boldely make them self sure therof byfore y t the corage therof gyue them occasyō to synne it may be y e cause y t god shall clerely withdraw it frō them neuer offer it them after And thys vncertaynty of grace to folow is y e brydle y t refrayneth our boldenes where as Tyndale his holy felowes the trewe mēbres of Crystes chyrch feling by theyr feling fayth that after theyr horrible dedes done they shall vndowtedly take repētaūce so gete theyr pardon haue this brydle of drede cast of theyr hed therfore are redy lyke vnbrydled coltes to rūne out at rouers in all horrible dedes whyther so euer y e occasyōs of theyr wyld affeccyōs the synne as Tindale sayth brekyng out in theyr mēbres lyst to cary theym For whē they be caryed out vpō occasyōs by y e deuyll y e flesh then Tyndale calleth it but frayltye infyrmyte no wyll in no wise nor no malycyous purpose And therfore of this heresy without which they can not defēde theyr other ye se what good frute must folow And yet suppose y t Tyndals false heresy were trew y t they were as certayn sure of repētaūce therby of remissyō pardon as they say they be this wold not yet mayntayne his mater For though that a traytoure were so well acquaynted with the condycyon of hys kynge that he veryly knewe that when he hadde all wrought that he coude in his traytorouse purpose agaynst hym he sholde yet after obtayne his pardon and therupon boldely so dyd vpon some occasion and hope of some hygh promocyon and afterwarde were not deceyued but obtayned hys pardon in dede yet had he ben for all that a stark traytour in the meane whyle and hadde dedely trespassed though the deth folowed not but the faute were fully forgyuen And so mych the more traytorouse wretche in how mych the prynce were of hys nature more benyng and marcyfull And thus ye se playnely that Tyndale to proue his rydle trewe that though he synne he synneth neuer dedeli muste seke some better shyfte then thys Tyndale wyll saye that hys felowys he do not synne dedely in the tyme of the doynge of suche horryble dedes bycause as they say they do them not of purpose nor wyllyngly nor do not cōsent vnto synne to serue it but all the whyle that they go there aboute and all the whyle also in whyche they be in doynge they resyste it in theyr wylles haue styll in theyr hartes theyr professyon to the loue of the lawe and be sory that they shall breke it fynally do breke it agaynst theyr wyll by greate occasyons gyuen whyche cary them forth to the doynge of those horryble dedes in a rage of the synne brekynge out of theyr membres whyche horryble dedes after the rage ones passed they repente all waye and forthwyth be clene forgyuen Is not here good reder a goodly defence and a godly And vndowtedly thys is theyr very defence in defendynge them selfe from dedely synne as Tyndals awne wordes as well in thys chapyter as in other folowynge do playne and clerely shew But now seeth euery good chrysten man well inowgh that they be wyckedly occupyed in sekyng as holy Dauid saith excuses for theyr synne For there is no man doth any suche dede agaynste hys wyll but all be it that he resyste y e mocyon of the deuyll and the flesh at the fyrste cleuynge to the contrary styrynge of god and hys good angell repugneth and stryueth agaynste the synne and is peraduenture loth to be brought therto whych doyng is very godd and therby good folke fynally caste of and ouercome all those temptacions thorow the grace of god wurkyng with thē yet suche as in conclusyon fall to the doynge of those horryble dedes whyche they be tempted to though they be not fully so euyll as other that resyste the deuyll nothynge at all but rather runne on apace towarde hell them selfe then tary tyll the deuyll come to cary them yet do they vndowtedly thorow theyr owne defaute fall from the grace wyllyngly that holpe them whyle they resysted And as it were a cowarde that had fought a whyle wolde sodaynly caste awaye bothe bukler and swerde fall downe at hys enemyes fete and yelde hym selfe in to hys enemyes handes so do these folke which cōmytte those horryble dedes after a whyle resystynge by whyche by goddes helpe they sholde haue had the victory yf they wolde haue perseuered in the fyght they chaunge theyr mynde by y e faute of theyr owne fre wyll thorow the delectacyon of the synfull dede and so consent vnto the same and then seke them selfe the waye to come therto and the deuyll helpeth them to fynde it and so breke they wyllyngly goddes commaundement and fulfyll the pleasure of the deuyll and the luste of the fleshe whyche wylfull fallynge from god and hys grace vnto the deuyll and the flesh what god man dowteth to be dampnable dedely synne And therfore whan Tyndale telleth vs that Luther and he and suche other trewe membres of theyr chyrche whā they commytte ony suche horryble dedes do not cōmytte theym wyllyngly bycause they do commytte theym vpon great occasyons and be caryed awaye spyte of theyr tethe with the rage of the synne that breketh out of theyr membres sauynge my charyte syr I beshrewe theyr knauysshe membres out of whiche theyr synne breketh forthe with suche a rage Let theym cast on colde water with sorow quenche that rage For without the defawte of theyr owne fre wyll all the deuyls in hell can neuer caste vpon theym suche an hete that shal be able to brynge theym into that vyolent inuyncyble rage to compell theym vnwyllyngly to do suche horryble dedes For god hathe promysed as in playne scrypture appereth that he wyll neuer so suffre theym God is faythfull sayth saynt Poule whiche shall not suffre you to be tēpted aboue y ◠ye may bere but with the tēptacyon shall also make you a way to get out so that ye may well welde it And whan saynt Poule hym selfe leste the greatnes of his hyghe reuelacyons myght haue set hym vp in an hygh pryde had thorow goddes great mercyfull goodnes the angell of Sathan the prycke of the flesshe gyuē vnto hym to bete hym that in suche wyse that he was fayne thryes to cry to god to take it away our lord agayne shewed hym that it was not good for hym to lacke it so soone nor to haue it so sodenly taken away from hym but shewed hym that his grace was suffycyent whose strengthe in mannes feblenes so worketh with the fre wyll of hym that purposeth to contynue good that all the deuyls in hell shall neuer be able to put hym in suche a rage that may cary hym towarde horryble dedes one here bredth forwarde agaynst his wyll And thus ye se that Tyndale as towchynge his ryall rydle of synnynge and synnynge not
rocke the cradle tyll the babe awake by him selfe And surely he rather semeth to say that god nat awaketh hym out of his luste but letteth hym slepe in his luste vntyll his luste haue lefte him As though goddes callyng of men from glotony were nat to put them in mynde and call vpon them besely and inspyre good thoughtes of temperaunces whyle they be at theyr mete but lette them than alone as in a traunce and a slepe tyll they be so wery of eatynge that the grefe and gryndyng in theyr belyes standynge a strutte with stuffynge call theym vp and awake them And that is a good easy waye to for than be they the more easy to entreate to faste and forbere but nat moche lenger than tyll they waxe an hungered agayne And as it fareth in the traunces and slepes that folke fall in by the bely so fareth it lykewyse in the traunces and slepes that folke fall in by those partes that are benethe the bely For whan the rage is thereof as Tyndall sayeth ouer passed and that they haue in theyr traunce and theyr slepe played out all theyr luskysshe lustes than they awake And than as sone as they be awake they repent as Tyndale sayeth ano come agayne to chastyte without resystence But euer more I wold that Tyndale shulde remembre that all this tale whiche he telleth vs here is for his purpose of electes a tale of very lytell effecte For this tale of suche slepynge and awakynge of electes is nothing propre to the electes but a thynge commune bothe to the electes and to the reprobates to And these rages and these traunces these slepes in synfull flesshely lustes into whiche folke fall and out of whiche they wake agayne and repent the thynge that Tyndale telleth vs here as a thynge farre fatte and sought and serched out of the very botome of his depe diuinite y e same thyng in a maner as for thus farforthe doctour Ouide descrybeth vs well plainly in his pleasaunte poetry entytled the remedy of loue where he declareth after Tyndals fasshyon full clerkely how some wanton louers after theyr rages passed and theyr lustes played out lye then wakyng and haue medytacyons of amendement and of leuyng of theyr lecherouse loue euyn lyeng by theyr lemmans sydes and thynke they wyll come there no more and wolde wyth good wyll that they hadde not come there than neyther In thys chapyter whyche Tyndale entytleth the order of eleccyon I loke alwaye that he sholde as reason is tell vs those thynges that properly pertayne vnto the electes the thynges that contrary wyse appertayne properly to the reprobates by whyche maner of handelyng of y e mater we myght clerely perceyue vnderstande what he meneth and what order of goddes wurkyng or of the wurkynge of mannes owne wyll he putteth in the course progresse of the tone sorte and the tother towarde theyr fynall ende the tone of euerlastynge lyfe the tother of eternall dāpnacyon And alway whyle I loke for this Tyndale besyde that hys conclusyons be false heresyes in the ende telleth vs no thynge almoste by the waye excepte onely peraduenture y t laste repentaunce before the deth but that they be comune as well to the fynall reprobates as to the fynall electes as thys is also that in hys chapyter foloweth where he wryteth in thys wyse Tyndale God now and than withdraweth his hand and leueth them vnto theyr owne strength to make thē fele that there is no power to do good but of god onely leste they sholde be proude of that whiche is none of theyrs More Tyndale maketh these wordes for a grounde of a great mater concernynge the order of god vsed towarde the electes And vpon thys fundacyō he specyally rereth hys byeldynge of the traunces and the slepes and slydinges of the electes into synnes and errours in whyche synnes yet they synne not and in whyche errours yet they erre not bycause of theyr felynge fayth From whyche though they fall yet they fal not bycause they fele it still though they fele it not But what is there good reder in these wordes of hys y ◠he speketh of the electes that is not veryfyed bothe in the electes and in the reprobates to Now yf he say that he speketh here specyally of the electes bycause at somtyme god wythdraweth hys hand from them that from reprobates he wythdraweth his hande of helpe and grace alwaye If he saye thus he sayth vntrewe For doeth not god as he of hys goodnesse calleth them and at theyr comynge receyueth them so when they fall awaye by false fayth or faynte harte or flesshely delectacyon calle vppon them agayne as he doeth vppon hys electys wythout accepcyon of persons or parcyall fauour indyfferently tyll he eyther some tyme for theyr immesurable outrage or comenly for theyr fynall impenytence fynally reiecteth and refuseth them Amonge whych fatherly cure and care for them as well as for hys electes before theyr fynall fall he vseth the same wayes to wynne saue them that he vseth to the other ye and doth somtyme peraduenture gyue more of hys gracyouse ayde helpe in this world toward saluacyon in heuen vnto some reprobate wretche that wyll for all that be damned then to some of hys electes that wyll so wurke wyth hys grace that he fynally shall be saued As I dowte not but some two soules haue ben saued and now syt in heuen wyth the tone halfe of the grace that Iudas had and caste of and fynally fell into hell And therfore thys that Tyndale here telleth vs of electes that god somtyme wythdraweth hys hande and leueth them to theyr owne strength he maye as well tell vs of the reprobates as of the electes Now the cause why god wythdraweth hys hande and hys helpe is not alwaye the cause that Tyndale here alledgeth bycause he longeth alway to make a glaunce agaynst all the meryt of mannes fre wyll but to auoyde the pryde of the mynde and the farre lesse boldnes presumynge vpon the surtye of hye holy lyuynge or fayth whyche many men maye fall in by takynge them selfe for god almyghtys mynyons though they gyue all the thanke to hym selfe and ascrybe no thynge to theyr owne strength at all nor wene they haue no fre wyll at all neyther For the proude pharysey that dyspysed the pore publycane though he were proude of hys dedes yet ascrybed them not vnto hym self nor sayd not all thys haue I done good lord of myne owne strength But he sayd I thanke the therof good lorde that I am suche and that thou haste made me better and gyuē me the grace to lyue more holyly then thys publycane and sayed not I thanke therof my selfe And therfore as I say god wythdraweth hys hande to shewe hys electes and the dede all thynge rekened from the fyrst to the laste came onely of god hym selfe And saynt Poule sayeth what hast thou that thou hast nat receyued and than what
bycause they were but women whan the apostels them selfe knâ—we these women for suche as they were worthy more credence some one of them than some many men And for to excuse the apostels in the lacke of belefe bycause the messyngers were but women Tyndale dothe therein no more but lay lacke and ouersyght in oure sauyour that in a thynge that he wolde haue beleued sent out suche women on his myssage But Tyndale woteth well if he beleue the gospell that no more they dyd whan they sawe the myracle of hym selfe commyng in before them the dores beynge shette and spekynge vnto them but were so farre fro the belefe of his resurreccion at the fyrste that they had went that he had ben some spirite tyll he nat onely preched to them but also reasoned with them there vpon Nor yet saynte Thomas whiche as Tyndale sayeth coulde nat beleue tyll he sawe Chryste neyther dyd beleue the woman nor all his awne felowes nor our sauyour him selfe vpon the syght neyther tyll he felt him fully and put hys fynger in his syde And this he dyd of stoberne standynge in his mysse belefe in that after his belefe lackinge he went nat about to seke the truthe and endeuoure hym selfe to beleue them that tolde him the trouthe but as it semeth by the gospell obstinately stode in his distruste and sayd tyll he dyd that he thought of lykelyhede he neuer shuld that is to wytte tyll he felte hym and put his fynger into his woundes he wolde neuer beleue it And I saye plainly who so euer beynge enfourmed of any artycle of the faythe whiche god byndeth vs to beleue beleueth it nat the cause why he beleueth nat is nat bycause he can nat but bycause he wyll nat For if he wolde do the thynge whiche Tyndale taketh for foly that is to wytte nat resyste but endeuour hym selfe to submytte hys reason vnto faythe with askynge helpe of god for the fortheraunce of his imperfeccion he thus doynge hys parte god wolde I say nat fayle on his parte agayne but wolde effectually worke with hym to perfyte in hym the faythe in whyche he preuenteth hym by gâ—ace whyche preuencyon was whan he gaue hym the grace and occasyon to be fyrst tolde of the mater But euer cometh Tyndale by degrees euer he seeth hym selfe lykely to be dreuen fro steppe to steppe And therfore where he sayd y t the elecâ—e can nat synne dedely fyrste he alledgeth for the cause therof that he synneth neuer but vpon great occasyons And seynge that a man may therto say what than He goeth to another steppe and saieth that he neuer consenteth to synne And than