verely as ye saie your selfe the propertye of an heretike and this propertye lerne ye of the father of all heresye euen father Satan Who by angelis suis mandauit et cete wolde proue that a man maye tempte his lord god But like as Satan wrestyng that place of scripture which made moost against him was cōmaunded by oure Sauioure to auoyde so be ye sure that your false doctryne can not stand Dawlbe your wall and spare not for Ezechiel telleth you planely that god wyll sende such a shower of rayne among all lyeng prophetes as shall ouerthrowe it Your laboure is but lost so long as ye dawlbe your wall with vntempred morter Standish Also where he saieth that he hath euer spoken reuerently of sayntes et cet Couerdale Ye graūted afore his wordes to be true whan he sayde that all such as for confessyng Christes name and for his sake do suffre death are sayntes in heauen This reuerent talkynge and praysinge of sayntes dyd ye alowe afore And now contrary to your awne wordes ye saye that ye wote not whether he euer spake reuerently of them or no Yet confesse ye that ye haue heard him fortye tymes Who will now trust you that are so double in your wordes Barnes ANd that oure lady I saye she was a virgyn immaculate and vndefyled and that she is the moost purest virgyn that euer god created and a vessell electe of god of whom Iesus Christe shulde be borne Standish Here yet ignorauntly et cete he goeth forther then the scripture speaketh et cet Couerdale Be these his wordes out of the boundes of scripture or not acording to the scripture Reade them ouer agayne Standishe He wolde neuer willingly graunt anye thynge but that is in scripture Couerdale Then like as ye proue him to haue bene a true messaunger of god in grauntinge to the holy scripture which by your owne cōfession is gods very worde so declare ye that yf he reuoked anie thing that is in it or graunted ought cōtrary vnto it It was done agaynst his will Haue ye not now a great cause to make such tryumphinge of reuocacions in your sermons Standish Albeit here with the church he doth professe that oure lady did continue a virgin still et cete Couerdale Doth not the scripture affirme this doctryne that the mother of oure Sauyoure is the purest virgin that euer god created Will not the Prophecies of Christes birth the perfourmaūce of the same and the practises of the holy goost in Christes blessed mother alowe this doctrine Haue ye noted the worke of god in her no better Yf she had anye nede of you ye shew her but a faynte frendshippe in reportynge that her most pure virginite hath none other grounde but the auctorite of your church Verely such your doting doctrine wil make both you and your church be lesse set by Standish Deus n tantam eam fecit inquit quidam et ce Couerdale Is not your doctryne now well sealed with butter Whan ye haue presumed to cōtroll gods word and to call the blessed mother of Christ with other names then the holy goost geueth her Now to ratifye and cōfirme your false matter ye bring in an heretike to helpe you Can not Christes worthy mother kepe still the gracious names that the holy trenite hath geuen her but she must now haue a sorte of hereticall Ruffyans to become new godfathers vnto her Call her as gods worde teacheth you full of grace blessed immaculate virgin et cete Praye to god that ye maye folowe the fote steppes of her constant faith her feruent charite and godly loue her moost meke and humble behaueoure her vnfained trueth et ce And whan ye talke in matters of Christes religion bring forth playne and manifest wordes of his scripture and no Romysh heretike ner a text out of frame to proue youre purpose withall Barnes THen saide M. Sheriffe You haue sayd well of her before And he beynge afrayed that M. Sheriffe had bene or shulde be agreued with any thing that he shulde saye sayd M. Sheriffe Yf I speak any thing that you will me not do nomore but beckē me with your hand and I wil straight waie holde my peace For I will not be dishobedient in anie thing but will obeye Standishe Now as he faineth he wold gyue no slaunder or offence Sed sero sapiunt Phriges Couerdale At this poynt ye are with D. Barnes that though he be out of this life yet what so euer he sayd in this protestacion or dyd at the tyme therof ye iudge him to the worst and slaunder him But your owne prouerbe that ye bring in doth admonishe you that it is to laite for though ye belye him and slaunder him neuer so much it can not hurt him Standishe Now he saieth he is afraied to displease irep◠dauerunt timore vbi non erat timor et cete Couerdale Like as ye referre to him the wordes which are not his owne so reporte ye of him that he was afrayed where no feare was But was there no feare at the fyre syde The manhode of our sauioure Christ feared death and so dyd that holy Kynge Ezechias As for you ye must nedes be of some bolde and stowte kynde that can kyll a deed man But how serueth those wordes of the Psalme to this youre purpose The holy goost speaketh of such wicked workers as eat vp gods people like bred call not vpon god are afraied to se god stande on ryghteous mens syde and mocke poore mē for putting their trust in god How maketh this scripture now to proue that ther is no feare where a man seyth death present before his eyes O wicked mockers with gods holy worde Standish Now se I praye you how obedient he saieth he will be which before tyme was euer dishobedient et cete Couerdale Ye saye much and proue litle touching this man whose present protestacion and his boke written afore declareth planely his obedience toward his prynce whose wholsome commaundement yf he haue at anye tyme disobeyed contrary to this his doctryne and example I am the more sory But yet haue ye not proued it to be so Touchinge bishoppes which are to be estemed acordinge to their estate I wote not what dishobedience ye haue to proue against him Such bishoppes as laboure in the worde of god and in the doctryne therof are to be counted worthye of double honoure therfore in herkenyng vnto such he dyd well and yf he dispysed such he despysed Christ But yf he folowed S. Iohns bydding and dyd not receaue such false Apostles as bring not the doctryne of Christ then can ye not iustly blame him Barnes AFter this ther was one that asked him what he saide of the sacrament of the altare Then sayde he vnto M. Pope which was there present M. Pope ye know and. M. Ryche yf ye be alyue that ther was one accused before my lord
