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
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
☞ A supplicatyon made by Robert Barnes doctoure in diuinite / vnto the most excellent and redoubted prince kinge henrye the eyght ¶ The articles for which this forsayde doctoure Barnes was condemned of oure spiritualtye / are confirmed by the scripture / doctoures and their awne lawe ☞ After that he disputeth certayne comen places which also he confermeth with the scripture / holye doctoures and their awne lawe ☜ The comen places which he disputeth are these 1 The first is / that Alonlye faith iustefyeth before god 2 The secoÌ„de / what the church is and who be the rof / and where by men may knowe her 3 The thirde / what the kayes of the church be to whom they were geuen 4 The fourth is / that the frewill of man after the faulle of Adam / of his naturall strength can do nothinge but sinne 5 The fifte is / that it is lawfull for all maner of men to reade holye scripture 6 The sixte is / that mennes constitucions which be not grounded in scripture binde not the conscience of maÌ„ vnder the payne of deedlye sinne 7 The seventh is / that al maner of christened meÌ„ / both spirituall and temporall are bounde when they wil be howseled to receyve the sacrament in both kindes vnder the payne of deedlye synne 8 The eight proueth that it is agenst scripture to honoure images and to praye to sayntes Grace and peace from God the father of oure sauiour Iesus Christ be with youre most noble and excellent grace for euer Amen IN most humble wise complayneth vn to youre grace youre coÌ„tinuall Orator Robart Barnes / of the intollerable iniuries / wronges and oppressions where wyth the bisshoppes of youre royalme vexe and haue vexed / contrary vn to the worde of god and their awne lawes and doctours / not onlye me but also all true preachers aÌ„d professours of the same / as they did in condemnynge me for an heretyke whiche thinge they were not able to proue by the scripture of god / nor yet shall not / yff it wold please youre grace indifferently accordinge to the office wher in god hath sette you to here the small as well as the great and to susteyne youre pore orator ageÌ„st their violence and strength God I take to recorde that I am ryght sorye to make this complaynte vnto youre grace agenst them / yf I coulde coniecture any other meane to cause them to redresse their intollerable oppressions / where with they dayly oppresse youre pore and true subiectis / so sore and so violently that wyth out doute yf youre grace se not shortly a remedy god must nedys punish For I doo not beleue that euer he will suffer longe so great tyrannye agenst his worde so abhominable liuing as they liue / and that in the name of Christ and his holy churche / verely we do not reade in any memoryes that oure fathers haue lefte vs / that euer the people were vnder so greate tyrauny as now youre pore subiectis be vn to them It ys so farre come that what so euer he be / hye or lowe / poore or ryche / wyse or folish that speakyth agenste theyr hypocrysy which they calle holynes AmbicioÌ„ / pryde dignite which they calle honoure of the church or vycious liuyng whych caÌ„ not be cloked he ys eyther made a traytour vn to youre grace or an heretyke agenst holy church / as though they were kynges or God This may youre moste exceâ— grace perfytly knowe if you calle to rememâ—â—auÌ„ce those men that they haue had to do with â—s it not a maruelous courte that they haue these was neuer man accused afore them of heresy were he lerned or not lerned but they founde hym giltye ys not that a maruelous courte that neuer hath innocentes what courte within youre realme maye saye this agayne aÌ„d yf any man speake of gods lawe and right coÌ„science agenst thys damnable tyranny / lyttle wyll they stycke to make hym as heretyke And yf that wylle not helpe to coloure aÌ„d mayntayne theyr oppressyon than adde they â—asone agenst youre grace though he be neuer so trewe a subiect and all vnlykly to make ony resystaunce or to thynke any evyll vn to youre grace notwythstandinge they wyll not be a shamed to laye vn to hys charge that he wolde make an insurreccion in youre londe Nowe yf yt please youre grace lett vs consyder to what ende thys vncheritable and vnryghtuous accusacion of the bysshoppes is inuentyd Fyrst if there be any man that preach / dyspute / or put forth in writtinge any thynge not tow chynge them / though yt be neuer so blasphemous agenst god and hys worde / they wyll not ones be moued therewith the examples therof are so playne that yt nedeth no proufe youre grace maye se what blasphemous rubrykes they alowe agenst the bloude off chryst / what shamfull and abhominable pardons they tollerate and admytte / what disputatyons they do maynteyne to proue the pope a god and noo man as theyr conclusyons and questyons be playne in theyr awne lawes That the pope ys nother a god nor a man And that the pope ys no man / And whether the pope cane syn or not and that no man may condemne the pope though he bringe innumerable soules to helle by hys occassyon Agayne let any man but ones speake agenst theyr cloked ypocrysye / or neuer so lytle a thynge that longeth too them whych shulde hyndre theyr abhomynacyons and there can no scripture / no place / no mastershyp nor excuse in the world saue / but they must eyther to open shame or cruell deeth So that yt ys playne that theyr cruelnes serueth to no nother ende / but as they shuld saye yf that ony man wyll take in hond too preache the veryte / and the true goospell off theyr Master Chryst purely wherby those thyngys that we take on vs / that ys oure honour oure dygnyte / oure worldly promosyon / oure dylycyous lyuynge / oure gorgyous aparele / oure sumptuous palases / breuely all thynge that we vse to oure pastyme and pleasure shall be manyfest too euery man / that we doo yt contrary to the worde off god Soo that they shall knowe opynly by manyfest scryptures oure fâ—yned hypocrysy / and that we ought not to be lordes of the parlament / nor to haue no place of worldly honour amonge the people nor to haue dominion ouer them / nor that any thynge shuld be orderyd after oure wyl but onlye aâ—ter the worde of god / nor that we shuld medyll in ony causes but alonly in reding and preachinge of the worde of god / wyth greate studye diligence and labour / yee and thereof be coÌ„tent to haue but a pore lyuing / yee and so pore that we shall be constrayned oft tymis both to hunger / to thrust and to suffer greate colde / as Christ and his appostles were Nowe rather than this shulde come to passe we had lever
gather oure strength to gether aÌ„d oppresse by violence as many as wyll holde wyth this lerning be he kynge / duke / lorde / Barone / Knight / MaÌ„ / woman / or childe So that they / yf it plese youre grace / go aboute to make the insurrexion to the mayntaynyng of their worldly pompe and pryde / and not the trew preacher for he intendith to mayntayne nothinge but the worde of god and that with suffering persecucion as the nature of the worde ys and not wyth persecuting / and ys also neyther able nor likly nor wylling yf he might to make any resurrexion ageÌ„st youre grace / for he maketh no striuinge yf he be the trew preacher of god nor fyghtynge for this worlde / but sufferith the childern of the world to enioye these worldly thynges / and intendeth alonly to bring in to light the most glorious and heuenly worde of god / but that wyll not the bisshops the childern of the world suffer / whych had rather seke and proue all the crafte suttilty and falshode that they can invent / than these thingis shuld by the worde of God come to lyght / so that they wylle make the insurrexion / and not the preacher Notwythstondyng they ar not a shamed / thus falsly to lay it to the preachers charge / and all by cause they wolde make youre grace to mayntaine ther maylyciousnes So that vnder the pretence of treason / they might execute the tyraÌ„nye of their hartis on lye For who ys that that wolde be a traytoure / or mayntaine a traytoure / agenste youre moste excelent and noble grace I thynk no man / yeâ— and I knowe suerly that no man can doo yt / wyth out the great dyspleasure of the eternalle god For. S. Paule commaundeth straytely vnto alle chrysten / to be obedient in all thynges vn to their princes / saynge on this maner / Rom. 13 Lett euery man submytte him selfe to the auctorite off the hye power For who so euer resystyth the power / resystyth the ordynaunce off god / they that resyste shall receyve to them selues daÌ„nacyon Also S. Peter confermyth thys / 1. Pet. 2. saynge Submytte youre selues vn to all maner