C.xlii. Thē had ye missed of reckening al though Higinus had ordened the baptisyng of childer But it is a false lye that Higinus was he that ordened first the baptising of childer If that ye can clere your selfe I wil recant and cry you mercy Wher is your sufficient and auncient author that writeth that Higinus ordened the baptim of childer first I haue read many hystories and cronicles to se whyther Higinus ordened the baptisyng of children or no but as yet I can not fynde it Panthalion which called his booke Chronographia writeth thus Higinus a Greciā borne was in the year of oure Lorde C.xli. and he ordened the chrysme and godfathers to baptyme The boke called epitome hystoriarum reporteth thus of Hyginus Hyginus a grecian ordened chrisme and godfathers to the baptym of christen men and the boke appoynteth to him the year of oure Lorde C.xxix Carhanza the gatherer of the abrygement of the councells and decreees hath these wordes of Hyginus Hyginus the eyght pope put vnto Baptym and confirmation a godfather and a godmother Marke that all these three testimonies witnes not that Hyginvs dyd ordene the Baptyme of infantes but that he ordened to Baptyme or put vnto Baptym Godfathers and Godmothers I aske you to what baptim dyd Hyginus orden or put to godfathers and godmothers ye wil not say that de ordened godfathers and godmothers to old-men for that wer nothynge for your purpose If ye say that he ordened them and put them to the baptyme of lpechelesse chyider then was the baptysinge of chylder before Hyginussis time Then do ye wrōge to saye that Hyginus that pope ordened the chrystenynge of specheles chylder who only added and put to the Baptising of childer chrisme and godfather and godmother Now wyl I com vnto the wytnesses of twoo great clerkes the former who is called Volaterrane sayeth Hyginus instituit ut Baptismo seu confirmationi unus saltem quem compatrem uocant interesset Hyginus ordened that one at the lest that they cal godfather shude be presented at the baptime The latter is named Platina who wrote a propre boke of the byshop of Rome His words of Higinus are these Voluit item unum saltē patrimum unam ue matrimam Baptismo inter esse Sic enim eos appellant qui infantes tenent dum baptizantur He ordened or woulde also that at the lest one godfather or godmother should be presente at baptyme For so do they call them whiche holde specheles chylder whyles they are baptised It is a greate wonder that Hyginus shulde haue ordened the baptim of infates and none of al these learned men wolde make mention of that matter as they haue done clerely of other matters Doutles they haue made no mētiō at al in the declaringe of the deedes of Hyginus that he ordened baptyme Then must I presse you with youre owne mannet of arguynge whyche is thys ¶ We rede not that Christ nothet the Apostles ordened the baptyme of chylder Ergo nother Christe ordened nother the Apostles ordened the baptym of childer If thys be a suer argumente then this that I wyl make of the same fashion must also be suer We rede not in their bookes that wrote the actes of Hyginus that Higinus ordened baptym therefore Hyginus ordened not Baptym But perchaunce ye wyl reason thus he ordened godfathers and godmothers to the baptyme of chylder This argumēte wanteth strength for the hole church or the farer and mother maye present and offer vp an infante vnto Christe and requyre streyght way of thelders of the churche the Sacrament of baptyme thoughe the chrysme wer in his belly that ordened it and the godfathers were neuer ordened Wherfore ye wer to bold nay to vnshame faced to say that pope Hyginus ordened the baptyme of infantes because all men shuld hate it that hate the pope ¶ Ye allege in the ende of your booke Erasmus amonge a great sorte of heretikes which wrote agaynst the baptim of infants and ye alleged Erasmus that chylder was not baptised in the Apostels time and it is true that Erasmus sayde that baptime of chyldren was not receiued in the apostels tyme. for hys wordes are these Nec ea quaestio tum mouebatur quum nondum esset receptū pueros baptizari Then wyl ye say peraduenture here is one learned mans opinion agaynst you that the baptime of childer was taken vp after the apostels tymes I aunswer you that S. Cyprian whiche lyued and florysshed within .cc.lvij. of Christes byrth and Saynt Austen which liued but CCCC xlij after Christes natiuite affirmed both that the baptisyng of chylder came vnto vs from the apostels handes and Erasmus sayeth that the baptime of childer was nod receiued in the Apostels times Whether is it more mete to beleue Cypryan and Austen whiche were so nere the Apostles tyme or Erasmus whiche lyued and dyed in oure