do and renne at riote with your doctryne Awaye from us ye wicked the commaundementes of our god will we kepe and not yours Standish Which toke oure synnes on him penam pro peccatis j. Pet. ij et cet Couerdale Ye taught afore wresting many scriptures for your purpose that euery man must satisfie for the punishment belonginge vnto sinne and now ye graunt that Christ toke the paine vpō him therfore As much hold is there at your doctryne as at an elys tale Standish But we haue moo meanes concernyng intercession et cet Couerdale The scripture is manifest that euery one of us in this life is boūd to praie for another and dailie occasions haue we of such peticions and exhortacions as appertayne to oure estate As for praiēg to saintes that be out of this life Ye haue myne answere allready Barnes NOtwithstonding whether they praye for us or no that I referre to god Standish A good Christē man wold haue gone no further then the congregacion of Christes church that is to saie in this region the kinges maiesty with his lerned counsaill Couerdale Like as your vnreuerent handling of the holy scriptures afore rehearced and your wicked doctrine against the same declareth you to be none of Christes church vnlesse ye repent and turne so do ye here exempte youre selfe from that holy congregacion Maruaill not therfore though whan I se you folowe your vnholy mother and not Christes deare spouse I call you now and then her owne whyte sonne In this region of England ye saie the congregaciō of Christes church is the Kynges Maiestie with his lerned counsaill But is this a sufficient diffinicion what a comforte is this now for so many of the Kynges subiectes both lerned and vnlerned to heare that they are not of Christes congregacion Is it a greate consolacion for the foote to be none of the body Ye repute D. Barnes no good Christen man because he wolde not define whether sayntes praie for us or no but referred that vnto god and not to the Kynges maiestie and his lerned counsaill What will ye make of the Kynges grace A prince that had rather haue secrete thinges referred vnto him then vnto god the onely knower of all secretes Or do ye esteme the Kynges lerned counsaill to be such men as will geue iudgment in thinges that be not euident Or thinke ye them to be ignoraunt of the scripture which forbyddeth men to search out or to medle with secrete thinges that god hath not commaunded Barnes ANd yf saintes do praie for you thē I trust within this halfe hour to praie for you M. sheriffe and for euery Christē man liuing in the faith of Christ and dyenge in the same as a saynt Wherfore yf the deed maye praye for the quicke then I will surely praye for you Standishe O damnable presumpcion et cetera Couerdale Because this man trusted thorow the onely mercy of god in Christ to passe from this death vnto life ye note damnable presumpcion arrogaunt presumpcion and presumptuous arrogaūcy in him And because ye maye seme to haue scripture to proue that D. Barnes wolde temerously appoynte and determyne the tyme himselfe for his so sayeng ye bringe in quod pater posuit in sua potestate as right as a rammes horne and as nye to the purpose as Pauls steple and mount Falcon. At the tyme of the ascension of oure sauyoure whan the Apostles were come together they asked him and sayde Lord shalt thou at this tyme set vp the kyngdome of Israel agayne He sayd vnto them It belongeth not vnto you to knowe the tymes and seasons which the father hath kepte in his awne power et cetera A like answere to such another question geueth he in another place and saieth Of that daye and houre knoweth no man no not the angels of heauen but the father onely What maketh this now to proue that he which acordinge to Christes promes trusteth to pas from this death to life doth temerously appoynt and determine the same time daye or season which our Sauyoure there speaketh of Or that he is either presumptuous or arrogaunt which acording to the ensample of holy scripture is certaine and sure that after the destruction of his body he hath an euerlastinge dwelling in heauen Haue ye not now alledged the scripture well to the purpose Ye wold haue men beleue as it appeareth by you doctrine that whan they departe hence they shall go from the hall in to the kytchen or els in to the whole kylle of your purgatory Standish Loke what case he is in that thus ended his life et cet Couerdale To proue here that saintes praie for us in heauen ye make a long disputacion and with the scriptures ye do as ye were wont They haue loue yet ye saie and therfore they praye for us and are our aduocates I answere The same places of scripture that ye bringe in your selfe are moost against you for they declare manifestly that it is the office of Christ to make intercession for us and that he is with the father oure aduocate which opteineth grace for our sinnes The saintes