Further Conclusions Of The Lollards

John Ball writes:
The priesthood maintains its power through pretended magical power. In the fourteenth century they were what nowadays are called Experts. And as such they claimed a role in government too.

'4.That the pretended miracle of the sacrament of bread drives all men, but a few, to idolatry, because they think that the Body of Christ, which is never away from heaven, could by power of the priest's word be enclosed essentially in a little bread which they show the people: but God grant that they might be willing to believe.......that the bread of the altar is habitually the Body of Christ, for we take it that in this way any faithful man and woman can by God's law perform the sacrament of that bread without any such miracle. A final corollary is that although the Body of Christ has been granted eternal joy, the service of Corpus Christi, instituted by Brother Thomas, at that time holding with the Pope, would have been willing to perform a miracle with a hen's egg; and we know that any falsehood openly preached turns to the disgrace of Him who is always true and without any defect.

5.  That exorcisms and blessings performed over wine, bread, water and oil, salt, wax and incense, the stones of the altar, and church walls, over clothing, mitre, cross, and pilgrims' staves, are the genuine performance of necromancy rather than of sacred theology. This conclusion is proved as follows, because by such exorcisms creatures are honoured as being of higher virtue than they are in their own nature, and we do not see any change in any creature which is so exorcised, save by false faith which is the principle characteristic of the Devil's art. A corollary: that if the book of exorcising holy water, read in church, were entirely trustworthy we think truly that the holy water used in church would be the best medicine for all kinds of illnesses - sores, for instance; whereas we experience the contrary day by day.

6. That king and bishop in one person, prelate and judge in temporal causes, curate and officer in secular office, puts any kingdom beyond good rule. This conclusion is clearly proved because the temporal and spiritual are two halves of the entire Holy Church. And so he who has applied himself to one should not meddle with the other, for no one can serve two masters. It seems that hermaphrodites or ambidextrous would be good names for such men of double estate. A corollary is that we, the procurators of God  in this behalf, do petition before Parliament that all curates, as well superior as inferior, be fully excused and should occupy themselves with their own charge and no other.