haue charitie but y e iustified mā hée is a frée seruaunt vnto God for the loue y e hée hath vnto him The which loue séeketh not in God his owne profit nor his owne aduaūtage for then were hée wicked but séeketh alonely the wyll of God and the profite of other men and worketh neyther for loue of heauen nor yet for feare of hell For hée knoweth well that heauen wyth all the ioyes thereof is prepared from the begynnyng of the world not by hym but by hys father And it must néedes folow as contrariwyse the Infidell and the wicked man doth not worke hys wicked déedes because hée woulde haue hell or euerlasting dampnation to hys rewarde but hée woulde rather the contrary Notwithstandyng hell and euerlasting dampnation must néedes follow his wicked déedes Finally a righteous man is a frée seruaunt of Gods and worketh not as an hyerelyng For if it were possible that there were no heauen yet woulde hée doe no lesse good for his respecte is to the maker of the worlde and the Lord of all rewardes There is also an other argument and that is thys Fayth is a worke but workes doth not iustifie Ergo fayth doth not iustifie Aunswere Truth it is that we doe not meane how that fayth for his owne dignitie and for hys owne perfection doth iustifie vs. But the Scripture doth say that fayth alonely iustifieth because that it is that thyng alonely whereby I doe hange of Christe And by my faith alonely am I partaker of y e merites and mercy purchased by Christes bloude and fayth it is alonely that receaue the promyses made in Christ Wherefore wée say with blessed S. Paule that fayth onely iustifieth imputatiue that is all y e merites and goodnes grace and fauour and all that is in Christ to our saluation is imputed and reckoned vnto vs because wée hange and beléeue of hym and hée can deceaue no man that doth beléeue in hym And our iustice is not as the schoole men teacheth a formal iustice which is by fulfillyng of the lawe deserued of vs for then our iustification were not of grace and of mercy but of deseruing and of duty But it is a iustice that is reckened imputed vnto vs for y e fayth in Christ Iesus and it is not of our deseruyng but clearely and fully of mercy imputed vnto vs. Now most honorable gracious Prince I haue declared vnto your highnes what faith it is that doth iustifie vs before God and also brought for my sentēce not alonely the blessed word of God the which were sufficient in this cause but the exposition of holy Doctours that your grace might sée that I am not moued to this opinion of a light cause nor that this doctrine of myne is so new as men hath noted it Moreouer I haue declared vnto your grace how that I woulde haue good workes done would not haue a Christen mans life to bée an idle thyng or els a life of vncleannes but I would haue them to bée chaunged into all vertue and goodnes and to liue in good workes after the commaundement will of God So that your grace may well perceiue that myne aduersaries hath not reported truely on me when they haue sayd how that I would that men should neither fast nor pray nor geue almes nor yet bée penitent for their sinnes I haue neuer sayd it nor yet taught no lyke sentence I take God to recorde my workes and my déedes and all my writynges that euer I wrote or made Wherfore I doubt not if it please your grace graciously to here me but that I wil proue them vntrue in this cause many other mo This doth almighty God know to bée true Who euer preserue your moste royall maiestie in honour and goodnes Amen What the Church is and who bee therof and whereby men may know her THe name of the holy church haue those mē of long tyme vsurped presumptuouslye and w t out all shame they were the greatest enemyes that holy church could haue in earth For they did no more agrée w t the maners of holy church then darknes and light then God and y t deuyll For where holy church hard no man but Christ onely They would heare all manner of men sauing Christ and neuer heare him except it weare to to their profit or glory Where as holy church was ruled in this world they would rule all the world where as holy church would bée holy by Christ onely they would bée holy by their owne helpe And where as holy church was allwayes despised and persecuted of the world They would bée honored of y t world and persecuters of all men And where as holy church was inwardly decked with spiritual vertues they would bée outwardly shinyng in spirituall araye And where as holy church would bée chaste in spryte they would with their mouthes vow chastite and spend all their liues in whore dome And where as holy church dyd allwayes shew méekenes in the worlde they would bée so proude y t hart could deuise no more Breifely whatsoeuer thing y e was agreable with the church of that had they neuer a crumme but allonely by violence vsurped the name of holy church So that if a man had had a crowne or a long goune and a white smock ouer his gowne thē was there no remedy but hée must nedes bée of the church yea and holy church her self So y e if a Barber had made a Bul a crowne a Taylor Iack napes a lōg gowne brought an Asse forth in a white rochet thē no mā might dout but y e there were holy church euerye man must fall downe to receyue clene remission a poena and a oulpa toties quoties for there came the successours of Peter Paule and they that haue the despensatiō of Christes bloud and the merites of holy saints and y e suffrages of holy church to distribute and the key bearers of heauē and hell Who can denye but this is truth It is to opē to néede an probation for wee sée it dayly before our eyes So that if a man will compare our M Christ y t is y e very head of holy church vnto these Prelates that call them selues his viccars hée shall finde but smale agréement betwéene the person and the vicar and hée that will consider S. Peter and S. Paule withall other Apostels shall think that eyther they were none of holy Church or els our prelals for they agrée in nothing Yea hée may reckē that S. Peter S. Paule were starke fooles ryght mad men that liued so despectuous a lyfe What néede me to make many wordes or to tell their names that I speake of There is no doubt but that galde horse will béewray hym selfe But shortly if the deuyll would come in his owne person disguised tell me how it were impossible that hée could bée more contrary to Christ and hys apostels
in the latter ende In the 8. and 9. chapters he exhorteth thē to helpe the poore saintes that were at Ierusalem In the 10. 11. and 12. he inueyegth against the false prophetes And in the last Chapter he threateneth them that had sinned and not amended themselues A Prologue vpon the Epistle of S. Paule to the Gallathians by W. Tyndall AS ye read Act. 15. how certaine came from Ierusalem to Antioche vexed y t disciples there affirming y t they coulde not be saued except they were circumcised Euen so after Paul had conuerted the Galathians coupled them to Christ to trust in him only for the remission of synne and hope of grace and saluation and was departed there came false apostles vnto thē as vnto the Corinthiās and vnto all places where Paul had preached and that in the name of Peter Iames and Iohn whom they called the hye Apostles and preached circumcision and the kepyng of the law to be saued by and minished Paules authoritie To the confounding of those Paul magnifieth hys office and Apostleship in the two first chapiters and maketh hymselfe equall vnto the hie Apostles and concludeth that euery man muste be iustified without deseruyngs without workes and without helpe of the law but alone by Christ And in the 3. and 4. he proueth the same with Scripture examples and similitudes and sheweth that the law is cause of more sinne and bryngeth the curse of God vpon vs and iustifieth vs not but that iustifiyng commeth of grace promised vs of GOD through the deseruyng of Christe by whome if we beleue we are iustified without helpe of the woorkes of the lawe And in the 5. and 6. he exhorteth vnto the workes of loue which folow fayth and iustifiyng So that in all his Epistle he obserueth this order First he preacheth the damnatiō of the law then the iustifiyng of fayth and thyrdly the workes of loue For on that cōdition that wee loue henceforth and worke is the mercy giuen vs or els if we will not worke the will of GOD henceforward we fall from fauour grace and the inheritance that is freely geuen vs for Christes sake through our owne fault we lose agayne A Prologue vpon the Epistle of Saint Paule to the Ephesians IN this Epistle and namely in the three firste Chapters Paul sheweth that the Gospell grace therof was foresene and predestmate of God from before the begynnyng and deserued through Christ now at the last sent forth that all men should beleue thereon thereby to be iustified made righteous liuyng and happy and to bee deliuered from vnder the damnation of the law and captiuitie of ceremonies And in the fourth he teacheth to auoyde traditions and mens doctrine and to beware of puttyng trust in any thyng saue Christ affirmyng that he onely is sufficient and that in him we haue all thynges and beside him neede nothyng In the v. and vj. he exhorteth to exercise the faith and to declare it abroad through good workes and to auoyde sinne and to arme them with spiritual armour agaynst the deuill that they might stand fast in time of tribulation and vnder the crosse The Prologue vpon the Epistle of Saint Paule to the Philippians by W. Tyndall PAule prayseth the Philippians and exhorteth them to stād fast in the true faith and to encrease in loue And because that false Prophetes study alwayes to impugne and destroy y ◠true fayth he warneth them of such worke learners or teachers of woorkes and prayseth Epaphroditus And all this doth hee in the first and seconde Chapters In the thyrd he reproueth faythles and mans righteousnes whiche false Prophetes teach and mainteyne And he setteth him for an ensample howe that he him selfe had liued in such false righteousnes and holinesse vnrebukeable that was so that no man could complaine on him and yet now setteth nought therby for Christes righteousnes sake And finally he affirmeth that such false Prophetes are the enemyes of the crosse make their bellye 's their GOD for further then they may safely and without all perill and sufferyng will they not preach Christ A Prologue vpon the Epistle of Saint Paule to the Colossians by W. Tyndall AS the Epistle to y t Galathians holdeth the maner and fashion of the Epistle to the Romains briefly comprehendyng all that is therein at length disputed Euen so this Epistle foloweth the ensample of the Epistle to the Ephesians conteynyng the tenour of the same Epistle with fewer wordes In the first Chapter he praiseth thē and wisheth that they continue in the fayth and grow perfecter therin thē describeth he the Gospell how that it is a wisedome that confesseth Christ to be the Lord and God crucified for vs and a wisedome that hath bene hyd in Christ sence afore the beginning of the world and now first begon to be opened throughe the preachyng of the Apostles In the ij he warneth them of mens doctrine and describeth the false Prophetes to the vttermost and rebuketh them accordyng In y t thyrd he exhorteth to be frutefull in the pure fayth with all maner of good workes one to an other and describeth al degrees and what their duties are In the fourth he exhorteth to pray and also to pray for him and saluteth them A Prologue vpon the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians by W. Tyndall THis Epistle did Paule write of exceeding loue and care and prayseth them in the two firste chapters because they did receiue the Gospell earnestly and had in tribulation and persecution continued therin stedfastly and were become an ensample vnto all congregations and had thereto suffred of their own kinsmē as Christ and his apostles did of y e Iewes puttyng them therto in mynde how purely and godly he had lyued among thē to their ensample and thanketh God that hys gospel had brought forth such fruite among them In the third chapter he sheweth his diligence and care least hys so greate labor and their so blessed a beginning should haue bene in vayne Sathan his apostles vexyng them with persecution and destroying their faith with mens doctrine And therefore he sente Tymothie to them to comforte them and strengthen them in the fayth and thanketh GOD that they had so constantly endured and desireth God to encrease them In the fourth he exhorteth them to kepe themselues from sinne and to do good one to another And thereto he informeth them concernyng the resurrection In the fift he writeth of the last day that it should come sodenly exhortyng to prepare them selues thereafter and to kepe a good order concernyng obedience and rule The Prologue vpon the second Epistle of S. Paule to the Thessalonians by W. Tyndall BEcause in the fore epistle he had said y t the last day should come sodenly the Thessalonians thought that it should come shortly Wherefore in this Epistle he declareth hymselfe And in the first chapter he comforteth
commeth it that they will pay none at all But to pay tribute is a signe of subiectiō verely the cause why Christ payed was because he had an houshold and for the same cause payed Peter also For he had an house a shippe and nettes as thou readest in the Gospell But let vs go to Paul agayne Wherfore ye must needes obey not for feare of vengeaunce onely but also because of conscience That is though thou be so naughty as nowe many yeares our Pope and Prelates euery where are that thou nedest not to obeye the temporall sword for feare of vengeaunce yet must thou obey because of consciēce First because of thine owne conscience For though thou be able to resiste yet shalt thou neuer haue a good cōscience as lōg as Gods word law and ordinaunce are against thee Secondarily for thy neighbours conscience For though through craft and violence thou mightest escape and obteyne libertie or priuilege to be free from all maner dueties yet oughtest thou neither to sue or to seeke for any such thing neither yet admit or accept if it were profered lest thy fredome make thy weake brother to grudge rebell in that he seeth thee go emptie and he him selfe more ladē thy part also layd on his shoulders Seest thou not if a man fauour one sonne more then an other or one seruaunt more then an other how all the rest grudge and how loue peace and vnitie is broken What Christenly loue is in the to thy neighbour ward when thou canst finde in thyne hart to go vp and down empty by him all day long and see him ouer charged yea to fal vnder his burthen and yet wilt not once set to thyne hand to helpe him What good conscience cā there be among our spiritualtie to gather so great treasure together and with hypocrisie of their false learnyng to robbe almost euery man of house and landes and yet not therewith content but with all craft and wilenes to purchase so great liberties and exemptions from all maner bearyng with their brethren seekyng in Christ nothyng but lucre I passe ouer with silence how they teach Princes in euery lande to lade new exactions and tyranny on their subiectes more and more dayly neither for what purpose they do it say I. God I trust shall shortly disclose their iugglynge and bryng their falshode to light and lay a medecine to thē to make their scabbes breake out Neuerthelesse this I say that they haue robbed all Realmes not of Gods word onely but also of all wealth and prosperitie and haue driuen peace out of all landes withdrawen them selues from all obediēce to Princes and haue separated them selues from the lay men countyng thē viler thē dogges and haue set vp that great Idole the whore of Babylō Antichrist of Rome whom they call pope and haue conspired agaynst all common wealthes haue made them a seuerall kyngdome wherin it is lawfull vnpunished to woorke all abhomination In euery Parish haue they spyes and in euery great mans house and in euery tauerne and alchouse And thorough confessions knowe they all secretes so that no man may open his mouth to rebuke what soeuer they do but that he shal be shortly made an hereticke In all Coūcels is one of them yea the most part and chief rulers of the Councels are of them But of there Councell is no man Euen for this cause pay ye tribute that is to witt for consciences sake to thy neighbour and for the cause that foloweth For they are Gods Ministers seruyng for the same purpose Because God will so haue it we must obey We doe not looke if we haue Christes spirite in vs what is good profitable glorious and honorable for vs neither on our owne will but on Gods will onely Geue to euery man therefore his dutie tribute to whom tribute belongeth custome to whom custome is due feare to whō feare belongeth honour to whom honor perteineth That thou mightest feele the workyng of the spirite of God in thee and lest the bewtie of the deed should deceaue thee and make thee thinke that the law of God whiche is spirituall were contēt and fulfilled with the outward and bodyly dede it foloweth Owe nothyng to any mā but to loue one an other For he that loueth an other fulfilleth the law For these commaundementes thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnes thou shalt not desire and so forth if there be any other commaūdement are all comprehended or contained in this saying loue thy neighbour therfore is loue the fulfillyng of the law Here hast thou sufficient agaynst all the sophisters workeholy iustifiers in the world which so magnifie their dedes The law is spirituall and requireth the hart is neuer fulfilled with the dede in the sight of god With y e dede thou fulfillest the law before the world liuest thereby that is y ◠enioyest this presēt life and auoydest the wrath and vengeaunce the death and punishment which the law threatneth to them that breake it But before God thou keepest the law if thou loue onely Now what shal make vs loue Verely that shall fayth do If thou behold how much God loueth thee in Christ and from what vengeaunce he hath deliuered thee for his sake and of what kyngdome he hath made thee heyre then shalt thou see cause inough to loue thy very enemie without respect of reward either in this lyfe or in the lyfe to come but because that God will so haue it and Christ hath deserued it Yet thou shouldest feele in thyne harte that all thy deedes to come are abundantly recompensed all ready in Christ Thou wilt say haply if loue fulfill the lawe then it iustifieth I say that that wherewith a man fulfilleth the law declareth hym iustified but that which geueth him wherewith to fulfill the law iustifieth hym By iustifiyng vnderstande the forgeuenesse of sinnes and the fauour of God Now sayth the text Roma x. the ende of the law or the cause wherfore the law was made is Christ to iustifie all that beleue That is the law is geuen to vtter sinne to kill the consciences to damne our deedes to bryng to repentaunce and to driue vnto Christ in whō God hath promised his fauour and forgeuenesse of sinne vnto all that repente and consent to the law that it is good If thou beleue the promises then doth Gods truth iustifie thee that is forgeueth thee and receaueth thee to fauour for Christes sake In a suretie wherof and to certifie thine hart he sealeth thee with the spirite Ephe. i. and. iiij And. ij Cor. v. sayth Paul whiche gaue vs his spirite in earnest How the spirite is geuen vs through Christ read the viij chapter of the Epistle to the Romaines and Gallat iij. and. ij Cor. iij. Neuerthelesse the spirit and his frutes
attrition character Purgatory pickepurse and how through confessioÌ„ they make the SacrameÌ„tes and all the promise of none effect or value There seest thou that absoluyng is but preachyng the promises cursing or excommunicating preachyng the law and of their power of their keyes of false miracles prayeng to Saintes There seest thou that ceremonies dyd not the miracles but faith eueÌ„ as it was not Moses rodde that did y â— miracles but Moses fayth in the promise of God Thou seest also that to haue a fayth where God hath not a promise is Idolatry And there also seest thou how the pope exalteth him self aboue God and commauÌ„deth him to obey his tyraÌ„ny Last of all thou hast there that no maÌ„ ought to preach but he that is called TheÌ„ foloweth the bely brotherhead of Monkes Friers For Christ hath deserued nought with them For his sake gettest thou no fauor Thou must offer vnto their belyes theÌ„ they pray bitterly for thee There seest thou that Christ is the onely cause yea all the cause why God doth ought for vs and heareth our complaint And there hast thou doctrine how to know and to be sure that thou art elect and hast Gods sprite in thee And hast there learnyng to try the doctrine of our spirites Then folow the foure senses of the Scripture of which three are no senses and the fourth that is to wite the litterall sense which is the very sense hath the Pope taken to him selfe It may haue no other meanyng theÌ„ as it pleaseth his fatherhode We must abyde his interpretatioÌ„ And as his belles thinke so must we thinke though it be impossible together any such meanyng of the Scripture Then hast thou the very vse of Allegories and how they are nothyng but ensamples borowed of the Scripture to expresse a text or an open conclusion of the Scripture and as it were to paynte it before thyne eyes that thou mayest feele the meanyng and the power of the Scripture in thyne hart Then commeth the vse of worldly similitudes how they are false Prophetes which bring a worldly similitude for any other purpose saue to expresse more playnly y â— which is coÌ„teined in an open text And so are they also whiche draw the Scripture contrary to the open places and coÌ„trary to the ensample liuyng and practising of Christ the Apostles and of the holy Prophetes And then finally hast thou of our holy fathers power and of hys keyes and of hys bindyng and excommunicatyng and of his cursyng and blessyng with ensamples of euery thyng The end of the obedience of a Christen man ¶ An exposition vppon the v. vi vii chapters of Mathew which three chapters are the keye and the dore of the scripture and the restoring agayne of Moses law corrupte by the Scribes and Pharises And the exposition is the restoring agayne of Christes lawe corrupte by the Papistes ¶ Item before the booke thou hast a Prologe very necessarie contayning the whole summe of the couenaunt made betwene God and vs vppon which we be baptised to kéepe it Set forth by William Tyndall ¶ The Prologe HEre hast thou deare Reader an exposition vpon the v. vi and vij chapters of Mathew wherin Christ our spirituall Isaac diggeth agayne the welles of Abraham which welles y t Scribes Phareses those wicked spitefull Philistines had stopped and filled vp wyth the earth of their false expositions He openeth the kingdome of heauen which they had shut vp that other men should not enter as they themselues had no lust to go in He restoreth the keye of knowledge which they had taken away and broken the wardes with wresting the text contrary to his due and natural course with their false gloses He plucketh away from the face of Moses the vaile which the Scribes and Phareises had spred thereon that no man might perceaue the brightnes of his countenaunce He wedeth out the thornes and bushes of their Pharesaicall gloses wherewith they had stopped vp the narrow way and straight gate that fewe coulde finde them The welles of Abraham are the scripture And the Scripture may well be called the kingdome of heauen which is eternall lyfe and nothing saue the knowledge of God the father and of his sonne Iesus Christ Ioh. xvij Moses face is the law in her right vnderstanding and the law in her right vnderstanding is the keye or at the least waye the first and principall keye to open the dore of the Scripture And the law is the very way that bringeth vnto y â— dore Christ as it is writteÌ„ Gala. iij. The law was our scholemaster to bring vs to Christ that we might be iustified by fayth And Rom. x. the ende of the lawe that is to say the thyng or cause why the law was geuen is Christ to iustifie all that beleue That is to say the lawe was geuen to proue vs vnrighteous and to driue vs to Christ to be made righteous the row forgeuenes of sinne by hym The lawe was geuen to make the sinne knowen sayth Saint Paule Rom. iiij and that sinne committed vnder the law might be the more sinfull Rom. vij The law is that thyng which Paule in his inward maÌ„ grauÌ„ted to be good but was yet compelled oft tymes of his meÌ„bers to do those thinges which that good lawe condemned for euill Rom. vij The law maketh no man to loue the law or lesse to do or commit sinne but gendereth more lust Rom. vij and increaseth sinne Rom. v. For I cannot but hate the lawe in as much as I finde no power to do it and it neuerthelesse condemneth me because I do it not The lawe setteth not at one with God but causeth wrath Rom. iij. The lawe was geueÌ„ by Moses but grace and veritie by Iesus Christ Ioh. j. Behold though Moses gaue the law yet he gaue no man grace to do it or to vnderstand it aright or wrote it in any mans hart to consent that it was good and to wishe after power to fulfill it But Christ geueth grace to do it and to vnderstand it aright and writeth it wyth his holy spirite in the tables oâ— the hartes of men and maketh it a true thing there and none hypocrisie The lawe truely vnderstoode is those fierie serpentes that strong the children of Israell with present death But Christ is the brasen serpent on whom whosoeuer beyng stoge with coÌ„science of sinne looketh with a â—ure fayth is healed immediatly of that stinging and saued from the paynes and sorrowes of hell It is one thyng to coÌ„demne and pronouÌ„ce the sentence of death and to flyng the conscience with feare of euerlastyng payne And it is an other thing to iustifie from sinne that is to say to forgeue and remitte sinne and to heale the conscience and certifie a man not only that he is deliuered from eternall death but also that he is made the
impossible is possible and easie to where the loue of Christ is beleued For it foloweth all that are borne of God ouercome the world that is to wete the deuill which is the ruler of the world and his disciples which haue their lust in hys gouernaunce cōsent to sinne both in body and soule and giue themselues to folow their lustes without resistence and their owne flesh which also cōsenteth to sinne do they ouercome with al that moueth to sinne By what victory Verely through fayth For if our soules be truly vnderset with sure hope and trust and continuall meditations of Christes loue shewed already and of succour helpe and assistence that is promised in his name and with the continuall memorie of their examples which in tymes past haue sought through fayth and ouercome thē were it impossible for the world with all his chinalrie to ouerthrow vs with any assault or with any ordinaunce that hee could shoote agaynst vs. For if y t fayth meditation were euer present in vs then loue thorough that fayth should easly ouercome what so euer peril thou couldest imagine Read in the Bible and see what conquestes fayth hath made both in doyng also sufferyng The xj chapter vnto the Hebrues ministreth the examples aboundauntly How mighty was Dauid when hee came to fight and how ouercame hee thorough fayth And how mightyer was he when he came to sufferyng as in the persecution of the kyng Saul In so much that when he had his most mortall enemy kyng Saul that twelfe yeares persecuted him against al right in his handes to haue done what hee would with him through faith he touched hym not nor suffred any man els to do though he was yet all his lyfe a man of warre and accustomed to murther and shedyng of bloud For he beleued that God should aduenge hym on his vnrighteous kyng vpō whom it was not lawfull to aduēge himselfe Who is it that ouercommeth the world but he that beleueth that Iesus is the sonne of God If to beleue that Iesus is Gods sonne be to ouercome the world then our Prelates vnderstand not what belief is which affirme that the best belefe and the worst mā in the world may stand together This is he that came by water and bloud Iesus Christ not by water onely but by water and bloud And it is the spirite that testifieth because the spirite is truth For there are three that beare witnesse in heauen The father the worde and the holy ghost And these three are one And there are three which beare recorde in earth the spirite water and bloud and these three are one Christ came with three witnesses water bloud and spirite He ordeined the Sacrament of Baptisme to be hys witnesse vnto vs. And he ordeined the Sacramēt of his bloud to be his witnes vnto vs. And he powreth his spirite into the harts of his to testifie and to make them feele that the testimonie of those two Sacramēts are true And the testimonie of these three is as it after foloweth that we haue euerlastyng life in the sonne of God And these iij. are one full witnes sufficiēt at the most that the law requireth whiche sayth ij or iij. at the most is one full sufficient witnes But alas we are ◅t taught to take the Sacramēts for witnesses but for imageseruice to fore the worke of them to God with such a minde as the old heathen offred sacrifices of beastes vnto their Gods So that what soeuer testifieth vnto vs that we haue euerlastyng lyfe in Christ that mouth haue they stopped with a leuended maunchet of their Pharisaicall gloses If we receaue the witnesse of mē the witnesse of God is greater For this is the witnesse that God hath borne of his sonne If the witnesse of men so they be iij. is to be receaued much more is the witnesse of God to be receaued Now the witnesse that these iij. water bloud spirite beare is the witnesse of God therfore the more to be beleued He that beleueth in the sonne of God hath witnes in him selfe And he that beleueth not God maketh him a lyer because he doth not beleue the witnesse that God hath testified of his sonne And this is the witnesse that God hath giuen vs eternall lyfe and this lyfe is in hys sonne He that hath the sonne hath lyfe And he that hath not the sonne of God hath not life The true beleuers haue the testimonie of God in their hartes they glorifie God witnessing that hee is true They haue the kingdome of God with in them and the temple of God within them and God in that temple haue the sonne of God lyfe through hym And in that temple they seke God and offer for their sinnes y e sacrifice of Christes bloud and the fatte of his mercies in the fire of their prayers and in the confidence of that sacrifice go in boldly to God their father But the vnbeleuers blaspheme God and make him false describyng him after the complection of their lyieng nature And because they be so full stuffed with lyes that they cā receaue nothing els they looke for the kyngdome of God in outward thynges and seeke God in a temple of stone where they offer their imageseruice and the fate of their holy dedes in confidence wherof they go into God and trust to haue euerlastyng lyfe And though the text testifieth that this lyfe is onely in the sonne yet they will come at no sonne shynyng but as vncleane byrdes hate the light These thynges haue I written vnto you that beleue in the name of the sonne of God that ye may know that ye haue euerlasting life that ye may beleue in the sonne of God They that haue the fayth of Christes Apostles know that they haue eternal lyfe For the spirtte testifieth vnto their spirites that they are y e sonnes of God Roma viij and receaued vnder grace Our Doctours say they can not know whether they be in the state of grace therefore they haue not the fayth of the Apostles And that they know it not is the cause whey they rayle on it This is the confidence that we haue in hym that if we aske ought accordyng to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske we knowe that we haue the petitions that we aske of hym Christ sayth Math. vij aske it shal be geuen you And Iohn in the. xvj chap. Whatsoeuer ye aske in my name he shall giue it you To aske in y t name of Iesu Christ accordyng to his will be both one and are nothyng elles but to aske the thynges contayned in the promises and Testamēt of God to vs warde that God wil be our father and care for vs both in body and in soule and if we sinne of frailtie repent forgiue vs and minister vs all thynges necessarie vnto this life kepe
a Brasen Serpent 274. b. it was not God 299. a Bread 323. a. not coÌ„secrate by Christ 467. b. howe it signifieth Christes flesh 59. a Bread and wyne are Sacramentes to holy vses 477. a Bread and wyne in the Sacrament called the body and bloud of Christ 469. a Breakyng of promise 290. b Breakyng the Sacrament among Princes 295. b Bribetaking a pestilence in Iudges 123. a Brothers weakenes must be considered 40. b Buildyng of Abbeyes 351. b Buildyng on sande 246. a. 35. a Burbon the Emperours chief Capiâ—ayne 37â— a Burden of spirituall Lawyers 140. a Burtals are to be celebrated honorably and why 434. a C. CAlil what kynde of sacrifice 291. b Candles 280. a. 277. b Canonization 297. b Captiuitie of the Israelites 97. b Captious Papistes how to be aunswered 268. b Cap of maintenaunce 114. b Carnall man 293. b Carnall man ignorauut of Gods spirite 407. a Carnall weakenes comforted 454. a Cardinall Wolsey most false 375. a. his practise 368. b. had twoo faces 371. b. his hat 375. a Cardinal Wolsey and his Chaplems passed the xij Apostles in pompâ— 370. b Care of what sorte forbidden 236. a. of the Scripture 305. b. of a Christian man 100. b. of the spiritualtie for the temporaltie 192. b Care for worldly wealth to be reiected 234. b. to keepe Gods couenauÌ„â— the chief care 235. b Care due to euery man of what sort 236. b Carefulnes of god for y â— weake 189. a Carolus Magnus 348. b Cause of false miracles 301. a. of Turkish Iewish obstinacy 301. b Cause of loue searched of the spirituall 247. b Caution in swearyng 209. a Cautels in vowes 21. b Ceremonies 9. a. 12. a. 237. b. preferred by Papistes 278. b. Scholemasters to the Iewes 12. a. cause of ignoraunce 278. a. bryng not the holy ghost 152. b. cannot iustifie 10. a. reiected without good doctrine 248. a Ceremonies with their true signififations tollerable 278. b. confirme fayth 12. b. contayne profitable doctrine 12. b Ceremonies had significations generally at the begynnyng 277. b. why geuen 10. a Ceremonies of the communion how first they came into the Churche 277. a Ceremonies of the new Testament 226. a Ceremonies and Sacraments their vses 12. a Certification of pardon for sinnes 213. a Charles the Great his life 349. b. a whoremonger and a saint 350. a. b receiueth the Empyre of the Pope 349. a. an Emperour for the popes purpose 350. a. compelled all to obey the Pope 349. b Charles called of the Pope most Christian kyng 349. b 253. b. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charitie 242. b. moderateth the law 209. a Charitie â—eruent in the primitiue Church 346. a Charitie hath diuerse significations 253. b Chastitie 242. b. fayned 20. b. wilfull 16. b. of the Clergy 315. a Chastitie of Priestes originall therof 347. b Chast vnchastitie of Papistes 311. a Chastising of the body is for our profite 328. b Cheeke to be strikeÌ„ on the other side what it meaneth 210. a Chief cause of the institution of the Sacrament 440. b Children of fayth Abrahams children 63. a. they woorke of loue 163. a Children of God obedient to the law 325. a. why tempted with aduersitie 236. a ChildreÌ„ all of wrath by Adam 337. b how to be brought vp 120. b. not to be rigourously dealt withall of pareÌ„tes 120. b. howe destroyed 120. b to be taught Gods word 101. b Choise put to vs in ij thynges 99. b Christ 226. a. he onely is holy 407. a a store house of mercy 64. b. our onely Sauiour 394. b. our example 195. b. our fayth and rocke 173. a. our lyfe 390. b. father of all righteousnes 72. a. our aduocate 395. a. our anker hold 6. a. our hope 91. a. our onely Phisitian 75. b. our righteousnes 82. b Christ purchaseth all goodnes for vs 70. b. his burden is easie 286. a. asure foundation 92. a. A perfect coÌ„forter of Christians 292. a Christ dyd good workes and why 383. a. his workes rewarded in vs. 92. b. his loue 164. b. the fulnes of all goodnes 424. a. the way to saluation ibid the comforter in all afflictions 440. b. no sinner 160. b. iustifieth the greatest sinner 120. a. loueth all ChristiaÌ„s alike 162. b. he brought saluation as AdaÌ„ brought sinne 46. a. his generall rule 63. b. an example of all goodnes 383. a. In hym we are all in all 75. a. his saying to hypocrites 409. a Christ ignoraunt of worldly matters 163. b. hys Church 187. b. he is very God 390. a. possessed by fayth bryngeth all goodnes 89. a. to whoÌ„ geuen 185. a. neither shaueÌ„ shorne nor annoynted with oyle 132. b. how hee was entreated 97. b. hys doctrine and the Popes contrary 409. b. his exchauÌ„ge with vs. 402. a. why he deliuered vs. 22. a. geuen to sinners 161. a. his coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to preach maketh Pristes 145. b. what authoritie he gaue his Apostles 150. b. onely without sinne 336. b Christ dyd all thynges for our saluation 382. b. onely mediatour betwen God and man 431. b. dwelleth in vs by fayth 464. a. In no cause to bee denyed 101. a. his seate is hys preachyng 175. a. will not falsefie the Scriptures 461. a. is very maÌ„ 390. a. his Vicare who 411. b. his flocke a litle flocke 105. b. his Disciples are acquaynted with hys phrases 460. b. his three witnesses 421. b. sent his Apostles with lyke authority 126. a. why he came from heauen to earth 458. a. Raignyng in vs all is good 163. b. Gods mercy stoole 379. a. his Churche euer persecuted 289. b. a kyng 401. a. kyng ouer death hell and sinne 394. b. preached in the old Testament 23. a Christes Gospell must bee fed with the bloud of fayth 453. b. hys passion to saluation not vnderstode of whom 187. b. most contrary to the Pope 145. a. and. 362. b. his steps how to be folowed 108. b. and. 73. a told his Disciples of hys AscentioÌ„ 470. b. playnly declareth his bodyly departure ibid. Christ causeth God to loue vs. 164. b openeth hym selfe to the Iewes 457. b. playnly declareth his bodyly departure 470. b. condemneth Phariseis and why 17. a. sought of many for a worldly purpose 105 b. compared with Ionas 27. b. persecuted and slayne with ChristiaÌ„s 139. a. his wordes offend y t Iewes and his Disciples 464. a. he is all to a Christian 163. a. 54. b. all in all things 102. a. his mercyfulnes 394. b. mercyfull to the penitent 29. a. preached repentaunce 28. b Christ why slayne 138. b. once sacrificed is a sacrifice for euer 447. a. onely an acceptable sacrifice 18. a. why he gaue hym selfe 394. a. hys bloud putteth away all sinne 72. b. an euerlastyng satisfaction 14. a. apprehended by faith 457. b. expoundeth the paschall lambe 439. b. his glorified body in heauen 471. a. his memoriall Masse 323. a. his bloud onely purchaseth remission of sins 55. b. his flesh y e foode of our soules 459. b. a
is written Abac. ij the righteous man lyueth by his fayth And Roma v. because we are iustified by fayth we are at peace with God thorough our Lord Iesus Christ c. WheÌ„ these faithfull or righteous departe theÌ„ sayth this text that they are fooles which thinke them to be in payne or affliction for it affirmeth that they are in peace Now sith their Purgatory whiche they imagine is payne and affliction and yet fayne that the righteous onely shal enter into it after their death then are they fooles that suppose there is a Purgatory or els this text can not be true For what entent will God haue vs tormented in Purgatory to make satisfaction for our sinnes verely theÌ„ is Christ dead in vayne as we haue often proued before But thinke you not rather that our purgation should be to encrease our fayth or grace or charitie for these thrée couer the multitude of sinnes no verely we can not fayne a purgatory for any such cause For fayth springeth by hearing of the word Roma x. But the Pope sendeth theÌ„ no preachers thether Ergo theyr fayth can not there be encreased And agayne payne ingendreth and kyndleth hate against God and not loue or charitie Furthermore My Lord of Rochester is coÌ„pelled to graunt that the soules in Purgatorye obtayne there neither more fayth nor grace nor charitie then they brought in with them and so can I sée no reasonable cause why there should be a purgatory Neuerthelesse M. More sayth that both their grace and charitie is encreased And so may you perceaue that lyes can neuer agrée how wyttie so euer they be that fayne and cloke them For in some poyntes they shall be founde contrary so that at the length they may be disclosed when thou hast no power to accomplish the outward fact For the wiseman sayth Prou. xxiij sonne geue me God is fully pacified with thy will thy hart Now if thy will be vpright and so that thou haue a desire to fulfill the law then doth God reken that will vnto thée for the full fact If then through the frayltie of thy members thou fall into sinne thou mayest well say with the Apostle Roma vâ—j The good that I would doe that do I not that is I haue a will and desire to fulfill the law of God not to displease my heauenly father yet that I do not But the euill which I hate that do I that is I do committe sinne whiche in déede I hate Now if I hate the sinne whiche I do then loue I the law of God whiche forbiddeth sinne and do consent vnto this law that it is good righteous and holy And so the sinne whiche I hate and yet commit it thorough the frayltie of my members is not imputed or rekened vnto me for sinne Neither will S. Paule graunt that it is I which do that sinne but he sayd I haue a will to doe good but I can not performe that will For I do not that good which I would but the euill whiche I would not that do I. Now if I doe that thyng whiche I would not do then is it not I that do it but the sinne that dwelleth with in me I delight in the law of God with myne inward man that is with my will and minde which is renued with the spirite of God but I sée an other law in my members which rebelleth agaynst the law of my mynde and maketh me bonde vnto the law of sinne which is in my members So that I my selfe in my will and mynde do obey the law of God hatyng sinne as the law coÌ„maundeth me and not consentyng vnto it in my mynde will but in my flesh and members I serue the law of sinne for the frayltie of my members compelleth me to sinne Rom. 7. As by example if I sée a poore man whiche is not of abilitie to do me any pleasure and neuertheles doth all his diligence to séeke my fauour would with hart and mynde geue me some acceptable preseÌ„t if he were of power beyng also sory that hee can not performe his will â—nd mynde towardes me Now if there be any point of humanitie or gentlenesse in me I will count this man for my frende and accept his good will as well as though he had in dede performed his wil. For his habilitie extendeth no further If his power were better better should I haue Euen so sith we are not of power and habilitie to performe the law of God and yet beare a good hart towardes God and his law lamentyng our imbecillitie that we can do him no further pleasure then will God recount vs not as his enemyes but as his deare children and beloued frendes Neither will hee afterward thrust vs into Purgatory but as a tender father pardon vs our trespasses and accept our good will for the full déede S. Paule exhorteth vs Gal. vj. that we worke well while we haue tyme for what soeuer a man doth sow that shall he réepe by this may we euidently perceaue that hée shall not receaue according to his doing or sufferyng in an other world and therfore caÌ„ there be no Purgatory The wiseman sayth Eccle. xiiij worke righteousnes before thy death for after this lyfe there is no méete that is to say succour to bee founde There are some which wil vnderstaÌ„d this place also the text in the xlviij argument on this maner that there should be no place of deseruyng but yet there may well bee a place of punishment But this solution besides that it is not grounded on Scripture is very slender For I pray you wherfore should their inuention of Purgatory serue but to bee a place of purgyng punishment and penaunce by the which the soule should make satisfaction that it might so deserue to enter into the rest of heauen Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from heÌ„ce forward yea truly sayth the spirite that they may rest froÌ„ their labours But theyr workes folow with them This text they vse in theyr soule masses as thoughe it made for Purgatory But surely me thinketh that it maketh much against them For let vs enquire of all the proctours and fautours of Purgatory whether y â— soules that must be prayed for are departed in the Lord or not And they must néedes aunswere that they are departed in the Lord for the vnfaithfull which dye not in the Lord must not be prayed for And therfore must they be vpright Christen soules which are tormeÌ„ted for the other are all damned Now sayth the text that all such dead as dye in the Lord are blessed but what blessednesse were that to broyle in Purgatory And if they would here fayne a glose as their maner is when they are in a straite euer to séeke a startyng hole say that they are blessed because they are in a good hope
articles that were agaynst the Byshops they did great diligence in a part of them gathered they my very true sentences and myne owne wordes though in those thinges they left out vncharitably those wordes that made for my declaration and also for the probation of my saying the which I haue also here lefte out all onely adding the articles as thye laid them against mée that all men may sée y t worst that they had against mée For all men may thinke that they wil neither lay the best nor yet the truth agaynst mée But this article dyd I thus preach that men should not in their peticiō and prayers put to their good workes nor their good déedes and their merites As O Lord I doe faste I doe pray I am no theife I am in charitie with all the world and for them defire God to bée mercifull vnto them But they shoulde desire the father of heauen to bée mercifull vnto them alonely for Christes merites For they were y e things wherby both wée and our prayers are accepted in the sight of the father And to prooue this I brought certayne Scriptures As this whatsoeuer yée shall aske the father in my name hée shall geue it you And also the figure of y e old law where there was no sacrifice done but with y e fire that was taken from the aulter Now did I say that Christ is our aulter But thys myne aduersaries vnderstoode not But I maruayle what this article doth amonge the other hereticall articles I thinke they doe not recken it heresie HEe did not praye for the thrée estates of holy Churche neyther made hée his prayers in y e beginning of his sermon according to the olde custome but at the last ende and for the true knowledge of all Christen men making no prayer to our Lady nor for the soules in gurgatory nor for grace expedient If the Byshops had had any indifferency in them or any charitie they woulde haue béene ashamed that such articles shoulde haue béene brought afore thē What is this to the purpose of heresie that I did not pray for the thrée estates of holy Church And yet they graunt that I prayde for all true Christē mē and that men might come to the true knowledge Is not all the church contayned in this But they bée vncharitable men without all cōsideration they bée so blinded in their worldly honour That I did not pray to our Ladye nor for the soules in purgatory what is that to heresy for then were the Apostles heretykes for they did not pray in their sermons to our Lady nor yet to y e soules in purgatorye And as for praying for grace expedient that is not the preacher bound to doe openly But mée thinketh by these articles that God gaue mée a greate grace that I durst so boldelye reproue their abhominable liuing not fearing the daunger that should come thereof but this I leue to other mens iudgement And I dare boldelye say y e if I had spoken tentymes asmuch against y e auctorite of our noble prince and agaynst all his noble dukes and Lordes had taken all power both spirituall and temporall from them and geuen it to our idle byshops then had I béene a faythfull christen man for I had defended y e liberties of holy church But god send them his grace and space for to conuert Amen The whole disputation betweene the Byshops and Doctour Barnes NOw most honorable gracious Prince here haue I shewed your grace the articles that myne aduersaries vncharitablie hath layd agaynst me In the whiche though a greate many of my wordes and sayinges were Yet neuerthelesse there was left out all those things that did make for my declaration and for probations of my wordes and also for mollifying and temperatyng of those thinges that séemed to bée somewhat hardly spokē agaynst the Byshops The whiche thinges were to longe to recite vnto your noble grace But as God is my iudge and also my conscience and all my wordes and déedes and all maner of my liuyng and conuersation I did neuer intende to speake agaynst the Byshops or els any other man further then their liuing and conuersation were agaynst the blessed word of God and the holy doctrine of Christes Churche For the truth is there was no great clerke in the Church of God this CCCC yeares that wrote any thyng but hée complained vehemently agaynst the liuing of the spiritualtie Let their bookes bée brought foorth to proue whether my saying be truth or not Alas is it not a pituous case yea and also agaynst all law and conscience that I poore man shalbée thus violently cast away for speaking agaynst these vices that béene damned by almightie God and by all hys holy creatures yea and the Byshops them selues and all the worlde must graunt that they doe liue as euill yea and rather worse then I did speake Oh Lord God where is loue to vertue where is the shamefastnes that Christen men ought to haue where is Iustice That I shalbée thus shamefully cast awaye for speakyng of that thynge that euery Christen man is bounde to speake They doe so lyue and I beyng a preacher of the verity must bée condemned for speakyng agaynst it But most gracious and mightie Prince God hath set your grace in the same honour and dignitie that you by Gods ordinaunce ought to defende those men that are oppressed wrongfully Wherefore humbly and méekely and with all lowlynes reuerence I beséech your grace to minister vnto me gracious iustice let me bée heard indifferently whether that I can iustifie my cause with learnyng or not If I can not iustifie it your grace is a minister of iustice I will refuse no maner of payne that shal bée due for my trāsgressiō Wherfore ones agayne with all méekenes and lowlynes in the way of charitie and in Christes name and for his swéete bloud sake that hée hath shed for your grace yea and also by y e vertue of your auctoritie that the heauēly God hath deliuered you I doe require and desire of your grace audience and iustice I and all my parētes bée your naturall subiectes borne and a great many of vs hath dyed in your graces quarell and yet is there none of vs but are ready to doe your grace that seruice with our bodyes bloud that shall become trewe subiectes to doe to their noble prince Wherfore thyrdely in my name and in all our names for al they are rebuked in me with all méekenes reuerence I béeseche your grace of gracious audience and of fauorable iustice This thing I trust your grace will not denye me Nor yet take any displeasure with me your poore subiect for thus requiring For I haue none other prince nor Lorde to séeke vnto here on earth but vnto your grace onelye Nor can I come to any charitable ende with myne aduersaries Wherefore I am compelled by extreme violence thus to complayne
