theym not but laugh and lette theym bable pryde maketh theym procede and they procure mo and sprede the bokes more abrode and drawe mo bretherne to theym ¶ There ys no small nomber of suche erronyouse englyshe bookes prented of whyche yf fewe were boughte there wolde not of lykelyhed so many be putte in prente sauynge that some brethern there are in this realme that of theyr zele to theyr sectes beyng of such substaūce that they maye forbere yt geue some money therto before hande content to abyde thaduenture of the sale or geue the bokes aboute for nought to brynge men to the deuyl ¶ And in this wise is there sent oute to be prented the boke y t Fryth made laste agaynste the blessed sacrament answerynge to my letter wherwyth I confuted the pestylēt treatyce that he hadde made agaynste yt byfore And the bretherne loked for yt nowe at thys bartlemew tyde laste passed and yet loke euery daye except yt be come all redye and secretely runne amonge theym ¶ But in the meane whyle there is come ouer a nother boke aguynst the blessed sacrament a boke of that sort that Frythes boke the bretherne may nowe forbere For more blasphemouse and more bedelem rype than this boke is were that boke harde to be which is yet madde inough as me say that haue sene yt ¶ This boke is intytled The souper of our lord But I beshre w suche a she wer as so serueth in the souper that he conuayth awaye the best dyshe and bryngeth yt not to the borde as this man wold yf he could conuey fro the blessed sacrament Cri stes owne blessed fleshe and bloode and leue vs nothynge therin but for a memoryall onely bare brede and wyne ¶ But his handes are to lumpyshe and this messe also to great for hym to cōuey clene specyally syth y e dishe is so dere and so dayntye that euery chrystē man hath his hart bent therto and therfore his yie set theron to 〈◊〉 where yt bycometh ¶ The man hath not set his name vnto his boke nor whose yt is I can not surely say But some reken yt to be made by Wyllyam Tyndale for that in a pystle of his vnto Fryth he wryteth that in any thynge that he cando ' he wolde not fayle to helpe hym forthe ¶ Nowe be yt some of the brethern reporte that the booke was made by George Jay And of trouth Tyndale wrote vnto Frith that George Jay hadde made a boke agaynste the sacrament whych was as yet partly by his meanes partely for lacke of money reteyned and kepte fro the prent Nowe be yt what George Joy wolde do therin afterward whā hys money were come that coulde he not he sayth assure hym ¶ Nowe of trouthe George Joye hath longe hadde in hande and redy lyenge by hym his boke agaynst the sacrament And nowe yf this be yt he hathe somwhat enlengthed yt of late by a pyece that he hath patched in agaynst me wherin he wolde seme to soyle myne argumentes whyche in my letter I made in that mater agaynste the deuely she treatyce of Fryth ¶ And in very dede dyuerse that are lerned and haue redde the booke reken yt veryly to be the booke of George Jaye whereof Tyndale wrote vnto Fryth specyally by certayn wordes that were in that letter For therin wryteth Tyndale that yf George Jay dyd put forth his boke there shold be founden in it many rea sons very few to the purpose ¶ Nowe be yt me thynketh by that marke that this boke sholde not be that For in this boke be there very fewe reasons and of them all neuer one to the purpose ¶ The maker of the boke in y e ende of his boke for one cause why he put teth not his name therto wryteth in thys wyse Mayster mocke whom the veryte moost offendeth and doth but mocke it out whan he can not soyle it he koweth me well inough ¶ Thys sadde and sage ernest mā that mockyng at myne name calleth me mayster Mocke dothe in these wyse wordes nothynge but mocke the readers of his boke saue that his reason is so rude and folysh that the mocke returneth to hym selfe ¶ For syth he wryteth not his booke to me nor sendeth me none of theym but the bretherne kepe theym fro me as closely as they cā what if I wyst neuer so wel who he were that wrote yt what were this to the bretherne that reade yt know they therby who yt is to ¶ Now for my selfe also though I knowe Tyndale by name George Jay or George Joy by name also and twenty such other fond felowes of the same secte mo yet yf tenne of those wolde make tenne suche folysh treatyses and sette they re names to none coulde I know therby whych of those madde foles made whyche folyshe boke ¶ Dyuerse there are in dede of those that are lerned and haue redde the boke that thynke for the lacke of lernynge and of wytte also that they fynde euery where therin the booke sholde neyther be made by Tyndale nor by George Jay neyther but rather by some yonge vnlerned fole ¶ Nowe be it as for me I thynke the boke myghte be for all that made by Tyndale or by George Jaye eyther For the mater beynge dyuysed agaynst the blessed sacramēt the wy sest or the moste fole the moste lerned or the leste is all in maner one and in that mater maketh lytle dyfference For I neuer founde yet any man so wel lerned and so naturally well wytted wythall but after that he fell ones to y e defense of heresies specyally of this abomynable here sye agaynst the blessed sacramēt ney ther lernyng nor wyt neuer wel ser ued hymafter For as for Tyndale the captayne of our Englyshe heretyques who byfore he felto these fransyes mē had went had had some wyt and was taken for full pretyly lerned to ye se good chrysten readers playnly tryed by his bokes that an vnlettered man myghte be ashamed to write so vnler nedly and a madde man wolde all most wax rede for shame to wryte in some thynges so frantykely ¶ As touchynge frere Barons and George Jay the bretherne systern them selfe se theyr wyttes so wasted and theyr lernyng waxen so slender that the bretherhed hath lytle lyste to reade them ¶ And some of the bre therne that say this new worke was made by George Jay thynke that the cause why he sette not his name therto was bycause he wyst well the brethern dyd not regarde hym And Tyndale had in his letter also decla red him for a fole by reasō wherof he thought y t if yt came vnder his name the stimacyon therof were but loste ¶ Fryth was lo a proper yonge man and a towarde tyll he fell vnto these folyes After whyche to what dekay both his wyt and his lernynge came euery wyse man myche meruayled that in his open examenacyon herd and consydered his answeres ¶ For all be