Couerdale I answere By youre owne wordes then it foloweth not that he was bounde to accuse and cōdemne himselfe of the thinges that he had not offended in But by youre leue where as ye bring in this text of S. Paul Si nos ipsos et cetera ye peruerte it not alledginge it as it standeth but thus Si nos ipsos iudicaremus non vtique diiudicaremur a Domino That is to saie Yf we iudged oure selues we shulde not be iudged of the lorde But. S Pauls wordes are these Quod si nos ipsos diiudicaremus non vtique iudicaremur Dum iudicamur autem a Domino corripimur ne cum hoc mundo damnemur That is to saie Yf we wolde iudge or reproue oure selues we shulde not be iudged But whan we are iudged we are chastened of the lorde lest we shulde be damned with this worlde Wherfore the peruerting of this texte now at the first bront causeth me the more to suspecte you and to trust you the worse because the deuell himselfe is scolemaster to such chopping vp of the texte As we maie se in the gospell of Mathew and Luke Now go to Yf I finde anie moo such iugling castes with you ye are like to heare of it afore I come to the ende of your boke For weaknesse and ignoraunce can I well awaie withall so longe as it is not wilfull but the peruerting or choppinge vp of a text of holy scripture is not to be borne vnrebuked Standishe Marke here how he vseth Ironia et cetera Couerdale Ye confesse that D. Barnes in his forsaide wordes doth vse ironia and yet contrary to the significacion of the worde ye are not ashamed to affirme that he confessed herewithall both heresie and erroneous opinions Now is ironia asmuch to saie as a mockage derision or meaning of another thinge then is expressed in the wordes Which maner of speakynge is much vsed not onely thorow out the Prophetes in holy scripture but also among the Heithen Poetes And the same phrase of speche haue we in Englische As whan a man saieth to ashrewde boie Come hither good sir ye are a vertuous childe in dede et cete meaninge nothinge lesse For asmuch then as ye your selfe cōfesse that D. Barnes doth here vse ironia it is euidēt that whan he saide these wordes You shall perceaue what erroneous opynions I holde his meaninge was how that the people shulde know that he helde no erroneous opinions As it appeareth by these his wordes folowinge Barnes GOd I take to recorde I neuer to my knowlege taught any erroneous doctrine but onely those thinges which scripture led me vnto Standishe Iustly pondre by the Prophet Psal cxl how greuous offence is partinax excusatio in peccatis et cet Couerdale Like as ye can not iustly laie anie partinacite to D. Barnes for those his wordes so proue ye the greuousnesse therof full slenderly out of the cxl Psalme yf the true readinge of the text be wel and iustly pondred Where as he taketh god to recorde in the trueth of so waightye a matter the scripture is full of holy ensamples that beare him therin What partinacite is there then in that acte He durst avowe also that to his knowlege he neuer taught anie erroneous doctrine and yet are ye not ashamed to ascrybe partinacite vnto him and to call him an obstinate heretike where as S. Hierome in his fourth boke the xxiiij chapter vpon Mathew writeth thus He is an heretike that vnder Christes name teacheth the thinges which are agaynst Christ Yf. D. Barnes therfore had wittingly and willingy taught anye thing against Christ ye might haue laied great partinacite to his charge Trueth it is that he beinge in ignoraunce and disceaued somtime by a multitude as you be did both erre and teach erroneous doctrine for the preferrement of the. B. of Romes vsurped auctorite and other abuses acording as many other lerned men moo in the realme haue done which haue sens both repēted toward god and also receaued the Kynges gracious pardon many yeares agoo Againe yf ye will laie partinacite to his charge because he was somtime in such grosse ignoraunce by the same argument might ye condemne Christes disciples of whose ignoraunce mencion is made in many places of the new Testament I saie not this to excuse ignoraunce but to reprehende the rashnesse of youre iudgment which presume to condemne them whō god hath called to repentaunce But peraduenture the pertinacite that ye laye to his charge is because he saieth he taught onely those thinges which scripture led him vnto For that is no small corsie to youre sore Ye wolde not haue scripture taught onely without other doctrines Neuertheles they that loue gods commaundement will teach nothinge but his worde onely for so hath he himselfe geuen cōmission Of his promises is mencion made both in Hieremie and in the gospell of Matthew As for ensamples we haue sufficiēt both of the Prophetes and Apostles which to die for it wold teach nothinge but scripture Reade the thirtēth chapter of the seconde Epistle to the Corinthians the fiftenth to the Romaines and the moost godly protestacion that S. Peter maketh in his seconde Epistle Let us geue place and cōsente to the holy scripture saieih S. Augustine for it can nether disceaue ner be disceaued The bisshoppes also and clergie of England in the Epistle of their boke to the Kynges grace do affirme that holy scripture alone sheweth men the right path to come to god to se him to knowe him to loue him to serue him and so to serue him as he moost desireth Wherfore they are rather obstinate agaynst god which in steade of his onely worde preach and teach other doctrines But let us heare what D. Barnes saieth more Barnes And that in my sermons I neuer mayntayned any erroure nether moued ner gaue occasion of anye insurrection Standish What blyndnesse wolde he leade us in to Who hath not heard him preach agaynst all the ordinaunce of Christes church et cete Couerdale As for blindnesse ye nede no leader to bring you in to it oure lorde whan his will is bringe you out of it This man toke god to recorde that he neuer mainteined anye erroure Wherby like as he denied not but that he might erre as he did erre grosly whan he lyued in the Papistry euen so lefte he us an ensample to forsake all errours and to maynteyne none Call ye this a leadinge in to blyndnesse Then farewell all good ensamples of humilite and repentaunce To the other parte of youre cauillacion I answere It wolde be to longe a registre for you to rehearce the names of all those which neuer heard D Barnes preach agaynst the ordinaunce of Christes church I also am one of them which haue heard him as oft as euer dyd ye and yet as I hope to haue my parte of gods mercy in Christes bloude I neuer heard