dayes What wyll ye answere Aunswer what ye wyll I wyll make Erasmus by hys owne sentence and reason pronounce that Austē and Cyprian are rather to be beleued in suche lyke matter then he is Erasmus beyng sumthing offended with Chrysostome whyche denyed Paule had a wyfe wrote these wordes Chrysostomus fatetur fuisse qui putarent hic Paulū appellare suam uxorem sed dissentit nec causam reddit cur dissentiat Sed utris potius aequū est accedere Clementi Ignatio quorū ille Petri comes fuit hic Marci Euangelistae discipulus Chrysostomo qui tanto interuallo semotus fuit a temporibus apostolorum Chrysostome graunteth that there were some that thought that Paule in thys place spake spake vnto hys wyfe but he thynketh otherwyse yet sheweth no cause why But whether of thes is it meter that we shuld beleue Clement and Ignatyus of the whych the one was Peters companyon and the other the dyscyple of Marke the Euangelist or Chrysostome whyche was so longe a tyme from the tyme of the Apostles Thys may be gathered of these wordes he is more worthy credence in bearyng of wytnes that is nerer the dede when it is done or nerer the tyme whē it was done Whervpon I conclude thus Austen Cypriane and Orygen were nerer the apostles tymes then Erasmus was therfore Austen and Cypryane are more to he beleued whyche wrote that baptyme came from the Apostles then Erasmus whych sayd that baptysyng of chyldren was not receyued in the Apostles tymes Here are ye dysapoynted of one of your postes that ye lened to in your opynyon that the baptyme of chyldren was not receyued in the Apostles tymes But leste ye shoulde thynke that Austen and Cyprian were not of that mynde wherof I report them to be I wyll rehearse yow Saynt Austens wordes in the fourth boke against the Donatistes of the baptising of chyldren in the fourth chapter Et si quisquam in hacre autoritatem diuinam quaerat quanquam quod uniuersa tenet ecclesia nec conciliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi autoritate apostolica traditum
A preseruatiue or triacle agaynst the poyson of Pelagius lately renued styrred vp agayn by the furious secte of the Annabaptistes deuysed by Wyllyam Turner Doctor of Physick Beleue not euery spirite but proue the spirites whether they be of God or no. To the moste stedfast godly true preacher of Gods worde maister Hughe Latimer Wylliam Turner Physicion wyssheth long lyfe and good helth if it be the wyll and pleasure of almighty God with continuaunce in al vertues and godlynes and Christ our ryghteousnes THe same thing chaunceth nowe and hath chaunced euer since the begynning vnto all true prechers and defenders of Goddes holy worde that chaunced vnto the noble and doughtye warryer Hercules Hercules for the loue that he bare vnto his country toke many a ieoperdous and labor sum worke in hande and euer after that one was ended another began so that they myght haue semed to be tyed together wyth chaynes one dyd alwayes so coÌ„tinually and almoste touchingly folowe onother But his trouble and busines that he had with the kylling of the seuen hedded water snake called Hydra is moste lyke in all poyntes vnto the labour sum worke of Christes souldiers and true preachers for euer as he kylled one heade with his arrowes and strooke it of with hys sworde There rose vp another agayne vntyll that at the length he destrâ—… them wyth fyrebrandes Euen so the Aposteâ—… of Christe as they had ouercoÌ„med one labour they were cumbred streigth way with another Fyrst they had much a do in conuertyng the Iewes from theyr euil lyfe and not a litle to do to pull them from the false beleue that they had to be iustified by the workes of the law whichâ— for all that they kept not they had muche to do to bryng the Iewes from the ceremonyes of Moyses lawe and to make them beleue that they were put downe by the death of Christe The turning of the heathen from ydolatry vnto the belefe in Christ after that they had conuerted many of the Iewes was both a ieoperdous and a tumbrous labour But after all these great laboures there rose vp a sort of heretikes who wold haue not only defaced blotted out all of the prayse that the Apostels wan by theyr labours but vtterly haue destroyed and vndone all their doynges The names of the heretikes were Simon Magus Ebion and Corinthus Austen Ambrose and Hierom with other lyke fathers in their tymes had great trouble and beesines with the innumerable enemies of Christes trueth And we in our tyme are not in all pointes vnlike vnto Hercules For one labour euer successiuely receyueth and foloweth another First in Cambridge about .xx. yeares ago ye toke great paynes to put men from their wyl workes as pylgrimage and settyng vp of candels