scripturs of S. Paule / can not telle whether he maye graunt that the wylle of god is alonly the cause of eleccion or eis any merites of man precedinge a fore / he coÌ„cludeth / that bothe the opinions may be defended Bonaventure blyndly concludeth that there may be a cause presedynge grace that deserueth yt Bonaventure So that in these vnfrutefulle questions which ingender nothynge but contencion haue they spent alle their lyuys / and for these thynges be geuen vn to them peculyer namys / as Subtylle / and Seraphicalle / and Irrefrigable doctours / but agenst them alle I sett S. Paule whiche toke intollerable labours to proue by inuincible scripturs and examples there of / that there was no cause but alonly the wylle of god and to proue this / he bryngeth an euydent exaÌ„ple of Iacob / and Esau / of the whiche Iacob was elect / and Esau reproved a fore they were borne / and afore they had done other good or bad Can there be a playner example what meneth Paule in these wordes whane they were neyther borne / nor had done neyther good nor bad / but that the eleccion of god myght stond dothe he not clearly take away all maner of merytes bothe de congruo and also de condigno / declareth alonly the wylle of god to be the cause but here wylle the subtylle blyndnes saye / that god sawe a fore that Iacob shuld doo good aÌ„d therfore dyd he chousse hym / he sawe also that Esau shuld doo no good / and therfore he repelled hym / yov blynd gyddâ—s / what wyll yov iudge of that that god sawe how knowe you that he sawe that These chyldern be vn borne / they haue done neyther good nor bad / aÌ„d yet one of theÌ„ ys chossen the other is refused S. Paule knoweth none other cause but that wyll of god / wyll you discusse an other And where yov say that god did se afore the one of theÌ„ shuld do good I pray you what was the cause / or wherby saw he that he shuld do good yov must nedes say / bi that that he wold geue hym his grace / ergo that wyl of god is yet the cause of eleccion / for by cause that god wolde geue hym his grace therfore god sawe that he shulde do good / so shuld also the other haue done yff god wolde haue geuen hym that same graâ—e / wherfore yov gyantes that wylle subdue heuen and erthe leue youre serchynge off this cause / and be content with the wylle of god and doute yov not but the wylle of god / ys as rightwyse and as lawfull a cause of eleccion as youre merites can de And doute yov not but. s Paule that toke so grete labours in this matter dyd se as farre in mans deseruynge as yov cane doo / Roma 9. and yet he concluded with these wordes of scriptures / I wylle shew mercy to whome I shew mercy / I wylle haue compassyon of whome I haue compassyon / so lythe yt not in mans wylle or runnynge but in the mercye of god He saithe not I wylle haue mercy on hym that I see shalle doo good / but I wylle shew mercye to whome I wylle he saith not I wylle haue compassion of hym that shalle deserue yt de congruo / Augustinê° suê‘ Ioan. Tract 8â— but of him of whome I wylle haue compassion This dothe S. Augustine well proue in these wordes / the disputacion of them ys vayne the whiche doo defende / the presciens off god agenste the grace of god and therfore saye that we were chossen a fore the makynge of the worlde / by cause that he knew a fore that we shulde be good / not by cause he shulde make vs good but he that saith yov haue not chosen me saithe not that / for yf he dyd therfore chouse vs by cause that he knew a fore that we shulde be good / than must he also know a fore / that we shulde fyrst haue chosen hym cÌ„ Here is it playne that the eleccion of god ys not by cause he sawe a fore that we shulde doo welle / but alonly the cause of the eleccion is his mere mercye / and the cause of oure doyng welle is his eleccion / and therfore S. Paule sayeth not off workes but of callynge Now goo to yov subtylle Duns men with alle youre carnall reasons and serche out a cause of his secrett wylle yff you did beleue that he were good / rightwise and mercyfulle yt were agreet comforte for yov / that the eleccion stode alonly by his wylle / for so were yov suer that it shulde be bothe rightwyselye done also mercyfully / but you haue no faith therfore must yov nedes mystrust god / of that falle yov to inveÌ„t causys of eleccyon of youre awne strengthe as one shulde saye by cause god wyll not of his rightâ—usnes or of his mercye chousse vs we wylle be suer that we shall be elected / for fyrst wyll we inuent that the eleccion commeth of deseruyng thaÌ„ wylle we also dreme serâ—en workes / that shall there vnto be a poynted of vs / so that the eleccion reprobacion stondeth all in youre hondes But now bycause that there be serten open places of scriptur / that geue wonly the cause / to god alonly of eleccion and also of reprobacion / therfore are you sore troubled / and cane telle no nother remydy / but alonly to studdy / how yow may wryng and wrest the open scripturs / to that forrefyynge of youre erroure and to the satisfysynge of youre carnalle reason / so that in the the holy gost saithe / I wyll obdurate the harte of pharao / yov wyll take a pon yow / to lerne to teache the holy goste to speke better / and to say of this maner / I wylle suffer Pharao to be indurated / but I wylle not doo yt / but my easynes my softenesse where by that I shalle suffer hym shalle brynge other men to repentaunce / but Pharao shall it make more obstinate in mallyce so that god dothe indurate as yov say whan he dothe not chastice a synner but sheweth sofftenes and easynes and sufferaunce to hym Origen in perâ—arcon He is mercifulle whan he doth call a synner to repentance by affliccion and scorgyng / so that induracion after youre exposicion / Glossa roma 5. is nothynge elles but for to suffer evylle / by sofftenesse and by goodnes / to haue mercye is nothynge elles but to correct to scorge and to ponishe meÌ„ for their synnes this is the exposicion of induracion after Origenen S. Hierom / aÌ„d after youre commen glosse Hiero. suê‘ Esaiam S / Hieroms wordes be these god dothe indurate / whan he dothe not by and by castigate a sinner / he hathe mercye whan he doth call a synner by and by vn to repentaunce by affliccions cÌ„ This is auctorite ynough
insurreccyon agenste youre grace But now youre grace may lyghtly iudge whether that they be traytours that wyll mynyshe youre power / yee and almost take yt cleare a waye / and not soo content except they be also youre fellowes wyth in youre awne realme / or els I that wyll be obedyent with all mekenes and lowlines vnto youre grace / ād also lerne all other men so to be and to geue vn to youre grace all maner off power erthlye vnder god whiche thynge I do not now allonly lerne / but all ways did lerne that same and dyd intende for to haue proceded further in this cause yff yt had pleasyd god that I myghte haue contynued / as myne artycles for the whyche I was condemned do openly declare and testyfye whyche thynge as sone as the bysshops perceyued / they thought yt was not good for them that I shulde contynue and therefore they toke me and condempned me for an heretyke / wyth out scrypture / agenste goodes worde / Agenst all good order / Agenst all good conscyens / agēst all manhod And not soo content / but put me to the greatyst shame that their hartys coulde deuyse ād afterwarde put me in preson allmost thre yearys / and yet not so content but sought all false / vncherytable and vnchrystyned meanys too brynge me to dethe / the whyche no doute but they had done yt / yff they had not feryd youre grace more than god It ys not to be doubted / but that youre grace and also all the worlde / hearynge howe they dyd vse me / wyll suspect and Iudge / that I haue done some intollerabylle cryme / and that I haue offendyd in heresye and too sore agenst god and hys blessyd worde / or ells the bysshops wolde neuer have soo handelyd me / thys all the worlde wyll thynke For they be reuerent fathers and holy men / and great prelates off Christes churche / and men off great lernynge / and suche men that they will not of their honour / handyll any man so sore / except yt wers for a great and an vrgent cause Truthe yt ys that all these thynges they wyll be / but howe honorable / and howe cherytable they haue byn vn to me / the cause wyll declare yt selfe / yff yt please youre grace no more but too rede the artycles for the whyche they haue condempned me And that youre grace ād all the worlde myght se them / I haue put them forthe in prynte I thynke youre grace shall not fynde manye thynges in them neyther agenst god nor yet agenst hys holy worde / but agenst theyr abomynable lyuynge and damnable pompe and pryde be the moste parte off them all Those ware the thyngys / that I toke in honde to dystroye / but these thynges a fore god / and a fore all chrysten men / be very farre from heresy Notwythstondge / yt was not possyble that I and all my frendes coulde deuyse any resonable ende with them / but that I shulde spend all my lyffe in pryson / my trespace as they sayd was so great To speake agēst prynces is at the most but treason / but to speake agenst these holy goodes ys bothe treason and also heresye / whyche ys the greatyst cryme in erth / yf harte coulde deuyse any greater cryme yt shulde be layd vn to hym / suche heuenly parsons be these / It ys euell medlynge for mortall men with immortall godes / for there ys no waye to make satisfacciō This haue I well proued to my vtter vndoynge / for I beynge in preason made dyuers tymys meanys vn to certayne off them / as vn to my lorde of london / fyrst that yt wolde pleasse hys