downe to meanyng as yt semeth that yf we kepe the fayth and beleue wyth Luther that there nedeth no more but fayth and then therwyth kepe the lawe of loue after Luthers louynge maner in lodgynge louers freres and nonnes louyngly to gether then we shall neuer nede to care whether we chaūge or put downe ceremonyes and sacramentes and all And surely very soth he sayth For when we fall ones to be contente wyth that there wyll but yf we chaunge that mynde and mende neyther any ceremony nor any sacramēt serue vs. And yet yf fayth and loue be as Tyndale here sayth the sygnyfycacyons of all the ceremonyes what parell is there to kepe all the ceremonyes with them twayne wythout any other sygnyfycacyons And thus by Tyndale hys owne tale we shall neyther nede to put thē downe alter nor chaūg them where he sayth afore we muste seke the sygnyfycacyons agayne or put downe the ceremonyes vppon payne of damnacyon And here haue ye now sene all that euer he sayth for the profe of the thyng that he hath in this chapiter takē in hāde to proue that is to wyt that the apostles haue lefte wryten in scrypture all thynges that of necessyte perteyne to the soule helth both in thynges to be done thynges to be byleued And now perceyue ye perfitely also y◠all that euer he sayth there is not any one thynge that to the profe of his purpose serueth hym worth a rysh Here myght I now well leue ye se well as for thys mater syth I haue suffycyently confuted and auoyded clerely all that Tyndale hath alledged for hys parte in thys chapyter in whyche he wold proue that the apostles haue lefte wryten in holy scrypture euery thynge necessarye to be byleued or done for the saluacyon of our soules and that so fully that what so euer is not wryten in scrypture nor deduced theruppon by whyche deducyng what he meaneth◠I haue by his owne example shewed you that thynge is not as he sayth to be byleued nor to be done of necessyte but mē be at theyr lybertie in all such maner thynge to do yt or do yt not byleue yt or byleue yt not or rather in synne to byleue yt or do yt though all the catholyque chyrche of Cryste both do byleue and many hundred yeres haue byleued that the thyng is of necessyte to be done or byleued In whyche mate◠〈◊〉 ◠saye syth Tyndale hath fayled of his profe I myght here make an ende sauynge that I haue though◠yt conuenyēt for his more vtter confusyon to brynge in by and by suche thynges as I fynde writen by hym for his parte in this mater bysyde that ye maye se wythout farther sekynge for yt all that he can saye at ones I shall therfore shew you his answeres to suche thynges as I in the .xxv. chapyter of the fyrst boke of my dyaloge alledged for the profe that all necessarye thynges were not wryten in scrypture but some suche onely taught and delyuered vnto the chyrch by mouth And when ye shall here haue herde Tyndales answeres vnto those thynges ye shall then the more clerely perceyue how foule a fall he hath in thys mater vppon whyche the greate parte of all hys heresyes dependeth and ouer that ye shall ryght easely iudge what pyth and substaunce is in his boke of answeres wherwyth he wolde fayne seme clerely to confute my dyaloge I shewed there in my dialoge by the authorite of saynte Iohn̄ the euāgelyste in the laste chapyter of hys gospell that all thyng was not wryten For there he sayth hym selfe Iohn̄ 21 Many thynges dyd Iesus whyche yf they were all wryten the worlde wold not receyue the bokes To thys answereth Tyndale thus Tyndale He iugleth For Iohn̄ meaneth of the myracles whyche Iesus dyd and not of the necessarye poyntes of the fayth More ye se well now that Tyndale well feleth that syth y◠euāgelystes dyd not go togyther by appoyntement to wryte theyr gospels nor when they hadde wryten them conferred theyr bokes togyther to se whyther euery necessary poynte were wryten in amonge them all or ellys at that collacyon to put it in some one as we fynde that saynt Poule had conference wyth Peter and other of the apostles Galathas 2 to come and speke of the fayth amonge them but not to wryte it all out in bokes but euery euangelyste of occasyō offred vnto hym selfe as god put in hys mynde and remembraunce wrote hys owne gospell seuerally by hym selfe and theyr epystles in lyke wyse and peraduenture one of them in all theyr lyues neuer redde the gospell that the tother wrote thys I saye beynge thus excepte that god besyde theyr purpose prouyded ◠amonge them all euery necessary poynte sholde be wryten whyche thynge Tyndale neyther doth nor can by reason or scrypture proue ellys yf any of them lefte vnwryten any poynt necessary to be byleued Tyndale can not saye but that euery of the other apostles myghte do y◠same and then hath Tyndale no surety that euery suche thynge was wryten And therfore Tyndale feleth full well how nere this place of saynt Iohn̄ prykketh hym yf in those wordes of saynte Iohn̄ myghte be vnderstanden that he had not wrytē euery necessary poynt of our bylefe And therfore to auoyde this pynche Tyndale sayth that I iugle For saynte Iohn̄ he sayeth ment onely of Crystes myracles and not of any necessary poynt of the fayth I iugle not For I saye not nay but the saynt Iohn̄ ment of myracles And in the tone place of the twayne he speketh of myracles by name sayenge Iesus wroughte many other myracles in the presence of hys dyscyples that be not wrytē in thys boke In the tother place in the very ende he sayth the Cryste dyd many other thynges whyche yf they shold be all wryten all the worlde coude not receyue the bokes that sholde be wryten In whyche wordes I denye not but that saynte Iohn̄ ment of Crystes myracles to therfore I iugle not But Tyndale that in that seconde place where saynte Iohn̄ meneth no myracles there excludeth hys doctryne wolde make vs wene that saynt Iohn̄ lefte not vnwryten any necessary point of fayth he iugleth goth about to begyle vs I thynke he taketh not so grete hold◠vppon this word dyd in that saynt Iohn̄ sayth Cryste dyd many other thynges and sayth not Cryste taughte many other thynges For thys worde doynge includeth techynge talkyng spekyng and all As yf a man wolde saye Cryst prayed preched and taught this dyd he daye and nyght And therfore syth saint Iohn̄s hole boke was made not onely of Crystes myracles but also of hys doctryne as well worde as dede and then he sayth in the very ende of hys boke that Cryste dyd many thynges mo wherof yf all were wrytē the worlde coude not receyue the bokes why maye not thys be vnderstanden of wordes and dedes and all but yf Tyndale wene that the bokes wolde be
and haue accursed Tyndale to yf all the myghte haue saued hys lyfe And so he gaue counsayle vnto one Iamys that was for heresye in pryson wyth hym For as Iamys hath synnys confessed Tewkesbery sayed vnto hym saue you your self and abiure But as for me bycause I haue abiured byfore there is no remedy wyth me buth deth By whych wordes yf he had not ben in dyspayre of lyfe it well appereth he wold wyth good wyll haue ones abiured and ones periured agayne And yet at hys examynacyon he denyed that euer he hadde holden any such opynyons as he was abiured for notwythstandyng that there were at hys axamynacyon some persons present of myche honestye and wourshyppe two that had ben present at hys abiuracyon byfore to whyche also hys owne hand was subscrybed And afterwarde beynge ferther examyned vppon the same some he denyed some he defended agayne Amonge other thynges he sayed that he vsed to praye to sayntes that he byleued them to be goddes frendes and that theyr prayours were profytable to vs and well done to praye to them wheruppon I sayd vnto hym my selfe that I was glad to se hym in that poynte yet amended and I shewed hym as the trouth was in dede that I amys helde the contrarye and that he hadde so greate a truste in Tewkesbery that I dowted not but when he sholde here that tewkesbery hadde reuoked that poynt he wolde reuoke it to As sone as Tewkesbery herd that he went from it agayne by and by that so farre that fynally he wolde not agre that before the day of dome there were eyther any saynt in heuen or soule in purgatory or in hell eyther Nor the ryght fayth in the sacrament of the aulter wolde he not confesse in no wyse For which thynges and dyuers other horryble heresyâ—s he was delyuered at laste vnto the secular handes and burned as there was neuer wretche I wene better worthy yet is there one thynge notable and well declarynge what good and cherytable mynde the maÌ„ dyed in Forâ— after that he was delyuered vnto the secular handes neyther whyle he was in pryson nor at the tyme of hys deth wolde he by his wyll be aknowen of any of hys heresyes vnto any man that asked hym any questyon but couered and hyd them by all the meanes he coulde make labored to make euery man wene that he had neuer holden any such opynyon