saye to this text S. Ambrose declarith it on this maner They are iustified frely / for thei doyng nothyng nor nothyng deseruyng / alōly by faithe are iustifyed by the gifte of god c̄ here you not / that mē workinge nothynge at al / nor nothyng deseruing / ar iustified bi faith only / yee that frely yov were wont to say that faithe dothe Iustifye / but not alonly ād therfore wolde yov crye / For. Sola Sola Sola only / only / only Here haue yov hym / ād to helpe hym yov haue also gratis that is frely / ād also dono de◠that is by the gyfte of god / and nihil operātes that is workinge nothinge at al. if these wordis do not exclude workis and alowe faithe only / I can not telle what wordis wille do it And lest that S. Ambrose shulde not be sufficient in this cause / I wille also bring yov Origyne on this same texte whose wordis be these Orig. ad Rom. li. 3. cap. 3. Paule saythe that the Iustificacion of fayth is alonly sufficient So that if a man / do beleue alonly he is iustifide though there be no workis done of hym at al / bi faythe was the thefe iustifide with out the workis of the law / wherefore a man is iustifide by faythe / vn to whom / as cōseruyng iustificacion the workis of the law / helpe nothyng c̄ Vvhat say yov by Origyn / that saythe how men be iustifyde / though they do no good workys at alle / for workis do helpe nothyng to Iustificaciō / but faythe only Be not these playne wordis / gravnt these wordis / and we wille aske no more of yow / here haue yov also Sola Sola Sola so that yov nede not Crye no more for Sola For yov haue more thā yov can welle a voyde / Also Origen bryngith an opyn example of the thefe that no man can deny who can haue lesse good workis than a theffe whiche is neither good before god nor man Rom. 9. Also paule in the .ix. chapter bryngithe in the gentille / whiche knowithe nothynge of God / nor hathe done no good workis / but contrary blasphemyde god / and hys holy name and hathe allways lyuyde in idolatrye ād byn an vtter enymy vn to alle goodnes / he bringythe in also the Iue fulle of good workes of the lawe / whyche hathe also great zele to god / Rom. 10. and to his workis / yee ād of that Paule beryth hym wytnes breuely he bryngith in for hym suche a Iue that no mā cā cōplaine of / but is fulle of good workis yee take al the best of the Iuys to gether For it were madnes for paul to speke of the damnable iuys that were opyn wrechis and damnable by the Iudgement of the law with al theyr good workis / and yet S. Paule dothe exclude them and repellithe them clearly from iustificacion with al their good zele / and with al their good workys ād concludithe with playne wordis / that the gentille which was fulle of damnable workis / and had neither zele nor loue vn to goodnes is iustifyed by faythe only / These be S. Paules wordis Rom. 9. Vve saye that the gentilles whyche followyd not rightwysnes haue obtenyd ryghtwysnes I mene the ryghtwysnes whiche comith of faithe But Israell whyche folowyd the law of rightwysnes / colde not attayne vnto rightwisnes / where fore bicause they sought it not bi faythe but as it were by the workis of the lawe Be not these playne wordis that the gentilles whiche followyd no rightwisnes / nor had no minde ther vn to / are Iustifyed frely by faythe Is not here Sola fides / only fayth More ouer the Iue ys repreuyd with al his zele with al his loue with al his studye and with all hys good workis Is not this a meruellous thyng yes verely And so meruelous that yov shalle neuer vnderstond it with out yov beleue But peradventure here shalle be sayd that the good workes of the Iuys dyd not profyte them / by cause they had no faythe But if they had had faythe / than wolde they helpe to their iustificacion To this I make answere / trouth it is that good workys dyd not proufyt that Iuys for want of faithe / but this is false they workis shulde haue holpe to Iustificaciō with faythe For S. Paule prouythe clearly that good workys helpe nothyng to Iustificacion nor eville workis let not the iustificacion that comythe by faythe / And this he prouyth bi the exampille of the gentille / which had no good workys but alle evill and all damnable workys / and yet ys iustyfyed by fayth Moreover the Iue hathe the zele of god and alle maner of good workis with alle thyng that the worlde cā deuisse al this coulde not helpe hym where fore the glory of iustificacion remanyth only to faith Also S. paule provithe playnly in these wordis that workis haue no place in Iustificaciō / to hym that workyth is the rewarde not geuyn of fauour but of deutye To hym that workythe not / Rom. 4. but beleuithe on hym that Iustifythe the wikkyd mā / is faythe coūtyd for rightwysnes How thynke you bi these wordis be they not opynly agēst al workis saythe he not that Iustyficacion is imputyd vn to hym that workith not but alonly beleuythe in hym that iustyfythe the wykkyd man I pray yov what good workis dothe the wikkyd man Marke also how he saythe that ryghtwysnes is ymputyd vn to hym / Ergo yt ys not deseruyd For that that is deseruyd / is not imputyd of fauour / but it must be geuyn of dewty How thynke yov is not this Sola fides onlye fayth ▪ yow know that there be but workis and faythe that do Iustitie / and S. Paule excludythe workys clearly Ergo faithe alone remaynith / but paradventure yov will say As yov be full of holy hypocrisye that workis with faythe do Iustifye / Neuer the lesse of mekenes and lowlynes / and avoydyng of al bost of youre godnes yov wille geue alle the glory to faythe / as vnto the principalle thynge with out the whiche no workis can helpe / not with stonding workis be good and do helpe to iustificacion / though of mekenes yov wille not know it Is not this damnble hypocrisy ye ād that with god which were intolerable if it were with men But how can yov proue by scripture that this hypocrisy of youres ys trewe / that workis ar worthy of any glory of iustificacion Is not this opyn lying on faith to geue alle to hym and yet as yov say he is not worthy off alle for workis be worthy of parte / yf faythe be not worthy alonly / Confesse it opynly / and geue workys hys prayse / and fayth her praisse / and say not one thyng with youre mouth ād thynke another in youre hartis for god serchith the
mercifulle / and so mercifulle / that he wyll not impute my synnes vn to me / Though they be neuer so great so longe as I hange on the blessyd bloud of Christe Iesus he is also a lyberalle father / yee and that vn to me lyberalle / which will not alonly promyse me al thynges / but also geue them me whether they be necessary to the body or to the soule He ys also not alonly lyberalle / but myghty to performe all thynges that he promisyth vn to me Breuely this faith maketh me to hange clearely off god and off his blessed promisis and not too fere dethe nor none afflyccion / nor persecucions / nor tribulacion / but too dispysse all these thinges / and not allonly these / but to dispisse also myne awne selfe / mine awne body / myne awne life for Christes sake Finallye of a fleshely best it maketh me a spirituall man / of a damnabille childe / yt maketh me a heuenly sone / Of a seruaunt of the deuell / yt maketh me a fre man of godys / both deliuered froÌ„ the lawe / from sinne / from dâ—the / fro the deuell / and from all mysery that might hurte me My lordes this is the faythe that dothe Iustifie / and be cause it is geuen from heuen in to oure hartis by the sprete off god / therfore it can be no ydille thynge / But it must nedis do all maner of thingis / that be too the honour off god / and also to the profite of oure neyboure / in so muche that at all tymis necessary yt must nedis worke well / and also brynge forthe all good workes / that may be to the profitte and helpynge off any man But these workys be not done / too Iustifye the man / but a iuste