were layd to the charge not onely of that man ye wrote of but also of Luther hym selfe otherwyse than coud be proued I dyd so mych therin that I was suffred to se shewe hym as well the bokys of the tone as the very aâ—tys of the court coÌ„cernyng that tother that we myght both by so myche the more surely wartauÌ„t you the trouth wherin yf ye fynde eny man yâ— yet dowteth whether he tolde you and I wryte you the trouth or not I shall yf he vnderstand the laryne tong fynde the mean at your pleasure that he shall so see the bokys hym selfe that were he neuer so full of mystrustynge he shall not fayle to be fully coÌ„tent satysfyed And thys warraÌ„tyse wyll I make you as farforth as conâ—erneth eny acte done here But as for thyngys reasoned and dysputed bytwene vs the coÌ„clusyons selfe be so sure truthes that theâ— be not dysputable But whither the reasons by me made in theÌ„ beÌ„effectuall or insufficyeÌ„t albe it your frend eyther for yÌ„â— of trouth he thought so or for that of curtesye he sayd so accepted them for good yet wthout preiudyce of the priÌ„cipall maters ye may your self be iuge And thus I pray you take in good worthe the lytle laboure great good wyll of hym whom in eny thyng that may do you pleasure ye maye to the vttermost of hys lytell power well and boldely commauÌ„d And thus our lorde send you with my good lady your bedfelow all yours as hartely well to fare as ye wolde all wysh yOur frende fyrst after your letter redde whan I demauÌ„ded hym hys credence shewed me that ye had sent hym to me not for eny dowte that your self had in many of those thingis that he shuld moue vnto me but for the dowte that ye perceyued in many other and iÌ„ sum folke playne parsuasyoÌ„ to yÌ„e coÌ„trary whom ye wolde be glad to answere wyth the trouthe albe yt some thyngys he sayd were also there so talked that ye wyst not well your self which part ye myght bileue For it was there not only spokeÌ„ but also thether wryten by dyuers honest preâ—â—ys owte of londoÌ„ that the maÌ„ ye wryte of was of many thyngys borâ—e wrong in hand and therin so sore handelyd that he was forced to forswere abâ—ure certayn herysyes and opeÌ„ly put to penaunce therfore where he neuere held eny such And all thys don for malyce and enuye partely of some freres agaynste whose abusyons he preched partly for that he preched boldly agaynste the pompe and pryde and other inordynate lyuynge that mo men speke of thâ—Ì„ preche of vsed in the clargye And they take for a gret tokyn that he shuld not meane euyll the prose and experyence whych men haue had of him that he lyued well and was a good honest vertuouse man farre from ambycyon and desyre of wordly worship chaste humble charytable free lyberall in almose dede and a very goodly prechour in whose deuowte sermons the peple were greatly edyfyed And therfore the peple say that all thys gere ys done but onely to stoppe meÌ„nys mouthys to put euery maÌ„ to sylence that wold eny thynge speke of the â—autys of the clargy And they thynk that for none other cause was also burned at Poulys crosse the new testameÌ„t late traunslated in eÌ„glyshe by Master wyllyam huchen otherwyse called Master TiÌ„dall who was as meÌ„ say well knowen ere he went ouer the see for a maÌ„ of ryght good lyuynge studyouse well lerned in scrypture and in dyuerse plâ—cys in Englonde was very well lyked dyd great good wyth prechyng And men mutter amonge theÌ„ selfe that the boke was not onely fawtlesse but also very well traunslatyd was deuyseâ—â— to be burned bycause meÌ„ shuld not be able to proue that such fawtys as were at Poules crosse declared to haue beÌ„ fouÌ„den in it were neuer fouÌ„deÌ„ ther iÌ„ dede but vntruly surmised And yet such as they were sum men say were no fautis at all if they had be so traÌ„slated iÌ„ dede but blame layed â—awte fouÌ„d with thingê nothyng 〈◊〉 worthy onely to â—â—face the holy worke to th ende that they myght seme to haue some iuste cause to burne yt And that for none other cause but for to kepe owt of the peples haÌ„d is all knowlege of Cristê gospell of goddis law excepte so mych onely as the clargye theÌ„ self lyste now thaÌ„ to tell vs. And that lytle as it is seldom shewed yet as it ys fered not well truly tolde but watered with false gloses altered from the trouthe of the very wordis sentence of scriptur oÌ„ly for the mayntenauÌ„s of theyr authoryte ¶ And yÌ„â— fere lest thys thyng shulde euydentely appere to the people yf they were suffered to rede the scripture theÌ„ self in theyr own tong was as yt is thoght the very cause not oÌ„ly for whych the new testameÌ„t traÌ„slated by TiÌ„dale was burned but also that the clargye of thys realme hath bifore thys time by a coÌ„stitucion prouyncyall prohybyted eny boke of scrypture to be traunslated in to the englysh tonge ferynge men wyth fyer as herytyques whose so shulde presume to kepe theÌ„ As though yt were heresie for a chrysteÌ„ maÌ„ to rede crystê gospell ¶ And surely syr quod he sum folke that thynk thys dealyng of the clargye to be thus and good men to be myshandlyd for declaryng the trouth And the scripture selfe to be pulled owte of the peples handys leste they shulde perceyue the trouthe be ledde in they re myndys to dowte whither Luther hiÌ„ self of whose opinions or at the leste of whose workys all these bysynesse bygan wrote in dede so euyll as he ys borne in hande And many men therbe that thynke he neuer mente such thingis But that bycause he wrote agaynste thabusyons of pardons and spake suÌ„what lyberally agaynste the courte of Rome and generally agaynste the vycys of the clargy therfore he was brought iÌ„ hatered and fyrst cyted to Rome And whâ—n that forfere of bodely harme wyth wrong whereof yt wolde haue bene to late or loke for remedy after if he had ones be burnede vp byfore he durste not come thether than was he accursed and hys bokes dampned vnder great paynis forbodden to be redd And that thyng done bycause it shulde not be knowen what wronge he had and that he neyther meaneth nor sayeth such odyouse and abomynable heresyes as the people be borne in hand to enduce them to hatered of hiÌ„ as yt wolde ê‘aueÌ„ture appere yâ— hys bâ—kis were suffered to be redde ¶ And they sey that yt were no mastry to make yt seme that a man shulde be aÌ„ herytyque yf he may be borne in hand that he sayeth the thynge whych he neuer sayd or ê‘adueÌ„ture one lyne taken out amonge meny and myscoÌ„strewed not suffering the remnante to be sene wherby yt myghte more clerely appere what he meanyth By whych maner of delynge a man
his syn wold for ê‘te of hys penaunce wyllyngly offer hym self to the sufferauÌ„ce of open shame ther were no good cristen maÌ„ that wold after that lyke the man that wors but a grete deale the better And yf all suche opeÌ„ coÌ„fessyoÌ„ were synne there was mych syn vsed amoÌ„g good folke many day in Crystê chirch whaÌ„ yt was mich better thaÌ„ yt is now Lo AchaÌ„ that had coÌ„mytted sacrylege wherof ys wryten in Iosue was exorted by Iosue to coÌ„fesse hys faute opeÌ„ly gyue glory to god that had detected him by lottis And so dyd he and mekely suffered for hys syn as well the shame woÌ„der of the worlde as the payn aÌ„d bytternes of deth And therfore I no more dout of that theâ—e but that he is a glorioê° saint in heuen thaÌ„ I dout of that these the cryst promysed Paradyse hangynge on the crosse And â—urely yf meÌ„nys old fautys were styll theyr iÌ„famy after theyr ameÌ„demeÌ„t thaÌ„ was saynt Peter lytell beholdeÌ„ to saiÌ„t Mathew other of hys felows that haue slauÌ„dred hym in theyr gospels tellyng how shaÌ„fully after all hys crakê he forsoke his mayster forsware hiÌ„ both yf a good man ware naght the betâ— he was the more synne it is the more shame also And ys yt not thaÌ„ iÌ„ resoÌ„ oÌ„ the tother syde yf a naughty maÌ„ wax good the worse he was the better is for hiÌ„ the more worship also Our lord sayth hiÌ„ self that for one siÌ„ner comiÌ„g again to grace ther is more ioy iÌ„ heue than vppoÌ„ almost an huÌ„dred good folk that neuer sinned And rekeÌ„ we then that man shamed by the knolege of his â—yn here amoÌ„g synfull meÌ„ whose huÌ„ble coÌ„fessioÌ„ meâ—e ameÌ„demeÌ„t wiÌ„neth him so mych worship in heueÌ„ Trust me truly whaÌ„ a maÌ„ hath done euyll if he be duly sworeÌ„ it is a worshipfull shaÌ„e a ioyfull sorow to coÌ„fesse the treuth and good folke though they abhore the siÌ„ yet loue thei coÌ„med the maÌ„ as one that was noght ys good And the shame that he coÌ„ceyueth iÌ„ hys harte afore the worlde geteth hym grete honour afore god the shorte glowiÌ„g here in his chekis spedely burneth vp wasteth that neuer wastyng fyre of hell standyng hym ferther in stede of grete ê‘te of his purgatory And therfore to the poynt that we speke of wtout longe ê“cesse I tell you playnly my mynde that no man can be excused from the ê‘ell of eÌ„dlesse daÌ„nacioÌ„ that wold vpoÌ„ boldnes of eny doctors opynyoÌ„ hyde or couer hys faute by eny cautell after a lawfull oth gyueÌ„ him to tell the playn trothe therin And who so wyll say the coÌ„trary he must nedys hold playn agaynst the law say that no iuge may lawfully gyue an othe to the ê‘ty wherof shuld the othe serue yf the party myght lefully forswere hym self And also yf the iudge may not lawfully giue hym yâ— o the thaÌ„ may he refuse to swere may not first swere thaÌ„ say false whych euery man must vppoÌ„ daÌ„pnacyoÌ„ eschew though he folily take an othe where he lawfully myght refuse yt ¶ Forsothe quod he me thynketh ye take the sure way ¶ well q I yf this be so in one that is sworeÌ„ where the mater as he thinkyth caÌ„ not be well ê“ued how farre wronge went the man that we speke of to forswere hym selfe in a mater of prechyng that he wyll well was so opeÌ„ that it wold be playnly ê“ued what synne was therin what synne foly thereto was there to stycke styll in hys ê‘iury whaÌ„ he saw the mater aâ—lredy proued so clerely by so many so good so honest so indefferent that he coulde nothing now wyn by the deÌ„â—â—eâ—â— but euyll opynioÌ„ almost a dispayre of his ameÌ„demeÌ„t in all that euer hatd hiÌ„ ¶ In good fayth q he all this is very truthe ther for we shall let him a lone tyll god send hym better mynde The .viii. chapyter ¶ The author shewethe why the new testameÌ„t of Tyndals traÌ„slacyoÌ„ was burned she with for a sample certaiÌ„ wordê euill of euyll purpos chaÌ„gid BUt now I pray you let me kno your mynd coÌ„cernyng the burniÌ„g of the new testameÌ„t iÌ„ eÌ„glish which Tindal lately traÌ„slated as meÌ„ say right wel whiche makethe meÌ„ mich meruayl of the burniÌ„g ¶ It is q I to me gret meruayl that eny good cristeÌ„ maÌ„ hauiÌ„g eny drop of wyt iÌ„ hys hed wold eny thiÌ„g meruell or coÌ„playn of yeâ—urniÌ„g of the boke if he knowe the mater which who so callith the new testameÌ„t calleth it by a wroÌ„g name except they wyl call yt Tyndals testament or Luthers testameÌ„t For so had tyndall after Luthers couÌ„sayle corrupted chauÌ„ged yt froÌ„ the good holsoÌ„ doctryne of Criste to the deuylysh heresyes of theyr own that it was clene a coÌ„trary thing ¶ That were maruayle q your frend that it shuld be so clene coÌ„traty For to som that red it yt semed very lyke ¶ It ys q I neuer the lesse coÌ„trary yet the more peryllâ—ê° For like as to a trew siluer grote a fals coê‘ grote is neuer the lesse coÌ„trary thogh yt be quyk syluered ouer but so mych the more false show mich it is couÌ„terfeted the more lyke to the trouth so was the traÌ„slacioÌ„ so mich the more coÌ„trary iÌ„ how mich it was craâ—cely deuysed like so mych the more peryllus iÌ„ how miche it was to folke vnlernyd more hard to be dyssernid ¶ why q your freÌ„d what fautê wer ther syt To tell you all the q I were in a maner to reherse you all the hole hoke wherin ther were founden and noted wrong faâ—â—ly traÌ„slated aboue a thousand textê by tale ¶ I wolde q he fayn here some one ¶ He that shuld q I study for that shuld study where to finde water in the see But I wyll shewe you for ensample two or thre suche as euery one of the thre ys more than thryes thre in one ¶ That were q he very straunge except ye mene more iÌ„ weyght For one caÌ„ be but one in noÌ„ber ¶ Surely q I as weyghty be they as eny lyghtly can be But I mene the euery one of them is more thaÌ„ thryes thre in noÌ„ber ¶ That were q he suÌ„what lyke a rydel ¶ This rydell q I wyl sone be red For he hath mystraÌ„slated .iii. wordê of gret weyght euery oÌ„e of theÌ„ is as I suppose more than thryes three tymes repeted and rehersed in the boke ¶ Ah that may well be q he but that was not well done But I pray you what wordê be they ¶ The tone ys q I this word prestys The to ther the chyrch The thyrd charyte For prestis wher so euer he speketh of the pstê of Crystis chirch he neuer calleth them prestes but alway seuyours the chyrch he calleth alway the congregacyoÌ„ and charyte he callyth all 〈◊〉 loue Now do these namê in our englysh
towchiÌ„ge the cause why he chaunged the name of preste into senior ye muste vnderstaÌ„d that luthere and his adherentys holde thys heresye that all holy order ys nothyng And that a prest is nothyng ellys but a man chosen among the peple to preche and that by that choyce to that oâ—â—yce he is preste by and by wythoute eny more ado and no preste agayne whan so euer the people chese a nother in hys place and that a preestys offyce is no thynge but to preche For as for saynge masse and herynge of confessyoÌ„ and absolucyon theruppoÌ„ to be geuen all thys he sayethe that euery man woman and childe may do as well as eny preste Now doth hychen therfore to â—et forthe thys opynyon wythall after hys masters herysye putte a waye the name of preste in hys translacyone as thoughe prestehede were notâ—yng where so euer the scrypture speketh of the prestys that were amonge the Iewes there dothe he in hys â—translacyon call theym styll by the name of prestis But where so euer the scrypture spekâ—th of the prestys of Christis chyrche therâ— doth he put away the name of prest in hys translacyoÌ„ bycause he wold make hyt seâ—â—e that the scrypture dyd neuer speke of eny prestys dyfferent from ley men amonge chrysten peple And he sayeth playnly in hys boke of obedyeÌ„ce that presthed and all holy orders amoÌ„g crysten peple be but faynyd inueÌ„tioÌ„s that prestys be nothyng but offycers chosyn to preche that all the consecration wherby they be coÌ„secrate is not hynge worth And for this cause iÌ„ all his traÌ„slacyon where so euer he speketh of theÌ„ the name of prâ—est whych to vs in oure own toÌ„g hath alway sygnyfyed an enâ—ynted persoÌ„ and wyth holy orders coÌ„secrated vnto god he hath chaungede in to the name of senyor no worde of our language but eyther vsed halfe in mockage whaÌ„ we speke freÌ„ch in sporte dieu vous garde senior or at the â—erdest nothynge betokenynge but elder So that yt ys â—the to se what he ment in the turnynge of these namys ¶ In good fayth quod your frende it semeth veryly that he ment not well ¶ Surely quod I ye wolde well say so yf yâ— sawe all the placys whych I shall cause you to se when ye wyll and ye shall soone iudge theym your selfe For yt were to longe to reherse theym all now Nor these haue I not rehersed you as for the cheef but for that they caÌ„ fyrst to mynde For ellâ—s I myght shortely reherse you many thyngys moo as farre owte of tewne as theese be For he chaungeth coÌ„menly the name of grace in to thys worde fauour where as euery fauour ys not grace in englyshe for in suÌ„ faâ—our is there lytle grace Confessyone he traunslateth in to knowledgynge Penaunce in to repentauÌ„ce A coÌ„tryte herte he â—hauÌ„geth iÌ„ to a troubled hart And many mo thingis lyke and many â—â—rtys vntrewly trauÌ„slated for the mayn tenauÌ„ce of heresye as I shall shew you same when we loke in the boke whych thyngis we shall not now reson vppon for they be not worthy to be brought iÌ„ questyone But I telle you thys mych onely for this cause that ye may peâ—ceyue that he hath thus vsed hym selfe in hys translacyone to th entent that he wold sett forthe luthers heresyes hys owne therby For fyrst he wold make the peple beleue that we shuld byleue nothyng but playne scrypture in whych poynt he techeth a playne pestylent heresye then wold he wyth hys false