And by thys dealynge euery man maye se that he rought not so mych for his heresyes nor toke them not in his owne mynde for suche thynges as he so gretely forced whyther they went forwarde or bakwarde as he wolde fayne leue an opynyon amonge the people that hys iudges had borne hym wrong in hande condempned hym for such heresyes as he neuer helde And what conscyence he had that dyed in that mynde there is no good man dowteth Now was his examynacyoÌ„ not secrete but folke inough therat bothe spyrytuall and temporall and of eyther parte ryght wourshypfull so that hys malycyouse mynde can in that poynte lytell take effecte And yet dyd the same Iamys also confesse afterwarde that Tewkesbery had redde vnto hym wyclyffes wykkeâ— agaynst the blessed sacrament And ouer that was there founden about hym by the shyryffes offycers in the pryson a boke of heresye of hys owne hande wrytynge that is to wyt the boke of Marten Luther wherin he teacheth men vnder the name of crysten lybertye to roÌ„ne in to the deuyls boâ—dage And in hys howse was founden Tyndales boke of obedyence whyche he well alowed and hys wykked boke also of the wykked mammona sayenge at hys examynacyon that all the heresyes therin were good and crysten fayth beynge in dede as full of false heresyes and as frantike as euer heretyke made any syth Cryst was borne And yet all thys notwythstandynge when he was in the shyryffes warde and at the tyme of hys deth he wolde not speke of hys heresyes any thynge nor say that he had helde and wolde holde thys poynt and that but handeled hym selfe as couertly as he coude to make the people wene that he hadde holden no maner opynyon at all nor neuer had I thynke yf Tyndales vngracyouse bokes had neuer come in hys hande For whych the pore wreche lyeth now in hell and cryeth out on hym and Tyndale yf he do not ameÌ„de in tyme he is lyke to fynde hym when they come togyther an hote fyrebronde burnynge at hys bakke that all the water in the worlde wyll neuer be able to quenche Another is there also whom hys vnhappy bokes haue brought vnto the fyre Tho. Bylney thas was before abiured whyche was the man of whom wythout name I spake so mych in my dyaloge whyche beyng conuycte by .xx. wytnesses and aboue dyd yet stykke styll in hys denyall sayd they were all sorsworen and had vtterly belyed hym But god whyche is very trouth and bryngeth at last alwaye the trouth to lyght wolde not suffer suche obstynate vntrouth at length to passe vnpunyshed but of hys endles mercy brought hys body to deth gaue hym yet the grace to turne and saue hys soule For so was it that after dyuerse sermons whyche he had after hys abiuracyon and agaynst the prohybycyon gyuen hym vppon hys abiuracyon made in sundry secrete corners and some also openly wherof the bysshoppe yet bycause he herde of none heresye therin had forborne to lay the dysobedyence to hys charge he went vnto Nor wych where he had enfected dyuers of the cytye before And beynge there secretely kepte by a certayne space had in the whyle resorte vnto an ancresse and there began secretely to sow hys cocle and brought vnto her dyuers of Tyndales bokes and was there taken in the doynge and the bokes after founden about a nother man that was conuayenge them thense and these thynges who so herde the hole processe cam in suche wyse to passe that he coulde nothynge dowbte but that it came to lyght by the very prouysyon of god when he came to examynacyon he waxed styffe and stoborne in hys opynyons But yet was god so good and gracyous lorde vnto hym that he was fynally so fully conuerted vnto Cryste and hys trew catholyke fayth that not onely at the fyre as well in wordes as wrytynge but also many dayes before he had reuoked abhorred and detested suche heresyes as he before had holden whych notwythstandyng there lakked not some that were very sory for it of whom some sayd and some wrote out of Norwych to LondoÌ„ that he had not reuoked his heresyes at all but styll had abyden by them And suche as were not ashamed thus to saye and wryte beynge afterwarde examyned theruppon saw the coÌ„trary so playnely proued in theyr faces by suche as at hys execucyon stode by hym whyle he redde hys reuocacyoÌ„ hym selfe that they had in conclusyon nothynge elles to sayâ— but that he redde hys reuocacyon so softely that they coude not here it