man must nedes do them / Not vnto his profite / but allonly to other meÌ„s profites / euyn as oure Master Christ / suffered hunger and thurst / and persecucion and toke greate labours in preachinge of hys worde / ye aÌ„d also suffered deth all these thinges I say dyd he not to further or to profite him selfe / But for oure merit and for oure profytt / so likewyse doth a Iuste man his workes And as a good tre in tyme off yeare bringeth forthe a god appylle / not to make hym good for he is good a fore / nor yet this appyl is not to his profyt / But vn to other mens not withstondinge the good nature that ys in him must nedys brynge yt forthe / so lykewyse the Iuste man must nedys do good workys / not by them to be Iustyfyde / but allonly in them to serue hys brother for he hathe no nede of them / as consernynge hys Iustyfycacyon wherefore now here haue yow the very trewe cause off Iustyfycacyon / that is faythe allonly / And also the very trewe waye and maner of doynge good workis / And how that no man can do good workis but a Iustified maÌ„ / As oure Master Christ saythe / eyther make the tre good aÌ„d thaÌ„ hys frute most be good / Mat. 7. Or ellys the tre euyll and hys frute also euyll for a good tre must nedys brynge forth good frute / And a bad / evell frute But now lett me answere to theyr scrypturs and too their carnall reasons that they brynge to proue that workys do Iustyfye SoluetoÌ„s to the scripture whych thei falsly allege Fyrst cometh the flesslye and damnable reson / And the saythe yf we be Iustyfyde allonly by fayth what nede we to do any good workis what nede we to crucyfye or to mortyfye oure fleshe / for all these wylle not profytt vs / and we shall be sauyd though we do none of them al. Thus dyd blinde reason dispute with Saint Paule whan that he had prouyd / that god off hys mere marcy / had delyuered vs frely from the damnable bondage off the lawe / A none he Iudged that he myght doo what he wolde / for he was no longer vndernethe the lawe / To thys Saynt Paule answereth / that yf we obey vn to the workys of synne / than are we the seruauntys off synne / and yff we obey to the workys off Iustys than are we the seruauntes off Iustys / soo that yff we truly haue that same faythe that Iustyfythe vs / we shall desyere too doo noo nother workys but those that belonge too Iustyfycacyon / not that the workys do Iustyfye vs / but that we must nedys doo these workys / as the very trew frutys off Iustificacyon / aÌ„d therfore those men that wyll do no good workys by cause they be Iustyfyde alonly by faythe / be not the chylderne of god nor the chylderne of Iustyfycacyon / and of that ys this a suer and an euydent token / for yf they were the very trew chylderne off god / they wolde be the gladder to doo good workys / by cause that they are Iustyfyed frely Therfore shulde they also be mouyd frely to worke / yff yt were for no nother purposse / nor profyte / but allonly to doo the wyll off their mercyfulle god / that hathe so frely Iustyfyed them / and also to profyte theyr neyboure / whom they are bound to serue of very trewe cheryte Take an exampell / here ys a thefe that ys condemnyd by ryght and by law to be hangyd whom the kyngis grace of hys mercy / dothe frely delyuere from the gallous / and geuythe hym hys pardon / Nowe thys thefe thus delyuered wyll not kepe hym selfe a trew man nor do those workys that belonge to a trew man to doo / but fallyth agayn to stelynge by cause the kynge perdonyd hym so frely / and rekenyth that the kynge ys so mercyfull that he wyll hange noo theuys but delyuer them all of hys mercy with out their deseruyng / Now how thynke you wyll the kynge be marcyfull vn to thys thefe whan he comythe agayne to the gallous nay truly / but yff he had done those thynges that the kyngys pardon deseruyd / than had he come noo more in danger / but shulde haue byn styll in the kyngys fauouâ—e TheÌ„ cometh my lorde off Rochester / aÌ„d he saith the faith doth be gynne a Iustyfycacyon in vs / But workys do performe yt and make yt parfyt / and by cause that noo man shall thynke that I lay yt vn to hym vnrightwisly I wil resyte his awne wordes Arti. 1. Per fidem initiari dicitur iusticia soluÌ„ / non auteÌ„ coÌ„summari naÌ„ coÌ„suÌ„mata iusticia noÌ„ aliter quaÌ„ exoperibê° natis / et in luceÌ„ editis acquiri potest / Opera coÌ„summate iustificaÌ„t / Fides primuÌ„ inchoat cÌ„ Vvhat christenyd man wolde thynke that a bisshope wolde thus triffylle and play wyth godys holy worde Godys worde ys soo playne / that no man can avoyde yt how that faythe Iustyfythe allonly / and now commyth my lorde of Rochester / wyth a lytle and a vayne
an C. and from an C. tyll the offeringe of Isaac which at the lest was seveÌ„ yerys / so that Abraham must nedis be iustifyed xxj yerys afore he offered his sone / ergo by that worke was he not iustifyde Moreouer in the .xxij. chapter where he dyd offer his sone ys there never a word spoken off iustificacion / which must nedis haue byn spokeÌ„ yff he had therefore bene iustifyde / but alonly is there sayd / now doo I know that thou fearyst god / which ys an effect and a worke of iustificacion / and no cause of iustificacion Moreouer the Macabytes bryng the same exampylle of Abraham that his faith was imputed vn to hym for iustificacion 1. Mac· 2. Also S. Paule of whose auctory and lernynge no christeÌ„ man dothe douce / bryngythe the same example bothe to the Romayns and to the Galathyans to proâ—e that faith only dyd iustifye Abraham a fore the byrthe of Isaac / which dothe playnly sygnify that he wold prove that Abraham was iustifyd a fore / and with out the offerynge of Isaac / also in the pystylle to the hebrews is yt opeÌ„ that Abraham was iustifyed by faythe only / yee and that longe a fore Isaac was borne Furthermore as concernynge the example of Raab / yt is open in the boke of Iosue that she dyd say these wordes vnto the messengers / Iosue 2 I doo know that the lorde shall geue you this londe / for truly there is a great feare come a pone vs / aÌ„d all the dwellers of this londe doo pyne away for sorow we haue herd that the lorde hathe dryed vp the reâ— see a fore youre entrynge in whane yov came out of Egypt / we haue hard what thynges you haue done to the two kynges of the amorites cÌ„ youre lorde god ys he the whiche is in heuen aboue / aÌ„d in erthe bynethe / wherefore swere yov vn to me that as I haue shewyd yov mercy / that yov shal lykewysse doo vn to me and vn to my fathers howssold â–ª cÌ„ Be not these wordes off a great faith Dothe not she beleue the promyses of god and of that faith she reseued the mesengers / or els she had neuer reseyued them / and of that faith she requierythe also mercy / whaÌ„ god hathe fulfylled his promise / wherfore of this fayth was she iustifyde / and this fayth made here to doo well vn to the mesengers / Hebr. 11. therfore saith the epistle to the hebrews / That Raab the harlot thorow faith dyd not peryshe wyth the vnbeleuynge persons Here may yov se that Moses / and. S. Paule and other places of scripture doo expound these scripturs contrary to youre epistle / and that not with darcke wordis but with so playne wordes that no christen maÌ„ can say the contrary wherfore I can not beleue that you are abylle to defend this pistle to be S. Iamesys / but notwithstonding al these thinges / I will graunte yov this pystle to be of auctorite that you may haue some thyng to dispute with / what wil yov conclude out of that / that workes doo iustify That were sore agenst christes bloud / for than did christ dye invayne / Aug. 8â— q. c. 76. it is also agenst the exposicioÌ„ of S. Augustyn / whose wordes be these S. Paule sayth that a man may be iustifyed by faith with out any workes goynge by fore iustificacyoÌ„ / but whaÌ„ a maÌ„ ys iustifyed by fayth / how can he but worke well though that