seynge that steppe wyll nat be defended he goeth to another and sayeth he consenteth nat to synne to serue it And perceyuynge that he can nat stande sure there he steppeth downe to y e nexte and sayeth that he casteth nat of from his necke the yoke of of loue toward the law of god And yet perceyuynge y â— that steppe wyll not holde hym neyther he cometh at laste vnto a nother steppe and sayth he casteth it not of malycyously trustynge bycause we can not loke into the mannes breste to se whyther he bare any malyce therin we shold neuer be able to conuycte hym of that worde when he put on ys ther to malycyously And yet from y e steppe haue I dreuen hym therin haue I begyled his hope as ye before haue herde in the synnes of king Dauid by the wordes of god spoken by the mouth of Nathan the prophete Now as he played there so playeth he by the apostles here For fyrste he sayth they lost neuer the fayth bycause they were amased then astonyed and then aferde thâ—n bycause they coulde not perceyue the thynge for possâ—ble Ans yet at last he cometh so nere to the grauntynge y t they lacked it y t by playne wordes at length he sayth the same thyng hym selfe affermyng y t they byleued not nor coulde not byleue And yet wolde he now make vs wene that though they byleued not yet had they no lacke of the fayth bycause in the lacke of theyr bylyefe they hadde no malice And that thynge he proueth thus Tyndale There was none of them that euer â—aysed on hym and came so farre fâ—rth â—o say he was a deceyueâ— and wrought with the deuyls craâ—te all this whyle se wherunto he is come in the enâ—e we defye hym false wretâ—he that he was and his false doctriâ—e also And therunto music they haue comâ— at the lasâ—e when feare sorow and wonderynge had ben pasâ—e yf they had not â—en pâ—euented and holpen in the meane season More Lo good chrysteÌ„ reders here hath Tyndale taught vs y t who so byleue not y e resurreccyoÌ„ of Chryst yet all y â— whyle he rayleth not vpoÌ„ hym calleth him wrech defieth him he is saue inough For all y e whyle though they byleue not yet lacketh he not hys kylyef And then if he be an â—lecte â— he shal be preuented of god holpen before ere euer he fall in to suche blasphemy But yf he be a reprobate then whan he cometh onys into y e case that y e apostles were in as Tindale sayth he shall for lacke of suche preuencyon helpe fall iâ—to suche raylyng and blasphemye then is he remedylesse he sayth And therfore sayth he bothe here and in dyuerse places that the seed of god preuâ—nteth alwaye and kepeth preserueth the electes from fallynge into y e case Here is a goodly tale be ye sure But now wherby shall Tyndale of thys doctryne make vs sure The gospell to begynne wyth for one pece maketh vs sure of the contrary For therin we fynde that the traytoure Iudas whyche was I wene as farre from the bylyefe of the resurreccyon as euer was saynt Thomas of Inde came neuer yet vnto suche raylynge and blasphemynge of Chryst as Tyndale sayth that the apostles bycause they byleued not had they not ben by grace preuented must nedes haue comen vnto For when he went about to make his bargayn bytray hym and sell hym we fynde not that he called hym false wretche nor no suche vylanouse word And after we fynde that when he repented and brought agayne the money he was farre from raylynge vppon hym and sayed I haue offended god in bytrayenge the ryghtuouse blode And surely though he had at the sellyng rayled as mych vpon him toward hys passyoÌ„ as Tyndale in hys bokes now rayleth iesteth vpon hym in the blessed sacrament after hys resurreccyon yet dare I be bolde vpon hys mercy to say that yf that olde Iudas in his repentauÌ„ce had with the loking vppon hys own synne loked also vpoÌ„ the great mercy of god and also that yf Tyndale now thys new Iudas wyll repeÌ„t hys raylynge agaynst Chrystes blessed body the sacrameÌ„t of the awlter aske our lord mercy therfore both the tone sholde haue had the tother shall haue remyssyon and
contrary to be in the grettest poynte that any man lyghtely can fall in on whiche poynt most heresies do depeÌ„de a very playne opeÌ„ heretyke Now where he rayleth on and sayth that Lyke wyse as the Iewys had set vp a boke of theyr Talmud to destroye the sense of the scrypture so the chyrche hath set vp he sayth theyr Dunce theyr Thomas and a thousand lyke draffe to stablysse theyr lyes thorow falsefyeng the scripture I can no scyll of the Iewes Talmud but one thing I dowte not of but y â— theyr Talmud in y t it gaue false expesycyoÌ„ was a late thyng at the comyng of Cryst yf they had theÌ„ any such boke And I dowte not but that the thinges that were fals therin varyed from the consent of theyr olde exposytours by whych the falshed of it myght be spyed controlled and be byleued the lesse But our doctours of these eyghte hundred yeres laste passed all whome thys worthy wylde gose calleth draffe do consente and agre wyth the olde holy doctours of the tother .vii hundred yere afore And as well all those olde whom he dare not call but holy as these other thousande whom he calleth draffe drawe by one lyne all the mayny to dreue Tyndale as a drudge of the deuyll out of Crystes chyrche for an heretyke or ellys as I haue almost a thousande tymes desyred hym let Tyndale tell vs of all those old which one taught it for lawfull a frere to wed a noÌ„ne Now where the wretche rayleth by name vppon that holy doctoure saynt Thomas a man of that lernyng that the greate excellent wyttes and the moste connynge men that the chyrche of Cryste hath hadde synnes hys dayes haue estemed and called hym the very floure of theology and a man of that trewe perfyte fayth and crysten lyuynge therto that god hath hym selfe testyfyed hys holynesse by many a greate myracle and made hym honowred here in hys chyrche in erth as he hath exalted hym to greate glory in heuyn this gloryouse saynt of god wyth all other lyke and those be of trouth all the whole many bothe olde and newe togyther all whome therfore by the whole thousand on an hepe for no fewer he nombreth them doth thys deuelysshe dronken soule abomynably blaspheme and calleth them lyars and falsefyers of scrypture and maketh them no better then draffe But thys drowsy drudge hath dronken so depe in the deuyls dregges that but if he wake and repente hym selfe the soner he maye happe ere awghte longe to fall into the messhynge fatte and turne hym selfe in to draffe as the hogges of hell shall fede vppon and fyll theyr belyes therof But when the beste hath thus blasphemed theym all then wold he wynde out with a wyle and make men wene that he ment but the doctours of these last eyghte hundred yeres which were yet inough to laye such a raylyng knaue eyghte hundred myle depe in hell But syth he sayth a thousand lyke vnto saynt Thomas he can not so escape as though he met but saynt Bernard saynt Bonauenture saynt Ancelme and suche other holy men of these eyght hundred yeres passed laste but he must nedes take into them all the olde holy sayntes of the seuen hundred yeres byfore as many as in suche thynges as Tyndale fyndeth fawte wyth expownyng the scrypture agaynst the mynd of Tyndale lyke wise as saint Thomas doth But nowe to coloure his blasphemy those wolde he sholde seme were none And therfore â—o thus he sayth Tyndale And yf a man alledge any holy doctour agaynst them they glose hym out as the do the scrypture or wyll not here or say the chyrche hath other wyse determyned More Lo good cristen reder this false pageaunt playeth Tyndale in mo places then one makynge as though that in the maters of his heresies the new doctours onely were agaynste hym And yet calleth he the new the doctours of eyght hundred yere olde and suche a new cote I wold he gate hym and were oute his olde the whyle And then maketh he as though the old of the tother seuen huÌ„dred yere byfore were vpon his parte all the whole mayny and coÌ„strued the scripture as he doth and condeÌ„ne these exposycyons that the new doctours of eyght huÌ„dred yere olde and vnder haue made synnys And he sayth that agaynste all holy doctoures when he layeth any one agaynst vs we glose hym out or wyll not here hym or say the chyrch hathe otherwyse determyned Here must Tyndale vnderstand that we neuer bynde hym to any thynge of necessyte vppon the saynge of any one doctoure be he olde or yonge but eyther by the comen faste fayth of the whole catholyke chyrch groweÌ„ as yt euer doth by the spyryte of god that maketh men of one mynde in his chyrche or by the determynacyon of the chyrche assembled for such causes in the generall counsayles And then the comen fayth of olde tymes byfore our dayes we presume to be suche of lykelyhed as we perceyue by the olde holy sayntes bokes that they were of them selfe For other wyse then by bokes can we not knowe what the people byleued a thousand yere ago but yf we myght talke with the men them selfe and aske theym Now yf Tyndale coulde laye vs for his purpose peraduenture a worde of some one holy man yt were no reason to bydde vs byleue that one byfore the coÌ„sent of many nor agaynste the comen bylyefe of the catholyque chyrche secretely growen to consent by the holy spyryte of god nor agaynst the consent of the catholyque chyrche dyffynynge that poynt in a generall couÌ„sayle thorow the same spyrite Now when we thus do Tyndale can not say that we refuse to here that one holy man whome he shall peaduenture alledge vs for his purpose For in thus doyenge we do here hym and folow hym For euery one of all the olde holy men dyd euer submytte his owne mynde to the determynacyon of the catholyque chyrche and bode euery man do the lyke And of them all we wote wel Tyndale fyndeth not one that sayth contrary to thys How be it thus myche haue I shewed you rather to tell vs somwhat of the authoryte of the catholyke chyrche aboue any one holy man then for any holy man that euer I thynke Tyndale shal be able to brynge forth for the confyrmacyon of his heresyes But now to put this mater out of all dowte and qustey on that euery man may se whether Tyndale speke here in ernest as he thynketh or ellys sayth all thys but for a shyft let him now stande well to his tacklynge and stykke styffely therto Let vs concernynge the ryght construccyon of scrypture or corruptynge the trew sense therof coÌ„sydre some one heresye of his for whyche the chyrch calleth hym heretyque let vs se now we saye that yt ys abomynable for a monke or a frere to wedde a nuÌ„ne Tyndale sayth we saye wronge and that a frere to wedde a nunne is
se yet shall ye perceyue as well in hys chapyters folowynge as in thys same chapyter after that he putteth fayth alone for suffycyent and repentaunce as a shadowe that neuer can but folowe it And yet all hys thynges euer so darkely that he wolde fayne leue hym selfe some startynge hole But surely yt ys harde for hym to starte out fro these playne wordes of hys owne who so euer go to god by any other waye then thys fayth that saynte Peter confessed the same is an heretyke out of the ryght waye and not of Crystes chyrche For thys is no more to saye but who so euer bysyde the bare bylyefe wyth as bare repentynge adde confessyon or for synne punysshe hym selfe by penaunce or doth the better after bycause he hath done euyll byfore and hopeth that god shall eyther rewarde hym the more or haue the more mercy on hym or in purgatory punysshe hym the lesse he is a starke heretyke And of trouth so he is in dede yf thys false tale be trewe and all trewe men and all holy sayntes and all holy scrypture false But now gothe he forthe not in the profe but in the prayse and sayth Tyndale For thys knowlege maketh me a man of the chyrche More whyche knowledge the knowledge that a man nedeth no mo artycles in hys fayth now then saynt Peter confesseth then and that he maye not bysyde repentaunce and bylyefe vse any other waye to heuen that is to wytte he maye not therwythall vse as a waye to heuen or to remyssyon any sacramentall shryfte or penytencyall workes or dedes of cheryte towarde satysfaccyon The knowledge of thys fayth maketh Tyndale a man of the chyrche as he sayth But of whyche chyrche trowe ye truely not of the chyrch of Cryste whych bysyde that fayth hath instytuted y e fayth in his blessed sacramentes dyuers other artycles besyde which hath playnely declared y t all be it y e knowlege of hym hys pleasure by fayth be such a way toward heuen y t without it we caÌ„ not come thyther yet if we ioyne not to y â— knowlege good dedes or purpose of good workes neyther can that knowlege nor repentaunce neyther serue vs for a suffycyent waye to heuen And therfore Tyndale is not by thys knowlege made a man of Crystes trewe chyrche but syth he is content wyth the bare knowledge and setteth all good workes at so short he is made therby a man of the false chyrch of the deuyll that is a lyar hymselfe and father of all suche lyars Tyndale The chyrche is Crystes body Collosâ— 1. And euery person of the chyrche is a member of Cryste Ephe. 5. Now it is no member of Cryste that hath not Crystes spyryte in it as it is no parte of me nor member of my body wherin my soule is not present and quyckeneth it And then yf a man be none of Crystes he is not of the chyrche More Here Tyndale runneth in iuglynge by equyuocacyon of thys worde chyrche For where as hym selfe hath byfore thys tyme confessed in wrytyng in thys same boke to whiche I answere now that the chyrch in many places of holy scrypture is the hole multytude that professe the fayth of Cryste whyther they be good or badde here he fareth as though there were no man of the chyrche but onely good folke alone in whom is the spyryte of Cryste wyth an ensample put of the body hauyng some dede parte hangyng theron wherin were not the soule to quycken it and gyue it lyfe whyche therfore he sayth is no parte of the body But he forgeteth that somtyme there is some member astoyned and lacketh bothe lyfe and felynge whyche yet by the reason that it is not clene cut of and caste awaye receyueth after lyfe and felynge agayne as many a dedely synner doth in the body of Crystes chyrche take lyfe agayne that hath in synne lyen full longe dede But now is he yet of thys mynde that the fayth whych hym selfe hath descrybed is the thynge that it onys goten and hadde of any man kepeth in the spyryte of god so fast in hys harte that he ys surely a quycke member of the chyrche that ys Crystes body and that he can not lese that fayth nor that spyryte at any tyme after that he hath onys goten it so that he haue it as he sayth in another chapyter after felyngly and not onely hystorycally And who so euer haue not the fayth that he descrybeth hym he rekeneth for an heretyke and onely hys fayth for the trew and the byleuers therof for the trew chyrche Now hys fayth haue ye herde often inough that onely fayth suffyseth or at the leste wyse wyth repentynge that shryfte or penaunce toward heuen or remyssyon of synnes is heresye and that to wurshyppe the blessed sacrament of the aulter is dyshonour to god and that there is no purgatory and that frerys maye well laufully wedde nonnes and a greate rable of suche deuelysshe heresyes mo of such maner suit and sort that as our sauyour sayed vnto saynt Peter at the confessyon of hys fayth Thou arte blessed Symon the sonne of Ionas For flesshe and bloude hath not reueled thys vnto the but my father that is in heuyn so wyll he saye to Tyndale for confessynge of thys false fayth of his Thou art accursed Tyndale the sonne of the deuyll for neyther fleshe nor bloude hath taught the these heresyes but thyn owne father the deuyll that is in hell And thus well hath he quytte hym in thys chapyter Here endeth the confutacyon of thys chapyter of Tyndale whyther the chyrche can erre Here foloweth the next chapyter of Tyndale in which he sayth that a trew member of Crystes chyrche synneth not and that he ys yet a synner Tyndale How a trewe member of Crysâ—es chyrche synneth not and how he ys yet a synner More NOwe come we to the specyall poynte wherin Tindale gyueth vs a glorious demonstracyon of hys excellent hygh wytte and lernynge farre surmountyng the capacyte of pore popyshe men to perceyue how it myghte be possyble that any man synneth not and yet for all that synneth all waye styll But to the entent that Tyndale shall haue no cause to saye y t I deface hys gay goodly tale by manglynge of hys mater and rehersynge hym by patchys and pecys ye shall fyrst concernynge thys poynt here all hys hole chapyter to gether wythout any worde of hys eyther omytted or chaunged and after shall we consyder examyne y â— partes These are therfore hys wordes Tyndale Ferthermore he that hath thys fayth can not synne and therfore he can not be deceyued with dampnable errours For by thys fayth we be as I sayâ—e borne of god Now he that is borne of god can not synne for his seed dwâ—â—â—eâ—h in hym and he can not therfore synne by cause he is borne of god I. IohnÌ„ â— whyche seed is the holy goste that kepeth a mans herte from consentynge
