but yf our faute be mended to sende vs as sore punishemeÌ„t as he hath sent all redy into suche other places as wolde not be by lyke warnynge mended accordynge as he sayth in the .xxvi. chapyter of Leuiticus where he speketh in this wyse If ye wyll not geue eare vnto me nor fulfyll all my commaundementes but sette my lawes at naught despyce my iudgementes and leue those thynges vndone that are by me ordeyned and breake my pacte and couenaunt then wyll I agaynwarde do these thynges folowynge vnto you I wyll hastely vysyte you wyth penury and brennynge hete or feuer whych shall sore vexe and greue your eyes and consume you euen to the deth Ouer thys ye shall sowe your sede in vayne for your ennemyes shall deuoure it I shall also set my face agaynst you and ye shall fall byfore your aduersaryes and be made subiectes vnto them that hate you ye shall fâ—e where no man chaseth you And yf ye wyll not yet for all thys obaye me I shall for your synnes adde put to these plages seuenfolde more and I shall trede downe the pryde of your stobernes and so forth And who doth more properly fall in the daunger of this commynacyon and threte then they that dyspyse Crystes sacramentes whyche are hys holy ordynaunces and a great parte of Cristes new law and testament And who shall lesse set by hys commaundementes then they that vppon the boldenesse of onely fayth set all good workes at nought lytell force the daunger of theyr euyll dedes vppon the boldenesse that a bare fayth and sleyght repentaunce wythout shryfte or penauÌ„ce suffyseth and that no vow made to god can bynde a maÌ„ to lyue chast nor let a monke fro maryage all whyche thynges wyth many pestylent errours besyde these abomynable bookes of Tyndale and hys felowes teche vs. Of these bokes of heresyes there be so many made with in these few yeres what by Luther hym selfe and by hys felowes and afterwarde by the new sectes sprongen out of his whych lyke the chyldren of vippara wold now gnaw out theyr mothers bely that the bare names of those bokes were almoste inough to make a boke of euery sort of those bokes be some brought into thys realme and kepte in huker muker by some shrewd maysters that kepe them for no good Besyde the bookes of latyn french and douch in which there are of these euyll sectes an innumerable sorte there are made in the englysshe tonge Fyrst Tyndales new testament father of them all by reason of hys false translatyng And after that the fyue bookes of Moyses translated by the same man we nede not dowt in what maner wheÌ„ we know by what man and for what purpose Then haue ye hys introduceyoÌ„ into saynt Poules pystle wyth whyche he introduceth and bryngeth hys readers in to a false vnderstandynge of saynte Poule makynge them among many other heresyes byleue that saynt Poule were in the mynde that onely fayth were alway suffycyent for saluacyon and the mennys good workes were nothynge worth nor could no thaÌ„ke deserue nor no reward in heuen though they were wroughte in grace And these thynges teacheth Tyndale as the mynde of saynt Poule where saynt Poule sayeth hym selfe that they whyche so mysse constre hym to the deprauynge of mennys good workes be well worthye damnacyon Then haue we by Tyndale the wykked mammona by whyche many a man hath ben bygyled and brought into many wykked heresyes whyche thynge sauynge that the deuyll is redy to putte out mennes yien that are contente wyllyngly to wax blynde were ellys in good fayth to me no lytle wonder for neuer was there made a more folyshe frantyque boke Then haue we Tindales boke of obedience whereby we be taught to dysobaye the doctryne of Crystes catholyque chyrch and set his holy sacramentes at nought Then haue we fro Tyndale the fyrste pystle of saynte IohnÌ„ in suche wyse expowned that I dare say that blessed apostle rather then his holy wordes were in suche a sense by leued of all Crysten people hadde leuer his pystle hadde neuer ben put in wrytynge Then haue we the supplycacyon of beggers a pytuouse beggerly boke wherin he wolde haue all the soules in purgatory begge all about for nought Then haue we from George Iaye otherwyse called clerke a goodly godly pystle wherein he teacheth dyuerse other heresyes but specyally that mennys vowes and promyses made of chastyte be not lawfull nor can bynde no man in conscyence but he may wedd when he wyll And thys man consyderynge that when a man teacheth one thynge and doth hym selfe a nother the people sette the lesse by his preachynge determyned therfore wyth hym self that he wolde of his preachynge sheâ— hymselfe ensample And therfore beynge prestâ— he hath â—ygyled a woman and wedded her the pore woman I wene vnware that he ys preste How be yt yf yt be not done all redy yt is well lykely now that but if god be her speciall guyde he shall by laysore worke her and wynne her to his owne heresye Then haue ye an exposycyon also vppon the .vii. chapyter of saynt Poules pystle to the Corinthyes by whyche exposycyon in lykewyse prestes freres monkes nounes be taught that euangelycall lyberty that they may runne out a caterwawynge and so wow and wedde and lawfully lyue in lechery That worke hath no name of the maker but some wene yt was frere Roy whych when he was fallen in heresy then founde yt vnlawfull to lyue in chastyte and raÌ„ne out of hys order and hath synnes sought many a false vnlyefull way to lyue by wherin he made so many chaunges that as Bayfeld a nother heretyque late burned in smythfeld tolde vnto me he made a mete ende at laste and was burned in Portyngale Thâ—n haue we the examynacyoÌ„ of Thorpe put forth as it is sayd by George Constantine by whom there hath ben I wote well of that sorte grete plentye sent into this realme In that boke the heretyke that made it as a communycacyon bytwene the bysshoppe and his chapellayns and hym selfe maketh all the pattyes speke as hym selfe lyketh layeth nothyng spoken agaynst his heresyes but such as hym self wolde seme solempnly to soyle whose boke when any good câ—ysten man redeth that hath eyther lernynge or any naturall wytte shall not onely be well able to perceyue hym for a folysshe heretyke his argumeÌ„tes easy to answere but shall also se that he sheweth hym selfe a false lyar in hys rehersall of the mater wherin he maketh yâ— tother parte somtyme speke for hys commodyte such maner thynges as no man wolde haue done that were not a very wylde gose Then haue we Ionas made â—ut by Tyndale a boke yâ— who so delyte therin shall stande in parell that Ionas was neuer so swalowed vppe wyth the whale as by the delyte of that booke a mannes soule maye be so swalowed vppe by the deuyll that he shall neuer haue the grace to gete out
please god then man But when Tyndale that ys an heretyke putteth for a rule of the peoples obedyence to a good crysten prynce that they be bounden to obay hys teranny yf yt be not agaynste his fayth I say that this his rule of obedyence ys a playne exhortacyon to dysobedyence and rebellion For euery man well seeth that Tyndale amonge many other abhominable heresyes techeth for the ryght faith that freres may lawfully wedde nuÌ„nys and that no man is bounden to the kepynge of any fastyng day or holyday made by the chyrch and that no man sholde pray to any saynte nor pray for all crysten soules and that yt is great synne to do any wurshyppe to crystys precyouse body in the blessed sacramente of the awter and wolde the people sholde kepe hys false translacyon of scrypture for mayntenance of these heresyes And therfore yf any prynce make a lawe againste Tyndales heresyes in any of these poyntes or suche other lyke Tyndale here teacheth thaâ— the people are not bouÌ„den to obay yt but may and must wythstande suche tyranny Or at the leste wyse though they be bouÌ„den peraduenture openly to obaye theyr pryncis tyranny in forberynge fleshe on good fryday or coÌ„mynge to goddes seruyce on whytsone sonday or freres in forberynge open weddynge with noÌ„nes in all which thinges they be yet by Tindales godly gospell at theyr euangelycall lybertie secretely to do what they liste theym selfe where no peace is brokeÌ„ nor any weke coÌ„science offended yet for any law or coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t eyther of prynce or pope or generall counsayle of all crysten nacyons or of any angell that wolde come out of heuen to commaunde in goddys name yâ— coÌ„trary euery maÌ„ must kepe still Tyndales false translacyon of scrypture and abyde by hys other false bokes made for the mayntenaunce of hys manyfolde false heresyes And no man muste for no law nor commaundement pray to any saynt nor for any soule in purgatory nor kysse any relyque nor crepe to Crystes crosse nor do any worshyppe to Crystes blessed body and bloode in the holy sacrament of the aulter But yf any prynce wolde by any lawe or commaundement compelle hys people to any of those thynges then Tyndale here playnely teacheth them that they maye and muste styffely wythstande hys tyranny So that fynally coÌ„cernynge obedyence Tyndales holy doctryne is that the people sholde in the defence of hys false heresyes not let to dysobaye but stubernly to wythstande theyr prynce whych yf any man were so mad to do then were therfore in theyr obstynacye burned or otherwyse in theyr rebellyon slayne there were the tryumphe the greate reste and glory of Tyndales deuelysh prowde dyspytuouse harte to delyte and reioyce in the effusyon of suche peoples blode as his poysened bokes had myserably bywyched and from trew crysten folke turned into false wycked wreches Now to th entent that ye maye the more clerely perceyue the malycyouse mynde of these men and that theyr pestyleÌ„t bokes be bothe odyouse to god and dedely contagyouse to men and so myche the more perylouse in that theyr false he relyes wylyly walke forth vnder the counterfayt vysage of the trew crysten fayth thys is the cause and purpose of my present labour wherby god wyllyng I shall so pull of theyr gaye payâ—ted vysours that euery man lystyng to loke theron shall playnely perceyue and byholde the bare vgly gargyle facys of theyr abomynable heresye And for bycause the mater is longe and my leysour seld shorte I can not as I fayne wolde sende out all at ones but yf I sholde kepe styll all togyther by me lenger then me thynketh conuenyeâ—t I sende out now therfore of thys present worke these thre bookes fyrste In the fyrst of whyche I answere Tyndales preface made before his answere to my dyaloge whiche preface of hys is in a maner an introduccyoÌ„ into all his heresyes The seconde boke is agaynst hys defence of hys translacyon of the new testament The thyrde agaynst two chapyters of Tyndales answere the tone whythet the word were afore the chyrche or the chyrche afore the worde the tother whyther the apostles lefte any thynge vnwryten necessary to saluacyon wheruppon greate parte of all hys heresyes hange Now shall I god wyllyng at my nexte leysor go ferther in hys booke and come to the very brest of all this batayle that is to wyt the questyon whyche is the chyrche For that is the poynt that all these heretyke by all the meanes they may labour to make so darke that by theyr wyllys no man sholde wyt what they meane But I truste to drawe the serpent out of hys darke denne and as the poetes fayne that Hercules drew vppe Cerberus the mastyffe of hell into the lyght where hys eyen dased so shall I wyth the grace of that lyght whych illumyneth euery man that cometh in to this worlde make you that mater so lyghtsome and so clere to euery man that I shall leue Tyndale neuer a darke corner to crepe into able to hyde hys hed Then after that I haue so clerely confuted Tyndale coÌ„cernynge that poynt and shall haue playnely proued you the sure and stedfaste authoryte of Crystes catholyke knowen chyrche agaynste all Tyndales tryflynge sophystycacyons whyche he wold sholde seme so solempne subtyle insolubles whyche ye shall se proued very frantyke folyes after thys done I say before I go ferther wyth Tyndale I purpose to answere good yong father Fryth whych now sodaynly commeth forth so sagely that .iii. olde men my brother Rastell the bysshoppe of Rochester I matched wyth father Fryth alone be now but very babys and as he calleth vs insipientes But thus goth the worlde forth bytwene Fryth and vs. He encreaceth I se well as fast as we decay For ones I wene the yongeste of vs thre thre dayes ere father Fryth was borne had lerned within a lytle as mych as father Fryth hath now How be it I shall leue yonge father Fryth in his pryde glory for the whyle But wheÌ„ Tindale is ones in yâ— article touchyng the chyrch coÌ„futed theÌ„ hath Frith alredy concernynge purgatory clerely lost the felde and all hys welbeloued boke is not worth a bâ—ton though it were all as trew as it is false For then is the fayth of the chyrche in that poynt infallyble or at the lest vnculpable were there scrypture therfore or not And no scrypture can there proue the very trew chyrch to holde an artycle as trew fayth that were in dede dampnably false And yet shall I for all that go ferther wyth yonge father Fryth and to wch yf god wyll euery parte of hys freshe paynted boke and so shall I plukke of I truste the moste gloryouse fethers from hys gaye pecoks tayle that I shall seue hym yf he haue wyt and grace a lytell lesse delyghte lykynge in hym selfe then he semeth now to haue whyche thynge hath hytherto made hym for to stande not a lytell in hys owne lyght I praye
suche rybawdry eyther fayth or credence or fauorable herynge namely syth there was neuer in all crystendome syth the fayth fyrst begaÌ„ any holy doctour nor doctour good or bad before Luthers dayes that any thynge hath wryten but he hath abhorred and detested it to the deuyll of hell that euer any person eyther man or woman that hath vowed them selfe monke frere or nunne sholde afterward ronne out of theyr relygyon caste theyr vowe at theyr bakke and fall to fleshe and wedde And therfore good crysten reders syth holy scrypture hath warned you of suche techers as Tyndale is that techeth suche bestely weddyng wyth contempt of theyr holy vowys made before to god and syth that all holy men that haue wryten vppon scrypture haue gyuen vs warnyng that it is playnly prohybyted as well by the trew sense of scrypture as by the playne open wordes and all good honest people of crysteÌ„dome thys .xv. hundreth yere haue had such bestely weddyng in grete abomynacyon and now ye se that all the captaynes of these pestylent heresyes whiche Tyndale now techeth you haue gyuen you warnynge them selfe by theyr owne dedes in theyr named wedlocke theyr very synfull lechery that they them selfe be suche as all this .xv. C. yere before the scrypture hath reproued and all the worlde hath wondred on and syth ye se Tyndale now teche and allowe theyr lechery and auowe it solempnely for god and laufull matrymony I nothynge fere your iudgement in this mater For I make me bolde in our lorde that ye be so wyse in the wisedome of god and so fastened in his fayth that when ye here an hyghe holy worde come out of suche a mouth as prayseth munkes maryages and mokketh Crystes sacrameÌ„tes and then precheth lyke a player in a fonde enterlude playeth somtyme the frere sometyme the fox sometyme the fole and somtyme the oute ryght rybawde ye wyll not be so vnwyse to wene that he were an holy man and therfore herken to hym but take hym such as ye se he is and let the deuyls dysour go Delyte not in his deuelyshe doctryne that ye se your selfe is nought what so euer he set therewyth to make yt seme solemne but cleue ye fast to the fayth of Criste which Tyndale goth aboute to destroy and byleue the olde fathers that ye se be sayntes in heuen For as Tyndales interpretacyon of scrypture and the vices byelded theruppon is the very brode waye to lede men to hell so is those holy sayntes exposycyons with the vertues that they taught and shewed the very strayt path that ledeth folke to heuen In whyche our lord for his paynfull passyon gyue vs all grace so to walke that we come to gether to that place where we may fynde our charyte not chaunged but increaced perfayted our hope turned in to hauynge and possessyon of blesse and our fayth coÌ„uerted chaunged in to clere and lyghtsom knolege of whych fayth Tyndale so preacheth vs the name that who so byleue hym well is lyke to lese all the frute ¶ Thus endeth the fyrste boke ¶ The seconde boke whych confuteth the defence of Tyndale for his translacyon of the new testament An answere vnto the fyrst chapyter of Tyndales boke why he traÌ„slateth this worde chyrche in to this worde congregacion IN the begynnynge of my dialoge I shewed that Tyndales translacyon of the new testameÌ„t was well worthy to be burned bycause it well shewed in yt selfe that he had of an euyll mynde translated yt in such manner of wyse as yt myght serue hym for a pryncypall instrumeÌ„t towarde the settynge forth of all such heresyes as he had lerned of Luther and entended to sende ouer hyther and sprede a brode wythin this realme the trouth of whych my sayeng Tyndale and his felowes haue in such open fasshyon testyfyed and declared them selfe that I nede for my selfe in that poynte to vse no farther defence For euery man well seeth that there was neuer englyshe boke of heresye sent hyther synÌ„ys as there hath ben many some partycularly agaynst the blessed sacrament of the auter as was the deuelyshe dialoge of the father and the sonne and the blasphemouse boke of the beryeng of the masse wherof our lorde be thanke the maker is gracyously tourned agayne to god and some were agaynste purgatory some agaynst almost all to gether that good is in Cristes chyrch as are the bokes of Tyndale hym selfe his wykked mammona his obedyence and dyuerse other in all these euer more one pece of theyr complaynte hathe ben the burnynge of Tyndales testament For surely fyrst his false translacyon wyth theyr farther false coÌ„struccion they thought sholde be the basse and the tenour wheruppon they wold synge the trouble wyth mych false descaÌ„t And therfore very hote they take yt that the goodnesse of the kynges grace wyth the lordes of his honorable couÌ„sayle and the clergye of the realme haue burned vp theyr false prykked bookes So was yt now that amonge other tokens of Tyndales euyll entent in his translacyon I shewed as for ensamble that he chaunged comenly this worde chyrche in to this worde congregacyon and this worde preste into this worde senyour and cheryte in to loue and grace in to fauour confessyon in to knowledge and penaunce in to repeÌ„taunce with many wordes mo whych he chaungeth and vseth dayly as in turnynge idoles in to ymages and anoyntyng in to smerynge consecratynge in to charmyng sacramentes in to ceremonyes and the ceremonyes in to wychecrafte and yet many mo Now shewed I there the causes why Tyndale dyd euyll in translatynge the scrypture in to our tonge wyth suche maner chauÌ„ges and shewed also the thynges that myghte well make euery man perceyue that he ment therein the settyng forth of som heresies as appereth in my sayd dialoge whych thynges yf I sholde here agayne reherse and repete and in lyke wyse all other thynges agaynst which Tyndale doth obiecte it were to longe a wurke and as mych as to plante and set in to thys boke myne hole dyaloge agayneâ— wherfore in all suche thynges I muste nedys remytte the reader vnto the dyaloge selfe Now cometh Tyndale and for answere therof and to dysproue all that I laye agaynst hym in the translatynge of dyuers of these wordes sheweth that the latyn texte and the greke maye be hys excuse and defence for as much as the wordes in the laten texte the greke do as he sayth sygnyfye suche thynges as he hath expressed in hys englysshe translacyon by those englysshe wordes that I fynd the faute in But fyrst to what purpose serueth all hys defence when he hath synnys hym selfe proued by hys owne other bookes that he is an heretyke and that hys heresyes be suche as it muste nedys make it clere that though a nother man translatynge the testament and beynge good faythfull myghte haue vsed happely those chaunges amonge wythout euyll meanyng or any suspicyoÌ„ therof yet he syth those chaungeê so
a horse yt standeth indyfferent â—â—â—pereth not what man or what horse I meane For if I vow be so vnwyse to say to my seruauÌ„t go â—o me this â—tand to a man he sholde not wyt what man he sholde go to But whâ— I saye go do this erand to the man he woteth welâ— that I meane a certayne specyall man to hym and me knowen to whom the erand perteyneth This artycle the doth therfore in oure englyshe tonge gyue great lyght vnto the sentence and the greke tonge hath an artycle that doth the lyke in theyrs the lakke of the lyke doth in the latyne tonge leue often tymys the sentence obscure and darke whyche â—olde wyth that artycle yf the latyne langage had yt appere open and playne I shall shew you fyrste an example therof in the â—â—â—â—â— chaâ—pyter of the gospell of saynte IohnÌ„ whyche place Tyâ—â—â—le hath wronge translated also for what cause the deuyll and he knoweth For Tyndale is not ignoraunt of that artycle neyther the greke nor the englyshe and maketh hym felt as though he translated the new testament out of greke Theâ—e wordes be the wordes of the gospell in that place after Tyndales translacyon This ys the recorde of IohnÌ„ when the Iewes sent prestes and seuâ—â—es froâ— Hierusalem to aske hym what art thou and he confessed aâ—d denyed not and sayed playnely I am not Criste. And they asked hym what â—â—eÌ„ arte 〈◊〉 lias And he sayed I am not Arte thou a prophete And he answered 〈◊〉 I wolde not here note by the â—uaye that Tyndale here translateth no for nay for yt is but a trysâ—e and wystaâ—â—yng of the englyshe worde sauynge that ye sholde seâ— he which in two so playne englyshe wordes and so coâ—â—e as is 〈◊〉 and no can not tell when he sholde take the tone and 〈◊〉 the tother is not for translatynge in to englyshe a 〈◊〉 very mete For the vse of those two wordes in answeryâ—â—e to a questyon is this No answereth the questyon 〈◊〉 by the affyrmatyue As for ensample yf a man 〈…〉 Tyndale hym selfe is an heretyke mete to translaâ—â—â—â— scrypture into englyshe Lo to this questyon yf he wyll answere trew englyshe he muste answere nay and not no. But and yf the questyon be asked hym thus lo Is not an heretyque mete to translate holy scripture into englysh To this questyon lo yf he wyll answere trew englyshe he muste answere no not nay And a lyke dyfference is there bytwene these two aduerbis ye and yes For yf the questyon be framed vnto Tyndale by thaffyrmatyue in this fasshyoÌ„ If an heretyke fasely translate the new testament in to englysh to make his false heresyes seme the word of god be his bokes wurthy to be burned To this questyon asked in this wyse yf he wyll answere trew englyshe he muste answere ye and not yes But now yf the questyon be asked hym thus lo by the negatiue If an heretyque falsely translate the new testament in to englysh to make his false heresyes seme the worde of god be not his bokes well worthy to be burned To this questyon in thys fasshyon framed yf he wyll answere trew englyshe he maye not answere ye but he muste answere yes and saye yes mary be they both the translacyon and the translatour and all that wyll holde wyth them And thys thynge lo though yt be no greate mater yet I haue thought good to gyue Tyndale warnynge of bycause I wolde haue hym wryte trewe one waye or other that though I can not make hym by no meane to wryte trewe mater I wolde haue hym yet at the leste wyse wryte treâ— englyshe But now to the mater selfe ye se that by Tyndals translacyon the iewes asked of saynt IohnÌ„ whether he were a prophete and that he answered nay and so he denyed that he was a prâ—phete Now doeth Cryste testyfye of hym that he was bâ—â—h a prophete and more theÌ„ a prophete so that yf saynt IohnÌ„ sholde say of hym selfe that he was no prophete and Crysts sayed yes eyther sholde saynt IohnÌ„ say vntrew hym selfe or ellys sholde there an vntâ—â—â—th be spokeÌ„ by the mouth of our sauyour hym selfe of whyche two thynges the tone is â—â—â—edyble and the tother impossyble And in the latyne 〈…〉 thynge is lefte in dowtâ— for lakke as I tolde you 〈…〉 correspondent to the greke artytle to the en 〈…〉 the and for that cause some eyght holy men 〈…〉 were for 〈◊〉 of the greke tonge myth 〈…〉 be vnderstanden 〈…〉 perceyuynge the artycle saw well inough that he sholde not haue translated it in to the englyshe art thou a prophete but art thou the prophete and then were the mater open and playne For they asked hym not whyther he were a prophete that is to wytte whyther he were any prophete but whyther he were the prophete that is to wyt the greate prophete of whom Moyses prophesyed and promysed in the dewteronomy of whyche prophete there was opynyon amonge many of the iewes Deuter. 18. not that he sholde be Cryste but a grete prophete that shold come before hym and therfore they asked saynt IohnÌ„ arte thou the prophete menynge that specyall prophete And yet the iewes that asked saynt IohnÌ„ the questyon notwyth standynge that by theyr owne questyon they knewe that he dyd not in hys answere denye hym selfe to be any prophete but that specyall prophete of whome they ment dyd yet falsely reherse hym in theyr anger when they sayd agayne vnto hym yf thou be neyther Cryste nor Nelyas nor prophete why baptysest thou then And as the iewes dyd then wyttyngly false reherse hym so doth Tyndale as falsely now translate hym makynge it seme that by theyr questyon and hys answere eyther saynte IohnÌ„ sholde saye vntrew or ellys ouâ— sauyour hym selfe And for what inteÌ„t let Tyndale hym selfe tell but that he so doeth hys translacyon sheweth And that he doeth it wyttyngly well appereth by that he is not so ignorauÌ„t in the greke tonge but that he knoweth the artycle there whyche he sholde haue taken in to the englysshe and in many other places so hath he done And in this place yf he had not perceyued it hym selfe yet that good vertuouse and well lerned man Nicholas de lyra gaue hym warnyng therof whom though Tyndale lyste to set at so shorte and mokke and scorne sayenge that Lyra desirat yet he shall not say nay but he gaue hym good warnynge here and hath in dede more good lernynge in the scrypture of god then hath Luther and Huchyns and fyue frere Huysâ—yns as many frere Lambertes to Now that I haue shewed you somwhat of the strength and effecte of the artycle bothe greke and englysshe whych declareth that the worde whereto it is set sygnyfyeth not a thynge generally and confuse at large but some specyall thynge determynate of that kynde and that I haue shâ—â—ed you one ensample therof in the gospell whyche Tyndale hâ—â—â— euyll translated I wyll now go
saye that they myght at that tyme leue all such vndone and say as Tyndale sayth all that vtterly we denye and also defye I wolde fayne wyt wherfore Tyndale sholde take it for so straunge that god or hys apostles sholde gyue vnto Crystes chyrche any ceremonyes wherof they sholde not vnderstande the reason when he seeth well that god hath spoken to his people many wordes by his prophetes and his owne sonne and hys sonnes apostles to and caused them to be wryten also in holy scrypture in whyche textes men be no more sure of the very sentence then of the very sygnyfycacyon of those ceremonyes But god hath not wythout oure frute lefte suche thynges vnknowen vnto vs to quykken eâ—ercyse as saynte Austayne sayth some mennys myndes in the studye and deuysynge theruppon whyche yf all were open and playne wolde waxe neglygent and dull and now in the deuysynge theruppon fynde out good and frutefull thynges allegoryes and other not affermynge those to be the very thynges there entended â—ut thynges that deuoutely frutefully may be thereon takeÌ„ and turne men to deuocyon and thys as well in the ceremonyes as in those harde and not intellygyble textes And yf Tyndale deny thys bycause he wolde seme sure of all thynge and that there were no place in scrypture to hym not vnderstanden he shall whyle he wolde seme so wyse proue hym selfe a fole in the iugement of all men that any thynge laboure in scrypture And thus ye se now in what substancyall wyse that Tyndale hath answered my lorde of Rochester vnto the playne wordes of saynt Poule wryten vnto the Thessalonycenses by whych wordes he sheweth playnely hym selfe that he wrote not all that he taught And then that these thynges whyche Tyndale impugneth why that they myghte not be among those thynges that saynt Poule taughte by mouth ye haue herde I say how wourshypfully Tyndale hath proued I were lothe to leue vntouched any thyng that Tyndale any where sayeth agaynste my purpose in thys mater And therfore syth I fynde in hys answere to my dyaloge yet a nother patche wherin I perceyue he taketh great pleasure and weneth or wolde at the lest that other men sholde wene that he had therwyth vtterly proued hys parte and clerely reproued myne I wyll wythdrawe none of hys glory and therfore ye shall here that to In hys answere to the .xxix. chapyter of my fyrste boke these are hys wordes Tyndale In the .xxix. chapyter M. More alledgeth that Cryste sâ—yed not the 〈◊〉 goost shall wryte but shall teache It is not the vse to saye tâ—â— holy 〈◊〉 writeth but inspyreth the wryter More Properly answered yf I wolde holde my peace But I muste put Tyndale agayne in remembrauÌ„ce bycause he byleueth nothyng but scrypture and then draweth all the scripture into goddes promyses I muste therfore I say putte hym in remembraunce that I brought in that authoryte to shew hym that god made no promyse that he wolde wryte all his new testament nor cause yt to be made all in bokes but that he wolde sende his holy goost to teche his chyrch to lede theÌ„ into euery trouth And where Tyndale sayth it is not the vse to say the holy goost writeth but inspyreth yâ— wryter I say agayne that the scrypture letteth not to speke of goddes writyng to tell how he wyll wryte his new testameÌ„t when he sayth by the mouth of the prophete Hieremy I shall geue my law in theyr bowles I shall wryte yt in theyr hartes Hiâ—râ—m â—1 Lo here he telleth what maner of wrytyng he wyll vse in wrytynge of his newe law bycause we shall not excuse our selfe say that we wyll not byleue no more thereof then we shall fynde wryten in bokes He maketh vs no promyse that he wyll cause it to be wryteÌ„ in bokes but pursuyng these wordes of the prophete he sayd hym selfe his owne mouthâ— that he wolde send the holy goost to come teache his chyrche lede them in to euery trouth To this will Tyndale happely say in the word he ment and so dyd the prophete also that he wolde wryte yt in the hartes of the euangelystes and apostles and teache them lede them â—nto euery trouth whych shold put all the necessary trouth in wrytynge Let Tyndale proue this meanynge by some one text of scripture or some one necessary reason of whyche neyther hym selfe nor any other of his felowes haue founden any one yet And the wordes as well of the prophete as of our sauyour hym selfe declare them selfe to the contrary For the prophete and the euangelyste saythâ— Eâ—â—iae .54 Ioâ—annis â— that they shal be all goddes owne scolers whych sygnyfyeth that the congregacyon and companye shall be taught by god and his spyrite that shall wryte the new law the ryght fayth in the hartes of hys chyrche And our sauyour sayd I shall sende the holy goost that shall teache you all thynge and lede you into euery trouth He sayde not the holy goost shall teche some of you that shall wryte yt out vnto the remanaunt And therfore Tyndales comely glose wyll not so substauncyally serue hym as he wolde haue yt seme For as that holy spiryte enspired mo then them that wrote so enspyred he the wryters in mo thynges then they wrote whych thynges they taught by mouth and lefte it wyth the people by tradycyon as god lefte it wyth theÌ„ whych thynge doth by theyr owne wordes well appere Iohannis .xxj ad Thessalonicenses 2. Thess. 2. ad Corynthios .xj. And yf these playne textes seme not yet suffycyent for our parte let hym and all his felowes brynge forth some halfe texte halfe so suffycyent for theyr parte prouynge that all is wryten and take all to gether But yet goth he farther and wolde seme of hys curtesye to helpe me somwhat forth say more theÌ„ I could for myne owne parte and yet auoyde yt to For thus he sayth Tyndale I meruayle that he hadde not brought as many of his brethern do Mathew in the laste where Cryste commaunded the aposâ—les to go and teache all nacyons and sayed not wryte More In dede this wolde haue ben well brought in there and many of my brethern haue as he sayth brought yt in my selfe also some where ellys in places mo then one whyche I now boste of bycause ye shall se that Tyndale hathe not yet so gayly answered yt as to make me ashamed to laye yt forth agayne For yf he could brynge out one texte so good for hym as that is for vs that is to saye that lyke as my brethern fynde out that texte by whyche Cryste byddeth all his apostles go preache and teache hys gospell so yf Tyndale or any of hys brethern couldâ— fynde out any texte in whyche Cryste hadde boden any of them go wryte hys gospell lorde god how solemnely Tyndale wolde set yt out to the shewe And where as he now maketh lytle a do of Crystes word byddyng them