he before workinge nothyng ryght wysly is nowe come to the iustificacioÌ„ of faith not by merites of good workes but by the grace of god / the which grace in him / now can not be ydylle seynge that now thorow loue he worketh well And yff he departe out of this lyffe after that he beleuythe / the iustificacion of faith abydythe by hym / not by his workes goynge a fore iustificacioÌ„ / for by his merites came he not vn to that iustificacion but by grace / nor by his workes that follow iustificacion / for he ys not suffered to lyue in this lyffe / wherefore paule aÌ„d Iamys be not contrary for Paule spekythe of workes that go by fore faythe / and Iamys speketh off the workes that follow the iustificacioÌ„ of faith cÌ„ Here haue yov playne that S. Augustyne saithe that no maner of workes / neyther that goo by fore neyther that come after helpe to iustificacion but allonly they follow iustificacion / and a iuste man must nedes do good workes Here haue you also / that S. Iames speketh of workes that follow iustificacyon and not of workes that helpe to iustify for there be none suche Here haue yov also that the iustificacion off faith ys so parfytt that yt saueth a man onlye the which is agenst my lorde of Rochesters dystynacion / for yf workes dyd make perfytt iustificacion / than a man coulde not be saued wyth out the perfeccion of workes / wherefore yt wylle be harde for my lorde of Rochester to saue his honestye S. Augustine ys so opeÌ„ ageÌ„st hym but I feare me that the prouerbe that a wysse man dyd wons lerne me whane men are come to great honour they doo so much regard yt that clearly they for gett all honesty wylle here be found to trewe Also yov haue a nother scripture for you which is this By fore god they are not iustified whych here the lawe but they which do the lawe shalle be iustified / of this texte yov glorye / and crye opera / opera / workes / workes / Rom. 2. but yf yov wolde coÌ„syder the mynd of S. Paule yov shulde welle perseue / that he menyth not howe workes shulde deserue iustificacion / for than coulde not he haue concluded this agenst the Iuys for they dyd the workes of the law to the vtter most and yet ware they not iustifyde / wherefore S. Paule menyth by the herers of the lawe alle them that doo the vtter workes of the law for fere / or for rewarde / or of hypocrisy / or els by them to be iustifyed the doars callyth he theÌ„ that doo the workes of the lawe after the intent of the lawe / and as the lawe commandeth them / that is in the trewe fayth off Christ Ihesus / which is the very ende of the lawe anâ— the fulfyllynge of the lawe as S. Paule saythe to alle them that beleue wherefore alle men be but hearers allonly of the lawe / tylle the tyme that they haue the faythe of Christ Ihesus / whyche ys imputed vnto them for iustis / and the workes of the lawe be no cause of iustificacyon / but allonly an outward testimonye and wytnes that the lawe ys fulfylled inwardly in theyr conscieÌ„s a fore God so fulfyllyd that it hathe no accasacioÌ„ ageÌ„st theÌ„ for christ hathe made satisfaccion for them / of the which they be pertakers by their faith / and so the lawe must be
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
youre exterior sygnes / with alle youre holye ornamentes / as youre holy myters / youre holy crossestauys / youre holye pyllers and polaxis / youre holy red gloues / youre holy ouches / and poure holye rynges / youre holye anoynted fyngers / youre holy vestmentis / youre holly challisys / youre holy goulden showys / yee take also to helpe yov S. Thomas of Canterberys holy showe wyth alle the holy botys of holye monkys all these to gether can not make one crumme of holynes in yov / nor helpe yov one prycke forward / that yov may be wyth in this churche For if these thynges coulde helpe / than were yt no mastery to make an asse to be of the church of god But oure holy mother the church hathe a nother holynes / that cometh from god the father thorow the sweat bloud of his blessed sonne Iesus Christ / in whome is alle hyr confidens trust Vn to whome she stycketh onlye by stedfast faith / by whose purenes she ys also puer in that that she dothe confesse hyr vnclennes / for she beleueth stedfastly that she hathe an aduocate for hyr synne to the father of heuen / which is christe Iesus 1. Ioan. 2. And he is the satisfaccioÌ„ for hyr synnes And he of his marcye not of hyr merites hathe chossen hyr for to be his / and by cause she ys hys / therfore must she be clene so loÌ„ge as she abyâ—eth in hym This is well declared in Ioan. 15 S. Iohan where oure Master Christe is coÌ„pared to the vyne and all the members of holy churche to the branches / that as the branches / can brynge forth no frute of them selfe / so can holy churche of hyr felfe brynge forth no goodnes excepte she remayne in christ by perfyt faithe This is wel proued by youre awne lawe whose wordes be these / therfore is the churche holy / by cause she beleueth rightwyselye in god cÌ„ De coÌ„ Di 4. c. prima igitur Here yov not the cause wherefore the church is holy by cause she beleueth rightwyselye in god / that is she beleueth in nothynge but in hym / and she beleuethe nor hereth nor worde but hys / as oure Master Chryste berythe wytnes / my shepe here my voyce / and a nother mans voyce doo they not knowe / also in a nother place / he that is of god / herythe the wordes of god / how commythe this that the church of god hathe so suer a iudgement / that she knowythe the voyce of Christe from other voycis and can not erre in hyr iudgement By cause that Christ hath chosen hyr / and by cause she ys lerned of god as oure master Christ saith / and by cause she hath as 1 Iohan. 2. S. Iohan saith the inward oyntement off god / that techyth his alle maner of verite / so that she can not erre / but why can she not erre by cause she may do what she wille By cause that all thynge that she dothe / is well done by cause she maye make newe rules and newe lawes at hir plesure By cause she may invent a newe seruice of god that is not in scripture at hir wille Nay nay my lordes For she is but a woman must be ruled by hyr husbonde / yee she is but a shepe and must here the voyce of hyr sheppard / and so longe as she dothe / so longe can she not erre by cause the voyce of here shepperd can not be false De pene Dis 2. Si in glossa 24. q. 1 A recta et in Glossa This maye be proued by youre awne lawe whose wordes be these / the whole churche can not erre / also in a nother place / the congregacioÌ„ of faith fulle men must nedes be which also can not erre cÌ„ These wordes be playne what churche yt is that can not erre / that is the congregacion of faithfulle men that be gethered in christes name / which haue christes spret which haue the holy oyntement of god / whiche abyde faste by christes worde / and here no nother mans voyce but his Now my lordes gather yov alle to gether with alle the lawes that you can make / and all the holynes / that yov can deuysse / Crye / the church / the church / the counsels / the counsels that were lawfully gathered in the power of the holye gost alle this may yov say and yet lye and yf yov haue not in dede the holly goste with in yov / and iff yov do heare any other voyce than christes / thane are yov not of the church / but of the deuylle / and theuys and murtherars as christ saith For yov come a fore him / that is yov come in to the foulde of Christe wyth out him / yov brynge not his voyce / but yov come with youre awne voyce / with youre awne statutis / with youre awne worde / and with youre awne mandamus / mandamus / precipimus / precipimus / excommunicamms / excommunicamus These be the voyces of murtherars and Theuys and not of Christ / therfore yov can not but erre / for yov be not taught of god / you haue not the holy oyntement yov haue not the worde of god for yov / yov here not the voyce of the trewe shepperd / there fore must yov nedes erre in alle youre counselles This is a nother maner of rule thane my lorde of iochester dothe assine to examen youre counselles by / for he saith / where that the pope and the counsell dothe not agre alle in one there wylle he susspect the counselle not to be ryght who did euer here suche a rule of a christenyd man yee and of a bishop yee and of a doctor of diuinite / where hathe he lerned this diuinite to recken a counselle to be trewe / by cause that the pope aÌ„d so many men do agre in one / yee that suche men as haue so oftyn tymes erred in their counsels / as he dothe declare hym selfe rekenynge the counselle of Constantinople that had .330 bisshops and yet did erre / and he knew no nother cause / but by cause the pope dyd not agre to them / is not thys a resonable cause can not the pope erre lett hym redâ— his awne lawe Dis 19. Anastasius / Dis 40. Si papa and also .24 q. 1. A recta in the glosse / there shall he finde that the pope hathe erred wherfore than shulde the matter stonde in hys iudgement Now how wille he by this rule saue the counselles of constance / and of basel where in both counsels the popes were condemned for heretykes as the same counsels make mencion / also that the counsels haue erred that graunteth he hym selfe / but paraduenture he wyll say / that they were not fulle counsels Now is yt well a mended / what dysticcionis as consernynge the veryte in a
counselle that hathe a thousande bisshopes and in a nother that hath fyve thousande can the multitude helpe to the veryte Than had the turke the veryte and we the falsed / 3. Reg. 2 3. Reg. 18. than had the prophete Micheas the worsse parte for he was a lone agenst .iiij. hundred / so was the veryte by the prophetes of Baale / and not by Elyas / for they were foure hundred and fiftye and he was but one man Breuely Christis flocke is all ways the smallyste number in this worlde / but yet yt ys the best / not that the smallest number maketh christis flocke / but that christes churche stondeth neyther by the grettest number nor yet by the smallest / nor by the iudgemeÌ„t or numberynge of man / but by the callynge and eleccion of god / wherefore lett my lorde bryng forthe / what counselle that he will and yf they haue not the worde of god / I wylle not alonly say they may erre / but also that they do erre in verye dede And the wylle I proue by the grettest lawyar that they haue called Panormitanê° whose wordes be these / De â—ectio â— sâ—gnifica that counselle may erre as it hath erred / as coÌ„sernynge the coÌ„tracte of matrimony / inter raptoreÌ„ et raptaÌ„ / The counsell of mel delci did â—rre and the saynge of S. Hierom was afterward preferred a â—oue the statute of the counselle as yt ys proued 36. q. 2. Tria / for in thynges consernynge the faith ys the saynge of a pryuate persone to be prefarred a fore the saynge of the pope yf he haue better resons and scripturs of the newe and the olde testament for hym than the pope / nor yt caÌ„ not helpe to say that the counselle can not erre by cause that Christ dyd pray for his church that her faythe shulde not faylle / for I answere to this / that though the generalle counsell doo represent the wholle vniuersalle church / neuerthelesse in very dede there is not the very vniuersalle church / but representatiue For the vniuersalle church stondeth in the electâ—on of alle faithfulle meÌ„ all faith fulle meÌ„ of the worlde make the vniuersalle church / whose hed spouse ys christ Iesus the pope is but the vycker of Christ not the very hed of the church / this is the church that can not erre cÌ„ Here it is open that the counselle may erre / aÌ„d that a priuate person hauynge scriptures for hym is to be harde a fore the pope and also the conselle hauynge no scriptures for them / yov haue also what is the very trew church which can not erre / whiche thinge caÌ„ not be veryfyed of youre counselles for they be neyther wyth out erroure nor yet the holye churche but that they doo represent the church as a legate representeth a kynges person but of the followeth not that he is the kynge or hath as muche power as the kynge / or ys a bove the kynge or that he may rule the kynge / Augustinê° de bap Ki. 2. c. 3. contra donaâ—as this maye also be proued by S. Augustine whose wordes be these / those couÌ„selles that be gethered in everie ê“uince must with out geue place to the auctorite of the full couÌ„sellis which be gethered of all chrystendoÌ„ / aÌ„d also those ful couÌ„sellis oft timis must be a mendyd by the full counsellys that come after / yf any thynge be openyd by any experience that was a fore shyt / and yf any thyng be knowen that was hyddyn And this may be done with out any shaddow of supersticious pryde / with out any bostyd Arrogancye with out any contencyon of malyciê° envye / but with holy meknes / wyth holy peasse / and with chrystened cheryte cÌ„ Here it is playne that youre full couÌ„selles may be a mendyd and reformyd / the whyche thynge nede not / yf they coulde not erre yee and if they did not erre in dede Moreouer you must nedes grauÌ„t that there is a rule where by youre counsellys must be exaÌ„mynyd / and where by sentens must be geuyn whyche of youre counsellys be trewe and which false / by the whych rule yf youre couÌ„sellys be not ordered / they must nedys erre and be false / and of the deuyll wherefore gather all youre counsellys too gether and yet of them can you not make holy churche / But peraduenture there may be many in youre counsellys good and perfyte men and of holy churche / But they and you to gether make not the vniuersall holy churche that can not erre / Neyther haue yow any auctoryte ouer holy churche / further than the holy scrypture off god / But as sone as you for sake Chryst aÌ„d his holy worde / so sone are you the congregacyoÌ„ of the deuyll / and theuys and murtherars / aÌ„d yet for all thys there must nedis be an holy churche of chryst in erthe that ys neyther bounde to Ierusalem nor to CouÌ„staÌ„tinopill / nor yet to Rome as though she were lyke vn to / the Asse and the foolle But now wyl there be obiected / that oure Master Christe commandeth / Maâ— 1â— yff my brother offend me that I shuld complayne to the church / Now ys this church that I haue sett out spretualle no man knoweth hyr but God onlye / she is also scattered thorow out the world / wherefore how can a man complayne to that church I answere oure master Christ dothe playnly speake of a man that hathe wronge / the which must nedes be a perticuler and a serten man / and therfore lyke wysse he byddythe hym complayne not to the vniuersalle churche / but to the perticular church Now this particular church / if she be of god / and a trew member of the vniuersalle churche / she wyll iudge ryghtwysly after Christes words / and after the probacions brought a fore hyr / neuer the lesse oftyn tymes comyth yt that this particular church doth fully and holly erre and iudgeth vnryght and excommunycateth hym / that is blessed of god / 24. q. 3. Si quis et c. cuÌ„ aliquis as yt is open in youre awne lawe / whose wordes be these / oftyn tymes he that ys cast out ys with in / and he that is with out ys kept with in cÌ„ Here haue yov playnlye that the particular church may erre / wherefore that church that can not erre is alle only the vniuersalle church which is called the communion and the felowshyppe of saynctis / the whiche addicion was made by holy fathers for in Ciprians tyme was there no mencion of yt by alle lyklyhod to declare the presumpcion of serten men / and of serten congregacions that rekened them selfe to be holy church wherefore my lordes se welle to lest the holye goste haue prykkyd yov with this addicion / for yov haue alle wayes made youre selfe holy churche / yee and that
