paratus sum many an other verse in y â— psalter also though y â— same wordys may be well applyed veryfyed of many an other maÌ„ offrynge hym selfe pacyently to the sufferaunce of vniust punyshement And therfore leste these heretyques shold wyth eny such inuencyons bygyle you make you beleue y t we for the furtherauÌ„ce of oure awne cause expoune y â— apostles wordê wroÌ„g so make theym seme to say for our parte ye shall vnderstande that those wordys haue bene expowned and vnderstanden of purgatory thys thowsande yere and more by y â— auncyent holy doctours of crystys churche as well grekys as latyns And amoÌ„g other the great clerke Orygene in mo placys of hys wurkys then one declareth playnely that the afore remembred wordê of the apostle are spokeÌ„ by y â— paynis of purgatory The holy coÌ„fessour and great pyller of cristys church saynt Austayne in dyuerse of hys godly and erudite bokys expowneth that place of saynt Poule to be clerely spoken of purgatory And ouer thys the blessyd Pope saynt Gregory in the fourth boke of hys godly dyalogys bereth wytnesse that the apostle in the place aforesayd wrote those wordys of purgatory So that ye may playnely perceyue that thys exposycyon ys neyther our deuyce no eny newe foundeÌ„ fantesy but a very trewth well perceyued and wytnessed by great conyng men holy blessyd sayntê more then a thowsand yere ago ¶ Now yf these heretyques wyll be so madde to flyt in thys case from saynt Poule and say they be bounden to beleue nothynge but onely y â— gospell let vs theÌ„ yet see ferther whyther we may not playnly proue you purgatory by y â— very wordys of the gospell selfe Doth not our blyssed sauyoure hym selfe say that there ys a certayne synne whych a man may so commyt agaynst the holy goste y t yt shall neuer be remyttyd nor forgyuen neyther in thys worlde nor in the world to 〈◊〉 Now as for to dyspute what maner synne that shuld be both y â— mater were very hard and also we shall here nothing nede to touche yt But of one thing both ye we may make vs very sure that there ys nor caÌ„ be eny synne coÌ„mytted in the world so sore so greuouse nor so abomynable but that yf a man wurk wyth goddys â—â—race by coÌ„try cyon and heuynes of hart wyth humble confessyon of mouth good endeuour of penauÌ„ce and satysfaccyon in dede agaynst hys thought word and dede by whych god was offended he shall obtayn of goddê goodnes remyssyen forgyuenes and pardon ¶ But yt may paraduenture so befall that by sum kinde of vnkyndnes â—syd toward god exteÌ„dyng to the blasphemy of his holy spiryte the coÌ„mytter of y t synne may so farr offend that he shall for hys desert demeryte haue y â— grace of almyghty god so clerely wythdrawn from hym that our lorde shall neuer offer hys grace after nor neuer more call vppon hym And then hys grace onys clerely wythdrawen from a man he can neuer be able to repent and returne agayn to god For grace ys y â— lyght wher wyth men se y â— way to walk out of synne and grace ys the staf wythout help wherof no man is able to ryse out of synne accordyng to the wordys of holy wrytt spoken to man in the parson of our lord god Exte perditio tua eâ—me saluatio tua Thy perdycyon cuÌ„meth of thy self but thy saluacyon cummeth of me by y â— ayd and help of my grace Which grace as we tell you beyng fro sum man vtterly wythdrawn for sum maâ—â—â— vnkynd behauour towarde god and blasphemy agaynst the holy goste that synne for lak of repeÌ„taunce whych can neuer cum where grace ys clene gone shall neuer be forgeuen in thys world nor in y â— world to cuÌ„ And in such a maner kynde of vnkyndenes towarde god and blasphemy towarde the holy goste fall also all such wretchys as haue y â— grace of god euer callyng knokkyng vppon theÌ„ for repentauÌ„ce all the days of theyr lyfe and yet all that notwyhstandynge wyll not vse ye nor worke there wyth nor turne to god but wyllyngly wyll dye desperate and impenytente wretchys ¶ Thys kynde of blasphemees of goddys goodnes hys holy spyryte haue in y â— myserable passyng of theyr synfull soule out of theyr sensuall bodys the grace of god so fully and so fynally wytdrawen from theym for euer that they be thereby fyxed and confyrmed in an vnchaungeable malyce whyche eternally dwellyng wyth theym is the very specyall cause of they re euerlastynge turment But in thys mater as we sayed we wade owte of our purpose sauynge that yt semed vs yet necessary syth our sauyour in the place that we speke of doth hym selfe shew that there ys a certayne synne so to wchynge the holy gooste that it shall neuer by forgyuen neyther in thys world nor in the world to come yt semed as we say some what necessary to saye sum what theryn leste sum that rede yt myght conceyue a wrong opynion and a false fere drawyng theym towarde dyspayre that yf they myshappenyd whych our lorde forbede to fall in to blasphemy agaynst the holy gooste they