traÌ„slaâ—yoÌ„ make the peple beene ferther that such artycles of oure fayth as he laboreth to destroy and which be well proued by holy scripture were in holy scrypture nothynge spokeâ— of but that the prechâ—â—s haue all this xv C. yere myssreported the gospell and englyshed the scrypture wrong to lede the people purposely owte of the ryght way ¶ The .ix. chapyter ¶ The author shewethe a nother grete token that the translacioÌ„ was ê‘yllous made for aÌ„ euyll purpose BUt to th eÌ„teÌ„t ye shall yet the lesse doute what good â—raâ—te was iÌ„teÌ„ded by thys traÌ„slacyoÌ„ easyly iudge your self whyther yt was well worthy to be burned or not ye shall vnderstaÌ„d that there hath be synnys the tyme a nother booke made in englysh impryntyd as it sayeth iÌ„ Almayne a folyshe rayling boke agaynst the clergye and mich parte made in tyme but the effect therof was all agaynst the masse the holy sacrameÌ„tê In thys boke the maker â—ayleth vppoÌ„ all them that causyd Tyndals traÌ„slacyon of the new testameÌ„t to be burned sayng that they burnyd it bicause that yt destroyed the masse wherby ye may see that he rekenyd that translacyon very good for theyr purpose toward yâ— destruccyoÌ„ of the masse By saynt mary masse quod your frend that boke is a shrewd glose for the tother For yt shewed a cause for whyche yt was well worthy to be burnyd and the maker wyth yt yf yt were made to destroye the masse But who made that seconde boke ¶ For soâ—â— q I yt appereth not in the boke For the boke ys put forthe namelesse and was in the begynnyng rekened to be made by Tyndall And whyther yt so were or not wee be not yet very sure â—ow be yt syth that tyme Tindall hath put owte in hys owne name a nother boke â—tytled MaÌ„mona which boke is â—erâ— maÌ„mona iniquitatis a very tresoury and well sprynge of wyckednes And yet hathe he sythens put forth a worâ— also named the obedyence of a crysten man a boke able to make a crysteÌ„ man that wolde byleue yt leue of all good crysten vertues and lese the meryte of hys crystendom In the preface of hys fyrst boke callyd Mammona he saith yâ— one frerâ—â—â—erome made the tother boke that we talke of whych frere Syerome gyuyng vp hys order of the frere obseruauntys cam to hym where he was shewyng hym that he wold caste of his abyte and leue hys relygyon assaye now to serue god and that afterward he lefte hym and wentte vnto Roy whyche ys as I thynke ye knowe a nother appostyta by wose counsale Tyndale sayeth that the frere Hâ—eroâ—e made yâ— boke wherein Tyndall sayeth that he myslykyth hys rymys and hys ouer mych raylynge And sayethe also that he fereth leste frere Hyerome shall not well proue all that he promyseth in that boke ¶ why q your frend is that all the fere that he fyndeth in hym selfe and all the fawte that he fyndeth in yâ— frere and hys boke ¶ ye in good fayth quod I euery whytte ¶ ThaÌ„ fyndethe he q your frende no faut in hys apostasye ¶ No more quod I than I shewe you ¶ Nor findeth he quod your freÌ„de no faute in that the freres boke sayeth that the new testament of Tyndall was burnid bicause it stroyed the masse ¶ Neuer a whytte q I more than you here ¶ And fereth he quod your frend no thyng ellys but leste the frere shuld â—ayle of performing of sum what that his boke promysythe
erys of hys apostels dyscyples iÌ„ to theyr holy hartys And by them in lyke maner furst wythowt wrytyng by onely wordys prechyng so spredde yt abrode in the world that hys faythe was by the mouthys of hys holy messengers put into meÌ„nys erys and by hys holy hande wryten in mennys hartys or euer eny worde thereof almoste was wrytten in the boke And so was it conuenyeÌ„t for the law of lyfe rather to be wryten in the lyuely myndys off men than in the dede skynnys of bestys And I nothynge dowt but all had ytt so beene that neuer gospell had bene wrytten yet shoulde the substaunce of thys faythe neuer haue fallen oute of chrysten folkys hartys but the same spyryte that plantyde yt the same shulde haue wateryd it the same shulde haue kepte yt the same shoulde haue encreased yt ¶ But so hath yt lyked oure lorde after hys hye wysdome to prouyde that some of his dyscyples haue writen many thingys of his holy lyfe doctryne and fayth and yet farre from all which as saynt Iohn sayth the worlde coude not haue comprehen hyd ¶ These bokis ar tempryd by the secrete couÌ„cell of the holy gost so playn and symple that euery man may fynd in theym that he may parceyueâ— And yet so highe agayne and so harde that no maÌ„ ys there so connyng but he may fynde in them thyngys farr aboue hys reche farre to profound to perce vnto Now were to the crysten peple the poyntys of Crystê fayth wyth whych poyntys our lord wold haue them chargyd knowen as I say and plantyd before and by reson therof they farr the beter vnderstode those bokê And all thogh there myghte happely be some textys whych were not yet of necessyte for theÌ„ to parceyue yet by the poyntê of theyr fayth were they warnyd that no texte myghte there be constrewyd contrary to theyr fayth ¶ And none EuaÌ„gelyst was there nor none Appostle that by wrytyng euer sent the fayth to eny nacyon but yf they were furst enformyd by worde and that god had begon his church in yâ— place ¶ And for my parte I wolde lytyll dout but that the euangelystys and appostels bothe of many gret and secrete mysteryes spake much more openly much more playnely by mouth amoÌ„g the peple than euer they put yt iÌ„ wrytyng for as much as theyr wrytyngys were lykly ynough at that tyme to come into the handys of paganys paynyms such hoggys doggê as were not metely to haue those precyous perlys put vppon they re nose nor that holy foode to be dashyd in they re teeth For whych cause saynt Peter in hys furste sermon vnto the Iewes abstaynyd fâ—oÌ„ the declaracyon of Crystis godhed egalytee wyth hys father as our sauiour him self when the Iewes that were vnworthy to here yt were offeÌ„dyd wyth that he told them playnly that he was the sonne of god wythdrewe the doctryne from them agayn coueryd yt wyth the verse of the prophete I haue sayd ye be goddys sonnys of the hye god all as though he wolâ—e say what greuyth it you that name in me which name god by that prophet hath gyuen to all good men In which demeanure he denyed not the trouth that he had sayd of him self but he blyndyd theyr wylfully wynkyng eyes iÌ„ hydyng puttyng vp agayn the iewell that he began to brynge forth shew theÌ„â— the bryght lustre wheroâ— theyr bleryd eyes myght not endure to beâ—old ¶ And what maruell thogh thappostels thus did in theyr speche afore infydels or wrytyng that myghte cuÌ„ into pagans haÌ„dys whan it apperyth vppoÌ„ the epystels of saynt Pouâ—e that amoÌ„g the crysten flok where he taught theÌ„ by mouth he told theÌ„ not all the trothys at one tale Not oÌ„ly for that yt were to loÌ„g but also for that in the begynnyng they coud not happely well abyden yt And therfore as Cryste sayd to his dyscyples I haue more to say to you but ye be not able to bere yt yet whyche onys apperyd what tyme yâ— vppon the dysclosyng of the grete mystery of the holy sacrament the holy flesh of hys body yâ— herers sayd who can abyde thys harde worde therw t wente almost all they re waye so did saynte Poule I say by the Corynthians not teche theÌ„ all at onys And therfore he sayth in hys epistle to them I haue geuen yow hetherto but mylk not stroÌ„g mete And wysdome speke we sayth he amoÌ„g folk yâ— be parâ—yt Nor I mene not this that there were eny poyntis of the substauÌ„ce of yâ— fayth whych he shewyd to the clargy that he kept froÌ„ the lay people or shewyd vnto one man that he kept froÌ„ a nother but yâ— to no maÌ„ lyghtly he shewed all at onys But because sum caÌ„ froÌ„ the Iewes and sum caÌ„ of yâ— gentylys therfore as they were so were they haÌ„delyd not oÌ„ly by grace but also by wysdome not only in the poyntys of the fayth but also in the rytys â—nd â—eremonyes eyther of the churche or of Moyses lawe whereof some cerâ—monyes were forthwyth abolyshed some nott by and by and some taken iÌ„ to the church of Cryste and obseruyd styll But in conclusyoÌ„ when they