righteousnesse The Pope and Byshoppes kéepe their owne traditions and lawes but the lawe of God is cleane out of their myndes 37. Christ sayd that men shoulde know his disciples by their charitie because they should loue one another as he hath loued them The Pope causeth his to be knowen by theyr shauen crownes by gathering vp of tithes masse pence and offeringes by the gylden trentalles and salaryes to sing by Peter pence gathering and shriuing for monye by peny wedding and holy water sprinkling and many mo markes hath he geuen them As for charitie they know it not at all 38. Christ bad them that hee healed to go and sinne no more The Pope and Bishops haue fayned penaunce and commaunde men to fast bread water to go barefoote without a shurt to offer to certaine idols money or cattell some Masses must be song for them because theyr confessours should haue some profite Some must go about the church and Churchyard with a taper burnyng in hys hand And euer some be punished by the purse though they offend not 39. Christ sent to preach seueÌ„ty and and two Disciples whiche promised fréely heauen to them that would beleue in the name of Christ The Pope and Byshops sende about foure sectes of beggers to geue pardon vnder their master Antichrist And to sell heauen to whom so euer they liste the Apostles knew no such thynges 40. Christ was buryed in a garden in a poore monument without any funerall pompe The Pope and Byshops are buryed in tombes well gilt with many a torch and great solemnitie with angels gloriously portered that beare their soules to heauen Notwithstandyng it is to be feared that they go to supper with the deuill 41. Christ sayth if thou wilt be perfite go and sell all thy goodes and geue it vnto the poore for then shalt thou haue treasure in heauen The pope saith if thou wilt be perfite geue me thy money I will geue thée a pardon that shall absolue thée cleane a poena culpa I will for thy money geue thée the kaye of heauen gates 42. Christ said vnto his Apostles the Kynges and Princes of the Gentiles haue rule and power ouer them but you shall not so haue The Pope sayth all Emperours Kynges and Lordes be my subiectes This is dayly read in his Buls wher in he commaundeth the nobilitie like as a master doth his seruaunt 43. Christ sayth he that among you wil be greatest let him be all your seruauntes The Pope sayth The Emperour must sweare an oth vnto me as vnto his Lord that he will be my subiect eralte and worshyp me with honour Ca. Tibi Domino Di. 63. 44. Christ sayth that we worshyppe hym in vayne with mens doctrines traditions The Pope sayth my traditions in the spiritual law shall be kept as duely as if God had commaunded it him selfe or S. Peter had preached it hym selfe Ca. Si omnes Dist 19. 45. Christ sayth I am the way and the truth folow me in my learnyng And rule you by y e Scripture for that shall be your iudge The Pope sayth ye shall in all thynges folow the Church of Rome by that meaneth he him self and his Cardinals Dist xi Cap. quis ne sciat And as for the Scripture it standeth in my power authoritie for I may make of it what soeuer I will Dist xix Cap. Si romanorum 46. Christ saith he that beleueth and is baptised he shall be saued but he that beleueth not shal be damned The Pope sayth hee that geueth much money for my pardoÌ„ shal be absoyled a poena a culpa And theÌ„ must he néedes be saued And he that teacheth otherwise is an hereticke this testifieth his bulles and pardons 47. Christ promiseth forgeuenes of sinne And the kyngdome of heauen vnto them that repeÌ„t and will amend their lyues The Pope sayth that no man can be saued except he bee first shreuen of his Priestes Friers for they bryng in money Cap. omnes 48. Christ sayth you shall loue your enemyes and shall do good vnto them that hate you The Pope sayth they that be enemyes to me my Cardinals be cursed with the great excommunication and caÌ„ not be absoyled without much money this is euident inough 49. Christ commaunded his Disciples not to resist euill but if a man strike them on y e one cheke that they should offer him the other also The Pope sayth we may auenge and driue away force with force Dâ— sen excom cap. dilecto 50. Christ sayth God the father is my deare sonne hym shall you heare for hys yoke is swéete and his burden lyght The Pope sayth you shall heare me and my commaundement shall be kept and receaued of euery maÌ„ Dist 93. cap. Si cuiâ—s And if my coÌ„maundement and burthen were so heauy that it caÌ„ not well be sustained and borne yet shall ye obey me Dist 19. cap. In memoriam 51. Christ sayd vnto the. ij brethren who hath set me to be your iudge in temporal goodes As though he should say It pertaineth not to me but vnto worldly iudges The Pope sayth I am iudge in all maner of causes for they bryng money vnto me 9. q. 3. Conquestus 52. Christ saith geue the Emperour such as pertayneth vnto hym as tribute and custome for I haue payde tolle for me and Peter The Pope saith I care not for this But I excommunicate all them that aske any toll or tribute of me and my shauelynges for I haue made them all frée Cap. Nouit de senten excom Et ca. Si quis de cons dist i. 53. Christ sayth Peter put vppe thy sword into the sheath for he that striketh with sword shall perishe with the sword The Pope sayth you Emperours Kynges Princes and Lordes take swordes speares halberdes clubbes and gunnes and helpe me to slea theÌ„ that will not obey my tyranny This must an Emperour do or els he must be periured After this maner hath Iulius the Pope slayne xvi thousand men in one day was not that wel pastored Dyd not he well nourish the shéepe which Christ dyd committe vnto his tuition 54. Christ sayde Drinke you all of this cuppe for this is the bloude of my promise The Pope sayth I will not grauÌ„t this for my priestes alone shal drinke of it because it may crye auengeauÌ„ce on them alone the other shall not drinke of it in the payne of heresy 55. Christ sayth Ye are my frendes if you do all thinges that I my selfe commaunde you The Pope sayth you shall do as I bid you for I haue power and authoritie to make lawes And after them shall you liue 25. q. j. ca. Sunt quidam 56. Christ sayth that chastitie is not geuen vnto euery maÌ„ they that haue it geuen let them take it geuing thaÌ„kes to God And let the other vse the remedy which God hath prepared
declare this intollerable or subtile treason thus long shamefully vsed against my prince which is necessary to bée knowne And I am compelled by violēce to declare both my confession and learning in this cause For mē hath not béene ashamed to report that I would which am but a wretch and poore simple worme and not hable to kill a Catte though I woulde doe my vttermost to make insurrection against my noble and mighty prince whom as God knoweth I doe both honour worship loue and fauour to the vttermost power of my hart and am not satisfied because it is no more This I speake afore God Let him bée mercifull vnto mée as it is true And if I were not so true in mine hart it were not possible for mée so earnestly to write agaynst thē whome I doe recken to handle vnfaythfully and vntruely wyth theyr prince yea against both Gods lawe and mans lawe The very truth is I can suffer through Gods grace all maner of wronges iniuries and sclaunders but to bée called an hereticke agaynst God or a traytour against my prince he liueth not but I will say hée lieth And wil bée able so to proue him if I may bée reported by my workes or déedes by my conuer sation or liuing or by any thinge that euer I did But vnto my purpose the Byshoppes doth sweare one othe to the pope and an other contrary to their prince And yet they will bée takē for good and faithfull children And I poore man must bee condemned and all my woorkes for heresy and no mā to reade them vnder the payne of treason And why because I write against their periurie towarde their prince But how commeth S. Peter by these regalles that you are sworne to defende seing that he was neuer no kyng but a fisher All the worlde knoweth that regalia belongeth to kinges and to like power of kynges Why are you not rather sworne to defend Peters net and his fisherie the which thinges hee both hadand vsed neuer regalles But these thinges will not maintayne the holy Church of Rome and therefore ye sweare not to maintayne them But what meane you by that sentence Sauing mine order why say you not sauing my kinges pleasure Your glose sayth you may not defend these thinges with weapons But oh Lord God what vnshamefulnesse is this thus to delude with wordes all the whole worlde Men knoweth that when the Pope hath néede of your helpe there is no men sooner in armes then you are if you call armes harneys bylles glaues swordes and gunnes and such other thyngs Doe you not remember how soone the Byshop of Norwiche Henry Spenser was in armes to defende pope Vrbane It were but foly to recite examples In the yeare of our Lord. 1164. was there a controuersie betwéen the kynges grace the Byshops of England for certaine prerogatiues belōgyng to the kyng Wherfore the king required an othe and a confirmation of the Byshops as concernyng those Articles and prerogatiues But aunswere was made of the Bishops that those prerogatiues cum omnibus prauitatibus in regio scripto contentis were of none effect nor strength bicause they did forbyd to appele to the Court of Rome onles the king gaue licence And bicause that no Byshop might goe at the Popes callyng out of the Realme without the kynges assent And bicause that Clerkes should bée conuented in criminall causes afore a temporall iudge And bicause the kyng would heare matters as cōcernyng tythes other spirituall causes And bicause that it was agaynst the sea of Rome and the dignitie of the same that a Byshop should bée conuēted afore y e kyng Briefly they would not bée vnder the kyng but this addition should bée set vnto it Saluo honore Dei Ecclesie Romane ordine nostro that is we will bée vnder your grace sauyng the honour of God of the Churche of Rome and of our order The cause why they dyd except these thynges was this as they them selues graunt For kynges receiued their authorities and power of the church but the Church receiueth her authoritie of Christ onely wherefore they conclude that the kyng can not commaunde ouer the Byshops nor absolue any of them nor to iudge of tythes nor of Churches neither yet to forbyd Byshoppes the handlyng of any spirituall cause Is not here a marueilous blyndnesse and obstinacie agaynste theyr Prince They will make it agaynst Gods honour to obey their king and are not ashamed to say in the kynges face that his power is of them But I pray you whether was kynges before Byshops or Byshops before kynges You shal finde that God had long admitted kynges or any Bishop as you take hym was thought of Doth not the holy ghost commaūde that we should honour kynges Also in an other place Let all men bée vnder the high powers for the power is of God and hée that resisteth the power resisteth Gods ordinaunce Here blessed S. Paule sayth that kynges power is of God not of Byshops Furthermore what reason is it to defende the Popes prerogatiue agaynst your Princes Is not your Prince nearer and more naturall vnto you then this wretch the Pope But here is a thyng y e maketh me to marueile When you sweare to the Pope Sauyng your order Is as much to say as you shall not vse no weapons but els you shall bée ready and obedient in all thynges But when you shall sweare to your kyng then Sauyng your order is as much to say as you haue authoritie to confirme kynges and to bée their felowes and neither to bée obedient vnto them nor yet to aunswere to any Iustice before them but clearely to bée exempted and they not to medle with you excepte they will geue you some worldly promotion If I would vse my selfe as vnchatariblye agaynst you as you haue handled me doubtles I could make some thyng of this that shold diplease you How would you cry and how would you handle me poore wretch if you had halfe so much agaynst me as this is But I will let you passe God hath preserued mée hitherto of his infinite mercy agaynst your insaciable malice and no doubt but hée shall doe the same still I will returne to your othe It foloweth I shall come to the Synode when I am called vnles I shall bée lawfully let But why doe you not sweare to compell the Pope to call a Councell seyng that it hath béene so often and so instantly required of him by many and noble Princes of Christendome yea seyng that all Christendome doth require with great sightes an order to bée taken set in the highest articles of our faith But vnto this you are not sworne And why bicause it is agaynst your holy popet of Rome For if there were a generall Councell both hée you do know that there must néedes folow both ouer him you a streight reformation Therfore
and a carnall stocke full of passions and of affections Vnto a mortall Prince you make mediatours béecause hee knew not your hart and béecause hée is more affectionat to one man theÌ„ to an other and beecause hee iudgeth after the sight of hys eye and after y e percialnes and affection of his hart But so doth not God but alonely of mere mercy and grace But to your similitude you can not haue no Dukes to speake for you excepte you géeue them rewardes excepte they haue carnall affection to you therfore by your similitude you must likewyse doe to Saintes But S. Ambrose answereth clearly to this damnable reason of yours saying Men are wonte to vse thys miserable excusation that by these thinges may wee come to God as we may come to the kyng by Erles I aunswere wee doe come vnto the kyng by the meanes of Dukes and Erles because that the kyng is a man and knoweth not to whom hee may committe the common wealth but vnto God from whom nothing can bee hidde hee knoweth all mens merites wee neede no spokesman nor no mediatour but alonely a deuoute mynde c. Here are you clearely aunswered of S. Ambrose to youre carnall reason Item an other reason out of your lawe that Images bee vnto vnlearned men that same thyng that letters and writinges bée vnto them that bee learned that they may thereby learne what they ought to folow If your Images bee no more to vnlearned men then writinges be to learned men therefore they may no more doe to them then learned men doe to their letters woulde you suffer learned men to come and kneele and offer to my booke and sette vp candels before it and to make vowes to come yearely thereunto and to desire petitioÌ„s béefore my booke of those Saintes y t bée written therein Sée how your owne example maketh agaynst you and all thing that I can bringe Wherefore if there bée any grace in you or if there bée any shame in you of the worlde for Christes sake leaue of this false â–ª learnyng and colouring of Idolatrie For you doe not onely deceaue your simple brethren but you doe also blaspheme the immortall God of heauen which doubtles will auenge shortly this rebuke on you if you doe not amende whose violeÌ„ce and might you are not able to withstand Wherefore I exhorte you in y e blessed name of Christ Iesus that you repent in tyme and take vpon you to learne the veritie which is how God is onely to bée honoured and onely to bée sacrificed vnto hée is onely to bée prayed vnto of hym onely must our petitions bee asked it is hée onely y t géeueth wealth prosperitie hée only must deliuer and comforte vs in all aduersities hée onely must helpe vs out of all distresse vnto whom as Saint Paule sayth be alonely glory and honour for euer Amen Now most excellent and noble Prince I haue here after the poore gifte that God hath géeuen mee set out vnto your grace certain articles which though they séeme at the firste sight to bee newe yet haue I prooued them openly with the euerlastynge worde of God and that not wroonge nor wrested after my lyghte brayne but after the exposition of clarkely doctours yea and that of the oldest of the best Wherfore most excellent Prince most humbly most méekely I beséeche your grace that I may finde so great indifferencie at your graces hand as that the Byshoppes shall not condemne this booke after the maner of their olde tyranny excepte they can with open Scriptures and with holy Doctours refell it as I haue prooued it But I would it should please your grace to call them beefore you and to commaunde as many as will condemne this booke euery one of them seuerally without others counsell to write their cause why they will condemne it and the scriptures whereby they will condemne it and to bryng them all to your grace and your grace may iudge betwéene both parties I doe not doute but they wil bring your grace maruailous probations and such as were neuer hearde And if thrée of them agrée in one tale if they bée deuided let mée dye for it and that your grace shall well sée The father of heauen and hys most mercifull sonne Iesus Christ kéepe your grace in honour to his pleasure and glory Amen Of the originall of the Masse and of euery part therof translated into English out of his booke De Doctorum Sententijs ¶ De consecratione Dist. 1. Cap. Iacobus ex 6. Synodo IAmes the brother of the Lorde as cconernyng the fleshe vnto whom was firste coÌ„mitted the Church of Ierusalem Basilius the Byshop of Caesaria gaue vnto vs the celebration of the Masse Sayth the glose that is to say the manner how to celebrate y t Masse For the woordes by the which the body is made were deliuered froÌ„ the Lord him selfe But afterward others also added some one péece some an other for comlynes and solemnitie And thus much sayth hée God Christian reader what can these men wholy addicted to lyes otherwise doe but beguile deceaue For this is their onely endeuour whiche although it may bée manifest vnto thée by many of their déedes not withstanding by this one â–ª of y t which they so greatly boast it is so manifest that none caÌ„ dony it To attribute the originall of the Masse vnto Iames the Apostle and to Basilius y e bishop is an errour not to bée suffered for asmuch as it is most false as by that which foloweth shall appeare Let them declare if they can what Iames made thereof and what Bastill added thereto Let them bryng foorth one of the Apostles that euer sayd Masse they shal haue y t victory Ieames died about the yeare of our Lord 62. And of Masse as they vnderstand it there was no mention made in the Churche by the space of 200. yeares Moreouer then this Basill tyed about the yeare after Christ 380. How then could hée agrée with Iames aboute the Masse But what Masse had the Church from after the death of Iames vnto Basiles tyme by what authoritie did Basill deliuer to vs y e masse Moreouer these meÌ„ doe adde their auctoritie out of the vj. Synode that their lye might bée the more notorious Bring foorth the vj. Synode in the whiche these thinges bée written I pray you what was handled in the vj. Synode The maner of celebrating Masse Or agaynst whom was y e vj. Synode gathered togither agaynst those y t would not say Masse Nothyng lesse but agaynst such as wickedly taught that there was one operation in Christ Read the actes of the Synode and you shall finde it to bée so But let vs grauÌ„t in the meane â—eason that this was handled in y t Synode what doth it prooue We do not contende what matters were intreated of in the Synode but whether Ieames and Basill deliuered vnto vs
is built Bindyng and losyng how it is to be vnderstand The keyes Behold here Antichrist how he wresteth the Scriptures Christes power is 〈◊〉 saue sinners Of this maner iuggleth â—ee with all textes At the sufferyng of Christ the offeryng of sacrifices ceremonies â–ª ceassed for Christ offered hym selfe once for all Christ gaue all his Apostles like authoritie To bynde and lose is to preach Christ sent out all hys Apostles not Peter â—â—â—nâ— Note We are bound to forgeue our neighbours aswell as Peter was Christ builded his Churche vpon the confession of Peter not vppon Peter A woman hath power to bynd How 〈…〉 man may bynde and lose To bynde the conscience and to reproue opeÌ„ sinners perteineth to the congregation Reasons that Peter was not y â— greatest by authoritie geuen hym of Christ Peter had first his seate at Antioche Christes power is in the Gospel Paul is called to helpe In the presence of the greater the power of the lesser doth 〈◊〉 Paule is made equal felow with Peter Peters seate what it is Peters seate Peters doctrine Peters keyes are all but one thyng Peters seate is Christes Gospell The Pope sitteth in thâ— deuils seate whose Vicare he is Purgatory The Pope sayth that Purgatory â—s in â—arth Vowes Othes TestameÌ„ts The Pope altereth meÌ„s willes testameÌ„ts at his pleasure The popes marchaundise Vnion The great and shamefull abuse of â—bbeyes DispeÌ„sations purchased of the Pope Choppyng and chaungyng vsed by the pope The wicked bestowing of benefices by the Pope The church can â—ot erre The Pope sayth that the Scripture is true not of it selfe but because he alloweth 〈◊〉 approueth it A similitude This doctrine the papistes vsed in those dayes The câ—â—mon and 〈◊〉 and â—…ching of â—he Papistes The Abbotes keep the monks in ignoraÌ„ce and the bisshops y e priestes â—alne ioyned w t pain maketh â—â—yne nothing The vse of vniuersities â–ª Prouiso S. Tho. de Aquino Saintes Thomas of Canterbury Tho. â—eâ—ket Tho. Wolsey copared together The Pope rewardeth his seruaÌ„ts highly wheÌ„ they be dead Policie The practise of little master parson K. Herold Robert of CaÌ„terbury Remission of sinnes to conquere England Note here how well Christ and the pope agre Christ biddeth saue the pope biddeth kill The pope is a cruell mercilesse tyrant Anselmus a chapleine of y e popes ☜ The pope is well pleased to admit priestes to haue whores but not wiues Note here the pryde and wickednes of the Pope Remission of sinnes to coÌ„quere England Thomas Arundell Practise of Prelates The popes clergy are secret and subtile conspirators ☞ A trayterous practise ☜ The Papistes are styrers vppe of warres sheders of bloud Duke HuÌ„frey Papistes are cruell A Parliament kept at Bury The death of Homfrey Duke of Gloucester protectour of the Realme of England This is Syr Tho. More The Clergy cannot abyde them that can iudge talse miracles Thre causes why the Duke of Gloucester was murthered The Pope is the whore of Babylon An other practise of Prelates Popes haue deposed Emperours and lykewise Emperours haue deposed Popes No man may rebuke the Pope for any mischief that he doth Venetians The Pope may geue and take agayne at hys will pleasure The Venetians â—aâ—e not for the popes cursing nor blessing FrenchmeÌ„ EnglishmeÌ„ The practise of the pope with all kinges princes The pope a breaker of peace The abuse of the sacrament How y â— sacrament should be broken betwene kinges and princes The Pope would not haue the Emperour to strong Remission of sinnes cleane deliuerance out of puâ—gatoâ—ye A frier Forest or a vicar of Croiden Popish practises Dissembled â—ruce Henry v. K. Henry v. conquered more then the prelates thought he would do Henry vi The crafty practise of the popes legate The mariage of king Henry vi The Duke of Glocester trayterously murthered ☜ Frier Bongaye Cruel war betwene k. Henry and the erle of Warwike Confession in the eare was a wicked inuention Lycence of the Pope for xiiij to study Nicromancy A subtile practise of Prelates He meaneth Cardinal Wolâ—ey Leut. 2â— Deut. 28. 29. A practise of the Prelates with their poore Priestes Thomas Wolffe The description of Cardinall Wolsey The kings byrth calked by the Cardinall Byshops talke kings natiuities Kyng Henry the viij had Cardinall Wolsey in great estimation The maner practise of Cardinal Wolsey The kyng is betrayed The quene is betrayeâ— Note this deuilish practise The Byshop of Lyncolne Cardinall Wolsey ruled altogether K. Lewes Pope Iulye This is a true story The new Thomas Maximilian the Emperour was K. Henry 〈◊〉 his souldier Remission of sinnes Note here the subtletie craft of the pope Now King Henry 8. with aâ— his army was abused The Prelates see euer before-hand what is like to folow Papistes are great forecasters of perils Practise The kinges sister 〈◊〉 to Fraunce Traiterous Prelates ☜ The pomp and apparell of the Cardinall his chapâ—aines passed the xij Apostles Prelates SalutatioÌ„ Cardinall Wolsey was a subâ—… worker A certaine secreat Milane Turnay The Emperor came thorough England Nurturing of kinges Practâ—â—e The french king sendeth a defiance to K. Henry viâ— Armies sée into stance The Cardinal was the Emperours freÌ„d openly and the french kinges secreatly The sege of Pauie Pauie A false pope and leud Cardinall Pace the 〈◊〉 of Englands Ambassadour Burbon The Emperour setteth vpon y â— french king by night These shippes were english Angels of gold At the taking of the french king Te Deum was song and great triumph made in England Subtile practises of the Cardinall The marte shold haue bene at Cales A ruffelar The pride and arrogancie of Cardinall Wolsey Cardinall Wolsey a great traytor Cardinall Wolsey coÌ„mitted treason agaynst the Emperour Cardinall Wolsey preferred More to he Chauncelour Treason layd to the Cardinall charge Mortunries probate of Testamentes Pluralitie of benefices Tithes The Churchewardens haue bene accustomed to gather the tithes and to geue the Paâ—â—o his reasonable stipend and to geue the reâ— to the poore Princes haue herein much to aunswere The loane first forgeuen by the Clergie The loane forgeueÌ„ by the temporalitie The Byshoprieke of DurhaÌ„ Tunstall Byshop of Durham brent the new Testament A Bishopricke is a superfluous honor and a lew de liberty The Carnall clearely discharged DefeÌ„der of the fayth The title of the defeÌ„dour of the fayth came froÌ„ Rome The Popishe and vayne glorious maner of Cardinal Wolsey The Cardinals hat The falsest and vainest Cardinall that euer was The chirch erreth if y â— pope and bishops be the chirch Marten Luther submitted him self to king Henry viij More is proued a lyer Sir Thomas HittoÌ„ A daunce in Paris Here Tindal prayeth for y â— ceasing of persecution Tindall proâ—eth the vnderstanding of such as of right should succeed to the crowne Tindall warneth al the Cardinals secretaries to repent and turne to God A generall exhortation to all kinds of people Popish
