he tossed me myne owne ball agayne but when I beholde hit I perceaue it to be non of myn for he hathe cut out all that shulde make for me so that he hath geuen it cleane an other shape then euer I entended that it shulde haue as it appereth by his wryting which reherseth my wordes in this maner I am sure there are many that merueyll that I being so yonge dare atempte to dyspute this matter against these .iii. persones But my wordes are this I am sure that there are manye that wyll moche meruayll that I beynge so ionge and of so small lerning dare dispute this matter c. Here Rastell leueth out the wordes and of so smake lernynge for yf he had put that in he had be wrayed him selfe For I thynke no man so madde as to saye that he which sayeth him selfe to be both yonge of small lerninge shulde prayse boste him selfe Also immediatly after the wordes of his fyrste allegacion I say on this maner And as touchinge my lerninge I muste nedes aknowlege as the trueth is that it is verye smal which I thynke is but a base bostiÌ„ge and anon after I say I wolde not that any man shulde admitte my wordes or lerninge excepte they wyll stonde with the scripture be approued therby lay them to the touchstone and trye them with goddes worde yf they be founde false and coÌ„trary then daÌ„pne them and I shall also reuoke them wyth al myn harte c. Hynallye I exhorted them to reade my boke not aduertysynge whoo speaketh the wordes but rather what is spoken by why the wordes you myght well se that I entended not to boste my selfe and all this haue I wryten and he lefte it out eueÌ„ in the fyrste page as he calleth it wherin he reporteth that I boste my selfe Notwithstondinge one thinge doth sore vexe him that I shulde recyte the pystell of S. Paule wherbye he sayeth I wolde haue meÌ„ beleue that I had the sprete of god and thynke that though I be yonge that I se visyons and espye the truethe and that my elders haue dremed dremes and wandered in phantasyes This he recounteth to be a great boste that this one place shulde wynne hym the felde where vnto I answer that in dead my wordes do not proue that thinge which you seme â—o suerly to gather of theÌ„ but my wordes doo argue on this maner that no man ought to condeÌ„pne a thinge before he reade it 〈◊〉 then to geue senteÌ„ce and because you seme ignorant in the matter I shall declare it vnto you and howe it stondithe it is a coloure of rethoryke and is called auantopodosis that is to saye an answer to an obieccioÌ„ that a maÌ„ myghte haue here made on this maner thou grauntest thy selfe yonge and so smale lernynge doste thou theÌ„ thinke that we shall once reade or regarde thy boke speciallye sythe it is wryten agaynste auncyent men bothe of great wytte and dignyte to this twoo poyntes I answere preuentinge theyr obieccion that they shuld not dispyse it because of my youthe for as the sprete of god is bounde to no place euen so is he not addicte to anye age or person but enspyreth where he wyll and when he wyll brenge in for an ensample that he espyred yonge Tymothe prouinge ther by that the youth of it selfe is not to be dispised but accordinge to the lernynge whiche it bryngeth and that therfore they maye not dispise my youth but fyrst read what doctrine I briÌ„ge and therafter do iudge it no more in this I proued not that I am enspyred and haue the sprete of god as Tymothe had but only proue that God maye enspyre youthe as he dyd Tymothe and that therfor ye ought fyrste to reade before you condempne for you know not who is enspired who not vntyl you haue read their workes or sene their factes Thus you may se that my wordes define not that al yough is enspyred although som may be but I exhorte that no man despyse prophesies but proue all and approue that is good and to make the matter more playne I shall brynge you an example outâ— of Paule to the Hebreus whyche exhorteth theÌ„ to hospytalyte for by that som men onwares haue receaued angeles to herber be not therfore vnmyndful of it here Paule exhorteth yow to hospitalyte shewyng yow that by those meanes some men haue receaued angels into their house wolde not haue yow thynke that al the gestes which he shal receaue shalbe angels but some shal be â—ewde loselles And lykewise I inexorâ—inge yow to reade my boke and not dyspysynge my yowgth because that sumtyme godde enspyreth the yoÌ„ge worde not haue yow thiÌ„ke that the bokes made of yonge men whyche ye shal receaue shalbe holsome doctrine but some men be lewde vnfrutefull neuerthelesse euen as yf they receiued not those gestes they shulde also put awaye angels yf anye came So if yow despice to reade such bokes as be wryten by yonge men yow maye also fortune to dispyce theÌ„ which are wryten by the inspyracyen of Chrystes sprete and therfore ye ought to reade them But be it in cause I had in dead praysed my selfe as I haue not and that I had sayed that I had the sprete