they be no parte therof For Tyndale telleth vs that tyll they teche vs thus they can â—euer byleue to be saued thorowe Cryste And I saye me semeth as I be saued thorowe Cryste yf Tyndale laye madde in the myddes of Bedlem he coulde not to good chrysten men telll a more frantyke tale And thys fransey is hys fyrste reason Now let vs here hys seconde The seconde reason Tyndale Another reason is who so euer byleue in Cryste consenteâ—h that goddes sawe is good The pope consenteth not that goddes lawe is good â—or â—e hath forâ—â—den lawfull wedlokke vnto all his ouer whom he reygneth as a tempoâ—aâ—â— tyrant with lawes of his owne makynge and not as a brother exhortynge them to kepe Crystes And he hath graunted vnâ—awfull boredome vnto as many as brynge money As thâ—row all dowâ—helarde euery preste payenge a â—â—lden vnto the archedâ—con shall â—rely and qâ—yetly haue hâ—s whore and put her awaye at his pleasure and take another at his owne lâ—â—te As they do in Wales in Irelande Scotlande Fraunce and Spayne And in â—nglande therto they be not â—ewe whyche haue â—ycences to kepe whoâ—es some of the pâ—pe and some of theyr ordynaryes And when the parysshes go to law with them to put awaye theyr whores the bysshoppes offycers moche them polle them and make them spende theyr thryftes the prestes kepe theyr whoâ—es styll How be it in very dede sens they were rebuked by the preachynge of wyâ—leffe our englyshe spyrytualâ—ye â—aue layed theyr snaresâ— vnto meâ—nes wyues to couer theyr abomynacyons though they byde not always secrete More Here Tyndal proueth vs that no pope byleueth in god For none of them consenteth that goddes law is good He proueth that they consent nat that goddes lawe is good bycause they make he sayth lawes of theyr owne byside therfore he sayth that they nat onely consent nat that goddes lawe is good but also that they raygne ouer chrysten people lyke temporall tyrauntesâ— wherby Tyndaletecheth vs that euery temporall prynce makyng any lawe byside y e lawe of god consenteth nat that goddes lawe is good nor vseth nat hym self as a lawful prynce but as an vnlawful tyrauÌ„t bycause he doth nat onely as a brother exhort Chrystes law but also lyke a tyraunte compelleth them to kepe hys owne Now thys glawnce that Tyndale in raylyng vpon popes maketh by the way at all temporall princes and lawes is if they playnly durâ—te speke it oute the very pryncipall poynte of all hys whole purpose and hys mayster Marten Luthers to and all the serpentyne seed that is discended of themâ— For Luther sayth y t we nede no mo lawes but onely the gospell well and truly preched after hys owne false fasshyon And he babeleth also in hys babilonica that neyther man nor angell hath any power or authoryte to make any law or any one syllable of a law vppon any chrysten man wythout hys own agrement gyuen therunto And by frere Barâ—s heresy a man may wyth out deadell synne breke all the lawes that are made by men And thus ye may se that the shrewd sort of all this secte wolde nat onely haue popes and popes lawes gone and taken away but kynges kynges lawes to if they re purpose myght prosper make all people lawles bycause all lawes are lettes as they take theym to theyr euangelicall libertie by whych they clayme to be bounden or compelled to nothyng but exhorted onely to lyue euery man after the gospell by euery man expouned after hys owne mynde whych maner of exhortyng amounteth vnto as moche as to let all rune at ryot wythout any bond or brydell than exhort euery man to lyue as he lyste hym selfe But now is it good to se what lawe so specyally lyeth in Tyndals eye for whyche he generally rayleth vpon all the remanaunt That is for that he sayeth that the pope hath forboden lawfull wedlocke In thys he meneth two thynges with whych two Luther and wyclyffe were euyll content before One that there is maryage now forbodâ—n bytwene bretherne and syâ—ters chyldren that was not before forboden by the scrypture For whyche cause wyclyffe sayth that suche maryages are forboden wythout any fundacyon or grounde But thys thynge to whyche pope wyll Tyndale laye For he shall fynde that in these thynges the olde holy pope saynt Gregory and dyuers other holy popes to and not popes onely but also dyuers counsayles and great assemblees of holy vertues fathers haue in olde tyme sone vpon chrystendome well spredde abrode for encreace of naturall honesty and propagacyoÌ„ of chrysten cheryte forboden maryage to be made wyth other degrees bothe of kynred and affynyte mych forther of then they that abyde now forboden wyth whyche the chyrche hath synnys for our infyrmytye dyspensed and vndone the bonde so that in that poynt the faute that Tyndale wyclyffe and Luther lay vnto the pope they muste laye to so many suche popes and other holy men besyde that who so consyder the tone sorte the tother wyll haue lytell luste to byleue thre or foure nowe suche maner folke as Tyndale and hys fonde felowes be agaynste so many vertuouse old holy fathers as they were that made those lawes The tother law that he layeth so sore agaynst the pope is that prestes freres chanons monkes and nunnes may not be suffred to be wedded contrary to theyr owne vowys and promyses made vnto god whyche no man compelled them to make Is not thys a greate fawte thaâ— frere tukke maye not mary madde Maryon But then to set out thys mater som what the better to the shewe he ryally rayleth out at large vppon all bysshoppes archedekens and other spyrytuall offycers whose fautes yf they be suche as we well knowe that he falsely bylyeth many yet were theyr euyll demeâ—nure neyther to be imputed vnto the law which forbedeth it as y e gospell doth nor vnto the pope whyche when he hath ben enformed of a bysshoppes faute hath as by dyuers decretales appereth proceded to the punysshement and amendement therof But Tyndale letteth not to lye out alowde and saye that the pope hath hym selfe graunted vnlawfull whoredome to as many as brynge money and in another place of hys boke he sayth that the pope hath in Rome sette vp a stewys of boyes we haue hadde many pardonys come hyther and many dyspensacions and many licences to but yet I thanke oure lorde I neuer knewe none suche nor I truste neuer shall nor Tyndale I trowe neyther but that he lysteth lowde to lye And as for hys lycences custumably gyuen by the ordynaryes I truste he lyeth in other countrees for as for Englande I am sure he lyeth And therfore euery honest man wyll I wote well take hys tale therafter for in the lyke maner he maye when he lyste and wyll hereafter when he seeth his tyme rayle vppon euâ—ry â—orde that hath any lete and vppon all the sessyons of peace kepte wythin the realme in all whyche many kyndes
counsayles made for lawes yet are there in that boke many thynges besyde that neyther were made by any synode nor by any pope but wryten by dyuers good holy men Out of whose holy workes as well as out of synodys and counsayles and popes wrytynge Gracyane a good vertuouse and well lerned man compyled and gathered that boke whych is therfore called the decees of Gracyan as an other lyke booke is called the decrees of Iuo whyche out of lyke authoryte coÌ„pyled a lyke worke Now is euery thynge that is alledged and inserted in the bokes of those decrees of suche authoryte there as it is in the place out of whyche Gracian or Iuo gathered it and not a lawe nor a thynge made by the pope but yf it were a lawe or made by a pope before and out of a lawe or out of a popys wrytynge taken in to the decrees Now the wordes whyche Tyndale bryngeth forth and sayth that the pope hath made theym for a lawe be not the wordes of ony pope but they be the wordes of the blessed holy martyr saynt Boniface whych brought the fayth in to Almayne and was for the fayth martyred in Freselande And so is it playnely specyfyed in the decrees by those wordes in the rubryce Exdictis Bonifacit martyris But Tyndale to blynde and begyle the readers wyth wold make meÌ„ wene that it were the popys wordes made for a playne lawe wherin Tyndale playnely sheweth hys playne open falshed excepte he were so wyse that he hadde went the pope had made it for a law by cause it begynneth with Sâ— papa lyke hym that bycause he redde in the masse boke Te igitur clementissime pater preched vnto the parysshe that Te igitur was saynt Clemens father The fourth reason Tyndale And Poule sayeth Ro. 13. let euery soule obay the hygher powers that are ordayned to punysshe synne The pope wyll nat nor let any of his More Touchynge fyrste the pope hym selfe Tyndale telleth vs here a wyse tale For settynge a syde the questyon whether the pope eyther be or rightfully ought to be chefe gouernoure ouer the chrysten flocke and if he be or ought to be howe farre than and to what thynges his authorytie stretcheth or ought to stretche This thynge at the leastewyse Tyndale very well knoweth hym selfe that neyther in spirituall thynges nor in temporall there is no man at Rome in his owne see that claymeth any power or iurisdiccyon vpon hym And as for the clergye besydes Tyndale here as farre as I se falsely belyeth the pope For he letteth none of his to obay their higher powers but by the canon lawes of the churche commaundeth euery of them to obay theyr hygher powers and to kepe and obserue the lawes of the princes and countreys that they lyue in But the thynge that greueth Tyndale is this that any preest shulde in honoure of the sacramente of preesthode haue any maner of preuiledge more than a lay man For his heresye rekeneth euery woman a preest and as able to say masse as euer was saynt Peter And in good faythe as for suche masses as he wold haue sayd without the canon without the secretes without oblacyon without sacrifyce without the body or blode of Christ with bare sygnes and tokens in stede of the blessed sacrament I wene a woman were in dede a more mete preest than saynt Peter And all be it that neyther woman may be preest nor any man is preest or hath power to say masse but yf he be by the sacrament of holy orders taken and coÌ„secrated into that offyce yet syth the tyme that Tyndale hath begonne his heresyes and sent his â—rronyous bokes about callyng euery chrysten woman a preest there is nat nowe in some places of Englande the symplest woman in the parysshe but that she dothe that nat in corners secretely but loke on who so woll in open face of the worlde in her owne parysshe churche I say nat here but say her owne selfe and lefte you shulde loke for some ridle openly reuested at the hyghe aulter she sayeth I say her selfe and syngeth to if it be trewe that I here reported as many masses in some one weke as Tyndale hym selfe eyther sayeth or hereth in two whole yere to gether but if it be whan he swereth by it or hereth some other swere All holy consecracyons Tyndale calleth folysshe ceremonyes forgettyng that in the olde lawe dyuers tymes it is honorably rehersed and layde for a cause of the â—euerent vsynge of the prestes person bycause that the holy oyle is vpon hym And he lyste nat to remembre that the holy Prophete Dauid dyd so moche esteme that holy oyntemente with whiche kynge Saule was consecrated that all be it he was reiected agayne of god and hym selfe receyued and anoynted kynge in his place and was also persecuted by hym he nat onely put the man to dethe that sayd he hadde slayne hym for touchinge of goddes anoynted but also for all that he spared hym and sauyd his lyfe and beynge his dedely enemye dyd hym yet no bodely harme He repented and forthought that he hadde so moche done to hym as secretely to cutte his garment These thynges and many suche other lyke whereof the scrypture is full Tyndale in euery place diffymuleth and wolde haue all consecracyons sette at nought and taken in dirisyon aud wolde that no man shulde haue neyther prynce nor preest in any maner reuerence the rather of one rysshe for theyr holy consecracyon But as he wolde haue euery woman to take her selfe for a preest so wolde he that euery man shulde wene hym selfe a kynge For surely the wordes of saynt Peter with whiche these heretykes proue the tone proue euyn the tother a lyke that is to say falsely and folysshely taken proue bothe the tone and the tother but wysely taken and truely proue neyther the tone nor the tother The fyfte reason Tyndale And Paule chargeth 1. Coâ— 5. If he that is a brother be an whore keper a droâ—kerd couetous an extorcioner or a raysâ—â— and so forth that we haue no felowshyppe with hym no not so myche as to â—ate in his company But the pope with violence compelleth vs to haue suche in honour to receyue the sacramentes of them to heare theyr masses and to byleue all they saye and yet they wyl not let vs se whether the say trouth or no. And be coÌ„pelleth .x. paryshes to paye theyr tythes and offerynges vnto one such to go and runne at ryot at theyr cost and to do nought therfore And a thowsande suche lyke doth the pope contrary vnto Chrystes doctryne More To begynne here at the last poynt the pope though the partie somtyme that hathe dyuers benefyces dothe abuse the frutes the pope gaue hym neyther libertie nor lycence that he shulde so do but gaue him leaue to take the cure of them trustynge vpon certayne suggestyon that the man were suche one as shulde and wolde vse them well And no