a sundry countrey whether soeuer the spirite caried them and went with theÌ„ him self And as he wrought with Peter where he went so wrought he with the other where they went as Paul boasteth of him selfe vnto the Galathians Seyng now that we haue Christes doctrine and Christes holy promises and seyng that Christ is euer present with vs his owne selfe how commeth it that Christ may not raigne immediatly ouer vs as well as the Pope which commeth neuer at vs Seyng also that the office of an Apostle is to preach onely how can the Pope chalenge with right any authoritie where he preacheth not How commeth it also that Rochester will not let vs be called one congregation be the reason of one God one Christ one spirite one Gospell one fayth one hope and one Baptisme as well as because of one Pope If any naturall beast with hys worldly wisedome striue that one is greater then an other because that in congregations one is sent of an other as we see in the Actes I auÌ„swere that Peter sent no man but was sent him selfe and Iohn was sent and Paul Sylas and Barnabas were sent Howbeit such maner sendynges are not worldly as Princes send Ambassadours no nor as Friers send their limiters to gather their brethrenhedes which must obey whether they will or will not Here all thyng is free and willyngly And the holy ghost bringeth theÌ„ together whiche maketh their willes free and ready to bestow them selues vpon their neighbours profit And they that come offer theÌ„ selues and all that they haue or caÌ„ do to serue the Lord their brethreÌ„ And euery maÌ„ as he is found apt and meete to serue his neighbour so is he sent or put in office And of the holy Ghost are they sent with the consent of their brethren and with their owne conseÌ„t also And Gods word ruleth in that congregation vnto which word euery man confirmeth his will And Christ which is alway present is the head But as our Bishops heare not Christes voyce so see they him not present and therfore make them a God on the earth of the kinde I suppose of Aarons calfe For he bringeth forth no other frute but Bulles For as much also as Christ is as great as Peter why is not his seate as great as Peters Had the head of the Empire ben at Ierusalem there had ben no mention made of Peter It is verely as Paul sayth in the xj Chap. of the ij Epistle to the Corinthians The false Apostles are disceatful workers and fashion them selues like vnto the Apostles of Christ That is the shauen nation preached Christ falsly yea vnder the name of Christ preached them selues and raigne in Christes stede haue also taken away the keye of knowledge and haue wrapped y â— people in ignoraunce and haue taught theÌ„ to beleue in them selues in their traditions and false ceremonies so that Christ is but a vayne name and after they had put Christ out of his rowme they gate them selues to the Emperour and kyngs and so long ministred their busines till they haue also put theÌ„ out of their rowmes haue got their authorities from them and raigne also in their stede so that y â— Emperour and kynges are but vayne names and shadowes as Christ is hauyng nothyng to do in the world Thus raygne they in the stede of God and man and haue all power vnder them and do what they list Let vs see an other poynt of our great clarke A litle after the beginning of hys Sermon entendyng to proue that which is clearer then the sonne serueth no more for his purpose then Ite missa est serueth to proue that our Lady was borne without originall sinne he alledgeth a saying that Martin Luther sayth which is this if we affirme that any one Epistle of Paul or any one place of his Epistles perteineith not vnto the vniuersall Church that is to all the congregation of them that beleue in Christ we take away all S. Paules authoritie WherupoÌ„ sayth Rochester If it be thus of the woordes of S. Paule much rather it is true of the Gospels of Christ and of euery place of them O malicious blyndnes First note his blindnes He vnderstaÌ„deth by this worde Gospell no more but the foure Euangelistes Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn and thinketh not that the Actes of Apostles and the Epistles of Peter of Paul of Iohn and of other like are also the Gospell Paul calleth his preachyng the Gospell Rom. ij and. i. Cor. iiij and Gal. i. and. i. Timoth. i. The Gospel is euery where one though it be preached of diuers and signifieth glad tidynges that is to witte an open preachyng of Christ and the holy Testament gracious promises that God hath made in Christes bloud to all that repent and beleue Now is there more Gospell in one Epistle of Paule that is to say Christ is more clearely preached and moe promises rehearsed in one Epistle of Paul then in the. iij. first Euangelistes Mathew Marke Luke Consider also his maliciousnes how wickedly and how craftely he taketh away y e authoritie of Paule It is much rather true of the Gospelles and of euery place in them then of Paule If that which y e foure Euangelistes wrote be truer then that which Paule wrote then is it not one Gospell that they preached neither one spirit that taught them If it be one Gospell and one spirite how is one truer then the other Paule proueth his authoritie to y e Galathians and to the Corinthians because that he receaued his Gospell by reuelation of Christ and not of man because that when he comâ—â—ed wyth Peter and y e hye Apostles of hys Gospell preaching they coulde improue nothyng neither teach hym any thing and because also that as many were coÌ„uerted and as great miracles shewed by his preaching as at the preaching of the hie Apostles and therefore will be of no lesse authoritie theÌ„ Peter and other hie Apostles Nor haue his Gospell of lesse reputation then theirs Fynally that thou mayst know Rochester for euer and all the remnaunt by him what they are within y e skinne marke how he playeth bo pepe with y e Scripture He allegeth the beginning of the tenth chapter to the Hebrues Vmbram habens lex futurorum bonorum the lawe hath but a shadow of thynges to come And immediatly expoundeth the figure cleane contrary vnto the chapter folowing and to all the whole epistle making Aaron a figure of y t Pope whom the Epistle maketh a figure of Christ He allegeth halfe a texte of Paule i. Timoth. iiij In the latter dayes some shall depart from the faith geuing hede vnto spirites of error and deuilish doctrine but it foloweth in the text geuing attendaunce or hede vnto the deuilishe doctrine of them which speake false thorow hypocrisy and haue their consciences marked with a hote yron forbidding
Deacon that is to say in English a seruaunt or a minister whose office was to helpe and assiste y e Priest and to gather vp his dutie and to gather for the poore of the parishe which were destitute of frends and could not worke common beggers to runne frō dore to dore were not thē suffered On y t Saintes dayes namely such as had suffered death for the worde sake came men together into the church and the Priest preached vnto them and exhorted them to cleaue fast vnto the worde and to be strong in the fayth and to fight against the powers of the world wyth suffering for their faythe 's sake after the ensample of the Saintes And taught thē not to beleue in the saintes and to trust in their merites and to make Gods of them but tooke the saintes for an example only and prayed God to geue them lyke fayth and trust in hys worde and lyke strength and power to suffer therefore and to geue them so sure hope of the lyfe to come as thou mayst see in the collectes of Saint Laurence and of Saint Stephen in our Lady matens And in such dayes as we now offer so gaue they euery mā his portion according to his abilitie and as God put in his hart to the maintenaunce of the priest Deacō and other common ministers and of the poore and to finde learned men to teach and so forth And all was put in the handes of the Deacon as thou mayst see in y e lyfe of Saint Laurence and in the histories And for such purposes gaue men landes afterwarde to ease the parishes and made hospitals and also places to teach their children and to bring them vp and to nourtour them in Gods worde which landes our Monkes now deuour Antichrist ANtichrist of an other maner hath sent forth his disciples those false annointed of which Christ warneth vs before that they should come shewe miracles and wonders euen to bring the very elect out of the way if it were possible He annointeth them after the maner of y ◠Iewes and shaueth them shoreth them after the maner of the Heathen Priestes whiche serue the Idoles Hesendeth them forth not with false oyle onely but with false names also For compare their names vnto their deedes and thou shalt finde them false He sendeth them forth as Paule prophesied of them ij Thess ij wyth lying signes wonders What signe is the annointing that they be full of the holy ghost Compare them to the signes of the holy ghost which Paule reckoneth and thou shalt fynde it a false signe A Bishop must be faultles the husband of one wyfe Nay sayth y t Pope the husband of no wife but the holder of as many whores as he listeth God commaundeth all degrees if they burne and can not liue chast to marry The Pope saith if thou burne take a dispensation for a Concubine and put her away when thou art olde or els as our Lawyers say si non caste tamen caute that is if ye liue not chaste see ye cary cleane and play the knaue secretly Harbarous yea to whores and baudes for a poore man shall as soone breake his necke as his fast with them but of the scraps and wyth the dogges when dinner is done Apt to teach and as Peter sayth j. Pet. ij ready alwayes to geue an answere to euery man that axeth you a reason of the hope that ye haue and that wyth meekenes Which thing is signified by the bootes which doctours of diuinitie are created in because they should be ready alwayes to goe thorough thicke and thinne to preach Gods worde by the Byshoppes two horned miter which betokeneth the absolute perfect knowledge that they ought to haue in the new Testamēt and the olde Be not these false signes For they beate onely and teach not Yea saith y t Pope if they will not be ruled cite them to appeare and pose them sharply what they hold of the Popes power of hys Pardons of his Bulles of Purgatory of ceremonies of confession and such like creatures of our most holy fathers If they misse in any point make heretickes of them and burne them If they be of mine annoynted and beare my marke disgresse them I would say disgraduate them and after the example of noble Antiochus ij Mach. vij pare the crownes and the fingers of them and tormēt them craftly and for very payne make them deny the truth But now say our Bishops because the truth is come to farre abroad and y t lay people begyn to smell our wiles it is best to oppresse them with craft secretly to tame them in prison Yea let vs finde the meanes to haue them in the kyngs prison and to make treason of such doctrine Yea we must styrre vp some warre one where or an other to bryng the people into an other imagination If they be Gentlemen abiure them secretly Curse them iiij times in the yeare Make them afrayde of euery thyng and namely to touch mine annoynted and make them to feare the sentence of the Church suspentiōs excōmunications and curses Be the right or wrōg beare them in hand that they are to be feared yet Preach me and mine authoritie how terrible a thyng my curse is and how blacke it maketh their soules On the holydayes which were ordeined to preach Gods word set vp long ceremonies long Matines long Masses and lōg Euensonges and all in Latin that they vnderstand not and roule them in darkenes that ye may lead them whether ye will And lest such thinges should be to tedious sing some say some pype some ryng the belles and lulle them and rocke them a slepe And yet Paul ij Cor. xiiij forbiddeth to speake in the church or congregatiō saue in the toung that all vnderstand For the lay man thereby is not edified or taught How shall the lay man say Amen sayth Paule to thy blessing or thankes geuyng when he woteth not what thou sayst He wotted not whether thou blesse or curse What then sayth the Pope what care I for Paul I commaunde by the vertue of obedience to read the Gospell in Latine Let them not pray but in Latine no not there Pater noster If any be sicke go also and say them a Gospell and all in Latin yea to the very corne and frutes of the field in the procession weeke preach the Gospell in Latine Make the people beleue that it shall grow the better It is verely as good to preach it to swyne as to men if thou preach it in a toung they vnderstand not How shall I prepare my selfe to Gods commaundementes How shal I be thankefull to Christ for his kindnes How shall I beleue the truth and promises which GOD hath sworne while thou tellest them vnto me in a toung which I vnderstand
Disciples hee aunswered The blind see the lepers are clensed the dead arise againe c. meanyng that if I do the workes which are prophesied that Christ should do when he coÌ„meth why doubt ye whether I be hee or no as who should say aske y â— scripture whether I be Christ or no not my selfe How happeneth it then that our Prelates wil not come to the light also that we may see whether their workes be wrought in GOD or no Why feare they to let the â—ay men see what they do Why make they all their examinations in darkenes Why examine they not their causes of heresie openly as the lay men do their fellous and murtherers Wherefore did Christ and his Apostles also warne vs so diligently of Antichrist and of false Prophetes that should come Because that we should slomber or sleepe carelesse or rather that we should looke in the light of the Scripture with all diligeÌ„ce to spie them when they came and not to suffer our selues to be disceaued and led out of y â— way Iohn biddeth iudge the spirites Whereby shall we iudge them but by the Scripture How shalt thou know whether the Prophet be true or false or whether hee speake Gods word of his owne head if thou wilt not see the Scriptures Why sayd Dauid in the second Psalme be learned ye that iudge the earth lest the Lord be angry with you and ye perish froÌ„ the right way A terrible warnyng verely yea and looke on the stories well thou shalt finde very few kinges sence the beginning of the world that haue not perished from the right way and that because they would not be learned The Emperour and Kynges are nothyng now a dayes but euen hangmen vnto the Pope and Byshops to kill whosoeuer they condemne without any more a do as Pylate was vnto the Scribes and Phariseis and the hye Byshops to hang Christ For as those Prelates aunswered Pylate wheÌ„ he asked what he had done if he were not an euill doer we would not haue brought him vnto thee As who should say we are to holy to do any thyng amisse y u mayst beleue vs well inough yea and his bloude on our heades sayd they kill him hardly we will beare the charge our soules for thyne we haue also a law by which he ought to dye for he calleth him selfe Gods sonne Euen so say our Prelates he ought to dye by our lawes he speaketh agaynst the Church And your grace is sworne to defend the liberties and ordinaunces of the Church and to maynteine our most holy fathers authoritie our soules for yours ye shall do a meritorious dede therin Neuertheles as Pylate escaped not the iudgement of God euen so is it to be feared lest our temporall powers shall not Wherfore be learned ye that iudge the earth lest the Lord be angry with you and ye perish from the right way Who slew the Prophetes Who slew Christ Who slew his Apostles Who the martirs and all the righteous that euer were slayne The kynges and the temporall sword at the request of the false Prophetes They deserued such murther to do and to haue their part with y e hypocrites because they would not be learned and see the truth them selues Wherfore suffered y â— Prophets because they rebuked the hypocrites which beguiled the world and namely Princes and rulers and taught them to put their trust in thynges of vanitie and not in Gods word And taught them to do such deedes of mercy as were profitable vnto no man but vnto the false Prophetes them selues onely makyng marchauÌ„dise of Gods word wherfore slew they Christ euen for rebuking the hipocrites because he said wo be to you Scribes and Phariseis hypocrites for ye shut vp the kyngdome of heaueÌ„ before men Math. xxiij that is as it is writteÌ„ Luke xj ye haue taken away the keye of knowledge The law of God whiche is the keye wherewith men bynde and the promises which are the keyes wherewith men loose haue our hypocrites also taken away They will suffer no man to know Gods word but burne it and make heresie of it yea and because the people begyn to smell their falsehode they make it treason to the kyng and breakyng of the kynges peace to haue so much as their Pater noster in English And in stede of Gods law they bynde w t their owne law And in stede of Gods promises they lose iustifye with pardons and ceremonies which they them selues haue imagined for their owne profite They preach it were better for thee to eate fleshe on good Friday then to hate thy neighbour but let any man eate flesh but on a Saterday or breake any other tradition of theirs and he shal be bounde not losed till hee haue payd the vtter most farthing either with shame most vyle or death most cruell but hate thy neighbour as much as thou wilt and thou shalt haue no rebuke of them yea robbe him murther him and theÌ„ come to them and welcome They haue a saÌ„ctuary for thee to saue thee yea and a neckuerse if thou canst but read a litle Latinly though it be neuer so soryly so that y â— be ready to receaue y â— beastes marke They care for no vnderstandyng it is inough if thou canst rowle vp a payre of Mattens or an Euensong and mumble a few ceremonies And because they be rebuked this they rage Be learned therefore ye that iudge y â— world lest God be angry with you and ye perish from the right way Wo be to you scribes and phariseis ypocrites sayth Christ Math. xriij for ye deudure widdowes houses vnder a coulor of long prayer Our hypocrites robbe not the widdowes onely but Knight Squyre Lord Duke Kyng and Emperour and euen the whole world vnder the same couloure teaching the people to trust in their prayers and not in Christ for whose sake God hath forgeuen all the synne of the whole worlde vnto as many as repeÌ„t and beleue They feare theÌ„ with purgatory and promyse to pray perpetually least the laÌ„des should euer returne home agayne vnto the right heyres What hast thou bought with robbyng thy heyres or wyth geuing the hypocrites that which thou robbest of other men Perpetuall prayer Yea perpetuall payne For they appoint thee no tyme of deliueraunce their prayers are so mighty The Pope for money can empty purgatory when he will It is verely purgatory For it purgeth and maketh cleane riddaunce yea it is hel For it deuoureth all thynges Hys fatherhode sendeth them to heauen with scala coeli that is wyth a ladder to scale the walles For by the dore Christ wil they not let them come in That dore haue they stopped vp and that because ye should buye ladders of them For some they pray dayly which gaue theÌ„ perpetuities and yet make Saintes of them receauing offeringes in theyr names and
to minister to him Christes Gospel Wherfore if they say it is here or there in Saint Fraunces coate or Dominickes and such like that if thou wilt put on that coat thou shalt finde it there it is falfe For if it were there thou shouldest see it shyne abroad though thou creptst not into a sell or a monkes coule as thou seest y â— lightning without crepyng into the cloudes yea their light would so shine that men should not onely see y â— lyght of the Gospell but also their good workes which would as fast come out as they now runne in In so much that y â— shouldest see theÌ„ make theÌ„sel es pore to helpe other as they now make other poore to make theÌ„selues rich This lyght and salt pertayned not then to the Apostles and now to our Bishops and spiritualtie onely No it pertayneth to the temporall men also For all kynges and all rulers are bound to be salt and light not onely in example of liuing but also in teaching of doctrine vnto their subiects as wel as they be bounde to punishe euill doers Doth not the scripture testifie that kyng Dauid was chosen to be a shepeheard and to feede his people wyth Gods worde It is an euill scholemaster that cannot but beate onely But it is a good scholemaster that so teacheth that few neede to be beateÌ„ This salt and light therefore partayne to the temporaltie also and that to euery meÌ„ber of Christes Church so that euery man ought to be salt light to other Euery man then may be a common preacher thou wilt say and preach euery where by his owne auctoritie Nay verely No man may yet be a commoÌ„ preacher saue he that is called and chosen thereto by the commoÌ„ ordinaunce of the congregation as long as the preacher teacheth the true worde of God But euery priuate man ought to be in vertuous lyuing both light and salt to hys neighbour in so much that the poorest ought to striue to ouerrun the Byshop and to preach to hym in ensample of liuing Moreouer euery man ought to preach in worde deede vnto his houshould and to them that are vnder his gouernaunce c. And though no maÌ„ may preach openly saue he that hath the office committed vnto hym yet ought euery maÌ„ to endeuour himselfe to be as well learned as the preacher as nie as it is possible And euery man may priuatly enforme hys neighbour yea and the preacher and Byshop to if nede be For if the preacher preach wrong then may any man whatsoeuer he be rebuke him first priuately and then if that helpe not to complayne further And when all is proued according to the order of charitie and yet none amendment had theÌ„ ought euery man that caÌ„ to resist him and to stand by Christes doctrine to ieoparde lyfe all for it Looke on the olde ensamples they shal teach thee The Gospel hath an other fredome with her then the temporall regiment Though euery mans body and goods be vnder y â— kyng do he right or wroÌ„g yet is the auctoritie of Gods woorde free and aboue the kyng so that the worst in the realme may tell y e kyng if he do hym wrong that he doth nought and otherwise theÌ„ God hath coÌ„maunded hym and so warne hym to auoide the wrath of God which is the pacient aduenger of all vnrighteousnes May I then and ought also to resist father and mother and all temporall power wyth Gods worde when they wroÌ„gfully do or commaunde that hurteth or killeth the body and haue I no power to resiste the Byshop or preacher that wyth false doctrine slayeth the soules for which my maister and Lord Christ hath shed his bloud Be we otherwise vnder our Byshops then Christ and hys Apostles and all the other Prophetes were vnder the Byshops of the olde law Nay verely and therefore may we and also ought to do as they dyd and to aunswere as the Apostles dyd Act. v. Oportet magis obedire deo quà m hominibus We must rather obey God then men In the Gospell euery man is Christes Disciple and a person for himself to defend Christes doctrine in his owne person The fayth of the Byshop will not helpe me nor the byshoppes keeping the lawe is sufficient for me But I must beleue in Christ for the remission of all sinne for myne owne selfe and in myne owne person No more is the Bishops or preachers defending Gods woorde inough for me But I must defende it in mine owne person and ieopard lyfe and all thereon when I see neede occasion I am bouÌ„d to get worldly substauÌ„ce for my selfe for myne houshold with my iust labour and somewhat more for theÌ„ that cannot to saue my neighbours body And am I not more bouÌ„d to labour for Gods word to haue therof in store to saue my neighbours soule And when is it so much tyme to resiste with Gods word and to helpe as wheÌ„ they which are beleued to minister the true word do slea the soules with false doctrine for couetousnes sake He that is not ready to giue hys lyue for the maintenaunce of Christes doctrine agaynst hypocrites with what soeuer name or title they be disguised y â— same is not worthy of Christe nor can bee Christes Disciple by the very wordes and testimony of Christ Neuerthelesse we must vse wisedome pacieÌ„ce mekenes and a discrete processe after the due order of charitie in our defendyng the word of God least while we go about to amende our Prelates we make theÌ„ worse But when we haue proued all that charitie bindeth vs yet in vaine then we must come forth opeÌ„ly and rebuke their wickednes in the face oâ— the world and ieoparde life all theron Ye shall not thinke that I am come to destroy the law or the propheres no I am not come to destroy them but to fulfill them For truly I say vnto you till heaueÌ„ and earth perish there shal not one iote or one title of the law scape till all be fulfilled A litle before Christ calleth his Disciples the light of the world the salt of the earth that because of their doctrine wherewith they should lighten the blynd vnderstandyng of man and with true knowledge driue out y â— false opinions and sophisticall persuasions of natural reason deliuer the Scripture out of y â— captiuitie of false gloses which the hypocritishe Phariseis had pâ—â—ched therto and â—o out of the light of trueknowledge to styrre vp a new liuyng and to salt season the corrupt maners of the old blind conuersation For where false doctrine corrupt opinions and sophistical gloses raigne in the witte and vnderstandyng there is the liuing deuilish in the sight of God how soeuer it appeare in the sight of the blind world And on the other side where the doctrine is true and perfect there foloweth godly liuing of