coud neuer after be forgeuen how sore so euer they repentyd or how hartely and how bysely so euer they shuld pray therfore In whyche thynge syth we haue shewed you what we take for trouth we shall leue that mater and shew you how those wordys of Cryste proue you our pryncypall purpose that ys to say that there ys a purgatory How be yt we shall scanâ—ly nede to shew you that for the very wordys be playn and euydent of them self For when our lorde sayth that the blaphemy agaynste the holy goste shall not by forgeuen nether in thys world nor in the worlde to come he geueth vs clere knowlege that of other synnys sum shal be forgeuen in thys world and sum in the world to come ¶ Now ar there in this world euery synne forgeuen in such as shall be saued sowles except such venyall synnys and such teÌ„porall payn as yet due to the dedely synnys rest and remayn to be purged here in purgatory For none other place ys there then thys in the worlde to cum after mannys lyfe in whych eyther synne or payne dew to eny synne shal be remitted For in to heueÌ„ shall neyther synne nor payn enter and in hell shall neuer none be releasyd And therefore when Cryste by shewynge that sum kynde of synne shall not be remyttyd in the worlde to cum doth geue men knowlege that on the tother syde sum synnys shall in the worlde to come be remytted and forgeuen And then syth no man douteth but that neyther in hell shall eny synnys by forgeuen nor in heuen very reson techyth that the place in whych some synnys shal be forgeuen after thys lyfe can be none other but purgatory ¶ There is as we suppose no crysteÌ„ maÌ„ lyuyng but
in the worlde to gette theym wyues and to get they re lyuyng wyth y â— labour of theyr handys and in the swete of theyr facys as he sayeth yt ys the coÌ„maundement of god in the furst chapiter of Genesis and fynally to tay them to the carâ—es to be whyppyd naked about euery market towne tyll they fall to labour And then yf these petycions were onys arauntyd and parformyd he sheweth many great coÌ„modytees that wold as he sayth ensue theruppoÌ„ both to the kynge the people and to the pore beggars Which thyngys we shall ere we leue in such wyse repete and ponder that your wysdoms may consyder and parceiue in your self what good frute wold folow the spede of hys goodly supplycacion whereof we haue rehersed you the hole some and effect ¶ Trewthe yt ys y â— many thyngys wherewyth he florysheth hys maters to make theÌ„ seme gay to the reders at a sodayn shew we leue out for the while because we wold ere we come therto that ye shuld furst haue the mater self in short set forthe before your eyen And thaÌ„ shall we peruse hys prouys and in such wyse consyder euery thynge aparte that we nothyng dout but who so shall rede hys worshypfull wrytyng after shall sone parceyue therin floryshyng without frute futtelte wythout substauÌ„ce rethoryk wythout reasoÌ„ bolde babelyng wythout lernyng wylynes wythout wyt And fynally for y â— foundacyon and ground of all hys prouys ye shall fynde in hys boke not half so many leuys as lyes but almost as many lyes as lynes ¶ And albe yt we lye here in that case that about thexamynacyoÌ„ and answeryng of such a mad malycyouse boke we haue neyther lust nor leysoure to bestow the tyme wherof mispeÌ„t in our lyfe we geue now an hard and a heuy rekenynge yet not only the necessyte of our cause dryueth vs to declare vnto you the feblenes of hys reasons wherewyth he wold bryng you in the case to care nothyng for vs beleuyng y t there were no purgatory but also most specyally dothe our charite towarde you styrre vs to shew you the myschefe that he myndeth to your self aswell in that poynt of infidelyte as in all the remnaunt of hys sedicyouse boke In answeryng wherof we wold gladly let hys foly and lak of lernyng passe yf yt were not more thaÌ„ necessary that all folk shuld parceyue hys lyttell lernyng and lesse wyt lest symple folk wenyng hym wyse and well lernyd myght vnto theyr harm esteme hys euyll wrytyng the better for theyr wronge opynyon of hys wyt and lernyng As for hys malycyouse mynde and vntreuth there can no man loke that we shuld leue vnto wchyd but he that wold rather the man were beleued than answeryd and wold wysh hys byll sped were yt neuer so malycyouse and false ¶ For where he to deuyseth hys introduccyon as all hys purpose shuld haue a great face of charyte by that he speketh all in the name of the pore beggars thys ys nothyng els but the deuyls dryft alway coueryng hys poyson vnder some tast of suger As for vs we truste there wyll no wyse maÌ„ doute what fauour we bere to beggers as folk of theyr own felyshyp and faculte and of all whom there be no where in the world nether so nedy nor so sore and so syk nor so impotent and so sore in paynes as we And that so farforth that yf ye myght se them all on the tone syde and but one of vs on the tother syde