nothynge at all of thys sacrament And now se agayne in these hys letters agaynste Fryth how hym selfe bryno geth in Iohn 6. cap. to impugne Frythes wrytyng and to make all for the sacrament euen thus My flesshe is veryly meate and my bloude drynke By lyke the man had there ouershette hym selfe fowle the yenge man here causynge hym to put on his spec tacles and poore better and more wysshely wyth his olde eyen vppon saynt IohnÌ„s gospell to fynde that thynge there now wryten whyche before he wolde haue made one of hys vnwryten verytees As yet yf he loke narowly he shall espye that hym selfe hath proued vs by scrypture in the 37. lefe of his dyaloge of quod he and quod I our ladyes perpetuall virgynyte expownynge non cognosco id est non cognos cam whych now wryten vnwryten veryte he uombereth a lytell before amonge hys vnwryten vanytees Thus maye ye se how thys olde holy vpholder of the popes chyrche hys wordes fyghte agaynste them selfe into his owne confusyon in fyndynge vs forth hys vnwryten wryten vanitees veritees I shulde saye But returne we vnto the exposycyoÌ„ of saynt IohnÌ„ ¶ Now haue you good christen readers herd his whole tale concernyng my two contradyccyons Of whyche twayne I wyll fyrst answere y t last that concerneth y e perpetual virginite of our lady which point I haue towched towarde the ende of the. xxv chapyter of the fyrst boke of my dyaloge wherin master masker 〈◊〉 me for ê™ I and ê™ he and wolde I se well in no wyse that in the rehersyng of a coÌ„munycacyoÌ„ had bytwene my selfe another man I shold not for shame say ê™ I and ê™ he but rather reherse our two talkings with quoth we and quoth she ¶ I haue also spoken of that poynt in mo places than one of my wurke that I wrote of Tyndals 〈◊〉 cyon whiche places who so lyste to rede shall fynde thys poynt of coÌ„tra dyccyon answered all redy y t 〈◊〉 masker now layth to my charge dyssymulynge such thynges as I haue answered it wyth And of this contradyccyon I am so sore ashamed y t for all 〈◊〉 maskers wordes euyn here before in my fyrst boke of this wurke I haue not letted the beste that my wytte wyll serue me this vnwryten veryte to proue yet agayne by the selfe same place of saynte Lukes holy writyng ¶ For why to saye the trouth I do not so myche force to haue that artycle taken for an vnwryten veryte with good catholyke folke for the mayntenauÌ„ce of my word as to haue it for the honour of our lady taken byleued for an vndowted trowth with catholykes and those heretykes to that wyll take it for no such trouth but yf it be wryten in scrypture ¶ Now doth the clere certayntye of thys artycle in dede depende vppon the tradycyon of thapostles continued in the catholyke chyrche For all be it that my self thynke that I fynd some wordes wryten in scrypture that wolde well proue it and vppon those wordes lette not to wryte myn owne mynde and dyuers olde holy doctours to yet whyle I se that holy saynt Hierome hym selfe a man far otherwyse sene in scrypture than I arguynge for the defence of that artycle agaynst that heretyke Heluidius dyd onely soyle the scryptures that Heluidius layed agaynste it and layeth no scripture hym selfe for y e profe of his part but resteth therin to thauthoryte of Chryste catholyke chyrche whyche mayster Masker here calleth y e antichryssen synagoge I neyther dare nor wyl take so 〈◊〉 vpon my selfe as to afferme surely that it is proued to be a wryten veryte And thys lacke of takynge lo so myche vpon my selfe is the thynge y t mayster Masker calleth so shameful repugnauÌ„ce to my great coÌ„fusioÌ„ ¶ And therfore in that place of my dyaloge though I vpon that worde of our lady In what wise shall thys thyng be done for I know not a man do reason and shew my mynde that it proueth for this parte as in dede me thynketh it doth yet I am not so bold vpon myne owne exposicion therin as to afferme that the scripture saith there opeÌ„ly playnely that she was a perpetuall virgyne For yf it hadde ben a very precyse playne euydent open profe of that mater myne own mynde geueth me y t saynt Hierom wolde not haue fayled to haue found it before me ¶ I shall also for this poynte haue maister masker hym self to say some what for me though he do therin as he is often wont to do speke somewhat agaynst hym selfe For he sayth here him self y t if a maÌ„ loke narowly than he shal espye y t I haue my selfe proued our ladyes ê‘petual virginite Nowe syth that mayster Maskar sayth that a man can not spye yt but yf he loke narowly he sayth you se 〈◊〉 hym selfe that yt is no playne open profe And than is yt no profe to theym you wote wel For they receyue no scrypture for profe of any purpose but onely playne open and euydent ¶ And therfore by mayster Maskars owne tale though I proued yt suffycyently a wryten verytie vnto good catholyques yet rested yt vnproued styll a wryten verite vnto suche heretyques and agaynst them ye wote wel wrote I. ¶ Now be it here wyll I demaund of mayster masker touchyng the perpetuall virgynyte of our lady to be playnely wryten in holy scrypture whyther I proue that pornt well or not If not thaÌ„ maye I well inough notwithstandynge any such profe of myne saye styll that it is an vnwryten veryte If he wyll confesse that I proue it well I wylbe coÌ„tent with that prayse of hym selfe to abyde his rebuke of that contradyccyon For I sette more as I sayde by the pro fyt of his soule in fallynge from the contrary heresye to the ryght bylye fe of our ladyes perpetual vyrgynyte than I sette by myne owne prayse commendacyon of abydynge well by my wordes ¶ But yet if he wyl allow my profe made of that poynt I meruayle me mych but yf that he allow nowe my profe made for the blessed body of Chryste present in the blessed sacrament For I am very sure I haue proued mych more clerely by myche more open and playne wordes of the scrypture and the sense of those wor des by dyuers olde holy doctours other maner of men than my self thaÌ„ I haue pued or any man elles y e ê‘pe tuall vyrginyte of our blessed ladye ¶ Nowe be yt of trouthe though I proued wel that poynte of the perpepetual vyrginyte of our ladye to be a verytie wryten in scrypture and that many other also proued yt mych better than I as I thynke there do and that my selfe hadde affermed yt neuer so strongely for neuer so clere a wryten verytie yet syth wyllyam Tyndale agaynste whome I specyally wrote taketh yt as in his wry tynge well and playne appereth for no wryten veryte and yet agreeth that yt is to be byleued but not of ne cessyte and
