of grace an other our lady of pytye an other our lady of comforte or succour the holy rode of suche a place and suche a place These meanes maketh the people to esteme these images of great holynes and vertue and that they may do moche for them and that some images of our lady prayth to our lady of heuen for her petitioners suche is the simplenes of many simple people ¶ As touchynge images to be in the churche I was neuer of other opinion but I thought it were commendable expedient to haue them to bryng vs in remembrance of the vertuousnes and holynes of the holy sayntes that we may take example of them to folowe theyr godlynes and holy vertues as to folowe theym in fayth in hope in charitie in makenes in lowlynes in pacience in sufferynge iniuryes and wronges in cōtemnyng the worlde the vayne pleasures therof in lokyng for the lyfe ioye blysse to come After this facion scripture teacheth vsto remembre holy sayntes in many places as s Paul sheweth Heb. xiii Remēber you thē whiche hath had rule ouer you whiche hath spoken the worde of god vnto you whose fayth you do folowe remembrynge what was the ende of theyr good cōuersation So saynt Peter i. Pet. iii. bringes in Saray for an example that women shulde be obediēt to theyr husbandes please theyr husbandes and haue theyr husbandes in reuerence as Saray had Abraham in honour and reuerence Saynt Peter brynges the exāple of Saray to teache other women to folow the example of Saray so be images set vp in the churches to put vs in remembrance of the vertuousnes of the saynctes that we shulde take example to folowe them in goodnes and vertuousnes to stere vp our dull hartes and slowfull myndes to god to goodnes was images set vp in the churche and not for honour nor worshyp that shulde be done to the image whiche is but a thynge made of wode or of stoue or other suche like matter and no more holyer then is the matter it was made on Of these you may gather the good vse of images To those that was called and in god the father sanctified and by Iesus Chryst preserued Here it is shewed to whom this pistell was dedicate and sent that is to saye to all men and women renewed by the bloode of Christe whom Iesus Christ hath called of his only mercy grace and not of the merytes werkes and deseruynges of men Fyrst he called them then he dyd sanctifye them Here be two thynges to be noted first that Iesus Christe calleth whome be wylleth seconde those that he calleth he sanctifyeth them he calleth men to hym of his onely mercy not of theyr merites nor yet of their worthynes of theyr workes God calleth somtyme in wardly by inwarde inspiration as he dyd call saynt Paule Actorum ix and many other prophetes Somtymes he calleth in wardly in that hart outwardly by preaching of that gospel to the which they gyue credence that be called Chryst calleth not after the pleasure of man but after the wyll pleasure of god when god wyll not when man willeth whom god pleaseth to call not whom man iudgeth worthy to be called nor yet when mā thynkes mete to be called but when god thynkes and knoweth men apte and redy to come when they be called By the whiche sayinge many reasons be taken away of the callynge after the wyll of man by the merites of men and when men iudgeth men to be apte and redy to the herynge of the gospel and wyll gyue credence to it And although god onely doth call when he wil without any indeuering or worke of man yet oftimes for the most parte he vseth certayne meanes as by prechynge of the gospell and by herynge of it preached as he gyueth other gyftes by meanes as lernynge by study ryches by labour wysedome by experiēce fayth by the gospell preached so he calleth men to hym by preachynge of goddes worde whiche they beleue that be called and after it doth lyue a lyfe pure and clene in all innocency of lyuynge God knoweth who be his and those he calleth to hym in tyme prefixed and whan he knoweth theym moost apte to folowe theyr callynge Here you may se the cause why god wolde not haue his gospell at the fyrst preached to the iewes to the gentyles that in all tymes it was because he dyd se thē then not apt to receyue it nor yet apte to beleue it therfore that they shuld auoyde more payn god dyd hyde frō them his gospell when he dyd se them apt to receyue beleue the gospell he made the gospell to be preached to the gētyles they beleued it was saued as many as was ordeyned to life The order that god vseth moost comonly to theym that shall be saued it may here be gathered of the apostell Iude. Fyrst he sayth they be called secondly they be sanctified in god the father thyrdly they be saued by Iesus Christ through his worde obedience to do these thynges gladly frely that the worde of god teacheth them This thyng saynt Iohn̄ testifieth Ioh. xvii saying Father I haue shewed thy name to men whom thou hast gyuen to me of the worlde they were thyne to me thou hast gyuen them