then that be in heauen knowinge this eternall will of god loue us not so that they desyre to be nether can they be against it It is a token that your doctryne hath but a weake foundacion whan ye go aboute to proue it by a dreame yee and that out of such a boke as serueth not for the confirmacion of the doctryne of Christes church for though it be red among the stories of other bokes yet dyd not the church receaue it among the Canonical scriptures in S. Hieroms tyme. Nether can ye proue that boke laufull by anye sayeng of Christ for thorow out all the new Testament he maketh mencion of none but of the lawe the Prophetes and the Psalmes and byddeth not search anye other scriptures but such as beare recorde and testimonye of him The xv of Ieremy proueth as doth also the vij the xj the xiiij of his boke that god will not be intreated where his worde is troden vnder foote and where men will nedes spurne agaynst it And verely in all the scripture could ye not haue brought in a more manifest place to cōfute your owne doctrine if it be compared to the xiiij of Ezechiel The xvj of Luke proueth nothing for your purpose in that Abraham praied not to god whan he was desired But like as it proueth that ther is no redempcion in hell ner time of acceptable repentaunce and forgyuenesse after this life So proueth it euidently that we ought to holde us to the onely word and scripture of god and not to loke for other doctrynes visions dreames or reuelacions The place Apoca. vj. proueth that the voyce of Abels bloude and of such as are slayne for the worde of god cryeth vengeaunce from the erth and vnder the altare as S.
chaunceloure for denyeng of the sacrament and for faulte of a better I was assygned to the examynacion of him in the galery And after longe reasonyng and disputaciō I declared and sayde that the sacrament beyng rightly vsed and accordinge to scripture doth after the word spoken by the prest chaunge the substaunce of the bred and wyne in to the body and bloud of Christ Were not these my wordes sayde he Yee sayde M. pope Thē beare me witnesse said he that I erre not in the sacramēt Standishe Allthoughe you did not denie that sacrament yet haue you et cet Couerdale Ye call it slaunderous raylinge whan a man with gods worde both ernestly rebuke such horryble abuses as Antichrist and his malignaunt church hath brought in among Christen people So lothe are ye to consent vnto gods worde or to vse anie thing according to his holy instituciō What could it then haue helped you yf he had opened his minde farther seing that in his so godly and honest request ye ascribe naughtynesse vnto him He did but shew that he wold haue the sacrament rightly vsed and acording to holy scripture and ye are not content with him Yet well worth the Corinthians for though they were fallen in to abuse aboute this holy misterie and aboute other thinges we read not that they spurned against the holy goost as you do whan they were called to refourmacion Standish Se also I praye you how he saieth et cetera Couerdale Yf you shulde saye that for lack of a better ye dyd write agaynst this protestacion of D. Barnes wolde ye therfore be iudged to thynke that there were not many better lerned men in England to take such a matter in hande then you Barnes THen sayde he haue ye anye thing els to saye There was one then asked him his opynion of prayeng to sayntes Then sayd he Now of saintes you shall heare myne opynion I haue sayd before somwhat I thynke of them how that I beleue they are in heauē and with god and that they are worthy of all the honour that scripture willeth them to haue But I saye through out al scripture we are not commaunded to pray to any sayntes therfore I can not ner will not preach to you that sayntes ought to be praied vnto For then shuld I preach you a doctryne of myne owne head Standish Ther is an olde heresie that saieth sayntes be not yet in heauen et cet Couerdale Is this your next waye to confute him that saieth we are not cōmaunded in scripture to praie to anye saintes Ye brawll with the deed man that saieth nothinge against you in this article of saintes being in heauen Standishe How can it be in scripture thou impudent heretike the prayer vnto saintes Couerdale Be good to the poore man and take not the matter so whote He goeth not aboute to proue that your prayeng to sayntes is grounded in scripture Standish As for in the tyme of the olde lawe et cet Couerdale The doctrine of god is that Christ is the lambe which hath bene slayne sens the begynnyng of the worlde that is euen he whose power and deliueraunce hath clensed and saued all thē that euer put their trust in him Christ Iesus yesterdaie and todaie and the same contynueth for euer Standish Therfore concerning praieng to saintes et cet Couerdale Must we beleue the testimony of men without it be grounded on gods worde Are ye