an C. and from an C. tyll the offeringe of Isaac which at the lest was seveÌ„ yerys / so that Abraham must nedis be iustifyed xxj yerys afore he offered his sone / ergo by that worke was he not iustifyde Moreouer in the .xxij. chapter where he dyd offer his sone ys there never a word spoken off iustificacion / which must nedis haue byn spokeÌ„ yff he had therefore bene iustifyde / but alonly is there sayd / now doo I know that thou fearyst god / which ys an effect and a worke of iustificacion / and no cause of iustificacion Moreouer the Macabytes bryng the same exampylle of Abraham that his faith was imputed vn to hym for iustificacion 1. Mac· 2. Also S. Paule of whose auctory and lernynge no christeÌ„ man dothe douce / bryngythe the same example bothe to the Romayns and to the Galathyans to proâ—e that faith only dyd iustifye Abraham a fore the byrthe of Isaac / which dothe playnly sygnify that he wold prove that Abraham was iustifyd a fore / and with out the offerynge of Isaac / also in the pystylle to the hebrews is yt opeÌ„ that Abraham was iustifyed by faythe only / yee and that longe a fore Isaac was borne Furthermore as concernynge the example of Raab / yt is open in the boke of Iosue that she dyd say these wordes vnto the messengers / Iosue 2 I doo know that the lorde shall geue you this londe / for truly there is a great feare come a pone vs / aÌ„d all the dwellers of this londe doo pyne away for sorow we haue herd that the lorde hathe dryed vp the reâ— see a fore youre entrynge in whane yov came out of Egypt / we haue hard what thynges you haue done to the two kynges of the amorites cÌ„ youre lorde god ys he the whiche is in heuen aboue / aÌ„d in erthe bynethe / wherefore swere yov vn to me that as I haue shewyd yov mercy / that yov shal lykewysse doo vn to me and vn to my fathers howssold â–ª cÌ„ Be not these wordes off a great faith Dothe not she beleue the promyses of god and of that faith she reseued the mesengers / or els she had neuer reseyued them / and of that faith she requierythe also mercy / whaÌ„ god hathe fulfylled his promise / wherfore of this fayth was she iustifyde / and this fayth made here to doo well vn to the mesengers / Hebr. 11. therfore saith the epistle to the hebrews / That Raab the harlot thorow faith dyd not peryshe wyth the vnbeleuynge persons Here may yov se that Moses / and. S. Paule and other places of scripture doo expound these scripturs contrary to youre epistle / and that not with darcke wordis but with so playne wordes that no christen maÌ„ can say the contrary wherfore I can not beleue that you are abylle to defend this pistle to be S. Iamesys / but notwithstonding al these thinges / I will graunte yov this pystle to be of auctorite that you may haue some thyng to dispute with / what wil yov conclude out of that / that workes doo iustify That were sore agenst christes bloud / for than did christ dye invayne / Aug. 8â— q. c. 76. it is also agenst the exposicioÌ„ of S. Augustyn / whose wordes be these S. Paule sayth that a man may be iustifyed by faith with out any workes goynge by fore iustificacyoÌ„ / but whaÌ„ a maÌ„ ys iustifyed by fayth / how can he but worke well though that he before workinge nothyng ryght wysly is nowe come to the iustificacioÌ„ of faith not by merites of good workes but by the grace of god / the which grace in him / now can not be ydylle seynge that now thorow loue he worketh well And yff he departe out of this lyffe after that he beleuythe / the iustificacion of faith abydythe by hym / not by his workes goynge a fore iustificacioÌ„ / for by his merites came he not vn to that iustificacion but by grace / nor by his workes that follow iustificacion / for he ys not suffered to lyue in this lyffe / wherefore paule aÌ„d Iamys be not contrary for Paule spekythe of workes that go by fore faythe / and Iamys speketh off the workes that follow the iustificacioÌ„ of faith cÌ„ Here haue yov playne that S. Augustyne saithe that no maner of workes / neyther that goo by fore neyther that come after helpe to iustificacion but allonly they follow iustificacion / and a iuste man must nedes do good workes Here haue you also / that S. Iames speketh of workes that follow iustificacyon and not of workes that helpe to iustify for there be none suche Here haue yov also that the iustificacion off faith ys so parfytt that yt saueth a man onlye the which is agenst my lorde of Rochesters dystynacion / for yf workes dyd make perfytt iustificacion / than a man coulde not be saued wyth out the perfeccion of workes / wherefore yt wylle be harde for my lorde of Rochester to saue his honestye S. Augustine ys so opeÌ„ ageÌ„st hym but I feare me that the prouerbe that a wysse man dyd wons lerne me whane men are come to great honour they doo so much regard yt that clearly they for gett all honesty wylle here be found to trewe Also yov haue a nother scripture for you which is this By fore god they are not iustified whych here the lawe but they which do the lawe shalle be iustified / of this texte yov glorye / and crye opera / opera / workes / workes / Rom. 2. but yf yov wolde coÌ„syder the mynd of S. Paule yov shulde welle perseue / that he menyth not howe workes shulde deserue iustificacion / for than coulde not he haue concluded this agenst the Iuys for they dyd the workes of the law to the vtter most and yet ware they not iustifyde / wherefore S. Paule menyth by the herers of the lawe alle them that doo the vtter workes of the law for fere / or for rewarde / or of hypocrisy / or els by them to be iustifyed the doars callyth he theÌ„ that doo the workes of the lawe after the intent of the lawe / and as the lawe commandeth them / that is in the trewe fayth off Christ Ihesus / which is the very ende of the lawe anâ— the fulfyllynge of the lawe as S. Paule saythe to alle them that beleue wherefore alle men be but hearers allonly of the lawe / tylle the tyme that they haue the faythe of Christ Ihesus / whyche ys imputed vnto them for iustis / and the workes of the lawe be no cause of iustificacyon / but allonly an outward testimonye and wytnes that the lawe ys fulfylled inwardly in theyr conscieÌ„s a fore God so fulfyllyd that it hathe no accasacioÌ„ ageÌ„st theÌ„ for christ hathe made satisfaccion for them / of the which they be pertakers by their faith / and so the lawe must be
wyll reason be persuadyd by this token that Messias whoÌ„ all the prophetes and all the patryarkes haue promysyd so many hunderd yerys a fore was now borne and yet thys tokyn came from heueÌ„ yee and by the mynystracion of angelles and the sheperdys dyd beleue the worde / Breuely by reson what be all the artykylles of the faith where ys Christ where is remyssion of sinnes where is the lyffe to come Reson mocketh all these thinges but yet they be trew / by cause allonly the worde of god speketh theÌ„ wher for most noble excellent prince / loke on the worde of god aÌ„d not of blinde reson and saue the honoure there of / for it shall saue youre grace at your most nede Furthermore I do exhorte aÌ„d require wyth alle honour ye aÌ„d I do coÌ„maÌ„de in the vertue of chryste Iesus and his blyssed worde All dukes / all Erryllys / all lordis / all maner of estattes hye and lowe that wyll be christen men / Io. 6. that wyll be sauid by the vertue of Iesê° Christis blessed bloud that they doo se thys ordynance of the god of heuen obserued too the vttermoste of thyer power aÌ„d whaÌ„ so euer that they wyll be houshed that they reseue the blessyd sacrament vnder bothe kyndes / and at the lest desyer yt with all their harte of theyr currates so desier it that they may be dyschargyd a fore the immortall god off heuyn which wyll not be mokkyd nor avoydyd wyth a damnable reson / but what so euer thing there be that ys agenst the holly worde of god / and the glorius ordinance what collour so euer yt bryng wyth yt of holynes lett yt be a cursed and reknyd of the deuell / This doth S. Cypryan lerne vs sayng / what thyng so euer yt be that ys ordened by mans madnes / where by the ordinance of god is violatyd / yt ys whoredum / it is of the deuell and it is sacrilege / where fore flye froÌ„ suche contagiusnes of meÌ„ aÌ„d a voyde theire wordes as a canker and as pestilence cÌ„ These wordes be playne of all maner of meÌ„ of what estate what dygnyte / or of what honoure so euer they be and what collour of holynes so euer they bring with them / wherefore in thys present wrytyng I do couÌ„selle and exhorte alle trewe chrysten men to take hede what they doo the worde of god is so playne in this matter that they can desyer it no plainer / it is no chyldes game to trifill with godes worde / god wyll not be trifylyd with nor yet mokkid But now to helpe pore meÌ„ that be vnlerned I wyl a soyll sertin of their daÌ„nable resoÌ„s / the first is we wil not geue it vnder the kinde of wyne lest that there shuld by negligens eyther of the pryst or of the reseuer falle any droppe on the grounde I answere oure M chryst dyd know that suche a chanche might come / you can not deny yt except you wyll saye that he was not god / as you wold not gretly stycke to do yf you might haue mantynens aÌ„d yet not wyth stondyng dyd he institute yt in bothe kyndes / Answere you to this More ouer why doo not by this reson youre awne prystes abstayne from the wyne seyng that thys perrell may also chaÌ„che theÌ„ as your cautellis of the masse do graunte / Also yf it be a resonable cause that you shall not kepe christes ordinance / by cause of a voydyng of parelles than may you take a waye all the wholle sacrameÌ„t to a voyde perrelles / for in reseuyng of it in the kynde of brede / is Iuperdê° leste their remayne any crumme in the reseuers tethe / This reson is as good as youres so that now all the sacrameÌ„t in both kindes is taken a waye Forthermore / if you will a voyde all perrelles thaÌ„ may you geue this sacrameÌ„t to no maÌ„ for you can not tell who is in dedly synne who not / for you know not their hartis it were a sore perrell aÌ„d gretly more Iuperdye to geue the puer body of christ Iesê° in to a foull soule thaÌ„ that a drope of blude by negligeÌ„s shuld faull on the ground / for there fallith but a drope here is the wholle boddy in a foullare place than the grouÌ„de is Also that may be avoyded with good dylygeÌ„ce aÌ„d wisduÌ„ of the prist / but that the sacrameÌ„t shal all wais be reseuid in to a puer coÌ„scieÌ„s there is no diligeÌ„ce of the prist that caÌ„ make it How think you now now is all the wholl sacrameÌ„t and christes blessed ordinance clearly taken a waye and all for a voydyng Iuperdis and perrellis / thus triffylle you with christis holy worde / yee and that in youre gret aÌ„d holy couÌ„selles Other resons my lorde of Rochester bryngeth that be worthye of noo solucion / for he doth but mocke and scorne and triffylle with goodes worde / Io. 6. he bryngeth the myrakylle of the fyue louys where there is no meÌ„cyon made of wyne / Ergo lay meÌ„ must be housselyd in won kynde / ys not this madnes whatt meane these men that neyther fere god nor yet be a shamed of man what is this to the purposse Christ dyd a myrakylle of fyue louys where is no mencyon made of wyne what ys thys too the sacrament yff the brede signyfyde won parte of the sacrament what signifide the .ii. fyshis and the he ye that was there these .ij. thynges must nedis signify the other parte Also laye meÌ„ dyd touch this brede Moreouer in an other place / chryst geuythe allonly wyne / Ergo the sacrament must be reseuyd in the Kinde of wyne allonly off the lay meÌ„ Be not these goodly argumeÌ„tes ye that of bisshops yt were madnes too answere too them ¶ It is agenst scripture to honoure images and to praye to saynctes IF men had the very trewe faithe in Christ Iesus that belongeth to Christen men to haue / this article were open of it selfe with out anny forther probacion / for yf men dyd beleue fyrst that Christ were god and omnipotent / and myghty to geue alle thinges secondarily that he were mercifulle / gracious / and lovyng towarde vs / and so lovynge that we culde desyer nothing of him but that he wold geue it vs / if meÌ„ I say had this faith and this loue towarde Christe / they wolde goo no forther but to hym only they wolde make in vente / and devyse no mediators / but faithefully reseue hym acordyng to the scripturs for their wonly mediator / sauior and redemer / and beleue and knowe suerly / that they coulde axe nothing so grett in his name but that they shulde reseue it / so that he wolde him selfe geue yt and there vn to is abyll Also by this faith they shulde perfyttly know / that they coulde not be so vnworthy but he of his only and mere marcye