then are we the seruauntes of iustice So that if we truely haue that same fayth that iustifieth vs we shall desire to doe none other workes but those that belong to iustification not that the workes doe iustifie but that we must néedes do these workes as the very true frutes of iustificatioÌ„ and not as the cause of iustification And therfore those men that will doe no good workes because they be iustified onely by fayth bée not the childreÌ„ of God nor the children of iustificafition For the liuyng spirite of God is none authour of ilnes nor of sinne but hée crieth in our hartes Abbapater And of that is this a sure and an euident token for if they were the very true children of God they would bée the gladder to doe good workes because that they are iustified fréely Therfore should they also bée moued fréely to workes if it were for no other purpose nor profite but alonely to doe y e wil of their mercyfull God y e hath so fréely iustified theÌ„ and also to profite their neighbour whoÌ„ they are bound to serue of very true charitie Take an example here is a théefe that is condemned by right the law to bée hanged whom the kings grace of his mercy doth fréely deliuer from the gallowes and geueth him his pardon Now this théefe thus deliuered will not kéepe hym selfe a true man nor doe those workes that belong to a true man to doe but falleth agayne to stelyng because the kyng pardoned hym so fréely and reckeneth that the kyng is so mercyfull that hée will haÌ„g no théeues but deliuer them all of his mercy without their deseruing Now how thinke you wil y e king bée mercifull vnto this théefe when hée coÌ„meth againe to y e gallowes Nay truely for hée was not deliuered for that cause but for to kéepe hym selfe a true man Then commeth my Lord of Rochester and hée sayth that fayth doth begyn a iustification in vs but workes doe performe it and make it perfite I will recite his owne wordes Per fidem initiari dicitur iusticia solum non autem consummari nam consummata in sticia non aliter quam ex operibus natis in lucem editis acquirâ— potest opera consummatè iustificant Fides primum in choat c. What Christened man would thinke that a Byshop would thus trifle and play with Gods holy word Gods worde is so playne that no man can auoyde it how that fayth iustifieth alonely and now commeth my Lord of Rochester with a litle a â—ayne distinction inuented of his owne brayne without authoritie of Scripture and will clearely auoyde all Scriptures and all the whole disputation of S. Paule But my Lord say to me of your conscience how doe you recken to auoyde the vengeauÌ„ce of God sith you thus trifle despise Gods holy word Thinke you that this vayne distinctioÌ„ will bée alowed afore Iesus Christ for whose glorye wée doe coÌ„teÌ„de striue afore whom we doe handle this matter I doe thinke verely that your owne conscience doth sore accuse you for thus blasphemyng the holy worde of God Wherefore my Lord for Christes sake remember that you bée aged and shall not long tary here and these vayne distinctioÌ„s that you haue inuented to the pleasure of men and to the great peruertyng of Gods holy word shall bée to your euerlastyng damnation And at the lest wayes if you feare not y e terrible vengeauÌ„ce of God remeÌ„ber the shame of y e world thinke not that all men bée so mad and so vnlearned as for to bée deceiued by this triflyng distinction seyng that the worde of God is so playne agaynst it Doth not S. Paule say that our iustification is alonely of fayth not of workes How can you auoyde this same Non ex operibus Not of workes if that workes doe make iustification perfite then are not Saint Paules wordes true Also S. Paule sayth that we bée the childreÌ„ of God by fayth And if we bée the childreÌ„ we are also the heyres Now what imperfection finde you in childreÌ„ and in heyres ChristeÌ„ meÌ„ desire no more but this and all this haue they by fayth onely And will you say that fayth doth but begyn a iustification Beside that you know well that S. Paule doth proue in all the whole Epistles to the Romanes and also to the Galathians that fayth doth iustifie yea and that by contention agaynst workes Now how can you bryng in workes to make iustification perfect And S. Paule hath excluded them Moreouer why did not the Iewes against whose works S. Paule disputeth bryng in this distinction for theÌ„ Briefely what will you say to all the Doctours that I haue here recited which say that Sola fides onely fayth doth iustifie But doubtles if it were not to satisfie other men this distinction were not worthy an aunswere An other damnable reason is made that is an open a playne lye which is this Thou sayst that workes doe not iustifie nor yet helpe to iustification but fayth onely Ergo thou destroyest all good workes and wilt that no man shall worke well but alonely beléeue I auÌ„swere if there were any shame in men they might well bée ashamed of these open lyes Tell me one that is learned that euer did say or teach that men should doe no good workes Many there bée that say workes do not iustifie as S. Paule and all his scholers but no maÌ„ denyeth good workes But I marueile not at them for they doe but the workes of their father whiche was a lyer a murtherer from the begynnyng I pray you what coÌ„sequent is this after your owne Logike works doe not iustifie Ergo wee néede not to doe them but despise them for they bée of no valure Take a like consequent You say that the kinges grace doth not iustifie Ergo you despise him Ergo hée is no longer kyng Also the Sunne and Moone doe not iustifie Ergo you destroy them But such a damnable lye must S Paul néedes suffer wheÌ„ hée had proued that fayth onely did iustifie Then came your ouerthwarte fathers and sayd Ergo thou destroyest the law for thou teachest that it iustifieth not God forbid sayth S. Paule for we doe learne the very waye to fulfill the law that is faith whereby the law alonely is fulfilled and without the whiche all the workes of the law bée but sinne So doe we likewise teach the very true way wherby all good workes must be done As first a man by faith to bée iustified then a iust man must néedes doe good workes whiche afore were but sinne now bée all good yea his eatyng drinkyng sléeping are good But beside all these haue they certayne scriptures First of S. Iames whose wordes bee these Wilt thou vnderstand O thou vayne man that fayth without déedes is dead Was not Abraham our father iustified of his dedes When hée offered his soÌ„ne Isaac on the aulter
Wherfore we wil now speake of the other power which men call spirituall Fyrst here is to be noted that this is no power nor none auctoritie worldly but all onely a ministration of the word of God and a spirituall regiment preaching the gouerning of the soule and the mynistration of y e spirit hauing nothing to doe with the erterior Iustice or righteousnes of the worlde and therfore hath it no power by right and law to make any statutes or lawes to order the worlde by but all onely faithfully truely to preach and to minister the word of God ther by instructing the conscience of man nothing addyng thereto nor taking there from but as S. Paule sayth to abyde in those thinges that they haue learned and that bée commytted vnto them for S. Paule as hée hym selfe sayth â—urst speake no other thing but those things which christ had wroght by him For hée curseth him bée he maÌ„ or Angel that preacheth any other gospell then hée had preached Therefore the Prophet commaundeth vs that we should not heare the wordes of those prophetes which disceaue vs for they speake visions of their owne hartes and not out of y â— mouth of god and yet speake they in the name of God Wherefore these men so long as they speake onely y â— worde of God so long are they to be heard as Christ himself after y e saying hée y e heareth you hereth mée also whatsoeuer they say vnto you sytting in the chayre of Moses do it On y e which text speketh S. Augustine By syttyng in y e chayre is to vnderstand the learning of the lawe of God and therefore God doth teach by them but if they will teache their owne doctrine heare it not doe it not for such men séeke that is theirs and not Christes c. These wordes bée playne agaynst all them that preach any thing but the law of God onely Wherfore if these mynysters will of tyranny aboue the worde of God make any lawe or statute it must bee consydered after two maner of wayes fyrst whether it bée openly and derectly agaynst the word of God and to y e destructioÌ„ of y e faith as that statute is whereby they haue condemned the new testament also forbydden certayne men to preach the worde of God hauing no trew cause aganst them but all onely their malicious suspectioÌ„ also y e learning wherby they learne that workes doe iustifye moreouer that statute whereby they bynde men vnder the payne of damnation to bée assoyled of them These statutes I say with other lyke men are not bouÌ„d for to obey neither of charite for here is faith hurt which geueth no place to charitie nor yet for auoyding of sclaunder for the worde of God may not bée auoyded nor yet géeue place vnto sclauÌ„der for then shoulde it neuer bée preached but it must bée faâ—â—e stucke vnto and the more that men bée offended withall and the stiffer that they hée against it the more openly and playnely yea and that to their faces that make such statutes mâ—st wée resiste them wyth these wordes wée are more bounde to obey God then man This is well proued by Hilarius wordes All maner of plantes that hée not planted of the father of heauen must bée plucked vp by the rootes that is to say the traditions of men by whose meanes the coÌ„maundementes of the lawe hée broken must bée destroyed and therefore caulleth hée theÌ„ blynde guides of the waye to euerlasting life béecause they sée not that thyng they promise and for that cause hée sayth that both the blynde guides and they that bee led shall fall into the dyke c. Marke that all traditions of men which are agaynst Gods lawe must be destroyed Therfore let euery man take héede for it longeth to their charge for both the blynde guides and also they that bée led shall fall in the dyke It shall bée none excuse for hym that is led to say that hys guyde was blynde but let them heare the worde of God by his holy prophetes walke not in the preceptes of your fathers nor kéepe not their iudgemeÌ„ts but walke in my preceptes and kéepe my iudgementes The other maner of statutes bée when certaine thinges that bée caulled indifferent bée commaunded as thinges to bée done of necessitie and vnder the paynes of deadly sinne As for an example To eate fleshe or fishe this day or that day is indifferent and frée also to goe in this rayment of this colour or that colour to shaue our heades or not a priest to wear a loÌ„g gowne or a short a gray Fryer to weare a gray coate or a russet a whyte Fryer to weare a white or a blacke a Priest to marry or not to marry an Heremyt to haue a bearde or not These with all other such outwarde workes bée thinges indifferent and may bée vsed and also left Now if the Byshoppes will make any lawe or statute that these thynges shall bée determinately vsed so that it shall not bée lawful for vs to leaue it vndone but that wée must precisely doe them and not the contrary vnder the payne of deadly sinne here must they bée withstanded and in no wise obeyed â—or in this is hurt our fayth and libertie of Christendome whereby wée are frée and not bounde to any exteriour worke but frée in all things and vnto all men at all tymes and in all maner except it bee in such a cause where as brotherly charitie or the common peace should bée offended Therefore in all these thynges bée wée frée and wée must withstand them that will take this libertie from vs with thys texte of Scripture Wée are bought with the price of Christes bloud wée will not bée the seruauntes of men This texte is open against them that will bynde mennes conscience vnto sinne in those things that Christ hath lefte them frée in Of this wée haue an euident example of Saint Paule the whiche would not circumcise Titus when the false brethren woulde haue compelled hym thereunto as a thynge of necessitie vnto whom S. Paule gaue no romthe as coÌ„cernyng to bée brought into subiectioÌ„ S. Paul dyd not withstand them bycause that CircumcisioÌ„ was vnlawfull or might not bée vsed of Christen men but bycause that they would haue compelled hym vnto it as vnto a thyng of necessitie that thyng woulde not Saint Paule suffer for that was agaynst the libertie that we haue in Christ Iesus as hée sayth here playnely Wherfore we bée not alonely by Christe made frée from sinne but also made frée in vsing all maner of thynges that bée in different and vnto them we can not bée bounde as vnto thynges of necessitie as on the Friday to eate fish and thereunto bée bounde in conscience vnder the payne of deadly sinne In this we may not obey for it is against the word of God not béecause it is euill to
persecutour 250 Church truely declared 253. 254. 256 Counsailes haue erred and may erre 255 Councell of Constance forbad the Sacrament in both hyndes 302 Coūcell of Nice thought it meete for a Byshop to haue a wife 320 D. DAyes are no one better nor higher then an other 206 Doctours of the law geue euill counsayle 208 E. ENemy to a true mā is a theef 189 Extreme law is extreme miustice 208 F. FAyth onely iustifieth 226. 235 Fayth without workes iustifieth 228 Fayth is accompted for righteousnes 231 Fayth in Christ attayneth saluation 231 Fayth bryngeth forth good workes 236 Fayth that bryngeth forth frute is the fayth that iustifieth 238 Fayth iustifieth before God good workes declare our iustification to the world 239 Faythes are of two sortes 241 Fayth that iustifieth is geuen vs frely of God 241 Faythfull beleeuers in Christes merites are the right holy Churche of God 244 Faythfull congregation cannot erre 247 Fayth is the mere gift of God 277 Fisher Bishop of Rochester sworne to the Pope 197 Flocke of Christ is litle 247 Fleshly reason refoned frowardly 270 Fridericke the Emper our deposed 191 Freewill of man without Gods grace can doe no good 266. 267. 268 Freewill without grace is sinne 269. 270 Freewill wherein it consisteth 276 Frutes of fayth 235 G. GErmayne a Popes Sainte a straunge hystory 190 George Stafford a learned man 221 God onely is omnipotent and almightie 351 God is to bee obeyed before men 295 God doth wōderfully worke to saue his flocke ibidem Gods commaundements are impossible to our nature to bee kept 272 Gods mercy is the onely cause of our saluation 179 Good counsaile geuē to the Bishops 215 Good workes what goodnes is in them 229 Good workes cannot deserue remission of sinnes 235 Good workes are to be done though they iustifie not 237 Good workes are the frutes of good fayth 249 God disposeth his mercy to whom it pleaseth him 278 Gospell preachyng is no cause of insurrection 184 Gospell profitable to England 194 Grace without deseruyng 224 Grace findeth our hartes stony 273 H. HErode kept his brothers wise 188 Hipocrisie abhominable 189 Holy dayes why they were ordeyned 205 Holy Church truely defined 243 Holy church that is the true church of God is to the worlde inuisible 244 Holy Church is the grounde and piller of trueth 245 Holy Church is built vpon the Apostles and Prophetes 250 I. IAcob is elected and Esau reiected 178 Idols and Images described 344 Idols Images are all one ibidem Ignoraunce made vs worshyppe stockes and stones 341 Images are neither to bee honored nor worshypped 340 Image of God is thy poore Christian brother 345 Images or Idols are not the workers of any miracles 345 Insurrections whereof they came 192 Indifferent thynges are to bee obeyed 298 Iohn kyng of Englād cruelly handled by the Clergy of England 189 Iustification is not by the lawe of of workes but by the law of fayth 234 Iustification how it commeth 236 Iustified personnes cannot abstayne from doyng of good workes 240 K. Kynges ought not to bee deposed though they bee wicked 187 Kyng Iohn was cruelly handled of the Clergy of England 189 Kyng Iohn poysoned 189 Kynges brought by violence vnder the Popes foote 195 Kynges of the kyngdome of heauen what they are 257. 258 Keyes of Christ abused by the Byshops 262. 263 L. LAw why it was geuen 275 Liberties of holy Churche may not bee impugned 217 Losing and byndyng what it is 259 M. MAn is Lord ouer all creatures 274 Mans dominion restreyned 275 Man is the lyuely and true Image of God 346 Mariage of Priestes is allowed of God 317 Mariage hath a greater crosse then virginitie 313 Mariage of Priestes is neither agaynst Gods law nor mans law 328 Mariage is all one beefore Priesthode and after Priesthode 336 Masse made of many patches 357 Masse welbeloued of the Papistes for gaynes sake ibidem Ministers of the Churche ought to bee no Lordes 262 Money is the popes best marchaūt 265 Monkes of the Charterhouse and their superstition 299 Mores holy Church are the Pope Cardinals and Byshops 252 Moses chayre what it is 297 N. NAturall reason is a blynde iudge of the Scriptures 307 Naturally all men desire Mariage 323 O. OBedience to the higher powers taught by Christ and his Apoles 185 Obedience to the Prince wee owe with our bodyes and to God with our soules 300 Officers are Byshops hangmē 211 Offendours of the common weale may not breake prison but paciently suffer that the law doth determine 293 Orders in the Clergy hath two significations 202 Othe the Byshoppes made to the Pope 195 Othe to the Pope last made by the Byshops 200 P. PApistes and Schoolemen peruert the Scriptures 180 ▪ Papistes charge the Preachers of Gods word with heresie 185 Papistes teach disobedience to Princes 185. 186 Papistes shamelesse doynges 186 Papistes and Protestantes wherin they differre 191 Papiste is an vnnaturall subiect agaynst hys soueraigne Lord and Lady 202 Papistes are arrogant and proude 209 Papistes are craftie iugglers 223 Papistes crueltie 225 Papistes are trappers of innocents 223 Papistes are tyrantes 224 Papistes are blasphemers of Gods holy word 286 Papistes preach lyes 287 Papistes and S. Paule are contrary 285 Papistes are the norishers of ignoraunce and darknes 290 Papistes finde faulte with gnattes and swalow Camelles 308 Papistes make blynd reasons 308. 309 Papistes carnall reasons 351 Papistes worshyppers of stockes and stones 352 Papistes blynd and malicious 353 Papistes foolish arguments soluted 354 Paule dispenseth with vnlawfull vowes 314 Peter the Apostle had a wife 325 Petition of Doct. Barnes to kyng Henry the viij 205 Philip the Euangelist was maryed 325 Popes depose kynges 186 Popes shamelesse arrogancy and tyranny ibidem Popes dispense with othes that subiectes make of obedience to theyr Princes 188 Popes procurers of warre and destruction of people 193 Pope agaynst Pope one cursing an other ibidem Popes alter the Byshops othes as semeth best for their purpose 195 Popes and their lewdenes truely described 197 Pope how hee cōmeth by the name of Lord. ibidem Pope Clement excōmunicated kyng Henry the viij 198 Popes what maner of men they are that are chosē to that dignitie 199 Pope Clement the sonne of a Curtisan ibidem Pope a monstruous hypocrite 198 Pope and hys lawes agree not 199 Popes are not chosen after Sainte Paules rule ibidem Power of kynges is immediatly of God 202 Popes Saintes worke straūge miracles 190 Pope absolueth all rebellion agaynst Princes but pardoneth none that hath beene agaynst hym selfe 201 Popes regalles ibidem Pope calleth Councelles as it pleaseth hym 202 Pope hath libertie to say do◠what hee list 204 Popes pardōs haue beene good marchaundise in England 212 Pope may not bee controlled of any man 213 Popish law is tyrannous 218. 219. 220 Pope and the true holy church how farre they differre 242 Pope and his maners agreeth nothyng with the holy Church ibidē Pope
God would not haue the secrets of Christ generally known saue vnto a fewe familiare frendes which in that infaÌ„cy he made of mans wit to helpe the other babes yet as they had a generall promise that one of the seede of Abraham shoulde come and blesse them euen so they had a generall fayth that God woulde by the same man saue them thoughe they wist not by what meanes as the very apostles when it was oft tolde them yee they could neuer comprehende it till it was fulfilled in dede And beyond all this their sacrifices and ceremonies as far forth as the promises annexed vnto them extend so far forth they saued theÌ„ and iustified theÌ„ and stoode them in the same steade as our Sacramentes doe vs not by the power of the sacrifice or deede it selfe but by the vertue of the fayth in y e promise which the sacrifice or Ceremonye preached and whereof it was a token or signe For the ceremonies and sacrifices were left with them commauÌ„ded them to keepe the promise in remembraunce and to wake vp theyr fayth As it is not enough to send many on errandes and to tell them what they shall do but they must haue a remembraunce with them and it be but a ringe of a rushe aboute one of their fingers And as it is not inoughe to make a bargayne with wordes onely but we must put therto an othe geue earnest to confirme the fayth of y e person with whom it is made And in like manner if a man promise whatsoeuer trifle it be it is not beleued excepte he hold vp hys finger also suche is the weakenesse of the world And therfore Christe himselfe vsed ofttymes diuers ceremonies in curyng y e sicke to stirre vp their fayth with al. As for example it was not y e bloud of y e Lambe that saued theÌ„ in Egipt when y e angell smote the Egiptians but the mercy of God and hys truth wherof that bloud was a token and remembrance to stirre vp their faythes withall For though god make a promise yet it saueth none finally but them that long for it pray God with a strong fayth to fulfil it for hys mercy and truth only and knowledge their vnworthinesse And euen so our sacramentes if they be truly ministred preach Christ vnto vs lead our faithe vnto Christe by which faith our sinnes are done away and not by the deede or worke of the Sacrament For as it was impossible that y t bloud of calues should put away sinne euen so is it impossible that the water of the riuer should wash our hartes Neuerthelesse the sacramentes clense vs and absolue vs of our sinnes as the priests do in preaching of repentance fayth for whiche cause either other of them were ordayned but if they preach not whether it be the priest or the Sacrament so profite they not And if a man alledge Christ Iohn in the iij. Chapter saying Except a man be borne agayne of water and the holy Ghost hee can not see the kyngdome of GOD and will therfore that the holy ghost be present in the water and therfore the very deede or worke doth put away sinne then I will send hym vnto Paul which asketh his GalathiaÌ„s whether they receaued the holy ghost by the dede of the law or by preachyng of fayth and there concludeth that the holy ghost accoÌ„panyeth the preachyng of faith and with the word of faith entreth the hart and purgeth it whiche thou mayest also vnderstand by Saint Pauls saying Ye are borne a new out of the water through the worde So now if Baptisme preach me the washyng in Christes bloud so doth the holy ghost accompany it and that deede of preachyng throughe fayth doth put away my sinnes For the holy Ghost is no dome God nor no God that goeth a mummynge If a man say of the Sacrament of Christes body and bloud that it is a sacrifice as well for the dead as for the quicke and therfore the very dede it self iustifieth and putteth away sinne I aunswere that a sacrifice is the sleyng of the body of a beast or a man wherefore if it be a sacrifice then is Christes body there slayne and his bloud there shed but that is not so And therfore it is properly no sacrifice but a Sacrament and a memoriall of that euerlastyng sacrifice once for all which he offered vpon crosse now vppon a xv hundred yeares ago preacheth onely vnto them that are alyâ—e And as for them that be dead it is as profitable vnto them as is a caÌ„dle in a LaÌ„terne without light vnto them that walke by the way in darke night and as the Gospell song in Latine is vnto them that vnderstand none at all and as a Sermon preached to him that is dead and heareth it not It preacheth vnto them that are a lyue onely for they that bee dead if they dyed in the fayth whiche that Sacrament preacheth they bee safe and are past all ieopardy For when they were alyue their hartes loued the law of GOD and therfore sinned not and were sory that their members synned and euer moued to sinne and therfore thorough fayth it was forgeuen them And now their synnefull members be dead so that they can now sinne no more wherfore it is vnto them that bee dead neither Sacrament nor sacrifice But vnder the pretence of their soule health it is a seruauÌ„t vnto our spiritualties holy coueteousnesse and an extorcioner and a builder of Abbayes Colledges Chauntryes and Cathedral Churches with false gotten good a pickepurse a polar and a bottomlesse bagge Some man would happely say that the prayers of the Masse helpe much not the liuing onely but also the dead Of the hoate fire of their feruent prayer whiche consumeth faster then all the world is able to bring sacrifice I haue sayd sufficiently in other places How beit it is not possible to bryng me in belief that the prayer whiche helpeth her own master vnto no vertue shuld purchase me the forgeuenes of sinnes If I saw that their prayers had obtained them grace to lyue suche a lyfe as Gods word dyd not rebuke the could I soone be borne in hand that what so euer they asked GOD their prayers shuld not be in vayne But now what good caÌ„ he wish me in his prayers that enuieth Christe the fode and the lyfe of my soule What good can hee wishe me whose hart cleaueth a sonder for payne when I am taught to repent of my euill Furthermore because that fewe know the vse of the old TestameÌ„t and the most part thinke it nothyng necessarie but to make allegories whiche they fayne euery man after hys owne brayne at all wyld aduenture without any certaine rule therefore though I haue spoken of them in an other place yet lest the boke come not to all mens handes that shall read this I will speake of them
of forgeuenesse of synnes through fayth in Christes bloud And now seing that fayth onely letteth a man in vnto rest and vnbelief excludeth him what is the cause of this vnbeliefe verely no sinne y t the world seeth but a Pope holinesse and a righteousnes of their own imagination as Paule sayth Roma x. They bee ignoraunt of the righteousnes wherewith God iustifieth and haue set vp a righteousnes of their owne makyng thorough which they be disobedient vnto the righteousnes of God And Christ rebuketh not the Phariseys for grosse sinnes whiche the world sawe but for those holy deedes whiche so blered the eies of the world that they were taken as Gods euen for long prayers for fastyng for tythyng so diligently that they lefte not so much as their herbes vntithed for their clennesse in washyng before meate and for washyng of cups dishes and all maner vessels for buildyng y e Prophetes sepulchers and for kepyng the holy day and for turnyng y t heathē vnto the fayth for geuyng of almes For vnto such holy dedes they ascribed righteousnes and therefore when the righteousnesse of GOD was preached vnto them they could not but persecute it the deuill was so strong in them Whiche thyng Christ well describeth Luke xj saying That after the deuill is cast out he commeth agayne and findeth hys house swept and made gay and then taketh seuen woorse then hym selfe and dwelleth therein and so is the ende of that man worse then the beginnyng That is whē they be a litle clēsed from grosse sinnes which the world seyth and then made gaye in their own sight with the righteousnes of traditions then commeth seuen that is to say the whole power of the deuill for vij with the Hebrues signifieth a multitude without number and the extremitie of a thyng and is a speach borowed I suppose out of Leuiticus where is so ofte mention made of seuen Where I would say I wil punish thee that all the world shal take an example of thee there the Iew would saye I will Circumcise thee or Baptise thee seuen tymes And so here by seuen is ment all the deuils of hel and all the might and power of the deuill For vnto what further blindnesse could all the deuils in hell bring them then to make thē beleue that they were iustified thoroughe their owne good workes For when they once beleued that they were purged frō their sinnes and made righteous thoroughe theyr owne holy workes what rowme was there left for the righteousnes that is in Christes bloudshedyng And therfore whē they be fallen into this blindnesse they can not but hate and persecute the light And the more cleare and euidently their deedes be rebuked the furiousser and maliciousser blinde are they vntill they breake out into open blasphemy and synnyng agaynste the holy ghost which is the malicious persecutyng of the cleare trouth so manifestly proued that they can not once hish agaynst it as the Phariseis persecuted Christ because hee rebuked their holy dedes And when he proued hys doctrine with the Scripture and miracles yet thoughe they could not improue hym nor reason agaynst him they taught y ◠the scripture must haue some other meanyng because his inter pretation vndermined their foundatiō and plucked vp by the rootes the sects which they had plāted and they ascribed also his miracles to the deuill And in lyke maner thoughe our hypocrites can not deny but this is the scripture yet because there can be no other sense gathered therof but that ouerthoweth their buildynges therefore they euer thinke that it hath some other meanyng then as the wordes sounde and that no man vnderstandeth it or vnderstode it since the tyme of the Apostles Or if they thinke that some that wrote vpon it since the Apostles vnderstode it they yet thinke that w◅ like maner as we vnderstand not the text it selfe so we vnderstand not the meanyng of the wordes of that Doctour For when thou layest the iustifying of holy workes and deniest the iustifying of fayth how canst thou vnderstand S. Paule Peter Iohn and the Actes of y e Apostles or any Scripture at all seyng the iustifying of fayth is almost all that they entēde to proue Finally concernyng vowes wherof thou readest in the xxx Chapter there may be many questions whereunto I aūswere shortly that we ought to put salt to all our offerynges that is we ought to minister knowledge in all our workes and to doe nothyng whereof we could not geue a reason out of Gods wordes We be now in the day light and all the secretes of God and all hys counsell and wil is opened vnto vs and he that was promised should come and blesse vs is come alredy and hath shed hys bloud for vs and hath blessed vs with al maner blessinges and hathe obtayned all grace for vs and in hym we haue all Wherfore God henceforth wil receiue no more sacrifices of beastes of vs as thou readest Hebr. 10. If thou burne vnto god the bloud or fatte of beastes to obtaine forgeuenesse of sinnes therby or that God should the better heare thy request then thou doest wrong vnto the bloud of Christ and Christ vnto thee is dead in vayne For in him God hath promised not forgeuenesse of sins onely but also what soeuer we aske to keepe vs from sinne and temptation with all And what if thou burne frankencens vnto him what if thou burne a candle what if thou burne thy chastitie or virginitie vnto him for the same purpose doest thou not lyke rebuke vnto Christs bloud Moreouer if thou offer gold siluer or any other good for the same entēt is there any difference And euen so if thou go in pilgrimage or fastest or goest wolward or sprynelest thy selfe with holy water or elles what soeuer dede it is or obseruest what soeuer ceremonie it be for lyke meanyng then it is lyke abhominatiō We must therfore bryng the salt of the knowledge of Gods word with al our sacrifices or elles we shall make no swete sauour vnto God therof Thou wilt aske me shall I vow nothyng at all yes Gods commaundemēt which thou hast vowed in thy Baptisme For what entent verelye for the loue of Christe which hath bought thee with his bloud and made the sonne heyre of God with him that thou shouldest wayte on hys will and commaundementes and purifie thy members accordyng to the same doctrine that hath purified thyne harte for if the knowledge of Gods word hath not purified thine hart so y t thou consentest vnto the law of god y t it is righteous and good sorowest y t thy members moue thee vnto the contrary so hast thou no part with Christ For if thou repent not of thy sinne so it is impossible that thou shouldest beleue that Christe had deliuered thee from the daunger therof If thou beleue not that Christ hath deliuered thee so is
and vnto the tamyng of thy fleshe But thou mayst vowe neither of them vnto the slaying of thy body As Paule commaundeth Tymothe to drincke wyne no more water because of his diseases Thou wilt say that Timothy had not happely forsworne wyne I thinke the same and that the Apostles forsware not wedlocke thoughe many of them lyued chast neither yet any meate or drincke though they absteined from them and that it were good for vs to folow their example Howbeit though I vowe and sweare and thinke on none exception yet is the breakyng of Gods coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts except and all chaunces that hange of God As if I sweare to be in a certain place at a certain houre to make a loueday without exception yet if the king in the meane tyme commaunde me an other way I must goe by Gods commaundement and yet breake not myne othe And in like case if my father mother be sicke require my presence or if my wife children or houshold be visited that â—ny assistance be required or if my neighbours house be a fire at the same houre and a thousand such chaunces in whiche all I breake myne othe am not forsworne and so forth Read Gods word diligently with a good hart and it shall teach thee all thynges A Prologue into the fifte booke of Moses called Deuteronomy THis is a booke worthy to be read in daye and night neuer to be out of handes For it is the most excellent of all the bokes of Moses It is easy also lyght and a very pure Gospell y t is to wit a preachyng of fayth loue deducyng the loue to God out of fayth and the loue of a mans neighbour out of y t loue of God Herein also thou mayst learne right meditation or contemplation which is nothyng els saue y t calling to minde a repeatyng in the harte of the glorious and wonderfull dedes of God and of his terrible handling of his enemies and mercyfull entreatyng of them that come when hee calleth them whiche thyng this booke doth and almost nothyng elles In the foure first Chapters he rehearseth the benefites of GOD done vnto them to prouoke them to loue his mightie dedes done aboue all natural capacitie of faith that they might beleue GOD and trust in him and in his strength And thirdly he rehearceth the fierce plagues of God vppon his enemyes and on them which through impatiencie vnbeliefe fell from hym partly to tame and abate the appetites of the flesh which alway fight agaynst the spirite and partely to bridle the wilde ragyng lustes of them in whom was no spirite that though they had no power to do good of loue yet at the lest way they should abstaine from outward euill for feare of wrath and cruell vengeaunce whiche should fall vpoÌ„ them and shortly finde them out if they cast vp gods nurter and runne at riotte beyond his lawes and ordinaunces Moreouer he chargeth them to put nought to nor take ought away from Gods wordes but to be diligeÌ„t onely to keepe them in reeÌ„mbraunce in the hart and to teach their childreÌ„ for feare of forgettyng And to beware either of makyng imagery or of bowyng them selues vnto Images saying Ye saw no image when God spake vnto you but heard a voyce onely that voyce keepe and thereunto cleaue for it is your lyfe and it shall saue you And finally if as the frailtie of all fleshe is they shal haue fallen from God and he haue brought them into trouble aduersitie and combraunce and all necessitie yet if they repent and turne hee promiseth them that God shall remeÌ„ber his mercy and receaue them to grace agayne In the fifte he repeateth the x. CommauÌ„dementes and that they might see a cause to do them of loue he biddeth them remember that they were bound in Egypt and how God deliuered theÌ„ with a mighty hande and a stretched out arme to serue him and to kepe his maundementes as Paule sayth that wee are bought with Christes bloud and therefore are his seruauntes and not our owne and ought to seeke his wil and honour onely and to loue and serue one an other for his sake In the sixte he setteth out the fountaine of all commaundementes that is that they beleue how that there is but one God that doth all and therfore ought onely to bee loued with all the hart all the soule and all the might For loue onely is the fulfillyng of the coÌ„maundementes as Paule also sayth vnto the Romaines and Galathians likewise He warneth them also that they forget not the coÌ„maundementes but teache them their children and to shew their children also how God deliuered them out of the bondage of the Egiptians to serue him and his commaundements that the children might see a cause to worke of loue likewise The seuenth is all together of faith hee remoueth all occasions that might withdrawe them from the faith and pulleth them also from all confidence in them selues and sturreth them vp to trust in God boldly and onely Of the eight Chapter thou seest how that the cause of temptation is that a man might see his own hart For wheÌ„ I am brought into that extremity that I must either suffer or forsake GOD then I shall feele how much I beleue and trust in him and how much I loue him In like maner if my brother do me euill for my good then if I loue him when there is no cause in him I see that my loue was of God and euen so if I then hate him I feele and perceaue that my loue was but wordly and finally hee sturreth theÌ„ to the fayth and loue of God and driueth them froÌ„ all confidence of their owne selues In the ninth also hee moueth them vnto fayth and to put their trust in God and draweth them from confideÌ„ce of them selues by rehearsing all y e wickednesse whiche they had wrought from the first day he knew them vnto that same day And in the end he repeteth howe he coniured God in Horeb and ouercame him with prayer where thou mayest learne the right maner to pray In the tenth he reckeneth vppe the pith of all lawes and the keping of the law in hart which is to feare GOD loue him and serue hym with all their hart soule and might and kepe his coÌ„maundementes of loue And he sheweth a reason why they should that do euen because God is Lord of heauen and earth hath also done all for them of his owne goodnesse without their deseruyng And then out of the loue vnto God he bringeth the loue vnto a mans neighbour saying God is Lord aboue all Lordes and loueth al his seruauntes indiffereÌ„tly as well the poore and feble and the strauÌ„ger as the rich and mighty and therfore will that we loue the poore and the straunger And he addeth a cause for ye were straungers
bynde hym hand and foote and to cast hym into vtter darkenes and to geue the talent vnto hym that had ten saying to all that haue more shall be geuen but from hym that hath not that he hath shal be taken from hym That is to say he that hath a good harte toward the word of god and to garnish it with godly liuyng and to testify it to other y e same shall increase daily more and more in the grace of Christ But he that loueth it not to lyue therafter and to edify other the same shall loose the grace of true knowledge be blinded agayne and euery day wax worse and worse and blynder and blynder tyll he be an vtter enemy of the worde of God and hys hart so hardened that it shall be impossible to conuert hym And Luke xij The seruaunte that knoweth hys maisters wyll and prepareth not hymselfe shall be beaten wyth many stripes That is shall haue greater damnation And Mat. 7. All that heare the worde of God and do not therafter build on sande that is as the foundation laid on sand can not resist violence of water but is vndermyned and ouerthrowne euen so the fayth of them that haue no lust nor loue to the law of God builded vpon y t sand of their owne imaginatiōs and not on the rocke of Gods word accordyng to hys couenauntes turneth to desperation in tyme of tribulatiō and when God commeth to iudge And the vineyard Mat. 21. planted and hyred out to the husbandmen that would not render to the Lorde of the fruit in due tyme and therfore was takē from them and hyred out to other doth confirme the same For Christe sayth to the Iewes the kingdome of heauē shal be taken from you and geuen to a nation that wyll bring forthe y t frutes therof as it is come to passe For the Iewes haue lost the spirituall knowledge of God of his cōmaundementes and also of all the scripture so that they can vnderstand nothyng godly And the dore is so locked vppe that all their knockyng is in vayne though many of them take great payn for gods sake And Luke 13. The figge tree that beareth no fruite is cōmaunded to be plucked vp And finally hereto pertayneth with infinyte other the terrible parable of the vncleane spirite Luke 11. which after hee is cast out when hee commeth and findeth hys house swept and garnished taketh to hym 7. worse then hymselfe and commeth entreth in and dwelleth there and so is y t ende of the man worse then the beginnyng The Iewes they had cleansed themselues with gods word from all outward idolatry and worshipping of idols But their hartes remayned styll faythlesse to godward and toward his mercy and truth and therfore without loue also lust to his law to their neighbours for hys sake and through false trust in their owne woorkes to which heresy the chylde of perdition the wicked bishop of Rome with hys lawyers hath broughte vs christen were more abhominable idolaters thē before and become ten tymes worse in the end then at the beginning For the first idolatry was soone spyed and easie to be rebuked of the Prophets by the Scripture But the latter is more subtill to beguile withall and an hundreth tymes of more difficultie to bee weeded out of mens hartes This also is a conclusion nothyng more certayne or more proued by the testimony and ensamples of the scripture that if any that fauoureth the worde of God be so weake that he can not chaste hys flesh hym wyll the lord chastice and scourge euery day sharper and sharper with tribulation and misfortune that nothyng shall prosper with him but all shall go against him what soeuer he taketh in hand will visite him with pouertie with sickenesses and diseases and shall plague him with plague vpon plague eche more lothsome terrible and fearefull then other till he be at vtter desiaunce with his flesh Let vs therefore that haue now at this tyme our eyes opened agayne through the tender mercy of GOD kepe a meane Let vs so put our trust in the mercy of GOD through Christ that we know it our duetie to kepe the law of GOD and to loue our neighbours for their fathers sake whiche created them and for their Lords sake which redemed them and bought thē so dearely with his bloud Lette vs walke in y t feare of God and haue our eyes open vnto both partes of Gods couenaunts beyng certified that none shal be partaker of the mercy saue hee that will fight against the flesh to kepe the lawe And let vs arme our selues with this remembraunce y t as Christs workes iustifie from sinne and set vs in the fauour of GOD so our owne dedes through workyng of the spirite of God helpe vs to continue in the fauour and the grace into which Christ hath brought vs and that we can no longer continue in fauour and grace then our hartes are to kepe the law Furthermore concernyng the lawe of God this is a generall conclusion that the whole lawe whether they be ceremonies sacrifices yea or Sacramentes either or preceptes of equitie betwene man and man throughout al degrees of the world all were geuē for our profite and necessitie onely not for any nede that God hath of our keping thē or y t his ioy is encreased therby or that the dede for the dede it selfe doth please him That is all that God requireth of vs whē we be at one with him and doe put our trust in him and loue him is that we loue euery man his neighbour to pity hym to haue compassion on him in all his needes and to be mercyfull vnto him This to be euen so Christ testifieth in the. vij of Math This is the lawe and the Prophetes That is to do as thou wouldst be done to accordyng I meane to the doctrine of the Scripture and not to do that thou wouldest not haue done to thee is all that the law requireth the Prophets And Paul to the Rom. xiij affirmeth also y t loue is that fulfillyng of the law and that he which loueth doth of his owne accorde all that the law requireth And. i. Tim. i. Paul sayth that the loue of a pure hart and good conscience and faith vnfayned is the end and fulfillyng of the law For faith vnfained in Christes bloud causeth y e to loue for Christes sake which loue is the pure loue onely the onely cause of a good conscience For then is the conscience pure whē the eye looketh to Christ in all her deedes to doe them for his sake and not for her owne singular aduaūtage or any other wicked purpose And Iohn both in hys Gospel and also Epistles speaketh neuer of any other law then to loue one an other purely affirmyng that we haue God him selfe dwellyng in vs all that GOD desireth if we loue one the other Seyng then that
can doe of his owne free will of his owne proper strength and enforcing Notwithstandyng thoughe there be neuer so great workyng yet as long as their remaineth in the hart vnlust tediousnes grudgyng grief payne lothsâ—nnes compulsion toward the law so long are all the workes vnprofitable lost ye and damnable in the sight of God This meaneth Paule in the iij. Chapter where he sayth by the dedes of the lawe shall no fleshe be iustified in the sight of God Hereby perceauest thou that those sophisters are but disceauers whiche teach that a man may and must prepare him selfe to grace and to the fauour of god with good workes How caÌ„ they prepare them selues vnto the fauour of God to that whiche is good when them selues can do no good no can not once thinke a good thought or consent to do good the deuill possessing their hartes myndes thoughtes captiue at his pleasure CaÌ„ those workes please GOD thinkest thou whiche are done with grief payne and tediousnes with an euill will with a contrary and a grudgyng mynde O holy saint Prosperous how mightely with the Scripture of Paule diddest thou confound this heresie twelue hundred yeares a goe or therupon To fulfill the law is to do y t workes therof and what soeuer the lawe commaundeth with loue lust and inward affection and delectation and to lyue godly and well freely willyngly and without compulsion of the lawe euen as thoughe there were no lawe at all Such lust and free libertie to loue the law commeth onely by the workyng of the spirite in the hart as hee sayth in the first Chapter Now is the spirite none otherwise geuen then by fayth onely in that we beleue the promises of God without waueryng how that God is true and will fulfill all hys good promises toward vs for Christes blondes sake as it is playne in the first Chapter I am not ashamed sayth Paule of Christes glad tydynges for it is the power of GOD vnto saluation to as many as beleue for at once and together euen as we beleue the glad tydynges preached to vs the holy ghost entreth into our hartes and looseth the bondes of the deuill whiche before possessed our hartes in captiuitie and held them that we could haue no lust to y t will of God in the law and as the spirite commeth by fayth onely euen so fayth commeth by hearyng the word or glad tidynges of God when Christ is preached how that hee is Gods sonne and man also dead and risen againe for our sakes as he sayth in the thyrd fourth and tenth Chapters All our iustifying then commeth of faith and faith and the spirite come of God and not of vs. Hereof commeth it that fayth onely iustifieth maketh righteous and fulfilleth the law for it bringeth the spirit through Christes deseruinges the spirite bringeth lust looseth the hart maketh him free setteth hym at libertie and geueth him strength to worke the deedes of the lawe with loue euen as the law requireth then at the last out of the same fayth so workyng in the hart spryng all good workes by their owne accorde That meaneth he in the thyrd Chapter for after he hath cast away the workes of the law so that he soundeth as though he would breake and disanulle the law through fayth he aunswereth to that might bee layd agaynst saying we destroy not the law through fayth but mayntaine further or stablish the law through fayth that is to say we fulfill the law thorough fayth Sinne in the Scripture is not called that outward worke onely committed by the body but all the whole busines and what so euer accompanyeth moueth or stirreth vnto the outward deede and that whence the workes spring as vnbelefe pronenes and readynes vnto the deede in the grounde of the hart with all the powers affections and appetites wherwith we can but sinne so that we say that a man then sinneth when he is caried awaye headlong into sinne all together as much as he is of that poyson inclination and corrupt nature wherein hee was conceiued and borne For there is none outward sinne committed except a maÌ„ be caried away all together with life soule hart body lust and mynde thereunto The Scripture loketh singularly vnto the hart vnto the roote and originall fountaine of all synne which is vnbelefe in the bottom of the hart For as fayth onely iustifieth and bryngeth the spirit and lust vnto the outward good workes Euen so vnbelefe onely damneth and keepeth out the spirit prouoketh the flesh and styrreth vp lust vnto the euill outwarde works as it fortuned to Adam Euâ— in Paradise Gene. 3. For this cause Christ calleth synne vnbelefe and that notablie in the. 16. of Iohn the spirite sayth he shall rebuke the world of sinne because they beleue not in me Wherefore then before all good workes as good frutes there must needes be fayth in the hart whence they spryng and before all bad deedes as bad frutes there must nedes be vnbelief in the hart as in the roote fountain pith and streÌ„gth of all sinne whiche vnbelefe is called the head of the Serpent and of the old Dragon which the womans seede Christ must treade vnderfoote as it was promised vnto Adam Grace and gift haue this difference Grace properly is Gods fauour beneuolence or kynd minde which of his owne selfe without deseruyng of vs he beareth to vs whereby he was moued and inclined to geue Christ vnto vs with all his other giftes of grace Gift is y t holy ghost and his working which hee poureth into the hartes of them on whoÌ„ he hath mercy and whoÌ„ he fauoureth Though the giftes the spirit encrease in vs dayly haue not yet their ful perfection ye and though there remaine in vs yet euill lustes synne which fight agaynst the sprite as he sayth here in the 7. chapter and in the 5. to the Galath and as it was spoken before in the 3. chapter of Gen. of the debate betwene y â— womans sede the seed of y t serpent yet neuertheles gods fauour is so great and so strong ouer vs for Christes sake that we are counted for full whole and perfect before God For Gods fauour towarde vs deuideth not her selfe encreasyng a little and a little as do the giftes but receiueth vs whole altogether in ful loue for Christes sake our intercessour and mediator and because y t the giftes of the sprite the battell betwene the sprite and euill lustes are begonne in vs already Of this now vnderstandest thou the 7. chapter where Paul accuseth hymselfe as a sinner and yet in the 8. chapter sayeth there is no damnation to them that are in Christ and that because of the spirite and because the giftes of the sprite are begonne in vs. Sinners we are because the fleshe is not full killed and mortified Neuertheles in as muche as we beleue in