nothinge but erre Not with stoÌ„dinge we are so blyndyd that we thynke darknys lyght / and erroures verytye This is opynly prouyd / by alle oure grett Clarkely scolemen / and that yt may be opyn to alle men / I wille recyte what they lerne of the keyes Duns and all his scolars saye that these keyes be nothynge els / Scotê° 4. sent di 18 but an auctorite geuyn to pristes where by they geue sentence / that heuyn must be openid to this man and schyt vnto the other so that heuyn is openyd and shyt at the sentence of the pryst / This is his lerninge â–ª who coulde haue invented suche a doctryne / but the deuille hym selfe who caâ—e speke agretter heresy than this ys who cane speke more opynly agenst christ and hys holy scripture If the auctorite of the pryst be the keyes of heuyn / and cane opyn and shytte heuyn / than nede wâ— no nother thynge to oure saluacyon / but the auctoryte of the pryst / than can no man be sauyd with out the auctorite of the pryst / than cane there no prystes be damned / For they haue the keys of heuyn / I thynke they wille not be so mad as by their auctorite to shytt them selfe with the deuylle Breuely what nede haue we of Christ and of hys holy worde / For the auctorite of the pryst is the keye of heuyn / but let me bryng theyr awne wordes that the matter may be playner Nicho. de orbel dâ— vtsupra The keye in thys purposse is takyn after the symilitude of a materiall keye whiche is the next instrumeÌ„t to shyt to opyn a dore by where by we enter in to the howse So lykewise / the auctorite to geue sentence that heuyn mvst be openyd vn to this man / is called the keye cÌ„ / To vse many wordis in refellynge this damnable opinioÌ„ yt nedeth not / But ageÌ„st them all / I will set the auctorite of Saynt Hierom whose wordis be these / I shall geue the the keys of heueÌ„ Thys place / Hiero in M. c. â—6 the Bysshops and the prystis not vnderstondynge haue vsurpyd vn to them som what of the pharisys pride / so that they thynke that they may condemne innocentis / and loosse them that be gylty / whan a fore god not the sentence of the pryst but the lyffe of the giltye is regardyd cÌ„ Here you haue playnly that the senteÌ„s of the prist is not lokyd on / nor abyll to loose a sinner a fore god / Marke also that Saynt HieroÌ„ saithe you vnderstoÌ„d not this place Moreouer I wold know of you all / where you can brynge me one exampyll in scripture / that the sentence of a prist hath losyd a synner / or bound a ryghtwise man / and yf it can not do this / than is there a nother thynge a boue the sentence of a prist Furthermore that youre auctorite shuld be the keyes of heuyn / it is agenst reason and agenst youre awne lernyng / for duns and also lyra of this same texte / Scotê° 4. sen dist 15 Quest 1. QuodcuÌ„que ligaueris / do playnly declare / that youre key of auctoryte may erre / Now if it may erre / than is yt not the right key to the locke of heuen / for the right key can neuer erre in hys awne locke / wherefore at the most yow can make it but a pickelocke whiche belongeth to robbers and theuys only Moâ—eouer if thys were the key / than shulde we neuer be in suerte whether heuen were opened or not First we haue no promysse nor no worde of god / made vnto this key / And agayne we can not know whaÌ„ it openeth heuen and whan not / for it may erre after youre awne doctors and yf it chaunce for to erre than are not heuen gatys openyd / So that be this meanys we shall be all ways in doute / whether we by lossyd from oure synne or not Vvherfor we must seke out a nother key that is the very trew key to the locke the whiche cannot erre / of the whiche we shall be in suerte and wyth out all doute / But ere we declare what thys key is / we wyll first shewe the nature and the propertye of this key Saynt Augustine saithe That must be callyd a key where by the hardnes of oure hartis are openyd vn to faithe / Aug. ser 2. de sane and where by the secrettnes of myndes are made manyfest / A key yt ys saithe he the which dothe bothe opyn the consyens to the knowlege of synne / and also includyth grace / vn to the holsomnes of the euerlastynge mistery cÌ„ This is the diffynicion of thys keye that we speke of after / Saynt Augustyne / Now compare youre power vn to this diffinicyon / and see how they do agree Fyrst what caÌ„ youre power doo which you call youre key to remoue a way the hardnes of the harte / and to brynge in faythe Agayne what can youre key Iudge of the secretnes of mans mynde Thirdly what can youre power doo to mans conscieÌ„s to make hym to knowlege his sinne yee where by do yow know youre awne synne by youre power thaÌ„ haue all pristis a like knowlege Fynallye what grace dothe youre power include in him that may brynge vs to euerlastynge Ioye where fore you see that this diffinicion agreethe as well with youre keye / as Chalke and Chese There fore must we seke a nother keye / that hathe all these propertyes This ys nothynge ellys / but the holy worde of god / wherby that we reseue faithe in to oure hartis as S. paule sayth / Rom. â—0 Faith is by heringe and herynge is by the wordes of god / aÌ„d for thys cause the holy prophete callyth it a lanterne saynge Psal 118. Thy worde is a lantern vn to my fette / and yt ys light vn to my pathys Ibidem By thys worde do we reseue lyffe as the prophete saythe / Thy speache shall quickyn me Also the secrettys of oure hartys be opened by thys worde as Saynt paule declarith saynge yf there come one that doth not beleue / he ys repreuyd by the word off all men and the secretis of hys harte are openyd / â— Cor. â—4 By this worde also is declared vn to vs grace and euerlastynge lyffe as â— Thy. â— S. paule saith / christ hath put a waye deth / hathe brought lyffe and immortalite vn to light thorow the gospel / Thys is thou thynge only where by that oure coÌ„sciens is loosed and mad fre froÌ„ synne Therfore saith the holy prophete there is muche peasse vn to them that loue the lawe of god / Psal 118. aÌ„d there is no sclaunder vnto them / muche peasse ys nothinge ellis but remissioÌ„ of synnes / ye that with out any doute / for he that is loosed by the word of god
culde they no nother wysse doo / but varaye from christ no they wold nor desyeryd no nother wyse but to swarve from hym / But wherfore they wer blyndyd and wherfore they wer hardenyd that must yov inquier of the inscrutable wil / that plesyd hym so to leue theÌ„ the cause ther of I am suer he cane telle yov if he wolde / I am suer it is ryghtwyselye done / But now commitâ—e the blynde and fleshely reson and murmureth at this and asketh / why are we coÌ„deÌ„ned for this why dothe god punish vs for this / seyng we cane wylle no nother wysse / also he blyndeth vs / he maketh oure hartes hard that we caÌ„ not amend vs / and yt lyeth not in ouâ—e power with out his wyll / now why complayneth he of vs why layeth he it to oure charge here is nothing done but his will / we be but instrumeÌ„tes of his wylle / and if we do not well why geuethe he vs not strength to doo better Thou damnable reason who can satisfye the which rekeneste nothing to be well done but that that thou doste that is doÌ„ne at thy couÌ„sell Thinkest thou not / that thou arte good perfytt in thyne awne nature / all that is in that is bothe well ryghtwysly made to this thou wylte answer yee / for thou wilt not coÌ„demne thy selfe nor nothyng that is thyne / but now answere me to this / what hath made that so well / geue the all this ryghtwysnes all this goodnes that thou haste thou must nedes say god / but what was the cause that thou arte so well / so ryghtwyse so good made / seyng that thou deserued nothing / yee alle these thinges / be done so welle so ryghtwysly / that thou canste not complayne / nor amende theÌ„ / no nor yet devysse whiche way to a mend theÌ„ / now why dooste thou not murmur agenst god seyng that