holynes / to speake wyth me / and yf he found me in any errours / that he wolde be so good as to teache me / for I desyred to lerne the veryte and yff he founde me in none / I wolde desyre hys holynes that he wolde laboure for me too my lorde Cardynalles magestye that I myght come out off preason / for I was a younge man / and yf I had made any faute for wante of descrecyon / lernynge / or wysdom / I wold gladlye in time to come by godes grace make a mendes / Allonlye my request was that he wolde be so good as to helpe / that I myght not lose and spend all my lyffe and youth in preason / but at the lest that I myght teache chylderne to wryte and to reade / and lerne them theyr gramer / and soo too gett my lyuynge wyth truth and honestye / and not ydlye to lyue in preason He made me answere that too speake wyth me he had none occasyon / and I was the man that he neuer sawe and therfore he knew no cause why I shulde desyre too speake wyth hym / ād as for teachynge off chyldern he wolde neyther graunte me wyth in preson / nor wyth out Moreouer yf it pleasse youre grace / at a nother tyme I sent certayne off my frendes vn to hym agayne / to the number of .viij. or .x. of the whyche a certayne were aldermen and of the worshypfullest cōmeners wyth in youre Citye of London / and men of so good substance that no courte wyth in youre royalme wolde haue refusyd them for twentye thousande poūde / these men I desyred in the waye off cheryte and for Chryst Iesus sake to go to my Lorde of london / and to desyre hym too be good lorde vn to me for my cause was put to hym that I might come out of preson / and that he wolde take some cherytable ende wyth me / and what soo euer thynge that he wolde require off me lawfulle and resonable I wolde performe yt and therto fynde hym good suertyes Thys thynge dyd youre faythfull subiectes dylygently for me / Alonly off theyr cherite and goodnes but what answere they had / youre grace may knowe off the bysshope off london and off them / Neuer the lesse I dare well say vnder youre graces fauour that the greate Turke could not be moore cruell than the Bysshop off london was / though hys cruelnes were colered a lytle wyth holy hypocrysie For he wolde neyther graunt them any parte off their petycyon / nor yt gladlye heare them too speake for me / but soo handelyd them that they were bothe a frayde too speake wyth me and also to speake for me to any man / yee they were a frayde to geue me meate and dryncke This is truth that I saye to youre grace They be men I truste a lyue and of great honestie for to testifie it / So that youre grace maye se / what cheritable fathers they be / what holy bysshops they be / what men of the church they be / that wyll nothinge but vengeaunce ād dystruccion of their power brethern / and yff a man come in their daunger there is no remedie nor no wayes to come out / nor no man maye labour for hym
haue / that be agenst his holy verite / but let vs graunt that that translacion was so false / why did not yov there take a pone yov opynly for to amend it and to sett forthe truly the holy testament of christ yov must nedes graunt that there is an holy testameÌ„t of his in erthe except yov wille deny christ as I dought not but that yov wille in effect where is it whye haue we it not If that wer not it / whye do not yov sett the very trew testament out / yov were reddy to coÌ„demne an other mans faithefulle labor aÌ„d diligence / but yov had no cheryte to amend it / yov thynke alle ways to disseue the worlde with youre holy hypocrysy / men be not so blynd but that they cane welle Iudge / If yov hade condemnyd that testament allonly by cause off errours / yet at the lest ways yov shulde bothe of cheryte / and also of dutye haue set forthe the trew texte / and than wolde men haue thought / that yov condemned the other by the resoÌ„ of errours But men may now euydently se that yov dyd not condemne it for errours sakes / for how shulde they iudge erroures that be soo vnlernyd but alonly by cause that the verite was ther in / the which yov coulde not abyde that men shulde knowe / and that dyd the processe of youre sermon and also youre tyranny that dothe folow wel proue / but mi lord I say to yov / aÌ„d to all youres if yov do not amend it shalle be to youre euerlastyng damnacyon / for god wille not take thys rebuke at youre honde / Esa 62. remember that he hathe sworne by the movght of his prophete hy his ryght honde aÌ„d by the might of his strengthe that he wille defende this cause / Be not these lordly wordes / of the eternalle god / thinke yov to make hym for sworne Heb. 10. Remember how the holygost thretyneth yov in another place saynge / yf a man dyd dysspysse the lawe of Moses / he must with out any mercy dye / howe muche more are they worthy of ponishement / that