Christ and haue the earnest and beginning of the sprite God is so louyng fauourable vnto vs that he will not looke on such sinne neither wil counte it as sinne but will deale with vs accordyng to our belief in Christ and according to his promises which he hath sworne to vs vntyll the sinne be full slayne and mortified by death Faythe is not mans opinion and dreame as some imagine and fayne when they heare the story of the Gospell but when they see that there follow no good workes nor amendment of liuyng though they heare ye can bable many thyngs of fayth then they fall from the right way and say fayth onely iustifieth not a man must haue good workes also if he will be righteous and safe The cause is when they heare the gospell or glad tidinges they fayne of their owne strength certaine imaginations and thoughtes in their hartes saying I haue heard the gospell I remember the story loe I beleue and that they counte right fayth which neuerthelesse as it is but mans imagination and faining euen so profiteth it not neither followe there any good workes or amendmēt of liuing But right fayth is a thing wrought by the holy ghost in vs which chaungeth vs turneth vs into a new nature and begetteth vs a new in God and maketh vs the sonnes of god as thou readest in the first of Iohn and killeth the olde Adam and maketh vs altogether new in the hart mynde wyll lust and in all our affectiōs and powers of the soule and bringeth the holye gost with her Fayth is a liuely thing mighty in working valiant strong euer doyng euer fruitfull so that it is vnpossible that he whiche is endued therwith should not worke alwayes good workes without ceasing He asketh not whether good workes are to be done or not but hath done them already ere mention be made of them is alway doing for such is his nature for quicke fayth in hys hart and liuely mouyng of the sprite driue hym and stirre hym therunto Whosoeuer doth not good woorkes is an vnbeleuyng person faithles loketh roūd about him groping after faith good works woteth not what faith or good workes meane though he bable neuer so many thinges of faith good workes Fayth is then a liuely and a stedfast trust in the fauour of God wherewith we commit our selues altogether vnto god that trust is so surely grounded and sticketh so fast in our hartes that a mā would not once doubt of it though he should die a thousand tymes therefore And suche trust wrought by the holy gost through faith maketh a man glad lusty chereful true harted vnto God and vnto all creatures By the meanes wherof willingly and without compulsion he is glad and redy to do good to euery man to do seruice to euery man to suffer all thinges y t god may be loued and praysed which hath geuen hym such grace so that it is impossible to separate good workes from fayth euen as it is impossible to separate heat and burning from fire Therfore take hede to thy selfe and beware of thyne owne fantasies and imaginations which to iudge of fayth good workes wyll seme wyse when in dede they are starke blind and of all things most foolish Pray God that he wyll vouchsafe to worke faith in thine hart or els shalte thou remayne euermore faythlesse fayne thou imagine thou enforce thou wrastle with thy self and do what thou wilt or canst Righteousnes is euen such faythe and is called Gods righteousnesse or righteousnes that is of value before God For it is gods gift and it altereth a man and chaungeth him into a new spiritual nature and maketh him free and liberall to pay euery man his duety For through fayth a mā is purged of his sinnes and obteyneth luste vnto the law of God whereby he geueth God hys honor and payeth hym that he oweth hym and vnto men he doth seruice willingly wherwith soeuer he can and payeth euery man his duety Such righteousnes can nature freewill and our owne strength neuer bring to passe for as no man can geue himselfe faith so can he not take away vnbeliefe how then can he take away any sinne at all Wherefore all is false hipocrisie sinne whatsoeuer is done without fayth or in vnbeliefe as it is euident in the 14. chapter vnto the Romains though it appeare neuer so glorious or beautiful outwardes Fleshe and sprite mayest thou not here vnderstand as though flesh were onely that which pertayneth vnto vnchastitie and the spirite that which inwardly pertayneth to the harte but Paul calleth flesh here as Christ doth Iohn 3. All that is borne of fleshe that is to witte the whole man with lyfe soule body wit will reason whatsoeuer he is or doth within and without because that these all and all that is in man study after the worlde and the flesh Call fleshe therfore whatsoeuer as long as we are without y t spirite of GOD we thinke or speake of God of fayth of good workes and of spirituall matters Call fleshe also all works which are done without grace and without the working of the sprite howsoeuer good holy and spirituall they seeme to be as thou mayest proue by the 5. chapter vnto the Galathians where Paule numbreth worshipping of idoles witchcraft enuy and hate among the dedes of the flesh and by the 8. vnto the Romaines where he sayth that the law by the reason of the fleshe is weake which is not vnderstand of vnchastitie onely but of all sinnes and most specially of vnbeliefe which is a vice most spirituall and grounde of all synnes And as thou callest him whiche is not renewed with the spirit and borne agayne in Christ flesh all his dedes euen the very motions of his hart and minde his learning doctrine and contemplation of hye thinges his preaching teaching and study in the Scripture buildyng of Churches foundyng of Abbeyes geuing of almes Masse mattēs what soeuer he doth though it seme spiritual and after the lawes of God So contrarywise call him spirituall which is renewed in Christ and all his deedes whiche spryng of fayth seme they neuer so grose as the washyng of the Disciples feete done by Christ and Peters fishing after the resurrection yea and al the dedes of matrimony are pure spiritual if they procede of faith and what soeuer is done with in the lawes of God though it be wrought by the body as the very wiping of shooes and such like how soeuer grose they appeare outward With out such vnderstādyng of these wordes canst thou neuer vnderstand this Epistle of Paule neither any other place in the holy Scripture Take hede therfore for who soeuer vnderstādeth these wordes otherwise the same vnderstādeth not Paule what soeuer he be Now will we prepare our selues vnto the Epistle For as much as it becommeth the preacher of
y u shalt be iustified of thy wordes thou shalt be condēned Mat. xij That is thy wordes as well as other deedes shal testifie with thee or agaynst thee at the day of iudgemēt Many there are whiche abstaine from the outward dedes of fornication and adulterie neuerthelesse reioyce to talke therof laugh their wordes laughter testifie against them that their hart is vnpure and they adulterers fornicatours in the sight of GOD. The toung and other signes oftymes vtter the malice of the hart though a mā for many causes abstaine his hand from the outward dede or act IF thou wilt enter into lyfe kepe the commaundements Math. xix First remember that when God commaundeth vs to do one thyng he doth it not therfore because that we of our selues are able to do that he cōmaundeth but that by the law we might see know our horrible damnation and captiuitie vnder sinne and therfore should repēt and come to Christ receaue mercy the spirite of God to loose vs strength vs to make vs able to do Gods wil which is the law Now when he sayth if thou wilt enter into lyfe kepe the cōmaundementes is as much to say as he that kepeth the commaundementes is entred into life for except a mā haue first the spirite of lyfe in hym by Christes purchasyng it is impossible for him to kepe the commaundements or that his hart should be loose or at libertie to lust after them for of nature we are enemyes to the law of God As touching that Christ saith afterward if thou wilt be perfect go and sell thy substaūce and geue it to the poore he sayth it not as who should say that there were any greater perfection then to kepe the law of God for that is all perfection but to shew the other hys blindnes which saw not that the law is spirituall and requireth y t hart But because he was not knowyng that he had hurt any man with the outward deede he supposed that he loued his neighbour as him selfe But when he was bydde to shew the deedes of loue and geue of hys aboundaunce to them that neded he departed mournyng Whiche is an euiēdt tokē that he loued not his neighbour as well as him self For if he had neede hym selfe it would not haue greued hym to haue receaued succour of an other man Moreouer he sawe not that it was murther theft that a man should haue aboundaunce of riches lying by hym and not to shew mercy therewith and kyndly to succour hys neighbours neede God hath geuen one man riches to helpe an other at nede If thy neighbour nede thou helpe him not beyng able thou withholdest his dutie from hym and art a thefe before God That also that Christ saith how that it is harder for a rich man who loueth his riches so that he can not find in his hart liberally and freely to helpe the poore and nedy to enter into the kingdome of heauen then a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle declareth that he was not entred into the kingdome of heauen that is to say eternall life But he that kepeth the commaundementes is entred into life he hath life and the spirite of life in him THis kinde of deuils goeth not out but by prayer fasting Math. 27. Not that the deuill is cast out by merites of fasting or praying For he sayth before that for theyr vnbelefes sake they coulde not cast him out It is faith no doubte that casteth out the deuils and fayth it is that fasteth and prayeth Fayth hath the promises of God wher unto she cleaueth and in all thinges thyrsteth the honour of God She fasteth to subdue the body vnto the spirit that the prayer be not let and that the spirite may quietly talke with God she also whensoeuer oportunitie is geuen prayeth God to fulfil his promises vnto his prayse glory And God which is mercifull in promising and true to fullfill them casteth out the deuils and doth all that fayth desireth and satisfyeth her thyrste COme ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde for I was a thirst and ye gaue me drincke c. Math. xxv Not that a man with works delerueth eternal life as a work man or labourer his hyre or wages Thou readest in the text that the kingdome was prepared for vs from the beginning of the worlde And we are blessed sanctified In Christes bloud are we blessed from that bitter curse damnable captiuitie vnder sin wherein we were borne and conceiued And Christes spirite is poured into vs to bring foorth good woorkes and our workes are the fruites of the spirite the kingdome is the deseruing of Christes bloud and so is fayth and the spirite and good workes also Notwithstanding the kingdome foloweth good workes and good workes testify that we are heyres thereof and at the day of iudgement shall they testify for the elect vnto theyr comfort and glory and to the confusion of the vngodly vnbeleeuing and faythlesse sinners which had not trust in the worde of Gods promises nor luste to the will of God but were caryed of the spirite of theyr father the deuill vnto all abhomination to worke wickednes with all lust delectation and gredienes MAny sinnes are forgeuen her for she loueth much Luk. vij Not that loue was cause of forgeuenes of sinnes But contrariwise the forgeuenes of sinnes caused loue as it foloweth to whō lesse was forgeuen y ◠same loueth lesse And afore he commended the iudgement of Simon which aunswered that he loueth most to whom most was forgeuen and also sayde at the last thy fayth hath saued thee or made thee safe goe in peace We can not loue except we see some benefite and kyndenes As long as we looke on the lawe of God onely where we see but sinne and damnation and the wrath of God vpon vs yea where we were damned afore we were borne we can not loue God No we can not but hate him as a tyraunt vnrighteous vniust and flee from hym as did Caine. But when the Gospell that glad tidinges and ioyfull promises are preached how that in Christ God loueth vs first forgeueth vs and hath mercy on vs then loue we againe and the deedes of our loue declare our fayth This is the maner of speaking as we say Sommer is nie for the trees blossome Nowe is the blossomyng of the trees not the cause y t sommer draweth nie but the drawyng ni◠of sommer is the cause of y e blossoms and the blossomes put vs in remembraunce that sommer is at hand So Christ here teacheth Simō by the feruentnes of loue in the outward dedes to see a strong faith within whence so great loue springeth As y ◠maner is to say do your charitie shew your charitie do a deede of charitie
wherewith y ◠hart is purified as fayth hope loue pacience long sufferyng and obedience could neuer be sene without outward experience For if thou were not brought sometime into combraunce whence God onely could deliuer thee thou shouldest neuer see thy fayth yea except thou foughtest sometyme agaynst desperation hell death sinne and powers of this worlde for thy faythe 's sake thou shouldest neuer know true fayth from a dreame Except thy brother now and then offended thee thou couldest not know whether thy loue were Godly For a Turke is not angre till he be hurt and offended but it thou loue him that doth thee euill then is thy loue of God likewise if thy rulers were alway kinde thou shouldest not know whether thyne obedience were pure or no but if thou canst paciently obeye euill rulers in all thyngs that is not to the dishonour of God and when thou hurtest not thy neighbours then art thou sure that Gods spirite worketh in thee and that thy fayth is no dreame nor any false imagination Therfore counceleth Paule Rom. xij recompense to no man euill And on your part haue peace with all men Dearely beloued auenge not your selues but geue rowme vnto the wrath of God For it is written vengeaunce is myne and I will reward sayth the Lord. Therfore if thy enemie hungre feede hym If he thurst geue hym drinke For in so doyng thou shalt heape coales of fire on his heed that is thou shalt kindle loue in him Be not ouercome of euil that is let not an other mans wickednesse make thee wicked also But ouercome euill with good that is with softenes kindnesse and all pacience winne him euen as God with kindnesse wonue thee THe law was geuē in thūder lightenyng fire smoke and the voyce of a trumpet and terrible sight Exod. xx So that the people quaked for feare and stode a farre of saying to Moyses Speake thou to vs and we wil heare let not the Lord speake vnto vs left we dye No eare if it be awaked and vnderstandeth the meanyng is able to abide the voice of the law except the promises of mercy be by That thunder except the rayne of mercy be ioyned with it destroyeth all and buildeth not The law is a witnesse agaynst vs and testifieth that God abhorreth the the sinnes that are in vs and vs for our sinnes sake In like maner when God gaue the people of Israell a kyng it thundred and rained that y ◠people feared so sore that they cryed to Samuell for to pray for them that they should not dye i. Reg. xij As the law is a terrible thing euen so is the kyng For he is ordeined to take vengeaunce and hath a sword in his hād and not pecockes feethers Feare him therfore and looke on hym as thou wouldest looke on a sharpe sword that hanged ouer thy head by an heare Heades and gouerners are ordeined of God and are euen the gifte of God whether they be good or bad And what soeuer is done vnto vs by them y t doth God be it good or bad If they be euill why are they euill verely for our wickednesse sake are they euill Because that whē they were good we would not receaue that goodnesse of the hand of God and be thankefull submitting our selues vnto his lawes and ordinaunces but abused the goodnesse of God vnto our sensuall beastly lustes Therefore doth God make hys scorge of them and turne them vnto wilde beastes cōtrary to the nature of their names and offices euen into Lyons Beares Foxes and vncleane Swine to auenge himselfe of our vnnaturall and blind vnkindnesse and of our rebellious disobedience In the Cvj. Psalme thou readest he destroyed the riuers and dryed vp the springes of water and turned y t fruitfull land into barennesse for the wickednesse of the inhabiters therein Whē the children of Israell had forgotten God in Egipt God moued the hartes of the Egiptians to hate them and to subdue them with craft and wilynes Psal Ciiij and Deuteronomiun iij. Moyses rehearseth saying God was angry wyth me for your sakes so that the wrath of God fell on Moyses for the wickednesse of the people And in the secōd Chap. of the second booke of kynges God was angry with the people and moued Dauid to number them when Ioab and the other Lords wondred why hee would haue them numbred and because they feared lest some euil should folow disswaded the kyng yet it holpe not God so hardened his hart in his purpose to haue an occasion to slay the wicked people Euill rulers then are a signe that God is angry and wroth with vs. Is it not a great wrath and vengeaunce that the father and mother should hate their children euen their flesh and their bloud or that an husband should be vnkinde vnto his wife or a master vnto the seruaunt that wayteth on his profite or the Lordes and Kynges should be tyrauntes vnto their subiectes and tenauntes which pay them tribute tolle custome and rente laboring and toyling to finde them in honour and to mainteine them in their estate is not this a fearefull iudgemēt of God and a cruell wrath that the very Prelates and shepheardes of our soules whiche were wont to feede Christes flocke with Christs doctrine and to walke before them in lyuyng there after and to geue their lyues for them to their ensample and edifiyng and to strengthē their weake faythes are now so sore chaunged that if they smell that one of their flocke as they now cal them and no lenger Christes do but once long or desire for the true knowledge of Christ they will slay hym burnyng him with fire most cruelly What is the cause of this and that they also teach false doctrine confirmyng it with lyes veryly it is the hād of God to auenge the wickednes of them that haue no loue nor lust vnto the truth of God when it is preached but reioyse in vnrighteousnes As thou maist see in the second Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians Where he speaketh of the comming of Antichrist Whos 's commyng shal be sayth he by the workyng of Sathan with all miracles signes and wonders which are but lyes and in all deceanable vnrighteousnes among them that perish because they receaued not any loue to the truth to haue bene saued Therefore shall God send them strong delusion to beleue lyes Marke how God to auenge his truth sendeth to the vnthankefull false doctrine and false miracles to confirme them and to harden their harts in the false way that afterward it shall not be possible for them to admitte the truth As thou seest in Exod. vij and viij how God suffered false miracles to be shewed in y t sight of Pharao to harden his hart that he should not beleue the truth in as much as hys sorcerers turned their roddes into Serpēts and turned water into bloud and made frogges by their inchauntment so thought he
The dutie of Kynges and of the Iudges and Officers LEt Kynges if they had leuer be Christen in deede then so to be called geue themselues all together to the wealth of their Realmes after the ensample of Christ remembryng that the people are Gods not theirs ye are Christes inheritaunce and possession bought with his bloud The most despised person in his Realme is the kynges brother and felowmember with hym and equall with him in the kyngdome of God and of Christ Let him therfore not thinke him selfe to good to do thē seruice neither seke any other thing in them then a father seketh in his children yea then Christ sought in vs. Though that the kyng in the temporal regiment be in the rowme of God and representeth God him self and is with out all comparison better thē his subiectes yet let him put of that and become a brother doing and leauing vndone all thinges in respect of the common wealth that all men may see that he seketh nothing but the profet of his subiectes When a cause that requireth execution is brought before him then onely let him take y e person of God on him Then let him know no creature but heare all indifferently whether it be a straunger or one of his owne Realme the small as well as the great and iudge righteously for the iudgemēt is the Lordes Deut. i. In tyme of iudgement he is no minister in the kyngdome of Christ he preacheth no Gospell but the sharpe law of vengeance Let him take the holy iudges of the olde Testament for an example and namely Moses which in executing the law was mercylesse otherwise more then a mother vnto them neuer auengyng his owne wronges but suffering all thing bearing euery mans weakenes teaching warning exhorting and euer caryng for them and so tenderly loued them that he desired God either to forgeue them or to damne hym with them Let the iudges also priuatly when they haue put of the person of a iudge exhort with good counsell and warne the people helpe that they come not at Gods iudgemēt but the causes that are brought vnto them when they sit in Gods stede let them iudge and cōdemne y e trespasser vnder lawfull witnesses and not breake vp into the consciences of men after the example of Antichristes disciples and compell thē either to forsweare them selues by the almightie God and by the holy Gospell of his mercyfull promises or to testifie against them selues Which abhominatiō our Prelates learned of Cayphas Math. xxvj saying to Christ I adiure or charge thee in the name of the liuing God that thou tell vs whether thou be Christ the sonne of God Let that which is secret to God onely where of no profe cā be made nor lawfull witnesse brought abyde vnto the commyng of the Lord which shall opē all secretes If any malice breake forth that let them iudge onely For further authoritie hath God not geuen them Moyses Deut. xvij warneth iudges to kepe them vpright and to looke on no mans person that is that they preferre not the hye before the low the great before the small the rich before poore his acquaintaunce frende kinsman countrey man or one of his own nation before a straūger a frend or an aliant ye or one of their own faith before an infidell but that they looke on the cause onely to iudge indifferently For the rowme that they are in and the law that they execute are Gods which as he hath made all and is God of all and all are his sonnes euen so is he iudge ouer all and wil haue al iudged by his law indifferently and to haue the right of his law and will auenge the wrong done vnto the Turke or Sareson For though they be not vnder the euerlastyng Testament of God in Christ as few of vs which are called Christen be and euen no mo thē to whom God hath sent his promises and poured his spirite into their harts to beleue them and through fayth grauen lust in their hartes to fulfill the law of loue yet are they vnder the Testament of y e law naturall which is the lawes of euery land made for the common wealth there and for peace and vnite that one may lyue by an other In whiche lawes the infidels if they kepe them haue promises of worldly things Who soeuer therfore hyndreth a very infidell from the right of that law sinneth agaynst God and of him will God be auēged Moreouer Moyses warneth them that they receaue no giftes rewardes or bribes For those two pointes fauoryng of one person more then an other and receauyng rewardes peruerte all right and equitie and is y e onely pestilence of all iudges And the kynges warneth he that they haue not to many wiues lest their hartes turne away and that they read alway in the law of God to learne to feare him lest their hartes be lift vp aboue their brethren Which ij pointes wemen and pride the despising of their subiectes which are in very deed their owne brethren are the common pestilence of all Princes Read the stories and see The Shyriffes Bayly arauntes Constables and such like officers may let no man that hurteth his neighbour scape but that they bryng them before the iudges except they in the meane time agree with their neighbours and make them amendes Let Kinges defende their subiectes from the wronges of other natiōs but picke no quarels for euery trifle no let not our most holy father make them no more so dronkē with vayne names with cappes of maintenaunce and like bables as it were popetry for childrē to begger their Realmes and to murther their people for defendyng of our holy fathers tyrāny If a lawfull peace that standeth with Gods woorde be made betwene Prince and Prince and the name of God taken to recorde and the body of our Sauiour broken betwene them vppon the bonde whiche they haue made that peace or bonde can our holy father not dispence with neither lowse it with all the keyes he hath no veryly Christ can not breake it For he came not to breake the law but to fulfill it Math. v. If any man haue broken the law or a good ordinaunce and repent come to the rightway agayne then hath Christ power to forgeue hym but licence to breake the law cā he not geue much more his disciples and vicares as they call them selues can not do it The keyes wherof they so greatly bost them selues are no carnall things but spirituall and nothing els saue knowledge of the law and of the promises or Gospell if any man for lacke of spirituall feelyng desire authoritie of men let him read the old Doctours If any man desire authoritie of Scripture Christ sayth Luke xj woe be to you lawyers for ye haue takē away the key of knowledge ye enter not in your selues and them that come in ye forbyd that is
ceremonies or to lead them out of the waye with superstitiousnes of disguiled hypocrisie vnto which ful knowledge are the spirituall officers ordeined to bring them Ephes iiij So farre it is away that Christes Apostles should geue them traditions of blind ceremonies without signification or of whiche no man should know the reason as Rochester whiche loueth shadowes and darkenes lyeth on them God stoppe his blasphemous mouth Consider also how studiously Rochester alledgeth Origene both for his Pope and also to stablish his blind ceremonies with all which Origene of all heretickes is condemned to be the greatest He is an auncient Doctour sayth he yea and to whō in this point great fayth is to be geuen yea verely Aristotle and Plato and euen very Robynhode is to beleued in such a point that so greatly mainteineth our holy fathers authoritie and all his disguisinges Last of all as once a craftie theefe whē he was espied and folowed cryed vnto the people Stoppe the thefe stop the thefe And as many to begyn with all cast first in an other mans teth that which he feareth should be layd to his owne charge euen so Rochester layeth to Martin Luthers charge the slaying murtheryng of Christen men because they will not beleue in his doctrine which thing Rochester and his brethrē haue not ceased to do now certein hundred yeares with such malice that whē they be dead theyrage burnyng their bodies of which some they them selues of lickelyhode killed before secretly And because that all the worlde knoweth that Martin Luther slayeth no mā but killeth onely with the spirituall sword the word of God such cankred cōsciences as Rochester hath Neither persecuteth but suffereth persecution yet Rochester with a goodly Argument proueth that he would do it if he could And marke I pray you what an Oratour he is and how vehemently he persuadeth it Martin Luther hath burned the Popes decretals a manifest signe sayth he that he would haue burnt the Popes holines also if he had had him A like Argument which I suppose to be rather true I make Rochester and his holy brethrē haue burnt Christes Testament an euident signe verely that they woulde haue burnt Christ him selfe also if they had had him I had almost verely left out the chiefest point of all Rochester both abhominable and shamelesse yea sterke mad with pure malice and so adased in the braines with spite that he cā not ouercome the truth that he seeth not or rather careth not what he sayth in the ende of his first destruction I would say instructiō as he calleth it intēding to proue that we are iustified thorouh holy workes alleageth halfe a texte of Paule of the fift to the Galathians as his maner is to iuggle and cōuey craftely fides per dilectionem operans Which texte he thys wise Englisheth fayth which is wrought by loue and maketh a verbe passiue of a verbe deponent Rochester will haue loue to goe before and fayth to spring out of loue Thus Antichrist turneth the rotes of the tree vpward I must first loue a bitter medicine after Rochesters doctrine and then beleue that it is wholsome When by naturall reason I first hate a bitter medicine vntill I be brought in belief of the phisition that it is holesome that the bitternes shall heale me and then afterward loue it of that beliefe Doth the childe loue the father first thē beleue that he is his sonne or heire or rather because he knoweth that he is his sonne or heire and beloued therfore loueth agayne Iohn sayth in the third of his first epistle See what loue the father hath shewed vpon vs that we should be called his sonnes Because we are sonnes therefore loue we Now by fayth are we sonnes as Iohn sayth in the fyrst chapter of his Gospel He gaue them power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleued on hys name And Paule sayth in the thyrd chapter of hys Epistle to the Galathians we are all the sonnes of God by the faith which is in Iesus Christ And Iohn in the sayd chapter of hys epistle sayth Hereby perceaue we loue that he gaue hys life for vs. We coulde see no loue nor cause to loue agayne except that we beleued that he dyed for vs and that we were saued thorough his death And in the chapter folowing sayth Iohn Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to make agreement for our sinnes So God sent not hys sonne for any loue that we had to hym but of the loue that he had to vs sent he hys sonne that we myght so loue loue agayne Paule lykewise in the 8. chapter to the Romaynes after that he hath declared the infinite loue of God to vs ward in that he spared not hys owne sonne but gaue hym for vs cryeth out saying who shall separate vs from the loue of God shall persecution shall a sworde c. No sayth he I am sure that no creature shall separate vs from the loue of God that is in Christ Iesus our Lord as who should say we see so great loue in God to vs warde in Christes death that though all misfortune should fall on vs we can not but loue agayne Now how know we that God loueth vs verely by fayth So therefore though Rochester be a beast faythlesse yet ought naturall reason to haue taught hym that loue springeth out of fayth and knowledge and not fayth and knowledge out of loue But let vs see the text Paule sayth thus In Christ Iesu neither circumcision is any thyng worth nor incircumcision but fayth which worketh thorow loue or which thorow loue is strōg or mighty in working not which is wrought by loue as the iuggler sayth Faith that loueth Gods cōmaundemēts iustitieth a mā If thou beleue gods promises in christ and loue his commaūdementes then art thou safe If thou loue y e commaūdemēt then art thou sure y ◠thy fayth is vnfained that gods spirit is in thee How fayth iustifieth before God in the hart how loue springeth of fayth and compelleth vs to worke and how the workes iustifie before the worlde testifie what we are certifie vs that our fayth is vnfayned and that y e right spirit of God is in vs see in my booke of y e iustifiyng of faith and there shalt thou see all thyng aboundantly Also of the controuersie betwene Paul and Iames see there Neuer the later whē Rochester sayth if faith onely iustified then both the deuils and also sinners that lie still in sinne should be saued hys argument is not worth a strawe For neyther the deuils nor yet sinners that continue in sinne of purpose delectation haue any such fayth as Paul speaketh of For Paules fayth is to beleue Gods promises Fayth sayth he Rom. x. cōmeth by hearing and hearing commeth by the worde of God And
The Friers lykewise make their benefactours which onely they call their brethren and sisters partakers of their masses fasting watchynges prayings and wolward goynges Yea and whē a nouice of the obseruauntes is professed the father asketh him will ye kepe the rules of holy S. Fraunces and he sayth yea will ye so in dede sayth he the other aunswereth yea forsoth father Then sayth the father and I promise you agayne euerlastyng lyfe O blasphemy If eternall life be due vnto the pilde traditions of lowsie Friers where is the Testament become that God made vnto vs in Christes bloud Christ sayth Math. xxiiij And Mark xiij that there shal come Pseudo-Christs Which though I for a consideration haue translated false Christes kepyng the Greeke word yet signifieth it in the English false annoynted and ought so to be translated There shall come saith Christ false annoynted and false Prophetes and shall do miracles and wonders so greatly that if it were possible the very elect or chosen should be brought out of the way Compare the Popes doctrine vnto the word of GOD and thou shalt finde that there hath ben and yet is a great goyng out of the way and that euill men and deceauers as Paul prophesied ij Timo. iij. haue preuailed and waxed worse and worse beguiling other as they are beguiled them selues Thou tremblest and quakest saying shall God let vs go so sore out of the right way I aunswere it is Christ that warneth vs which as he knew all that should follow so prophesied he before and is a true Prophet and his prophesie must nedes be fulfilled GOd annoynted hys sonne Iesus with the holy Ghost and therfore called him Christ which is as much to say as annoynted Outwardly he disguised him not but made hym like other mē and sent him into the world to blesse vs and to offer him selfe for vs a sacrifice of a swete sauour to kill the stench of our sinnes that God hence forth should smell them no more nor thinke on them any more and to make full sufficient satisfaction or amendes for all them that repent beleuyng the truth of god and submitting them selues vnto his ordinaūces both for their sinnes that they do haue done and shal do For sinne we through fragilitie neuer so oft yet as soone as we repente and come into the right way agayne and vnto the Testament whiche God hath made in Christes bloud our sinnes vanish away as smoke in the winde and as darkenes at the commyng of light or as thou cast a litle bloud or milke into y t mayne see In so much that who soeuer goeth about to make satisfactiō for his sinnes to God ward saying in his hart this much haue I sinned this much will I doe agayne or this wise will I lyue to make amendes with all or this wil I do to get heauen with all the same is an infidell faythlesse and damned in his deede doing and hath lost his part in Christes bloud because he is disobedient vnto Gods Testamēt and setteth vp an other of his owne imagination vnto which he will compell God to obey If we loue God we haue a cōmaundemēt to loue our neighbour also as sayth Iohn in his Epistle And if we haue offended him to make him amendes or if we haue not wherewith to aske him forgeuenesse and to doe and suffer all thynges for his sake to wynne him to God to norish peace and vnitie but to Godward Christ is an euerlastyng satisfaction and euer sufficient Christ when he had fulfilled hys course annoynted hys Apostles and disciples with the same sprite and sent them forth without all maner disguising like other men also to preach the attonemēt and peace which Christ had made betwene God and man The Apostles likewise disguised no man but chose men annoynted wyth the same spirit one to preach the worde of God whom we call after the greeke tounge a Byshop or a Priest that is in Englishe an ouersear and an Elder How he was annointed thou readest i. Timothe iij. A Byshoppe or an ouersear must be faultlesse the husband of one wife Many Iewes and also Gentils that were conuerted vnto the faith had at that tyme diuers wines yet were not compelled to put any of thē away which Paule because of ensāple would not haue preachers for as much as in Christ we returne agayne vnto y ◠first ordinaunce of God that one man and one woman should goe together he must be sober of honest behauiour honestly apparelled harbarous that is ready to lodge straungers apte to teach no dronckard no fighter not geuen to filthy lucre but gentle abhorring fyghting abhorring couetousnes and one that ruleth hys owne householde honestly hauing children vnder obedience wyth all honestie For if a man can can not rule hys owne house how can he care for the congregation of God he may not be younge in the fayth or as a man would say a Nouice least he swell and fall into y t iudgement of y t euill speaker that is he may not be vnlearned in the secretes of the fayth For such are attonce stubburne and headstrong and set not a little by themselues But alas we haue aboue twenty thousand that know no more scripture then is written in their portoues and among them is he exceding well learned that can turne to his seruice He must be well reported of thē y t are without least he fal into rebuke and into the snare of the euill speaker that is least the infidels which yet beleue not should be hurt by hym and driuen from the fayth if a man that were defamed were made head or ouerseer of the congregation He must haue a wife for two causes one that it may therby be knowē who is mete for the rowme He is vnapt for so chargeable an office which had neuer housholde to rule An other cause is that chastity is an exceeding seldom gift and vnchastitie exceding perilous for that degree In as much as y ◠people looke as well vnto the liuyng as vnto the preachyng and are hurte at once if the liuing disagree and fall frō the fayth and beleue not the worde This ouerseer because he was takē from hys owne busines and labour to preach Gods word vnto the parishe hath right by the authoritie of hys office to chalenge an honest liuyng of y t parishe as thou mayst see in y ◠Enangelistes and also in paule For who will haue a seruaunt and will not geue hym meate drinke and rayment and all things necessary How they would pay hym whether in money or assigne hym so much rent or in tithes as the guise is now in many countreies was at their libertie Lykewise in euery congregation chose they an other after the same ensample and euen so annointed as it is to see in the sayd chapter of Paule and Act. vj. Whom after the Greeke word we call
vttered the wickednes of the spiritualtie the falshead of the Byshops and iugglyng of the Pope and how they haue disguised them selues borowyng some of their pompe of y e Iewes and some of the Gentiles and haue with suttill wyles turned the obedience that should be geuen to Gods ordinaunce vnto them selues And how they haue put out Gods Testament and Gods truth and set vp their owne traditions and lyes in which they haue taught y e people to beleue there by sit in their consciences as God and haue by that meanes robbed the world of landes goodes of peace and vnitie and of all temporal authoritie and haue brought the people into the ignoraunce of God haue heaped the wrath of God vpon all realmes namely vpon the kings Whom they haue robbed I speake not of worldly thinges onely but euen of their very natural wittes They make theÌ„ beleue that they are most Christen wheÌ„ they lyue most abhominably and will suffer no man in their Realmes that beleueth on Christ and that they are defenders of the fayth when they burne the Gospell promises of God out of which all fayth springeth I shewed how they haue ministred Christ Kyng and Emperour out of their rowmes how they haue made them a seuerall kyngdome which they gote at the first in deceauyng of Princes and now peruert the whole scripture to proue that they haue such authoritie of God And lest the lay men should see how falsely they alledge the places of the Scripture is the greatest cause of this persecution They haue fained confession for the same purpose to stablish their kyngdome with all All secretes know they therby The Bishop knoweth the confession of whom he lusteth throughout all his Dioces Yea and his Chaunceler commaundeth the ghostly father to deliuer it written The pope his Cardinals and Byshops know the confession of the Emperour Kyngs of all Lordes by confession they know all their captiues If any beleue in Christ by confession they know him Shriue thy selfe where thou wilt whether at Sion charterhouse or at the obseruaÌ„ts thy confession is knowen wel inough And thou if thou beleue in Christ art wayted vppon Wonderfull are the thinges that therby are wrought The wife is feared and compelled to utter not her own onely but also the secretes of her husband and the seruaunt the secretes of his master Besides that thoraugh confession they quench the fayth of all the promises of God and take away the effect and vertue of all y e Sacramentes of Christ They haue also corrupted y â— Saintes liues with lyes and fayned miracles haue put many thinges out of the sentence or great curse as raysing of â—ente and fines and hyring men out of their houses and whatsoeuer wickednes they them selues do haue put a great part of the stories and Chronicles on t of the waye lest their falshead shoulde be sene For there is no mischieues or disorder whether it be in the temporall regiment or els in the spiritual wherof they are not the chief causes and eueÌ„ the very fountayne and springes and as we say the wel head so that it is impossible to preach agaynst mischief except thou begyn at them or to set any reformation in the world except thou reforme them first Now are they indurate and tough as Pharao and will not bow vnto any right way or order And therefore persecute they Gods word and the preachers therof and on the other side lye awayte vnto all princes stirre vp all mischief in the world and send them to warre and occupy their myndes therewith or with other voluptuousnes lest they should haue laysure to heare the word of God and to set an order in their realmes By them is all thing ministred and by them are all kynges ruled yea in euery kynges conscience sit they â—re he be king and persuade euery king what they lust and make theÌ„ both to beleue what they will and to doe what they will Neither can any kyng or any realme haue rest for their businesses Behold kyng Henry the v. whom they seÌ„t out for such a purpose as they sent out our kyng that now is See how the Realme is inhabited Aske where the goodly townes and their walles and the people that was wont to be in theÌ„ are become and where the bloud royal of the Realme is become also Turne thine eyes whether thou wilt thou shalt see nothing prosperons but their suttle pollyng With that it is flowyng water yea and I trust it wil be shortly a full see In all their doynges though they pretend outwardly the honour of God or a common wealth their entent and secret Councell is onely to bryng all vnder their power and to take out of the way who soeuer letteth them or is to mighty for them As wheÌ„ they send the Princes to Hierusalem to coÌ„quere the holy land and to fight agaynst the Turkes What soeuer they pretende outwardly their secret entent is while the Princes there conquere them more Bishoprikes to conquere their landes in the meane season with their false hipocrisie and to bryng all vnder them which thou mayest easely perceaue by that they will not let vs know y â— fayth of Christ And when they are ones on hye then are they tyrauntes aboue all tyrauntes whether they be Turkes or Saracenes How minister they prouyng of testamentes How causes of wedlocke or if any man dye intestate If a poore man dye and leaue his wiâ—e and halfe a dosen young children but one cow to finde them that will they haue for a mortuary mercylesse let come of wife and children what will Yea let any thyng be done agaynst their pleasure and they will interdite the whole realme sparyng no person Read the Chronicles of England out of which yet they haue put a great part of their wickednesse thou shalt finde them all wayes both rebellious and disobedient to the kinges and also churiish and vnthankeful so that wheÌ„ all the Realme gaue the kyng somewhat to maynteine him in his right they would not geue a myte Consider the story of K. Iohn where I dout not but they haue put the best fayrest for them selues the worst of kyng Iohn For I suppose they make the Chronicles them selues Compare the doings of their holy Church as they euer call it vnto the learnyng of Christ and of his Apostles Did not the Legate of Rome assoyle all the Lordes of the realme of their due obedieÌ„ce which they ought to the king by the ordinaunce of God would he not haue cursed y â— king with his solemne pompe because he would haue done that office whiche God commaundeth euery kyng to do and wherfore God hath put the sword in euery kynges hand that is to wete because kyng Iohn would haue punished a wicked Clerke that had coyned false money The lay men that had not done halfe so great fautes must dye but
thou haue peace in thy selfe and that thou take all to the best and be not offēded lightly and for euery small trifle and alway ready to forgeue ▪ nor sowe no discorde nor aduenge thyne owne wrong But also that thou be feruent diligent to make peace and to go betwene where thou knowest or hearest malice and enuie to be or seest bate or strife to arise betwen person and person and that thou leaue nothing vnsought to set them at one And though Christ here speake not of the temporall sword but teacheth how euery man shall liue for him selfe toward his neighbour yet Princes if they wil be Gods children must not onely giue no cause of warre nor begyn any but also though he haue a iust cause suffer him selfe to be entreated if he that gaue the cause repent and must also seke al wayes of peace before he fight Howbeit when all is sought and nothing will helpe then he ought and is bound to defend his land subiectes in so doyng he is a peacemaker as well as whē he causeth theeues murtherers to be punished for their euill doyng and breakyng of the common peace of his land and subiectes If thou haue peace in thy selfe and louest the peace of thy brethren after this maner so is God through Christ at peace with thee and thou his beloued sonne and heyre also Moreouer if the wrong done thee be greater then thou mayst beare as whē thou art a person not for thy selfe onely But in respect of other in what soeuer worldly degree it be and hast an office committed thee then when thou hast warned with all good maner him that did it and none amendement wil be had kepe peace in thyne hart and loue him still and complaine to them that are set to reforme such things and so art thou yet a peacemaker and still the sonne of God But if thou aduenge thy selfe or desirest more then that such wronges be forbidden thou sinnest against god in taking the authoritie of God vpon thee without his commaundemēt God is father ouer all and is of right iudge ouer all his children and to him onely partayneth all aduēging Who therfore without his commaundemēt aduengeth either with hart or hand the same doth cast hym selfe into the handes of the sword loseth the right of his cause And on the other side cursed be the peacebreakers picquarels whisperers backbyters sowers of discorde dispraysers of thē that be good to bring thē out of fauour interpreters to euill that is done for a good purpose finders of faultes where none is stirrers vp of Princes to battaile and warre aboue all cursed be they that falsly bely the true preachers of Gods word to bring them into hate and to shed their bloud wrongfully for hate of the truth For all such are children of the deuill Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kyngdome of heauen If the faith of Christ law of God in which two all righteousnes is contained be writtē in thine hart that is if thou beleue in Christ to be iustified frō sinne or for remission of sinne cōsentest in thyne hart to the law that it is good holy and iust and thy dutie to do it and submittest thy selfe so to do therupon goest forth and testifiest that fayth and law of righteousnes openly vnto the world in word dede Then will Sathan stirre vp his members agaynst thee and thou shalt be persecuted on euery side But be of good comfort and faynte not Call to mynde the saying of Paule ij Timo. iij. how all that wil liue godly in Christ Iesu shal suffer persecution Remember how all the Prophetes that went before thee were so dealt with Luke vj. Remēber the examples of the Apostles and of Christ him selfe and that the Disciple is no better then his Maistee and that Christ admitteth no disciple which not onely leaueth not all but also taketh his crosse to We be not called to a soft liuing and to peace in this world But vnto peace of cōscience in God our father through Iesus Christ to warre in this world Moreouer comfort thy selfe with the hope of the blessing of the inheritaunce of heauen there to be glorified with Christ if y u here suffer with hym For if we be like Christ here in his passiōs and beare his image in soule and body fight manfully that Sathan blot it not out suffer with Christ for bearyng recorde to righteousnes thē shall we be like him in glory S. Iohn iij. of hys Epistle yet appeareth not what we shal be But we know that whē he appeareth we shal be like hym And Paule Phil. iij. our conuersation is in heauen whence we looke for a Sauiour the Lord Iesus Christ which shall chaunge our vile bodyes and make thē like his glorious body It is an happy thing to suffer for righteousnes sake but not for vnrighteousnes For what prayse is it sayeth Peter in the second of his first epistle though ye suffer when ye be buffeted for your offences Wherfore in y e fourth of the same he sayth see that none of you suffer as a murtherer or a thefe or an euill doer or a busy body in other mens matters Such suffering glorifieth not God nor thou art therby heire of heauen Beware therefore that thou deserue not that thou sufferest But if thou do then beware much more of them that would beare thee in hand bow that such suffering should be satisfaction of thy sinnes and a deseruing of heauen No suffering for righteousnes though heauen be promised therto yet doth it not deserue heauen nor yet make satisfactiō for the foresinnes Christ doth both twaine But and if thou repent and beleue in Christ for the remission of sinne and then cōfesse not onely before God but also open before all that see thee suffer how that thou hast deserued that thou suffrest for breaking the good and righteous law of thy father and then takest to◠punishmēt patiently as an holesome medicine to heale thy flesh that it sinne no more and to feare thy brethren that they fall not into like offence as Moses teacheth euery where then as thy paciēce in suffering is pleasaunt in the sight of thy brethrē which behold thee pitie thee and suffer with thee in their harts euen so is it in the sight of God and it is to thee a sure token that thou hast true fayth and true repentaunce And as they be blessed which suffer for righteousnes euen so are they accursed which runne away and let it be troden vnder the feete and wyll not suffer for the fayth of their Lord and lawe of their father nor stande by their neighbours in their iust causes Blessed are ye when they reuile you and persecute you and say all maner of euil sayinges against you for my sake and yet lye Reioyce and be glad for