of And therfore as I haue sayde those wordes of Crystes were properly ment of the tradycyons commaundemeÌ„tes of the scrybes pharasees them selfe bysyde the law whych thinges our sauiour there coÌ„maâ—Ì„ded to be kept obserued where so euer they were not superstycyouse nor contraryed not the lawes and commaundementes of god but were tendynge to his honour or to vertue or to the comen wealeâ— for the place and offyce that the scrybes and pharysees kepte though them selfe were nought And theyr good tradycyoÌ„s dyd neuer Cryste dysprayse though he somtyme dyspensed wyth his dyscyples concernynge them and the law to Now there is no man I thynke so maddeâ— when he dowteth not but the seruauntes in a mannys housholde are so bounden to fulfyll and obaye theyr maysters lyefull commaundementes that yf they wolde refuse at hys byddynge to knele downe and say certayne praoyurs with hym to bed warde all the whole house to gether tyll he shold shew them some such commaundement in scrypture they were well worthy to go to the deuyll for theyr proude dysobedyence in the defence of theyr false euangelycall fredome he that douteth not I saye of thys of whyche I thynke no good man douteth can not be so madde to thynke that neyther bysshoppe nor pope nor whole generall counsayle nor all crysten people to gether though they were all assembled vppon a playne were able so to commaunde so myche as a generall processyon vppon any certayne daye but that any lewde lyther losell that lyste not to ryse may lye styll in hys bedde say he is not bounden to obay mannys tradycyoÌ„s nor nothyng but scrypture except for auoydyng of slauÌ„der and then there shal be so many at the processyon that he shall not be myssed yf he be some man may say he is syke Uppon these wordes coÌ„cernynge theyr tradycyons wold I not haue ben so long sauyng that both frere Barns rially triumpheth wyth them agaynste the lawes of the chyrch and also that Tyndale in his answere to the .xviii. chapyter of my dyaloge bryngeth in the same for the lyke entent which entent how properly they proue bytwene them both now ye may partely se and yet farther shall by goddes grace when I shall hereafter god wyllynge come to touche the place in Tyndales answere to me But now that I haue proued that those wordes of Crist make not onely nothynge for they purpose agaynst the lawes of Crystes chirche but also make playnely for the lawes agaynste theyr purpose I shall not nede longe to tary you for the tother poynte that is to wytte to proue you that those wordes of Cryste nothynge make agaynste our pryncypall purpose For they nothynge proue that euery necessary thynge is wryten though we constre Crystes wordes not of the tradycyons of whyche they be properly spoken in dâ—de but of the law of Moyses and set therunto the wordes of saynte Austayne also wyth whyche Barns wolde seme so well to furnyshe his mater For fyrst as for Crystes wordes yf they hadde ben playne expressely these what so euer the scrybis and pharysees bydde you do that is wryten in the law of Moyces I warne you se that you do yt yet whyle he sayde not farther I warne you byleue them not in any thyng ellys these wordes were no profe that all to gether was writen wher in the peple shold byleue them no more theÌ„ that all thyng wher in they sholde byleue them was wryten in Moyses bokes whyche yf yt were taken so then were all that they myghte teache the people writen in Esaieâ— Hieremie or Ezechiel by Cristes worde wyped oute of credens Therfore by those wordes expownynge them of the doctryne of Moyses and not of the tradycyons of the scrybes and pharysees yet is there nothynge proued that they were not to be byleued in any thynge that they sholde teache bysyde Moyses nor bysyde all the scrypture neyther Nor those wordes of Cryste be not contrary but that there myghte be yet at those dayes trewthes kepte amonge the people by tradycyon from the begynnynge whyche the scrybes and pharysees bothe myght preache and remember to the people as they myght the scrypture and be therin byleued And therfore our sauyour sayd not byleue theÌ„ in nothing but the bokes of Moyses or other bokes of scrypture but he sayd do not as they do not forbediÌ„ge theÌ„ to byleue theÌ„ in many other thynges but forbedyng them to folow them in theyr vyces Now if Cryste had sayd farther to the iewes all thynges necessarye be wryten therfore byleue the scrybes pharysees no farther then ye fynde wryten in Moyses and in the prophetes had thys proued that all thynge that crysteÌ„ meâ— muste byleue is wryten in the apostles and the euaÌ„gelistesâ— Now the wordes of saynt Austayne whyche frere Barons addeth therunto do for this purpose nothyng auaunce the mater For when saynte Austayne applyeth those wordes of Cryste to a preacher that is not a very trew shepeherde so kyng onely the weale of the flokke and the pleasure of Criste but mercennary and an hyred man that preacheth for lucâ—â— or other wordely affeccyons of hys owne and then sayeth that in the chayre of Moyses is vnderstande the lernynge of the law of god and sayth that therfore god dothe teache vs by them that is to wytte by those merceÌ„nary preachers to and therfore when they teache the law of god here them and do thereafter but and if they wyll teache theyr owne doctrine here yt not do yt not for suche men seke that is theyres and not Crystes that is to wyt theyr owne commodyte and not the pleasure of god lo sayth Barns these wordes of saynte Austayne be playne agaynst all them that preche any thyng but the law of god onely And forthwyth well and wyseâ—y in stede of prechyng he putteth ensample of statutes makyng as though yt were both one thynge one man to preche and all the chirche to make a statute And bycause ye shold se yet hys playnesse and synceryte therin he fayneth that the chirch maketh some openly and directly agaynst the worde of god and to the destruccyon of the fayth as is that statute sayth he whereby they haue condemned the new testament and also forbeden certayne men to preache the worde of god hauynge no cause agaynste them but all onely theyr owne malycyouse suspycyon Now of trouth there is no such statute madeâ— nor no such thynge done neyther concernynge the tone poynte nor the tother For as for the new testament yf he meane the testament of Cryste yt is not condemned nor forboden neyther no more then was the holy arche though euery man myght not be so bolde to touche yt But of trouth there is a false englyshe translacyon of the newe testament newly forged by Tyndale so altered chaunged in maters of great weyght malycyousely to sette forth agaynste Crystes trew doctryne Tyndales antichrysten heresyes that yt was not worthy to be called Crystes testament but eyther Tyndales owne testament or the testament of hys mayster Antechryste And therfore that boke is
be not laufull to serue god wyth charyte to whyche now they leue and fall all to lusty loue wyth intent to get heuyn the rather to that they let not to grauÌ„te also but they say the cause is for that fayth they say hath alwaye charyte therwyth But all be it that in that poynte theyr affyrmacyoÌ„ is fals as by reason and pleyne scrypture hath ben often proued vnto them 1. Câ—r 13 Iacâ—bi 2 that is ynough to me that they graunte that a man maye laufully loue god and serue hym wyth charyte to th entent to be the rather saued and come to heuyn therby For now semeth me that yf we laufully maye as Tyndale wyll grauÌ„t we maye serue god with the vertues of fayth and hope and charyte or of any one of them wyth respecte vnto goddys benefytes receyued and also to come and to th entent therby the rather to be saued come to heuyn we may then laufully with lyke respecte purpose inteÌ„t serue god wyth any other vertue that procedeth of fayth hope charyte or of any suche one of them wyth whyche it is laufull for vs for suche respecte entent purpose to serue god then wyll not Tyndale denye but that prayer fastynge almesse dede and contynence and clennesse of body penauÌ„ce trouble of the mynde wyth sufferauns of trybulacyon or afflyccyon of the flesshe wyllyngly taken wyth many other outwarde and inwarde workes may procede of fayth hope and charyte wherfore I can not se but that Tyndale as he graunteth here that we maye serue god wyth loue entendyng thereby to please hym and be sauyd the rather so must he nedys graunte and agre that lykewyse may we wyth lyke entente and purpose serue wyth all other workes aboue remembryd procedynge of a faythfull workynge charyte wherof he and all hys fonde felowes in euery place holde hytherto the contrary And thus haue I now playnly deducyd vppon Tyndals owne wordes the full confusyon of hys owne comen conclusyon so many tymes by hym and hys felowes obiected and among them all neuer onys yet well prouyd nor neuer able to be proued agaynst the profyte of good mennys chrysten workes for chrysten be theyr prayers theyr fastynge and theyr almosse dedys when they be done in fayth hope and charyte and in the state of grace Tyndall And when he is commaundyd to obay the powers and rewlers of the worlde be loketh on the benefytes whiche god shewyth the worlde thorow them and therfore doeth it gladly More In this obedyence Tyndale is yet content to haue a respecte to the benefytes that god worketh and shewyth the worlde thorow the powers and rewlers of the world putteth that for eyther the onely or the chyefe cause of hys obedyence as he putteth it for the onely or chyefe cause of goddys commaundement In whiche kynde of obedyence semeth not the greatest vertue when a man obeyeth onely for hys owne aduauntage but the very chrysten obedyence is to obaye specially for that god so coÌ„maundeth and not so to serche and lymyte the cause of goddes coÌ„maundement as he may therby take hymselfe gyue to other an easy bolde occasyoÌ„ to dysobaye resyste and rebell agaynst theyr hedys and rulers pretendynge that they be not profytable Thys thynge meanyth Tyndale as it apperyth by hys wordes here in the cause of hys obedyence to the powers and rulers of the worlde as it apperyth in dyuers other places of hys workes and Luther his maysters to But god all though he wyll that the gouernours and rulers of the world sholde be good and profytable to the people yet wyll he not that the people shall measure the dewty of theyr obedyence by the onely rule and measure of theyr owne profyte and coÌ„modyte but that they shall obaye theyr prynces and other rulers and gouernours bycause that they be theyr gouernours and rulers and bycause that god hath so coÌ„mauÌ„ded For yf they may measure theyr obedyeÌ„ce by yâ— measure of theyr owne profyte as Tyndale telleth vs they shall sone seke occasyon of sedycion and therof do themselfe also more harme in one daye then sholde theyr ruler in many yeres all were he ryght vnprofytable in dede as apperyd by the vplandysshe Lutherans in Almayn whyche measuryng theyr obedyence by Tyndalys rule gyuen them before by Tyndalys mayster became all vnrulye and dysobeyd and rebellyd agaynst theyr rulers and therby dysobeyd goddes commaundement and brought therby the vengeaunce of god vppon theyr owne heddys to the slaughter of aboue foure score thowsand of them in one sommer the remenaunt the worse entreated euer syns and that hath made Luther and Tyndale a lytell to retreate syns and set a new glose therto yâ— will but shrewdly serue them as I shall shewe you when I come to the place hereafter in hys boke Tyndall And when he is commaunded to loue his neyghbour as hymselfe â—e serchâ—â—â— that hys neyghbour is created of god and bought with Crysâ—es blode and so forth More Loo thys is very louyngly spoken he sayth very well and I praye god that he be one of those spyrytuals that so doeth but surely many places in euery boke that he writeth seme clerely to declare that he hath another maner of spyryte then suche a spyryte of loue And yet were it herde excepte yâ— goddys coÌ„maundement gyue vs that warnyng ellys wyll it be somwhat herd for any man vppoÌ„ the other two causes by any serche to perceyue that he were in reason bouÌ„den to loue another aswell as hymselfe though they maye serue to loue hym ryght well Tyndale And therfore he loueth hym oute of his harte Owt of 〈◊〉 â—erte not in hys heâ—â—e And yf he be euyll forbereth hym and wyth all loue and pacyeÌ„ce draueth hym to good as elder brotheren wayte on the yonger and serue them and suffre them and when they wyll not come they speke fayre and flater and gyue some gaye thyng and promyse fayre and so drawe them and smyte them not but yf they may in no wyse be holpe referre the ponyshement to the father and mother and so forth And by thesâ— iudgeth be all other lawes oâ— god and vnderstandeth the true vse and meanyng of them and by these vnderstandeth he in the lawes of man whych are ryght and whyche tyrannye More Useth Tyndale and his spyrytuall mayster thys manes of loue this forberynge and this maner of pacyeÌ„s to warde the pope and the clergye and towarde prynces and other teÌ„porall rulers we se perde thorow all theyr bokes in what lowly louynge fashion they serue and suffer them and how fayre they speke and how plesauntly they flater all holy catholyque crysten people sauyng onely theyr own secte with as venemouse wordes and as poysen speche as the dyuell can dyuyse them wyth all the meanes they may to sow dyuysyon and dyssencyon and set the people in sedycyon vnder colour of true fayth to brynge them in heresyes and destroye both bodye and soule
serued for hys heresyes muste nedys be not suspected but manyfestley dedected and perceyued to haue vsed them beynge suche so many and so often not of any chaunce or good intent but of very playne purpose to gyue hys heresyes in the earys of vnlerned men some coloure of profe in the texte of the new testament And so myghte I now passe ouer .vi. or .vii. of the fyrst chapyters of his booke as thynges that serue hym of ryght noughte But yet to the entent ye maye the better perceyue how wysely the man defendeth the mater in suche wyse as he sheweth bothe lakke of lernyng and more lakke of wytte moste lakke of grace he doeth at the last confesse hym selfe that he made the chaunges for the settynge forth of hys heresyes whyche was the poynt that I layed to hys charge as the very thynge for whyche hys translacyon was very well worthy to be burned Now let vs fyrst consyder how he defendeth hys chaūge of thys worde chyrche in to thys worde congregacyon Fyrste to enduce the mater as though he went aboute to make euery thynge very open and playne he telleth vs a longe tale of lytell weyghte that thys worde chyrche hath dyuers sygnyfycacyons And then he maketh as though he wolde telle how many wherin when he hath all done he leueth out one of the very chyefe For he telleth vs that a chyrch sygnifyeth a place or a howse where crysten men were wont to resorte in olde tyme to here the word of god and he sayth not to praye but to lerne how and what to pray Then he sayth it hath a seconde sygnyfycacyon but that is he sayth but mysse taken and abused by whyche it sygnyfyeth the clergye whom it pleaseth to hym in hys raylynge maner to call a multytude of shauen shorne and oyled in mokkage and reprefe not so mych of the prestes as of the holy order of presthode A thyrde sygnyfycacyon he sayth it hath by whych it betokeneth a cōgregacyon a multytude or a company gathered to gyther in one as a man may call the chyrche of London meanyng not the spyrytualtye onely but the hole body of the cytye of all kyndes condycyons and degrees And in thys thyrde sygnyfycacyon he sayth that though it be lytell knowē amonge the comon people now a dayes yet in this sygnyfycacyon is he sayth the chyrch of god or Cryst taken in the scrypture for the hole multytude that receyue the name of Cryste to byleue in hym And for the profe of this he layeth many places of saynt Paule Fynally yet he remēbreth hym selfe at laste and addeth vnto this as it were a note sayth Tyndale Not wythstandynge yet yt is some tyme taken generally for all that embrace the name of Criste though theyr faythes be nought or though they haue no fayth at all And sometymes yt is taken specyally for the electe onely in whose hartes god hath wryten his law wyth his holy spyryte and geuen them a felynge fayth of the mercy that is in Cryste Iesu our lorde More Lo now ye haue herd how many maner of wise Tyndale teacheth vs that this word chyrch is takē In whych yet he hath lefte oute one sygnyfycacyone or twayen that this worde playnely sygnyfyeth One is that this worde chyrch besyde all the sygnyfycacyons that Tyndale hath here shewed vs doth syginfye that parte of the chyrch that in synodis coūsayles do represent the whole chyrch As when we saye that there is a law made by the chyrch that heretikes shall not be sufferd to preach lyke wise as a parliamēt rep̄senteth the hole reame is by the comen speche so called to as whē we say that the realme hath made a law that heretikes shal be burned The chyrch also sygnifyeth sometyme a mych lesse nomber that is to wyt the onely rulers or hedes of the chyrche as where we be commaunded to complayne to the chyrch yt is not ment to all the whole towne nor to all the clergy therof of but to rulers and gouernours Syth Tyndale hath taken vppon hym to shew vs here his hygh doctryne how many manner of wyse this worde chyrch is taken yt bylonged rather vnto hym to haue taken in these sygnifycaciōs then some of them that he hath taken as ye shall se anon But fyrst I meruaile me mych that Tyndall hath eyther clene lefte out or ellys put in so darkely that he wold not haue yt perceyued that sygnyfycacyon of this worde chyrch that is one of the pryncypall sygnyfycacyons therof and wherupon the greteste wayght of all our mater depēdeth And that is that sygnifycacyon by whych◠the chyrch sygnyfyeth not as Tyndale taketh yt in his thyrde sygnyfycacyon for all a multitude gathered to gether in one of all kyndes condycyons and degrees of people but of such onely people as be crysten people and them not in one cytye onely but that hole nomber of euery cytye towne and village thorow out all the hole world this sygnifycacyon Tyndale leueth out clene bycause yt toucheth moste the mater For as for that he saith in his fore remembred note he semeth but to set a specifycacyon of his thyrde sygnifycacion as though he wolde meane yt for the hole nōber of cyteseyns or ellys for the onely nōber of the electys wyth in some one cytye as he there putteth London for his example And yf he wold there name in his note the hole catholyque chyrch I meruyle why he sayth that yt is called so sometyme as though that sygnifycacyon were very rare and selde where as of trouth there is of the chyrch no sygnifycacyon neyther more great nor more comen then that by whych yt is ment and taken for the catholyque chyrch and vnyuersall How be yt of trouth Tyndale handeleth his thyrde sygnyfycacyon very secundely and fareth as one that wolde fayne walke in the darke For the places of scrypture seme to speke of onely crysten people in this place and that But his descrypcyon of the chyrch in that sygnifycacyon goeth far otherwyse For when he sayth that yt sygnifyeth not onely the clergye but the hole congregacyon multitude or company gathered in to one as a man wold saye the chyrch of London meanynge not the spyrytualty onely but the hole body of the cytye and all that parteyne vnto the towne generally of all kyndes condycyons and degrees of this sygnyfycacyon surely few folke haue herd For though he name a crysten cytye for a sample yet may there be some cytyes and haue bene and yet be some such in some other places that of the cyteseyns and of the hole bodye of the cytye and of such as pertayne vnto the towne generally not onely be there crysten prestes and crysten laye people but open caste oute heretykes also ye and peraduenture Iewes Turkes and Saracens to that be not crystened and all And in some cytyes few crysten people and the remanaunt infydeles and suche were the cytyes to whome the apostle wrote And then
chyrch vsed in theyr langage presbyteros But as for this word eldeâ— which Tindale sayth is the old latyne translacyoÌ„ he were lyke to pore out his eyen vppâ—â— latyne boke ere he fynde yâ— englyshe word elder thâ—â—◠〈…〉 he cause yt to be wryten in hym selfe And yet he layeth lyke textes .iii. or foure some in the pystles of saynt IohnÌ„ some in the Actes where he fyndeth in stede of presbyteros this word seniores and natu maiores and alwaye he setteth thereto lo here is presbyteros called an elder and an elder in byrth as though this latine word seniores or natu maiores were this englysh word elder where he sayth that presbyteros is called elder in the olde traÌ„slacyon whych as ye se muste nedes be false but yf this englyshe worde be in that latine boke and that he make englyshe latine and latine englyshe But now leste he call the redargucyon of his foly sophystycacyon lette vs diuine for hym what he myght meane He wyll happely say that he meaneth that this greke word prâ—sâ—yteros is in the texte that he hath alleged called by the olde translatour seniores and seniores sygnyfyeth elder or elders And so though this worde elder be not in the latine traÌ„slacyon yet syth that latine worde is there that sygnyfyeth in laten the same thynge that this worde elder sygnyfyeth in englyshe we can not blame hym for translatynge presbyteros in to thys worde elder but yf we blame in lyke wyse the translatour for translatynge presbyteros in to this worde seniores Fyrste yf I sayed that the olde translacyon were in that poynt not so well as yt myght haue ben I sholde not saye so alone And Erasmê° whom Tyndale calleth my derlyng and whom hym selfe doth for all that in his own traÌ„sâ—acyon preferre byfore the olde doth as well in the sayed pystle of saynt Peter as in the sayd .xx. chapiter of thapostles Actes not onely kepe styll the greke worde presbyteros but sheweth also that the old translatour translated it not well bycause he translated there thys worde presbyteros into thys worde sâ—niores and in the tother place into maiores natu but sayth that he shold rather haue kepte styll the worde presbyteros vnchaunged bycause that worde is yt that sygnyfyeth authoryte wyth the grekes where senioreâ— in latine sygnyfyeth but theyr age and all were not olde as appered by Timothe And for that cause in the sayed place of saynte Peter his pystle saynt Hierome amendeth that olde translacyon and kepeth presbyteros styll recitynge saynte Peter in this wyse Presbyteros qui sunt â—n vobis obsecro ego compresbyter wherein saynt Hierome was rather contâ—â—â— to ioyne the latine coÌ„iunccyon with the greke word and â—all yâ— compresbyter then to chaunge that worde sygnyfyenge the 〈◊〉 in to seniâ—res and consenâ—or sygnifyeng but the age For amonge the latines senior sygnyfyed none other but amonge the grekes presbyteri was the name that many tymes sygnyfyed rulers and gouernours Now yf we lyste we may yet excuse the olde translatour whych how sone after Crystes deth he translated it who can tell And then when the latine chyrche had no laten worde for the crysten prestes all redy receyued vsed what blame was he worthy that toke that worde not contynually but amonge whyche of all the latine wordes semed to hym to go nexte the sygnifycacyon of presbyteros at that tyme. And that was as hym thought seniores in whych word yet the chyrch neuer folowed hym though but though they redde his traÌ„slacion openly in diuine seruyce yet neyther in theyr wrytynge nor preachynge wold they take vp that worde and call a preest seniour as appereth by the bokes and sermons of all holy doctours synnys And therfore Tyndale is wythoute excuse whyche hath translated presbyteros by this englyshe worde elders a worde vnknowen amonge englyshe men to sygnyfye prestes and amonge whom this word preste was the proper englesh word well knowen and had serued in that sygnifycacyon so many hundred yere afore Tyndale was borne Also go me to the place whych Tyndale alledgeth in the fyrste pystle of saynt Petre Seniores qui sunt in vobis obsecro ego consenior pascite qui in vobis est grezem Christi whych place I take for ensample For where he layeth two places of the pystles of saynt IohnÌ„ and one in the .xx. of the Actes all be for one purpose and this one place answerd answereth them all I saye therfore that Tyndale hath euen here in this his newe boke translated that same place wronge and all the remanaunt in lyke wyse And that wyll I proue partely by Tyndales owne wordes whych in this boke folowe the translacyon of those wordes The elders that are amonge you I beche whych am an elder also that ye â—ede the flocke of Cryste whych is amonge you There is presbyteros calleâ— an elder And in that he sayth fede Cristes flocke he meaneth euen the ministers that were chosen to teache the people and to enforme them in goddâ—â— worde and â—â— saye persones More Lo Tyndale here shewed hym selfe that by this worde seâ—niores be there vnderstanden the minysters that were châ—â—â— to teache peple Then say I that yf this word seniores 〈◊〉 in that sygnyfycacyon there Tyndale sholde not translate yt in to this englysh worde elder whych sygnifyeth not the offyce but the age here And this is I say trew all were it so that Tyndales false heresy were trew that holy orders were no sacrament at all but a bare offyce For yf yt were but in a prophane comen storye in whych men maye boldely be in the translacyon at myche more lybertye then in holy scrypture yet were he a noughtye transâ—atour that wolde translate a thynge in to suche a worde as in the tonge in to whyche he translateth is not vnderstanden in that sygnyfycacyon As yf percase a man wolde translate a latine cronycle in to englyshe in whyche were mencyon made of some thynge done in London yf he founde in that cronycle the aldermen called by the name of senatores or peradueÌ„ture seniores he shold yet in his englyshe translacyon call them not senatours nor elders neyther syth neyther of those two wordes is in englyshe the name by whych the aldermen of London be knowen but he muste therfore translate senatores and seniores also in to aldermen in his englyshe translacyon And ferther yf he there founde this worde senatus Londinensis he shold not traÌ„site yt in to this worde senate but eyther into mayre and aldernâ—en or percase yf the circuÌ„staunce of the mater so lede hym to yt in to mayre aldermen and comen counsayle And therfore as ye playnely se Tyndales defence of his translatynge presbyteros in to elders is as feble to stykke to as is an olde roten elder stykke though yt were but in a prophane storye Now where yt is in the holy storye of Crystes gospell what manner a thyng is it
he sayth that Cryste and his apostles dyd coÌ„fyrme euery sermone with a sondry miracle For tyll he proue me that by scrypture I denye yt playnely For syth neyther scrypture teacheth yt nor the catholyke chyrch preacheth yt nor any reason proueth yt I maye well and boldely denye yt and so I do For I se well his falsed for whych he fayneth yt He seeth miracles wrought by god plentuousely in hys chyrche and that thereby his chyrche and the fayth therof is confermed and therfore to brynge at the lestewyse some parte therof in questyon he wold saye that we fynde not specyall miracles done for euery poynte But I say no more dyd the apostles neyther nor Tyndale shall neuer proue yt For yf he wyll proue me that he muste proue me trew not onely the thyng that hym selfe sayth whych is more then euer he shall proue trew that is to wyt that they proued euery sermon wyth a sondry miracle but also that eyther they neuer preched but one artycle in one sermone Or yf they preached many he muste then proue me two thynges one that they coÌ„fyrmed that sermon wyth as many miracles as they preached poyntes a nother that they shewed the people that the miracles whyche they then dyd was so many miracles for so many poyntes for ellys myght all those myracles be done for the profe of one of those poyntes and all the remanaunt vnproued For yf Tyndale wyll say that thinge neded not for as mych as any one miracle suffysed to proue them all syth yt proued hym a trew preacher then shall Tyndale say â—o the thynge that I wolde haue hym saye for then hym selfe proueth that it neded not that they sholde proue euery sermone wyth a seuerall myracle made amonge one people nor peraduenture any one sermone neyther otherwyse then as by miracles shewed at other occasions bysyde theyr sermons they proued them selfe holy men and goddes messengers For we fynde many miracles done by them at suche tymes as they were not makynge of sermons And yet when they dyd them in Crystes name we finde not alway that they added a specyall artycle of oure faith whyche specyaltye they wolde haue by that miracle confermed And thus ye se that hâ—re he affermeth one thinge that he shall neuer proue whych thynge yet I wolde not vouche safe to speke of sauynge that he doth it of an euill purpose For hys mayster Martyne Luther when Erasmus layed agaynste hym for mannys fre wyll the doctryâ—e of the olde holy saynts whose fayth was approued by miracles layed agaynst hym agayne that though they dyd myracles Erasmus yet coulde not proue that any of them dyd a myracle specyally for that artycle and therfore he wolde haue that artycle seme vnproued as for any myracle And this way taketh Tyndale now for the selfe same â—â—tâ—nt therfore fayneth that the apostles confermed euery sermone wyth a sondrye myracle But I dowte not but that yf we sholde bydde Tyndale here or Luther hym selfe proue vs euery artycle of his fayth whych he wolde we sholde wene were the fayth that the apostles preached yf we sholde I say dyd them proue vs that the apoâ—â—les confâ—â—med euery artycle therof by a sondry myracle they shold seeke in scrypture tyll theyr eyen were â—â—â—ete they â—â—â—â—de it Moreâ—â—er Tyndales wordes fyghte to gether and one 〈◊〉 can not agre wyth an other For yf these wordes â—â— trew that they preued euery sermon with a sondry myracle 〈…〉 false that he sayth here also that is to wyt of â—â—racles 〈…〉 be wryten as nedeth 〈…〉 that Tyndale sayâ—h that thapoâ—â—le◠〈◊〉 〈…〉 miracle yt foloweth that euery necessary poynte that they preached they dyd proue by miracle Then ferther yf euery necessary poynte that they preached they preued by miracle bycause yt was nedefull that yt sholde be for credence to be geuen to that point for our soules helth it was nedefull then for the coÌ„seruacion of the same credence yf the credeÌ„ce coulde not be kepte wythout wrytynge that of euery suche necessary poynt of fayth and necessarye doctryne of theyrs wythout whych byleued we canne not be saued there were one miracle wryten at the leste But there ys not of euery suche artycle one miracle wrytyn ergo yt is not trewe that Tyndale goth aboute to proue that the miracles as many be wryten as nede and that euery necessary thynge is wryten And veryly yf euery thynge that we sholde necessaryly byleue had ben th entent of god to haue it put in wrytynge and that yt hadde ben also necessary that euery poynt were preued by one miracle and not suffycyent that the prechers were proued by miracles them selfe therby their doctrine to be byleued yt were very probable then both that the wryters wolde haue wryten some thinges mych more open and playne theÌ„ they â—aue done and also that of euery necessary poynte of fayth they wolde haue wryten one miracle at the leste But now syth god entended not to gyue his new lawe by bokes but specyally by the necessary poyntes therof wryten in mennys hartes wherof hym selfe wolde be the specyall inwarde mayster he hath prouyded that scrypture to serue for parte but not to serue alone for all And syth suche myracles as be wryten therin suffyse to proue the apostles goddes trew preachers and therfore neded not myracles to be wrytenâ—for euery poynte of theyr preachynge no more neded there to be myracles done for euery poynt of theyr preaâ—â—â—ge And for farther profe therof hew many thynges preacâ—ed the apostles by theyr pystles wyth whyche we rede not that they sente by the messengere for euery poynte a myracle And thus good readers here ye se fyrste that thys poynâ— of Tyndales preachynge muste be better proued whyche poynt thus reproued answereth and reproueth clerely dyâ—â—â—â— other places of hys boke hereafter But yet is i◠〈◊〉 â—o â—e consydered wayed in hys wordes that he sayth 〈…〉 substauâ—ce in generall of euerythynge â—â—â—â—ssary to 〈◊〉 soules hesth both of what we ought to byleue and what we ought to do 〈◊〉 wryten So that what so euer we ought to byleue or do that same is wryten expressely or drawen of that whyche is wryten More In these wordes though I fynde lakke of trouth yet I sumwhat alow hys wyt as our sauyour sayed by the wykked bayly Lucae 15 whyche though he played the false shrewe for hys mayster prouyded yet wylyly sumwhat for hym selfe And so playeth Tyndale here For now that he playnely perceyueth that the doctryne is playnely false whyche hys mayster Luther hym selfe to haue taught so playnely bytwen them all thys whyle that is to wyt that there is no necessary trouth to be byleued but yf it be proued by playne euydent scrypture now cometh Tyndale and seeth that they shall be put to flyghte and fayne to runne awaye and therfore wylyly prouydeth a startynge hole steppynge from playne and euydent scrypture theyr old specyall playne euydent wordes vnto darke
hath all thynges necessary to be byleued wryten in scrypture whyche thynge is as false and reason yt is that yt be false when he concludeth yt vppon false But Tyndale perceyuyng well hym selfe how fals his fundacyon is how feble hys byeldynge is that he setteth theruppon hath therfore to make yt stande the surer vndershoren vnderpropped it wyth certayne other stronge postes made of roten redys One is that all thynges be now bysyde the olde testameÌ„t opened rychely in the new testameÌ„t that byfore were promysed Thys vnderpropper is not very proper for to bere vppe his byldynge for yt is the selfe same thynge that is in questyon For we saye that yf he take the new testament for the boke of that scrypture wryten he muste not onely saye but also proue that euery thynge is opened therein that of necessyte for our soule helth is to be byleued or done this is the thynge selfe that is in debate And therfore whyle he doth but tell vs and proue it not and so vnderproppeth his assercyon wyth yt selfe he sheweth hym self as wyse as one that leste his roten house sholde fall wold go about to take downe the roefe and pull vppe the grouÌ„dsell to vndershore the sydes wyth the same Then setteth he to yt a nother shorer that all thynge is in the new testament fulfylled that was promysed byfore also that there is no promise byhynde of ought to be sheâ—ed more saue the resurreccyon Nowe this shorer ys so surely sette that yt is shortely blowen downe quyte yf a man say no more but what than For bysydes that as there laye mo promyses in the olde testament then euery man well vnderstode so maye there yet peraduenture lye mo promyses vnperceyued yet eyther by Tyndale or me both in the old and in the new But I saye bysydes this and bysyde this also that Tyndale sayth here vntrew for bysyde the resurreccion there are yet vnfulfylled as well dyuerse promyses of tokeÌ„s thynges that shall come byfore the resurreccyon all those thynges perde that are promised to come after as the iudgement yt selfe and blesse or payne euerlastynge to the iudged bodyes but yet I saye bysyde all this what yf all the promyses be fulfylled sauynge the resurreccyon dothe that proue that there coulde be nothynge of necessyte byleued wythoute scrypture Is there nothynge to be byleued but promyses If god tell me a thynge or byd me do a thynge am I not bounde to byleue the tone nor to do the tother bycause they be no promyses If Tyndale speke wysely in thys I muste nedes confesse my foly for in good fayth I can se no wyt therein But fynally he setteth to a myghty stronge poste able to bere downe all when he sayth that Cryste and all hys apostles and all the angellys of heuen coulde preache no more then is preached of necessyte to our soules And therforeâ— and for all the wyse and well framed reasons whyche I haue reproued and proued vnresonable byfore he sayth that to receyue a new artycle of fayth wythout scrypture were as profytable for our soules as smoke for sore yies This is a substauncy all shorer lo and very surely set I assure you For fyrste I myght agre all that he sayeth and his purpose neuer the more proued For where he sayeth yâ— all is all redy preached that is necessary or can be necessarie to the soule yf I wold answere and say that is very trew all suche thynges is all redy preached but all suche preachyng is not wryten where were now Tyndales coÌ„clusyon But I wyll not be so madde to grauÌ„te hym that all is eyther writen or preached eyther that can be of necessyte to mannes soule For who wolde be so madde to thynke that god knoweth not many thynges that we know not and that he can yf yt please hym reuele and shew vs any of those and commaunde vs to byleue them when so euer he lyste And when he so wold do theÌ„ were they of necessyte to our soules saluacyon to be byleued And he maye when yt please hym commaunde vs to do some other thynges that he hath not commaunded yet and then sholde we be bouÌ„de to do them And he maye commaunde to leue vndone some thynges that he hath byfore commaunded to be done and then shâ—ldâ— we be bounden to leue them vndone And this is so playne and euydent to euery man that hath any sparke of reason in his hedde that I wonder where Tyndale hadde lefte his wyt when he wrote thys And this was also a wyse temperaunce of the mater that he sayeth for these wyse causes that yt were as holsome for our soules as smoke for sore yies yf we receyued any newe artycles of fayth wythout scripture If the yien of his soule were not sore blered or starke blynde wyth the smoâ—e oâ— the smoky fyre of hell he wolde sone haue sene wyth hys two yien hys two folyes in these few wordes For he sayth if we receyued a new artycle wythout scrypture wherby he confesseth that yf god wyll geue vs a new artycle in scrypture as he gaue Moyses yt were not vnholesome And what caÌ„ he then saye but yf god gyue yt wythout scrypture he must be byleued but yf Tyndale dare saye that the treâ—th of god do depende vpon his wrytynge and yâ— his worde be nought worth tyll yt be wryten A nother folâ— is thys that he sayth yf we receyue a new article and then all the samplesâ— that he putteth be olde and we shall putte hym some other as old Tyndale What holpe yt me to byleue that our ladyes bodye is in heuen More If thys be a new byleued artycle lette Tyndale tell wheÌ„ thys bylyef beganne he shall fynde that yt hath ben thus byleued euen froÌ„ the tyme of her deceace And now the thyng that almoste .xv. C. yere hath ben byleued he calleth a neâ— artycle But now how lyke is thys bylyef of this newe artycle of .xv. hundâ—ed yere olde vnto hys ensample of smoke sore yies For fyrste yf yt holpe hym not yet at the leste yt huâ—ted hym not as smâ—ke doth sore yies But syth it is trew and taught vnto the chyrche by the spyrytâ—â—f god whyche ledeth the chyrche intâ— euery troâ—th and â—hâ—â—hyrche growâ— into the consent and argument theâ—of by the same spiryte ofâ— concorde and agrement whych maketh all the house of onâ— myâ—de and though the bylefe therof were very new yet yt helpeth hym and doth hym good to byleue yt as yt helpeth hym and doth hym good yf he byleue other trouthes whych god hath reueled and shewed by wrytynge byfore excepte Tyndale trust not god vppon his word but yf he geue hym his wrytynge there vppon and his letters patentes vnder his great seale For ellys why sholde yt not helpe hym as mych to byleue that our ladyes body and soule is in heuen syth god hath taught his chyrche so to byleue as yt helpeth hym to byleue