hym selfe in his babylonica that all the old doctours are agaynste hym in his heresye that he holdeth agaynste the canon of the masse And so for conclusyon of thys poynt that Tyndale may se what he hath wonne wyth hys resemblynge of the catholyke chyrche vnto the synagoge of the Iewys that was at the comynge of Cryst and the clergy of the catholyke chyrche to the scrybes and pharyseys that then were in the synagoge he hath now by occasyon of that resemblauÌ„ce luckely founden out that thoughe these heretykes dyd styll dwell wyth the chyrche and neyther departed awaye them selfe nor the chyrche dyd vomyte and spew them oute but that the trew and the false though they taught dyuersely and conâ—rary contynued yet styll to gyther as they dyd in the synagoge of the Iewys yet this one marke alone of the olde holy doctours of the catholyque chyrch condempnynge the heresyes of Tyndale and Luther and all theyr other sectys clerely wolde gyue a lyght by which the trew doctryne myght be knowen froÌ„ the false And therfore this marke alone as opeÌ„ly marketh Luther Tyndale Huâ—skyn and Suynglyus and all the rable of theyr folowes for open playne heretykes as yf the deuyll had his owne handes marked eche of them an H. in the forehede with a fayre hote yron fet out of the fyre of hell This one marke whiche Tyndale hathe here caused to be founden out doth yet ferthermore shake of all his raylynge and scoffynge and reiecteth them and casteth theym all backe agayne maketh them euerychone to fall vpon his owne pate For by thexposicions of the olde holy sayntes we know that the wordes of saynte Peter with whiche Tyndale here rayleth vpon the chyrche were by saynt Peter spoken agaynst suche heretykes as taught opinions agaynst the chyrche as playnely appereth by many olde doctours of the chyrche And also the very wordes of saynte Peter wyll declare the same For he sayth that those false lying maysters shal be the bryngers in of dampnable sectys wherby it well appereth that he speketh agaynst those archheretykes which agaynst the one catholyke chyrche whiche in the necessary pointes of the fayth agreeth and euer hath agrreed well in one to gyther by that holy spyryte of god whiche by Christes promyse ledeth it into euery necessarye trewthe maketh all of one mynde in that house do brynge and haue brought an hundred sundry sectys of herâ—syes erroneouse false and vntrew wherof neither any one consenteth with a nother nor amonge theym all one man almooste with a nother And where saynt Peter sayth that many men shall folow theyr dampnable abhominacions that is so clerely vâ—ryfyed in these heretykes nowe that all the worlde hathe cause to wepe that it is so well spied Also where he sayth that by them the way of trouth shal be blasphemed is very manyfest open speâ—â—ally in these new heretikes as Luther Tyndale Huyskyn Sâ—inglyus whiche nat onely blaspheme amonge them the olde holy doctours sayntes the myracles of god wrought and shewed by them for the stablysshynge of the trouthe but also Christe hym selfe in the blessed sacrament whiche is as hym selfe sayth both the way and the trouth and the lyfe therwith And whan he speketh of auaryce and fayned wordes as for fayned wordes they vse none other yf playne fals be fayned as appereth by theyr playne false heresyes agaynst the blessed sacramentes And as for auarice though many of them fall at the last to beggery by the very vengeauÌ„ce of god full sore agaynst theyr wyllys yet se we well inough how gredely the pedelynge knauys that here brynge ouer theyr â—okes gryspe about an halfe peny and had almoste as leue hange vp his euangelycall brother as lese a peny by hym And syr Tho. Boulde reported here theyr lydâ—ralytye very well For besyde myche other euangelycall auatyce he tolde vs here that all be it he sawe golde greate plentye in Tyndals purse yet coulde he gete but one small pece to go out of Almayne vnto London on hys errande bothe to sow hys euangelycall sede to stele an euangelycall boke out of a poore frerys lybrary and when he hadde stolen it then brynge it into Almayne to hym And for all thys long labour of hys goynge his besynes of tyllynge and sowynge and besydes that hys lygyer demayne in stelynge wherof a man myghte happe to fall to hangynge he could as he sayd gete of Tyndale no more for all thys gere but one poore pece of golde Now as for makynge of merchaundyse that saynt Peter speketh of and Tyndale here layeth agaynst the clergy of the catholyke chyrche what merchaundyse these heretykes make I can not well tell But thys ys well knowen that when our euangelycall Englysshe heretykes fall in acquayntaunce beyonde the see wyth some of our merchauÌ„tes factours they mylke them so euangelycally that wheÌ„ theyr maysters call theym home they gyue theym a very shrewed rekenynge And surely as all the wordes of saynt Peter with whyche Tyndale here iesteth agaynste the catholyke chyrche were by saynt Peter spokeÌ„ agaynst these heretykys onely so wyll these wordes of hys at laste be verified playne vppon them in whyche he sayeth that the iudgement ceaseth not but is redy a good whyle a go agaynste them theyr perdycyon slepeth not but waketh and grouneth for them But as for that that Tyndale sayth that the clergy crepynge into the seat of Christe and his apostles by successyon do as the wyly foxe dothe whose nature is to entre into an hole made with an other beest I can nat well perceyue what he meneth by his wyly symylytude of the wyly foxe For sythe he sayeth they cum into the place by successiou he layth nat any inuasioÌ„ or intrusion or other vnlawfull câ—mynge therin to And as for theyr wylynes in folowyng the wylynes of the foxe whose nature is to get hym an hole made with an other beestes labour he can nat meane any thyng to the purpose that I can perceyue but yf he meane to mocke the wordes of our sauiour hym selfe which sayth to his apostles them selfe bothe for them selfe and all that shulde by succession in theyr offyce folowe theym that they shuld in a maneâ— folow the nature of the foxe in that fasshion For he sayde vnto themâ— I haue sente you to repe that that ye laboured not for other men laboured and ye haue entred vpon theyr labours And therfore I can nat dyuyne what mistery Tyndale meaneth by his folowynge of the wyly foxe whose nature is he sayeth to get hym an hole made with an other bestes labour Nor I purpose nat to lese y â— tyme in musyng what he may meane therby nor to be so curyouse inquysytyue as toâ— enquyre whither peraduenture he haue founde out any suche fasshion in Saxony that theyr prestes theyr frerys and theyr monkes vse there in theyr maryages that wyly maner of the wyly foxe How be it in
More Thys reason Tyndale here maketh very lyght sayth that these .viii. hadred yere the catholyke chyrche hath byelded so many lyes and so myche myschyefe thereon by all whych tyme of viii hundred yeres yf the whole catholyke chyrch haue ben in errours and heresyes as Tyndale here sayth and his mayster Martyne Luther byfore hym then hath Chryste broken all hys promyses by whyche he promysed to be wyth his chyrche all days to the worldes ende For by all this .viii. hundred yeres hath Cryste hadde none other chyrche contynuynge that any man can tell of but yf Tyndale wyll saye yes and when he can neither tell whyche nor where wyll yet say styll yes and nothyng but yes and loke that we sholde agaynst our owne experyence vppon his bare worde byleue hym bycause he sayth styll yes wyth as myche profe in his yes as a gose hath in her hysse Tyndale seeth well also as ye shal after perceyue though he dyssymyle yt now that when he sayth this wyse reason is theyr shote ancre this reason y t he mokketh is not onely theyres whome he wolde seme to mokke that is to wyt the catholyque chyrch of this viii yeres in whych tyme haue ben men of suche holynes and vertue and now holy saynts in heuen whose faythfull holy wrytynges condempne his faythlesse heresyes that euery good man I dare saye wyll thynke them full vnmetely to be mokked and iested vppon by suche a folyshe felowe as this is whyche whyle he setteâ—h so lytle by saynt Thomas saynt Bonauenture saynt Bernarde saynte Anselme and all such other men as haue wryten in the chyrche this .viii. hundred yere he seeth yet well inough that the reason which he mokketh was made by the holy doctour saynt Austayne foure or fyue hundred yere byfore that and that the same holy man byelded theruppon the selfe same byeldynge that the catholyke chyrch repayreth and kepeth vppe nowe and whyche byeldynge these heretykes wolde now pull downe that is to say that god teacheth his chyrche the trouth and ledeth yt into all trouth as he promysed and wyll not suffre yt damnably to erre and for that cause wyll not suffre yt to be dysceyued in mysse takynge of the very scrypture nor consequently for the same cause for such myssetakyng of the ryght sense and vnderstand therof wherby they sholde fall in any damnable errour thorow the false bylyef in any maner poynte whereof god wolde haue theym to knowe and byleue the trouthe These are the thynges that holy saynte Austayne made that reason for agaynste suche heretykes as Luther and Tyndale be now whych other dyd then as these do now labour to make folke byleue that theyr chyrch of heretyques were the very chyrche and the catholyque chyrche were a chyrche of heretykes Agaynst those heretykes say I and wyth them agaynste these heretyques to dyd that holy doctour saynte Austayn not onely eyght hundred yere agoo whyche were yet a lenger tyme by almoste halfe then euer hadde any secte of heretyques any contynuaunce yet but lenger byfore eyght hundred yere then almost half .viii. C. agayne make this inuyncyble reason whyche nowe thys worshyppefull wyld gose so comely scoffeth and scorneth by whyche for all his goodly scoffynge at saynt Austaynes reason he shall neuer whyle he lyueth auoydeyt but that saynt Austayn hath by that reason alone all though he neuer had made mo where as Tindale wel knoweth though he wolde haue yt seme nay that saynt Austayne made for that purpose many mo but though he neuer hadde I saye made mo for that purpose then that one yet had y t one agaynst Martyne Luther and wyllyam Tyndale to and agaynste all the heretykes that euer haue ben are nowe or euer shall be herafter well and clerely proued that theyr chyrche be all the many false and onely the knowen catholyque chyrche the very trew chyrche of Cryste And now syth this reason that Tyndale here setteth so lyght was as hym selfe after coÌ„fesseth made by saynt Austayne hym selfe so mayny hundred yere ago and hath beâ— well lyked and alowed of euery good wyse man synnes let vs nowe se wyth what substancyall answere Tyndale can scoffe yt oute Tyndale And this reason do the Iewes say vnto our charge this day And thys reason doth chyefely blynde them and holde them styll in obsâ—ynacy More O good lorde what great pytye yt was that saynte Austayne hadde not had as myche wyt as wyllyam Tyndale that he myghte haue seen that his argument wolde so sone be soyled and that yt was no better for the chyrche agaynste heretyques then for the Iewes agaynste crystendome but euen the selfe same reason that maynteyneth them in theyr obstynacy kepeth them from crystendome But surely saynte Austayn good man saw not so farre For syth her neuer founde in all his days neyther Iew nor heretyque so madde to make hym that answere whyche myght so sone be voyded he trusted well good man that there wolde neuer none be so folyshe in suche wyse to soyle yt after How be yt yf saynt Austayne hadde had no more to say to the Iewes for the defence of his reason then the heretykes hadde to saye to hym in the soylynge of his reason then myght the heretyques well haue mokked saynt Austayne as Tyndale doth nowe and soyled hys reason in the selfe same fashyon and so wolde they sone haue done ye may be sure had they not seen full well that they sholde haue won them selfe nothynge but shame therby For yf any he retyke wold so haue sayd vnto saynt Austayn y â— the Iewes myght saye the same to the crysten people you knowe not the scryptures of god but by vs bycause we tell you so ergo we be the very chyrche of god and vs ye muste byleue as well in the vnderstandynge of the scrypture as ye byleue vs in the knowynge whyche is the scrypture saynte Austayne wolde sone haue sayde agayne that crysten people myght answere the Iewe and say we neyther receyue the scrypture of you nor know the scrypture by you nor yet byleue you neyther in the declaracyon therof For yf we dyd then muste we graunt the gospell were no scrypture nor nothynge that any of Crystes apostles wrote nor some bokes neyther whyche were taken oute of your owne hebrew tonge And therfore we knowe neuer a boke of scrypture by your teachynge but mysse truste rather euery boke of scrypture that commeth out of your handes For the synagoge of Moyses whyche was whyle yt lasted the chyrch of god is now ended and is his chyrch no lenger Bâ—t our sauyour Cryste hath begonne and contynued his chyrche this knowen catholyque chyrche gathered of Iewes gentyles both to gyther And he toke not the olde scryptures of you nor of you neyther lerned to know them nor of you to vnderstande theym but he made theym all and by the writers therof hym self endyghted them And he delyuered vnto vs that chyrche both those olde
now to be of the same harte and mynde that the olde holy fathers haue ben of in olde tyme. And how wyll thys holy baptyste do all thys gere and thus turne the hartes of the chyldren and the fathers all in to one surley by techynge the chyldren as well in fayth as lyuynge the very clene contrary of all that euer theyr olde holy fathers thys .xv. hundred yere haue taughte them with tellyng vs that all the olde fathers were â—yke the false pharyseys and corrupted the scrypture as pharyseys dyd wyth false gloses teachynge good workes and sacramentes and kepyng of holy vowes and suche other synfull superstycyons And therfore doth thys holy new baptyste to purge and puryfye the people byd vs now byleue that to breke the vowe of chastyte is a good wurke and well done and that all other good wurkes be nought worth and baptysme as lytell worth bycause y e presâ—e speketh to the chyld in laten a langage that the chyld vnderstandeth not as he sholde full well ye wote well yf the tale were tolde hym in hys mother tong Then techeth he vs that confessyon is the deuyls inuencyon and absolucyon ys but whystelynge Satysfaccyon greate synne to do any The sacrament of wedlocke he sayeth is suche that he coulde make as good a sacrament of an olde nette sauyng onely when freres wedde nonnes for thaÌ„ is it holy in suche holy folke The sacrament of holy order he iesteth vpon wyth shauyn and shorne and oyled waggyng of the bysshoppes hand and saynt Poules hand layde vppon Tymothe but lyke a mannes hande layed on a boyes hedde and call hym good sonne The sacrament of extreme vnccioÌ„ he calleth but gresynge the syke man The sacrameÌ„t of confyrmacyon he calleth but smeryng of the chyldes face and butterynge of the boyes forehed The holy blessed sacrament of the aulter the very precyouse body and bloude of our sauyour hym self this holy new baptyste forbedyth to haue any honour done vnto it but onely take it for a memoryall of hys passyoÌ„ And then he iesteth theron hym selfe sayth that it is no thyng ellys but wyne and cake brede excepte it be peraduenture turned into starch Lo good Chrysten readers here is the doctryne of thys nowe baptyste not saynt IohnÌ„ Baptyâ—te but syr wyllyam Baptysteâ— thys holy wyllyam Tyndale otherwyse called Huchyn scolare to frere Huyskyn whyche hath here made you of the synagoge scrybes and pharyseys such a goodly paynted processe as he hath now tolde you twyse a serued you wyth a Iak of Parys an euyll pye twyse baken to declare you twyse the greate frute and profyte that the world maye now taken yf it wyllâ— by hys holy comynge into it to preche and rebuke the pharisaycall doctrine of all the olde holy sayntes and teche hys owne godly chryâ—ten heresyes suche as ye now haue herde And now yf thys gere be good then haue we surely great cause to thanke god For then can we lacke none holy baptystes to preche vs. For there is not I wene so pore a vyllage in chrystendome in whyche there is dwellynge any one vyllayne knaue but he maye be wythin thre dayes yf he be not all redy suche an other baptyste as thys is and rebuke all that good is wyth suche abomyâ—able blasphemye as now Tyndale doth yf any chrysten mannes â—aâ—ys can abyde the herynge But yet remember good readers that in the