of god what inconuenience shulde folowe therof wolde yowe 〈◊〉 argue that my doctrine were false yf that were a good argument then were thrystes doctrine false then were Paule a false prophete and oure sayth nothynge for christ sayd to the Iewes that he was the lyght oâ— the worlde And agayne he sayd it is my father that glorifyed me whom you call youre god Nowe yf it had bene a sufficient argument to condempne his doctrine because the worlde callethe it bostynge than shulde we haue beleued no truth at all Besydes that Paull semeth not a lyttel to boste him selfe yf men loke on it with a carnall yie for he sayeth that he thinketh not him selfe inferior vnto the hyest apostels sayeth agayne that yf they glorye to be the mynisters of Chryste thoughe he speake vnwyslye he is more copyous in laboures in strypes aboue measure in preson more often often at the poynte of dethe c. Shulde we for this wordes thynke that his doctrine were not ryght Naye verelye that doth not inproue the doctrine but that it may be good and holsome for a man may boste himselfe and doo well so he referre the prayse to God from whom all goodnes cometh but be it in case that I shulde say that god of his mere mercy for the loue that he oweth me in Chryste and his bloude had geueÌ„ me his sprete that I might be to his laude prayse to whom be thankes for euer AmeÌ„ wolde you thyncke that this were so greate abostinge that the doctrine shulde be impayred therbye Ah blynde gydes I praye God geue you the lyght of vnderstondinge I beseche you brother Rastell be not
An other boke against Rastel named the subsedye or bulwark to his fyrst boke made by Ihon Frithe presoÌ„ner in the Tower ⸫ ⸪ ¶ Awake thou that slepeste and stonde vppe from deeth and Chryste shall geue the lyght EphesiaÌ„s v. ¶ ¶ ✚ The prologe IT neadeth not Chrysten reader I thynke now that thou haste ouer red and diligeÌ„tly pondered in thyne inward senses that the treatyse of Ihon Frith wher in he confuteth all the reasons whiche Rastel More and Rochester made for the maynte naunce vpholdinge of the bytter paynes of purgatory to coÌ„mend vnto the this brefe worke folowinge named a subsidy defence or bulwarke to the same And moch lesse nedeth it to dehorte the from the vayne chyldyshe feare whiche oure fore fathers haue hadde of that place of purgatorye as their goodworkes which at this day remaine vppon the yerth founded for theyr thens delyueraunce do testifye And for as moche as thou arte a christen man reioysest in christ I dare boldely affyrme for the that thou takest nother pleasure nor ioye of that place lyke as some persons do which triumphed of late with mochâ— ioye and clappynge of haÌ„des sende tydinges in to all pertyes that purgatorye was founde agayne Because they read in a boke named the institutioÌ„ of a chrysten man this worde purgatory And yet haue I not heard hetherto that the selfe ê‘sons haue shewed anye tokeÌ„s of gladnes for goddes worde translated in to englyshe so that to me they seame to reioyse more to haue the sely soules purged with puynyshmeÌ„tes when they be departed then to haue them purged with the worde of God whyle they be here who wyll thynke but as they haue vttered theyr hartes concerninge purgatory with theyr tonges eueÌ„ so they say in theyr stomakes that theyr holye father the pope whoÌ„ we may as iustly calle the bishop of Rome seynge he is there the heed of S. Peters church as we maye call the heed of S. Paules church in London byshop of LoÌ„don hath recouered agayne here in englaÌ„de his olde auctoryte yee that â—e neuer yet lost it because they fynde in theyr churches coopes roopes bels beades wyth other lyke holynes on them selues longe gownes shauen crownes fyngers anoynted withe the holy oyle of ydeldes for who wyll saye but that these holy reliques declare the bysshop of Rome as clarklye as this worde purgatory proueth a place to be where soules after the departure from theyr bodyes suffer paynes punyshmentes doth not this pretye pagent of purgatory sygnifye pronosticat what tragedie they wyll playe hereafter when the worde of god shall blowe scater froÌ„ the face of the erth the darke cloudes mistes of mens inuencions shal score away the ruste of fleslye vnderstondinge of the scriptures in other thinges lyke wyse as it hath done in this yf ought maye be fouÌ„de in that boke where with they maye resyste that such thinges maye be picked out of it the fruyte whiche coÌ„menly hath coÌ„me of all counsels coÌ„uocacions synodes sythens the apostles tyme very fewe excepted causeth me somwhat to feare for yf a man way the good with the bade that hath spronge from them he wyl ê‘chaunce thynke that the laye people of all estates maye well iustly saye farewell the one with the other no meruel for they haue not bene all the chylderne of one father that haue ben in couÌ„sels as they haue not bene al shepe that hath gone in shepes clothinge