agayne Then haue we by Tyndale also the answere to my dyâ—loge wherof I shall nothynge nâ—w nedeto saye bycâ—â—â—â— the confutacyon of that answere is the mater of my present booâ—e Then haue we also the boke of Fryth agaynste purgatorye therrours of whyche boke I shall hereafter god wyllynge declare you Then haue ye a boke of Luther translated into englyshe in the name of Bryghtwell but as I am enformed the boke was translated by Fryth a boke of suche sorte as Tyndale neuer made a more folyshe nor more full of false lyes And surely Frythes prologe yf yt be his as yt ys sayde ys ryght sutely and a very mete couer for suche a cuppe as bryngeth the people a draught of dedely poysen Then haue we the practyse of prelates wherin Tyndale had wente to haue made a specyall shewe of hys hygh worldely wytte and that men sholde haue sene therin that there were nothynge done amonge prynces but that he was fully aduertysed of all the secretes and that so farreforth that he knew the pryuy practyse made betwene the kynges hyghnes and the late lorde cardynall and the reuerende father Cuthbert then bishoppe of London and me that yt was dyuysed wylyly that the cardynall sholde leue the chauncellourshyppe to me and the byshopryche of DurhmÌ„ to my sayde lorde of London for a whyle tyll he lyste hym selfe to take them both agayne was not this a wyly dryft trow you whyche whyle euery man well seeth there was no man so madde to tell Tyndale no man dowteth but that Tyndale dyuysed yt of his owne imagynacyon and then nedeth no man to doute what maner a brayne Tyndale hath that dremeth suche frantyque dryftes Then haue we now come forth the boke of frere Barns somtyme doctour in Camdrydge whyche was for heresye byfore this tyme abiured and is at this daye comen to the realme by saufe conducte whyche at his humble suyte the kynges hyghnesse of his blessed disposycyon condescended to grauÌ„te hym to th ende that yf there myght yet any sparke of grace be founden in hym yt myghte be kepte kyndeled and encreaced rather then the man to be caste away whyche manner of crysten zele and pryncely benygnyte hys grace hadde byfore vsed both to Rycharde Bayfeld and George Constantine whych came ouer hyther wythout saufe conducte vppon the onely truste of his gracyouse forgyuenesse and had yt And theruppon to by and by both twayne deceyptefully dyd abuse his goodnesse brought in agayn mo of Tyndales bokes and false heresyes a freshe whereof as god hath of his iustyce synnys requytte the tone so mote his mercy by grace amende the tother But to speke of frere Barns booke surely of all theyr bookes that yet came abrode in englysshe of all whych was neuer one wyse nor good was neuer none yet so bad so folysshe nor so false as hys as it hath synnes hys comynge ben playnely proued in hys face and that in such wyse that when the bokes that he cyteth and alledgeth in hys booke were brought forth before hym and hys ignorauÌ„ce shewed hym hym selfe dyd in dyuerse thynges confesse hys ouersyghteâ— and clerely knowleged that he had myssetaken and wronge vnderstanden the places And was in suche wyse fynally confounded wyth shame that he was in a mameryng whyther he wolde retourne agayne ouer the see or tary styll here and renounce hys heresyes agayne and tourne agayn to Crystes catholyke chyrche And therfore he desyred that he myghte haue a lerned man then present assygned vnto hym for the ferther instruccyon of hys conscyence whyche hys request was grauÌ„ted hym and what wyll ferther come theron god knoweth If god gyue hym the grace to amende euery good maÌ„ wyll be glad therof If he haue so farre gone agaynste goddes trewth therby greued god in such wyse that god haue all redy gyuen hym ouer for euer or ellys that though god offer hys grace agayne the malyce of the mannes wyll wythstande it yet and reiecte it it is not then to be dowted but god wyll fynde a tyme for hym well inough to shew his iustyce on hym as he hath done vppon such other namely of late in Swycherland vppon zuinglius which was the fyrst that brought Barns heresye thyther concernyng the sacrament of the aulter But as for hense he shall I am sure haue leue to departe saufe accordynge to the kynges saufe conducte And yet hath he so demeaned hym selfe synnys hys comynge hyther that he hath clerely broken forfayted hys saufe conducte and lawfully myghte be burned for hys heresyes yf we wolde laye his heresyes and his demeanure syth hys comynge hyther both twayne vnto his charge But lette hym go thys ones for god shall fynde hys tyme full well Then haue we ferther yet besyde Barns boke the a b c for chyldren And bycause there is no grace therin left we shold lakke prayours we haue the prymer and the ploughmans prayour and a boke of other small deuocyons and then the hole psalter to After the psalter chyldren were wont to go to theyr Donat theyr Accydence but now they go strayte to scrypture And therto haue we as a Donat the boke of yâ— pathwaye to scrypture and for an Accidence bycause we sholde be good scolers shortely and be sone spedde we haue the whole summe of scrypture in a lytle boke so that after these bokes well lerned we be mete for Tyndales pentateukes and Tyndales testament and all the tother hygh he resyes that he and Iay and Fryth and frere Barns teche in all theyr bokes bysyde of all whyche heresyes the seed is sowen and pretyly sprongen vppe in these lytle bokes byfore For the Prymer and Psalter prayours all were traÌ„slated and made in this maneâ— by none other but heretykes The Psalter was translated by George Iay the presteâ— that is wedded now and I here say the Prymer to wherein the seuen psalmes be set in wythout the lateny leste folke shold pray to sayntes And the Dirige is leste out clene lefte a man myght happe to pray theron for hys fathers soule In theyr calendar byfore theyr deuout prayers they haue sette vs a new saynt syr Thomas Hitton the heretyke that was burned in kent of whom I shall tell you more after Hym haue they set in on saynt Mathy is euen be the name of saynt Thomas the martyr A longe worke wold yt be to reherse you all theyr bokes for there be yet mo then I know Agaynste all whyche the kynges hygh wysedome polytyquely prouyded in that his hyghnes by his proclamacions forbode any maner englysh bokes prented byionde yâ— see to be brought into this realme or any to be solde prentedâ— wythin this realme but yf the name of the prenter and his dwellynge place were sette vppon the boke But yet so is yt as I sayde byfore that of these vngracyouse bokes full of pestylent poysened heresyes that haue in other realmes all redy kylled by scysmes and warre
peradueÌ„ture the deuyll to yf he enteÌ„ded otherwyse But surely there was entended toward hym somwhat more good then his dealynge had byfore deserued And so mych the more fauour was there mynded hym in that he semed very penytent of his mysse vsynge of hym selfe in fallynge to Tyndales heresyes agayne For whyche he knowleged hym selfe worthy to be hanged that he hadde so falsely abused the kynges graciouse remissyon and pardon geueÌ„ hym byfore and hadde for all that in the whyle both bought and solde of those heretycall bokes and secretely set forth those heresyes wherof he shewed hym selfe so repentaunt that he vttered and dysclosed dyuers of hys companyoÌ„s of whom there are some abiured synnys and that he wyste well were abiured before namely Rycharde Necton whyche was by Constantynes deteccyon take and commytted to Newgate where except he happe to dye byfore in pryson he staÌ„deth in grete paryll to be ere it be longe for hys fallynge agayne to Tindales heresyes burned And thus it semed by the maner of George Constantyne whyle he was here in pryson that he so sore dyd forthynke hys errours and heresyes and so perceyued the pestylent poyson of them that he thoughte it better that such as were infecte therwyth myghte be by the meane of hys deteccyon amended and wyth the losse of hys body the soule cured then bothe twayne caste awaye or yf the man were peraduenture of hard herte and malycyouse mynde incurable he thought it were then better to sende hym to the deuyll alone then let hym lyue and drawe many other wyth hym Thys good mynde it semeth that Constantyne had then and therfore was there good hope of hys amendemeÌ„t And peraduenture the man hadde amended and standen styll in grace yf some euyll coÌ„sayle â—ad not comen at hym of which there was lefte vnsought no deuelyshe inuencyon or meane to sende hym in so mych that one of the letters I fortuned to intercepte my selfe wryten vnto hym by one IohnÌ„ Byrte otherwyse callynge hym selfe Adryane otherwyse IohnÌ„ bokebynder yet otherwyse now I can not tell you what Of trouth George constantyne after he hadde confessed vnto a faythfull seruaunt of myne to be declared to me that Necton had of his deliuery many of those heretycall bokes he sent worde forthwyth to Necâ—on that he sholde sende the bokes home to meâ— whyche yf he dyd that I myghte haue yet seen sure tokens of amendement in the man Constantyne perceyued well that he had ben yet lykely to haue had fauour shewed hym But when that Necton had ones made Byrte of hys counsayle they dyuysed bytwene them that Necton sholde not do so in no wyse affermynge to Constantyne that it coude not be done and happely it coude not in dede for peraduenture they were all solde all redy How be it Necton now syth he was taken sayed that hys wyfe had burned them But it is well knowen that Necton had hym selfe and a man of hys also solde many such bokes of heresye bothe in London in othey shyres syth his abiuracyon But how so euer the mater was Byrte by hys letter aduysed Constantyne yf he myghte possyble to call bakke hys coÌ„fessyon agayne wherin I thynke it good that ye here hys very letter it selfe Lo in these wordes he wrote The grace and peace of our sauyour Iesus be with you good brother CoÌ„stantyne Syr as for the mater that ye wold haue brought to passe will not be in no maner wyse the person is not at home that shold receyue the stuffe and delyuer it accordynge to vnto your mynde Therfore yf ye haue not spoken so farre in the mater that it maye be none preiudyall or hurte vnto you I wolde ye shold go no ferther in the mater but euyn as a man armed wyth fayth go forth in your mater boldely and put them to theyr proues As for one is none you knowe well by the law of god or man If there be any thynge that I can do sende word and ye shall fynde me redy to my power euen to dethe by goddes grace who I praye longe to preserue you and comforte you in your trouble to the confusyon of all tyrauntes Lo here haue ye herde an apostolycall pystle counsaylynge the man to go bakke wyth the trouth and arme hym selfe wyth fayth and make hym stronge to lye lowde and forswere hym selfe yf nede were for Byrt wyste well I were not lykely to leue and byleue hym at hys bare worde Here wyll Byrt peraduenture preche and brynge vs in the mydwyues of Egypt that saued the chyldren of Israell from Pharao for whych god gaue theÌ„ new howses wherin Byrt and I wyll not myche dyspute For all be it that god hath gyuen hym no howse â—et nor it is not all one wyth a lye to saue a yonge innocent babe and wyth periurye to defende an olde pestyleÌ„t heretyke and though saynt Austayn sayth that it is not lawfull to lye for nothyng yet I tell not my tale to lay a lye so hyghly to any suche mennes charge as these folke be whose hole secte is nothyng els but lyes but I reherse you his letter bycause ye shold se what trewth there is in suche folkes wordes How be it as for Constantyne as I sayed before semed in pryson here very penyteÌ„t and vtterly mynded to forsake suche heresyes and heretykes for euer In profe wherof he not onely detected as I sayd hys owne dedes his felowes but also studyed and deuysed how those deuelysshe bokes whyche hym selfe and other of hys felowes hadde brought and shypped myghte come to the bysâ—hoppes handes to be burned And therfore he shewed me the shypmannes name that had them and the markes of the ferdellys by whych I haue synnys hys escape receyued them And it maye be by goddes grace that though the man fledde hense for fere of suche harme as he wyste he hadde well deserued yet was nothynge towarde hym but peraduenture more good then he was ware of he is yet amended in hys mynde and hath in his harte forsaken all Tyndales heresyes and so I pray god it be for I wold be sory that euer Tyndale sholde glory and boste of hys burnynge How be it in the meane whyle tyll it maye well appere that he be surely turned to the catholyke fayth agayne I wyll aduyse all good crysten folke and specyally the kynges subiectes to forbere and estyew hys company For the englysshe man whyche shall be fouÌ„den to be famylyare wyth hym there byfore hys conuersyoÌ„ here knowen and proued maye therby brynge hym selfe in suspycyon of heresye and happely here therof at hys retournynge hyther I here also that Tyndale hyghly reioyceth in the burnyng of Tewkesbery but I can se no very grete cause why but yf he reken it for a grete glory that the man dyd abyde styll by the stake when he was faste bounden to it For as for the heresyes he wolde haue abiured them agayne wyth all hys harte
spyrytuall doctryne teacheth vs a fals fayth many mortall heresyes and wolde with scrypture destroye the scrypture and amyd dys hys ernest holynes falleth in to mokkes and mowes maketh madde apysshe iestynge agaynste the holy cerimonyes and blessyd sacrameÌ„tys ofâ— our sauyour Chryste the thynges sanctyfyed wyth the blessyd blode of oure sauyour Tyndall turneth in to scorne Neuer was there any scoffynge frere Frappe prechyng vpon a stole that durste play the knauyshe foole on suche a fasshyon as ye shall se Tyndall do here For yf any sholde his audyeÌ„ce were they neuer so wanton wold yet at suche wordes yf any sparke of christen â—â—â—e remayned in theyr hartys pull downe the rybawld by thâ—â—â—rte and breke the stole vppon his hed And â—ow where as he saluteth vs wyth the lyght of the spyryte and entendeth to brynge vs in darkenes of the deuyll where he speketh of trewe repentaunce and then wolde put awaye two partes thereof that is to wyt bothe confessyon and satysfacyon and where he speketh of faste fayth and theÌ„ teacheth a false presumptuouse faythe wyâ—h such truste put in fayth alone that he rekeneth all good workes fruteles and vnprofytable and that fayth alone suffyseth to saluacyon how dyuelyshely that any man lyue besyde we may well ê‘ceyue that these thaâ— so teache be wyth theyr holly salutacyons the false ydle prophetes of whome the blessyd apostle Pawle wryteth vnto the Romayns Rom. 16 that by theyr swete blessynges waste oute and emptye the poore wydowes houses For by such holy salutacyon as by swete blessynge praynge for them so good thynges as they seme to do they wynne theyr hartys to assent after to theyr heresyes and so expell and kyll trew fayth in theyr hartes and god so taken from them they make theÌ„ wydows so waste and emptye oute the substancyall vertues of theyr soules But nowe when he speketh of ferueÌ„t loue after the ensample of Cryste and his saintes as ernest as the matter is who can forbere laughynge when he seeth the lecherouse fleshly loue of those freres and theyr nunnes wherof tyll Tyndall can tell vs some lyke ensamples of Chryste and his sayntis that any of them were wonte to breke theyr vowes of chastyte and fall to suche fylthy lechery tyll he can tell vs that we may well tell hym that hys holy prayer of feruent loue here in his prologe goeth quyte agaynste his purpose and shameth all his hole boke after wherfore good Cristen reders who so shall happeÌ„ to rede his pernycyous boke take wysdome wyth you as I dowte not but ye wyll and be not so ledde wyth a few paynted holy wordes as yt were wyth the beholdynge of a pekokkes tayle but that ye regarde therwyth his fowle fete also and loke well whyther he walketh and to what ende he speketh and consyder hym by the hed maysters and archherityques of hys vngracyous secte whych when they haue spoken as relygiousely as he yet haue as ye see well shamefully shewed them selues open incestuouse harlottes and that of the moste abhominable sorte deflowrynge relygyous women And Tyndall hym selfe which thynge is worse then the dede doynge maynteyneth in hys boke theyr dede for well done Tyndall ☞ Oure sauyour Iesus in the .xvj. chapter of IohnÌ„ at his laste souper wheÌ„ he toke his leaue of his disciples warned them sayeng the holy goost sâ—all come and rebuke the worlde of iudgement Tyndale 〈◊〉 now y◠〈◊〉 goste sent â—owne from heuen to â—eâ—uke yâ— iugement of all crystendome thys â—v C. yere passed that is he shall rebuke the worlde for lacke of trew iudgement and dyscrecion to iudge and shall proue that the taste of theyr mouthes is corrupte so that they iudge swete to be sowre and sowre to be swete and theyr yees to be blynde so that they thynke that to be very seruyce of god which is but a blynde superstycyon for zele of whiche yet they persecute the true seruice of god and that they iudge to be the law of god whyche is but a false imaginacyon of a corrupte iudgement for blynde affeccyon of whiche yet they persecute the true law of god and them that kepe yt More How sone myght a pore symple soule be ledde to thynke that all those that beleue not as Tyndall doth were in a wronge way and in a false belyeff when he heryth Tyndall here lay agaynst them the wordes of our sauyour hym selfe spoken vnto his dysciples in his laste soupper But nowe they that be lerned and know the place in the gospell ê‘ceyue very well that Tyndall here synfully doth abuse the holy wordes of Chryste and manyfestly mystorneth the mynde and sentence of our sauyour folowynge thexample of the deuyll that alleged the scrypture vnto Chryste in deserte For as the dyuell there falsely wrested the scrypture of god and leyd yt agaynste god so dothe Tyndall here wreste the worde of our sauyour agaynst hym self and his hole chyrch I say his hole chyrche not the clergye onely but the hole coÌ„gregacyon of all crysten people For yt is well knowen that Chryste spake those wordes agaynst the Iewes and Paynyms that refused him and his true fayth shewynge that the holy goost at his comyng shold reproue theyr false iudgemeÌ„t and theyr vnsauery taste that iudged swete sowre sowre swete and that he shold teache his chyrche and his congregacyon the very truthe and lede them in to all trueth that sholde be necessarye for they re saluacyon And this promyse hathe oure sauiour bothe made in the gospell and also fulfylled in dede For the holy goost hathe not fayled to teache his chyrch all such kinde of truthe from the begynnynge hytherto nor neuer shall ceace so to do as well by his owne holy secrete worde vnwrytten in the scrypture and yet by hym selfe wrytten in chrysten mennys hartys as by his holy scripture eyther wryteÌ„ in tables of stone or in bestes skynnes accordynge to his owne wordes spokeÌ„ as well by the mouth of the prophete Ezechiel Ezech. 11. as of the blessyd apostle saynt Paule These truthes had the apostles the martyrs the confessours the holy doctours of Crystis chyrche and the comen crysten people of euery age from Chrystes dethe hytherto And in this comen knoweÌ„ chyrche of christendome excepte suche as at sondry tymes haue fallen there from as Arrius Pelagius Donatus wyclyff and Husse such other and now Luther and Tyndall and frere Huskyn and theyr felowes hath euer the true iudgement remayned the ryght sauored taste and neuer loste any of those heretyques these necessarye truthes tyll the dyuell hadde thorow pryde enuye and malyce made them set naught by the chyrche And then dyd he caste them forthe wyth in suche a feuer that they clene loste theyr taste and then dyd they as Tyndall dothe nowe iudge swete that all chrystendome iudged sowre And by those truthes and thys fayth alwaye from the begynnynge kept in Chrystes chyrche be we now very
But Tyndale wold now that we shold for the whyle forget all that he and his mayster wryteth ellys where and hym selfe in many placys after in this same boke and that we sholde onely marke these holy louyng wordes that he wryteth here in his present prologe in whych he sayth that they whych be spirytuall do neuer smyte theyr yonger brothereÌ„ that ys to saye suche as be not in fayth and vertue growen vp as they be nor wyll not wyth them come forwarde therin but be euyll and wyll be no better but the spyritualles as theyr elder brothereÌ„ doth flater them and promyse fayre and gyue them gay thynges and so draweth them forward in grace and fynally yf that wyll not helpe them then the spirytuall elder brother referreth theyr punyshement to the father and the mother that is as he meaneth to all myghty god for yf he ment vnto theyr rulers so yt is all redy for none other hath authoryte to correcte and punysse And hys mynde he hath declared in that byhalfe in sundry placys that non man shold in any wyse pursue and punysh any maÌ„ specyally for any heresye for he that pursueth any man is no spyrytuall man I let passe here that after this waye the worlde all be yt that yt be badde ynough all redye wold yet wax then mich worse and I passe ouer also that as well all wyse men as all good men and holy scripture also yt selfe is open and playne to the contrarye And I wyll for the whyle no more but aske of Tyndale whether he accompte the pope the clergy and the temporall prynces for menne borne agayne and renewed with the spyryte of god and therby spyrytuall or not If he reken them for suche theÌ„ by hys owne rule they can and do very well iudge all thynge and so sholde he then thynke that the thynges that they do be well done for he sayth hym selfe that the spirytualles do serche the botome of goddes commaundementes and fulfyll them gladly Now yf he say that they be not the spyrytualles but such as Luther is and frere Huskyn and hym selfe suche other as so serche the causes that they care not as Tyndale sayth after whyther the preste saye masse in hys gowne or in hys cope and wyll as sone gape for sande as holy salte and had as lyefe be smered with vnhalowed butter as enoynted wyth charmed oyle excepte men can tell them the causes whyche they saye that no man can and therfore they mocke and ieste therat nowe yf thys theyr sorte be as Tyndale sayth the spyrytuall and therby the elder brothern then wyll we say to Tyndale and aske hym why do not you Tyndale and your spyrytuall felowes accordynge to your owne wordes here loue out of your hartes the pope the cardynals the clergye the prynces the people and so forth beynge as your younger brothern not yet borne agayne and why do you not forbere them wyth all loue and pacyence so forth Tyndale taketh greâ—â—â—â—easuâ—e in often bryngynge in theâ—e wordes And so forth and wayte on them and serue them and suffer them and so forth and when they wyll not wyth you come forth why do you not then speke them fayre and flater them and promyse them fayre and so forth and so drawe them forth and so forth And yf that for aâ—l thys they wyll not come forth why do you not then referre the punysshement to the father and mother and smyte them not but contrary to your owne wordes vse at your yoÌ„ger brothern to laughe theÌ„ to skorne to mocke to ieste to checke to chyde to brawle rybaldously to rayle callynge them apyshe peuysshe popysshe iuglers theues murderers bloodsupers tormentours and traytours Pylatys Cayphaas Herodys Annaas Antecrystes Iudaas hypochrytes mokenmongers pryapystes idolatres horemaysters and sodomytes abomynable shameles stark madde and faythlesse bestes hangemen martyr quellers and Cryste kyllers serpentes scorpyons dremers and very dyuels fynally wyth such venemouse wordes and other malyciouse wayes the wurste that the dyuell and you deuyse to gether bysely put forth youre payne to sow debate dyssencion scysmes stryfe and sedycion and cause your spyrytuall people that ys to wyt the elder brothern borne agayne of the spirite to ryse and rebell agaynst your yonger brothern but naturall yet and not borne agayne and the tone parte to smyte kyll the tother by thousandys on a daye as ye haue done in Almayne prouidynge alway that your selfs the chyeff captayns and authours of such sedycion and rebelliouse bloodshed gate vp vppon some hyll in the meane whyle and stonde and loke vppon sure safe a syde halfe out of all gonshotâ— and com not at hand strokes in no wise but serue for trompetours with the blaste of youre wordes and vngracyous wrytynges to kyndâ—e them call vppon and set them all a worke and yf yt walke on youre syde then to gaude and glory and yf yt go agaynste you your parte go to wrake then slynk awaye fro the felde and make as ye cam not there nor neuer enteÌ„ded harme nor meÌ„t any such mater or as your mayster dyd in Almayne to put your selfe out of suspycyon crye to the coÌ„trary parte to kyll them downe hande smothe whom your owne wordes raysed vp and synfully set a worke And lo thus hath Tyndale coÌ„nyngly declared the grete commaundement of loue and by hym selfe and his felowes as ye se so louyngly put in vre that they wolde helpe the tother parte to all the myschyefe they myghte and wolde that on the tother syde what so euer they do them self be it neuer so myscheuouse no man sholde ones chyde them nor gyue fowle wordes but in theyr deuylyshe dedys forbere styll suffer them and take them then â—s younger brothern lytell babys vntaught and gyue them fayre wordes and pretye proper gere ratylles cokbelles and gay goldeÌ„ shone and yf the wantons wyll not lerne yet but byte scratche theyr felowes bete not the babys yet in no wyse but go and tell theyr mother and so forth And when Tyndale hath thus connyngly declared the greate commauÌ„dement of loue and hath so spyrytually set it out to the shew then concludeth he well worshypfully that by thys commaundement of loue in suche a wyse waye vnderstanden his spyrytuall sorte iudgeth all the lawes of god and vnderstande the true vse of them and by the same in lykewyse vnderstande they all the lawes of man which are ryght and whych tyranny For by thys then vnderstande that for the loue that they bere to theyr own wyll euery glose that they gyue them selfe is the ryght meanyng of the worde of god and all that all other holy men haue wryten is but fantasyes and false And in mennis law to let them bete other men for saynge trueth were well ordeyned and ryghte but any man to chyde onys any of theym for a hondred heresyes that were vtter wronge and no lawfull law but
shal be content to punysshe our selfe And that fastyng is one of the good workes that bysyde other good great godly purpose serueth for satisfaccyoÌ„ of synne procuryng of remyssyon grace and pardone that it serueth not onely for the tamynge of the flesshe as Tyndale here wolde haue it seme ye shall se to manyfestly proued by many playne placys in euery parte of scrypture Fyrst the fastes that Moyses fasted fyrst for the law and after for the synne of the peple and the synne of Aaron also were thefe fastes for nothynge but for to tame his flesshe Item in .xxi. chapiter of the thryde boke of kynges wheÌ„ Achab had herd these wordes he tare his garmeÌ„tis and put on his bodye a shyrte of here he fasted and slept in a sacke and went hangynge his hede lowe done and our lorde sayd to Helyas Thesbites hast thow not sene how Achab hathe humbled hym before me And therfore bycause he hath humbled hym selfe for my sake I wyll brynge no euyll in dutynge his lyfe Doth yt not manyfestly appere by these wordes that kyng Achab fasted not for tamyng of his flessh tâ— kepe yt from wyldnes but he fasted for the selfe same cause for whych he ware here and slepte in a sacke that is to wyt to humble him selfe afore the face of god and to do penauÌ„ce in punyshynge hym selfe for his synne to moue thereby almyghty god to mercy to the wythdrawyng of his hyghe punyshement whyche ellys he fered wolde fall vppon hys hede whych punishement god at the respecte of the kynges humble penaunce and payne of fastynge and other afliccyoÌ„ wyllyngly taken by hym selfe dyd mercyfully wythdrawe from hym so that in all his dayes he suffred hym to fele no parte thereof And so may ye se this place of scripture euydent playne agaynste Tyndale and that very repentaunce requyreth of the repentaunte person not onely tamynge of the flesshe agaynste the synne immynent or to come but also punyshement by fastynge and other afflyccyon for the synne all redy done And now Cryste hath to cristen men promysed of our synnes forgyuenes and of our payne releace by vertue of hys payne but this meaneth he to them that set not theyr owne synnes at so lyght after his great kyndnes shewed but that theyr own selfe shewe by theyr owne wylfâ—ll punyshement worthy to suffre payne also them selfe therfore and then his payne hath gyuen theyr payne the lyfe that maketh yt quycke and auaylable not entâ—ndynge yet that hym selfe so sholde take payne that the synners them selfe sholde synne at theyr pleasure and be saued all wyth ease as Tyndale Luther wolde make vs wene For that were the way to make men wanton and wax very bolde in synne Forthermore in the fyrste boke of Esdras and the .viii. chapyter yt is wryten thus in the person of the people we haue fasted and prayed to god for this that is to wyt for helpe agaynst our enymyes yt is comen prosperousely to passe ye may here clerely se this pestylent opinyon of Tyndale wyth few wordes confuted For this faste was not for tamynge of the flesshe but for auoydynge of theyr paâ—ell Agayne in the seconde boke of Esdras and the fyrste chapiter thus sayd Nehemias wheÌ„ I had herd such tydynges that is to wyt how the walles of Hierusalem were throwen done the yates burnt and the chyldern of Israel in great affliccyon and mysery I sat downe and wepte and mornyd many dayes I fasted also and prayed afore the face of the god of heuen Lo this faste was not for to tame the flesshe for the man was in heuynes far from such wanton thynges but he fasted as he wept and mornyd to moue god to mercy Also the great preste of god Eliachym sayth in the .iiii. of Iudith Knowe ye that our lorde shall heare your prayers yf ye contynue in fastynge and prayng in the syght of hym I suppose no man is of so symple wyt vnderstandyng but he may at the bare rehersall of this brief texte well perceyue that Eliachim dyd not esteme fastyng as Tyndale doth nother toke yt not onely for a tamynge of the flesshe but for a meane also to purchace grace wyth remyssyon pardon and also to obteyne ayde and helpe of god in that great necessyte Is not the .iiii. of Hester also clene contrarye to the doctryne of these deuelyshe prechers of fleshly liberty Go and assemble sayth that good quene all the Iewes that thow fyndest in Susan and praye ye for me Eate ye not nether drynke not in .iii. dayes and .iii. nyghtes And I lykewyse wyll fast wyth my maydens wolde she that they sholde forbere mete and drynk to the intent that by theyr fastynge they myght tame her flesshe nay nor for the tamynge of theyr own neyther But that by theyr deuoute fastynge and her maydens and her own they myght prouoke our lorde to pytyâ— them and preserue them from that immynent parell that they were then all in what sayth Toby Prayer sayth he ioyned with fastyng is good He sayth not this onely for yâ—ng lusty folke for tamyng of theyr flesshe in auoydyng of inteÌ„perauÌ„ce for good crysten fastynge goeth sometyme farre aboue the naturall temperaunce but he teacheth all men that may wythoute harme to ioyne wyth prayer that payne of fastyng as a thyng pleasaunt vnto god in such wyse as the prayer is and yt is a secrete inwarde effectuall prayer when the payne of all the bodye repentynge and punyshynge the synne cryeth to god for mercy wyth voyce of the mouth In the .xxxiiii. chapytâ—r of Ecclesiasticus yt is wrytten The man that fasteth for his synnes and agayn commyteth the selfe same synnes what auayleth hym this humilytye wherby yt is well vnderstanden that he whych fasteth amendeth hym selfe his faste auayâ—eth and is profâ—table And wherfore not onely for tamyng of his flesshe for that may be tame inough and yet the man bad inough but yt auayleth for remyssyon of synne and for meryte in heuen For as holy saynte Austayne saythe To saye that the faste of a crysten man shall haue no rewarde in heuen is not the opynyon of a true crysten man but of an heretyque The prophete Iohel in the secoÌ„de chapyter And therefore now sayth the lorde turne to me wyth all your herte in fastynge wepynge and weylynge Tere your hertes not your garmentes and so forth Lo here the prophete exhorteth to fastynge as he doth to harty mornynge and wepyng not for a couÌ„tenaunce of sorow but to be sorofull to take payne in dede not in theyr clothes where they fele yt not but in theyr bodyes and inwardely in theyr hertes where they fele yt thorowly so that they may therby not onely tame theyr flesshe but also turne agayne to god that he may take pytye vppon theÌ„ and turne agayne to them Rede we not in the thyrde chapitre of the ê“phete Ionas that god seynge the Niniuytes chastyse and punyshe them selfe wyth fastynge and