such persons corrupt the common maners and cause the name of God the lesse to be feared men ought to complaine vpon such persons to the officer that is ordained of God to punish euill doers and the officer is bound to punish them If thou haue lent a foxe which with canillation will kepe thy goods from thee then if the ruler and the law will not helpe thee to thy right do as it is aboue sayd of him that will go to lawe with thee and take thy coate froÌ„ thee That is to say be content to loâ—e that as much more to it rather then thou wouldest aduenge thy self Let not the wickednes of other men plucke thee from God But abyde by God and his blessings and tary his iudgement Liberalitie is mercyfulnes that byndeth God to be mercyfull again Couetousnes the roote of all euill and father of all false Prophetes and the scholemaster that teacheth the messeÌ„gers of Sathan to disguise them selues like to the messengers of Christ is mercyles that shall haue iudgement without mercy And therefore exhorteth Christ all hys so diligently and aboue all thing to be liberall to beware of couetousnes Ye haue heard how it is sayd thou shalt loue thy neighbour and hate thyne enemy But I saye vnto you loue your enemyes Blesse theÌ„ that curse you do good to them that hate you Pray for them which do you wrong and persecute you That ye may be the childreÌ„ of your heaueÌ„ly father For he maketh his sunne to arise ouer the euill and ouer the good and sendeth rayne vpon the righteous and vnrighteous For if ye loue them that loue you what reward shall ye haue do not the Publicans so and if ye be frendly to your brethren onelye what singular thyng do ye do not the Publicans likewise ye shal therfore bee perfecte as your father which is in heauen is perfect This text of hating a mans enemy â–ª stâ—deth not in any one place of the Bible but is gathered of many places in which God commaundeth the childreÌ„ of Israel to destroy 〈◊〉 enemyes the Caâ—…s thâ—â—…es the Amalekâ—…s and other 〈…〉 people as the 〈◊〉 and â—…es whiche 〈…〉 out of the fauour of God and â—o destroy the name of God 〈…〉 came behynde them and 〈…〉 were faintie and weâ—…y as they came out of Egyâ—… Moabites and Ammonues 〈…〉 to curse them and beguâ—led them with their wemen and made a great plague amoÌ„g theÌ„ These and like nations were perpetuall enemies to their land which God had geuen them and also of the name of God and of their faith For which cause they not onely might lawfully but were also bounde to hate them and to studie their destruction agayne howbeit they might not yet hate of the sayd natioÌ„s such as were conuerted to their fayth Now by the reason of such textes as commaunded to hate the commoÌ„ enemies of their couÌ„trey and of God and his law and of their fayth the Phariseis doctrine was that a man might lawfully hate all his priuate enemyes without exception nor was bound to do them good And yet Moses sayth Thou shalte not hate thy brother in thyne hart And agayne thou shalt not aduenge thy selfe nor beare hate in thy minde agaynst the children of thy people And if thine enemyes Asse sinke vnder his burtheÌ„ helpe to lift him vp again And if his Oxe or Asse go astray bryng theÌ„ home agayne Which all no doubt the Phariseis did interpret for good couÌ„cel but for no preceptes wherfore Christ salteth their doctrine proueth that a man is bound both to loue to do good to hys enemy And as a naturall sonne though his brethren be neuer so euill yet to loue them shew them kyndnesse for his fathers sake to study to amend theÌ„ What hast thou to reioyce of if thy Religion be no better then the Religion of theenes For theeues loue among them selues and so do the couetous of the world as the vsurers and publicans which bought in great the Emperours tribute and to make their most aduauntage did ouer set y e people Nay it is not inough for thee to loue thy benefactours onely as Monkes and Friers do them of thine owne coate and order or the brethren of thyne owne Abbay onely for among some their loue stretcheth no further and that shall he that is remoued out of an other cloysture thether will finde yea and in some places charitie reacheth not to all the celles of the same cloisture and to all y e monkes that were professed in the same place But lift vp thine eyes vnto thy heaueÌ„ly father and as thy father doth so doe thou loue all thy fathers children He ministreth sunne and rayne to good bad by which two vnderstand all hys benefites For of the heate and dryeth of the sunne and cold and moyst of the rayne spryng all thinges that are necessary to the lyfe of man Euen so prouoke thou and draw thyne euill brethren to goodnesse with pacience with loue in word and deede and pray for them to him that is able to make them better and to coÌ„uert them And so thou shalt be thy fathers natural sonne and perfect as he is perfect The text sayth not ye shal be as perfect as God But perfect after his example To be perfect in the Scripture is not to bee a Monke or a Frier or neuer to sinne For Christ teacheth not here Monkes or Friers but his disciples and euery Christen man and woman And to be in this life all together without sinne is impossible But to be perfect is to haue pure doctrine without false opinions and that thyne hart be to folow that learnyng An exposition of the sixt Chapter TAke heede to your almose that ye do it not before men to be sene of theÌ„ or els ye get no reward of your father whiche is in heauen Therfore when thou geuest almose make not a trompet to be blowen before thee as the hypocrites do in the Synagoges in the stretes to be praysed of meÌ„ Verely I saye vnto you they haue their reward But thou when thou geuest almose let not thy left hand knowe what thy right hand doth that thine almose may be in secret And then thy father which seethin secret shall reward thee openly AS hee rebuked theyr doctrine aboue eueÌ„ so here he rebuketh their workes for out of deuilish doctrine caÌ„ spryng no godly workes But what workes rebuketh he verely such as as God in the Scripture commaundeth and without whiche no man can bee a Christen man euen prayer fasting and almose deede For as the Scripture corrupt with gloses is no more Gods word euen so the dedes commaunded in the Scripture when the entent of them is peruerted are no more godly deedes What sayd the Scribes Phariseis of him thinke ye when he rebuked such maner of workes No doubt as they sayd when hee rebuked their false gloses how he
heauen if they were here could preach no more then is preached of necessitie vnto our soules How then should we receaue a new article of the fayth with out scripture as profitable vnto my soule when I had beleued it as smoke for â—ore eyes What holpe it me to beleue that our Ladies bodye is in heauen What am I the better for the beliefe of Purgatory to feare men thou wilt say Christ his Apostles thought hell â—…ough And yet besides that the fleshly imaginatioÌ„ may not stand with Gods worde what great feare can there be of that terrible fire which thou mayst quench almost for three halfe pence And that the Apostles should teach ought by mouth which they woulde not write I pray you for what purpose because they should not come into the handes of the Heathen for mocking saith M. More I pray you what thing more to be mocked of the Heathen coulde they teach then the resurrection and that Christ was God and man and dyed betwene two theeues and that for his deathes sake all that repent and beleue therein should haue their sinnes forgeuen them yea and if the Apostles vnderstoode thereby as we do what madder thing vnto heathen people coulde they haue taught theÌ„ y t bread is Christes body wyne his bloud And yet all these thynges they wrote And agayne purgatory confession in the eare penaunce and satisfaction for sinne to Godward with holy deedes and praying to Saintes with such like as dumme sacraments and ceremonies are maruelous agreable vnto the superstition of the Heathen people so that they needed not to abstaine from writing of theÌ„ for feare least the Heathen should haue mocked them Moreouer what is it that the Apostles taught by mouth and durst not write The sacramentes As for baptim and the sacrament of the body and bloude of Christ they wrote and it is expressed what is signified by them And also all the ceremonies and sacramentes that were froÌ„ Adam to Christ had significations and all that are made mention of in the new testameÌ„t Wherefore in as much as the sacramentes of the olde testament haue significations and in as much as the sacramentes of the new testament of which meÌ„tion is made that they were deliuered vnto vs by the very Apostles at Christes commaundement haue also significatioÌ„s and in as much as the office of an Apostle is to edifie in Christ and in as much as a dumme eremonie edifieth not but hurteth altogether for if it preach not vnto me then I can not but put confideÌ„ce therin that the deede it selfe iustifieth me which is y e denying of Christes bloud and in as much as no meÌ„tion is made of theÌ„ as well as of other nor is knowen what is ment by them therefore it appeareth that the Apostles taught them not but that they be the false marchaundise of wily hipocrites And therto priesthode was in the tyme of the Apostles an office which if they would do truely it woulde more profite then all the sacraments in y e world And agayne Gods holinesses strine not one against an other nor defile one another Their sacraments defile one another For wedlocke defileth priesthode more theÌ„ whordome theft murther or any sinne against nature They will haply demaunde where it is written that women should baptise Verely in this commaundement Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe it is written that they may and ought to minister not onely Baptim but all other in tyme of neede if they be so necessarie as they preach them And finally though we were sure that God hymselfe had geuen vs a sacrament whatsoeuer it were yet if y e signification were once lost we must of necessitie either seeke vp the significatioÌ„ or put some significatioÌ„ of Gods word therto what we ought to do or beleue therby or els put it downe For it is impossible to obserue a sacrament without significatioÌ„ but vnto our daÌ„pnatioÌ„ If we keepe y â— faith purely the law of loue vndefiled which are y â— significatioÌ„s of all ceremonies there is no icopardy to alter or chaunge the fashion of the ceremony or to put it downe if neede require ¶ Whether the Churche can erre THere is an other question whether the Church may erre Which if ye vnderstand of the Pope and hys generation it is verely as hard a question as to aske whether he which hath both hys eyes out be blynde or no or whether it be possible for him that hath one legge shorter theÌ„ an other to halt But I sayd that Christes elect church is the whole multitude of all repenting sinners that beleue in Christ and put all their trust and confideÌ„ce in the mercy of God feeling in their hartes that God for Christes sake loueth theÌ„ and will be or rather is mercifull vnto them and forgeueth theÌ„ their sinnes of which they repent and that he forgeueth them also all the motions vnto sinne of which they feare least they shoulde thereby be drawen into sinne agayne And this faith they haue with out all respect of their owne deseruinges yea and for none other cause then that the mercifull truth of God the father which can not lie hath so promised and so sworne And this faith and knowledge is euerlasting life and by this we be borne a new and made the sonnes of God and obtayne forgeuenes of sinnes and are translated from death to life froÌ„ the wrath of God vnto his loue and fauour And this faith is the mother of all truth and bringeth with her y e spirite of all truth Which spirite purgeth vs as from all sinne euen so froÌ„ all lies and errour noysome and hurtfull And this faith is the foundation layd of the Apostles and Prophetes whereon Paul sayth Ephes ij that we are built and therby of the houshold of God And this fayth is the rocke wheron Christ build his congregatioÌ„ Christ asked the Apostles Math. xvj whom they tooke him for And Peter aunswered for them all saying I say that thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God y t arâ— come into this world That is we beleue that thou art he that was promised vnto AbrahaÌ„ that should come blesse vs and deliuer vs. Howbeit Peter yet wist not by what meanes But now it is opened throroughout all the world that through the offeryng of hys body bloud that offeryng is a satisfaction for the sinne of all that repent and a purchasyng of what soeuer they can aske to keepe them in fauour And that they sinne no more And Christ aunswered vpoÌ„ this rocke I will build my congregation that is vppon this fayth And agaynst the rocke of this fayth can no synne no hell no deuill no lyes nor errour preuayle For what soeuer any maÌ„ hath committed if he repent and come to this rocke he is safe And that this fayth is the onely way by which the Church of Christ
for his death sake and neuer thinke on thē more then it serueth me I not it doth me y e same seruice as if I read the Testament in a booke or as if the preacher preached it vnto me And in lyke maner if I make a crosse in my forehead in a remembraunce that God hath promised assistaunce vnto all that beleue in him for his sake that dyed on the crosse then doth the crosse serue me and I not if And in like maner if I beare on me or looke vpon a crosse of what soeuer matter it be or make a crosse vpon me in remembraunce that who soeuer wil be Christes Disciple must suffer a crosse of aduersitie tribulations and persecution so doth the crosse serue me and I not it And this was the vse of the crosse once and for this cause it was at the begynnyng set vp in the Churches And so if I make an image of Christ or of any thyng that Christ hath done for me in a memory it is good and not euill vntill it be abused And euen so if I take the true lyfe of a Saint and cause it to be painted or carued to put me in remembraunce of the Saintes lyfe to folow the Saint as the Saint did Christ and to put me in remembraunce of the great fayth of the Saint to God and how true God was to helpe him out of all tribulatiō and to see the Saintes loue towardes his neighbour in that he so paciently suffered so paynefull a death so cruell Martyrdome to testifie the truth for to saue other and all to strength my soule with all and my fayth to God and loue to my neighbour then doth the image serue me and I not it And this was the vse of images at the begynnyng of reliques also And to knele before the crosse vnto the word of God which the crosse preacheth is not euill Neither to knele downe before an image in a mans meditations to call the liuyng of the saint to mynde for to desire God of lyke grace to folow the exāple is not euill But the abuse of the thing is euill and to haue a false fayth as to beare a pece of the crosse about a mā thinking that so long as that is about him spirites shall not come at hym his enemyes shall do hym no bodely harme all causes shal go on his side euen for bearing it about him and to thinke that if it were not about hym it would not be so and to thinke if any misfortune chaūce that it came for leauing it of or because this or that ceremonie was left vndone and not rather because we haue broken Gods cōmaundemēts or that God tēpteth vs to proue our patience This is playne idolatry here a man is captiue bond seruaūt vnto a false fayth a false imagination that is neyther God nor his worde Now am I Gods onely and ought to serue nothing but God and his worde My body must serue y t rulers of this world and my neighbour as God hath appointed it and so must all my goods but my soule must serue God onely to loue his lawe and to trust in hys promises of mercy in all my deedes And in like manner it is that thousandes while the Priest pattereth S. Iohns Gospell in Latine ouer their heades crosse themselues with I trow a legion of crosses behynde and before and wyth reuerence on the very arses and as Iacke of napes when hee claweth himselfe plucke vp their legges and crosse so much as their heeles and the very soles of their fete and beleue that if it be done in the time that he readeth the gospel and els not that there shal no mischaunce happen them that day because onely of those crosses And where he should crosse hymselfe to be armed and to make himselfe strong to beare the crosse with Christ be crosseth himselfe to driue the crosse from hym and blesseth hymselfe with a crosse frō the crosse And if he leaue it vndone he thinketh it no smal sinne and that god is highly displeased with him and it any misfortune chaunce thinketh it is therefore which is also Idolatry and not Gods worde And such is the confidēce in the place or image or whatsoeuer bodely obseruaunce it be such is S Agathes letter written in the Gospell tyme. And such are y e crosses on palmesonday made in the passion tyme. And such is the bearing of holy waxe about a man And such is that some hang a pece of S. Iohns Gospell about their neckes And such is to beare y e names of god with crosses betwene ech name about them Such is the saying of gospels vnto women in childbed Such is the limeteriers saying of in principio erat verbum from house to house Such is the saying of Gospels to the corne in the field in the procession weeke that it should the better grow And such is holy bread holy water and seruing of all ceremonies and sacramentes in generall without signification And I pray you how is it possible that y e people can worship images reliques ceremonies and sacramentes saue superstitiously so long as they know not the true meaning neyther wyll y e Prelates suffer any man to tell them yea and the very meaning of some and right vse no man can tell And as for the riches that is bestowed on images and reliques they can not proue but that it is abhominable as long as the poore are dispised and vncared for and not first serued for whose sakes and to finde preachers offeringes tithes landes rentes and all that they haue was geuen the spiritualitie They wil say we may do both May or not may I see that the one most necessary of both is not done but the poore are bereued of the spiritualtie of all that was in tyme passed offered vnto thē Moreouer though both were done they shall neuer proue that the sight of golde and siluer and of precious stones should moue a mās hart to dispise such thinges after the doctrine of Christ Neither can the rich coat helpe to moue thy mynde to follow the ensample of the Saint but rather if he were purtrayde as he suffered in the most vngoodly wise Which thing taken away that such thynges with all other seruice as sticking vp candels moue not thy mynde to follow the ensample of the Saint nor teach thy soule any godly learning thē the image serueth not thee but thou y t Image and so art thou an Idolater that is to say in Englishe a serue Image And thus it appeareth that your vngodly and belly doctrine wherwith ye so magnifie the deedes of your ceremonies and of your pilgrimages and offering for the deede it selfe to please God and to obtaine the fauour of dead Saintes and not to moue you and to put you in remembraunce of the lawe of God and of the promises which are in his sonne
bringeth he in the perpetuall virginitie of our Lady which though it be neuer so true is yet none article of our fayth to be saued by But we beleue it with a story fayth because we see no cause reasonable to thinke the contrary And when he sayth many misteries are yet to be opened as the commyng of Antichrist Nay verely the babe is knowne well inough and all the tokens spide in him which the scripture describeth hym by And when he alleageth Paules traditions to the Thessalo to proue hys phantasie I haue answered Rochester in the obedience that his traditions were the Gospell that he preached And when he alleageth Paule to the Corin. I say that Paule neuer knew of this word Masse Neither can any man gather thereof any straunge holy gestures but the playne contrary and that there was no other vse there then to breake the bread amōg them at supper as Christ did And therefore he calleth it Christes supper and not Masse There was learned y ◠maner of consecration A great doubt as though we coulde not gather of the scripture how to do it And of the water that the Priest mingleth wyth the wyne A great doubt also and a perilois case if it were left out For either it was done to slake the heate of the wine or put to after as a ceremony to signifie that as the water is chaunged into wine so are we chaunged thorow sayth as it were into Christ and are one wyth him how be it all is to their owne shame that ought shoulde be done or vsed among vs Christen whereof no man wist the meaning For if I vnderstand not the meaning it helpeth me not 1. Cor. 14. and as experience reacheth But if our shepherdes had bene as well willing to feede as to shere we had needed no such dispicience nor they to haue burnt so many as they haue And as for that he alleageth out of the Epistle of James for the iustifying of workes I haue aunswered in the Mammon against which he can not hisse and will speake more in the iiij booke And as for the Saboth a great matter we be Lordes ouer the Saboth may yet chaunge it into the monday or or any other day as we see neede or may make euery tenth day holy daye onely if we see a cause why we may make two euery weeke if it were expedient and one not inongh to teach y ◠people Neither was there any cause to chaunge it from the Saterday then to put difference betwene vs and the Iewes and least we should become seruanntes vnto the day after their superstition Neyther needed we any holyday at all if the people myght be taught without it And when he asketh by what scripture we know that a womā may christen I answere if baptim be so necessary as they make it then loue thy neighbour as thy selfe doth teach women to baptise in tyme of neede yea and to teach to rule their husbandes to if they be besides them selues And when he sayth that of likelihode the laye people vnderstoode the Gospell of Iohn and Paules Epistles better then great Clarkes now I answere the more shame is theirs How be it there be ij causes why the one is their diligent shering and an other they deny the iustifying of fayth wherof both Paule and Iohn do entreate almost of nothyng els if the signification of our baptim which is the lawe of God fayth of Christ were expounded truely vnto vs y t scripture would be easie to all that exercised themselues therin And sir in as much as the prelates care so little for the losse of y t vnderstanding of the Scripture and to teach y ◠people how happeneth it that they care so sore for a balde ceremonie which y ◠significatiō lost though Christ hymfelse had institute it we coulde not obserue without a false faith and without hurtyng of our soules And finally to rocke vs a sleepe with all he sayth that he shall neuer speede well that will seeke in the scripture whether our Prelates teach vs a true fayth though ten preach ech contrary to other in one day And yet Christ for all his miracles sendeth vs to y t scripture And for all Paules miracles the Iewes studyed the scripture the deligenterly to see whether it were as he sayd or no. How be it he meaneth that such cā not speede well because the prelates will burne them except M. More helpe them and make them forsweare Christ before hand The xxvii chapter IN the xxvij he bringeth Paule exhorting to agree and to tell all one tale in the fayth which can not be saith M. More except one beleue by the reasō of an other Yes verely we all beleue y e the fire is hot and yet not by the reasō of an other and that with a more surer knowledge then if we beleued it y ◠one by the tellyng of an other And euē so they that haue the law of God written in their hartes and are taught of y t spirite to know sinne and to abhorre it and to feele the power of the resurrection of Christ beleue much surer then they that haue none other certeintie of their fayth then the Popes preachyng confirmed with so godly liuing And it is not vnknowne to M. More that the churches of late dayes and the churches now beyng haue determined thynges in one case the one contrary to the other in such wise that he can not deny but the one hath or doth erre the which case I could shew hym if I so were mynded The olde Popes Cardinalles and Byshops sayd ye to the thyng that I meane whereunto these that now raigne say nay Now syr if you gather a generall counsell for the matter the churches of Fraunce and Italy will not beleue the Churches of Spayne and Douchland because they so say but will aske how they proue it Neyther will Louayne beleue Paris because they say that they can not erre but wyl heare first their probation Also how shall we know that the olde Pope and hys Prelates erred because these that are now so say When y t olde Pope liued we were as much bounde to beleue that he could not erre as we be now that this can not wherefore you must graunt me that God must shew a myracle for the tone parte or els they must bring autētike scripture Now syr God hath made hys last euerlasting testament so that all is open and no more behynde then the appearyng of Christ againe And because he wyll not stirre vp euery day a new prophet with a new miracle to cōfirme new doctrine or to call agayne the olde that was forgotten therefore were all thinges necessary to saluation comprehended in scripture euer to endure By which scripture the counsels generall and not by open miracles haue cōcluded such thynges as
they can not depart they seke a thousand gloses to turne it into an other sense to make it agree vnto their beastlynesse and where it will receaue no such gloses theyr they thinke that no man vnderstandeth it Then in the end of the Chapter M. More coÌ„meth vnto his wise conclusion and proueth nothing saue sheweth his ignoraunce as in all thyng He sayth we beleue the doctrine of the Scripture without Scripture as for an example the Popes pardons because onely that the Church so teacheth though no Scripture confirmeth it Why so because sayth he the holy ghost by inspiration if I doe my endeuour and captiuate mine vnderstandyng teacheth me to beleue the Church concernyng Gods worde taught by the Churche and grauen in mens hartes with out Scripture as well as he teacheth vs to beleue wordes written in the Scripture Marke where hee is now Afore hee saith the Scripture causeth vs not to beleue the Scripture for a man may read it beleue it not And much more the preacher maketh vs not to beleue y e preacher for a man may heare him and beleue him not also As we see the Apostles could not cause all men to beleue them For though the Scripture be an outward instrument and the preacher also to moue meÌ„ to beleue yet the chief and principall cause why a man beleueth or beleueth not is within That is the spirite of God teacheth his children to beleue and the deuill blyndeth his children and kepeth them in vnbeleffe and maketh them to consent vnto lyes thinke good euill euill good As the Actes of the Apostles say in many places there beleued as many as were ordeyned vnto euerlastyng lyfe And Christ sayth Iohn viij they that be of God heare Gods word And vnto the wicked Iewes he saith ye caÌ„ not beleue because ye be not of God And in the same place sayth he ye be of your father the deuill and his will ye will do and he bode not in the truth therfore will not suffer his children to consent to the truth And Iohn in y e x. saith Christ all that came before me be theeues murtherers but my shepe heard not theyr voyces That is all that preach any saluatioÌ„ saue in Christ murther y e soules Howbeit Christes shepe could not consent to their lyes as the rest caÌ„ not but beleue lyes so that there is euer a remanaunt kepte by grace And of this I haue sene diuers examples I haue knowen as holy men as might be as the world counteth holynesse which at the houre of death had no trust in God at all but cryed cast holy water light the holy candell and so forth sore lamentyng that they must dye And I haue knowen other which were despised as men that cared not for their diuine seruice which at death haue falsen so flat vppon the bloud of Christ as is possible and haue preached vnto other mightyly as it had bene an Apostle of our Sauiour and comforted them with comfort of the lyfe to come haue dyed so gladly that they would haue receaued no worlds good to bide still in the flesh And thus is M. More fallen vpoÌ„ predestination and is compelled wish violence of Scripture to confesse that which he hateth and studieth to make appeare false to stablish freewill with all not so much of ignoraunce I feare as for lucres sake and to get honour promotioÌ„ dignitie and money by helpe of our mitred monsters Take exaÌ„ple of Balam the false Prophet which gaue counsell sought meanes through like blynd couetousnesse to make the truth and prophesie which God had shewed him false He had the knowledge of y e truth but with out loue therto and therfore for vauntage became enemy vnto the truth but what came of hym But M. More pepereth his conclusioÌ„ lest men should feele the tast saying if we endeuour our selues and captiue our vnderstandyng to beleue O how betleblynd is fleshly reason the will hath none operation at all in the workyng of fayth in my soule no more then the child hath in the begettyng of hys father For sayth Paule it is the gift of God and not of vs. My witte must coÌ„clude good or bad yer my will can loue or hate My witte must shew me a true cause or an apparent cause why yer my will haue any workyng at all And of that peperyng it well appeareth what the Popes fayth is euen a blynd imagination of their naturall witte wrought without the light of the spirite of God agreing vnto their voluptuous lustes in which their beastly wil so deliteth that hee will not let their wittes atteÌ„de vnto any other learning for vnquietyng hym selfe and styrring from his pleasure and delectation And thus we be as farre a sunder as euer we were and his mighty argumentes proue not the value of a poding pricke M. More feeleth in his hart by inspiration and with his endeueryng him self and captiuatyng his vnderstandyng to beleue it that there is a Purgatory as whot as hell Wherein if a sily soule were appointed by God to lye a thousand yeares to purge him with all the Pope for the value of a groat shall commaunde him thence ful purged in the twinkelyng of an eye by as good reason if her were goyng thence kepe him there still He feeleth by inspiration and in captiuatyng hys wittes that the Pope can worke wonders with a Caiues skinne that he can commaunde one to eate fâ—esh though he be neuer so lusty and that an other eate none on payne of daÌ„natioÌ„ though he should dye for lacke of it and that he can forgeue sinne and not the payne as much and as litle of the payne or all if he lust and yet can neither helpe hym to loue the law or to beleue or to hate the flesh seyng he preacheth not And such thinges innumerable M. More feleth true and therfore beleueth that the Pope is the true Church And I cleane coÌ„trary fele that there is no such worldly and fleshly imagined Purgatory For I feele that the soules be purged onely by the word of God doctrine of Christ as it is written Iohn xv ye be cleane through the word saith Christ to his Apostles And I feele agayne that he which is cleane through the doctrine needeth not but to washe his feete onely for his head handes are cleane all ready Iohn xiij that is he must tame his flesh kepe it vnder for his soule is cleane all ready through the doctrine I feele also that bodyly payne doth but purge the body onely in so much that the payne not onely purgeth not the soule but maketh it more foule except that there be kynde learning by to purge the soule so that the more a maÌ„ beateth his soÌ„ne the worse he is except he teach him louingly shew him kindnesse besides partly to kepe hym from
to hurt my neighbour and to shame y t doctrine of Christ And in like maner if I had forsworne flesh al the world had bound me yet if necessitie require it of me to saue my life or my health I ought to breake it And againe though I had sworne chastitie and the cōmon wealth or the necessitie of an other required the contrary I must breake it But on the one side of all that euer burnt in the Popes chastitie he neuer gaue priest licence to take wife but to keepe whores onely And on the other side all that vow any vow do it for the thing it selfe as though it were as I sayd seruice or sacrifice to God that had delite in the deede as young children haue in Apples and that for that deede they shall haue an higher roome in heauē then their neighbours which is the Idolatry of the heathen whē he ought to bestow his vow vppon hys neighbour to bryng him to heauen not to enuie him to seeke thereby an higher roome not caring whether his neighbour come thether or no. And finally to burne and not to vse the naturall remedy that God hath made is but to tempt God as in all other thinges But if God haue brought thee into a straite and haue therto takē the naturall remedy from thee then to resiste and to crie vnto God for helpe to suffer is a signe y t thou louest Gods lawes And to loue Gods law is to be sure that thou art Gods childe elect to mercy For in all his children onely he writeth that token And then he sayth euery man hath his choyce whether he will be Priest or no. But what nettes and snares doth Antichrist lay for them First his false doctrine where with the Elders beguiled cōpell their children and sacrifice them to burne in the Popes chastitie with no other mynde then those olde Idolaters sacrificed their children vnto the false God Moloch so that they thinke by the merites of their childrens burning after the Popes false doctrine to please god and to get heauen cleane ignoraunt of the testament made in Christes bloud Then what a multitude are blinded and drawen into the net with the baite of promotion honour dignitie pleasures freedome and libertie to sinne to do all mischiefe vnpunished things which all euill that feare not God do desire And what a number brought vp idely vnto xx and aboue then put their heades in his halter because they haue no other crast to get their liuinges not because they can liue chast Also some liue chast at xxiiij which same burne at xxx And that to be true dayly experience teacheth and good naturall causes there be And thē looke on the Apostles learning and ordinaunce When one or two young wydowes had brokē their chastitie he would neuer after let any moe bee chosen of the same age How commeth it then that the Pope for so many hundred thousandes that miscary will neither breake the ordinaunce or mitigat it or let any goe backe but if any burne sendeth them vnto the shame of Christes doctrine and offending and hurt of hys Church neuer vnto the lawfull remedie of mariage And when M. More calleth it heresie to thinke that the maried were as pleasaunt to God as the vnmaryed he is surely an hereticke that thinketh the cōtrary Christes kingdom is neither meate nor drinke nor husband nor wife nor widow nor virgine but the keepyng of the commaundementes and seruing of a mans neighbour louingly by the doctrine of S. Paul where not to eate helpeth me to keepe the commmaūdementes better then to eate there it is better not to eate then to eate And where to eate helpeth me to keepe the commaundementes and to do my dutie vnto my neighbour there it is better to eate then not to eate And in like case where to be without a wife helpeth more to keepe the cōmaundemētes and to serue a mans neighboure there it is better to be vnmaryed then maried and where a wife helpeth to keepe the commaundementes better then to be without there it is better to haue a wife then to be wythout That hart onely which is ready to do or let vndone all thinges for his neighbours sake is a pleasaunt thing in the sight of God And when he will haue the Priestes to liue chast for reuerence of the Sacramentes it is deuillishe doctrine hauing the similitude of godlines but the pith marow is away If he meane water oyle salt and such like then is y ◠wyfe with her body and all her vses in the lawes of God incomparable purer holyer If he meane the sacrament of Christes body I aunswere that the handes defile not the man nor ought that goeth thorow the handes be they neuer so vnwashed by the testimony of Christ and much lesse can they then defile Christ Moreouer the Priest toucheth not Christes naturall body wyth his handes by your owne doctrine nor seeth it with his eyes nor breaketh it wyth hys fingers nor eateth it wyth hys mouth nor chāmeth it with his teeth nor drinketh his bloud with his lippes for Christ is impassible But he that repenteth toward the lawe of God and at the sight of the sacrament or of the breaking feling eating chamming or drinking calleth to remembraunce the death of Christ his body breaking and bloud shedding for our sinnes and all his passion the same eateth our Sauiours body and drinketh his bloud thorow fayth onely receaueth forgeuenes of all his sinnes therby and other not And all that haue not this doctrine of the Sacrament come therto in vaine And therfore there is no more cause that he which sayth the Masse should liue chast then he that heareth it or he that ministreth the Sacramēt then he that receaueth it It is to me great maruell that vnlawfull whoredome couetousnes and extortion can not defile their handes as well as law full matrimonye Curssed therefore be their deuillishe doctrine wyth false appearing godlines the fruit and power away out of the hartes of all Christen men And when he bringeth the ensample of the heathen I prayse him For the heathen because they could not vnderstand God spiritually to serue hym in the spirit to beleue in him and to loue his lawes therfore they turned hys glory vnto an Image and serued hym after their owne imagination with bodely seruice as the whole kingdome of the Pope doth hauing lesse power to serue hym in spirite then the Turkes For when the heathē made an Image of the axes or feuers and sacrificed ther to they knew that y e Image was not the feuers but vnder y e similitude of y e Image they worshipped the power of God which plagued them with the feuers with bodely seruice as the Pope doth aboue all the Idolaters that euer were in the worlde As when we paint Saint Machael weying the soules
till domes day Tyndall And ye in putting them in heauen hell and purgatory destroy y e argumentes wherwith Christ Paul proue the resurrection What God doth with them that shall we know when we come to them The true faith putteth the resurrection which we be warned to looke for euery houre The Heathen Philosophers denying that did put that the soules did euer lyue And the Pope ioyneth the spirituall doctrine of Christ and the fleshly doctrine of philosophers together things so contrary that they can not agree no more then the spirite and the fleshe do in a Christen man And because the fleshly mynded Pope consenteth vnto heathen doctrine therefore he corrupteth the scripture to stablish it Moses sayth in Deut. the secrete thinges pertaine vnto the Lord and the thynges that be opened pertaine vnto vs that we do all that is written in the booke Wherfore Sir if we loued the lawes of God and would occupy our selues to fulfill them and woulde on the other side be meeke and let God alone wyth hys secretes and suffer him to be wiser then we we should make none article of the faith of this or that And againe if the soules be in heauen tell me why they be not in as good case as the Angels be And then what cause is there of the resurrection M. Item no man shall pray to saintes Tyndall When ye speake wyth saintes that be departed it is not euill to put them in remembraunce to pray for you M. Why do they not heare vs Tyndall If they loue you so feruētly and be so great with God why certifie they you not that they so do More So they do in that we feele our peticions graunted Tyndall God saued the olde Idolaters with worldly saluacion and gaue them their peticions which they yet asked of their Idoles as ye see thorow out all the olde testament God heareth the crowes foules beastes and wormes of the earth as the text saith men and beastes doth God saue which beastes yet pray not to God The Iewes and Turkes doth god saue in this worlde and geueth them their worldly peticions which yet worship not God as his godly nature is to be worshipped but after their owne imagination not in the spirite wyth fayth hope and loue but wyth bodely seruice as the Pope doth As the popishe serue S. Appoline for the tooth ache and are healed euen so the Iewes and Turkes be healed and pray not to her but serue God after an other maner for the same disease So that God doth saue in this world all that keepe y ◠worldely lawes worldely that is to wete outwarde in the body for bodely rewarde and not in the hart of loue that springeth out of the mercy that God hath geuen vs in Christ which same though they be Turkes if they breake the worldly lawes he rebuketh them as the Niniuites and punisheth them diuersly And if they knowledge their sinne and mende he healeeh them agayne But and if they harden and sinne as beastes and will not amend he destroyeth them vtterly as the Sodomites And yet all such haue no part in the life to come But with his children in whose hartes he writeth the fayth of hys sonne Iesus and the loue of his lawes he goeth otherwise to worke hys lawes in their will and their peticions are his honour their neighbours welth and that he will prouide them of all thinges necessary vnto this life and gouerne them that their hartes be not ouercome of euill And he heareth thē vnto his honour and their euerlasting saluation and purgeth them and teacheth them thinges wherof the popish and all they whose hartes the God of this world hath blynded to serue God with workes hath no feelyng And when he sayth that the Emperour and that coūsell which decreed that Images for the abuse should be put out of the church were heretikes It is much easier so to say then so to proue Vnderstand therefore that Images were not yet receaued in the Churche in the tyme of S. Hierome at the least waye generally whether in some one place or no I can not tell For S. Hierome rehearseth of one Epiphanius a Byshop in the countrey of Cipres that the most perfect of all y e Byshops of hys tyme how that the sayd Epiphanius the Byshop of Ierusalem went together to Bethell by the way they entred into a Churche for to pray and there found a vayle hāgyng before the doore and an image paynted thereon as it had bene of Christ or some Saint For the Byshop was so moued therwith because sayth S. Hierome that it was contrary to the Scripture that he cut counseled to bury some dead ther in and sent an other cloth to hāg in the stede And afterward when they were crept in a litle and litle there was no woorshyppyng of them at the least waye generally vntill the tyme of S. Gregory In so much that when Cirenus the Byshop of Massilia offēded with the superstitiousnes of the people burnt thē S. Gregory wrote that he should not destroy the Images but teach onely that the people should not worshyp them But whē it was so farre come that the people worshypped them with a false fayth as we now know no other vse and were no longer memorials onely then the Byshops of Grece the Emperour gathered them together to prouide a remedy agaynst that mischief cōcluded that they should be put down for the abuse thinkyng it so most expedient hauyng for them first the example of God whom a man may boldly folow which commaunded in the begynning of all his preceptes that there should be no image vsed to worship or pray before not for the Image it selfe but for the weakenesse of hys people and hauyng agayne before their eyes that the people were fallen vnto Idolatrie and imageseruyng by the reason of them Now aunswere me by what reason caust thou make an hereticke of hym that concludeth nought agaynst God but worketh with God putteth that blocke out of the way where at his brother the price of Christes bloud srōbleth and loseth his soule They put not downe the images for hate of God and of his Saintes no more then Ezechias brake the brasen Serpēt for enuy of the great miracle that was wrought by it or in spite of God that commaūded it to be kept for a memoriall But to kepe the people in the true faith onely Now seyng we may be all without images to put them downe is not against Gods cōmaūdemēt but with it namely if they be abused to the dishonour of God and hurt of our neighbours where is charitie if thou which knowest the truth and caust vse thyne image wel wilt not yet forbeare thyne image and suffer it to be put out of the way for thy weake brothers sake whō thou seest perish there
through yea what thyng maketh both the Turke the Iew abhorre our fayth so much as our imageseruice But the Pope was then glad to finde an occasion to picke a quarell with the Emperour to get the Empire into hys owne handes which thyng he brought to passe with the sword of Fraunce clame so highe that euersence he hath put his own authoritie in stede of Gods word in euery generall Councell and hath concluded what him liste as agaynst all gods word and agaynst all charitie he condemned that blessed dede of that Councell and Emperour M. They blaspheme our Lady and all Saintes Tyndall That is vntrue We honour our blessed Lady and all holye Saintes and folow their fayth and liuing vnto the vttermost of our power and submit our selues to be scholers of the same schole M. They may not abyde Salue regina Tyndall For therin is much blasphe mie vnto our blessed Lady because Christ is our hope and lyse onely and not she And ye in ascribyng vnto her that she is not dishonour God worshyp her not M. They say if a woman beyng alyue beleue in God and loue him as much as our Lady she may helpe with her prayers as much as our Lady Tyndall Tell why not Christ whē it was told him that his mother his brethren sought him aunswered that his mother his sisters and his brethrē were all they that did his fathers will And vnto y e womā that sayd to Christ blessed be the wombe that bare the and pappes that gaue thee sucke Christ answered Nay blessed are they that heare the word of God keepe it As Paule sayth 1. Cor. ix I haue nought to reioyce though I preach for necessitie lyeth vpon me and wo is me if I preach not If I do it vnwillingly an office is committed vnto me but and if I do it with a good will then I haue a reward So now carnall bearyng of Christ and carnall geuyng hym sucke make not our Lady great But our blessed Ladyes greatnesse is her fayth and loue wherein she exceeded other Wherfore if God gaue his mercy that an other woman were in those twoo poyntes equall with her why were she not like great and her prayers as much heard M. Item that men should not worship the holy crosse Tyndall With no false worship and superstitious fayth but as I haue said to haue it in reuerence for the memoriall of him that dyed theron M. Item Luther hateth the festes of the crosse and of Corpus Christi Tyndall Not for enuy of the crosse which sinned not in the death of Christ nor of malice toward the blessed body of Christ but for the idolatrie vsed in those festes M. Item that no man or woman is bound to kepe any vow Tyndall Lawfull vowes are to be kept vntill necessitie breake them But vnlawful vowes are to be broken immediatly M. Martine appealed vnto the next generall Councell that should bee gathered in the holy ghost to seke a long delay Tyndall Of a truth that were a lōg delay For should Martine liue till the Pope would gather a Councell in the holy ghost or for any godly purpose he were like to be for euery heere of hys head a thousand yeares old Then bringeth he in the inconstancie of Martine because he saith in his later booke how that he seeth further then in his first Paraduenture he is kynne to our Doctours whiche when with preachyng agaynste pluralities they haue got them thre or foure benefices alledge the same excuse But yet to say the truth the very Apostles of Christ learned not all truth in one day For long after the Ascention they wist not that the heathē should be receaued vnto the fayth How then could Martin brought vp in the blyndnesse of your sect aboue xl yeares spye out all your falsehead in one day M. Martine offered at Wormes before the Emperour and all the Lordes of Germany to abyde by his booke and to dispute which he might well doe sithens he had his safe conduct that he should haue no bodyly harme Tyndal O mercyful God how come ye out your owne shame ye cā not dispute except ye haue a mā in your owne daunger to do hym bodyly harme to diote him after your fashion to tormēt him and to murther him If ye might haue had him at your pleasure ye wold haue disputed with him first with sophistrie and corrupting the Scripture then with offeryng hym promotions thē with the sword So that ye would haue bene sure to haue ouercome hym with one Argument or other M. He would agree on no Iudges Tyndall What Iudges offered ye hym sane blynd Byshops and Cardinals enemyes of all truth whose promotions and dignities they feare to be plucked from them if the truth came to light or such Iudases as they had corrupt with money to maynteine their sect The Apostles might haue admitted as well the heathen Bishops of Idoles to haue bene their iudges as he them But he offered you autenticke Scripture and the hartes of the whole world Which ij iudges if ye had good consciēces and trust in God ye would not haue refused The iiij Chapter THe fourth Chapter is not the first Poetrie that he hath fayned The v. Chapter IN the end of the fift he vntruly reporteth that Martine sayth no man is bound to kepe any vowe Lawfull promises are to be kept and vnlawfull to he broken The vj. Chapter IN the beginning of the vj. he describeth Martine after the example of his own nature as in other places he describeth God after the complection of Popes Cardinals worldly tyraūts M. Martin will abyde but by the Scripture onely Tyndall And ye will come at no scripture onely And as for the old doctours ye will heare as litle saue where it pleaseth you for all your crying old holy fathers For tell me this why haue ye in England condēned the vnion of Doctours but because ye would not haue your falshead disclosed by the doctrine of them M. They say that a Christen man is discharged of all lawes spirituall and temporall saue the Gospell Tyndall Ye iuggle we say that no Christen man ought to bynde his brother violently vnto any law wherof he could not geue a reason out of Christes doctrine and out of y e law of loue And on the other side we say that a Christen man is called to suffer wrong and tyranny though no man ought to bynde hym vntill God rid vs therof so farre yet as the tyranny is not directly agaynst the law of God and fayth of Christ and no further More Martin was the cause of the destruction of the vplandish people of Germanie Tyndall That is false for then he coulde not haue escaped himselfe Martin was as much the cause of their cōfusion as Christ of the destruction of