they to helpe them we ought not to depose a kinge though he be wyked How dare they be so bolde / as to depose a kyng / whyche is ordenyd of god / yee and by hys holy worde / hauyng none example / nor scripture for thē Be they aboue god and hys blessyd worde But they wyl saye / that the kyng was a wyked man / I answere / the cronycles / geue contrary wytnes / how that he was a very good man / ād ryght symple and by cause he was so symple / therfore Pipinus whyche had all the rule vnder hym / thought hym silfe better worthy to rule than the kynge / and so wrote vn to the pope and desyred hym to geue sentence / whether he was better worthy to be kyng that had all the paynes and labours / or he that had no laboure Now the pope / to make Pipinum his frende / gaue sentēce wyth hym / and deposed the other and made hym a monke Thys can I welle proue by good cronycles Now lett youre noble grace consyder / yff yt were ryght / not only to depose such a kinge but also to make hym a monke Thys haue they done wyth other noble kynges / and no doute / but that same or worse / wyll they attempte to doo vn to youre grace / yff you dysplease them / and at the leste they wyll doo their vtter most Lett all the hole rable off thē / tell youre grace / when a trewe preacher off chrystes gospell dyd suche a deade There is no officer that hathe nede to be a frayde off Chrystis gospell / nor yet of the preachers ther off / For they wyll geue them auctoryte tēporalle / But off these preuy traytours / can no man be to ware you may se by experience / how in a maner by their preuy treason they haue gotten in to their handes / halfe youre royalme But lett vs graunt thē / that the kynge was a wyckyd mā The scripture commaundeth vs / to obey to wyckyd princes / and geuyth vs none auctorite to depose thē / who was more wycked than Herode / and yet S. Iohan sufferyd deethe vnder hym who was wyckedder than Pylate And yet Christ did not put him doune but was crucified vnder hym Breuely whyche off all the princes were good in the appostles dayes and yet they deposed none So that gods worde / and the practyse off oure Master Chryst / and hys holy apostles are openly agenste them More over their owne glosse sayeth that he was not deposed / by cause he was vnsuffycient / but by cause he was wanton and lecherous wyth wemen O my lordes yff you be not afrayde of the vengeaunce of god / at the leste take a lyttle shame of the worlde vn to yov / that haue so longe tyme wyth so great tyrannye defendyd these lawes that be so opynlye agēst gods ordinaunce / agenst gods worde / and agenst the commen ordynaunce and consent of all the worlde And this thynge haue yov done / to the greate iniury off noble princes / to the intollerable subduynge off all noble bloude / to the oppressyon off their trew subiectes / to the dystruccyon off alle commen welthes And fynalle to the damnacion off many a Chrystened soule Tell me by youre faithe / doo you beleue that there is a lyuyng god / that ys myghtye to punysh hys enymyes yf yov beleue yt / saye vn to me can yov deuyse for to avoyde hys vengeaunce / whyche be so opynly cōtrayrye to hys worde what answere thinke yov to make to hym Thinke yov that he will suffer youre worde to be harde / lette hys godly worde be dyspysed Thynke yov that yt will be suffycient for yov to saye / that they be the lawes of holy churche Thynke you that he will be thus taught off yov Than were yt tyme to plucke hym downe / ād sett you vpp Naye my lordes he ys no chylde / nor you shalle fynd yt no chyldis game / thus to tryfle playe with hys holy word and hys blessyd ordinaunce / ye and that to the dyspysyng / of the maker bothe of heuyn and erthe Saye what yov wyll / ye are not able neyther by crafte / nor subtyltye and yet be you falce ynough to defende thys matter / neyther a fore god / nor yet afore oure noble prince / nor a fore any mā off lernyng that wyll be trewe to hys prince for whiche waye so ever you turne you / oure Master Christ / and all hys blessyd apostles be agenst you / and will openlye accuse you / that yov be contrarye to their worde / and to their dede Answere ye to them / answere not to me yff I holde my peace / they wyll speake Nor yt will helpe you but lyttle / to crye after youre olde maner heresy / heresy / a Traytour / a traytour for now you crye agēst youre selves / and off those thinges they doo accuse you Doo yov thinke yt with the ordinaunce of god / that you shall depose a kinge by cause he lyuyth in advoutrye / or ys a lecherous man If you thynke yt a lawfull cause / why doo you not preache yt opynly why doo you not laye yt to kingis charges why suffer you them to be kingis that lyue in aduouttry why do you not put youre lawes in execution you saye they be the lawes of holy churche / and there by may you depose princes But yff you will put them in execucion / than were yt moche better / to be a bysshop or a preaste / than to be a kinge / or a duke For you maye lyue in whordom / or in any other vngracious lyuyng / ye and that to the destruccyon off many mens soules / and yet no man so hardye to repreue you / as youre awne lawe dothe openlye commaunde in these wordes Di. 40. Si papa Iff the pope doo drawe wyth hym innumerable people on a hepe to the deuyll of helle / there to be ponyshed for euer / yet shall no mortalle man presume / to repreue hys synnes / for he muste iugde alle men / and may be iudged off no mā c̄ Lykewyse haue you an other lawe in your decretales / that no laye man maye repreue a preate c̄ How thinke yov by these lawys / De. here Cū exiniuncto et sicut in yff they be not off the deuylle / telle me what ys off the deuyll you wyll bothe repreue / yee and also depose princes / but yov wyll neyther be deposed / ner yet repreued off any mortall man what thynke you youre selues godes But how can you depose a kyng / and yt lyeth not in youre powre to make a kyng / For eyther he ys borne a kyng / or he cometh to yt by elecciō / or he wynnethe yt victoriously by swerde which way so euer he cometh by yt / you can not make hym And wyll you depose hym for fornicacion / how wolde
obedyent vnto temporalle prynces / ye and that vnto infidels And not alonlye he / but all hys ordinaunce All hys wrytynges / and all his bisshops dyd agre to the same And yff they wyll dispice S. Paule / by cause he was but a begger / and no lorde off the parlament what wyll they say to oure Master Christe oure mighty / gracious / and excellent prynce / was not he obedyent vn to Pylate that was an infydelle / and in auctorite muche lesse than youre grace / dyd not he obey in bodye and goodes / dyd not he paye tribute vn to Cesar / was not he crucifyed / vnder Pons Pylat / was not he a spirituall man / was not his cause ryghtuous / was not he mighty to defende his cause was not he worthy to be exempted / was he not annoynted I meane not with oyle but wyth the holy gost so well as they / and yet wolde kepe the order / that was sett by hys heuynly father Dyd not he sore rebuke Peter / that wolde haue defended his cause / and sought for suche carnall lyberte / agenste the power off princes / Dyd he not clearly take a waye / the temporall swerd from hym we neuer rede that euer he drewe yt after / and yet we reade that he had causys suffycient And now commyth Peters successoure / and he wyll drawe yt out / and hed pryncis there with who gaue master vicare auctoryte / to doo that the the parson durste neuer doo / ner coulde neuer doo yt / was his cause neuer so ryght ye though yt were to defēd christ wyth out greate rebuke of his master Thus youre grace maye se / how they do vsurpe / bothe the name of christ / and off his holye appostles / but they neyther agre in worde nor dede what dothe yt profyte / to call an open whore an honest woman / the name can not make here honest / Disti 40. Nō est facile di 40. multi sacerdot◠so lykewysse as their lawe saith They be not the chyldern off holy men / that sytte in the romes of holy men / but they that doo their workes c̄ Also in a nother place The seate dothe not make a preaste / but the preast maketh the seate The place dothe not sanctifie the man / but the man sanctifyeth the place / All preastie be not holye / but all holye men be preastes c̄ Nowe yff youre grace wolde follow their awne lawe / what were they lesse than bysshops Take a way theyr seate / that is their worldely pompe and pryde / their outwarde shynynge / their glorious name / and what remayneth in them / Surelye not one poynte that belongethe to a bisshope / Thys may youre grace well doo / there is neyther lawe nor consciēce can lett you ye bothe the lawe of god / and also conscience dothe bynde you to doo yt / how can youre grace otherwyse be discharged / except yov sett other men in their romes / that wille doo those thynges / that belongeth by holy scripture to bysshops to doo There out commith their name / why shulde they not also be hounde to lyue there after youre grace hathe taken some off them from the bochers staulle and made them bysshops / you haue taken some out of the carte and sett them in Peters Chayre / who can denye but this youre grace maye doo All ways providyd that they doo those thynges that belongeth to their office by the worde of god / or els youre grace is in daunger But who can proue / that they are worthye off thys dignite / that youre grace hath heuen them moche lesse to be youre controllars / yee and also to be aboue all youre lawes / and to haue auctorite to deposse you But yf youre grace wolde doo thē ryght / you shulde returne them home ageyne / the bocker to his staulle / The begger to hys wallet / the carter to hys whyppe / and than aske them yff they be of the church and what exempcion they haue from youre obedyence and from youre lawe / and what auctorite to deposse kynges But as for thys / youre grace can order yt moche better / than I cane deuyse I saye yt for no nother purposse / but for to declare youre graces power / and youre goodnes towarde them / and lykewyse their vnworthynes / and ingratitude / agenst youre most noble grace I wylle returne agayne to oure Master Christ / whan the multitude wold haue chosene hym kyng dyd he not flye Io ▪ So that he dyd not allonly lerne obedience in his doctrine / but also he dyd practice yt in his outward workes and lyuinge Fynallye / they shall neuer be able to prove to youre grace / but that Chryst and alle his apostles were subiect / to the temporal princes / bothe in bodye and goodes / and toke no nother rule in this worlde / but only to preache the eternalle worde of god / and lefte all wordly rule / vnto temporall princes / whether they were faythefull / or vnfaythefull But now commyth oure spirituall fathers So muste we call them allonly of customme and of no deseruynge and wyll commaunde prynces to be sworne vn to them / and to defende them / and their lybertes / with all their gorgyousnes / and prowde dignytyes of this worlde which othe / yff the prynces wyll not make to thē / they wyll interdyte theyr londe / and priuate them of theyr dignite / yee and also asoyle men off the othe / that they made to their prince This ys opyn in their lawe / de hereticis De hereticis Ad abolendum Ad abolendum How dothe thys agre wyth S. Paulys commaundement / and wyth oure Master Christes factes Is thys obeying to princes / to depelle them their royalme / yff they wyll not be sworne vnto them / Be these trewe subiectes Is this the offyce of byshops / Be these the successors of Peter / Paule Be these the perfyt men that haue forsaken all thyng and followed Christ Doubtles they forsake all thynges / that they can not gett Be not these perfytt / forsakers But they wyll saye that princes be bounde to be sworne / to defēde their churche / from heretykes or ells to be deposed This ys yt that I lokyd for Vvhom call you heretykes Vvho shall iudge these men to be heretikes After what lawe shall they be iudged yff you call them heretikes / that speke agenst youre lawes / and agenst youre libertyes / and agenst youre dignite / than are Christ and all his holy appostles heretikes For they defende pertinaciter as yov say their lerninge agēste youre lawes / and that not in one place / but in euery place / as yt ys open in holy scripture But now yff you take them for heretykis that be agenst Christ and his holy worde / than ys the kynges grace sworne to expelle you his realme and