the auter For as mych as he seeth that the masse is the speciall thyng in whych the sacrament of the auter is honored in which yt is moste frutefull in so mych as there the very body and bloode of our lorde is not onely receyued by the preste hym selfe and for hym selfe but is also for his owne synnys and other mennys to offred vppe to god as an holy hoost oblacyon and sacryfycye representyng the same sacryfyce in whych our sauyour both beyng the preste and the sacryfyce offred vp hym selfe for the synne of the world vnto his father in heuen and acceptable sacryfyce vppon his paynfull crosse therfore doth Tyndall after his maysters doctryne â—este and rayle and make mokkes at the masse wherof these be his wordes Tyndale What helpeth yt that the preste when he goeth to masse â—â—sgyseth hym selfe wyth a great parte of the passyon of Cryste and playeth oute the reste vnder sylence wyth sygnes and profers wyth noddynge beckynge and â—owynge as yt were â—acke a â—aâ—â—s when nether he hym selfe nether any man else woteth what he meaneth nor whereof no man can gyue a good reason as he saythe sone after More Here he mokketh and playeth hym selfe as ye se in mokkynge these holy ceremonyes vsed as well in thapparell of the preste as in the secretes of that holy sacryfyce whyche he sayth do no good but mych hurt and make men superstycyouse bycause as he sayth there they haue the more deuocyon therby therfore he wold haue them lâ—â—te as though the deuocyon that is increased by the beholdynge of those holy ceremonyes were superstycyon bycause they vnderstande them not If Tyndale say trew in this then dyd god by hys owne coÌ„maundement make his chosen people of Israel to fall in to suê‘stycyon in stede of deuocyon wyth the ceremonyes vsed aboute the sacrafyces in the olde lawe bycause they vnderstode them not After this he mengleth hys lyes therwyth saynge that crysten menne thynke that they haue done habundauntly ynough for god ye and deserued aboue measure yf they be present on s in a day at such a mummynge More what may not such a man be bolde to saye that is not a shamed to lye so shamefully for he knoweth that all the readers well know that he lyeth when they rede yt and yet he is not ashamed to wryt yt what man wolde be so folysh to thynke that he hath done ynough for god yet layeth he a nother incommodyte that the infydelys wyll mokke vs and abhorre vs in that they se nothyng but suche apes playe amonge vs whereof no man can geue a reason Lo what an hygh reason hath Tyndale here fouÌ„de out yâ— such holy ceremonyes wherof Crystes chyrch hath receyued many by the blessed apostles them selfe from theyr dayes vsed euer hytherto as apperyth by the wrytyng of holy doctours far aboue a thousand yere a go we muste now geue ouer for fere left infideles as Turkes and Saracens wold lerne of Tyndale to mokke vs for them because we can not tell them a good reason for eche of them Be ye sure this ys a ryght solemne reason and Luther in dede maketh a mych lyke so that ye may se that they haue wayed it well bytwene them or ellys Tyndale wolde not after so longe a laysour alledge yt agayne so solemnely But now wold I wyt of wyse Tyndale whyther yf men could and dyd gyue a good reason vnto Iewes Turkes Saracens and Paynyms as for ensample such causes as Tyndale telleth some for great hydde mysteryes that no maÌ„ could tell but he whych he set out late of a good frerys boke called Rationale diuinorum shewyng what sygnyfyeth the albe the amys and stole and so forth wold theâ— all the Iewes Turkes Saracens and other infydelys hold them selfe satisfyed mokke no more yf they so wolde theÌ„ were they all mych lesse infydeles theÌ„ Tyndale is for he hath sought out such thynges and yet mokketh styll How be yt that is lytle meruayle For in dede he bryngeth all such thynges forthe but for to make mokkes at them But then wold I wyt of wyse Tyndale farther whyther yf all these infydeles that he speketh of as Iewes Turkes and Saracens were present at the masse and no such ceremonye at all vsed thereat but onely knelynge knokkynge on brestes and holdyng vp of haÌ„des at the syght leuacyon and receyuynge of that blessed sacrament and that thereuppon merueylynge on the manner therof they were tolde the very trouth that the cause of all this reuerent behauour is bycause that there vnder that forme of brede and wyne is the very blessed body and blood of oure sauyour hym selfe the same that hynge vppon the crosse when he suffred his passyon for our redempcyon wold those infydeles then holde them selfe all content and neuer mokke at yt more Naye will none of them besyde the blessed sacrament mokke at all the hole mater both at the incarnacyon deth resurreccyon and all Lo thus ye se good crysteÌ„ readers that by Tyndales reason we must caste of clene all our hole fayth leste such infydelys as hym selfe is shold make mokkes there at as he doth what crysteÌ„ eares can abyde such blasphemouse foly yet wolde some vnwyse man wene peraduenture that Tyndale dothe for all this not meane any thynge agaynste these holy ceremonyes of the masse but onely mokketh the preest bycause he speketh not all the secretes of the masse a lowde and also bycause he teacheth not all yâ— paryshe what all those cerymonyes meane Surely there nedeth no man to dowte but he that can fynd in his herte to make such mokkes vppon the deuoute obseruaunces vsed so many hundred yeres about the masse hath a lewde bestely mynde agaynste the very sacrament yt selfe But yet to th ende that euery man may se yt the more clerely ye shall perceyue by his owne wordes that accordyng to Luthers bablynge in his boke of Babilonica Tyndale teacheth playnely that the blessed sacrament is in the masse no sacryfyce none hoste nor none oblacyon by whych abomynable herefye he taketh â—uyte a way the very speciall profet and frute of all the masse These be his very wordes Tyndale There is a worde called â—n latyne â—â—cerdos in greke hiereâ—s in hebrue cohaâ— that is a mynyster an offycer a sacryfycer or a preste as Aâ—â—on was a preest and sacryfyced for the peple and was a mediatour beâ—wene god and theÌ„ and â—â— the englyshe shuld yt haue had some other name then preest But Antecristâ— hath deceyued vs wyth vnknowen and straunge termes to brynge vs in to confusyon and superstycyous blyndnes Of that maner is Criste a preest for euâ—r and all we prestes thorow hym and nede no more of any such preest on erth to be a meane for vs vnto god More By these wordes yese that where as the prestes in the old law offred sacryfyces for the people and that of dyuerse 〈◊〉 des as appereth in Leuitici and Numeri and other placâ—s
a shamelesselye wherof euery man well knoweth the contrarye wolde god hym self beleued as well of this holy sacrament as the sympleste lerned preest in a contrey teacheth his paryshe whych yf he dyd his herte I dare saye wolde not serue hym so folyshely to ieste therat For he speketh there of prechynge of ê“mise for no other cause but onely to bryng in his worshypfull ieste of our lordis holy body beyng in the sacrameÌ„t to say he is there all saue his cote Of whych holy sacrameÌ„t he that iesteth so beleueth of lyklyhed that there is no more of his body there theÌ„ of his cote I haue in his boke of obedyeÌ„ce coÌ„sydered his wordes of this holy sacrament I haue aduysed theÌ„ the better for certayne wordes that I haue herd of hym I se not one worde by whych he may be bounden to saye that euer he confessed yt to be the very body and blood of Cryste How be yt yf he had yt were not yet wyth that sorte mych the surer For they maye do as theyr mayster hath saye the contrarye after and when they say worse theÌ„ tell vs that they haue sene more synnys and lerned better How be yt he is in dede comen to that poynt all redy as ye shall perceyue by his wordes in his boke made agaynste me wherof I shall reherse you parte anon And yet we nede not mych more profe wheÌ„ we se that he mokketh at yâ— masse and wolde haue no preest at all nor the sacrament to be taken as a sacryfyce and now iesteth vppon the doctrine that teacheth vs to byleue that in the sacrament is the blessed bodye and blood of our lorde to turne yt to a mokke ye sayth this fole all saue his cote a worshyppefull ieste in a crysten mannes mouth that mouth is more mete in dede for sand then holy salt What auayseth sayth he to teache folke this that the very bodye and bloode of our lorde is in that sacrameÌ„t the deuyll knoweth that Criste dyed on a frydaye and the Iewes to and what are they the better we haue a promyse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why steppeth he from thexample of the same sacrament why saythe he not the deuyll knâ—weth this to be trewe that vnder the forme of brede is Cristes owne bodye and yet the deuyll is neuer yâ— better Surely bycause hym selfe beleueth that the deuyll knoweth yt not at all nor god neyther And for bycause he wold not yet haue vs therin ê‘ceyue his miÌ„de to the vttermoste he ioyned the Iewes wyth the deuyll to fâ—e fro the sacrament to the fryday where he myght haue seuered them and spoken of both or ellys wyth the Iewes the deuyll he myght haue ioyned hym selfe and haue bounden all thre in a bundell For he byleueth lesse then the tone and is as malycyouse as any of them both yet to th enteÌ„t that ye may perceyue clerely that he is playne of Luthers heresye that the sacrament of the auter is very brede styll ye shall vnderstande that where as I in my dyaloge reherse Luthers heresyes and amonge other thys heresye that I now speke of Tyndale in hys answere affyrmeth Luthers heresye for good and trew sayeng That that is broken and that the preste â—ateth wyth his teth is yt not brede what is yt elles And after those wordes he goth forth in iestynge mokkynge god wote full lyke hym selfe And sone after in a nother place he sayth in defense of Luthers heresye bycause he wold haue folke set lesse therby haue lesse reuerence therunto It were a perilouse case yf men and women touched yt bycause the 〈◊〉 hath not oyled them And afterwarde he sayth At Oxforde aboute the sacrament was no smale question of late dayes whyther yt were brede or none some affermyng that the flowre wyth longe lyenge in water was turned in to starch More what a cankerd mynde this heretyque hath there can I trow no man dowte that hereth what folysh gaudes he deuyseth vppon it of his own frantyque hed For yf euer there were any such folysh fantasye spoken there yt was by hym selfe one or twoo wretched felows of his owne secte syttynge and blasphemynge god vppon theyr ale benche But now shall ye yet more playnely se to what poynt he goth aboute to brynge you Tyndale It is the sacrament of Crystes bodye and blood and Cryste calleth yt the new and euerlastynge testament in his blood and commaundeth that we shuld so do in the remembraunce of hym that his bodye was broken and his blood shede for our synnes And Paule commaundeth therby to shew or preache the lordes deth They say not pray to yt neyther put any fayth therin For I maye not beleue in the sacrament but I muste beleue the sacrament that yt is a true sygâ—e and yt true that is sygnyfyed thereby whych is the onely worshyppynge of the sacrament yf ye geue yt other worshyppe ye playnely dyshonour yt as I maye not beleue in Crystes chyrche but beleue Cristes chyrch that the doctryne whych they preache of Cryste is true If ye haue any other doctrine teache vs a reason and leade vs in syght and we wyll folowe More No man can desyre better knowledge of hym then he sheweth of hym selfe in these wordes For here he sheweth playnly that though to blere our yies wythall he calleth it the sacrament of Crystes body and blood and his new and euerlastyâ—ge testament in hys bloode and sayth that we be commaunded by saynt Poule therby to preche the lordes dethe yet he wylâ— not in any wyse yâ— men shall praye therto nor put any fayth therin And it is no dowte but he yâ— hath that mynde byleueth nothyng at all that it is the very body of Cryste wherwyth hys holy soule is coupled and hys almyghty godhed ioyned from whyche fro the fyrst assumpcyoÌ„ therof it was neuer seueryd And therfore vnto all hys other gaye gloryouse wordes he hath a false glose by whyche he meaneth that the blessed sacrament is nothynge els but a token a fygure ordayned for a remembrauns of Cryste and not the very body and bloode of hym selfe It is also to be noted whereuppon he grouÌ„deth this holy precepte of hys that men sholde not praye to the sacrament nor put any fayth therin He sayth bycause that the scrypture doth not commaunde it therfore it is dyshonoure to the sacrament to do it Doth not these wordes alone teche vs suffycyently to knowe the myscheyfe of that heresye by whych they say that there is nothyng to be byleued without playn and euydent scrypture when we se now yâ— Tyndale vppon that doctryne of hys forbedeth vs to honour the holy sacrament of the autre ye may se now that Tyndale vttered not all his false ware at onys For fyrst he bygan wyth ymages then wyth relyques then wyth sayntes that we maye wurshyppe none of all these And now at laste he techeth vs that we maye not worshyppe Crystes owne body
law sought out by them selfe leadeth them to and fro and therfore they be in an euangelycall and in manner angelycall lybertye to do what they lyste so that they geue the lawe some cause that may serue theyr luste as they haue geuen to the law and coÌ„maundement of vowes from whych they haue set them self in such a spyrytuall lybertye that munkes and freres maye lawfully lye wyth nunnes and lyue in lechery and call yt wedlocke And in dede they may call yt wedlocke and they wyll as lollardes dyd of late that put a pygge in to the water on good frydaye and sayd go in pygge and come oute pyke and so when they had chaunged the name they toke yt for fyshe and ete yt And so may these holy new spyrytuall men when munkes and freres wedde nunnes they may call yt wedloke they will But as the pore plough man sayd vnto the tauerner that gaue hym water in stede of wyne god thank you mayster wyner for your good wyne but in good fayth sauynge for the worshypfull name of wyne iche had as lâ—ue a dronkeÌ„ water surely so may we well saye to these new holy spyrytuall maryed munkes and frerys sauynge for the worshypfull name of wedloke yt were as good they lyued in lecherye as in suche byched bychery But we sely sowles of the worlde here be captyuate and bounde he sayth and not in suche an heuynly lybertye but make our selfe wonderfull ymagynacyons aboute the lawe of god whyche thynge mych I meruayle of For the worlde is not often wonte to muse mych vppon the lawes of god nor greatly to studye vppon them but let them go by well and easely thynke lytell on theÌ„ nor nede not IohnÌ„ Baptyste to dyspute out of theyr hedys any wonderfull ymagynacyons that they haue studyed aboute the law of god But Mary on the other syde these new spyrytuall men haue wyth theyr new lybertye made them selfe wonderfull ymagynacyons to which they cleaue so faste that .xv. IohnÌ„ Baptystes can not dyspute them out of theyr hedys For they haue to the greate wonder of the worlde made them an ymagynacyon that frerys maye lyue in lecherye wyth nunnes and neuer nede do penaunce neyther for that nor for any synne ellys but repente and do so styll and byleue that all is well do no penaunce nor take no payne for any synne at all Now euery man well woteth that saynt IohnÌ„ the Baptyste dyd dyspute agaynst these ymagynacyons of theyrs bothe wyth hys lyuynge and hys techynge For agaynste theyr lechery his lyuyng dysputed wyth chastyte agaynst theyr heresye of penaunce he dysputed wyth prechynge penaunce For he bad them not euery boye go forth and take hym selfe for an apostle and go preche but he cryed vppon them to do penaunce and not onely bad them repente and do penaunce but also bad them yf they wolde auoyde hell and the wrath that ellys was to come Matth. 3. they shulde do worthy frutes of penaunce And bycause that they sholde not wene that it was but a worde of offyce and that it suffysed to byleue well in goddys promyse and so go theyr way thynke them selfe saue he shewed them in hym selfe and hys owne lyuynge for theyr instytucyon not for the deseruyng of his owne synne a forme and fashyon of a repentaunt synner in what wyse he sholde do penaunce And therfore he lyued solytary sauynge that hys vertues caused hym to be vysyted He lyued in holy vowed chastyte and neuer â—edded womaÌ„ in hys dayes nor neuer wolde haue done though he had lyued twyes as longe as Lutherâ— He lyued in pore and paynfull apparell Lucae 1. He lyued in watche and prayours in fastyng and forberynge meate He dranke no wyne but was contâ—â— wyth water Thys maner of penaunce doynge dyd saynt IohnÌ„ Baptyste teche and dyspute contrary to the faâ—se ymagynacyons agaynst penaunce and wonderfull deuyses of lewde lecherous lyuynge that these new spyrytuall men haue in theyr fantasye framed whyche neyther saynt IohnÌ„ Baptiste nor such tenne saynt IohnÌ„ Baptystes nor our sauyour Cryste hym selfe can dyspute out of theyr hedys Tyndale He byleueth that he loueth god bycause he is redy to kyll a Turke for his saâ—e that byleueth better in god then he whom god also commaundeth vs to â—â—ue â—nd to leaue nothynge vnsoughte to wynne hym vnto the knowlege â—f the â—routhe though wyth the losse of our lyues More Here Tyndale foloweth hys mayster Luther that wold haue all crysteÌ„ men suffer the Turkes and fyghte not with them How be it I vnderstonde by Tyndale in hys boke after that Luther hath eaten vp his worde agayne afterward for fere when he saw his countrye prepare theÌ„ selfe agaynst the Turkes But now Tyndale that is out of suche fere is as it semeth dysposed to maynteyne and set forth hys maysters formar errour agayne For he layeth it to the charge of the catholycall chyrche as a chyefe and pryncypall fawte that we take it as token of loue to god yf a man haue a mynde for goddes sake to go fyghte agaynst the Turkes But as madly as he mokketh it a good token is it of loue to god for all that For he that is for goddes sake content in the defence of other folke hys innoceÌ„t crysten brethern agaynst the infidelys the enemyes of god and them to put his owne lyfe in payne and parell of deth we maye be bolde wyth Tyndales lycence whyle we haue Luthers leue all redy to warraunt that it is a token of good and ordynate loue to god and for god to hys neyghbour For though we sholde loue infydelys to make theÌ„ faythfull and be glad to suffer for them yf our suffrauns wolde brynge them to the fayth yet are we not bounden to loue them â—boue the householde folke of Cryste and famylyars of our owne crysten fayth and namely so farre that whyle they come not to lerne the crysten fayth but to kyll the crysten men a prynce that hath the rule of vs sholde suffer them to â—yll on and stoâ—de styll by and preche I 〈◊〉 â—ot therfore but how holyly so euer it pleaseth father Tinâ—â—le here preche in fauour of the Turkes a prince may assemble hys hoost and of good zele with grete thanke of god go agaynst them and kyll them aswell and better to then Moyses kylled the Egypcian that foughte wyth the Hebrew And therfore we shall not I truste greatly nede to fere the great worde that Tyndale in the Turkes fauour speketh agaynst those that wyll go and fyght agaynst them where he sayth that the Turke byleueth better in god then suche a crysten man wherin yf Tyndale sayde trew as god be thanked he lyeth how byleueth then Tyndale hym selfe in god whych as his charytable bokes well declare wold be well content that heretyques and infydeles shold wyth sedycyoÌ„ or open warre kyll vp the clergye of the catholycall chyrch and the great parte of such good people bysyde as wolde be
Hierome founde some fautes in his workes he muste remember agayne that many a good man and among those saynte Pamphilus the blessed martyr founde in Origenes doctrine so mych erâ—dycyon deuocyon vertue bysyde that they veryly thought those errours none of his nor neuer were there any such faâ—tes founden in his wrytynge whyle hym self lyued nor no man offended with hym many places in his bokes playne that seme to saye the coÌ„trary And therfore many good men thought and yet thynge all be yt saynt Hierome thought otherwyse as he myght well inow whyle that poynte no thynge perteyneth to the fayth that chose heresyes were put in to hys bokes after his deth by some that were heretyques in dede and wolde for the great estymacyon that Origeneâ— was in thorough all the chyrch anaunce theyr owne heresyes forwarde vnder the name and standard of his famouse authoryte But graunted nowe that those faâ—tes were his whyche were imputed vnto hym yet is this none of theÌ„ But saynte 〈…〉 so 〈…〉 Tyndales scoldyng accepted and taken 〈◊〉 all 〈…〉 wyll I brynge in with hym some other that I haue named and yet other mo bysyde that shall as I sayd testyfye with me before this boke be done that god hath taught his chyrche many thynges wherof in the scrypture his worde is yet vnwrytem But now wyll I for the meane while touchyng this poynt wheruppoÌ„ the great wayghte of all the mater hangeth go nerer vnto Tyndale a nother waye It is ye wote well agreed bytwene vs or yf he wold be so madde to say naye ye wyll yet your selfe agre this in his stede that ones of olde tyme Cryste hym selfe and his apostles dyd teache and preache mâ—ny wordes of god vnwryten Now thus I say syth many thynges were tought fyrst vnwryten yf any of them be yet lefte vnwryten then saye I that Tyndale is at the leste wyâ—e temerariouse ouer bolde so certaynely to affyrme that any sacrament that the chyrch vseth and so longe hath vsed or ceremony eyther is idolatrye for as mych as if we lakked sure profe vppon our syde whyche in dede we lakke not by reason of goddes spyryte by Crystes owne promyse euer abydynge wyth his chyrch and teachyng it all trewth but yf we lakke I say that profe for our parte yet were he to presumptuousely bowe so precysely to affyrme the contrary syth he can not say naye but that they myght be some of those that were sometyme toâ—ghte vnwryten and yet remayne obserued vnwryten as the other that now be wryten were tought kept wythout wrytynge before To this wyll Tyndall answere that syâ—â—â—â— that tyme all goddes wordes promyses sacramentes that he wold haue kepte and byleued in crysâ—â—ndome he hath caused to be wryten by his euangelistes and apostles and lefte nâ—ne vnwryten to 〈…〉 that his chyrch shall not stande in any dâ—wte nor fall into any errour of any necessary poynt for lakke of wrytynge but moâ—e â—knowâ— by that he hath caused all to be wryten that all be false and fayned and â—â—ennys madde inâ—encyons that they byleue and obserue vnwryteÌ„ For wâ—y sholde he â—â—â—se some to be wryten and suffer some lefte vnwryten to make men sure of some and to leue some in 〈◊〉 〈…〉 cause for he seeth why well inough and therfore I wyll gyue no rekenynge why god hath caused some to be wryten and some to be lefte vnwryten But thys wyll I be bolde to saye that he was not of any necessyte compelled to wryte any one sacrameÌ„t or ceremony or weyghty poynt of byleue for any fere leste it sholde fall awaye and that he coude not wyth hys owne spyryte kepe it in mennys hertes and vsage wythout wrytynge as well as he kept in the good generacyons the knowledge of his promyses and his lawes longe and many ages before the lawe was wryten and yet wrote them not all therin neyther but the people had a fayth of Cryste amonge them more large then was wryten in theyr lawe whyche went from hande to hande I thynke from Adams dayes to whom it is lykely that god made after his fall some larger promyse and reuelacyon of hys redempcyoÌ„ agayne than we fynde made vnto hym wryten in any place of scrypture But we shall not nede mych profe for thys mater for that god was able to kepe all hys sacramentes and artycles of the fayth wythout wrytynge Tyndale I wene wyll not deny me Now to say that yf he sholde haue lefte some vnwryten it wolde haue made dowtes and debates and be occasyons of errours and heresyes and the writyng doth put all thynges oute of dowte and therfore god hath lefte none vnwryten we se that thys maketh neyther more sure nor lesse For as well dyd men byleue before the wrytyng those thynges that are now wryten as euer they dyd synnys and we beleue now the promyses as well that are vnwryten as any that are wryten And the wrytynge taketh not away all the dowtes but as many ryse thereuppon and many mo then vppon those thynges that we byleue vnwryten For fyrste the credence to be gyuen to the hole boke in whyche they be wryten hangeth all vppon the same fayth vppon whyche dependen the thynges that are vnwryten For as I byleue the tone so byleue I the tother And as one maye by hys owne frowardnes lakke the grace to byleue the thynges vnwryten so maye a nother by his owne malyce lakke the grace to byleue any parte of the hole boke of holy scrypture that is wryteÌ„ and take it all for fantasyes And in good sayth I am aferd yâ— so do they whych saye they byleue nothynge els but it For as for parte of the boke they brynge in queâ—â—yâ—Ì„ 〈◊〉 boke of the Machabees by cause it maketh questyon as agaynst theyr purpose concernyng purgatory And parte they let not mych to deny as Luther doeth the epystle of saynte Iamys bycause it speketh playnely agaynst hys idle workelesse fayth Now in that partes whyche they graunte for scrypture yet taketh it not awaye all the dowtes But vnto such folke as Tyndale is and Luther that be so contencyouse it mynystreth rather mych mater of dowte and of debate that mych more then do the thynges that are obserued wythout wrytynge For fyrst they refuse to obserue them bycause they saye they fynde them not there wryten so ryseth that questyon fyrst vppon the wrytynge Then yf it be founden there then dyspute they whyther it be fully founden there as whyther we fynde there bothe the token and the thynge betokened For the sacrament take they but for a bare sygne and the thynge that is sygnyfyed they call no thynge but Crystes onely promyse And here make they vppon the wrytynge many greate batayles to bete downe allmoste all the sacramentes sauyng scant one and an halfe Then vppon the letter rayse they many greate errours and saye the scripture is playne vppon theyr syde And thys say not onely Luther Tyndale and
tother syde all good faythfull people do and therfore they call the chyrch the chyrch styll and wyll not agre to châ—â—nge the olde chyrch for his new congregacyon but burne vppe his bokes that so calle◠〈◊〉 who so wold so begynne to call yt wold and well myght begynne to call 〈◊〉 hereteque for his deâ—ytynge in the imiâ—â—cyon of heretyâ—â—â—â— and his euyll appetyte to spâ—ke after an heretyques 〈◊〉 Tyndale For whereso euer saythe he that I maye saye a congregacyon there I maye say a chyrch also as the chyrch of the deuyâ—l the chyrch of SathaÌ„ the chyrch of wreches the chyrche of wykked men the chyrch of lyâ—rs and a chyrch of Turkes thereto More This is lustely sayde of Tyndale add lyke a man But yt pleaseth hym not to consydeâ— that I sayed that this worde congregacyon is indyffereâ—â— vnto Turkes and crysten men and vnto all otheâ— companyes and a coÌ„pany of cristen men so that yt as well sygnifyeth a companye of Turkes as of crysten men and that this worde chyrch doth sygnifye a coÌ„pany of crysten people and is not indyfferent to a company of Turkes and of crysten men And I sayed and yet I say that this is trew of the vsuall sygnifycacyon of these wordes them selfe in the englyshe tonge by the comeÌ„ custume of vs englyshe peple that eyther now do vse these wordes in our langage or that haue vsed byfore oure dayes And I saye that this comen câ—stume and vsage of speche is the onely thynge by whyche we knowe the ryght and proper sygnifycacyon of any worde in so mych that yf a worde were takeâ— oute of lâ—teâ— french or spaynishe were for lakke of vnderstandynge of the tonge from whense yt cam vsed for a nother thynge in englyshe then yt was in the formare tonge then sygnyfyeth it in england none other thyng than as we vse yt and vnderstande therby what so euer yt sygnifye any where elles Then saye I now that in England this worde coÌ„gregacyon dyd neuer sygnyfye the number of crysten people as cristen peâ—â—le wyth a connotacyon or consyderacyon of theyr fayth oâ— crystendome no more then this worde assemble whych â—ath bene taken out of the frenche and now is by custume bâ—câ—men englyshe as congâ—egacyon is out of the latyne Aâ—d yet I denye â—ot but vnder those wordes both twayne may be câ—isten men spoken of For euery asseâ—â—blye and congregacyon in crysten realmes is comeÌ„â—â— made of crysten peâ—ple But they be not there called congâ—egacyoÌ„ or â—ssemble bycause thâ—â—â—e crystened but 〈◊〉 be so called though they were Iewes or SaraceÌ„s though they 〈◊〉 so knowen and â—welled in crystâ—ndâ—me I say â—â—w in lykewyse that this worde chyrche 〈◊〉 hath bene vsed to 〈◊〉 other companye thenâ— crystenâ—d in comen speâ—he 〈…〉 realme And for this cause and yet most 〈…〉 of Tyndals euyll entent I sayed and yet saye that he dyd noughte in the chauÌ„ge of chyrche for congregacyoÌ„ an holy worde for a prophane as farreforth as they both sygnyfye in our englysshe tonge in to whyche Tyndale made hys translacyon Thys was and is the thyng that I sayed and say Now in sayenge thys I do not saye vntrew though Tyndale be at hys lybertye to call a chyrche what hym lyste For neuer â—ayed I the contrary but the Tyndale where so euer he maye saye a congregacyon there he maye saye a chyrche to For though none englysshe men be wonte to speke so nor in the comune spech the worde sygnyfyeth not so nor of the chyrche that he sholde in his translacyoÌ„ haue ment of no good man wyll saye so yet may Tyndale saye so the chyrche of Sathan the chyrche of wretches the chyrche of wykked men the chyrche of lyers and a chyrche of Turkys to and yet he lyste he maye set to it the chyrche of heretykes and the chyrche of deuyls to But now though Tyndale may thus saye for hys pleasure whyche I deny not yet can he not saye that thys is the proper sygnyfycacyon of that worde whyche is the thynge that a translatour must regarde But it is a certeyâ—e fygure and maner of spekynge by whyche men vse amonge to expresse a thynge by hys contraâ—y as a man myghte say this is the wysdome of a fole thys is the trouth of a false shrew thys is the fayth of an heretyke Thus may Tyndale abuse the holy name of chyrche to any lewde thynge that he lyste but thys is not the parte of a trâ—nslatour But Tyndale now to conuycte me clerely by lernynge reason dowble coÌ„fyrmed wâ—â—h scrypture sheweth hym selfe in few wordes that he bothe lakketh lernynge and reason shamefully abuseth the scrypture These are his wordes Tyndale M. More muste nedys 〈…〉 haue ecclesia translated thorow oute all the new testâ—ment by thi◠〈◊〉 chyrche that chyrch is as comen as â—â—clesiâ— Now is eccleâ—iâ— a greke â—â—rde and was in vse byfore the tyme of 〈…〉 and taken for a congâ—egâ—cyon amonge the Hethen where no 〈◊〉 〈…〉 or of Cryste And also Luke hym selfe vseth ecclesia for 〈…〉 of Hethen peopleâ— thryes in one chapyter euen in 〈…〉 Demetrius the goldsmyth oâ— sylâ—â—rsmyth had gathered a 〈…〉 More Let vs now bygynne at the fyrste pece ye shall se what he hath M. More muste nedes graunte that chyrche is as comen as ecclesia yf he will haue this worde ecclesia thorowe oute all the new testament translated by this worde chyrche Fyrst I say that mayster More must not nedys grauÌ„te thys to Tyndale neuer a whytte For yf he turne it from a condycyonall proposycyon in to an affyrmatyue antecedent and consequent it shall sone be shewed hym that hys consequent were possyble to be false and hys antecedent trewe For it myghte be that thys worde ecclesia dyd sygnyfy mâ— thynges then the wryters of the new testament had occasyoÌ„ to speke of wythin yâ— same And then though I wolde grauÌ„t vnto Tyndale that thys worde ecclesia sholde thorowout the new testament be translated by this word chyrch yet must I not nedys be dreuen to grauÌ„te hym for all that that chyrche were as comen as eccleâ—ia bycause it sholde not yet sygnyfye those other sygnyfycacyons of ecclesia that were not spoken of wythin the newe testament And thus where Tyndale wolde vppon suche an antecedent bynde me by and by of necessyte to hys consequent it appereth that though I graunted hym the tone I must not nedys for all hys great worde graunte hym the tother at all But now though I must not nedys yet wyll I graunte hym of courtesye that yf I wyll haue ecclesia translated thorow out all the new testament by thys worde chyrâ—heâ— yâ— then I muste nedys graunte thys terme chyrche to be as comen and sygnifye as large and as many thâ—â—ges as this terme ecclesia But now when I that must not nedys grauÌ„te thys to Tyndale Tyndale may not chose but must nedys graunte me thys agayne that yf I wyll not
