and deceivest the poor Soul of Man? Thou must either turn, or go into the eternal Purgatory.

(56) O! hear thou Priest, there belongs neither Gold nor Money, nor any self-chosen Holiness about it; there is a very worthy Champion which assists the Soul; and if it gets no Victory in him, then thy Hypocrisy shall not help it. Thou takest Money, and sayest Mass for every one, whether they be in Heaven or in Hell, thou dost not inquire after that; and besides, thou art altogether uncertain of it, but only thou mayest be sure, that thou appearest before God to be a perpetual Liar.

(21) Thus the poor ignorant People looked upon the Mouth- Apes, those greedy covetous Men, which were no other than Vizard-Priests, and so lost their dear Immanuel; for Christ in them (from whence the Holy Ghost goes forth, which drives and leads Men, and who at first had begotten them with Power and Miracles) must now be nothing but a History, and they became but historical Christians; yet so long as the Apostles and their true Disciples lived, they stopped and reproved such Things, and showed them the right Way; but where they were not, there the History-Priests misled them, as may be clearly seen in the Galatians.

(24) Now when the historical Christendom and the true Christians grew together, the Scepter was always among the Learned, who exalted themselves, and made themselves potent, and great; and the simple [Church] yielded to it as right; and yet there was a Desire after the Kingdom of God found in Men, viz. the noble Word of God (which had imprinted itself in the Promise [in Paradise,] in the Light of Life, and which was made stirring by Christ) that drove them indeed to the Fear of God. And then they built great Houses of Stone, and called every one thither; and they said that the Holy Ghost was powerful there, and they must come thither; besides, they durst be so impudent as to say (when they were found to be so wicked and malicious) that the Holy Ghost was powerfully in the Mouth of the Wicked.

(29) But where then is the new Regeneration in Christ through the Holy Ghost? Art thou not Babel, a Habitation of all Devils in Pride? How hast thou adorned thyself? Not for Christ, but for thy own Pride, for thy bldol the Belly's Sake, and thou art a horrible Source; there is a great Fire of Anguish in thy Source, for thou art naked and manifest before God, thou standest as an impudent whorish Woman. Why do you, Laity, hang [and depend] on such a Strumpet? Her own usurped Authority is her Beast whereon she rides; behold, and consider her in the Revelation of John, how the Holy Ghost sets her forth in her Colours.

(28) And so their Power grew, and every one had great Respect to it; and they strengthened their Laws still more and more with the Power of Saint Peter, till they raised themselves so high, that they impudently set themselves as Lords over the Doctrine of the Apostles before God, and gave forth, that the Word of God and the Doctrine of the Saints must receive their Value, Worth, and Authority from their Councils, and what they ordained and instituted, that was from God, they were God's Dispensers of the Word; Men must believe their Ordinances, for that was the Way and Means a for the poor Sinner to be justified before God.

(40) And so it is seen, how the Providence of God is come to the Help of the Kingdom of this World, and has by the Spirit of this World stirred up Rulers, who have inflicted Punishment; yet the Spirit of God complains of them, that they are turned Tyrants, who suppress all with their Power; and the Abellish Church in Love consists not therein, but the strong Might of God, for the suppressing of Evil-doers.

(23) But it availed not, Pride would erect its Throne, and set it above Christ, the Devil would be God; and they made Glosses, that they might bring it to pass in such a Way, that the simple People might not take Notice of it; there the Keys of Peter must govern the City, and they drew together with the Keys P divine Authority to them, and so could use the divine Power in Deeds Such as apishly teach the Words of holy Men, without the Understanding they had. and Wonders no more; for they desired to be rich and wealthy upon Earth, and not to be poor with Christ, who in this World (as himself witnesses) had not whereon to lay his Head; they would not be such Christians in Power and Wonders; as Adam, who would not live in the Power, but in a great Heap [of Earth,] that he might have something to take hold of. And here may be rightly seen our Misery which Adam brought us into, that our Essences always reach after the Spirit of this World, and desire only to fill themselves with a great Heap, from whence Adam and we all have got such a swelled, gross, untoward Body, full of Sickness, Contrariety, and contentious Desires.