ofte tymes the greater parte ouer cometh the better which thiÌ„ges gathered by experience by readinge causethâ— me often times to wyshe that they which wolde be counted syncere trewe mynisters of the gospel eyther might wolde cleane abstaine from suche couÌ„cels that they haue no ê‘te in them or els that they wolde geue no more place to the frutes of iÌ„fidelite I meane meÌ„s inuentions carnall interpretatioÌ„s whichâ— the fayth in chryste neuer begate then saint Paule gaue to Peter his college when he leafte the table of the gentils went to the Iewes whichâ— facte of Peter in my iudgement Paule mought more coÌ„uenieÌ„tly haue aproued seynge Peter dyd it to the entent he wolde not offeÌ„d his weake brethernâ— the Iewes with his eatinge then the trewe and syncere ministers of christ in the gospel may wincke at manye thinges vsed in this dayes amonge the disciples of the gospell moch lesse maye they approue theÌ„ with the fashioÌ„ of there owne liuing coÌ„firme theÌ„ with the auctorite of a couÌ„sel with preachinge they saye it is not tyme to speake agaynst them be it yet is it tyme to leaue them no lenger to seame to alowe theÌ„ onles they entend alwayes to walke iÌ„ theÌ„ had the auctor of this boke loked after a tyme as some doo he had not wryteÌ„ against purgatorye when he dyd I feare me some mayntaine blyndnes more with there symulacyon then they open the lyght with there preachinge But this haue I spoken good reader besydes my purpose which was non other then to admonysh the that althought Rochester More Rastell haue all thre as thou ê‘ceyuest by readinge this former treatise stiffely defended one he resye yet shuldest thou not haue of all thre one iudgement or opinion More and Rochestre were meÌ„ of high dignite in this worlde the one a byshope the other chaunceler of this noble realme of Englond both auncyent in yeres of so great wytte so synguler eruditioÌ„ in all kynde of lerninge estemed aswell of them selfes as of many other that no .ii. lyke myght in all this londe be founde it was thought that for there dignite nomaÌ„ durste for there yeres wytte lernyng nomaÌ„ was able to agayne say theÌ„ wherfore they were ê‘swaded to be the mooste meate of all other to take in hande the defence of the terrible paynes of purgatorye eyther the verye foundacion or els the cheffe buyldynge sette vppoÌ„ the foundacion of the church of Rome Rastell had nothynge coÌ„men with theÌ„ But only many yeres awyt sophisticall whych he called naturall reason as a ê‘taininge to goddes worde he aknowleged hymselfe ignoraunt therof notwithstondinge had such opinioÌ„ of his wyt that he thought he coulde as well proue purgatory by it as the other .ii. hadde done by the scryptures wherin I thynke he was not deceaued and as this iii ê‘soÌ„s were not like so toke they the answere made to them not a lyke More Rochestre thought foule scorne see what the glorye of this worlde hygh estimacion of our selfes doth that a ionge man of smale reputacioÌ„ shulde take vppon him so cleane contrarye to their opinion to wrytte agaynst theÌ„ And to be shorte toke the matter so greuouslye that they could neuer after be quyet in their stomakes vntyll they had droÌ„ken his bloud Rastell though he ê‘ceyued his natural reason to be sore sayd to yet was he not malicious as the other were And therfore wrote he agayne which worke
of Rastell came to his handes when he was presonner in the Tower of London where he made the answer folowyng to the same which answere after Rastell had reade he was well conteÌ„t to counte his natural reason folyshnes and with harty thankes geuen to god becam a chylde agayne and sucked of the wysdome which cometh from aboue saueth all that be noryshed therwith in the which he contynued to his lyfes ende with the honour and glorye of God to whome be prase for euer Amen ¶ Here foloweth te preface of this boke BRother Rastell I thanke yow that it had pleased you to be so fauourable vnto me a pore presoner as to shewe me a copie of your boke which yow haue wryten to confute my reasons scrypture that I haue alleged against purgatory for that hath caused me to make a subsydy defence bulwarke to my boke which by goddes grace shalbe an occation to open more lyght although not to yow yet at the lestwyse vnto them whose hartes the prince of this world hathe noâ— blynded but that the lyghte of the gospell and glorye of Chryste maye shyne in theÌ„ And where as yow wryte proteste that yow wyll brenge no scripture agaynst me But only rehersse my scrypture againe whiche I haue alleged vnê‘feytlye and wounde me with myne owne dartes wyll but euen do as one that playeth at tennes wyth another tossinge the balle agayne I doo verye well admitte your similitude Not withstodinge yow know ryght wel that it is not I noughe for a man playinge at teÌ„nes to tosse the ball agayn but he must so tosse it that the tother take it not For yf the