yt that in the booke that the bretherne that are here haue sent ouer to prent Tyndale and hys felowes to bydylde the worlde wyth all purpose to make many chaunges and amende and aduaunce hys parte vnderpropyng yt wyth they re own proper lyes yet shal y e meanes be metely well founden to controll they re falshed I truste and to take awaye theyr clokes and lyue hys foly bare And than shall men playnely se that of one whome the bretherne boste for so wyse there neuer dyed in Englange byfore any false heretyque so folyshe ¶ But now as touchynge this new come ouer boke whyche the maker hath entitled The super of the lord though the man haue named yt the souper of our sauyour Chryste yet hathe the man made yt the souper of the deuyll ¶ The specyall effecte of all hys whole purpose is to fede vs wyth the moste poysoned heresye that laboreth to kyll the catholyque christen fayth concernynge the blessed sacra ment of the autare all be yt by the waye he putteth forthe dyuerse other heresye besyde ¶ Thys vsauerye souper of his withoute any corne of salte and spyced all wyth poyson he dyuydeth as yt were into two courses that ys to wytte into the treatynge and 〈◊〉 of two specyall thynges spe cyfyed in the gospell of Chryste wherby chrysten people playnely perceyue that in the blessed sacramēt of th aulter is the very blessed bodye of Chryste his very fieshe and hys bloude ¶ In the fyrste parte whych I call here his fyrst course occupyenge the tone halfe of his boke he treateth the wordes of Chryste spoken in the syxte chapyter of saynte Iohn̄ why che wordes our sauyour speketh of the eatyng of his flesh and drynkyng of hys bloude ¶ In his secunde parte whyche I call hys secund course he treateth y e maundye of Chryste wyth hys apostles vpon shere thursday wherin our sauyour actually dyd instytute y t blessed sacrament therin veryly gaue his awne very fleshe and blood to his twelne apostles hym selfe ¶ I shal therfore diuyde this worke of myne into two partes in lyke wise of whyche twayne this shall be the fyrste wherin I shall detect make euery man perceyue thys mannys euyll coquery in hys fyrste course concernynge the treatynge of Chrystes wordes in the syxt chapyter of saynte Iohn̄ ¶ And all be yt y t I shall afterward send you forth my secunde parte also agaynst his secunde course yet shall I so handle thys mannes myscheuouse heresye in this fyrst part that though I neuer wrote worde more herafter of the mater yet to the perceyuynge of the trouth and deteccyon of his falsed this fyrst part might suffyse for all the whole mater ¶ In hys fyrste parte he forste expowneth the later parte of his syxte chapyter of saynte Iohn̄ and by hys declaracyon laboreth to drawe men from the perceyuynge of the trouth and setteth forth also both his pryncypall heresye and ouer that dyuerse other ¶ Also in the same parte he argueth agaynste all men in generall that expowne any of those wordes of Crist there spoken to be ment by Chryste of the very eatynge of hys fleshe as the catholyque chyrch byleueth in the blessed sacrament ¶ In that fyrste parte also he argueth agaynste me by name in specyall and pretendeth to soyle such argumentes as I made in my letter agaynste the poysoned treatyse that John Fryth had before made in that mater agaynst the blessed sacrament ¶ In that parte also the man bryngeth in two placys all in great which he hath pyked out by longe leysoure amonge all my bokes in eyther of whyche two places he sheweth that I haue notably contraryed myn own wrytynge that I haue wryten my self in other places before sheweth also the places where ¶ I shall therfore good readers in thys fyrste parte of myne gyue you fyue bokes and some of them very shorte ¶ In the fyrst wyll I geue you the exposycion of the selfe same wordes of Chryste mencyoned in the syxte chapyter of saynt John by whyche who so conferre them and consyder them togyther shall I trust perceiue well the fashed of his exposycyon not be deceiued therby And for myne exposycyon ye shall not geue me the thanke For I haue but pyked it out here and there out of the wrytynges of dyuers olde holy menne ¶ The seconde shall shew you for a sample some of the fawtes both in folies and errours that the man hath made vs in his exposycyon ¶ The thyrde shal answere soyle hys wyse reasons wyth whyche he wolde make all men folys that haue expowned that place before cōtrary to hys here sye now that is to wytte all the olde holy doctours and saynte frome thapostses dayes vnto oure owne tyme. ¶ In y e fourth shall ye se what wyt and what sernyng he sheweth in soysynge of myne argumentes made be fore in that mater agaynst his felow Iohn̄ Fryth ¶ The fyfth shall declare you the dylygence that the man hath done in sekyng out my neglygence leuynge some places in my wrytynge repugnaūt contrary the tone place to the tother And of such place ye shall as I sayd se hym with dylygent serche of thre yere at laste brynge you forth twayne And there shall you se good chrysten reders that in those twayn my neglygence shall for all his dylygence proue hym twyse a fole ¶ But in the treatyng of this mater with hym I shall lacke somwhat of the commodyte that the man hath in dysputynge wyth me For he hath a greate pleasure of tetymes nowe in one maner now in another now to talke of me and nowe to speke to me by name wyth thus sayth More and 〈◊〉 mayster More and sometyme maysier Mocke and let More mocke on and lye to and many such goodly garnyshynge mo But he wyll be for hys owne parte sure that I shall not dyspute wyth hym by name and therfore he kepeth it awaye ¶ And therfore what foly and what falsed be founden in his boke he forceth very lytell For shame he thynketh he can none take therby whyle folke knowe not hys name ¶ Wherin he fareth myche lyke to some bestely body y t wolde not care to sytte downe wyth hys face to the walwarde and ease hym selfe in the open strete and though all the towne at onys tote in his tayle take it for no shame at all bycause they se not hys face ¶ And veryly as we se somtyme that suche as walke in visours haue mych the lesse fere and shame bothe what they do and what they saye bycause they thynke theym selfe vnknowen so do these folke oftentymes lytell force what they wryte that vse to putte out theyr bookes and set not theyr names vnto theym They thynke theym selfe vnsene whyle 〈◊〉 name is vnknowen and therfore they fere not the shame of theyr foly As some haue I sene 〈◊〉 thys full boldely come daunce in a maske whose dauncynge bycame thē so