no vnrighteousnesse in hym that is to say he will do hys masters message truly and not alter it Where contrarywise he that seeketh his owne glory will be false wheÌ„ he is sent and wil alter his masters message to turne his masters glory vnto his owne selfe Euen so did the Scribes and Phariseis alter the woorde of God for their own profite glory And when Gods word is altered with false gloses it is no more Gods worde As when God sayth loue thy neighbour thou puttest to thy leueÌ„ and sayest if my neighbour do me no hurt nor say me any I am bound to loue him but not to geue him at his neede my goodes which I haue gotteÌ„ with my sore labour Now this is thy law and not Gods Gods law is pure and single loue thy neighbour whether he be good or bad And by loue god meaneth to helpe at nede Now when God byddeth thee to get thy liuyng and somwhat ouer to helpe him that cannot or at a tyme hath not wherewith to helpe him selfe if thou xxx or xl with thee get you to wildernesse not onely helpe not your neighbours but also robbe a great number of two or three thousand pouÌ„d yearely how loue ye your neighbours Such men helpe the world with prayer thou wilt say to me Thou were better to say they robbe y â— world with their hypocrisie say I to thee and it is truth in dede that they so do For if I sticke vp to the middle in the myre like to perish without present helpe and thou stand by and wilt not succour me but knelest downe and prayest wil God heare the prayers of such an hipocrite God biddeth thee so to loue me that thou put thy selfe in ieopardie to helpe me and that thyne hart while thy body laboureth do pray and trust in God that he will assiste thee through thee to saue me An hypocrite that will put neither body nor goodes in perill for to helpe me at my neede loueth me not neither hath compassion on me therfore hys hart caÌ„ not pray though he wagge his lippes neuer so much It is written Iohn ix If a man be a worshipper of God and do his wil which is the true worshyp him God heareth Now the will of God is that we loue one an other to helpe at nede And such louers he heareth not suttle hypocrites As loue maketh thee helpe me at my nede so when it is past thy power to helpe it maketh thee pray to God Euen so where is no loue to make thee take bodely paine w t me there is no loue y â— maketh thee pray for me But thy prayer is in deede foâ—…y bely which y â— louest What were the scribes and Phariseys The scribes besides that they were Phariseys as I suppose were also officers as are our Byshoppes Chauncellers Comistaries Archdeacones and Officialles And the Phariseys were religious men which had professed not as now one dominicke the other Fraunces an other Barnardes rules But euen to holde the very law of God with prayer fastyng and almeâ—â—eedes and were the flower and persection of all the Iewes as Saint Paule reioyseth of himselfe Phil. iiâ— saying I was an Ebrue and concernyng the law a Pharisey and concerning the righteousnes of the lawe I was faultlesse They were more honorable then any secte of the Monkes with vs whether obseruauÌ„t or Ancre or whatsoeuer other be had in price These might much better haue reioysed to haue beene the true Church and to haue had the spirite of God that they coulde not haue erred then they whom all the world seeth neither to keepe Gods lawes nor mans nor yet that deuilles lawe of their owne makyng For God had made them of y â— olde testameÌ„t as great promises that he would be their God and that hys spirite and all grace shoulde be wyth them if they kept his lawes as he hath made to vs. Now seing they kept the vttermost iote of the lawe in the sight of the worlde and were faultlesse and seyng thereto that God hath promised neither vs nor them ought at all but vppon the profession of keepyng hys lawes whether were more lyke to be the right church and to be taught of the spirite of God that they coulde not erre those Phariseys or ours Might not the generall councelles of those the things there decreed without scripture seeme to be of as great auctoritie as the generall councelles of ours the thynges there ordained and decreed both cleane without also against Gods worde Might not the ceremonies which those had added to the ceremonies of Moses seeme to be as holy and as well to please God as the ceremonies of ours The thynges which they added to the ceremonies of Moses were of y â— same kynde as those ceremonies were and no more to be rebuked then the ceremonies of Moses As for an ensample if Moses bad washe a table or a dishe when an vncleane worme had crept thereon the Phariseys did washe the table wyth a were cloute before euery refection least any vncleane thyng had touched them vnwares to all men as we put vnto our tythes a mortuary for all forgotteÌ„ tythes What was then the wickednesse of the Phariseys verely the leuen of their gloses to y â— morall lawes by which they corrupted the coÌ„maundementes and made them no more Gods and their false faith in the ceremonies that the bare worke was a sacrifice and a seruice to God the significations loste and the opinion of false righteousnesse in their prayers fastinges and almesoâ—edes that such workes did iustifie a man before God and not that God forgeueth sinne of his mere mercy if a man beleue repent and promise to do his vttermost to sinne no more When these thus sate in the hartes of the people with the opinion of vertue holinesse and righteousnesse and their lawe the lawe of God their workes workes coÌ„maunded by God and confirmed by all his prophets as prayer fasting and alâ—nesdeede they looked vppon as the Church of God that coulde not erre and finally they themselues eyther euery where were the chiefe rulers or so sate in the harts of the rulers that their worde was beleued to be the worde of God What other thyng coulde it be to preach agaynst all such and to coÌ„dempne their righteousnes for the most dampnable sinne that can be then to seeme to goe about to destroy the lawe and the prophetes What other thyng can such a preacher seeme to be before the blynde worlde then an hereticke scismaticke seditious possessed wyth the deuyll worthy of shame most vile and death most cruell And yet these must be first rebuked and their false righteousnesse detected yer thou mayst preach against open sinners Or els if thou shouldest conuert an open sinner froÌ„ hys euill lyuing thou shouldest make hym nyne hundred times worse theÌ„ before For he would at
promise fayre and so drawe them and â—…te them not but if they may in no wise be holpe referre the punishment to the father and mother and so foorth And by these iudgeth he all other lawes of God and vnderstaÌ„deth the true vse and meanyng of them And by these vnderstandeth he in the lawes of man whiche are right and which tyranny If God should coÌ„maunde hym to drinke no wine as he commauÌ„ded in the olde testament that the priestes should not when they ministred in the temple and forbad diuerse meaâ—es the spirituall because he knoweth that man is Lord ouer all other creatures they his seruauntes made to be at his pleasure and that it is not commaunded for the wyue or meate it selfe that man should be in bondage vnto his owne seruaunt the inferiour creature ceaseth not to search the cause And when he findeth it that it is to tame the fleshe and that he be alway sober he obeyeth gladly and yet not so superstitiously that the tyme of his disease he would not drinke wine in y e way of a medicine to recouer his health as Dauid eat of the halowed bread and as Moses for necessitie left the children of Israell vncircumcised xl yeares where of likelyhoode some dyed vncircumcised and were yet thought to be in no worse case then they that were circumcised as the children that dyed within the viij day were counted in as good case as they that were circuÌ„cised which ensamples might teach vs many thinges if there were spirite in vs. And likewise of the holy day he knoweth that the day is seruaunt to man and therfore when he findeth that it is done because he should not be let from hearing the worde of God he obeyeth gladly and yet not so superstitiously that he would not helpe his neighbour on the holy day and let the sermoÌ„ alone for one day or that he would not worke on the holyday neede requiring it at such tyme as men be not wont to be at church and so throughout all lawes And euen likewise in all ceremonies and sacramentes he searcheth the significations will not serue â—he visible thinges It is as good to him that the priest say Masse in his gowne as in his other apparell if they teach him not somewhat and that his soule be edified thereby And as soone will he gape while thou puttest sande as holy salt in his mouth if thou shew hym no reason thereof He had as lefe be sâ—â—ered wyth vnhalowed butter as annointed wyth charmed oyle if his soule be not taught to vnderstand somewhat thereby and so forth But the world captiuateth his wit and about the law of God maketh him wonderfull imaginations vnto which he so fast cleaueth that ten Iohn Baptistes were not able to dispute them out of his head He beleueth that he loueth God because he is ready to kill a Turke for his sake that beleueth better in God then he whom God also commaundeth vs to loue and to leaue nothyng vnsought to winne him vnto the knowledge of the truth though with the losse of our â—â—ues He supposeth that he loueth his neighbour as much as he is bounde if he be not actually angry with him whom yet he will not helpe freely with an halfepenny but for a vauntage or vayneglory or for a worldly purpose If any man haue displeased him he keepeth his malice in and will not chafe him selfe about it till he see an occasion to aueÌ„ge it craftely and thinketh that well inough And the rulers of the world he obeyeth thinketh he when he flattereth them and blindeth them with giftes and corrupteth the officers with rewardes and â—eguiâ—th the lawe with cautels and subtilties And because the loue of God and of hys neighbour which is the spirite and the life of all lawes wherfore all lawes are made is not written in his hart therefore in all inferiour â—awes and in all worldly ordinaunces is he betell blinde If he be commaunded to absteyne from wine that will he obserue vnto the death to as the Charterhouse MoÌ„kes had leuer dye then eate fleshe and as for the sobernesse and chastising of the members will he not looke for but will poure male bere of the strongest without measure and heat them with spices and so forth And the holyday will he keepe so straight that if he meete a sâ—ee in his bed he dare not kill her not once regarde wherfore the holyday was ordayned to seeke for Gods worde and so forth in all lawes And in ceremonies and sacramentes there he captiuateth his witte vnderstanding to obey holy Church without asking what they meane or desiring to know but onely careth for the keeping and looketh euer wyth a payre of narrow eyes and wyth all hys spectacles vppon them lest ought be lefte out For if the priest shoulde say Masse baptise or heare confession without a stole about his necke he would thinke all were marred and doubt whether he had power to consecrate and thinke that the vertue of the Masse were lost and the childe not well baptised or not baptised at all and that his absolution were not worth a mite He had leuer that the Byshop should wag two fingers ouer him then that an other man should say God saue him and so forth Wherfore beloued reader in as much as the holy ghost rebuketh the worlde for lacke of iudgement and in as much also as their ignorauÌ„ce is without excuse before whose faces inough is set to iudge by if they woulde open their eyes to see and not captiuate their vnderstanding to beleue lyes and in as much as the spirituall iudgeth all thing euen the very bottome of Gods secretes that is to say the causes of the thinges which God commaundeth how much more ought we to iudge our holy fathers secretes not to be as an Oxe or an Asse without vnderstanding Iudge therfore reader whether the Pope with his be the Church whether their authoritie bee aboue the Scripture whether all they teach without Scripture be equall with the Scripture whether they haue erred and not onely whether they can And against the myst of their sophistry take the examples that are past in the old Testament authentike stories and the present practise whiche thou seest before thyne eyes Iudge whether it be possible that any good should come out of their domme ceremonies Sacramentes into thy soule Iudge their penaunce pilgrimages pardons purgatorie praying to postes domme blessynges domme absolutioÌ„s their domme pateryng and howlyng their domme straunge holy gestures with all their domme disguisinges their satisfactioÌ„s and iustifyinges And because thou findest them false in so many thynges trust them in nothyng but iudge theÌ„ in all thinges Marke at the last the practise of our fleshly spiritualtie and their wayes by whiche they haue walked aboue eight hundred yeares how they stablish their lyes first wtth falsifiyng the Scripture
thou findest in the scripture and the ensamples that are gone before wyll alway testifie who is the church Though the Phariseis succeded the Patriarkes prophetes and had the scripture of theÌ„ yet they were heretikes and falleÌ„ from the fayth of them and froÌ„ their liuing And Christ and his disciples Iohn the Baptist departed from the Phariseis which were heretikes vnto the right sence of y â— scripture and vnto the faith and liuing of the Patriarkes and Prophetes and rebuked the Phariseis As thou seest how Christ calleth them hipocrites dissimulers blynde guides and painted sepulchers And Iohn called them the generatioÌ„ of vipers and serpentes Of Iohn the angell sayde vnto his father Luke i. he shall turne many of the children of Israell vnto their Lord God which yet before Iohn beleued after a fleshly vnderstanding in God and thought theselues in the right way And he shall turne the harts of the fathers vnto the children That is he shall wyth hys preaching and true interpreting of the scripture make such a spirituall hart in y â— childreÌ„ as was in their fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob And he shall turne the disobedient vnto the obedience of the righteous and prepare the Lord a perfect people That is them that had set vp a righteousnes of their owne and were therefore disobedient vnto the righteousnes of fayth shal he conuert from their blindnes vnto the wisdome of them that beleued in God to be made righteous and with those fathers shall he geue the childreÌ„ Egles eyes to spye out Christ and his righteousnesse and to forsake their own and so to become perfect And after the same maner though our Popish hypocrites succede Christ and his Apostles and haue their scripture yet they be fallen from the fayth liuyng of them and are heretickes and had nede of a Iohn Baptist to conuert them And we depart from them vnto the true Scripture and vnto the fayth and liuyng therof and rebuke them in like maner And as they which depart from the fayth of the true Church are heretickes eueÌ„ so they that depart froÌ„ the Church of heretickes and false fayned fayth of hypocrites are the true church which thou shalt alway know by their fayth examined by the Scripture by their profession and conseÌ„t to liue according vnto the lawes of God ¶ An other Argument AN other like blind reasoÌ„ they haue wherein is all their trust As we come out of them and they not of vs so we receaue the Scripture of them they not of vs. How know we that it is the Scripture of God and true but because they teach vs so How can we beleue except we first beleue that they be the Church and can not erre in any thyng that perteyneth vnto our soules health For if a man tell me of a maruelous thyng whereof I can haue no other knowledge theÌ„ by his mouth onely how should I geue credence except I beleued that the maÌ„ were so honest that he could not lye or would not lye Wherfore we must beleue that they be the right Church that can not erre or els we can beleue nought at all This wise reason is their shoteancre all their hold their refuge to flye vnto chief stone in their foundation wheron they haue built all their lyes al the mischief that they haue wrought this viij huÌ„dred yeares And this reason do the Iewes lay vnto our charge this day and this reason doth chiefly blynd them and hold them still in obstinacie Our spirites first falsifie the Scripture to stablish their lyes And when the Scripture commeth to light and is restored vnto the true vnderstaÌ„dyng and their iugglyng spied they like to suffer shipwracke then they cast out this ancre they be the Church and can not erre their authoritie is greater then the Scripture and the Scripture is not true but because they say so and admitte it And therfore what soeuer they affirme is of as great authoritie as the Scripture Notwithstandyng as I sayd the kyngdome of heauen standeth not in words of maÌ„s wisedome but in power and spirite And therfore loke vnto the examples of the Scripture and so shalt thou vnderstand And of an hundred examples betwene Moyses and Christ where the Israelites fell from God were eueâ— restored by one Prophet or other let vs take one euen Iohn the Baptist Iohn went before Christ to prepare his way that is to bryng meÌ„ vnto the knowledge of their sinnes and vnto repentaunce through true expoundyng of the law which is the onely way vnto Christ For except a man knowledge his sinnes repent of them he can haue no part in Christ of Iohn Christ fayth Math. xvij that he was Elias that should come restore all thyng That is he should restore the scripture vnto the right sence agayne which the Phariseis had corrupt with the leuen of their false gloses and vayne fleshly traditions He made croked thinges straight as it is written and rough smoth Which is al so to be vnderstand of the Scripture which the Phariseis had made croked wrestyng them vnto a false sence with wicked gloses so rought that no man could walke in the way of them For when God sayd honour father mother meanyng that we should obey them and also helpe theÌ„ at their nede the Phariseis put this glose thereto out of their owne leuen saying God is thy father and mother Wherfore what soeuer nede thy father mother haue if thou offer to God thou art hold excused For it is better to offer to God then to thy father and mother and so much more meritorious as God is greater then they yea and God hath done more for thee then they is more thy father and mother then they As ours now affirme that it is more meritorious to offer to God and his holy dead Saintes then vnto the poore liuyng Saintes And wheÌ„ God had promised the people a Sauiour to come blesse them and saue them from theyr sinnes the Phariseis taught to beleue in holy woorkes to be saued by as if they offered and gaue to be prayd for As ours as oft as we haue a promise to be forgeueÌ„ at the repentaunce of the hart through Christes bloud shedding put to thou must first shriue thy selfe to vs of euery sâ—…abe we must lay out handes on thine head and whistell out thy sinnes and enioyne the penaunce to make satisfaction And yet art thou but loused from the synne onely that thou shalt not come into hell but thou must yet suffer for euery sinne seuen yeres in Purgatory which is as whot as hell except thou bye it out of the Pope And it y â— aske by what meanes the Pope geueth such pardon They aunswere out of the merites of Christ And thus at the last they grauÌ„t against theÌ„selues that Christ hath not only deserued
in the mayd of Kent TheÌ„ I pray you what thyng woorthy of so great prayse hath our Lady done Our Lady hath deliuered her of the holy ghost emptied her of much hygh learnyng which as a goodly Poetisse she vttered in Rimes For appose her now of Christ as Scripture testifieth of hym and thou shalt finde her cleane without rime or reason The maide was at home also in heauenly pleasures and our Lady hath deliuered her out of the ioyes of Orestes and brought her into the miseries of middell earth agayne The xvij Chapter AS for Doulia Hyperdoulia Lattia though he shew not with which of theÌ„ he worshypped the Cardinals hat is aunswered vnto him already The xviij Chapter IN the xviij where he would fayne proue that the Popes Churche can not erre he alledgeth thynges wherof he might be ashamed if he were not past shame to proue that the Byshops haue authoritie to lade vs with traditioÌ„s neither profitable for soule nor body He bringeth a false allegorie vppon the ouerplus that the Samaritane if it were layde out promised to pay when he came agayn for the Byshops traditions Nay M. More besides that allegories which euery man may fayne at his pleasure can proue nothing Christ interpreteth it him selfe that it betokeneth a kynde mynde a louyng neighbour which so loued a straunger that he neuer left caryng for him both absent as well as present vntill he were full whole and common out of all necessitie It signifieth that the Prelates if they were true Apostles and loued vs after the doctrine of Christ would sell their myters croses plate shrynes iuels and costly showes to succour the poore and not robbe them of all that was offered vnto them as they haue done to repare thinges fallen in decay and ruine in the common wealth not to begger the realmes with false Idolatry and imageseâ—uice that they haue not left them wherewith to beare the cost of the common charges And moreouer when the Scribes Phariseis taught their owne doctrine they sat not vpon Moses seate but on their owne And therfore Christ so far it is of that he would haue vs hearken vnto mans doctrine â—ayd beware of the leuen of the Scribes Phariseis Saduces which is their doctrine rebuked them for their doctrine brake it him selfe and taught his Disciples so to do and excused them and sayd of all traditioÌ„s that what soeuer his heauenly father had not planted should be plucked vp by the rootes And therto all the persecutioÌ„ that the Apostles had of the Iewes was for breakyng of traditions Our Prelates ought to be our seruauntes as the Apostles were to teach vs Christes doctrine and not Lordes ouer vs to oppresse vs with theyr owne Peter calleth it temptyng of the holy ghost Actes xv to lade the heatheÌ„ with ought aboue that which necessitie and brotherly loue required And Paul rebuketh his Corinthians for their ouer much obedience and the Galathians also and warneth all men to stand fast and not to suffer them selues to be brought into bondage And when he sayth Peter Paule commaunded vs to obey our superiours That is trouth they coÌ„maunded vs to obey the temporall sword which the Pope will not And they commauÌ„ded to obey the Byshops in the doctrine of Christ and not in their owne And we teach not to breake all thyngs rashly as M. More vntruly reporteth on vs whiche is to be sene in our bookes if men will looke vpon them Of traditions therfore vnderstand generally He that may be free is a foole to be bonde But if through wilinesse thou be brought into bondage then if the tradition hurt thy soule thy faith they are to bee broken immediatly though with the losse of thy lyfe If they greue the body onely theÌ„ are they to be borne till God take them of for breakyng the peace and vnitie Then how sore maketh he Christes burtheÌ„ If it be so sore why is M. More so cruell to helpe the Byshops to lade vs with more But surely he speaketh very vndiscretly For Christ dyd not lade vs with one sillabe more then we were euer bound to neither did he any thyng but interpret the law truly And besides that he geueth vnto all hys loue vnto the law which loue maketh all thinges easie be borne that were before impossible And when he sayth ye be the salt of the â—earth that it was spoken for the Byshops and Priestes onely it is vntrue but it was spoken generally vnto all that beleue and know the truth that they should be salt vnto the ignoraunt and the perfecter vnto the weaker ech to other euery man in his measure And moreouer if it be spokeÌ„ vnto the Prelates onely how fortuneth it y â— M. More is so â—usie to â—ault the world iâ— his hygt learnyng And last of all the salt of Prelates which is their readitions ceremonies without signification is vnsauery long a go therfore no more worth but to be cast out at the doores and to be troden vnderfoote And that he sayth in the end that a man may haue a good fayth with euill liuing I haue proued it a lye in an other place Moreouer fayth hope and loue be iij. sisters y â— neuer can depart in this world though in y â— world to come loue shall swalow vp the other twoo Neither can the one be stroÌ„ger or weaker then the other But as much as I beleue so much I loue and so much I hope ye and so much I worke The xix Chapter IN the xix hee proueth that praying to Saintes is good miracles that coÌ„firme it are of God or els the church sayth he doth erre It foloweth in dede or that the Popes Church erreth And when he sayth it is sinne to beleue to much I say we had the more neede to take heede what we beleue and to search Gods word the more diligently that we beleue neither to much nor to litle And when he sayth God is honoured by praying to Saintes because it is done for his sake I aunswere if it spraÌ„ge not out of a false fayth but of the loue we haue to God then should we loue God more And moreouer in as much as all our loue to God springeth put of faith we should beleue and trust God And then if our fayth in God were greater then our feruent deuotioÌ„ to Saintes we should praye to no Saintes at all seyng we haue promises of all thinges in our Sauiour Iesu and in the Saintes none at all The xxv Chapter IN y t xxv how iuggleth he to proue that all y â— perteyneth vnto the faith was not writteÌ„ alledging Iohn in the last that the world could not conteine the bookes if all shoulde be written And Iohn meaneth of the miracles which Iesus did and not of the necessary pointes of the fayth And how