they haue kept thy worde Now truly they haue knowen that al thinges whiche thou hast gyuen to me was of the for the wordes whiche thou dyd gyue me I dyd gyue to them and they haue receyued them they haue knowen truely that from the I haue gone and tha◠thou sent me Here we may lerne the meane whiche God vseth towardes them that shal be saued although god only saue vs by hym selfe by Iesus Christe and of his mere mercye and grace yet he vseth a meane wherby he bryngeth men to saluacyon that is to saye by the worde of God preached and giuyng credence toyc workyng after it wherfore yf the worde of God be not preached nor had amonge vs it is a greate token that we be not in the fauoure of God nor of his elected people to saluacyon Also yf we in oure selues do perceyue no desyre no loue to the worde of God but not regard it esteme it at lytell valu thinke other thynges more precyouse then it or thynke it folyshnes or as a vayne thynge Then it is a token that these that thynke so they be none of the people of God nor yet in the fauoure of god as longe as they shall thynke so of these tokennes and sygnes euerye one in hym selfe maye sone perceyue whether he is in the fauoure of god or no. In that he hath a desyre or a loue to goddes worde to heare it to rede it beleue it to worke after it to esteme it aboue all worldely thynges c. Mercy be to you and peas / and charyte maye be multiplyed In this salutacyon what thynge Saincte Iude
to other or any maner of iniurye or wronge in worde or in dede It was nedeful for me to write vnto you As who shulde saye I se it is so necessary for you that I coulde not refrayne but I must nedes wryte vnto you my charite so compelleth me perceyuynge it to be moche for your profyte to exhorte you to go forwarde in that true faythe receyued and to profyte in the same and to encrease it dayly more more And that you shuld not shrynke one heare brede from that true faythe whiche you haue receyued and which was gyuen vnto the saynctes of god by preachynge of the gospell as saynt Paule sayth RomÌ„ x. Fayth coÌ„meth of herynge herynge veryly by the worde of god He exhorteth them that they shulde continually labour in the fayth or be helpers to the fayth as Erasmus traÌ„slation hath whiche was ones gyuen to saynctes Here be two thynges to be noted for oure lernynge One is that he desyreth theym to be helpers of the faythe to the whiche men be helpers after this phrase of scripture whan they suffer not the fayth receyued to be weyke feble or inconstant to be oppressed with desyres or affections of the flesshe or of the worlde by the crafte or suttyltye of false prophetes to be brought a waye from it led in to a false belefe by false doctors whom the deuyll doth vse as his ministers to deceyue the symple people vn lerned Also scripture vseth to cal men helpers of the fayth when men do diligeÌ„tly watche that they be not deceyued by the deuyll nor by none of his ministers when they do labour with all force to make theyr fayth sure and stronge douttynge or haltynge in no part but by al meanes studyeth euery day to make their faith more stroÌ„ger stroÌ„ger by al maner of good warkes The other thynge that was here to be noted is that we shulde knowe fayth to be gyuen from aboue for he desireth them to be helpers to the sayth which was gyuen ones to sayntes Fayth is the worke of god it coÌ„meth of god as saynt IohnÌ„ sayth this is the warke of god that you shulde beleue in hym Saynt Paule wytnesseth the same sayinge Philip. i. Not onely it is gyuen to you that you shulde beleue in god but also that you shulde suffer for his sake Of these two places of scripture it is euident sayntes lyuynge or deed not to haue had fayth of them selfes or of theyr owne myght power but to haue receyued it of god which gyueth fayth to whom he wil when he wil although saint Paul saith faith to com of the heryng of the word of god which worde although many may here it yet no man shall beleue but he to whom god gyueth fayth and in whom god warketh fayth and beleue For there are certayne craftely crepte in / of whiche it was writen a fore tyme vnto such iudgement they are vngodly turne the grace of our lorde god vnto wantonnes and denye god the onely lorde and our lorde Iesus Chryste The apostel more at large sheweth the cause of his admonition whiche is to monyshe them that they shuld arme them selfes with sure armure defence to defende them agaynst false ê“phetes and that they shulde in any wyse take hede of them lest by the craft falshere of pseudapostels they shulde be deceyued alienated from the way of truth and from syncere doctryne of the gospel What maner of men were these pseudapostels false doctours in the seconde pistel of Peter ca. ii it is shewed more abundaÌ„tly And also here after shall be god wyllynge more playnly declared how they haue come in Iude here doth partly shew saying they haue craftely crepte