haue ecclesia thorow out the new testament translated by thys word câ—â—â—che yâ— then Tyndale in all hys gay tale telleth vs nothyâ—â—e to purpose But that argument is now lyke as yf he wolde haue argued thus If mayster More wyll graunâ—â— me that euery horse is a goose then must he nedys grâ—â—nte me that euery mare must haue a gander to get her 〈◊〉 â—ole For I nede not to graunte hym the thyâ—â—â— that he â—â—pposeth Now tell I Tyndale that in no wyse I â—yll not haue it so and that I neuer tolde hym that 〈…〉 haue so â—uâ— I saye playnely that yf he shâ—lâ—e thoâ—â—â—oâ—t 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 stament translate thys worde eâ—clesia by thys worde 〈◊〉 I saye that he sholde translate it very naught And for bycause that Tyndale eyther euyll perceyueth my wordes or elles euyll remeÌ„bred them or fynally which is moste lykely wolde wyllyngly make the reader to take them wronge I wyll desyre the reader to loke vppon the place hym selfe which is yâ— .viii. chapyter of the thyrd boke and there shall he fynde that I fynde the faute not in that he translateth this worde ecclesia sometyme in to this worde congregacyon but that he chaungeth this worde chyrch in to this worde congregacyon that is to say that he translateth this worde ecclesia in to this worde coÌ„gregacyon in such places as he shold haue traÌ„slated yt in to this word chyrch that is where so euer he hath put this worde congregacyon for the companye of crysten people for that companye is in englyshe sygnyfyed and of olde hath ben by this holy word chyrche and neuer by this worde congregacyon This is the faute that I fynde and tell Tyndale in that chapyter good and playne causes wherfore whyche Tyndale here letteth slyppe But I wolde in no wyse that as Tyndale taketh me ecclesia sholde alwaye be translated by this worde chyrche for that were also wrong For trewth it is that ecclesia sygnifyeth in the greke tonge a congregacyon wythout respecte of eyther good or bad crysten or vncrysten For Tyndale sayth therin trewth that the worde ecclesia was vsed a thousande yere before crystendome byganne as the bokes proue But yt wyll be hard to proue warraunt that this word chyrch was vsed for any congregacyon byfore criâ—tendome began or yâ— euer it sygnifyed any cogregacioÌ„ other then crysteÌ„ And therfore his reason grouÌ„ded vppoÌ„ this worde ecclesia is lytle worth syth it procedeth not in lykewyse in this word chyrch And yet touÌ„chynge this worde ecclesia as connynge as Tyndale wold seme therin wyth his greke all he semeth buâ— porely to perceyue yt For ye shall vnderstand that this worde ecclesia in the greke tonge dyd not sygnyfye euery man â—â—â—â—â—â—upany or congregacyon nor sygnyfyed not all the cytesayâ—â— of aâ—y cytye wyth that respecte that they were cyteâ—â—â—â—â—s of â—hatâ—yty or that they were gathered for playeng or 〈…〉 any such other caâ—se but onely these congrâ—gaâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—ere gatherâ—d to gâ—ther to coÌ„men vppon 〈…〉 eyther aboute the comen 〈…〉 peace or waâ—re or some other commodyte or for pryuate folkes besynes in such places as all the comen people were iudges as mych was vsed in Grece and sometyme in Rome to and was as ye wolde saye the assemblye of the court or the comen counsayle Now for as myche as crysten people dyd resort to gether amonge them selfe to prayour and preachyng and makyng of good ordynaunces delyuered them by the apostles thys name of ecclesia was applyed vnto yâ— coÌ„gregacyon of the crysten company And though yt beganne of such assembles together yet afterwarde yt obtayned also bothe amonge the Grekes and Latines crystened to sygnyfye the crysten folk whyther they were at chyrch or at home and to sygnyfye also the vnyuersall nomber of all crysten people thorow oute all the world where as it sygnifyed no such maner of thyng among the paynyms byfore but onely theyr seuerall assembles such as I byfore descrybed you and whych was in laten called concio And yet toke the laten chirch the greke word ecclesia of the greke chyrch that beganne byfore them and neuer vsed this worde concio whych sygnyfyed amonge the latine paynyms both the congregacyon or assembly and the oracyon also that any man pronounced among them in the same assembly Now may ye perceyue that Tyndale wyth all his greke tolde you but a lame tale For he telleth you not what manner of congregacyon ecclesia dyd sygnyfye in the greke but mysse taketh yt to sygnyfye euery manner of congregacyon at auenture And by this ye maye also perceyue how lytle yt maketh for his purpose that saynte Luke wherof Tyndale so bosteth calleth ecclesia thryes in one chapyter of the actes the coÌ„gregacyon that was gathered in Ephese agaynste saynte Paule For that was suche a congregacyon as I tell you that ecclesia properly sygnifyed amonge yâ— paynyms sauyng that they gathered to gether vppon a rumour and not after theyr customable callynge Now though the chyrch was then newly bygonne to be called by the same name of ecclesia and that after thexample of the tother assembly and the name not taken from the tother assemblye nor theyâ— assembly for suche maters called by none other how wolde Tyndale haue had saynte Luke tell the tale but by suche wordes as then represented the mater But that maketh nothynge for his purpose but 〈◊〉 agaynste yt For syth that this worde ecclesia dyd there sygnyfy that congregacyon of the Ephesyans whyche were paynyms and therfore in that place ought not to be translated by this word chyrch whych sygnifyeth onely a cristen coÌ„gregacyon and not a coÌ„gregacyon of paynyms so shuld ecclesia in lyke wyse whereso euer yt sygnyfyeth a crysten congregacyon be translated by this worde chyrch whyche is euer hath ben the worde that synnes crystendome fyrste beganne amonge englyshe men hath alway serued therfore not be translated by this worde coÌ„gregacyon whych word of congregacyon is a worde of latine and sygnyfyeth a sort gathered to gether in to one floke as they speke in gregem oui uin gregem gruum gregem anserum And so wheÌ„ Tyndale hath all sayed and all done this worde congregacion excepte some specyall places where they haue by custome appoynted it to sygnyfye some sorte of men as in some vnyuersyties yt sygnifyeth theyr assembles ellys where no such custome hath appropred yt to any specyall manner of congregacyon the terme congregacyon absolutely sette sygnifyeth no more a companye of crysten men then a fayre flokke of vncrysten geese But yet the chaunge of the worde yf Tyndale had done it eyther of chaunce or of purpose for hys pleasure and for none euyll purpose I wolde neuer haue spoken worde agaynst it But for as mych as I perceyue yâ— he hath ben with Luther and was to at the same tyme when he so translated it and that I knewe well the malycyouse heresyes that Luther began to brynge forth therfore muste I
by a greate deale as the messenger doth in my dyalog whyche I haue yet suffered to stande styll in my dyaloge that rather yet by the counsayle of other men then of my selfe For all be yt that yt be lawfull to any man to mysselyke the mysseuse of euery good thynge and that in my dyaloge there not onely those euyll thynges rehersed but answered also and soyled and the goodnes of the thyng self well vsed is playnely confyrmed and proued yet hath Tyndale by erronyouse bokes in settynge forth Luthers pestylent heresyes so enuenemed the hartes of lewdly disposed persones yâ— men can not almost now speke of such thynges in so mych as a play but that such euyll herers wax a grete dele the worse And therfore in these dayes in which Tyndale hath god amende hym wyth thenfeccion of his coÌ„tagyouse heresyes so sore poysened malycyouse and newfangle folke that the kynges hyghnes and not wythout the couÌ„sayle and aduyce not of his nobles onely wyth his other counsaylours attendynge vppon his gracys person but also of the ryght vertuouse and specyall well lerned men of eyther vnyuersyte other partyes of the realme specyally called thereto hathe after dylygent and longe consyderacyon hadde therein ben fayne for the whyle to prohybyte the scrypture of god to be sufferd in englyshe tonge amonge the peoples handes leste euyll folke by false drawyng of euery good thynge they rede in to the colour and mayntenauÌ„s of theyr owne fonde fantasyes and turnynge all hony in to posyn myght both dedly do hurte vnto theym selfe and sprede also that infeccyone farther a brode I saye therfore in these dayes in whyche men by theyr owne defaute mysseconstre and take harme of the very scrypture of god vntyll menne better amende yf any man wolde now translate Moria in to Englyshe or some workes eyther that I haue my selfe wryten ere this â—ll â—e yt there be none harme therin folke yet beynge as they be geuen to take harme of that that is good I wolde not onâ—â—y my derlynges bokes but myne owne also helpe to burne thâ—â— both wyth myne owne handes rather then folkesh 〈◊〉 though thorow theyr own faute take any harme of them seynge that â—seâ—heâ— lykely in these dayes so to do But now after this Tyndale handeleth me full vncourtesly for he taketh awaye all my thanke and rewarde that I sholde haue had of the spyrytualtye For he sheweth them that I wrote not my boke for any affeccyon that I bere to them no more then Iudas bytrayed Cryst for any fauour that he bare to the hygh prestes scrybes and pharaseys but that I dyd the tone as he dyd the tother for the lucre that shold come therof after whych he sayth that I so sore hungre that the good man as my frend prayeth for me that I eat not to faste for chokynge Now yf the spyritualtye had ben aboute to haue gathered a dysme amonge them and geue yt me Tyndale here had loste yt me euery peny But god forgeue the good man and I do For wheÌ„ he speketh of my lucre in good fayth he maketh me laugh and so I wene he maketh many mo to that knowe well god be thanked that I haue not so mych lucre therby that I stande in so grete parell of chokynge wyth lucre as Tyndale standeth in daunger of chokynge god saue the man wyth the bones of buttred bere Now where Tyndale sayth I haue fayntely defended the thynges wherof I wryte the thynges be stronge inough and lytle nede me to defend them and also my purpose was not so mych to do that that neded not that is to wyt to defende them as to proue and make the people perceyue that Tyndale went aboute to brynge in heresyes amonge them And that nedeth now as lytle for Tyndale hath proued yt hym selfe And so lytle defence suffyseth for any reason that Tyndale layeth agaynste yt And fynally yf I were faynte therin as Tyndale sayth yet is a faynt fayth better then a stronge heresye But Tyndale yet for all this as a good godly father of his haboundaunte cheryte sayth that he charytably dothe exhorte me in Cryste by the examples of Iudas and Balaam to take hede and ferther he counsayleth me and my felowes full holyly to awake by tymes ere euer our synnes be rype leste the voyce of oure wykkednesse ascende vp and awake god out of his slepe to loke vppoÌ„ vs and to bowe hys earys vnto our cursed blasphemyes agaynst the open trewth and to sende hys herueste men and mowars of vengeaunce to repe it excepte we repent and resyste not the spyryte of god whyche openeth lyght vnto the worlde These wordes when I redde them semed me so pytthy so persaunt set and cowched in suche an hyghe spyrytuall fasshyon that they made me mych to meruayle what Tyndale had spyed in me and caused me to serche my selfe to se whyther I had vsed any suche hygh blasphemyes that the wykkednes therof were lykely to ascende vp in to heuyn awake god almyghty out of hys slepe But when I hadde ouer serched all my boke ransaked vp the very botom of my brest though I fouÌ„de in the tone som prety peccaduliuÌ„s such as I wyll not now confesse to father Tyndale bycause he sayth confessours kepe no counsayle yet coude I fynde in good fayth neyther in my brest nor in my boke I thaÌ„ke god any suche hygh blasphemyes as Tyndale so hyghly cryeth out vppon excepte he call it an hygh blasphemye to call heresyes heresyes whyche I take as helpe me god in my pore conscyence for none hygher blasphemy then to call a gose a gose Nor I. fynde no trewth that I neyther blaspheme or onys speke agaynste excepte Tyndale mene by thys open trewth all the false open heresyes that hym selfe techeth agaynste Crystes holy sacramentes Agaynst whyche kynde of false trewth I no more fere to speke then agaynst the deuyll hym selfe that fyrste founde it out Nor I can not fynde wherein I resyste the spyryte of god in openynge hys lyght vnto the worlde excepte that Tyndale take for the spyryte of god the spyryte of the deuyll of hell and for openynge of lyght vnto the worlde he take the lyghtesome lanterne of good ensample by whych the worlde maye se for a shewe of holy matrymony frere Luther and Cate calate hys nonne lye luskynge togyther in lâ—chery Now to resyste thys deuelysshe spyryte my pore spyryte for all Tyndales hygh ferefull charge is so lytell afrayed that I call hartely to the spyryte of god to quenche the fowle fyrebronde of that helly lyght that so thorowly that the worlde se neuer any suche example more And now when that I had thus thorowly serched well my breste and my boke and saw my conscyence clere farre out of any suche cause of ieoperdy then Tyndals terryble exorcysme made me not mych to trymble syth heretykes haue of olde be wont alwaye to vse suche wordes But my mind more gaue me
sayeth yt appereth that there was no cause to burne his translacyon wherein such chaunges founden as ye se and beynge chauÌ„ged for such causes as hym selfe coÌ„fesseth that is to wyt for a fouÌ„dacyone of such pestylent heresyes as hym selfe affermeth wryteth in his abomynable bokes he myghte mych better yf he cut a mannys throte in the open strete say there were no cause to hange hym but bydde men seke vppe hys knyfe se yt hym safe This myght he in good fayth myche better saye then then he maye now say that there is no cause to burne his translacyon wyth yâ— falsed wherof and his false heresyes brought in there wythall he hath kylled and destroyed dyuerse menne and maye hereafter many some in body some 〈◊〉 soule and some in â—oth twayne And 〈◊〉 where as in the ende he loketh so mych to me that he forgeteth hym selfe and makyng me a nother holy sermone of my couetousenesse my great aduauntage in seruyng in falsed myne obstynate malyce agaynst the trewth he forgeteth in the meane whyle that his owne malyce is agaynst the trewth in such manner obstynate that he doth as the deuell dothe endure payne for the mayntenaunce of hys false deuelyshe heresyes agaynste the treuth and puttynge me in mynde agayne of the false prophete Balaam and his euyll ende and that all suche resysters of the trewth come at laste vnto an euyll deth he forgeteth in the meane whyle the double deth that his felowes heretyques comenly come vnto fyrst by fyre in erth and after by fyre in hell saue they that at the tone renounce his deuelysh heresyes so escape the tother Tyndale therfore where yt lyketh hym to lyken me to Balaam Pharao and to Iudas to syth the pytthe of all hys processe standeth in this one poynte that his heresyes be the trew fayth and that the catholyque fayth is false that the holy dayes nor the fastyng dayes no man nede to kepe that the dyuyne seruyces in the chyrche is all but superstycyon that the chyrche the ale howse is all one sauynge for such holy preachyng that men haue no fre wyll of theyr owne to do nother good nor yll that to reuerence Crystes crosse or any saynts ymage is idolatry that to do any good worke faste geue almysse or other with entent the rather to gete heuen or to be the better rewarded there is dedely synne afore god worse then idolatrye to thynke that the masse may do menne any good mo then the preste hym selfe were a false belyefe a false fayth also to pray for any soule great synne to shryue vs or to do penaunce for synne freres may well wedde nonnes and muste nedes haue wyues and the sacramentes of Cryste muste serue for Tyndales iestynge stoke these be the trewthes that Tyndole preacheth And bycause I call these trewthes heresyes therfore Tyndale calleth me Balaam Iudas and Pharao and â—hreteneth me sore wyth the vengeaunce of god and wyth an euyll deth what deth eche man shall dye that hangeth in goddes haÌ„des and martyrs haue dyed for god and heretykes haue dyeâ— for the deuyll But syth I know yt very well and so doth Tyndale to that the holy sayntes dede byfore these dayes synnys Cristes tyme tyll our owne byleued as I do that Tyndales trewthes beâ— starke deuelyâ—he heresyes yf god gyue me the grace to suffer for sayeng the same I shall neuer in my ryght wyt wysh to dye better And therfore syth all the mater staÌ„deth in this poynte alone that yf his heresyes be the trew fayth then I stande in parell and yf they be a false fayth I maye be safe inought lette hym leue his sermon hardely for the whyle and fyrste go proue his lyes trewe and then come agayne and preache and frere Luther also his lemman wyth hym to and then may the geese prouyde the foxe a pulpette Here endeth the seconde boke in whyche is confuted Tyndales defence of his false translacyon of the new testamente ¶ The thyrde boke Here after foloweth the thyrde boke in whyche be treated two chapyters of Tyndales boke that is to wyt whyther the chyrche were before the gospell or the gospell before the chyrch whyther the apostles lefte ought vnwryten that is of necessyte to be byleued whether the chyrche were before the gospell or the gospell before the chyrche TIndale hath all thys whyle wyth his defence of chaungynge chyrche and other thynges vsed in the chyrch malycyously by hym chaunged in his translacyoÌ„ kept vs as it were styll stryuynge wyth hym in the chyrche porche But now haue I wonne the porche vppon hym and we be comen to ioyne togyther wythin the chyrche For now takynge hys translacyon for damnable as it is we be comen to trye bytwene vs the falsed of hys pestylent heresyes concernynge the chyrch and the worde of god by the spyryt of god taughte vnto hys chyrche wyth which heresyes he corrupteth the worde of god and wyth poysen infecteth hys chyrche as I haue before manyfestely declared bothe concernynge Crystes holy sacramentes and dyuerse other artycles of Crystes fayth But for as mych as by the dyscourse of my dyaloge I proued clerely that nothyng can be sure certayne amonge crysten men not so mych as the holy scrypture it selfe but yf we byleue the chyrche and I proued also that the chyrch of Cryste can not fall in dampnable errour but hath ben is eueâ— shall be taught by the spyryte of god euery necessary â—râ—uâ—h to the bylefe wherof god wyll haue them bounden and that thys chyrche is and euer hath ben taughte by the worde of god partely wryten and partely vnwryten and that those two wordes are bothe of one authoryte and fynally dyd I proue that the very chyrche of Cryste here in erthe whyche hath the ryght fayth and whyche we be bounden to byleue and obaye is thys vnyuerâ—all knowen people of all crysten nacyons that be neyther put out nor openly departed out by theyr wylfull scysmes and playnly professed heresyes and that Luthers chyrche all the chyrches sprong out thereof wyth all the prophetes and patryarches of the same as Suinglius Butzer Balthasar Otho frere Huyskyn frere Lambert and Tyndale be the synagoge of Sathan and seruauntes of the deuyll nowe cometh me Tyndale and perceyuynge hym selfe sore bounden to the stake wyth the strength of thys chayne begynneth to wrythe and wrestle and fareth fowle wyth hym selfe to loke yf he coude breke any lynke therof where about for as mych as he seeth that all the rable of heretykes haue longe labored of olde and yet theyr bokes vanesshed awaye to the deuyll with them selfe and that the deuell hath of theyr dry asshes reysed vp an hundred sortes of new sectes of heretykes mych more blasphemouse then euer were the olde he hath ouerloked studyously all theyr bokes and wyth all the poysen that the deuyll hath put in them hath stuffed hys mouth full to spet it out agayne agaynste
god and hys holy sacramentes and all good crysteÌ„ people whom he laboreth to enfecte with the fury that they sholde not knowe the very chyrche of god whereof them selfe be membres but wolde make them so madde as to byleue that the chyrche of god were some one sorte of an hundred sectes of heretykes no marke among them all why more the tone then the tother where as they muste and do in thys poynte all agree that they be all false saue one and the trouth is in dede that they be false euerychone Now to knowe that the nerer Tyndale cometh to the mater the forther he fleeth from that trouth and hydeth hym selfe in the derkenesse of the deuyll walkynge with a sconse of a dymme lyghte to make men wâ—â—e he wolde shewe them the way and ledeth them clene awry ye shall here how boldely he begynneth and after shall I so shew you the mater that euery chylde shall perceyue hys bolde wyly foly to come of no good truste in hys cause but lakke of wytte and shame Tyndale Whyther the chyrche were before the gospell or the gospell before the chyrche An other dowte there is whether the chyrche or congregacyon be before the gospell or the gospell before the chyrche whyche questyon is as harde to solue as whether the father be elder then the sonne or the sonne elder then his father For the hole scrypture and all byleuynge hertes testyfye that we are begotteÌ„ thorow the worde Wherfore yf the worde begette the congregacyon and he that begetteth is before hym that is begotten then is the gospell before the chyrche Pause also Romano ix sayth how shall they call on whom they beleue not And how shall they byleue without a precher That is Cryste must fyrste be preached ere men can byleue in hym And then it foloweth that the worde of the preacher muste be before the fayth of the byleuer And therfore in as mych as the word is before the fayth and fayth maketh the congregacyon therfore is the worde or gospell before the congregacyon More Lo he that redeth this and hereth not thanswere excepte hym selfe be well ryped in the mater maye wene that Tyndale in these wordes had quyt hym selfe lyke a man borne me ouer quyte he solueth the obieccyon so playnely playeth therwith so pleasauntely But now when ye shall vnderstande that neuer man was so madde to make thys obieccyon to Tindale but hym selfe then shall ye laughe to se that he wresteleth all alone gyueth hym selfe a fall and in hys mery solucyon mokketh also no man but hym selfe I sayed in my dyaloge that the chyrche was before the gospell was wryteÌ„ and that the fayth was taught and men were baptysed and masses sayd and the other sacramentes mynystred amonge crysten people before any parte of the newe testament was put in wrytynge and that this was done by the word of god vnwryten And I sayed also there and yet say here agayne â—hat the ryght fayth whiche Adam had and suche as in the same fayth succeded hym longe ere wrytynge beganne was taught by the worde of god vnwryten and so went from man to man fro the father to the sonne by mouth And I sayed that thys worde of god vnwryten is of as greate authoryte as is the worde of god wryten I shewed also that the chyrche of Cryste hath ben is and â—uer shall be taught and instructed by god and hys holy spâ—ryt wyth hys holy worde of eyther kynde that is to wyt bothe wyth hys worde wryten and hys worde vnwryten and that they whyche wyll not byleue goddes worde but yf he put it in â—â—â—â—ynge be as playne infydeles as they that wyll not byleue it wryten syth goddes worde taketh hys authoryte of god thâ—â— sâ—eketh it anâ— not of man that wryteth it And there is lyke suertye and lyke certayne knowledge of the worde of god vnwryten as there is of the worde of god wryten syth ye knowe neyther the tone nor the tother to be the worde of god but by the tradycyon of the chyrche which chyrch as all crysten men byleue and the scripture sheweth and saynt Austayne declareth and Luther hym selfe confefseth and the deuyll hym selfe sayeth not nay the blessed spyryte of god hath inwardely taught teacheth and euer shall teache to know iudge and dyscerne the worde of god from the worde of man and shall kepe the chyrche from errour ledynge in to euery trouthe as Cryste sayth hym selfe in the .xvi. chapyter of saynt IohnÌ„s gospell whych he dyd not yf he suffered the chyrche to be dampnably deceyued in takynge the worde of man for the word of god wherby it sholde in stede of seruyce to be done to god fall in vnfaythfulnes and wyth idolatry do seruyce to the deuyll And therfore I shewed in my sayd dyaloge and yet the kynges hyghnes mych more playnely shewed in hys moste erudyte famouse boke agaynst Luther out of which I toke it that the word of god vnwryten is of as grete authoryte as certayne and as sure as is hys worde wryten in the scrypture whyche poynt is so faste and sure pytched vppon the rokke our sauyour Cryste hym selfe that neyther Luther Tyndale nor Huskyn nor all the hell houndes that the deuyll hath in his kenell neuer hytherto coulde nor whyle god lyueth in heuen and the deuyll lyeth in hell neuer herafter shall barke they bawle they neuer so faste be able to wreste yt out And that they be all as I tell you so feble in this poynte whereuppon theffecte of all theyr hole heresies hangeth for but yf they veynquysh this one poynt all theyr heresyes fully be burned vppe and fall as flatte to asshen as yt were all moyse all obstinate heretyques dyd ye maye se a clere â—roue by these wordes of Tyndale whyche he hath sette so gloryously forth in the fore fronte of his batayle as thâ—â—gh they were able to wynne the hole felde For where as I sayed that the gospell and the worde of god vnwryten was byfore thâ— chyrche and by yt was the chyrche begonne gathered and tought and that the chyrche was byfore that the gospell that now is wryten was wryten that is to wyt byfore any parâ—â— of the gospell was wryten for as for all the hole gospell 〈◊〉 is to wyt all the wordes of god that he wold haue 〈◊〉 byleued and kepte was yet neuer wryten this beynge the thynge that I sayd Tyndale wyth all the helpe he hath had of all the heretyques in Almayne this two or thre yere to gether is yet in such dyspayre to be able to matche therewith that he is wyth shame inough fayne to forgete that I sayed the chyrche was byfore the gospell wryten whyche thynge hym selfe can not denye and is fayne to frame the doute make the obieccyon as though I had sayed that the chyrch had bene byfore the gospell and the worde of god vnwriten wherof hym selfe knoweth well that I sayed clene the contrarye And therfore
ferther and shew you 〈◊〉 he hath euyll translated also thys selfe same texte of saynte IohnÌ„ to whyche he now alledgeth hath therin falsyfyed the wordes of our sauyour hym selfe whyche he now bryngeth forth for hys purpose The wordys spoken by our lorde be as Tyndale hath translated them these I take no recorde of man In the latyn they be thus Ego testimonium ab homine non recipio whyche yf it be translated into englysshe without the artycle as the latyn hath none then is it thus I take not recorde of man and not as Tyndale hath translated I take no recorde of man He maketh his englyshe as though the latyn were ego nullum testimonium ab homine recipio And whyther the sentence be precysely both one in these twayne I take not recorde of man I take no recorde of maÌ„ we shall not now nede to dispute syth Tyndale taketh the sentence wronge whyche of them both so euer were the wordes as I shall shew anon But fyrste I shall go forth and shew you as I byganne that he sholde haue translated the wordes in to englysh otherwyse and therby haue expressed the greke the better and yet not contraryed the latyne ye shall therfore vnderstande that in that place of saynt IohnÌ„ the fyfte chapyter where Tyndale hathe translated Crystes wordes in this wyse I receyue no recorde of man the greke boke hath there vppon thys worde recorde the artycle that is as I haue shewed you correspondent vnto our englyshe artycle the by which artycle put byfore the word recorde that word there in the tonge in whych theuangelyste wrote the wordes hym selfe sygnyfyeth not a comen record in generall but a certaynâ— specyall kynde of recorde as the greke artycle made the worde prophete in the fyrste chapyter to sygnyfye not a prophete in generall but a specyall prophete whome the Iewes loked for And therfore I saye that Tyndale sholde in his englysh translacyon not haue lefte oute that artycle the but sholde at the leste wyse haue translated yt thus I receyue not the recorde of man where as wyth his translatyng no record that article the wheruppon the wayght of the sentence hangeth he hath not onely lefte oute but clene excluded also For yf he had translated yt I receyue not recorde of man though he leâ—t oute theâ— yet he myght take yt in there to and mende yt makynge 〈◊〉 I receyue not the recorde yf man But now that he hath translated yt I receyue no recorde of man he hathe excluded yt vtterly but if he take in not and putte out his false no for he can not saye I receyue no the recorde of man And thys hathe he done not of ignoraunce but of malyce to make yt seme that Cryste vtterly refuseth and reiecteth all maner wytnesse of man in testyfycacyon and wytnessynge of hym and his trouth And this translacyon therfore deuyseth Tyndale bycause he wold haue vs wene that Cryste wolde haue the wytnesse of all his chyrche vtterly serue of noughte But now bycause yt wyll peraduenture seme vnto some menne that though he had in his translacyon expressed the greke artycle and made yt thus I take not the recorde of man that yet yt were all one and no differeÌ„ce bytwene those wordes and these I take no recorde of man of trouth the dyfference is not ethe for euery man to man to perceyue yet some difference is there in dede as there is bytwene these twayne If a man wolde saye in spekynge of god and Moyses I take Moyses for no leder of the chylderne of Israell he shold say wrong for he shold deny hym to haue ben theyr leder in any maner wyse as he was theyr leder in dede But yf he wolde saye I take not Moyses for the leder of the chylderne of Israel he shold saye well inough for he shold therby not vtterly denye Moyses to haue bene any maner leder of them but he shold denye that he was theyr onely leder or theyr chyefe leder meanynge that though he were a leder yet god was the leder that is to wyt the chyefe leder Now yf any yet perceyue not clerely the strength of this artycle he maye consyder that yt is not all one to saye I take you for no man or I take you uot for a maÌ„ I take you not for the man The two fyrste excludeth hym vtterly from all the nature and kynde of man the thyrd doth but denye hym to de some such certayne man as they meane of But yet shall ye ferther vnderstande that as I sayd in the begynnynge though oure artycle the be correspondent vnto the greke article in declaryng the certayntie of the thyng that it is put vnto and in restraynynge the worde from hys generall sygnyfycacyoÌ„ to a more determynate especyaltye and that in many thynges thys is very playne and clere yet doeth not our artycle somtyme so fully and so effectually declare that thynge as doeth the artycle in the greke specyally but yf we chaunge the order of our englysshe wordes from the order of the greke And therfore I saye that to put away the dowte and for the better expressyng of the artycle Tyndale shold in the translatynge of that place haue chauÌ„ged somwhat the order of the wordes And where they lye in the latyn in thys wyse I receyue not the recorde of man he sholde rather haue translated it thus the recorde I receyue not of man For by so translatynge those wordes and so chaungynge the order he sholde haue gone more nere to the expressynge of the very sentence that Cryste there spake and ment whyche was that the specyall recorde he toke not of man but of god and not that he wolde take of man no maner recorde at all as I shall anone so clerely proue you that Tyndale shall neuer whyle he lyueth wade out therof But fyrst it wyll happely seme hard to some men that he whyche translateth sholde in hys translatynge make any chaunge in the order of the wordes ye shall vnderstande that it is a thyng whych he must many tymes nedys do bycause of the maners and formes of spekyng in dyuers langages For yf he shall alwaye translate worde for worde and in the order as it staÌ„deth he shall somtyme gyue a sentence vnable to be perceyued or vnderstanden and somtyme a wronge sentence ye somtyme a contrary to of all whyche I coude gyue you samples were it not bothe nedeles also to longe for thys present boke I wyll therfore of a greate many gyue you but one in whyche Tyndale hath for lakke of chaungynge the order of the wordes translated a very playne place in the very begynnynge of saynt IohnÌ„s gospell whyther wronge or no lette other iudge but surely otherwyse then I wolde haue done Hys translacyon is thys In the begynnyng was that worde and that worde was with god and god was that worde Fyrst thys worde that putteth Tyndale for the artycle the wherof
out of the scrypture wherein he may as well byleue what he wyll and take what he lyste not of yâ— tradycyon of Crystes catholyque chyrche but of the tradycyon of Martyne Luthers lemman as frame hym selfe a fayth by a deduccion of scripture deduced in such a fashion In the same manner he draweth out of scrypture in hys boke of obedyence and in thys boke also that a frere may marye a nonne by the authoryte of saynt Poule For beyng asked where he fyndeth yt in scrypture he sayth yt is wryten in these wordes to Timothe 1. Timoth. 3 a byshoppe muste be vnreprouable and the husbande of one wyfe And in the wordes of saynte Poule 1. Timoth. 4. there shall come false prophetes that shall forbede maryage And in this texte also 1. Corinth 7. yt is better to may then to burne Is not this conclusyon trow ye well deduced In the fyrst bycause saynte Poule dyd putte in this word one to forbyd and exclude any mo then one Tyndale deduceth that a bysshoppe muste nedes haue one and thereby maketh saynte Poule false in a nother place where he counsayleth wysshyth that he sholde rather haue none In the seconde texte bycause saynt Poule condeÌ„neth theÌ„ that wolde saye yt were not lawfull for any man to mary Tyndale deduceth that euery maye mary though hym self haue made vnto god a contrary promyse byfore myght as well deduce that no man maye be forbode to mary though he haue a wyfe all redy For the frâ—re is as well and as clerely forboden to mary by the scryptures that forbedeth hym the breche of his vowe as is the man forbodeÌ„ to mary that hath a wyfe all redye And vppon the thyrde texte bycause saynt Poule sayth that yt is better to mary theÌ„ to burne Tyndale deduceth that it is better for a frere to marye then to forbere lechery coÌ„sydereth not that when he breketh his vow and weddeth an harlot then he burneth both bodye and soule fyrste hete in fyre of foule fylthy luste and after thys worlde in euerlastynge fyre of hell Is not thys conclusyon worshypfully deduced vppon scrypture It is meruayle that he deduceth it not rather vppon the texte that he speketh of here Loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe and vppon thys texte also Do to another as thou woldest be done to thy selfe These haue yet some better colour for Luther and hys leÌ„man and I doute not but he wyll fynde them at laste and saye that hys maryage is grounded there bycause he loueth her wyth suche a lewde lousy loue as the lewde lousy louer in lechery loueth hym selfe and is so ryghtuousely dysposed that he wyll neuer desyre that she shall lye wyth hym but wheÌ„ he is euen as well content that hym selfe shall lye wyth her Thys that we saye now in sporte he wyll saye ones in erneste I warraunt you Now for the declaracyon of hys purpose in drawynge deducynge of thartycle of theyr faythlesse fayth out of scrypture of god these ensamples suffyse and therfore I shall procede farther Now nexte he coÌ„meth to the purpose to proue you that euery necessary thyng that we be bounden eyther to byleue or to doâ— is wryten in scrypture And now harke I praye you how properly the good man proueth it These are hys wordes Tyndale For yf that I were bounden to do or byleue vnder payne of losse of my soule any thyâ—ge that were not wryten nor depended of that whyche is wryten what â—olpe me the scrypture that is wrytâ—n More Lo here is hys fyrste argumeÌ„t that he setteth forth in the fore fronte of the feld as a specyall stronge bande whyche argument who so wâ—ll aduyâ—e and consyder yf hym selfe haue wyt shall playnely saye that it commeth out of a mad mannâ—s mouth For by thys â—â—afon tyll the gospellys were wryten euery man myghtâ— haue refused all the doctryne of Cryst in euery poyâ—t that was not wryteÌ„ in the scrypture before his day nor drawen out therof by a lytell streyghter lyne then Luther draweth his And when Cryste taught them the counsayle of virgiâ—â—tâ— and â—any other holesâ—â—â— thynges aboue the perfeccyon of theyr olde lawe they myght haue sayd shew me tâ—ys in wrytyng And then yf he had answered that hym selfe beynge suche as he was and for suche testyfyed by wrytyng and by the worde of hys father and by hys owne wonderouse workes owed to be byleued of them in euery thyng vppon payne of the losse of theyr soules they myghte haue sayed agayn as Tyndale sayth now yf we be bouÌ„den vppoÌ„ the payne of losse of our soules to beleue any thynge that is not wryten nor dependeth of that whyche is wryten what holpe vs the scrypture that is wryten Thys tale of Tyndales myghte they haue tolde vnto Cryst hym self agaynst the sacrament of baptysme the sacrament of the awter to 1. Corinth 11. Now when saynt Poule in his pystle to the Corynthyes sayed I wyll order the remanaunt when I come my selfe they sholde by Tyndales reason haue sent hym hys pystle agayne and saye If we shall be bounden to do any thynge vnwryten what auayleth vs all that euer thou wrytest But there nedeth no places of scrypture to thys blasphemouse foly of Tindale spoken agaynst the scripture bycause god hath taught left some parte of hys pleasure wythout scrypture For yf a man wryte certayne rules to hys howsholde seruauÌ„tes and yet gyue them certayne besyde by his owne mouth such as peraduenture shold nede no warnyng in wrytynge bycause the coÌ„tynuall vse and excerâ—yse of theÌ„ coude not suffer them to bâ— forgotten in whych kynde of coÌ„maundementes be the blessed sacramentes so dayly vsed in Crystes chyrch that forgoten they can not be nor lefte they shall not be for all the besynesse that these heretykes the deuyls doctours can make yf thys lordes seruauntes were so wyse to lerne thys lesson of Tyndale and saye naye syr and ye leue these thynges vnwryten then a strawe for all that ye haue wryten myghte not the mayster saye that hys menne were a sorte of malaperte folysshe knauys And thys is as ye se Tyndales fyrst reason wherwyth he full properly proueth vs that the apostles wrote alâ— togyther that euer we sholde be bounden to byleue whyche reason ye se your selfe is not worth one â—ysshe but râ—â—her a playne â—nreasonable blasphemy folysshely spoken agaynst the â—criptuâ—â— of god whych he sayth serueth for nought yf god bynâ—â— vs to byleue any worde of hys bysyâ—e Now let vs procede to the seconde whyâ—â— is I promyse you very seconde foâ— any frute that ye shall fynâ—â— therin These are hys wordeâ— Tyndale In as mych as Cryste and all his apostles warned vs that false prophetes shold come with false myracles euen to deceyue the electes yf it were possible wherwyth sholde the trew precher confouÌ„de the false excepte he brought trew myracles to confounde the false or ellys autentique scrypture of full authoryte all redy