new old holy doctours that haue made the Pope a God They knew of no power that man should haue in the kyngdome of Christ but to preache Christ truly They knew of no power that the Pope shoulde haue to send to Purgatory or to deliuer thence neither of any Pardon 's nor of any such confession as they preach and teach neither were many that are articles with you Articles of their faith They all preached forgeuenesse of sinnes thorough repentaunce toward the law and fayth in our Sauiour Christ as all the Scripture playnly doth and can no otherwise be taken and as all the hartes of as many as loue the law of God do fele as surely as the finger feeleth the fyre hoate An aunswere vnto Master Mores third booke IN his third boke he procedeth forth as before to proue that the opinions which the Popish teach without Scripture are of equal authoritie with the Scripture He asketh what if there had neuer bene Scripture written I aunswere God careth for his elect therfore hath prouided them of Scripture to trie all thynges and to defend them from all false Prophetes And I say moreouer that if there had ben no scripture written that God for his mercy fatherly loue and care toward his elect must haue prouided that there should neuer haue bene heresies or against all tymes when sectes should arise haue styred vp preachers to coÌ„found the he resies with miracles Take this example the Grekes haue the Scripture serue God therin much more diligently theÌ„ we Now let vs geue that there were no Scripture but that we receaued all our fayth by y e authoritie of our elders the Grekes by y e authoritie of their elders WheÌ„ I shall dispute with a Greke about the articles of the fayth which my elders taught me and his elders deny as eareconfession the holy pardons of the Pope and all his power that he hath aboue other Bishops many other thynges beside the Scripture which we hold for articles of our faith they deny If there be no other proofe of either part then to say my elders which caÌ„ not erre so affirme that he should aunswere his Elders which can not not erre so deny what reason is it that I should leaue the authoritie of my elders and goe beleue his or that he should leaue the authoritie of his elders and come and beleue myne none at all verely But the one partie must shew a miracle or els we must referre our causes vnto auteÌ„ticke scripture receaued in olde tyme confirmed wyth myracles and therewith trie the controuersie of our Elders And when he asketh whether there were no true fayth from Adam to Noe. I answere that god partly wrote their fayth in their sacrifices and partly the Patriarkes were ful of miracles as ye may see in the Bible And when More to vtter his darcknes and blynde ignoraunce sayth that they which were ouerwhelmed wyth No yes floud had a good faith and bringeth for hym Nicolaus de Lira I answere that Nicolaus de Lira delirat For it is impossible to haue a fayth to be saued by except a man consent vnto Gods law with all his hart and all his soule that it is righteous holy good and to be kept of all men and thereuppon repent that he hath broken it and sorow that his flesh moueth vnto the contrary and then come and beleue that god for his mercy will forgeue him all that he hath done agaynst the lawe wyll helpe hym to tame his flesh and suffer his weakenes in the meane season till he be waxed stronger which fayth if they that perished in Noyes floud had had they coulde not but haue mended their liuinges and had not hardened their harts thorow vnbeliefe and prouoked the wrath of God and waxed worse and worse an hundred twenty yeares which God gaue theÌ„ to repent vntill God could no loÌ„ger suffer theÌ„ but washed their filthines away with y e floud as he doth y e Popes shamefull abhominacions with like invndacions of water destroyed theÌ„ vtterly And wheÌ„ he asketh whether AbrahaÌ„ beleued no more theÌ„ is writteÌ„ of him I aske him how he will proue that there was no writing in Abrahams time that AbrahaÌ„ wrot not And againe as for Abrahams person he receaued his faith of God which to coÌ„firme vnto other myracles were shewed dayly And when he fayneth forth that they beleued onely because they knew their elders coulde not erre How could they know that without myracles or wryting confirmed wyth myracles more theÌ„ the Turke knoweth that hys elders so many hundred yeares in so great a multitude can not erre teach false doctrâ—ne to damne the beleuers And y e contrary doth M. More see in all y e Bible how after all was receaued in scripture confirmed with myracles though miracles ceased not but were shewed dayly yet y e elders erred fell to idolatry an huÌ„dred for one y t bode in the right way and led the younger in to errour wyth them so sore that God to saue the younger was faine to destroy the elders and to begin his testameÌ„t a freshe with the new generatioÌ„ He seeth also that y e most part were alway Idolaters for all the scripture and true myracles therto and beleued the false miracles of the deuill because his doctrine was more agreable vnto their carnall vnderstanding then the doctrine of Gods spirit as it now goeth wyth the Pope did not y â— Scribes Phariseis and Priestes which were the elders erre And when he asketh who taught the church to know the true scripture from false bookes I answere true miracles that confounded the false gaue authoritie vnto the true scripture And therby haue we euer since iudged all other bookes and doctrine And by that we know that your legendes be corrupt wyth lies As Erasmus hath improued many false bookes which ye haue fayned and put forth in the name of S. Hierom Augustine Ciprian Dionise and of other partly wyth autenticke stories and partly by y e stile and latine and like euident tokens And when M. More â—ayth vnto theÌ„ that beleue nought but y e scripture he will proue with y e scripture that we be bounde to beleue the church in thinges wherefore they haue no scripture Because God hath promised in the scripture that the holy ghost shall teach hys church all truth Nay that text wil not proue it For the first Church taught nought but they coÌ„firmed it with myracles which coulde not be done but of God till the scripture was autentickly receaued And the Church folowing teacheth nought that they will haue beleued as an article of the fayth but that which the scripture proueth and mainteineth As S. Augustine protesteth of his workes that men should compare them vnto the scripture therby iudge them and cast away whatsoeuer the scripture
did not allow And therfore they that will be beleued without scripture are false hypocrites and not Christes church For though I know that that messenger which Christ sendeth can not lie yet in a coÌ„â—any where many liers be I can not know which is he without a token of scripture or of miracle And when he sayth the scripture it selâ—e maketh vs not to beleue the scripture but the church teacheth vs to know the scripture for a man might read it not beleue it And so I say that a man might heare you preach and yet beleue you not also And I say therto that your church teacheth nor to know the Scripture but hideth it in the Latine from the common people And from them that vnderstand latine they hid the true seâ—â—e wyth a thousand salâ—e gloses And I say moreouer that the scripture is the cause why men beleue the scripture as well as a preacher is the cause why men beleue hys preachyng For as he that first tolde in England that the Rhodes was taken was the cause why some beleued it euen 〈◊〉 might writing sent from those parties be the cause that some men which red it beleued it M. More will say that letter had his authoritie of the man that sent it and so hath the â—cripture her authority of the church Nay the scripture hath her authoritie of him that sent it that is to wete of God which thing the miracles did testifie and not of the man that brought it He will say thou knowest y e scripture by their shewing I graunt at the begynnyng I doe Then will he say why should ye not beleue them in all their other doctrine besides the scripture in al their expositions of y â— scripture as well as ye beleue them when they tell you that such and such bokes are the scripture May they not shew you a false booke yes and therfore at the beginning I beleue all a like Euery lye that they tell out of their owne braines we beleue to be scripture and so should I beleue theÌ„ if they shewed me a â—alse booke but wheÌ„ I haue read the scripture and fynd noâ— their doctrine there nor depend thereof I do not geue so great credence vnto their other doctrine as vnto y e scripture Why For I finde mo wiâ—â—esses vnto the scripture theÌ„ vnto their other doctrine I finde whole nacions and countryes that receaue the scripture refuse their other doctrine and their expositions in many places And I finde the scripture otherwise expounded of them of olde tyme theÌ„ they which now will be the church expound it Wherby their doctrine is the more suspect I finde mention made of the scripture in stories that it was when I can finde no mencion or likelihode that their doctrine was I finde in all ages that men haue resisted their doctrine with the scripture haue suffred death by the hundred thousandes in resisting their doctrine I see their doctrine brought in and mainteined by a contrary way to that by which the scripture was brought in I finde by the selfe same scripture when I looke diligently thereon that their other doctrine can not stand therewith I finde in the scripture that they which haue not Christes spirite to follow the steppes of his liuing pertaine not vnto Christ Rom. viij I finde in the scripture that they which walke in their carnall birth after the maner of the children of Adam caÌ„not vnderstaÌ„d the thinges of the spirit of God 1. Cor. 2. I finde in the scripture that they which seeke glory caÌ„ not beleue Christ Ioh. 5. I finde in y e scripture that they which submit not theÌ„selues to do y e wil of God can not know what doctrine is of god and what not Ioh. 7. I finde in the scripture Iere. 31. Heb. 8. that all the children of God which only are the true members of his church haue euery one of them the law of god written in their hartes so that if there were no law to compell they would yet naturally out of their owne hartes keepe the law of God yea and against violence compelling to the contrary And I see that they which wil be the church and to proue it hath not so great trust in the scripture as in their sophistrie in the sword which they haue set vp in all landes to keepe them with violence in the roome are so farre of froÌ„ hauing the lawes of God written in their hartes that they neither by Gods lawe nor mans refraine from their opeÌ„ outward wicked liuing Looke in the Chronicles what bloude it hath cofle England to attempt to bring theÌ„ vnder the law yea and see what busines y e Realme hath had to keepe the Prelates within the Realme from taking the benefices with them and lying at Rome and yet scarsely brought it to passe for all that the Pope hath the stint of euery Byshoppricke and of euery great Abbey therto as oft as any is voyde yer a new be admitted to the roome And I see theÌ„ bond vnto their owne will both to do and to consent vnto other to do al that God hath forbiddeÌ„ I see theÌ„ of all people most vain glorious I see them walke after their fleshly birth I see them so farre of froÌ„ the Image of Christ that not onely they will not dye for their flocke after his ensample but also yer they would lose one towne or vilage any polling or priuilege which they haue falsly gotten bryngyng them selues into good pastures with wiles shuttyng theyr flocke without they would cast away an hundred thousand of theÌ„ in one day and begger their Realmes yea and interdite them and bring in straunge nations though it were the Turke to coÌ„quere them and slea them vp so much as the innocent in the cradle And I see that their other doctrine is for their vaÌ„tage onely that therewith they haue gotten all that they haue And I finde in the Scripture that y e Iewes before the coÌ„myng of Christ knew that those bookes were the scripture by the Scribes and y e Phariseis And yet as many as beleued their other doctrine and many expositions of the scripture were deceaued as ye see and how Christ deliuered them out of errour And I see agayne which is no small miracle that the mercyfull care of God to keepe the Scripture to be a testimonie vnto his elect is so great that no men be more gelous ouer the bookes to kepe them and shew them and to alledge that they be the Scripture of God and true then they which when it is read in their eares haue no power to beleue it as the Iewes and the Popish And therfore because they neither can beleue it false neither consent that it is true as it soundeth playnly in their eares in that it is so contrary vnto their fleshly wisedome from which
siluer wythout care of thinges to come despising God whom they worshipped for their bellies sake onely and also maÌ„ Moreouer it was the custome eueÌ„ then saith the auctor to aske what the Byshopprike was worth yea and to leaue a worse for a better or to kepe both with a vnion And at the same tyme Isacius the deputie of the Emperour came to Rome to confirme the Pope in his sea with the Emperours auctoritie for y e election of the Pope was theÌ„ nothing worth except it had bene confirmed by the Emperour and he founde so great treasure in the Church of Saint Iohn Lateran that for disdayne which he had that they should haue such treasure in store and not to helpe the Emperour in his warres against y e Turkes â—…ng his soldiars lacked wages he tooke it away with violence against the wyll of y e Prelates of which he exiled some and payde his owne meÌ„ of warre with one part and tooke an other part vnto him selfe and sent the third part vnto the Emperour which must needes haue bene a great treasure in one Church ¶ By what meanes the Prelates fell from Christ THe office of a byshop was a roume at the beginning that no man coueted and that no man durst take vpoÌ„ hym saue he onely which loued Christ better theÌ„ his owne life For as Christ saith that no man might be his disciple except that he were ready to forsake life and all euen so might that officer be sure that it woulde cost him his lyfe at one time or another for bearing record vnto the truth But after that the multitude of the Christen were encreased many great men had receaued y â— faith then both landes and rentes as well as other goodes were geuen vnto the maintenaunce as well of the clergie as of the poore because they gaue then no tythes to the Priestes nor yet now do saue in certaine countryes For it is to much to geue almes offeringes landes and tithes also And then the Byshops made them substitutes vnder them to helpe them which they called priest and kept the name of Byshop vnto themselues But out of the Deacons sprang all the mischiefe For thorow their hands went all thing they ministred vnto y e clergie they ministred vnto the poore they were in fauoure with great and small And when the Byshops office began to haue rest and to be honorable then the Deacons thorow fauour and giftes climed vp therunto as lightly he that hath the olde Abbotes treasure succedeth with vs. And by y e meanes of their practise and acquintaunce in y e worlde they were more subtile and worldly wise then the olde Byshops lesse learned in Gods woorde as our Prelates are when they come froÌ„ stuardships in Gentlemens houses and from surueying of great mens landes Lordes secretes kinges counsels Embassidourship from warre and ministring all worldly matters ye worldly mischiefe and yet now they come not thence but receaue all and bide there still yea they haue enacted by playne parliament that they must byde in the courte still or els they may not haue pluralitie of benefices And then by litle and litle they enhaunsed theÌ„selues and turned all to themselues minishing the poore peoples part and encreasing theirs and ioyning acquaintaunce with great men and with their power climed vp and entitled them w t the chusing and confirming of y e Pope and all Byshops to flatter and purchase fauour and defenders trusting more vnto their worldly wisdome theÌ„ vnto the doctrine of Christ which is y e wisdome of God and vnto the defeÌ„ce of man then of God Then while they that had the plow by the tayle looked backe the plow went awry faith wax ed feble and faintie loue waxed colde the Scripture waxed darcke Christ was no more seene he was in y e mouÌ„t with Moses and therefore the Byshops would haue a God vppon the earth whom they might see and therupon they begaÌ„ to dispute who should be greatest ¶ How the Byshop of Rome became greater then other and called hymselfe Pope THen quod worldly wisdome HierusaleÌ„ must be the greatest for ytwas Christes seat Et factuÌ„ est so it came to passe â—or a season And in conclusion where a great Citie was and much riches there was the Byshoppe euer greater then his felowes Alexandre in Egipte and Antioch in Grece were greater then their neighbours Then those decaying Constantinople and Rome waxed great and stroue who shoulde be greater And CoÌ„staÌ„tinople sayd where the Emperour is there ought to be the greatest seat and chiefest Byshop For the Emperour lay most at Constantinople because it was I suppose nigh the middes of the Empyre therfore I must be the greatest sayde the Byshop of ConstaÌ„tinople Nay quod y e Byshop of Rome though y e Emperour lye nener so much at ConstaÌ„tinople yet he is called Emperour of Rome Rome is the head of the Empyre wherefore of right I must be the father of all WateÌ„ And thus whether they chaleÌ„ged their â—itle by the auctoritie of God or man or by Peter or pouling it was all one so they might be greatest And great intercession was made vnto the Emperours of both parties but in vayne a great ceason for y e Emperours stopped their â—ares at such ambitious requestes long tyme till at y e last there came an Emperour called Phocas which lay long in Italye and was a very soft man a pray for Prelates In whose tyme Boniface the iij. was Byshop of Rome a man ambitious and greedy vppon honour and of a very suttle witte nothing inâ—erior vnto Thomas Wolsee Cardinall of Yorcke This Boniface was great w t the Emperour Phocas and with hys wyly perswasions and great intercession together obtayned of Phocas to be called the chiefest of all Byshops and that his Church should be the chiefe Church Which auctoritie as soone as he had purchased he sent immediatly his commaundement with the Emperours power vnto all the Byshops of Almany commaunding that euery byshop should call all the priestes of hys diocese and charge them that euery man should put away his wife vnder payne of excommunication Which tyranny though great resistaunce was made against it he yet brought to passe with the Emperours sworde and his subtletie together For the Byshops were riche and durst not displeaâ—e the Pope for feare of the Emperour Assoone as Nemroth that mighty hunter had caught this pray that he had compelled all Byshops to be vnder him and to sweare obedience vnto him then he began to be great in the earth and called hymselfe Papa wyth this interpretation father of fathers And when the Pope had exalted hys throne aboue his fellowes then the vnitie that ought to be among brethren in Christes Church brake and deuision began betwene vs and y e Grekes which Grekes I suppose were at y
had learued their crafte and had buylt them goodly and costly nestes and their limiters had denided all countryes amōg them to begge in and had prepared liuinges of a certain tie though with begging then they also tooke dispeusations of the Pope for to liue as largely and as lewdly as the Monkes And yet vnto the laye men whome they haue thus falsely robbed and frō which they haue deuided themselues and made them a seuerall kyngdome among themselnes they leaue the pay ing of tolle custome and tribute for vnto all y t charges of the realmes will they not pay one mite and the finding of all the poore the finding of scholers for the most part the finding of these foresayd horseleches and caterpillers the begging Fryers the repayring of the hye wayes and bridges the building and reparations of their Abbaies and Cathedrall Churches Chapels Coledges for which they sende out their pardons dayly by heapes and gather a thousand pounde for euery hundred that they bestow truely If the laye people haue warre or what soeuer charge it be they will not beare a mite If the warre be theirs as the one part almost of all warre is to desende them they will with falshead make thē beare the greatest part besides that they must leaue their wines and children and go fight for them and lose their liues And likewise in al their charges they haue a cast to poule the laye people The Scottes cast downe a castel of y e Byshop of Durhams on the Scottishe bancke called Norant castell And he gat a pardon frō Rome for the bulding of it againe wherwith I doubt not but he gat for euery peny that he bestowed three And what do they with their store that they haue in so great plenty euery where so that the very begging Fryers in short space to make a Cardinall or a Pope of their secte or to do what feate it were for their profite woulde not stick to bring aboue a kynges raūsom verely make goodly places and parkes of pleasure and gaye shrynes and painted postes and purchase pardons wherewyth they yet still poule and plucke away that little wherwith the poore which perishe for neede and fall into great inconueniences myght be somewhat holpen and releued And lay vppe in store to haue alway to pay for the defending of their faith and for to oppresse the truth ¶ How the Pope made him a lawe and why AFter that the Pope with tyranny was clom vp aboue his brethren and had made all the spiritualtie hys subiectes and had made of them hym a seuerall kingdome among thēselues and had seperated them from the lay in all things and had got priuileges that whatsoeuer they did no man shoulde meddle with them and after also he had receaued the kingdomes of the earth of Sathan and was become his Vicar to distribute thē and after that the Emperour was fallen in like maner at his feete and had worshipped him as God to receaue his Empyre of him and all kinges had done likewise to be annointed of him and to be crowned of hym and after that the worlde both great small had submitted them selues to receaue the beastes badge then because y t Christes doctrine was contrary vnto all such kingdomes therefore had no law therein how to rule it he went and made him a seuerall lawe of his owne makyng which passed in cruelty and tyranny y e lawes of all heathen Princes And in his lawe he thrust in fayned giftes of olde Emperours that were out of memory saying y t the Emperor Constantinus had geuen vp the Empyre of Rome vnto Saint Siluester which is proued a false lye for diuers causes One that Saint Siluester being so holy a man as he was would not haue receaued it contrary to his masters commaundementes doctrine Another that the Emperours raigned in Rome many yeares after and all Byshops sued vnto the Emperour not to the pope which was but bishop of Rome onely not called father of fathers Moreouer that no autentike story maketh meution that any Emperour gaue them their patrimony but that Pipine which falsely and wyth strength inuaded the Empyre gaue it vnto hym Then put he in the graunt of Phocas then the gift of Pipine confirmed by the great Charles then a fayned release of the election of the Pope geuen vp agayne vnto Pope Paschale by the Emperour Lewes For they thē selues had graunted vnto Charlemaine and his successours for euer the election or denomination of the Pope and Byshops to flatter him withall and to make him a faithfull defender and that in a generall counsell which as they say cannot erre Neuerthelesse Pope Paschall though he beleued the counsell coulde not erre yet he thought them somewhat ouer seene to make so long a grannt and therefore he purchased a release of gētle Lewes as they pretend But verely it is more likely that they fayned that graunt to excuse their tyranny after they had taken the election into their handes againe with violēce when the Emperours were weake not able to resist them as they fayned the gift of Constantine after they had inuaded the Empyre with subtiltie falsehead And last of all they brought in the othe of Ottho with the order that now is vsed to chuse the Emperour How the Pope corrupteth the Scripture and why MOreouer lest these his lyes should be spyed and lest happly the Emperours folowyng might say our predecessours had no power to bynde vs nor to minish our might And lest kynges folowyng should say after the same maner that the sword ful power to punish euil doers indifferently is geuen of God to euery kyng for hys tyme and therfore that their predecessour could not binde them cōtrary vnto the ordinaunce of God but rather y t it was vnto their damnation to make such grauntes and that they did not execute their office And therfore thefoule and mishapen monster gate him to the Scripture and corrupted it with false expositions to proue that such authoritie was geuen him of God and chalenged it by the authoritie of Peter say ing that Peter was the head of Christes Church and that Christ had made him Lord ouer y e Apostles his felowes in that he bade him fede his shepe and lambes Iohn the last as who should say that Paule ▪ which came long after was not cōmaunded to feed as specially as Peter which yet wold take none authoritie ouer the bodyes or ouer the faythes of them which he fed but was their seruaunt for Christes sake Christ euer the lord and head And as though the other Apostles were not lykewise as specially commaunded as Peter And as though we now all that here after shall loue Christ were not commaunded to fede Christes flocke euery man in his measure as well as Peter Are not we commaunded to loue our neighbours as our selues as well as Peter Why then are we