conclusyon of all that tale he knytteth it vp with a fresh lusty poynte and soyleth all the reason in thys wyse Tyndale Now make this reason vnto IohnÌ„ Baptist and vnto many prophetes that went before hym and dyd as he dyd ye and vnto â—rysâ—e hym selfe and his apostles and thou shalt â—ynde theÌ„ all heretykes and the scribes and pharysyes good men yâ— that reason be good More Thys poynte is lo the olde poynte whych here and in hys solucyon to the â—yrst reason he hath put forthe four or fyue tymes before sauynge that he gyueth allway hys old poynt at one ende or other some newe aglette But when all hys coste is done theron it is not all worth an aglet of a good blewe poynt For I haue in my syxte boke answerynge hys solucyon to the fyrste reason shewed you many answeres that saynt IohnÌ„ and Cryste and hys apostles and other pore folke to very farre vnder them myght saye for them selfe agaynâ—te the scrybes and pharyseys whyche thinges neyther Luther nor Tindale nor none of all theyr sectes can say for theÌ„ selfe agaynste the catholyke chyâ—che And yet more shall I shew you of the same sorte when ye haue hard what Tyndale can here saye for hym selfe Aâ—ter all whych thynge harde well wayed ye shall well and clerely perceyue that for Tyndales tale the reason of saynt Austayne that Tyndale here speketh of beynge made by the Iewes agaynste saynt IohnÌ„ and Cryste and his apostles shall haue no strength at all neyther to proue theym euyll nor the pharysyes good And yet the same reason beynge by the catholyque chyrche made agaynst Tyndale and Luther and Huyskyn and Swynglius muste nedes proue the catholyque chyrch to be the very chyrch of Cryst and that Luther and Tyndale and all they with all those that byleue them be playne vndouted heretyques And therfore let vs fyrst se with what euasion Tyndale wyll auoyde this reason for hym selfe and his own sectes And then what Cryste can saye more for hym selfe and his company we shall se somwhat after Tyndale lo teacheth his dyscyples to answere the reason thus Tyndale Therfore this wyse thou maysâ—e answere No thankes vnto the 〈…〉 that chyrche that the scrypture was kepte but vnto the merâ—y of go◠〈◊〉 as they had destroyed the ryght sense oâ— yt for theyr â—â—â—re saâ—e â—uen 〈…〉 they haâ—e destroyed yt also had they câ—ulde rather tâ—â—n â—he people shol◠〈◊〉 come vnto the ryght vnderstandyng of yt as they 〈◊〉 the trâ—we interpretâ—uâ—s and preachers of yt And euen so no thâ—â—â—â—es vnto our ypocrites that the scrypture is kepte but vnto the botomlesâ—e mercy of god For as they haue destroyed the ryght sence of yt wyth theyr seuen anâ— as they destroye dayly the trewe preachers oâ— yt and as they â—eâ—e yt from the laye people that they shold not se how they 〈◊〉 wyth yt euen so 〈◊〉 they destroye yt also coulde they bryng yt aboutâ— rather then we shulde come by the trewe vnderstandynge of yâ— were yt not that god prouyded otherwyse for vs. For they haue put the storyes that shuld in many thynges helpe vs clene oute of the waye as nye as they coulde They haue corrupte the â—egende and lyues almoste of all sayntes They haue fayned false â—okes and put them forth some in the name of saynt Hiâ—rome some in the name oâ— saynte Austayne in the name of saynte Cypriane saynte Dyonyse and other holy men â—hych are proued none of theyrs partely by the style and latyne and partly by auteÌ„tyke storyes And as the Iewes hâ—ue
where he myght gete oute For bysydes that yt appereth playne by saynte Hierome that there were at that tyme the same vyces in the catholyke chyrche that are now all saue weddynge of folke that hadde vowed chastyte I saye that in the place where saynte Austayne wryteth those wordes â—e speketh neuer a worde that the vertuouse lyuynge oâ—â—he chyrche caused hym to byleue it nor nothyng in that place speketh of the vertuouse lyuynge of the chyrche nor of tâ—e persecucyon but in many other places he confesâ—eth that the chyrche then was as we se yt nowe is a congregacyon and company of both good and badde And that in this boke wryten agaynst Cresconiâ—s he alledgeth that holy martyr saynt Cypriane and râ—hersâ—â—h his wordes wryten in hys pystle that he wrote vnto Maximus by whyche he sheweth that men maye not leue the chyrche bycause of the euyll fâ—â—â—e that be therin For in the chyrche there be both good and badde as there are in the feld of god wherof Cryste speketh in the gospell both good corne and cocle and in a great house as saynt Poule saith to Timothe there are not only golden vessellis and syluer but also trene and erthen These wordes of holy saynte Cypriane doth holy Austayn reherse and approue wherby meÌ„ may well perceyue that both saynt Cypryane and saynt Austayn to dyd take the chyrch for none other then the knoweÌ„ catholyke chirch and knewe that chyrche ryght well not for a companye of onely good men but of goâ—d and badde bothe and so be they sâ—yll what euer Tyndale say But yet this one thyng dyd both saynt Cyprian saint Austayne say that of all â—hat departe oute of this chyrche there is not one good nor can not be good vntyll in harte they resorte therto agayne And for that cause is yt called holy chyrche not for that euery man is holy that is in yt but for that many suche be in yt and none can be holy that wyll not be in yt And to th entent that ye may the more clerely perceyue that Tyndale here to blynd vs wyth deuyseth of his own hedde this euasyon that saynte Austayne byleued not the chyâ—che in his days but bycause of theyr constaunce in persecucyon and theyr holynesse of lyuynge who so loke vppon the place where he wryteth those wordes that is to witin his boke agaynste the pystle of Manicheus theretyke of whose secte saynte Austayne hadde ben onys hym selfe wythout any coÌ„syderacyon of persecucion or holy lyuyng layeth other consyderacyons that made hym know and byleue the catholyke chyrche of hys dayes that is to wytte the consent of the catholyke chrysten nacyons and that he had the catholyke chyrche in authoryte fyrst for the myracles that were shewed therin and that therupon his fayth and credence geuen therunto was nurysshed and fosâ—ered wyth hope encreaced wyth cheryte and confermed with antiquite There helde hym he sayd in the gyuynge of fayth and credence to the catholyke chyrche thys thynge also that is to wyt that he sawe the successyon contynued in the see of saynt Peter to whom our lorde had after his resurreccyon coÌ„mytted the fedynge of his shepe sayth saynt Austayne from saynt Peters dayes vnto hys owne tyme. And fynally euyn the very name he sayth of catholyke that is to say vniuersall gaue toward the gettyng of his credence the catholyke chyrche great anthoryte whych name of vniuersall the same chyrche alone amonge so many heresyes hadde so obtayned that where as euery secte of heretykes wold fayne be taken for catholykes yet yf a strauÌ„ger shold come amonge them aske where were any catholyke chyrche that he myghte go to there were none heretyke y â— durst for shame bryng hym to any chyrch or any house of theyrs These causes â—o â—ayed saynt Austayne all whyche causes are in the catholyke chyrch styll these he layd I say for the authoryte of the catholyke chyrch for whyche he sayde he gaue so fast fyrme vndouted credence to it that for y â— authoryte therof he byleued the gospell at the teching therof And these causes he layd vnto the heretykesâ— as â—â—uâ—es that he thought shold of reason moue them therto also And yet to the entent ye shall the more clerely seâ— howâ— Tyndale wolde wyth hys lyes blynde vs and what ferme credence saynt Austayn gaue to the knoweÌ„ catholyke chyrche wythout mencyon of eyther persecucyon or vertuâ—use lyuynge as Tyndale wolde here make vs wene I shâ—ll translate and reherse you here saynt Austayns owne â—â—â—des wryten in the fyfth chapyter of hys sayd boke agaynst the pystle of Manicheus In whych place saynt Austayne dysputeth agaynst the heretykes of that secte and proueth them that lyke as he that byleueth the catholyke chyrche hath good suretye of hys bylyefe is able to shewe good causes of his bylyefe all thoughe there were no scrypture wryten so on the tother syde the Manycheys bycause they byleued not the catholyke chyrche and lykewyse who so euer byleueth it not can neuer proue any thynge for theyr purpose neyther to hym that byleueth not the scrypture nor yet vnto hym neyther that doth byleue the scrypture And therfore saynt Austayn hauyng rehersed before what thynges be suffycyent to make hym byleue the catholyke chyrche bysyde the scrypture doeth nowe in thys chapyter dyspute wyth them shew them that they all suche heretykes as go fro the fayth of y e catholyke chyrch can neuer proue theyr parte good neyther to hym that refuseth the scrypture nor to hym that byleueth it And therin lo thus he sayth Let vs se therfore what Manicheus techeth me specyally let vs consyder the selfe same booke that ye call the pystle of the fundacyon in whyche is conteyned almoste all that ye byleue when that same pystle was redde vnto vs at that tyme wrechys that we were we were wont to vowe downe and say Amen Thus begynneth the pystle Manicheus the apostle of Iesu Chryst thorow the prouydence of god the father these be the holsome wordes issuynge out of the euer flowynge founteyne of lyfe Now I praye you and it please ye herken pacyentely what I shall aske you I byleue not thys man to be the apostle of Cryste I beseche you be not angry nor begynne to chyde ye knowe well that I am determyned nothynge rasshely to byleue that ye bryng forth I aske you therfore who is thys Manicheê°â— ye answere me y â— apostle of Crist. I bileue it not Now haue ye nothing that ye can eyther saye or do ye promysed to teche me and make me to know the trewth now ye wolde make me byleue the thyng that I know not ye wyll peraduenture rede me the gospell and labour to proue me the persone of Manicheus by the wordes of the gospell But now yf I shold fynde you out some man that yet byleued not the gospell what coulde ye then say for Manicheus to hym that wolde saye vnto you I
there no man in the very chyrche but onely at suche tyme as he is so clene and pure wythout spot or wrynkell that saynte Peter may fynde no faâ—te in hym And then be there in dede very few of yt and very seld And yf any man be of yt one selfe man is peraduenture of the chyrche and not of the chyrche seuen tymes in a day For as the scrypture sayth Seuen tymes falleth the ryghtuouse man and shall aryse agayne And therfore this chyrche can no man know to lerne any thynge of her whyche he may reken hym selfe the surer of bycause thys holy chyrche teacheth yt hym But therto answereth Barons and sayth This chyrche is a spyrytuall thynge and no exteryour thynge but inuysyble fro carnall yiâ—s 〈◊〉 fayth is and her cleÌ„nesse and purenesse is afore Cryâ—te onely and not afore the worlde for the worlde hath no iudgement nor â—nowledge of her This is somwhat straunge that this chyrche sholde be inuysyble when yt is made all of men and women of whyche euery one is vysyble But therto answereth also frere Barons and sayth I say not that they be inuisyble that be of the chyrch â—ut that holy chyrche is her selfe inuysyble Then aske we hym what is holy chyrche her selfe and to that answereth he nothynge but that holy chyrche her selfe is a congregacyon of good crysten men and good crysten women of whyche euery one is vysyble but the congregacyon of them is inuysyble Uery well declared as though he wold tell vs that there were a woman that went inuysyble and that he ment not that her handes or her fete or her hed or any parte of her were inuysyble but all her partes beynge vysyble her self were yet inuysyble And as he myght tell vs that of Poules chyrch we may well se the stones but we can not se the chyrce And then we may well tell hym agayne that he can not se the wood for the trees To say that the whole thynge is inuysyble wherof he sayth we may se euery part is a thyng aboue me pore wyt and I suppose aboue his to to make his saynge trew But peraduenture he meaneth yf he coulde speke that though we may se yt we can not know yt bycause he sayth yt is spyrytuall For I may se a man that is spyrytuall yet not know hym for spyrytuall as a man myghte haue sene frere Barons when he came laste into the lande by the kynges lycence and yet myght happely not haue knowen hym all though he had knoweÌ„ hym byfore but haue taken hym for a monstre he hadde so monstrousely dressed hym self bycause he wold be woÌ„dred on And yet when he waxed after a shamed of hiÌ„ self bycause he could no better answer for his heresyes and that his false folyshe hope had fayled hym he shaved his berd and went lyke a merchauÌ„t of elys skynnys And then a man myght haue met hym and vpon his name rehersed myght haue knowen hym for Robert Barons and yet not know hym for a frere But yf he had ones knoweÌ„ hym for a frere he myght then vpon the syght haue knowen hym for an apostata But as farre forth as coÌ„cerneth syght a spyrytuall man is no more inuysyble in this worlde then is a carnall and therfore the spyrytuall chyrche may be sene though the spyrytualyte therof be not sene nor yt vppon the bare syghte perceyued and knowen for suche But I wyll not stryue myche wyth frere Barons for a worde The man is so sore bysyed aboute his rethoryque that yt is no meruayle though he can not entende to speke reason nor trew english neither as appereth where he traÌ„slateth lernynge for teachynge in his fyrste declaracyon of this worde ecclesia rehersynge the wordes of saynte Poule to the Corynthies thus I haue sent vnto you Tymothe the whych shall lerne you my ways that be in Cryste Iesu as I do lerne euery where in all coÌ„gregacyoÌ„s As though saynt Poule had lerned in euery congregacyon where he came and euery man taught hym and not he theym And though that some vnlerned vse this worde lerne for thys worde teache wyth his accusatyue case set out as Rychard lerneth Robert yet saith no man but Barons Rychard lerneth at Oxforde for Rycharde teacheth at Oxford But this is specyally to be noted that he sayth after that this chirch can not erre she cleueth so fast to y â— word of god that is the veryte And for this cause he sayeth that saynte Poule calleth her the pyller and ground of trouth not that she is so sure of and in her own strenght but that she stykketh so faste to the lyuynge god and to his blessed word Now good reder consyder that no man sayeth that the chyrche hath his suerty of yt self but of god and of his spyryte euer abydyng in yt accordynge to the manyfolde promyse of Cryste and therfore we nede not frere Barons to tell vs this tale But consyder now well agayn that Bâ—rns here grauntynge that the very chyrche can not erre but is as saynte Poule sayth the pyler and grounde or fote of the pylare of trouth because it cleueth to god ought here to ponder that this worde the pyler and this worde the grounde or the fote of the pyler do not barely signyfye strength in the standynge by them selfe but they sygnyfy therwyth the beryng vppe of some other thyngeê and that they be sure thynges for some other thynges to reste and lene vppon as the roâ—e of a chyrche is borne vppe from ruyne and fallynge by the pylers vppon whych yt resteth And therfore these wordes of saynt Poule sygnyfye not onely that the chyrche can not in yt selfe fall into the ruyne of dampnable errour but also that lyke as the pyler is a sure thynge for an house to reste vppon and the grounde or fote of the pyler called in laten baâ—is whyche is the thynge that Barons mysse translateth here the grounde is the thynge wheruppon the pyller standeth sure so is the chyrche the pyller and the fote or grouÌ„d of trouth vppon whose doctryne euery man may reste and stande sure And for this cause doth the holy doctours vse and alledge those wordes to proue therby not onely that the chyrche can not damnably erre in yt selfe but also that therfore euery man surely may and of dutye must geue credence to the chyrche and byleue yt and lene therunto as vnto a sure pyller and stande fast theruppon as vppon a sure fote of a pyller that can not fayle Now good readers yf the very chyrche whych can not erre be a coÌ„gregacyon inuysyble and a coÌ„pany vnknoweÌ„ though euery one of them haue the very treuth in him self yet yf I can not know that chyrche I can not lene to that chyrche as to a sure pyller of trouth syth I can not knowe it for the very chyrche though I sholde happen on it And thus ye se good reders that frere Barns vnknoweÌ„ chyrche can not