we be very sure that the world wolde pyte one of vs more thaÌ„ them all But although we be more beggars then your beggers be as folk dayly beggyng our almes of you and them both yet eÌ„uy we not them as one of them dothe a nother but we pray and require you to gyue them for our sakes wherby your gyft gretly cumfortyth vs both And they be also our proctours and beg in our name and in our name receaue your money wherof we receyue both your deuocyon and theyr prayours So y t ye may be well assured there coud be put no byll nor supplycacyon forth for theyr aduauÌ„tage whych we wold in eny wyse hynder but very gladly forther in all y â— euer we myghte But in good fayth as our pore brethern the beggars be for many causes greatly to be pytyed for theyr dysease and syknes sorow payn pouerte so do we mych in thys case sorow they re myshap that they haue nott had at the leste wyse so muche fortune as to fall vppon a wyser scryuener to make theyr supplycacyon but vppon such a one as vnder hys great wylynes sheweth so lyttell wyt that begynnyng wyth a cloke of charyte doth by and by no lesse dysclose hys hatered and malice than yf be nothyng els had enteÌ„ded but to cast of y t cloke and set out hys malyce naked to the shew Whyrin lyke a beggars ê“ctour he goeth forth so nakedly y t no begger ys there so bare of cloth or money as he sheweth hym selfe bare of faythe lernynge trouth wyt or charite Whych thyng as it all redy well appereth to wyse meÌ„ so wyll we make yt euydent to all men takyng our bygynnynge at the declaracyon of hys vntrewth whych one thyng well perceyued wâ—ll be suffycyent to answer and ouertorne all hys hole enterpryse How be yt we nether shall nede nor do purpose to cuÌ„ber you wyth rehersall and reprofe of all hys lyes for that were to long a work wherof we fere ye shuld be wery to abyde the heryng But of so many we shall pray you take pacyence whyle we shewe you some and such as for the matter be requysyte to be knowen for as much as all hys proues be specyally grounded vppon them ¶ And furst to begyn where he begynneth wheÌ„ he sayth that the noÌ„ber of such beggars as he pretendeth to speke for that is as hym self calleth them the wretched hyduouse monsters on whoÌ„ he sayth scarcely eny eye dare loke the foule vnhappy sort of lepers other sore people nedy impoteÌ„t blynde lame and syh lyuyng onely of almes haue they re numbere nowe so sore encreased that all the almoyse of all the well dysposed people of the realme ys nott halfe inowghe to sustayne theym but that for very constraynte they dye for hunger vnto all those wordys of hys were yt not that though we well wyst our self he sayd vntrew yet wold we be lothe so to lay as a lye to his charge eny thyng wherof the vntrewth were not so playnly parceyued but that he myghte fynde some fauourers whych myghte say he sayd trew els wold we paradueÌ„ture not let to tell hym that for a bygynnyng in these few wordes he had wrytten two lyes at onys If we shuld tell you what noÌ„ber ther was of pore syk folke in days passed ioÌ„g before your tyme ye were at lyberte not to beleue vs. How be yt he caÌ„not not yet on y â— tother syde for hys part
temporall where as the good prynces passed haue graunted and y â— nobles in they re tymes and the people to haue by playne parleamentes confermed them and yet hytherto blessed be god they agre better to gyther then to fall at varyaunce for the wylde wordes of suche a malycyouse make bate whyche for to brynge the spyrytualtye in to hatered sayth that they call theyr iurysdyccyon a kyngdome In whyche word he may say his pleasure but of trewth he seldom seeth eny spyrytuall man at thys daye that so calleth eny spyrytuall iurysdyccyoÌ„ y t he vseth ¶ Nowe where thys man vseth as a profe therof that y â— spyrytualte nameth theym selfe alwaye byfore the temporaltye thys maner of namyng cometh not of them but of the good mynde and deuocyon of the temporaltye so farre forthe that at the parlyament when that eny acâ—es be conceyued the wordes be comenly so cowched that the byll sayth it ys enacted fyrste by our souerayne lorde y â— kyng and by y â— lordes spyrytuall temporall the comens in that present parlyameÌ„t assembled And these byllys be often drawen put forth passed fyrste in the comen howse where there ys not one spyrytuall man present ¶ But suche trewth as the man vseth in thys poynte suche vseth he where he calleth the pore freres almoyse an axaccyon surmysynge that yt ys exacted by force and the people compelled to pay yt where euery man well wotteth that they haue pore men no way to compelle no man to gyue theÌ„ aught not though they shulde dy for defawt But thys good honest true man sayth that who so wyll not pay the freres they re quarterage they wyll make hym be taken as an heretyque We be wyll contente that ye take thys for no lye as manye as euer haue knowen yt trew