and with great labour ye brought many from them vnto the workes that God commaunded expressedly in his holy scripture and to the reading study of Gods worde al dreames and vnprofitable gloses of men set a syde and vtterly despised Then this fundacion of Goddes worde ones layde we that were your disciples hadde much to do in Cambridge after your departing from vs with them that defended praying vnto sayntes iustification of workes holye water superfluous holy dayes the sacrifice of the masse lyinge of parsons froÌ„ their benefices prouision for purgatorye the syngle lyuyng of ministers and the superstitious choyse of meates many suche other doctrines contrary vnto the scripture And though this stryfe agaynst Gods enemies were common to me 〈◊〉 many yet I had specially to do with a bucke wiâ—… a certayn man that had a name of the colour of â—…adder with the fox and hys foster and with a certayn wytche called maystres missa But after I was easid from al these monsters by the help principally of almyghty God and by the â—yde of the kyng and his counsell I thought to haue bene at good rest and quietnes from contentious striuinges wherewith I had bene muche troubled in tymes past and had fully purposed to haue set all my ordinaunce against grosse vyces and noughtye lyuyng of the people in this realme But beholde sodenly sterte oute a woode spirite muche perillouser then all the beastes that I had to do with before not because he is stronger then the other but because his poyson that he intenderh to spoute oute is more perillous then the others poyson was Some man peraduenture wyll saye that if I woulde I myght haue auoyded all these perilles if I would haue medled with my Physick only not haue cumbred my self with matters of diuinite and that I am therfore well worthy this trouble To whom I aunswer that if that I had had such a conscience as to many now a dayes haue that I could haue founde in my harte to take the dignities rewards and lyuynges of Christes churche and to do nothyng for them and if that I hadde not thought it better that one man should runne into ieopardy then that many thousandes should haue ben poysoned with the poyson of Pelagius I myght in deede haue easely auoyded this perillous labour But after that my lorde Archebyshop of Yorke had ones geuen me a prebende I could not be quiet vntill that I had licence to reade or preache Whiche obteyned I began to rede and so to discharge mi conscience And because I dyd perceyue that diuerse began to be infected with the poyson of Pellagius I deuised a lecture in Thistelworth agaynst two of the opinions of Pelagius namely against that childer haue no original sin that they oughte not to be baptised But within a few wekes after one of Pelagius disciples in the defence of his masters doctrine wrote against my lecture with all the cunnyng and learning that he had But lest he should glorye and crake amonge his disciples that I could not aunswer him and to the intent that the venemous seede of his soweyng maye be destroyed and so hyndered from bryngyng forth frute I haue set out this boke to aunswer hym in the one of his opinions and God wyllyng when I haue set out my Herbal I shal aunsuer hym to the other And this small worke I dedicate vnto you as a worthy patrone for it I myght haue dedicated it vnto some great man of aucthoritie power and ryches but consyderyng that nether aucthoritie power nor ryches are able to defende my boke if the Pelagians should write agaynst it I haue chosen you as a patron to defende it with your learning whiche is only a better defence then all the dignitie riches of the worlde be they neuer so great Nowe after that I haue desired you to be a patrone vnto my boke I must aske you counsel how that I and my felowes shal behaue our selues agaynst this monstere of our tymes that ye may by our labours be put afterwards to lesse payne This monstre is in many poyntes lyke vnto the watersnake with seuen heades For as out of one bodye rose seuen heades