were mete therefore they were all taughte all that god wold haue them bounden to beleue And than dout I nothyng but the many thyngis that now be very darke in holy scrypture were by thappostels to whoÌ„ oure lord openyd theyr wyttys yâ— they myght vnderstand scripture so playnly declaryd that they were by the people well and clerely vnderstaÌ„den I say not all the hole scripture in whych it may be that many a secrete mystery lyeth yet coueryd coÌ„cernynge the comyng of Antecryste the day maner fassyon of the fynall iudgement whyche shall neuer be fully dysclosyd tyll the tymys appoyntyd by goddys hye prouydence mete conuenient for them And from tyme to tyme as yt lykyth hys maieste to haue thyngys knowen or done in hys chyrche so ys yt no dout but he temperyth hys reuelacyoÌ„s in such wyse doth insumate inspyre them into the brestys of hys crysten people that by the secrete instynct of the holy gost they consent and agre to gether iÌ„ one except heretykys that rebell and refuse to be obedyent to god his chirchâ— who be therby cut of froÌ„ the liuely tre of that vyne and waxing withered braunches be kept but for the fire furst here after in hell except they repent call for grace that may graft them into the stok agayne But as it may be that many thyngys be there not all at onys reuelyd vnderstaÌ„den in yâ— scrypture but by soÌ„dry tymys agys mo thyngê and mo by god vnto hys chyrch dysclosyd and that as yt shall lyke hys hygh goodnes wysdome to dyspence and dyspose so in thyngys to be done may fall in hys chyrche varyete mutacyon chaunge so am I very sure that the holy goste that god sent into
that sauing for thauthoryte of the chyrch men coud not knowe what scrypture they sholde byleue And here ys hyt shewed that god wyll not suffre the chyrch to be deceyued in the choyce of the very scrypture of god from eny counterfete NOw ys yt I suppose well clerely proued by scrypture the thyng that I promysed that ys to wytt that the chyrche caÌ„ not erre in any suche substauncyall artycle as god wyl haue vs bouÌ„den to byleue ¶ But yet for as myche as ye regarde nothynge but scrypture onely thys wolde I fayne wytte of you whyther ye byleue that chryste was borne of a vyrgyn ¶ what els quod he ¶ why byleue you that quod I ¶ The gospell sheweth me so quod he ¶ what yf yt dyd not quod I were thaÌ„ your crede oute of credence but yf he brynge wytnesse wyth hym ¶ The crede quod he ys a thynge by yt selfe ¶ yet ys yt quod I no parte of the gospell as the pater noster ys And yet I thynke yf gospell had neuer bene wryten ye wolde haue byleued your crede ¶ So thynke I to q he ¶ And wherfore q I but for bycause the chyrch shuld haue shewed you so But let our crede alone a whyle and go we to the gospel selfe whych gospel telleth you that cryste was borne of a vyrgyn ¶ The gospel of seynt luke quod he ¶ How knowe you that q I ¶ For I rede yt so quod he in the booke ¶ ye rede q I suche a boke But how know yow that saynt Luke made yt ¶ How knowe I quod he other bokê but by that they bere the namys of they re authors wryteÌ„ vppoÌ„ them ¶ Know you yt wel therby quod I Many bookes be there that haue false inscrypcyons and are not the bookes of theym that they be named by ¶ That ys trouth q he But yet though men dyd peradueÌ„ture erre and fayle iÌ„ the name as if he shulde repute a boke of Stories to be made by Titus Liuius whych he neuere made but suÌ„ other honest cuÌ„niÌ„g maÌ„ yet were the boke nether lesse elygaunt nor lesse trewe therfore Nor in lyke wyse if the chyrche dyd mysse take the very name of sum euauÌ„gelyste gospell yet were the gospell neuer the lesse trew ¶ That ys quod I well sayde But how be ye sure that the mater of the boke ys trew ¶ Mary quod he for I am ¶ That ys quod I the reasoÌ„ that a mayde layeth for her owne knowlege of her maydeÌ„hed But she coulde tell a nothere how she knoweth she hath yt sauynge that she ys lothe to cuÌ„ so nere as to be a knowen that she coulde tell how she myghte lese yt But here ys no such fere Tell me therfore whereby wot ye that the mater of that booke ys trew ¶ I thynke quod he that god sheweth me so ¶ That ys well thought quod I. But he tolde yt you not mouthe to mouth ¶ No q he But he hath tolde yt to other in the bygynnynge or els yt was well knowen in the bygynnynge whan he wrote yt And he was knowen and byleuyde by hys liuynge and the myracles that god dyd for hiÌ„ And after that yt was onis knoweÌ„ the knowlege went forth fro maÌ„ to maÌ„ And god hath so wroght wyth vs that we byleue yt bycause the hole chyrch hath alway done so byfore our dayes ¶ Now cum you quod I to the very poynte for many thyngys hath bene trew yâ— in procys after hathe lefte to be byleuyd And many a thing hath in the bygynnynge bene knowen for false and yet hath after happed to be byleuyd But the gospels and holy scrypture god prouydeth that though percase sum of it may perishe be loste whereby they myghte haue harme but not fall in errour for the fayth shulde stande though the scrypturys were all gon yet shall he neuer suffer his chirch to be deceyued in that poynt that they shall take for holy scripture eny boke that ys not And therfore sayeth holy saynt AusteÌ„ I shuld not byleue the gospell but yf yt were for the chyrche And he sayeth good reasone For were yt not for the spyryte of god keping the trouth therof in hys chyrch who could be sure whych were the very gospels There were many that wrot the gospell And yet hathe the chyrch by secrete instinct of god reiectyde the remenaunte and chosen oute these foure for the sure vndowted trew ¶ That ys quod he sure so ¶ Thys ys quod I so sure so that Luther hym selfe ys dryuyn of necessytye to graunte thys or els he perceyuyth that there were none holde nor surtie iÌ„ scripture yt selfe yf the chyrch myght be suffrede by god to be deceyued in that poynt to take for holy scrypture that wryting that in dede were not And therfore he confessyth that thys muste nedys be a sure infallyble grounde that god hath geuyn thys gifte vnto hys chyrch that hys chyrche caÌ„ alway dyscerne the word of god froÌ„ the worde of meÌ„ ¶ In good faythe quod he that muste nedys be so or els all wolde fayle ¶ Quod I than ye that wolde byleue the chyrche in nothinge nor giue sure credence to the trâ—dycyon of the chyrch but yf yt were pâ—ued by scrypture now se yt prouyd to you that ye coulde not byleue the scrypture but yf yt were proued to be scrypture by the iudgemente and tradycyoÌ„ of the chyrch ¶ No quod he but when I haue lerned onys of the chyrch that yt ys holy scrypture and the worde of god than I bileue it better than I byleue al the chyrche I myght by a lyght persone sumtyme know a mych more substancyall maÌ„ And yet whaÌ„ I know hym I wyll byleue hym mych beter thaÌ„ hym by whome I know hym if they varied iÌ„ a tale and were coÌ„â—rary ¶ Good reason quod I. But the chyrch bâ—ddith you not byleue the coÌ„trary of that the scrypture sayeth But he tellythe you that in such placys as ye wold better bileue the scrypture than the chyrche there ye vnderstand not the scrypture For what so euer wordys yt spekyth yet yt meanyth not the contrary of that the chirch techeth you And the chirch can not be deceyued in any such weghtye poynt ¶ whereby shall I knowe q he ¶ why be we at the poynt yet quod I haue we so sone forgotten the perpetuall assystence of the trynyte in hys chyrch and the prayoure of Chryste to kepe the fayth of hys chyrche fro fayliÌ„ge and the holy gost senâ—e of purpose to kepe iÌ„ the chirch the rememberaunce of Chrystê wordê and to lede them in to all trouth what wold yt haue profited to haue put you iÌ„â—he rememberaunce of the assystense of god with the chylderne of Israell walkyng wyth theÌ„ in the cloude by day iÌ„ the pyler of fyer by nyght in theyr erthly viage and therby to haue prouyde you the mych more specyall assystence of god wyth hys christeÌ„ chyrch