theyr bokes and yet wryten in they re soules dyd there many martyrs stand and shede theyr blood in wytnesse of the trouth therof that neuer red nor herde the scrypture in theyr dayes and wold in the same word vnwryten wyth goddes grace haue wythstanden false myracles to whych had yet bene vndoutedly the sorest pynche sauyng for the mo and more meruelouse myracles that them selfe saw or byleued done on the tother syde for the trouth But I say therfore as I haue ofteÌ„ sayd byfore that as for miracles he hath so specially kepte for the profeâ— of the trouth that all the myracles whyche the paynyms or other infydeles haue done excepte heretyques he hath euer made his trew preachers to do greater myracles agaynste them by the greater miracles to destroye them as he dyd in Moyses and in Heliseus in his holy apostles other holy sayntes after them But as for heretykes god hathe neuer sufferd them to do any miracles at all bycause he wolde haue by the marke of miracles hys very trew chyrche knowen from all the false chyrches of heretyques Nor neuer shall he suffer them to do any tyll the great archeheretyke Antycryste come hym selfe whyche as helpe me god I fere be very nere hys tyme and that Luther is his very fore goar his baptiste to make redy his way in the deserte of this wreched world and Tindale frere Huskyn and Swynglius his very fals prophetes to preache for hym But when he shall come hym felfe and worke wonders to peruert yf yt myght be the euery chosen to yet shall he not worke miracles alone but god shall for his chyrche in miracles farre passe hym for anger whereof he shall kyll them and truste all in strength of sword And bycause he shall haue so many wayes to turne the peple wronge god shall not suffer the wreche longe but shall shorten his dayes and puttynge strength and miracle to gether shall kyll hym wyth the spiryte or blaste of hys holy mouth And thus good readers ye playnely now perceyue that syth the scrypture alone agaynst heretyques and miracles maye not suffyciently serue to vnlerned people otherwyse then maye the bylyefe wythout the scripture and also that heretykes shall do no miracles tyll Antecryste come and yet then shall haue also greater miracles wrought agaynste hym and that his tyme shal be but shorte and hym selfe fynally by miracle destroyed and kylled ye se proued playnely yâ— Tyndales secunde reason wyth whych he wold proue that the apostles lefte no necessary thynge vnwriten hath in yt no reason at all Tyndale Some man wolde aske how dyd god contynue his generacyon from Adam to Noe and froÌ„ Noe to Abraam and so to Moyses without writyng but with teachynge fro mouth to mouth I answere fyrste that there was no scrypture in the worlde all the whyle that shall they proue when our lady hath a new sonne More Tyndale sayth that some man wolde aske this question But he knoweth well inough that I laye this agaynst hym in my dialoge bycause he so precysely sayth that nothynge maye be certaynely knowen to be byleued but by scrypture And now he answereth me that our ladye shall haue a newe sonne ere I caÌ„ proue that there was not scripture from the bygynnynge He wayeth his wordes wysely when he sayth that our lady shall haue a new sonne fyrst whych he myght as well say by euery womaÌ„ that is passed this world sauyng that our lady neuer had a new sonne bysyde our sauyour Criste is none artycle of his false fayth as hym selfe playnely confesseth bycause yt is not playnely wryten in scrypture But is not this a proper answere now where as agaynst hys false grounde that there can be no trewe fayth but yf it be wryten in scrypture I obiected agaynste hym the fayth of many good faythfull men in whose dayes we can not preue that theyr fayth was wryten yet we dowte not but that they were good faythfull he sayth I can not proue that they had no scrypture If he wyll saye as he doeth that they coude haue no good and sure fayth wythout scrypture and wyll also confesse as he doth that they had good and sure fayth he must hym selfe proue that they had scrypture and not tell me that our lady shall haue a newe sone ere I proue that they had no scrypture For it is inough for me that our lady shall haue two new sonnes ere Tindale proue that some of those faythfull folke in the fyrst or seconde generacyon had any wrytynge at all and that our lady shall haue fyue new sonnes ere Tyndale proue that the faythfull people had before Moyses dayes and scrypture suche as Tyndale muste mene but yf he go about to begyle vs wyth sophystycall equyuocacion For our mater is not of scrypture as it is taken for bare wrytynge suche as euery scryueners boye wryteth in hys maysters shoppe but as it sygnyfyeth suche holy wrytynge as god causeth to be wryten byndeth folke to byleue vppon the parell of theyr soule helth And then I saye yet agayne that it is inough for me that our lady shall haue fyfcene new sonnys ere Tyndale be able to proue me that some of those whom I alledge he confesseth for faythfull folke had any suche scrypture at all And Tyndale felynge full well that thys poynte prykketh hym shrynketh hyther and thyder thereat and seketh many shyftes And for all the shyftes that he fyndeth here bycause they all satysfye not hym selfe he is fayne aâ—terwarde in hys answere to my dyaloge to seke vp some new sayth that in Noes dayes when the flode came there were no mo lefte that byleued ryght but those that were saued in the shyppe In whyche place he iesteth vppon that vertuose connynge man Nicholas de lira sayeng Lira delirat But it is more easy for Tyndale to make a mokke vppon hys name then to obtayne his vertue and lernyng But what winneth Tyndale by that answere there yf he sayed trewe yet were he neuer the nere For yf the hole worlde were at that tyme fallen from the fayth saue those few yet were it for my purpose suffycyent that the trewe fayth had fyrste from god to man and so forth fro man to man comâ— by mouth without scrypture vnto those few though all the remanaunt that hadde herde thereof hadde then bene fallen fro the bylyefe thereof excepte onely those few as all the knowen nacions of the worlde that hath herd of Crystes fayth and holy scrypture to be now fallen from both twayne saue onely these few that yet remayne And of them some fall from the fayth and from theffecte of scrypture by false interpretacyon as they that fall fro the sacramentes that so constre the scrypture that they wolde make yt saye that freres may wedde nonnes Of both whych sortes yf there went so many away that the remanaunt whyche were lefte were as few as were takeÌ„ into Noes shyppe yet
that Enoch or Hely is bodye soule in paradyse syth he maye do the tone that doth the tother And he sayth the tone that sayth the tother though he saye them not bothe in one maner but the tone by wrytynge the tother by mouth For the inwarde inspiracyon of hys spyryte is his mouth vnto his resonable creatures How be yt he sayth and speketh in dede the tone thynge and the tother bothe of one fashyon For yf he speke he but inspyreth his worde in to some creature that speketh yt out And as he speketh he wryteth And therfore who so better byleueth the word of god wryten theÌ„ the worde of god vnwryteÌ„ that is to wyt the scripture then the inspyracyon he byleueth better the creature that wrote it then god hym self that inspyred yt If Tyndale wyll auoyde thys and say nay but I byleue better these men that wrote the tone of Enoch and Hely then I beleue thâ—se men that tell me the tother of our lady then muste Tyndale tell vs why he better byleueth those then these wherin what hath he to saye but that those that wrote it in the scrypture were inspyred of god and so he byleueth it as the worde not of men but of god Then answere we agayne that they that tell me the tother of our lady were inspyred of god and therfore it helpeth hym to byleue it as the worde not of menne but of god If he aske how shall he know that god inspyred the men that tell hym the tale of our lady we must aske hym agayne how knoweth he that god inspyred them that wrote the tale of Enoch or Hely If he say that he knoweth it bycause it is holy scrypture we then shall aske hym ferther how he knoweth that it is holy scrypture And then is he dreuen to the poynt that when he hath all doâ—â— he muste be fayne to fle to the chyrche and say that he knowâ—â—h â—â— by the chyrche And when he shall shewe you by whychâ— chyrche he knoweth it he muste nedys shew you some chyrchâ— whyche hym self â— may knowe for ellys how sholde any suche chyrche tell it hym as hym selfe knoweth not And when he sheweth you any knowen chyrche he is dowble confounded For bothe he destroyeth hys heresye that no chyrche sholde be byleued but electes and also shall be dreuen to confesse that he knoweth the scrypture by our chyrche that is to wyt Crystes catholyke chyrche whych he refuseth And then shall we ferther tell hym for hys thyrde confusyon that by the same selfe chyrche doeth he knowe that god hath inspyred that other artycle of our lady And yet for his fourth confusyon we shall tell hym ferther that the selfe same scrypture whyche hym selfe by the meane of the chyrches techynge byleueth to be the worde of god techeth hym also to byleue that thys thynge whyche yt byleueth of our lady is eyther good to byleue or at the lestewyse not euyll nor lyke smoke to sore eyes syth our sauyour hym selfe in the same scrypture sayth that the spyryte of god shall teche them all trouth and lede them into euery trouth and that for euer syth hym selfe there promyseth that he wyll not leue them but be wyth them for euer vnto the worldes ende And thus good crysten â—eaders ye se to what wourshypfull conclusyon wyth a fourfolde confusyon Tyndale hath brought hym selfe wyth layenge thys artycle wherby he wolde mynysshe the wourshyppe of our most blessed lady But lykewyse as he speketh here of the assumpcyon of our lady the bylefe wherof he wolde sholde seme to serue of nought the same sayth he in dyuerse places of the bylefe of the perpetuall vyrgynyte of our lady sayenge that it is nothynge pertaynynge to the saluacyon of our soule But I saye that the catholyke chyrche of Cryste byleueth that the bylefe therof beynge as it is and from the begynnyng hath ben taught by the holy goost so perteyneth to the saluacion of our soules that the contrary bylefe perteyneth to the dampnacyon of our soules yf heresye be dampnable And that thys is no new artycle well appereth by that that the olde holy doctour saynt Hierome so ferforth rekened it for heresye that he wrote an hole boke agaynste the olde heretyke Heluidius for the confutacyon of the heresye In which vertuouse boke saynt Hierom neyther proueth nor goeth aboute to proue her perpetuall vyrgiâ—yte by sâ—rypture but onely proueth that the places of scryptâ—re whyche â—â—â—â—â—dius brought forth for the contrary were not effectuâ—â—◠〈◊〉 proue hys malycyouse purpose agaynste the comen râ—â—â—â—ued fayth of Crystes catholyke chyrche Agaynste whyche we may be very sure that the scrypture neuer speketh in dede how apparent so euer an heretyke make it seme For lykewyse as though a sophyster wolde wyth a fonde argument proue vnto a symple soule that two egges were thre bycause that there is one and there be twayne and one and twayne make thre that symple vnlerned man though he lakke lernynge to soyle his fonde argumeÌ„t hath yet wyt inough to laugh thereat and to ete the two egges hym self and byd the sophyster take and ete the thyrde So is euery faythfull man as sure in the syghte of hys soule how apparently so euer an heretyke argue by scrypture to the contrary that the comen fayth of Crystes catholyke chyrche is out of questyon trewe and that the scripture vnderstanden ryght is neuer therto contrary syth he woteth well bothe by hys fayth and by the scrypture that the chyrche is taught hys fayth by god and hys holy spyryte accordynge to Crystes promyse that can neuer be false and woteth well also that god neuer techeth agaynste the trouth nor wryteth agaynst hys worde but that the contraryete that semeth arryseth of heretykes malycyouse soteltye or as holy saynte Austayne sayth for lakke of well vnderstandyng whych mysse vnder staÌ„dynge may sone mysse lede yâ— man whych lyst to leue the fayth of Crystes catholyque chyrche and lene to the doctryne of a false heretyque or to the lykynge his owne wyt But for bycause Tyndale wyll when we haue all sayed stykke styll at one poynt and aske vs what shall profyte his soule to byleue that our ladye is in heuen bodye and soule of whyche he playnely â—yleueth the contrary bothe for her bodye and her soule for he byleueth wyth Luther that all soules slepe and slepe shall tyll the daye of dome and wyll aske vs also what profyteth hym to byleue that our ladye was a perpetuall virgyne and neuer hadde chylde but Cryste syth none of those both articles is proued by playne scrypture and we myght be saued well inough though our ladyes body cam not in heueÌ„ tyll domes day also though she hadde mo sonnes then one and mo husbaÌ„des to I wyll aske hym then agayne what profyteth hym to byleue that our sauyour hym selfe dyed a virgyne and neuer had wyfe nor chylde syth that artycle is not proued by very playne
hym all theyr sacrameÌ„tes coude not for theyr fynall saluacyoÌ„ serue them But when they began lytell lytell to fall from that fayth and began to truste in the law the â—â—orkes of the law alone leuynge of thys poynt of fayth which was of the law sacramentes ceremonyes and all theyr bodyly workes the soule then went they wronge And that is â—he thynge whiche saynt Poule so sore reproueth in theyr tâ—ust coÌ„fydence to be saued by the workes of the law where as yf they had not lefte of the force strength of fayth both workes of the law and the ceremonyes to had stande them in â—tede of heuen And therfore thys nothyng toucheth the chyrch of Cryste when they put truste in the sacramentes for they do it not wythout the fayth that all the force and strength of them cometh of Crystes passyâ—n for thys they beleue and thys they teche And it is no dowte but that the iewes neuer knew the specyall sygnyfycacyoÌ„s of all theyr sacramentes sacryfyces ceremonyes other then grace remyssyon of synnes or peraduentuâ—â— that they were fygures tokeÌ„s of thynges that shold fall not yet perceyued by them as we know our sacramentes 〈…〉 sygnes of grace And it is vndowted that both they we â—hich in fayâ—h hope cheâ—yte do any such thyng as god 〈…〉 〈…〉 such fashyon as he byddeth vâ— all though we knowâ— not why he wyll be serued in suche wyse no more then Abraam knew why god bad hym to serue hym wyth the sacryfysynge of hys owne sonne yet is that doynge of that dede done in that wyse pleasaunt acceptable to god and profyte to maÌ„nes soule what so euer Tyndale tell vs and hys mayster Martine to frere Huskyn also and take theyr wyse wyues wyth them And therfore all thys tale of Tyndale agaynst the sacrament is not worth the leste fether of a wylde gose wynge But yet consyder one thynge by the way that ye mysse take hym not nor be not by a fayre word ledde out of your way He calleth the sacrament of the auter the sacrament of the bodye blode of Cryste in which wordes he calleth it well but yet meaneth he not so well therby as good crysten men do nor as hym selfe wolde seme to do For he meaneth not that there is the very body blode of Cryst in dede though he saye there is the sacrament therof For by that meaneth he nothynge ellys but onely a bare sygne and token and a memoryall therof For the great heretyke Thorpe in his examynacyon calleth the sacrament a ryght and by the same name that Tyndale now doth so that â— man wold at the fyrst heryng fynd no faute therin but mysse take hym for a good crysten man But afterward he declareth hym selfe well and clerely that he meaneth lyke a naughty heretyke as Tyndale doth also in sondry places of his boke For he saith the sacrameÌ„t sygne and token be but thre names of one thynge and that the sacrament of the auter is very brede styll And he mokketh at them that teache it to be the very body of our sauyour hym selfe and he is woode wyth them that do it any honour And so in this poynt concernynge the blessed sacrament of the auter Tyndale is yet a mych more heretyke then Luther is hym selfe in hys wrytynge all though in dede it appereth well that he ment as mych in the begynnâ—ng tyll he wythdrew hym selfe for enuye of other that hasted forward and set forth that heresye byfore hym And of trouth I am ryght credebly enformed by a very vertuouse man whom god hath of his goodnesse illumined called home agayn out of the darke Egypte of theyr blynd heresyes that at suche tyme as frere Barons and Tyndale fyrste mette talked to gether beyonde the see after that he fledde out of the fâ—eres where he was enioyned to 〈…〉 his penaunce after he hadde borne his fagot Tyâ—dale â—nd he were of sondrye sectes For frere Barons was of zwynglius secte agaynste the sacrament of the auter byleuynge that it is nothynge but bare brede But Tyndale was yet at that tyme not fully fallen so farre in that poynt but though he were badde inough bysyde was yet not coÌ„tent with frere Barons for the holdynge of that heresye But wythin a whyle after as he that is fallyng is sone put ouer the frere made the fole mad out ryght and brought hym blyndfelde downe into the depeste dongeon of that deuylysshe heresye wherin he sytteth now as faste bounden in the chayre of pestylence wyth the chayne of pertynacyte as any of hys vnhappy felowes And this I geue you knowledge of bycause I wolde not in any wyse that ye were deceyued wyth hym where he speketh well yet meaneth nought But now lette vs yet farther consyder well hys wordes Thus he sayth Tyndale All the ceremonyes and sacramentes that were from Adam to Cryste hadde sygnyfycacyons and all that are made mencyon of in the new testament More Uppon this he concludeth after that except baptysme the sacrament of the auter all the remanaunt be no trewe sacramentes for lakke of sygnifycacyons But ere he can so conclude he muste fyrste proue not onely that all the sacramentes and ceremonyes from Adam to Cryste hadde sygnyfycacyons but also that all those sygnyfycacyons were theÌ„ to the people knowen and vnderstanden For ellys though god dyd sette thynges to sygnyfye and to be done yet yf he commaunded them to do it and tolde them not the sygnyfycacyons but wolde leue them to be shewed and dysclosed at suche tyme afterwarde as it sholde lyke hym selfe it was no synne for them in the meane whyle to do the thynges that god bode them do but greate meryte to them though they vnderstode not what the thynges sygnyfyed that they dyd no more then my â—eruaunt that can no more but wryte is worthy rebuke and blame in the wrytynge of a latyn booke at my byddynge wherof he woteth not what any one worde meaneth Now that all the sygnyfycacyons of all the sacramentes and ceremonyes from Adam to Cryste were vnderstanden of the people that shall not Tyndale proue me though he shuld lyue as many yeres as were betwene the creacyoÌ„ of Adam the â—â—rth of Cryst And therfore as many yeres must he nedes haue alsoâ— ere euer hâ— make hys coÌ„clusion folow and hys argument good For yf god gaue them ceremonyes and sacrameÌ„tes wherof he gaue them not the sygnyfycacyons then so myghte he lykewyse gyue vs yf it so please hym to do And farther yf they by the doynge of those not vnderstanden ceremonyes and sacramentes in obedyence of his byddynge dyd not synne but deserued thanke all suche I saye as dyd them in dew fayth of saluacyon by Cryste that was to come then maye we also by the obseruynge of sacramentes and ceremonyes hauyng some sygnyfycacyons farther then we perceyue for one generall sygnyfycacyon of them all we knowe
downe to meanyng as yt semeth that yf we kepe the fayth and beleue wyth Luther that there nedeth no more but fayth and then therwyth kepe the lawe of loue after Luthers louynge maner in lodgynge louers freres and nonnes louyngly to gether then we shall neuer nede to care whether we chaūge or put downe ceremonyes and sacramentes and all And surely very soth he sayth For when we fall ones to be contente wyth that there wyll but yf we chaunge that mynde and mende neyther any ceremony nor any sacramēt serue vs. And yet yf fayth and loue be as Tyndale here sayth the sygnyfycacyons of all the ceremonyes what parell is there to kepe all the ceremonyes with them twayne wythout any other sygnyfycacyons And thus by Tyndale hys owne tale we shall neyther nede to put thē downe alter nor chaūg them where he sayth afore we muste seke the sygnyfycacyons agayne or put downe the ceremonyes vppon payne of damnacyon And here haue ye now sene all that euer he sayth for the profe of the thyng that he hath in this chapiter takē in hāde to proue that is to wyt that the apostles haue lefte wryten in scrypture all thynges that of necessyte perteyne to the soule helth both in thynges to be done thynges to be byleued And now perceyue ye perfitely also y◠all that euer he sayth there is not any one thynge that to the profe of his purpose serueth hym worth a rysh Here myght I now well leue ye se well as for thys mater syth I haue suffycyently confuted and auoyded clerely all that Tyndale hath alledged for hys parte in thys chapyter in whyche he wold proue that the apostles haue lefte wryten in holy scrypture euery thynge necessarye to be byleued or done for the saluacyon of our soules and that so fully that what so euer is not wryten in scrypture nor deduced theruppon by whyche deducyng what he meaneth◠I haue by his owne example shewed you that thynge is not as he sayth to be byleued nor to be done of necessyte but mē be at theyr lybertie in all such maner thynge to do yt or do yt not byleue yt or byleue yt not or rather in synne to byleue yt or do yt though all the catholyque chyrche of Cryste both do byleue and many hundred yeres haue byleued that the thyng is of necessyte to be done or byleued In whyche mate◠〈◊〉 ◠saye syth Tyndale hath fayled of his profe I myght here make an ende sauynge that I haue though◠yt conuenyēt for his more vtter confusyon to brynge in by and by suche thynges as I fynde writen by hym for his parte in this mater bysyde that ye maye se wythout farther sekynge for yt all that he can saye at ones I shall therfore shew you his answeres to suche thynges as I in the .xxv. chapyter of the fyrst boke of my dyaloge alledged for the profe that all necessarye thynges were not wryten in scrypture but some suche onely taught and delyuered vnto the chyrch by mouth And when ye shall here haue herde Tyndales answeres vnto those thynges ye shall then the more clerely perceyue how foule a fall he hath in thys mater vppon whyche the greate parte of all hys heresyes dependeth and ouer that ye shall ryght easely iudge what pyth and substaunce is in his boke of answeres wherwyth he wolde fayne seme clerely to confute my dyaloge I shewed there in my dialoge by the authorite of saynte Iohn̄ the euāgelyste in the laste chapyter of hys gospell that all thyng was not wryten For there he sayth hym selfe Iohn̄ 21 Many thynges dyd Iesus whyche yf they were all wryten the worlde wold not receyue the bokes To thys answereth Tyndale thus Tyndale He iugleth For Iohn̄ meaneth of the myracles whyche Iesus dyd and not of the necessarye poyntes of the fayth More ye se well now that Tyndale well feleth that syth y◠euāgelystes dyd not go togyther by appoyntement to wryte theyr gospels nor when they hadde wryten them conferred theyr bokes togyther to se whyther euery necessary poynte were wryten in amonge them all or ellys at that collacyon to put it in some one as we fynde that saynt Poule had conference wyth Peter and other of the apostles Galathas 2 to come and speke of the fayth amonge them but not to wryte it all out in bokes but euery euangelyste of occasyō offred vnto hym selfe as god put in hys mynde and remembraunce wrote hys owne gospell seuerally by hym selfe and theyr epystles in lyke wyse and peraduenture one of them in all theyr lyues neuer redde the gospell that the tother wrote thys I saye beynge thus excepte that god besyde theyr purpose prouyded ◠amonge them all euery necessary poynte sholde be wryten whyche thynge Tyndale neyther doth nor can by reason or scrypture proue ellys yf any of them lefte vnwryten any poynt necessary to be byleued Tyndale can not saye but that euery of the other apostles myghte do y◠same and then hath Tyndale no surety that euery suche thynge was wryten And therfore Tyndale feleth full well how nere this place of saynt Iohn̄ prykketh hym yf in those wordes of saynte Iohn̄ myghte be vnderstanden that he had not wrytē euery necessary poynt of our bylefe And therfore to auoyde this pynche Tyndale sayth that I iugle For saynte Iohn̄ he sayeth ment onely of Crystes myracles and not of any necessary poynt of the fayth I iugle not For I saye not nay but the saynt Iohn̄ ment of myracles And in the tone place of the twayne he speketh of myracles by name sayenge Iesus wroughte many other myracles in the presence of hys dyscyples that be not wrytē in thys boke In the tother place in the very ende he sayth the Cryste dyd many other thynges whyche yf they shold be all wryten all the worlde coude not receyue the bokes that sholde be wryten In whyche wordes I denye not but that saynte Iohn̄ ment of Crystes myracles to therfore I iugle not But Tyndale that in that seconde place where saynte Iohn̄ meneth no myracles there excludeth hys doctryne wolde make vs wene that saynt Iohn̄ lefte not vnwryten any necessary point of fayth he iugleth goth about to begyle vs I thynke he taketh not so grete hold◠vppon this word dyd in that saynt Iohn̄ sayth Cryste dyd many other thynges and sayth not Cryste taughte many other thynges For thys worde doynge includeth techynge talkyng spekyng and all As yf a man wolde saye Cryst prayed preched and taught this dyd he daye and nyght And therfore syth saint Iohn̄s hole boke was made not onely of Crystes myracles but also of hys doctryne as well worde as dede and then he sayth in the very ende of hys boke that Cryste dyd many thynges mo wherof yf all were wrytē the worlde coude not receyue the bokes why maye not thys be vnderstanden of wordes and dedes and all but yf Tyndale wene that the bokes wolde be
Tyndale feleth neyther fayth lernynge reason wyt nor grace I alledged in my dialoge the wordes of saynte Pâ—ule to the Corynthies where he wryteth vnto them of the holy howsell As our lorde hath delyuered yt to me so haue I delyuered yt to you To this doth Tyndale answere thus Tyndale And wheÌ„ he alledgeth Paule to the Corinthies I say that Paule neuer knewe of this worde masse neither can any man gather therof any straunge holy gestures but the playne contrary and that there was no nother vse there then to breke the brede among them at soper as Crist dyd A and therfore he calleth it Cristes super and not masse More Here goth Tyndale aboute to iugle but his gallys be to greate I layed those wordes for none other cause but to proue that the apostle byfore his wrytynge taught them that great mystery by mouth and shewed them the manner hym selfe byfore his pystle writeÌ„ which he wold not haue wryten vnto them at all yf he myght then coÌ„ueniently haue ben present wyth them And now where I sayed that yt was well lykely that of saynt Poule by his present tradycyon was receyued holy gestures as the chyrche vseth in the consecracyon he answereth me that there is no suche thynge there spoken in the pystle whyche I sayed not there was but I saye that he fyndeth no worde in the pystâ—e that proueth that saynt Poule therin wrote euery thyng that he presently spake or dyd But yt appereth well that saynt Poule speketh of that thynge in that chapyter not to put in wrytynge all thynge that he hadde byfore tolde them by mouth but onely to put them in remembraunce that the thyng whyche they there receyued in the forme of brede though yt were called brede was yet in dede the very blessed bodye of Cryste And for the more clere profe therof he put them in remembrauÌ„ce that as he hadde byfore shewed them our sauyour hym self told hym so And this he remeÌ„bred them of by wrytyng to make them vse them self there after the more reuereÌ„tly For lakke wherof he wryteth to them that sykenesse and deth by the vengeaunce of god fell amonge them bycause they dyd not vse suche reuerence honour as they sholde do to the precyouse body and blessed blood of Cryste And in that chapiter saynt Poule speketh but of certayne vnreuerent poyntes in specyall and concludeth sayeng caetera autem quum venero disponam the remanaunt or all the other thynges I wyll my self order at my commyng Here may we se what so euer Tyndale saye that saynte Poule bysyde thys that he wrote of the sacrament gaue the people other tradycyons thereof by mouth as I sayde in my dialoge pâ—cteynynge to the reuerence and honour therof and Tyndale sayeth here the contrarye But now let the boke be iudge and by that chapiter iudge also the false fayth of Tyndale that sayth yt is synne to do any honour to yt And where Tyndale sayth that saynt Poule neuer know thys worde masse I byleue that well inough for I neuer herd that he spake any word of englyshe But that he knew not the thynge that englyshe men call the masse Tyndale hath not proued yet nor wyll not do this weke For he must proue yt better then by that saynte Poule spake of goddes supper For we call the howselynge of the people goddes borde and Crystes table and yet we know the masse to for all that besyde And the apostles them selfe I dowte not sayd masse many a tyme oft before any gospell wryteÌ„ And holy saynte Chrysostheme sayeth that the apostles in the masse prayed for all crysten soules where as I sayd that of the apostles tradicyon was lerned the maner of coÌ„secracyon yâ— answereth Tyndale in this wise Tyndale A great dowte as though we coulde not gather of the scrypture how to do yt More Surely men settynge no more therby then Tyndale and his felowes do may gather out of the gospell or the pystle eyther or out of what they wyll the maner of the consecracyon saynge of the masse that shall serue them self â— whyle they say yt they care not how byleue they care not what whyle they byleue yt to be none oblacyon hoste nor sacryfyce nor the body nor blood of Criste to be in the sacrameÌ„t nor that the masse doth any man good at all saue onely to the preste him selfe For what care they how they say masse whyche the more synfull they be and the more encombred coÌ„scyence that they haue the more encombred the more boldely as Luther byddeth in Babilonicaâ— presume they to goddes borde But vndouted who so haue a reuerent care therof and ryght fayth of the sacrament well perceyâ—eth that how to saye masse hathe ben taught the apostles by the spiryte of god and by the apostles forth And yf Luther frere Huskyn zwinglius Tyâ—dale and Lambert hadde neuer knowen it afore but shold haue taken the scripture in theyr handes and eche of them deuyse a maner of sayng masse by hym selfe I dare well saye for all Tyndales boste eche of them sholde haue deuysed a sondry fashyon and yet neuer one of the ryght For profe wherof Luther hym self castyng awaye the holy canon of the masse frameth after his fonde fashyon a maner of consecracyon and saynge of the masse in hys boke of Babilonica whyche folyshe inuencyon of hys Rosseus impugneth and playnely proueth that sauyng for the tradycyon of the chyrche Luther coulde neuer tell how or in what wyse to consecrate or saye masse and that the way that Luther deuyseth is vnsuffycyeÌ„t and vncertayne by Luthers awne rule And I doute not but that Tyndale hathe redde both Rosseus and Luther in those places and therfore I meruayle so myche the more that he dare be so bolde to saye yt when beynge hym selfe but Luthers scoler he seeth his mayster made a fole therin all redy where as I in my dialoge alledge that the preste in the consecracyon putteth water in to the wyne where as the scrypture speketh but of wyne therto answereth Tyndale thus Tyndale A great dowte also and a perilouse case yf yt were lefte out For eyther yt was done to slake the hete of the wyne or put to after a ceremonye to signifye that as the water is chaunged into wyne so are we chaunged thorow fayth as yt were into Cryste and are one wyth hym How be yt all is to theyr owne shame that ought sholde be done or vsed amonge vs crysten wherof no man wiste the meanynge For yf I vnderstode not the meanynge yt helpeth me not one corne .1 Corinth 14. and as experience teacheth But yf our sheperdes had bene as wyllynge to â—ede as to shere we hadde neded no such dispycyeÌ„ce ner they to haue burnt so many as they haue More where Tyndale sayth in skorne as he gladly scorneth alway when he speketh of the sacrament that yt were a great doute and a perylouse case to leue
