substaūces vnder that pretence of the settīg furth of Gods word / not caring so they get substaunce what cōmeth of Gods word as partlye hath apeared in these our dayes both in the clergy and also in the laytye It wylbe a slaū der to oure Relygion in those dayes as it was euen in the Primatiue churche as appeareth in the seuenth boke the .xvij. chaptof Eusebius ecclesiasticall history of Paulus Samosatenus a bysshop of Antioch / of whom is said yf we speake of his pride / it was Intollerable For he shewed hym selfe more lyke a captayne then a bysshop for so much as in going by the streates he vsed a maruelouse pryde in reading the letters which were sent hym before the people / naming the answeares to hys secretataries whych accompanyed hym / hauynge so great a nombre of folke which went before hym and a great multytude followīg hym in such maner that all they which sawe hym abhorred hys pryde and for the same blamed our Relygion Oh. GOD / doth not the pryde of the bysshopes in these our dayes resemble the same Paules pryde He that lysteth to rede the forsayd chapter out / shall see muche But thankes be vnto the lorde who hath geuen the same power vnto the Kinges Maiestie in these dayes / which he gaue to Aurelyan the emperour in those dayes which was that he gaue power to the metrapolytane and other faythfull bysshopes to depose the sayde Paule and set an other in hys place whyche dyd preach the worde of God and not his owne thinkinge as Paule dyd as appeareth in the sayd chapter Truly / if this pride be not lefte both in the Laytie and also in the the Clergyie / God wyll plage the worlde / and that very shortlye for Gods worde is not mans inuencion but the very wyll and worke of God as witnesseth Peter in his second Epystle the fyrst Chapter / saying know fyrst that no prophetie in the scriptures is done of any priuate interpretation For the prophecy was neuer wrought by the wyll of man / but the holy men of God spake as they were moued of the holy gost And this trade vsed the apostles geuinge credyte to Gods worde both in theyr teaching also in theyr ministracion / as wye nesseth sainct Peter in his fyrst epystle the fourth chapter saying if any man speake let him talke as though he spake the wordes of God If any mā minister let hym do it as of the habily tie whiche God minystreth vnto him And that primatiue church stode by the scripturs as Eusebius in his iij. boke the .x. chapter witnesseth / sayinge By the which thinges sayth he it is euydent in what reuerence we vse oure scriptures the which of so long tyme and by so many ages as is past / was neuer mā that durst adde / take away or chaunge any thin ge but all men of our relygion haue thys stedfast fayth / and beleue thē to be reuelacions of God stande to this boke for to defende the same / if nede require wil willyngly lose theyr lyues He sayth not they wyll make insurrections and styrre the peple against their prince as the papists haue done these 1200 yeres / for the maintenaunce of theyr fayned tradicions auncient custumes thys is the very nature of all those which mainteyne vn wrytten Verityes But the nature of gods peple is not of this kīde but their nature is to opē the fautes of prices of their subiectes which they set led cōtrary to the scriptures / gently shewe the plages set furth in the scrypture / for disobeing Gods worde rather to suffre death then to seke the displeasure or destruction of theyr prynces rather vse paules trade in theyr preachyng 1. Cor. xv saying I delyuered vnto you that whych I also receaued how the Chryst dyed for our synnes according to the scripturs that he was buryed / that he rose agayne the .iij. day Paul sayth not I delyuered vnto you our aūcient fathers custumes / nor yet their say ned inuēted ceremonies which had stande so many C. yeres But he saith he delyuered that which he receaued which was how that chryst dyed for our synnes according to the scriptures therfore sayth paul Gal. 1. Though we our selues saith he or an aūgell frō heauē preach any other gospell to you thē that yt haue receaued holde hiaccursed O mercifull God what shall we say to those which maīteyne the popysh masse and ceremonies in the whiche is not declared one Tytle Howe Chryst dyed for our sinnes / according to that scripturs For truly the chatholyke fathers abhorred thē euen in the primatiue church As hereafter thou mayst perceaue And fyrst Castus bysshoppe