afore the horse Yee your doctrine will haue us to be the fore goers of god and not the folowers of him as scripture byddeth us Standishe A reuocacion of these was red in octauis pasche et ce Couerdale What reuocacions ye make in mens names they beinge absent I can not tell But like as ye come to the sermon to take Christ in his wordes so are ye not to lerne to turne the cat in the pan This may all the world spie here in you that as ye are craftie and sotell to bring men to reuocacions so are ye malicious in diffaminge of them Standishe Furthermore reade his detestable bokes and you shal se what pestilent sede he hath sowid Couerdale Yf. D. Barnes bokes be detestable and to be abhorred why do ye bid us reade theÌ„ Will ye haue the kynges subiectes to read abhominable bokes As for the sede which he dyd sowe I can not greatly maruail at you that cal it a pestilent sede for in his boke he said these wordes Whan I am deed the soÌ„ne and the mone the starres and the elemeÌ„t water and fire Yee and also the stones shal defende this cause against them meaninge the cause of gods word against the spiritualty sooner then the veryte shulde perishe This is one corne of the sede that D. Barnes dyd sowe And verely so farre as I can perceaue this same litle praiy sede veryte will growe and come vp Yee I maye tel you it wil grow in youre owne gardeÌ„s whan ye are most against it â—or Christ tolde your predecessours planely that yf his disciples wolde not speake the very stones shulde crye acording to the prophecye of Abacue It is no wonder therfore though he cal this a pestileÌ„t sede For pestilent is asmuch to saye as hurtfull or vnwholsome so that yf ye suffre this sede of the verite to growe it will hurt youre false doctrine and the phisicians that haue sene your water saie that it is vnwholsome for your complexion Standish And therbye you shall perceaue how shamefully now he doth lye like as he hath done euer heretofore Couerdale By. D. Barnes bokes maye euery man perceaue that he confesseth the articles of the Christen beleue And yf he lyed euer here tofore as you reporte of him then sayde he neuer trueth Now is it manifest also that in his boke to the Kynges highnesse he confesseth that no man in England is excepte from the subiectioÌ„ of the Kynges power nether bisshoppe ner other He confesseth also that the Kynges prerogatyue is alowed by gods worde He saieth like wise in the nexte leafe that it is not laufull for the spiritualtye to depose a Kynge Is not this trueth Will ye saye then that he hath lyed euer here tofore Let not the Kynge ner his counsaill here these your wordes I will advyse you Now like as D. Barnes spake trueth in these thinges so heard I him saye to a sorte of malicious enemies of gods worde euen the sayenge of Christ to the wilful Iewes Ye are of the father the deuell and after the lustes of youre father wil ye do He was a murthurer from the begynnynge and abode not in the trueth for the trueth is not in him Whan he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for he is a lyar and father of the same et ce Ye will graunt these wordes to be true I thinke Standishe Which wolde haue us here to beleue contrary to oure hearinge and seynge that he neuer taught ner preached heresye ner erroneous opynions Couerdale To that doth D. Barnes saie himselfe in his fore rehearced wordes that to his knowlege he neuer taught anye erroneous doctrine Somwhat also haue I sayde vnto you allready concernynge this matter Standishe I praye you what was his owne reuocacion et ce Couerdale Ye make answere to youre owne questioÌ„ your selfe Ye saie that he utterly there forsoke many of his olde damnable heresies Yf as you saye he forsoke there his olde damnable heresyes then dyd he there as he dyd in other his sermons euen shewed himselfe to abhorre the heresies of the papistrie for those were the olde infectioÌ„s that he was tangled withall somtyme Barnes ALlthough I haue bene slaundred to preach that oure lady was but a saffron bagg which I utterly proteste before god that I neuer meant it ner preached it but all my studie and diligence hath bene utterly to confounde and coÌ„fute all men of that doctryne as are the anabaptistes which denie that oure sauioure Christ did take anie flesh of the blessed virgin Mary which sectes I deteste and abhorre Standish Here he cleareth himselfe to be no Anabaptist as though ther were no heresie but that alone Couerdale Ye wolde be lothe youre selfe that other men shuld so vnderstoÌ„d your wordes or gather such a consequeÌ„t of theÌ„ Yf ye were accused to be a preuy these and came before a multitude to cleare youre selfe froÌ„ that vice wold ye meÌ„ shulde iudge you to be therfore of so fond opinioÌ„ as to thinke that ther were no moo vices but theft alone I doubte not but yf ye were strately examyned ye wolde saye that ther were also the vice of lienge the vice of malice of slauÌ„dring of bacbyting of frowardnesse of foolishnesse of wilfulnesse et cet Standish And yet this opinion to saie Christ did passe thrugh the virgins woÌ„be as water thrugh a cundeth was none of the Anabaptistes owne opinion It was one of the Maniches erroure and also Eutices errour whoÌ„ som of the Anabaptistes herin dyd folow Couerdale Whose erroure so euer it was I referre that to you for youre treatise declareth that ye be wel acquainted with heretikes Standishe Therfore M. Barnes hereby doth not pourge himselfe froÌ„ the Anabaptistes heresie concerning the baptime of infauntes Couerdale His disputacioÌ„s had oft times with theÌ„ his coÌ„tinual preaching against theÌ„ his dailie wordes also and conuersacioÌ„ was recorde sufficieÌ„t that he abhorred their erroure also in that behalfe Why wolde ye haue him theÌ„ to pourge himselfe therof Youre phisike is not good to geue a man a purgacion which is not infecte with such euell or grosse humours as require a purgacion Standishe Here he saieth he neuer gaue occasion to insurrecion But how saye you Dyd he not offre himselfe to cast his gloue in defence of his errours at Pauls crosse Couerdale He sayde at the crosse the thirde sondaie in lent Here is my gloue not in defence of anye erroure as ye vntruely reporte nether with materiall swerde buckler or speare to defende anye such thinge but with the swerde of gods worde to proue that god first forgeueth us afore we can forgeue and that they be no breakers of ordre which set forth gods worde and due obedience to their prince but they that mainteine their owne tradicions burne gods worde and regarde not the Kynges iniunctions et cet Standishe Dyd he not openly saye these thinges meanynge his errours must