all thynge is done with out thy knowlege / aÌ„d also with out thy deseruyng / why dost thou not inquier a cause of hym why murmureste thou not that he hathe made the so good and so ryght / seyng thou hadste nothyng deserued / but here wylte thou graunte / that god did all thing for the beste / why dooste thou not lyke wysse in other thinges / forthermore / thou must nedes graunt / that god thy maker / and the governer of alle thinges is most wyse / moste ryghtwyse / and most mercifulle and so wyse / that nothing that he doth cane be a mended / so ryghtwyse that there cane be no suspycion in hym of vn ryght wysenes / â—o mercyfulle is he that he cane do no thing with out mercie / how thinkeste thou / wilte thou graunt these thynges off thy maker thou must nedes graunt them Now coÌ„pare vnto thys rule / thy blyndnes that is wyth in the / thy induracion that is in the / thy peruerse wyll toward goodnes / and what cause haste thou to complayne thov hast graunted that he doth all thynge ryghttusly / ergo thou haste no wronge / he dothe alle thynge mercifully / ergo thou arte in thy blyndnes and in thy hardnes better intreted than thou haste deserued Moreouer / thou beleuest that god is ryghtwyse / that god is wysse / and that god is mercyfulle / now faith is of those thynges that do not apere / nor that cane be proued by exterior causys / holde the faste to this faithe / than alle thy fleshely reasons be asoyled / for whan god saueth so fewe men / and dammeth so meny / thou knowest no cause why / yet must thou beleue that he ys mercyfulle and ryghtwyse / this is faithe whiche yf yt coulde be proued by exterior causys / than were yt no nede to beleue yt / now yf thou beleue that he is mercyfulle good ryghttus vn to the / wherfore murmurste thou But yet woldest thou know wherfore he indurateth the and blyndeth the and geueth the no grace to a mend / and vn to thy brother / that hathe no better deserued than thou haste / yee he hathe lykewysse evylle deserued as thou haste and yet he geueth hym grace / and taketh awaye hys hardnes / and geueth hym a wylle to wylle alle goodnes / thys is not indifferently done as thou thynkest Fyrst I say to the thou haste no cause to complayne / for thou haste no wronge / thov hast alle thynge that ys thyne / and nothynge ys taken from the / that belongeth to the / why doste thou complayne of this ryght yee but yet saist thou that he geueth the one marcy aÌ„d geueth thother none / I answere what is that to the / is not his mercy his awne Is yt not lawfulle for hym to geue yt to whome he wylle is thy yie evyll by cause he is good Mat. 20 Take that that is thyne and goo thy waye / for iff yt be his wylle to shewe hys wrathe / and to make hys powre knowen / over the vesseles of wrath / ordened to damnacion / Rom. 9. and to declare the Ryches of his glory / vn to to the vessels of mercy which he hathe prepared and elected vnto glory / what haste thou there with to doo what cause haste thou there off to complayne yt is the wylle of god which can not be but welle and ryghtwyse / the which as thou sayst thou beleuest / wherefore leue of thy murmurryng and thy disputacion agenst god / and rekken that he is of his nature mercifulle / and hathe no delytte nor no plesure in thy damnacion / but beleue thou stedfastly / that if he she we his mercy / but vn to one maÌ„ in all the worlde that thou shalt be that same one man / though an Angelle wolde make the beleue that alle the worlde shulde be damned / yet stycke thou faste to his mercy / and to his iustis that iustifye the / and beleue that the swete bloude of his blessed sonne can not be shed invayne / but it must nedes iustify synners and so meny as stycke fast vnto yt / though they be neuer so blynded and neuer so hardened / for yt was shed alonly for them / yf thou canste thus satisfye thy selfe / thaÌ„ dost thou welle / and thou arte doutles out off iuperdy / but if thou wyllte not be content / but wyllte dispute and inquier causis of godes inscrutable wylle / than wylle I stond by / and loke on and se what vycterdomme thou shalt get I doute not but yt wylle repent the / and that he wyll conclude with the / on this maner maye not I doo what I wyll Now here haue I answered / to an intricable doute / that oure scolle men are wrapped in which wold knowe what is the cause of predestinacion / and of reprobacion / Scotus â— sent Di. 41. Duns beynge wrapped by twene carnalle reason / and the inuincible
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
thyng that is commanded vs or els flye / but if any thyng be commanded vs that is agenste the worde of god where by oure faythe is hurt / that we shulde not doo in any wysse but rather suffer persecucyon and also dethe But agenst this power goythe not oure Artycle for it commandeth nothyng as consernynge the consyens / but alonly as consernyng the orderynge of worldly thynges and there fore / it mynistreth a temporalle payne over the boddy wonly and there wyth conteÌ„t / wherfore we wille now speke of the other power whych meÌ„ calle spiritualle Fyrst here is to be notyd that thys is no power Nor none auctorite worldly / but al oÌ„ly a mynystracyon of the worde of God and a spiritualle regement / prechyng the gouernynge of the soule and the mynystracion of the sprett hauyng nothyng to do wyth the exterior Iustes or ryghtwisnes of the world aÌ„d therfore hathe it no power bi ryght lawe to make any statutes or lawys to order the world by / but alonly faythe fullie truli to pÌ„che to minister the word of god there bi iÌ„structiÌ„g the coÌ„syeÌ„s of maÌ„ nothiÌ„g addyng there to / nor takyng there from but as S. Paule saith / 2. Tim. 3 to abyde in those thynges that they haue lerned / Rom. 16 and that be commytted vn to them / for S. Paule as he hym selfe saith durste speke no nother thynge but those thynges which Christe had wrought by him / for he curseth hym be he man or angell that precheth any other gospell / Gala. 1. Hiere 23 than he had preched / therfore the prophete commandeth vs that we shulde not here the wordes of those prophetes which dysseue vs / for they speke visyons of their awne hartes and not out of the mought of god / and yet speke they in the name of god / wherfore these meÌ„ so longe as they speke wonly the worde off god / so longe are they to be harde / as christ him selfe / after that saynge he that hereth yov hereth me / Luce. 10 Mat. 23. Suê‘ IoaÌ„ Trac 46. also what so euer they saye vn to yov syttynge in the chayre of Moses doo yt / on the which texte speketh S. Augustine / By syttyng in the chayre is vnderstonde the lernynge of the lawe of god / and therfore god dothe teche by theÌ„ / but yf they wylle teache their awne doctrine hare yt not / doo yt not / for suche men seke that that ys theires and not Christes cÌ„ These wordes be playne agenst alle them that preche any thynge but the lawe of god wonly / wherefore yff these mynysters wyll of tyranny aboue the worde of god make any law or statute / yt must be consydered after two maner awayes / fyrste whether yt be openly and derectly agenst the word of god and to the dystruccion of the faith / as that statute is where by they haue condemned the new testament / and also forbydden serten men to preche the worde of god hauynge no trew cause agenste them / but alonly their malicius susspeccion / also that lernyng where by they lerne / that workes doo iustify more ouer that statute where by they bynd meÌ„ vnder the payne of damnacyon to be assoyled of them / these statutes I say with other lyke men are not bound for to obey nether of cherite for here is faith hurt which geueth no place to cheryte nor yet for a voydyng of sclander / for the worde of god may not be a voydyd / nor yet geue place / vn to sclander for than shulde yt neuer be preched / but it must be faste stucke vn to and the