sayth in his .v. boke He the which presumeth to follow the custume in contempnyng the veritie / eyther he is enuyous and malycious agaynst his brethern to whome the verytie is opened or els he is vnthankfull to God by whose inspiration his church is instructed Also Ciprian ad Pompeium agaynst Steuēs Epystle sayth The custume which is rysē with som ought not to let the verytie to haue lesse place to rhintent that the veritie shulde not vanquish For custum without veritē is auncientnes of errour Wherfore in leanyng the errour let vs follow the veritie Also Austen in his .iij. boke of Baptysme the .ix. chapter And are also the wordes of Honoratus Attuca sayinge seying Chryste is the veritie / we ought rather to follow the veritie then the custume Also Felix Bysshop sayth let none set the custume before the veritie for reason veritie wyll alwayes put furth custume Also s Ciprian ad Cecilium in hys seconde Booke the thyrde Chapter / sayeth If ye doo that whiche I commaunce you / from henseforth wyll I not call you seruauntes but frendes Yea / and that Chryst ought only to be heard the father witnesseth from heauen saying This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I delyte heare him Wherfore if it be so that Christ ought only to be heard we ought not to care what thing any befor vs hath estemed to be good / but those thinges which Chryst teacheth / who was before all other Neyther must we follow mānes custume but the veritie of God For the lorde sayd by Esay the prophet They honour me without cause / and teache the commaundementes and doctryne of men And also in the Gospell why do ye transgresse the commaundementes of God to stablysh your owne tradicions Wherfore dere brethern if anye one of our predecessours through ignoraunce or symplycitie haue not obserued and kept that which the lord hath taught vs to do eyther by example or doctryne it may be reputed to symplicitie and may be forgeuen thē through the indulgence of the lorde But it may not be forgeuen vs which now are instructed of the lorde but it is expedient for vs to send letters to our companions that the lordes gospel his doctrine be kept ouer al the
soeuer wyl not harken to my woordes whiche he shall speake in my name of hym wyll I require it O ye papistes why wyll ye not harken to the wordes of Chryst the great prophet which he spake of his communion in Mathew Marke and Luke And also to the ministracioÌ„ of Paul 1. Cor. 11. Who sayth as often as ye eate thys bread and drynke thys cuppe ye shall shew the lordes death tyll he come Here we se howe in eatyng and drinkiÌ„g through fayth is declared vn to vs how that Chryst offered his bodye and shedde hys Bloude vppon the Crosse for the Remyssyon of Synnes ones for all Paule sayth not as often as the pryest lyfteth the breade and wyne aboue his shauen crowne for the Papysts to gale at ye shall shew the lordes death tyll he â—om but he sayth as often as ye eate of thys breade and drinke of this cuppe / ye shall shew the lordes death tyll he come And thys is also the mynde of the auncient catholyk fathers to receaue it as a memoryall of hys death and not to eate it thinkyng or beleuing him to be there ryallye as he was borne of the virgin mary For. Sayncte Austen in hys Booke intituled the christian diuinitie alleagynge the fyrste Epystle and the fyrste chapter of Paule to Timot. He is sayth he immortall for so much as he can not dy But ouer all where as the scripture of the one parte and of the other / in the canonicall bokes setteth furth the mouing of the soule in God tyther the humayne meÌ„bres / that is to say the head the eares the eyes and other lyke / they ought not to be vnderstande carnally after the storye as they are vnderstande of the Iewes and diuerse other heretikes sauouryng carnally which esteme God to be corporall and locall But all thinges ought spiritually vnderstande and confessed of hiÌ„ If any beleue that in God are humayne Members eyther mouynge of the Soul without doubte he forgeth ydolles in hys harte Item s Bedain hys recolectyon also S. Austen in his sermon made to the people at the communyon My brethren saye they Herefore are these thynges called Sacramentes / for so muche as in them there is one thynge seem and an other vnderstand That which is sene is a corporall thynge / But that thynge whych is vnderstand hath a spyrytuall frute The sayd Austen in his .xxx. treatise vpon S. Iohn