vpon him The xviij of Matthew is euidēt hat who so euer conuerteth from his sinne all mightie god will not that he shall perishe Item that like as all true penitent sinners haue their det frely forgeuen them so shall they be partakers of the same forgeuenesse still yf they will hartely do vnto other as they are dealt withall them selues These places of scripture though ye tell not forth the wordes are of your owne alledging and yet are ye not ashamed to write yee euen of penitentes that none of their sinnes shalbe vnpunished Now is it manifest in the said chapter of Ezechiel that like as god will not rewarde their good dedes that forsake him and turne awaye agayne to their vomite of wickednesse So will he not thincke vpon their sinnes that truly conuerte therfrom vnto him Yet call ye them happie that punishe them selues and take vpon them to be satisfactours in that behalfe As though it were a blessed thinge for men to laie crosses vpon their owne backes Thus by your iudgment were Baals prestes happie and the ypocrites that the Prophet Esaie speaketh of O disceatfull teachers Full well might the Prophet saie vnto gods people of England in this behalfe O my people they that call the happie do but disceaue the and marre the waie that thou shuldest go in Now let us heare more of D. Barnes wordes Barnes ANd that no worke of man dyd deserue any thing of god but onely his passion as touching our iustificacion Standishe This maner of iustificacion planely appeareth to be false euen by that one place yf we had no mo of Cornelius Acto x. et cet Couerdale The wordes of the text are these There was at Cesarea a man named Cornelius a captayne of the Italianish company a deuoute man and one that feared god with all his house and gaue much allmes to the people and praied god alwaie The text saieth in ordre first that Cornelius was a deuoute man and feared god with all his house and then speaketh it of his good workes as allmes praier et cet Wherby it is manifest that he himself was first accepted of god and iustified for as S. Peter saieth afterward in the same chapter god hath no respecte of personnes but in all people he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted vnto him And as the Prophet saieth The straungers gentiles or Heithen which cleue vnto the lorde in worshippinge him and louing his name are accepted vnto him as his owne seruauntes Againe The scripture saieth They that feare the lord geue credence to his worde And without faith it is not possible to please god Item what so euer is not of faith is sinne By this is it manifest that those good workes of Cornelius were frutes of his faith and of the feare of god and he iustified afore he dyd them Ye confessed also afore that fastinge prayer and allmes dedes are the frutes of pennaunce then must ye nedes graunt that the tre was afore them This text then proueth not that oure iustificacion deserued onely by the death of Christ is a false iustificacion ner that Cornelius workes deserued much of allmightie god afore he was iustified For as I shall rehearce afterwarde ye confesse your selfe not onely that we are iustified frely but also that god first geueth us grace without which we can do nothing that is good Standish As did the worke of Kyng Ezechie iiij Re. xx et cet Couerdale Your purpose is by the ensample of Ezechias to proue that oure workes deserue much of allmightie god afore we be iustified And that worke of Ezechias which ye alledge was done long after his iustificaciō For the texte saieth that whan he laie sore sicke the Prophet Esay came to him and tolde him the message of god And that he thē made his feruēt praier and wepte After the which god sent him word that he had heard his praier and sene his teares et cet And afore in the same boke it is euident that the same Kyng Ezechias dyd the thing that was good in the sight of the lorde acording as his father Dauid had done put his trust in the lorde god of Israel et cet cleued vnto the lord went not out of his pathes but dyd acording to all the preceptes that god had commaunded Moses and therfore saieth the texte was the lorde with him in all that he toke in hand Wherfore by the circumstaunce of the text it is manifest that Ezechias was iustified afore he laie sicke and that his praier was a worthy frute of his repētaunce long after he was iustified and no worke that deserued anye thing afore his iustificacion Nether dyd his praier ner the work of the Niniuites chaunge the sentence of god for god is nether chaungeable ner double in his wordes But like as afore the Niniuites beleued in him he first sent his word and thretened them that yf they wold not conuerte their citie shulde be destroyed after fortye daies Euen so whan Ezechias was fallen in to sinne god threatened him that yf he wold not repent he shuld dye And like as god whan we receaue his worde ernestly beleue stedfastly in him and bring forth good workes doth accepte us as he dyd the Niniuites Euen so though we haue fallen from the professiō of our faith yet yf we now do ernestly repent and conuerte he is mercifull and true to forgeue us oure sinnes and to graunt us oure peticion after the ensample of Ezechias At whom like as all kynges and princes maie take instructiō of good gouernaunce Euen so in him haue all other sinners that haue broken their couenaunt with god a very notable ensample of true repentaunce But how rimeth the ensample ether of Ezechias or of the Niniuites for the probacion of youre purpose Dyd either Ezechias after he was fallen in to sinne or the Niniuites afore they beleued deserue any thinge of god Or doth anie of both these ensamples proue that oure iustificacion deserued onely by the death of Christ is a false iustificacion Afore in the tenth leafe of your treatise ye alledge the ensample of the Niniuites to proue that after the sinne is forgeuen we must make satisfaction vnto god for the paine due ther vnto And now bring ye the same in to proue that our workes maie deserue much of allmightie god afore we be iustified Yf this be not a mockyng with gods worde let them iudge that are lerned therin Standish Scripture is full of such ensamples et cete Couerdale Scripture is full of ensamples bot to bring us vnto the faith of Christ and also to make us ryse vp by true repentaunce whan we are fallen from the same But in all the scripture finde ye no ensample that teacheth you to call oure iustificaciō deserued onely by the death of Christ a false iustificacion or to affirme that