good workes but a shadowe wherewith a man is neuer the better Nay Sir we make good woorkes fruites whereby our neighbour is the better and whereby God is honoured and our fleshe tamed And we make of them sure tokēs wherby we know that our fayth is no fayned imagination and dead opinion made with captiuing our wits after the Popes traditions but a lyuely thyng wrought by the holy Ghost And when he disputeth if they that haue faith haue loue vnto the lawe and purpose to fulfill it then faith alone iustifieth not how will he proue that argument he iuggleth wyth this worde alone and would make the people beleue that we said how a bare faith that is without all other company of repētaunce loue and other vertues yea without Gods spirite to did iustifie vs so that we shoulde not care to do good But the Scripture so taketh not alone nor we so meane as M. More knoweth well inough When an horse beareth a saddell and a man therin we may wel say that y t horse onely alone beareth the saddell and is not holpe of the man in bearing thereof But he would make men vnderstand that we ment the horse bare the saddell emptie and no man therin let him marke this to see his ignoraunce which woulde God were not coupled with malice Euery man that hath wit hath a will to and then by M. Mores argument witte onely geueth not the light of vnderstanding Now the conclusion is false and the contrary true For y t wit without helpe of the will geueth the light of the vnderstanding neyther doth the will woorke at all vntill the wit haue determined this or that to be good or bad Now what is faith saue a spirituall light of vnderstanding and an inwarde knowledge or feelyng of mercy Out of which knowledge loue doth spring But loue brought me not that knowledge for I knew it yer I loued So that loue in the processe of nature to dispute from the cause to the effect helpeth not at all to the feeling that God is mercifull to me no more than the louing hart and kinde behauiour of an obedient wife to her husband maketh her see his loue kyndnesse to her for many such haue vnkinde husbandes But by hys kynde deedes to her doth she see hys loue Euen so my loue and deedes make me not see Gods loue to me in the processe of nature but his kinde deedes to me in that he gaue his sonne for me maketh me see his loue to loue againe Our loue and good workes make not God first loue vs and chaunge hym from hate to loue as the Turke Iewe and vaine popishe meane but his loue and deedes make vs loue chaunge vs from hate to loue For he loued vs when we were euill and his enemies as testifieth Paule in diuers places and chose vs to make vs good and to shew vs loue and to draw vs to him that we should loue agayne The father loueth his childe when it hath no power to do good when it must be suffered to runne after the owne lustes without lawe and neuer loueth it better then then to make it better and to shew it loue to loue agayne If ye coulde see what is writtē in the first epistle of Iohn though all the other scripture were layde a parte he should see all this And ye must vnderstand that we sometyme dispute forwarde from the cause to the effect and sometyme backward from the effect to the cause and must beware that we be not therwyth beguiled we say sommer is come and therefore all is grene and dispute forwarde For somme◠is the cause of the grenesse We say the trees be grene therfore sommer is come and dispute backward from the effect to the cause For the grene trees make not sommer but maketh somme◠knowen So we dispute backward the man doth good deedes and profitable vnto his neyghbour he must therefore loue God he loueth God he must therefore haue a true fayth and see mercy And yet my woorkes make not my loue nor my loue my faith nor my faith Gods mercy But cōtrary gods mercy maketh my fayth and my fayth my loue and my loue my works And if the Pope could see mercy and worke of loue to his neighbour and not sell his woorkes to God for heauen after M. Mores doctrine we needed not so suttle disputing of faith And when M. More alleageth Paule to the Corinthians to proue that faith may be without loue he proueth nothing but iuggleth onely He saith it is euident by the wordes of Paule that a mā may haue a faith to do miracles without loue may geue all his good in almes without loue and geue his body to burne for the name of Christ al without charitie Wel I will not sticke with hym he may so do without charitie without fayth therto Then a mā may haue faith without faith Ye verely because there be many differēces of faith as I haue sayd and not all faithes one fayth as maister More iuggleth We read in the woorkes of S. Ciprian that there were martyrs that suffered martyrdome for the name of Christ all the yeare long and were tormented and healed agayne and then brought forth a freshe Which martyrs beleued as ye do that the payne of their martyrdom should be a deseruing merite inough not onely to deserue heauen for themselues but to make satisfaction for the sinnes of other men thereto and gaue pardons of their merites after the ensample of the Popes doctrine and forgaue the sinnes of other men which had openly denyed Christ and wrote vnto Ciprian that he shoulde receaue those men that had denyed Christ into the congregation agayne at the satisfaction of their merites For whiche pride Ciprian wrote to them and called them the deuilles martyrs and not Gods Those martyrs had a fayth without fayth For had they beleued that all mercy is geuen for Christes bloudshedding they would haue sent other mē thether and would haue suffered their owne martyrdome for loue of their neighbours onely to serue thē and to testifie the truth of God in our sauiour Iesu vnto the worlde to saue at the least way some that is to wete the elect for whose sake Paule suffereth all thing and not to winne heauē If I worke for a worldly purpose I get no rewarde in heauen euen so if I worke for heauen or an hyer place in heauen I get there no rewarde But I must do my woorke for y t loue of my neighbour because he is my brother and the price of Christes bloude and because Christ hath deserued it and desireth it of me and then my rewarde is great in heauen And all they which beleue that their sinnes be forgeuen them and they receaued as the scripture testifieth vnto the enheritaunce of heauē for Christes merites the same loue
violence euen so once our hartes sinned as naturally with full lust and consent vnto the fleshe the deuill possessing our hartes and keeping out the light of grace What good towardnesse and endeuour can we haue to hate sinne as long as we loue it What good towardnes can we haue vnto the will of God while we hate it and be ignoraunt therof Can the will desire that the witte seeth not Can the will long for and sigh for that the witte knoweth not of Can a maÌ„ take thought for that losse that he wotteth not of what good endeuour can the Turkes children the Iewes children and the Popes infantes haue when they be taught all falshead onely with like perswasions of worldly reason to be all iustified with workes It is not therefore as Paule saith of the running or willing but of the mercy of God that a man is called and chosen to grace The first grace the first fayth and the first iustifiyng is geuen vs freely sayth M. More which I would faine wete how it will stand with his other doctrine whether he meane any other thyng by chosyng them to haue Gods spirite geuen me and fayth to see the mercy that is layd vp for me to haue my sinnes forgeuen without all deseruyng preparyng of my self God did not see onely that the these that was saued at Christes death should come thether but God chose him to shew his mercy vnto vs that should after beleue and prouided actually wrought for the bringyng of him thether that day to make him see and to receaue the mercy that was layd vp for him in store before the world was made The xij Chaptâ—… IN y t xij in chaffyng himself to heape lye vpon lye he vttereth his feleable blindnesse For he axeth this question wherfore serueth exhortatioÌ„s vnto faith if the hearers haue not libertie of their frewill by whiche together with Gods grace a man may labour to submitte the rebellion of reason vnto the obedieÌ„ce of faith and credence of the worde of God Wherof ye see that besides his graunt that reason rebelleth agaynst fayth coÌ„trary to the doctrine of his first booke he will that the will shall compell the witte to beleue Whiche is as much to say as the carte must draw the horses and the sonne beget the father and the authoritie of the Church is greater theÌ„ Gods word For the wil can not teach the wit nor lead her but foloweth naturally so that what soeuer the witte iudgeth good or euill that the will loueth or hateth If the witte see and leade straight the will foloweth If the witte be blynde and leade amisse the will foloweth cleane out of y t way I can not loue Gods worde before I beleue it nor hate it before I iudge it false and vanitie He might haue wiselier spoken on this maner wherfore serueth the preachyng of fayth if the wit haue no power to draw the will to loue that whiche the wit iudgeth true and good If the will be nought teach the wit better the will shall alter and turne to good immediatly Blindnesse is the cause of ali euil and light the cause of all good so that where the fayth is right there the hart can not consent vnto euill to folow the lustes of the flesh as the popes fayth doth And this conclusion hath he halfe a doseÌ„ tymes in his boke that the will may compell the witte and captiuate it to beleue what a maÌ„ lusteth Verely it is like that his wittes be in captiuitie and for vauntage tangled with out holy fathers sophistrie His doctrine is after his owne feelyng and as the profession of his hart is For the Popish haue yelded theÌ„ selues to folow the lustes of their flesh compel their witte to absteine froÌ„ looking on y e truth lest she should vnquiet them and draw them out of the podell of their filthy voluptuousnesse As a carte that is ouerladen goyng vp an hill draweth the horses backe and in a tough mire maketh them stand still And then the carter the deuill whiche driueth theÌ„ is euer by and whistelleth vnto them and biddeth them captiuate their vnderstaÌ„dyng vnto profitable doctrine for which they shal haue no persecution but shal reigne and be kynges and enioy the pleasures of the world at their owne will The xiij Chapter IN the xiij hee sayth that the Clergie burneth no man As though the pope had not first fouÌ„d the law as though all his preachers babled not that in euery Sermon burne these heretickes burne them for we haue no other argument to conuince them and as though they compelled not both Kyng Emperour to sweare that they shall so do yer they crowne them Then hee bringeth in prouisions of Kyng Henry the v. Of whom I aske M. More whether he were right heyre vnto England or held hee the land with the sworde as an heathen tyraunt agaynst all right Whom the Prelates lest he should haue had leysure to hearken vnto the truth sent into Fraunce to occupie his mynde in warre and led hym at their will And I aske whether his father slew not his leige kyng and true inheritour vnto the crowne and was therefore set vp of the Byshops a false kyng to mainteine theyr falshead And I aske whether after that wicked deede folowed not the destruction of the comminaltie and quenchyng of all noble bloud The xiiij Chapter IN the xiiij he affirmeth that Martine Luther sayth it is not lawfull to resiste the Turke I wonder that hee shameth not so to lye seyng that Martine hath written a singular treatise for the contrary Besides that in many other workes he proueth it lawfull if he inuade vs. The xvi Chapter IN the xvi he alledgeth Councels I aske whether Councels haue authoritie to make Articles of the faith with out Gods worde yea and of thynges improued by Gods word He alledgeth Augustine Hierome Cypriane Let him put their workes in English and S. Prosperus with them Why damned they the vnion of Doctours but because the Doctours are agaynst them And when he alledgeth Martyrs let him shew one and take the calfe for his labour And in the end he biddeth beware of theÌ„ that liue well in any wise As though they whiche lyue euill can not teach amisse And if that be true then they be of the surest side M. When Tyndall was apposed of his doctrine yer hee went ouer see he sayde and sweare he ment no harme Tyndall He sware not neither was there any man that required an othe of him but he now sweareth by him whoÌ„ â—e trusteth to be saued by that hee neuer ment or yet meaneth any other harme then to suffer all that God hath prepared to be leyd on his backe for to bryng his brethreÌ„ vnto the light of our Sauiour Iesus which the Pope thorough falshead and corruptyng such Poetes as ye are ready vnto
manifest that they kepe not Gods coÌ„mauÌ„dementes nor be in state of grace but of all vngratiousnes Our Doctours know not whether they be in state of grace Our doctours kepe mens coÌ„mauÌ„dements Ergo meÌ„s commaundemeÌ„tes certifie not that we be in state of grace Though thou haue a deuotion to sticke vp a candle before a post and so forth yet thou canst neuer be sure thereby that thou art in the fauour of God But if thou haue deuotion to helpe thy brother in all his misfortunes because hee is the image of God and price of Christes bloud then thy denotioÌ„ certifieth the that thou art in the fauour of God or state of grace He that sayth I knowe hym and yet keepeth not hys commaundementes is a lyer and the truth is not in hym When our Phariseis say do as we byd you and not as we do they testifie that they keepe not Gods commauÌ„dementes vnto whiche testimonie our eyes also beare recorde And they that keepe not Gods commaundementes be lyers haue no truth in them And then when they preach they caÌ„ not but preache lyes And then though they preach Christ they preach hym falslie vnto their fleshsly vauÌ„tage and not our soules health And for as much as we may haue no felowshyp with theÌ„ that kepe not Gods commaundementes i. Cor. v. and in as much as all such are false Prophetes voyde of all truth it foloweth that we ought to geue our Doctours none audience though their defenders stode by them with theyr swoordes drawen but rather to laye downe our heades and stretch foorth our neckes to be slayne He that keepeth his woorde in hym verely is the loue of God perfect and hereby knowe we that we are in hym That is he that keepeth his commaundemeÌ„tes loueth vnfainedly and is therby sure that he is in God For to be in God is to beleue in y â— mercy of God And to beleue in mercy is cause of loue loue cause of workyng And therefore hee that worketh for Gods sake is sure that he loueth and that hee trusteth in God which is to be in God or in Christ And as by wilfull keping of the commaundemeÌ„t we be sure that we loue God and beleue in God euen so thorough wilfull breakyng of them we may bee sure that we neither loue nor beleue in him and therfore that we be not in hym He that sayth he abydeth in him ought to walke as he walked All that be Baptised in Christ are washed in hym to put of pride wrath hate and enuie with all their old conuersatioÌ„ by which they oppressed theyr neighbours and haue promised to become euery man euen as Christ hym selfe vnto his brethren in loue kyndnes both in word deede They therfore whiche resist Christes Testament and will not let it be knowen walke in the Testament of the Pope with vnions pluralities and totquots some one of them robbyng x. parishes of the tenth of all their yearely increase and withdrawing from them Gods word the foode of their soules and from the poore their dayly sustenaunce whiche ought to haue their part in the tythes and other rentes when the preacher other necessarie Ministers haue out their partes a due and lawfull stipend are not in Christ For Christ neither so walked not so taught Brethren I write no newe commaundement vnto you but an old commaundement which ye had at the begynnyng For an olde commaundement is the word which ye heard from the begynnyng I write no new precept but onely put you in remembraunce of that old which was taught you when ye were first Baptised in Christ to loue eche other as he did you Which is an old coÌ„maundement and was giueÌ„ at the begynnyng of the world and hath euer since bene writteÌ„ in the hart of all that put their hope in God Agayne a new commaundemeÌ„t I write vnto you whiche is true in him and also in you for the darkenesse is past and the true light now shyneth The deuill hath sowen his darknes in the field where this commaundemeÌ„t should grow and the weeds of mens traditioÌ„s had ouergrowen the corne of this old coÌ„maundement so that it was antiquate cleane out of knowledge But Christ y t light of all true doctrine now shyneth hath scatered the darknesse and plucked vp the weeds by the rootes restored this old commauÌ„dement agayne And in hym it is a true commaundement for he loued truly And in you it is a true commaundement for ye for his sake loue one an other truly also And by the reason of this renewyng it is called a new commaundement as it is now called new learnyng may well so be for it hath lyen long in darknes and that in such darknes that many be shryned for holy Saintes whose dedes liuing wheÌ„ thou lookest vpon them in the light of this old doctrine that now shyneth agayne out of darknes are more abhominable then the deedes and liuyng of him whiche of late for all his exaltyng his throne and swearyng by his highe honour and for the worshyp of his hat and glory of his precious shoes when hee was payned with the coliâ—ke of an euill conscience hauyng no other shift because his soule could finde no other issue tooke him self a medicine 〈◊〉 emitâ—erâ—t spiritum per posteriora He that sayth hee is in the light and yet hateth hys brother is in darknesse For whosoeuer feleth his owne daÌ„nation vnder the law beleueth in the mercy that is in Christ the same caÌ„ not but loue Christ and his neighbour for his sake And therefore hee that hateth his brother for any offence done to him the same seith not what Christe hath done for him but is in darkenes still He that loueth his brother abydeth in the light and there is none offendyng in hym Abydeth in the light that is continueth in the knowledge of Christ And there is none offending in him that is First he will willingly do nothyng either in word or in dede that shal offeÌ„de his brother For loue will not let hym And secondarily if ought bee done or sayd that may be well done or sayd he taketh it to the best and is not offeÌ„ded And thus ye see that the knowledge of Christ is cause of all goodnesse and the igoraunce of Christ cause of all euill And so the doctrine of theÌ„ is not false whiche say that fayth in Christ is roote of all godly vertue and the cause of kepyng the commaundementes where sayth is there to be no sinne nor damnation and that say vnbelefe to be the mother of all vice and cause of breakyng the commaundementes and to keepe men in sinne and daÌ„nation onely as fayth onely loseth vs thence And he that hateth hys brother is in darkenesse and walketh in darkenesse and knoweth not whether he goeth For darkenesse hath blynded his eyes He that hateth his brother is in the
he breake his fathers cōmaundementes though he be not vnder damnatiō yet is he euer child and rebuked and now then lasshed with the rod by the reason wherof he is neuer bold in his fathers presence But y t childe that kepeth his fathers commaūdements is sure of himselfe and bolde in his fathers presence to speake aske what he will They that minister well get them good degree and great confidēce in the fayth that is in Christ Iesu sayth Paule 1. Tim. 3. He that worketh is bold before God and man For hys conscience accuseth hym not within neither haue wee ought to wyte hym withall or to cast in his teeth And as without the sight of the woorkes Iacob the Apostle can not see thy fayth Iaco. 2. no more shalt thou euer be sure or bold before God or man But if our hartes condemne vs God is greater then our hart and knoweth all thyng If our conscience accuse vs of sinne God is so great and so mightie that it can not be hid Dearely beloued if our hartes condemne vs not then we trust to Godward And whatsoeuer wee aske that shall we receaue of him because we keepe his commaundementes and do the thynges whiche are pleasaunt in his sight Kepyng of the commaundementes maketh a man see his fayth and to bee bold therein And fayth when it is without conscience of sinne goeth into God boldly and is strong and mighty in prayer to coniure God by all hys mercyes therewith obtayneth what soeuer hee asketh of all his promises And the text sayth because we kepe his commaundementes Yea verely hys commaundemētes make vs bold But the keepyng of mens traditions and domine ceremonies make vs not bold before God nor certifie our conscience that our faith is vnfayned Thou shalt not know by sprynkling thy selfe with holy water nor kyssing the pax nor with takyng asshes or though thou were annoynted with all the oyle in Thames strete that thy fayth is sure But and if thou couldest finde in thyne hart to bestowe both lyfe and goodes vpon thy neighbour in a iust cause and hast proued it then art thou sure that thou louest Christ and feelest that thou hast thy trust in his bloud And this is his commaundemēt that wee beleue in his sonne Iesus Christ and loue one another as he gaue commaundement Fayth is the first and also the roote of all commaundementes And out of fayth spryngeth loue and out of loue workes And when I breake any commaundemēt I sinne agaynst loue For had I loued I had not done it And when I sinne agaynst loue I sinne agaynst fayth For had I earnestly and with a full trust remembred the mercy that Christ hath shewed me I must haue loued Wherefore when we haue broken any commaundement there is no other way to bee restored agayne thē to go through repētaunce vnto our fayth agayne and aske mercy for Christes sake And assoone as we haue receaued faith that our sinne is forgiuen wee shall immediatly loue the commaundemēt agayne and through loue receaue power to worke And he that keepeth his commaundemētes abideth in him and he in hym And hereby we knowe that there dwelleth in vs of hys spirite which he gaue vs. Through the woorkes we are sure that we continue in Christ and Christ in vs and that his spirite dwelleth in vs. For his spirite it is that kepeth vs in fayth and through fayth in loue and through loue in workes The fourth Chapter DEarely beloued beleue not euery spirit but proue the spirits whether they bee of God For many false Prophetes are gone out into the world Spirites are taken here for preachers because of the preachyng or doctrine which if it be good is of the spirite of God and if it be euill of the spirite of the deuill Now ought we not to beleue euery mans doctrine vnaduisedly or condeinne any mans preachyng yer it be heard and sene what it is But a Christen mās part is to examine iudge trie it whether it be true or no. Quench not the spirit saith Paul i. Thess the last Neither despise prophesiynges but proue all thyng and kepe that whiche is good Destroy not the giftes of the spirite of God but trie whether they be of God and good for the edifiyng of his congregation and keepe that whiche is good and refuse that whiche is euill And suffer euery person that hath any gift of God to serue God therin in his degree and estate after a Christen maner and a due order Why shall we try the doctrines Verely for there bee many false Prophetes abroad already We told you before that Antichrist should come as our master Christ told vs that he shuld come But now I certify you that Antichristes kyngdome is begon already And his Disciples are gone out to preache Trie therefore all doctrine wherewith shall we trie it with the doctrine of the Apostles and with the Scripture which is the touchstone ye and because ye loue compendiousnes ye shall haue a short rule to trie them with all Hereby knowe ye the spirite of God Euery spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the fleshe is of God And euery spirite that cōfesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God And the same is that spirite of Antichrist of whō ye haue heard that he should come And euen now he is in the world already Whatsoeuer opinion any member of Antichrist holdeth the ground of all his doctrine is to destroy this article of our fayth that Christ is come in the flesh For though the most part of all heretickes confesse that Christ is come in the flesh after their maner yet they deny that he is come as the Scripture testifieth the Apostles preached hym to be come The whole study of the deuill and all his members is to destroy the hope and trust that we should haue in Christes flesh and in those thynges which he suffered for vs in his flesh in the Testament and promises of mercy which are made vs in his flesh For the scripture testifieth that Christ hath taken away the sinne of the world in his flesh and that the same houre that he yelded vp his spirite into the hands of his father hee had full purged and made full satisfaction for all the sinnes of the world So that all the sinne of the worlde both before his passion and after must be put away through repentaunce toward the law and fayth and trust in his bloud without respect of any other satisfactiō sacrifice or worke For if I once sinne the law rebuketh my consciēce and setteth variaunce betwene God and me And I shal neuer be at peace with God agayne vntill I haue heard the voyce of hys mouth how that my sinne is forgiuen me for Christes bloud sake And assoone as I that beleue I am at peace with God Rom. v. and loue his law agayne and of loue
that we should haue confidence in the day of Iudgement Howsoeuer this text sounde this me thinketh should be the meanyng that we should prouoke ech other to loue and euer haue those examples of edifieng before our eyes that should most moue vs to loue For perfite loue serueth to make a man bold because it is the kepyng of the cōmaundements And therfore he that is perfect in loue when hee seith hym selfe yet in this world to be vnto his neyghbour as God is vnto hym and to be lyke hys heauenly father in all example of kyndnesse is bold in the presence of God yea though he come to iudge synners When on the other side they that continue euer in their wickednes grow not in loue fall often And therefore their cōscience euer accuseth them and putteth them in feare by the reason of the fresh memory of the offence that they can not at once be bold though they haue neuer so great promises of mercy There is no feare in loue But perfect loue casteth out feare For feare hath paynefulnes He therefore that feareth is not perfect in loue Loue is not paynefull but maketh all thyng easie and pleasaunt feare of punishmēt for y e trespasse newly committed is paynefull Therfore where loue is perfect there is no such feare Loue is the fulfillyng of all commaundementes And therfore where loue is perfect there is no sinne And where consciēce doth not accuse of sinne there is faith bold to go into God to stand before hym and looke hym in the face and to coniure him by all his mercies and to aske the petitions of his desire Lacke of loue is the breakyng of the commaundements and cause of sinne And where the conscience accuseth of sinne their fayth is abashed dismayed ashamed affrayed to go in for feare of rebuke Loue therefore serueth to make a man bold in the day of iudgement and in all temptations Iohn speaketh not generally of all maner feare but of that onely whiche the consciēce of sinne putteth a man in For diuers feares there be that accompany loue and grow as she doth The more a woman loueth her child the more she careth for it and feareth lest ought should chaunce it a misse Euen so the more we loue our brethren the more we care for them and feare lest any temptation should trouble them As Paule sayth ij Cor. xj who is sicke and I am not sicke who is offended or hurt and mine hart burneth not How cared he for Timothe for Titus and for all that were weake for the Corinthians Galathiās and for all congregations and how diligently wrote he to them in his absence and the more we loue God the more diligent and circumspect are we that we offēde hym not And tell me I pray thee whosoeuer hast had experience what a payne and grief yea and what a freatyng coresey is it vnto the hart of a true louer of God to here the poyson generation of vipers the pestilent sect of hypocritish Phariseis wittingly and willingly to blaspheme and rayle on the open and manifest truth of the holy ghost If ye will see how bold loue is go to Moyses Exod. 32. and Numeri 14. And there behold how hee coniureth God and amōg all sayth Forgiue this people or put me out of the booke that thou hast written As who should say they be thy people and thou commaūdest me to loue them And for thy sake I loue them and teach them and care for them as a mother that had borne them and loue them no lesse then my selfe Wherfore if thou loue me as thou promisest me then saue them with me or if not thē cast me away with them and let me haue such part as they take And Paule sayd asmuch Roma ix Looke vpō worldly loue and see what pageantes she playeth now and then and how dronken a thyng it is and be sure where the loue of God is perfect she will not onely go betwene bodely death and her louer but also betwene hym and hell If a man would take of this that a man might be so perfect in this lyfe that he might not be perfecter it would not folow For though the spirite at a tyme get the vpper hand of the flesh wynneth her self to God that she can not tell whether she be in the body or no yet the flesh will pull her downe agayn and not let her continue and now and thē plucke of some of her feathers for mountyng so hygh againe For Moses fell through vnbelefe well inough after that seruentnes We loue hym because he loued vs first We deserue not y e loue of God first but he deserueth our loue and loueth vs first to wynne vs and to make vs his frendes of his enemyes And as soone as we beleue his loue we loue agayne And so fayth is mother of all loue And as great as my fayth is so great is loue though fayth can not be perfectly sene but through the workes of loue and in the fire of temptation If a man say I loue God and hateth his brother he is a lyer For how cā he that loueth not his brother whom he seeth loue God whō he seeth not And this commaūdemēt haue we of him that he which loueth God loue his brother also To loue a mans neighbour in God is a sure rule to know that we loue God and not to loue him is a sure token that we loue not God and to hate our neighbour is to hate God For to loue God is to do hys commaundements as Christ sayth Iohn xv ye are my louers if ye do those thinges which I haue commaūded you and the commaūdemēt is to loue our neighbours then he that loueth not his neighbour loueth not God And likewise to hate the commaundement is to hate God that commaunded it and the cōmaundement is to loue our neighbours hee then that hateth his brother whō God biddeth hym loue hateth God The fift Chapter ALl that beleue that Iesus is Christe are borne of God And al that loue him whiche begat loue hym that is begotten of him In this wee knowe that wee loue the sonnes of God when we loue God and kepe his commaundementes For this is the loue of God that we kepe his commaundementes This is a sure cōclusion that we be borne of God through fayth And that fayth maketh vs Gods sonnes in that we beleue that Iesus is Christ as the first chapter of Iohn also testifieth hee gaue them power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleued in his name What it is to beleue that Iesus is Christe may bee vnderstand by that which is aboue rehearsed It is a farre other thyng then as the deuill beleued it agaynst his will and to hys greate payne or as they beleue it which to fulfil their sinne enuie the glory of Christ and persecute his Gospell forbydding to preach
vse of the Masse to ours and see whether the Masse be not become the most damnable Idolatrie image seruice that euer was in the world We neuer reconcile our selues vnto our brethren which we haue offended we receaue vnto our Masse open sinners the couetous the extorcioners the adulter the backbiter the common whore and the whore keper whiche haue no part in Christ by y t Scripture ye such are suffred to say the Masse as the vse is now to speake ye such are we coÌ„pelled with the sword to take for our pastors and Curates of our soules and not so hardy to rebuke them Neither do they repeut and confesse their sinnes and promise amendement or submit them selues to holesome iniunctioÌ„s for the aduoyding of such sinnes and tamyng of their flesh We say Confiteor and knowledge our selues to be sinners in Latin but neuer repent in English The Priest prayeth in Latin and saith euermore a still Masse as we say For though he sing and streine his throate to cry â—onde vnto them that be by him yet as long as no man woteth what he prayeth or whether he blesse or curse he is doute and spechles And so in that part we abide frutelesse and vntaught how to pray vnto God And the Gospell is song or sayd in Latine onely and no preachyng of repentauÌ„ce toward the law fayth toward Christ had And therfore abide we euer faythles and without studieng to ameÌ„d our liuinges And of the ceremonies of the Masse we haue no other imagination then that they be an holy seruice vnto God which he receaueth of our hands and hath great delectation in them and that we purchase great fauour of God with them as we do of great men here in the world with giftes and preseÌ„tes In so much that if y â— Priest sayd Masse without those vestimentes or left the other ceremonies vndone we should all quake for feare thinke that there were a sinne coÌ„mitted inough to sinke vs all and that the priest for his labour were worthy to be put in the Popes purgatory there to be brent to ashes And of the very Sacrament it selfe we know no other thyng then that we come thether to see an vnseable miracle which they affirme the aungels in heauen haue no power to do Sed solis Presbyteris quibus sic congruit vt sumaÌ„t nec dent caeteris how that bread is turned into the body and wine into the bloud of Christ to mocke our seyng sinellyng feelyng and tasting which is a very strong fayth and more a great deale I thinke then the text compelleth a man to Neuerthelesse it were somewhat yet if they had bene as lonyng kinde carefull and diligent to teach the people to repent and to beleue in the bloud of Christ for the forgeuenes of their sinnes vnto the glory of the mercy of God of his excedyng loue to vs and vnto the profite of our soules vpon that preachyng to haue ministred the Sacrament as a memoriall remembraunce signe token earnest the seale of an obligatioÌ„ and clappyng of handes together for the assuraunce of the promise of God to quiet stablish and certifie our conscieÌ„ces and to put vs out of all waueryng doubt that our sinnes were forgeuen vs and God become our father at one with vs for which cause onely Christ ordeined it as they were zelous and feruent to mainteine the opinion of so turning bread and wine into the body bloud of Christ that it ceaseth to be bread and wine in nature vnto their owne glory and profite without helpe of Scripture but with sutle Argumentes of sophistrie and with crafty wiles First with taking away halfe the sacrameÌ„t lest if the people should haue dronke the bloud of Christ they should haue smelled the sauour and felte the tast of wine and so haue bene to weake to beleue that there had bene no wine And secondarily when they durst not robbe the people of all the Sacrament they yet tooke away common bread and imagined maunchetes which may not be handled and in sight haue no similitude of bread and in eatyng very litle â—ast if there be any at all And thyrdly whom they could not catch with those craftes against him they disputed with the sword For when they had taken away the signification and very intent of the Sacrament to stablish the eare confession their merites deseruynges iustifieng of workes and like inueÌ„tion vnto their own glory and profit what had the SacrameÌ„t bene if they had not made of that opinion an article of the fayth But now when they haue destroyed for the nonce that fayth which profited and haue set vp with wiles sutiltie falsehead guile and with violeÌ„ce that fayth which profiteth not we haue good cause to iudge and examine the doctrine of the spirites whether it be grounded vpon Gods word or no. But I aske wherfore we beleue that Christes body and his bloud is there preseÌ„t verely as many heades as many wittes euery man hath his meaning We take paynes to come thether to see straunge holy gestures wherof say they to their shame who knoweth the meanyng ye or of the other disguising and to heare strauÌ„ge holy voyces wherof say I also that no man knoweth the vnderstanding and to looke vppon the Sacrament and all to obteine worldly thinges for that seruice Why may not a man desire worldly thinges of God Yes we ought to aske of God onely sufficiency of all worldly things as we do spirituall thinges yet not for bodily seruice when God is a spirite but for the goodnesse and mercy of our father and for the truth of his promise and deseruinges of his sonne And so when we do men bodily seruice we ought to looke for our wages of God lest if hee moue not the hartes of our masters we be shrewdly payed like wise when we lende or bargen we ought to desire God for payment lest through our negligence he forget vs the appointementes be not truly kept Some there be yet that aske heauen but for bodyly seruice whiche is lyke abhomination But who commeth thether with repentaunce and faith for to obtaine forgeuenesse of his sinnes and with purpose to walke in the life of penauÌ„ce for the taming of the flesh that he sinne no more and to stablish his hart in that purpose and to arme his soule agaynst all that moue to the contrary and wheÌ„ he goeth home is certified in hys coÌ„science through that signe and token that his sinnes are forgeuen him as Noe was certified by the signe of the rayne bow that the world should no more be ouerrunne with water and as Abraham was certified by the signe of CircumcisioÌ„ that God would fulfill to him and his ofspring all the mercies that he had promised and as Abraham Genesis xv when he asked a signe to be sure that he should possesse that land of Canaan was certified through the signe that God gaue
in their Sacrament euery where which thing is not like but they would haue done if that opinion had thē bene a generall article of the fayth Neither was there any heresie or diuersitie of opinion or disputyng about the matter till the Pope had gathered a Councell to confirme this transubstāciation wherfore it is most likely that this opinion came vp by thē of latter dayes Furthermore all the law and Prophetes all the Christ dyd or can yet do is to bring vs to beleue in him and in God the father through him for the remissiō of sinnes to bryng vs vnto that whiche immediatly foloweth out of that belefe to loue our neighbours for hys sake as he loued vs. Wherfore if Christ did put his bodilie presence in the Sacrament and would we should beleue it It is done onely to bring vs to this fayth Now is this fayth no where lesse had then where that opinion is most strong neither so cruelly persecuted of Iew or Turke as of thē that most feruently defend that opiniō True fayth maketh a man to loue hys brother but that opinion maketh them to hate and slay their brethren that better beleue in Christ then they of that opinion do and that murther do they for feare of losyng that they haue gotten through that opinion Item they of this opiniō in stede of teachyng vs to beleue in Christ teach vs to serue Christe with bodily seruice which thing is nought els but Idolatry For they preach that all the ceremonies of the Masse are a seruice to God by reason of the bodily workes to obtayne forgeuenes of sinnes therby and to deserue merite therewith And yet Christ is now a spiritual substaunce with his father hauyng also a spirituall body and with the father to be worshypped in spirite onely And his seruice in the spirite is onely to beleue in hym for the remissiō of sinne to call vpon hym giue hym thankes to loue our neighbours for his sake Now all workes done to serue man and to bryng him to this poynt to put his trust in Christ are good acceptable to God but done for any other purpose they be Idolatry and Imageseruice and make God an Idole or bodily Image Agayne seyng the fayth of the Testament in Christes bloud is the lyfe of the righteous from the begynnyng of the world to the end and for as much as the Sacramēt was instituted onely to bryng to this lyfe Now when they which thinke not the body to be presēt in the Sacramēt haue by the preaching and confirmation of the Sacrament obtayned this lyfe or stedfast fayth in Christes bloud and by the dayly vse of the Sacrament are more more hardned therein and in the loue that springeth thereof What reasonable cause haue the contrary part whiche beleue the body present and bread turned into the very body as flesh bones her◠sinewes nayles all other as he was put on the crosse of length and quantitie I cannot tell what to rayle on vs as heretickes hate persecute and slay vs most cruelly as enemyes Christ sayth Qui contra me non est mecum est He that is not agaynst me is with me Now they that beleue in Christ for the remissiō of their sinnes and for his sake loue their foes are not Christes enemies Ergo they be on Christes side Why then should they that boast them selues to be Christes trendes slay thē Fayth in Christes bloud and in the father thorough him is Gods seruice in spirite And so haue they whiche beleue not the bodily presence serued God a long time and there to bene holpen by the Sacrament The other part fallen there from through beleuyng the body present seruyng God with bodily seruice which is Idolatrie and to make God an Idoll or Image in that they trust in the goodnes of their woorkes as they which serue tyrauntes not in the goodnes of God through trust in the bloud of Christ Ergo they that beleue not the bodily presence not a litle therto compelled through the wicked Idolatrie of the contrary belefe are not to be thought so euill as the other would haue them seme to be Paule teacheth 1. Cor. 13. that if a man had all other giftes that God can giue man and had not charitie to loue his neighbour it helpeth not For all other giftes and the remissiō in Christes bloud also are giuen hym of God to bryng hym to loue hys neighbour which thing had a mā hath all which not had a man hath nothyng And Phil. 2. how swetely and how vehemently cōiureth he them to draw all one way to be of one accorde one mynde or sentence And to do nothyng of strife or of vayne glory that is to say of hate or disdayne one of another or of affectiō to him selfe for to seme glorious but ech to preferre other through mekenes and to haue his opinion suspect and to feare least he hath not obtayned the vnderstandyng rather thē of presumption to his owne witte to despise hate the cōtrary party persecute as a tyraunt And in the thyrd of the same Paul sayth let as many as be perfect that is to say be truly taught and know the law truly and her office and the office and effect of fayth and know whiche be good workes before God and what the intent of them is let sayth he so serue as we be come procede in one rule that we may be of one accorde Now hetherto we be all come and this generall rule haue we gotten that fayth onely instifieth that is to say that the sinne is forgiuen onely for Christes sake againe that our duety is to loue our neighbours no lesse then Christ loued vs wherfore let vs procede forth in this rule exhort ech other to trust to Christ to loue ech other as Christ dyd and in this where in we all agree let vs bewise onely feruēt and striue who shal be greatest and go formost And in this which is not opened to all parties let vs be meeke sober and cold and keepe our wisedome secret to ourselues and abyde paciētly till God open it to other also The cause why the third part say that this worde is compelleth vs not to beleue the bodily presence of Christ to be there is this The Iewes say they are wont euer to name the memoriall and signes of thinges with the very name of the thyng signified that the very name might the better keepe the thyng in mynde As when Iacob Gene. 32. turned home agayne out of Mesopotamia saw the aūgels of God come agaynst hym hee called the place where he saw thē Mahanaim An host because his posteritie in tyme to come when they hard the field whiche was none host yet so called should aske why it was so named y t their elders might thereby haue an occasion to teach that Iacob saw there an host of
thē a mote in the sonne and that as lōg as great thicke as he stode before them If hee wereso mighty why is he not as mighty to make his bloud to bee alone and his body alone hys bloud body and soule were ech alone at his death and while the body lay in the sepulchre Finally Christ said this is my bloud that shal be shed Ergo it is true now this is my bloud that was shed Now the bloud of Hayles and the bloud that is in many other places men say is the bloud that was shed Ergo that bloud is in the Sacrament if any be but I am not bound to beleue or ought to affirme that the bloud that is at Hayles is anymate with the soule of Christ or that his body is there present Wherfore to auoid this endles braulyng whiche the deuils no doubt hath stirred vp to turne y t eyes of our soules frō the euerlastyng couenaūt made vs in Christes bloud body to nossell vs in Idolatry which is trust confidēce in false worshippyng of God to quēch first the faith to Christward and thē the loue due to our neighbour therfore me thinketh that the party y t hath professed y e faith of Christ the loue of his neighbour ought of denty to beare ech other as lōg as the other opiniō is not plaine wicked through false Idolatrie nor cōtrary to the saluation that is in Christ nor agaynst the opē manifest doctrine of Christ and his Apostles nor contrary to the generall articles of the fayth of the generall Churche of Christ which are confirmed with open Scripture In whiche articles neuer a true Church in any land dissenteth There be many textes of the Scripture therefore diuersly expounded of holy doctours takē in cōtrary sēces whē no text hath cōtrary sēces in dede or more thē one single sence yet that hurteth not neither are y e holy doctors therfore heretikes as the expositiō destroyeth not the faith in Christes blud nor is cōtrary to the opē scripture or general articles No more doth it hurt to say that the body bloud are not in the Sacramēt Neither doth it helpe to say they be there but hurt excedingly if ye inferre y t the soule is there to and that God must be there prayed to when as our kingdome is not on the earth euē so we ought not to direct our prayers to any God in earth but vp where our kyngdome is And whether our redemer sauiour is gone there sitteth on the right hand of his father to pray for vs to offer out prayers vnto his father to make thē for his sake acceptable neither ought he y t is bound vnder paine of dānatiō to loue his brother as Christ loued him to hate to persecute to slay his brother for blind zeale to any opiniō that neither letteth nor hindereth to saluatiō that is in Christ As they which pray to God in the Sacramēt not onely do but also through that opinion as they haue lost loue to their neighbours euen so haue they lost the true fayth in y t couenaūt made in Christes bloud and body Which couenaunt onely is y t which saueth And to testifis this was the sacramēt institute onely ¶ FINIS A Letter sent from William Tyndall vnto Iohn Frith being prisoner in the Tower of London THe grace and peace of God our father and of Iesus Christ our Lord be with you Amen Dearely beloued brother Iohn I haue heard say how that hypocrites nowe that they haue ouercome that great busines which letted thē at the least way haue brought it at a stay they returne to their old nature agayne The will of God be fulfilled and that which he hath ordeyned to be ere the world was made that come and his glory reigne ouer all Dearely beloued how euer the matter be commit your selfe wholy and onely vnto your most louing father most kinde Lorde and feare not men that threat nor trust men that speake fayre but trust him that is true of promise and able to make his worde good Your cause is Christes Gospell a light that must be fedde with the bloud of fayth The lampe must be dressed and snuffed dayly and that oyle poured in euery euening and morning that the light goe not out Though we be sinners yet is the cause right If when we be busteted for well doing we suffer paciently and endure that is acceptable to God for to that ende we are called For Christ also suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps who did no sinne Hereby haue we perceaned loue that he layed downe his lyfe for vs Therefore we ought also to laye downe our liues for the brethern Reioice and be glad for great is your reward in heauen For we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him Who shall chaunge our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working wherby he is able euen to subiect all thinges vnto hym Dearely beloued be of good courage and comfort your soule with the hope of this high reward and beare the Image of Christ in your mortall body that it may at his comming be made like to his immortall and folow the example of all your other dear brethren which chose to suffer in hope of a better resurrection Kéepe your conscience pure and vndefiled and say against that nothing Sticke at necessarie thinges and remēber the blasphemies of the enemies of Christ saying they finde none but that will abiure rather then suffer the extremitie Moreouer the death of thē that come againe after they haue once denyed thouh it be accepted with God and all that beléeue yet is it not glorious for the hipocrites say he must néedes dye denying helpeth not But might it haue holpen they would haue denyed fyue hundred tymes but seing it would not helpe them therefore of pure pride and mere malice togither they speake with their mouthes that their conscience knoweth false If you geue your selfe cast your selfe yelde your selfe commit your selfe wholy and onely to your louyng father then shall his power be in you and make you strong and that so strong that you shall féele no payne which should be to an other present death and his spirit shall speake in you and teach you what to aunswere according to his promise He shall set out his trueth by you wonderfully and worke for you aboue all that your hart can imagine Yea you are not yet dead though the hipocrites all with all they can make haue sworne your death Vna salus victis nullam sperare salutem To looke for no mans helpe bringeth the helpe of God to them that seeme to be ouercome in the eyes of the hipocrites Yea it shall make God to cary you through thicke and thinne for his truethes sake in