by a greate deale as the messenger doth in my dyalog whyche I haue yet suffered to stande styll in my dyaloge that rather yet by the counsayle of other men then of my selfe For all be yt that yt be lawfull to any man to mysselyke the mysseuse of euery good thynge and that in my dyaloge there not onely those euyll thynges rehersed but answered also and soyled and the goodnes of the thyng self well vsed is playnely confyrmed and proued yet hath Tyndale by erronyouse bokes in settynge forth Luthers pestylent heresyes so enuenemed the hartes of lewdly disposed persones yâ— men can not almost now speke of such thynges in so mych as a play but that such euyll herers wax a grete dele the worse And therfore in these dayes in which Tyndale hath god amende hym wyth thenfeccion of his coÌ„tagyouse heresyes so sore poysened malycyouse and newfangle folke that the kynges hyghnes and not wythout the couÌ„sayle and aduyce not of his nobles onely wyth his other counsaylours attendynge vppon his gracys person but also of the ryght vertuouse and specyall well lerned men of eyther vnyuersyte other partyes of the realme specyally called thereto hathe after dylygent and longe consyderacyon hadde therein ben fayne for the whyle to prohybyte the scrypture of god to be sufferd in englyshe tonge amonge the peoples handes leste euyll folke by false drawyng of euery good thynge they rede in to the colour and mayntenauÌ„s of theyr owne fonde fantasyes and turnynge all hony in to posyn myght both dedly do hurte vnto theym selfe and sprede also that infeccyone farther a brode I saye therfore in these dayes in whyche men by theyr owne defaute mysseconstre and take harme of the very scrypture of god vntyll menne better amende yf any man wolde now translate Moria in to Englyshe or some workes eyther that I haue my selfe wryten ere this â—ll â—e yt there be none harme therin folke yet beynge as they be geuen to take harme of that that is good I wolde not onâ—â—y my derlynges bokes but myne owne also helpe to burne thâ—â— both wyth myne owne handes rather then folkesh 〈◊〉 though thorow theyr own faute take any harme of them seynge that â—seâ—heâ— lykely in these dayes so to do But now after this Tyndale handeleth me full vncourtesly for he taketh awaye all my thanke and rewarde that I sholde haue had of the spyrytualtye For he sheweth them that I wrote not my boke for any affeccyon that I bere to them no more then Iudas bytrayed Cryst for any fauour that he bare to the hygh prestes scrybes and pharaseys but that I dyd the tone as he dyd the tother for the lucre that shold come therof after whych he sayth that I so sore hungre that the good man as my frend prayeth for me that I eat not to faste for chokynge Now yf the spyritualtye had ben aboute to haue gathered a dysme amonge them and geue yt me Tyndale here had loste yt me euery peny But god forgeue the good man and I do For wheÌ„ he speketh of my lucre in good fayth he maketh me laugh and so I wene he maketh many mo to that knowe well god be thanked that I haue not so mych lucre therby that I stande in so grete parell of chokynge wyth lucre as Tyndale standeth in daunger of chokynge god saue the man wyth the bones of buttred bere Now where Tyndale sayth I haue fayntely defended the thynges wherof I wryte the thynges be stronge inough and lytle nede me to defend them and also my purpose was not so mych to do that that neded not that is to wyt to defende them as to proue and make the people perceyue that Tyndale went aboute to brynge in heresyes amonge them And that nedeth now as lytle for Tyndale hath proued yt hym selfe And so lytle defence suffyseth for any reason that Tyndale layeth agaynste yt And fynally yf I were faynte therin as Tyndale sayth yet is a faynt fayth better then a stronge heresye But Tyndale yet for all this as a good godly father of his haboundaunte cheryte sayth that he charytably dothe exhorte me in Cryste by the examples of Iudas and Balaam to take hede and ferther he counsayleth me and my felowes full holyly to awake by tymes ere euer our synnes be rype leste the voyce of oure wykkednesse ascende vp and awake god out of his slepe to loke vppoÌ„ vs and to bowe hys earys vnto our cursed blasphemyes agaynst the open trewth and to sende hys herueste men and mowars of vengeaunce to repe it excepte we repent and resyste not the spyryte of god whyche openeth lyght vnto the worlde These wordes when I redde them semed me so pytthy so persaunt set and cowched in suche