become such an Apostle Because the church and congregacion of Christ must discerne iudge trie and examen all maner of doctryne and so to eschue the euell and kepe the good hath it therfore auctorite to make anye new article or to receaue a doctryne contrary to gods worde Because Christ hath promised his holy sprete of trueth to be allwaye in his faithfull congregacion shall they therfore make ordeyne set vp or beleue ought that is contrary to his owne teachinge Standish Doest thou set nomore by the auctorite of it then so in asmuch as S. Augustyne sayde Non crederem Euangelio nisi crederim Ecclesie et cet Couerdale Euen as ye peruerte the wordes of holy scripture so do ye with S. Augustine As ye choppe and chaunge with it so do ye with him And as ye alledge the scripture for another purpose then the plaine circumstaunce of the text meaneth so do ye here with this holy doctoure For youre purpose is with S. Augustines wordes to proue that youre church by her auctorite may make new articles and that we are bounde to beleue as she beleueth though the same be not grounded in scripture But yf men diligently marke S. Augustynes sayeng the occasion of his wryting and the circumstaunce therof it shall be euydent that ye are as like him in vnderstondinge as the moone is like a grene chese S. Augustyne perceauynge the greate hurte that was growyng thorow the doctryne of wicked Manicheus toke in hande to confute him and his secte his errours were so noisome and deuelish For he had not onely fayned a new gospell of his owne and named himselfe Christes Apostle but also mainteined the heresie which the Anabaptistes lately helde that the sonne of god toke not the nature of man of the blessed virgin and denied rulers to beare office denied mariage denied certayne kyndes of meates to be of god or to be graunted vnto Christen men Taught also that some mens soules dye with the bodyes despysed the exterior worde of god and mynistracion therof and sought other visions without it And many other fond and wicked opynions had he vnknowne to the holy church and flock of Christ Now for the refelling of such pestilent doctryne S. Augustine among other thinges wrote one speciall boke agaynst a certayne Epistle of the Manichees which was called Epistola fundamenti and whan he had shewed the occasions which moued him to abyde still within the vnyte of Christes catholike church then in the fifth chapter he shewed the cause that moued him rather to geue credence vnto Christes gospell then to Manicheus where among other he saieth these wordes Nostis n. me statuisse nihil avobis prolatū temere credere et cet For ye knowe saieth he that I am determined to geue no haistie credence to anye thing that ye speake of your awne heades I demaunde therfore Who is that Manicheus Ye answere An Apostle of Christ I beleue it not Now what canst thou saye or do thou shalt not opteine for thou dyddest promes knowlege of the trueth and now thou wilt compell me to beleue the thinge that I knowe not Peraduenture thou wilt reade me the gospell and therby wilt thou assaie to affirme the parson̄e of Manicheus Yf I shulde fynde anye man then which as yet beleueth not the gospel what shuldest thou do to him that sayeth vnto the I beleue not As for me I shulde not beleue the gospell vnlesse the auctorite of the catholike church dyd moue
wherof he mainteined the prerogatyue of prynces against the tiran̄ie and vsurped power ye wote of whom I saye nomore but yf ye be at that poynt and may so frely write what ye wil I cōmitte my part of the playe to god Who as I doubte not wil defend the king in his right so am I sure that though ye be now in your ruffe he is not yet hard aslepe Where as ye saie that at D. Barnes death there were thre sortes of men and that the first sorte which by your reporte wer moost contrary to him wolde geue him no answere at his honest request Ye declare planely that either they had nothing to saie agaynst him or els litle charite seing that acording to S. P. wordes which ye alledge they found not thē selues greued to se the weake offended yf it were as you saie Nether proueth it thē to leane stedfastly vnto the piler of trueth to loue gods lawe to haue true quyetnesse in their conscience or to be endewed with feruent charite that folow not the same law of loue in the tyme of nede How do those places of scripture then that ye bring in alowe their acte Let all indifferent readers iudge how the cxviij Psalme the third of the first to Timothe or the eight to the Romaynes agreeth with their purpose In describing the secōde sorte of people that were at D. Barnes death ye faile also First in reporting of thē that they euer be and shal be as apte to receaue the euel preaching as the good Secondly that they are cōtent in these matters to go whither they be led Thirdly that they are cōtent to beleue what they be