in not playnly preachynge the gospel of god but darkly colouryng it with great pretence of holines mixting mans doctryne with gods word teachyng mans doctryne mans traditions dremes fantasyes of men in the stede of gods worde wyllynge perswadyng as great fayth as great authorite to be gyuen to the traditions writinges of men as to gods wordes gods holy pÌ„ceptes but these be euyll false doctors of god deputed to iudgement that they shuld suffer paynes vn to the day of iudgement and after that day that they shulde suffer more greuous paynes in body soule togyder seinge that now they suffer paynes punysh meÌ„tes only in the soule after the mynde of the doctors shal suffer in the soule only paynes to the day of iudgemeÌ„t after the daye of iudgement shall then suffer paynes and turmentes bothe in body soule as the doctors doth say They are vngodly and tourne the grace of our lorde god vnto wantonnes They be so vngodly so vngracious that they turne al that we haue of god and of his grace to fulfyll and satisfye theyr pleasures pluckyng to them selues hasty destruction eternall deth they are so euyll myscheuous full of all vnhappynes that they turne the free benefyte of god grace by the whiche Christ hath delyuered vs from synne deth hell deuyll and eternal dampnation and made vs innoceÌ„tes and free from all captiuitie of synne and set vs in innocency holynes whiche thing shuld moue vs to kepe innocency holynes they turne this libertie of the spiryte wherby men be set to do all good thynges and no euyll to do only those thynges to the whiche the spirite of god moueth and exhorteth These vngodly turne this liberty in to a carnall liberty in occation liberty to synne gyueth them selfe holly to wantonnes so lasciuiousnes to vnclenlines to bawdry to fornication to adultery other many vices synnes nor yet they are not so coÌ„tent but they denye their maister whiche hath redemed them by his precious blode they denye their maister not openly before al men playnly but secretely in corners crafâ—ely they denye theyr maister But when denye they thus theyr maister priuely and secretly Truly when they ascribe their iustification forgyuenes of synnes to any creature or to any warke by the might and power of the warke to any indulgence or pardon to masses ad scala celi to holy beades to kyssynge of images suche lyke and not to Christ Iesus and to his bloode shedde for vs to optayne vs remission of synne by whose bloode onely we were wasshed vs in from our synnes as saynt IohnÌ„ sayth Apoc. 1. He hath washed vs iÌ„ his blode from our synnes They denye the lord whiche ascrybeth remission of synnes to any other thynge then to Chryste his blode whiche thyng false ê“phetes dothe denyenge theyr mayster They turne the grace of god to wantonnes As who shulde say they were called and redemed with the precious bloode of Christe Iesus that they shulde lyue in all innocency puritie of life in all holynes godlynes But they be traÌ„slated turned froÌ„ all innocency puritie of lyfe turned to all maliciousnes wantonnes fylthines They
these thynges for which they curse speke euyll that is to say that they do not vnderstande a iust cause of their cursyng And not only men Iude sayth they curse but also other thyngê which they do not knowe that they curse and speke euyll of as of doctryne wrytyngê whiche they neuer red nor herd ye of suche doctrine as agreeth with Christis doctryne lernyng of the apostils but these pseudapostils speke euil of it whiche they knowe not nor yet can gyue iudgemeÌ„t of it for as moche as they neuer red it nor herd it red Amongê these men there be some so ignorant of gods doctryne that they haue wyshed desyred hartely of god saynt Paules pistels yea the newe testameÌ„t to be brent saying all errours heresies to come out of saiÌ„t Paules pistels the newe testament suche shamefull wordes detestable hath some doctors spoken whiche wolde haue ben counted for lerned men doctors in their sciences but as blynde as betils in gods lawe and ignorant in goddes worde and yet they were benefyced men rulers ordynaryes and heades of other ye of a hole couÌ„trey O mercyful lorde what were the membres when suche blynde beyardes were heades ordynaryes howe was the people of god fedde with goddes worde when the heade wolde haue had goddes worde brente Nothynge is more to the hurt and destruction of many soules in this realme then is to haue one to be officiall comysarye and ordynarye vnder the bysshop that is ignorant in gods lawe and goddes worde howe wyll he preache and teache hym selfe what example wyll he gyue to other what persons what viccars wyll he make of Trewly suche as he is hym selfe ignorant in goddes lawe and suche as be lerned he wyll hate and despise and they that wolde teache their flocke and feade with the holsome worde of god these he wyll call heretykes and accuse them of heresye and impryson them Examples to