but one chauntry For if they shoulde do all that they haue promised from y â— first founder vnto this day v. hundred Monkes were not inough in many cloysters Thinkest thou that men were euer so mad to make the fashions that are now amoÌ„g them to geue the Selâ—rar such a summe and the Priour or suppriour and the other officers so much for their partes as they haue yearely and to exempt the Abbot from his brethren and to send him out of the Abbay into such parkes places of pleasures and geue him a thousand fiftene hundred two thousand or three thousand pounde yearely to sport himselfe with all Nay but when thorow hypocrisie they had gotten land inough theÌ„ they turned vnto the Pope and tooke dispeÌ„sations both for their rules which were to hard for such aboundaunce for the willes of their founders and serued a great sort of founders vnder one per dominum and deuided among few that which was inough for a great multitude It was the Pope that deuised all these fashions to corrupt the Prelates wyth aboundaunce of worldly pleasures of which he wist that the worste would be most greedy and for which he wist also that he should finde Iudasses inow that would forsake Christ and betray y e truth and be sworne false vnto him and his Godhed He maketh of many chauntryes one of an Abbay a Cathedrall church and out of the Abbayes plucked he the Byshopprikes And as Byshops pay for their bulles euen so do an infinite number of Abbottes in Christendome in all landes some which Abbottes be Byshoppes within theÌ„selues immediatly vnder the Pope And other Abbots and Priours send after the same example dayly vnto Rome to purchase liceÌ„ce to weare a nutre and a crosse gay ornaments to be as glorious as the best c. And where before God no man is a Priest but he that is appointed to preach christes Gospell vnto the people and the people ought not to geue ought vnto the spiritualtie but for the maintenauÌ„ce of the preaching of Gods worde the Pope taketh vi or vij yea ten xx and as many benefices as he listeth geueth them vnto one that preacheth not at all as he doth all other dignityes of the spiritualtie He that will purchase and pay and be sworne shall haue what he will How they proue all their generall counselles WHen the Byshops and Abbottes and other great Prelates had forsaken Christ and hys lyuing and were fallen downe before the beast the vicar of Sathan to receaue their kyngdome of hym then the Pope called together diuerse counseles of such holy Apostles and there concluded and made of euery opinion that semed profitable an article of the fayth If thou aske where the scripture is to proue it They answere we be the church and can not erre and therefore say they what we conclude though there be no scripture to proue it it is as true as the Scripture and of equall authoritie with the Scripture must be beleued as wel as the scripture vnder payne of daÌ„nation For say they our truth dependeth not of the truth of the scripture that is we be not true in our doing because the scripture testifieth vnto vs that we do truely but contrary the truth of the scripture say they dependeth of vs that is the scripture is true because that we admitte it and tell thee that it is true For how couldest thou know that it were the scripture except we tolde thee so and therefore we neede no witnesse of the scripture for that we do it is inough that we so say of our owne head for we can not erre Which reason is like as though young MoÌ„kes newly professed should come by the rules of their order ordinaunces of their olde founders and would go about to kepe them and the old cankerd Monkes should cal them backe vnto the corrupt and false maner that now is vsed saying ye erre Do onely as we teach you for your profession is to obey your elders Accordyng vnto the rules of our order and ordinaunces of our founder shall they say We can teach you no other shall the old Monkes say nor can lye vnto you ye ought therfore to beleue vs and to do as we bid you The youÌ„g Monkes shall aunswere we see that ye lye cleane contrary vnto all that is written in our rules and ordinaunces The old Monkes shall say ye can not vnderstand them except we expounde them vnto you neither yet know that they be your rules except that ye beleue that we caÌ„ not lye vnto you For how can ye know that these be your rules and ordinaunces but as we your elders tell you so Now when we tell you that these be your rules and ordinaunces how can ye be sure vndoubtedly that it is so except ye beleue vndoubtedly that we can not lye Wherfore if ye will be sure that they be your rules and ordinaunces then ye must first beleue that we can not lye Leaue such imaginations and disputations therfore and laye your rules and ordinaunces out of your handes and looke no more on them for they make you erre And come and do as we tell you and captiuate your wittes and beleue that we can not lye vnto you and that ye can not vnderstand your rules aâ—d ordinaunces Euen so if thou say it is contrary vnto the Scripture they aunswere that thou vnderstandest it not that thou must captiue thy witte and beleue that though it seme neuer so coÌ„trary yet it is not contrary no if they determine that Christ is not riseÌ„ again and though the Scripture testifie that he is risen agayne yet say they they be not contrary if they be wisely vnderstand Thou must beleue say they that there is some other meanyng in the Scripture and that no man vnderstandeth it but that we say whether with out Scripture or agaynst it that must thou beleue that it is true And thus because that the Scripture would not agree with them they thrust it out of the way first and shut vp the kyngdome of heauen which is Christes Gospell with false expositioÌ„s and with such sophistrie and with false principles of naturall wisedome And the Abbottes toke the Scripture from their Monkes lest some should euer barke agaynst the Abbottes lyning set vp such long seruice and singyng to wery them with all that they should haue no laysure to read in the Scripture but with their lippes and made them good cheare to fill their belyes to stoppe their mouthes And the Byshops in lyke maner to occupy theyr Priestes with all that they should not study y e Scripture for barkyng against them set vp long seruice wondrous intricate so that in a dosen yeares thou couldest scarce learne to turne a right vnto it loÌ„g Matens long EueÌ„songs long Masses long Diriges with vauÌ„tage yet to mitigate the tediousnesse quia leuis est labor
of faith trust to Godward in Christs name and a false fayth of thine owne fayning to Saint Whiteward for thine imageseruice or seruyng her with cheese as though she were a bodely thyng And like disputatioÌ„ is it of all other saintes And as we worship the Saintes with imageseruice to obtaine temporal thinges euen so worship we God And as the Iewes turned their sacrifices vnto imageseruice whiche were giuen theÌ„ of God to be signes to moue them to serue God in the spirite Euen so haue we our Sacramentes And for an exaÌ„ple let vs take the Masse which after the Popes abuse of it is the most damnable imageseruice that euer was sence it began Christ accordyng to the testimonie of the Scripture made in the dayes of his flesh satisfaction for al the sinne of them that had or should be leue in his name obtained that they should be the sonnes of God and taken from vnder the damnation of the law and put vnder grace and mercy that God should henceforth deale with them as a mercyful father dealeth with his children that runne not away from him no though ought be at a tyme chaunced amisse but tary euer still by their father and by his doctrine confesse their trespasse and promise henceforth to inforce them selues vnto the vttermost of their power that they doe no more so negligently And this purchase made he with the thinges whiche he suffered in his flesh with the stroÌ„g prayers which he prayed And to kepe his TestameÌ„t euerfresh in minde that it were not forgot he left with vs the Sacrament or signe of his body and bloud to strength our faith and to certifie our coÌ„science that our sinnes were forgeuen assoone as we repented and had recoÌ„ciled our selues vnto our brethren and to arme our soules through the continuall remembraunce of Christes death vnto the despisyng of the world mortifying of the flesh quenching of the lustes and thyrst of worldly thinges As they which haue dayly conuersation with the sicke and miserable and are present at the deathes of men are moued to defie the world and the lustes therof And as Christ had institute the Sacrament of his body and bloud so the Byshoppes in processe of time set signes of all the rest of Christes passion in the ornamentes and gestures of the Masse so that the whole passion was dayly described before our eyes as though we had presently looked vppon it And that thou mayst see for what cause they came vnto the Sacrament they reconciled them selues ech one to other if any man had offeÌ„ded his brother ere they were admitted into the congregation or body of Christ to be members of ech other knit together in one fayth and loue to eate the Lordes Supper as Paule calleth it for the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ thus gathered is called Christes body and Christ their head And likewise if a man had ben taken in opeÌ„ sinne agaynst the professioÌ„ of his Baptisme he was rebuked openly And he confessed his sinne openly and asked forgiuenes of God and of the congregation whom he had offended with the example of his euill deede and tooke penaunce as they call it of the congregation that is certaine discret iniunctioÌ„s how he should liue and order him selfe in tyme to come came his flesh for the auoyding of the sayd vice because his confession and repentaunce which he semed to haue shuld be none hypocrisie but an earnest thing For if an open sinner be founde among vs we must immediatly amende him or cast him out of the congregation with defiaunce and decestation of his sinne as thou seist how quickly Paule cast out the Corinthian that kept his fathers wife and when he was warned would not amend Or els if we suffer such to be among vs vnrebuked we can not but at once fall from the constancie of our professioÌ„ and laughe and haue delectation and coÌ„sent vnto their sinne as it is come to passe throughout all Christendome Which is ten thousand tymes more abhominable then if we sinned our selues For the best man in the world that hateth sinne might at a tyme throughe â—rayltie of the flesh be drawne to sinne But it is altogether deuilish and a sure token that the spirit of Christ is not in vs nor the profession of our Baptisme written in the hart if we laughe at an other mans sinnes though we our selues absteine for shame or feare of hell or for what so euer imagination it be or that we be so blind that we see no other sinne in vs then our outward deedes And the penaunce enioyned frayle persons that could not rule them selues was vnder the authority of the Curate and the sad and discrete meÌ„ of the Parish to relesse part or all at a tyme if necessitie required or when they sawe the person so growne in perfectnes that he neded it not But see wherto it is now come after what maner our holy father that is at Rome dispenseth withall together And see what our Bishops officers do and where the authoritie of the Curate and of the Parish is become If in ten Parishes round there be not one learned and discret to helpe the other theÌ„ the deuil hath a great swynge among vs that the Byshops officers that dwell so farre of must abuse vs as they do And if within a Diocese or an whole land we can finde no shift but that the Pope that dwelleth at the deuill in hell must thus mocke vs what a stroke thinke ye hath Sathan among vs And all is because we be hipocrites and loue not the way of truth for all our pretendyng the contrarie And to begyn with all they sayd CoÌ„fiteor and knowledged them selues to be sinners And then the Priest prayed in generall for all estates and degrees and for encrease of grace and in especially if neede required vnto whiche prayers the people harkened and sayd Amen And then the Gospell and glad tydinges of forgiuenes of sinnes was preached to styre our fayth And then the Sacrament was ministred for the confirmation of the fayth of the Gospell and of the Testament made betwene God and vs of forgiuenes of sinnes in Christes bloud for our repeÌ„taunce and faith as ye see how after all bargaynes there is a signe therof made either clapping of haÌ„des or bowyng a peny or a groate or a peece of gold or giuing some earnest and as I shewed you how after a truse made they slewe beastes for a confirmation And then men departed euery man to his busines full certified that their sinnes were forgiuen and armed with the remembraunce of Christes passion and death for the mortifieng of the flesh all the day after And in all these was neither the Sacrament neither other ceremonies of the Masse imageseruice to God and holy dedes to make satisfaction for our sinnes or to purchase such worldly thinges as the Gospell teacheth vs to dispise And now compare this
in Christes name by his promise but am not sure that my brother will pray for me or that he hath a good hart to God No. But the Saintes in heauen cānot but pray and be hard no more can the Saintes in earth but pray and he heard neither Moses Samuell Dauid Noye Elias Elizeus Esayas Daniell and all the Prophetes prayed and were heard yet was none of those wicked that would not put their trust in God accordyng to their doctrine and preachyng partaker of their prayers in the end And as damnable as it is for the poore to trust in the riches of the richest vpon earth so damnable is it also to leaue the couenaunt made in Christes bloud and to trust in the saint of heauē They that be in heauē know the elect that trust in Christes bloud professe the law of God and for them onely pray and these wicked Idolaters whiche haue no trust in the couenaunt of God nor serue God in the spirite nor in the Gospell of Christes bloud but after their blind Imagination chosing them eueryman a sondry Saint to be their Mediatour to trust to and to be saued by their merites do the Saintes abhorre and defie And their prayers and offeringes are to the Saintes as acceptable and pleasaunt as was the prayer and the offeryng of Symon Magus to Peter Act. viij Moreouer the Saintes in their most combraunce are most comforted most able to comfort other as Paule testifieth i. Cor. i. In so much that S. Stephen and S. Iames prayed for them that slue them S. Martine preached comforted his desperate brethren euen vnto the last breath likewise as stories make mention dyd innumerable mo Yea and I haue knowen of simple vnlearned persons that of some that were great sinners which at the houre of death haue fallen flat on the bloud of Christ and geuen no rowme to other mens either prayers or preachynges but haue as strongly trusted in Christes bloud as euer dyd Peter or Paul and haue therto preached it to other exhorted other so mightly that an aungell of heauen could not mende them Who then should resiste God that he might not geue the same grace to M. Tracie which was a learned man and better sene in the workes of S. Austē xx yeare before hee dyed then euer I knew Doccour in England but that hee must then faint and shrincke whē most neede is to be strong feare the Popes Purgatory trust to the prayer of Priestes dearely payd for I dare say that he prayed for the Priestes whē he dyed that God would conuert a great many of them and if hee had knowen of any good man amōg them that had neded he would haue geuen and if hee had knowen of any lacke of priestes he would haue geuē to mainteine moe But now sence there be mo then inough haue more then euery man a sufficient liuyng how should he haue geuē them but to hyre their prayers of pure mistrust in Christs bloud If robbyng of widowes houses vnder pretence of long prayers be damnable Math. xxiij Then is it damnable also for widowes to suffer them selues to be robbed by the long pattering of hypocrites through mistrust in Christes bloud yea and is it not damnable to mainteine such abhomination Now when this dāuation is spread ouer all how can we geue thē that haue inough already or how can they that haue inough already take more vnder the name of praying not harden the people more in this dāuable damnation And concernyng the burieng of his body he allegeth S. Austen neither is there any man thinke I so mad to affirme that the outward pompe of the body should helpe the soule Moreouer what greater signe of infidelitie is there then to care at the tyme of death with what pompe the carkasse shal be caried to the graue He denieth not but that a Christen man should be honorablie buried namely for the honour and hope of the resurrection and therefore committed that care to his deare executours his sonne and his wife which he wist would in that part do sufficiēt leaue nothyng of the vse of the countrey vndone but the abuse And that best awyng of a great part of his goodes while be yet lyued vppon the poore to be thankefull for the mercy receiued without bying and sellyng with God that is without byndyng those poore vnto any other appointed prayers then God hath bound vs already one to pray for an other one to helpe an other as he hath helped vs but paciently abidyng for the blessynges that God hath appoynted vnto all maner good workes trustyng faythfully to his promise thanking as ye may see by his wordes the bloud of Christ for the reward promised to hys woorkes and not the goodnes of the workes as though he had done more then his dutie or all that And assigned by writyng vnto whom an other part should be distrubuted and geuyng the rest to hys executours that no strife should be whiche executours were by right the heyres of all that was left to thē These things I say are signes euident not onely of a good Christen mā but also of a perfect Christen man and of such a one as needed not to be agast and desperate for feare of the paynfull paynes of Purgatory whiche who so feareth as they fayne it can not but vtterly abhorre death seyng that Christ is there no longer thy Lord after he hath brought thee thether but art excluded from his satisfaction and must satisfie for thy selfe alone and that with sufferyng payne onely or els taryeng the satisfieng of them that shall neuer satisfie inough for them selues or gapyng for the Popes pardons whiche haue so great doubtes and daungers what in the mynde and intent of the graunter and what in the purchaser yer they can be truly obteyned with all due circumstaūces and much lesse certitude that they haue any authoritie at all Paule thristed to be dissolued to be with Christ Stephen desired Christ to take his spirite the Prophetes also desired God to take their soules from them and all the Saintes went with a lusty courage to death neither fearyng or teachyng vs to feare any such crudelitie Where hath the Churche then gotten authoritie to binde vs from beyng so perfite from hauyng any such fayth in the goodnes of God our Father and Lorde Christ and to make such perfitues and fayth of all heresies the greatest Salomō saith in the xxx of his Prouerbes three things are insaciable and the fourth sayth neuer It is inough But there is a fift called dame anarice with as greedy a gutte as meltyng a maw as wyde a throate as gapyng a mouth and with as rauenyng teeth as the best which the more she eateth the hongryer she is An vnquiet euill neuer at rest a blynd monster and a surmisyng beast fearyng at the fall of euery leafe Quid non mortalia pectora
the poore become Peters patrimonie 352. b Altar 277. b Alteration of Gods word intollerable 23. a AlteratioÌ„ of bread into Christs body not proued by any scripture 465. b Alteration of thynges for the abuse therof 299. b Ambition 290. b. altereth her masters message 201. a Ambitious personnes haue neither fayth nor can doe good message 141. b Amendement of lyfe foloweth true faith 303. b. the same to be wished for 177. b Amendement may be in all thinges 393. a Amice 277. b Anger how no sinne 203. a Anker of our saluation 188. b Annoyntyng 408. b Annoyntyng of the head 227. a. and of Priestes sincerely 133. a Answere of the Popishe Churche 292. b. of Cloysterers to the poore 243. a Answere to the Papistes by Paule concernyng iustification 44. b Anselmus the Popes Chapleine 362. b Antichrist 406. b. What it signifieth 60. a. who it is 407. b Antichrist is knowen 286. b Antichrist his Churche 290. a. his properties 60. b Antichrist beleueth Christ to be commen in the fleshe 415. a. wresteth Scriptures 357. a Antichrist sendeth hys soorth with false names and signes 134. a Antichrist hath reigned among vs long tyme. 60. b. 407. a. subuerteth all thynges 162. b. turneth the roote vpward 130. a Antithesis betwene Christ and the Pope 175. b. betwene the Popes Church and Christes 292. b Antioch Peters see 358. b A poena culpa 151. a Apostles alledge not their owne authoritie 344. a. their fayth rayled on by Papistes 422. b. all had like authoritie of Christe 257. b. all sent out 358. a Apostles howe they blessed vs. 157. a. gaue vs no blynde ceremonies 129. a Apostles doubtfull 261. a. their ignoraunce 26. a Apostles howe they first celebrated the Lordes Supper 476. a. neither shauen shorne nor annointed 133. a. knew not the Popes vsurped authoritie 392. b Apostles taught thynges they write not 255. b. they taught obedience 340. preached Christ and not Peter 125. b. their doctrine is firme 256. b. must be cleaâ—ed vnto 40â— a Apostles preached repentauÌ„nce to the Iewes 28. a. made heretikes of the pope with their master Christ 265. a Apparaunt godlynesse in Popishe Decrees 312. a Appearaunce of godlynes 291. a Application of vowes 21. a Argumentes Popishe to bee noted 260. a. to know false Prophetes by 403. a Argumentes prouyng our saluation in Christ 432. a. Worthy notyng touchyng the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper 447. b Aristotle 103. a beleued of Papistes before Christ 61. b Aristotle and Plato cannot vnderstand the Scriptures 88. a Armour of the Popishe spiritualty 176. b. of a Christian man 423. a Armes sent into Fraunce 371. b A true story 369. a Attrition a new seyned word 148. b Auarice 405. a Aungels bound of the Pope 150. a Authority of Peter 358. b. of his successour onely is to preache 173. b. not aboue the rest 343. b Authoritie of the Pope 149. b. chalenged ouer God and man 150. a Auricular contession opened all secretes 116. b. standeth not with Gods Testament 155. b Austen his opinioÌ„ of the SacrameÌ„t Calleth it a signe of Christes body 474. b Austen his place of the Churche expouÌ„ded 266. a. he complayneth one hys tyme. 277. b B. BAdges of sundry fashions among the shauelynges 140. a Badge of loue 417. b Baggages superstitious 271. b Baggage all the Popes doctrine 248. b Balaam 251. a. 254. b Balaam an example 306. a Baptisme 14. b. 187. b. 226. a. description therof 14. b Baptisme figured by Circumcision compared with CircumcisioÌ„ 467. b. is euerlastyng 148. a. to vs as Circumcision to the Iewes 437. b Baptisme inward of the soule what 187. b â–ª Baptisme to what ende 411. a. teacheth repentaunce 14. b. what it woorketh in vs. 441. b. without fayth not auaylable ibidem Baptisme 〈◊〉 y t SacrameÌ„t of Christes Supper are most necessary 467. b Barren fayth without loue 332. b Bâ—…le betwene the spirite and the flesh 46. a Beauty of the tabernacle 9. a Beggers in times past not suffred to runne abroad 133. b Beggers Friers 355. a Begynnyng of penaunce and Purga toâ—… 97. b. of the Popes authoritie 352. b Behauiour in readyng Scriptures and Doctours 106. b Beleâ— in Christ what 131. a. in God and contempt of the world 7. b. of Christes humanitie and diuinitie 390. b Belefe in Gods promise iustifieth 117. b. in Christ 390. b Belefe must be takeÌ„ heede to 286. b Beâ—… of the resurrection is an article 〈◊〉 our fayth 431. b Belefe in Christ and that he dyed not alâ—â—e 130. b Belefe in God 238. b Beleuers in God whom 287. b. in man cursed 267. a Beleuers in Christ must folow him 132. b Beleuing remissioÌ„ of sinnes in Christ 321. a Belly Gods reproued of Christ 457. a Bels christined 152. a Benefite of Christes death of whom receaued 443. b Beren garius kyng of Lombardy 352. a â—…wyng of benefices wickedly 360. a Bibles searched for to bee burned 454. b 〈…〉 straunge worde to Popishe Curates 102. a 〈…〉 warnyng to y â— godly 454. b Byndyng lowsing 123. by the meanyng therof 174. a. and 150. a. b Byndyng and lowsing commeth thoroâ—…chyng 15. a. are of one 〈…〉 174. a Bâ—… 1â—4 a. and â—4â— b. ouerse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a. why ordayned 251. b Byshop described â—4 a Bysâ—… of Fraunce 114. b. of â—yn 〈…〉 b. 〈◊〉 Alâ—…e 114. b. of 〈…〉 â—â—essed downe the 〈◊〉 1â—… a 〈…〉 of Rome 〈◊〉 the proue 〈…〉 Their ofâ—… in primitiue 〈…〉 346. b 〈…〉 must not be â—â—gitiue 2â—2 a. 〈◊〉 should be 〈…〉 and not 〈…〉 285. b Bâ—â—hops 〈…〉 all 〈◊〉 b. they perseâ—… 114. b 〈…〉 not swâ—… 〈◊〉 kynges but 〈…〉 to them 〈◊〉 b. they 〈…〉 141. a 〈…〉 thâ—◠〈…〉 or reach false doctrine none of Gods annoynted 135. b Bishop of Durham 374. a Birdes and beastes examples of securitie 334. a Blasing of armes 113. a. and of hypocrites 291. b Blasphemy of Christes death by papistes 16. b Blessed who 34. b Blessednes through whom 394. a Blessyng 110. a. of God to Abraham 436. b. of Bishops 157. a Blessyng what it meaneth 145. a Blindnes through Allegories 14. a. of the Iewes 457. a. of our nature 44. a Bloud of Christ in whom lost 132. b Bloud of fayth feedeth Christ Gospell 453. b Bloud of Christ washeth away actual sinne 32. a. maketh perfect our workes 31. a Bloud sacrifices 424. b Bodyly exercise 280. a Bodyly seruice satisfieth not God 184. b. and 284. a. nor purgeth the soule 306. b Bodyly eatyng of Christe profiteth not 464. b Body of Christ spirituall in the Sacrament 310. b. naturally not in the Sacrament 316. b Body and bloud of Christ how to be receiued 316. b Body subiect to the Prince soule to God 271. b Boldnes of spirite in Christes cause bringeth immortalitie 454. a Bones not to be worâ—hypped 281. b Boniface the thyrd 347. b Bootes 134. b Borne of God all that loue hym 416. a Borowed spech 397. a Bountifulnes towarde our neighbour 383.