¶ That is all quod I And what he promysyth therin I fayth I remember not But yt semeth what so euer yt be Tyndall wolde yt were well performed ¶ He had quod youre frende mych more cause as me thiÌ„keth to fere leste men shulde reâ—en hygh defaute in hys translacyon in that he nothynge answereth to those wordys of the â—reres boke wherin he sayeth that yâ— new testamente that was burâ—yd dyd dystroy the masse ¶ ye say quod I very trouth in my mynde and so wold he of lyklyhed yf hym selfe had not mente as the frere sayd But surely for the translacyon I shall shew you so many textê in suche wyse corruptede that ye shall not I suppose greately doute what he ment in hys doynge ¶ And therewyth all I shewyd your freÌ„de a boke wyth yâ— placys redy notyd whych booke I had by lycence a lytyll before lent vnto me for the noâ—ys wherein he saw so many corrupcyoâ—s and of such maner sorte that albeyt vppon some we somewhat resoned in the way yet at the laste hyâ— self sayd ho and verely confessyd yâ— the boke in such wyse translated was very nought nothyng metely to be red The .x. chapyter ¶ The author shewyth that the traÌ„slaâ—â—oÌ„ of Tyndal was to bad to be meÌ„ded BUt yet he sayd that the fawâ—â— myght be by suÌ„ good meÌ„ ameÌ„dyd than the boke prityd agayn if nothing letted but y◠¶ Surely quod I yf we go therto the fawtys be as ye se so many so spred through the hole boke that lyke wyse as yt were as sone done to weue a new web of clothe as to sowe vppe euery hole in a net so were it almost as litell labour and leâ—â—e to translate the hole boke all new as to make in hys translacyon so many chaungys as nede muâ—â—e be ere it were made good besydys thys that there wold no wyse maÌ„ I trow take yâ— brede whych he well wyst was of hys enemyes hand onis poysoned though he saw his frend after scrape it neuer so clene The .xi. chapyter ¶ The messenger fyndeth fawte with the clergye in yâ— he sayth they haue made a constytucyon prouyncyall yâ— no byble in englysh shold be suffred And in thys chapyter incydently yâ— messenger mych reproueth yâ— lyuyng of the clergye Whervnto yâ— author somwhat sheweth his mynd defferrynge for the whyle hys answere to thobyeâ—â—yon made agaynst the constytucyon Sâ—r quod your frende I wyll not gretely sâ—ykke with you in that poynt But surely the thyng yâ— maketh in this mater the clergye most suspect and wherin as yt semeth yt wolde be full hard to excuse theym is this that they not onely dâ—Ì„â—ne Tyndals translacyon wherin there is good cause but euer that do dampne all other aâ— though a lay man were no crysten mâ—n wyll suffer no ley man haue eny at all But whan they fynde eny in hys â—epyng they lay heresye to hym therfoâ—e And thervppon they burne vppe the boke and somtyme the good man wyth all alledgyng for the defence of theyr doyng a law of theyr owne makyng a coÌ„stytucyon proâ—yncyal wher by they haue prohybyted that eny man shall haue eny vppon payn of heresye And thys is a lawe very prouyncyall for yt holdeth but here For iÌ„ all other cuÌ„trees of chrysteÌ„dome the people haue the scrypture traÌ„slated iÌ„to theyr owne tong and the clergye thâ—re fyndeth no â—â—â—he fawte therin Wherfore eyther our people is worste of all people or ellys our clergye is worâ—â—e of all clergyes But by my trouth for aught that I can se here or percâ—yue by them that haâ—â— bene els where our ley peple be as good as 〈◊〉 as be eny 〈◊〉 And yf eny be other wyse thoccasyon and exemple coÌ„meth of the clergyâ— amonge whome we se myche more vyâ—e thaÌ„ among our selfe ¶ Where as they shold gyue vs example of vertue and yâ— lyght of lernyng now theyr examples what they be we see And as for lernynge they neyther wyll teche vs but selde and that shal be but such thyngê as pleaseth theym som gloses of theyr own maâ—yng nor suffer vs to lerne by our selfe but by theyr constytucyoÌ„ pull Crystys gospell out of crysten peoples handys I can not well se why but left we shold se the trouth The Iewes be not letted to red theyr law both lerned and lewd And yet are there in the old testament thyngys for vnlerned folke farre more straunge and peryllous thaÌ„ in the new And why sholde then ouâ— ley men be forboden the gospell but yf they wyll make vs worse than Iewes Wherin I can in good faith se no scuse they can fynde For the scrypture is to good folk yâ— nouryssher of vertue and to theym that be nauhâ—â— yt is the meane of amendement And therfore whyle the clergye doth wythâ—â—â—â—â— it vs yf our soules be in good helth they take a waye oâ—refode yf our soules be â—yke they take away yâ— medycyne And therfore as I sayd the fâ—ut is not in yâ— damnyng of Tyndals translacyoÌ„ but in that they haue by an expresse lawe forboden that we shold haue eny at al ¶ Your wordys quod I be somwhat poyâ—nauÌ„t and sharpe But surely they pryâ— somwhat more the men thâ—n the mater For where yâ— towche in effecte two thyngys 〈◊〉 the constytucion prâ—uyncyall by whych yt thynke the clergâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 haue euyll proâ—â—byted all 〈◊〉 of scâ—yptâ—â—â— in to our tonge a nother the vycys of the clergye in generall the fyrst poynt whych in dede towcheth our mater I can and wyll wyth fewe wordys answere you But as for yâ— other whych toucheth the men as where ye accuse the clergye in theyr ê‘sons of very vycious lyuyng as meÌ„ mych worse thaÌ„ ye say that we be and yet as though theyr owne fautys were to few charge theym wyth ours to wherof ye call theym the cause in thys poynt wyl I kepe no scolys wyth you nor entre in to dyspycions therof nor gladly medle wyth the mater For as I told you in the begynnynge syth we talke but of mennys lernynge I wyll not medle of mennys lyuynge nor in the treatyng of thys mater eyther prayse or dysprayse eny maÌ„nys maner except some such as are for theyr heresyes euyl doctryne cast out of Crystê chyrch and through all Crystendome dampned dyâ—famed all redy by theyr owne obstynate malyce But yet wher ye speke of other contrees makyng an argumeÌ„t that our clergye is the worst of all other I wote well yâ— hole world is so wreched that spyrytuall and temporall euery where all be bad ynoughe god make vs all better But yet for that I haue my selfe sene and by credyble folke haue herd lyke as ye say by oure temperalytye that we be as good and as honest as eny where elles so dâ—re I boldely saye that the spyrytualytye of englande and specyally that pâ—rtâ— in whyche ye fynde most
they caÌ„ not lyghtly mete wyth mych worse company than theym selfe and that they rather corrupt vs than we them ¶ The .xiii. chapyter ¶ The messenger moueth that yt wold do well that prestys shold haue wyuys wherunto the author maketh answer BUt I wold wene it wold ameÌ„d myth ê‘te of this mater yf they myghte haue wyuys of they re owne ¶ Mary q I so sayth luther Tyndal also sauyng that they go suÌ„what ferther forth For Tyndall whose bookys be nothiÌ„g els iÌ„ effect but the worst heresyes pyked out of Luthers workys Luthers worst wordê translated by Tyndall put forth in Tyndals own name doth in his fraÌ„tyke boke of obedyeÌ„ce wherin he rayleth at large agaynst all popes agaiÌ„st all kyngê agaynst all prelatys all presâ—ê all relygyous all the lawes all the sayntys agaynst the sacrameÌ„tys of Crystê chyrch al agaiÌ„st vertuous workys agaynst all dyuyne seruyce and fynally agaynst all thyng in effecte the good is in that boke I say Tyndal holdeth the prestê must haue wyâ—ys And that he groundeth wysely vpoÌ„ the wordys of saynt Poule where he wryteth to Thimotheus Oportet episcopum esse irreprehensibilem vnius vxoâ—is viruÌ„ That a bysshop must be a maÌ„ vnreproueable and the husbande of one wyfe And that yt muste be consydered whether he haue well brought vp hys chyldren and well gouerned hys housholde By these wordys doth Tyndall after Luther conclude for a playn mater that prestys must nedys haue wyâ—es and that saynt Poule wold there shold in no wyse be none other prestys but maryed folke Is yt not now a woÌ„der wyth what spectacles Luther and Tyndall haue spyed thys thynge now in these wordys of saynt Powle In whyche of so many grete connyngâ—â—â—thers and holy sayntys as haue often redde and depely coÌ„sydered those wordys before there was neuer none that had eyther the wytte or the grace to ê‘ceyue that grete