oft mencioned is fayth of the whiche meate â—ayth the Prophet the iust liueth Fayth in him is therfore the meate whiche Christ prepareth dresseth so purely poulderyng and spicyng it with spirituall Allegories in all this Chapter folowyng to giue vs euerlastyng life through it Then sayd the Iewes vnto hym What token doest thou whereby we might know that we should beleue in thee Do somwhat that we might beleue in thee what thyng workest thou that we might know thee to be God Thou knowest well inough that our fathers did eate bread or MaÌ„na in the deserte as it is written hee gaue them bread from aboue Iesus aunswered Verely verely I say vnto you Moses gaue ye not that bread from heaueÌ„ for though it fell downe from the ayre yet was it not heaueÌ„ly foode for it dyd but feede the belly but this bread of God that is descended from heauen whom my father giueth refresheth the soule so aboundauntly that it geueth life vn to the world When the Iewes vnderstode not this saying whiche was nought elles then the declaryng of the Gospell for by the eatyng of this bread hee meant that belefe of this his Gospell they sayd Syr giue vs this bread euermore Iesus sayd vnto theÌ„ I am the bread of life and who so commeth to me shall not hunger who so beleueth in me shal neuer thyrst When the Iewes hard Christ say the bread that descended from heaueÌ„ should giue lyfe to the world they desired to haue this bread giuen them for euer And Iesus perceiuing that they vnderstode not the sence of this Gospel he expouÌ„ded vnto them who was this so liuely bread that giueth life to all the world saying I am the bread of life and who so commeth to me that is to say who so is graffed and ioyned to me by faith shall neuer hunger that is who so beleueth in me is satisfied It is fayth therefore that stancheth this hunger and thyrst of the soule Fayth it is therfore in Christ that filleth our hungry hartes so that we caÌ„ desire none other if we â–ª once eate drinke him by fayth that is to say if we beleue his flesh and body to haue bene broken his bloud shed for our sinnes For then are our soules satisfied and we be iustified Ouer this it foloweth But I haue told you this because ye looke vppon me and beleue me not that is ye be offended that I sayd he that commeth to me shall neither hunger nor thyrst seyng that your selues beyng present be yet both hungry and thyrstie But this commeth because ye haue sene me with your bodily eyes and yet see me beleue not in me but I speake not of such sight nor commyng but of the sight of fayth which who so hath he shall haue none other desire he shall not seeke by night to loue an other before whom be would lay his grief He shal not runne wandering here and there to seke dead stockes and stones for he is certified by his â—ayth to whom hee shall cleaue he is coupled by fayth vnto me his very spouse liuely foode the onely treasure of his soule neuer more to thyrst for any other This light of fayth ye haue not for ye beleue not nor trust in me wherfore ye vnderstand not how I am the very bread and meate of your soules that is to say your faith hope And the cause of this your blyndnes is I will not say ouer hardly to you that the father hath not drawne you in to the knowledge of me or els ye had receiued me For all that the father giueth me must come vnto me And as for me I cast out no maÌ„ that commeth to me For I am not come downe froÌ„ heauen to do my will whiche ye attribute vnto me as vnto eche any other man for I am verely a very man accordyng to that nature I haue a speciall proper will but much more obedieÌ„t to my father then one of you For your will oft resisteth and repugneth Gods will but so doth mine neuer I am therfore come downe to doe his will that hath sent me And to do you to witte what his will is This I say is my fathers will y t hath sent me That of all that he hath giueÌ„ me I leeâ—e none but must rayse hym vp agayne in the last day and to be playne This is the will of him that sent me That who so seeth that is to know the sonne and beleueth in him he shall haue lyfe euerlalastyng and I shall styrre hym vp in y e last day Here may ye see what meate he speaketh of God sent his sonne into this world that we might liue thorough him Who liueth by him They that eate his flesh drinke his bloud Who eate his flesh drinke his bloud They that beleue his body crucified his bloud shed for their sinnes these cleaâ—e vnto his gracious fauour But how could they cleane thus vnto him except they knew him And therfore he added saying Euery man that seeth the sonne that is to say vnderstandeth wherfore the sonne was sent into this world and beleueth in him shall haue euerlastyng lyfe Here it appeared to the carnall Iewes that Christ had taken to much vpon him selfe to say I am the bread of lyfe which am come downe froÌ„ heauen to giue life to the world wherfore the flesh that is to say the Iewes now murmured and noâ— maruelled as M. More sheweth his owne dreame to an other text folowyng whiche I shall touch anone they murmured at this saying of Christ I am the bread which am come from heauen saying Is not this Iesus Iosephes sonne whose father mother we know well inough How then sayth he I am come from heauen Iesus auÌ„swered saying Murmour not among your selues Heard ye not what I told you euen now All that my father giueth me come to me your vnbelefe wherof foloweth this false vnderstanding of my wordes spiritually spoken compelleth me to tell you one thyng more theÌ„ once or twise This therfore it is No maÌ„ may come to me the onely earnest peny pledge â–ª of your saluatioÌ„ vnlesse my father that sent me draw him and whoÌ„ he draweth vnto me that is ioyneth vnto me by fayth him shall I styrre vp in the last day I wonder that ye take my wordes so straungely beleuyng them to be some hard râ—dels or darke parables when I say nothyng els theÌ„ that is written in your owne Prophetes both in Esay and Ieremy saying that all shall be taught of the Lord. Sith eueÌ„ your Prophetes testifie this knowledge to be giueÌ„ you of my father what can be spokeÌ„ more playnly then to say what my father giueth me that commeth to me or this no man may come to me except my father draw him And yet haue it more manifestly Who so hath heard my father and is learned of him he commeth
eatyng of his flesh in forme of bread had this ben his meaning For he left them neuer in any perplexitie or doubt but sought all the wayes by similitudes familiar exaÌ„ples to teath them playnly He neuer spake them so hard a parable but where he perceiued their â—eble ignoraunce anone he helpte them and declared it them Yea and sometymes he preuented their askyng with his owne declaration thinke ye that he did not so here yes verely For he came to teach vs and not to leaue vs in any doubt and ignoraunce especially in the chief pointe of our saluation which staÌ„deth in the belefe in his death for our sinnes Wherefore to put them out of all doubt as concerning this eatyng of his flesh and drinkyng of hys bloud that should giue euerlastyng lyfe where they tooke it for his very body to be eaten with their teeth hee sayd It is the spirite that giueth this lyfe my flesh profiteth nothyng at all to be eaten as ye meane so carnally It is spirituall meate that I heare speake of It is my spirite that draweth the hartes of men to me by faith and so refresheth them ghostly Ye be therefore carnall to thinke that I speake of my flesh to be eaten bodely for so it profiteth you nothing at all How long will ye be without vnderstaÌ„dyng It is my spirite I tell you that giueth lyfe My fleshe profiteth you nothyng to eate it but to beleue that it shal be crucified suffer for the redemption of the world it profiteth And when ye thus beleue then eate ye my fleshe and drinke my bloud that is ye beleue in me to suffer for your sinnes The veritie hath spoken these woordes My flesh profiteth nothyng at all it can not therefore be false For both the Iewes and his Disciples murmured and disputed of hys flesh how it should be eaten and not of the offeryng thereof for our sinnes as Christ ment This therfore is the sure anker to hold vs by agaynst all the obiections of the Papistes for the eatyng of Christes body as they say in forme of bread Christ sayd My flesh profiteth nothyng meaning to eate it bodely This is the key that solueth al their argumentes and openeth the way to shewe vs all their false and abhominable blasphemous lyes vppon Christes wordes and vttereth their sleigh iuggling ouer the bread to mainteine Antichristes kyngdome therewith And thus when Christ had declared it and taught them that it was not the bodely eatyng of his materiall body but the eatyng with the spirite of fayth he added saying The wordes which I here speake vnto you are spirite and lyfe That is to say this matter that I here haue spoken of with so many wordes must be spiritually vnderstand to giue you this life euerlastyng Wherfore the cause why ye vnderstaÌ„d me not is that ye beleue not Here is lo the conclusion of all this Sermon Christ very God and man had set his flesh before them to be receiued with fayth that it should be broken suffer for their sinnes but they could not eate it spiritually bycause they beleued not in him Wherefore many of his Disciples fell froÌ„ him walked no more with him And then he sayd to the twelue Will ye go away to And Symon Peter aunswered Lord to whom shal we go Thou hast the wordes of euerlastyng life and we beleue and are sure that thou art Christ the sonne of the liuyng God Here is it manifest what Peter and his felowes vnderstode by this eatyng and drinkyng of Christ For they were perfitely taught that it stode all in the belefe in Christ as their auÌ„swere here testifieth If this matter had stand vpon so deepe a miracle as our Papistes fayne without any word of God not comprehended vnder any of their common senses that they should eate hys body beyng vnder the forme of bread as long depe thicke and as brode as it hanged vpon the crosse they beyng yet but feble of fayth not confirmed with the holy ghost must here nedes haue woundered stoned and staggerde haue bene more inquisitiue in and of so straunge a matter then they were But they neither doubted nor marueiled nor murmured nor were any thyng offended with this maner of spech as were y t other that slipt away but they aunswered firmely Thou hast the woordes of euerlastyng lyfe and we beleue c. Now to the exposition of the woordes of our Lordes Supper Among the holy Euangelistes writyng the story of Christes Supper Iohn bicause the other three had written it at large did but make a mention thereof in his xiij Chapter Mathew Marke and Luke declaryng it clerely orderly with iust number of wordes With whom Paule agreeth thus writyng vnto the Corinthians Our Lord Iesus yâ—â—ame night he was betrayed he tooke the bread and after he had giuen thankes he brake it saying Take ye it eate it This is my body whiche is for you brokeÌ„ Here is now to be noted the order of this action or act First Christ tooke the bread in his haÌ„des secondaryly he gaue thankes thirdly he brake it fourthly he taught it them saying take it fiftly he had them eate it At last after all this hee sayd This is my body which is for you broken this thyng do ye into the remembraunce of me Here ye see y t this bread was first broken deliuered them and they were coÌ„mauÌ„ded to eate it to ere Christ sayd This is my body And for bicause it is to suppose verely y â— they tooke it at his haÌ„d as he had them and dyd eate it to when they had it in their handes their master whose wordes they did euer obey coÌ„mmauÌ„ding theÌ„ It must needes folow if these be the wordes of the coÌ„secratioÌ„ that they were houseled with vnconsecrated bread or els now eaten or at lest wise part of it ere Christ consecrated it yea it foloweth that it was out of Christes handes and in theyâ— mouthes when Christ consecrated it so to haue consecrated it wheÌ„ it was now in his disciples handes or in their mouthes or rather in theyr bellyes Here it is manifest that Christ consecrated no bread but deliuered it to his Disciples and bad them eate it In somuch that S. Thomas their owne Doctour that made their transubstantiation coÌ„fesseth that some there were that sayd that Christ did first consecrate with other woordes ere he now reachyng the bread to his Disciples sayd This is my body c. And yet calleth he it no heresie so to say Now sith in all this acte and Supper there bee no woordes of consecration but of the deliueryng of the bread broken after thankes giuyng with a commaundement to eate it bryng vs your wordes of coÌ„secration and shewe vs by what woordes God promised you and gaue you power to make his body There is neither commaundement nor yet any wordes left in all the Scripture to make or
towardes God 22. b. of ignoraunce 277. a Fulnes of all goodnes Christ 424. a Fulfillyng the law what 240. b. obtayned by fayth 44. b Foundations of man feeble 92. a Foundation of loue 416. a. of the old Testament 9. b. of Abbeyes and Purgatory 309. a Fury of the Popish Clergy 93. a G. GAine ioyned with payne easeth the same 361. a Gainefull Gospell loued of shaue lynges 406. b Geldyng of Priestes 317. b Generation of two sortes 415. b Generation of Serpentes 340. b George Ioy writeth to the kyng for licence to traÌ„slate the Bible 454. b Gildas 28. a. a preacher and a Prophet 101. a Gift what it is 42. a Giftes of grace our brothers aswell as ours 384. b Giltles nede no pardon 318. b Glory 200. b Glorious names of the Popes Clergy their estimation 140. b Gloses 200. a. Pharisaicall 264. b God described 431. a. what he is 104 a spirite 294 b. inuisible 417. a. what he requireth 26. a. onely to be beleued 22. b. geueth all thyngs 24. b. alwayes most gracious 119. b. defendeth his doctrine hym selfe 97. a. teacheth vs if man wil not 103. b. seeketh vs. 294. a. pardoneth vs of his mercy 74. b. draweth vs to Christ 458. a. heareth prayer at all tymes 20. b. receiueth the humble 85. b. worketh by grace in vs before repentauÌ„ce come 321. b. biddeth vs be bold with hym 297. b. rewardeth all obedience 110. a. mercyfull to the ignoraunt 377. a. forgeueth our frailty 293. b. reserueth a litle flocke 298. a. what worke he requireth 457. a. maketh vs blessed in Christ 90. b God is light 392. a. the chief Phisitian 297. a. can not lye 170. b. in whom dwellyng 417. b. how rightly serued 86. a. how truly worshypped 180. a. whoÌ„ he receiueth 101. a God who he will plague 35. b. poureth vengeaunce vpon the vnrepeÌ„taunt 28. a. aduengeth his doctrine 106. b. aduengeth disobedience 107 b. and 110. a. plagueth hys enemies and helpeth his seruauÌ„tes 7. b. will not be tempted 171. a God forbyddeth Images 8. b. lyke him selfe euery where 282. a God who he reiecteth 25. a. taketh away the wicked 111. a. warneth before he strike 105. a. destroyeth one wicked by an other 110. b. punisher of secret sinnes the kyng of open 122. b God worketh backward 98. a. no lyer 462. a God worketh vppon all creatures as he will 80. b. respecteth not persoÌ„s 122. a. a iust iudge ouer kyng all degrees 142. a. onely taketh vengeaunce on the kyng 111. a. how he is at one with vs. 72. b. burdened with his promises 4. b God sometymes weakeneth his elect and why 101. a. scourgeth whom he loueth 8. a and 186. a. trieth hys childrens fayth 98. a. is fatherly to his elect 293. b. kepeth a litle flocke 268. a God first loued vs. 88. b. and 333. b. fighteth for vs. 98. b. receiueth vs for Christes sake 42. a. worketh in vs by faith 415. b. loueth vs not for our works sake 162. b. to vs as we shuld be to our neighbour 73. b. stroÌ„ger theÌ„ all his enemyes 98. a. defeÌ„der of all estates 341. b. pardoÌ„neth all simple for Christes sake 346. a God in the name of Iesus must be called vpon in all aduersities 425. b. reioyceth in an acceptable receiuer asmuch as in a liberall geuer 244. b Gods will is we shoulde doe good workes 75. a Gods childreÌ„ cannot sinne 423. b. his loue howe to be vnderstode in vs. 89. a. his promise reacheth to all Abrahams posterity 437. b. his promises are all comfort 100. a. his fauour at what tyme from vs. 34. b. his two Testamentes 9. b Gods spirite 392. a. where it is 41. a his word may not be altered 23. a. his gentle correctioÌ„ 287. b. his children vnder chastising 100. a. hys forgiuenes 395. a. his goodnes to mankynd 234. a. his glory set forth by true miracles 475. a. his kyndnes moueth vs to loue hym 67. b. his mercy styrreth vp fayth in vs. 45. a. his generall couenaunt with vs. 33. b. his word pith of all goodnes 290 â—a not the cause of euill 105. b. ought to iudge 14. a. how to vnderstand the same 142. a. must season all thynges 121. b. must be heard and done 75. a Gods spirite hath spoken the Scriptures 80. a. his truth worketh woÌ„ders 97. b. fighteth for vs. 98. a Gods grace must be exercised in vs. 68. a. his Sacramentes preach his promises 162. a. his promise saueth vs. 52. a. his mercy saueth vs. 45. a. his mercy toward the penitent 22. a Gods promises iustifie 51. b. his promises in Christ belong onely to the penitent 31. a. his will sought out onely of a true Christian 102. a Gods worde sighteth agaynst hypocrites 97. b. persecuted 97. a. hys Churche called heretickes 291. a. his true church who are 268. a. his true seruice 217. a Gods workes supernatural 21. b. his omnipotency not to curiously to be dealt withall 462. b. his presence in all places alike 287. a. his wonderfull care for his 164. a Goods 212. b Good woorkes where 78. a. where true fayth is 45. b. and 55. b Good woorkes how farre forth they please God 54. a. significations of true fayth 44. b. fruites of fayth 45. b Good men may erre and not be damned 300. a Goodnes must be shewed to euill persons 71. a Gospel 36. b. 387. a. what it signifieth 127. a. comforteth 77. b. promised by the Prophetes 378. a. a true touchstone 3. a. the ministration of of righteousnes 62. a. why writteÌ„ of the Apostles 288. b Gospell and the Popes doctrine differ 475. b. slaundered by Papistes 320. b Gothes 351. b Gouernement of Gods Ministers 344. a Goyng to law 212. b Grace what 157. b. how to be vnderstode 42. a Grace truth come through Christ 199. b. receiued onely by fayth 45. b. continueth by keepyng the law 185. b Grammarians vnderstand not Latin 268. b Grecians 303. a. refuse the Popes tyranny 347. b Gregory 325. b Gregory the fifth ibidem Greuous sinne not rebuked 426. b Grosse worshyppyng of God 424. b H. HAm and the Pope like 170. a Handy craftes commaunded by God 244. a Hatred 204. a. and 404. a Hart must ioyne with prayer 239. a. worshyppeth God 284. a Hart of man Gods true temple 87. b Hart containeth the word of the law and Christes promises 31. b Headynes â—90 b Heathen repent at Ionas preachyng 30. b. moued by miracles to know God 27. a Hearyng the word causeth repeÌ„tance 321. b Hearyng Gods worde prouoked by true miracles 284. a Heauen commeth by Christ 112. b Heires of God by sayth 257. b Helizeus 281. b Helpe commeth al from aboue 433. a Helpe towarde our neighbour must be in a readynes 78. b Hell foloweth euill workes as good workes folow fayth 70. a Henry the second 190. a Henry the fourth set vp 28. b Henry the fifth 28. b. a great conquerour 366. a Henry the vi 28. b. and 366. b Heresie
manducauit Moses manna māducauit Aaron manducauit Phinees manducauerunt ibi multi qui Deo placuerūt mortui non sunt Quare quia visibilem cibum spiritualiter intellexerunt spiritualiter esurierunt spiritualiter gustauerunt vt spiritualiter satiarentur Omnes eandem escam spiritualem manducauerunt omnes eūdem potum spiritualem biberunt spiritualem vtique eandem nam corporalem alteram quia illi manna nos aliud spiritualem vero eandem quam nos Vt omnes eundem potum spiritualem biberunt aliud illi aliud nos sed specie visibili quod tamen hoc idem significaret virtute spirituali Quomodo eundem potum bibebant inquit Apostolus de spirituali sequenti petra petra autem erat Christus That is to say Moses also dyd eate Manna and Aaron and Phinées dyd eate of it and many other dyd there eate of it whiche pleased God and are not dead Wherefore Because they vnderstode the visible meate spiritually They were spiritually an hungred they tasted it spiritually that they might spiritually be replenished They dyd all eate y e same spirituall meate and all dranke the spirituall drinke Euen the same spirituall meate albeit an other bodely meate for they dyd eate Manna and we eate an other thyng but they dyd eate the same spirituall which we do And they all dyd drinke the same spirituall drinke They drāke one thyng and we an other but that was in the outward apparence which neuerthelesse dyd signifie the same thyng spiritually How dranke they the same drinke They sayth the Apostle dranke of y e spirituall stone folowyng them and that stone was Christ And thereunto Beda added these wordes Videte autem fide manente signa variata That is to say Beholde that the signes are altered and yet the fayth abydeth one Of these places you may playnly perceiue not onely that it is no article necessary to be beleued vnder payne of damnation seyng the old fathers neuer beleued it And yet dyd eate Christ in fayth both before they had the Manna more expresly through the Manna with no lesse frute when the Manna was ceassed And albeit the Manna was to them as the Sacrament is to vs and they eate euen the same spirituall meate that we do yet were they neuer so mad as to beleue that the Manna was chaunged into Christes owne naturall body But vnderstode it spiritually that as the outward man dyd eate the materiall Manna which comforted the body so dyd the inward man thorough fayth eate the body of Christ beleuyng that as that Manna came down from heauen and comforted their bodyes so should their Sauiour Christ which was promised them of God y e father come downe from heauen strength their soules in euerlastyng life redeming them from their sinne by his death and resurrection And likewise do we eate Christ in fayth both before we come to the Sacrament and more expressely through y e Sacrament and with no lesse fruite after we haue receaued the sacramēt and néede no more to make it his naturall body then the manna was but might much better vnderstand it spiritually that as the outwarde man doth eate the materiall breade which comforteth the bodie so doth the inwarde man through fayth eate y ◠bodye of Christe beleuyng that as the the bread is broken so was Christes bodye broken on the crosse for our sinnes whiche comforteth our soules vnto life euerlasting And as y e fayth did saue them without beleuyng that the manna was altered into his bodie euen so doth thys fayth saue vs although we beleue not that the substaunce of bread is turned into hys naturall bodye For the same fayth shall saue vs which saued them And we are bound to beleue no more vnder payne of damnation then they were bound to beleue They beleued in God the father almighty maker of heauen and earth and all that is in them They did beleue that Christe was the sonne of God They did beleue that he shoulde take our nature of a vyrgin They beleued that he should suffer the death for our deliueraunce which thyng was signified in all the sacrifices and besides that testified in euery Prophet for there was verely not one Prophet but he spake of that poynt They beleued y t his soule should not be left in hell but that he should arise frō death and reigne euerlastyng with hys father And to be short there is no poynt in our Créede but y ◠they beleued it as wel as we do those articles are onely necessary vnto saluatiō For them am I bound to beleue am damned without excuse if I beleue them not But the other pointes contayned in scripture although they be vndoubted verities yet may I be saued without them As be it in case y ◠I neuer heard of them or when I heare of them I can not vnderstand them nor comprehēd them or that I feare them and vnderstād them and yet by the reason of an other texte misconstrue them as the Bohemes do the wordes of Christ in the 6. chapter of Iohn All these I say may bee done without any ieoperdie of damnatiō In euery text is but onely one veritie for which it was spoken and yet some textes there be whiche of Catholicke Doctours are expounded in vj. or vij sondry fashions Therfore we beleue these articles of our Crede in the other is no perill so that we haue a probable reason to dissent from them But now to returne to our purpose if we will examine the authorities of S. Austen Beda before alledged we shall espy that beside the probation of this foresayd proposition they opē the mistery of all our matter to them that haue eyen to sée For S. Austen sayth that we and the old fathers do differ as touchyng y e bodely meate for they dyd eate Manna and we bread but albeit it varyed in y e outward appearaunce yet neuerthelesse spiritually it dyd signifie one thyng For both the Manna and bread do signifie Christ And so both they and we do eate one spiritual meate that is to say we both eate the thing which signifieth and representeth vnto vs the very one spirituall meate of our soules whiche is Christ And Beda doth playnly call both the Māna and the bread signes saying behold that the signes are altered and yet y e fayth abideth one Now if they be signes then they do signifie are not the very thing it selfe which they do signifie for y e signe of a thyng differeth frō the thyng it selfe which it doth signifie and represent As the alepole is not the ale it selfe which it doth signifie or represent Here thou wilt obiecte agaynst me that if this faith be sufficient what néedeth the institutiō of a Sacrament I aunswere that Sacramentes are instituted for thrée causes The first is assigned of S. Austen which sayth on this maner In nullum autem
nomen religionis seu verum seu falsum coagulari homines possunt nisi signaculorum seu Sacramentorum visibilium consortio colligantur quorum Sacramentorum vis inenarrabiliter valet plurimum Et ideo contempta sacrilegos facit Impie quippe contemnitur sine qua perfici nō potest pietas That is to say Men can not be ioyned into any kynde of religion whether it be true or false except they be knit in felowship by some visible tokens or Sacramentes the power of which Sacramentes is of such efficacie that can not be expressed And therfore it maketh them that despise it to be abhorred for it is wickednes to despise that thyng without whiche godlynes can not be brought to passe Thus it appeareth that necessitie is y ◠first cause For there can no congregation be seuered out of the multitude of men but they must néedes haue a signe tokē Sacrament or common badge by the which they may knowe eche other And there is no difference betwene a signe or a badge and a Sacrament but that the Sacrament signifieth an holy thyng and a signe or a badge doth signifie a wordly thing as S. Austen sayth signes when they are referred to holye thynges are called Sacramentes The second cause of their institution is that they may be a meane to bryng vs vnto fayth and to imprint it the déeper in vs for it doth customably the more moue a man to beleue when he perceiueth the thyng expressed to diuerse senses at once as by example if I promise a mā to mete him at a day appoynted he will somewhat trust my word Notwithstandyng he trusteth not so much vnto it as if I dyd both promise hym with my word and also clap hādes with him or hold vp my finger for he coūteth that this promise is strong and more faythfull then is the bare word because it moueth moe senses For the word doth but onely certifie the thing vnto a mā by the sense of hearyng but whē with my promise immediatly after I hold vp my finger then do I not onely certifie him by the sense of hearing But also by his sight hee perceiueth that that fact confirmeth my word And in the clapyng of handes hee perceiueth both by his sight and féelyng beside the worde that I will fulfill my promise And lykewise it is in this Sacrament Christ promised them that he would geue his body to be slayne for their sinnes And for to establish the fayth of his promise in them he dyd institute the Sacrament which he called his body to the entent that y e very name it selfe might put them in remēbraūce what was ment by it he brake the bread before them signifying vnto them outwardly euen the same thyng that he by his wordes had before protested and euē as his wordes had informed them by their hearyng that he entended so to do so the breaking of that bread informed their eye sight that he would fulfil his promise Then he dyd distribute it amōg them to imprint the matter more déepely in them signifying therby that euen as that bread was deuided among them so should his body frute of his passion be distributed vnto as many as beleued his wordes Finally he caused thē to eate it that nothyng should be lackyng to confirme that necessary point of faith in thē signifiyng therby that as verely as they felt that breade within them so sure should they be of hys body thorough fayth And that euen as that bread doth nourishe the body so doth fayth in hys body breaking nourish the soule vnto euerlasting life This did our mercifull Sauior which knoweth our frailtie and weakenes to establish strēgth their fayth in his body breaking and bloud sheding which is our shoteanker and last refuge without which we should all perishe The third cause of the institution and profit that commeth of it is this They that haue receiued these blessed tydinges and worde of health do loue to publishe this felicitie vnto other men And to geue thanks before the face of the cōgregation vnto their boūteous benefactour and as much as in them is to drawe all people to the praysing of God with thē which thing though it be partly done by the preaching of Gods worde and fruitfull exhortations yet doth that visible token and Sacrament if a man vnderstand what is ment thereby more effectuously worke in them both fayth and thankesgeuing thē doth the bare worde but if a man wot not what it meaneth and séeketh health in the sacrament and outwarde signe thē may he wel be likened vnto a fond fellow which when he is very drye and an honest man shew him an alepole and tell him that there is good ale inough would goe and sucke the alepole trusting to get drinke out of it and so to quench his thyrste Now a wise man will tell him that he playeth the foole for the alepole doth but signifie that there is good ale in the house where y e alepole standeth and wil tell him that he must go neare the house and there he shall finde the drinke and not stand sucking the alepole in vayne for it shall not ease him but rather make him more drie for the alepole doth signifie good ale yet the alepole it self is no good ale neyther is there any good ale in the alepole And likewise it is in all sacramentes For if we vnderstand not what they meane and séeke health in the outwarde signe then we sucke the alepole and labour in vayne But if we do vnderstand y ◠meaning of them then shall we séeke what they signifie and goe to the significations and there shall we finde vndoubted health As to our purpose in this sacrament wherof we speake we must note what it signifieth and there shall we finde our redemption It signifieth that Christes body was broken vpon the crosse to redeme vs from the thraldome of the deuill and that his bloude was shedde for vs to washe away our sinnes Therefore we must runne thether if we will be eased For if we thinke to haue our sinnes forgeuen for eating of the Sacrament or for séeing the Sacrament once a day or for praying vnto it thē surely we sucke the alepole And by thys you may perceiue what profite commeth of those sacraments which eyther haue no significations put vnto them or els when their significations are lost and forgotten For then no doubt they are not commended of God but are rather abhominable for when we knowe not what they meane then séeke we health in the outwarde déede and so are iniurious vnto Christ and his bloud As by example the Sacrifices of the Iewes were well allowed accepted of God as long as they vsed them aright and vnderstoode by thē y ◠death of Christ the sheding of his bloud and that holy oblation offered on the crosse once for euer But when they begun to forget this
naturall reasons be not worth the reasoning I will alledge you some moe to sée what you can say to them First euery sacrament is the signe of an holy thyng but the sacrament of the altar is a sacrament as all faythfull meÌ„ confesse ergo it must follow that the sacrament of the altar is the signe of an holy thyng Now if it be the signe of an holy thyng then it is not the holy thyng it selfe which it doth signifie and represent Why shoulde we then feare to call that bread a figure that is to say a sacrament of that holy body of our Lord and Sauiour 2. Besides that I woulde know of what necessitie or profite hys fleshe must be present in the sacrament For the presence of hys fleshe can no more profite vs then doth the remeÌ„brance of hys body but thys remembraunce may as well be done by the sacrameÌ„t as though hys bodye were present And therefore â—ith God and nature make nought in vayne it followeth coÌ„sequently y t his naturall flesh is not there but onely a memoriall therof 3. Furthermore the end and finall cause of a thyng is euer better then those thynges which are prouided for the end as the house is better then the lyme stone and timber which are prouided for the house but the ende and finall cause of the sacrament is the remembraunce of Christes body and thereupon it must followe that if the sacrament be hys naturall bodye that the remembraunce of Christes body should be better then hys body it selfe Which thyng is to be abhorred of all faythfull men 4. It were fondnes to fayne that the soule did otherwise eate then do the Angels in heauen and their meate is only the Ioy and delectation that they haue of God and of his glory and euen so doth the soule which is here vpon the earth eate through fayth the body of Christ which is in heauen For it deliteth and reioyceth whiles it vnderstandeth through fayth that Christ hath taken our sinnes vpon him and pacified the fathers wrath Neyther it is necessarie that for that or for this cause that his flesh should be present For a man may as well loue and reioyce in the thing which is from him not present as though it were present by hym of that manner 5. Moreouer the bread is Christes body euen as y e breaking of y e bread is the death of his body Now the breaking of bread at the maundy is not the very death of Christes body but onely a representatioÌ„ oâ— the same al be it the minde through fayth doth spirituallye behold his very death euen likewise that naturall bread is not the very body of our Lord but only a sacrament signe memoriall or representation of this same albeit through the monision therof y e mynde through fayth doth spiritually behold the very body And surely therof if a man be faythfull the sprite of God worketh in his hart very swéetely at his communion 6. Finally it was not lawfull to eate or drinke the bloud not onely of man but also of a brute beaste and the Apostels them selues moued by y e rule of Charitie did institute y â— meÌ„ should abstayne from bloud somewhat sauâ— ring the infirmitie of y â— Iewes Now if the Apostels had taught as ye do that in the sacrament his very fleshe and bloud is eaten and dronke with the téeth and mouth of faythfull and vnfaythfull what could haue bene a greater occasion to haue excluded the Iewes from Christes fayth euen at once Thinke you that Apostles would not haue bene to scrupulous to haue dronkeÌ„ his very bloud seing it was so playne agaynst Moses lawe if they had vnderstand hym so grossely as ye do Peter had a cloth sent downe from heauen in which were all manner of beastes forbidden by y e law and was commaunded to slay eate them And he aunswered God forbid for I neuer eate any vncleane thing meaning therby that he neuer eate any thing forbidden by the law Wherof it must néedes follow that either he neuer receiâ—ed the sacrameÌ„t whiche is playne false or elles that hee more spiritually vnderstode the wordes of Christes maundie then ye falslye fayne For it was plainely forbidden by the law to eate or drinke any maner of bloud And I know but one reason that they haue which they count insoluble how â—e it by Godes grace we shall sone auoyde it There reason is this Paule sayth he that eateth and drinketh this sacrament vnworthely shall be gilty of the body and bloud of the Lord. Now say they how should they be gilty of the Lords body and bloud which receiue it vnworthely except it were the very body and bloud of the Lord This argument I say is very weake and slender For I can shew many examples by the which it may be dissolued for he that despiseth the kinges seale or letters offendeth agaynst his owne person and yet the letter or seale is not his owne person He that violently plucketh downe his graces armes or breaketh his broade seale with a furious minde or violence committeth treason against his owne person And yet his armes and broad seale are not his owne person He that clippeth the kings coyne committeth treason against y e kynges person and the common wealth and yet the mony is neither his graces person nor the common wealth And therfore your argumeÌ„t is but weake and slender For euen as a man doth offende against the princes person by dispising his armes seale or letters So doth a man offend agaynst Christes body and bloud by abusing the sacrament of his body and bloud although he be not there present as y e kinges person is not present in his armes seale or letters Besides that S. Paule saith that euery man which prayeth or prophecieth with couered hed shameth his hed and his hed is Christ shall we therfore Imagin that Christ is naturallye in euery mans hed as your argument coÌ„cludeth For soth that were a prety phantasie Finally S. Austen sayth y â— he doth no lesse sinne which negligently heareth y e worde of God then doth the other whiche vnworthely receiueth y e sacrament of Christes body bloud Now if this be true then is your reason not worth a rishe For Christes naturall body is not in y e word which is preached as all men knowe And yet he sinneth no lesse that negligently heareth it then doth he that vnworthely receiueth the sacrament And thus you see their insoluble argument easely dissolued ¶ But now must this yong man consider againe that him selfe confesseth that the cause for which him selfe sayth that Christ in so saying did so meane is because that if he should haue ment so it was impossible to God to bring his meaning about that is to say that Christes body might be in two places at once And therfore but if he proue that thing impossible for God to doe els he
remēbraunce of his body breakyng and bloud shedyng and that we shuld eate it together reioysing with ech other declaryng hys benefites Now were the Corinthians fallen from this hunger and came not together to the intent that Gods prayse should bee published by them in the middest of the congregatiō but came to féede their flesh and to make carnal cheare In so much that y t rich would haue meate and drinke inough and take such aboundaunce y t they would be dronke and so made it their owne per not the Lordes as Paule saith and did eate onely the bread meate and not the body breaking as I haue before said the poore which had not that is to say that had no meate to eate were ashamed and hungry and so could not reioyse and prayse the Lord by the reason that the delicate fare of the riche was an occasion for the poore to lament their pouertie and thus the rich dyd neither prayse God them selues nor suffered the poore to doe it but were an occasion to hynder them They should haue brought theyr meate and drinke and haue deuided it with their poore brethren that they might haue been mery together and so to haue geuen them occasion to be mery and reioyse in the Lorde with thankes geuyng But they had neither lust to prayse God nor to comfort their neighbour Their fayth was féeble and their charitie cold and had no regard but to fill their body and féede their flesh And so despised y t poore cōgregation of God whom they should haue honoured for y t spirite that was in them fauour that God had shewed indifferently vnto them in y ◠bloud of hys sonne Christ When Paule perceiued that they were thus fleshly mynded and had no mynde vnto that spirituall maundy which chiefly shuld ther bee aduertised hée reproueth thē sore rehearsing y t wordes of Christ That which I gaue vnto you I receiued of the Lord. For the Lord Iesus the same night in the which hee was betrayed tooke bread and thanked and brake it and said take ye and eate ye this is my bodye which is broken for you this do ye in the remembraunce of me After the same maner hee tooke the cup when supper was done saying this cuppe is the new Testament in my bloud this doe ye as ofte as ye drinke it in the remembraunce of me For as oft as ye shall eate this bread drinke of this cup ye shall shew the Lordes death til he come As though hée should say ye Corinthians are much to blame whiche at this Supper séeke the foode of your flesh For it was institute of Christ not for the intent to norishe the belly but to strēghten the hart and soule in God And by this you may know that Christ so meant For he calleth it hys body which is geuen for you so that the name it selfe might testifie vnto you that in this supper you should more eate his body whiche is geuen for you by digestyng that into the bowels of your soule then the bread which by the breakyng and the distributyng of it doth represent his body breakyng and the distributyng therof vnto all that are faythful And that bée so meaneth is euident by the wordes folowyng which say this do in the remembrance of mee and likewyse of the cuppe And finally concludyng of both Paule sayth as often as ye shall eate this bread drinke of this cuppe in this place and felowshyp ye shall shew y t Lordes death vntill hée come praysing the Lord for the death of his sonne and exhortyng other to doe the same reioysing in hym with infinite thākes And therfore ye are to blame whiche séeke onely to féede the belly with that thyng which was onely institute to féede the soule And theruppon it foloweth Wherfore who soeuer doth eate of this bread and drinke of this cup vnworthely is gilty of the body and bloud of the Lorde He eateth this bread vnworthely which regardeth not the purpose for the which Christ dydinstitute it which cōmeth not to it with spirituall hūger to eate through fayth his very body which the bread representeth by the breaking and disstributing of it which commeth not with a mery hart geuing God harty thankes for their deliueraunce from sinne Which doe not much more eate in their hart y t death of his body then they doe the bread with their mouth Now sith the Corinthyans did onlye séeke their belly and flesh and forgat Gods honour and prayse for which it was instituted y ◠thākes should be geuen by the remembrance of his body breaking for vs they eate it to Gods dishonour to their neighboures hinderaunce to their owne condemnation so for lacke of fayth were giltye of Christes body which by fayth they should there chiefely haue eaten to their soules health And therefore it followeth †Let a man therfore examyne him selfe and so let him eate of the bread and drinke of the cuppe THis prouing or examinyng of a mans selfe is first to thinke with him selfe with what lust and desire he cōmeth vnto the maundy will eate that bread whether he be sure that he is the child of God and in the faith of Christ And whether his cōscience do beare him witnesse that Christes body was broken for him And whether the lust y t he hath to prayse God and thanke hym with a faythfull hart in the middes of the bretheren do driue hym thether warde Or els whether he do it for y t meates sake or to kéepe the custome for then were it better that he were away For he that eateth or drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnation becaufe he maketh no differēce of the Lordes body That is as it is sayd before he that regardeth not the purpose for which it was instituted putteth no difference betwene his eating and other eating for other eating doth onely serue the bellye but this eating was instituted and ordayned to serue the soule and inward man And therfore he that abuseth it to the flesh eateth and drinketh his owne damnation And he commeth vnworthelye to the maundye where the sacrament of Christes body is eaten ye where the body of the Lord is eaten not carnally with the téeth and bellye but spiritually with the hart and faith Vpon this followeth the text that M. More allegeth and wresteth for his purpose For this cause many are weake sicke among you and many sléepe yf we had truely Iudged our selues we should not haue béene Indged when we are Iudged of the Lorde we are chastened because we should not bée damned wich the world Wherfore my bretheren whē ye come togither to eate tary one for an other Yf a man hunger let him eate at home that ye come not togither vnto condemnation For this cause that is for lacke of good examinyng of our selues as is before touched many are weake and sicke in
draught But this meate y t I here receaue is spirituall meate receaued with fayth norisheth vs euerlastyngly both body soule neuer entreth into the draught And euē as before the outwarde eyen doe sée the bread yet the outward eyen doe not regarde that or thinke vpō it So likewise the outward man digesteth the bread casteth it into the draught And yet the inward man doth not regarde that nor thinke vppon it But thinketh on the thyng it selfe that is signified by that bread And therfore sayd Chrisostome euen a litle before the wordes whiche they here alleaged lift vp your minde hartes sayd hée whereby hée monisheth vs to looke vppon and consider those heauenly thinges which are represented and signified by the bread and wyne not to marke the bread and wyne in it selfe Here they will say vnto me that it is not Chrisostomes mynde for by his example hée playnly shewith that there remaneth no bread nor wyne that I deny For the example in this place proueth no more but y t ye shall not think on y t bread wine no more then if they were not there but onely on that thyng whiche is signified by them And that ye may euidently perceiue by the wordes folowyng where hée saith thinke that the misteries are cōsumed by the substance of the body Nowe whether Chrisostome thought that there remained bread or no both wayes shall our purpose bée proued First if hée thought there remained still bread and wyne then we haue our purpose Now if he thought that the bread wyne remayned not but were chaūged then are the bread and wyne neither mysteries nor Sacramentes of the body and bloud of Christ For that that is not can neither bée mystery nor Sacrament Finally if hée speake of y e outward appearaunce of bread then we know that that remaineth still is not consumed by the substaunce of the body And therfore hée must néedes bée vnderstanded as I take him I thinke many men wonder how I can dye in this article seyng that it is no necessary article of our fayth for I graunt that neyther parte is an article necessary to bée beléeued vnder payne of damnation but leaue it as a thyng indifferent to thynke therein as God shall instill in euery mans mynde and that neyther parte condemne other for this matter but receiue eche other in brotherly loue reseruing eche others infirmitie to god The cause of my death is thys because I can not in conscience abiure and sweare that our Prelates opinion of the sacrament that is that the substaunce of bread and wine is verely chaunged into the fleshe and bloud of our sauiour Iesus Christ is an vndoubted article of the fayth necessary to bée beléeued vnder payne of damnation Now though this opinion were indéede true which thing they can neither proue true by scripture nor doctours yet coulde I not in conscience graunt that it shoulde bée an article of the fayth necessary to bée beléeued c. For there are many verities which yet may bée no such articles of our fayth It is true that I lay in yrons when I wrote this howbeit I would not haue you to receaue thys truth for an article of our fayth For you may thinke the contrary without all ieopardy of damnation ¶ The cause why I can not beleeue their opinion of transmutation is this 1 FIrst because I thinke verely that it is false and can neither hée proued by scripture nor faythfull doctours if they bée well pondered 2 The second cause is thys because I will not bynde the congregation of Christ by mine example to admitte any necessarye Article beside oure Creede and specially none such as can not bée prooued true by Scripture And I say that the Church as they caule it can not compell vs to receaue any such articles to bée of necessitie vnder payne of damnation 3 The thirde cause is because I dare not bée so presumptuous in entering into Gods iudgement as to make the prelates in this pointe a necessary article of our fayth For then I should damnably condemne all the Germanes Almaines with infinite moe which in déede doe not beléeue nor thinke that the substaūce of bread and wine is chaunged into the substaūce of Christes naturall body And surely I can not bée so foolishe hardy as to condemne such an infinite number for our prelates pleasures Thus all the Germaynes and Almaynes both of Luthers side and also of Oecolampadius doe wholy approue my matter And surely I thinke there is no man that hath a pure conscience but hée will thinke that I dye righteously For that this transubstantiation should bée a necessary article of the faith I thinke no man can say it with a good conscience although it were true in déede By me Iohn Frith An exact and diligent Table wherby you may readely turne to any speciall matter that is contained in all Iohn Frithes bookes 1572. A. ABraham 20 Abrahames bosome what it signified 55 Abraham by faith dyd eate Christes bodye and drinke Christes bloud 109 Ambrose opinion of Purgatory 52 Antithesis betweene Christ and the Pope 97 Argumentes to proue that Christes naturall body is not in the Sacrament 142 Articles of our faith are to bee beleeued vpon payne of damnation 111 Articles of our fayth are as many as are necessary for our saluation 145 Augustine beyng 400. yeares after Christ doubted of Purgatory 32 Augustines opinion of purgatory 52 B. BAptisme defined what it is 92 Baptisme is the founteine of our new byrth 94 Bishopricke in the primatiue church was a charge and not a Lordshyp 116 Blasphemie to saye that Christes bloud is not the full remission of our sinnes 11 Blessyng what it is 154 Bookes of the Machabees are not Canonicall 37 Bookes agaynst Rastall 60 Boasting that is modest is commendable 64 Body of Christe eaten by our fathers and his bloud dronke 109 Body of Christ is no more in the Sacrament thē a mans face in the glasse 146 Brethren is an auncient name in the holy Scripture 114 Bread and wyne remayne in the Sacrament 117 Bread why it is called our body 160 C. CAuse of our blyndnes and grosse errours 3 Causes why the Sacramentes were first instituted 112 Ceremonies of some sortes are guydes vnto the knowledge of God 95 Christ onely hath satisfied for our sinnes 14. 15 Christes merites putteth out the fier of Purgatory 14. 17. 18 Christ is our Aduocate 17 Christes sacrifice onely taketh away sinne 17. 38 Christ onely is our head 43 Christes death hath ouercōmed our death 55 Christ was meeke and gentle 57 Christ onely is the meane to put away our sinnes 73 Christes bloud is the strength of our Baptisme 94 Christ and the Pope compared togither 97. 98. 99. 100. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106 Christ is not to bee eatē carnally but spiritually 118. 119 Christes wordes are spirituall and not carnall 124 Christe gaue