But who herd euer yet that eny man taken for an hereâ—yque dyd so myche as ones saye that he thought yt conuayd by the malyce of any frere for refusyng to paye y â— freres quarterage Thys lye lo ys a lytle to lowde for eny man that were not waxen shameles ¶ Lyke treuth ys there in thys that he sayeth yf any man trouble a preeste for any teÌ„porall suyte the clergye forth wyth wyll make hym an heretyque and burne hym but yf he be coÌ„tent to bere a fagotte for they re pleasure The falsehed of thys can not be vnknowen For meÌ„ know well in many a shyre how often that many folk endyght prestê of rape at the sessynos And as there ys somtyme a rape committed in dede so ys there euer a rape surmysed were the women neuer so wyllynge and oftentyme where there was nothynge done at all And yet of eny suche that so procured preestes to be indyghted howe many haue men herd taken and accused for heretyques ye se not very many sessyoÌ„s passe but in one shyre or other thys page anâ— ys playd where as thorow the realme such as be put to penaunce for heresy be not so many in many yeres as there be prestys endyghtyd in few yerys And yet of all such so taken for heresye he shall not fynde foure this four score yere peraduenture not thys four huÌ„dreth yere that euer precended them selfe so troubled for endyghtyng of a preste So that hys lye ys herein to large to get eny cloke to couer yt ¶ Nowe where he saith that the captayns of doctours Aleyns kyngdome haue hepyd hym vp benefyce vppon benefyce haue rewardyd hym .x. tymes as mych as the .v. C. poundis whych he payd for a fyne by the premunire and that thus hath the spyrytualtye rewarded â—ym because he fought so maÌ„fully agaynst the kyngys crowne hys dygnyte all that know the matter do well parceyue that the man doth in hys mater as he doth in other eyther lyeth for hys pleasure or els lyttell wotteth how that the matter stode For it ys well knowen that doctour Aleyn was in the premunire pursued only by spyrytuall meÌ„ and had moch lesse fauour myche more rygour shewed hym therin by the greatest of the clergy then by any temporall men ¶ He sayth also to the kynges hyghnes your grace may se what a worke there ys in London how the byshop rageth for endyghtyng of certayne curates of extorcyon and incontynencye the laste yere in the warmoll quest wolde not vppon these wordes euery straunger wene that there had bene in LondoÌ„ many curates endyghted of extorcyoÌ„ and rape and that the byshop wold labour sore to defend theyr fautê and that there wer aboute y t matter a greate coÌ„mocyon in all the cyte How shameles ys he that can tell thys tale in wrytynge to y â— kyngâ— hyghnes for a trouth wherof neyther byshop nor curate nor mayre nor alderman nor eny man ellys euer hard word spoken Hyt were harde to say whether we shulde take yt for wylynes or lacke of wytt y â— he sayth all thys worke was in the cyte the last yere then hys boke neyther was put vp to the kynge nor bereth eny date So y â— a man wold wene he were a fole that so wryteth of the last yere y â— the reder caÌ„not wyt whych yere yt was But yet wene we he doth yt for a wylynes For syth he knoweth hys tale false yt ys wysdome to leue the tyme vnknowen that hys lye may be vncontrolled For he wold that men shulde wene alwaye that yt was in one yere or other ¶ But fynally for a specyall poynt he bryngeth in Rychard HuÌ„ne and sayth y t yf he had not commencyd an accyoÌ„ of premunire agaynst a preste he had bene yet alyue and none heretyke at all Now ys yt of trewthe well knowen that he was detectyd of heresye before the premunyre sued or thought vppon And he began that suyte to helpe to stop the tother wythall as in dede yt dyd for the whyle For all be yt that he that was sued in the premunire was nothynge bylongynge to the byshop of London byfore whome Rycharde Hunne was detectyd of herysy yet left suche as wolde be glad synysterly to mysseconster euery thynge towarde the clergye myght haue occasyon to say that the matter were hotely handeled agaynst hym to force hym to forbere his suyt of the premunire the bysshop therefore dyd the more forbere tyll yt appered clerely to the temporall iudges and all that were eny thyng lerned in the teÌ„porall law that hys suyte of the premunire was nothynge worthe in the kynges lawe for as moche as by playne statute the matter was owt of questyon that the ple to be holden vpon mortuaryes belonge vnto the spyrytuall courte After whyche thynge well aperynge the matter wente forth afore the byshop he there well proued nought and hys bokes after brought forth suche and so noted wyth hys own hande in the margentes as euery wyse man well saw what he was and was full sore to se that he was suche as they they re sawe hym preued ¶ Now goeth he
