For the brasen serpent was set up in the wilderness, to put men in
remembrance of Christ's coming; that like as they which beheld the brasen
serpent were healed of their bodily diseases, so they that looked
spiritually upon Christ that was to come, in him should be saved
spiritually from the devil. The serpent was set up in memory of Christ
to come; but the devil found means to steal away the memory of Christ's
coining, and brought the people to worship the serpent itself, and to
cense him, to honour him, and to offer to him, to worship him, and to
make an idol of him. And this was done by the market-men that I told you
of. And the clerk of the market did it for the lucre and advantage of
his master, that thereby his honour might increase; for by Christ's death
he could have but small worldly advantage. And so even now so hath he
certain blanchers belonging to the market, to let and stop the light of
the gospel, and to hinder the king's proceedings in setting forth the
word and glory of God. And when the king's majesty, with the advice of
his honourable council, goeth about to promote God's word, and to set an
order in matters of religion, there shall not lack blanchers that will
say, "As for images, whereas they have used to be censed, and to have
candles offered unto to them, none be so foolish to do it to the stock or
stone, or to the image itself; but it is done to God and his honour
before the image.
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