haeresiarchae Randolphus Hurlestonus ad Lectorem Praecipit nobis nihil ut patretur Prosus iniusté sua set relinqui Omni bus mandat deus ille sumo summus olympo Nonne ius ductum uiolat nefande Eripi qui uult puero tenello Dum nequit primos propriam per annos dicere causam Illud aeterni solidum sigillum Faederis per quod sumus infauore Per quod nobis rata cuncta fiunt munera Christis Nuperat quidam stygijs abundis Proruens parumspoâ—iare pubem Nititur tanto precio malignus inuidus hostis Quem graui pugna strenué retundit Ille Turnerus decus atque lumen Angliae cuius fuit in Papistas inclyta palma Consulas doctos igitur labores In bonam partem tibi qui dicantur Atque perpendas animo tenaci quae liber offert FINIS Est Deus uerax omnis homo mendax AS allmighty god is the auctor of al truth yea euen the truth it selfe as Christe in these wordes doth testify I am the waye the truth the life so all lyinge falshod cometh from the deuyll as Christ sayth in Iohn the deuyll is a lyer the father of the same Wherby it is not hard to knowe of what spirit ye be whych begyn your boke with so many vnshamefaced lyes and goo forward with falsehod both in rehersyng of other mens doynges sayinges and also in matters of religion do willingly and aduisedly treade doune the truth mainteyning the doctryne of the deuyll I meane heresy false doctrine with lies falshod and somtime with subtil Sophistry which I reken the deuill at certain times powreth into you to defende hys doctryne wyth all for al the learned men that haue disputed with you in your opinions whit whom I haue spoken iudge you to be so iklender a clerk that they think that ye neuer lerned nether sophistry nor logike nether anye good scyence in all your life sauinge only musyke wherin yf I be so cuÌ„ning as the comoÌ„ report maketh you it had ben better for you to haue songe your part agaynste me in tune theÌ„ to haue to vnlearnedly and lyingly written against me out of ordre and oute of tune from the truth first as hereafter foloweth thus do ye begyn ☞ Master Turner intendynge to proue that infantes maye well and oughte to be baptysed in theyr infancye by the worde of God began fyrste as I am enformed to commend vnto hys audience the custom of colleges and scoles in Oxforth and cambrydge and suche other where it is ordeyned that suche as shall be admytted to the feloweshyppe of suche houses shall heare the statutes where vnto they shal be bounde .iiij. tymes in the yeare that they may knowe theyr charge therby and kepe it Whiche custome is in dede a resonable and landable custom but not in all poyntes agreable to his purpose For there they receyue no infantes to the felowshyppe of theyr houses but such as are growen to vnderstanding and do ernestly sewe to be receiued and being receiued haue theyr year of probation to se whyther they can alow and lyke the company wyth all theyr statutes and condytyons and the companye them or not or euer they be admytted ¶ In the fyrst sentence of your boke ye teach the readers of it â–ª to make them like you a loudly that is to wyt that I dyd alledge the custome of the reding of the statutes of colleges iiij tymes in the yeare to the felowes of the colleges to proue that chyldren in their infancy both ought and myght well be baptysed which is playne false For al though I intended in the end of my sermond to proue that infantes myght wel be baptised in their infancy yit in the beginning of my sermoÌ„d I cited and alledged not the maner of reding of statutes in colleges to proue that infantes shuld be baptised but to teache my hearers that were present in the church that I thought it as necessarye for Christen men to haue their baptyme to be oft opened and declared vnto them wherein is conteyned in a small roume the hole summe of a ChristeÌ„ mannes profession as it was necessarye for scolers to haue theyr statutes red .iiij. tymes in the yeare For I had bene worse then mad to haue sayd that the declaration of baptyme had bene necessary for chyldren whiche can vnderstande neuer a worde of the declaratioÌ„ But let the wordes of my sermond be iudge in thys matter My wordes a lytle after the prayers were these ☞ And because baptysme is the summe of all the hole Christian profession wherin we promysed to beleue in Christ and obey hys commaundementes it shall be fyttest for me to entreat therof I thynke it well done and do much prayse and alow the custom vsed in vniuersytes in euerye colledge or house .iiij tymes in a yeare to haue the statutes lawes and ordinaunces of theyr houses openly red vnto theÌ„ wherby cometh great profyt vnto .ij. kyndes of scolars for in euery colledge or house of learnynge there be comonly .iij. sortes of scolars one perfyt and well learned the seconde vnperfyt yet desyrous and labouryng to attayne to the perfection that thyrde is vtterly vnlearned and yet neuer intendeth to come vnto any learnynge To the ij fyrste sortes of these scolars is the readyng of the lawes and statutes of their house verye profytable to the perfyt that by the often hearynge of them they maye be by no processe or lenght of tyme forgotten and slyppe oute of theyr mynde To the vnperfyt yet desyrrus and lackyng tyme to come to perfectyon it is very profytable that the customable hearynge of the statutes and lawes of theyr house redd before them maye bete into theyr heades and make them the better to knowe what ordynances be