ordinaunce off maÌ„ for the lordes sake / whether yt be vn to the kyng / as vnto the cheffe hed / eyther vn to dukes as vn to theÌ„ that are sent off hym for the punishment of evell doars / but to the prayse of them that do welle Here most noble prynce no man is except from the subieccyon of youre most excellent powre / neyther the bisshops / nor yet no nother man Not wyth stondyng yff they were so trewe in dede as they pretend in worde / Thys gospelle shulde they preache them selfe faythefully / puerly / and syncerelye to the people / as Paulle commaundeth Titus / and in hym alle bysshops in these wordes Vvarne them sayth he that they submytte them selues to prynces and to powers / and to obeye the offycers Thys are they commaunded not allonly to obserue them selues / but also to teache the people to obey theyr prynces whyche thynge yff they dyd faythefully in dede / as they dyssemble in worde / than they wolde not make so holy marters of them / that haue dyed agenst the liberte of prynces / in defendyng of their glorie / as they haue done Vve haue many that be made sayntes for rebellinge agenst prynces / for defendyng of theyr fayned spirituall lyberte though yt were in sauing a theuysh preaste froÌ„ the gallous / whyche had deserued dethe / ye and for defendynge of their temporall possessyons / and that preastes shulde be fre / aÌ„d all their goodes / not bounde to paye trybute For these artycles haue they made many holy sayntes / but whaÌ„ made they one for defendinge of gods worde and the kyngys prerogatiue / whiche ys alowed by godes word Neuer one in all their liues nor neuer wyll where fore youre grace may se and perceaue / that they be but dyssemblers and hypocrytis / aÌ„d nether trewe in worde nor dede For yf they were / youre grace shulde haue more auctoryte than you haue in youre realme / aÌ„d they shulde haue lesse in the worlde and more in the worde / but they neyther teache it theÌ„ selues / nor suffer with their wille other men to teache it For if any maÌ„ take in honde to teache the people / that there is no teÌ„poral power with in the realme but in youre hoÌ„de alloÌ„ly / anon they are ready to accuse hiÌ„ of heresie / by cause he speketh ageÌ„st the libertyes of holie churche / and they wil lay to his charge the lawes as they cal theÌ„ of the churche / whiche be none other / but dreamis of their owne inueÌ„cioÌ„ / made ageÌ„ste gods lawe his holy ordinauÌ„ces / cotrarie to the prerogatâ—ue of alle noble princes This will I proue by / lawe that they haue / 15. Q. 6. Alius iteÌ„ whose wordes be these zacharias did deposse the kinge of frauÌ„ce / not alloÌ„ly for his iniquite / but also by cause he was vnprofytable for so greate a power and set in his stede PipinuÌ„ the Emperours father / did asoille alle frauÌ„ce of their othe alegiauÌ„ce / that they had made vnto the olde king / the whiche thing / the holy churche of rome dothe oft timis / by her auctorite How think youre grace by this law is this their obedieÌ„ce that they will shewe / also lerne other meÌ„ to be trewe subiectes to their prince / aÌ„d they be first rebellious traitours / yet wil they accuse al other men of treason I wolde knowe ofâ— them all / who hath deposed anye kynge sythe Chrystes passion sauinge they onlye who wyll be kynges fellowes / ye and coÌ„trollars / sauynge they only A cast of Antichrist ys not this a subtyle crafte of Antychrist / to warne other men off heretykes and of traytours / aÌ„d in the meane ceasone while meÌ„ stoÌ„de lokynge for traytours / cometh he in and playth the parte of an open traytoure / sauyng onlye that he coloureth his name / and calleth him selfe / a trewe subiect / is readie to accuse other men of treason / that he myght escape him selfe / but he is suer / that he will neuer accuse none of them / that speake agenst the auctoryte of prynces / and geue to him full auctorite / But yf any man / doo begynne but to open hys mouth / for to declare that he hathe no teÌ„porall power / thaÌ„ rageth he / aÌ„d cryeth out treason treason But let vs returne to their lawe / aÌ„d se how they caÌ„ proue it by gods worde / aÌ„d how it stoÌ„deth with their trewe subieccioÌ„ / Is this resonable / that the pope / aÌ„d they being by gods lawe but subiectis shall deposse a king Vvhat exaÌ„ple haue they of oure master Christ / or of any of his apostles what scripture haue
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
quis abstulerit cÌ„ noÌ„ est precipientis sed exhortantis But I dare say that Doctour steueÌ„ knewe that this was but a smal euasyon and of none auctorite / and therfore he wolde shewe me no more of the lawe for it followeth / what so euer he be that doth not obey the commandemeÌ„t ys gytly and worthy of payne for yt ys synne not to obey to the commandement off god 14. Q. 1. quisquis cÌ„ These be Saynt Austaynes wordes in their awne lawe / Now lett euerye châ—stened man iudge whether that the contrary wordes be of sufficieÌ„t auctoryte to resel the holy wordes of scrypture or no / if they avoyde scrypture yet caÌ„ they not auoyd holy doctours thou which by their awne law be of greter auctorite in expouÌ„ding scripture thaÌ„ the pope is but thaÌ„ caÌ„ doctor wolmaÌ„ / he brought thys text / if thy brother do offeÌ„d that thaÌ„ tel the church / what is that sayd he tel the churche / to whoÌ„ I answered that this place made not for suynge at the lawe aleging S. Augustine for me / for it speketh of the crymys that shulde be repreuyd by the congregacion / and not of the correccion of the temporalle swerde / For yt foloweth if he heare not the churche / counte hym as an hethyn and as a publycane / this is the vtter most payne that oure master Christ assigneth there / the which is no payne of the temporal lawe / but at this answere was he movyd and sayd if I dyd abyde by yt I shulde be burnte / this was a sherpe sentence of so great a man as he ys / but and if he had byn halfe so welle lernid in scripture as he ys greate / he wolde haue geuyn a more cheritable sentence But Apelles was a Ioly wisse fellow that sayd once to a shomaker / Ne sutor vltra crepidaÌ„ It is not an C. yere a goo syns that same Master doctour was butler in that same house where off I was master aÌ„d prior / and now to geue suche a strayte sentence this is a soddyn mutacion But here is it playne that I haue spokyn neuer a worde but that holy scriptur / holy doctours and their awne lawe saye the same / bothe in sentence and in wordes wherfore I can not se how they can condemne this article / for herysy / and I dare say for them that they rekkyn it none heresy / but peradveÌ„tur they vnderstond it not nor they dyd not condemne me for this artycle But here after folowe the heresys The .6 Article I wille neuer beleue nor I can neuer beleue that one man may be by the lawe off God a bysshop of .ij. or .iii. Cyttys ye of an holle contry / Titum 1. for yt is contrary to S. Paule whyche saythe / I haue lefte the be hynde to set in everye citye a bysshop And if yov fynde in one place of scripture that they be callid Epyscopi / thov shalt fynd in dyuers other places that they be callid contrary wyse presbiteri I was brought a fore my lorde cardynalle in to his galary and there he red al myne artycles tyl he came to this and there he stoppyd and sayd that this touchyd him and ther fore he askyd me if I thought it wronge that one bysshop shulde haue so meny Cyttys vndernethe hym / vn to whom I answeryd that I coulde no forther goo / than S. Paules text which set in euerye Cytty a bysshop Than askyd he me yf I thought yt now vnryght seyng the ordinaunce of the churche that one bysshop shulde haue so meny Cyttis I answeryd that I knew none ordinance of the churche as concerninge thys thynge but. S. paulys saynge only neuer the lesse I dyd see a contrary custom and practyce in the worlde / but I know nor the orygynalle there of / than sayd he that in the apostles tyme there were dyuers Citys somme seuen myle some sixe myle longe and ouer them was there sett but one bysshop and of their subbarbis so lykewyse now a bisshop hath but one Cytie to his Cathedrall churche and the coÌ„try aboute yt was as subbarbis vn to it My thought this was farfetchyd / but I durste not deny yt by cause it was of so great auctoryte / but thys dare I say that his holynes can neyther proue it by scriptur not yet by any auctory of doctours nor yet by any practyce of the apostles / Athanasiê° but let vs see what the doctours say to myne article / Athenasyus dothe declare this texte of the apostill / I haue lefte the by hynde cÌ„ He wold not committ vn to one bysshop a whole ylde / but he dyd enioyne that euery citty shulde haue his propre