Conclusions Of The Lollards - The Pretended Power Of Absolution And The Sin Of War

9. That auricular confession which is said to be so necessary to the salvation of a man, with its pretended power of absolution, exalts the arrogance of priests and gives them  opportunity of other secret colloquies which we will not speak of; for both lords and ladies attest that, for fear of their confessors, they dare not speak the truth. and at the time of confession there is a ready occasion for assignation that is for wooing and other secret understandings leading to mortal sins. They themselves say that they are God's representatives to judge every sin, to pardon and cleanse whomsoever they please. They say that they have the keys to heaven and of hell, and can excommunicate and bless, bind and loose, at their will, so much so that for a drink or twelve pence, they will sell the blessing of heaven with charter and close warrant sealed with the common seal.
This conclusion is so notorious that it needs not any proof. It is a corollary that the pope of Rome, who has given himself out as treasurer of the whole Church, having in charge that worthy jewel of Christ's passion together with the merits of all saints in heaven, whereby he grants pretended indulgence from penalty and guilt, is a treasurer almost devoid of charity, in that, he can set free all who are prisoners in hell at his will, and cause that they should never come to that place. But in this any Christian can well see there is much in secret falsehood hidden away in our Church.

10. That manslaughter in war or by pretended law of justice for a temporal cause, without spiritual revelation, is expressly contrary to the New Testament, which indeed is the law of grace and full of mercies. This conclusion is openly proved by the examples of Christ's preaching here on earth, for he specially taught a man to love his enemies, and to show them pity, and not to slay them. The reason is this, that for the most part, when men fight, after the first blow, charity is broken. And whoever dies without charity goes the straight road to hell. And beyond this we know well that no clergyman can by Scripture or lawful reason remit the punishment of death for one mortal sin and not for another; but the law of mercy, which in the New Testament prohibits all manner of manslaughter, for in the Gospel: 'It was said unto them of old time, 'Thou shalt not kill.'
The corollary is that it is indeed robbery of poor folk when lords get indulgences from punishment and guilt: for those who aid their army to kill a Christian people in distant lands for temporal gain, just as we too have seen soldiers who run into heathendom to get them a name for the slaughter of men; much more do they deserve ill thanks from the King of Peace, for by our humility and patience was the faith multiplied, and Jesus Christ hates and threatens men who fight and kill, when He says: 'He who smites with the sword shall perish with the sword.'