apointed for them wherby they maye attayne to a perfectyon And so are there thre kyndes of chrysten men c. and a lytle after I sayde these wordes As to the fyrste sortes of scolers the rehersall yf theyr statutes is verye profytable so to the .ij. fyrste sorte of Chrystyans the often readyng and repetyng of the summe and abrigement of Gods coÌ„mandementes is very necessary for as the statutes in colledges do shew vnto scholars what was their founders wyll that they shulde kepe and wherunto they be bound by the lawes of theyr house so ought we to haue an abrigement or summe of the coÌ„maundementes of God to teach vs what is our duety and what we haue bounde our selues to kepe When as these be my wordes of them no other sentence can be gathered but the I thought it was as necessary that baptysme which conteyneth in it the hole profession of a Christen maÌ„ declared teacheth hym what is his duty and what God requyreth of him shuld be ofteÌ„ tymes rehersed opened as the statutes of colleges shulde be red vnto the scolars to put them in remembrance what they are bouÌ„d to and what their founder requireth of them how frowardly and
oure baptyme profyteth nothynge vnto such men as the scripture calleth lytel ones that is lowlye in sprete and haue the conditions of yōge chylder ye holde playnly against this open text of scripture Declaratio sermonum tuorum illuminat intellectum dat paruulis The declaration of thy wordes lyghteneth and giueth vnderstāding to the lytle ones whervpon we may gather that those that are not lytel ones but stubborne withstanders can haue no profyt by the declaration of Gods word much lesse by the seynge of men and wymen baptysed If ye mene that where as chylder are baptysed that nother the chylde hathe any profyt by the baptym and offeryng vp of it vnto Christ nother they that offer it vp nother they that see the baptime ministred take any profyt therby ye speke agaynst the scripture For the chylder get Christes blyssynge yf he loue chylder yet as wel as he had wont to do and the offerers bryngers of childer vnto christ in doyng of a good dede profyt for he that helpeth a man to receyue a good turne in helpyng doth profit in godlynes and namely they that pray to the lord eyther for the bodely or gostly health of theyr neyghbour Did not both the bringers of the children vnto Christ and the chylder profyt also before Christes passion Is he wexed vngentler after his passion then he was before The chyrche at the baptisinge of chylder prayeth vnto God for the childe that it maye haue forgiuenisse of synnes and receyue the holy goste wyl God breke his promysse that he made vnto his churche Quicquid peticritis patrem in nomine meo dabit uobis What soeuer ye shal are my father in my name he wyll geue it The father and mother with the hole chyrche prayeth for the yonge chylde at the baptisyng of it other they profyt or God is false but he is true therefore ye ar a lyer whiche saye that where as chylder are baptised that nother the chylde nor any that ar there at the baptim and offer the chyld vnto Christe with theyr prayers profyt any thynge at al. What more profyt shal the seers of the baptym of men and wemen take thereby then the seers of the baptime of chyldern Seyng that all that is doone to olde folke is also doone vnto chylder the word of GOD as well al red and preched at childers baptim as at old folkes baptime they that are at the baptisyng of chylder profyt as muche as they that are at olde folkes baptym Where as the sygnes and Sacramentes are al one the worde of GOD is alyke preached there cometh vnto the herers and seers lyke profyt except GOD be a regarder of persons and be better vnto olde men then vnto chyldern whyles he graunteth profyt and grace to the seers of olde folkes baptyme and none at all to the seers of chylders baptyme but God regardeth no persons therfore ther is lyke profyt in seing of other of both Of lyke thyngs ought to be lyke iugement then when as baptym is all one in signification wyth cyrcumcysion and they that see chylder cyrcumcised haue as muche profyt by the seing therof as of the seing of old folke circumcised so the seers of the baptyme of chylder haue as muche profyt thereby as the seers of the baptyme of olde folke In the beginning of your boke ye saide that I rehersed the .iiij. tymes redyng of statutes in colledges to proue that yoing specheles childer might and ought to be baptysed whiche sayinge howe false lying it was I haue sufficientlye proued And nowe lyke a deuyll that for hys purpose turnethe hym selfe into all colours and figures here ye say that I applie the costom of readyng of the scolars statutes that infātes shuld haue the declaration of