he ment hym selfe to be a very dore in dede But in these wordes of eatynge of hys fleshe bycause he wolde geue hys very fleshe to be eaten in very dede therfore he more and more tolde them styll the same also tolde theym hym selfe was god and therfore able to do yt and ouer that gaue theym warnynge that they sholde not eate it in dede gobbettes but sholde eate it quycke with spyryt and lyfe For his wordes were spyrit and lyfe For his fleshe sholde ellys anayle nothyng And that though his bodye sholde be eaten by many sundry men in many sundry places yet sholde yt neuer the lesse be also styll whole and sounde where so euer he wolde besyde whych he declared by his 〈◊〉 wyth his body perfyte into heuen not withstandynge that it sholde be byfore that eaten of many men in erthe ¶ And thus haue I good reders as for this solucyon of maister Masker made open and playne vnto you his falsed and his foly both and made rt clere for all his hygh pernycyouse pe stylent wordes both that I haue hād led this place of the scripture right also taken rather the sentēce than the word And I haue also by occasyō of his wise solucyon caused you to perceyue that in myne argument was and is more pyth and more strength then peraduentur euery man perceyued before And therfore thus mych worshyp hath he wonne by thys his fyrste solemne solucyon The. iiii chapiter BUt in his seconde solucyon he specyally sheweth hys depe in syghte and cunnynge and myne ouersyght to shamefully For there in lo thus he sayth But yet for hys lordely pleasure let 〈◊〉 graunt hym that they murmured is as myche to saye as they meruayled bycanse perchaunce the one may folowe at the tother And than do 〈◊〉 aske hym whyther Chrystes 〈◊〉 and hys apostles 〈◊〉 hym not and vnderstode hym not when he sayde I am the core and the vyne and whan he sayde my fleshe c. If he saye no or naye the scrypture is playn agaynst hym Ioh. 6. 10. 15. If he saye ye or yes then yet do I aske hym whyther his dyscypfes apostles thus herynge and vnderstandynge his wordes in all these thre chapyters wondered and meruaysed as mays ter More say the or murmured as hath the texte at they re maysters speche what thynke ye More must answere here here may you se whither this old holy vpholder of the popes chyrch is brought euyn to be taken in his owne 〈◊〉 For the discyples hys apostles neyther murmured nor meruayled nor yet were not offended with theyr mayster Chrystes wor des and maner of speche ¶ 〈◊〉 good readers here mayster Masher bycause he thynketh yt not ynough for his worship to shew him selfe ones a fole by his fyrst soluciō conieth nowe farther forth to shewe him self twise a fole ye thryse a fole by the secnnde ¶ And fyrst for away to come there to he sayth he wyll graunte me for my sordely pleasure that they murmured is as mych to say as they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In whych grauntynge he doth me no great fordly pleasure For I haue as you haue herde well proued hym al redy that I nede not hys grauntynge therin But veryly in the cause that he addeth therto when he sayth bycause perchaunce the tone maye folowe at the tother therin he doth me a very great lordely pleasure For yt is euyn a pleasure for a lord and for a kyng to to se hym play so farre the fole as without necessytie to wryte in that worde hym selfe which helpeth myn argumēt agaynst hym self and maketh all his wonderynge y t he hath in his fyrst sosucyon vppon me fal in his own necke For yf theyr murmuryng folowed vppō they re meruaylynge as hym selfe here sayth that peaduenture yt dyd than playeth he fyrste peraduenture the fole to make suche an oute crye vppon me for sayenge that they meruailed where the texte saith they murmured as though I wyth that word vtterly destroyed y t pure sense of goddes holy word For that word dothe not so pestylently peruerte the sense yf yt maye stande with the sen tence as yt maye in dede yf mayster Masker saye trewe that peraduenture the tone maye folow vppon the tother that is to wit the murmuryng vppon the meruaylynge for so he meaneth therby For as madde as he is he is not I thynke so madde yet as to me ane that the meruaylynge fo lowed vppon the murmurynge For they meruayled fyrst and murmured after And nowe syth this one worde of his therfore ouer throweth all his wondering that he hath made on me and proueth hym selfe willyngly and wyttyngly in all his hygh tragycall exclamacyon agaynst his own conscyence and his own very knowledge to bylye me he hathe therin as I saye done me a very special pleasure to se him so farre play the fole as to bring forth that worde hym self specyally where there was no nede at all but euen for a garnyshe of his induccion wyth a shewe of his cunnynge to make men know that he hadde not so lytle lernynge but that he wyst well ynough hym selfe that he had shamefully bylyed me in all that euer he hadde cryed oute agaynst me concer cernynge any mysse constrewyng of that place of holy scrypture The. v. chapyter NOwe after thys hys double folye well and wysely putte forth at ones he bryngeth me to myn opposycyon And therin he handeleth me so hardly y t I cā not scape which waye so euer I take whether I say that Chrystes dyscyples and apostles herde and vnderstode theyr may sters wordes in all the thre places or that I saye that in any one of those thre places they vnderstode him not For here to be sure to holde me in on both sydes that I scape not he shew eth what daūgeour I fal in whyche waye so euer I take For he sayeth that on the tone syde I denye the gos spell yf I answere no or naye and on the tother syde I am taken in myn owne trappe yf I saye ye or yes ¶ And surely here he playeth the wysest poynte and the moste for hys owne suertye that I sawe hym play yet For ye shall vnderstand that in the fyrste parte of my Confutacyon in the thyrd boke the. clxxx syde for as myche as Tyndale hathe ben so longe out of England that he could not tell howe to vse these englyshe 〈◊〉 naye and no ye and yes I gaue hym a rule and a certayne samples of y e rule wherby he mighte lerne where he shold answere naye and where no and where ye where yes ¶ Nowe mayster Masker whan he wrote hys boke neyther hauynge my boke by hym nor the rule by hart thoughte he wolde be sure that I sholde fynde no suche faute in hym and therfore on the tone syde for the answere assygneth ye and yes both and on the tother syde bothe naye and no leuynge the choyce to my selfe whyche he durst not well take