now wyll he not fayle of lykelyhed to proue vs playnely some people some where so pure and so clene wythout spotte or wryncle of synne that saynt Peter can fynde no fawte in them Lo thus good reders he proueth it Barons To thys I answere that thys holy chyrche hath synne in her and yet is she pure and clene Marke saynt Poulys wordes Chryste hath gyuen hym selfe for her that he myghte make her gloryouse so that the clennesâ—e of this holy chyrch is the mercy of good towarde hyr thorow Chryste for whose sake he layeth nothynge to her charge ye and yf any other person wolde he is reddy to gyue hâ—r hys clennes and to let her by fayth clayme of ryghte hys puernesse for hyr owne For byâ—wene them all is commen as bytwene man and wyfe So that yf the chyrche loke on her owne merytes and of hyr own workes she is full of synne and must nedes say dimitte mihi debita The whiche she nedyd not to saye yf she had none But yf she referre hyr selfe vnto the merytes of her blessed husbonde Chryste Iesus and to the clennes that she haâ—h in his bloude than is she wythout spotâ—e For by the reason that she stycketh â—y fayth so faste vnto hyr husbande Chryste and doth abyde in confessyon of hyr synne and requyreth mercy foâ— theym therfore is there no thynge layed to hyr charge but all thynge is forgyuen hyr And therfore sayth saynt Poule there is no damâ—nacyon vnto them that be in Chryste Iesu. And that thys maye be the playneâ— I wyll brynge you saynt Austayns wordes the whyche was vexed of the Donatystes with thys same reason that is layde agaynste me Hys wordes be these The hole chyrche sayth for geue vs our synnes wherfore she hath spottes and wrincles But by knowledging of theym her wryncles be extended and stretched oute by knowledgynge her spottes are washed away The chyrch abydeth in prayour that she myght be clensed by knowledgynge of her synnes As longe as we leue her so standeth yt and when we shall departe oute of this bodye all suche thynges be forgeuen to euery man wherfore by this meane the chyrche of god is in the treasours of god wythout spot and wryncles And therfore here do we not lyue wythout synne but we shall passe from hens wythout synne c. Here haue you clerely that the chyrch of god is clensed and puryfyed by Crist for knowledging of her synnes and not by her owne purenes Wherfore suche a chyrche there muste nedes be though that the carnall yie can not se her nor fleshely reason can iudge of her Wherfâ—re we beleue this artycle by fayth that holy chyrche is a communyon or felyshyppe of holy men and know yt not by seyeng or felynge as we do the fellyshyppe of drapers or mercers for then were yt none artycle of the fayth And yt is playâ—â— that all your exteryour sygnes wyth all your holy ornamentes as your hâ—â—y myters your holy crosse staues your holy pyâ—leas and pollaxes your holy red gloues your holy ouches and your holy ringes your holy anointed fingers your holy vestimentes your holy chalices and your holy goldeÌ„ shewes ye take aâ—so to heâ—pe you saynte Thomas of Canterberis holy showe with all the holy bâ—tyâ—â—â— hâ—â—y munkes and all these to gether can not make one crumme of holynes in you nor helpe you one prycke forward that you may be within this chyrche For yf 〈◊〉 thynges could helpe then were yt no mystery to make an asse to be of the chirch of god But our holy mother the chyrche hath a nother holynes that commeth from god the fader thorow the sweat blood of his blessed son Iesu Cryste in whom is all her confydens and truste Vnto whom she stycketh only by steâ—faste fayth by whose purenes she is also pure in that that she doth confesse her vncâ—enes for she byleueth stedfastly that she hath an aduocate for her syn to the father of heuen whyche is Cryste Iesus And he is the satysfaccyon for her synnes And he of his mercy and not of her merytes hath choâ—sen her for to be his And bycause she is hys therfore must she be clene so longe as she abydeth in hym Thys is wyll declared in saynte IohnÌ„ where our mayster Cryste is compared to the vyne and all the members of holy chyrche to the branches that as the branches can brynge forth not frute of them selfe so can holy chyrche of her selfe brynge forth no goodnes excepte she remayne in Cryste by perfyte fayth Thys is well proued by your owne law whose wordes be these therfore ys the chyrche holy bycause she byleueth ryght wisely in god c. Here you not the cause wherfore the chyrche is holy bycause she beleueth ryht wysely in god that is she byleueth in nothynge but in hym and she byleueth nor hereth no worde but his as our mayster Criste bereth wytnes my shepe heare my voyce and another maÌ„nys voyce do they not knowe also in a nother place he that is of god hereth the wordes of god how commeth thys that the chyrche of god hath so sure a iudgement that she knoweth the voyce of Cryste from other voyces and can not erre in her iudgement Bycause that Cryste hath chosen her and bycause she is serâ—â—ed of god as â—ur mayster Cryste sayth and by câ—use she hath as saynt IohnÌ„ sayth the inwarde oyntement of god that teacheth his all maner of veryte so that she caÌ„ not erre But why can she not erre because she may do what she will Bycause that all thyng that she doth is well done bycause she may maâ—e nâ—we ruâ—es and new lawes at her pleasure Bycause she may inâ—ent a newe seruyce oâ— god that is not in scrypture at her wyll Nay nay my lordes For she is but a woman and muste be ruled by her husbande ye she is but a shâ—pe and mâ—sâ—e heare the voyce of her shepeâ—erd And so longe as she doth so longe can she not erre bycause the voyce of her shepeherd can not be false This may be proued by your owne lawe â—hâ—se wordes be these the whole chyrcâ—e can not erre Also in a nother place the câ—ngregacyon of faythfull men muste nedes be whyche also can not erre c. These wordes be playne what chyrche yt is that can not erre that is the congregacyon of faythfull men that be gadered in Cristes name which haue Cristis spryt whyche haue the holy oyntement of god whyâ—he abyde â—este by Crystes worde and heare noâ—e other mannyâ— voyce but hys More Here haue I good reders rehersed you the full declaracyon of his purpose to gether whych as yt were well done that no man sholde vouchsaufe to rede ouer ones so were yt good that who so wolde nedes rede yt ones sholde indyfferently wythout parcyalyte rede yt and aduyse yt often For in good fayth I doute yt not but he that so wolde had he no lernynge at all and were wytted but
wesshed out all her spottes and strecched out all her wryncles made her gloriouse in heuen where as saynt Poule sayth who shall accuse the chosen of god as who say no man can ellys whyle she is yet here in erth not gloryfyed nor her spottes fully wesshed out but be in wesshynge nor her wryncles fully strecched out but be in strecchynge and whyle as faste as her husbande wassheth she spotteth and as faste as he streccheth she wryncleth I can not in good fayth se why saynt Peter sholde be afâ—rd or by what lawe it were vnlawefull for hym to saye for the tyme the thynge that for the tyme is trouth that is to wyt that she is not yet pure clene wythout spotte or wryncle And thus good reders yet ye se onys agayne that frere Barons proueth nothynge the chyrche that he promysed bnt when in stede of one pure and clene wythoute spotte or wryncle he bryngeth one not so clene but that she is spotted and wryncled he wolde wynne the felde wyth a face make saynt Peter aferde to call her spottes spottes or her wryncles wryncles But it wyll not be Barns it wyll not be For though saynt Peter whyle hym selfe was of y e very chyrch here in erth and therfore yet wryncled and spotted and so sore fered reprofe that at the worde of a woman he was aferd to loke a gyrle in the face yet now that he is gloryfyed in the chyrche in heuyn and all hys spottes wasshed clene out and all his wryncles clene streched out he is now so farre out of all fere of reprofe that the thonder of youre greate worde can not lette hym to saye trewe for any fere of your gargyle face that ye came dysguysed wyth at your laste resortynge hyther But now let vs consyder sumwhat of frere Barns holy prechynge by the waye whyther it be so holy as he wolde haue it seme The cause he sayth why thys chyrche is here so holy pure and clene wythout spotte or wryncle and yet hath he sayth euer spottes and wryncles whyle it is in this worlde is he sayth bycause god hath chosen it wythout any merytes of her and bycause she knowledgeth her fautes Here muste we consyder alway good reders that he putteth the chyrch to be all of good folke and none euyll nor dedely synners therin for that is ye remember well the dyfference bytwene the comon knowen catholyke chyrche and hys that the catholyke chyrche of Cryste here in erth hath in it bothe good and bad and frere Barons chyrche hath none in it but so good so clene and so pure that there is not an euyll man therin but though they neuer lacke spottes nor wryncles yet theyr spottes be no spottes nor theyr wryncles be no wryncles or at the leste wyse though they be yet saynt Peter maye not be so bolde to call them so bycause them selfe knowledge them to be so Now as for that he speketh of eleccion and merytes wâ— wyll not mych medle wyth hym For we agre that god cheseth by preuencyon of grace euery man y t he taketh to hym before the man maye any thynge meryte whyche can wyth out grace nothynge meryte But after may man by fre wyll wurke wyth grace and helpe to meryte rewarde in heuyâ— by good wurkes wrought in fayth and cheryte and not in fayth alone what so euer frere Barns agaynst fre wyll and good wurkes bable to the contrary But now concernynge that he speketh of satysfaccyon and that Cryste is our satysfaccyon the wordes are good and trewe for Chrystes deth is able and sufâ—ycyent and so is the leste drope of hys bloude for the satysfaccyon of the synnys of all the whole worlde and many be wythout any other satysfaccyon saued as be all the chyldren that after baptysme dye in theyr cradels But god hath not so ordered yet that euery man which hath age dyscrecyon shold so trust vnto that satysfaccyon by whyche Cryste wyth his passyon satysfyed for all mennes synnes at onys that he sholde for hys owne synnes by the frutefull wurkes of penauÌ„ce make no satysfaccyoÌ„ hym selfe no more then he wold though Cryst be our aduocate pray for vs that we shold therfore be the more slacke remysse in prayenge also dylygentely for our selfe For he byddeth â— teacheth vs also to praye that without ceacyng fayntyng Nor he taketh it not for foly nor for synne y â— for the honour we bere to god we honour and praye to the sayntes also that are hys frendes to be intercessours for vs agaynste whyche frere Barons hath made as very a folysshe processe as euer dyd heretyke that spake on that parte syth that heresye fyrste beganne and no leâ—se folysshely speketh he in many places agaynst satysfaccyon agaynst all the sacrameÌ„t of penauÌ„ce And therfore where he sayeth that the chyrche is made clene and pure by knowledgynge her synnys it appereth well that though he speke the same wordes that saynt Austayne spake yet he meneth not as saynt Austayne ment For saynt Austayne in dyuerse other places declareth that a synner sholde knowledge hys dedely synnys by shryfte and confessyon and do satysfaccion and penaunce appoynted hym by the preste as he doth both in dyuers other placys and also at great length in hys boke de vera falsa penitentia where he sayth in thys wyse Therfore he that repenteth lette hym vtterly repente lette hym shewe hys sorow wyth tearys let hym represente and declare his lyfe vnto god by the preste lette hym preuent the iudgemeÌ„t of god by shryft For our lorde commaunded those that were made clene of theyr leprosy that they shold shewe them self to the prestes therby teachynge that the synys muste be confessed by bo +dely presence and not be shewed by a messenger nor by writynge And after in the .xv. chapyter Lette euery man put hym selfe vtterly in the power of the iudge in the iudgemeÌ„t of y e preste let hym reserue vnto hym selfe no power of hym selfe but that he be redy at the prestes coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to do for the repayrynge of the lyfe of hys soule all thynges that euer he wolde do for to fle the deth of hys body and y e wyth desyre to for bycause he getteth agayne infynite lyfe And thus it appereth as ye se good reders in what wyse saynt Austayne wolde a synner sholde knowledge hys dedely synnys that is to wytte by shryfte contrycyon and satysfaccyon not onely voluntary bysyde but also suche as sholde be enioyned by the preste And whyle frere Barons doth but mocke the sacrament of penaunce and bycause Cryste is our satysfaccyon wyll that men shall do none for them selfe it appereth well I saye therfore that though he speke in thys place as saynt Austayn doth in one place yet meneth he not as saynt Austayne ment in that place And therfore by frere Barns menynge a man nedeth no more but knowlege hym self a synner and
