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 proâe 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 / aÌd 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 / aÌd 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 ⪠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 aÌd 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 ageÌst 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 coÌsyder 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 conscieÌs a fore God so fulfyllyd that it hathe no accasacioÌ ageÌst 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 aÌd not of blinde reson and saue the honoure there of / for it shall saue youre grace at your most nede Furthermore I do exhorte aÌd require wyth alle honour ye aÌd I do coÌmaÌde 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 aÌd 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 aÌd 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 couÌselle 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 daÌnable resoÌs / 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 aÌd 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 chaÌche 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 sacrameÌt 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 sacrameÌt in both kindes is taken a waye Forthermore / if you will a voyde all perrelles thaÌ may you geue this sacrameÌt 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 aÌd gretly more Iuperdye to geue the puer body of christ Iesê° in to a foull soule thaÌ that a drope of blude by negligeÌs shuld faull on the ground / for there fallith but a drope here is the wholle boddy in a foullare place than the grouÌde is Also that may be avoyded with good dylygeÌce aÌd wisduÌ of the prist / but that the sacrameÌt shal all wais be reseuid in to a puer coÌscieÌs there is no diligeÌce of the prist that caÌ make it How think you now now is all the wholl sacrameÌt 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 aÌd holy couÌselles 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 meÌcyon 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 argumeÌtes 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
cause of my condemnacion / for this was allwaies layd to me a fore the vice chauncelar before whom they haÌdelyd this matter secretly in the commen scolys the dorys loked and in the vicehaunchelars chaÌber 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 aÌd 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 / aÌd 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 whitsoÌsuÌday 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 asseÌded 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 coÌdeÌne 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 / aÌd wyste not what to say they were loth to condemne my lorde Cardinals grace / seynge he was so holye a prelate of christes church / aÌd 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 ageÌst the worde of god As it is for an harlote of the stuys to lyue in opeÌ whordom which is ageÌst 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 â19 cÌ Here. s Hierom saythe the selfe word that I spake aÌd 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 commaundemeÌtes 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
saye to this text S. Ambrose declarith it on this maner They are iustified frely / for thei doyng nothyng nor nothyng deseruyng / aloÌly by faithe are iustifyed by the gifte of god cÌ here you not / that meÌ 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 aÌd therfore wolde yov crye / For. Sola Sola Sola only / only / only Here haue yov hym / aÌd to helpe hym yov haue also gratis that is frely / aÌd also dono deâ that is by the gyfte of god / and nihil operaÌtes 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 coÌseruyng iustificacion the workis of the law / helpe nothyng cÌ 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 IustificacioÌ / 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 thaÌ 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 aÌd 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 aÌd of that Paule beryth hym wytnes breuely he bryngith in for hym suche a Iue that no maÌ caÌ coÌplaine 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 aÌd 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 IustificacioÌ 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 caÌ 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 IustificacioÌ / 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 maÌ / is faythe couÌtyd for rightwysnes How thynke you bi these wordis be they not opynly ageÌst 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 aÌd 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 aÌd thynke another in youre hartis for god serchith the
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 aÌd 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 / aÌd 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° ââ Sent. di 3 q. 3 But after youre awne lernyng / that same sciens which must proue the principylles of other scieÌces 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 aÌd 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 coÌpelled 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 withstoÌdinge 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 â Finis ¶ Mens constitucions which be not grounded in scripture bynde not the consciens of man vnder the payne of dedly synne â 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