A confutacion of that treatise which one John Standish made agaynst the protestacion of D. Barnes in the yeare M. D. XL. Wherin the holy scriptures peruerted and wrested in his sayd treatise are restored to their owne true vnderstonding agayne by Myles Couerdale Iacobi iij. Nolite gloriari mendaces esse aduersus ueritatem To the Reader To all them that either reade or heare gods holy worde and geue ouer them selues to lyue vnfannedly acording to the same do I hartely wysshe the grace peace and mercy of god the father in and thorow oure lorde and onely Sauioure Iesus Christ THe seuenth daye of Decembre was delyuered vnto me a certayne treatyse composed by one Iohn Standish Felow of Whittington college in londoÌ„ so is the tytle of it and prynted by Robert Redeman Anno M. D. XL. iij. Nonas Octobris At the reading wherof I mourned sore within my selfe for certayne occasions offred vnto me in the sande treatyse First that vnder the Kynges priuilege any thing shuld be set forth which is either agaynst the worde and trueth of allmightye god or agaynst the Kynges honoure Secondlye that good wholsome and Christen wordes shulde be calumpniated and reuyled Thirdly that the sayde Iohn Standish pronouncyng Doctoure Barnes to haue taught heresye so longe is not ashamed all this whyle to haue hold his penne but now first to wryte agaynst him whan he is deed et ce As touching the first whether I haue cause to mourne or no I reporte me to all true Christen hertes for as I am credibly enfourmed and as I partly haue sene there is now a wonderful diuersite in writing bokes and balates in England one enueyenge agaynst another one reuylinge and reprouyng another one reioysinge at anothers fall and aduersite And not onely this but also at the ende of euery balate or boke in maner whether it be the better partye or worse is set the Kynges priuilege Which as it is agaynst the glorye of god that one shulde reuyle another Is it not euen so agaynst the Kynges honoure Yee the shame is it of all Englande that vnder his priuilege anye erroneous contentious or slaunderous boke or papyre shulde be prynted Men wonder in other contrees that ther is so greate negligence of this matter in a realme where so wyse and prudent a counsail is â–ª And they that are moued with godly compassioÌ„ do lament Englande sory that ther is so great discencion in it sory that blasphemous ieasting and raylinge balates or bokes agaynst the manifest worde of god shulde either be suffred or priuilegied sory that gods trueth shulde thus spitefully be intreated of so greate a nombre Now the reformacion of this and all other defaultes lyeth onely in the hande of god To whom I referre it and to the rightfull admynistracion of his holy ordinauÌ„ce and auctorite in the kynges hyghnesse who whan he knoweth of the saide inconuenience how tryflinge and raylinge bokes and rymes are prynted vnder his priuilege wyll no doubte set a redresse herein Concernyng the seconde occasion aboue rehearced Is it not cause ynough forme and all other Christen to be right sory to mourne and lamente that the wordes which are good wholsome and acordinge to the holy scripture and Chrisies faith shulde be either blasphemed or taken to the worst Yf the Kynges grace shulde put forthe an wholsome proclamacion iniunction or commaundement as he doth many what true subiecte louynge gods holy ordinaunce and auctorite in his prynce wold not be greue to se anye man either spytt at those his soueraignes wordes or to defye them Yf we now which are Christen haue so iust occsion and are bownde to be thus wise mynded in this outward regiment wherein god hath appoynted us to be obedient to the hyer powers how much more cause haue we to water our eyes with sory hertes whan the proclamacion iniunction coÌ„maundement and worde of him which is kyng of all Kynges and lord of all lordes is thus reuyled and euell spoken of That the wordes of D. Barnes spoken at tbe houre of his death and here vnder written are good wholsome acording to gods holy scripture and not worthy to be euell taken It shalbe euidently sene whan we haue layed theÌ„ to the twych stone and tryed them by gods worde To the open text wherof yf ye take good hede ye shal se the peruerse doctryne and wycked opynions of Standish clerely confuted And no doubte god wyll so haue it because that vnder the pretence of bearing a zeale toward gods worde he taketh apon him to be iudge and geuer of sentence agaynst gods worde and to condemne it that gods worde aloweth And this as I sayde is another cause of the sorynesse of my hert that he which darre auowe another man to be an opeÌ„ heretike is not ashamed thus longe nether to haue written ner openly preached agaynst him by name but now to starte vp whan he is deed Is it not a greate worshippe for him to wrestle with a shadow and to â—â—ll a deed man Is he not a worthy souldyer that all the battayll tyme thrusteth his hand in his bosome and whan meÌ„ are deed then draweth out his swerde and fighteth with them that are slayne allreadye Iudge ye gentle readers yf Standish playeth not such a parte with D. Barnes To whom also he imputeth treason and yet proueth neuer a poynte therof agaynst him Yet were it as charitable a dede to confute all treason and to geue us warnynge of it by name as either to establishe false doctryne or to enueye agaynst good sayenges Yee a Christen and charitable acte were it in reprouyng anye traytoure to tell the Kynges subiectes in what thing he committed the treason that they maye beware of the same But thus doth not Standishe here in this his treatise which because it is buylded on sande and on a false foundacioÌ„ I doubte not but with gods worde which is the swerde of the sprete and a weapen mighty to ouerthrow euery ymaginacion that exalteth it selfe agaynst the knowlege of god To geue it a fall and with holy scripture to shewe euydently that Standishe hath farre ouershott himselfe in condemnynge the sayenges which gods word doth not disalowe He that wolde wryte agaynst anye man shulde leuell his ordinaunce agaynst his euell wordes yf he had spoken or written anye and not agaynst his good wordes ffor god is the authoure of all good which as his holy scripture aloweth so will he himselfe defende the same He that is therfore an enemye to the thinge which is good or resisteth it is gods aduersary and withstondeth him Wherfore let Standish froÌ„ hensforth and all other beware that they take no parte agaynst gods worde ner defende any false matter lest god be the auenger ffor yf the lyon begynne to roare he will make all his enemies afrayed And yf D. Barnes dyed a true Christen man be ye sure his death shalbe a greater