and sacramentê wold not fayle to decay they parce yuyng thys haue therfore furste assayd the furst way all redy sendyng forth Tyndals traÌ„slacyon of the new testament in such wyse haÌ„dled as yt shuld haue bene the fouÌ„tayn and well spryng of all theyr hole heresyes For he had corrupted and purposely chaÌ„ged in many placys the text wyth such wordys as he myght make yt seme to the vnlerned people that the scryputre affyrmed theyr heresyes it selfe Then cam sone after out in prynt the dyaloge of frere Roy frere Hyerome betwene y â— father y â— sonne agaynst y â— sacrament of y â— aulter the blasphemouse boke entytled the beryeng of the masâ—e Then cam forth after Tyndals wykkyd boke of MaÌ„mona after that his more wykkyd boke of obydyence In whych bokys afore specyfyed they go forth playnly agaynst the fayth and holy sacraments of Crystys church and most especyally agaynst the blyssed sacrament of y â— aulter wyth as vylanous wordê as the wreches coud deuyse But wheÌ„ they haue ê‘ceuyd by exê‘yeÌ„ce y t good people abhorred theyr abomynable bokê theÌ„ they beyng therby lernyd y t the furst way was not y â— best for y â— furtherance of theyr purpose haue now determined theÌ„ selfe to assay the secuÌ„de way that ys to wytte y â— forberynge to wryte so openly and dyrectely agaynste all the fayth the sacrameÌ„tys as good crysten men coulde not abyde the redyng they wolde wyth lyttell towchyng of they re other heresyes make one boke specially agaynst y â— church loke how that wold proue Whyche yf yt succede after they re appetytys that they myght wyth false crymes sayd vnto some or wyth the very fawtis of some brynge the hole churche in hatered and haue the clergye dystroyed theÌ„ shuld they more esely wynne they re purpose that waye For wheÌ„ the prechours of the fayth and very gospell were dystroyed or farre owte of credence wyth y â— people then shulde they haue they re awne false gospellys preched as ye may perceyue that thys man meaneth where he sayth y â— theÌ„ shall the gospell be preched And therfore thys ys the thynge whych thys man as yet leueth owt agaynst theÌ„ that is to wytte the prechyng of the ryght fayth and the sacrameÌ„tys whych thynge he rekeneth in the clergye a more horryble carayn theÌ„ all the crymes wheryn he hath bylyed them byfore And therfore sayth he y t he leueth yt owte leste he shulde seme to declare the one and onely fawt of the kyngis hyghnes Whych one onely fawte he meaneth his gracys moste famouse and most gracyouse boke that hys hyghnes as a prynce of excellent crudycyon vertue and deuocyon toward y â— catholyke fayth of cryst made of thassercyon of the sacramentys agaynst y â— furyouse boke of Marthin Luther Thys godly dede done by hys hyghnes wyth thacceptacyoÌ„ of hys godly well deserued tytle of defensoure of the fayth gyueÌ„ his grace by the see apostolyque thys calleth thys beggers proctoure the kyngys one and onely fawt and ignorance of they re false fayth in estymacyon of these heretyques whych this beggers proctour sayth that he wyll for the whyle hyde and couer vnder hys cloke of sylence tyll the kynge may by these enormytyes where wyth he bylyeth the churche in hys beggers byll wyche enormytyes he calleth smale enormyties in comparyson of the prechyng of the catholyke fayth and the sacramentys be lerned What lesson trow ye None other surely but that they hope that as well hys hyghnes as hys peple may by suche beggers byllys be fyrste alured and brought in to coÌ„temne hate and dystroye y â— church and then therby lerne the tother lesson whych he now leueth owte for the whyle that ys to wytte to sette at nought the catholyque fayth and all the blessyd sacramentys after the techyng of Luthers and Tyndallys gospell And therfore sayth he as we tolde you byfar that then shall the gospell be preched ¶ And in the mene tyme y â— maÌ„ vseth as he weneth hym self to ward y â— kyngys grace a very wyse fassyon of flatery callynge hym they re best belouyd mynyster of ryghtuousnes yet be they not onely ronne away for fere of the ryghtuousnes of theyr best belouyd mynister of ryghtuousnes but also wold yt shuld seme y t his hyghnes were such a mynyster of ryghtuousnes as eyther set so lyttel by ryghtuousnes that he wold wyttyngly suffer or els had so lytyll insyght in ryghtuousnes that he coud not parceyue so great a mater and such an horryble carrayn of yuell commyttyd by the church as were so heynouse so houge and so great that in comparyson therof the translatyng of hys kyngdome the ruyne of hys crown the shypwrak of hys comen wâ—ale the dyspeplyng of hys realm and bryngyng all hys land in to desolacyon and wyldernes were but sleyght maters and small enormytees And that hys hyghenes shuld towarde thys great horrible a intollerable myscheuouse demeanuâ—e of the church be ayding and assystent eyther of yuell mynde or of ygnoraunce tyll that by theyr beggarly byll beyng torned into the hatred the dystruccyon of y â— church he myght thereby be illumynyd