prophete speketh in the psalter Dixit insipiens in corde suo noÌ„ est deus The fole sayd in his harte there is no god which he might as well begynne as any of the tother twayne yf he wold now for the furnyshynge of this heresye come forth with suche vnreasonale reasons as some folysh folosophers broughte in therfore of olde were yt not ynough for me to confute those folyshe argumeÌ„tes wherwyth he wold 〈◊〉 sym ple soulis Must I nede besyde y t go make myche a do ê“ue y t there were a god or els grauÌ„t thys gose y t there were no god at all bycause hym self wold say so styll when his found rea sons were soyled ¶ Now to his seconde poynt where it is not inough for him to say that I muste proue it wherin as ye se I haue proued hym a very fole but he assygneth me also what maner of ê“se I must make and none maye serue hym but suche as hym selfe lyst assygne that ther fore I must proue it hym by expresse wordes of holy scrypture I aske hym than whyther he wylbe content yf I proue yt hym by expresse worde of Chryste wryten in all the foure euangelystes saynt Mathew saynt Marke saynt Luke and sait IohuÌ„ yf he saye ye as I suppose he wyll than aske I hym farther wherfore he wyll byleue the wrytyng of them foure wherto what will he answere but bycause y t those gospell of theyrs are holy scrypture But than shall I farther desyre hym to she we me howe he knoweth that those foure bo kes or any one of all four is the boke of hym whose name yt bereth or ys the holy scrypture of god at all To this questyon lo but yf he can go far ther than holy saint Austayne could or the mayster captayne of his owne heresyes Martyne Luther eyther he muste saye that he knoweth those bokes for holy scrypture bycause the coÌ„men knowen catholique chyrch hath so told hym Now whan he shal haue ones answered me thus euery chyld may sone se what I shall aske hym agayne For than shall I saye tell me than mayster Maskar I beseche you syth you byleue this commen knowen catholyque chyrche in that one great verytie wherupon by your owne saynge all the other wryters depende why sholde you not as well byleue yt in thys other artycle whyche yt as playnely telleth you and yet you do denye yt why sholde you not I saye mayster Maskar byleue the chyrche as wel whan yt telleth you god hath taught his chyrche that this is his very body as you byleue the same chyrch when yt telleth you god hath taught his chyrch that this is his very scriture namely syth there are wryten in y e same scrypture other thynges to mannes reason as harde to conceyue and as incredyble to byleue as that ¶ Here you se good readers to what poynte I haue brought master Maskar I haue set hym here so fast in the myre that therin shall he stycke and neuer clene wade oute whyle he lyueth ¶ Moreouer mayster maskar can not denye me this but that the ryght bylyef in y e sacrameÌ„t dyuers other thynges mo were ones taughte and byleued and christen men bounden to byleue them to without expresse wor des of holy scripture layed forth for the profe before any word of y e new testament was wryten and after per aduenture to where tharticles were preached and wryten gospelles not there Now yf suche thynges were at one tyme not onely byleued but men also bounden to the belief therof without expresse wordes of scripture for the profe mayster Maskar must than though there be come wrytynge synnes yet either profe vs by expÌ„sse wordes of scrypture that of all that god wyl we shall byleue there is nothynge left out but euery such thyng there writen in with expresse wordes or els may he neuer make him self so sure face in out a this fashion with expresse worde that sauyng the very playne expresse wordes of scripture we be no man of vs bounden to byleue nothynge ellys ¶ Now this am I sure inough that suche expresse wordes shall he neuer fynde in scrypture that tell hym expressely that all is wryteÌ„ in And than syth be can not proue vs this poynte by scrypturer but that at the leste wyse we maye be bounden to byleue some suche thynges as in holy scryp pture is not expressely writen which thynges those may be and which not of whome wyll god we shall lerne but of his knowen cathylyque chyrch by whiche he teacheth vs whiche be the very scripture ¶ Nowe as for the thyrde poynte mayster maskar toucheth in whiche he wyl allowe for no suffycient ê“fe myne owne vnwryten dremys he ge ueth my dremys I thanke hym of his courtesye myche more authoryte than euer I loked for For whyle he reiecteth none of theym but suche as are vnwryten he she weth hym selfe redy to byleue them yf I wold vouchesaufe to wryte them ¶ In the fonrth point he promiseth y t yf I do by expresse wordes of scrypture proue that it is so thaÌ„ though yt be aboue the reche of his reason yet wyl he by belyefe both reche yt and receyue yt hold it fast to Wold god mayster Maskar wolde abyd by this worde For now I aske hym agayn whyther he wyl be content yf I proue it him by expresse wordes of some one of the foure euangelystes And if he be coÌ„tent with expresse wordes of any one than will I do more for hym proue yt by all foure ¶ For saynte IohnÌ„ reherseth that our sauyour sayd hym selfe he wold geue theym his fleshe to eate And that he ment of the sacramente you se all redy proued here byfore And the tother thre reherse that Chryste sayde hym selfe whan he gaue theym the sacrament thys is my body that shal be broken for you What wordes caÌ„ there be more playn and expresse than these ¶ But here sayth mayster Maskar that these be not expresse wordes For he sayth that these wordes be spoken but by way of allegory And he proueth it as Frith doth by y t our sauiour sayd of hym self I am the dore and I am the vyne ¶ Nowe remember good readers that master Maskar bylyed me right nowe and sayd that all my second argumeÌ„t was a posse ad esse it may be so ergo yt is so But now consyder good christen reders your selfe why ther this argumeÌ„t of his be not a posse ad esse in dede For by those placê I am the dore and I am the vyne and suche other he concludeth that these other places of eatynge hys fleshe and geuynge of hys bodye was spoken by an allegorye to And howe concludeth he that yt ys so but bycause yt maye be so And thus ye se good readers that the selfe same kynde of arguynge which mayster Maskar fayneth hym selfe to fynd with me falsely belyeth me therin for I neded there none other thynge to