more that men be offended with alle aÌ„d the styffer that they be agenste yt / the more openly and planlye yee and that to their faces / that make suche statutes must we resyst them with these wordes / Act. 5. we are more bound to obey god than man This is well proued / by Hylarius wordes / Hylarius in Matt. cano 14. alle maner of plantes that be not planted of the father of heuen must be plucked vpp by the rootes / that is to say the tradicions of meÌ„ / by whose menys / the commandimentes of the lawe be broken / must be destroyed / and therfore calleth he them / blynd gydes of the way to euerlastynge lyffe / because they se not that thyng they promys / and for that cause / he saith / that bothe the blynde gydes and they that be led shall faule in to the dyke cÌ„ Marke that alle tradicious of meÌ„ which are agenst godes law must be dystroyed / therfore lett everye man take hede / for yt longeth to their charge / for bothe the blynd gydes and also they that be led shalle falle in the dyke / yt shalle be none excuse / for hym that ys led to saye that hys gyde was blynd / but lett them here the word of god by his holy prophete walke not in the preceptes of youre fathers nor kepe not their iudgementes / Ezech. â—0 but walke in my preceptes / and kepe my iudgementes The other maner of statutes be whan serten thynges that be called indifferent be commanded as thinges to be done of necessite and vnder the paynes of deedly synne / as for an example to eate fleshe or fyshe this day or that day is indiffereÌ„t and fre / also to goo in this rayment / of this collour or that collour / to shaue oure hedes or not / a prest to were a longe goune or a shorte / a gray fryar to were a gray cote or a Russett / a whytte fryar to were a whytte or a blake / a preste to marry or not to marrye / an heremyt to haue a berde or not / these with alle other suche outwarde workes / be thynges indifferent and may be vsed and also lefte / now if the bisshops will make any lawe or statute that these thinges shalle be determynatlye vsed so that it shalle not be lawfulle for vs to leue them vn done / but that we must presyssely doo them and not the coÌ„trary vnder the payne of dedlye synne / here must they be with stoÌ„ded and in no wyse obeyd for in this is hurte oure faith and lyberte of christendome where by we ar fre and not bound / to any exterior worke / but fre in alle thynges and vn to alle men at alle tymys and in alle maner / excepte yt be in suche a cause where as brotherly cheryte / or the commen peace shuld be offended therefore in all these thinges be we fre aÌ„d we must withstonde them that wylle take thys lybertye from vs wyth thys texte of scripture / we are bought with pryce we wyl not be the seruaÌ„tes of men / 1. Cor. 7. this texte is open agenste them that wylle bynd mennes conscyens vn to synne in those thinges that Christe hathe lefte them fre in / off this we
wyll reason be persuadyd by this token that Messias whoÌ„ all the prophetes and all the patryarkes haue promysyd so many hunderd yerys a fore was now borne and yet thys tokyn came from heueÌ„ yee and by the mynystracion of angelles and the sheperdys dyd beleue the worde / Breuely by reson what be all the artykylles of the faith where ys Christ where is remyssion of sinnes where is the lyffe to come Reson mocketh all these thinges but yet they be trew / by cause allonly the worde of god speketh theÌ„ wher for most noble excellent prince / loke on the worde of god aÌ„d not of blinde reson and saue the honoure there of / for it shall saue youre grace at your most nede Furthermore I do exhorte aÌ„d require wyth alle honour ye aÌ„d I do coÌ„maÌ„de in the vertue of chryste Iesus and his blyssed worde All dukes / all Erryllys / all lordis / all maner of estattes hye and lowe that wyll be christen men / Io. 6. that wyll be sauid by the vertue of Iesê° Christis blessed bloud that they doo se thys ordynance of the god of heuen obserued too the vttermoste of thyer power aÌ„d whaÌ„ so euer that they wyll be houshed that they reseue the blessyd sacrament vnder bothe kyndes / and at the lest desyer yt with all their harte of theyr currates so desier it that they may be dyschargyd a fore the immortall god off heuyn which wyll not be mokkyd nor avoydyd wyth a damnable reson / but what so euer thing there be that ys agenst the holly worde of god / and the glorius ordinance what collour so euer yt bryng wyth yt of holynes lett yt be a cursed and reknyd of the deuell / This doth S. Cypryan lerne vs sayng / what thyng so euer yt be that ys ordened by mans madnes / where by the ordinance of god is violatyd / yt ys whoredum / it is of the deuell and it is sacrilege / where fore flye froÌ„ suche contagiusnes of meÌ„ aÌ„d a voyde theire wordes as a canker and as pestilence cÌ„ These wordes be playne of all maner of meÌ„ of what estate what dygnyte / or of what honoure so euer they be and what collour of holynes so euer they bring with them / wherefore in thys present wrytyng I do couÌ„selle and exhorte alle trewe chrysten men to take hede what they doo the worde of god is so playne in this matter that they can desyer it no plainer / it is no chyldes game to trifill with godes worde / god wyll not be trifylyd with nor yet mokkid But now to helpe pore meÌ„ that be vnlerned I wyl a soyll sertin of their daÌ„nable resoÌ„s / the first is we wil not geue it vnder the kinde of wyne lest that there shuld by negligens eyther of the pryst or of the reseuer falle any droppe on the grounde I answere oure M chryst dyd know that suche a chanche might come / you can not deny yt except you wyll saye that he was not god / as you wold not gretly stycke to do yf you might haue mantynens aÌ„d yet not wyth stondyng dyd he institute yt in bothe kyndes / Answere you to this More ouer why doo not by this reson youre awne prystes abstayne from the wyne seyng that thys perrell may also chaÌ„che theÌ„ as your cautellis of the masse do graunte / Also yf it be a resonable cause that you shall not kepe christes ordinance / by cause of a voydyng of parelles than may you take a waye all the wholle sacrameÌ„t to a voyde perrelles / for in reseuyng of it in the kynde of brede / is Iuperdê° leste their remayne any crumme in the reseuers tethe / This reson is as good as youres so that now all the sacrameÌ„t in both kindes is taken a waye Forthermore / if you will a voyde all perrelles thaÌ„ may you geue this sacrameÌ„t to no maÌ„ for you can not tell who is in dedly synne who not / for you know not their hartis it were a sore perrell aÌ„d gretly more Iuperdye to geue the puer body of christ Iesê° in to a foull soule thaÌ„ that a drope of blude by negligeÌ„s shuld faull on the ground / for there fallith but a drope here is the wholle boddy in a foullare place than the grouÌ„de is Also that may be avoyded with good dylygeÌ„ce aÌ„d wisduÌ„ of the prist / but that the sacrameÌ„t shal all wais be reseuid in to a puer coÌ„scieÌ„s there is no diligeÌ„ce of the prist that caÌ„ make it How think you now now is all the wholl sacrameÌ„t and christes blessed ordinance clearly taken a waye and all for a voydyng Iuperdis and perrellis / thus triffylle you with christis holy worde / yee and that in youre gret aÌ„d holy couÌ„selles Other resons my lorde of Rochester bryngeth that be worthye of noo solucion / for he doth but mocke and scorne and triffylle with goodes worde / Io. 6. he bryngeth the myrakylle of the fyue louys where there is no meÌ„cyon made of wyne / Ergo lay meÌ„ must be housselyd in won kynde / ys not this madnes whatt meane these men that neyther fere god nor yet be a shamed of man what is this to the purposse Christ dyd a myrakylle of fyue louys where is no mencyon made of wyne what ys thys too the sacrament yff the brede signyfyde won parte of the sacrament what signifide the .ii. fyshis