cause of my condemnacion / for this was allwaies layd to me a fore the vice chauncelar before whom they haÌ„delyd this matter secretly in the commen scolys the dorys loked and in the vicehaunchelars chaÌ„ber for they knewe well that al men of lernynge were agenst them and to this I answered no nother thynge but that the bysshops dyd never vse to come to sermones wher fore yff we shulde never repreue their abhominable lyuinge but whan they were present / than shuld yt be to longe More over / though they were absent yet were there present of their counselle of their courte the which wolde telle them that that I had spoken / for I had spoken yt for that purposse but there was no man a monge them al that coulde euer say of hys consciens but that these thynges that I had spokeÌ„ agenst the bisshops were trewe / yee and a great deale more / And yet must I poore man be condempned for an heretyke They maye by cause they be lord lye bysshops lyue in al abhominable and mischevous lyuinge with out shame aÌ„d with out repreue / and I must be condemned for an heretyke by cause I speake yt They maye do it / but I may not speake it / but god shal shortly either make an ende of theÌ„ or els of al the worlde for suche abhominable lyuinge as they lyve / the father of heuyn for the love of hys blessed sone Christ Iesus be mercyful vn to vs Amen The fyrst artycle If thou beleue that thou arte more bound to serue god to morow which ys Christemasseday or of Ester day or off whytsonsunday for ony holynes that is in one day more than in a nother / than art thou no faythefulle christen man / but supersticions / aÌ„d S. Paule ys agenste the saynge yov do obserue dayes yeares / Galat. 4. monthes and tydes / for vn to a faythfull christenman euerye day ought to be christemasseday Esterday whitsoÌ„suÌ„day The which thynge the fathers considerynge that thou dydest not obserue yee and that thou woldst neuer obserue yf yt were lefte to thy iudgemet for thou arte geuen so moche to wordlye busynesses / for that cause they haue assigned the certayne days to come to the church / to pray to gether / to here the worde of god to gether / and to receyve the blessyd sacrament to gether / what faute fynd yov in this artycle by cause I saye that one day is not holyar than a nother I pray you what is the cause / or what nature is in one day that is not in a nother where bi that that shulde be holyar than the other By cause yov wyl say that we hallowe the remembraunce of christes byrthe of christes resurreccion in one day and not in a nother This thinge I saye must yov doo everye day for christ is everie day borne / everye day rysen / everye day asseÌ„ded vpp And this must you beleue stedfastly / that he was borne for you / and rysse to kylle youre dethe / ascendyd for youre iustificacion / thys must you sanctifye in youre hertes everye day / and not one daye Now varye we but in thys thynge yov say that we are bound to sanctifye but one Christemasday in the yeare / and that is supersticiousnes and heresy say I / not that I condemne youre one day / but that you sett yt to one daye alonly that we are bound to do euery day Breuely my lorde of Rochester a lowed this article saynge he wold not coÌ„deÌ„ne it for heresy for an C. li. this was a great some of mony but yt was folyshly sayd quod he to preache this a fore the bodchars off cambryge / as who saye they were all bochers that were at the sermon But the bisshop of bathe askyd me whether we myght labour on the holy days or not seyng yt is wrytten thou shalte obserue thy holy day I answered / that christen men were not bounde to abstayne from bodily labour by that commaundement / for it was so geuyn to the Iuys / and yff we were bounde to abstayne froÌ„ boddyly labour by that commaundement / thaÌ„ was the kynges grace and all his counsell / my lorde cardinall all his counsell in the way off damnacion / for they causse men to carrye their stuffe on the holy daye what day so ever yt be whan they wyll remeue / at this reson all mi lordes were a stonnyed / aÌ„d wyste not what to say they were loth to condemne my lorde Cardinals grace / seynge he was so holye a prelate of christes church / aÌ„d the facte they coulde not denye wherefore at the laste my lorde of Rochester rememberd him selfe he ys an olde man and his bloud is colde a boute his harte and answered of this maner A goodly reason I will make you a lyke reason / the bisshop of wynchester sufferth the stuys ergo the stuys be lawful / at this reason was I a basshyd and sore afraid durste not answer to yt / for I perceyved that it was as lawfull for oure nobyll prince to carry stuffe on the holy day which is not ageÌ„st the worde of god As it is for an harlote of the stuys to lyue in opeÌ„ whordom which is ageÌ„st the worde of god / And yet my lordes the bisshops of their great cheryte and of their innumerble sprituall treasur sufferth bothe Brevelye yt were to longe to recyte alle the madnes that they dyd vse wyth me I wylle not saye cruellnes and yet ernestly they condemned me / but I wyll recyte the sayng of doctours which I layde for me / but they were not regarded S. Hierom sayth Ad Ga. 4. Therfore be certen days assygned that we shulde come to gether / not that that day in the which we come to get her is holiar than a nother / but all days be lyke and equalle and Christ is not alonly crucifide in parasceven and rysen only on the sonday / but the day of resurreccyoÌ„ ys all ways / all ways may we eate of oure lordes fleshe Epâ— â—19 cÌ„ Here. s Hierom saythe the selfe word that I spake aÌ„d of these wordes was I moued to speake as god dothe know Also S. Austayne / we must obserue the sabboth day / not that we shuld rekkyn oure selfe not to labour / but that all thynge that we doo worke well / must haue an intencion to the euerlastinge rest / wherfore we must obserue the holly day not by corporall idyllenes / and vn to the letter / but spiritually must we reste from vices and concupiscensys where fore a monge all the ten commaundemeÌ„tes that of the sabboth day alonly is commaundid to be figuratlye obserued and not by corporall idyllnes Aduersus Iudeos cÌ„ Also TertuliaÌ„ The carnall circumcision ys put a way and extyncted at hys tyme / Solykwyse the obseruacion off the sabboth day ys declared to be for a tyme / for we must kepe
haue why do they not put them bothe in vse for they must say as the Iuys sayd / we may kille noman This is the article that did byte yov for yov can not be content with the office of a bysshop but yov wille be also kynges but how that stondeth with godes lawe and with youre othe I haue declaryd yt to oure nobille prince I doute not but he wille put yov to the trial of these articles The .9 Article They saye they be the successors of christ aÌ„d of his apostles / but I can se them follow none but Iudas / for they bere the pursse / and yf they had not so greate possessions I am suer an C. wolde speke agenst them where now dare not one for losse of their promosyon As for this artycle I wil ouer come you with the witnes of alle the worlde yov may well coÌ„demne yt for heresy / but it is as trew as youre pater noster / Iudas solde oure master but once / and yov selle hym as oftyn as he cometh in youre handes The .10 Artycle THere is not the greatyst pharisye in thys churche / but I am suer I prycke him with these wordes and he knowithe that these thynges be trewe though he say the contrary aÌ„d that do I wel knowe This artycle dyd I speake by cause of doctour Rydle which on a tyme grauntyd in master doctour buttes house that the bysshops were clear out of order And therfore I say that I know yt The .11 Article THese ordynary bysshops aÌ„d prelattes do folow that false prophete balaaÌ„ for they wolde curse the people but by the prouisyon of god they are compellyd toblesse theÌ„ / that ys to say / to teache them to lyue wel though they theÌ„ selfe lyue most myschevously so the Assis whych they ryde a pon that is the commen people haue their lyuys in abhominacyon Thys ys the heresy for it speketh agenst the holy fathers which be almost as holy as Balams asse whych dyd ons speke the word of god to a good purposse and so do they neuer / but I graunt that I dyd offend in callyng you ordenary bisshops for I shulde haue callid yov inordinate buchers / and as for that that I coÌ„pare yov to balaam it is youre awne lawe .ij. q. vij Secutisunt / And .c. Nos si And as for youre lyuyng alle the world knoweth it The .12 Article THey sett vp an Idolle to dyseaue the people with alle whych is callyd Baal peor / Or baal phegor which is iÌ„terpretated gaspyng that is their lawes and constitucions that gaspe and gape to mayntayne their worldly honoure / they cause vs do sacryfyce by fayre wymeÌ„ that is by their carnall affeccyons and sweate wordes that god of Israell is for gottyn / aÌ„d so by theyr sweat wordes and benedyctyon they disseue simple people These be the false masters that 2. Pet. 2. S. Peter speketh of / these be the fovntayns with out watter for they geue no good doctryne to the people where ys the heresy in thys by cause I coÌ„pare youre lawys to baal / but loke whether the interpretacion of the word do a gre with the nature of youre lawes or not what do al youre lawes but mynyshe the auctorite of princes / and of al other lordes and exalte youres only calle yov not that a gaspyng Idolle let thys article stoÌ„d tyll yov be able to proue it heresy The .13 Article NOw they selle vs / they selle the people / they selle holy orders / they selle church halowyng / there ys no better marchandysse in chepesyde / wilt thow knowe what is the price of a church halowyng no lesse than .xl. shelinges / they sel pardoÌ„s remyssions of synnes as opeÌ„ly as a cowe and an oxe is solde for thei never graunt them with out monny The suffrigan of ely dyd aske of master Iohan pur golde .xl. shelinges and the offringe for halowynge of S. Edwardes in Cambrige / yee and he wolde not do it so good chepe / but bi cause he had a goddoughter buryed in the churche yarde / But this may be prouyd by exampillys ynow for bryng ye forth one churche in all Englond that yov haue hallowyd with out monny or with out hope of mony / and I wyll graunte my conclusyon false / and as for youre pardoÌ„s all the worlde knoweth youre handelyng I dare say yt is the best marchandyse in the worlde as yov handill yt The .14 article VVylte thou know what their benedictyoÌ„ is worthe They had rather geue the ten benediccions than one halfpeny Is not thys a sore heresy you ryde thorow streates and townys blyssynge man and stone but yov never geue halfpeny to man nor to chylde The .15 Article NOw is come a pardon wherby they say that they haue power to send an huÌ„dred soules to heuyn / and if they may so doo with out any further respect than may they lykewysse send a nother hundred to helle for yt followeth in the texte quodcunque ligaueris / that is what soeuer thou bindest Is not this a sore heresy to say that you may not rule thys matter at youre iudgement / but this is a meruelous texte / QuodcuÌ„que ligaueris / for yt bindeth in helle and losythe in heuyn / and openeth mens pursys and cofers in erthe / yt deposith prynces / yt interdyteth londes yt losyth a man out of his cote / yee oftyn tymes yt losethe a man from his wyffe / yee and the horsse out of the carte And all ys done by this text Quodcunque ligaueris / is not thys a mervelous texte that hathe so great power I know not such a nother in aâ— the hole Bible The .16 Article IT ys abhominable to here how they preache and teache that they may absolue a pena a culpa / which I am suer that yt is â—mpossible as they vnderstond it Make of this what yov can / and loke of youre awne scolasticall doctours The .17 Article VVhat ys the cause that they forbyd vs thou we shuld not dyscusse how great their power is but by cause that they wold make all meÌ„ foles holde vs in ygnoraunce / youre awne scole men saye that the popis power is so great that no man can nor maye dyscusse yt / but this ys for from herysy The .18 Article THey haue a law most abhominable and coÌ„trary to godes lawe and cheryte to excoÌ„munycate the people foure tymes in a yeare / that ys to saye the men that rayse the rent off an housse / that must you vnderstonde yff yt belonge not to the church / for yff yt belonge to the church / thou mayst rayse yt everye moneth once and no man shall cursse the. Also they cursse them that be not buryed in their parish church / that must be vnderstond yff that they be ryche men / for yf they be poore they may be buryed amonge the fryars The bisshope of bathe sayd there was
takyn from the aulter Now did I saye that Christ was oure aulter / but this myne aduersaryes vnderstod not / But I haue meruell what this artycle dothe a monge the other heretycalle artycles / I thynke they do not rekkyn it heresy The .25 Article HE dyd not praye for the thre estates of holy churche / neither made he his prayers in the begynynge of the sermon accordyng to the olde custom but at the laste ende / and for the true knowlege of all christeÌ„ men makynge no prayer to oure ladye / nor for the soules in purgatory / nor for grace expedient If the bysshops had had any indyfferencye in them or any wysdom or lernynge they wolde haue byn a shamyd that suche articles shulde haue be brought a fore them / what is this to the purposse of heresy that I dyd not praye for the thre estates of holy churche and yet they gravnt that I prayd for al true christen men and that men myght come to the trew knowlege is not al the churche conteynyd in this But they be mad men with out all consyderacion / they be so blyndyd in theyr worldly honour that God doth al ways send them suche shame And that I dyd not pray to oure lady nor for the soules in purgatory / what ys that to heresy for than were the apostles heretykes / for they dyd not pray in theyr sermons to oure ladye nor yet for the soules in purgatorye And as for praynge for grace expedyent that is not the preacher bound to do opynly But my thynketh by these artycles that god gaue me a great grace / that I durst so boldly repreue the abhominable lyuynge of the bysshops not feryng the danger that shulde come there of / but this I leue to others mens Iudgement / and I dare say boldy that if I had spokyn tentymys as muche ageÌ„st the auctorite of oure noble prince / and agenst al his dukes and lordes / and had takyn all power / both temporall and spirituall from them and geuyn it to oure ydyll belligodes the bysshopes / than had I byn a faythefull christen man for I had defendyd the lybertis of the holy churche / yee and if the kynges grace wolde haue put me to dethe I doute not but thei wolde haue made of me an holy stinckynge marter as they haue donne of meny other for suche causys but God send them his grace Amen NOw if youre grace do not take vppon you / to heare the disputacion and the probacion of thys artycle out of the very grounde of holy scriptur / my lordys the bysshops wille condemne yt a fore they reade yt as their maner is to do with al thyngis that pleasse them not / and whyche they vnderstond not / and than Crye they herese / heresy / an heretyke / an heretyke / he ought not to be harde for his matters be condemned by the churche / and by holy fathers / and bi alle longe customs and by alle maner of lawys Vn to whom / with youre graces fauour I make this answere I wolde know of them / if all these thyngis that they haue here rekenyd can ouercome christ and hys holy worde / or sett the holygost to scole / and if they can not / why shulde not I be harde / that do require it in the name of christ / aÌ„d also bryng for me hys holy worde / And as for the holy fathers they haue vnderstonde Godis worde as I do / There fore though they wille not here me / yet must they nedys here them / Neuerthe lesse if it pleasse youre grace it wâ—re no ryght to bynde vs all ways to the IudgemeÌ„t / of our olde fathers for than what nede we the gyfte of wysdom what nede we the gyfte of vnderstondyng but let vs vse their wysdom / and their vnderstondynge / what nede we to studdy / to make any new thyngys for the fathers haue made all Breuely what nede we ony syngulare gyftes of god For we can de nothyng that is syngular with them / for the fathers haue done all / But what ryght were yt / thus to bynd vs more to oure fathers / than oure fathers were bounde to theirs why did they not all beleue the first father ye why dyd they not all beleue christ the master of al fathers 1. Tess v. Breuely why dothe S. Paule commauÌ„de vs that we shuld proue al thyngis / and a byde by that that is good / what nede we to proue that thyng / whyche we are bound to reseue our Iudgement is not lokyd for in the thyng whych we are bouÌ„d to reseue / and than what nede S. Paule to saye / holde that thyng that is good / for alle the fathers be good / and none bad / and whether they be good or bad we must reseue them after the bysshops lernyng / but than how shall we folow Sayn IoaÌ„s counsell / that biddeth vs to be ware of Antichrist for he shalle be in al agys / and wyth out doute he shal be no dyspysyd parson in the world / nor no fole / nor vnlernyd / nor with out the coloure of holynes / nor with out the name of a father / no nor vn to mans Iudgement / with out a good spiryte And therfore / that men shulde not be dysseyuyd with these exterior dysgysynges / as with holy hyprocrisy / with the name of lernyng / with the name of fatherhod ye with the name of christ / he byddythe men prove of whence the spritys be / whether they deny chryst or none for he that denyeth that Iesus christ is come in the fleshe / is aÌ„tichrist / 1. Ioan. 4. Now if these lordis or ony off the fathers do deny / that christ is come in the fleshe than are they aÌ„tichristes / But my lordis wille say that they do not deny / nor none off their fathers do deny that christ is come in the fleshe / for they do graunte that christ is borne of a vyrgyn / and is very god and man / and dyd here lyue on erthe and preachid thaught aÌ„d did many great miracles / afterward dyed and assended vp to heuyn and there sytteth on the ryght hond of the father wyth many other thinges more / which they do not allonly graunt but are also ready to dye in the cause wherfore they wyll say / that this is nothing agenst them nor yet agenst their fathers My lordes I pray god yt be not / but geue vs the lyberte that the apostylle geuythe vs here / to prove youre spretys / than shall we know off whence you are First all those thinges be trew that you haue graunted of christ / but. S. IohaÌ„ wyl that we must prove you nerare than thus / for in thys is no probacion of the spretys / for the deuylls graunt all or the moste parte of these / and if there shulde come one that wolde deny with open wordes any of these
saye to this text S. Ambrose declarith it on this maner They are iustified frely / for thei doyng nothyng nor nothyng deseruyng / alōly by faithe are iustifyed by the gifte of god c̄ here you not / that mē workinge nothynge at al / nor nothyng deseruing / ar iustified bi faith only / yee that frely yov were wont to say that faithe dothe Iustifye / but not alonly ād therfore wolde yov crye / For. Sola Sola Sola only / only / only Here haue yov hym / ād to helpe hym yov haue also gratis that is frely / ād also dono de◠that is by the gyfte of god / and nihil operātes that is workinge nothinge at al. if these wordis do not exclude workis and alowe faithe only / I can not telle what wordis wille do it And lest that S. Ambrose shulde not be sufficient in this cause / I wille also bring yov Origyne on this same texte whose wordis be these Orig. ad Rom. li. 3. cap. 3. Paule saythe that the Iustificacion of fayth is alonly sufficient So that if a man / do beleue alonly he is iustifide though there be no workis done of hym at al / bi faythe was the thefe iustifide with out the workis of the law / wherefore a man is iustifide by faythe / vn to whom / as cōseruyng iustificacion the workis of the law / helpe nothyng c̄ Vvhat say yov by Origyn / that saythe how men be iustifyde / though they do no good workys at alle / for workis do helpe nothyng to Iustificaciō / but faythe only Be not these playne wordis / gravnt these wordis / and we wille aske no more of yow / here haue yov also Sola Sola Sola so that yov nede not Crye no more for Sola For yov haue more thā yov can welle a voyde / Also Origen bryngith an opyn example of the thefe that no man can deny who can haue lesse good workis than a theffe whiche is neither good before god nor man Rom. 9. Also paule in the .ix. chapter bryngithe in the gentille / whiche knowithe nothynge of God / nor hathe done no good workis / but contrary blasphemyde god / and hys holy name and hathe allways lyuyde in idolatrye ād byn an vtter enymy vn to alle goodnes / he bringythe in also the Iue fulle of good workes of the lawe / whyche hathe also great zele to god / Rom. 10. and to his workis / yee ād of that Paule beryth hym wytnes breuely he bryngith in for hym suche a Iue that no mā cā cōplaine of / but is fulle of good workis yee take al the best of the Iuys to gether For it were madnes for paul to speke of the damnable iuys that were opyn wrechis and damnable by the Iudgement of the law with al theyr good workis / and yet S. Paule dothe exclude them and repellithe them clearly from iustificacion with al their good zele / and with al their good workys ād concludithe with playne wordis / that the gentille which was fulle of damnable workis / and had neither zele nor loue vn to goodnes is iustifyed by faythe only / These be S. Paules wordis Rom. 9. Vve saye that the gentilles whyche followyd not rightwysnes haue obtenyd ryghtwysnes I mene the ryghtwysnes whiche comith of faithe But Israell whyche folowyd the law of rightwysnes / colde not attayne vnto rightwisnes / where fore bicause they sought it not bi faythe but as it were by the workis of the lawe Be not these playne wordis that the