sayth The body of Chryste is rysen from death and must be in one place Also in hys boke agaynst Adamantum the xij Chapter sayth these thre thynges The bloude ys sprete This is my body aÌ„d the stone was Chryste / He teacheth these thynges to be spoken as though he spake by a fygure in Signe and sygnyfiynge and amonge other thynges sayth these woordes I maye expound thys commaundemeÌ„t to be a token for the lord doubted not to saye thys is my body when he gaue the signe of his body / Also SAYNCTE Ambrose vpon the fyrste Epystell the Aleauenth Chappyter to the Corinthians sayeth In so much as we are delyuered by the death of the lorde / hauing remembraunce of the same in eating and drinking signifieth the body and bloude whyche hathe been offered for vs. Also S. Ciprianin the seconde boke of hys Epystle the iij. chapter sayth for so much as in al sacrifices we make meÌ„cioÌ„ of the passion of Christ For the lordes passion is the sacrifice that we offer We ought not to do otherwyse theÌ„ he hath done For the scripture sayth as often as ye eate this breade and drynke this chalyce ye anounce or declare the death of Christ tyll he come Then as often as we offer the chalyce in the remembraunce of the lorde and of hys passion we do that which apeareth to haue been done of the lorde Good Reader here haue ye sufficient Aucthours both of the scryptures and also of the Catholyke doctoures agaynste the transubstancyon and the abuse of the masse whych if God permyt ye maye see no lesse abused then was yâ— brasen serpeÌ„t for euen as the wicked prye stes of the Israelytes senced the brasen serpent geuyng it a new name callyng it Nehu sthan geuyng the ISRAELYTS to vnderstande that by it / they receaued theyr health Euen so hath the pope and papystes inuented the transubstanciation in our kynde geuing the ChristyaÌ„s to vnderstand that CHRIST is wholy in that kynde which is hanged ouer the alter euen as he was borne of hys Blessed mother the virgyn mary And therfore do the papistes knele to it put of theyr cappes to it knock theyr brestes befor it / and their priestes sence it But trulye assured I am that the popish pryestes haue euen so good scriptures to proue this as the Israelites had to proue theyr Nehusthan Wherfore let no man murmer agaynst the Kynges maiesties procedinges For his grace hath the scryptures for hym / where the aduersaryes haue none And that maye be well gathered by theyr seking of insurrections / and in styrring the scottes and frenchmenagaynst the Kynges maiestie Thys is no new but an Aunciynt Practyse of theyrs as ye may well perceaue in Tindals practyse of prelates But by Gods helpe his grace wyth his honourable counsell in that they go about to set furth the glory of God in restoryng yâ— coÌ„munioÌ„ according to the first instiâ—ucion set furth by Chryst as it apeareth in the scriptures not seking teÌ„porall possessyons which the papistes thorow theyr masse / haue gotten contrary to the worde of God in muche greater abundaunce then the scriptur permitteth them The kinges grace I say in so doyng shall obteyne no lesse prayse for euer then Ecclesiasticus setteth furth of the foresayd kiÌ„ges in the latter chapter of his boke And to the contrarye all they that murmer or grudge agaynst his maiesties procedinges without doubt God shall confounde them as he dyd the Ennemies of Dauid / Ezechias aÌ„d Iosias with many other I pray you what a goodly prayse setteth Ecclesiasticus forth in his 44. chapter of Iosias Sayth he not the remeÌ„braunce of Iosias is lyke as wheÌ„ the apothecary maketh many precious swetesmellyng thinges together his remeÌ„braunce shal be swete as hony in all monethes as yâ— playing of musyke by yâ— wyne he was appoynted to turne the people agayne and to take away all abhominacions of the vngodly He derected his harte vnto the lord and in the time of the vngodly he set vp the worshyppe of GOD agayne All Kynges excepte Dauid Ezechias and Iosias coÌ„mited wickednes for euen the kinges of Iuda also forsoke the law of God Oh God I wold the papistes wolde remembre this saying and search whether the Chrystian kynges haue forsaken the lawes of God or not I dare wel wryte that they can not deny but that they haue Wherefore if such to whom the kinges maiestie and his honorable couÌ„ sell shall commyt the reformatyon of hys graces procedynges agaynst the abuses of Gods word do seke the worlds