sinnes 95. b Phocas an Emperour 347. b. hys priuiledge to the see of Rome ibid. Phrases of speach expounded 77. b Pilgrimages 282. a. how lawfull 20 a. not needefull to a ChristiaÌ„ for his saluation 155 a Pilgrimages true what they be 272 a Pitie 282. b Pipinus 348. a Places of Scripture shewing Christes departure hence as touchyng his naturall body 470. b Places hauing prerogatiue for prayer 283. a Plerophoria how knowen 414. a Pluralitie of benefices 373. b Poetry Scripture to Popish schole men 168. a Pollaxes borne before high Legates what they signifie 142. b Pope with his Prelates set foorth 53. b. a God on earth 349. a. Antichrist 262. a 289. a. 308. a. the deuilles vicare 359. a. persecuteth Gods word 25. b. 290. a. a deniâ—…h blasphemer ibid. hath no Martyrs 294. a. a peacebreaker 365. b. a tyrauÌ„t 318. a. a breaker of bondes of Matrimony 350. a commaundeth murder 106. a. cause of great periury 115. a Popes haue ben bloudsheders aboue this 700. yeares 351. a Pope a mercyles tyraunt 362. b. curseth his enemyes 395. b. wilnot be rebuked 364. b. onely forbyddeth mariage 127. b. halfe a God 461. b aloft ouer all Byshops and Kings 353. a. aduaunceth his in worldlynes 353. b. hath moe kyngdomes then God 135. b. a maker of lawes 356. a. selleth Gods free gift 151. a. chalengeth authoritie ouer God and man 159. a. commauÌ„deth God to curse 151. b. may doe all at his pleasure 364. b. wilnot obey Princes 286. a. made a God for his dispensations 230. a. coÌ„meth in Christes name with miracles 301. b. sayth he cannot erre 264. a. distributeth his fathers kyngdome 354. a thrusteth downe Christ 292. a. lycenseth all thynges to bee read sauyng the truth 21. a. forbiddeth that God commaundeth 21. a Pope how hee remitteth and retayneth sinnes 306. b. maketh heretikes of true preachers 134. b selleth all thynges 289. b. receiueth hys possessions of the deuill 354. a. howe he raigneth vnder Christ 151. a. expoundeth Scripture contrary to Christ and his Apostles 173. b. byndeth that Christ louseth 102. a Pope not to be beleued why 304. b. lonseth all honesty 123. a. more mercyfull for money then God for Christes death 151. a. deuideth poore people and how 354. b chosen without consent of the Emperour 360. b. purposed to be Emperour 349. made two Empyres of one 349. b Pope Pipine put downe the right French kyng 348. a Pope and Cardinals their opinions concernyng kyng Henry the eight 288 b Pope Iuly 369. a Pope his fast 229. b. his traditions are wicked and breake Gods commaundements 108. a. his authoritie improued 12. 4. b. his clergy subtill 1. a. his doctrine corrupt 24. a. his doctrine doth persecute 97. a. his sect not of Christes church 261 b. his doctrine bloudy 106. b. his saying of the scripture 306. b. his authoritie is onely to preach Gods word 123. b. his false authority defended by kynges 114. b. his false workes 289. a. his iugglyng 114. b. his widowes 354. b. his priests ibideÌ„ his law 355. a. his fayth 410 b. his Church 292. b. his practise with all Princes 365. a. his Deacons 354. b. his Prelates taught of Caiphas 122. b Popish tyranny 475. b. ceremonyes more obstinate mo in nuÌ„ber then the Iewes 101. b. forgiuenes 395 a. Purgatory not feared of a true ChristiaÌ„ 434. b. Prelates would be highest 341. a. superstition 425 b. doctrine 447. a. hath caused the truth to be set forth more playnely 476. a. woorkes 396. a. oyle more feared then Gods commaundementes 131. a. confirmation 277. a Pope holy woorkes a cloke for the wicked 27. a Possessed with deuines fled from Christ 285. a Poore meÌ„ 408. a. in spirite who 189 a. must be cared for next our owne houshold 84. a. called of Paule Gods Churche 473. b. pouertie 242. b Pouertie wilfull 16. b. her vow 19. a Power good and euill whence 321. b Poyson of our byrth resisteth the spirite 165. a A prayer 228. a Prayer 22. b. 242. b. 219. b. defined 81. b. of how many sortes 220. a. a commaundement 238. b. heard in all places of God 282. b. the fruite of fayth 93. a. heard of God at all tymes 20. b. winneth the victory 238. b. of fayth doth miracles 152. b vayne without hart and toungue 221. a. of shauelynges breaketh Gods commaundement 139. b. of Monkes robbeth 201. a. not sold in old tyme. 139. b. to Saintes superilitious 296. a. without fayth nothyng 274. b. to Saintes not before Christes tyme. 296. a Practises 371. a. of Parliamentes 315. a. of Prelates 363. a. of Popish Prelates in these dayes 340. b. with poore Priestes 367. b. of fleshly spiritualitie 249. a Prayers and our deedes accepted accordyng to our fayth 154. b Prayers of all good women accepted aswell as our Ladyes 326. a. to Saintes damnable 433 b. all in Latin 151. b. commaunded to the ignoraunt 135. a Prayse sought of hypocrites 373. b Prayse of Paule Epistle to the Romanes 39. a Preacher his office 206. a. may not preache vnlesse he be sent of God 156. why accused of heresie treason 202. 〈◊〉 Preachers who are sent and who not how to knowe 156. a. of Gods word their miracles 302. a. neede no miracles 301. a. must preach repentaunce 86. b. why not beleued wheÌ„ they preach truth 101. b. must haue a competent lyuyng allowed them 133. b. must not be violent 214. b. who ought to be 198. b Preachyng is byndyng and lousing 359. a. of Christ 391. the authoritie of Peter his successour 173. b. the chief authoritie that Christ gaue his Apostles 126. a. extinct with ceremonies 278. a Predestination 306. a. in Gods haÌ„d 48. b. not rashly to be disputed vppon 48. b. how farre to be proceded in ibidem Presbyter 144. b Priestes 310. b. must be vertuous 314. b Priestes how truly annoynted 133. a ought not to bee annoynted with oyle 144. b. tell the confessions of the rich to the Officials and Commissaries and why 136. b. may haue whores but no wiues 311. b. must haue wiues for two causes 133. b Prieste disguiseth hym selfe with Christes passion 132. a Priestes vnderstand no Latin 103. a Prelates why so wicked 118. b. Courtiers 347. a. vnderstand not Scriptures and why 287. b. why clothed in red 142. b Pride 405. b. of the Pope 363. a. of the Cardinals 372. b Princes why ordained 117. a. not to be resisted though they be infidels 111. a. whether they may be resisted or no. 213. a Principles of Scriptures 386. b Processions abused 299. b Profession of our Baptisme 388. b. first to be learned 387. a Profession of newe lyfe procureth Christes mercy 219. b Promise how we may chaleÌ„ge 218. b Promise of God fulfilled for Christes and not for Saintes merites 160. a. left out in all thynges by the Pope 154. a Promises of the Gospell comfortable to a sinner 378. a Promise commeth of the promisers goodnes 196. a Promises of
doe so to which know that Christ is come and that all oblations are ceased in hym shall we become Iewes and go backe agayne to the shadow and ceremonie sith we haue the body and significatiō whiche is Christ Iesue Be it that Iudas were a holy man might he not do yet amisse Be it in case that he dyd well shall we therfore straight wayes out of his worke ground an article of our fayth Dauid was an holy man yet committed he both murther and aduoutry shal we without further ensearchyng the Scriptures streightwayes folow his example Abraham was an holy man and was commaūded of God to offer his owne sonne shall we offer our children therfore Gedson and Iosue destroyed the vnfaythfull Kyngs and Princes and did well and were praysed of God Must we do so to And wherfore shall we more felow the example of Iudas thē of the other Shall I tell you why Verelye for this example of Iudas bringeth money vnto our spiritualty These xij thousād drachmas shyne so bright in their eyes y t without other cādle lanterne or spectacles they haue espyed an article of our fayth you may not consider that they haue taken this text of xij thousand drachmes for an Epistle in soule masses for then peraduēture you might fall into some shrewed suspection that they should do it of couetousnes which faulte can not be espyed in our spiritualtie as you know well inough He that holdeth any ceremony of the law as necessary is boūd to kéepe and fulfill the whole law This is euident of Paul Gal. 6. where he sayth If ye be circumcised then are ye debtours to fulfill the whole law That is if ye put any confidence in circumcision or recounte it as necessary for els it is of it selfe neither good nor euil then make you your selues boūde vnder the law which burthen neither we nor our fathers could beare and tempt God Act. xv And this sacrifice of Iudas was but a ceremony signified y t Christ should with his bloud quench our sinnes Ergo he that keepeth or coūteth this ceremony as necessary as are all the articles of the fayth doth captiue him self vnder the law and tempteth God to speake no more sharpely Yet will I go a litle nere vnto you Iudas hym selfe beleued not y t there was a Purgatory For in the tyme of the old Testament there was no purgatory as the Scholemen graūt themselues but onely a place of rest which they called Limbus patrum wherfore they are pitiously deceaued that will proue Purgatory by the textes of the old Testament sith as they say themselues there was no Purgatory at that tyme. Finally I cā not finde a place that of it selfe more properly cōfuteth this phantasticall Purgatory then doth this same texte whiche they sticke so sore to imaginyng that it stablisheth Purgatory The text saith on this maner except hee had hoped that they which were slayne should rise agayn It should séeme voyde and in vayne to pray for the dead If you fayne a Purgatory thē must this text néedes be false for be it in case that the dead should not rise agayne Now sayth the text that it were voyde in vayne to pray for the dead if they should not rise agayne But if there were a Purgatory wherein they should be purged and punished in the meane season then were it not in vayne to pray for them to deliuer them out of that payne but rather very frutefull and necessary although they should neuer ryse agayne And therfore if this text be of authoritie is it impossible that there should be any Purgatory neither is there any text that in my iudgement can better vndermine Purgatory and make it fall Peraduenture you desire to know my mynde in this place and that I should expoūd vnto you what Iudasment in his oblatiō sith he thought of no Purgatory as y t foresayd text doth well specifie Verely I thinke that Iudas beleued that there should be a resurrection as this text praysed hym saying thinkyng well and deuoutly of the resurrection For among the Iewes there were many that beleued not the resurrection of our flesh and they that beleued it were yet so rude and ignoraūt that they thought they should ryse but to obtayne a carnall kyngdome haue their enemyes subdued vnder them without rebellion And thereto sticke the Iewes vnto this day And it is most lyke that this should be his meanyng we shall all ryse agayne and possesse this land in peace and these men which are slaine are out of the fauour of God because they haue contrary to the law Deut. vij Take of the idols oblations therfore is it best that we send a sacrifice vnto Ierusalem to pacifie the wrath of God towardes them lest whē they rise againe the Lord should send some plague amongest vs for their trāsgressiō which they committed while they were here lyuyng If any mā can better gesse I am wel cōtent to admit it but this is playne inough he thought that this sacrifice could not helpe thē before they should rise agayne which doth fully destroy Purgatory For where he sayth that it were voyde in vayne to pray for the dead excepte they should ryse agayne Is euen as much to say vnto hym that hath any witte as that this prayer sacrifices can do them no good before they be risen agayne from death for els were it not in vayne to praye for them although they should neuer ryse agayn As by example if I say to a man that he shall neuer obtayne his purpose except he should sue to the kings grace it is euen as much to say to a mā that hath any wytte as he shall neuer obtaine his purpose before he hath sued to the kynges hyghnes Master More goeth about to iest them out of countenaunce which say that the booke of Machabées is not autētike because it is not receaued in y t Canon of the Hebrues and sayth that by this reason we may also denye the booke of Sapience proue our selues insipientes but verely if he admitte the booke of Sapience to be true and autentike I feare me it will go nye to proue hym an insipient for grauntyng that there is a Purgatory Read the. 45. argument agaynst Rastell then iudge whether I say true or not Hetherto haue I let slyp our shoteanker and haue runne the Seas with hym grauntyng him for his pleasure that this booke should be of as good authority as Esay Not that the Church or holy Doctours or any wise man supposeth it of so good authoritie but onely to sée what conclusion might be brought vpon it that once graūted And if any man would require my iudgement as concerning this booke I would shortly aunswere that either this booke is false and of no authoritie or els that Christ his Apostles all holy Doctours Scholemen therto are false and without
deliuer all men from hell if they be not damned already For sayth he whosoeuer hath committed a capitall crime hath therby deserued damnation and yet may the Pope deliuer hym both from the crime and also frō the payne due vnto it And he affirmeth that thre times in the xxj article for feare of forgetting Vpon this poynte will I a litle reason with my Lord and so wil I make an end If the Pope may deliuer any mā from the cryme that he hath committed also from the payne due vnto it as you affirme then may he by the same authoritie deliuer xx an hundred a thousand yea all the world for I am sure you can shewe me no reason why he may deliuer some and not all If he can do it then let him deliuer euery man that is in the poynte of death both from the crime and frō the payne so shall neuer man more neither enter into hell nor yet into Purgatory which were the best dede most charitablest that euer hée dyd yea this ought he to do if he could although it should cost hym his owne lyfe and soule thereto as Moses and Paule geue him exāple but yet there is no ieoperdy of neither other Now if he cā do it as you say and will not then is he the most wretched cruell tyraunt that euer lyued euen the very sonne of perdition and woorthy to bée damned in an hundred thousand helles For if he haue receaued such power of God that hée may saue all men yet wil not but suffer so many to be damned I report me vnto your selues what hée is worthy to haue Now if any man would solute this reason and say that he may do it but that it is not méete for hym to do it because that by theyr paynes Gods iustice may be satisfied I say that this their euasion is nothyng worth neyther yet cā I imagine any way wherby they may haue any apparēce to escape For my Lord sayth hym selfe that the Pope must pacifie Gods iustice for euery soule that hée deliuereth from Purgatory and therefore hath he imagined that the Pope hath in hys hand the merites of Christes passiō which he may apply at his pleasure where he will And also he sayth that the merites of Christes passion are sufficient to redeme all the sinnes in the world Now sith these merites on their part are sufficiēt to satisfie y e iustice of God and redeme the whole world also that the pope hath them in his hand to distribute at his pleasure then lacketh there no more but euen the Popes distribution vnto the the saluatiō of the world For he may pacifie Gods wrath and satisfie hys iustice sayth my Lord by applying these merites to them that lacke good workes And so if the pope wil Gods iustice may bée fully satisfied the whole worlde saued Now if hée may so iustly easely saue the whole world charitie also mouyng him vnto it and yet will not apply these merites so frutefully then is the faulte onely his and he the sonne of perdition and worthy more payne then can be imagined And so is not the reason improued but much more stablished and as I thinke ineuitable Beholde I pray you whether my Lord of Rochester hath brought our holy father in auauncyng hys power so high euen into y t déepest pit of hell which if my Lord sayd true it is impossible for hym to auoyde But it chaunceth vnto hym euen as it doth customably where such pryde raigneth for whē they are at the hyghest then fall they downe headlong vnto their vtter confusion and ruine If any man féele himselfe gréeued and not yet fully satisfied in this matter let him write hys minde and by Gods grace I shall make hym an aunswere and that with spéede Pray christen Reader that the woord of God may encrease Amen ¶ An other booke agaynst Rastell named the subsedye or bulwarke to his first booke made by Iohn Frithe prysoner in the Tower IT neadeth not Christē reader I thinke now that thou hast ouerread and diligentlye pondered in thine inward senses that the treatise of Iohn Frith wherein he confuteth all the reason which Rastel More and Rochester made for the maintenance and vpholding of the bitter paynes of purgatory to commende vnto thee thys briefe worke folowing named a subsedy defence or bulwarke to the same And much les nedeth it to dehorte thee from the vayne childish feare which our forefathers haue had of that place of purgatory as theyr good woorkes which at this day remayne vppon the earth founded for theyr thence deliueraunce do testifie And forasmuch as thou art a Christen man and reioysest in Christ I dare boldlye affirme for thee that thou takest neyther pleasure nor ioy of that place like as some persons do which triumphed of late and with much ioy and clapping of handes sent tidinges into all partes that purgatorye was founde agayne because they read in a booke named the Institution of a Christen man this worde Purgatory And yet haue I not heard hetherto that the selfe same persons haue shewed any tokens of gladnes for Gods woorde translated into english so that to me they seeme to reioyce more to haue the sely soules purged with punishmentes when they be departed then to haue them purged with the worde of God while they be here Who wil think but as they haue vttered theyr hartes concerning Purgatory with theyr tongues euen so say they in theyr stomakes that their holy father the Pope whome we may as iustly call the Bishop of Rome seeing he is there the head of S. Peters church as we may call the head of S. Paules church in London Byshop of London hath recouered agayne here in England his old authority yea that he neuer yet lost because they finde in theyr churches copes ropes bels and beades with other lyke holinesse and on themselues long gownes shauen crownes and fingers annointed with the holy oyle of idlenes For who will say but that these holy reliques declare the byshop of Rome as clarkly as this worde purgatory proueth a place to be where soules after the departure from theyr bodies suffer paines and punishmentes Doth not this preaty pageant of purgatory signifie and prognosticate what Tragedye they will play hereafter when the word of God shall blow and scatter from the face of the earth the darke cloudes and mistes of mens inuentions and shall scoure away y t rust of fleshly vnderstanding of the scriptures in other things likewise as it hath done in this if ought may be found in that booke wherwith they may resist that such thinges may be picked out of it the fruite which commonly hath come of all counsels conuocations and synodes since the Apostles time very few excepted causeth me somewhat to feare for if a mā wey the good with the bad that hath sprong from them
bycause hée lyueth in aduoultry or is a lecherous man If you thinke it a lawfull cause why doe you not preach it opēly why doe you not lay it to kynges charge Why suffer you them to bee kynges that lyue in aduoultry Why doe you not put your lawes in executiō You say they bée the lawes of holy church and therby may you depose Princes But if you wil put them in execution then were it much better to bée a Bishop or a Priest thē to be a Kyng or a Duke For you may lyue in whoredome or in any other vngracious lyuyng yea and that to the destruction of many mens soules and yet no mā so hardy to reproue you as your own law doth openly commaunde in these wordes If the Pope doe draw with hym innumerable people on a heape to the deuill of hell there to be punished for euer yet shal no mortall man presume to reproue hys sinnes for hée must iudge all men and may bée iudged of no man c. Lykewise haue you an other law in your Decretals that no lay mā may reproue a Priest c. How thinke you by these lawes if they bée not of the deuill tell me what is of the deuil You wil both reproue yea and also depose Princes but you will neither bée deposed nor yet reproued of any mortall man What thinke you your selues Gods But and ye will depose Kynges for fornication how would you handle kyng Dauid and kyng Salomon would you depose them bycause of aduoutry So doe you more then the Prophet Nathan durst doe Briefly will ye bée content that the kyng shall depose you for fornication then shall we shortly bee rydde of the most part of you But let vs come to Herode that kept his brothers wife would you depose hym therefore Then doe you more then S. Iohn durst doe For hée durst no more doe but reproue hys vice and dare you depose hym But let vs go forth with your law What authoritie had y e Pope you to set Pipinum in that rowme and not rather to let the kyngdome choose thē a king Our master Christ sayd hys kyngdome was not of this world But you will bée aboue kinges in this world not all onely depose them but also set in new at your pleasure Moreouer by what authoritie did the Pope dispence with the Realme of their othe Your law sayth that the holy church of Rome is wont so to doe I pray you of whom hath she learned this same wont who hath geuen her this authoritie Can shée discharge vs of our obedience that we owe to our Princes Is not this of the law of God Standeth it not also with y t law of nature Yea doe not Turkes infidels faythfully obey to their princes Is not the Princes power of God will you depose this power or can you dipēce with this lawe S. Peter learneth you y t you are more bound to obeye God and his lawe then man but you litle regarde S. Peters saying wherfore what say you to your owne lawe whose wordes bée these we must kéepe vnto Princes and powers fayth and reuerence c. My Lordes here you not fidem and oportet how come you with your despensation for our othe and say Non oportet that we are not bound to be obedient to our princes if you despence with vs. How cā you dispence with vs of our othe seing it is against Gods lawe Here may men sée what teachers you haue béene and also bée toward God and his holy Apostles and towarde your noble Princes And y e this thing may bée clearely knowne I shall resyte an other practyse of yours Our Chronicles make mention that in the time of Edward the iij. Pope Vrban dyd depose Perse King of Spaine because hée was a vicious liuer and set in hys stede one Henry a bastarde How thinke you standeth thys facte with Christes doctrine which of vs all that preach the Gospell hath gone about to doe princes such a villanye you doe the déede and laye the blame to vs. Doe you not remember how that in the dayes of Henry the iiij a captayne of your Church called Richard Scroupe Archbishop of Yorke dyd gather an hoste of men waged battell against hys kyng but God the defender of hys ruler gaue the king the victorye which caused y e traytor to bée beheaded And then your forefathers with their deuilishe crafte made the people beléeue by their false Chronicle that at euery stroke that was géeuē at the Bishops necke the kyng receaued an other of God in his neck And where as the king was afterward stricken with a sicknes you made him and all hys subiectes beléeue y e it was Gods punishmēt because hee had killed the Byshop And not thus content but you fayned after hys death that hée dyd miracles Is not thys toe much both to bée traytors to your king and also to faine God to bée displeased with your king for punishing of treason finally to make hym a saint and also that God had done miracles to the defending of hys treason How is it possible to inuent a more pestilent doctrine then thys is Here is Gods ruler despised and hereby is open treason maintained Thinke you that God will shewe miracles to fortifie these thynges But no doubt the prouerbe is true such lippes such lectuse such saintes such miracles Here were many thinges to bée sayd but I will passe it ouer I am sure you doe remember how obediently you droue King Iohn out of his kingdome And the very originall of the strife was because there were iiij Bishops of England at variaunce with the kinges grace and because hée required a dymie of the pyed Mōkes of England for to maintaine hys warre agaynst the Irishe men but they would géeue hym none Wherfore after y e king had sped well in Ireland hée reuenged him of y e Monkes and tooke of euery place a certayne For y t which thing your forefathers maintainers of your deuilishe doctrine wrote vnto their God y t Pope and caused him first to excommunicate the kyng and afterward to interdicte the land gaue it to the French kinges sonne which was maintayned through your fathers and your naturall king compelled to flée into Wales and there to tarye till y e time that hée was content to make agréement with your holy Idoll the Pope The cōditions of y e agréement were that hée should first géeue xl M. marke to the iiij Byshops and make restitution to the pyed Monkes agayne and also should géeue to Pandolphus the Popes Legate a great summe of money Finally hée should bée bound to géeue yearely to the Pope of Rome a certayne great summe of money and hée and all hys successors shoulde receaue the land of the Pope and holde it in sée ferme and vnto thys your fathers set their hādes seales binding them selues to tompell the