sake onely And that we haue néede of nothyng towardes our saluation but of hym onely and wée desire no other saluatiō nor no other satisfactiō nor any helpe of any other creature eyther heauenly or earthly but of him onely for as Saint Peter sayth there is no other name geuen vnto men wherein they must bée saued And also S. Paule sayth by hym are all that beléeue iustified from all thynges Moreouer S. Iohn witnesseth the same in these wordes Hée it is that hath obtained grace for our sinnes And in an other place He sent his sonne to make agréement for our sinnes Now my Lordes here haue you Christ and his very nature full and whole And hée y e denyeth any thyng or any part of these thyngs or taketh any part of them applyeth them or geueth y e glory of thē to any other person then to Christ onely the same mā robbeth Christ of his honour and denyeth Christ and is very Antichrist Wherfore my Lordes first what say you to this and vnto the propertyes of Christ If you graunt them thē are we at a poynte For they proue that fayth in Iesus Christ onely iustifieth afore God Secondarily if you denye if as I am sure you will for you had leuer deny your Créede thē graūt it How can you thē auoyde but that you bée the very Antichristes of whō S. Iohn speaketh For now haue we tryed your spirites that they bée not of God for you deny Christ That is you deny the very nature the propertie of Christ You graunt y e name but you deny the vertue You graunt that hée descended from heauen but you deny the profite thereof For hée descended for our health this denye you and yet it is your Créede You graunt that hée was borne but you denye the purpose You graunt that he is rissen frō death but you deny the profit therof for hée rose to iustifie vs. You graūt that hée is a Sauiour but you deny that he is alonely y t sauiour I pray you wherfore was hée borne to iustifie vs in part to redéeme vs in part to doe satisfaction for part of our sinnes so y e we must set a payr of old shoes a lompe of bread cheese or a lousie gray coate to make satisfactiō for y t other part Say what you will if you geue not all and fully alonely to one Christ thē deny you Christ and the holy ghost And S. Iohn doth declare you to bée contrary to Christ This may also bée proued by a playne Scripture of the holy ghost which is this No man in heauen nor in earth neither vnder the earth was able to open the booke or to looke on y e booke till the lambe came vnto whom the seniours spake on this maner Thou art worthy to take y t booke to open the seales therof for thou wast killed and hast redéemed vs by thy bloud How say you to this my Lordes In heauen was there none founde neither by the aungels nor yet by the seniours worthy to open the booke but Christ onely And will you finde that they could not finde will you set an helper to Christ whō they set alone But I pray you tel vs what bée shall bée All the world knoweth that they hée good workes But now from whēce come your good workes whether from heauen or out of the earth or frō vnder the earth If they were in any of these places where were they when the aungels and the seniours sought them Haue you founde them whom they could not finde but let this passe I praye you what will you lay for your good workes or by what title will you bryng them in to ioyne them with the lābe in openyng of the booke The seniours haue layd for them that the lābe alonely was worthy to opē the booke because hée was slayne and redéemed them with his precious bloud Now what cause laye you for your good workes The lābe hath alonely dyed for vs The lambe hath alonely shed his bloud for vs The lambe hath alonly redéemed vs These things hath hée done alone Now if these bée sufficient then hath hée alone made satisfaction and is alonely worthy to be our redéemer and iustifier Moreouer they that bée in heauen confesse that this lambe is alonely worthy to redéeme them Bée your workes better then theirs or cā your workes helpe them If they can then is not the lambe alonely worthy to redéeme them Moreouer the seniours fall downe before the lambe geuyng him alonely prayse And shall your good workes stande vp by the lambe Then bée they better then the seniours But let vs proue this thyng by open Scriptures S. Paule tooke so great labours to proue this article as hée neuer tooke in any other all because hée would make it playne and stoppe the mouthes of the agaynesayers But all this will not helpe them that haue not the spirite of God Neuertheles we will by Gods fauour doe the best we can to confounde the crooked enemyes of Christes bloud thoughe we can not make them his frendes yet at the lest we will so handle them that they shall bée ashamed openly so to speake agaynst him as they haue done longe tyme and so will we handle them by Gods helpe that all the world shal know that they glory in Christes name and by hym bée they also so high promoted in this worlde that they can not bée higher And yet deserue they of Christ worst of all men But let vs goe to our purpose S. Paule sayth All men bée sinners and wante the glory of God but they are iustified fréely by his grace thorough the redemption that is in Christ Iesu What is this that all men haue sinned yea and are iustified fréely How shall a sinner doe good workes How can hée deserue to bée iustified what call you fréely if there bée any deseruing lesse or more then is it not fréely What call you by his grace if it bée any part of works then it is not of grace For as Saint Paule sayth Then grace were not grace Here can bée no euasion the wordes bée so playne If you bring in any helpe of workes then for so much is not our redēption fréely nor yet is it of grace as concerning the part that commeth of works but partly of workes and then doe you destroy all Saint Paule and his whole disputation For hée contendeth agaynst workes clearely excludeth workes in iustification and bryngeth in grace onely Nowe that that is excluded in the whole by contention can not bée brought in in parte to the cause This is open in his wordes where hée sayth Where is now thy reioysing It is excluded By what lawe by the lawe of workes Nay but by the lawe of fayth We doe iudge therfore that a man is iustified by fayth without y t workes of the lawe Heare you not that the gloriation
byshopryke of the kinges grace How will you bée able by your workes to deserue heauen and iustification before the king of all kynges When you haue aunswered to this before the kinges grace then come and dispute with God the iustification of your workes and yet shall they bée farre vnlike Wherfore I conclud of these scriptures and of these doctours that the fayth that we haue in Christ Iesus and his blessed bloude doth onely and sufficiently iustifie vs béefore God without the helpe of any workes And though y e all scripture bee no thing els but a holle probacion of this article that is alonely a perfect commeÌ„dation and a prayse of Christ and of his blessed merites that hée hath deserued for vs yet will I passe ouer to bryng in any moe places For they y e are not coÌ„teÌ„t with these scriptures wyll not bée satisfied nor yet content to geue al onely glory to God though I brought in all the newe testament Yea Christ hym selfe could not satisfie them if hee were here no nor yet though heauen and earth and all creatures therin were nothyng els but probations of this article it would not helpe Wherefore I let such infidels passe and leue them to the iudgement of God alonely certifieng them of this one thyng that is infallible how the day shall come that it shall repent them yea and that sorer then I can either write or thinke that they did not beléeue the lest pricke of this holy article But vnto our purpose The very true way of iustification is this First commeth God for the loue of Christe Iesus alonely of his mere mercy and geueth vs fréely the gift of fayth wherby we doe beleeue God his holy word and sticke fast vnto the promises of God and beléeue that though heauen and earth and all that is in them should perish and come to nought yet God shall bée founde true in his promises for this faythe 's sake bée we the elect children of God This is not such a fayth as men dreame when they beléeue that there is one God and beléeue that hée is eternall beléeue also that hée made the worlde of naught yea and beléeue that the Gospell is true and all thing that God speaketh must bée true and fulfilled with other such thynges This I say is not the fayth that wée bée iustified by for deuils and infidels haue this fayth â—and also wée may attayne to these thynges by strength of reason But the fayth that shall iustifie vs must bée of an other maner of strength for it must come from heauen and not from the strength of reason It must also make mée beléeue that God the maker of heauen and earth is not alonely a father but also my father yea and that thorow the fauour that Christ hath purchased mée from the whiche fauour neither heauen nor earth tribulation nor persecution death nor hell can deuide mée But to this sticke I fast that hée is not alonely my father but also a mercifull father yea and that vnto mée mercifull and so mercifull that hée will not impute my sinnes vnto mée though they bée neuer so great so long as I hang on the blessed bloud of Christ Iesus and sinne not of malice but of frailtie and of no pleasure Hée is also a lyberall father yea and that vnto mée liberall which will not alonely promise mée all thynges but also géeue them me whether they bée necessary to the body or to y e soule Hée is also not alonely lyberall but myghty to performe all thynges that hée promyseth vnto mée Briefely this fayth maketh mée to hang clearely of God and of his blessed promyses made in Christ and in his swéete and precious bloud and not to feare death nor any affliction nor persecution nor tribulation but to despise all these thynges and not alonely these but to despise also myne own lyfe for Christes sake Finally of a fleshely beast it maketh mée a spirituall man of a damnable child it maketh mée a heauenly sonne of a seruaunt of the deuill it maketh mée a frée maÌ„ of Gods both deliuered from the lawe from sinne from death from the deuill and from all myserie that might hurt mée My Lordes this is the fayth that doth iustifie and that wée do preach And because it is geuen from heauen into our hartes by the spirite of God therfore it can bée no idle thing But it must néedes do all maner of things y e bée to the honour of God and also to the profite of our neighbour In so much that at all tymes necessary it must néedes worke well also bryng forth all good workes that may bée to the profite and helping of any man But these workes bée not done to iustifie the man but a iust man must néedes doe them Not vnto his profite but alonely to other mens profites euen as our maister Christ suffered hunger and thyrste and persecution and tooke great labours in preaching of his worde yea and also suffered death All these thinges I say did hée not to further or to profite himselfe but for our merites and for our profite So likewise doth a iust man his workes And as a good trée in tyme of the yeare bryngeth forth good Apples not to make hym good for hée is good afore nor yet this apple is not to his profite but vnto other mens notwithstanding y e good nature that is in hym muste néedes bring it forth So likewise the iust man must néedes doe good workes not by them to bée iustified but alonely in them to serue his brother for hée hath no néede of them as concerning his iustification Wherfore now here haue you the very true cause of iustification that is fayth alonely And also the very true way and maner of doynge good workes And how that no man can doe good workes but a iustified man as our maister Christ sayth Eyther make the trée good and then his fruite good or els the trée euill and his fruit euill for a good trée must néedes bring forth good fruite and a badde euyll fruite But now let mée aunswere to the Scriptures and to the reasons that they bring to prooue that workes doe iustifie First commeth the fleshly and dampnable reason and shée sayth If wée bée iustified alonely by fayth what néede wée to doe any good workes what néede wée to crucifie or mortifie our fleshe for all these wil not profite vs and wée shall bée saued though wée doe none of theÌ„ all Thus did blinde reason dispute with Saint Paule when that hée had proued that God of his mercy had deliuered vs fréely from the damnable bondage of the law Anone hée iudged that he might do what hée would for hée was no loÌ„ger vnder the law To this S. Paule auÌ„swereth y â— if wée obey vnto y â— workes of sinne then are we the seruauntes of sinne if we obey to the workes of iustice
more then it helpeth the deuill So that this thing of S. Iames maketh nothing agaynst mée but rather wyth mée Also you haue an other Scripture for you which is this Before God they are not iustified which heare the lawe but they which doe the law shalbée iustified Of this texte you glory cry opera opera workes workes But if yee would consider the mynde of S. Paule you should well perceaue that hée meaneth not how workes might deserue iustification for then coulde hée not haue concluded thys agaynste the Iewes for they did the workes of the lawe to the vttermost and yet were they not iustified Wherefore S. Paule meaneth by the hearers of the lawe all them that doe the outwarde workes of the lawe for feare or for rewarde or of hypocrisie or els by them to bée iustified The doers caulleth hée them that doe the workes of the lawe after the intent of y e lawe and as the lawe commaundeth them that is in the true fayth of Christ Iesus which is the very ende of y e lawe and the fulfilling of the law as Saint Paule sayth to all them that beléeue Wherefore all men bée but hearers onely of the lawe till the tyme that that they haue the fayth of Christ Iesus which is imputed vnto them for iustice And the workes of the lawe bée no cause of iustification but alonely an outward testimonie and witnes that the lawe is fulfilled inwardly in their conscience afore God and fulfilled that it hath no accusation against them for Christ hath made satisfactiō for them of the which they bée partakers by their fayth And so the lawe must bée content to admitte all these men to bée fulfillers doers of y e law And now that you shall not say that this is my dreame here bée S. Augustines wordes The doers of the lawe shall bée iustified So must it bée vnderstāded that wée may know that they cā none otherwise bée the doers of the lawe excepte they bée first iustified not that iustification belongeth vnto doers but that iustification doth precéede all maner of doinges c. Heare you not that iustificatiō is first geuen that men might bée able to doe the workes of the lawe This is also the exposition of your glose I haue meruayle you studie it no better Also you haue an other Scripture and that is this Cornelius a Gētile did great almes and prayd vnto God alwayes Vnto whome the Aungell spake on this maner Thy prayer thy almes are come vp into remembraunce in the presence of God Of this texte you gather that hys good workes did helpe to iustifie hym I aunswere The holy ghost hath opēly declared hymselfe there For hée sayth that this Cornelius was a deuoute man and one that feared God How coulde this bée without y e God had taught hym inwardely by fayth Yea how coulde hée know God and that deuoutly but by fayth Ergo hée was iustified afore God by his fayth but y e world knew not his iustificatiō And therfore y t holy ghost doth declare hys inward iustificatiō whē hée saith that hée was deuoute feared God And also doth shew openly the fruits of his iustification when hée sayth that hée did almes Moreouer you haue there that the holy Ghost fell on them afore they were baptised in water the which declareth openly that they were iustified afore God This is well declared also in your owne lawe whose wordes bée these Cornelius Cēturio being yet a Heathē mā was made cleane by y e gifte of the holy ghost Here haue you playnely y t hée was iustified by y t gifte of y t holy ghost afore all good works For hée was an heathē mā An other scripture yée haue which is this If I haue all faith so y t I may trāspose moūtaines and haue no charitie I am nothyng Of this gather you that fayth wythout charitie can not iustifie I aunswere This can you not gather of S. Paule for it is open that hée speaketh not of this thyng whereby that men may bée iustified but alonely hée teacheth how they that bée iustified must worke with charitie It is also plaine that hée speaketh not of fayth that doth iustifie inwardly but of that faith that doth worke outwardely The which is caulled a gifte of the holy Ghost As y t gifte of tounges the gift of prophesies the gifte of healing the gifte of interpretation as it is opē in the chapiter afore Now is this fayth not geuen to iustifie but alonely to doe myracles wonders and signes by And therefore sayth Paule If I had all fayth so that I coulde moue mountaynes Also it is open that certayne men shall say vnto Christ Beholde wée haue done myracles and cast out deuils in thy name And yet hée shall say to them truely I know you not So that this fayth is a gifte of God that iustifieth not no more then the gifte of science or prophesies And sometyme is it in the Church and sometyme not and it is neuer of necessitie there to bée But the faith that wée speake of which doth béeleeue the promises of God and sticketh fast to the bloud of Christ hath none other vertue but to iustifie and must néedes iustifie wheresoeuer hée is and hée sticketh so fast to Gods worde that hée looketh for no myracles Thys fayth is neuer out of the Church for it is the lyfe of the Church and it is that fayth that our mayster Christe prayde for that it myght neuer fayle And therefore S. Paule when he describeth this fayth hée caulleth it a fayth that worketh by charitie not that it iustifieth by charitie For as he sayth there playnely it is neyther circumcision nor yet vncircumcision that is of any valure in Christ Iesu but fayth Here doth hée playnely exclude from iustification the hyghest worke of the lawe circumcision and setteth fayth alone not the gyfte of fayth that doth myracles but the gift of fayth that worketh by charitie And that yée shall not thinke thys to bée a dreame here bryng I you Athanasius sayinge whose wordes bée these There are two maner of saythes one is iustifieng as that of the which is spoken Thy fayth hath saued thée An other is cauled the gyft of God whereby myracles bée done Of the which it is written if you haue fayth as a grayne of mustard séede c. So that here haue you playne that fayth doth iustifie onelye and perfectly before all maner of works that is fayth is geuē of God fréely into our soules vnto the which fayth iustification is all onely promised and is all onely imputed and rekened of God Neuertheles this fayth in tyme and place conuenient is of that strength that hée must néedes worke by charitye not for to bée iustified thereby for if he were not afore iustified it were not possible that hée coulde haue charitie For after your owne schoole men an Infidell cā not
compared to the vyne and all the members of holy Churche to the branches that as the braunches can bring foorth no frute of them selues so cā holy church of her selfe bring foorth no goodnes except shee remaine in Christ by persite fayth This is wel proued by your owne law whose wordes bée these therfore is the Church holy because she beléeueth righteously in God c. Here you not the cause wherfore the Church is holy because she beléeueth righteously in God that is she beléeueth in nothyng but in him and she beléeueth nor heareth no worde but his as our master Christe beareth witnesse my shéepe heare my voyce and an other mans voyce doe they not know Also in an other place hée that is of God heareth the wordes of God How cōmeth this that y e Church of God hath so sure a iudgemēt that she knoweth the voyce of Christ frō other voyces can not erre in her iudgement Because that Christ hath chosen her and because she is learned of God as our master Christ sayth and because she hath as S. Iohn sayth the inwarde oyntmēt of God y ◠teacheth his all maner of verity so that she can not erre But why can shee not erre because she may doe what she will Because that all thing that she doth is well done because she may make new rules and newe lawes at her pleasure Because she may inuent a newe seruice of God that is not in Scripture at her wil Nay nay my Lordes For she is but a woman and must bée ruled by her husbande yea she is but a shéepe and must heare y e voyce of her shepheard and so long as she doth so long cā she not erre because the voyce of her shepheard can not bée false This may be proued by your own law whose wordes bée these y e whole Church can not erre Also in an other place the congregation of faythfull men must néedes bée which also can not erre c. These wordes bée playne what Church it is that can not erre that is the congregation of faythfull men that bée gathered in Christes name whiche haue Christes spirite whiche haue the holy oyntement of God whiche abyde fast by Christes word and heare no other mās voyce but his Now my Lordes gather you all togither with all the lawes that you cā make and all the holynes that you can deuise and crye the Church the Churche and the Councels the Councels that were lawfully gathered in the power of the holy ghost all this may you say yet lye and if you haue not in déede the holy ghost with in you and if you doe heare any other voyce then Christes then are you not of the Churche but of the deuill and théenes murtherers as Christ saith For you come into the fold of Christ without him you bring not his voice but you come with your owne voyce with your owne statutes with your owne word your owne mandamus mandamus precipimus precipimus excommunicamus excommunicamus These bée the voyces of murtherers and Théeues and not of Christ therfore you can not but erre for you bée not taught of God you haue not the holy oyntment you haue not the worde of God for you you heare not the voyce of the true shepheard therfore must you néedes erre in all your counsells This is an other maner of rule then my Lorde of Rochester doth assigne to examine your counsels by for hée sayth where that the Pope and the counsell doth not agrée all in one there will hée suspect the counsell not to bée right Who did euer heare such a rule of a Christean man yea and of a bishop yea and of a doctor of Diuinite where hath hée learned this Diuinite to recken a counsell to bée trew because y e the Pope and so many men doe agree in one yea and that such men as haue so often tymes erred in their coūcels as hée doth declare hym self rekening the counsell of Constantinople that had 330. Byshops and yet did erre and hée knew no other cause but bée cause the Pope did not agrée to them Is not this a resonable cause cā not the Pope erre let hym read his own lawe Distinctio 19. Anastasius Distinctio 40. Si Papa and also 24. q 1. Arecta in the glose and there shall hée fynde that the Pope hath erred Wherefore then should the matter stande in his iudgment Now how will hée by thys rule saue the counsels of constance and of Basell where in both counsels the Popes were condemned for heretykes As the same counsels make mencion also that the councels haue erred that graūted hée hymselfe but peraduenture hée will saye that they were not full Councels Now is it well amended what distinction is as conscernyng the veritie in a counsell that hath a thowsand byshops and in an other that hath fyve thowsand can the multitude helpe to the veritie Then had the Turke the veritie and we the falsed then had the Prophet Micheas the worsse part for hée was alone against iiij hundred so was y e verytie by y e Prophets of Ball and not by Elyas for they were foure hundred and fyftye hee was but one man Briefely Christes flocke is alwayes y e smallest nūber in this world but yet it is the best not the smallest number maketh Christes flocke but that Christes Church stādeth neyther by the greatest number nor yet by the smallest nor by the iudgmēt or numbring of man but by the callyng and eleccion of God Wherefore let my Lorde bring forth what counsell that hée will and if they haue not the word of God I will not all onely say they may erre but also that they doe erre in verye déede And that will I proue by the greatest lawyer that they haue called Panormitanus whose wordes bée these that Councels may erre as they haue erred as concernyng that contract of matrimony inter raptorem raptam and the saying of Saint Hierome was afterward preferred a boue the statute of the counsel as it is proued 36. q. 2. Tria for in thinges concerning the fayth is the saying of a priuat person to bee preferred afore the saying of the pope if hée haue better reasōs and scriptures of the new and of the olde testamēt for him then the Pope nor it can not helpe to say that the counsell can not erre because that Christ did pray for his Church y e her fayth should not fayle For I aūswere to this that though y e generall coūcell doe represent y e whole vniuersall church neuertheles in very déede there is not y e very vniuersall church but representatiue For the vniuersal church stādeth in y e election of all fayth full men all faithfull mē of y ◠world make that vniuersall Church whose head and spouse is Christ Iesus the Pope is but the vicar of Christ and not the
the Church bee and to whom they were geuen TO declare this matter our Schoolemen haue wrapped them selues in suche doubtes that they were neuer able to come out of theÌ„ nor yet to satisfie theÌ„ selues nor any good Christen mans conscience For all y e they write is but dreames of theyr own inuention and as Paule calleth them the doctrines of y e deuill agaynst the holy word of God and wringyng wrestyng the blessed worde of God to their purpose alonely consideryng how they might by right or by wrong stablishe the authoritie of miserable men not coÌ„sideryng the intent of the holy ghost whiche intended nothyng els in all places of Scripture but to opeÌ„ vnto vs Christ the loosing from our sinne by hym alonely The which thyng our dreamers and inuenters of all subtile lyes dyd neuer preserue nor neuer sought for but by despising the holy worde of God and stickyng so fast to their owne corrupted reasons dyd they fall into innumerable heresies dissentions and contentions and brawlynges of wordes and scoldyng lyke harlots so that none of theÌ„ could agrée with an other Wherfore that saying of the holy Prophete may well bée verified of them My people haue not heard my voice and Israell hath taken no héede vnto me and therfore haue I let theÌ„ passe after the desires of their own harts and therefore they shall folow their own inuentioÌ„s This is alwayes the sore vengeaunce of God when we will not beléeue and receiue alonely hys worde then doth hée let vs passe so that we can doe nothyng but erre Notwithstandyng we are so blynded that we thinke darkenes light and errours veritie This is openly proued by all our greate clarkly schoolemen and that it may bée open to all men I will recite what they learne of the keyes Duns all his scholers say that these keyes bée nothyng els but an authoritie geuen to Priestes whereby they geue sentence that heauen must bée opened to this man and shyt vnto the other so that heauen is opened shyt at the sentence of y e priest This is his learnyng Who could haue inuented such a doctrine but y â— deuill him selfe who can speake greater heresie then this is who can speake more openly agaynst Christe and hys holy Scripture If the authoritie of the Priest bée the keyes of heauen and can open open and shyt heauen then néede we no other thyng to our saluation but the authoritie of the Priest then can no man bée saued without the authoritie of the Priest then can there no Priestes bée damned For they haue the keyes of heaueÌ„ I thinke they wil not bée so mad as by their authoritie to shyt them selues with the deuill Briefely what néede haue we of Christ and of hys holy word For the authoritie of the Priest is the keye of heauen but let me bryng their owne words y e the matter may bée playner The keye in this purpose is taken after the similitude of a materiall key whiche is the next instrument to shyt and to open a doore whereby we enter into the house So lykewise the authoritie to geue sentence that heauen must bée opened vnto this man is called the keye c. To vse many wordes in refellyng this damnable opinion it néedeth not But agaynste them all I will set the authoritie of S. Hierome whose words bée these I shal geue thée y e keyes of heaueÌ„ This place the Byshops and the Priestes not vnderstandyng haue vsuâ—ped vnto them somewhat of the Phariseis pryde so y e they thinke that they may condemne innocentes and loose them that bée giltie when afore God not y e sentence of the Priest but the lyfe of the giltie is regarded c. Here you haue playnly that the sentence of the Priest is not looked on nor able to loose a sinner afore God Marke also that S. Hierome sayth you vnderstaÌ„d not this place Moreouer I would know of you all where you caÌ„ bryng me one example in Scripture that the sentence of a Priest hath loosed a sinner or bound a righteous man and if it can not doe this then is there an other thyng aboue the sentence of a Priest Furthermore that your auctoritie should bée the keyes of heauen it is a gaynst reason agaynst your owne learning For Duns and also Lyra of the same text Qnodcunque ligaueris doe playnely declare that your key of auctoritie may erre Now if it may erre then is it not the right key to the locke of heauen for the right key can neuer erre in his owne locke Wherfore at the most you can make it but a picklocke which belongeth to robbers and théeues onely Moreouer if this were the key theÌ„ should we neuer bée in suretye whether heaueÌ„ were opened or not First we haue no promise nor no worde of God made vnto this key And againe we can not know when it openeth heauen and wheÌ„ not for it may erre after your owne doctours And if it chauÌ„ce for to erre then are not heaueÌ„ gates opened So y e by this meanes we shall bée alwayes in doubt whether we bée losed froÌ„ our sinne or not Wherefore we must séeke out an other key that is the very trew key to the locke the which can not erre of the which we shall bée in surety and without all doubt But ere wee declare what this key is we will first shew the nature and the propertye of this key S. Augustine sayth That must be called a key where by the hardnes of our harts are opened vnto fayth and whereby the secretnes of mindes are made manyfest A key it is sayth hée the which doth both open the concieÌ„ce to y t knowledge of synne and also includeth grace vnto the wholesomnes of euerlasting mistery c. This is the diffynition of this key that we speake of after S. Augustine Now compare your power vnto this diffinitioÌ„ and sée how they doe agrée Fyrst what can your power doe which you call your key to remoue away the hardenes of the harte and to bring in fayth Agayne what can your key Iudge of the secreatnes of mans mynde Thirdly what can your power doe to mens consciences to make theÌ„ to knowledge their sinne yea where by doe you know your awne synne by your power then haue all priestes a like knowledge Fynally what grace doth your power include in hym y e may bring vs to euerlasting Ioye Wherefore you sée that this deffinition agréeth as well with your key as Chalke and Chéese Therfore must we séeke an other key y e hath all these properties This is nothing els but the holy worde of God whereby that we receaue fayth into our hartes as S. Paule sayth Fayth is by hearing and hearing is by the wordes of God And for this cause the holy Prophet calleth it a lanterne saying Thy word is a lanterne vnto my féete it is a lyght vnto my pathes
cause therof I am sure hée caÌ„ tel you if hée woulde I am sure it is rightteously done that is inough for mée But now commeth the blynde and fleshlye reason and murmureth at thys and asketh why are wée coÌ„demned for this why doth God punishe vs for this séeing wée can wyll no otherwyse Also hée blyndeth vs hée maketh our harts harde that wée can not amende vs and it lieth not in our power wythout his will Nowe why complayneth hée of vs why layeth hée it to our charge Here is nothynge done but hys will wée bée but instrumentes of hys will And if wée doe not well why geeueth hée vs not strength to doe better Thou dampnable reason who can satisfie thée which reckonest nothyng to bée well done but that thou dooste and that is done wyth thy counsell Thynkest thou not that thou art good and perfecte in thyne owne nature and all that is in thée is both wel and righteously made To this thou wilte aunswere yea for thou wiâ—t not condemne thy selfe nor any thing that is thine But now aunswere mee to this What hath made thée so well and geuen thée all thy righteousnes and all thys goodnes that thou hast Thou must néedes say God But what was the cause that thou art so well so righteous and so good made séeyng that thou deseruest nothyng Yea â–ª and all these thynges bée done so well and so righteously that thou canst not complayne nor ameÌ„de them no nor yet deuise which way to amende them Now why doest thou not murmur agaynst God séeyng that all thynges is done without thy knowledge and also without thy deseruing why doest thou not inquire a cause of hym why murmurest thou not that hée hath made thée so good and so rightfull séeyng thou haddest nothyng deserued But here wilt thou graunt that God dyd all thyng for the best Why doest thou not lykewise in other thynges Furthermore thou must néedes graunt that God thy maker and the gouernour of all thyngs is most wise most righteous and most mercyfull so wise that nothyng that hée doth can bée amended so righteous that there can bée no suspition in hym of vnrighteousnes so mercyfull is â—ée that hée caÌ„ doe nothyng without mercy Howe thinkest thou wilt thou graunt these thynges of thy maker Thou must néedes graunt them Now compare vnto this rule thy blindnes that is within thée thy induratioÌ„ that is in thée thy peruers will toward goodnes and what cause hast thou to complayne Thou hast graunted that hée doth all thynges righteously Ergo thou hast no wrong Hée doth all things mercyfully Ergo thou art in thy blyndnes and in thy hardnes better intreated theÌ„ thou hast deserued Moreouer thou beleuest that God is righteous that God is wise and that God is mercyful Now fayth is of those thynges that doe not appeare nor that can bée prooued by exteriour causes Hold thée fast to this fayth then all thy fleshely reasons bée assâ—iled For wheÌ„ God saueth so few men and damneth so many and thou knowest no cause why yet must thou beléeue that hée is mercyful and righteous This is fayth which if it could bée prooued by exteriour causes then were it no néede to beléeue it Now if thou beléeue that hée is mercyfull good righteous vnto thée wherefore murmurest thou But yet wouldest thou know wherfore hée in durateth thée and blyndeth thée and geueth thée no grace to amende and vnto thy brother that hath no better deserued then thou hast yea hée hath likewise euill deserued as thou hast and yet hée geueth hym grace and taketh away his hardnes geueth him a will to will all goodnes This is not indifferently done as thou thinkest First I say to thée thou hast no cause to complayne for thou hast no wrong thou hast all thyng that is thyne and nothyng is taken froÌ„ thée that beloÌ„geth to thée Why doest thou complayne of this right Yea but yet sayest thou that hée geueth the one mercy and geueth the other none I aunswere what is that to thée is not his mercy his owne Is it not lawfull for him to geue it to whom hée will is thy eye euil because hée is good Take that that is thyne and goe thy way For if it bée his wil to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne ouer the vessels of wrath ordeined to damnation and to declare the riches of his glory vnto the vessels of mercy which hée had prepared elected vnto glory What hast thou therewith to doe what cause hast thou therof to coÌ„playne it is the will of God which can not bée but well righteous the which as thou sayest thou beléeuest Wherefore leaue of thy murmuryng thy disputation agaynst God and recken that hée is of his nature mercyfull and hath no delite nor no pleasure in thy damnatioÌ„ but beléeue thou stedfastly that if hée shewe hys mercy but vnto one man in all the worlde that thou shalt bée that same one man though an aungell would make thée beléeue that all the world should bée damned yet sticke thou fast to his mercy and to his iustice that iustifieth thée and beléeue that the swéete bloud of his blessed sonne can not bée shedde in vayne but it must néedes iustifie sinners and so many as sticke fast vnto it though they bée neuer so blynded and neuer so hardned for it was shed alonely for them If thou canst thus satisfie thy selfe then doest thou wel thou art doubtles out of ieoperdie If thou wilt not bée content but wilt dispute and inquire causes of Gods inscrutable will then will I stand by and looke on and sée what victordome thou shalt get I doubt not but it will repeÌ„t thée and that hée will conclude with thée on this maner May not I doe what I will Now here haue I auÌ„swered to an intricable doubt that our schoole men are wrapped in whiche would know what is the cause of predestination and of reprobatioÌ„ Duns béeyng wrapped betwéene carnall reason and the inuincible Scriptures of S. Paule can not tell whether hée may graunt that the will of God is alonely the cause of election or els any merites of man precedyng afore hée concludeth that both y e opinions may bée defended Bonauenture blyndly concludeth that there may bée a cause preceding grace to deserue it So that in these vnfrutefull questions which in gender nothing but conteÌ„tion haue they spent all their liues and for these thinges bée geuen vnto them peculiar names as subtile and seraphicall and irrefrigable Doctours But agaynst them all I set S. Paule whiche tooke intollerable labours to prooue by inuincible Scriptures and examples therof that there was no cause but alonely the will of God And to prooue this hée bryngeth in an euident example of Iacob Esau how Iacob was elected Esau reprooued afore they were borne and afore they had done either good or bad Can
there bée a playner example what meaneth Paule in these words when they weare neyther borne nor had done neyther good nor bad but that the election of God myght stand Doth hée not clearely take away all manner of merites both de congruo also de condigno and declare the wyll of God to bée the cause onely But heare will subtyll blyndnes say that God sawe béefore that Iacob should doe good and therefore dyd hée chuse hym Hée sawe also that Esau should doe no good and therefore hée repelled hym Alas for blindenes what will you iudge of that that God saw How know we that God sawe that And if hée sawe it yet how know we that that was the cause of Iacobs election These children bée vnborne and they haue done neyther good nor bad and yet one of them is chosen the other is refused S. Paule knoweth none other cause but the will of God and will you discuse an other And where you say that God did sée afore that one of them should doe good I praye you what was the cause or whereby saw hée that hée should doe good you must néedes say by that that hée would geue hym his grace Ergo the will of God is yet the cause of election for because y e God would geue hym his grace Therefore God saw that hée should doe good and so should also y e other haue done if God woulde haue geuen hym that same grace Wherefore you gyauntes that will subdue heauen and earth leaue your searching of this cause and bée content with the will of God doubt not but the will of God is as righteous and as lawfull a cause as your merites can bée And doubt you not but S. Paule that toke so great labours in this matter dyd sée as farre in mans deseruing as we can doe yet hée concluded with these wordes of scriptures I will shew mercy to whom I shew mercy I will haue cōpassion of whom I haue compassion So lyeth it not in mans will or cunnyng but in the mercy of God Hée sayth not I will haue mercy on hym that I sée shall doe good but I will shew mercy to whom I wil. Hée saith not I will haue compassion of hym y ◠shall deserue it de congruo But of him of whom I will haue cōpassion This doth S. Augustine well proue in these words The disputatiō of thē is vain y ◠which doe defend y e presēce of God agaynst the grace of God and therfore say that we were chosen afore y e making of the world because y e God knew afore that we should bée good not béecause hee should make vs good But hée that sayth You haue not chosen mée sayth not that For if hée dyd therefore chose vs béecause that hée knew before that wée should bée good thē must hee also knowe béefore that wée should fyrst haue chosen hym c. Here is it playne that the election of God is not because hée sawe afore that we should doe well but all onely the cause of election is his mere mercy and the cause of our doing well is his election And therefore S. Paule sayth not of workes but of callynge Now goe to you subtill Duns men with all your carnall reasons search out a cause of his secrete will If you dyd beléeue that hée were good righteous and mercyfull it were a great comfort for you that the electiō stoode all onely by hys will for so were you sure that it should bée both righteously done and mercifully but you haue no fayth therfore must you nedes mystrust God and of that fall you to inuent causes of election of your own strength As one should say béecause God will not of his righteousnes or of his mercy choose vs we will be sure that we shall bée elected For fyrst will we inuent that the election commeth of deseruyng and then will we also dreame certayne workes that shall thereunto bée appoynted of vs and those will we doe at our pleasure so that the election and reprobacion shall stande all in your hands let God doe what that pleaseth him But now béecause there bée certayne open places of scripture that geue onely the cause to God all onely of election also of reprobation therefore are these men sore troubled and can not tell no other remedy but all onely to studye how they may wring wrest the open scriptures to the fortifiing of their errour and to the satisfyinge of their carnall reason so that where the holy Ghost sayth I will obdurate the hart of Pharao they will take vpon them to learne and to teach the holy Ghost to speake better and to say of this maner I will suffer Pharao to bée indurated but I will not doe it but my easynes my softnes whereby that I shall suffer him shall bring other men to repentaunce but Pharo shal it make more obstinate in malice So that God doth indurate as you say when hée doth not chastice a synner but sheweth softnes and easynes and sufferaunce to hym Hée is mercifull when hée doth call a sinner to repentaunce by affiction and scourging So that induration after your exposition is nothing els but for to suffer euyll by softnes and by goodnes To haue mercy is nothing els but to correcte to scourge and to punyshe men for their synnes This is the exposition of induration after S. Hierome and after your common glose S. Hieromes wordes bée these God doth indurate when hée doth not by and by castigate a synner Hée hath mercy when hée doth call a synner by and by vnto repentāce by afflictions c. This is auctoritie inough as you thinke what shoulde you search any farther Dyd not these men vnderstand scripture Is not this exposition playne This taketh away all inconueniēces By this exposition God is not the auctor of euell This is a clarkely exposition Briefly this this must néedes bee the true expositiō Wherfore it weare better for you to erre with S. Hierome and with our oulde schoolemen then for to say true with these newe heretykes so call you all them that will reproue oulde errours Now haue you well defended the matter Now is your cause well proued Now must the holy Ghost chang his wordes For hée hath new schoolemaysters And wheare hée was wont to say I haue hardened Pharos hart Now must hée say Pharao hath hardened hym selfe by my softnes and by my easines but I haue not done it But yet I pray you how woulde you satisfie a weake conscience that stickes faste to the worde of God and reckeneth that the holy Ghost knoweth well what hée shal speake and wil speake nothing without a great cause but that that hée speaketh shall bée so well spoken that you can not amende it How thynke you is it sufficient to say to this poore man S. Hierome and all schoole men say so holde thou thy peace
tame his body that it may waite vpon God deceiueth hym selfe All our doynges must tende to the honour of God and loue of our neighbour This boke is a preachyng of fayth and loue Here thou mayest learne a right meditation or contemplation The workes of God are supernatural We must abstaine froÌ„ outward euill though not for loue yet for feare of the vengeance of God Vnto the law of god we may neither adde nor minish We are coÌ„maunded to abstayne from Images God is mercyful to them that repent Christ hath deliuered vs therfore we ought to serue him our neyghbour for his sake Loue onely to the fulfillyng of the lawes of God We must trust onely in God not in our selues Howe a maÌ„ may trye examine hym selfe how much he loueth God and his neighbour God styrreth vp his people vnto fayth A right way of prayer The pith effect of all y e lawes of God And if wee firste loue God then out of that loue wee must nedes loue our neighbour What it is to loue and feare God and what it is to despise hym The word of god may not be altered Let no maÌ„ draw vs from gods worde Of maters of the common weals None may be condemned vnder two witnessed Christ our sauiour declared in the old testament The curse and wrath of God ouer al those that break his lawes We may not be to curious in the searchyng of Gods secretes but rather study to vnderstand to do our duety towards god and our neighbour The Papistes kept the Scriptures from the lay people because they onely will be the publishers expositors therof The scripture hath a body and a soule The scripture contayneth iij. thinges The maner of hipocrites in reading the law of god The papisticall and corrupt doctrine of the papists Now the Papistes â—ring and wrest the scriptures God correcteth where he loueth God casteth none away but such as refuse to kept his lawes and will not harken vnto hys voyce Such as hardeÌ„ their hartes and not harken to the will of God to do it God casteth out The Prophetes of God bare the weakenes of their brethren their 〈◊〉 ries also with patience The Pope and his ministers are persecutors ouer their brethren The cruell opinioÌ„ that the disciples had of Christ The ignoraunce and imperfection of the apostles God doth mercifully try tempt vs to moue vs to vtter our hartes myndes towardes hym Ionas of himselfe was an vn mete messenger to be sent of such a message but god assisted him with his holy spirit The carnal imagination of mans nature without Gods spirite Ionas so long as he was in his carnall imagination could nâ—t abyde the voice of God but fled howbeit God called hym â—…ne Ionas flesh râ—belled agaynst the spirite The wicked seke to to coâ—er their wickednes with â—ope holy workes How Ionas was â—rapped made aâ—rayed Ionas beyng afrayd comesseth his sinnes Le ts howe they may be vsed law fully Miracle moueth the heathen to know god and to call vpon him As Ionas lay three dayes and iij. nightes in y t Whals Bely so Christ lay thre dayes and three nightes in the earth How christ sheweth his death resurrectioÌ„ by Ionas the Prophet Christ by the mouth of his Apostles preached repentaunce to the Iewes Where ther is no repeÌ„tauÌ„ce there God powreth out his vengeaunce Gildas a writer of y t Brittishe Chronicle Wicleffe a preacher of repenâ—â—nÌ„ce They slew Richard y t second They set vp Henry the fourth Henry the fift Henry the sixt Christ now preacheth repeÌ„taunce vnto vs. Ionas called vpon God out of the fishes belly The sacrifice that Ionas offereth vnto God The sacrifices of the olde lawe were ordeyned to put vs in remeÌ„braunce of the sacrifice of thankesgeuyng Ionas dyd that God commaunded hym Niniue was the greatest Citie in the world â–ª Christ is mercyfull to the that repent and call for mercy The doctrine of the Phariseis and the Papists make sinne of that is no sinne This is y â— doctrine of y t Papistes and hypocriticall monkes at this day The blynd and fruteles workes of the Papistes Papisticall sinnes Papistes taught theÌ„ selues and theyr workes withall crueltieÌ„ The false wicked doctrine of the Papistes Blinde and btpocritical doctrine The Phariseto set vp a righteousnes of workes to cleÌ„se their soules withall By the worldly fleship interpretations of the scriptures the Iewes hartes were hardened The heâ—â— then repented at the preachyng of Ionas A good and profitable example Note herâ— the great mercy of God The right maner how to read the Scripture All our deedes are made perfect in christes bloud All the promised made by God in Christ are made to theÌ„ that repent The two keyes that open aâ— the Scripture A very fruitfull good lesson How thou mayst at all tymes apply the stories of the Bible to thy great comfort The law must be fulfilled with the mercy that is in Christ In thy hart are the wordes of the law in thine hart are the promises and mercy of Christ Our sinne is of our selues but remission sorgeuenes therof commeth frely of the mercy of God for christes sake God hath no nede of our works but we must do theÌ„ for our selues and for the profite of our neighbors Christ hath satisfied for our sinnes as well after baptisme as before Baptisme Our actuall sinnes are washed away in Christes bloud The Zewes to this day ar locked out from the vnderstanding of the scriptures The right way into the vnderstanding of the Scritures Iaco. 1. The generall couenaunt that God hath made with vs. Lawe In these commaundemento is contayned tee whole law Where no good 〈…〉 are there the fayth is vayne What fayth it is that saueth Two thinges are required to be in a christian man What the nature of gods word is When we heare gods will and do it not then God withdraweth his mercy and fauour from vs. He that harkeneth to the word of God doth it the same shal be blessed in his deede What it is to build vppon â—and The vncleane spirit that returneth in worse sort theÌ„ he was when hee was cast forth Such 〈◊〉 are profes sours of the worde 〈◊〉 God and will not tame and scourge theÌ„ selues theÌ„ will God plague 〈◊〉 scourge Christes deedes â—et vs in the fauour of God our owne helpe vs to continue in his fauour Loue is the fulfilling of the law Faith is cause of loue God requireth mercie and not sacrifice Onely loue vnderstandeth the law Gospell New Testament Our workes extend no farther then to our neighbour Why Tyndall vsed this worde repeÌ„tauÌ„ce rather then penaunce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The foure partes of repentanÌ„ce What maner of satisfaction weâ— ought to make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why hee nameth theÌ„ Elders not priests William Tyndals Prologue vpon the Gospell of Marke The Prologue of W.