an hyghe spyrytuall fasshyon that they made me mych to meruayle what Tyndale had spyed in me and caused me to serche my selfe to se whyther I had vsed any suche hygh blasphemyes that the wykkednes therof were lykely to ascende vp in to heuyn awake god almyghty out of hys slepe But when I hadde ouer serched all my boke ransaked vp the very botom of my brest though I fouÌ„de in the tone som prety peccaduliuÌ„s such as I wyll not now confesse to father Tyndale bycause he sayth confessours kepe no counsayle yet coude I fynde in good fayth neyther in my brest nor in my boke I thaÌ„ke god any suche hygh blasphemyes as Tyndale so hyghly cryeth out vppon excepte he call it an hygh blasphemye to call heresyes heresyes whyche I take as helpe me god in my pore conscyence for none hygher blasphemy then to call a gose a gose Nor I. fynde no trewth that I neyther blaspheme or onys speke agaynste excepte Tyndale mene by thys open trewth all the false open heresyes that hym selfe techeth agaynste Crystes holy sacramentes Agaynst whyche kynde of false trewth I no more fere to speke then agaynst the deuyll hym selfe that fyrste founde it out Nor I can not fynde wherein I resyste the spyryte of god in openynge hys lyght vnto the worlde excepte that Tyndale take for the spyryte of god the spyryte of the deuyll of hell and for openynge of lyght vnto the worlde he take the lyghtesome lanterne of good ensample by whych the worlde maye se for a shewe of holy matrymony frere Luther and Cate calate hys nonne lye luskynge togyther in lâ—chery Now to resyste thys deuelysshe spyryte my pore spyryte for all Tyndales hygh ferefull charge is so lytell afrayed that I call hartely to the spyryte of god to quenche the fowle fyrebronde of that helly lyght that so thorowly that the worlde se neuer any suche example more And now when that I had thus thorowly serched well my breste and my boke and saw my conscyence clere farre out of any suche cause of ieoperdy then Tyndals terryble exorcysme made me not mych to trymble syth heretykes haue of olde be wont alwaye to vse suche wordes But my mind more gaue me
yf he forgete to marke it then is it grete neglygence yf he perceyue it and dyssymule it then is it grete falshed yf he do it as Tyndale doeth to make presthed seme none holy sacrament then is it a very malycyouse pestylente heresye lyke as yf he wolde in lyke maner and of lyke entent translate baptisma in to wasshynge to make men wene it were no nother maner wasshyng when the preste crysteneth a chyld then when a woman wasâ—heth a â—â—â—ke of clothes He planteth in a grete processe to small purpose bycause I sayd that Tymothe was not olde And then Tyndale sayth that saynt Paule chose hym bycause he found in hym more wysdome sadnes and vertue then in the aged tâ—en of that place And Tyndale doeth well to tell vs so for â—llys wolde all the world haue went that saynt Paule hâ—â— made a yonge man bysshoppe bycauâ—â—â—â—e wolde haue had hym wylde But the goth he forth and 〈◊〉 â—s a solemne processe that god and necessyte is lawâ—â—â—â—e and all this he bryngâ—â—â— in to proue that not onely yonge men but women also 〈◊〉 for necessyte mynyster all the sacramentes and that 〈…〉 may crysten for necessyte so they may for necessyte preache and for necessyte consecrate also the blessed bodye of Cryste And for to make this mater lykely he is fayne to ymagyne an vnlykely case that a woman were dreuen alone in to an Ilande where Cryste was neuer preached as though thynges that we call chaunce and happe happed to come so to passe wythout any prouydence of god Tyndale may make hym selfe sure that syth there falleth not a sparow vppon the ground wythout our father that is in heuen Mat. 10 there shall no woman fall a lande in any so farre an Ilande where he will haue his name preached and his sacramentes mynystred but that god can and wyll well inough prouyde a man or twayne to come to lande wyth her wherof we haue had all redy metely good experyence and that wyth in few yeres For I am sure there haue ben mo Ilandes and more parte of the ferme lande and contynent dyscouered and founden out wythin this fourty yeres laste passed then was new fouÌ„den as farre as any maÌ„ may ê‘ceyue this thre thousand yere afore and in many of these places the name of Cryste now new knowen to and preachynges had and sacrameÌ„tes mynystred wythout any woman fallen a lande alone But god hath