hée haue better reasōs and Scriptures of the newe and olde testament for hym then the Pope hath Neyther it can helpe to say that the counsell can not erre because y e Christ did pray that the fayth of the church should not fayle For I aunswere to thys that though the generall counsell doe represent the whole vniuersall church yet neuerthelesse in very déede there is not the vniuersall church but representatiue For the vniuersall church standeth in the election of all faythfull men throughout the whole worlde whose head spouse is Christ Iesus And the Pope is but the Vicar of Christ and not y e very head of the church Thys is the Church that can not erre c. Here sayth this Doctour that same sētence of the church that I sayd I brought also for the same purpose the saying of Augustine whose words bée these Those counsels that be gathered in euery prouince must without doubt geue place to the auctoritie of the full counsels which bée gathered of all christendome And also those full coūselles oftentymes must bée amended by the full counselles that come afterwarde if any thing bée opened by experience that was before shutte and if any thing bée knowne tha◠was before hydden And this must bée done without any shadow of superstitious pride without any boasted arrogācy without any contention of malicious enuy but wyth holy méekenes with holy peace and with Christen charitie c. Here S. Augustine sayth plainly that the full counselles may erre and may bée refourmed After this I did declare how a mā should know this church by what fignes and tokens sayd that where as the worde of God was purely and sincerely preached and the sacramēts orderly ministred after the blessed ordinaunce of Christ and where as mē did patiently suffer for the veritie the hearers did apply their lyuing to Christes doctrine and with méeknes receaued the holy sacaments These I sayde were good and perfect tokens to iudge vppon that there were certayne members of Christes church And to prooue this I brought also S. Augustine saying Our holy mother the church through all the world scattered farre and wyde taught in her true head Christ hath learned not to feare the contumelies of the Crosse nor yet of death But more more is shée strengthened not in resisting but in suffering Also Chrisostomes wordes bée these They that bée in Iudea let them flye vp to the mountaines that is to say they that bée in Christendome let them géeue themselues to scriptures Wherfore commaunded hée that all christen men in that tyme should flie vnto scriptures For in that tyme in the which heresies haue crepte into the church there can bée no true probation of christendome nor no other refuge vnto christen men willing to know the verity of fayth but the scriptures of God Before by many wayes was it shewed which was y e church of God and which was the congregation of y e Gentiles But now there is none other waye to them that will knowe whiche is the very true Churche of Christ but alonely by scriptures By workes first was y e church of Christe knowne when the congregation of christen men eyther of all or of many were holy the which holynes had not the wicked men But now christen men bée as euill or worse then heretikes or Gentiles yea and greater continencie is founde amonge them then christen men Wherefore hée that will know which is the very church of Christ how shall hée know it but by scriptures onely And therfore our Lorde considering that so great confusion of thynges shoulde come in the latter dayes for that cause commaundeth hée that christen men willing to reserue y ◠stedfastnes of true fayth shoulde flée vnto none other thyng but vnto scriptures For if they haue respect vnto other thynges they shall bée sclaundered and shall pearishe not vnderstandinge which is the true church c. Maister More hath no great thing in this pointe agaynst mée sauynge that hée sayth these sayinges are none of Chrisostomes but of an other mā written in Chrisostomes name Neuerthelesse I let it passe let other men iudge betwéene vs both Afterwarde because that I sawe so great persecution vsed by the popes church agaynst all maner of sortes of good men whome M. More caulleth heretikes more for his pleasure then for theyr deseruynge For this cause I say I brought a saying of Hilarius to prooue that they that did exercise such tyranny were more to bée compared to the Arians then to Christes church his saying is this The church doth threaten with banyshmentes imprisonmentes and shée compelleth men to beléeue her which was exiled and cast in prison Shée hangeth on y e dignitie of her felowshop the which was consecrated by the threatenings of persecutours Shée causeth Priestes to flee that were encreased by the chasing away of Priestes Shée glorieth that shée is loued of y e worlde the which coulde neuer bée Christes except the worlde did hate her c. After this I brought a saying of S. Barnard to proue that the name of spirituall array gorgious apparell y e is vsed in y e Popes church dyd not make y e Church Hys saying is thus They bée the ministers of Christ but they serue Antichrist they goe gorgiously arayed of our Lordes goodes vnto whom they geue no honor And of these commeth the decking of harlots that thou séest dayly the game players disguising kings apparell Of this commeth golde in their brydells in their saddelles and in their spurres so that their spures bée brighter then the aulters Of this commeth their plenteous wyne presses their full sellers bolking from this vnto ye. Of this cōmeth their tūnes of sweete wynes Of this bée their bagges so fylled For such thinges as these bée will they bée rulers of the Church As Deacons Archdeacons Byshops Archbyshops c. Men may make an exposition of S. Barnarde but it wil bée hard to frame hym to their purpose But for a conclusion M. More and I doe vary but in this poynt that hée sayth the very Church of God stādeth by them that bée good and bad and I say that the trew church of Christ standeth in thē onely that bée good men For the kingdome of Christ is distincted in very déede from the kingdome of y e deuyll For euell men bée doubtles the membres of the dyuell as Paule sayth Ephe. 2. Also our M. Christ sayth vnto the Pharysyes You are of your father the dyuell Wherefore it can not stande with no learning that wicked men which bée the members of the deuyll and bée gouerned by hym can bée members of Christs body though that in this present lyfe they bée not yet so declared vnto y e worlde God send vs all his grace y ◠we may bée of his holy Church and mēbres of his blessed Sonne Iesus Amen FINIS What the keyes of
an other but because that all men can not vse these keyes all together for y e would make a confusion therofore doth the Church that is the congregation of faythfull men commyt the ministratiof these keyes that is of preaching y e worde of God vnto certayne men whome they thinke most able and best learned in the worde of God the which mē thus chosen bée but ministers of the commen treasure and no Lordes ouer it For the Churche may depose them y e is shée may take away the open and the common mynistration that shée committed vnto them if they vse it not well and then they bée but as other Christen men hauing no common office nor administration in the Church Wherfore they may neither preach nor yet minister sacramentes openlye but as other Christen men may doe pryuately in their owne houses or in other places where men bée gathered which wil heare of Christ there I saye both they and all other Christē men may speake and learne Christes worde and declare it after the gift y e is geuen vnto them of God And they that doe beléeue this word thus preached by Christen men bée by the power of y e keyes losed from their sinne and bound if they beléeue not For all the Church and euery part of the Church haue power to execute these keyes all onely that the open order bée not broken This doth S. Paule declare saying you may all interpretate scriptures but sée that all thinges sée done after an order Now to kéepe an order and that nothing should bée done after a confuse manner therefore the Church assigneth certayne men to be the open and the common mynisters of this treasure the which bée but all onely minysters and no Lordes And of this cōmon treasure and not of their priuate treasure as S. Paule sayth let a man so reckē vs as the ministers of Christ and dispensators of the mynystery of God Also in an other place what is S. Paule what is Appollo but mynisters by whom you haue beléeued Also S. Peter your predecessor commaundeth you that you shoulde not exercise any dominion ouer the congregations but geue example to the flocke Bée not these playne scriptures how you bée no Lordes but ministers of Christes treasure and you leaue the ministration and vsurpe auctoritie S. Petter whose successors you boast your selues to bée commaūdeth you that you shoulde bée alonely but ministers keybearers of these keyes As Chrisostome prooueth in these wordes The keye bearers are priestes vnto whome is committed the worde to teach and to interprete Scriptures c. Heare you not how you bée but keybearers and teachers of y ◠worde of God This doth S. Ambrose witnesse in these wordes sinnes bée forgeuen by the worde of God whose interpreter is the Deacon c. Marke that sinnes bée forgeuen by the word of God of the which you bée but interpreters Where is now I pray you your Lordly power which you call the keyes of heauen is not Scripture and the practise of the Apostles and the exposition of holy Doctours opēly against you Will you vsurpe a thing that is contrary to all these I pray you where finde you in all holy Scripture but one that Peter or Paule did assoyle after the maner of your keyes And yet no doubt but they had the keyes yea and also dyd vse them Wherfore it is to mée great maruayle of whome you haue learned your vsage and where you haue gotten such keyes It maketh no matter to mée though you cry as you are wonte Fathers Fathers Counsels Counsels the Churche the Church For it wilnot helpe you You sée opēly that I haue the holy worde of god and our maister Christe which is elder then our fathers I haue also the practise of the holy Apostles that vnderstand this thynge better then all your counsels But let vs graunt that you haue fathers and counselles for you That is the next way to deceaue the church of God By whom can Christen men bée deceaued but by such men as bée of auctoritie and dignitie of y t world This you know that men can not bée deceaued by Horses nor by Calues but it must bée by men and not by foolishe mē for who will regarde fooles but by them that bée reckoned of wisdome and of reputation in the world And not by one wise man for an other wyse man may bée of as good reputation and wisdome as hée but it must bée by many or els it can haue no shyne nor colour of excellencie yea and by such a multitude that reason can not suspect So that there is neuer so great daunger vnto the church of God as when all these thynges come togither And therefore sayth y e holy Prophete Blessed is that man that foloweth not the counsels of wicked men You know that counselles cā bée no smale thing nor no foolishe nor the wicked men themselues doe recken it for no smale thinge but for the greatest thynge and the wysest thyng and the strongest that they can thinke or deuise And no doubte but it hath a fore reason and a fore all the worlde a great apparence of no smale wisdome and is so strong that euery man is compelled to receaue it Yea and also those men haue auctoritie for as the Prophet saith they sitte in the chayre the which doth both signifie great learning and and also great auctoritie And yet saith y e Prophet that blessed is hée that foloweth not their counselles nor sitteth in theyr chayre Now if these thynges coulde bée iudged by some reason or els they séemed so euill that all the worlde could iudge them What néede the holy Ghost to make such a dooe or to write so strongly agaynst them yea and to say that blessed is hée y e heareth them not Wherfore hée must néedes speke of such mischiefe and of such falshod and of such errours as haue all those thinges for them that you brynge for you That is fatherhod wysdome learning auctoritie multitude and long custome The which thyngs bée able to peruerte any man bée hée neuer so wise or neuer so holy if hée sticke not fast to the worde of God onely And therefore sayth the Prophet Blessed is hee whose wyll and meditation is night and day that is continually in the law of God Vnto the which if all your coūsels all your fathers all your customes briefly all that you bring for you bée compared then shall wée sée whether it bée true and of God or not For of themselues they haue no truth but bée inuentions of corrupted reason and perswasions of the deuill to peruerte the holy church of God But my Lordes let vs goe to reason Tell mée by your honour is it reasonable that the holy Churche of God redéemed wyth Christes precious bloud and assoyled by hym from all her sinnes should bée now bounde vnto you and to your absolution and that shée
a burden of a tyraunt that is layde on vs and neither helpeth to the increasing of gods honour nor to the edifiyng of our brethreÌ„ they them selues kéepe theÌ„ not Of these speaketh our master Christ they binde gréeuous and vntollerable burdens lay them on mens neckes but they themselues will not once set their litle â—inger to them As for an example To eate fleshe on the Fryday is forbidden by the Byshoppes now if they compell thée to it as vnto a thyng necessary and without the which thou canst not bée saued then shalt thou not doe it vnder the payne of sinne but if they will haue thée kéepe this as a thyng of congruence and as a thyng that may bée an exterior meane to mortifie the bodie or an outwarde shyne of holynes and vnto this he will compell thée by outwarde paynes this thyng shalte thou doe of thy charitie béecause thou wilt not breake the outwarde order nor make any disquietnesse for those thinges that neyther make thée good nor yet condemne thee béefore God for as S. Paule sayth if wée eate neither are wée the better nor if wée eate not are wée the worse Alwayes prouided that in these indifferent thynges thou neyther set confidence nor holynesse nor yet offende thy weake brothers charitie for therein though thou bée frée in thy selfe the thyng is also indiffereÌ„t to thée yet of charitie fréely makest thou thy selfe seruaunt to all meÌ„ as S. Paule saith When I was frée from all thynges yet dyd I make my selfe a seruaunte that I might winne many men Note that hée alwayes speaketh of weake brethren and not of obstinate and indurate persons agaynst whome thou shalt alwayes withstand and defende thy libertye as hée dyd hée is thy weake brother that hath a good minde and béeléeueth the worde of God neuerchelesse hée hath not that gifte to perceaue as yet this libertie to vse indifferent thynges fréely wyth thankes Therfore fayth and charitie must bée thy guide in all these thynges and folowing them thou canst not erre FINIS That all men are bounde to receiue the holy Communion vnder both kyndes vnder the payne of deadly sinne IF men had stucke to the opeÌ„ scriptures of God to y e practise of Christes holy church and to y e exposition of olde doctours as it did béecome Christen men to doe then had it not béene néedefull for mée to haue taken these paynes labours in this cause nor yet to haue layd to their charges those thinges y â— Antichrist doth onely But now seeyng that they will doe the open déedes of Antechrist they must bée conteÌ„t that I may also geue them his name And that all the world may openly know y â— Antechrist doth raine in the world yea and that vnder the name of Christ I will heare set you forth an act of his which wheÌ„ it is coÌ„pared to our M. Christes wordes I doe not doubt but all trew Christen men will iudge it to bée of the deuyll as it is in very déede though that the childreÌ„ of the world doe iudge it otherwyse This doe I say of an acte that the Councell of Constance dyd make agaynst the most holy and glorious sacrament of our eternall God Iesus Christ Where in the one kynde of this most blessed sacrament was condemned as vnlawfull for lay men to receiue and y â— euery man may know by what auctoritie they dyd it what thing did moue them to condemne so blessed and so gloryous an ordinance of our Lord Iesus Christ here will I wryte their owne wordes which be these As this custome for auoyding certayne sclaunders and perrils was resonably brought in notwithstaÌ„ding in the béeginning of the Church this sacrament was receiued of Christen men vnder both kindes afterward it was receiued al onely vnder y e kind of bread wherefore séeing that such a custome of the Church and of holy fathers reasonably brought in long obserued must bée taken for a lawe y t which shall not bée lawfull to reprooue nor without auctorytie of the Church to chauÌ„ge it at a maÌ„s pleasure Wherfore to say y â— it is sacrilege or vnlawfull to obserue this coÌ„suetude or law must bée iudged erronius and they that doe pertinaciter defende the contrary of these premissis must bée restrayned as heretikes and greuously punished by the Byshops or their officials or by them that bée inquisitores hereticae prauitatis which that bée in kyngdomes or in prouinces in these men that doe attempt or presume any thyng agaynst thys decrée shall men procéede agaynst them after the holy and lawfull decrées that bée inuented agaynst heretickes and their fauters into the fauoure of the Catholicall fayth c. Now wyll I exhorte all Christen men in y e glorious name of our mightie Lord Iesus Christ which is both their redéemer shall bée their iudge that they wyll indifferently heare this article discussed by the blessed worde of our Maister Christ Iesus whiche was not alonely of God but also very God himselfe and all that hée dyd was done by the counsel of the whole trinitie and not alonely by his by whole counsell all counselles both in heauen and earth must bée ordered and that counsell that is contrary to it whether it bée of Sainte Angel or of man must bée accursed and iudged to bée of the deuil though they bée neuer so mighty neuer so well learned and neuer so many in multitude for there is no power no learning nor yet no multitude neither in heauen nor in earth nor no ieoperdies nor no sclauÌ„ders that may iudge Christ and hys holy worde nor that they may géeue place vnto Wherfore if I can prooue by open Scriptures of our Mayster Christ and also by the practise of holy Church that this counsell is false and damnable then let all Christen men iudge which of vs must bée heard and béeléeued eyther the counsell hauyng no scripture yea contrary to all scripture or els I that haue the opeÌ„ worde of God and the very vse and practise of the holy Apostles of holy church Christ is of God that no maÌ„ doubteth but y e holy counsell though there were fiue thousaÌ„des of byshops therin must proue theÌ„selues to bée of God by the worde of God and by theyr workes the which they can not doe if they bée contrary to Christ and hys blessed worde Moreouer Christ is not true vnder a condition bycause that men doe a low hym for though all the worlde were agaynst hym yet were hée neuerthelesse true but the couÌ„sell is not true but alonely vnder this condition bycause it doth agrée with Christes holy worde and of it selfe it hath no veritie but is of the deuill if it varye from Christ Before the dreadfull trone of God shall y e counsell bée iudged by Christes holy worde Christ shal not bée iudged by the decrée of the counsell but hée shall bée the counsels
iudge and if Christes worde condemne the couÌ„sell who shal approoue it who shall prayse it who shall defende it The temporall sworde nor the multitude of Byshops nor interdiction excommunication nor cursing can then helpe Wherefore let euery true ChristeÌ„ man looke on this matter indifferently it is no trifling wyth God nor with his holy worde for God will remayne for euer his holy word must bée fulfilled and if we wil not fulfill it bée shal cast vs down to the déepe pit of hell and make of stones meÌ„ in our stede that shall kéepe his worde It is no light thyng for it lyeth on the saluation and damnation both of body and soule froÌ„ the which we can not bée deliuered with these glorious wordes Concilium ConciliuÌ„ Patres Patres Episcopi Episcopi for all these may bée the ministers of the deuill yea though they were aungels Therfore ones agayne I doe monish and exhorte in the glorious name of the lyuing God and in y e swéet bloud of Christ Iesus all true ChristeÌ„ men to take héede what they doe agaynste Christes holy word whiche is their eternal God their mercyfull redemerand shall bée also their mighty and glorious iudge Now let vs examine the wordes of the Councell First of all the Councell graunteth that in the begynning of the church all Christen men were houseled vnder both kyndes nowe would I knowe of the Councell of whom the Church had receiued this maner of Christ or his holy Apostles as doubtles shée dyd then what authoritye had the Councell to chaunge the institution of Christ and of his holy Apostles and also the vse and practise of holy Church was not the first Churche of God Did shée not kéepe Christes institution did shée not fulfill Christes word Did not y e holy Apostles learne here so And now shall the Councell of Constance first condemne Christ and his blessed word then the learnyng of Christes holy Apostles and also the long vse and practise of Christes blessed Church without any Scripture without authoritie or without any speciall reuelation froÌ„ God but alonely for auoydyng of certeine perils Yea and not content alonely to coÌ„demne these thinges but vnder the paine of heresie to coÌ„demne them This is to sore a coÌ„demnation of Christes open woorde and of that thyng whiche they graunt that the Church dyd vse at the begynnyng Furthermore the Councell sayth that holy fathers and the Church dyd bryng in this custome to housell laye men vnder one kinde Are you not ashamed of these woordes Doth not your conscience prike you thus openly to lye yea of Christ and of his holy Church Christes worde is openly agaynste you and you graunt that the vse of the church was also otherwise And as for holy fathers here may you sée what they say to it but you are the children of the kyngdome of lyes and doubtlesse if you bryng not foorth the holy fathers that make for you you shall not alonely bée taken for abhominable and â—…en lyers but also for shameful and detestable sclaunderers both of holy Church and also of holy fathers But it is no wonder for Antichrist must declare him selfe openly to bée agaynst Christ yet is hée neuer without an excuse and a shaddow of holynes where by hée may blynd the poore people But what excuse had hée here in the Councell to coÌ„demne Christes worde That they might auoyde certaine sclauÌ„ders and perrils béecause that there is no body without bloud Bée not these lawfull causes to condemne Christes open word yea and that vnder the payne of heresie Is not this a new maner of law to make that hée that will not obeye a statute made agaynst Gods word which hée is bouÌ„de to obey vnder payne of euerlastyng damnation alonely for auoydyng perrils to bée condemned for an hereticke Briefely by this reason may they condemne all holy Scripture by laying icoperdies perrils thereto they may condemne all the creatures of God for there may bée perill in vsing of them all But what néede many wordes to prooue this Councell to bée of the deuill for if that bée not of the deuill that is contrary to Christ and hath no excuse for it but alonely to auoyde perrils I caÌ„ not tell what is of the deuill I am sure Antichrist shall neuer bée without some carnall excuse for if hée will deny Christ to bée both God man hée shall haue stronger carnall reasons for him then the Councell hath for this but this matter must not bée iudged by carnal reasons It is Gods worde that is aboue all creatures wherefore let vs goe to the Scriptures as a sure ancore to ouercome Antichrist with all his carnall reasons First our maister Christ when hée dyd institute this blessed Sacrament did vse these woordes take it and eate it this is my body c. Likewise takyng the challice hée gaue thankes gaue it vnto them saying drinke all of this this is my bloud of the newe testament the which shall bée shed for many into remission of sinnes These bée playne wordes drinke of it all hée that sayth all excepteth no man Furthermore hée knewe that there might bée ieoperdies in the receiuyng of it yet hée sayth drinke of it all for it is my bloud that shall bée shed for the remission of sinnes Now was it not shed for lay mens sinnes why shal they not then drinke of it The maister and the Lord sayth drinke therof and shall the miserable seruaunt withstand his commaundemeÌ„t yea commaunde the playne contrary and say drinke not therof But now commeth my Lord of Rochester which perceiueth that the Councel is connict in that that it consenteth that the whole Church in the begynnyng did receiue this Sacrament vnder both kyndes and yet forbiddeth that same thyng and sayth to mainteine this errour that Christe spake these wordes drinke of it all alonely to his Apostles for there were no other men there but the Apostles and therfore they must alonely drinke therof I aunswere My Lord if this thing were alonely lawfull vnto the Apostles how will you discharge the primatiue Churche in the whiche were those men that Christ ministred this Sacrament vnto yea the selfe men did minister it vnder both kyndes to the whole congregation accordyng to this commaundement drinke of it all Dout not but they vnderstoode Christes will as well as you in this commaundement But in the way of communication let vs grauÌ„t you that to the Apostles this was onely sayd how will you theÌ„ discharge your owne Priestes from deadly sinne the which receiue it vnder both kindes and yet bée they neither Apostles nor successours of theÌ„ but after your own learnyng the Bishops alonely bée their successours the Priestes doe represent lxxij Disciples Shal they in this thyng represeÌ„t the Apostles and in absoluyng from sinne but the Disciples But let vs sée farther in your for fetched reason tel vs how