to lerne and parceyue that the faythe whych hys grace had before both lernyd taughte and wherof hym self ys the deffensor ys false and faynyd and if at the sacramentê be but mâ—nnys inuencyons and that theruppon he shuld be contente to lern the gospel of Luther and the testament of Tyndale And thus ye may se what the beggars ê“ctour ment by his proê‘ inueÌ„tyd rydle by whych as ye se vnder a fond face of flatery he vseth towarde his prince and souerayn lordâ—â—whose maieste both by the law of god the dutye of hys allegyaunce he were hyghely bounden to reuerence an open playn dyspyte and contumely ¶ Now to th entent y t ye may yet farther parceyue and se y â— they by the dystruccyon of the clergy meane the clere abolycyon of Crystys fayth yt may lyke you to conferre and compare to gether .ii. placis of hys beggars byll In one place after that he hath heped vp to gether all hys lyes agaynst the hole clergy therto adioyned hys greuouse exclamacyon Oh y â— greuouse shypwrak of the comeÌ„ weale he sayth that in auÌ„cyent tyme before the comyng of the clergy there were but few pore people yet they dyd not beg but there was gyuen them ynogh vnasked because at y t tyme he sayth there was no clergy whoÌ„ he calleth alway rauenouse woluys to ask yt fro theÌ„ and thys sayth he appereth in y â— boke of the actys of y â— apostles In this place we let passe hys threfold foly One that he wold by that there were no beggars in one place proue therby that there were none in all y â— worlde besyde For as he for lakke of wyt and vnderstandyng mystaketh the booke he weneth that there were none that beggyd in
And thus tellyng such wyse talys for they re owne parte and makyng mokkys and mowes at euery thyng that maketh agaynst theyr foly for our parte they go forth in they re euyll wyll and obstynacy and with murmur grudge of they re owne consyence coÌ„tent theym selfe wyth y â— onely feding of they re malycyouse myndis by the encreace of they re faccyon of such as fall in to they re felyshype rather of a lyght mynde and lewde pleasure to taire a parte then of eny greate credence that they gyue vnto theym or greately force whyche way they byleue For surely yf these folke were resonable and indyfferent as yt ys not well possyble for them to be after that they refuse onys to byleue y â— catholyque church in y â— vnderstandyng of scripture lene onely to they re awne wyttys but ellys as we say yf they could wyth an equall indyfferent mynd consyder and way what they here they shulde sone se they re heresye reproued and purgatory surely coÌ„fermed not onely by probable reason taken of the scrypture as in y â— place that we rehersed you of Ezechyas but also by playne and euydent textys ¶ For haue ye not the wordys of scrypture wryten in the boke of the kyngys Dominus deducit ad inferos et reducit our lord bryngeth folke downe in to hell and bryngeth theym thense agayne But they y t be in that hell where the daÌ„pned sowlê be they be neuer delyuered thense agayne Wherfore yt appereth well that they whom god delyuereth and bryngeth theÌ„se agayn be in that part of hell that ys callyd purgatory ¶ What say they to the wordys of the ê“phete zachary Tu quoque in saguine testamenti tui eduxisti vinctos tuos de lacu in quo non erat aqua Thou hast in the blode of thy testament brought out thy bounden prysoners owte of the pyt or lake in whych there was no water In that they whom the prophete there speketh of were bounden we may well perceyue that they were in â— pryson of punyshement And in that he calleth theym the prysoners of god yt ys eth to perceyue that he meaneth not eny that were takeÌ„ and emprysoned by eny other than the dampned spyrytys the very gaolers of god And in that he sayth that there ys in that lake no water we may well perceyue that he spake yt in descrypcyon of that drye pyt of fyre where in there ys no refreshyng For as hote are we here as they are in hell And what â—ete ys in the pyt where there lakketh water our sauyour hym selfe declareth by the wordys of the rych gloton lyeng in such a lake from whense at syght of pore Lazarus in Abrahams bosom he desyred heuely to haue hym sent vnto hym wyth one droppe of water to refreshe hys tonge that after all the delycates that yt had tasted in his lyfe lay there theÌ„ sore burnyng neuer set half so mych by twenty tonne of wyne as he set by one pore drop of water So that as we shewe you these wordys of y â— ê“phete zachary Thou haste brought owte thy boundeÌ„ presoners owte of the lake where in ys no water do ryght well appere to be spokeÌ„ of these pore eÌ„presoned sowlys whom cryst after hys bytter passyon by hys precyouse blode wherwyth he consecrated hys church in hys newe testament delyuered owt of the lake of fyre wherin they lay boundeÌ„ for they re synnys But nowe ys there no man y â— dowteth whyther cryste delyuered the daÌ„pned