men The litterall sense killeth say sophisters The letter killeth expound this To loue the law is righteousnes The litterall sense is spirituall What is to be sought in y â— Scripture and in the litteâ—… sense The story of Ruben Swearâ— they by their honour thâ—â— are they not ready to suffer shame for Christes sake The adultery of Dauid The difference betwen gods sinners the deuils Nos The Pope is likened to Ham. They will to heauen by away of their owne makyng The vse of similitudes A similitude without Scripture is a sure token of a false Prophet Paul preached not worldly wisedome Similitudes and reasons of mans wisdome make no faith but waueryng opinions onely Goddes word maketh surâ— fayth for God can not lye Peter preached not fables and false similitudes but the playne Scripture ☞ Schole do 〈◊〉 Similitudes are no good argumentes among the sophisters owne selfe We must â—ure our in 〈…〉 with the remedies that God hath ordeined not tempt god What 〈…〉 ☞ ☜ In expoundyng of the Scripture we must haue a respect vnto the liuyng and practising of Christ and of his Apostles and Prophetes The scripture was geuen to leade vs vnto Christ ☞ Settes or orders Couetousnes desire of honour is the ende of all false doctrine and that which false prophets seke Purgatory Pardons Praying to saintes Confession An example of false expouÌ„ding y â— scriptures Christ the â—ayth and Gods word is the rocke and not the Pope The auctority of Peters successour â—o but to preach That expositioÌ„ to false which is agaynst thâ— oâ—en scripture or agaynst thâ— practising of Christ and of hys Apostles Binding 〈◊〉 lowsing is one power What Iesus signifieth What bynding meaneth What cursing meaneth What lowsing meaneth ☜ The Pope is Robyn goodfelow Of our selues we can performe nothâ—ng further theÌ„ God â—…ll geue vs power Another example To sit on Christes seaâ—e is to preach and confesse Christ Christ rebuked desire of preheminence in his Disciples but the Pope chalengeth it aboue all men as hyâ—… owne inheritaunce Fathers fathers Miracles miracles The womaÌ„ of Lemster was a solempne miracle The armour of the spiritualtie The armour of a Christe maÌ„ is Gods word and fayth ☜ Gods woorde about all mens iudge mentes Fryers be not bound to preach How God ought to be serued In Christ to rest of conscience onely Do good deedes and trust in Christ Gods worde is the rule of childreÌ„ seruauntes wyues subiectes â—o please God â—o to beleue hys promises to loue hys commaundementes He that will aueÌ„ge robbeth God of his honour How 〈◊〉 soeuer the kyng is 〈…〉 vnto thâ—… great gift of God The Pope hath a law that none of his sprites may be suerty The kyng is but a seruaunt to execute the lawes of God How farre a kyng ought to seeke at his commons handes Note 4 Confession The manifolde enormities which their auricular confession did breede The Pope and his chapteyns were the fountaines of all euils in spiritualâ— regiment or teÌ„porall Vnder an outwarde pretence of Gods honor the poâ—â—â— Clergie procured their owne dignitie The keepyng down of Gods word promoted the Popes spiritualties honour The Byshop of Rochester as a fit paterna to 〈…〉 â—ll y ◠〈…〉 aâ—… The cause why kings coulde not come to the knowledge of y â— truth Miracles are done by fayth and not by ceremonies The vse of Allegories The vse of similitudes â–ª To digge the welles of AbrahaÌ„ is to open and to make plaine the scriptures which is the kingdome of God Abrahams welles The kingdome of heauen what it 〈◊〉 Moses face The keye what it is The lawe is the way that leadeth to Christ Lawe what her office is The law 〈…〉 â—â—reth sinne condemneth our deedes drinketh vs to Christ Moses 〈◊〉 the law but Christ onely geueth grace to do it and vnderstand it aright The 〈◊〉 serâ—ent Num. 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 〈…〉 contraâ—… peâ—acioâ—s The 〈◊〉 â—ure 〈◊〉 is looked vp Christ is the doore the way and foundation of all the Scriptures When by gloses of out owne imaginacioÌ„ we darken the cleare text of gods word theÌ„ is the Scripture locked by from vs. Christ vsed 〈◊〉 temporal regiment Christ is a gâ—… geuen onely to theÌ„ that loue the law and professe it He that professeth not the law hath 〈…〉 in the promises Workes do not iustifie 2. Cor. 〈◊〉 The law By keepyng the lawe we continue in grace Fayth loue and hope are insepararable in this lyfe They that loue not the law cannot vnderstand the Scripture to saluation Care How God careth for the weake By bearyng eche other weakenes we fulfil the lawe of Christ Rulers why they were ordayned Why God scourgeth hys The conditions of the couenaunt Flesh and spirite Crosse Euill lustes and affections are to be purged with the crosse of Christ To sinne vnder grace and to 〈◊〉 vnder the lawe Lambes Swyne Dogges Swyre haue â—o fayth Dogges loue not the lawe True fayth to coupled with loue to the lawe The difference of faythes and how it is to be vnderstoode fayth iustifieth Fayth of hipocrites fayth of 〈◊〉 The â—ight baptâ—… The church of Christ Whosoeuer derogate any thyng froÌ„ the 〈◊〉 of Christ are not of the church They that haue not the lawe writeâ— in their harts â–ª caÌ„not vnderstand the passion of Christ to saluation A 〈◊〉 re peting What the inward baptisme of the soule iâ— Thau Faith â—ope and charitie are inseperable Faith hope and charitie are knowen one by the other The office of fayth The office of loue The office of hope The anker of our saluation is perfect faith in Christes bloud 1. Pouerth in spirite Riches Neither riches or pouertie exclude or assure vs of Gods blessing Who are poore in spirite is here pithely declared Riche in spirite Couetousnes is a thyng contraris to the worde of God and to the ministers of the same By couetousnes is a false Prophet chiefly knowen 2. Some cry the world is nought not â—or their owne and others iniquitie but for waywardnes they caÌ„ not enioye theyr owne lusles Godlye mournyng As warmeth accoÌ„panieth the sâ—nne so foloweth the crosse a true Christian man K. Iohn Henry the second The promise of Goddes word is y â— coÌ„fort of y â— afflicted in this world for Christs sake Faith is our victory By persecution and death for y â— truthes sake we obteine lyfe get the victory The mourners for righteousnes are saued when God taketh vengeance on y â— vnright 〈◊〉 wise 3. Mekenes possesseth the earth Referre y â— reuenge of thy cause to the Magistrate whoÌ„ God appointeth to forbyd such violence Hundred folde The priuat person may not aduenge but the officer must 4. Righteousnesse How this word righteousnes ought here to be vnderstode Monkes Monkes why they runne into Religion Luc. vi Monkes be cursed 5. To be mercyful what it is how manye wayes mercy may be shewed Monkes Couent Oâ—le Holy oyle must bee aduenged Zeale
vsed of Christ Iohn 6. The olde passeouer compared with the Supper of our Lord. Baptisme compared with Circumcision 1. Cor. 10. 11. and 12. Rom. 6. Ephes 4. Eucharistia thaÌ„kes giuyng 1. Cor. 10. and 11. 1. Tim. 1. Baptisme was figured by Circumcision and the Lordes Supper by the paschall lambe Luke 12. 1. Cor. 5. Exod. 12. Luke 22. The Paschall lambe eaten and the Sacrament instituted Twoo thynges to be considered in the Sacramentes The matter and substaunce of of the SacrameÌ„t and the signes of the 〈◊〉 â–ª The signe is called the thyng Gene. 17. Exod. 12. The scripture calleth the signe by the name of the thing that it signifieth The bread in the SacrameÌ„t called the body of Christ the wyne called the bloud of Christ â—st is takeÌ„ for significat Gene. 40. The figuratiue speches vsed in the scripture 〈◊〉 Pet. 2. Ezech. 5. The maner of speakyng in the scripturo Iohn 3. The naturall body of Christ is not in the SacrameÌ„t â–ª The Sacrament is to be receaued with thankes geuyng The vse of the supper Luke 22. Note here the whole circumstaunce of the maner and institution of the SacrameÌ„t of Christes body Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. Iohn 6. Abacuk 2. Christ declared to his disciples that he would leaue this world 〈◊〉 go to his father in heauen Scriptures are many that shewe Christ as touchyng his natural body is gone and is not here Actes 2. Christ asceÌ„ded into heauen Iohn 14. and. 16. Christ â—â—playne wordes declareth his bodely departure out of this world Christ playnlye shewed vnto the disciples that he must depart from this world to his father in heauen Christes â—…rified body is in heauen Christes 〈◊〉 scention was witnessed by many The here 〈◊〉 of Marcâ—… what it was 1. Timo. 6. 2. Timo. 2. 1. Timo. 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 11. The Supper of the Lord is the commemâ—ration and memoriall of Christes death S. Paule calleth the SacrameÌ„t bread after the consecration By one loafe of bread we are fignified to bee one body in Christ The cup of the Lord 〈◊〉 the cup of the deuill how they differte Who they are that eate of the bread and drinke of the cup vnworthely Euery 〈◊〉 did eate his own supper and not the Supper of the â—â—rd We must firste examine out stlues and theÌ„ come to the table of the Lord. Loke more of this in the Epistle to the reader If we come not thankfully and charitably vnto y t Lordes borde we eate and drinke our damnation S. Paule calleth the poore the Church of God This place the Papistes alledge to proue vnwritten be ritie More belyeth Decolampâ—dius and Zuingitus Loke more of this in the Epistle to the reader Tertulian The worâ—es of Tertulian AusteÌ„ cap. xij against â—dimâ—nt Gene. 6. Leui. 7. Deut. 12. Austen calleth Sacrament the signe of his body Homâ— 83. operitiâ— imperfectâ— Chrisostome calleth the sacrameÌ„t the signe of Christes body The confutatioÌ„ of the Papistes gloses The Papistes are wreâ—ters peruerters of the scriptures The Papistes say that the traÌ„ substantion is done by miracles All true miracles are done to let forth the glory of God Christ dyd miracles to declare hâ—m selfe to be both God and man 〈…〉 〈…〉 1. Thes 2. 1. Iohn 2. 〈…〉 scriptures The conteÌ„tious and wicked doctrine of y â— Papistes hath prouoked the lyght of gods truth to be set forth to the vnderstandyng of the people How the 〈…〉 Aâ—…â—2 The Sacrament is not vsed in these dayes as it was in the tyme of the Apostles A good doctrine for al such ministers as haue cure of soules to vse to his flocke Thankes geuyng The bread and wyne are not prophane but Sacramentes to holy vse 1. Cor. 1. A wholesome and good lesson namely for all ministers Rom. 5. At the ministration of the Sacrament let the minister exhorte all men to haue faith and lone to pray for grace I good and necessary exhortatioÌ„ to be mate to y â— people of the tâ—… they receaue the communioÌ„ None may come to the commuâ—… without y â— weddyng germent 〈◊〉 â—ayth Iohn 13. Thankesgeuyng to God Those wordes of his are in his booke that he made for y t pore soules in Purgatory Marke 42. Not who speaketh but that whiche is spoken is to be weyed most 1. Tim. 4. The holy ghost inspireth where when and on whom he pleaseth Actes 2. 1. Cor. 12. The talent of our learnyng is to be employed to the edifiyng of Christes congregation Wilfully to resist Gods worde is sinne agaynst the holy ghost Ezech. 33. Obiection Aunswere 1. Thess Our imperfection forgeuen thorough faith in Christes bloud The Byshop of Rochesters owne opinion concernyng the vnderstandyng of the scriptures in his time and long a forâ— that Actes 17. The cause of our blindnes and grosse errours 2. Thess 2. Rom. 15. Voluntary ignorauÌ„ce not to bee excused The cause of Iohn Frithes writyng against Purgatory Mans reason must be obedient to the Scriptures Aulus Gelius The rebuke of an open enemy better then the sclender prayse of a frend M. More my Lord of Rochester can not agree The Purgatoryes that God hath ordeyned Iohn 15. The Purgatory of the hart The Purgatory of the hart is fayth The Purgatory of the members Heb. 12. The Purgatory of the meÌ„bers is the crosse of Christ Psal 89. God nayleth vs to the crosse to heale our infirmities So euill was the life of the Papistes that they imagined a Purgatory for them selues The wisedome of the world foolishnes afore God Symon Fishe the maker of the booke of the Supplication of Beggers Our riches is to be bestowed on the poore Either there is no Purgatory els the Pope is mercylesse Whereat M. More first began to fume agaynst such as denye Purgatory Rastell foloweth M. More The names of the disputers in the matter of Purgatory The soÌ„me and contentes of Rastels iij. Dialogues An aunswere to Rastels Dialogue Rastels booke is either true or false If naturall reason conclude agaynst the Scripture then is naturall reasoÌ„ false Roma 5. Iohn 11. 2. Rastels boke clearely quickly confouÌ„ded Rastel beaten to the wall The first chief reason made for Purgatory Rastell Aunswere to the first argument Psal 81. 1. Thess 4. Question Math. 24. The confutatioÌ„ of Rastels first chief argument 1. Iohn 1. 1. Cor. 15. 1. Thess 4. Ephes 1. and. 5. Rastell ouerthroweÌ„ in his owne turne 3. Hebr. 1. Christ is the onely Purgatory and purger of our sins 4. Ephe. 5. A frutefull and excelleÌ„t argument 5. Ephe. 1. Christ by his election doth purge and clense vs. 6. 1. Iohn 1. Ephe. 1. Gallat 5. Roma 7. Roma 8. Roma 5. Roma 4. Psal 31. Iustification freely doth exclude Purgatory Roma 3. Obiection In aunswere to the first obiection Obiection 1. In aunswere to the second obiection 2. The Pope â—elleth Christes merites for money 3. We may not robbe God of his honour 4. Blasphemy to say Christes bloud is not full
not lawfull Israelites Gods peculiar people SacrameÌ„tes and figures thereof grossely vnderstode breede errors Roma 〈◊〉 Gods church largely taken what it is Math. 13. Math. 25. Gods elect Church is without spotte and onely knowen to God Man is vncertaine of his election vntill the holy ghost working in hym assure hym therof Good and bad are of the sensible Church Math. 〈◊〉 Luke 〈◊〉 Infanteâ— may be â—â—ptised because they be partakers of the promise although they as yet haue no fayth The second thyng to be considered in Baptisme Roma 6. Dipping in the water and liftyng vp agayne of intantes what it signifieth The whole course of mans life is a continuall Baptisme Galat. 3. Tit. 3. Baptisme is the fountaine of our new byrth The signification of Baptisme that is to say banishyng the old maÌ„ and puttyng on the new acquired onely by fayth Iohn 3. The wicked distrustyng in Gods promises dispayre Iohn 5. Christes bloud is the streÌ„gth of our Baptisme Roma 5. Matthew the last Math. 28. Causes why the SacrameÌ„t of Baptisme shold bee had in great reuerence Sundry sortes of meÌ„ which we haue conuersation withall diuersly affected Ceremonies of some sortes are as guides vnto the knowledge of God Actes 15. The perfection of man Math. 15. Tit. 1. 1. Cor. 8. Weake consciences eyther by breaking of any auncient custome or neglecting ceremonies not to be offended 1. Cor. 8. The obstinate which put trust in thinges not needefull to saluation must be resisted Actes 8. Philip the Apostle vsed not so many outward ceremonies in Baptisme as papistes doe Ministers must be circumspect in the vses abuses of ceremonies â—…i 33. Exod. 20. Deut. 5. Exod. 31. Sabaoth abrogated for feare of superstition Gallat 4. Sabaoth kept on the Sonday Coll. 2. Exod. 13. Deut. 4. and. 5. Ezech. 3. and. 30. Math. 7. 1 â–ª Cor. 11. 2. Timb 3. Exod. 8. Iohn 4. Math. 8. Iohn 6. Iohn 6. Iohn 17. Iohn 13. Luke 22. Phil. 2. Math. 21. Math. 10. Luke 22. Math. 14. and. 15. Math. 8. Math. 21. Luke 2. Math. 11. Math. 21. Mark 16. Iohn 19. Math. 5. Iohn 19. Ca. ConstaÌ„t dist â—â—vi Math. 10. Luke 23. Math. 10. Iohn 19. Exod. 16. Heb. 9. Math. 25. Math. 18. Iohn 21. Math. 8. Marke 1. Luke 5. Math. 5. Math. 8. 17. Iohn 22. Luke 2. Math. 5. Actes 2. Math. 3. Iohn 12. Iohn 9. Luke 10. Iohn 19. Math. 19. Luke 22. Math. 23. Marke 9. â—ath 17. Iohn 14. Marke 11. Math. 4. Math. 5. Math. 17. Math. 11. Luke 12. Math. 23. Math. 17. Math. 26. Math. 26. Iohn 15. Math. 19. 1. Cor. 7. Math. 15. Roma 14. Collos 2. Tit. 1. Math. 16. Math. 18. Iohn 15. Luke 17. Oh abhomination Math. 2â— Osea 〈◊〉 Math. 9. Roma 4. Iohn 11. 1. Iohn 2. Iames. 5. Math. 5. Roma 13. Ephe. 1. Collos 1. 1. Cor. 10. 2. Pet. 2. 2. Timo. 3. Tit. 1. Iohn 19. Luke 6. Luke 〈◊〉 Math. 5. Luke 6. Math. 23. Math. 23. Acte 7. Esay 66. 2. King 7. 1. Cor. 3. Actes 17. Exod. 20. Iohn 5. Iohn 1. Dist. xxij ca. sacrosancta Math. 10. 1. Timo. 3. Tit. 1. The order that Iohn Frith kepeth in shewyng his mynde in the Sacrament of the body bloud of Christ The occasioÌ„ that moued Iohn Frith to write on the Sacrament The spirituall eatyng of the Sacrament is by fayth The Sacrament to be the naturall body of Christ is no article of our fayth necessary to be beleued vpon payne of damnation Obiection Solution Obstinate defendyng of any cause is worthy of reprehention The foundation of Iohn Frithes first treatise vppon the Sacrament It is no article of our fayth to beleue it to be the naturall body of Christ The same fayth saueth vs that saued our fathers Adam Gene. 3. How our fathers did eate the body of christ and dronke his bloud Abraham Gene. 12. Circumcision was the Sacrament of Gods couenasit made with Abraham AbrahaÌ„ by fayth dyd eate and drinke Christes body and bloud Iohn 8. The spirituall eating drinkyng of Christ shall saue vs. Manna was to the Israelites the same that the SacrameÌ„t is to vs now August de vtilitate poenicentiae Aug. super Ioan. tract 26. A goodly saying of S. Augustine Beda suter 1. Cor. 10. To eate the SacrameÌ„t by fayth spiritually is to eate the body of Christ c. There is no cause why we should accompt the SacrameÌ„t to be Christes naturall body for that were to grosse an imaginatioÌ„ We are not boundâ— to beleue vpoÌ„ payne of daÌ„natioÌ„ more then our fathers beleued Gene. 1. Psal 1. Esay 7. Acte 3. Actes 2. Psal 16. We must beleue the articles of our fayth vpon payne of damnation but in the other there is no perill Aug. contra Faustum Lib. 19. cap. 11. There be thre causes why y e Sacramentes were instituted The first is necessity August ad MarcellinuÌ„ The second cause of the institution of Sacramentes How diligently Christ set forth y e Sacrament of hys body bloud that we might by that outward signe assure our fayth that his very true body was crucified for our sinnes The thyrd cause of the institution of Sacramentes The sacrament is profitable to none but to such as vnderstaÌ„d the doctrine therof An example of the Alepole The true significatioÌ„ of the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ The sacrifices of the Iewes as loÌ„g as they were rightly vsed were well accepted More Frith 1. Pet. 2. Luke 22. Ephes 6. Math. 10. Mich 5. Iohn 6. Math. 10. 3. Cor. 11. Ioh. Frith mette with false brethren 2. Cor. 10. An exhortation to stand manfully by the profession of Gods word More Frith BrethreÌ„ is an auncient name in the scripture Amos. 8. Math. 11. Luke 18. Roma 1. Actes 24. More Frith Ioh. Frith feared not death Frith wisheth all his workes to be seene More Frith He that seeth his brother in peril of ieoperdy must warn him therof Deut. 12. Note here the earnest zeale of Frith An offer made to the Clergie by Io. Frith More Frith 2. Thes 2. 1. Iohn 4. Actes 20. The propâ—esie of S. Paule â—the latter times Siluester when corruption entred into y e Church Bishoprickes wer not gredely sought in y e primitiue Church for then it was a charge and not a Lordship Math. 27. Mark 15. Iohn 19. A great alteration in the church sithen the time of Christ and hys Apostles 1. Cor. 11. A litle flock is left that are not corrupted More Frith 1. Cor. 10. Paule calleth the Sacrament bread 1. Cor. 11. Actes 2. Luke 22. Nature sayth there is bread in the Sacrament The wyne will waxe sowre if it be kept loÌ„g The Doctors proue that bread remayneth in the Sacrament Gelasius a Pope Contra Eutych Nestorium This is the saying of Gelasius a Pope Wickleffe Wickleffe buried xv yeare and then brent Math. 10. Malach. 2. Oecolampadius Tyndall Tyndall declareth his innocency Zwinglius Zwinglius slayne in a iust and righteous cause
geuen vs his commaundementes to bee kept De temp ser lxiij De lib. arb cap. xvi Eccl. 12. Gods commaundementes bee impossible to our nature Whereof our good will commeth De coÌ„gruo De lib. arb cap. xvi The Pelagians sayth that God giueth good lawes man may keepe them of his natural strength or els the coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts were frustrate iiij sen dist xiiij quest ij Hee that hath not y t grace of God caÌ„not abhorre sin Roma 18. De gredeâ—iâ— cap. 8. Grace findeth our hartes stony Meritum de congruo Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo Eccl. 16. Mans Lordshyp ouer all creatures of God Mans dominion restreined Aug. de lib. arb cap. xvi August de verb. Apost sent xiij Wherefore the lawe is giuen Math. 23. Two wils in God Gene. 2. Howe Christ willed to saue the Iewe â–ª Iohn 11. Wherin thâ— libertie of freewill consisteth Magist sen in ij It was not in their handes to chaunge their will We may not â—ee to inquisiâ—â—ue of Gods secâ—etes Nothyng that God doth caÌ„ bee amended Note here the wicked and sinnefull state of man Fayth doth not come of exterior causes but is the mere gift of God God disposeth hys mercy to whom it pleaseth hym Math. 20. Roma 9. God hath no delight in our damnation A comfortable and wholesome doctrine Scâ—â—â—s i. s dâ—st 〈◊〉 Bonauenture Iacob Esau Meritum de congruo Iacob is elected and Esau reiected Rom. 9. Gods mercy is y e cause onely of our saluation August super Ioannem tract lxxxviij God is mercyfull MaÌ„s good intent to saue hym selfe Origine in perâ—arcon Glos Rom. 5 Hierâ— super Esaiam which bee newe men Howe the Papistes schoole men peruert the holy scriptures How God indurateth Ephe. 2. All thyngs are subiect to the will of God Gods actioÌ„ is good As y t faithfull take profite by the hearing of the word of God so the wicked and vnfaith full take hurt thereby The Pope and his cleargie wil not allow y t scripture to bee in y t mother vulgar tongue of y t people This was Byshoppe Stokesley A common practise of Prelates to deface the scriptures The cleargie were more willing to finde faulte wyth the translating of the Scripture then to amende it W. Tyndal The onely cause why the Scriptures were condemned by the Byshops Esay 61. Hebr. 10. The words of God was firste written to all nations and people and not to priestes onely The Byshoppes worse then the great Turke A worshyp full counsell of an vnpreachyng Prelate The earnest zeale of Doctour Barnes Doctour Barnes most earnestly defeÌ„deth Christes cause Deut. 32. Psal 118. Psal 1. The Pope and Christ are contrary Ephes 6. A godly saying of S. Ihon. The Pharisies iudged better of the scriptures of God then our Byshops dyd 1. Tim. 3. Papistes S. Paule are contrarye 2. Tim. 3. One of the chiefest workes of Antichrist is to condemne the scriutures of God Mar. vlt. Mat. vlt. The Papistes are blasphemers of Gods heaueÌ„ly word Papistes abyde the true preachers of the Gospell Psal 9. The euangelistes and Apostles did not onely preache but also wrote the Scripture that all meÌ„ might read it Actes 17. Papistes preach lyes Dect Alen expoundeth Scripture A Popish Doctors interpretation A foolish tale of a tubbe The Papisticall and vayne doctrine of Papistes Authorities to prooue that the scriptures ought to bee in the mother toungue Actes 18. Acte 8. Collos 3. The Pope and hys Clergy are the very â—lntechristes August ad fratres s 3â— In epis ad Ephes c. 6. Scriptures reache the commaundementes of God In Gen. 〈◊〉 9. ho 28. A notable saying of S. Chrisostome Iâ— Mat. c. 〈◊〉 hom 2. The scripture is meete to bee knowen of all states and sortes of people Di. 38. Si iuxta 7. Sinod c. Omnes et dâ— 38. The readyng of the Scripture allowed by a counsell In prohe In Epist ad Ephes Li. 1. What benefites we may receaue by readyng of Scripture The great arrogancy pride tyranny that is in Papistes Psal 5. Doctour Barnes is vehement The Papistes first reason to prooue that lay men ought not to read Scriptures Euill men will take occasion of euill of euery good thyng 1. Cor. 1. Math. 13. An other reason of the Papistes What is meant by this saying to you is geuen the true vnderstyng and interpretation of scriptures Scotus 11. Sent. di 3. q. 3. Scriptures must bee first knowen therby you may iudge the opinion of the Doctours whether they say right or not A third reason of the Papistes CouÌ„sâ—…s are to bee kept secret but the Scripture must bee made knowen to all men Mar. vâ—â— Ti. 1. 2. Tim. 2. Iohn 3. Math. 5. A foolishe similitude made by Stokesley Byshop of London There are two maner of powers A temporal power The description of the temporall power Roma 13. 1. Pet. 2. Roma 13. 1. Cor. 13. Math. 6. A man wrongfully imprisoned by a tyraunt maye in quyet maner make his escape 1. Cor. 7. Such as haue made offeÌ„ces to the common weale ought not to breake prison 4. Kyng 6. 3. King 89. Actes 12. idem 9. and. 14. What were to bee done if the kyng should forbyd vs the readyng of the Scripture Roma 1. Note here what is to bee done if the kyng doe sorbid the Scripture â—o bee read of his subiectes Subiectes must obey but here is shewed in what sorte and maner Note here how a Christian subiecte must shewe himselfe obedient 1. Cor. 15. Math. 20. Act. 20. 1. Tim. 6. 1. Tim. 2. Act. 4. 5. God is to bee obeyed beefore meÌ„ Luke 13 Daniell 3. Dan. 6. Math. 10. 1. Pet. 3. God doth woÌ„derfully worke to saue and defend hys poore flock Dan. 13. Gene. 37. and. 39. Exod. 2. Psal 〈◊〉 Actes 12. Math. 27. and. 28. Christ is for euer to bee set beefore vs for an example to comforte vs in our persecutioÌ„ Wee must rather suffer perâ—ecution then in any wise resiste A spirituall power The spirituall power hath no auctoritie to make lawes to rule the worlde by 2. Tim. 3. Roma 16. Gala. 1. Ierem. 23. Luke 10. Math. 23. Super Ioan. Trac 46. By the chayre of Moses â–ª is vnderstand the lawe of God which Moses deliuered to the Iewes Act. 5. Hylarius in Mat. canâ— 14. All traditions of men that are agaynst God must bee rooted vp by the rootes Ezechi â–ª 20. Thynges that are indifferent to bee done or not done are to bee obeyed so that y e same bee not commauÌ„ded vnder the peine of deadly sinne 1. Cor. 7. Galat. 2. Note here that things that oâ— the selues are indifferent and yet are comaunded to bee of necessitie obserued those are to bee disobeyed 1. Tim. 4. 1. Cor. 8. Roma 15. Superstition of the Monkes of the Charterhouse Coll. 2. A notable saying of S. Paule Ad Paul Epi. 59. Collos 2. ΣÏι. ad ro propo 72. Our bodyes are subiect to princes but our soules
in the mayd of Kent TheÌ„ I pray you what thyng woorthy of so great prayse hath our Lady done Our Lady hath deliuered her of the holy ghost emptied her of much hygh learnyng which as a goodly Poetisse she vttered in Rimes For appose her now of Christ as Scripture testifieth of hym and thou shalt finde her cleane without rime or reason The maide was at home also in heauenly pleasures and our Lady hath deliuered her out of the ioyes of Orestes and brought her into the miseries of middell earth agayne The xvij Chapter AS for Doulia Hyperdoulia Lattia though he shew not with which of theÌ„ he worshypped the Cardinals hat is aunswered vnto him already The xviij Chapter IN the xviij where he would fayne proue that the Popes Churche can not erre he alledgeth thynges wherof he might be ashamed if he were not past shame to proue that the Byshops haue authoritie to lade vs with traditioÌ„s neither profitable for soule nor body He bringeth a false allegorie vppon the ouerplus that the Samaritane if it were layde out promised to pay when he came agayn for the Byshops traditions Nay M. More besides that allegories which euery man may fayne at his pleasure can proue nothing Christ interpreteth it him selfe that it betokeneth a kynde mynde a louyng neighbour which so loued a straunger that he neuer left caryng for him both absent as well as present vntill he were full whole and common out of all necessitie It signifieth that the Prelates if they were true Apostles and loued vs after the doctrine of Christ would sell their myters croses plate shrynes iuels and costly showes to succour the poore and not robbe them of all that was offered vnto them as they haue done to repare thinges fallen in decay and ruine in the common wealth not to begger the realmes with false Idolatry and imageseâ—uice that they haue not left them wherewith to beare the cost of the common charges And moreouer when the Scribes Phariseis taught their owne doctrine they sat not vpon Moses seate but on their owne And therfore Christ so far it is of that he would haue vs hearken vnto mans doctrine â—ayd beware of the leuen of the Scribes Phariseis Saduces which is their doctrine rebuked them for their doctrine brake it him selfe and taught his Disciples so to do and excused them and sayd of all traditioÌ„s that what soeuer his heauenly father had not planted should be plucked vp by the rootes And therto all the persecutioÌ„ that the Apostles had of the Iewes was for breakyng of traditions Our Prelates ought to be our seruauntes as the Apostles were to teach vs Christes doctrine and not Lordes ouer vs to oppresse vs with theyr owne Peter calleth it temptyng of the holy ghost Actes xv to lade the heatheÌ„ with ought aboue that which necessitie and brotherly loue required And Paul rebuketh his Corinthians for their ouer much obedience and the Galathians also and warneth all men to stand fast and not to suffer them selues to be brought into bondage And when he sayth Peter Paule commaunded vs to obey our superiours That is trouth they coÌ„maunded vs to obey the temporall sword which the Pope will not And they commauÌ„ded to obey the Byshops in the doctrine of Christ and not in their owne And we teach not to breake all thyngs rashly as M. More vntruly reporteth on vs whiche is to be sene in our bookes if men will looke vpon them Of traditions therfore vnderstand generally He that may be free is a foole to be bonde But if through wilinesse thou be brought into bondage then if the tradition hurt thy soule thy faith they are to bee broken immediatly though with the losse of thy lyfe If they greue the body onely theÌ„ are they to be borne till God take them of for breakyng the peace and vnitie Then how sore maketh he Christes burtheÌ„ If it be so sore why is M. More so cruell to helpe the Byshops to lade vs with more But surely he speaketh very vndiscretly For Christ dyd not lade vs with one sillabe more then we were euer bound to neither did he any thyng but interpret the law truly And besides that he geueth vnto all hys loue vnto the law which loue maketh all thinges easie be borne that were before impossible And when he sayth ye be the salt of the â—earth that it was spoken for the Byshops and Priestes onely it is vntrue but it was spoken generally vnto all that beleue and know the truth that they should be salt vnto the ignoraunt and the perfecter vnto the weaker ech to other euery man in his measure And moreouer if it be spokeÌ„ vnto the Prelates onely how fortuneth it y â— M. More is so â—usie to â—ault the world iâ— his hygt learnyng And last of all the salt of Prelates which is their readitions ceremonies without signification is vnsauery long a go therfore no more worth but to be cast out at the doores and to be troden vnderfoote And that he sayth in the end that a man may haue a good fayth with euill liuing I haue proued it a lye in an other place Moreouer fayth hope and loue be iij. sisters y â— neuer can depart in this world though in y â— world to come loue shall swalow vp the other twoo Neither can the one be stroÌ„ger or weaker then the other But as much as I beleue so much I loue and so much I hope ye and so much I worke The xix Chapter IN the xix hee proueth that praying to Saintes is good miracles that coÌ„firme it are of God or els the church sayth he doth erre It foloweth in dede or that the Popes Church erreth And when he sayth it is sinne to beleue to much I say we had the more neede to take heede what we beleue and to search Gods word the more diligently that we beleue neither to much nor to litle And when he sayth God is honoured by praying to Saintes because it is done for his sake I aunswere if it spraÌ„ge not out of a false fayth but of the loue we haue to God then should we loue God more And moreouer in as much as all our loue to God springeth put of faith we should beleue and trust God And then if our fayth in God were greater then our feruent deuotioÌ„ to Saintes we should praye to no Saintes at all seyng we haue promises of all thinges in our Sauiour Iesu and in the Saintes none at all The xxv Chapter IN y t xxv how iuggleth he to proue that all y â— perteyneth vnto the faith was not writteÌ„ alledging Iohn in the last that the world could not conteine the bookes if all shoulde be written And Iohn meaneth of the miracles which Iesus did and not of the necessary pointes of the fayth And how