(22) And so the Kingdom of Christ grew not in Power only, but for the most Part in the History; the Saints born in Christ, they confirm that many Times with great Wonders [or Miracles,] and the History-Priests of Baal, they always built upon those [Miracles of the Saints] that which was good for the promoting Virtue and good Manners; many brought forth Thistles and Thorns, that they might make Strife and Wars; many fought only great Honour, Dignity, and Glory, that it should be conferred upon the Church of Christ and her Ministers, as it may be seen in Popery, out of what Root it is grown. And it came so far, that they mingled the Jewish Ceremonies in their Doings, as if the Justification of a poor Sinner laid in them, because they were of divine Appointment; for which Cause, the Apostles held the first Council at Jerusalem, where the Holy Ghost concluded, that they should only cleave to Christ in true Love one to another, and that was the only Justification before God.

(80) Who is it that will presume to undertake to stand before the Source [or Spring] of the Mercifulness, and make Intercession [or pray] for one that invocates them? As if the Love in the Heart of God was dead, and did not desire to help those that call to him; gMatth.ll. whereas his Arms continually without End stand stretched out, to help all those that turn to him with their whole Heart. 8 1. Thou wicked Antichrist, thou sayest, that Faith alone does not justify the Soul, but thy invented Works, for thy Avarice or Covetousness, these must do the Deed. Wherein wilt thou be regenerated? In thy Maozim, [or Belly-God,] or through the Birth of Jesus Christ? Which is nearest of all to the Deity? Thy Works pass away, and follow thee in the Shadow; yet the Soul has no Need of any Shadow, but it must be earnest; it must enter in through the Gates of the Deep, and must pass through the Center of the [grim] Fierceness of Death, through the Wrath of the eternal Band, to the meek Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and become a Member of the Body of Christ, and receive of his Fulness, and live therein; his Death must be thy Death; his Essences must flow in thee; and thou must live in his Source, [Property or Virtue.] Thus thou must be regenerated anew in him, if thou wilt stand before his Father; otherwise nothing will help; if there had been any Thing in the whole Depth of the Deity, that could have helped, God would have bestowed it upon Adam, and would not have let his Heart (against the Course of Nature) to become Man. But there was no Counsel, [or Remedy,] neither in Heaven, nor in this World, except God did become Man. Therefore be thou in earnest, and do not seek Byways to Babel.

(30) But now that a Babel of Confusion is come out of this (in that it is come so far, that the Saints departed are invocated [or worshipped,] as Intercessors to God, and that divine Honour is done them) this the holy Souls departed are not guilty of, neither here did they desire any such Thing, neither do they present the Miseries and Necessities of Men before God. But the Fault lies in the forged Superstition of the wicked deceitful Antichrist, who has founded his Stool of Pride thereon; not as a living Saint, which (with the holy) inclines himself to God; but as an earthly God, he thereby arrogates divine Omnipotence to himself, and yet has none, but is the greedy, covetous, proud Antichrist, riding upon the strong Beast of this World.

(4) But to ascend it now no one uplifts His feet from off the earth, and now my Rule Below remaineth for mere waste of paper. The walls that used of old to be an Abbey Are changed to dens of robbers, and the cowls Are sacks filled full of miserable flour. But heavy usury is not taken up So much against God's pleasure as that fruit Which maketh so insane the heart of monks; For whatsoever hath the Church in keeping Is for the folk that ask it in God's name, Not for one's kindred or for something worse. The flesh of mortals is so very soft, That good beginnings down below suffice not From springing of the oak to bearing acorns. Peter began with neither gold nor silver, And I with orison and abstinence, And Francis with humility his convent. And if thou lookest at each one's beginning, And then regardest whither he has run, Thou shalt behold the white changed into brown. In verity the Jordan backward turned, And the sea's fleeing, when God willed were more A wonder to behold, than succour here."

(4) Envoy and servant sooth he seemed of Christ, For the first love made manifest in him Was the first counsel that was given by Christ. Silent and wakeful many a time was he Discovered by his nurse upon the ground, As if he would have said, 'For this I came.' O thou his father, Felix verily! O thou his mother, verily Joanna, If this, interpreted, means as is said! Not for the world which people toil for now In following Ostiense and Taddeo, But through his longing after the true manna, He in short time became so great a teacher, That he began to go about the vineyard, Which fadeth soon, if faithless be the dresser; And of the See, (that once was more benignant Unto the righteous poor, not through itself, But him who sits there and degenerates,) Not to dispense or two or three for six, Not any fortune of first vacancy, 'Non decimas quae sunt pauperum Dei,' He asked for, but against the errant world Permission to do battle for the seed, Of which these four and twenty plants surround thee.

