God’s word, which willeth that every man should obey the prince’s law:  and by this text, “Whatsoever thou loosest,” he hath made all people believe that, for money, he might forgive what and whom he lusted; so that if any man had robbed his master, or taken anything wrongfully, the pope would loose him, by this pardon or that pardon, given to these friars or those friars, put in this box or that box.  And, as it were, by these means a dividend of the spoil was made, so that it was not restored, nor the person rightly discharged; and yet most part of the spoil came to the hands of him and his ministers.  What is this but a new learning; a new canker to rust and corrupt the old truth?  Ye call your learning old:  it may indeed be called old, for it cometh of that serpent which did pervert God’s commandment and beguiled Eve; so it is an old custom to pervert God’s word, and to rust it, and corrupt it.

We be a great many that profess to be true ministers of the gospel; but at the trial I think it will come to pass as it did with Gideon, a duke, which God raised up to deliver the children of Israel from the Midianites, in whose hands they were fallen, because they had broken God’s commandment, and displeased God:  yet at the length he had compassion on them, and raised up Gideon to deliver them.  When they heard that they had a captain, or a duke, that should deliver them, they assembled a great number, about thirty thousand:  but when it came to pass that they should fight, they departed all save five hundred.  So, I fear me, that at the trial we shall be found but a few ministers of the true gospel of peace, and armed in the true armour of God.

It followeth, “And in all things take the shield or buckler of faith.”  The buckler is a thing wherewith a man most chiefly defendeth himself:  and that must be perfect faith in Jesus Christ, in our Captain, and in his word.  It must also be a true faith, it is else no part of the armour of God:  it may not be feigned, but a buckler, which may stop or quench the violence of the flaming darts of the most wicked.

“Take also the helmet or head-piece of health,” or true health in Jesus Christ; for there is no health in any other name:  not the health of a grey friar’s coat, or the health of this pardon or that pardon; that were a false helmet, and should not defend the violence of the wicked.

“And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  Lo, St. Paul teacheth you battle; to take in your left hand the shield of faith, to defend and bear off the darts of the devil, and in the other hand a sword to strike with against the enemy:  for a good man of war may not stand against, and defend only, but also strike against his enemy.  So St. Paul giveth us here a sword, “The word of God.”  For this sword is it that beateth this great captain, our enemy.  Christ himself gave us ensample to fight with this sword; for he answered the devil with the scripture, and said, “It is written.”  With this sword he drave away the devil:  and so let us break his head with this sword, the true word of God, and not with any word of the bishop of Rome’s making; not with his old learning, nor his new learning, but with the pure word of God.