baptym preached vnto them These are your wordes ☞ Therfore to rede the statutes to infantes is of no exemple nor value but to them that be growen it is an occasion to get scolers ¶ Couche of thy conscyence yf thou haste any at all tell me whether thou knoweste in thy conscience or no that I rehersed and applied the reading of scolares statutes vnto the baptysyng of yong chyldern or that specheles chylder shoulde haue baptyme opened vnto thē by preachynge or els that I brought that custome furth in very deede to shew them that were my hearers amonge the which was not one specheles childe that it were as necessary for them to haue theyr baptime opened and declared by preachyng as it was necessarye for scolars to haue theyr statutes at certayn tymes to be redde among them If thou knouwest not this in thy conscience ether the deuyll hath blynded the wyth malice or thou art so vnlearned and folysh that thou art more worthy to haue a muk forke in thy hande then a pen to wryte agaynst any mā seyng the matter is so clearly set out without any rydles or parables If thou doest know in thy conscience that I rehersed this example nether to proue the baptyme of chylder wyth all nether that chyldren shulde haue baptyme declared vnto them and that onlye they that can vnderstand and the openynge of baptyme shoulde haue it declared to theym what deuyll art thou possessed withal which to defende thy folysh opinyon writest vtterly agaynst thy conscience But thys minisheth my meruelynge that I cal now to remembraunce whiche chaunced vnto me at Anwarpe I reasoned with one of your secte at Anwarpe who was learned in the Latyn tongue a doctor of phisicke and a greate Alchimiste when as we wete both chafed and heted with the long disputation he defending heresye and I confutynge thesame at lenght I toke hym with a shamfull lye and with suche a contradiction in his tale that he coulde not deny but that it was so But howe dyd he excuse hym selfe verelye thus It is wryten sayeth he in the xviij of the Apocalyps that we shuld handle the and such as thou art the whors chylder of Babylon with lyes cōtradictions and all other suche lyke for the reuēgynge of the lyes that ye haue made vnto vs in tymes past the wordes of Ihon sayeth he are these Reddidit illi sicut ipsa reddidit uobis duplicate ei duplicia secundum opera eius That is Rendre or gyue agayne vnto hyr as she hath rendred to you and duble the duble vnto hyr accordynge vnto hyr workes And when I alledged the scripture vnto him that the lying mought kylled the soule he answered that it was true in such as me that had no fayth but that it was not so in hym that had the true fayth and was of the true religion alledging this place of scripture for hym Si quid lethale biberint non nocebit eis yf they drynke any dedly poysō it shall not hurte them and expoundyng it thus there can no lyinge nether any other sin whiche is poyson vnto your soules hurt vs which beleue as we bo Terfore seyng that ye call me and al other that
hys promis whiche myghâ— comfort them when they cum to age And for thys cause it is lyke that ye wyll haue none baptized vntyll they be of fourtene yeares of age that then your brether poysoned wyth many a damnable synne might be heled by baptyme and by preachyng as thoughe before that tyme that they neded no Physik of GOD our principall Phisician Chylder of one daye haue nede of the Physician Christe or no If they nede none of Christe he dyed not for them If they nede Christe the Physiciane when as they be but one daye olde It is not to erly nor to tymely to cary the chylder by the prayers of the churche vnto Chryste that he may hele them And when as the offerers vp of the chylder trustyng vnto the promys of GOD that the chylder haue granted vnto them remission of theyr originall synne do lay vpon them the sacrameÌ„t of baptiÌ„ do they any otherwise vnto their childer theÌ„ the Iewes sumtyme the people of God did vnto theyr chylder after the coÌ„maundement of God Then we nede not greatly care for your vnlearned and hethenish mocking of Christes holy sacrameÌ„t callyng it in mockage a playster of colde water Who dyd orden this cold water dyd not Christ orden it If ye be a christiaÌ„ and not a LuciaÌ„ why do ye mok it shall that excuse you when ye shall saye that I graÌ„t that it is Christis plaster but that it is to tymely layde to ought Christis sacrament to be mocked lawghed to scorn because a foole layeth it to out of tyme Take hede what ye do for Iuliane the apostata as proud a mocker as you be payed derely for hys mockyng wheÌ„ he cast his blode in to the ayer and sayde vnto Christ uicisti Galilaee thou hast won thow man of Galile If that an Hethen man should haue