pastor supposing that be thys meanys they shulde more diligently over see that people aÌ„d also that the labour shulde be more easye to bere cÌ„ ChrisostoÌ„ Also Chrisostom on that same texte / He wolde not that a wholle contre shulde be permyttyd vn to one man / but he enioyned vn to every maÌ„ his cure by that menys he knew that the labour shulde be more easy and the subiectis shulde be with more dyligence governydde yf the teachers were not distract with the gouernyng of meny churchys but had cure and charge of one churche only cÌ„ My thynketh these be playne wordes and able to moue a man to speke as muche as I dyde / but graunte that you may haue alle these cytis yet can yov make it none heresy / for my lorde cardynalle graunteth that it is but agenst him aÌ„d agenst yov which be no godes / but I must be an heretyke there is no remedy yov wille haue yt so / and who ys abille to say nay not alle scrypture The .7 Article IT can not be provyd by scripture that a man of the churche shulde haue so greate temporal possessyoÌ„s / but they wille say if they had not so great possessions / they could not kepe so many seruantis / so many dogges / so meny horsses as .xl. or .l. and mayntane so great pompe and pryde and lyve so diliciously what heresy fynd you in this is it heresy to speke agenst youre horsses and youre houndes aÌ„d youre abhominabille lyuynge and douteles I did not say but that you myght haue possessyons but alloÌ„ly I spake agenste the superfluousnes and the abuse of them / but I pray you how caÌ„ yov proue it by scripture / that a man in as muche as he is a bysshop must haue temporall possessyons I am in the negatyue prove yov yovre affirmatyue this am I suer of that chrisostome saythe / A bysshop ought to have nothiÌ„g but meate and dryncke and clothe / I wille bringe no scripturs for you regarde them not Ad Tymo c. 5. The .8 Article SVer Iam that they cannot by the law off god / haue no iurisdiccion secular and yet they chalynge bothe powrys which if they
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
hathe alonly dyed for vs. The lambe hathe alonly shed his bloude for vs. The lambe hath alonly redemyd vs. These thinges hath he done alone Nowe if these be suffycyent / than hath he alone made satysfaccion / aÌ„d is allonly worthy to opyn the boke Moreouer / Thys tytyll ys geuen to the lambe by them that be in heuyn / and how dare you beyng but stynkynge caryon geue it eyther in parte or in hole to any other Also they that be in heuyn confesse that thys laÌ„be ys allonly worthy to redeme them / be youre workes better thaÌ„ they Or can youre workis helpe them yf they can / than ys not the lambe alonly worthy to redeme them / yf youre workys doo not helpe rheÌ„ than are they alonly Iustyfyde be the lambe / and yf they be / why shall not we also Moreouer the seniours falle doune by fore the lambe / geuinge him alloÌ„ly praise / And shal youre good workys stonde vpe by the lambe / than be they better than the senyours But let vs proue this thing by opyn scripturs / That no maÌ„ shal be able too denye yt Saynt Paul toke so greate labours to proue thys artykyll / as he neuer toke in no nother / and all bycause he wolde make yt playne / and stope the mouthys off the agayne sayers / But all thys wyll not helpe theÌ„ / that haue not the sprete of god / Neuer the lesse we wyll by godes fauour / do the best we can too confounde the croked enymys of Christes bloude / aÌ„d though we can not make them hys frendes / at the lest we wylle so handylle them / that they shall be a shamyd openly to speake agenste hym / as they haue done longe tyme / And soo wyll we handylle them by godes helpe that all the worlde shall knowe that they glory in Chrystes name and by hym be they also hye promotyd in thys worlde that they can not be hyer yet deserue they of christ / worst or all meÌ„ But lett vs go to oure purposse S. paul sayth / All men be synners / and wante the glory of god / but they ar iustifyed frely by hys grace / Ro. 3 thorow the redemcyon that is in christ Iesu Vvhat is this that all meÌ„ haue synned ye are iustyfyde frely How shall a sinner do good workys how can he deserne to be iustifyde what call you frely yf there be any deseruyng lesse or more / than is it not frely what call you by his grace yf it be any parte of workes / than it is not of grace / for as S. paul saithe / Than grace were not grace Ro. 11. here can be none euasioÌ„ / that wordys be so playne yf you bring in any helpe of workys / than for so muche ys not oure redemption frely / nor yet ys yt of grace / but partly of workys / and than doo yow dystroye all S. paule / and hys holle dysputacyon / for he contendyth agenst workys / aÌ„d clearly excludyth workys in Iustyfycacion / and bryngythe in grace only / Now that that ys excludyd in the wholl by contencion / can not be brought in / in parte to the cause Thys ys opyn in hys wordys / where he sayth Vvhere ys nowe thy reioysynge yt ys excluded / By what lawe by the lawe off workys Nay but by the lawe off faythe / we do Iudge and geue senteÌ„ce that a man is Iustifyde by faythe wyth out the workys off the lawe / Here yow not / that the gloryacyon off workys ys excludyd / and yet wyll yow bost youre workys Here yow not playnly Saynt Paules sentence / that Iudgeth clearly wyth faythe / and agenst all workys in thys cause / how can yow a voyd this is it not clear Vvhat can yow answere too yt Is not this Paulis proposion that he toke to proue / fayth only iustifythe It were but lost labour for Paule to proue that workes dyd helpe to iustifycacion / for that the iuys dyd graunt In so moche that they gloryed ageÌ„st the geÌ„tyllis / which had no maner of workes / aÌ„d for that dispysed them as peopell vn worthy to be iustifide / but paradveÌ„ture you wil make a blynd a damnable evasion / and say that Paule condemneth the workes of the olde lawe / as vnworthy to iustificacion / but not the workes of the newe lawe / are yov now satysfyed in youre conscience Thynke yov that yov haue well assoâ—yd S. Paules argument thynke you that this ys sufficient to avoyde S. Paule that hathe taken so great labour to proue this cause thynke you that yov shal be thus discharged a fore god yf yov doo / than goo boldly in to the strayte iudgement off god with this euasion / and doute you not but there shalle yov fynde S. Paule as styfly and as strongly agenst yov aÌ„d youre newe workes as ever he was agenst the Iuys and their olde workes / and yf he dyd condemne the workes of the lawe / that were institute by the mouth of god / thynke yov that those workes that you haue inuented out of youre idylle brayne shalle be there a lowed Breuely what workes can yov doo / or excogitate that be good whiche be not in the olde law / Ergo he speketh of all maner of workes / for the law includythe all workes that euer god instituted / but lett me stope youre mouthis with S. Paule Doth not he brynge to proue his cause / the example of the great father Abraham / whom no maner off workes culde iustify / but faith only / thynke you that S. Paule dothe speke here of the workes of the olde lawe nay doutles For how coulde AbrahaÌ„ do the workes of the law / and there was no law geuen .iiij. C. .xxx. yeres after where fore S. paule constrayneth you to conclude that no maner of good workis though they be so good as Abrahams workys can helpe to iustificacioÌ„ But yet yov haue a nother evasyon that is of youre glosse / how that S. Paule speketh of cerimonial workys / how they do not Iustifye Glossa Thys distynccyoÌ„ is but for mad men / and for theÌ„ that be not lernyd whyche are glad whane they may avoyd holy scriptur / though it be notyng to purposse but alonly with ydille and vayne wordis I pray yov what nede S. paule to proue that the ceremonials did not iustyfy / was there ever any Iue that lokyd to be iustified by theÌ„ Nay doutles For they were not geuyn to Iustificacion where fore what maÌ„ wolde thynke that S. Paule except mad meÌ„ aÌ„d vnlernyd assis wolde take so great labour to proue that thing / that every maÌ„ did gravnt / where fore say what you can Here stondith holy S. paule styfly aÌ„d strongly for me and ageÌ„st yov and saith that we be frely aÌ„d alonly Iustifyed by faith with out allemaner of workis Ambro ad Rom. â— But let vs see what youre awne doctours