few yeares by certaine abbottes which thinkyng therby to vpholde their false religions wrought moued or els consented to insurrection within diuerse parties of the realme And yet was the same their wisdome a cause that haisted their owne destructiō And euen so now by youre printinge of the saide protestaciō ye haue brought it so to pas that the thinge whiche ye feared is come to light Thus can god pull downe his enemies houses with their owne hondes Certainlie like as I neuer heard that ther was any copie therof till I sawe it in youre boke so am I credibly enfourmed that it was neuer in printe afore Where as ye saie that it is an erroneous and traiterous protestaciō it is sooner saide then proued nether maketh it greately for youre honestie to knowe many secrete embracers of heresie and treason and not to utter them But ye maie twise saie it afore ye be ones beleued onely they that are of god wil whan thei haue tried and examined al thinges kepe that which is good and eschuethe contrary Standish BVt I trust in allmightie god yf it please you to rede this litle treatise with a louyng zele toward oure mother the holy church et cetera Couerdale Here do ye manifestly declare what zele moued you to write against D. Barnes protestacion Namely not any iust zele or loue toward gods worde or his people but euen because ye feare lest your mother shulde come to shame yf the trueth were knowne therfore to shew youre mother a pleasure ye thoughte to do youre best in defending her Nether helpeth it your pretēce anie thinge at all though ye call hir holy for euery such secte as ye be of hath a sundrie holinesse which commeth not of the sprete that sanctifieth Now like as your owne acte came of that zele which ye beare toward the church of the wicked so wolde ye haue youre treatise red with the same zele to the intent that the readers might smell heresie and treason where none is and be poysoned with such a corrupte iudgment as ye be of youre selfe Agayne how are ye or all men lyuinge able to proue that this protestacion of D. Barnes doth smell and sauoure nothinge but heresie and treason Is it heresie and treason to teach no erroneous doctrine to teach onely those thinges that scripture leadeth vnto to manteyne no erroure to moue no insurrection to be falsly slaundred to confute the false opinion of the Anabaptistes to deteste and abhorre all such sectes to set forth the glory of god obedience to the hyer powers and the true religion of Christ Doth it smell and sauoure nothinge but heresie and treason to beleue in the holy and blessed trenite to beleue the incarnacion passiō death and resurrection of oure lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ Is it heresye and treason for a synner to desire god to forgeue him to trust onely in the death of Christ to set forth good workes to beleue that ther is a holy church to beleue a life after this to speake reuerently of saintes to call oure lady a virgin immaculate and vndefiled to knowlege a Christen beleue concerning the body and bloude of oure lorde to ascribe vnto saintes the honoure that scripture willeth them to haue to praie for the Kyng and his counsaill et cete Do such thinges smell and sauoure nothinge but heresie and treason Wo vnto thē that call good euell and euell good darknesse light and light darknesse swete sower and sower swete Though ye do also esteme them to be heretikes and traitours that take parte with D. Barnes protestacion yet doth not youre estimacion or iudgment discorage me in this behalfe Nether is it my minde or will to medle with his offence yf he cōmitted anie against the Kyng nether to defende this his protestaciō with anie hand or weapen of man but by the scriptures to beare recorde vnto the trueth and to reproue youre peruerse and straunge doctrine which ye do teach against the same Standish FOr surely such as do improue them et cete Couerdale This youre saienge proueth not the cōtrary but that seinge ye resist the trueth I maie tell you your faute and enfourme you better acording to the Apostles doctrine yf god at any tyme will graunt you repentaunce for to know the trueth and to turne from the snare of the deuell et cete If I can vnderstonde that thorow this enfourmacion ye will geue place to the open and manifest trueth godschall haue the praise and I shall thincke my laboure well bestowed Yf the trueth can haue no place in you by faire meanes but he wil stil resiste it obstinately and belye it as ye do here in this youre treatise then verely ye maie be sure to be afterward so handled as the lymites and boundes of gods holy scripture wil suffre I beseche god acordinge to his good pleasure that ye maie haue eies to se eares to heare and an hert to vnderstonde his holy worde to consente vnto the same and in all pointes to liue therafter Amen Here foloweth the protestacion of S. Robert Barnes Barnes I Am come hither to be burned as an heretike and you shall heare my belefe wherby ye shal perceaue what erroneous opynions I holde Standishe I am sory to se the obstinate blindnesse and finall induracion in this his protestacion which wolde clere iustifie and excuse himself by colour and disceate Couerdale Christ oure sauioure makyng mencion of his owne death afore he was hanged apon the crosse saide these wordes Beholde we go vp to Hierusalem and the sonne of man shalbe betraied condemned mocked scourged crucified et cetera Whan a true man commeth to be hanged on the galowes Is it obstinate blindnesse and finall induracion for him so to saie Peraduenture ye will saie vnto me Take ye D. Barnes then for a true man I answere Verely these his wordes proue him no false man for he saide that he came to be brent And sure I am that he came not to the fire to be made a bisshoppe Morouer D. Barnes tolde the people that they shulde heare his beleue et cet And ye laie to his charge for his so doinge that he wolde cleare iustifie and excuse himselfe with coloure and disceate As though he iustified himself with colour and disceate which acordinge to S. Peters doctrine is ready allwaie to geue answere vnto euery man that asketh him a reason of the hope which is in him Was not D. Barnes instantly required to shew his faith and to open his minde in sondrie thinges Againe though he or anie man els wolde clere himfelse from such thinges as are wrongfully laied to his charge did he euell therin Yf it be so then did holy S. Paul leaue us a shrewd ensample in the Actes Standishe Which ought to haue accused condemned and utterly forsaken all that he had offended in si nos ipsos iudicaremus non utique diiudicaremur a domino