by the worde of god But surely thys ancre lyeth to farre aloufe fro thys shyppe and hath neuer a cable to fasten her to it For neuer herd I yet two thynges so losely knyt to gyther what maner an argument doth frere Barons call thys Fayth cometh by herynge and heryng cometh by the word of god ergo in euery place where the worde of god is herd must nedes be some faythfull men Though there were neuer man faythfull wythout herynge of the worde of god as in dede there is not ordynaryly in actuall fayth maye it not be for all that that there maye be many that here it to gyther in one place of all whome neuer one wyll be faythfull but haue the fayth in derysyon Thys argument is so folysshe that I meruayle frere Barons wolde be so fonde to brynge it forth And thus good chrysten reades here ye se now to what poynt frere Barons is brought with his sygnes tokens wherwyth he promysed vs to make vs knowe where were some membres of hys holy pure clene chyrch wherin he coÌ„fesseth hym selfe that some of his sygnes and tokens be but faynt and vnsuffycyent And than that one whyche he sayth is perfayth ye se so vnperfytely proued that of all the scripturs that he bryngeth there is not one syllable serueth him And yet haue I shewed you also that yf he proued all y t he sayth yet were all hys techyng of knowlege where some of the chyrch be wythout the knowlege who they be a very frutelesse knowlege wherof the knower coulde neuer take spyrytuall profyte But now good chrysten readers to the entent that the foly of frere Barons inueÌ„cyon may the more clerely appere concernyng his tokens with whiche he techeth vs to know his vnknoweÌ„ chyrch let vs yet a lytell consyder hys lesson better Let vs suppose that some good honest merchauÌ„tes wyfe a woman honest of her conuersacyon beynge by some shrewed gosseppes of hers brought in aquayntaunce wyth some false wyly heretike had bygonne to fall in some dowte and fere leste the fayth that she had before lerned of the thyrche concernyng the seuen sacramentes prayeng to sayntes and prayeng for soules and many thynges mo were vntrew and daungerouse to lyue and dye in and that she were not yet so farre fallen to the wronge syde but that she stode styll in a dowte and in a mamerynge whyche way she myghte take and fayne wold take the beste And beyng thus brought into thys doute had by some proctour of the euangelycall fraternyte secretely broughte vnto her frere Barons boke After whych secretely redde ouer by her self in a corner for many thynges that she partely lyked partely mysse lyked in the redynge perceyuynge that he was than vppon hys passage ouer these agayne longed sore to speke wyth hym selfe ere he wente and theruppon beynge by some good brother and syster broughte to gyther where there were none present but suche as were towarde the fraternyte after solempne salutacyons and gostely gretynges of the congregacyon in osculo charitatis she wolde breke her mynde vnto hym shew hym that by the good gracyouse mocyone of such a man or suche a woman she had bygonne to entre in to the consyderacyon of her soule helthe and not to be so neglygent as she had before ben to byleue euery prestes tale that standeth vp in a pulpet but to seke some sure way how she may surely â—e taught the treuth not deceiued And for bycause she had redde his boke wher in she founde dyuers doutes of whyche she wolde fayne yf he myght haue taryed be sumwhat â—atisfyed and also haue vsed hys gostely counsayle for her ferther instruccyon and sure settyng forth in the waye of the treuth syth god had so dysposed that he sholde so soone depart that she coulde not haue that full frute and comforte of hys persone she wolde not for the shorte tyme of that theyr present assemble cuÌ„ber hym wyth her questyons whyche were lyke to be but fryuolouse womannysshe nor be a let and impedymeÌ„t vnto the feruent desyres of the other bretherne systers of the coÌ„gregacyon wherof euery one longed to be comforted with his gostely coÌ„munycacyon at that tyme specyally whyche was as it semed the laste in whyche they were lykely to be fedde wyth the plesauÌ„t coÌ„uersacyon of his bodyly presence And therfore she wold no more desyre of hym for the tyme but that he wold as our sauyour when hym self wente hys way dyd sende his holy spyryt to teche his apostles hys apostles to teche the wyde wyld ignorauÌ„t world so maye it please you good father Barns whyle ye depart hense to assygne some meane shew me some way by whych I maye be sure all way to haue some good gracious spyrituall maÌ„ some trew meÌ„ber of the very chirch of whom I may be sure to lerne the very trew fayth that our sauyour fyrste by hym selfe after by his holy spyryt taught his blessed apostles by them the world that wold lerne yet by y e same spyryt techeth his very holy chyrch styll as ye shew to my symple myndefull well clerkely in your goodly processe wherin ye declare whych is the very chyrch I beseche you therfore do no more for me for thys onys but leste I be when ye be gone deceyued by some false techer set me now before your goynge in some way wherby I may be sure euer of a trew To thys wold frere Barns of lykelyhed make her great congratulacyon tell all the congregacyon that they haue all greate cause to ioy and reioyce in the lorde whose hygh mercy hath so goodly bygon to pour in the lyuely lycoure of hys grace into the dyenge harte of that good syster and hathe thereby so reuyued it wyth the warme breth of hys holy spyryte that he maketh yt begynne to qnycken loke vp and to longe to byholde and se the bryght sonne of hys veryre wryten in the holy scryptuâ—e of god to rubbe her eyen and shake of the â—alse ymagynacyons of all the dampnable dremys of menne and that hym self is very sory that he can not accordyng to his hope that brought hym hyther haue hys euangelycall doctryne accepted of the kynge and openly receyued in the realme whyche he so sore hath trauayled to regender agayne vnto god in the trew fayth buâ— is by the menes of the false scrybes and pharasâ—ys reiected and rebuked and sauynge for the kynges saufe conducâ—â— sholde haue standen in parell to be burned and hys bokâ—s wyth hym whyche saufe conducte bycause it was graunted but for .vi. weekes now more thenne almost passed for whyche cause he chaunged hys notable monstrouse apparayle that he came in wyth and shoue hys berde and wente lyke a merchaunt that he myghte be the lâ—sse meâ—ked in taryenge after the saufe conducte and vysytynge the congregacyon wythout whose lyberall ayde and almoâ—se he shold neâ—ther haue ben able to sustayne
nothynge for hym but also pâ—oue clere agaynste hym And all his places of the doctours of the chyrch that he bringeth in for the proue of that purpose I haue purposely differred bycause I wold answere theÌ„ to gether laste at all For syth he taketh in y e poynt another way then Tyndale doth or Fryth or lightly any other heretike of theÌ„ all in layenge forth for his part holy doctours of y e chyrch to make it seme that the olde holy sayntes say for hys parte I haue thought yt therfore good to examyne them orderly eche after other wherby ye shall shortely perceyue that the wordis of those holy doctours do no more proue his purpose then do the textes that he brought of the scryptures whyche as I haue proued you clerely proue agaynst hym His fyrste authoryte be these wordes of sayntt Austayn in his fyftieth sermone made vpon the wordes of our lord sayenge Of Cryste is y â— chyrch made fayre Fyrste was she fylthy in synnes afterward by pardon grace made fayre Uppon these wordes saynt Austayne none other meaneth but that all the beauty of any that is in the chyrche and in any man of the chyrche coÌ„meth of god and that euery man that is of the chyrche was borne in synne and that all they whyche fro the Iewes or Gentyles turned to god and cam to the chyrche hadde byfore lyued in synne and were therfore fylthy tyll by the sacrament of baptysme at theyr entre into the chyrche they were purged clensed fro theyr synne by the grace and pardon of god and the sacrament of baptysme and after when they be defoyled agayne by synne they be agayne clensed purged and made fayre by grace and perdon of god and the sacrament of penauÌ„ce and other holy sacramentes takynge theyr effecte strength and vertue of Crystes passyon But he fyndeth not in all that sermon any worde wherin saynt Austayne sayth that who so euer is onys clensed and made fayre ys neuer after foule nor that as sone as he is by any dedely synne foule he is by and by no parte of holy chyrche For holy chyrche is not called holy because euery peyce therof is holy otherwyse then the holynesse but bycause of that holynesse that is in yt besyde of theyr professyon nor is not called fayre bycause euery parte is fayre but bycause of such fayrenes as is in it besyde as there may be some weke parte in a strong bodye and some sore part â—n a hole body ye some dede parte in a quicke body some foule part in a fayre body some whit parte in a blakke body in a good coÌ„pany some naughtye folke And in such maner spake our sauyoure to his apostles where he sayd you be clene not y t they were al clene for he forth wyth added vnto yt but ye be not all clene meanynge by Iudas the traytoure that was one of them and though he was a traytour in his herte was yet a foule vnholy member of that fayre holy chyrche Lyke as yf a good kynge had in his chekker roule attendyng dayly vppon hym in his housholde dyuerse many false traytours that went about secretly to betraye hym all the whyle they be suffered there tyll they be taken for ther treason and put out they be styll of the courte and of the kynges houshold And the houshold all be yt that some wyll say there was a shrewed housholde bycause yt had suche shrewes in yt yet was yt for all that a good housholde bycause yt had good besyde Aud lykewyse as in the whole world the varyete of good partes bad geueth a beauty to y e whole so in the chyrche of Cryste hym selfe seeth how the foule partes do sette oute the fayre rather bewtyfye then blemmyshe the goodlynes of the whole And though the chyrche be of some foulke called fowle for those persons that are by dedely synne fowle therin as the euangelyste sayde that the dyscyples murmured at the losse of the oyntement wherat none of them murmured but one so is she fayre for all that in dede by the fayrenesse that is in her bothe by reason of Chryst her gloryouse hed and of many other fayre membres that are euer in her and by reason of the goodly composycyon and cuÌ„ly temperature of the whole body For whyche cause the chyrche maye well saye of it selfe the wordes that she speketh in the cantycles I am blackeâ— but yet am I bewtyfull ye and though there be mo fowle thaÌ„ fayre therin by reason wherof after the comon vse it myghte be called fowle and not fayre as a man of Inde is called blacke for all hys whyte tethe yet is it otherwyse here for the tother special causes The tone for that be it neuer so vnholy in lyuynge it is called holy for that it hath holy professyon wherby it is dedycated vnto Chryst. The secundeâ— that there is in thys world none holy that goth to any other chyrche out of it or that wyll not be of it The thyrde cause is for that the holynesse that is in it be there neuer so few holy therin is farre fayrer and holyer and more plesaunt in the syght of god than the fowlenesse and vnholynesse of all that are fowle vnholy therin specyally for the bewtye and holynesse of the very cheyfe pryncypall hed therof our sauyour Cryst hym self And therfore as I saye these wordes of saynt Austayne menyng none other wyse by them thaÌ„ saynt Austayn ment in them make no thynge in thys worlde for frere Barons chyrch that is as he sayth so fayre that it hath neyther spot therin nor wryncle for that sayth not saynt Austayne And therfore thys place of saynte Austayne no thynge helpeth hym but by other places of saynt Austayne whych I shall brynge you forth after ye shall se the mynde of saynte Austayne so playnely declared in thys poynt agaynste frere Barns y t frere Barns shall be as wery of saynte Austayns wordes as euer he was wery of saynte Austayns wurkes for werynes wherof he ronne out of saynte Austayns rule But fyrste shall I peruse those other places of saynt Austayne whych frere Barns bryngeth in hym selfe The next place of saynt Austayne that he bryngeth in is thys Barons The holy chyrche are we but I do not saye we as one sholde saye we that â—e here alonely that heare me now but as many as be here faythfull chrystened men in thys chyrche that is to saye in this citye as many as be in thys regyon as many as be beyonde the see as many as be in all the whole worlde for frâ—m the â—ysynge of the sonne tyll the goynge downe is the name of god prayseâ— so is the holy chyrche our mother More Now good readers thys texte of saynt Austayne hath frere Barns alledged to be in his sermone .99 that he made de tâ—mpore in whyche sermon I fynde it not And leste there
shroue tuysdaye on whyche daye though they be boundeu to leue vndone some thinges that many men vse to do yet are they not so specyally bounden to spende y â— day in the dyuyne seruyse as they be the tother for all Barns bablyng vpon his abiuracyon Nor the chyrche dyd not suffer persecucyon for techyng that frerys may wedde nones and breke theyr vowys runne in apostasyand set nought by periury and rayle agaynst all orders of holy relygyouse lyuyng For in all these thynges is saynte Austayne whom he bryngeth for hym very full and whole agaynste them And as for persecucyon to be â—uffered by the catholyke chyrche it suffyseth that men be of the mynde gladly to suffer whan necessyte of sufferauÌ„ce shall happen by paynyms infydelâ—s not that they ceace to be Crystes chyrche but yf they suffer heretykes aryse and remayne amonge them selfe fyâ—ste wyth false doctryne to contende and inquyete them and after wyth rebellyon to bete robbe spoyle kyll them For saynt Poule sayth Put away the euyll man froÌ„ amonge your selfe For saynt Austayne whom he bryngeth for hym dyd after good and longe delyberacyon playnely wryte in thys poynt agaynst hym as appereth expressely in many of hys pystles wryten bothe vnto the secular powers whom he exhorted agaynste heretykes to represse theym amende them by force and also to dyuerse of those heretykes them selfe wherin he declareth wherfore And yet besyde all thys the chyrche doth in dede abyde endure the shamefull contumelyes of these wreched heretykes nor is not ashamed of the contumelyes of the crosse though these blasphemouse wreches rayle agaynst y e crosse call it idolatrye to crepe and kylle the crosse and in some place forbere not to caste the very fylthy myre vppon the crosse And yet ferther in some partes of Almayne thys knoweÌ„ chyrche of Cryste hath many tymes suffered and yet suffereth no lytell persecucyon and very martyrdome bothe in theyr goodes and landes and theyr bodyes to But yet sayth Barns that thys knowen chyrche can in no wyse be the very chyrche of Cryste bycause it persecuteth heretykes for the profe therof he alledgeth the wordes of saynt Hylary wryten agaynst the Arryans whyche are these Barons The chyrche doth threten wyth banyshementes and presonmentes and she compelleth men to byleue her whyche was exiled and caste in preson nowe hangeth she on the dyghyte of her felowshyppe the whyche was consecrated by the thretenynges of persecuters she causeth prestes to flye that was encreaced by the chasyng away of prestes she gloryeth that she is loued of the world the whyche coulde neuer be Chrystes excepte the worlde dyd hate her c. How thynke you my lordes do not you all these thynges that be layed to the Arryans charge your owne frendes ye your owne conscyence muste nedes accuse you of all these thynges and yet wyll yâ—u be called Chrystes children I saye nothynge to you but that holy doctours laye vnto you More who so consyder well saynt Hylaryes wordes shall fynd therin the sorest thynge y â— lyghtely could haue ben brought forth agaynst frere Barons For in these wordes appereth that the catholyke chyrche dyd neuer persecute heretykes by any temporall payne or any secular power vntyll the heretykes began suche vyolence them selfe For yet in saynte Hylaryes dayes the trewe catholyke chyrche dyd it not But the Arrianes that were heretikes as ye perceyue here by saynte Hillaries wordes when they hadde corrupted goten into theyr secte great prynces vsed theyr authoryte agaynst the catholikes in bannishemeÌ„tes and prysonameÌ„t and myche other cruell handelynge all whych the good catholyque people suffred vsed none other defence sauyng the sworde of the word of god and the ceÌ„suris of the chirch whyche that holy clergy pronouÌ„ced and declared agaynste Arrius and all his adherentes in that holy counsayl holdeÌ„ at Nece But afterwarde when that secte was by the goodnes of god abated and the right fayth well and fully restored and concorde reste and quyete growen amonge chrysten people and that yet agayne after that some heretikes beganne to rayse a new brabelynge good prynces remembryng the great harme and vnrestefulnesse that had growne by such heretykes as had brought vppe sectes and scysmes in the chyrch of Cryste byfore dyd of theyr own good myndes for the preseruacyon