taught Fourthly that they know not whan they be in the right waye ner whan they be forth of it Now saieth our sauyoure in the same text which ye your self do alledge that they beleue in him Then like as they harkē to his voice and not to the voice of straunges so folow they him and are led of his holy sprete And not onely proue all doctrines whether they be of god but also kepe that which is good for they knowe Christes voice and not the voice of straūgers Morouer yf that third sorte of people did fauour no worse opinions and were no fuller of fleshly and carnall sensualite then this present protestacion of D. Barnes teacheth them that text dilexerunt magis tenebras et cet maye rather be verified of you and your sorte then of thē Barnes BVt they that haue bene the occasion of it I praye god forgeue them as I wold be forgeuen my self And. D. Stephin Byschopp of wynchester that now is yf he haue sought or wrought this my death ether by word or dede I pray god forgyue him as hartely as frely as charitably and without fayning as euer Christ forgaue thē that put him to death Standishe Se now whether this be fayned charite or nor et cetera Couerdale It is no poynt of fained charite a man to forgeue them that offend against him and to praie for them that persecute him As it is manifest by our sauiours doctryne and example also at his death Ye take vpon you here the office of a iudge afore ye be called ther to yee euen gods onely office in iudging mens hertes take ye vpon you As who saie he goeth aboute to ouerthrow and cast downe a man that agreeth not with him in his doctryne As touching any contencious maner betwene my lord of winchester and. D. Barnes though you and I both as I suppose be ignoraunt what direction the Kynges highnesse dyd take therin Yet seyng the one was reconciled to the other openly at the Spittle ye shulde now not take the matter so whote But a pyke thanke will ye be still What mynde hath he to be reuenged that first asketh a man forgeuenesse and than praieth god to forgeue him as Christ forgaue his death yf he be giltie Agayne Will the. B. of winchestre iudge him selfe to be either sediciously or disdainfully named or without reuerence whan he is called a bisshoppe I darre saye he will not Why plaie ye Philippe flatrers part thē as though the name of a bisshoppe were not a reuerent name Barnes ANd yf any of the counsaill or any other haue sought or wrought it thorow malice or ignoraunce I praye god forgyue them their ignoraunce and illumynate their eyes that they maye se and aske mercy for it Standish O what ignoraunce et cetera Couerdale This praier is nether malicious against gods word ner preiudicial to any man and yf they that suffred D. Barnes to liue so long were to blame for their so doing then make ye your selfe giltye of the same fault that haue played the coward all that whyle and not helped him to his death Barnes I Besech you all to pray for the kynges grace as I haue done euer sens I was in preson and do now that god maie geue him prosperite and that he maie lōg raigne amōg you ād after him that goodly prynce Edward may so raigne that he maye fynishe those thinges that his father hath begon I haue bene reported a preacher of sedicion and disobediēce to the kynges maiestie but here I saye to you that you all are bound by the cōmaundement of god to obeye youre prince with all humilite and with all your hert yee not so much as in a looke to shew yourselues disobedient vnto him and that not onely for feare of the swerd but also for conscience sake before god Standish Thou hast bene truly reported a sedicious preacher et cetera Couerdale Will ye then winke at sediciō so long and not be an accuser therof where as by your awne confession ye haue heard him preach so oft Ye and knowing his boke to haue bene so long prynted But how vntruly ye belye him it shall be euydent to all the worlde that will reade his boke Ye reporte of him that he shuld saye in his boke prynted ten yeares agoo that yf the Kyng wold by tiranny take the new Testament from his subiectes they shuld not suffre him Now is it manifest that like as he saieth here in this parte of his protestacion so saieth he also in his boke and bringeth in the same xiij chapter to the Romaynes that ye alledge and addeth morouer these wordes In no wise be it right or wrong maiest thou make any resistaunce with swerde or with hand et cet Itē Yf the Kyng forbyd the new Testament et cete men shall first make faithfull praiers to god and humble supplicacion to the Kyng that his grace wold release that commaundement Yf he wil not do it they shall kepe their testament with all other ordinaunce of Christ and let the Kyng exercise his tiranny yf they can not flie and in no wise vnder paine of damnacion shall they resiste him by violence but suffre paciently et ce Nor they shal not go aboute to depose their