euery man in his callynge to geue no occasion of fallinge vnto eny man to mortifye their erthly membres et cet acording to the wholsome doctrine of the Apostle Call ye this a preaching of a fleshly and carnall libertye Is this a doctrine that maketh men renne at ryote and to do what they list I wondre verely that ye shame not thus to belye the trueth so oft As pertayninge to youre blasphemye whiche saie that it is a damnable iustificacioÌ„ where faith is preached onely to iustifye it is damnably spoken of you yee though an aungell of heauen shuld speake it yf holy S. Paul be true which saieth he ought to be holden accursed that preacheth any other gospell then that he himselfe and the other Apostles had preached Yf ye of a cancred hatred to the trueth haue not wilfully and maliciously taken parte agaynst the holy goost so that ye are but led ignorauntly by a blind multitude to affirme the saide inconuenience I praie god lende you a clearer fight in the Kyngdone of Christ But yf ye be mynded as were the Pharises and maliciously ascribe damnacion to it wherby onely we receaue saluacion as they ascribed vnto the deuell it that was the onely workynge of the holy goost then am I sore afrayed for you and for as many as are of that mynde For yf it be damnable to teach or preach wittingly agaynst the expresse worde of god then verely is this a damnable heresye to affirme that faith onely doth not iustifye seynge that holy scripture so teacheth As Gene. xv Esa liij Abac. ij Mar. xvj Luc. j. viij.xxiiij Iohn v. xvij Acto xiij xvj· Rom. iij. iiij.v.x Gal. ij iij.iiij.v Philip. iij.j. Pet. j. ij Heb. iiij xj Of this faith that scripture speaketh of so plentifully haue I made sufficient mencion in the prologe of that litle boke which I lately put forth in Englische concernynge the true olde faith of Christ Now like as the scriptures afore alledged do testifye for us that we meane no false ner vayne faith euen so is the same article of iustificacion defended and maynteyned by the doctous in many and sondrye places specially by S. Augustine in the ccclij chapter de vera innocentia De verbis Domini sermone .xl. De verbis Apostoli ser xxvij In the boke of the fiftye sermons the xvij sermon In the first boke of the retractes the xxiij chapter In the cv Epistle vnto Sixtus the bisshoppe In the xxv treatise vpon Iohn the sixte chapter In his manualle the xxij and xxiij chapter In the exposicion of the lxvij and of the lxx Psalme In the liij sermon de tempore In the v boke of his homelis the xvij homelye In the boke of the lxxxiij questions the lxvj chapter And in the prologe of the xxxj Psalme I might alledge Cyrillus Ambrose Origen Hilarius Bernarde Athanasius with other moo but what helpeth it Yet shall all the world know that youre heresye is not onely condemned by the open and manifest scripture but also by many of the doctours As for naturall reason it fighteth clerely agaynst you also yf ye pondre well the parable of the mariage in the xxij of Matthew and in the xiiij of luke the parable of the vnthriftie sonne in the xv of Luke the parable also of the detter in the xviij oâ— Matthew and in the seuenth of Luke Where as it was laied to D. Barnes charge how that he shulde teach that god is the authour of synne verely he protested openly at S. Mary spitle the tewesdaye in easter weke that he was neuer of that mynde howbeit he confessed as the trueth is that where as in his boke he had wrytten of predestinacion and fre will ther was occasion taken of him by his writynge that he shulde so meane But verely yf he had in that matter bene as circuÌ„specte as the children of this worlde are wyse in their generacion he might the better haue auoided the capciousnesse of men afore hand Neuertheles it appeareth planely that he mistrusted no such thing and therfore dyd to moch simplicite disceaue him in that behalfe as it doth many moo which are not so wyse as serpentes Nether fynde ye in all his boke these wordes God is the authoure of synne but ye maie fynde these wordes The gouerner of al thinges is most wise moost rightous and most merciful and so wyse that nothinge that he doth can be amended so righteous that there can be no suspicion in him of vnrighteousnesse et cet â–ª Item All thing that he doth is well done Whâ—â—fore yf they that laied that heresye to D. Barnes charge had remembred their owne distinction of malum pene and malum culpe at the reading of his wordes aswell as they can note it in other places they might easely haue perceaued his meanynge and not haue mistaken him Ye saye also D. Barnes dyd preach that workes do not profit Yf ye meane workes inuented by mens owne braynes not grounded on gods worde then verely might he well saye that such workes do not profit to saluacion For what soeuer is not of faith is sinne But yf ye meane such good workes as are coÌ„prehended in the coÌ„maundementes of god and within the precyncte of his word then truly ye fayle so to reporte of him for though saluacion be gods worke onely yet D. Barnes in his boke doth not onely condemne the fleshly and damnable reason of them which saye Yf faith onely iustifieth what nede we to do anye good workes et cet But also he affirmeth planely that we must nedes do them and that they which will not do theÌ„ because they be iustified alonely by faith are not the children of god ner childrne of iustificacion et ce For yf they were the very true children of god they wolde be the gladder to do good workes et cet Therfore saieth he shulde they also be moued frely to worke yf it were for none other purpose ner profit but onely to do the will of their merciful god that hath sâ—â—â—ely iustified them and also to profit their neghboure whoÌ„ they are bounde to serue of very true charite Are these wordes now asmuch to saye as workes do not profit Lorde god what meane ye thus vntruly to reporte of the deed Where as ye make this blynde obiection and saye of workes profit not so that faith onely iustifieth and Christes death be sufficient then penÌ„aunce is voyde and superfluous I answere A goodly consequent gathered nether of wittye sophistry wyse logyek ner of good Philosophy excepte it be of Philosophy vnnatural no ner of right diuynite Workes profit not to saluation ergo they profit nothing at all Is this a praty consequent Youre consequent is naught saieth S. Peter for by good workes must ye make your vocacion certayne and sure Alike argumeÌ„t might ye make after this maner and saye Yron is not profitable to chew or