many we haue in this realme I praye god amende it when his plesure is Suche shamefull wordes hath doctors in their facultye as they call it spoken desyrynge to haue had Sayncte Paules pystels ye the newe testament brente Of theyr sayinges they haue ben nothing ashamed nor yet of theyr ignoraunce nor blyndenes but taken for ryght worshypfull men postes and pyllers of Christis churche these ignoraunt and blynde heades rulers of other howe coulde they preache goddes worde beynge thus affected howe coulde they fauour those that preached gods worde trewly and syncerely Trewly they coulde not this is the cause that trew preachcers of goddes worde in this realme be so euyll spoken on as they be because they exhorte al beneficed men to do theyr dewtye to preache goddes worde to feade theyr flocke with the doctryne of god that they myght saue theyr soules in the daye of the lorde But a great part of beneficed men no thyng regarde theyr dewty coÌ„mauÌ„ded them of god nor the exhortation of the preachers that is to feade theyr flocke with goddes worde but neglygently despyseth that office and wyll neyther feade his flocke hym selfe nor yet se or prouyde that they be fedde by other that can do it yea they wyll speke euyll of suche as preache goddes worde purely and sincerely make them to be endited of heresye whiche preache goddes worde purely which do feade the people of god trewly with gods worde suche is the affections of many persons viâ—ars and curates suche is theyr ignoraÌ„ce suche is their blyndnes god send them the lyght of his worde that they may se it and vse it to the helth of them and theyr flocke Many there be that peraduenture thynketh it is ynough they do the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of theyr ordynary so that they neuer preche nor fede their flocke with gods worde whiche men deceyueth them selues yf they so thynke for this wyll not excuse theym before the hye iudge at the day of iudgement as is euident Ezech. iii. xxxiiii xxxiii pri Corinth ix Wo be to me sayth saynct Paule yf I preache not Iude here speaketh in the neutre gendre sayinge that they dyd speke euyll of these thynges whiche they dyd not knowe by the whiche he vnderstandethe many thynges Here we may se what euyll it is to curse those thynges that men do not knowe or that they haue neyther herde nor redde To suche men saynt Ierome gyueth a good counsell in a pystell before Esaie the prophete He willeth that men shuld fyrst reade and then despyse least they maye he thought not of a trewe iudgemente or knowlege but of a presumption of hatred to condempne those thynges they knowe not yf men wolde folowe here saincte Hieromes counsell they wolde not be so redy to condempne as they be whiche as beestes without reason they corrupte them selues Iude here sayth they corrupte them selues naturally as brute beestes with oute reason as who shulde saye they lyue in welth and pleasure and in satisfyenge the desyre of their fleshe they passe brute beestes whiche be without reason whiche lyue after their nature but these in the fylthynes of their flesh they kepe not her measure nor meane all together giuen vnto pleasure of eatinge and drinkynge and to satisfy the other pleasures of the body wherfore they be worse then brute bestes which lyue after their nature wo be vnto them / for they haue folowed the way of Cayne Here Iude noâ—eth these pseudeapostels to be full of enuy as Cayne was towardes his brother Abell whome he kylled Cayn enuyed his brother abell because his brothers sacrifyce was better or more iust then his Genesis iiii and therfore he dyd kyll him So there be many that foloweth the waye of Cain whiche can not beare that other men and other mennes workes shulde be preferred before theym or they re workes Here is to be noted fyrst Cayn an euell man to haue enuyed his brother Abel a good man Secondly Cayne of enuy to haue persecuted his brother be cause his brother was better then he and his brothers workes preferred before hys Thyrdely that it greueth euell men other man or other mennes workes or oblacyons to be preferred before theym Fourthely that two brethren of one man and of one woman the one to haue bene good and the other euell Fyftely one brother to haue kylled an other of malice enuy and hatred Syxtely learne enuy and hatred to bryng murdoure and man slaughter at the ende Seuently learne that euell men allwayes enuyeth good men persecuteth theym with mortall hatred without a cause and at the laste kylleth theym And that this thynge is no newe thynge here you maye see of Cayn and Abell Many there is that entre the way of Cayn and foloweth his foote steppes in his enuy and malyce drowned and these be called Caynys Many there be nowe a dayes Caynys that enuyeth the true preachers of the Gospell but these shall haue a rewarde with Cayn to whom the apostell doth threate wo that is to saye euerlastynge woo and