/ that is / he that hath the open worde of god for him that his sinnes be for geuen him he caÌ„ not be sclanderyd / that is / there is nothynge can make him to doute / but though heuen hell lyffe aÌ„d dethe do thretyn him / he is not offendid he ys not sclanderyd / but bydeth fast and knowythe suerly that all these thyngys must peryshe / but the worde of god bideth for euer / Vvherefore this ys the very keye that Iudgeth the thoughtis the intentis of the harte / as S. paule saithe Hebre. 4. By this haue we also the very knowlege of oure sinne / as S. paule declarythe to the Romaines / Roma 3. bi this is also declared vnto vs grace / also remyssyon of oure sinnes yf we beleue yt Vvherefore thys must nedis be the very trewe keye as yow may see euydently thorowe out all scrypture and not youre bostyd and crakyd power / for there ys no suche thynge nor yet can be in man / that can loose the soule of man from hys synne Vvherefore / it ys damnable and deuelysh lernynge and commeth of the presumtuê° pryde of man to lerne that man hathe a power in hym / by the whyche power mans soule is bound or loosyd from synne / But thys is all that man hathe / he ys a minister / and a dyspensator of the heuenly worde of god / for whose sake ouâ—e synnes be remyttyd whan we beleue yt / and oure synnes be retayned whan we do dyspyâ—e yt / Therfore the blessed worde of god ys the very keye and in that ys all the might and poweâ— to losse oure synnes / and man ys but a mynyster and a seruant vn to thys worde thys may be proued / by oure Master Christes wordys where he saythe Goo youre way in to all the worlde / and preche the gospell vn to all creatours / Matt vi he that dothe beleue and ys baptysyd shal be sauyd / but he that dothe not beleue shall be daÌ„nyd Here maye yow playnlye see / That the apostyllys he but minysters seruauntis haue no power but aloÌ„ly ministracyoÌ„ The keyes that they haue where bi they must lose meÌ„ bind is the very word of god therfore saith oure M. christ he the beleueth shal be saued / he that doth not beleue shal be daÌ„nid By this word did the holy apostles declare grace thorow chryst / aÌ„d lernyd meÌ„ to sett all their hope of saluacioÌ„ in christ only / by this worde did they lerne meÌ„ to knowlege their sinne / aÌ„d to seke for grace ful whol to hope remissioÌ„ forgeuenes of their synnes bi christ only Breuely by these keyes / is openyd all goodnes if they be reseuyd / And all goodnes is shett from vs yff we reseue them not Now where this keye ys resevyd by faythe there is all thyngis lossyd / that is / alle synnes be forgeuyn / and the conscyens is made fre And where it commythe not in nor is not reseuyd by faithe / there alle thyngis be shit and bound Actu 2 Of this maner dyd the holy apostlis bynde aÌ„d loosse whane they preched this holy worde of god vn to the people / As we haue an opyn example of S. Petter / that prechyd this holy worde / and at his prechyng the herars were prykkyd in their hartis / and askyd petter what they might do and he answerid them repent and be baptisyd everye one of yov in the name of Iesus for remyssyon of youre synnes aÌ„d yov shalle reseue the gifte of the holy gost / where fore as meny as reseuyd his worde were baptisyd Here haue yov playnly / the very trew maner of lossing from synnes / as the holy apostles vsed yt / that is whane the people beleuyd the worde that they preched / thaÌ„ they declared how their synnes were remittyd for christes sake not thorow any pore that thei had / for thei were but ministers But the very power was in the worde of god where by they were delyueryd from their synnes This is wel provid bi oure master christes worde where he saithe vn to them / goo and preche saynge / Matt. 10. That the kyngdoÌ„ of heuyn is at hond / what is this the kyngdom of heuyn not any power that is in man / But remission of synnes shalle be geuyn to them that reseue yov re worde / and not that reseue either youre power or youre parsons and therfore followeth yt In what housse yov enter / say first peace be with yov / and if the house be worthy / youre peace shalle come a pone the same / that is to say iff they reseue youre worde aÌ„d beleue it / thane shalle youre peace / that is the peace of the gospelle whiche you brynge with yov / shalle geue theÌ„ quietnes of consyens and loosse them from alle synne But if the house be not worthy / youre peace shalle returne to yov agayn who so euer shalle not reseue yov nor wille here youre preachynge whan yov departe out of that hovse shake of the duste from youre fette / I say vn to yov it shalle be easyer for Sodom and Gomorra in the day of IudgemeÌ„t than for that Cytie / what is this youre pece shalle returne a gayne no thyng els but that they shalle not be pertakers there of but shalle remayne bouÌ„d in their synne / And why bi cause they reseue not youre persoÌ„s or your power nay trewly / but bi cause they here not youre prechyng / It is not to be douted / but that many men / by heryng the apostles prechynge the worde of god / were losyd from their syns and yet neuer spake with the apostlis Vvhere fore the reseuynge of the worde / and not of thou apostille lossithe vs from oure synnes / for that cause the apostille did declare by their departynge from them that wolde not beleue the worde / that they remayned stille in their synnes / For as S. Marke sayth / youre depertynge shalle be a testimony agenste them / that is to saye a tokyn of their condemnacioÌ„ Mar. 6. we haue also an opyn practys of S. Paule how he dyd bynde them that dyd not reseue hys prechynge to whome he sayth these wordis / Acto 18. youre bloud a pone youre hedis I wille departe from hens in clennes vnto the gentilles Nowe haue yov playnly how the holy apostille dyd bynde and losse / and with what keye they dyd it that is by prechynge of the holy worde of god / And by cause this thynge shulde be done with out any error and that no man shulde doute in yt / Iona· 20. he gaue them the holy goste saynge these worde / whose synnes yov do for geue shalle be for geuyn and whose synnes yov do retayne shalle be retayned To these wordes addyth S. Luke Thane openyd he their wytte that they
that we must come to hys sonne / ThaÌ„ taketh he away oure stony harte / aÌ„d geueth vs a fleshely harte / by this menys he makyth vs the childern of ê“mys the vessellis of mercy / whyche he hath pÌ„parid to glory But wherfore doth he not lerne al meÌ„ to come to christ By cause that those that he lerneth / he lernyth of mercy / and those that he lerneth not of his iudgemeÌ„t doth he not lerne them cÌ„ Mark yt. S. Augustine saythe That there is no hardnes of harte that can resyst grace and Duns saythe / That there may be an obstakill in maÌ„s harte S. Augusti saith that grace fyndeth the hart in hardnes aÌ„d obstinacye / And Duns saith that there is a mollifyng that precedythe grace which he callith attricioÌ„ S. Augusti saith whaÌ„ thou father lernith vs with in / thaÌ„ takith he away oure stony hartis / duns saith that we caÌ„ do it by the coÌ„meÌ„ naturall influeÌ„s that is we can disposse oure selfe of coÌ„grueÌ„s / Mark also how all meÌ„ / be not taught to come to christ / but allonly they that be taught / of marcy be taught yf it be of mercy / than it is not of congruens by attricion Breuely A greter heresy / more contrary to christ his blessyd word can no maÌ„ lerne / aÌ„d yet must he be takeÌ„ for a gret clarke / a subtill doctour by cause he plesithe the fleshe / but shortly here haue I openly proued by inuincible scriptur and by doctours of gret auctorite that frewyll of hys naturall strength with out a speciall grace can do nothing but a byde in synne / Fayne Inuent / Excogitate / dreame / as meny holy purposys as you can / as meny subtylle distyncions as meny good attricions / as meny good applycacions as you can aÌ„d all they be but synne / tyl grace come / ye youre sleping / youre eating / youre drinkyng / youre almes / youre prayers / youre singing / your ringing / your coÌ„fessing / your muÌ„bling / youre murning / youre wayllinge / breuely all that you caÌ„ do is but hyppocrisy / dubbille sinne a fore god tyll the tyme / that he of hys mercy chousyth you / for as he saith / you haue not chosyn me but I haue chosyn you Now wyll I declare a scripture or two that yow brynge to proue youre conatum and youre bonum studium / The fyrst place ys thys / God from the begenyng dyd ordyn man / and lefte him in the hondis of his awne couÌ„selle / he dyd geue him his coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„tis / his preceptis / yf thou wilt kepe the coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„tis / aÌ„d also kepe pesable faith / for euer thei shal kepe that I haue set afore the water fyer strech thy hond to whych thou wilt / Of this place gether you / that maÌ„ may haue a good purpose a god inteÌ„t / a good mynd / to apolye him selfe to god of his naturall powre But this can yow not proue of this texte / for here is neuer a worde / of inteÌ„dynge / of studying / or of applyyng well / for yf yow wylle take the wordes off the texte as they sunde they rather proue that we may kepe the commandementis of god / ye aÌ„d also beleue in god / than ony other thynge / the whyche I am suere yow wyll not graunte / for than how coulde yow a voyde but that the phylosophers be sauyd / for no man caÌ„ deny / but that they dyd as much / as lay in their naturall power to come to god Moreouer the palagyons brynge thys texte / too proue that man may do good of his natural streÌ„gth / Now how wyll yow avoyde them For yf yow deny that yt prouythe theyr opynyon for the whiche the wordis sound most than wyll they deny that yt prouythe youre conatum / and youre bonum studiuÌ„ / of the which that texte spekyth neuer a word where for this text maketh nether for them nor yet for you / Playne it is / that the wordes of the texte sounde of kepyng and of beleuinge yf we will / not of inteÌ„dinge / nor of studying wherfore it maketh not for your purposse / but let vs go to the text / God froÌ„ the begeninge dyd make maÌ„ / thes wordis be opyn of the creacion / of the first maÌ„ Eccle. 