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
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
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
Hyerusalem whych yf yt were trew yet myghte there be ynow in other placys A nother of hys folyes is in that he alledgeth a boke for hym that no thyng proueth hys purpose For in all that hole boke shall he neyther fynde that there was at that tyme few pore peple nor y t pore peple at that tyme begged not Far of trouthe there were pore people and beggers ydle people and theues to good plenty bothe then and all way byfore synnes almoste as longe as Noes flode and yet peraduenture seuen yere afore that to And so were there in dede in HeyrusaleÌ„ also amonge theym all tyll crystendome came in and yet remayned then amonge such peple there as tourned not to the fayth of Cryst The thyrde foly ys he layeth that boke for hym whyche in dede preueth playne agaynst hym For where he sayeth yt appereth there that the clergy was not then come we can not in y â— worlde deuyse of what people he speketh Paynyms Iewes or crysten men If he meane amonge Paynyms hys folye and hys falsehed both ys to euydent For who knoweth not that amonge the Paynyms they had aL way they re preestys whose lyuynge was well and plentuously prouyded for as ye may perceyue not onely by many other storyes but also by many places in the byble and specyally in the .xlvii. chapyter of genesys If he speke of the Iewes euery maÌ„ woteth well that they had a clergy thousandê of yeres bifore the boke that he alledgeth theyr lyuynge farre more largely prouyded for then eny parte of y e people bysyde and that by goddys awne ordynaunce Now yf he speke of y â— crysten people that was at that tyme in Hierusalem where y â— fayeth byganne hys boke maketh sore agaynst hym For there was a clergy as sone as there was eny chrysten peple For the clergy byganne theÌ„ And that clergye had not a parte of the crysten peples substauÌ„ce but had yt all to gether and dyd dystrybute yt as they sawe nede whych no man dowteth but that the partyes shewed theym or ellys in some nedys they must nedys haue laked So that here were many pore meÌ„ yf they be pore that haue naught left all they beggers yf they be beggers that be fayne to shew theyr nede and aske and y â— clergy had all to gyther And yet layeth this wyse maÌ„ thys boke for hym beyng suche as yf he shulde haue sytten and studyed therfore he could not haue founden a boke that made more agaynst hym ¶ But as we sayed byfore we shall lette hys false foly passe and praye you to coÌ„syder what he wold haue you byleue He sayeth and wold ye shuld wene that there were few pore folke and no beggers no where byfore y â— clergy of crysteÌ„dom caÌ„ in but that all y â— pouerte beggary caÌ„ in to y â— world wyth the cristeÌ„ clergy Now knoweth euery man y â— the crysten clergy the crysten fayth cam in to the crysten people to gether so that in effecte hys wordys way to thys y â— all pouerte and beggary came in to the worlde wyth the crysten fayth ¶ Sette nowe to thys place the tother place of hys in the ende and conclusyon of hys boke where he sayth that after the clergy spoylyd onys and cast out then shall the gospell be preched and theÌ„ shall we beggars haue ynough more lo lyke as in the tone place he sheweth that all begary cam in wyth y â— clergy y t brought in y e fayth so sheweth be in the tother that there shuld wyth the clergy all beggary go forth agayn yf they were so clene cast out that Cristys gospell beyng cast out wyth them and the fayth whych cam in wyth them they myghte haue that gospell prechid as they say they shulde and as in dede they shuld whych they call the gospell that is to wit Luthers gospell and Tyndallys testament prechynge the dystruccyon of Crystys very fayth hys holy sacramentê auauncyng settyng forth all boldenes of synne wrechydnes and vnder the false name of crysteÌ„ fredome spurryng forward the dyuylysh vnbrydeled appetyte of lewd sedycyouse and rebellyouse lyberte that slew in one somer as we shewed you before aboue .lx. M. of y â— pore vplaÌ„dysh Lutheranis in Almayn And thys ys all that these heretykys loke for as the frute of theyr se dycyouse bokys and beggars byllys trustyng by some such ways to be eased of theyr beggary whych they now sustayn beyng ronne oute of the realm for heresy For yf they might as they fayn woldâ— haue y e clergy cast out and Crystys gospell cast of and theyr owne gospell preched theÌ„ hope they to fynde that word trew where he sayth then shall we haue ynough and more ¶ For of all that euer he hath sayd he hath not almost sayd one trew word saue thys And surely this word wold after theyr gospell onys prechyd receyuyd be fouÌ„den ouer trew For theÌ„ shuld the beggers nat such beggars as he semeth to speke for that be syk sore and lame but such bold presumptuouse beggars as he ys in dede hole strong in body but weke syk in soule y t haue theyr bodys clene fro skabbys and theyr soulys foule infect wyth vgly great pokkys leprye these beggars wold hope to haue except good men take good hede wolde not fayle to haue ynough and a great deale more For after that they myght the clergy furst dystroyd bryng in onys after y t the prechyng of Luthers gospell and Tyndals testament and myght wyth theyr herysyes and fals fayth infect and corrupt the people causyng them to set the blyssed sacramentê asyde to set holy days and fastyng days at yought to contemne all good workys to gest rayle agaynst holy vowed castyte to blaspheme the olde holy fathers and doctours of Cristys church to mok and scorne the blyssed sayntys and martyrs y â— dyed for Crystys fayth to reiect and refuse y â— fayth that those holy martyrys lyued and dyed for and in the stede of y â— true fayth of cryst contynued thys .xv. C. yeres to take nowe the false fayth of a fond frere of olde condemnyd and of new reforgyd wythyn so few days wyth contempte of god and all good men and obstynate rebellyouse mynde agaynst all lawes rule and gouernaunce wyth arrogante presumpcyon to medle wyth euery mannys substaunce wyth euery maÌ„nys lande and euery mannys mater nothynge partaynynge to them yt ys we say no dowte but that suche bolde presumptuouse beggers wyll yf ye loke not well to they re handê not fayle to haue as he wryteth ynough and more to For they shall gather to gyder at laste and assemble theym selfes in plumpes and in great rowtes and from askynge fall to the takynge of they re almoyse theym selfe and vnder pretexte of reformacyon berynge euery man that aught hath in hande that he hath to myche shall assay to make newe