and the he ye that was there these .ij. thynges must nedis signify the other parte Also laye meÌ„ dyd touch this brede Moreouer in an other place / chryst geuythe allonly wyne / Ergo the sacrament must be reseuyd in the Kinde of wyne allonly off the lay meÌ„ Be not these goodly argumeÌ„tes ye that of bisshops yt were madnes too answere too them ¶ It is agenst scripture to honoure images and to praye to saynctes IF men had the very trewe faithe in Christ Iesus that belongeth to Christen men to haue / this article were open of it selfe with out anny forther probacion / for yf men dyd beleue fyrst that Christ were god and omnipotent / and myghty to geue alle thinges secondarily that he were mercifulle / gracious / and lovyng towarde vs / and so lovynge that we culde desyer nothing of him but that he wold geue it vs / if meÌ„ I say had this faith and this loue towarde Christe / they wolde goo no forther but to hym only they wolde make in vente / and devyse no mediators / but faithefully reseue hym acordyng to the scripturs for their wonly mediator / sauior and redemer / and beleue and knowe suerly / that they coulde axe nothing so grett in his name but that they shulde reseue it / so that he wolde him selfe geue yt and there vn to is abyll Also by this faith they shulde perfyttly know / that they coulde not be so vnworthy but he of his only and mere marcye
though we be full of sinnes C.xlv Church what it is and who be therof and wherbye men maye knowe her lviij Church how a man may know the true church xlv Ciprian saith / how do we teach or how can we provoke men to shed their bloude for the confession of Christes name if we do denye them the bloude of christ whan they shall go to batayle or how dare we able them vnto the victorye off marterdome if we do not first by right admytte them to drinke the cuppe of oure lorde in the congregacion c̄ C.xxix Cipriā saith / what thing so ever it be that is ordeyned by mānes madnes / wherbye the ordinaunce of god is violated / it is whoredome / it is of the deuyll / it is sacrilege wherfore flye from such cōtagiousnes of men and avoyde their wordes as a canker and as a pestilence c̄ C.xxxj Clement saith / we do honoure visible ymages to the honoure of the invisible god / the whiche is a false thinge but yf yov wyl honoure the ymage of god in doyinge wel to man / in him shal yov honoure the true ymage of god wherfore yf yov wille trulye honoure the ymage of god we wyll open that thinge vnto yov which is of truth / so that yov must do wel to mā the which is made vnto the ymage of god Geue him honoure and reuerēce Geue him meate whan he is hungrye Geue him drynke whā he is thristye cloth him when he is naked / serue him whan he is a straunger / and whan he is in preson minister vnto him necessaryes this is the thinge that shal be counted to be geuen god trulye Vvhat honoringe of god ys this to runne aboute to stonye and woddye images and to honoure as godes ydle and deed figures / and to despise man in whom is the very true image of god wherfore vnderstonde you that this is the suggestion of the serpent that lorketh with in / the whych doth make you beleue that you be devoute whan you do honoure insensyble thynges / and maketh you to beleue that you be nott wiked whane yov hurte sensible and resonable men c̄ Fo. C.xl. Clemens saith / what thing is there so wicked / or so vnthankefull / as to receyue a benefite off god and to geue thankes to stockes and stones / wherfore wake and vnderstonde youre helthe et cetera C.xli. Cōstitucyons lawes or decres of men whych be not grūded in scripture / bynd not the cōscyēce of man vnder the payne of deedlye sinne C.xij Councel of meldelci dyd erre and the sayeng of Saynt Hierom was afterward preferred a boue the statute of the counsell lxiiij Croune what yt signifyeth viij Doctoure Alen expoundeth scripture C.v. Duns graunteth that yt was for bydden too make images before the incarnacyon of◠Christe C.xxxiiij Ecclesiastica historia douteth whether the pistle whych is ascribed to Iames be his or no lij Fayth onlye iustifyeth before god .xxxvii Frewill of man after the faule of Adam of hys naturall strēgth cā do no thyng but sinne lxxxi Glosse of the popes law sayth that the pope maye dispence in those thinges that be agenst the apostle Note knauerie / viij Haymo saith / it is offence and sinne in you that you haue Iudiciales and after / for you do agēst the commaundement of the lorde whych sayth / he that taketh awaie thy good aske it not agayne / wherfore doo you nott rather suffre wronge .xxvi Hierom saith / therfore be certen daies assigned that we shulde come to gether to heare the worde of god / not that that daye in the which we come too gether is holyar than a nother / but alle dayes be lyke and equall xxiiij Hierom saith / It is sinne vnto you that you do agenst the commaūdement of christ / that you haue iudgemētes amonge you the whych ought allwayes to kepe peace / yee though it were wyth the losse of youre temporall goodes wherfore do you not rather suffre wronge where as you ought by the cōmaundement of the gospell and by the example of the lorde pacientlye to suffer / there do you the contrarie / and not alonlye not suffer but you doo wronge vn to them that do no wronge xxvi Hierom saith vppō this texte / I shall geue the the keis of heauē c̄ This place the bysshopes and prestes nott vnderstonginge haue vsurped vnto them some what of the pharisies pryde / so that they thinke that they maye condempne innocentes and lose them that be giltye / when afore god not the sentence of the preast but the life of the gyltye is regarded lxx Hierom saith / they that preach the gospell must lyue of the gospell but not be rich lxxix Hierom writyng to .ii. younge wemen doth verye sore repreue them that wyll not reade scrypture sayinge O paula and Eustochiū if there be any thynge in this lyfe that doth preserue a wyse mā and doth persuade hym to abyde with a good wyll in the oppressyons and trauldoms of thys worlde / I do rekene that speciallye it ys the medytacyons and studye of holye scrypture seynge that we do dyffer from other creatures specyallye in that that we be resonable and in that that we can speake Nowe ys reason and all maner of wordes cōtayned in holie scripture / wherebye that we maye lerne too knowe god and also the cause wherefore we be created wherfore I doo soore meruell that there be certen men whyche geue thē selues too slouthfullnes and sluggyshnes / and wylle nott lerne those thynges that be good / but reken those men worthy to be repreued that haue that god mynde C.viij Hierom wrytynge vppon daniel / expoundynge this texte be it knowne vnto the kinge c̄ sayeth The propertyes of the wordes be to be marked that he saythe we wyll not worshupe thy goodes nor yet honoure thyne Image for neyther of both become the seruauntes of god too doo et cetera C.xli. Hilarius sayth that it is the church of Aryans and heretikes whych doth threaten / banish / enpreson and compell men to beleue her lxvij Hilarius saith / Al maner of plantes that be not planted of the father of heuen must be plucked vpp by the rotes / That is to saye the tradicyons of men by whose meanes the cōmaūdemētes of the lawe be broken must be destroyed And therfore calleth he them blinde gydes of the waye to everlastynge life / because they se not that thinge they promisse / and for that cause he saythe that bothe the blinde gides ād they that be led shal faule in to the dyke C.xix Images / It is agenst scripture to honoure images or praye to sayntes C.xxxiij Iustificacion / and the maner therof xlviij Iames epistle is improved lij Keyes / what the keyes of the church are and to whom they be geuen lxx Kinge we ought not to depose a kynge though he be neuer so wicked but suffer his wykydnes and tyrannye vntyll god delyver vs from