gentilles whiche followyd no rightwisnes / nor had no minde ther vn to / are Iustifyed frely by faythe Is not here Sola fides / only fayth More ouer the Iue ys repreuyd with al his zele with al his loue with al his studye and with all hys good workis Is not this a meruellous thyng yes verely And so meruelous that yov shalle neuer vnderstond it with out yov beleue But peradventure here shalle be sayd that the good workes of the Iuys dyd not profyte them / by cause they had no faythe But if they had had faythe / than wolde they helpe to their iustificacion To this I make answere / trouth it is that good workys dyd not proufyt that Iuys for want of faithe / but this is false they workis shulde haue holpe to Iustificaciō with faythe For S. Paule prouythe clearly that good workys helpe nothyng to Iustificacion nor eville workis let not the iustificacion that comythe by faythe / And this he prouyth bi the exampille of the gentille / which had no good workys but alle evill and all damnable workys / and yet ys iustyfyed by fayth Moreover the Iue hathe the zele of god and alle maner of good workis with alle thyng that the worlde cā deuisse al this coulde not helpe hym where fore the glory of iustificacion remanyth only to faith Also S. paule provithe playnly in these wordis that workis haue no place in Iustificaciō / to hym that workyth is the rewarde not geuyn of fauour but of deutye To hym that workythe not / Rom. 4. but beleuithe on hym that Iustifythe the wikkyd mā / is faythe coūtyd for rightwysnes How thynke you bi these wordis be they not opynly agēst al workis saythe he not that Iustyficacion is imputyd vn to hym that workith not but alonly beleuythe in hym that iustyfythe the wykkyd man I pray yov what good workis dothe the wikkyd man Marke also how he saythe that ryghtwysnes is ymputyd vn to hym / Ergo yt ys not deseruyd For that that is deseruyd / is not imputyd of fauour / but it must be geuyn of dewty How thynke yov is not this Sola fides onlye fayth ▪ yow know that there be but workis and faythe that do Iustitie / and S. Paule excludythe workys clearly Ergo faithe alone remaynith / but paradventure yov will say As yov be full of holy hypocrisye that workis with faythe do Iustifye / Neuer the lesse of mekenes and lowlynes / and avoydyng of al bost of youre godnes yov wille geue alle the glory to faythe / as vnto the principalle thynge with out the whiche no workis can helpe / not with stonding workis be good and do helpe to iustificacion / though of mekenes yov wille not know it Is not this damnble hypocrisy ye ād that with god which were intolerable if it were with men But how can yov proue by scripture that this hypocrisy of youres ys trewe / that workis ar worthy of any glory of iustificacion Is not this opyn lying on faith to geue alle to hym and yet as yov say he is not worthy off alle for workis be worthy of parte / yf faythe be not worthy alonly / Confesse it opynly / and geue workys hys prayse / and fayth her praisse / and say not one thyng with youre mouth ād thynke another in youre hartis for god serchith the
youre exterior sygnes / with alle youre holye ornamentes / as youre holy myters / youre holy crossestauys / youre holye pyllers and polaxis / youre holy red gloues / youre holy ouches / and poure holye rynges / youre holye anoynted fyngers / youre holy vestmentis / youre holly challisys / youre holy goulden showys / yee take also to helpe yov S. Thomas of Canterberys holy showe wyth alle the holy botys of holye monkys all these to gether can not make one crumme of holynes in yov / nor helpe yov one prycke forward / that yov may be wyth in this churche For if these thynges coulde helpe / than were yt no mastery to make an asse to be of the church of god But oure holy mother the church hathe a nother holynes / that cometh from god the father thorow the sweat bloud of his blessed sonne Iesus Christ / in whome is alle hyr confidens trust Vn to whome she stycketh onlye by stedfast faith / by whose purenes she ys also puer in that that she dothe confesse hyr vnclennes / for she beleueth stedfastly that she hathe an aduocate for hyr synne to the father of heuen / which is christe Iesus 1. Ioan. 2. And he is the satisfaccioÌ„ for hyr synnes And he of his marcye not of hyr merites hathe chossen hyr for to be his / and by cause she ys hys / therfore must she be clene so loÌ„ge as she abyâ—eth in hym This is well declared in Ioan. 15 S. Iohan where oure Master Christe is coÌ„pared to the vyne and all the members of holy churche to the branches / that as the branches / can brynge forth no frute of them selfe / so can holy churche of hyr felfe brynge forth no goodnes excepte she remayne in christ by perfyt faithe This is wel proued by youre awne lawe whose wordes be these / therfore is the churche holy / by cause she beleueth rightwyselye in god cÌ„ De coÌ„ Di 4. c. prima igitur Here yov not the cause wherefore the church is holy by cause she beleueth rightwyselye in god / that is she beleueth in nothynge but in hym / and she beleuethe nor hereth nor worde but hys / as oure Master Chryste berythe wytnes / my shepe here my voyce / and a nother mans voyce doo they not knowe / also in a nother place / he that is of god / herythe the wordes of god / how commythe this that the church of god hathe so suer a iudgement / that she knowythe the voyce of Christe from other voycis and can not erre in hyr iudgement By cause that Christ hath chosen hyr / and by cause she ys lerned of god as oure master Christ saith / and by cause she hath as 1 Iohan. 2. S. Iohan saith the inward oyntement off god / that techyth his alle maner of verite / so that she can not erre / but why can she not erre by cause she may do what she wille By cause that all thynge that she dothe / is well done by cause she maye make newe rules and newe lawes at hir plesure By cause she may invent a newe seruice of god that is not in scripture at hir wille Nay nay my lordes For she is but a woman must be ruled by hyr husbonde / yee she is but a shepe and must here the voyce of hyr sheppard / and so longe as she dothe / so longe can she not erre by cause the voyce of here shepperd can not be false De pene Dis 2. Si in glossa 24. q. 1 A recta et in Glossa This maye be proued by youre awne lawe whose wordes be these / the whole churche can not erre / also in a nother place / the congregacioÌ„ of faith fulle men must nedes be which also can not erre cÌ„ These wordes be playne what churche yt is that can not erre / that is the congregacion of faithfulle men that be gethered in christes name / which haue christes spret which haue the holy oyntement of god / whiche abyde faste by christes worde / and here no nother mans voyce but his Now my lordes gather yov alle to gether with alle the lawes that you can make / and all the holynes / that yov can deuysse / Crye / the church / the church / the counsels / the counsels that were lawfully gathered in the power of the holye gost alle this may yov say and yet lye and yf yov haue not in dede the holly goste with in yov / and iff yov do heare any other voyce than christes / thane are yov not of the church / but of the deuylle / and theuys and murtherars as christ saith For yov come a fore him / that is yov come in to the foulde of Christe wyth out him / yov brynge not his voyce / but yov come with youre awne voyce / with youre awne statutis / with youre awne worde / and with youre awne mandamus / mandamus / precipimus / precipimus / excommunicamms / excommunicamus These be the voyces of murtherars and Theuys and not of Christ / therfore yov can not but erre / for yov be not taught of god / you haue not the holy oyntement yov haue not the worde of god for yov / yov here not the voyce of the trewe shepperd / there fore must yov nedes erre in alle youre counselles This is a nother maner of rule thane my lorde of iochester dothe assine to examen youre counselles by / for he saith / where that the pope and the counsell dothe not agre alle in one there wylle he susspect the counselle not to be ryght who did euer here suche a rule of a christenyd man yee and of a bishop yee and of a doctor of diuinite / where hathe he lerned this diuinite to recken a counselle to be trewe / by cause that the pope aÌ„d so many men do agre in one / yee that suche men as haue so oftyn tymes erred in their counsels / as he dothe declare hym selfe rekenynge the counselle of Constantinople that had .330 bisshops and yet did erre / and he knew no nother cause / but by cause the pope dyd not agre to them / is not thys a resonable cause can not the pope erre lett hym redâ— his awne lawe Dis 19. Anastasius / Dis 40. Si papa and also .24 q. 1. A recta in the glosse / there shall he finde that the pope hathe erred wherfore than shulde the matter stonde in hys iudgement Now how wille he by this rule saue the counselles of constance / and of basel where in both counsels the popes were condemned for heretykes as the same counsels make mencion / also that the counsels haue erred that graunteth he hym selfe / but paraduenture he wyll say / that they were not fulle counsels Now is yt well a mended / what dysticcionis as consernynge the veryte in a
haue / that be agenst his holy verite / but let vs graunt that that translacion was so false / why did not yov there take a pone yov opynly for to amend it and to sett forthe truly the holy testament of christ yov must nedes graunt that there is an holy testameÌ„t of his in erthe except yov wille deny christ as I dought not but that yov wille in effect where is it whye haue we it not If that wer not it / whye do not yov sett the very trew testament out / yov were reddy to coÌ„demne an other mans faithefulle labor aÌ„d diligence / but yov had no cheryte to amend it / yov thynke alle ways to disseue the worlde with youre holy hypocrysy / men be not so blynd but that they cane welle Iudge / If yov hade condemnyd that testament allonly by cause off errours / yet at the lest ways yov shulde bothe of cheryte / and also of dutye haue set forthe the trew texte / and than wolde men haue thought / that yov condemned the other by the resoÌ„ of errours But men may now euydently se that yov dyd not condemne it for errours sakes / for how shulde they iudge erroures that be soo vnlernyd but alonly by cause that the verite was ther in / the which yov coulde not abyde that men shulde knowe / and that dyd the processe of youre sermon and also youre tyranny that dothe folow wel proue / but mi lord I say to yov / aÌ„d to all youres if yov do not amend it shalle be to youre euerlastyng damnacyon / for god wille not take thys rebuke at youre honde / Esa 62. remember that he hathe sworne by the movght of his prophete hy his ryght honde aÌ„d by the might of his strengthe that he wille defende this cause / Be not these lordly wordes / of the eternalle god / thinke yov to make hym for sworne Heb. 10. Remember how the holygost thretyneth yov in another place saynge / yf a man dyd dysspysse the lawe of Moses / he must with out any mercy dye / howe muche more are they worthy of ponishement / that do trede the sone of God vndernethe their fete / and dyspise the bloud of hys testament / how thynke yov ys not this opynly agenst yov / That coÌ„demne not alonly christ but also his blessed worde / and alle that longythe to hym / Take a way christes word / and what remanythe bi hynd of chryst nothyng at alle I pray yov my lorde to whome was thys worde fyrst preched to whome was it writtyn allonly to prystes not vn to lay men ye was it not writtyn to alle the worlde yes truly / where by wille yov conuerte a turke or an infidelle / not by holy scripture whan they be conuerted / what wille yov lerne theÌ„ what wille yov geue them to rede / any