other smyte it ouer agayne then is the game in as great ieoberdy as it was before besydes that he muste take hede that he neyther smyte to shorte of the lynne nor yet vnder for then it is a losse and he had ben better to let it go And finallye somtyme a maÌ„smyteth ouer thynkethe al wonne and yet an vngracious poste stondeth in the waye maketh the ball to rebounde backe agayne ouer the corde loseth the game And that wyl anger a man I assartayne yow that ye haue tossed neuer a ball but ye offende in one of this poyntes yet besydes that somtyme ye playe a touche of legerdemayne caste me a ball which when it commythe I perceaue to be non of myne all the courte shall iudge the same This poyntes shalbe declared when we come to them and nowe I wyll answer in order An answere to Rastels fyrst prologe IN youre prologe yow assigned ii causes of the makyng of youre .i. boke of purgatory without alleginge any textes of scripture for the proue therof which are the coÌ„trouersye of .ii. sortes of people One sorte you say be those that beleue not iÌ„ Christ but denie christ his scripture as be the turkes paynims suh other miscreauÌ„ts An other sorte be they that beleue in chryste his scripture nor wyll denye no texte of holy scripture but yet they wyll coÌ„strue expoÌ„de and interprete this textes after theyr owue wylles and obstinate mynde c. Now let vs coÌ„syder your forsayd causes poÌ„der whether your boke haue or may do any such good as you say pretended whether it haue coÌ„uerted those sortes of people or els by any thynge likely to do suche a facte And fyrst let vs se what it profyteth the fyrste sorte which are infideles not beleuiÌ„ge iÌ„ chryst nor his scripture Our saâ—iour christ saieth he that beleueth is not daÌ„pned IhoÌ„ Bap. coÌ„firmeth the same saying he that beleueth in the sonÌ„e hath euerlastiÌ„ge lyffe but he that beleueth not in the soneÌ„ shall not se lyfe but the wrath of god abydeth vppoÌ„ hiÌ„ Here it is euident not be my exposicyoÌ„ but by the coÌ„sent of all christeÌ„ men that those in fideles are daÌ„pned for what enteÌ„t thaÌ„ shulde Rastel teache theÌ„ that there is a purgatory without christ their is no way but daÌ„pnacy on as scripture all faythfull men testifye TheÌ„ wolde I know by what way he wolde ê‘swade that there were a purgatory which shulde be away ameane to saluacion and not to daÌ„pnacioÌ„ for them which beleue not in Chryst This I am sure of I thiÌ„ke Rastell beleueth it also that the infydeles shall neuer come in it thoughe theire were one This you maye se that his fyrst cause is verye vayne that yf they dyd beleue it they were in dead deceyued Now let vs ê“cede vnto the secoÌ„de sorte of poeple which beleue in christ his scripture yet misconstrue it expouÌ„ding it after their owne willes And let vs se what frute they take of this boke what it profyteth them we shall fynde that it lesse serueth these meÌ„ theÌ„ the fryste for if this men beleue in chryst in his scripture theÌ„ is it not possyble that they shulde receaue or admytte that thynge whiche is against the scripture bothe by the exposicioÌ„ of theÌ„ selues of al the worlde For this is both agaynst scrypture and all faithfull men that there shulde be anye waye to helth yf we exclude Christ and his scripture And syth purgatorye is counted awaye to helthe he that wolde go aboute to proue it secludynge Chryst and scrypture is against scrypture and all faythfull men Besydes that yf they be so obstynate that they wyll not receaue the verye scripture but expounde it after theyr owne wylles wrest it after the same then wyll they moche lesse receaue your boke which is so playne against scripture and therfore yf yow wolde thiÌ„ke that they coulde be tamed by your boke which notwitstonding so wresteth scrypture theÌ„ may I verye well lyken yow to him that hath a wilde horse to tame which when he ê‘ceueth that he caÌ„ not holde him with a scokry she snafle wyll yet labour to breake hiÌ„ with a rotyn twyne threde So that I can espye no maner of profyte that can come of youre boke yf yowe can allege no better causes theÌ„ yow yet shew but that it had ben a greate dele better on wryten And brother Rastel where yow say that I auaunce boste my selfe moch more then becometh me and that I detraycte slander my neyghbours and that I prouoke all meÌ„ that read my boke rather to vyce theÌ„ to vertu with such other thynges as ye lay to my charge I trust I shall declare my inconuenyence and geue yow a sufficient answere ¶ An answere to Rastels fyrst Chapter whych reproueth me for boostynge my selfe IN the fyrst chapter of this boke Rastel laboureth to proue that I am sore ouer sene in laudinge bosting my selfe and that I like my selfe so wel that he is sure that other men do lyke me the lesse that he fereth that god wyll therfore lyke me fauour me rather the worse then the better Here he iogeleth wyth me wolde make me beleue that