do but answere the thynges that Fryth layed forthe agaynst the catholyque fayth the selfe same kynde of arguynge I saye mayster Maskar vseth hym selfe and so dothe yonge father Fryth hys felow in folye to ¶ But than agayne whan they argue thus These places maye be so vnderstanden by an allegorye onely as those other places be ergo they be to be so vnderstāden in dede I haue proued alredy that his entēt is false and that they maye not be vnderstanden in an allegory onely as the tother be but the playne and open diffe rence betwene the places appere vp pon the cyrcumstaunces of the texte This haue I proued agaynst Frith alredye and that in suche wyse as your selfe hath sene here that mayster Maskar can not auoyde yt but in goynge about to defende Frythes foly hathe wyth his two solucyons of myne one argument ofter than twyse ouer throwen him self made myne argument more than twyse so stronge ¶ But yet good readers bycause I say that those wordes of Crist The brede y t I shal geue you is my flesh which I shal geue for the lyfe of the world and my flesh is verily meat and my blood veryly drynke and But if you eate the fleshe of the son of man and drynke hys bloode you shal not haue life in you and so forth al such wordis as our sauyour spake hym selfe mencyoned in the syxte chapyter of saynte Iohn and those wordes of our sauyour at hys maun dye wryten wyth all the tother thre euangelystes Thys is my bodye that shall be broken for you be playn and expresse wordes for the catholyque fayth and mayster maskar sayth that the be not wordes playne and expresse but expowneth them all another waye therfore to breke the stryfe therin betwene him and me I haue brought you forth for my parte in myne exposycyon the playne expresse wordes of dyuerse olde holy sayntes by whych you may playne expressely se that they al sayd as I saye ¶ And mayster maskar also can not hym selfe say naye but that agaynst other heretyques before his dayes and myne dyuerse whole generall counsayles of chrystendome haue playnely and expressely determyned the same to be trew that I saye ¶ And all the countreys chrystened can also testyfye that god hathe hym self by manyfold opē miracles playn expressely declared for the blessid sa crament that this is the trewe fayth which mayster Maskar here oppugneth and that god hath by those myra cles expowned his own wordes hym self to be playne expressely spoken for our part ¶ And therfore nowe good christen reders yf mayster mas kar wil make any more stickyng with vs not graūt Christes wordes for playn expresse accordynge to hys promyse reche receyue y e trew faith hold it faste to ye may playne ex pressely tel him there shal neuer trew man trust his false promyse after ¶ Now touchyng the fyfth poynte where he saith that he findeth xx pla ces in scripture mo to prouyng that Christes body is not here in erth remember this wel good reder agaynst he bryna them forth For in his second part whē we come to the tale ye shal fynd his mo than twēty farre fewer than fyftene of al y t shal wel serue hym ye shall fynd fewer than one ¶ Then where he concludeth in the laste poynt vpon these fyue poyntes afore whyche fyue howe well they proue good chrysten readers you se that I must geue hym leue to byleue myne vn wryten vanyties veryties he wold saye at seysour yf the thyn ges that he calleth vn wrytē verities were ī dede vn writē inuēted also by me thā he might be y e bolder to cast hē myne vn writen vanities as he cal leth thē before myn vn writē dremis to But on y e tother syde syth you se your selfe that I haue shewed you theym writem in holy saintes bokes and that a thousand yere before that I was borne your self seeth it wri ten in the playne scrypture to proued playn expresse for our part against hym by tholde exposycyon of all the holy doctours and sayntes and by y e determinacyons of dyuerse generall counsayles of Christes whole catho lyque chyrche and proued playn for our parte also by so many playn opē myracles mayster maskar must nedes be more then madde to cal nowe suche wryten vetyties myne vn wry ten vanytes or myne vn wryten dremys either except he proue both all those thynges to be but an inuencyon of myne and ouer that all those wri tynges to be yet vn writen and that holy doctrine both of holy saintes and of holy scripture vanities also that all the whyle that al those holy folke 〈◊〉 awurke ther with they neyther wrote nor studyed nor dyd nothynge but dreme ¶ Now whyle mayster More must therfore vppon suche consyderaciōs geue maister Masker seue to byleue thys vnwryten vanyte whiche is in all the. iiii euangesystes an expresse wryten verite whyle I must I say therfore vppon suche folysh false cō 〈◊〉 geue hym seue to byleue the tre we fayth at leysour yf he had put it in my choyce I wold haue ben soth to geue hym any senger seysour therin for he hath ben to longe out of ryght bylyefe all redy But syth he sayeth I muste I maye not choyse wherof I am as helpe me god very sory For excepte he take hym selfe that leysour bytyme seuynge the busynesse that be dayly taketh in wrytyng of pestylēt bokes to the cōtrary he shal eis not faile to byleue y e trew fayth at a longe leysour ouer late y t is to wytte whan he lyeth wrechedly in hell where he shall not wryte for lacke of lyght and burnynge vp of his paper but shall haue euerlastyng laysour from all other worke to byleue there that he wolde not byleue here and lye styll euer burne there in euerlastynge fyre for his formar vngracyouse obstinate infydelyte out of whyche 〈◊〉 I be 〈◊〉 god geue hym the grace to crepe and gete out by tyme. And thus you se good readers what a goodly piece mayster masker hath made you which pleased him I warraunt you very well whan he wrote it But it wyl not I wene please him now very well whan he shall after this myne answere rede it The. xii chapyter BUt now goth he ferther against me with a specyall goodly piece wherin thus he sayth Here mayst thou se chrysten reader wherfore More wolde so fayne make the byleue that 〈◊〉 lest aught vnwryten of necessyte to be byleued euyn to stablysshe the popes kyngdome whych standeth of Morys vnwryten vanytees as of the presence of Chrystes body and makynge therof in the brede of putgatory of inuocacyon of sayntes wurshyppyng of stonys and flockys pylgrymages halowynge of vowes and 〈◊〉 and crepynge to the crosse c. If ye wyll byleue what so euer More can fayne wythout the scryptures than can thys poete