other thyng than holy scripture I thynke nay Now wille yov make youre awne cuÌ„trymen / youre awne citysins youre awne subiectes yee youre awne brethern / redemed wyth christes blessed bloud worsse them Iuys / and infidelles But their is no reson nor no bretherhod / nor no chrysten cheryte that cane moue yov / or that cane helpe yov / for yov are so blynded and so obstinate agenste chryst / that yov had rather alle the worlde shulde peryshe / thane his doctryne shulde be brought to lyghte / but I do promisse yov / if god do spare me lyffe / aÌ„d geue me grace / I shalle so set it out / if yov do not revoke it that it shalle be to youre vtter sâ—ame and confusyon / fynde the best remedy that yov cane / I do beleue stedfastly / that god is myghttyar than yov / and I doo rekkyn and faytheffully beleue / that yov are ten tymys worsse thane the grette Turke for he regardeth no more / But rule dominyon in this world And yov are not there with content / but yov wille also rule ouer mens consyens yee aÌ„d oppresse christ and his holy word / and blaspheme and condemne hys worde / was it not a holy covnselle / of the chanseler of london to conselle a sertyn merchaÌ„t / to by Robyn hoode for his seruaÌ„tes to rede what shulde they do with vitas patryÌ„ / and with bokes of holy scriptur Also the same Chanseler sayed to an other maÌ„ / what fyndest thou in the gospel but a story what good canst thou take there out O lorde god where arte thou why slepist thou why sufferst thou this blasphemy Thov hast defeÌ„ded thy prophetes with wilde fier froÌ„ heueÌ„ / And wylte thov suffer thy wonly sone and thy heuynly worde / thus to be dyspysyd and to be rekenyd but as a story of Robyn hoode Rysse vpe good loorde / Rysse vpe / thy enemys do preuaylle / Thy enymys do multiplye / shewe thy power / defend thy glory It is thy conâ—umely and not oures what haue we to do with it but alonly to thy glory venge this cauâ—e or thy enymys shalle rekkyn yt not to be thy cause / O thou eternalle God though oure synnes haue deseruyd thys / yet loke on thy name / yet loke on thy veryte / Se howe thov arte mockkyd Se how thou arte blasphemid / ye and that by them / that haue takyn on theÌ„ to defend thy glory / But now heuynly father / Seynge that thou haste / so suffered it / yet for the glory of thy name / geue some man strengthe to defend it / or els shalt thou be clearly takyn out of the hartes off allemen where fore most gracious lorde / of thy mercy and grace I besech the / That I may haue the strengthe to defend thy godly worde to thy glory and honour / and to the vtter confusyon of thy mortalle enymys / helpe good lord helpe / and I shalle not fere a thovsand of thyne enymys / In thy name wille I begyn to defend thys cause Fyrst commyth thy faythfulle seruant Moses / trewe and Iuste in alle thy workes / and he commandythe faythefully and trewly / and with grett thretnynges that man / woman and chylde shuld dilygently rede thy holy worde / Sayng / Sett youre hartes on alle my wordes the whych that I do testyfye vn to you thys day / That yov may commaÌ„de them vn to yovre chyldern / to kepe / to doo / and to fulfylle alle thynges that be wryttyn in the boke of thys lawe / Marke howe he commauÌ„ded them / to lerne their chyldern alle thynges that be wryttyn in thys boke / Deu. 32. and so to lerne them that they myght kepe and fulfylle alle thynges that were wryttyn in the boke / Moses maâ—e nothyng of secretnes / and wille yov make secretes ther in how shalle men fulfille those wordes that they know not how cane men know the very trewway of god and haue not the worde of god is not alle oure knowlege ther in The prophete saith / thy
god / nor practys of christen men / nor exposycion of doctors / nor youre awne lawe / nor yet any statute of counselles that wylle hold agenst yov yov be meruelus giantes / how shall a man behaue hym selfe to handylle wyth yov / yt is not possible to ouer come yov / for yov wylle admytâ— nothynge that is agenst yov But yet wyll I not so leue yov / but I wylle fyrst declare yt manifestly / that yov be contrary to christe / In prohe In Epist ad Ephes Li. 1. and to alle holy doctours S. Hierom / repreueth yov very sore in these wordes O Paula and Eustochium / yf there be any thyng in this lyffe that dothe preserue a wyse man and dothe persuade hym to abyde wyth a good wylle in the oppressions and the thravlledoms of the world I do rekken that specially yt is the meditacioÌ„s and the studdy of holy scripture seyng that we doo dyffer from other creaturs specially in that that we be resonable and in that that we cane speke / now is reason and alle maner of wordes conteyned in godly scriptur / where by that we may lerne to know god and also the cause wherfore we be created / wherfore I doo sore marvelle / that there be certen men the whiche geue theÌ„ selfe / to slouthefullnes / and sluggyshnes aÌ„d wille not lerne those thinges / that be good / but rekken those men worthy to be reproued / that haue that good mynd cÌ„ Marke how that this was wrytten to two wemen / that were lerned Also he rekneth nothyng better / than to studdy holy scriptures / he also meruelyth / that serten wylle neyther studdy scriptures them selfe nor yet lett other men studdy them / It is well knowen / that these wordes prycke no men but yov / and yov be so slothefulle and so geueÌ„ to voluptuousnes / that yov youre selfe wyll not studdy scriptures nor yet suffer other meÌ„ to studdy theÌ„ but yf yov doo studdy them / it is to diffene youre symple pore brother there by / and to mayntayne youre abhominable lyuynge / with wrestyng and wryngynge of them other profite coÌ„meth there none of youre studdy / as all the worlde knoweth For you may not preche / but whaÌ„ yov haue damnablye coÌ„demned christes blessed worde or els by vyolence / made some of youre poore brethern heretikes / than come yov wyth alle youre gorgius estate / pompe and pryde / to out face christ and youre symple brother / wyth youre outward damnable pryd a fore the face of the world / but my lordes / leve of youre fasynge and youre brasyng / for oure lorde whose cause we defend agenste yov / wylle at length not be out fased Remember how the holy gost prayth agenst yov saynge / iudge them lorde / Psal 5 that they may falle from their cogitacions / expelle them lorde for they haue prouoked the / dought yov not but this holy sprett wylle prevaylle agenste yov / though god suffer yov for a sesonne yet hathe he tyll this day defended hym selfe his godly wordes agenst all the proude crakynges of the world / and thynke yov that he wylle nowe take a faulle at youre honde nay nay / he shall fyrste thrust yov out hedlynges that alle the worlde shall take example by yov / this is my beleue For that word that yov haue condemned doth thus lerne me / wherefore iff yov do not reuoke the condemnacion of the newe testament / and ordeyne that alle christen men may rede holy scriptur yov shalle haue the grettest shame that ever men hade in this worlde for yov ar neuer abylle to defend yt by no menys / nor by no power that is in erthe / and if alle power in erthe wylle withstonde yt / he shalle rather bryng theÌ„ alle to duste and raysse vpp of stonys newe rulars yov wormys meat / yov stynkyng carrion yov nurryshement of helle fyer / how dare yov thus presume agenste youre god omnipotent whether wyll yov flye to a voyd his danger heuen and erthe / watter and fyer / sone / mone / and starrys / saynctes and angelles / man and childe / be agenst yov and holde yov a cursed what though the deuylle laffe on yov for a seson / Rememâ—er the ende / but god geue yov his grace / that I losse not my labour a boute yov But now lett me a soylle youre carnalle reasons that yov bryng for yov The fyrst is this euyll men doo take an occasion of heresy out of scripturs / wherefore yt is best they haue yt not / I answere lyke wyfe good men doo take an occasion of goodnes there of ergo the people ought to haue yt / but wylle yov condemne alle thynges where by men doo take occasion of evylle Than must yov fyrste put out youre awne yies for by them take yov occasyon to see meny idylle thynges yov must also dystroy youre hondes youre fette youre tonge / and alle that yov haue for these do yov mysse vse very often / yov must also distroy youre awne hartes wherby yov haue not alonlye occasion of evylle / but yov doo thinke evylle in very dede / yov must also destroye alle fayre wemen / for of them take yov sore occasions of evylle / yov must also burne alle your goodes and destroy alle youre richys / for of them meÌ„ take occasion to be theuys and yov to be proude / yov must also distroye all winys / for of them men take occasion to be drunken / yov must distroy alle mettes / for they geue men occasion of gluttyny / yee yov must distroye the marcy of god / of the which evylle men take boldnes in their myschyffe / breuely what is there soo good a thynge but that evylle men cane take an occasion of evylle / yee and that of Christe him selfe / as 1. Corin. 1. S. Paule saith which vnto to the Iuys is offence / and vnto the gentylles occasioÌ„ of folyshenes / and yet for alle this yov maye not dystroye Christ / but he must remayne stylle and so lyke wyse the gospelles / for though that the evylle man which wyl neuer be good reseue of it occasioÌ„ of evyll / yet there be meny thousandes that reseue there by their saluacion Now be cause the spyder gethereth poyson of the good herbis / it were no reason therfore to dystroy alle good herbys Mar. 1â— A nother of youre reasons / there be serteÌ„ sentences in scripture that do not beloÌ„ge for everye maÌ„ to know / as oure M. Christ faith / vnto yov is it geueÌ„ to know / the mysterys of the kyngdoÌ„ of heueÌ„ / vnto theÌ„ is it not geueÌ„ I aÌ„swere whome mene yov whaÌ„ yov say / vnto yov it is geueÌ„ / yf yov mene the aposles alonly their successors thaÌ„ may not yov rede holy scriptur / for yov be not the successors of the appostles / by my lorde of
Rochestes auctoryte / but yff yov mene the christen people / that haue the sprete of god / as oure Master Christ ment than be yov excluded for yov haue not the sprytte of god as the effect dothe declare / ergo yov may not rede scripturs marke also that oure Master saithe vn to yov yt ys geuen / as who saith if yt were not geuen yov shulde no more haue yt thane other men Now howe cane yov proue that the vnderstondinge of scriptur is geuen to yov but now to the texte oure master Christe speketh here of the sprytualle / and the ryght vnderstonding of holy scripturs / which is the gyfte of god wonly / and he speketh not of studyyng or redynge of holy scripture / for yov haue in that same place / howe that meny dyd followe hym / and heare his prechynge but yet they vnderstonde hym not / therfore this texte maketh derectly agenste you aÌ„d youre workes doo declare that yov be the herars and reders of the worde of god but the vnderstondynge is not geuen yov But now wyll my lorde of Rochester say / that yov haue the very vnderstondyng as holy doctours had yt / for though that scripturs in them selfe and of their awne nature be playnest / aÌ„d beste to be knoweÌ„ yet be the holy doctours playnest vn to vs / wherefore he that wyll vnderstonde scripture must fyrst lerne to vnderstonde the doctours / they shall brynge hym to the trew vnderstondynge of holy scripture / or els he must erre I answere o my lorde doo yov wryte this with a saffe consyens thynke yov that yov cane discharge youre consyens a fore the dredfulle face of Christe with this tryflynge distynccyon / Quedam sunt nociora nobis / et quedaÌ„ nociora natura / I pray yow yf yow wylle proue that god were wyse / wold yov be gyne to proue yt at youre wysdoÌ„ yf yow wolde proue that god were a