of the sabbat day so that we may chaung the sondaye into mondaye He sayth that there was neuer cause to chaung it fro satterday but onely to put a difference betwene vs the Iewes and leste we sholde bycome seruauntes vnto the daye after theyr superstycyon But I thynke there was bysyde thys a nother cause more pryncypall then any of both those For the Iewes and the crysten hadde other dyfferences and dystynccyons betwene them as baptysme and cyrcumcysyon Nor yt hadde not ben so great incoÌ„uenience that they shold both haue serued god on one daye that for the auoydyng therof we sholde haue lefte the daye that god hym selfe appoynted in the begynnynge And also crysten men both myght haue kepte the same daye that the Iewes kepte and yet haue left the superstycyon therof that the Iewes vse And may nowe also as happely some do kepe the sonday wyth lyke superstycyon as the Iewes do the saterday And therefore these causes be but dyuyned and gessed at and seme but very secundary But the very cause of the chaung is that meÌ„ were not the lordes of the saâ—batday nor men were not the pryncypall authours and makers of the chaunge But the sonne of man our sauyour Cryste hym selfe beynge as he sayde hym selfe lorde euen ouer the sabbatday to and whyche as god hadde made and ordeyned the sabbatdaye for man and not man for the sabbatday and yet neuerthelesse subdued man vnto certayne order of seruynge not the sabbatday but god vppon the sabbatday he I saye hym selfe when he delyuered the people from the obseruauÌ„ce of the olde law dyd as lorde of the sabbatday dyscharge them of the sabbatday And yet bycause they sholde not haue suche a lordely mynde as Tyndale here teacheth vs to haue as to thynke they myght at theyr pleasure take what day they wolde and make and breke as they lyste he appoynted them hym selfe and his owne holy spyrite the day of his owne resurreccioÌ„ whyche gloryouse rysynge of his blessed body not onely to reste but also to eternall glory it pleased hym to haue wekely celebrate wyth the restynge day drawen from wordely besynes to the desyre of heuen acceptable seruyce of god And for this is yt and euer hath ben specyally called our lordes daye wherof to say that we be now the lordes and able to chaunge yt to fryday for our pleasure or turne yt to euery tenth day when we lyste I wene that none wyll saye so but lurdanes yâ— longed to make gaudyes of goddes passyoÌ„ or make hym honored selder then he shold For as for nede fell there neuer none such yet to chaunge this day that Cryste hath ordeyned hym self And he is as able to kepe it froÌ„ such nede of chaunge for euer here after as he hath kepte yt this xv hundred yere byfore If Tyndale stykke styll in this poynte say the chyrche made yt and the chyrch may breke yt I say that the chyrch as yt made yt so yt maye breke yt That is to wyt that as yt made yt by the spiryte of god so yt may breke yt by the same spiryte That is to say that as god made yt so hym self may breke yt yf yt so shall please hym For in suche thynges though the chyrche haue ordeyned yt yet hath the chyrche not done yt but the spiryte of god as holy saynte Austayne sayth in the receyuynge of ouâ— howsell where he sayth that yt hath pleased the holy goost that where as in the bygynnynge yt was receyued after other meatys yt shode be now receyued of folke whyle they be fastynge And in lyke wyse the apostles to geue vs knowlege that though the chyrche make the ordinaunce yet the spyryt of god is the worker therof wrote as is remembred in the .xv. of the actes It hath pleased the holy goost and vs so forth shewed what lawes they had made declarynge therby that though them selfe made them yet made they them not wyth out the mocyon of goddes holy spiryte And neuer shall the whole catholyque chyrche neyther make wythout god nor breke agayne wythout hym But he shall wyth hys presence and hys holy spyryte so gyde and gouerne hys chyrch in suche manner of thynges that they shall not chaungâ— chaunge the sondaye neyther of lordely myndeâ— pleasure nor necessyte Nor I thynke he shall neuer suffer the chyrch to chaunge it But it is a chaunge ones so made and establysshed by our sauyour hym selfe that as the saterdaye was ordeyned by god hym selfe to stande vnchaunged tyll Cryst came so is Crystes daye so ordeyned by hym selfe â— that it shall stande vnchaunged tyll hym selfe come agayne chaunge all the weke and all the yere to into one eternall daye wythout eyther weke or yere And thys chaunge hath he made I saye fro saterdaye to sondaye hym selfe wythout scrypture whyche we be bounden wythout scrypture obedyentely to kepe and obserue what so euer Tyndale bable and scoffe agaynste it For where Tyndale sayth that we be suche lordes ouer it that we maye chaunge and make our sabbatdaye as well vppon any other daye as vppon the sondaye I wolde wyt of hym whyche we whyther the hole catholyke chyrche or euery pertyculare prouynce and yf so then euery dyocyse and by the same reason euery parysshe by it selfe and then any howsholde and fynally any one man is by hym selfe at the same lybertye to kepe for hys owne sabbat daye whyche daye he lyste hym selfe and nede not to come to chyrche wyth other but whan there is a sermone And then ye wote well thys waye wolde do well Now yf he meane by we all we the hole chyrche of Cryst by a comen consent then must he tell vs whyche is it and then muste he nedes assygne a knowen chyrche where is then becomeÌ„ hys heresye of theyr secrete vnknowen chyrche of electes and penytentes wythout penaunce And where he sayth we nede none holydaye at all yf the people myghte be taught wythout it thys is one drawght of hys poyson putte forth vnder the swete pretexte of preachynge wherby syth preachynge is necessary he wolde make men byleue that commynge to chyrche on the holy-day or there to honour god wyth dyuyne seruyce and prayour were but a thynge of nought where as the apostles came them selfe in to the temples in the holydayes to praye And our sauyour alledgeth hym selfe the wordes of Esay Esaiae .51 My howse shall be called the howse of prayour Now where as I alledged in my dyaloge the wordes of saynte Poule vnto the Thessalonycenses to whom he wryteth in thys wyse kepe you my tradycyons whych I haue taken you eyther by worde or letter to this doth Tyndale answere noâ—hynge to me but thys Tyndale I haue to that answered Rochester in the obedience that his tradicyons were the gospell that he preached More In very dede Tyndale in hys boke of disobedyence laboreth sore to wade out of those wordes of saynte Poule
condempne the chyrche refuseth to here byleue and obaye the chyrche ergo Tyndale is to be taken as an hethen man and an heretyke Thys syllogysme is myne And thys syllogysme yf Tyndale wolde fayne wyt in what fygure it is made he shall fynde it in the fyrst fygure the thyrd mode sauyng that the mynor caryeth his profe with hym whych wold ellys in the same fygure and the same mode haue made another syllogysme Now knytteth he vp all thys gere wyth another syllogysme of hys owne makynge And in what fygure he maketh that lette hym tell that can for surely that can I not These are hys wordes Tyndale Crystes dyscyples taughte Crystes doctryne consermyng it with myracles that it myghte be knowen for goddes and not the yrs. And euyn so muste the chyrche that I wyll byleue shew a myracle or brynge autentyke scrypture that is come from the apostles that confyrâ—â—d it with myracles More Now maye I be bolde to make the conclusyon of hys argument for hym For syth he goeth aboute in hys boke to teche not hym selfe but other that shall reade hys boke hys conclusyoÌ„ can be nother but that no man sholde byleue any chyrche wythout myracle or autentyke scrypture wherof the cause is bycause he wyll not otherwyse byleue any Let hym put that in fygure when he can and set there to the cause that moueth hym therto to byleue no chyrch wythout scrypture or myracle and yet wyll all togyther wyth .xvi. syllogysmes brynge hym shorte home For when he sayth that Crystes dyscyples taught his doctryne confyrmynge it wyth miracles and so must the chirch that he wyll byleue or ellys brynge autentyque scryptureâ— I saye that he muste proue the thynge that he so often sayth neuer proueth nor neuer can that is that the apostles proued euery poynt by a specyall miracle whych poynt I haue reproued byfore and yet I aske hym now agayne what miracle wrought the apostles for euery poynte of they re doctryne in theyr letter that I spake of mencyoned in the .xv. chapiter of the Actes or where is yt wryten that they wrought any one for them all I saye also that the catholyque chirch bryngeth miracles for theyr doctryne as the apostles dyd for theyres in that that god ceaceth no yere to worke miracles in his catholyque chyrche many and wonderfull bothe for hys holy men quykke and dede and for the doctryne that these heretykes unpugne as images relyques pylgrymages and the blessed sacrament of the auter And these so many in so many places that these heretykes them self can not denye yt but are shamefully dreuen to saye lyke the Iewes that yt is the deuyll that doth them I say therfore farther the Tyndale doth but mokke trifle when he sayeth he wyll byleue no chirch without miracle or auteÌ„tike scripture For he refuseth to byleue the chirch though it bryng both twayne For yf we bryng auteÌ„tyque scripture he wyll not let to say that it is not autentique as he playeth by the Machabees his master be saynt I amys pystle If he denye not then wyll he saye that the chirche vnderstandeth yt wronge so that the chyrch hath nede to brynge myracles to proue hym that the scrypture is the scrypture and that they all to gether vnderstande yt better then he alone as well as that the chyrch is the chirch And yet when the catholyque chirch bryngeth miracles wrought by god in yt for yt and the plentuously no chirche any one but yt then sayth Tyndale that they be all wrought by the deuyll And thus ye may se when he hath all sayde he neyther regardeth miracle nor scripture neyther but mokketh both twayne Now haue ye herd all that I fynde Tyndale answere agaynst suche thynges as I layed byfore in my dialoge to proue that all thynge necessary is not wryten in scrypture And then what profe he caÌ„ make for hys owne parte to pue that all is wryten ye haue herd all redy wherin how lytle pyth there is euery chylde maye perceyue And then may ye surely reken that syth thys is hys laste boke and the place in whyche he maketh a specyall tytle for the mater he bryngeth in all the beste that he caÌ„ fynde And yf he fynde any thynge ellyswhere wryten by his mayster or hym selfe or any other of hys felowes for that purpose whych he leueth out here ye may be faste and sure he seeth wellâ— he sholde haue but shame to brynge yt in As the wordes of Criste Insâ—â—â—â—te scripturâ—â— quoniam iâ—sâ— testimonium â—â—hibeÌ„t de me Loke you in that scriptures for they bere witnesse of me which thyng no man denyeth but we deny them that nothyng witnesseth Cryste ellys but the scrypture alone For our sauyour hym selfe whyche sayde those wordes sayde that saynte IohnÌ„ also bare wytnesse of hym bysyde the scrypture that hys father bare wytnesse of hym bysyde the scrypture and that hys owne workes bare wytnesse of hym bysyde the scrypture and that the holy goost at hys commynge bare wytnesse of hym bysyde the scrypture and hys apostles as hym selfe sayd they shold bare wytnesse of hym besyde the scrypture And now that all euer they all witnessed of Cristes wyll to be necessaryly byleued or dâ—ne is synnys those wordes of Cryste spoken by his apostles wryten in the scripture this seeth Tyndale well that he must proue vs by scripture and not bynde vs onely to the scripture by those wordes of Criste Serche you yâ— scrypture whyche were spoken of Cryste byfore all the new scrypture and sholde serue to strayne vs to proue all thynge by the olde scrypture to byleue nothyng farther then we fynde writen in the olde testament And therfore Tyndale hadde yet some witte when he lefte those wordes oute And lyke wyse he saw that yt hadde not ben to purpose to brynge in those wordes whyche some of that secte bryng forth full solemnely that ys to wyt the wordes of saynt IohnÌ„ in the Apocalyps where he sayth If any man any thynge sette to these thynges god shall putte vppon hym the plages wryteÌ„ in thys boke And also yf any man any thyn â— my nyshe of the wordes of the bokes of thys prophecye god shall take from hym hys parte of the boke of lyfe and of the holy cytye and of those thynges that are wryten in this boke By whyche wordes he meaneth not that no man shall neuer after be so hardy to wryte any prophecye yf euer it please god any other thynge to reucle And mych lesse he meaneth to put god to sylence that he shall neuer any other thynge reuele yf hym lyste nor sayth not that god hath shewed hym that he neuer wyll But he gyueth a charge thâ—t men vse dylygence and treuth in the wrytynge out of hys owne And mych lyke charge all be it not of lyke authoryte haue other wryters gyuen for theyr owne bookes as it is to se in the ende of the cronycle of
coÌ„demned as it is well worthy and the condemnacyon therof is neyther openly nor pryuyly directely nor indirectely agaynst the worde of god nor tendeth not to the destruccion of the fayth but very coÌ„sonaunt wyth the worde of god auferte masum ex vobismet ipsis and greatly tendyng to the mayntenaunce of the fayth And concernynge that testament I haue both in my dialoge and in the secuÌ„de boke of thys wurke well proued this poynte wherunto when Tyndale weneth to fynde any farther defence let hym lay yt forth There is also no statute made by the chirch to forbyd any man to preache the worde of god hauyng no cause agaynst hym but theyr owne malycyouse suspycyon Nor god I dowte not wyll neuer suffer hys chyrche to fall so madde as to make suche a law If frere Barns fynde any law made of suche materâ— let hym reherse it and I waraunt you he shall fynde no suche wordes in it There is in dede a law made bothe by the chyrche and in thys realme by the parlyament to that no man shall be suffred to preache in any dyocyse agaynste the bysshoppes wyll And I wene that law be not agaynst goddes law nor agaynste reason neyther excepte eyther goddys lawe or good reason sholde suffer that one man sholde medle wyth another mannes charge magry his teeth to whom the charge bylongeth or ellys shold be suffred to sow shrewd seed of heresyes scysmes sedycyoÌ„s among the people fyrstâ— then be burned vp after at leysour Such folke I suppose were better prohybyted bytymes ere they be suffred longe to go forwarde to the parell of other mennes soules theyr owne to Such haue we had some prohybited here of late of whyche one was yet so sore set vppon euyll prechyng that after the prohybycyon abiuracyoÌ„ to yet wold he preche heresyes styll vntyll at the last god caused hym to be taken Tindals bokes with hym to both two burned togyder wyth more profyte vnto his soule theÌ„ had ben happely to haue lyued lenger after dyed in his bedde For in what mynde he sholde then haue dyed our lorde knoweth where as now we know well he dyed a good crysten man And when he wyste well his reuocacyon coude not saue his body yet reuoked he his heresyes and abhorred Tyndals bokes for to saue hys soule Now here serue well the wordes of saynte Austayne agaynst Barns whyche wordes Barns bryngeth for hym For when we here such a merceÌ„nary precher as these heretykes be for the tyme that we here them yf they say aught well and accordynge to the catholyke fayth as they can not for shame saye all nought at ones then take it But when we here them preache theyr owne heresyes for the rewarde of worldely prayse or delyte of theyr owne syngulare pryde and so seke theyr owne and not Crystes then here them not but putte them to sylence and prohybyte them to preache any more Thys allegorye wyll agre wyth the sayd wordes of saynt Austayne of Crystes wordes to And yet so mych the better in that these heretyques maye properly be called not onely mercennaryes of whom saynt Austayne speketh but also very scrybes and pharisees of wurse kynde then were those of whom Criste in that gospel speketh For these be false scribes that is to wytte wryters not wrytyng any trew bokes of scrypture but false gloses and contrary commentes vppon scrypture and erronyouse bokes of dyuelyshe heresyes dyuysed of they re owne frantyque braynes to the coloure wherof they abuse the scrypture and when they lyste they also denye the scrypture These be also the worst kynde of pharysees For these haue dyuyded them selfe not from the other people by any professyon of a more honest more vertuous lyuynge but haue dyuyded them selfe from the catholyque chirche of Cryste by abomynable heresyes and from all honeste people by the coÌ„tempte of all good wurkes and by the bestely professyon of freres nonnes lyuyng to gether in lechery preachyng theyr horedome foâ— honeste matrymony These be the thynges whyche we sholde not vouchsaufe to here these scrybes and theâ—e false pharysees preache For these be the deuyls deuyces and theyr owne For as for all that is preached consonaunte to the catholyque fayth ys very goddes law whyther yt be wryteÌ„ or not Nor saynt Austayn sayth not Here them in preachynge onely the scripture but goddes law he sayth wherein is comphended all that euer we be bouÌ„den to do or byleue wherof saynt Austayn doth hym selfe confesse that dyuerse thynges are vnwryten as for ensample the perpetuall virgynyte of our blessed ladye whyche who so byleueth not bycause yt is not wryten saynt Austayne calleth a falsâ— heretyque in hys boke wryten vnto Quod vult deus And so doth saynte Hierome to in hys boke agaynste Eluidius And all such thynges be therfore partes of the plantes whyche the father of heuen planteth by hym selfe hys apostles his holy spiryte and his owne sonne abydynge in hys chirche whyther they be wryten or not And thus ye se good reders that neyther those wordes of Cryste nor of saynt Austayne neyther do proue that the apostles haue lefte all necessarye thynges in wrytynge And therfore though Barns was so fonde to brynge in that text for this purpose yet Tyndale perceyued well that yt wold not serue and therfore lefte yt out yet layeth frere Barns a nother texte for thys purpose the wordes of saynt Poule wryten vnto Timothe the .iii. chapyter of the .ii. pystle where saynte Poule wryteth vnto hym in thys wyse Abyde thou in those thynges that thou hast lerned and that are betaken to the knowynge of whoÌ„ thou haste lerned them and that from thyn infancye thou haste knowen holy scrypture whyche maye instructe the to helth by the fayth that is in Cryste Iesu. All scrypture inspyred of god is profytable to teche to reproue to correcte to teache men in iustyce that the man of god maye be perfayte instructed to euery good worke I haue rehersed you saynt Poules wordes more full theÌ„ doth frere Barns bycause ye maye haue some gesse why he lefte the remanauÌ„t out For he reherseth no more but that the chyrche muste neyther make law nor statute nor nothynge do but onely preache and mynyster the worde of god and that nothynge addynge nor mynysshynge but as Poule sayth to Timothe abyde in those thynges that they haue lerned and that be commytted vnto them Now se ye well that saynte Poule speketh nothynge to Timothe agaynst addynge oâ— any good order or statute in hys chyrche but byddeth hym abyde faste by those thynges that he hath lerned of hym and that he hath lerned in scrypture ioynynge to the scrypture alwaye the ryght fayth of Cryste whyche he had lerned of saynt Poule And therfore agaynste makynge of any law thys texte serueth frere Barons a strawe
How be yt let Barns constre yt whych way he lyste that may haue any hold of the wordes and it shall neuer serue for his purpose neyther concernyng any forbedynge of lawes to be made by the chirche nor to proue that euery thynge necessary to saluacyon is writen in scrypture but rather playne the contrarye For euery man well woteth that euery necessarye thynge is not wryten by saynt Poule nor he hath not wryten euery thynge that he taught nor euery thynge is not now had that he dyd write And therfore this text of saynt Poule brought in by Barns nothynge helpeth his purpose but rather greatly hyndreth yt whych thynge Tyndale well perceyued and therfore he lefte yt oute Tyndale saw well also that any thynge that his mayster Marten Luther layde and lashed oute agaynste the kynges hyghnes concernynge this purpose or spekynge agaynste the tradycyons of men serue to no purpose in this mater agaynste the sacramentes or any poynte of the catholyque fayth whyche we saye be the tradycyons of god wherof as Tyndale well knoweth nothynge that Luther layed any thynge proue the contrary nor any thynge touche the purpose to proue that all the necessarye poyntes of the crysten fayth were by Crystes apostles putte in wrytyng And therfore Tyndale seynge his mayster Martine Luther in that poynt by Rosseus so shamfully sowsed in the myre byfore thought he wolde beware of that pudle and come no more nere yt and therfore lefte out all that his mayster had brought in for the mater Then was ther yet one texte remayned wherof many of them were wonte to bere theym hygh And that was the saynge of saynt Poule which text Tindale hath also brought forth ere thys to proue that we muste byleue nothynge but onely scrypture And that is where he wryteth to the Galathyes in the furst chapyter that yf an angell of heuen wold come downe and preache any other gospell then hym selfe had done accursed were he Thys texte hath nowe frere Barns brought in a freshe for the same purpose in hys new frantyke boke and magnyfyeth mych hym selfe there wyth when Tyndale hath left it of for shame For Tyndale at last after longe lokyng on it espyed well that yt wold nothyng serue for hys mater For he saw well that saynt Poule ment none other but that an angell were not to be byleued yf he taught a contrarye gospell and ment not that none angell were to be byleued yf god sent hym both to conferme that and also shew somwhat that god wolde haue done farther Tyndale saw also that that texte sayeth not that saynte Poule hath wryten all hys owne gospell nor that all hys felowes hadde wryten yt amonge them all whyche he wyste well was the poynte that muste be proued And therfore as frere Barns folyshely bryngeth yt in so doth Tyndale wysely leue yt out And surely as I haue sayde hys wytte serued hym well in leuynge out all thâ—se But hys wyt fayled hym in one thynge that he hadde not lefte oute also all that euer he hath hym selfe brought in All whyche as your selfe se well I haue nowe proued hym as lytle to preue hys purpose as hym selfe seeth well that all the tother dyd whyche for that cause he was ashamed to speke of Now haue ye herd as farre as I can fynde all that euer Tyndale eyther hath sayde or can say in this mater eyther hym selfe or any man ellys for the profe of hys owne parte or for the dysprofe of ours And therby se ye well that he neyther hath proued nor neuer shall he proue whyle he lyueth neyther hym selfe nor no man ellys the thyng that he so boldely sayth that all thynge necessary for saluacyon is wryteÌ„ in scrypture nor able is he not nor no man ellys nor neuer shall hereafter be able to auoyde yt but that god taughte ys not yet so bounden but that he may teche what he wyll and when he wyll wyth scrypture or wythout and may coÌ„maunde yt to be byleued not beyng contrary to that he hath taught all redy and maye commaunde some thynges to be done though they were contrarye to some thynges that he hadde hym selfe by scrypture commaunded afore And I thynke yt not to be dowted but notwythstaÌ„dynge that Moyses receyued the laws ad ceremonies in writyng yet receyued he not as Tyndale sayth he dyd all thyng so fully in wrytynge but that there remayned in the peoples myndes bysyde the wrytyng dyuerse thynges necessary and of great wayght that they hadde receyued byforeâ— kepte peraduenture from Adams owne dayes concernynge the commynge of Cryste and the redempcyon by hym and the state of soules both in heuen hell purgatory paradyse lymbus patrum And yt wyll who so lyste to loke therfore well be perceyued in them that wrote after Moyses dayes that the iewes had myche open lyght and knowlege in some such thynges bysyde all that that appereth writeÌ„ in the .v. bokis of Moyses whereby yt wyll well appere that Tyndale sayeth not trew where he sayth that Moyses dyd put all in wrytynge ye shall well fynde also that not wythstaÌ„dyng all that euer hath ben wryten synnys eyther by the prophetes euangelystes or any other apostle yet wyll yt neuer appere that all is wryten that was taught by mouth but that yâ— chirche of Cryste hath had taught vnto them by the spiryte of god dyuerse treuthes whyche no good man can doute in wherof the scrypture nothynge determyneth and whyche thynges therfore false heretyques brynge in questyon and lette not to say the contrary as in the comen knowen ensamples of our ladyes perpetuall virgynyte of the assumpcyon of her blessed body whyche god wold ellys haue had founden in erth honored as well as the bodyes of any other saynt of whom hym selfe hath caused by specyall reuelacyon dyuerse to be sought out and founden â—o be wurshypped here in erth for hys sake and confermed yt by many manifest miracles as we fynde in autentyque storyes By these tradycyons haue we also the prayeng to saynts and the knowledge that they pray for vs all be yt in the boke of Machabeâ—â— yet that thynge well appereth By these tradicions haue we the holy lenton faste which these brotheles so boldely take vppon them to breke and as lollardes to eate fleshe and whyche holy faste these folys in theyr wrytynge call the folyshe faste By these haue we also the saterdaye chauÌ„ged into the sondaye whyche they care not to turne into frydaye now By these haue we the halowyng of chalyces vestymeÌ„ts pascall taper and holy water wyth dyuerse other thynges By these tradycyons of that holy spiryte hath the chirch also the knowlege how to consecrate how to say masse and what thynge to pray for and to desyre therein By thys haue we also the knowlege to do reuereÌ„ce to the images of holy sayntes and of oure sauyour and to crepe to hys crosse and to do dyuyne honour vnto the blessed sacrament of the
auter to whyche yet to saye the trouth neuer tradycyon neded For syth the scrypture ys playne that yt is Crystes owne precyâ—use bodye whyche ys not dede but quykke wyth that blessed soâ—le and wyth them the godhed vnseparably ioyned what frantyque fole coulde doute but yt sholde be wyth dyuyne honour wurshypped though neyther god nor man bysyde that knowledge hadde geuen vs warnynge therof But yet is Tyndale so farre bysyde hym selfe that he byleueth not the scrypture of god nor the word spoken by goddes owne mouth when he sayde that yt is hys owne body and is so blasphemouse agaynst god that he calleth it great synne to do to that blessed bodye of Cryste in the sacrament any honour at all bycause yt ys not commaunded he sayth in scrypture But thus may ye good crysten readers se to what poynt at laste thys heresye bryngeth these folke For when they fyrste fall to that poynt that they regarde not goddes word but yf he geue yt them in wrytyngeâ— wythin a whyle after fall they downe so farre that they neyther regarde hys worde nor his wrytynge nor yet hym selfe neyther But nowe is yt a worlde to se what shyfte these folke be fayne to seke Sometyme they come forth shamlesse and boldely tell on they re tale And yet when they perceyue in the myddes thereof that all that here theym wonder on them then they caste on theyr hodes and keuer theyr faces for shame For somtyme they say they care but for scrypture alone and set nought by all those that euer wrote synnys the apostles dayes Then se they agayn that to abyde by that word were to shamelesse and then they restrayne it vnto this .viii. hundred yeres laste paste in whyche they saye all is corrupted And then they grauÌ„te that before there were good men that taught the trewth and then they saye that we wyll not byleue them as though them selfe wolde And when we aske them then whyche of those olde men before .viii. C. yere last past euer sayed that relygyous men myght runne out and wedde nonnes to that they say nothynge but fare as though they herd it not But when that my lorde of Rochester in the selfe same mater that we haue now in hande to proue that dyuers thynges whyche the chyrch vseth and byleueth and whych were neuer made by any law wryten and yet obserued thorow yâ— catholyke chyrche were of suche antyquyte that euery man myghte well perceyue that they came from yâ— very apostles them selfe hâ— layed forth the greate clerke olde auncyent father Origene wherwyth as I haue shewed you before Tyndale was very angry and all to rated Origen called hym starke heretyke But yet shall not Tyndale so fere me there wythall but that to th entent that he shall not blynde you and make you wene that all the olde fathers were in thys mater of hys mynde but that ye shall well se that the thynges whyche he reproueth and wolde haue you wene were nought worth bycause he sayth they be not in scrypture be not thynges deuysed as Tyndale sayth by popys and popysh wythin thys viii C. yere I shall as I promysed byfore in yâ— second boke reherse you bothe the wordes of Origene and besyde some vndowted holy meÌ„ synnes I shall reherse you dyuers other above .viii. C. yere and aboue .xi. C. yere and aboue a thousande to of whom my lorde of Rochester hath gathered dyuerse togyther and rehersed in the same mater in hys boke agaynst Luther all whyche saue Origene onely Tyndale dyssembleth bycause he may not call them herâ—tykes as he called Origene for whom I haue in that poynt answered Tyndale in my sayd seconde boke before Origene in the fyfte homely vppon the boke of Numeri wryteth in thys wyse In the obseruaunces of the chyrche some thynges there are whyche muste of necessyte be obserued and kept and yeâ— the cause why appereth not to euery man As for ensample that we knele when we pray that of all partes of the heuen we moste specyally tourne vs towarde the este I suppose that no man lyghtely knoweth yâ— cause why Moreouer of the sacrament of th aulter eyther the maner in the receyuyng or the guyse and fashyon of the coÌ„secracyon or of the formale wordes and ceremonyes vsed in baptysme and of the questyons and answeres vsed in the same who may well open and declare the reason And yet all these thynges though they be coueryd and hyd we bere vppon our shoulders what tyme we in such wyse accoÌ„plysh and fulfyll them as we haue receyued them of the great byshoppe Cryste and hys chyldren delyuered and commended vnto vs. Damascene in the fourth boke in the .xiii. chapyter of yâ— prayeng towarde the oryente wryteth thus This tradicyon of the apostles is not wryten for many thynges are delyuered vnto vs wythout wrytynge And farther in the .xvii. chapyter where it is wryten of yâ—â—urshyppynge of the ymages of sayntes he sayeth that many thynges the holy apostles haue delyuered vnto vs wythout wrytynge Saynt Poule the apostle of the gentyles wryteth in this wyse Stande faste and obserue our tradycyons whyche ye be taught be yt by our worde or by wrytynge And vnto the Corynthyes thus I commende ye my brethern by cause in euery thyng ye haue remembred me and kepte the tradycyons as I delyuered ye them Dyonise the fyrste chapyter of Ecclesiasticae hierarchiae of the leders and maysters of the crysten fayth sayth that they delyuered vs many thynges to be kepte partely by wrytynge and partely by theyr instytucyons vnwryten Saynte Cypriane in his sermon of the wasshynge of the fete The hygh preste hym selfe is the ordayner and author of his owne sacrament In all the resydew men were taught by the holy goste And lykewyse as in Criste and in the holy goste is lyke and egall godhed so is there in theyr instytucyons and ordynaunces lyke power and egall authoryte And no lesse is yt ratyfyed of god the thyng that thapostles by the inspyracyon of the holy goste dyd instytute then the thynge that hym selfe hath ordeyned and hath in remembraunce of hym selfe wylled and commaunded to be done Eche of them hath theyr owne proper dygnyte and eche of them hath in theyr owne kynde egall authoryte Nothynge maye there eyther be addyd or wythdrawne nothynge neyther reformed nor chaunged Saynte Hyllary in the syxte boke of the Trynyte when he had made mencyon of the apostles wryteth in this wyse Of these apostles am I taught these thynges yâ— I obserue In them am I so seasoned that the taste can neuer be goten oute Theophilactus vppoÌ„ these wordes of saynt Poule My brethern stande faste and kepe the tradycyons that ye haue lerned be yt by my worde or by my letters of this trewly yt is euydâ—nt that saynt Poule delyuered vnto theÌ„ many thynges to be kepte wythout wrytynge and by worde of mouth onely that ys to saye wyth lyuely voyce not by letters all onely