of the peace prohybyte and forbyd those heresyes vpon certayne paynes and in lyke wyse coÌ„maunded the bokes of those heretyques to be burned And all be it that some very good men holy doctours wold haue ben very gladde to treate and vse those heretyques so tenderly that they sholde haue hadde no bodely harme in so myche that holy saint Austayne was fyrst of the same mynde hym selfe yet afterwarde consyderynge the mater betser he perceyued the coÌ„trary to be so mych better and so mych harme growynge to good men dyspleasure to god yf yt so shold contynue that he letted not in writyng to confesse his own ouersyght and reuoke his fyrst opynyon and was not onely coÌ„tente that suche obstynate heretykes as to the trouble of good quyete people and dysturbynge of the catholyque fayth wyth the parell of many pore symple soules wolde styrre suche scysmes and heresyes sholde be by fere refrayned byforce repressed and by payne punyshed but also requyred by his owne wrytyng the seculare powers ther to and he thought it a benefyt to the heretyques them selfs to be reduced from theyr errours into the ryght fayth rather for fayre and payn here temporall then to perseuere in theyr heresies fall into y e fyre perpetuall For many which by fere force begynne a good thynge in trouble and aduersyte fall after by grace encreased into the loue of y e goodnes whyche in theyr wanton welth they hated for vexacyon geueth vnderstandynge and the begynnynge of wysedome is the feare of god for whyche he bode his apostles fere hym that myght not onely kyll y e bodye but caste also the soule into hell Saynte Austayne in this poynte declareth his mynde playnly concernynge the repressynge of heretyques by temporall punishemeâ—t both by his pystles adressed vnto such noble seculare men as he requyred therto also by his wrytynges wherin he playnely declareth vnto the heretyques theÌ„ selfes the causes wherfore yt is well done whych saue for the length I wolde here set you in But saynte Austayne was not in this mynde alone but so was saynt Hierome and many other holy men also And vnto the same haue by the spyryte of god for the weale of crysteÌ„dome all crysten nacyons full and whole agreed and haue ben by the importune malyce of heretyques raysynge rebellyons in dyuerse regyons dreuen of necessyte to set in sundry tymes sorer and sorer punyshement therunto And yet as ye se so strong is the deuyll in theyr obstynate hartes that scantely can all suffyse But yet layeth Barns a nother reason to proue that the very chyrche of Cryste can
alwaye prouynge agaynste hys purpose I wyll now for frere Barns ferther wurshyp confute hym by the selfe same place of saynt Austayne whyche hym selfe bryngeth here forth for hys specyall profe of hys vnknowē holy chyrch to proue it a company of vnknowen faythfull folke beynge holy by theyr onely fayth wherof these ar◠frere Barns wordes Barns Thys is well preued by your owne law De con di 4. c. prima igitur whose wordes be these Therfore is the chyrche holy bycause she byleueth ryghtuousely in god And thē frere Barns goth forth with his own glose vpon these wordes and sayth Heare you not the cause wherfore the chyrche is holy bycause she byleueth ryghtuousely in god that is she byleueth nothynge but in hym and she byleueth nor heareth no worde but hys as our mayster Cryste bereth wytnesse My shepe heare my voyce and a nother mannys voyce do they not knowe More Barons here holdeth on his olde crafte in furnyshyng his owne gloses wyth falsefyenge the scrypture of god For ye shall vnderstande good crysten reders that saynt Iohn̄ the euangelyste oute of whose gospell Barons hath taken the wordes of our sauyoure Cryste reherseth theym not in suche wyse as Barns doth that is to wyt that the shepe of Cryste do not know the voyce of any other man But he sayth that y e shepe of Cryst do not folow any straunger but do fle from hym bycause they know not the voyce of straūgers And now cometh Barons and telleth vs that Cryst sayde that his shepe do not knowe the voyce of any other man as though the chyrch sholde refuse all other wordes then onely those that Criste spake in his owne person But Cryste sayde not they sholde here none other but that they sholde not heare straungers For by other men whome he sendeth his flocke hereth his own wordes And therfore he sayth hym selfe to his trewe catholyque preachers he that heareth you heareth me But by straungers that is to wyt by heretyques whyche be straungers from the housholde of Crystes catholyque chyrche and whyche do straungely reherse and straungly declare Crystes catholyke scripture agaynste the knowen catholyke doctryne of Crystes knowen catholyque chyrche by the voyce of such straūgers that is to wyt by the voyce of suche heretyques Chrystes shepe can not heare they re owne shepeherde Cryste And therfore they fle from euery suche straunger accordynge as saynte Poule whose voyce Cristes shepe do heare bycause he was a nother and not a straūger sayth vn Crystes flocke That man that is a heretyque after the fyrste or the seconde warnynge estewe and fle from And thus ye se good readers how fere Barns here false fyeth and wronge interpreteth the wordes of Cryste in the gospell of saynte Iohn̄ But now let vs retourne to consyder the wordes of that lawe that Barons hath here rehersed you from whyche I haue ben as ye se a lytle letted by this other false poynte of his in false rehersynge the scrypture But now concernynge that law good reders you shall vnderstande that the wordes of that law be taken out of a sermone of saynte Austayne whyche he made vnto certayn persons forthwyth vppon theyr baptysme In whyche sermone amonge many other thynges that he preached vnto them both in the same and other two sermons that he had made them byfore he sayth vnto them thus where as we haue asked eche of you Byleuest thou in holy chyrche remyssyon of synnes and resurreccyon of the flesh we asked you not after that maner that you sholde euen in the same maner as you byleue in god byleue in the catholyque holy chyrche whyche chyrche is therfore holy and catholyque bycause yt byleueth ryght in god And therfore we sayde it not to th entent that ye sholde byleue in the chyrche as ye sholde byleue in god but vnderstand you that we byd you and dyd bydde you that beynge conuersaunt in the holy catholyque chyrche you sholde byleue in god and that you sholde byleue also the resurreccyon of the fleshe that ys to come Lo good crysten reders here haue you herde that in the selfe place where as saynt Austayne sayth that the chyrche is holy and catholyque bycause yt byleueth ryghte in god bycause none of all the sectes of heretyques can be holy nor catholyque that is to saye vnyuersall syth very holynesse can none be out of the ryght chyrch nor god shall suffer no secte of heresye to sprede ouer all the worlde so as he sprede the vnyuersall chyrche in the selfe same place I say saynte Austayne declareth that by these wordes I byleue in the holy catholyque chyrche is not ment that we shall byleue therin as we byleue in god but that that we must byleuing one holy catholyque chyrche abyde and be conuersaunt in the same one holy catholyque chyrche and byleuynge in god contynue in that one holy catholyque chyrche and not go out therof into any of so many folde dyuerse sectes of he retyques By whyche ye may playnely perceyue that saynt Austayn ther declareth the holy catholyque chyrche of the ryght bylyefe to be y ◠comen one vnyuersall knowen chyrch dystyncte and dyuyded from all the knowen chyrches of heretyques For yf yt were vnknowē how shold he byd them by that exposycion of that artycle abyde and be conuersaūt in yt or how could he as he sayth a litle also byfore in same sermon as is also rehersed in the same law say that the ceremonyes vsed in the baptisme were instituted by the same catholyque chyrche For yf yt were vnknowen how could yt any thyng instytute or ordayne And fynally to put out of all doute question that saynt Austayn obhorreth from frere Barns heresy that argueth vppon that artycle of the crede that the chyrche sholde be an vnknowen chyrche saynte Austayne sayeth playnely as I shewed you byfore agaynst Tyndale that lykewise as he were accursed that wolde saye that Cryste was not a man knowen so accursed be he that sayeth the chyrche of Cryste is not a chyrche knowen Lo thus are we now good cristen reders comen vnto an ende of frere Barons chyrche in whych ye playnely se that he can neyther agre wyth Tyndales vnknowen chyrche of repentaunte synners nor impugne the comen knowen catholyke chyrch of Cryste nor proue his own secrete chyrch of onely sayntes vnknowen Nor he hath not alledged as ye se well also neyther any one texte of holy scrypture nor any sentence of holy doctour but falsefyenge them and framynge them a freshe after his owne fashyon yet haue they not onely nothynge proued for hym but in conclusyon clerely proued agaynst hym And therfore wyll I to ende where Barns endeth hym selfe let you somwhat se how he handeleth saynt Bernard and there wythall fynyshe this boke Barns But let vs se what saynte Bernarde sayth on you They call theym selfe the mynysters of Cryste but they serue Antechryste they go gorgyousely a rayed of our
vnto synne And therfore it is a fals conclusyoÌ„ that mayster More holâ—eth how that a man maye haue a ryght fayth ioyned with all kyndâ—s of abomynaâ—yon and synne And yet â—uery member of Crystes congregacyon is a synner and synneth dayly some more and some lesse For it is wryten 1. IohnÌ„ 1. yf we saye we haue no synne we deceyue our selues and the trewth is not in vs. And agayne yf we saye we haue not synned we make hym a lyar and â—â—s worde is not in vs. And Paule Roma 7. sayth that good which I wâ—â—â—e that do I not but that euyll whych I wolde not that do I. So it is not I tâ—â—t do it sayth he but synne that dwelleth in me Thus are we synners and no synners No synners yf thou loke vnto the professyon of our hartes towâ—â—â—e the lawe of god on our repentaunce and sorowe that we haue bothe bycause we haue synned and also bycause we be yet full of sinne styll and vnto the pâ—omises of mercy in our sauyour Cryst and vnto fayth Synners are we yf tâ—â—u loke vnto the frayltye of our flesshe whyche is as the weaknesse of one tâ—â—t is newly recouered out of a greate dysease by the reason wherof our deâ—es are imperfecte and by the reason wherof also when occasyons be great we fall into horâ—yble dedes and the frute of the synne whych remayneth in our meÌ„bres breakeâ—h out Notwythstandynge yet the spyryte leaueth vs not but rebuketh vs and bryngeth vs home agayne vnto our possession so that we neuer caste of the yoke of god from our neckes neyther yeâ—â—e vp our 〈◊〉 vnto synne for to serue it but fyghte afreshe and begynne a new batayâ—e More Lo now ye haue herde hys hole holy sermon to gether by whyche he teacheth vs that a trew member of Crystes chyrche doth both euer synne and neuer synne But as for the tone parte that the trew membres of Cryste do synne we shall not mych trouble hym wyth the profe All be it in that he sayth that euery trewe member synneth and euer synneth as he sayth in mo places theÌ„ one yf he take synne for actuall synne as he muste here take yt or ellys he speketh lytell to the purpose men myghte peraduenture lay a blocke or twayne in hys waye that wolde breke hys shynnes ere he lepte ouer it But lettynge that parte passe lette vs se how he proueth the tother that a trew member of Cristes chyrch synneth not Lo thus he proueth it Tyndale Forthermore he that hath this fayth can not synne and therfore can not be deceyued wyth damnable errours More Here he telleth vs that no member of the electe chyrche of hys fayth can be deceyued wyth any damnable errour and proueth it by that none of theÌ„ can synne And in dede it foloweth he can not synne ergo he can not be damnably deceyued syth euery damnable errour is synne But now let vs se how he proueth hys antecedent that no man hauynge that fayth can synne He proueth it thus Tyndale For by thys fayth we be borne of god Now he that is borne of god can not synne for his seed dwelleth in hym and he can not therfore synne bycause he is borne of god the .3 chapiter of the fyrste epystle of IohnÌ„ whyche seed is the holy goste that kepys a mannes harte from consentynge to synne And therfore it is a false conclusyon that M. More holdeth that a man maye haue a ryght fayth ioyned wyth all kyndes of abomynacyon and synne More Consyder now good reader that Tyndale telleth vs here thre thynges to proue therby that who so gete onys the fayth that saynt Peter confessed can neuer synne after The fyrste is that by that fayth we be borne of god The seconde is that who so is borne of god hath the seed of god in hym The thyrde is that who so haue the seed of god in hym can not synne Uppon these thre he concludeth that who so gete onys that fayth can neuer synne after Let vs now consyder the fyrste where he sayth that by fayth we be borne of god And therin dare we be bolde to tell hym that though it be trew that by fayth we be borne of god as he now sayth yet is it false that by onely fayth we be borne of god as he falsely meaneth and in many places as falsely for trouth affermeth where he wolde make vs wene that bycause we be borne of god and become hys chyldren by fayth we were therfore borne of god by onely fayth As wysely as yf he wolde saye that bycause he was bygotten by hys father he was therfore bygotten of hys father onely wythout any mother And thys hys foly hym selfe so well perceyueth that in many places he laboreth to couer it wyth sophystycacyon in vsynge thys worde fayth for fayth and hope to gyther ye and somtyme for cheryte therwyth also and then wolde make vs wene wyth suche wyse iuglynge that fayth alone were fayth hope and cherite all thre to geder bycause that ellys the fayth were but dede And therin vseth hym selfe as wysely as yf he wolde saye that the body alone eteth drynketh walketh byleueth loueth and all to gether And when hys foly were reproued wolde then saye that he called the body alone the body wyth the soule therin bycause the body without y e soule were but a dede body that coulde no thynge do And thus ye se that ye shall not nede to be deceyued by hys fyrste poynt that we be borne of god by fayth Hys seconde poynt is that euery man beynge borne of god hath the seed of god dwellyng in hym I wyll not here contende wyth hym whyther the seed of god that dwelleth in the chyldern of god be the holy goste or the fayth or the grace of god nor in what wyse god and hys holy spyryte dwellen in good folke But lettynge suche dysputacyons passe thys wyll I saye that yf the seed of fayth beynge onely fayth abyde in hym it is not a thynge that shall so surely kepe hym froÌ„ synne but that he maye synne dedely and the seed of suche fayth stande styll wyth his synne and the man for all the seed of suche fayth dwellynge in hym may be by synne the chylde of the deuyll and so maye dye and go to the deuyllâ— But yet ys the seed of fayth alone that is to saye the bylyefe alone a very greate occasyon of retournynge to god at hys callynge agayne by the offer of hys grace and therby to gete agayne bothe holsome hope and cheryte But not so great an occasion therof but that the man may kepe styll hys fayth and hys bylyefe alone and wythout hope or cheryte eyther by malyce or neglygence fyrste fall to synne and after contynue styll in synne and refuse y e grace of god yf he wyll as well as the deuyll dyd in the begynnynge and so doth euer styll and wyll do styll in hell as longe as god dwelleth in heuen