(31) Look upon Saint Peter, on the Day of Pentecost, who converted three Thousand Souls at one Sermon, he spoke not from the Appointment of the Pharisees, but out of the Spirit of Moses and the Prophets, out of the Temple of the Holy Ghost, that pierced through and enlightened the poor Sinners. But thou teachest Persecution only, consider thereby whence thou didst grow, viz. out of that first Stock, where they fell from the Temple of Christ to human Conceits and Inventions; where they sent forth Teachers according to Man's itching Ears, for a fair Show, that thereby thou mightest grow great in thy Pride; and because thou hast sought nothing else, therefore God has suffered thee to fall into a perverse Sense, so that out of thee there come those that blaspheme the true Doctrine of Christ.

(5) Therefore stay here, for thou art justly punished, And keep safe guard o'er the ill-gotten money, Which caused thee to be valiant against Charles. And were it not that still forbids it me The reverence for the keys superlative Thou hadst in keeping in the gladsome life, I would make use of words more grievous still; Because your avarice afflicts the world, Trampling the good and lifting the depraved. The Evangelist you Pastors had in mind, When she who sitteth upon many waters To fornicate with kings by him was seen; The same who with the seven heads was born, And power and strength from the ten horns received, So long as virtue to her spouse was pleasing. Ye have made yourselves a god of gold and silver; And from the idolater how differ ye, Save that he one, and ye a hundred worship? Ah, Constantine! of how much ill was mother, Not thy conversion, but that marriage dower Which the first wealthy Father took from thee!" And while I sang to him such notes as these, Either that anger or that conscience stung him, He struggled violently with both his feet.

(83) And here the Antichristian Kingdom took its Beginning, where Men xgive God good Words, and their Heart is possessed with Covetousness, and seek after nothing but Power and Authority, to domineer over the Needy and Miserable, who trust and rely upon God. Therefore Antichrist has his God in his Chest, and in the Strength of his Power, and behind his Cloak there hangs a Fox. He prays, yet he desires nothing else but the Kingdom of this World; his Heart does not leave off to persecute and to hunt poor Abel. But Abel prays to the Lord, and his Heart inclines itself to the Love of God, in the true Image, for he desires the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Blessing of God here, for his Maintenance.

(6) Our Divines set themselves Hand and Foot with Might and Main, with their utmost Endeavour, by Persecution and Reproach, against this, [and say,] that Men must not [dare to] search into the deep Grounds what God is; Men must not search nor curiously pry into the Deity. But if I should speak plainly what this Trick of theirs is, it is the Dung and Filth wherewith they cover and hide the Devil, and cloak the injected Malice and Wickedness of the Devil in Man, so that neither the Devil, nor the Anger of God, nor the evil Beast in Man, can be discerned.

(2) O you High-Priests and Scribes, what Answer will you make to Christ, when you shall be found thus [at his Coming?] Or do you suppose you stand in the Dark? No, you stand in the Presence of the clear Countenance of Jesus Christ, who is Judge of the Quick and Dead; do but open your Eyes, and rightly feed the Flock of Jesus Christ; he comes and demands them of you. You are not all Shepherds or Pastors, but intruded covetous Wolves; you rely on your School- Art, [or University-Learning and Scholarship.] O, that avails nothing in the Presence of God; the Holy Ghost speaks not from that, he would not be bound up. If you will be Pastors, then you must hold out in the Temptation, and put on the Garment of the Lamb in your Heart; you must not take the Wool of the Sheep only from them, but you must give them the Food of the Holy Spirit in true Love, and be Practisers of it yourselves. But how will you give it, if you be in the Wilderness still, and have chosen the Kingdom of this World to yourselves in the last Temptation? What shall be said of you? Is not the Anger broke out and burning? Carry Fuel to it, for Babel is on Fire, the Water is dried up. Or what have I to do with thee, that I must write thus?

(2) Thereafterward I heard: "O good Fabricius, Virtue with poverty didst thou prefer To the possession of great wealth with vice." So pleasurable were these words to me That I drew farther onward to have knowledge Touching that spirit whence they seemed to come. He furthermore was speaking of the largess Which Nicholas unto the maidens gave, In order to conduct their youth to honour. "O soul that dost so excellently speak, Tell me who wast thou," said I, "and why only Thou dost renew these praises well deserved? Not without recompense shall be thy word, If I return to finish the short journey Of that life which is flying to its end." And he: "I'll tell thee, not for any comfort I may expect from earth, but that so much Grace shines in thee or ever thou art dead. I was the root of that malignant plant Which overshadows all the Christian world, So that good fruit is seldom gathered from it; But if Douay and Ghent, and Lille and Bruges Had Power, soon vengeance would be taken on it; And this I pray of Him who judges all.