had him avoy de but I thinke Syluester sent for him ād receaued that which Chryst refused / and it maye well appeare to be from thence For sence the same pope syluester receaued the possessions which was almost .iiij. c. yeres after CHRIST he his successours for the most part haue euer sence persecuted the trewe CHRYSTYANES and that ye may perceaue the setting furth of the scryptures in those dayes was not for euery man / by the reasō it was so chargeable But it was onely a prynces worke as Chrodoryke bisshop of Cirocopolis in the fyrst booke of hys story the .xvi. chapter maketh mencion of an Epystle sent by the forsayde constantine to Eusehuis the tenour wherof is this It hath semed vs good to sygnyfye vnto the that thou prepare L. volumes of the scryptures and pryneye pally those the which thou knoweste to be necessary to the institucion doctryne and vsage which hath been accustumed to be geuen to the churches and let them be writtē in good Parchement and well trined by good worckmen hauing good knowledge in the acte of the scryptures And we also haue sēt letters to our general geuernoue of the prouinces to take charge and dyligē tly to minister al thynges necessary / to the restoring of the same volumes and it to be thy worke and dilygently to enforce thy selfe that the same volumes maye be shortly ready and appareylled as it apperteyneth And further by the aucthorytie of our letters Sealed by vs sent to the we giue the power to take and vse openly .ij. Charets or cartes to cause the sayd volumes dylygently to be conueyed to the citie of constātinople Gētle reader / here may ye se what paynes and charges it was to thys noble Emperour to set furth the scryptures in those dayes Iohn Caryon sayth in the. 3. boke of hys chronicle that thys constantine caused the newe Testament to be carryed before him for a wytnes of hys saith I praye you wherfore dyd constantine set furth these scryptures Truly because y◠wicked Dyoclesyan the. xxxv Emperour in the .ix. yeare of hys reygne / which was about the yeare of Chryst 288. as Cation wrytteth / dyd as appeareth in the seuently boke the second chapter of Eusebius story cause thys proclamacyon followyng / to be proclaymed which was that the churches of the christyans whiche myght be founde shuld be ouerthrowen to the fondacions the bokes and scryptures burned and that all those of that relygyon which had any dignitie or office shuld be put forth remaine ashamed and that those slaues which perseuered in the chrysten fayth myght not obtayne lybertie the occasyon herof was that the heretyke Manicheus had fowen dissention amonge the chrystians O Lorde haue we not had thy scrypturs brent in curdayes Yf we aske wynchester and London / they wyll laye yea yea and so say I to But ye may beleue me I was very heauye whē I heard of it yea / and as heauye as they are now sory that they be printed agayne But thankes be to the lorde our kinges maiesteacute may go farther wyth hundreth pounde in printing then constantine might haue done wyth thre thousand pounde in wrytynge For the lacke of bokes caused the bysshops of Rome and his ayders to preuayle in all counsels sence the fyrst Yea and in all the xxiij scismes past / to rule all thīges as they wolde and to make what they wolde and discalow what they wolde But in this the xxiiii scisme or deuision I trust the byssho pe of Rome and all his Papistes shall be ouerthrowen through that word of GOD which by the prynt is aboūdantly spredde abrode in all Chrystendome A worke which God neuer opened to man sence the worlde began tyll the yeare of Chryst M iiii c. lii which in that yere was opened to one called Iohannes faustius in the Cytie of Magunce or menth in Germany Wherfore let vs giue god thākes reioyce that he hath sēt vs in these our dayes that science wherby al those that loue the lyght maye haue the same for alytle charges / I meane the worde of God who is the Aucthour of lyght By whose lyght the kyngs maiestye with hys honorable coūsel goeth about to ouerthrowe the Popes mastres Missa the successour of the Israelytes / ne husthan Wherfor / let vs daily pray to that lorde the Aucthour of the canonicall scryptures / that he wyll pro sper the Kinges maiestie with my Lorde protectour and his honorable cōsell / in the setting furth of his worde So that through hys helpe they may ouercome the ennemies of the same hys worde and of his graces royalmes and dominions Amen Finis