For as well be those thynges to be byleued as these And therfore let vs esteme thobseruauÌ„ces of the chyrce worthy to be byleued so that yf any thynge be delyuered to vs by the chyrch neuer aske farther questyon Saynte Hierome interpâ—etynge the .xi. chapyter of the fyrste epystle to the Corynthyes sayth in this wyse Saynt Poule preuented them to th entent none of them shold say where is this wryten nor shold wyth any other argumeÌ„tes stryue agaynste this reason And therfore he sayde we haue no suche custome to stryue and contende neyther we nor yet the chirche of god whych is rather geueÌ„ to myldenesse then to contencyon and stryfe Theophilactus expowneth the same place lykewyse and sayth For as myche as the Corinthyans wolde perchaunce collour this mater by certayne subtyltyes and wente about yt by syllogysmys sophistycacyons alledgynge that these thynges were neyther good nor bad but of theyr nature indyfferent therfore saynt Poule sayde we haue no such custome other to be coÌ„tencyouse or a man to let his here grow in length or a woman to go bare hed neither haue we sayd saynt Poule this custome nor the chirche of god that ys nor the other crysten people neyther And therfore by suche frowarde argumeÌ„tes ye seme to resyste and withstande not onely me but also the chyrche yt selfe These wordes therfore of saynte Poule maye make the herers ashamed to do any thynge contrarye to the custome receyued by the chyrche Saynte Leo also an holyman and a cunnynge in a sermon that he maketh in the faste at whytesontyde sayeth in thys wyse There is no doute my welbeloued brethern but that euery crysten obseruaunce is of Crystes techynge and what so euer is receyued of the chyrche into a custome of deuocyon commeth of thapostles tradycyon and of the doctryne of the holy goost which holy spiryte euen now also doth rule all faythfull hertes wyth his own instruccyon to make them kepe them obedyently and vnderstande them wysely Saynte Austayne in the boke of the baptysme of yonge chyldren agaynste the Pelagians wryâ—eth in thys wyse Chyldren whiche be baptysed be taken in the nomber of faythfull peple and that onely by an olde cononyke sure grounded custome of the chyrche And in a nother place agayne Now sayth he we haue shewed you afore that the lyttell chyld beleueth that he is accouÌ„ted amonxst men yâ— be baptysed Thys holdeth the authoryte of our mother holy chirch and this holdeth the rule of the sure grouÌ„ded fayth who so runneth agaynste this fortresse this inexpugnable wall shall all to frush hym selfe Cassianus in the .xi. collacyon the .xii. chapiter Thauthoryte of the olde fathers and the custome of our elders contynued by the space of so many yeres vnto this day although the cause of them be not perceyued by vs muste we fyrmely byleue And that custome must we with perpetuall obseruauÌ„ce reuerently fulfyll in such wyse as yt was delyuered of olde Saynte Austayne in the .cxviii. pystle to Ianuary sayeth thus Those thynges whych are not wryten and yet we by tradycyon obserue them such I meane as are thorow Crystendome kepte we may well vnderstande that they be kept as thynges ordeyned and commaunded vnto vs eyther by the apostles them selfe or ellys by generall counsayles the authoryte wherof is in the chyrch moste necessary As for ensample that the passyon of Cryste and his resurreccion and hys ascensyon into heueÌ„ and the comynge of the holy goost from heuen are yerely celebrate with a solemne feaste and what someuer thyng we fynde that is obserued amonge all people where the chyrche of Cryste ys sprede Many thynges be not founde in the wrytynges of the apostles nor in the counsayles of those that cam after them whyche yet bycause they be kepte of all the hole chyrche we byleue them to haue hadde no nother bygynnynge but by the tradycyon and commendacyon of the apostles vnto vs by them selfe Saynt Austayne in the fourth boke of baptisme agaynst the Donatystes The thynge that the hole chyrche holdeth and is not instytute and ordeyned by counsayles and that not wytstandynge hath ben euer obserued we very well by leue that yt neuer byganne but by the authoryte of the apostles tradycyon Saynte Austayne in the fyfte boke of baptysme agaynst the Donatistes sayth Many thynges are there whyche the vnyuersall chyrche holdeth and therfore be well byleued that the apostles haue commaunded them though they be not founde in wrytynge Saynte Austayne in the .xi. chapiter of the .ix. boke of his confessyons wrytynge of the departyng of that holy blessed woman his mother Monica sheweth that all be yt before tyme she had ben very studyous of the place where she wold be beryed longed specyally to be layed by her husbande yet at the tyme that she lay dyenge beynge then farre from the place where her husbande lay shewed vnto saynt Austayne then psent wyth her that she cared not in what chyrch they beryed her bodye but she prayed them very effectually to remember her in his masse whyche thynge I wryte the ye may se that the masse and prayenge for soules therin ys not so new a thynge as Tyndale wolde haue yt seme And in the nexte chapyter after saynte Austayne sayeth these wordes spoken vnto god Her body was caryed forth we folowed cam agayne wythoute teares And ouer yâ— in those prayers whych we made vnto the when the sacryfyce of our redempcion was offered for her the corps beyng set by the graue as the maner is there I wept not in those prayers neyther but all the day was I in a greuouse secrete sorowe And afterwarde in the laste chapyter of the same boke saynt Austayne prayeth for his mother vnto our Lord amoÌ„g many other wordes in thys wyse I good lorde that art my prayse and my lyfe the god of my hart settynge a syde for the whyle my mothers vertues and goodnesse for whych I ioyfully geue the thaÌ„kes wyll now beseche the for her synnys Here me gracyously good lorde for that medycyne of out woundes whyche honge vppon the crosse and now syttynge at thy ryght haÌ„de doth call vppon the for vs. I know good lorde that she dyd workes of mercy and that she hartely dyd frogyue the dettes vnto her dettours Forgyue thou good lorde her dettes to her suche also as she hath fallen in by so many yeres after the water of helthe Forgyue her good lorde forgyue her I beseche the and enter not wyth her into iudgement And afterwarde he sayth And I beleue good lorde that thou hast done all redy the thynge that I praye for For she when the daye approched of her departynge nothyng bethought her how she myghte haue her body costely couered or dressed wyth spycâ—s nor longed for a suÌ„ptuouse sepulchre nor cared not to be beryed in her owne countrey These were not the thynges that she any thynge requyred vs but onely desyred vs to haue her in remembraunce at thyne auter to
whyche she hadde ben accustomed no daye myssynge to do seruyce from whyche she well knewe that holy sacryfyce to be dyspensed by whyche the oblygacyon that made agaynst vs was cancelled and by whyche was led as a captyue in triumphe that ennemy of ours that kepeth a rekenynge of our synnes and sekynge what he myght obiecte coulde in hym nothynge fynde in whom we haue had the vyctoryâ— who can shed hym agayne an innocent blood for hys who can restore hym agayne the raunson that he redeined vs wyth To the sacrament of whych raunson of ours thyne hand mayde hath bouÌ„de her soule with the bonde of fayth Let no man pull her froÌ„ thy proteccyoÌ„ Let neyther the lyon nor the dragon neyther byforce nor by false sleyght steppe in betwene her and the. She shall not answere that she oweth the naught lest she be therin conuynced and cast and that therby her suttle accuser get her But she shall answere that her dettes be forgyueÌ„ her whom no man is able to paye that he payed for vs when he owed naught for hym selfe In peace mote she be therfore and her husbonde to a fore whom and after whom she neuer maryed non whom she lyke a seruaunt obeyd bryngynge frute to the thorow her pacyent sufferaunce that she myght therby wynne hym to the to Inspyre good lorde my god inspyre thy seruauntes my bretherne thy chyldren my lordes whom both wyth worde and herte and wrytynge I serue that as many as rede thys may remember at thyn aulter thy seruaunt Monica with Patricius somtyme her husbande by whose flesh thou haste brought me into thys lyfe I can not tell howe Make them remember wyth a deuoute assercion them that were in thys transytory lyfe my father and mother vnder the my father and my mother the catholyke chyrche where my syster and brother and in the eternall Hierusalem shall be my neyghbours and cytesens whyche Hierusalem thy people from theyr goynge forth tyll theyr commyng home in all theyr pylgrymag longeth for and sygheth Good lord graunte thys that the thynge whych was the laste that euer she desyred of me she may the more plentuously obteyneâ— by the prayours of many mo The olde holy doctour saynte Chrysostome in his home lye wherin he sheweth that almes dede masses and diriges greatly profyte them that are dede among many other thynges wryteth in thys wyse It was not for naughte ordeyned by thapostles that in the dredfull mysteryes of the masse sholde commemoracyon be made for them that be dede For thapostles knewe that thereby cometh to the soules great auauntage and profyte For when all the people standeth to gether holdynge vppe theyr handes and the preste fulfyllâ—th hys obseruaunce and that dredfull sacrifyce set forth how can yt be but that then praynge for the soules â—e shall obteyne Now se you very playne good cristen readers that of the eldeste and the very beste that euer haue wryten vppon the scrypture of god in Crystes chirche and whyche bene holy sayntes in heuen and suche as sufferd persecucyon for goddes sake do testyfye for our parte that the thynges whych the catholyke chirche vnyuersally â—yleueth and vseth are nothynge to be douted of but to be byleued and vsed whyther they be founden in scrypture or not And ye se that they saye that the apostles taught and delyuered to the chyrche dyuerse thynges by mouth bysyde all that they wrote whyche thyng saynt Poule sayth also hym self and yet bysyde that we se that of his wrytynge there is parte soste ye se also that some suche thynges as Tyndale sayeth that the popes haue oflate fayned them selfe for theyr lucre as the masse and the paynes of purgatory both saynte Austayne and saynte Chrysostome and other holy sayntes saye that the thynges were byleued vsed and taught by the apostles them selfe 〈◊〉 as for the olde holy doctours ye se howe farre they 〈◊〉 Tyndale and therfore of Tyndale or theym byleue whom ye lyke â—este for me and consyder well wyth your selfe wyth whyther of those two were surer to sende your soules yet is there as old as any that I haue rehersed yet saynt Polycarpus the dyscyple of saynte IohnÌ„ whyche wrote a boke of the tradycyons geuen vnto the chyrche by the apostles whyche wolde playnely haue proued Tyndale a fole and a lyar both yf the boke hadde not ben loste And vndoutely god wolde neuer haue sufferd yt to be loste yf he coulde not haue kepte hys tradycyons without wrytynge How be yt what nede we better or elder then as I byfore haue sayde the authoryte of saynte IohnÌ„ hym selfe in hys laste chapyter of the gospell Many thynges were done that are not writen in this boke or of saynt Poule wrytyng hym selfe to the Corynthyes All other thynges I wyll ordeyne when I come my selfe and to the Thessalonycenses kepe you my preceptes or institucyons whych I haue geuen you eyther by worde or by my pystle By whych wordes yt appereth well that he had wryten vnto them byfore that then was holy scrypture and yet hadde â—en yf yt hadde ben kepte and preserued and was not wythout good thynges therin and necessarye wherof parte may be suche thynges as the heretykes now do barke at bycause the pystle is loste But god is not loste that preserueth styll the mater though he lette go the letter Saynte Poule also to Timothe wryteth of such vnwryten tradycyons well and playnely in his secunde pystle in these wordes Thou therfore my son Timothe be comforted in the grace that is Cryste Iesu and those thynges that thou haste herd of me by many wytnesses commyte theym vnto faythfull men such as shal be mete to teche them forth to other men Those wordes of saynt Poule do very playnely shew that some thynges there were whyche saynt Poule taught Timothe and that in presence of certayne good vertues wytnesse and whyche thynges were as saynt Ambrose sayth secrete mysteries whych thynges he there coÌ„maunded Timothe to commytte also to other faythfull men suche as shold be able and mete to teche to th entent that they myght teche the same thynges farther and whiche be some of such thynges as these heretyques now barke at that are comen fro mouth to mouth and from hande to hande from the apostles dayes vnto our owne It is a myche lesse thynge also to byleue our selfe to be bounden to do a thynge of necessyte wythout authoryte of scrypture then to thynke our selfe wythoute scrypture vnbounden and in no necessyte to do the thynge whyche we fynde commaunded in scrypture But we fynde commaunded in scrypture fyrst by the law of nature and after in the law wryten the olde law wyth a cause annexed for vyolatyng of nature and after agayne by the apostles as I haue rehersed in the new law the .xv. of the actes that men sholde abstayne from strangled and from bloode of whyche coÌ„maundement in scrypture we se no dyscharge but the custome of the catholyke chyrch yet hath Tyndale
in his chirche to make the chyrchâ— and the doctryne thereof knowen for trew Tyndale then vnder the false pretexte of fauour to goddes wrytynge blasphemeth all his vnwryten wordes and hym selfe to wyth callynge goddes myracles nothynge but dyuels wonders And this dotâ— Tyndale bycauâ—e he wolde not in any wyse that the chyrche hadde any credence farther then yt can proue by the wryten wordes of some apostle where he woteth well that thapostles wrote not all that they taught and also that god ordeyned his apostles for hys chyrch and not his chyrche for hys apostles and doth therfore more esteme and more sette by his chyrche then by any of his apostles or all the whole twelue to gether And yet wyll not Tyndale byleue for goddes word any thynge that the chyrch teacheth for his worde but yf he fynde it wryten in holy scrypture where as yf he byleue not the chyrch he caÌ„ neuer tell of any parte of scripture whyther it be holy scrypture or not But his dealynge well declareth wherfore he wold haue nothynge byleued wythoute scrypture The cause is none other but bycause he wolde haue nothynge byleued of no man but what he lyste hym selfe For he wyll not stykke to denye some parte of holy scrypture for holy scrypture and expowne all the remanaunt in suche false folyshe fashyon that among his other hundred heresyes he wolde make vs so madde to byleue that freres may wedde noÌ„nesâ— and that no man sholde wurshyppe the precyouse body holy blood of Cryste in the blessed sacrament of the auter And fynally thus ye se that Tyndale and suche other as wolde haue vs reiecte and refuse al that god hath taughte hys chirche but yf yt be proued by scrypture be not onely vnable to proue or defende that heresye but also do handle the scrypture yt selfe in suche a shamefull wyse that yf other men whom they reproue dyd not handle yt better yt hadde ben better to haue lefte all to gether vnwryten and neuer hadde scrypture at all And we muste nedes perceyue that wythout the bylyefe and credence geuen vnto the catholyke chyrche of Cryste we coulde be sure of nothynge but that as saynte Paule sayth the chirche is the pyller and strength of the trewth And thus ende I my thyrde boke coÌ„teynyng the answere of hys two specyall chapyters the tone whyther the worde were byfore the chyrche or the chyrch byfore the worde and the tother whyther the apostles lefte any thynge vnwryteÌ„ necessary to soule helth In whyche two poyntes as gloryousely as he glytered in his owne yâ—e euery man seeth now how fowle a fall he hath whereby more then halfe of hys heresyes are vtterly drowned in dyrâ— And now shall I god wyllyng in my fourth boke as sone as my tyme shall serue my so confute his false fayth and so shew whyche is the chyrche that I shall leue Tyndale neuer a chyrche for hys flokke but the chyrche wherof the the prophete speketh Odiui ecclesiam malignantiuÌ„ I haue hated the chyrche of malycyouse folke whyche chyrche is very proper for hym For all that euer Tyndale wryteth when it is well coÌ„sydered is powdered with malyce toward all good men bothe relygyouse that lyue here in erth sayntes that are lyuyng in heuen Thus endeth the thyrde boke ¶ The fawtes escaped in the pryntynge The fawtyâ— in the preface   The fawtes The amendementyâ— v. lefe â—â— syde A. vâ— takyng talkyng vj. lefe A. xij deth Hytton deth of Hytton the same lefe C.x. to an fro to and fro vii lefe.ii.â—yde B. xii Thymas Thomas viij lefe B. xiiij.iâ— England in England the same lefe .ii. syde A. iâ— and that and some that ix lefe A. ix accordyng to vnto accordyng vnto x. lefe.ii.syde B. iiij thas that xiiij lefe A. ij And thys And to thys xvj lefe B. iij â—efte fefte ¶ The fawtes in the Boke â— C.viij then them ix A.j. is that the is the ix C.j. salfe false xxviiâ— A. vj neth ned xxx C.xiiij man maner xxx C.xiiij penaus penauns xxxj C.vi sauaunt saruaunt xxxiiâ— B. xiâ— vncharmed charmed xl B.j. keth ked xliiâ— A. vj accoâ—â—yng the accordyng to â—he lâ— B.v. laâ—â—ed laâ—â—eth lij A. xi iâ— iâ— iâ—â— liiij B. xiiii loâ—t leâ—t lxv C.xiiii fyght leâ—acyon syght of the leuacyon lxxxix A. viii xv C. viii C. xc C.ix. preserue persecute xciii B. xii god good xcv C.ii. thanke thanked xcix B. xi and all at all cxxxi B. iii neyther eyther cxxxvi C.vi beche beseche cxl A. xi holy hole cl C.xiiii rather thys rather than thys clxxxiiii B.i. euery man to man perceyue euery man to perceyue clxxxviii C.i. vnto hym vnto them cxcvj C.xiiij them selfe them hym selfe cc. B. iii euer hath synnyâ— euer synnyâ— ccx B. vii may mary ccx C.iii. euery may euery man may ccxv B.v. neythe neyther ccxvi A.v. not care not ccxix B. iii euery very ccxxâ—ii C.xii. argument agrement ccxlâ—iii B. vii yf any of any ccxlâ—iii B. viii apofile apofiles ccxlvi B. vii for me fro me cclxv B. xii vnwryten otherwyse vnwryten eny otherwyse cclxâ—ii A. iii teacâ—e teache cclxxii A.v. say â—â— say yt cclxxiii B. ii at all and all cclxxvii B. iiii bowleâ— bowels ccxc C.v. be nother be no nother ccxcii A.v. Iuspicite Sâ—rutaminâ— cccvii A. ix heretyque heretyques cccxiiii A. xi cononyke canonyke cccxv B. vi them hym cccxvi C. xiiâ— where were ccxxi B. ix thyâ— lyghâ— â—ye lygh◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉
in perpetuall turmentys for hys owne dede But we say that god reioyceth delyteth in the loue of maÌ„nys herte when he fyndeth it suche as the man inwardly delyteth in hys herte owtwardly to let the loue of his herte so redownde in to the body that he gladly by fastynge other afflyccyon putteth the body to payne for goddys sake and yet thynketh for all that that in comparyson of hys dutye all that is mych lesse then ryght nought we saye also that god reioyceth and delyteth in iustyce for that cause he delyteth to se a man so delyte in the same to take hys synne so sorowfully that he is content of hym selfe by fastyng and other afflyccyon wyllyngly to put hym selfe to payne therfore And I saye that yf god had not this delyte whyche is not a tyrannouâ—e but a good and godly delyte elles wolde he put vnto man no payne for synne at all For it is playne false that god doth it for necessyte of dryuyng the synne owt of the flesshe as Tyndale sayth he doth bycause that otherwyse it can not be cured For it is questyonlesse that god can otherwyse dryue the synne owre of the flesshe and by other meanys cure it yf it so pleased hym so wolde he sauynge for his godly delyte in iustyce whyche he loueth to se man folowe by fastynge and other penauns whyche delyte of folowynge goddes pleasure therin Tyndale in man by wythdrawyng of penaus clene goeth aboute to destroye Now where Tyndale as a spirituall ensercher of the cause of euery commaundement of god dyd in reprouynge the â—â—â—perstycyouse maner of theÌ„ that wythout suche a deâ—e sâ—yrytuall serch do kepe goddys commaundement strayghteâ—â— brynge in the examples of Dauyd and hys company which for necessyte dyd eat of the offred halowed brede wherof by the law he sholde not and of Moyses also leuynge the chyldren contrary to the commaundement of god .xl. yere vncyrcumcysed in desert he endeth that mater with thys greate weyghty worde These ensamples myght teche vs many thynges yf thâ—â—â— were sprete in vs. what thinges the euyll sprete that inspirith Tyndale teacheth hym I can not tell But of any good spyryt he lerneth no ferther in these ensamples then that in necessyte Moyses the leder of the people vnder god and beynge also the pâ—cest of god dyspensed wyth the people in deserte in delaynge the cyrcumcysyon for parell of sodeyn trauell ther vppon â—yll they sholde come where they myght reste vppon it 1. Regâ—â— â—1 And that Achimelech the preste in lyke wyse for necessyte dyspensed wyth Dauyd and hys seruauntes that they myghte eat of offred halowed brede and yet wyth greate dyffycultye but yf they were clene from any late coÌ„myxcyoÌ„ and carnall knowledge of theyr wyuys And of that poynt myghte Tyndale yf he had a good spryte in hym lerne at the leste wyse one thynge agaynst the boldnesse of his wedded harlottes monkes and frerys that from theyr fylthy lechery go so boldely not to the halowed brede but to the body of god in forme of brede But Tyndales spryte techethâ—hym to be bold therin and to â—yd euery frere boldely breke hys vow and the commaundement without any necessyte or dispensacyon at all sayng that freres may no more lyue without nunnes then Dauyd myghte wythout meate Tyndale And lykewyse of the boly daye he knoweth that the daye is sauauÌ„t vnto maÌ„ and therfore when he fyndeth hatâ— yt is done because he sâ—olde not be let from herynge the worde of god be obeyth gladly and yet not so superstycyously that he wolde not â—elpe his neyghbour on the boly daye let the sermon alone for â—â—â—â—ayâ—or that he wold not worke on the holy day nede requyrynge yt at suche â—yne as men â—e not wonte to be at chyrche More Here Tyndale teacheth vs hygh spyrytuall doctryne that chrysten men sholde not be to superstycyously holy on the holy daye wenynge that they myghte do no bodyly worke for necessyte But the people for aught that I se knowe the well inoughe and more to But yet to make them the more bolde he teacheth them that the holy day is seruaunt vnto man that he maye therfore be bolde vppon the holy daye as vppon hys owne seruaunt to vse it as it please hym But yet all be yt that Cryste sayde vnto the Iewes that the sone of man is mayster and lorde euen ouer the sabooeh daye to vse yt as hym selfe lyste whych neuer lysted to vse yt but to the beste yet can I not well se that Tyndale is in suche wyse mayster and lorde of the sabbooth daye nor no man elles Mar. 2 that he may vse yt as his man though yt was of god instytute for man and not man for yt that is to wyt for the spirytuall benefyte and profyte of man as our sauyour sayth also hym selfe But yet he calleth yt not seruaunt vnto man as Tyndale calleth yt Exodi 1. â— For the scrypture sayth that god hath sanctyfyed the sabbooth day vnto hym selfe And that was the cause why that Criste shewed vnto the Iewes that hym selfe was lorde of the sabbat daye bycause he wolde that they sholde thereby knowe that he was very god syth that they had lerned by scripture that the sabbat daye was sanctyfyed onely to god hym self for maâ—nys profyte and no man lorde therof but onely god A gouernour of people is made for the people and not the people for the gouernour and yet is there no man amonge the people wonte to call the gouernour his man but hym selfe rather the gouernours man The very manhode of our sauiour hym self was to some purpose ordeyned for mankynde as the incarnacyon of his godhed was ordeyned for man but yet vseth no wyse man to call Cryste his seruaunt all be yt hym selfe of his mekenes dyd morethen serue vs. But we wyll not mych stykke wyth Tyndale for a worde somewhat wrested a wrye so that we wyste he ment no harme therby But I fereme more of his meanyng leste he wold bryng holy dayes and workynge dayes all in one case For as for doynge our neyghbour good and also the workyng for our owne necessyte the necessyte may be such that the chyrch denyeth yt not But who so do interprete his necessyte ouer large or dyfferre vnto the holy daye the worldly workes whyche he myght and sholde haue done vpon the workyng daye byfore or may as well do yt after and yet wyll worke yt on the holy daye and therby wyll for his parte brynge yt in custome to wythdrawe the reuerens from the holy daye make workynge day therof this man hathe in my mynde mych nede to consyder Salphat whych for lyke vsynge of the holy day Nume â—5 gatherynge wood on the holy day that he myght haue done on the workynge daye was by goddes owne iudgement stoned vnto deth And I lyke Tyndale in this mater the worse bothe for his wordes in his other bokes and for the custome
of his secte now growen in Germany and also for the onely cause that he fyndeth out here for the kepyng of the holy day of which he putteth no mo but the onely hearyng of the word of god so that by the cause whyche he fyndeth out a crysten man that were eyther in deserte or amonge infydeles where he coulde here no prechyng sholde haue no more respecte vnto Crystmasse day or Ester day or whytesontyde to kepe theÌ„ for holy dayes hym selfe then the worst day in the yere or theÌ„ wolde a turke hym selfe And this is his hyghe spirytuall doctrine concernynge the holy daye Tyndale And so thorow out all laâ—es and euen lykewyse in all ceremonyes and sacramentes be sercheth the sygnyfycacyons and wyll not serue the visyble thynges It is as good to hym that the presâ—e say masse in his gowne as in his other apparell yf they teache hym not somewhat and that his soule be edyfyed therby And as sone wyll he gapeâ—while thou puttest sand as holy salt in his mouth yf thou shew hym no reason therof he hadde as seyffe be smered wyth vnhalowed butter as anoâ—nted wyth vncharmed oyle yf his soule be not tought to vnderstande somewhat at therby and so forth More Lo good crysten reder this holy spirytuall man at laste I wyste well wold somwhat shewe hym selfe what goostly spyryte inspireth hym For here you se for all his holy salutacyon at the begynnynge wyth gay wordes of grace lyght and fayth and feruent loue he bloweth and blustreth oute at laste his abhomynable blasphemy agaynst the blessyd sacramentes of Cryste and lyke the deuyls ape maketh mokkes and mowes at the holy ceremonyes that the spyryte of god hathe so many hundred yeres taught hys holy catholyque chyrche And here perceyue yet the false wylynes of the deuyll in vtterynge of his dreggys and poysoned draught He couereth his cuppe a lytle and shadoweth the colour of his enuenemed wyne that yt may be dronken downe gredely ere the parell be perceyued For he maketh here as though he fouÌ„de no faute but in that the sygnyfycacyons of the sacraments be not opened and declared vnto the people as though yf that were done he were contente and that he mokketh not the sacramentes but the mynysters that openeth not the bytokenynges therof But I shall fyrste shewe you that he playeth the deuyls dysor euyn in this poynte all though he ment no ferther then shall I farther shewe you what myschyef he meaneth more and proue yt you by expresse wordes of his owne Fyrste I saye yt is a lewde and a knauysshe raylynge vppon the sacramentes of our sauyour Cryste to lyken and coÌ„pare them in any maner wise vnto such scornefull thynges as the anoyntynge wyth holy oyle vnto butter smeryuge wyth other suche lyke knauysshe toyes whyche no wreche wolde do but such as hath the very name of the holy sacramentes in hatereth and dyspyte Now where he sayeth that his holy spirytuall sorte wyll alway so vyllanousely esteme the sacramentes but yf men tell them the reasons and bytokenynges of them to the edyfyenge of theyr soules yt wyll be great besynes and mych a do to edyfye and buyld vp the soules of such a sorte which the deuyll hathe by the blaste of his mouth throwen downe so depe and frusshed all to fytters But I praye god to whoÌ„ nothynge is impossyble to byeld them onys agayne vppon the rokke of his fayth froÌ„ whiche they shew them self so farre fallen down that they be full vnlykely to ryse For truly if they stode theruppon theyr hertys wolde abhorre to vttre suche frantyque fantasyes For as touchynge the sygnifycacyoÌ„s and bytokenynges of the blessed sacramentes the lacke of knowlege wherof Tyndale wolde make seme a suffycyent cause of his vilanouse blasphemy all good peple that haue the vse of reason and come to these sacramentes wyth good deuocyon be taught and do thynke and conceyue in they re hertes that god was incarnate and borne god and man for our saluacyon and suffred his passyon and dyed for our redempcyon and that we were redemed to heueÌ„ wyth his blessyd blood and that wythout hym we sholde neuer haue ben saued but had vtterly loste heuen by the synne of Adam and for this cause we call hym our sauyour and beleue that he hath promysed vs that yf we be crystened and kepe his holy commaundementes and for the brekyng be sory and turne agayne by penaunce god wyll brynge vs to heuen that he hath promysed vs and bought vs to And they beleue thâ—â— he hath ordeyned here holy sacramentes whych he wyll that we shall receyue wyth reuerence and that euery man wyth those sensyble sacramentes excepte the faute be in hym selfe receyueth some inwarde grace ayde of god by the merytes of Crystes passyoÌ„ and by his holy promyse and ordinauns so that vnto all good crysten men the outwarde sensyble sygnes in all the sacramentes and holy ceremonyes of crystes chyrch by one generall and comen sygnyfycacyon of them all bytoken and do sygnyfye and that ryght effectually an inwarde secrete gyfte and inspiracion of grace â—ffused in to the soule wyth the receyuyng of that holy sacrament by the holy spirite of god This comen sygnifycacyon of the sacramentes haue all the comenaltye of crysten people they beleue not onely that the sacramentes be tokens of suche grace and do sygnifye it but also be in some maner wyse a meane to come to the getynge therof bycause god hath so ordeyned But vnto Tyndale his holy spirituall sorte this gere is yet to groce for theyr subtyll thynne wyttes For that all crysten people haue this fayth and sygnyfycacyon of sacramentes Tyndale can not denye them but if he lyste to bylye them But why trow you can not this sygnifycacyoÌ„ serue Tyndale veryly bycause he byleueth yt not for he byleueth not that any ceremonye or sacrameÌ„t eyther is in the worke therof any meane to get any grace at all And in almoste all the sacramentes he playnly saythe that they neyther cause any grace nor any grace do sygnifye nor be no sacramentes at all as by his owne wordes I shall hereafter shew you But in the meane while for as mych as in his preface here he maketh as though he cared but for the declaracyon of the tokens and sensyble sygnes of the sacramentes and ceremonyes I haue shewed hym the great and chyef sygnifycacioÌ„ of all that is to wyt that they betoken the insensyble grace that god geueth them in to the soule thorow the merytes of Crystes holy passyon And this is the very chyef sygnifycacyon that all holy doctours note marke in the sacrameÌ„tes as apperyth by the dyffynicyons that in theyr bokes they geue therunto But nowe wyll not Tyndale sette a strawe the more by the anoyntynge wyth holy oyle then by smerynge wyth vnhalowed butter but yf men tell hym some ferther thynge therby that may edyfye hys soule and make it better For as for grace
Eusebius translated I trowe by saynt Hierom and in saynte Ireneus workes the same charge gyuen in lykewyse wyth mych lyke adiuracyon ioyned there vnto And therfore as solempnely as some of hys bretherne brynge forth these wordes of saynt IohnÌ„ Tyndale saw yet that they wolde not serue and therfore he lefte them out Now laye some folke for thys purpose the wordes of Moyses in the .xii. of the deuteronomy where he saythâ— The thynge that I coÌ„maunde the that thynge onely shalte thou do to god and thou shalte neyther any thyng adde nor mynysshe whych wordes be yet in thys mater lesse to yâ— purpose then the wordes byfore rehersed of the apocalyps For who so loke in the place and rede ouer the chapyter he shall se that Moyses sayed those wordes onely for fere that he had leste syth he hadde on goddes behalfe commaunded them some certeyne sacryfyces vntâ— god the people prone to idolatrye wolde adde of theyr owne myndes eyther some sacryfyce vnto idols or vnto god some kynde of suche abomynable sacryfyce as the gentyls offered vnto theyr idoles And for fere therof he sayed vnto them Thou shalte do vnto god that thynge onely that I commaunde the. And thou shalte neyther any thynge adde nor mynysshe But he tolde the cause before sayed when the lorde thy god shall haue destroyed before thy face the gentyls vppon whoÌ„ thou shalte entre to take them in thy possessyon and whan thou shalte haue them in thy possessyon and shalte dwelle in the lande that beloÌ„ged vnto them beware that thou folow not them after that they shal be bythy comyng in ouerturned beware I saye that thou seke not after theyr ceremonyes and saye As these peple were wont to wourshyp theyr goddes euyn so wyll I wourshyppe â—o Thou shalte not do lykewyse to the lorde thy god For they haue done vnto theyr goddes all the abomynacyons that our lorde hateth offerynge theyr owne sonnes and doughters and burnynge them vp in fyre And then setteth Moyses there vnto the wordes before rehersed wyllynge them that they shall neyther lene vndone any of those ceremonyes and sacryfyces that he had commauÌ„ded nor adde any newe kynde of theyr 〈◊〉 mynde leste they myghte happe to fall to those kyndes of sacrifyce of the paynyms that were abomynable afore the face of god Now what serue these wordes of Moyses to our psent purpose For fyrste yf Moyses had not ment as I say as the circuÌ„staunce of the terte sheweth but hadde vtterly ment to commaunde them that they sholde nothynge adde at all in no maner thynge vnto those thynges that he commaunded them hym selfe as the wordes sowne then hadde he forboden theym to byleue or obaye any prophete that euer sholde come after hym excepte onely the prophete of whom he prophecyed and bad they sholde here hym And yet myght they thynke that prophete restrayned by those wordes in suche thynges as sholde perteyne to the seruyce of god Also yf that Moyses had not ment as I say but pcysely forboden theÌ„ to adde any thyng at all vnto his instytucyoÌ„s they myghte neuer haue added any new feste of holy dayes vnto those that god hadde by Moyses appoynted them all redy And then how myghte the feste called festum enccâ—nioruÌ„ haue ben instytuted afterwarde whych was longe after Moyses dayes instytuted and very solâ—mnly obserued and god ther with so well content that our sauyour honoured it with his owne blessed presence hym selfe But now suppose that Moyses hadde hym selfe ment as strayghtly as theyr vnreasonable construccyon wold strayn hys wordes to what wolde all that serue vnto theyr purpose in our mater May crysten men do nothynge but that that Moyses bad bycause the iewes myghte do nothynge but that that Moyses bad where were then bycome the sacrament of baptysme and the sacrameÌ„â— of the auter ye say they but thys proueth that the chyrche sholde adde nothyng of theyr owne mynde vnto goddes worde for suche a note in the byble some haue set solemnely in the margent vppon those wordes But I dare be bolde to tell theym agayne that they may better scrape that note out agayne then vse it vnto this purpose For fyrst those wordes proueth no such thynge at all but yf Moyses had ment as straytely as they strayne hym in whyche I haue proued that they take hym wronge Secundely I say that yf Moyses hadde ment as precysely as they mysse take hym yet hadde yt touched but the iewes and vs crysten men nothynge at all Thyrdely I say that in the thynges whyche Tyndale reproueth the sacramentes of the chirche the chirche hath added nothynge vnto the worde of god For we say that they be the worde of god well wryten in holy scrypture as hath ben playnely proued them and that hym self well knoweth but that he lysteth to play hys parte and saye nay styll be the profe neuer so clere Fourthly we say that any such thynge as the chirche vseth or byleueth as necessary though yt be not wryten yet adde they therby nothynge vnto goddes wordes For we say that yt is goddes worde vnwriten and of as great authoryte as ys his worde wryten as the thynges that partely were delyuered to the chirch by the apostles and partely taught vnto the chyrche by that holy spiryte of god that was by Crystes promyse sente vnto the chyrche to be wyth yt for euerâ— to teache yt and lede yt into euery trouth Fynally for conclusyon to proue you the foly of that allegacyon ye know well all our questyon is no more but whyther the apostles lefte euery necessary thynge in wrytynge as Tyndale affermeth And now consyder you whither this be a good profe or not though Moyses wordes were taken as strayght as these meÌ„ mysse take theÌ„ were not this wene ye well argued Moyses forbode the iewys to adde or mynyshe to or from any thynge that he commauÌ„ded ergo the apostles haue lefte no necessary thynge vnwryten Bysyde that this argument is very folysh in yt selfe yet haue I byfore at large opened you the lakkes therof where I answered Tyndale concernynge hys hygh reason of the apostles cheryte compellynge them to leue nothynge vnwryten And bysydes that one playne dyfference ys there that Moyses was commaunded to wryte and the apostles were not commaunded at all though god alowed assysted and aspired them hys grace therin as he dothe many good men in many good wurkes besyde any commaundement And Moyses also commauÌ„ded to wryte as he was was not commauÌ„ded yet to putte all to gether in wryâ—ynge that the people sholde be bounden to do or byleue by any texte the Tyndale hath shewed vs yet or euer shall shew I suppose How be it as for this allegacyoÌ„ though some other haue thought yt gay Tyndale yet ê‘ceyued it for such as he saw well wolde not serue hym and therfore he lefte it out yet are there some amonge them frere Barons that layeth for yâ— purpose the wordes of our sauyour