sowlis owt of hell or not For in y â— hell ys there no redempcyon in limbo patrum the sowlys were in reste Wherfore it appereth clerely that those â—soners whom he brought owte of they re payne he brought onely owte of purgatory And so se these heretyques purgatory clerly proued by the playn wordys of thys holy prophete ¶ A nother place ys there also in the olde testament that putteh purgatory quyte owt of questyon For what ys playnner then the places whych in the boke of the Machabees make mencyon of the deuowt remembrauÌ„ce prayoure almoyse sacryfyce to be done for sowlys when the good and holy man Iudas Machabeus gathered money among the peple to by sacryfyce wythall to be offred vp for y â— sowlys of theym that were dede in the batayle Doth not thys place of scrypture so openly declare the nede that we sowlys haue in purgatorye the relyefe that we fynd by the prayour and suffragys of good peple vppon erthe that all the heretyques that barke so faste agaynst vs can fynd neyther glose nor colour to the contrary ¶ What shyfte fynde they here surely a very shamelesse shyfte and are fayne to take theym to that take lynge that ys they re shote anker allway when they fynde the storme so great that they se theyr shyp goth all to wrekk For first they vse to set some false glose to the text that ys layed agaynst theym and deny the ryght sense ¶ But now yf the texte be so playne that they can haue no suche colour then when they can haue no more holde but se that they re parte goth all to naught they fall to a shamelesse boldnes let no to deny the scrypture and all say y â— hole scrypture whych ys layd agaynste them ys none holy scrypture at all as Luther playth wyth the godly epystle of Crystys blyssed apostle saynt Iamys And euyn the same do those heretykê wyth the authoryte of this holy boke of Machabees they be not ashamed to say that yt ys not scrypture But vppon what grownd do they deny yt for scrypture because yt is not foundâ— and accompted for holy scrypture among y â— Iewys They neyther do nor can deny but that yt ys taken for holy scripture by the churche of Cryste For yf they wold denye that both the hole chyrche bereth wytnes agaynst them at this day it also appereth playnly by saynt Hyerome saynt Austayn other old holy doctours that the church so toke yt also in theyr days before theÌ„ wold we gladly wit of these new men these enmyes we mean of ours whyther the chyrch of crist be not of as great authoryte and as mych to be beleuyd in the choyse eleccyoÌ„ of holy scrypture as the Iewes If they wyll say yes theÌ„ answere they them self for then ys the boke of the Machabees by y â— choyce of the chyrch prouyd holy scrypture though the Iewes neuer accounted yt so Now yf they will say no and wyll contend that yt caÌ„not be accountyd holy scrypture though the chyrch of Cryste so take take yt but yf the Iewes so toke yt too then go they nere to put out saynt IhaÌ„ns gospell out of scrypture too for the Iewes neuer toke yt for none And surely yf they admyt for scripture that book that the Iewes admytted deny that boke to be scrypture whych the church of Cryste receyueth for scrypture theÌ„ do they
say that the spyryte of god was more effectually present and assysteÌ„t vnto the synagoge of the Iewys in the law of hys prophete Moyses theÌ„ vnto the church of hys awne onely bygoten sonne in the law of crystys gospell ¶ If they consyder well the bokê of y â— Machabeys they shall fynd suche thynge therin as maye geue theym good occasyon to put lyttell dowte but that yt shuld be of great and vndenyable authoryte For they shall fynde there that the greate good and godly valyaunt capytayne of goddys people dyd instytute and ordayne the great feste of the dedycacyon of the temple of HierusaleÌ„ called festuÌ„ encemoruÌ„ of the annuall instytucyon of whyche feste we rede no where ellys but in y â— boke of the Machabeys And yet fynde we that feste euer after contynued and had in honour vntyll crystê awne dayes and our sauyour hym selfe went to the celebracyon of that same feste as appereth in the gospell of saynt IhaÌ„n So that yt may well appere that y e bokys of that noble hystory wherof remeaneth so noble a monument and remembraunce contynually kepte and reserued so longe after and honowred by crystes awne precyouse ê‘son and testyfyed by hys holy Euangelyste in the boke of hys holy gospell can not be but vndowted trewth and of dyuyne authoryte ¶ And surely yf they deny y e boke of the Machabeys for holy scripture bycause the Iewys accompte yt not for suche then shall they by the same reason refuse the authoryte of the boke of Sapyence and proue theym selfe insypyentys And lyke wyse yf they take all scrypture bysyde the newe testament to be of none other force and authoryte then yt ys accomptyd in the rule and canon of the Iewes then shall the hole psalter of Dauyd the very somme