there in youre wordes Fie on such doctrine Standishe And here let us note that it is not all one to bringe forth good frutes and to bring forth worthy frutes of pennaunce Couerdale No where haue ye auctorite of gods word for you Be not the good frutes of penÌ„aunce worthy frutes Or be not they good frutes that are worthy O vnworthy teachers What an vnworthy doctrine is this Standish For he that doth committe no deedly synnes et cet Couerdale Yf I shulde teach anie man whan he hath vnlaufully bahaued him selfe to vse vnlaufull thinges still I am sure that like as gods word wolde therin condeÌ„ne me so wolde the prudent rulers of the worlde acordinge to their dewtie loke sharply vpoÌ„ me and iudge me litle better then a sedicious teacher Yf the rulers therfore of the worlde will winck at such a pestilent doctryne and suffre it to be sowne among their people I beseche god to seÌ„d them his discipline to their better enfourmacion and so to lighten the eies of their vnderstonding that they maie aswell remembre what hurt commeth of sedicious doctrine as many of their subiectes yee they them selues also haue proued it by experience Well yet remembre the ende Where as ye separate the frutes of innoceÌ„cy of goodnesse et ce froÌ„ the frutes of penÌ„aunce where finde ye that in holy scripture For albeit that some man offendeth more then another who yet I praie you is not bound to confesse himselfe a synner to declare himselfe sory for the vnperfectnesse of his owne nature to mortifie his flesh and to liue in repentaunce all the daies of his life Yee be he neuer so innocent iust or righteous in the estimacioÌ„ of man Thus by your slendre diuision ye proue but slenderly that the workes of Mary Magdalene and Dauid were not frutes of goodnesse but onely frutes of pennaunce as though penÌ„aunce were not good or as though the frutes of pennaunce were not good frutes As for the carnall libertie of man it must be all waie restrained abuse of all thinges is utterly forbidden Yet must the body of man haue his worshippe at his nede at his nede I saye not at his lust Yf you now thorow anye sâ—â—â—e of wisdone or chosen spritualtie will teach the contrary then is youre doctrine condemned by S. Paul to the Collossians Standishe· Yee and acordinge to the qualite of the offence must be the satisfaction Pro mensura peccati erit plagarum modus Deute xxv Couerdale This text verely as it is slenderly alledged so proueth it youre purpose but faintly Moses wordes which you bringe in are these Acordinge to the measure of the offence shalbe also the measure of stripes But let us se the circumstaunce of the texte and so shall we trye whether ye haue played a iuglers cast or no. And forget not I praie you that ye haue alledged this texte to proue that the satisfaction must be acording to the qualite of the offence Moses wryteth thus Yf there be a matter of plee betwene anie men and they come to the law then loke whom the iudges considre to be iust him shall then declare to be in the right cause and him whom they perceaue to be vngodly shall they condemne for his vngodlynesse But yf they se him which hath offended to be worthy of stripes they shall take him downe and cause him to be beaten in their presence Acordinge to the measure of the offence shalbe also the measure of the strypes but so that they passe not the nombre of fortie et cete This lawe as it is euident was a ciuile ordinaunce made for the commodite of the people and not without mercy The text also speaketh of no such satisfaction as ye meane But here forgettinge the rules of youre logick ye wolde make a qualite of a quantite For in your article ye speake of a qualite and the texte maketh mencion of a quantite nombre or measure Agayne this lawe will that the partie which is to be beaten shal not haue aboue fortie stripes And then by youre doctrine it must folowe that though we be compelled to be punished and so to make satisfaction for the paine due vnto oure synnes yet shulde ech one of us haue but fortie stripes for the text speaketh of no moo Maie ye not be ashamed then thus to mock with the scripture Standishe Not like ner equall in the great offender and the lesse Vnde Apo. xviij Quantum quis se glorificauit et in delicijs fuit tantum illi inferendum est tormentum Couerdale Where as the voice from heauen speaketh of the whore of Babilon and saieth Come awaie from her my people that ye be not partakers of her synnes lest ye receaue of her plages et cete As much as she glorified herselfe and folowed her awne lustes so much geue ye her of punishment and sorowe et cet By the last parte of this texte wolde ye proue that satisfactioÌ„ maie not be equall in the greate offender and the lesse Now saieth the texte Asmuch as she glorified hir self et cete so much geue ye her of punishment Here is rather equalite And where as the texte speaketh of the whore of Babilon ye saie Quantum quis et ce turninge not onely the femynine gendre to the masculyne which a boie that goeth to the grammer scoole wolde not do but also prouinge an vniuersall by a perticular Agayne This texte speaketh of her that is damned to hell and the article that ye go aboute to proue speaketh of those whom ye haue affirmed allready to make satisfaction vnto god for their synnes by the frutes of pennaunce which by youre owne iudgment are not damned vnto hell Lord god whan will this blindnesse haue an ende Standish It is not ynough saieth Chrisostome et cet Couerdale The doctrine of god is that whan Christ hath made us whole for without him is no remission we shall sinne nomore he that hath stollen must steale nomore he that hath not the gift of chastite must for the auoiding of fornicacion take a laufull wife for better it is to mary then to burne On the back syde of the boke therfore is that doctryne writteÌ„ which teacheth that whan a man hath loÌ„g lyued in whordome he shall than abstaine from the laufull vse of holy wedloke for wedloke is the remedy appointed of god against all bodely fornicacion and whordome Standish Wherby we maie perceaue et cet Couerdale Yes there be worthy frutes of repentaunce to bring forth there is a new man to put on the tre hath good frutes to beare the spouse of Christ which is euery true faithfull soule hath laufull children that is laufull thoughtes laufull wordes laufull dedes to bring vp and to norishe Good workes must nedes folowe faith but not that we maye set anye of them in the rowme of Christ ner make them the satifactioÌ„ to god for our synnes God hath