16. he lefte him in the hondis of his awne counselle / These wordis / make nothyng for frewill for here ys nothynge coÌ„mandyd hym to do but allonly here ys sygnifyde that maÌ„ ys made Lorde ouer all inferior creatours / to vse them / at hys plesur / as yt is opyn Genesys 2. where that alle thynges were brought a fore Adam to reseue their namys / sygnyfiyng that they wer alle left vn to his vse and to his wille / and he was lorde ouer them alle / and none ouer hym / this was his kyngduÌ„ in the whyche he did rayne / and gouerne alle thyngis after his coÌ„mandimentes / but yet was it by the generalle influence / geuyn hym firste of god he dyd adde hys commandimentes and hys preceptes / In these wordes is there no powre geuin vnto him / but here be geuyn hym commandimeÌ„tes / wherby he must be orderyd and ruled / And not rule after hys awne counselle / but after the counselle / and commandimentes of God / where fore bi these commandimentes / was there parte of hys fre dominacyon / and lordeschyp / that he had ouer the inferior thynges takyn a way / as where god commanded hym that he shulde not eate of the tre of knoulege both of good evil / Now was it not fre for him to vse this tre after hys awne wille but after the commaÌ„demeÌ„t of god / and what power he had / by hys frewille / to kepe this commandimeÌ„t the effect dyd declare If thow wilt kepe the commandimentes here begynythe the doute but yet of these wordes cane you not gether / that he had power to kepe them / nor yet that he might inteÌ„d to kepe theÌ„ / For it foloweth not / if thou wilt / ergo thou mayst / or thou maist intend / As it foloweth not If I wold / ergo I culde deposse yov / for yov wille lett this consequent / Also yov haue a general rule / Condicionalis nihil ponit / where fore these wordes If thov wilte kepe the commaÌ„dimentes geuithe no power nor strength to frewille / But this alonly followeth of this text / if man wille kepe the commaÌ„dimeÌ„tes / August de li. arb c. 16 thaÌ„ they shalle kepe hym / but now where shalle he haue this wylle / that is not in his power / but loke of S. Augustine above resyted / aÌ„d there shalle yov fynd how maÌ„ coÌ„mithe bi this wille / Also the wordes of the texte be not / yf thov wilte thou maist kepe theÌ„ or inteÌ„de to kepe theÌ„ / Nor they
scripturs of S. Paule / can not telle whether he maye graunt that the wylle of god is alonly the cause of eleccion or eis any merites of man precedinge a fore / he coÌ„cludeth / that bothe the opinions may be defended Bonaventure blyndly concludeth that there may be a cause presedynge grace that deserueth yt Bonaventure So that in these vnfrutefulle questions which ingender nothynge but contencion haue they spent alle their lyuys / and for these thynges be geuen vn to them peculyer namys / as Subtylle / and Seraphicalle / and Irrefrigable doctours / but agenst them alle I sett S. Paule whiche toke intollerable labours to proue by inuincible scripturs and examples there of / that there was no cause but alonly the wylle of god and to proue this / he bryngeth an euydent exaÌ„ple of Iacob / and Esau / of the whiche Iacob was elect / and Esau reproved a fore they were borne / and afore they had done other good or bad Can there be a playner example what meneth Paule in these wordes whane they were neyther borne / nor had done neyther good nor bad / but that the eleccion of god myght stond dothe he not clearly take away all maner of merytes bothe de congruo and also de condigno / declareth alonly the wylle of god to be the cause but here wylle the subtylle blyndnes saye / that god sawe a fore that Iacob shuld doo good aÌ„d therfore dyd he chousse hym / he sawe also that Esau shuld doo no good / and therfore he repelled hym / yov blynd gyddâ—s / what wyll yov iudge of that that god sawe how knowe you that he sawe that These chyldern be vn borne / they haue done neyther good nor bad / aÌ„d yet one of theÌ„ ys chossen the other is refused S. Paule knoweth none other cause but that wyll of god / wyll you discusse an other And where yov say that god did se afore the one of theÌ„ shuld do good I pray you what was the cause / or wherby saw he that he shuld do good yov must nedes say / bi that that he wold geue hym his grace / ergo that wyl of god is yet the cause of eleccion / for by cause that god wolde geue hym his grace therfore god sawe that he shulde do good / so shuld also the other haue done yff god wolde haue geuen hym that same graâ—e / wherfore yov gyantes that wylle subdue heuen and erthe leue youre serchynge off this cause / and be content with the wylle of god and doute yov not but the wylle of god / ys as rightwyse and as lawfull a cause of eleccion as youre merites can de And doute yov not but. s Paule that toke so grete labours in this matter dyd se as farre in mans deseruynge as yov cane doo / Roma 9. and yet he concluded with these wordes of scriptures / I wylle shew mercy to whome I shew mercy / I wylle haue compassyon of whome I haue compassyon / so lythe yt not in mans wylle or runnynge but in the mercye of god He saithe not I wylle haue mercy on hym that I see shalle doo good / but I wylle shew mercye to whome I wylle he saith not I wylle haue compassion of hym that shalle deserue yt de congruo / Augustinê° suê‘ Ioan. Tract 8â— but of him of whome I wylle haue compassion This dothe S. Augustine well proue in these wordes / the disputacion of them ys vayne the whiche doo defende / the presciens off god agenste the grace of god and therfore saye that we were chossen a fore the makynge of the worlde / by cause that he knew a fore that we shulde be good / not by cause he shulde make vs good but he that saith yov haue not chosen me saithe not that / for yf he dyd therfore chouse vs by cause that he knew a fore that we shulde be good / than must he also know a fore / that we shulde fyrst haue chosen hym cÌ„ Here is it playne that the eleccion of god ys not by cause he sawe a fore that we shulde doo welle / but alonly the cause of the eleccion is his mere mercye / and the cause of oure doyng welle is his eleccion / and therfore S. Paule sayeth not off workes but of callynge Now goo to yov subtylle Duns men with alle youre carnall reasons and serche out a cause of his secrett wylle yff you did beleue that he were good / rightwise and mercyfulle yt were agreet comforte for yov / that the eleccion stode alonly by his wylle / for so were yov suer that it shulde be bothe rightwyselye done also mercyfully / but you haue no faith therfore must yov nedes mystrust god / of that falle yov to inveÌ„t causys of eleccyon of youre awne strengthe as one shulde saye by cause god wyll not of his rightâ—usnes or of his mercye chousse vs we wylle be suer that we shall be elected / for fyrst wyll we inuent that the eleccion commeth of deseruyng thaÌ„ wylle we also dreme serâ—en workes / that shall there vnto be a poynted of vs / so that the eleccion reprobacion stondeth all in youre hondes But now bycause that there be serten open places of scriptur / that geue wonly the cause / to god alonly of eleccion and also of reprobacion / therfore are you sore troubled / and cane telle no nother remydy / but alonly to studdy / how yow may wryng and wrest the open scripturs / to that forrefyynge of youre erroure and to the satisfysynge of youre carnalle reason / so that in the the holy gost saithe / I wyll obdurate the harte of pharao / yov wyll take a pon yow / to lerne to teache the holy goste to speke better / and to say of this maner / I wylle suffer Pharao to be indurated / but I wylle not doo yt / but my easynes my softenesse where by that I shalle suffer hym shalle brynge other men to repentaunce / but Pharao shall it make more obstinate in mallyce so that god dothe indurate as yov say whan he dothe not chastice a synner but sheweth sofftenes and easynes and sufferaunce to hym Origen in perâ—arcon He is mercifulle whan he doth call a synner to repentance by affliccion and scorgyng / so that induracion after youre exposicion / Glossa roma 5. is nothynge elles but for to suffer evylle / by sofftenesse and by goodnes / to haue mercye is nothynge elles but to correct to scorge and to ponishe meÌ„ for their synnes this is the exposicion of induracion after Origenen S. Hierom / aÌ„d after youre commen glosse Hiero. suê‘ Esaiam S / Hieroms wordes be these god dothe indurate / whan he dothe not by and by castigate a sinner / he hathe mercye whan he doth call a synner by and by vn to repentaunce by affliccions cÌ„ This is auctorite ynough