specyal coÌ„maundemeÌ„t thys .xv. C. yere tyll now the god hathe at last by reuelacyoÌ„ shewed thys hygh secrete mystery to these .ii. goodly creatures Luther and Tyndall leste that holy frere shold haue lost his maryage of that holy nonne and Tyndall some good maryage that I thynke hym towarde Tyndal nothing answereth in his boke to that poynt but roÌ„neth and rayleth ouer wythout reson and sayth that the scrypture ys playne therin for hym And euer he passeth ouer as thouh he herd it not that al the holy doctours that euer were in Crystê chyrch sayen that the scrypture whych he alledgeth to be very playn for him is very playn agaynst hym as it is in dede For saynt poule in that place for as mych as yet at that tyme excepte none but yong meÌ„ shold haue beÌ„ prestê which he thought not comenly conuenyent ellys coulde they make no prestys then but suche as eyther were or had ben maryed therfore thappostle hauing in the choyse of prestys a specyall respecte to chastyte and wyllyng to go as â—ere to no wyfe as myght be dyd ordayne as god had instructed hym that who so euer shold be admytted to presthâ—d sholde be the husband of one wyfe Meanyng suche as then had or byfore had had no mo but one that neuer had had twayn He meaned not as mad Luther Tyndall wold now make the world so â—â—d to byleue that a prest must nedys haâ—e one nor that he may neuer lacâ—e one nor that he may haue one after a notheâ— â—or the onely forbyddynâ— of twain at onys but he ment only that non shold be admytted to presthed but onely such a man as neuer had had nor shold haue but onely one whyche ys the thynge that euer was hath bene by those wordys vnderstanden And not onely where saynt Powle taught but also thorow crystendome where the other apostles planted the fayth hath yt euer ben so obserued Whych is a playne profe that concernynge the prohybycyon of eny mo wyuys then one and the forbydiâ—g of bygamy by the weddyng of one wyfe after a nother was the specyall ordynaunce of god and of saynt Powle whose epystles wherin he wryteth eny thynge of thys mater was peraduenture not comen to the handys of other apostles whan they toke yet the same order by the same spyryte that taught yt hym For thys is certayn that euer euery where in crystendom the bygamy of two wyues eche after other hath ben a let and impedyment agaynst the the takynge of holy orders and hath of long tyme ben a let though the â—one wyfe had ben maryed and buryed byfore the mannys baptysme And nowe these two wyse men agaynst the olde holy fathers and connyng doctours agaynst the coÌ„tynuall custume of Crystê chyrch so many huÌ„dred yeres bygoÌ„ne and contynued by the spyryte of god haue spyed at last the saynt Powle sayth and meaneth that a preste maye marye â—wyse haue one wyfe after a nother and that he must so haue For by Tyndall a prest must euer haue one wyfe at the lest And surely yf we leue the trew vndâ—â—standyng of saynt Powlys wordê and byleue Tyndall that yt ys there ment and comaunded bycause of thys worde 〈◊〉 that a prest muste haue one then may Tyndall as for the place tell vs that a prest ys at lybertye to haue twayne at onys or twentye and he wyll bycawse saynt Powle saythe no more but that the bysshop muste be the husband of one wyfe Whych wordys Tyndall maye tell vs be veryfyed yf he be the husbaÌ„d of .x. wyuys For the husbaÌ„d of .x. wyuys were the husbaÌ„d of one as the father of ten chyldren is the father of one yf the wyuys were as coÌ„patyble as the chyldreÌ„ be as it is no dout but Luther and Tyndall wold sone make theÌ„ by scrypture yf theyr owne interpetacyoÌ„ may be taken for authoryte agaiÌ„st the perceyuing that god hath gyuen to all good crysten people this .xv. C. yere Now as I say vppoÌ„ Tyndals takyng saiÌ„t Poule shold menâ—â— not that a preste sholde haue bâ—t one wyfe for that but is not â—â—aiÌ„t Powlê woâ—dê but he sholde mene that a preste muste haue one at the leâ—â—e as though saiÌ„t Poule had leuer that the preste had .xx. saâ—e for ouercharging Yet yt semeth that Tyndall so take yt in dede and that a preste might haue dyuers wyues at onys specyally for the grete reason that he setteth therto For where as saynt Poule syth there was at that â—yme lytel choyse to make prestê of but maryed men wylled therfore that in the choyse of the bysshoppe there shold be consydered howe he had gouerned hys owne howsehold bycause he that had mystatched his wyfe and hys chyldren were vnmete for a gret cure therfore sayth Tyndal that neuer shold ther eny prest be made but but such as hath a wyfe and chyldren by the gouernaunce of theym shewed that he is mete to bere a rule as thoughe we neuer saw eny man that neuer had wyfe gouerne an housholde better thâ—Ì„ many that
thought we could not fayle of him whaÌ„ we wold haue hym we forbare therfore to examyne hym tyll we sholde haue examyned the tother whom he labored for But than were we not ware in what wyse we shold be dysapoynted of hym For so myshapped yt in dede that after hys beyng at me to labor for him whose scoler iÌ„ heresie he was detecte to be he was in hys own howse sodaynly stryken slayne And that wreched ende had he What consyence he dyed wyth god knoweth for I can tell you no ferther ¶ By saynt IohnÌ„ quod your frend but vppon the hole tale yt semeth to me very clere that Hunne was hym selfe not clere of the mater ¶ Surely quod I so semed yt as far as I cowlde wytte vnto as many as euer herd yt and wolde yet I wene haue semed so more clerely yf they had beÌ„ present at thexamynacyoÌ„s and sene vnder what maner the man came forthe therwith ¶ But yet quod your frende as for his englysh byble thoughe Hunne were hym selfe an heretyque yet myght the boke be good ynough And no good reason ys there why a good boke shold be burned wyth an euyll man ¶ Ye call me well home quod I put me well in mynd For that was the thyng wherby ye toke occasyon to talke of Hunne of whom we talked so longe that at last I had forgoten wherfore whervppoÌ„ we entred in to that communycacyon And yet make those bokys not a lytell to the mater that we had in hande I meane toward the perceyuynge what opynyon that Hunne was of For surely at suche tyme as he was denounced for an heretyque there lay his englysh byble open and som other englyshe bokys of hys that euery man myghte sethe placys noted with his own hande suche wordys and in suche wyse that there wold no wyse man that good were haue eny grete dowte after the syghte therof what naughty myndys the meÌ„ had both he that so noted theym and he that so made them I remember not now the specyaltees of the mater nor the formall wordys as they were wryten But thys I remember well that besydys other thyngys framed for the fauour of dyuers other heresyes there were in the prologe of that byble suchâ— wordys touchynge the blyssed sacrameÌ„t as good crysten meÌ„ dyd myche abhorre to here and whych gaue the reders vndouted occasyoÌ„ to thynke that the boke was wryten after â—yclyffs copy and by hym translated in to our tonge And yet whyther the boke be burned or secretely kept I can not surely saye But truly were the clergye of my mynd yt sholde be some where reserued for the perpetual profe of the mater ther hath gone so mych suspycyoê° rumor therofâ— Whych as I byleue were all well answered the mynde fully satysfyed oâ— eny maÌ„ that wyse were good therw t that onys had ouerloked red and aduysedly consydered that boke ¶ The .xvi. chapyter ¶ The messenger reherseth som causys whych he hath herd layd by som of the clergye wherfore the scrypturâ— shold not be suffred in englysh And the author sheweth hys mynde that yt were conuenyeÌ„t to haue the byble in englyshe And therwyth endeth the thyrd boke SYr quod your frende yet for all thys can I se no cawse why the clergye shold kepe the byble out of lay mennys handys that can no more but theyr mother tonge ¶ I had wente q I that I had proued you playnly that they kepe yt not from theÌ„ For I haue shewed you that they kepe none frome theym but suche translacyon as be eyther not yet approued for good or such as be all redy reproued for naught