lyue wold yov proue yt by that that yov be a lyue if yow wolde persuade a man to beleue that there is a gode / wolde yov lerne hym / that he must nedes beleue yt / by cause that there be creaturs these thinges be best knowen vnto yow / and yf yow wold proue that a man hath a trew sens of scripturs / wylle yov proue yt / by that that he hath the sense of the doctours what if the doctors had takeÌ„ a false a contrary sense / this case is possible wold yov therfore saye that the sense which the maÌ„ hathe takeÌ„ out of scriptur is false But I pray yov my lorde / after this rule / how culde meÌ„ / vnderstond scripturs / in Peter and Paules days whane there were no doctours Scotê° â—â— Sent. di 3 q. 3 But after youre awne lernyng / that same sciens which must proue the principylles of other scieÌ„ces is fyrst knowen / actualiter / dystynkly / now be all the pryncipalles of alle other doctours proued trew by holy scriptur / ergo there is no saynge nor exposicion of holy doctoures that cane be perfytly knowen except that scripture be fyrst knowen / this is youre awne dyumyte ye cane not deny yt / wherefore if yov wille proue that yov haue the verite you must proue yt / by cause yov haue the sence of holye scriptur / and not the sence of holye doctoures but douteles I haue grete mervelle / that my lorde of Rochester / is neyther ashamed of man / nor yet afrayd of the vengeance of god that thus tryfylythe with holy scripture Besides this yov haue an other baulde reason / the Cytye of London hathe serten previleges and secret counsels / yt were no reason that alle men shulde know them / this was my lorde of Londons reason at Paulys crosse / whane he condemned the newe testament I Answere my lorde say of your consciens / dyd yov not speke these wordes to plesse my lord that mayre of London and his brethern / but I praye yov is thys a lyke symylitude of the serten counsels of men the which must be kept secrett by cause they be counsels / And of the holy scripturs the whiche were brought in to this world not to be kept secrett but to be preched openly / as oure Master Christe commandeth / preche the gospelle to alle creaturs / heare yov to alle creaturs Mar. vlt. lett these men haue yt for alle these be of the counsell aÌ„d kepe yov yt from the ressydue / furthermore oure Master saithe in a nother place / that that I haue shewed yov in secretnes / preche yt on the tope of the housse Also S. Paule saith / the gospell is declared openly thorow prechyng and in an other place god hathe brought lyffe and immortalyte / Ti. 1. 2. Timo. 2 Ioan. 3 Mat. 5. vnto lyght thorow the gospelle / also oure master calleth yt the lyght of the worlde / now who will sett as he sayth a lyght vnder a busshell / and not rather openly that alle men there by may be lyghtened wherefore my lorde youre symylytude ys verye for vn lyke / and iff yov were not a lorde yt ware worthy to be dyspised / but douteles yt may be welle thoughte that yov ware at a sore exigent / whan yov were coÌ„pelled to proue this thinge with so baulde a reason / who wolde haue loked for so symple a reason in so ernyst a matter of so wyse a man / of so grete a doctour / of so worshypfulle a father / and of the bysshop of London / yee and of hym that ys called a nother Solomon / nor withstoÌ„dinge suche an haltyng symilytude dyd he neuer lerne in the prouerbes of Salomon / but yt had byn a better symylytude / of the kynges proclamacioÌ„ / which is proclaymed that all meÌ„ myght know yt and also kepe yt and noo man ys bounde to kepe yt / tylle yt be proclamed / lyke wysse the gospelle was geuen for to be proclamed / and everye man is bound to kepe yt / wherfore yt must nedes be proclaymed to everye man / and vn to yov my lord I be seche god that yov may be won of them of whome yt ys spoken To yov ys yt geuen to knowe the mysteryes of god Amen ☜ Finis ¶ Mens constitucions which be not grounded in scripture bynde not the consciens of man vnder the payne of dedly synne ☜ TO this article we must note that there be two maner of mynysters or powers won ys a temporalle power / the other is called a spritualle power / the temporalle power ys commytted of god to kynges / Dukes / Erlys / Lordes / Barrons / Iudges / mayrys / shryuys / and to alle other mynystres vnder them / these be they that haue wonly the temporalle swerde / where by they must order alle the commen welthe with alle wordly thynges longynge there vnto / as the disposicioÌ„ of these wordly goodes / who shal be ryght owner and
sacryfice which was none other / but suche as god had coÌ„mandyd in the lawe / Ergo after youre rule they myght lawfully honour these calues referring it to god / They had also a gret Collour for them / for all the olde fathers dyd always offer to god Caluys / as Abraham with meny other which oblacyon was acceptyd of god / where fore they myght well thynke that god wolde be honouryd in the Imagis of caluys Now what thynge can you lay to theÌ„ where by you wylle proue that they honouryd their stockys and their stonys and there caluys but those same thyngys shall also be layd vnto you aÌ„d vnto youres to proue that you doo like wysse honoure youre stockis and youre stonys Fyrst you runne from place to place to seke theÌ„ which is a token that you do honoure the stocke or stone / for there haue you nothing of the saynct more thaÌ„ in an other place sauyng wonly the stocke and stone Now whan you haue founde them than praye you a fore them / And that wyth knelingis / and knokkingis / aÌ„d shakynge of youre hedis and lokinge deuoutly pituously / than kisse you their fete or theyr showis for they be seldoÌ„ bare foted lest they shuld haue the murre or couffe by the reson they be not vsed to coulde as you may se by their smokid scolioÌ„s facâ—s haÌ„dis aÌ„d fete with all the place where they stonde and wype youre napkyns and rubbe your bedes on theÌ„ aÌ„d licke theÌ„ with your tongis aÌ„d lay youre yiâ—s on theÌ„ / Than see you lighttis a fore theÌ„ / aÌ„d thaÌ„ offer you to theÌ„ Though in the M. doctour your person is nothyng gilty gret oblacyons so that they shyne in gold syluer aÌ„d preciê° stones ye and not thus coÌ„tent / but also ê“misse to vysyt that stocke wons a yere if god and the good saint send you lyâ—e and helthe cÌ„ I pray yov is note this honoringe of the stocke aÌ„d stone what did Cicero with all the romans to their stockis and stonis what dyd roboam to hys Caluis yf this be not honoryng / defyne me what honoryng ys what more exterior honour can you deuyse thaÌ„ thys ys aÌ„d yet you do say that you honour no stockis nor stonys / but wordly shame and inuincyble scrypturs haue brought you to make this damnable evasyon by cause you se men nowe waxe wysse in the lorde / by the whyche they see clearly youre false dissimulacyon and hypocryse / but yf you were the trew honorars of god as yow be secret hipocrytis / you wolde not make thys damnable evasyon to stablyshe / vpp holde and mayntayne youre Idolatry / nor yet suffer so muche as lay in you any thinge to be done that hath any collour or shaddowe of holynes that myght be an occasyon of Idolatry / but by cause you be hypocrytes and vnsacyable belly godes you care not soo yow maye disseue the sympille people and lede them with blinde shadowes there by to fylle youre offerynge boxis aÌ„d chestes to mayntayne youre vnsaciable carnall â—ppytytes how the honoure of god be sauyd / or how your pore brothers coÌ„scieÌ„s be disseued / thiÌ„k you that thys ys ynough to say that no man ys so mad nor so folyshe as to honoure the stockes and stonys / And yet to suffer and dayly a fore your yies to see / so gret exteryour honoure geueÌ„ vnto theÌ„ / That no tonge caÌ„ expresse nor hart caÌ„ deuysse more / yee yf yow wyll beleue youre subtylle Duns they geue vn to them as I shalle well prove by hys diffyncyon honour which is callyd Latria the whyche latria after youre owne lernyng ought to be geuyn to god wonly Thys saithe Duns / Latria is callyd an exteryour honouryng or a boddyly seruyce cÌ„ Now yf that be trew / yt followeth that they geue that honoure to stockes and stonys that woÌ„ly pertaynythe to god / which do any exterior honoure whether yt be offeryng of caÌ„delles or kissyng of their showys or any other thynge too them / Make yow the coÌ„clusion / for I nede nott to say that they do Idolatrye For thermore / This worde latria where with yow disseue the sympylle people is a greke worde and after S Augustyn yt sygnifithe no more but seruyce / the which yow can not deny but that you geue too youre stockis and stones / conclude now this proposicion after M. subtyll doctor Duns dyffynycioÌ„ I pray you / for I haue no lesure Thinketh your doctorhed that the childern of Israel with their hie prist AroÌ„ coulde nott haue made this pop holy excuse that they were not so mad nor so follyshe as to honour the goldeÌ„ Calfe / but rather to refere the honour to the lyuing god / they had a good collour for theÌ„ for they knewe none other god nor saint but him / yet this excuse was not lawfull nor coulde not be a lowyd whaÌ„ Moses cam with the word of god / Marke also what he was that made this Calf / not a fole nor ignoraÌ„t parson a monge the people or won off none auctoryte / But the moste wysyste eloquenste and chefe a monge them / yee he was that tyme the verye hed of the churche or congregacion Also note that intente which was to kepe the peopille to gether in good order / he also made a calfe with the which thyng alle their fathers had plesyd god in doynge sacrifice with them / so that they myght welle thynke that it myght be acceptable to god to be honouryd in the image of a calfe by fore any other image / but alle these colours be nakyd by fore the worde of god Breueli wolde yov alowe that the people shulde geue that same honour to me that they geue to youre stockes and stonis And vnder the same colloure that it shulde be in the name aÌ„d honour of god yov cane not say but I am as good as youre best stockes and stonys and if they be the Image of sayntes aÌ„d represent sayntes after youre faynynge / I am the Image of god and represeÌ„t hym so longe as I beleue in hym acordyng to the holy scripturs / And if a connyng and an artificialle grauer made them / god made me And I haue .ij. thynges a boue theÌ„ which alle youre caruers / and yov with alle youre distinccioÌ„s can not geue to youre stockes nor stonys / That is I am a liuynge creature / and youre stockes be dede I am creatyd to lyue with the euerlastinge god and youre stockes be made to the fyer I am suer yov nor no man wille alow it But there is won marvelus wonder That if the beste and most holy of alle youre new Godes ye won that dothe myracles every day were takyn out of youre hondes and sette a gayne in the caruers his makers house he shulde be no better thane a stocke or a stone / nor coulde do no myrakles ye if he wer prayd