who not / the probacion of mens testimentes / the orderyng of paymentes and custoÌ„s the settynge of alle maner of taskes and forfyttes / the correccion of alle transgressions / where by the commen welthe / or any priuate person / is dysquieted or wronged / as correccion of Theuys / murderars / harlottes baudes / sclanderars wranglars / extorcioners / brybers / vserars / false byars and sellars / and of alle other thynges where vnto be longeth any outward orderinge or any corporalle payne / in thys power ys the kynge cheffe and fulle ruler / alle other be minysters and seruantes as S. Paule dothe declare saynge / lett euerye soulle be subiect and obedient vnto the hye powers cÌ„ Roma 13. 1. Pet. 2. Also S. Peter / be subiect vn to the kynge as vn to the cheffe hede / eyther vn to rulers as vn to them that are sent of the kynge for the ponyshement of euylle doars Roma 13 Vn to this power muste we be obedyeÌ„t in all thynges that perteyne to the minystracion of this present lyffe and of the commen welthe / not allonly as paul saith for a voydyng of ponishemeÌ„t but also for dischargynge of oure consciens / for this is the will of god So that yf this power coÌ„maÌ„de any thinge of tyranny agenste ryght and law Alle ways prouidyd that it repugne not agenst the gospell nor distroye our faith oure cherite must nedis suffer yt / for as paule saithe / 1 Cor. 13 Mat. 6. Cherite sufferth all thyng / Also oure Master christ / if a man stryke the on the won cheke / turne hym the other / for he doth exarcisse tiraÌ„ny / but ouer these worldly goodis / and these present thingis aÌ„d ouer thy corporall boddy / which ChristeÌ„ men do not alonly not regarde but they dispisse it / Neuer the lesse yf he coÌ„mande that any thinge ageÌ„st ryght or do the any wroÌ„g As for an example cast the in preson wrongfully yf thou canste by oÌ„ny resonable and quiet menys / with out fedyssion / in surreccion / or breking of the coÌ„meÌ„ peace saue they selfe or avoyd his tiraÌ„ny thou mayst do it with good consciens / As yf thou wert in presonne yf thou couldest a void with out any sedisioÌ„ thou mayst lawfully do it / aÌ„d thy consciens is fre so doinge and thou dost not synne / nor offend the lawe of god / as paulle saithe / 1. Cor. 7. If thou mayst be fre vsse yt / but in no wysse be yt right or wrong mayst thou make any resistence / with swerde or with honde but obey except thou canste a voyd as I haue shewed the / but yf the cause be right / lawfull / or prophitable to the commen welth / thou must obey / and thou maist not flye with out sinne / That men haue fled from the tiranny and the wronge of this power we haue yt openly / 4. Reg. 6. 3. Reg. 19. Act. â— ideÌ„ 9. .14 in dyuers placis of scriptours / As of Elezy that fled froÌ„ the tyraÌ„ny of the kyng of Siria / Also Helyas fled from the tyraÌ„ny of kyng â— has / also Saint Peter fled out of presonne / And. S. Paulâ—e out of the City of damascum / and out of IconyuÌ„ as it is open in the Actis of the apostyllis / so that agenst this power though thou haue wronge mayst thou not make any corporall resistaunce / but allonly a voyde by flyynge / or ellys kepe the thing that ys coÌ„mandyd the. But if it be right / and to the ê“phyt of the coÌ„meÌ„ welthe / thou must bothe fulfylle it and also abyde But now will there be inquierid of me / this casse / yf it plesse the kyngis grace to coÌ„veÌ„ine the New testament in ynglyshe and to commande that none of his subiectis shall haue it vnder hys displesure whether they be bouÌ„d to obey this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t or no to this wil I answere / That I do beleue / that oure most noble prynce hath notâ— forbyddyn / that christen meÌ„ may haue chrystis testament whether yt be in lattyn / in ynglyshe / frenche / douche / grek / or Ebrew / for chrystes veryte / is all whom in all tongis / And as his grace knowyth yt wer very vnresonable that any man shuld eyther counsell / or for byd hys grace that he shulde knowe or rede / the testament off the Most noble prince hys father in the whyche is allonly geuen / and â—misyd worldly goodes / which as sone as they be geuen / be reddy to dekey and to perysh / and yf I say thys be vnresonable / and vnright / how muche more were yt vnresonable to take away from vs oure father of heuyns testament whosse legasy and promysys do as for excelle / the legasys of the noble prynce hys father / as god dothe excelle man But what shulde I make meny resons to proue vn to hys grace that thynge to be lawfulle / That the father of heuen hathe sent vs / from whom commythe nothyng but goodnes / yee aÌ„d it was not sent by man / by Angell / or by saynt / but by the wonly sone of god / bothe god and man / aÌ„d dylygently declared by hym to all the worlde / Not vn to the Pharysys alone / but vn to all maner of people / and that to the houre of hys dethe / and also there of toke his dethe / and nott yet so coÌ„tent / but sent his gloryous apostillis to declare and to lerne thys godly worde thorow all the worlde And by cause the mynystracyon of this worde requyered a greter strength than was in any naturall man / therfore also gaue he them his eternalle spret / to stablyshe theÌ„ / to coÌ„firme them / and to make them strong in all thingys that there myght be nothing desyeryd / too the declaracion and settyng out of this worde Now who coulde fynd in hys harte / That ys a trew subiect and regardythe the honoure of oure noble prynce and the saluacyon of hys soule / eyther to thinke that his grace wolde coÌ„demne yt / or elles to moue hym to condemne the thynge / that commythe from heuyn ye aÌ„d that from the father of heuen / and sent and lerned bi hys eternall sone which hathe selyd yt wyth ys most precius bloude / and â—o commandyd hys gloryous apostillis to preche yt / And confirmed it wyth so meny mirakylles and dyd also geue / to the confirmynge and the writinge of yt / The gloryous consolatour the holy goste / so that yt is opeÌ„ / that the father of heueÌ„ did not send this godly word with a small diligeÌ„ce / or as though he caryd not whyther yt shulde remayne in erthe or not / But so hath he declared thys holy worde wyth suche a prosses / That heuyn / erthe and helle shulde know that yt ys hys worde / and that yt ys hys wylle that alle
/ yee though yt be in the honour of god He sheweth you also that there ys no nother trew Image but man / whyche of you all goo a pylgrimage to that Image whyche of you all do offer to that Image whych of you all do honour that Image you londlepers / you inventers of new godes / you Idolaters / what say you to this how caÌ„ you avoyd thys ys not thys a greable wyth scrypturs And yet this Image do you dyspysse / This image cast you in preson / this Image do you stocke and chayne / and whyppe from toune to tovne / wyth out any cause / Thys Image dyeth in the streates a fore youre dores for hunger and colde and you runne to walsyngam and to Ipsewyche with gret pompe and pryde to honoure youre deed shadowes / yt were better for you to burne those Idolles and to warme thys trewe Image of god there bi / for this Image was made vnto god wonly and all youre dumme godis ware made for this Images sake wherefore it commeth of the deuylle / that you for sake thys very trew Image and lepe to youre worme eteÌ„ goodes / yee you haue burnte meny a pooreman for spekyng agenst these duÌ„me Idolles / but tell me whan all the Bysshops in ynglond did vexe or trubble any man for speking or for doing / ye or for distroyyng this very trew Image of god they had rather dystroy it them selfe / thaÌ„ it shulde be vndistroyd / Let the kinges bokes be serched thorow out the Realme and there shalle