you doe honour in sensible thinges And maketh you to beleeue that you bee not wicked when you hurt sensible and reasonable men c. 346. col 1 Clement sayth also in an other place What thing is there so wicked and vnthankfull as to receaue a benefyte of God and to geue thankes vnto stocks and stones Wherfore wake and vnderstand your health c. 346. col 2 Augustine sayth Let vs not loue any visible spectacles least by erring from the veritie and by louing shadowes we bee brought into darknes let vs haue no deuocion to our phantasies It is better to haue a trew thing what so euer it bee then all maner of thinges y t may bee fayned at our owne pleasure c. 346. col 2 Hierome Bee it knowē vnto y e King c. The properties of the wordes be to bee marked that hee sayth We will not worship thy Gods nor yet honour thy Image for neither of both become the seruauntes of God to doe c. 346. col 2 God for vs all hath geuen his sonne shall he not geue vs all thinges with hym 347. col 1 There is one mediatour between God and man the man Christ Iesus the which hath geuen him selfe for the redemption of all men 347. col 1 S. Iohn sayth If a man doe sinne we haue an aduocate by the father Christ Iesus 347. col 2 S. Paule sayth The spirite of God maketh intercession mightely for vs with mightie desires that can not be expressed with toung c. 347. col 2 Also S. Paule sayth Christ sitteth on the right hande of the father the which doth also praye for vs. c. 347. col 2 Paule sayth Hee is our wisedome he is our satisfaction and our redemption made of God c. 347. col 2 S. Iohn sayth No man commeth to the father but by mee c. 348. col 1 S. Iohn sayth I am the way onely in the father c. 348. col 1 S. Iohn also sayth Whatsoeuer you aske in my name the father shall geue it you c. 348. col 1 S. Iames sayth All good giftes commeth from the father of lyght 348. col 2 Dauid sayth When I am troubled I will cry vnto the Lord and hee will helpe me c. 349. col 1 Dauid sayth My helpe is of God that hath made heauen and earth 349. col 1 Augustine sayth Let vs haue no deuotion in honoryng of dead men for if they liued wel they may not bee counted for such men as to desire such honours but they will that God shall bee honored of vs by whose lightenyng they reioyce that we are made companions of their glory Wherfore saintes must bee honored by folowyng them but not by honoryng them of deuotion c. 349. col 2 That man was forbydden of the aungell to worship hym but alonely to worshyp one God c. 350. col 1 Chrisostome sayth Doost thou see this womā which was vnworthy but by her perseueraunce was made worthy wilt thou learne also that we praying vnto God in our owne persons doe more profite thē when other men doe pray for vs. This woman did cry and the disciples came and prayed him that hee would speed her for she cryeth on vs. But to them hee aunswered I am not sent but vnto the sheepe which are perished of y e house of Israell But when shee came her selfe and dyd perseuer crying and saying Yes Lord for the whelpes doe eate the crūmes that fall from their maisters tables thē dyd hee geue her the benefite and sayd bee it vnto thee as thou wilt Doost thou not see how hee dyd repell her when other men prayed for her but whē shee came her selfe and cryed hee did graūt her Vnto them hee sayd I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe But vnto the woman hee sayth bee it vnto thee as thou wilt c. 350. col 1 Also Chrisostome sayth We haue no neede of Patrōs before God nor neede of much processe to speake fayre vnto other men but though thou bee alone and wantest a patron but prayest God by thy selfe yet for all that shalt thou haue thy desire God doth not so lightly graunt when other men pray for vs as when we pray our selues yea though we be full of sinnes c. 350. col 1 Ambrose sayth Men are wont to vse this miserable excusation that by these thynges may wee come to God as we may come to y e kyng by Earles I aunswere wee doe come vnto the Kyng by the meanes of Dukes and Earles because that the kyng is a mā and knoweth not to whom hee may commit the common wealth but vnto God from whom nothyng cā bee hid hee knoweth all mens merites wee neede no spokesmā nor no mediatour but alonely a deuoute mynde c. 354. col 1 ¶ That Councels may erre PAnormitanus sayth That Councels may erre as they haue erred as concernyng that contract of Matrimony Inter raptorem raptā the saying of S. Hierome was afterward preferred aboue the statuteof the Councell as it is proued 36. q. 2. Tria for in things cōcernyng the faith is the saying of a priuat persō to bee preferred before the saying of the pope if hee haue better reasōs scriptures of the new of the old Testamēt for him then y e Pope Nor it can not helpe to say that the Councell can not erre because that Christ dyd pray for his Church that her fayth should not fayle ▪ For I aunswere to this that though the generall Councell doe represent the whole vniuersall Church neuertheles in very deede there is not the very vniuersall Church but representatiue For the vniuersall Church standeth in the election of all faythfull men and all fayth full men of the world make that vniuersall Churche whose head and spouse is Christ Iesus and the Pope is but the Vicare of Christ and not the very head of the Churche this is the Church that cā not erre c. 248. col 1 Augustine sayth Those Councels that bee gathered in euery Prouince must without doubt geue place to the authoritie of the full Councels whiche bee gathered of all Christendome and also those full counsels oft tymes must bee amended by the full counsels that come after if any thing bee opened by any experience that was afore shut and if any thing bee knowen that was hidden And this may bee done without any shadow of superstitious pride with out any boasted Arrogancy without any contention of malicious enuy but with holy meekenes with holy peace and with Christen charitye c. 248. col 2 ¶ That the spiritualty is subiect to temporall power and lawes and ought not to resiste by violence THe holy Church of God hath no sworde but the spirituall sword w t the which shee doth not kill but quicken c. 191. col 2
doctrine nedeth not now of miracles for it was confirmed by Christ with myracles Math. 24. The Pope commeth 〈◊〉 Christes name with false miracles The preachers of gods word confirmed the same with miracles whyle they were alyue God suffeâ—eth such as haue no loue to hys truth to be deceaued with lying miracles Why the Pope tell In the Popish church all miracles are wrought by dead Saintes S. Thomas of CaÌ„terbury Thomas de Aquino Dunce ☜ Miracles Our fayth may not be grounded onely vpon miracles but vpon the worde of God Math. 1â— Iohn 21. The Apostles of Christe knew no such authoritie as the Pope now vsurpeth What iâ— there had bene no scripture Grekes God to 〈…〉 â—…de heresâ—… caused the scriptures to be written â–ª Noe. What faith â—…th Where true faith is there is repentauÌ„ce and ameÌ„dment of 〈◊〉 ☜ Abraham The elderâ— did erre The elders in y e time of the Iewes did erre The Scribes Phariseis and Elders did erre The scripture was aucthorised by true myracles False bookes set forth by the Papistes Erasmus The true church teacheth nothing but that which the scripture proueth and mainteineth The Pope hideth the scripture The Papistes hide y e scripture The scripture is the cause why men beleue y â— scripture The Papistes docctrine is nâ—â— to be beleued wiihouâ— scripture Why the 〈◊〉 is not to be beleued wtout scripture why he is not the true church The doctrine of the Papistes hath bene 〈◊〉 resisted by y e scripture What thinges 〈◊〉 finde in scripture Rom. 〈◊〉 1. Cor. â— 1. Cor. 2. Iohn 5. Iohn 7. Heb. 8. The Papistes will neither by Gods lawe nor mans refraine froÌ„ their wicked liuyng Iohn 10. The Papistes will lose nothing that belongeth to them Christ deliuered the Iewes out of errour ☜ None haue more care of the scripture then those that beleue it not M. More reasoneth agaynst himselfe ☜ Actes 13. Iohn 8. They that preach not Christ truty are murtherers The end of hipocrites Predestination Balam Wit must first shew a cause and then will is sturted to worke More feeleth Purgatory Popish doe trine concernyng Purgatory The pope how he can both forgeue and receiue sinne Tyndall feeleth Purgatory Iohn 15. Iohn 13. Bodyly payne purgeth the body and not y e soule M. More â—o of an euil opinion Faith in Châ—… 〈◊〉 purchaseth forgâ—… of sinne Ephe. 5. There is no purgatory for hym that dyeth repentâ—unt beleueth Iohn 15. 1. Iohn 〈◊〉 Payne of sinne 〈◊〉 popes 〈◊〉 Purgatory prâ—… to y â— Pope Purgatory to a tormenting Iayle as y â— Pope maketh it Money dispatcheth Purgatory The Pope is Antichrist The fleshly children do naturally consent vnto lyes The fleshly mynded can neuer consent vnto Gods law The fleshly persecute them of the spirite The true church is not w t out a signe of a miracle to proue that it is Gods church The popes life doctrine is more wicked theÌ„ the Turkes all y e heatheÌ„ that euer were Euticus Actes 3. All glory and honour is to be geuen to the name of Iesu Iudges Deut. 17. Purgatory to the foundation of Abbeyes Colledges c. M. More is a commoÌ„â—ester and a scouÌ„er ☞ The Papistes are cruell and vnmercyfull Sweryng The oth of a witnes may be taken but no maÌ„ may be coÌ„pelled to sweare be a witnes A godly lesson M. More is a lyer The Papistes are obstinate will not repent Iudas Prayers of an euill Priest profite not A fond saying To minister SacrameÌ„ts with out signification is to be lead in darkenesse Sacrifice Heb. 10. Christes body in the SacrameÌ„t is not carnall but spirituall Christe was sacrificed on the crosse once for all More Deacons Tyndall Christes Deaâ—…s and the pâ—â—eâ— Deacons differ much More Priestes Tyndall More Tyndall 1. Iohn 4. M. Mores fayth was a common fayth More Tyndall More Tyndall As good no lawe as a law not executed Age is to be preferred before â—outh The chast vnchastirie of the Papistes is abhominable both to God and man S. Hierome The Pope iudgeth no sinne to bee sinne and sinne to be no sinne A Priest by the Popes order may haue a whore but not a wife Rom. 14. Mores doctrine is superstitious 1. Tim. 4. The Pope forbiddeth mariage Apparant godlynesse why the Priest may not haue y â— secoÌ„d wife Christes benefites toward vs are figured by matrimony We were Idolaters when we came to Christ S. Paules doctrine is that priests shuld haue wiues Widowes More is a scoâ—fer The office of the wâ—ddowes in y e primatine church Rom. 13 â–ª Young widowes were forbiddeÌ„ to minister in the commoÌ„ seruice Fishe no better then fleshe nor fleshe no better then fishe in the kingdame of Christ 〈◊〉 ☞ Tyndall More Tyndall Three lyes at â—…ce 〈…〉 Priestes must be endued wyth vertue and honesty Generall counsell Parlâ—…ment The 〈◊〉 vsed both in generall to â–ª â—…es and also 〈◊〉 parliamentes A practise vsed in all counsayles and Parlamentes The spiritualtie make heretickes of them that resist theyr power and will Why Priestes may haue no wyues The chastitie of the â—â—ergy pertâ—â—neth to the tempoâ—…ie as much as to the spiritualtie Vowes No oth is to be kept that is agaynst charitie or necessitie The popes snares 〈◊〉 2. 3. 4. 5. Tyndall doth here playnly proue More an hereticke That is euer best that moueth man to the kepyng of Gods commaundementes ☜ Deuilish doctrine Math. 15. Christes natural body is not in the Sacrament The Sacrament of the body 〈◊〉 bloud of Christ how it must be receiued ☞ S. Michael wayeth 〈◊〉 soules The true seruice of God what it is Whether it were best that priestes were gelded ☜ Leuit. 10. More Tyndall Paphnutius More had two wiues therefore was Bigamus More Tyndall The Pope a cruell tyraâ—nt More Tyndall The spiritualtie would not haue the scripture in Englishe Hunne More Horsey Tyndall If we be not giltie we neede no pardon More woulde excuse the murther of Hunne Hunne ☜ More Tyndall Doetour Lolet Olde translation More was a subtill Poet. The hauyng of the Scripture in English is vtterly agaynst the myndes of the Popish Clergie More Tyndall The scripture was first deliuered to the pâ—opâ—e in their vulgere toung More Tyndall More Tyndall The ordinaâ—… are hangmeÌ„ to such as desire the knowledge of the scripture None can vnderstand the Scripture except he knewe Christ to be his iustification More Tyndall More Tyndall Eare confession and pardons were neuer confirmed by miracle More Tyndall The Popish spiritualitie are tyrâ—unts persecutors More Tyndall Pope forbiddeth matrimony the eatyng of meates The wicked monstrous doynges of the Pope More Tyndall More Tyndall More Tyndall All Sacramentes teach vs what to do or what to beleue More Tyndall Eare confession destroyeth the beneâ—ite of Christes bloud More Tyndall More Tyndall RepeÌ„tauÌ„ce More Tyndall SacrameÌ„t More Fayth Tyndall The Pâ—pistes aâ—â— slaundâ—â—â—s of the Gospell More Woâ—… Tyndall â–ª More Tyndall We can do no
Gene. 32. Iohn 6. Papistes are the wresters of Scriptures The Sacramenteâ—… are confirmations to weake consciences Fayth encreaseth by the worthy receiuyng of the Sacramentes Math. 28. Math. 18. Ephe. 3. The olde Doctours vary in their opinion of the SacrameÌ„t In aunswere to them of the second opinion Christ once sacrificed is a sacrifice for euer The doctrine of the Papistes Papistes be agreued with â—uch as consent not to their gâ—osse opiâ—…on Signes coÌ„monly called by the name of thyngs signified therby Note this worthy true argument followyng All the doctors with one accorde call the Sacrament a sacrifice Papistes should be indifferent in iudgementes as Protestants are TransubciatioÌ„ was a worde vsed among the olde Doctours An effectual and good Argument The Pope confirming transubstantiatioÌ„ did purchase hys own gayne to the ouerthrow of the right vse of Christes Sacrament The commoÌ„ persuasion of Papistes Marke 9. Papistes are cruell persecutâ—rs The faithfull are in good state though the wicked iudge the contrary 1. Cor. 13. Phil. 2. Fayth onely iustifieth what it is to say Gene. 32. Gene. 33. Gene. 35. Exod. 12. Exod. 30. Iudi. 10. Iudi. 15. Iudic. 19. 1. Reg. 6. 1. Reg. 7. 3. Reg. 22. Nume 6. Ierem. 7. Ezech. 12. A short and effectuall collection of the former arguments An obiectioÌ„ made by y t Papistes An aunswere to y u former obiection In excelleÌ„t argument 3. Reg. 8. 3. Reg. 8. Math. 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. A letter of Maister Tyndall to M. â—râ—â—h 1. Pet. 2. 1. Ioh. 5. Math. 5. Rom. 8. Phil. 3. Boldnes of spirite Weunde not conscience Standing vpoÌ„ thinges necessary Death after denying euill spoken of by the aduersaries Obedience of God To looke for no maÌ„s helpe bringeth Gods helpe Conslancie in staÌ„ding Pacience in suffering Bylney Perseueraunce to the end Math. 21. Two Martyrs at Antwerpe Foure martyrs in FlauÌ„ders and one at Luke PersecutioÌ„ at Roâ—ne Fiue Doctours at Paris takeÌ„ for y e Gospell In other Letter of M. Tyndall Hygh questions to be auoyded All deedes before they bee iustified by fayth are sinne Preachyng the law of God and mercy of Christ SacrameÌ„ts without significations to be refused M. Tynball heâ—e beareth with tyme. By the affirâ—… he â—…neth the â—…on which M. Luther the â—axoÌ„s be hold of the Sacrament M. Tyndall aâ—… beareth w t tyme. Vbiquetie can not be proued Eating the whores flesh is to spoyle the Popes Churche â–ª onely for y â— praye and spoyle ther of Worldly wisedome so farre as it may serue to Gods glorie may be vsed Low waâ—kyng The vpright handlyng in the translation of M. Tyndall A low hart maketh a man hygh with God Authoritie is the glory of age Meekenes is the glory of youth Purgatory hath no profe by Scripture Iohn 6. The Iewes wer blynd and ignorant vnderstode not the wordes of Christ The true worke that is acceptable before God Abacuk 2. The Iewes desire a sigâ—e or token whereby they might beleue that he was Christ Psal 7. Christ required of the Iewes to haue fayth and trust in hym Christ explaneth sheweth him selfe to the Iewes Fayth onely appreheÌ„deth Christ and all hys benefites Christ rebuketh the incredulitie and lacke of fayth in the Iewes All that the father draw come vnto Christ Christe came from heaueÌ„ into earth to fulfill the will of his father He. y â— beleueth Christes death to be for the remissioÌ„ of his sinnes the same cateth y â— fleshe drinketh the bloud of Christ The cause of y e Iewes murmur Christ reproueth the murmuryng of the Iewes Esay 54. Ierem. 31. Iohn 6. All that beleue hope in Christ haue euerlastyng life M. More had not the vnderstandyng of the scriptures 1. Cor. 11. More is a mocker The eating or the bread of Christ is onely to beleue in Christes â—eath How the bread signifieth and sheweth Christes â—…esh Christes flesh is the spirituall foode of ouâ— soules The obstinate wilfull blyndnes of the Iewes The malice of the Iewes toward our Sauiour Christ The carnal Papistes ceasse not still to offer hym Hebr. 10. Thomistes be y â— schole Doctours Christ in saiyng y â— hys flesh is very meate doth not say that bread shal be transubstaâ—â—ated into hys flesh Christes wordes are spirituall not carnall More declareth hys ignoraunce and wilfull blyndnes More reporteth the Scriptures vntruly Mores first reason is coÌ„futeâ— Iohn 6. 10. 15. Christes Disciples murmured not at hys saying Christes â—…s wâ—… in all thynges to be spiritually vnderstand Abacuk 2. The confutation of his ij argument Christ in that he is God may doe all things that he will but yet he will not falsefye hys holy Scriptures More is a great setteâ—orth of vnwritten veâ—ities Although y e Pope daâ—e â—ot take vppon hym to be God â–ª yet he is coÌ„tented to be named taken for halfe a God Esay 42. Christ â—s touchyng his manhode occupieth at one â—y me but one place but hys Godhead is in all places at once Iohn 14. Iohn 10. Hebr. 11. Hebr. 9. Christes must nedes dye for God had so promised before Iohn 2. and 12. God may not be fouÌ„dâ—… More would haue beleued Christ if he had talked with hym what soeuer hee had said to him Gods almightye power is not to be to busely deale withall More doth but scoffe out the matter Matters of â—ayth are repugnauÌ„t to reason Gods blessed will is declared in his Scriptures More traucâ—leth in his Poetrie Mores similitude of faces in the glasse proueth no faces in substaunce By â—ayth we must eate and drinke Christes body and bloâ—d spiritually More writeth against hym selfe More an vpholder of vnwritten verities Abacuk 2. Fayth is y â— life of the righteous 1. Iohn 4. By fayth we eate drinke Christ and so he abydeth in vs and we in hym Christen religion is fayth and a lyfe correspondeÌ„t The Iewes and also the disciples of Christe were offended at his wordes Here Christ doth playnly shew that it is the spirituall eatyng not the fleshly eatyng of his body that profiteth The eating of Christes flesh profited nothyng The wordes of Christe were spirit and life Christes disciples vnderstode Christ to speake spiritually and beleued Math. 26. Math. 24. Luke 24. 1. Cor. 11. The order of the actâ—… Christ consecrated no bread but deliuered it to his Apostles to eate There is left vnto vs no wordes of consecration wherby we should alter and chauÌ„ge the nature of bread into his body The vse of the Supper The paschal lambe The true meanyng significatioÌ„ of the Sacrament of the body bloud of Christ Mores litterall sense â—s lost Marke 14. The wordes of consecratioÌ„ were spokeÌ„ after Christ had deliuered y â— bread the cup. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. How the Papistes wrest the wordes of Scripture Iohn 6. 1. Cor. 10. To eate Christes flesh is to beleue in hym The maner of Saint Paules speakyng Math. 15. An allegoticall spech wel allowed and
de verbis Apostoli s 〈◊〉 The church of God is the treasures of God without spotte or wrinkle That which is of fayth can neither bee seene nor felt The true holynes that is of our right holye mother the Church 1. Iohn 2. Iohn 15. De con D. D. 4. c. prima igitur 1. Iohn 2. De pâ—ne Dis 2. Si in glossa 24. q. 1. Arecta in Glossa The faythfull congregation can not erre The voyce of murtherers and theeues A rule that Rochester teacheth to know the difference betweene y â— Pope and Councell The Councell erreth if the Pope agree not to their do ynges Popes haue erred Popes condemned for heretickes 3. King 2. 3. King 18. The litle flocke is y e flocke of Christ De electio c. significa The Councell of Meldelci dyd erre A generall Councell is not the vniuersall Churche Augustinus de bap li. 2. c. 3 contra Donatistas Councels haue erred and many erre The holy scriptures are the iudges of the Councels doings Math. 10. There are perticular Churches to whome wee may complayne 24. q. 3. Si. quis et c. cuÌ„ aliquis The communion felowship of Saintes is the vniuersall Church How a maÌ„ may know the church An example teaching how y e true church may be knowne Esay 55. Roma 10. Actes 10. 1. Thess 2. Good workes are the fruite of good fayth Charitie may be deceaued but fayth can neuer bee deceaued A saying of Chrisostome Chrisostome sendeth vs to scriptures to learne which is the holy Church not vnto them that call themselues y e holy church Ephe. 2. The holy Church is builte and founded vpon the Apostles Prophets Augustinus The true Church is a sufferer and no persecutor 2. Tim. 3. The Popes church are persecutors but no sufferers The glory of the Popes churche is in trash Hilarius cont Arianos Barnardus super can s 33. Note here the saying of Saint Barnard S. Barnard greatly reproueth the insaciable pride of the Popes Church xiiij quest i c. QuodeuÌ„que in verbo Reconciliat M. More would haue vs to thinke there is none other holy church but y e Pope and his Cardinals and Byshops c. Epes 5. Aug. de ver bis Domini serm l. Iohn 6. 1. Cor. 6. Now euill men be in the church What the very true church is Roma 〈◊〉 Homo mortuus non est homo Ephes 5. M. More layeth many thynges to me wroÌ„g fully Aug. Serm. 99. de tempore Lyra in Mar. ca. xix De verbo Apost ser xxix Anotable saying of S. Augustine De coâ—se D. iiij c. Igitur xxiiij q. i. Arâ—cta in glosa De electio c Significal 1. The counsell of Weldâ—us did erre Au. de Bapt. li. 2 cap. 3. The full counsels may erre How a man may knowe the church The church suffereth Chris in opere Im ê‘secto By scriptures men may know the veritie Hila. contra Arrianos Barn suê‘caÌ„ serm 33. The true church of Christ staÌ„deth onely in them that are good men 1. Tim. 4. The keyes of y e church is the openyng of Christ and the loosing of vs from sinne Psal 80. Scâ—tus 4. sent di 18. How DuÌ„s interpreteth the keyes Nicho. de orbel di vs supra Hiero. in M. c. 16. The saying of S. Hierome vppon the keyes Scotus 4. sen dist 15. Quest 1. August ser 2. de sane The nature property of the keyes of heauen Roma 10. Psal 118. Ibidem 1. Cor. 14. 2. Tim. 1. Psal 118. All thinges shal perish but y â— word of God endureth for euer Hebr. 4. Roma 3. What power it is that the Priest hath The word of God is the true keye that openeth loseth Math. 6. Acte 2. The true maner of losyng and byndyng of openyng and shottyng Math. 10. The hearyng of the worde of God and beleuyng the same loseth vs from our sinnes Mark 6. Actes 18. Iohn 20. Luke 24. Luke 24. Preachyng of the word of God is losing from sinne Actes 17. How the worde of God byndeth how it loseth 2. Cor. 2. 1. Cor. 1. The worde of God is remission of sinne if it bee beleeued when it is preached Hebr. 6. By preaching of the worde of God heaueÌ„ is opened and shut Chriso in M. c. 15. De doctr christi li. 1. c. 15. es 18. Augustine in Ioan Trac 124. 24. q. 1. QuodcuÌ„que Origenes Super. M. Ho. 1. The church is builded vpoÌ„ the confession of all the Apostles and of all faithfull people Super Ioan Trac 124. c. 21. Preachers if they abuse their preaching maye bee deposed 1. Cor. 14. 1. Cor. 4. Item 3. 1. Pet. 5. The ministers of the Churche ought to be no Lordes In M. c. 23. li. de Cain et Abell The Byshops and cleargie abuse Christes keyes The false allegyng of fathers and Councels is the next way to deceaue the Churche of God Psal 1. Blessed are they whose meditation is in the law of God An exaÌ„ple The ministration of the Church belongeth to the Byshops other ministers but the authoritie of the same belongeth to Christ An other example The doctrine and true preaching of the worde of God is the pardon and remission of our sins The authoritie of the churche belongeth to Christ onely Luke 7. August lib. Quinquaginta home liarum be 23. The popes Clergy is condemned by S. Austen to bee heretickes Money is the Popes best marchaunt Shamefull doyngs must bee shamefully rebuked The Pope selleth God and all his ordinauÌ„ces The Pope will not folow nor obey to Christes commauÌ„demeÌ„t for hee biddeth hym loose The Pope selleth hys ware very deare Math. 10. 1. Cor. 9. Hierome Chrisosto ad Ti. 5. S. Chrisostome is very straight to byshops and the rest of the Clergye Chri. s 6. de anathemate Byshops compared to popets and stage players Math. 26. Luke 11. A sore sentence of Christ agaynst vnpreachyng Prelates In what thinges we haue free-will and in what none Iohn 15. The frutes of freewill Freewill without gods grace can doe nothyng that is good Bona intentio Super Ioannem tract lxxi DuÌ„ces doctrine ouerthrowen 2. Cor. 3. We of our selues as of our selues can not doâ— so much as thinke a good thought Barnarde lib. arbit Math. 7. Math 12. Mans free-will without Gods grace can doe nothing that is good Roma â–ª 3. In Enche 〈◊〉 â—9 Man by vsâ—ig of his freewill euill did lose both hymselfe his freewill De â—erbis apost â–ª ser 11. Mans free-will caÌ„ doe nothing but sinne Roma 8. MaÌ„s fleshly wisdome is enemy to God Duns Marke 7. Roma 8. De verbis Domini ser xv Freewill without grace is sinne Roma 8. De verbis Apost â—…ij We can doe nothyng that is good without the spirite of God Who are y t children of God Bonus conatus verstum de congruâ— Fleshly carnall reason reasoneth frowardly and crookedly As God is nothynge but goodnes so can hee commaunde nothyng but that which is good Why God hath