as Wyclyffys was and Tyndals For as for other olde onys that were before Wyclyffys days remayn lawful and be in some folkys handys had and red ¶ Ye say well quod he But yet as women say somwhat yt was alway that the cat wynked whan her eye was oute Surely so ys yt not for nought that the englysh byble is in so few mennys handys whan so many wold so fayn haue yt ¶ That ys very trouth q I. For I thynke that though the fauourers of a secte of heretyques be so feruent in the settynge for the of theyr sect that they let not to lay theyr money togyder and make a purse amonge theÌ„ for the pryntyng of an euyll made or euyll translated boke whych though yt happe to be forboden and burned yet som be solde ere they be spyed eche of theym lese but theyr parte yet I thynk ther wyll no prynter lyghtely be so hote to put eny byble in prent at hys own charge wherof the losse sholde lye hole in hys owne necke and than hange vppon a doutfull tryall whyther the fyrst copy of hys translacyon was made before Wyclyffys dayes or synnys For yf yt were made synnys yt must be approued byfore the pryntynge And surely howe yt hathe happed that in all thys whyle god hathe eyther not suffred or not prouyded that eny good vertuouse man hath had the mynde in faythfull wyse to translate yt and thervppoÌ„ eyther the clergye or at the lest wyse somone bysshop to approue yt thys can no thynge tell But howe so euer yt be I haue herd and here so myche spoken in the mater and so mych dout made ther in that peraduenture yt wold let and wythdrawe eny one bysshop from the admyttyng therof wythout the assent of the remanaunt And where as many thyngys be layd agaynst yt yet ys there in my mynde not one thyng that more putteth good men of the clergye in dout to suffer yt than thys that they se somtyme myche of the worse sort more feruent in the callyng for yt than theÌ„ whom we fynde far better Whych maketh theym to fere lest such men desyre yt for no good and lest yf yt were had in euery maÌ„nys hand there wold gret parell aryse and that sedycyouse people shold do more harme therwyth thaÌ„ god and honest folke sholde take frute therby Whyche fere I promyse you no thyng fereth me but that who so euer wolde of they re malyce or foly take harme of that thynge that ys of yt self ordeyned to do all men good I wold neuer for thauoydyng of theyr harme take frome other the profyte whyche they myght take and no thyng deserue to lese For ellys yf thabuse of a good thyng shold cause the takynge awaye therof frome other that wolde vse yt well Cryst shold hym selfe neuer haue ben borne nor brought hys fayth in to the worlde nor god sholde neuer haue made yt neyther yf he shold for the losse of those that wold be daÌ„pned wreches haue kepte away thoccasyon of reward from theym that wold wyth helpe of hys grace endeuoure theym to deserue yt ¶ I am sure q your frende ye dowt not but that I am full hole of youre mynd in thys mater that the byble shold be in our englysh tonge But yet that the clergye ys of
submyttyng hym self hys wrytynge to the iudgemeÌ„t of the pope desyryng to be enformed of the trouth wheruppoÌ„ whaÌ„ he was by wryting answered by the mayster of the popys palays thaÌ„ waxed he more wode fell to raylyng agaynst hym made also a notherâ— boke agaynst the power of the pope affermyng that hys power vppoÌ„ the chyrch was neuer instytute of god but ordeyned only by the coÌ„mune coÌ„sent of crysteÌ„ peple for auoydynge of scysmys But yet he sayd that all crysteÌ„ men were bounden to stand and obâ—y therunto and that the Bohemes were dampnable heretyques for doyng the coÌ„trary But sone after whan he was in suche wyse answered by good and cuÌ„nyng men that he ê‘ceyued hym selfe vnable to defend that he had affermed than fell he from reasonyng to raylyng and vtterly denyed that he had byfore affermed And thaÌ„ bygan to wryte that the pope had no power at all neyther by god nor man And that the Bohemes whom he had in hys wrytyngys byfore called daÌ„pnable heretykes were good crysteÌ„ men and al theyr opynyons good and catholyque Than whan he was cyted by the popes holynes to appere he appeled to the nexte generall counsayle whyche sholde be gathered in the holy goost So that what so euer generall couÌ„sayle were after asseÌ„bled he myght geste and rayle theron saye yt was not it that he appeled vnto for yt was not assembled in the holy goost ¶ He toke quod your frend a good wyly way ¶ As wyly as yt was q I yet wold he not stand therby but fledde froÌ„ that to a nother Now shall ye vnderstand yâ— yet sone after thys in the boke by whych he not answereth but rayleth agaynst that boke wherin our souerayne lord the kynge lyke a moost faythfull vertuous and moost erudyte prynce euydently effectually reuynced and confuted the moost venemous and pestylent boke of Luther entyteled the captyuyte of Babylon in whych he laboreth to destroy the holy sacrameÌ„tys of Cristis chyrchâ— in that boke I saye Luther whych had byfore appeled to then exâ—general couÌ„sayll vtterly denyeth the authoryte of all generall counsayllys and setteth theym all at nowghte ¶ By my trouth quod your frend eyther was the man very neclygent byfore or very naught after whan he chaungeth so often and wryteth euer the longer the more contrary not to hys aduersary onely but also to hym selfe But I pray you how excuseth he hys inconstaunce ¶ Mary quod I he sayth that he seethe ferther than he sawe before whervnto the kyngys grace sheweth hym that yt were vnlykely that he shold se better through a payre of euyll spectacles of ire enuye ¶ Uery true quod your frende by my trouthe But yet I here saye that he hathe offred to stande at the iudgement of lerned men in all hys maters yf hys offre had ben takeÌ„ iÌ„ tyme. ¶ In dede q I onys he ê“mysed to stande to the iudgement of the vnyuersyte of Parys theruppoÌ„ was there open dyspycyons kepte and the very wordê wrytteÌ„ by notaryes sworeÌ„ for bothe the partyes But whan hys opynyons were after at Parys by the vnyuersyte condempned than he refused to stand to theyr iudgement fell agayne to hys olde craft of raylynge ¶ He appered also at Wormys before the emperoure and the pryncys of the empyre by a sufeconducte And there recognysed and knowleged as well the sayde pestylent booke wryten agaynste the sacramentys as many other of lyke sorte to be hys owne and offred to abyde by theym Whyche he myght boldely do beyng by the saufe conducte in good suretye of hym selfe that he coulde take none harme Than was he moued to dyspycyons vppon the artycles so that he sholde agree vppon som persons vertuous and wel lerned that shold be iudgys of that dyspycyons and that he sholde be content to stand to they re iudgement vppon the same Wheruppon he agreed to come to dyspycyons but he wold in no wyse agre to make eny meÌ„ lyuing iudges vppoÌ„ it nor staÌ„d to no maÌ„nis iudgemeÌ„t erthly ¶ The .iiii. chapyter ¶ The author sheweth how that Luther in the boke that hym self made of hys owne actys at the cyte of wormys in almayn doth so madly ouerse hym selfe that he dyscloseth vnware certayne folyes of hym self whych a man wyll well laugh at and meruayle mych to se yt ANd that these thyngys be true yt well appereth to all the world in the boke that he made hym selfe of his demeanure and hys actys at the cytye called Wormys in almayne Whyche boke who so redeth shall haue a grete pleasure to se therin both the frantyke vaynglory of the fond frere yet there wythal to se hym caryed out with foly so far from hym selfe that in a lyne or twayne he dyscouereth all that he weÌ„t abowte to hyde in all the boke bysyde For ye shall vnderstand that albeyt he made that boke hym self yet he made it so that he wold yt shold seme to haue ben of some other mannys makynge not of hys own to th entent that suche worshypfull wordys as he speketh of hym selfe myght make hym in therys of the reder seme some honorable person Whych wordys ellys he wyst well spoken of hys own mouth all the world wolde wonder on Now in thys boke bysyde that he leueth out som thyngys there sayde and spoken where the wordys wryten in