be noo small number founde of these Imagys that be trubbled and vexed and caste in preson for tryfylles ye and vtterly vndone by the bysshopes and by their prystes and yet wyll they be the honourars of Images ye and that and to the honour of god and of al holy saynctes / is not this agenst al reson / is it not agenst all wisdom ye is yt not agenst nature and yet no man may telle yt Also the same doctoure in an other place / ClemeÌ„s in eodeÌ„ libro Vvhat thyng is there so wykked so vnthankfull as to reseue a benyfyte of god and to geue thankys vnto stockes and stonys / wherefore wake and vnderstond youre helthe cÌ„ How thynk you are you not vnthankefulle vnto god of whom you haue reseuyd all thynge and for them you thanke youre worme etten godes furthermore S. Augustin saith / de vera re li. ca. vlâ—i Let vs not loue any vysyble spectakylles leste by arrynge from the verite / and by louynge shadowes we be brought in to darkenes / let vs haue no deuocioÌ„ to oure phantisis / it is better to haue a trew thyng what so euer it be than all maner of thinges that may be fayned at oure awne plesur cÌ„ Be not youre Idolles visyble spectakillis Be they any other thynges than shadowes / aÌ„d yet yow will loue them and honour them / Answere to Saynt Augustyn you Infydelles haue nott we a lyuyng god / and will you brynge vs from hym to deed stockys Also Saynt Hierome / Super Dauâ— â–ª Be it knowen vn to the Kynge cÌ„ the propertyes of the wordes be to be marked that he saithe / we wylle not worsshyppe thy godes nor yet honour thy ymage for neyther of bothe be come the seruantes of god to doo cÌ„ here haue yov that neyther worshypyng nor honouring belongeth to ymages But now to the worshypynge of saynctes / which hathe a greter shadowe of holynes than these dumme godes haue / In primis yov say that saynctes must pray for vs and be medyators to god for vs that by them we may be abylle to reseue oure peticion / this is Rychardes opynyon de media villa / there cane not be a thynge inueÌ„ted by the craffte of the devylle that maye be a greter blasphemy or more derogacion to christe and his blessed bloude than this is / for if saynctes be necessary to be mediators for vs than is Chryste vnsufficyent for philosophers dyd neuer put two causys where as won was suffycient / and yf any thynge be geuen vs of god for saynctes sakes than be not alle thynges geuen vs for Chrystes sake the which is planly agenst saynt Paule saynge / god for vs alle hathe geueÌ„ his sone / Roma 8. and shalle he not geue vs alle thinges with hym lett euerye christen man iudge what a blasphemy that this is But let vs proue that Chryste ys alonly oure medyator S. Paule sayeth / there is won medyator by twene god and man the man Chryste Ihesus the whiche hathe geuen hym selfe for the redempcyon of all men / marke that he saythe won medyator by twene god and man where there is but won there can not saynctes come in â–ª Moreover saynctes be men / ergo they muste haue a medyator for theÌ„ selues / than they can not be medyators for other meÌ„ Furthermore the medyator bytwene god and man is called christ Iesus / now is there any saynct that hathe thys name yf there be none that hathe the name / than is there none that cane vsurpe this office / with out blasphemyng of Christ Furthermore he hathe redemyd vs wonly with out the helpe of saynctes / and why shalle he not be wonly mediator with out sayntes / is not redempcion the chefe acte of a medyator Also the holygost saythe / he shalle be callyd Emanuel the which is as muche to say as god with vs / Esa 7. what is this God with vs / is he with vs but as won maÌ„ is with an other and as my cote is wyth my backe nay / he is an other ways with vs / That is to redeme vs / to saue vs to kepe vs / to defend vs from alle eville / yee and is with vs / that ys he is on oure syde / he holdeth with vs / he speketh for vs / he excusythe vs / he maketh oure cause good / breuely he optenithe allething for vs. Of what saynct can this be spokyn what do saynctes now for vs Also S. Ioan saythe / If a maÌ„ doo synne we haue an aduocate by the father Chryst Iesus / 1. Ioan. â— what is this he is oure aduocate to the father and here be none assygnyd but Chryst Iesus / and by hym haue we wonly remyssyon of oure synnes Now what shalle saynctes obtayne for vs what shalle they desyer for vs yf oure synnes be remytted / than hathe the father of heuyn no dysplesur agenst vs / what shalle they than pray for vs Also Saynt Paule saythe / The spret off god makithe entercessioÌ„ mightyly for vs with myghtty desyers / that caÌ„ not be expressed wyth tonge Marke how the sprete of god desyereth and prayth for vs / and that no maÌ„ shuld rekken that we had nede of other mediators he saythe that he prayth myghttylly for vs / and with grete feruency that yt can not be exprssed Now is not he abylle
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
fatherhod / wysdoÌ„ / lernynge / Auctorite / Multytude / and long custom / The which thingis be able to peruerte any maÌ„ be he neuer so wysse or neuer so holy yf he styck not fast to the word of god only / and therfore saythe the prophete blessed ys he whose wyll aÌ„d meditacion is nyght aÌ„d day that is continually in the law of god / Vn to the which if all youre couÌ„cellis / All youre fathers / All youre custoÌ„s / breuely all that you bringe for you be coÌ„pared / thaÌ„ shal we se whether it be trew aÌ„d of god or not / for of theÌ„ selfe they haue no truth / but be inueÌ„cioÌ„s of corruptid reson persuasioÌ„s of the deuell to peruerte the holy church of god But my lordis lett vs go to reson / Tell me by youre honoure is it resonable that the holy churche of god / redemed with christes precious bloud / aÌ„d asolyd by him from all her synnes shulde be now bound vn to you aÌ„d to youre absolucyon aÌ„d that she shuld not be relesyd / but thorowe youre power seyng that you be but ministers aÌ„d seruauÌ„tis ordeyned of Christ vn to her profyte aÌ„d not to youre honoure This will I declare by an example I put thys casse that there be a presoner bounde faste in chenys ouer the whiche you haue the custody and the kepynge after the kyngys commandemeÌ„t / now the kyngys grace saithe vn to you losse me that fellow / lett hym go fre out of preson vnder this coÌ„dicioÌ„ that he shall promisse to serue no prince but me only / what wyll you louse him or not / Can you or dare you kepe him lenger if you wolde / Or can you compell him to make any other coÌ„posycion with yov / thaÌ„ alonly to serue the kynge / yf you wolde kepe him lenger in pryson dyd you not ruÌ„ne in the kyngys displesure / if he did promisse you any other coÌ„posicion / were he bound ther to Nay doutles Moreouer in losinge of hym / what thynge doo you by youre auctoryte / ye what thinge do you at all but that you are mynysters vn to the kyngis coÌ„mandemeÌ„t aÌ„d a seruaÌ„t to the poure fellowe The ministracion aÌ„d seruyce ys yowars / But the auctorite is the kyngis of the whyche you haue neuer a crumme Take an other exaÌ„ple / yf it wolde plesse the kingis grace to make any of you an embassatoure and geue you a coÌ„mission and coÌ„mandymeÌ„t / to fetche whom in to hys londe a banysshed maÌ„ vn to whom the kynges grace writteth his pardon wyth suche wordis and vnder suche coÌ„dicyon as yt plesythe hys grace / Now this pardon delyuereth he to you / for to bere and to declare vn to the banisshed maÌ„ / Here wolde I know of you / what you can do for this banysshed maÌ„ more than ys wrytteÌ„ in youre coÌ„missioÌ„ / Also what can you do agenst hym in these thynges that the kynges grace hath perdonyd him / yow can neyther adde nor take a way from the kyngys pardon / you can no more do but declare yt vn to the partye / And yf he reseue it than may he as law fully / and as frely come in to the londe as yow may / and you can not saye / by ryght that yow haue by youre auctoryte dyscargyd hym or geuen hym any pardon of hys banyshement / but alonly yow haue delyuered and declared vn to hym / the kyngys pardon which whan he had reseued wyth the condysyons there in / than ys he dyscharged of hys banysshement / And yf he wil not reseue the kyngys pardon / Than can yow neither helpe him / in to the lond / nor yet discharge hym of hys transegressyon / but alonly yow leue hym / and declare vn to hym / ye and that by the kyngys wordes that he ys a banyshed maÌ„ and so shall remayne tyll he reseue the kyngys pardon / So lyke wysse the worde of god where in ys pardon for all synners ys commyttyd vn to you to preche and to declare / whyche yff they reseue by faythe they are fre aÌ„d lousyd froÌ„ their synnes / but yf they do not they are bound