of clere and lyghte some prophesyes leese amonge theym greate parte of his authoryte syth yt ys not taken in lyke force and strenght among the Iewes as yt ys in Crystys church ¶ Fynall for the boke of the Machabees syth the church of Cryste accounteth yt for holy scrypture there can no man dout therof but he that wyll take awaye all credence and authoryte from the hole scrypture of god the very gospellys and all For yf these heretykys deny for holy scrypture eny boke that the chyrche of Cryste accounteh for holy scrypture then deny they one of the grettyst foundacyons of all crysteÌ„ fayth and the thyng whych theyr master Marten Luther hym self hath all redy confessed for trew For he affyrmyth hym selfe that god hath gyuen vnto the church of Cryste that gyfte that the church cannot fayle surely and certeynly to discerne betwene the wordys of god and the wordys of men y t yt cannot be desceyuyd in the choyse of holy scrypture and reiectyng of the contrary so farforth that he coÌ„fessyth as he nedys must of necessyte that the noble doctour and gloryouse coÌ„fessour saynt Austeyne sayth very well when he sayd that he shuld not haue beleuyd the gospell but for y e authorite of y e church For he had not knowen whych had bene the very boke of the gospels and whych not amoÌ„g so many as were wryten but by the authoryte of the church whom the spyryte of god assysted as yt euer dothe and euer shall in the choyse and receyuyng of holy scripture and reieccyoÌ„ of the couÌ„terfete and false Wherby yt apperyth clerely not onely by that holy doctour saynt Austeyn but also by the confessyon of y e arche heretyke Luther hym selfe that the church cannot be dysseyuyd in the choyce of holy scrypture and reieccyon of the contrary so farforthe y t yt neyther can receyue as holy scrypture eny booke that ys none nor reiect for other then holy scrypture eny boke that is holy scrypture in dede And surely yf the churche myghte so be deceyuyd in the choyse of holy scripture that they myghte take approue for holy scrypture eny boke that were none then stode all crystendome in dout and vnsurety whether saynt IhaÌ„ns gospell were holy scripture or not and so forth of all the new testament ¶ And therfore syth as we haue shewed you by the heretykes owne confessyons the church of Cryste cannot be deceyuyd in the choyse eleccyon of holye scrypture by whyche they re confessyon they muste nedys abyde and not flyt therfro as they dayly do chauÌ„ge and vary from theyr owne wordê in many other thyngis except that they wyll in the fallyng from that poynte refuse the streÌ„ghte and authoryte of the newe testament of cryste and syth as your selfe well perceyueth also the churche of cryste receyueth and taketh and as ye se by saynt Hyerome and other olde holy doctours thys thowsande yere hath approued and fermely byleued the holy boke of the Machabeys to be one of the volumes of holy scrypture and then in that boke ye se so manyfestely purgatory proued that none heretyque as shamelesse as they be can yet for shame say the coÌ„trary but are by the playn and open wordys of that holy boke so dreuen vp to y â— hard wall that they can no ferther but are fayne to say that the boke ys no parte of scrypture whyche shyfte they must nedys forsake agayne or ellys reuoke they re awne wordys and therwyth also thauthoryte of all crystê gospell there shall yf eyther reason or shame can holde neuer nede eny ferther thyng for the profe of purgatory to stoppe y â— mowthys of all the heretyques that are or shal be to the worldys ende ¶ But yet syth they be so hamelesse and vnresonable that the thyng whyche they can in no wyse defende they can not yet fynde in they re prowde harte to gyue ouer but when yt ys prouyd by dyuers playne textis of y â— olde testament then hauyng no probable reason for they re parte they neuer the more gyue place to trewth but stykke to they re obstynate nay let vs se whyther our purpose be not preued by good and substancyall authoryte in the newe testament also ¶ And fyrste let vs consyder the wordys of the blessyd apostle and euaÌ„gelyst saynt IhaÌ„n where he sayth Est peccatuÌ„ vsque ad morteÌ„ non dico vt pro to roget quis There ys sayth he some synne that ys vnto the deth I bydde not that eny man shall praye for that Thys synne as the interpreters agre ys vnderstanden of desperacyon and impenytens as though saynt IhaÌ„n wolde say y t who so depart owt of thys world impeniteÌ„t or in dispayre eny prayour after made caÌ„ neuer stande hym in stede Then appereth yt clerely that saynt IhaÌ„n meaneth that there be other whyche dye not in such case for whom he wolde men shuld pray bycause y â— prayour to suche sowlys may be ê“fytable But that profyte can no man take neyther beyng in heuen where yt nedeth not nor beyng in hell where yt boteth not Wherfore it appereth plaine y t such prayour helpeth onely for