coulde do hym no worshyp and som thyngys recyteth wyth aduauntage for hys parte rehersyng the tother syde nakedly and barely pared of to make it seme the more slender one thynge he obserueth dylygently that where as spekynge of the emperour he calleth hym neuer but symply and syngly charles he neuer speketh of hym selfe but he setteth forthe hys name in grete capytall letters and solempne tytles The MaÌ„ of God Luther And where as they that spake agaynst hys errours he wryteth that they brast out in to vyrulent and venimouse wordê whan he cometh to hys owne answer thâ—n he wryteth in thys wyse but thaÌ„ D. Martine for hys incredyble humanytâ— bountye answered in thys wyse benygnely And somtyme wyth these wordys the most benygne father most myldely made answere And fynally he fynysshed and endeth his boke as yt were wyth a Gloria patri to the hole psalme in this wyse This holy deuout man therfore euen borne to teche and preserue the gospel of god our lord loÌ„g preserue for hys chyrch wyth hys holy word also AmeÌ„ Now who was there euer borne so suspycyoê° that euer wold haue suspected that he whyche wrote such gloryous wordys of Luther shâ—ld be Luther hym selfe For where shold a man fynde so very a vayngloryouse fole that wold not in hym self be ashâ—med of hym selfe to thynke suche thyngys But now ye that rede this I pray you for goddê sake se how vtterly this ych and tyklyng of vanyte and vaynglory hadde cast hym clene bysyde hys mynd and memorye For where as all the boke bysyde was so dyuysed hâ—ndâ—led that
it sholde seme some other to haue made yt and not hym self sodeynly the fond felowe bewrayed hym selfe vnware For in one place forgettynge hym selfe he speketh in thys wyse Whan thys was spoken than the oratour of yâ— empyre in a chydyng maner sayde that I had not answered to the purpose and that those thyngis whych had ben dampned and determyned in generall counsayls of old ought not now of newe to be brought agayne in questyon by me and therfore I sholde gyue a playn answer whyther I wold reuoke myne errours or not Than vnto this I answered in this wyse Syth that yt ys so c. Lo here may ye se the incredyble humylyte and lowly mynd of thys moste benygne father whyche vnder the vysour of a strauÌ„ge herald bloweth out hym selfe his owne boste Than may ye se therwyth hys meruelouse profounde prudeÌ„ce that had not the wyt to beware that hym selfe bewrayed not his own so folysh a deuyce in the vayne auauntyng of hys owne false boste and prayse that though the wordys had ben true yet wold almost a very natural fole haue ben ashamed of hym selfe to wryte theym ¶ By my trouthe quod youre frende thys deuyse was madly mynded of Luther madly handled madly ouersene to shew hym selfe so fond but yf pryde as the prouerbe ys must nedys haue a shame ¶ The .v. chapyter ¶ The author sheweth the parpetual inconstaunce of Luther and hys coÌ„traryete and repugnaunce agaynst hym selfe NOw as for hys coÌ„staunce appereth quod I by that I haue byfore rehersed of his contynuall chauÌ„ge iÌ„ his heresyes fro day to day fro worse to worse whych course he kept not onely in the maters aboue rehersed but almoost in all the remanaunt For as concerning purgatory he wrote fyrste that all though it coulde not be proued by euydent scrypture as he affermed yet was there no dowte but that there ys purgatory and that thyng he sayd was of all crysten men fermely to be byleued And than he wrote yâ— he wondred of the madnes of suche false and folyshe heretyques as were borne wtin one hundred yere passed and are not ashamed to denye purgatory whyche the hole chyrche of Cryst hath byleued thys fyftene hundred yere Now what constaunce ys there in thys frere that wrote thys of heretyques that denye purgatory and wythin a whyle after denyeth yt hym selfe sayng in the sermon that he wrote of the ryche man Lazare that all mennys sowlys lye styll and slepe tyll domys day ¶ Mary quod your frend thaÌ„ hath som maÌ„ had a slepe of a fayre length They wyll I wene whan they wake forgete some of theyr dremys ¶ By my fayth quod I he that byleueth Luther that hys soule shall slepe so long shall whan he dyeth slepe in shrewd reste ¶ I myche meruayle quod your frend what euyll ayled hym to fynd out thys fond foly ¶ To thys opynyon quod I or rather to the faynyng of thys opynyon for I veryly thynke that hym selfe thynketh not as he wryteth he fell for enuye hatered that he bare to prestehode by the malyce of whyche hys vngracyous mynde he rather were coÌ„tent that all the worlde lay in the fyre of purgatory tyll domys daye than that there were one peny gyuen to a preste to praye for eny sowle ¶ Thys ys quod your frend very lykely ¶ Lyke constauÌ„ce quod I hath he vsed in the mater of holy vowes For in hys boke of the captyuyte of Babylon he wryteth that neyther maÌ„ nor aungell ys able to dyspense with the vowe made by maÌ„ to god And sone after he wrote that no vowe cowlde bynde eny man but that euery man may boldely breke theym of hys owne hed But yt well appereth that he wrote the fyrst of angre and malyce towarde the pope and than chaunged to the second of a lecherous lust to the nunne that he mynded to mary ¶ The .vi. chapyter ¶ The author sheweth howe yâ— Luther hath be fayne for the defence of hys vndefeÌ„cyble errours to go back and forsake all the maner of profe tryall whyche he fyrst promysed to stand to And now lyke a man shamfull and shamelesse hath no profe in the world but hys owne word and calleth that the word of god HIs inconstaunte wyt and very deuylyshe entent specyally shewed yt self by thys also whych I shal now reherse you In the begynnyng the man had the mynde that comenly such foles haue he rekened all the worlde wylde gese saue hym selfe and all the wyt and lernyng to stand in hys own hed And than wenynge that he sholde fynde no matche but that he sholde as he lyst be able to proue the moâ—e made of grene chese he ê“fessed in his bokis that he wold for the profe or reproue of hys opynyons stand to naturall reason to the authoryte of the olde holy fathers the lawes and canons of Crystys chyrche and to the holy scrypture of god wyth thinterptacyoÌ„s of the old holy doctours But soâ—e after whaÌ„ heâ— perceyued hym self in hys opynyon deceyued and that he saw hym selfe confuted and concluded euydently both by scrypture naturall reason the lawys and determynacyons of the chyrche and the hole consent of the holy fathers interpretours of holy scrypture than bygaÌ„ he to syng a nother songe For than as for reason he refused to stand to saynge that the maters of our fayth be thyngys aboue reason and that reason hyndereth vs in our fayth is vnto fayth an enmy And as for the lawes of the chyrche he wyth other blasphemouse heretyques burned vp openly at â—ytteÌ„berge synâ—â—nge in derysyon a dyryge about the fyre for the lawys soule And thaÌ„ wolde he staÌ„d â—â—nothyng but only scryptureâ— not to that neyther but yf yt were very playne euydent But now yf yt were in questyoÌ„ whyther the scrypture were euydentâ— for hym or agaynst hym ther in wold he stand to no mannys iudgement but hys owne For as for the hole fayth of Cryrstys chyrch contynued by so many hundred yerys he set vtterly at naught callyng yt mennys deuyeê And in scrypture the interpretacion of saynt Hierome saynt Austayne saynt Ambrose and all the old holy fathers of so many yerys passed he no thynge wolde esteme â—ut with blasphemouse wordis letted not to wryte I care not for Austayn I care not for an huÌ„dred cypryanes I care not for a thousand Hieromis I care not but for scrypture alone and that ys playn on my parte As though none of these olde holy cuÌ„nynge men had vnderstand eny scrypture tyll he came Now was he by this vnreasonable maner dreueÌ„ to a nother deuylysh deuyce agaynst sayntys For to th entent that theyr authoryte shold no by the deuocyon and reuerence that all good men bere theym mynysh hys credeÌ„ce he was forced to labor to briÌ„g men in the heresye that they shold praye to no sayntys but wolde haue they re ymagys drawen downe all theyr pylgrymagys left vp all they re relyques