to defend the churche from yov For more contrary than yov be / can no man be But the very truth ys / that yov doo intende to make the kyngis grace but youre hangeman thys is a shamfull name for a prynce but the shame be vn to you that are not ashamyd / to geue hym the very offyce off this name / yee and by cause you will doo nothyng but shamfullye also to mock hym / with a glorious title For you make hym but a mynister of youre myschevous tyrannye so that so oftyn as yov haue condemned any man / agenst ryght and agenst godes law / for an heretyke so oftyn must he come and receyve thys man off youre hande for yov saye wyth the Iewes / that yov maye kylle no man and so put hym to dethe / and not once denye yt / nor yet aske yov what he hath done to deserue dethe / for yov are readye to answere hym / and saye as the Iewes did If he were not an evell doar we wolde not commytt hym to youre hondes More getteth he not of you / for you be spretualle men and may kylle no man / but he is bound to doo yt by youre lawe / vnder the payne of losyng his royalme So that he is bound / to crucifye chryst so oftyn as you crye Crucifige / Crucifige Lett euery Christen prynce consyder in hys conscience / whether that the Iewes dyd not procede even on thys maner agenst Christ or no / yee that was more indyfferent than thys ys / for there Pylate was iudge / and here be they Iudgis / and princes be but seruauntes But I pray yov my lordes / where haue yov gotten thys auctorite ouer princes / to coÌ„pelle them to swere to yov in ony cause / what and if the kynge wolde be an infidell / wolde yov expel hym what can you do more bi right than lay the worde of god to him / aÌ„d the daunger of hys infydelite yov haue no auctorite to deposse hym / for Christenyd men must obey to vnfaythefulle princes / did not Christ this did not Peter thys did not Paule thys dothe not the worde of god commaunde yov thys to do saynge 1. Petri. 2 Fere God / honour youre kynge / be subiect not allonly vn to them that be good and easy / but vn to them that be evell Vvhat saye yov to these wordes how can you avoyde them how can yov auoyd the vengeaunce of god But now if yt pleasse youre grace / they wille laye to my charge / that I speke agenst the preuileges of holy churche / I will infringe the lybertyes of holy churche I answere I know no lybertyes nor preuyleges that holy churche hathe / but these that Christ hathe lefte here / Is thys libertye in his worde to do agenst christes holy worde and ordinaunce / and to folowe mens dremes Is Christes holye worde / of so lytle effecte why dyd not Christ than geue this lyberte in his worde to holy churche Did he leue that to yov to do Shewe youre commission Call yov thys a preuilege / to be agenst youre naturall prynce of the royalme / and to make him subiect vn to yov which haue no tytle of preheminence / but alonly of tyranny Than hathe holy churche gottyn a goodlye lyberte But what meane yov whan yov say / holy churche yf yow meane youre selues onlye / than the kynges grace is muche bound vn to yov / that yov do exclude his grace and al his commens out of holy churche / in to the whyche Christ hathe bought them with his most precious bloude And if yov vnderstond by holy churche the wholle congregacion / than are all Chrystenyd men aÌ„d alle there godes exemptyd from the kynges grace and vndernethe yov / So that bi this meanys yov wil make his grace a kynge with out a royalme / and he shal haue the name / and yov shal haue the auctoryte and the foolke But is thys Christes churche Is thys holy churche that is so contrary to the lorde of all holynes who hathe made her so holye why dyd she not clayme this liberte / in christes and his holy apostles dayes But now my lordis oure moste noble and gracious prynce commaundeth yov to answere / and to defende youre awne lawes / to defende youre libertyes / and to laye for yov by what tytle you do vsurpe his graces power / seynge that yow be but his subiectis He wille know by what auctorite yov do kepe any Courtes / or do execute any commaundementes with in his royalme what auctoryte yov haue to prove testamentes / and to take of euery pound a sertyn and to geue letters of mynystracion / ouer those godes / that yov neuer laboured for Vvhat tytle haue you there to The maÌ„ was not youre subiect / and how come yov by the mynistracion of his goodes Also what auctorite haue you to defende youre temporall goodes with bothe swerdes as yt is wrytten in youre lawe 15 q. 6 Auâ—toritateÌ„ 15. q. 6. Auctoritatem This is more than the kynges grace can doo / for he hathe but one swerde / and will you haue bothe But what auctoryte haue you to punysh them that stryke preastes And them that be bacbyters / and sclanderers Furthermore by what auctorite de you coÌ„maund / that preastes shal not appere before temporall iudges 23. q. 8 CoÌ„venior 33 q. 2. Inter hec As yt ys wrytten in youre lawe 23. q. 8. Conuenior in the glosse Also in a nother place 33. q. 2. Inter hec Also by what auctorite / haue yov made that princes shal make no statute as concernynge the goods of the church 23 q. 8 Conuenior in the glosse 23 q. 8 CoÌ„venior But yff ony thinge shal be geuyn vn to you / than the Emperoure and kinges haue sufficient power / but yff you shall paye any thynge to the mayntaynynge of the kynges grace and hys commen welthe / than no man hathe auctoryte wyth out youre consent Haue you not wytched the world this longe tyme But forthermore / the kyngis grace wolde knowe / by what auctorite you haue made that a preast shall not be sued afore a temporall iudge for whoredom These be the wordes of youre lawe Di. 28. c. CoÌ„sulenâ—m But vn to you that be laye men / is lefâ—e no power for to iudge off preastes / nor yet to serche ony thyng of their liuing cÌ„ My lordes maye no man iudge / of youre lyuyng but youre selues a lone not the kynges grace / who hathe geuyn yov this exempcyon who hathe geuyn you power to be iudges over bawdrie Is bawdrye a spirituall cause / Dothe bawdrye belonge to spyrituall men S. paul calleth yt the worke of the fleshe Gala. 5. and will you call yt a spirituall cause It may well be spyrytuall of youre spryte / but I am suer it is agenste the sprete of god But by thys meanys haue you
asoyled a greate doubte whereat the kynges grace and all hys noble lordes haue often mused That ys / how yt came that there was so greaâ— wherdome and bawdrye / amonge them that bâ— called spirituall men But now yt ys no wonder / for bawdry ys a spirituall cause and belongeth onlye to the iudgement of bysshops But shortly to oure purpose / The kyngis hyghnes commauÌ„deth yow straytely / to shewe hym by what auctoryte that you take causes out of his hye Court of complaynte / and to brynge them a fore yow / As who shulde saye yow wolde redresse bothe the Kynges lawe / and also the senteÌ„ce there of And not alonly that / but you wyll Master the Kynges grace and his lawe Shortlye to recyte all the iniuryes and wrongys that you doo to the Kyngys hyghnes / to all hys noble bloude and vnto all his trewe subiectis / yt were to longe a processe wherefore breuely I require you by the faith that you owe to christe Iesus / and by the othe that you haue made to the Kinges highnes if you be not dispeÌ„sed with all that you aÌ„swere to these thinges you can not denye but these thinges you do / wherefore what wyll you saie thereto / what aÌ„swere caÌ„ you make / haue you vpholdeÌ„ these thinges so loÌ„ge / haue you shamed / troubled killed so many of the Kynges trew subiectis for that thiÌ„g / which ye caÌ„ not defeÌ„de to be true aÌ„d if you haue nothinge for you / but youre awne dreamis / they wil not helpe you For they be accusyd with you And therfore / the kynges highnes if it pleased him myght laye hie tresone to youre charge / and also the abomynable cryme of heresye / whiche ys all ways in youre mouthes / yf a man speake but ageÌ„st youre olde showes what say yow to these thingis yff they be false / it is a smalle matter for yow to refelle them by holy scrypture / yf they be trewe / why geue you not place you shall well knowe that I wyll defend ernestly Godes cause aÌ„d my prynces / and that not out off myne awne hed / but out off holye scrypture / whyche I doo neyther wrynge nor wreste / but onlye declare it by the practyce off oure most gracyous Master Christ Iesus / and of all hys holy apostles Can you requyre any more It not thys suffycyent probacion Is not thys cause good Is yt not ryghtuous Is yt not to the honoure of god Notwithstondynge I am sure that I haue taken thys matter in hond with you / to my grete dauÌ„ger / yf you may haue youre wyllys / But here do I set my lyffe / and body agenste youres / to defende thys matter agenst you / yf yt wyll plesse the kinges noble grace / to geue me fre pardon and to defende me from youre vyolence / I aske no pardoÌ„ of any trespasse / that you or any dedly enymye that I haue / can proue that I haue done agenste the kynges noble grace / but that alonly I am compelled to flye youre dedly and intollerabylle vyolence But yf yt shall pleasse the kynges highnes to defend me frome youre vyolence in my ryght / I wylle dyscusse thys matter wyth you by Chrystes worde / And yf I be â—uercome / I doo not refuse dethe / and soo shall you be shortly rydde off me / And yf yow be ouercome / yt were ryght that you shulde be punysshed Not wythstondyng I wyll desyer but amendmeÌ„t wherefore Most gracious prince / Humbly aÌ„d mekely / I besech youre highnes and that in the name of oure sauioure Iesus Chryst / a fore whom you must geue an accumpte off youre dignyte / Also I requier you by youre othe / that yow haue sworne to ryght and to Iustice / ye and also by all youre honour do I humbly beseche youre grace that you wyll defende me in my right / as you wil be defended of Chryst Iesus from all youre dedly enymies ye not to defend me / but godes worde / and youre prerogatiue / So that I truste youre grace will not be dyspleased / with youre daylye bedeman / that he requireth you so ernestly / for he desireth of you nothinge but that that stondeth with godes honoure / with youre graces preheminence / and with good ryght and conscience / and also with the othe that youre grace hathe made bothe to god and man Thys wolde youre grace doo / though I dyd not requyre yt / The cause is not myne / but it is Christes veryte which wyll neyther be mocked nor yet ouercome / It is also youre prerogatyue / whiche deserueth defendynge and also audyence / Though there were no worde of god I do requyre as god shal Iudge me no wordlye promosyon thereby / but alonly the verite of Christes worde / and of chrystes ordynaunce Vvhiche thynge yf I can proue / I doubte not but youre graces conscience / wyll Iudge it right that I shulde be harde / youre grace hathe no nede of the bysshops no more than off me / but vn to Chrystes worde / youre grace ys bounde / vnder the payne of euerlastynge damnacyon / from the whych neyther the bysshops / neither all their power / neither theyr pardons / neyther heuen nor erthe can delyuer you if you be fouÌ„de a transgressor This is the veryte / lett them crake aÌ„d face / blaste blowe / Praye / Singe â— Curse / absolue / bringe in their custoÌ„s / bryng in their churche / bringe in their lawes with all their myters their crossestaues / with all theyr spiritual honoure / they can not helpe youre grace but that the daunger shal remayne to youre graces parsone / if any thinge be amisse but this youre grace knowith better than I can telle yt wherfore I wille returne agayne to the cause It is openlye proued that oure master Christ / and all hys holy apostles were subiect / bothe in bodye and goodes to teÌ„porall princes / And toke no temporall rule nor iurisdiccyon on theÌ„ wherefore I conclude / that what so euer they be that will be exempt from the teÌ„porall power / Be neyther Christes apostles / nor chrystes dyssyples / no nor yet trewe chrystened men / though they haue Chrystes and Peter and Paules name / an hundred tymes For Chrystes wordes be playne whych sayth / Matt. 20. yow doo knowe that the lordys of the gentles haue dominacyoÌ„ ouer theÌ„ but so shalle yt not be amonge yow And these wordes were spoken to the apostles and can not be avoyded by alytle dystynccyon / as the bysshops are wonte too avoyde all holly scrypture But what soo euer they saye / the practyce off oure Master Chryst and off all hys holy apostles wyll declare how they vnderstonde yt And moreouer to stope their mouthes I wyll shewe them how holy doctours vnderstode yt / Origene Ro. 13. Orygene vppon thys texte / Omnis anima / sayeth on thys maner / All maner