not by youre auctoryte / for yow be but mynysters and seruantys / and can no forther goo than youre coÌ„myssyon / but by the auctoryte of god only / wherfore se well to youre conscyens how yow can dyscharge youre selfe a fore god that do so presumtuously vsurpe hys auctorite / of the whyche yow haue neyther word nor exampylle in scripture Moreouer howe can you proue thys maner of absolucion Ego ab soluo te auctoritate mihi ê¯missa / for to be lawful / I pray you where was there euer any auctorite coÌ„myttyd vn to maÌ„ to take away sinne There is no auctorite coÌ„mittid vnto maÌ„ / but alonly ministracioÌ„ of the word / Now your absolucioÌ„ / maketh meÌ„cioÌ„ off auctorite ye that with out the word / agret meny of you vnderstoÌ„d not the worde Duns saith / ê™ absolucio sacerdotis / eÌ„ disposicio necessitaÌ„s ad remissioneÌ„ culpe / how think you be these fete wordes for a christeÌ„ maÌ„ if your absolucioÌ„ be necessari than can not god take a waye synne wyth out yov / nor yov with out hym / but god and yov to gether take away sinne / whother wil yov now wyll yov assend so hye / wyll yov be cheke mattes with god I thynke shortly yov wylle also be godes / the phareses dyd rekken muche better of god than yov doo / for they sayd / that god only dyd absolue from synnes / and yov saye I doo assoylle / ye and that by auctoryte / so that yov farre passe the phareses / but let vs se what S. Augustine saith of suche men / meny synnes be forgeuen the / he prophysed of men that be to come Luc. 7. Augus li. Quinquaginta homeliarum ho. 23. There were men to com that wolde say / I forgeue synnes I iustifye / I sanctifye / I make holle so manye as I baptyse wherefore the Iuys dyd better vnderstonde the remyssion off synnes than heretykes doo / for the Iuys sayd / what man is this that forgeueth synnes / and the heretyke saith / I forgeue / I make clene / I sanctify cÌ„ These wordes be playne ynough agenst yov / for you say we haue auctoryte to remytte synnes And. S. Augustine saith yov be heretykes for so saynge yov can not deny / but. S. Augustine repreueth youre awne absolucion / where in yov say that youre absolucion is requisite of necessite to remission of synnes the which is nothynge elles / but clearly denyinge of Christe of his blessed bloud and also of his holy worde / but yff we had grace we myght perseue that neyther yov / nor youre absolucioÌ„ / nor yet any thynge that yov doo were of god / for all that you do vs clearly done for monny and for no nother cause Rekken one thynge
that yov doo / as consernynge youre mynistracyon / but that yov wille haue mony for yt / not so muche as wasshynge of a hepe of stonnes where by haue yov gotten alle youre great possessions / but alonly vnder the collour / that yov be Christes holy bisshops Monye ys a merchaunte For monny you make whordom as lawfulle as matrimonye For monye / stollen good shalle be better than heritage For moÌ„nny / you make vsery lawfulle merchandis For mony / alle synnes be vertue yee and also haue grett perdon to theÌ„ For monny / yov sell man / wyfe / mayd and childe kynge and Londe For monny you make as good merchandis / of womens preuytyes / as a goldsmyth dothe of gylted platte yov wylle rekken that this is a shame for me to wrytte / but yt is more shame for yov to doo yt / and iff yov did not these shamfulle dedes I shulde haue none occasyon to make this shamfulle wrytinge / take yov away the cause and I wyll take a waye the wrytinge yee yov are not so content / but you sell Christ yov selle the blessed sacrameÌ„t off his flesh and bloude / yov selle his holye worde / yov selle all other sacramentes / breuely yov selle / alle maner of thynge that euer he lefte in erthe to the comforte of mans solle / and all for monny / ye and not so content but yov make also molawes and mo statutes / and dyspence wyth theÌ„ for monny / and alle these thynges doo yov / by the auctorite of the keyes / that bothe open heueÌ„ and helle / and a mans coffer and also his pursse yee and sumtyme they losse the cotte from his backe Oure master Christe saith vnto yov / yov haue reseued yt fre geue yt fre agayne / and yov geue nothyng fre / but I know youre answere yov wille say that yov sell not youre masse nor sacramentes nor the worde of god / but the laboure that yov haue aboute them O thou deuylle whan wylte thou be with out an excuse / whan wylte thov graunte they selfe gylty Telle meye that be with out shame / yf yov do selle but youre labour is it not sore and an vnlawfulle pryse to selle yt so dere what bisshop caÌ„ deserue by his labour a thousande pounde by yere / and yet some of them haue a great delle more / and labour nothynge at all How dere wylle these meÌ„ selle their labour yf they shuld be tankerdeberars / they wold make watter derar than wyne / yee telle me what labour there is wyth in the royalme that is halfe so dere solde as their ydylnes ys But yov bellygodes dyd not Christes appostles take paynys and labours / a bought the ministracion of the worde and in fulfyllynge of their office / more in one day than yov â—oo in alle your lyuys / and yet was it not lawfulle for them more to reseue thane a lyuynge for oure Master Christ saide / the worke man is worthy of his mette / Mat. 10 so that oure master wolde that they shulde reseue no more but necessarie / 1. Cor. 9· Also S. Paule saithe oure lorde did orden that they which preche the gospelle shulde lyue on the gospelle / marke how he saith they that preche the gospelle / now which of yov all dothe preche the gospell / Hierom. not one and yet wylle yov enioye these innumerable possessions Saynt Hierom sayth on his same texte / you must lyue on the gospelle / Chrisosto ad Ti. 5. but not be ryche / also Chrisostom saithe / I say boldly that the bisshops and prelates off the churche / may haue nothynge but meate aÌ„d drynke clothe cÌ„ Here haue yov planly / that yf yov dyd laboure faith fully truly in the go gospelle / yov coulde haue but a lyuynge there on / no lordly possessions / but now do yow nothynge in the worlde / but exercysse tyranny on theÌ„ that wold preche the gospelle / make lawes statutes / to destroye them / Chri. s 6. de anathemate the holye gospelle of god / so that Chrisostom speketh well of yov / Be holde I see men that haue no trew sence of holy scripture / yee they vnderstonde nothynge at all therof / to passe ouer meny thynges for I am a shamed to calle theÌ„ mad men / try fyllars wranglars they be suche as know not what they saye nor of what thing they speke / but aloÌ„ly be they myghtye bolde to make lawes / to cursse condeÌ„ne those thinges of the whiche they know no thinge at alle cÌ„ Be not these youre workes who can saye / but that these wordes be spokeÌ„ of yov who maketh statutes lawes but you who curseth coÌ„deÌ„neth but yov how cane yov lay these thinges from yov how can yov avoyd theÌ„ so longe shal they be layd ageÌ„st yov / tylle yov caÌ„ brynge in one that is gyltye of theÌ„ / I tkynke that will be loÌ„ge / yet wille yov haue these greet possessions / be also greet lordis doynge nothyng there fore at alle / but allonly play the parte of a bishop / as a Christemasse game player / dothe of a kynge / as a puppet which springeth vp doune crythe pepe pepe aÌ„d gothe his waye / so do yov make a countenaunce of greet holynes / of greet perfeccioÌ„ / but alle the world caÌ„ testify what yov do in dede Moreouer you are more bounde to the gospell / thane all other men be in the world for there by haue yov all youre honoure / all youre ryches / alle youre lordly possessioÌ„s / if the gospelle were not / men wolde no more regarde yov / thane they do coblers / yet deserue yov worste of all meÌ„ of the gospelle / wherefore I cane no more say vn to yov / but the wordes of oure m. christ / wo be vnto yov hipocrites the which shyt heueÌ„ gates a fore ohter meÌ„ / and as S. Luke saith / Mat. 23. Luce. 11 yov haue takeÌ„ away the key of sciens / and neyther enter in youre selfe / nor yet suffer other that come to enter in / now lett me see / how alle youre keyes / and alle youre power cane asoylle you from thys same woo that oure Master Christ dothe here lay vnto yov This worde of god byndeth yov to euerlastynge daÌ„ nacion let vs see yf youre pykelocke cane opeÌ„ this locke / than wyll I say that yov haue the keyes off heuen or els not I thynke yov may seke all youre clogge with keyes and fynde not one that wylle open this locke Finis ¶ Fre wille of man / after the faulle of Adam / of hys naturalle strength / cane doo nothynge but synne ☜ IN this article wyll we not dispute / what man may do by the commen influence geuen hym of god / ouer these inferior and worldlye