prouyded that his name is preached by such good crysten folke as Tyndale now moste rayleth vppon that is good relygyous freres specyally the freres obseruauÌ„tes honeste godly chastâ— vertuose people not by such as frere Luther is that is ruÌ„ne out of religyon nor by castyng a lande alone any suche holy nonne as his harlot is when Tyndale hath proued by this vnprobable case that women maye consecrate the bodye of Cryste theÌ„ he lamenteth the myserable seruytude of the symple soules the pore sely womenâ— by cause men wyll not suffer them to say masse and â—yeth out vppon vs o pore women How dyspyse ye them The vyser the better welcome to you Better is to you â—â—â—â—oâ—d then a good woman O the tender herte of pyâ—uouse Tyndale He begynneth now by lykelyhed to loke towarde weddyng he speketh lyke a â—â—eâ— But he wyll I warraunt you no vyle person But bycaâ—â—e he is a prest and hath promysed perpetually to lyue chaste hâ—â—yll none whore therfore but rather wyll do as Luther 〈◊〉 done wedde a â—onne and make here an whore Then exhorteth he full holyly and in manner conâ—ureth also the reâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 lorde god that he shall rede ouer the two pystles of saynt Poule wryteÌ„ to Timothe wherof hym selfe also reherseth parte whych who so euer rede shall se therin both the false malyce of the maÌ„ and yet the workyng of god therewyth For god hath caused Tynâ—alâ— to putte in suche thynges as dyrectyly reproue his owne condycyons and the deuyll hath made hym falsely to lâ—ue out those wordes which yf he hadde set in muste nedes haue openly declared that all is heresye that euer he gothe aboute For saynt Paule there teacheth Timothe to beware and avoyde the companye of men of corrupte myndes whyche waste theyr braynes aboute wrangelynge questyons And Tyndale is in companye of none other but such as Luther is and frere Huskyn and theyr felowes that had wasted out theyr wyttes so longe about wrangelynge heresyes that now they are fallen at laste to runne out of relygâ—on and waste out they re braynes aboute wrangelyng wyues Saynt Poule also teacheth Tymothe that he sholde not sharpely rebuke any man that were elder then hym selâ—e but exhorte hym as his father though hym selfe was bysâ—hope and as Tyndale sayth an apostle to Now Tyndale beyng neyther nother nor hauynge any offyce so mych as among heretiques letteth neyther sharpely to rebuke his elders in age nor also to ieste and rayle vppon all states spyrytuall and temporall thorow out all Crystendome and namely agaynste all relygyouse men but yf they wyll runne out and wedde And thus ye maye se wyth what frute Tyndale readeth saynt Paule Now wold I that Tyndale had putte in this place these wordes that he leueth out Noli â—â—gligere gratiam quae in teâ— est quae data est tibi per prâ—yâ—etiam cum impositione manuum presbyteri Neglecte not the grace that is in the 1. Timoth. 4 whych was geuen the by prophecye wyth the puttynge vppon the handes of a prest And â—fterwarde in the .ii. pystle 2. Timoth. 1. Admoneo te vt resuscites gratiam â—eâ— quâ—e est in te per impositionem manuuÌ„ mearuÌ„ I warne the that thou â—tyrre vppe the grace of god that is in the by the puttyâ—â—e of myn handes vppon the. These wordes of saint Paule to Timothe iâ— those pystles whyche Tyndale exhorteth euery man to rede and wherof hym selfe rehersâ—th also partesâ— do manyfesâ—ely reproue â—â—ndales heresye and clerely proue the holy order of prestehed a sacrament For these places shewe bothe the sensyble sygne of 〈◊〉 the apostles haÌ„des vppon Timothe in the makyng of hym preste and also that god gaue hys grace therwyth And the fyrst texte sheweth also after the greke in whyche it is wyth the puttynge vppon the handes not of a preste as the latyn is but of prestehed the power and authoryte that Timothe had in gyuynge the same grace forthe vnto otherâ— whom he sholde after make prestes And these textes do so playnely reproue hym that he is fayne to make a shamefull shamelesse shyfte to voyde them suche as all the worlde may wonder at For he sayth in his boke of obedyence that the puttynge on of saynte Paules handes vppon Timothe was no sacramentall sygne nor any other thynge but a custume of puttyng a mannys hand vppon a nother as men do here vppon a boyes hed when they call hym good sonne or as saynt Paule vsed to streche out hys arme to the people when he