and ouer that hath by many wonderfull myracles many festly proued testyfyed that thopinions in which Fryth obstynately ther with very folishly dyed were very pesrylent here syes wherby he is ê‘petually seuered froÌ„ the lyuely body of Chryst and made a ded meÌ„ber of the deuyll I byleue therfore and very surely knowe as a thynge taught me by god that the wreched body of that felow shall neuer be in two placs at onys but whaÌ„ it shall ryse agayne and be restored to that wreched obstynate soule shall ther with lye styll euer more in one place that is to wyt in theuerlastyng fyre of hell From whych I beseche our lorde turne Tyndale George Iay wyth all the whole bretherhed and mayster Masker amonge other who so euer he be by tyme. ¶ Now vpon his aforesard suche a proper handeled mocke as you haue herde mayster masker goeth on and geueth me ryght holsom admonicyoÌ„ that I medle no more with such hygh maters as is the great absolute almyghty power of god therin thus he sayth vnto me Syr you be to bysy wyth goddes almyghty power and haue taken to great a burden vppon your weke shuldren The. xvii chapyter HEre he sholde haue rehersed what one worde I had sayd of goddes almyghty power in whyche worde I was to bysy Rede my letter ouer and you shall clerely se that I saye nothynge ellys but that god is almyghty that he therfore may do all thynge And yet as you shall here mayster Masker hym selfe confesse I sayed not that god coulde do thynges that imply repugnaunce But I sayd that some thynges may seme repugnaunt vnto vs which thynges god seeth how to sette togyther well inough Be these wordê good reader ouer hyghly spoken of godde almighty power May not a pore vnserned man be bolde to saye that god is able to do so myche And yet for sayeng thus mych sayth mayster Masker that I am to besy and haue taken to great a burden vppon my weke sholdren and haue ouer faded my selfe with myne owne harneyse and wepons many gaye wor des mo to vttre his eloquence with all But mayster Masker vn the tother syde is not hym selfe to bysy at all with goddes almyghty power in affermynge that god hath not the power to make hys owne blessed body in many places at onys Hys myghty stronge sholdren take not to mych weyght vppon them whan in stede of omnypotent he proueth god impotent and that by suche impotent argumentes as you se your selfe so shamefully haste that neuer sambe cryple y t lay impotent by y e wallys in crepyng out vnto a dole halted halfe so sore But than goth he ferther for the prayse of yonge Dauyd sayth you haue ouerladen your selfe wyth your owne harneyse and weapons and yonge Dauyd is lyke to preuayse agaynst you wyth hys slynge his stone ¶ As for mayster Maskers yonge mayster Dauyd who so loke vppon his fyrst treatice my letter together shall sone se y t his sfing and his stone be beten both about hys earys And whaÌ„ so euer his new sling his new stone which is as I nowe here saye very lately come ouer in prent come onys into my handes I shall turne his slynge into a cokste we his stone into a fether for any harine that it shal be able to do but yf it be to suche as wyllyngely wyll putte out theyr owne eyen to whych they neuer nede neyther stone nor slynge but wyth a fether they maye do it and they be so madde ¶ But an heuy thynge it is to here of his yonge folyshe Dauyd that hath thus wyth his stone of stobburnesse stryken out his owne brayne with the slynge of hys heresyes slon gen hym selfe to the 〈◊〉 ¶ yet mayster Masker can not seue me thus but on he goth ferther in his 〈◊〉 rethoryke thus he sayth God hath infatuated your hygh subtyll wy sdome your crafty conuayaunce is espyed God hath sent your chyrche a mete couer for suche a cuppe euyn such a defender as you take your selfe to be that shall lette all theyr whole cause fall flatte in the myre vnto bothe your shames and vtter confusyon God therfore be praysed euer amen The. xviii chapyter AS for wysdome I wyll not coÌ„ pare wyth mayster Masker therin nor wolde waxe myche the prowder in good faythe though menne wolde saye that I had more wytte than he I praye god sende vs bothe a sytell more of his grace and make vs bothe good ¶ But where as he iesteth concernynge my defence of the chyrch who so loke my bokes thorow shall fynde that the chyrch in the treuth of whose catholyke fayth concernynge the bles sed sacrameÌ„t I wryte agaynst fryth and Tyndale and mayster Masker and such false heretykes mo is none other chyrch but the trewe catholyke chyrche of Cryst the whole congregacyoÌ„ of al trew chrysten nacyoÌ„s of whyche chyrche I take not my selfe to be any specyall defender how be it to defende it is in dede euery good mannys parte And as for hytherto the thynges that I haue wryten are I thanke god stronge inough to stand as it is playnely pued agaynst all these heretykes y t haue wrestsed therwith wherof they coulde neuer yet ouerthro we one lyne and no man more shamefully sowsed in y e myre than mayster Masker here hym self that bosteth his victory while he fieth in the dyrte But the catholyke chyrche hath another maner defender thaÌ„ is any erthely man For it hath god hym selfe therin and his holy spyryt permanent and abydyng by Crystes own promise to defende it froÌ„ falshed vnto th ende of the worlde And therfore it can not fall flatte in the myre but god maketh heretykes fall flatte in the fyre ¶ Yet to th entent good readers that you sholde well se that I lefte not vnto wched the point of repugnauÌ„ce with whych mayster Masker hath al this whyle set out his hygh solempn reason agaynst godde almyghtynes hym selfe she weth here at laste that of repugnauÌ„ce I dyd speke my self Now be it in dede somwhat more moderately than he as ye shall not onely perceyue by the wordes of my letter but also by the wordê of mayster Masker hym selfe whyche be these Then sayth maister More though it semeth repugnaunt bothe to hym and to me one body to be in two places at onys yet god seeth how to make theym stonde togyther well inough This man wyth hys olde eyen and spectacles seeth farte in goddes sight and is of his preuey counsell that knoweth belyke by some secrete reuelacyon how god seeth one body to be in many places at onys includeth no repugnaunce For worde hath he none for hym in all scrypture no more theÌ„ one body to be in all places at onys It implyeth fyrst repugnauÌ„ce to my syght reason that all thys worlde shulde be made of nothynge that a vyrgyn sholde brynge forth a chyld But yet when I se it