sayd vnto a priest of mosis law wheÌ„ he circuncised a chylde what nede ye syr surgean to cut thys chyld before he be sik I befoole such surgeanes as leue the chylder worse then they fouÌ„d them thynke ye that GOD would not punishe this prophane mocker ye suerly then thynk you to scape fre whiche would be rekened a christen man and yit mok baptim the ordinaunce of Christe I think no. And where as ye say that the chylder ar worse after their baptim then euer they were before it appereth that ye mene that the sacrament of baptim is an euel thyng for if ye ment that it were not euell why shulde ye say that chylder baptized ar worse after theyr baptim then they were before After thys your Poeticall feyning ye bring in a clerkly coÌ„clusion whiche ye bylde vpon your own coÌ„munication therwith a reson as wytty and wise as the former was and as wel it agreeth with it that goeth before giue eare vnto this new orator For I heare of a poke that is now begynnyng to spryng vp not of a romysh pok but of an other deuelysh pok as euell as it Medice cura te ipsum The deuelysh pok whiche is syn is not healed but thorow faythe Now syr I pray yow tell me by your rhetorik logike how foloweth this saiÌ„g with it that goeth before for me think it foloweth not It is spoken lyke a phisicion that maketh yow to ley a plaster of colde water to the synne of the infantes so tymely but suerly out of dew tyme and other to yearly or to late for they ar worse afterward then euer thâ—y were before For I heare of of a pok that is now begynnyng to spryng vp ce This gear is scarse clerkly couched together and yit ye wil be rekened a great clerke But I wyll pas ouer your art whiche I can not fynde in yow and I wyll try your sentences whether they be any better then your compositiones ar or no. ye say that ye heare of a pok that is now beginniÌ„g to spring vp ye say immediatly afterward that the poke ye meane of is sin That is in begiÌ„ning to spring that was neuer before theÌ„ if â—yn be now beginning to spring as your wordes suppose it to do it is lyke that ye ar of that opinioÌ„ that before this time there was neuer any syn If this do not folow of your sayeÌ„g I am far deceyued appele vnto the iudgement of all meÌ„ which haue but the coÌ„moÌ„ sence whether this foloweth of your saiÌ„g or no Where as ye say medice curate ipsum that is to say PhisiciaÌ„ heale thy selfe ye reken ye haue don a clerkly worck in speakyng so mych latin vnenglisshed and in applying of a prouerbe so properly But how litle it perteyneth vnto thys present purpose euery wise man may easely perceyue As for me although I am a Physician called to hele mennis bodies whiche thyng by the help of my Lorde God I haue oft doâ—… I neuer presumed to be an heler of maÌ„nis soul with my phisik but with Chrstis phisik although it pleaseth sumtimes almighty god to hele diuerse dedly siknes in meÌ„s soules by me suche like and to call them vnto fayth to true repentance and so consequently to the health of the soule yit do we not take our selues to be Physicianes healers of the soules but onely the chefe physicians seruaÌ„tes only giuyners vnto the sik soules suche medicines as our master hath coÌ„maunded vs not beyng so bolde as to deuyse any Physik at all of our own braynes Then to say vnto me PhysiciaÌ„ heale thy selfe is as much to say as thou which art a phisicion of the body go and playe Goddis parte and hele thy own sowle Thys is the counsell not of the spirite of God but of the wood sprete who taught yow yowr diuinite If that ye had bene well aduised ye wolde not haue made your self a coÌ„panioÌ„ with the murderiÌ„g scribes pharises in vsing their churlish cheke agaiÌ„st one of Christis meÌ„bres whiche they threw out agaynst Christe him self But what win you by your chek haue ye proued any thiÌ„g therby nothiÌ„g at al sauiÌ„g that men may know that ye ar wel sene in doggishe eloqueÌ„ce Ye haue sence the beginning of your book vnto this place said more theÌ„ iij times that faith alone taketh awai sinnes in whiche places ye haue erred shamefully if ye mean by only fayth the only work of beleuing For if that ye giue iustificatioÌ„ vnto that work of beleuiÌ„g not meaning the wheÌ„ ye say faith iustifieth the mercy of god promised vnto vs by Christis blood iustifieth vs haue a respect only vnto the dede of beleuiÌ„g ye ar a iusticiari with the pope the old pharises whose prouerbes ye gladly exercise If that ye mean by this sentence faith iustifieth that fayth taketh hold of the mercy of God whych is granted vnto vs by Christes blood then dothe the mercy of God iustifi take syn away fayth doth nothyngellis but taketh hold of the promised offered mercy Then wheÌ„ as the mercy of God