yet after vppon hys owne wordes I proue hym that of necessyte to I maye wythoute any contradyccyon or repugnaunce at all laye yt agaynste hym for an vnwryten verytie for as myche as hym selfe so taketh yt ¶ Moreouer all the profe that I make of our ladyes perpetual vyrginyte is no more but that she was a perpetual vyrgyne except she brake her vowe And surely as I saye yt semeth to my selfe that I proue this very clerely And this beynge proued is in dede ynough to good chrysten folke for a ful profe that she was a perpepetual vyrgyne But yet vnto these heretyques agaynste whome I wrote syth they set nought by vowes of vyrgynyte but saye that they that make theym do bothe vnlawfully make theym and maye whan they wil lawfully breke them and y t therfore freres may rūne oute of relygyon and wedde nunnes this profe of myne ys to theym no maner profe at al. And therfore I maye to theym wythoute contradycyon or repugnaunce laye yt for an vnwryten verytie styl ¶ And thus I trust you se good rea ders that as for this repugnaunce turneth to mayster Maskars confusyon and not myne The secunde chapyter NOwe come I than good readers to the tother contradyccy on that he layeth agaynst me his wor des wherin byfore myne answere I praye you rede ones agayne And leste ye sholde be loth to turne backe and seke theym here shall you haue them agayne lo these they be At laste note chrysten reader that mayster More in the thyrde boke of hys confutacyon of Tyndale the 249. syde to proue saynt Iohn̄s gospell 〈◊〉 insuffycyent for lenyng out of so necessary a poynt of our fayth as he calleth the last sonper of Chryste hys maundye sayth that Iohn̄ spake nothynge at all of thys sacrament And now se agayne in these hys letters agaynste Fryth how hym selfe bryngeth in Iohn̄ 6. cap. to impagne Frythes wrytyng and to make all for the sacrament euen thus My flesshe is veryly meate and my bloude drynke By lyke the man had there ouershette hym selfe fowle the yonge man here causynge hym to put on his spec tacles and poore better and more wysshely wyth his olde eyen vppon saynt Iohn̄s gospell to fynde that thynge there now wryten whyche before he wolde haue made one of hys vnwryten verytees ¶ whan my selfe good reader redde fyrste these wordes of his all be it that I was sure ynough that in the thinge that I purposed there was no repugnaunce in dede yet seynge that he so dylygently layed forth the lefe in whyche my faute shold be founde I very playnly thought that I had not so circumspectely sene vnto my wordes as wysedome wold I shold And taking therfore myne ouersyght for a very trouth I neuer vouchefaufede to tourne my booke and loke But afterwarde yt happed on a day I sayde in a certayne company that I was somwhat sorye that yt hadde mysse happed me to take in this one poynte no better hede to myne hand but to wryte therin two thynges repugnaunt and contrary Where vnto some of theym made answere y t such a chaunce happeth sometyme 〈◊〉 a man be ware in a longe worke But yet quoth one of theym a gentylwoman haue you consydered well the place in your boke and sene that he sayth trouth Nay by my trouthe quod I that haue I not For yt yrketh me to loke vppon the place agayne nowe whan yt ys to late to mende yt For I am sure the mā wolde nat be so madde to name the very lefe but yf he were well sure y t he sayd trew By our lady 〈◊〉 she but syth you haue not loked yt your selfe I wyl for al the lefe layed out by hym se the thynge my selfe ere I byleue his wrytynge I knowe these felowes for so false And therwyth al she sent for the boke and turned to the very 249. syde and wyth that nōber marked also And in good fayth good readers there founde we no suche maner mater neyther on the tone syde of the lefe nor on the thother ¶ Nowe be yt of trouth I can not denye but that in a syde after mysse marked with the nōbre of 249 whyche sholde haue ben marked wyth the nomber of 259 there we founde the mater in that place But therin found we the moste shamefull eyther foly or falysed of mayster Maskar that euer I saw lyghtly in any man in my lyfe whych bycause ye shal not seke farre to fynde I shal reherse you here the very wordes of that place Lo good readers these they be But now bycause of Tyndale let vs take some one thing And what thing rather then the last souper of Chryst hys maundye with his apostles in whiche he instytuted the blessed sacra ment of the aulter hys owne blessed body and bloode Is this no necessary poynt of fayth Tyndale can not denye it for a necessary poynt of faith though it were but of his own false fayth agreynge with Luther Huyskyn or Suynglyus And he can not saye that saynt Iohn̄ speketh any thynge therof specyally not of the instytucyon Nor he can not saye that saynt Iohn̄ speketh any thyng of the sacrament at all syth that hys secte expressely denyeth that saynt Iohn̄ ment the sacrament in hys wordes where he speketh expressely therof in the. vi chapyter of his gospelli ¶ Where haue you euer good chrysten readers sene any fonde 〈◊〉 byfore thys handle a thynge so 〈◊〉 ly or so folyshely as maister maskar here handeleth this Ne telleth you that I sayde here that saynt Iohn spake nothynge of the sacrament at all Nowe you se that mayster Maskar in that poynte bylyeth me For I sayd not here that saynt Iohn spake notkynge therof but fyrste I sayde there that Tyndale agaynste whome I there wrote could not say that saynte Iohn̄ wrote any thynge of the blessed sacrament specyally not of the instytucyon therof And this is very trouthe For as touchynge thinstytucyon therof at Chry stes laste souper and maundye neyther Tyndale nor no man ellys can saye that saynte Iohn̄ any thynge wrote therof in his gospell ¶ Than sayde I farther there as you se not that saynte Iohn̄ speketh nothyng of the sacramēt but y t Tyn dale can not saye that saynte Iohn̄ speketh of the sacrament any thynge at all And that I ment not in those wordes to saye myne owne selfe that saynte Iohn̄ spake nothynge therof I declare playnely there forthwyth by that I shew the cause why Tyndale can not say that saynt Iohū spake any thynge of the sacramēt at all that is to wyt bycause that al his sect expressely denyeth that any thynge was ment of the sacramēt in the wordes of Chryste wryten in the. vi chapyter of saynt Iohn̄ ¶ By this ye may se playnely good readers that mayster Maskar playn ly belyeth me For I sayde not my selfe that saynt Iohn̄ spake nothyng of the sacrament but that Tyndale bycause of thopynyon of all his