do trede the sone of God vndernethe their fete / and dyspise the bloud of hys testament / how thynke yov ys not this opynly agenst yov / That coÌ„demne not alonly christ but also his blessed worde / and alle that longythe to hym / Take a way christes word / and what remanythe bi hynd of chryst nothyng at alle I pray yov my lorde to whome was thys worde fyrst preched to whome was it writtyn allonly to prystes not vn to lay men ye was it not writtyn to alle the worlde yes truly / where by wille yov conuerte a turke or an infidelle / not by holy scripture whan they be conuerted / what wille yov lerne theÌ„ what wille yov geue them to rede / any other thyng than holy scripture I thynke nay Now wille yov make youre awne cuÌ„trymen / youre awne citysins youre awne subiectes yee youre awne brethern / redemed wyth christes blessed bloud worsse them Iuys / and infidelles But their is no reson nor no bretherhod / nor no chrysten cheryte that cane moue yov / or that cane helpe yov / for yov are so blynded and so obstinate agenste chryst / that yov had rather alle the worlde shulde peryshe / thane his doctryne shulde be brought to lyghte / but I do promisse yov / if god do spare me lyffe / aÌ„d geue me grace / I shalle so set it out / if yov do not revoke it that it shalle be to youre vtter sâ—ame and confusyon / fynde the best remedy that yov cane / I do beleue stedfastly / that god is myghttyar than yov / and I doo rekkyn and faytheffully beleue / that yov are ten tymys worsse thane the grette Turke for he regardeth no more / But rule dominyon in this world And yov are not there with content / but yov wille also rule ouer mens consyens yee aÌ„d oppresse christ and his holy word / and blaspheme and condemne hys worde / was it not a holy covnselle / of the chanseler of london to conselle a sertyn merchaÌ„t / to by Robyn hoode for his seruaÌ„tes to rede what shulde they do with vitas patryÌ„ / and with bokes of holy scriptur Also the same Chanseler sayed to an other maÌ„ / what fyndest thou in the gospel but a story what good canst thou take there out O lorde god where arte thou why slepist thou why sufferst thou this blasphemy Thov hast defeÌ„ded thy prophetes with wilde fier froÌ„ heueÌ„ / And wylte thov suffer thy wonly sone and thy heuynly worde / thus to be dyspysyd and to be rekenyd but as a story of Robyn hoode Rysse vpe good loorde / Rysse vpe / thy enemys do preuaylle / Thy enymys do multiplye / shewe thy power / defend thy glory It is thy conâ—umely and not oures what haue we to do with it but alonly to thy glory venge this cauâ—e or thy enymys shalle rekkyn yt not to be thy cause / O thou eternalle God though oure synnes haue deseruyd thys / yet loke on thy name / yet loke on thy veryte / Se howe thov arte mockkyd Se how thou arte blasphemid / ye and that by them / that haue takyn on theÌ„ to defend thy glory / But now heuynly father / Seynge that thou haste / so suffered it / yet for the glory of thy name / geue some man strengthe to defend it / or els shalt thou be clearly takyn out of the hartes off allemen where fore most gracious lorde / of thy mercy and grace I besech the / That I may haue the strengthe to defend thy godly worde to thy glory and honour / and to the vtter confusyon of thy mortalle enymys / helpe good lord helpe / and I shalle not fere a thovsand of thyne enymys / In thy name wille I begyn to defend thys cause Fyrst commyth thy faythfulle seruant Moses / trewe and Iuste in alle thy workes / and he commandythe faythefully and trewly / and with grett thretnynges that man / woman and chylde shuld dilygently rede thy holy worde / Sayng / Sett youre hartes on alle my wordes the whych that I do testyfye vn to you thys day / That yov may commaÌ„de them vn to yovre chyldern / to kepe / to doo / and to fulfylle alle thynges that be wryttyn in the boke of thys lawe / Marke howe he commauÌ„ded them / to lerne their chyldern alle thynges that be wryttyn in thys boke / Deu. 32. and so to lerne them that they myght kepe and fulfylle alle thynges that were wryttyn in the boke / Moses maâ—e nothyng of secretnes / and wille yov make secretes ther in how shalle men fulfille those wordes that they know not how cane men know the very trewway of god and haue not the worde of god is not alle oure knowlege ther in The prophete saith / thy
not him selfe good / and now that he is evill shall he saye I make my selfe good cÌ„ 83. Austyne sayth he that fedeth with out christ / fedâ—th agenst hym 85. Austi sayth on this text if yov mortefye the flesh cÌ„ Thou wilt saye that can my will do that can mi frewill do what wil what maner of frewill excepte that he gyde the thou fallest / excepte he lifte the vp thou lyest stil / how canst thou than do it by thy sprete / seynge that the apostle sayth / As many as be led by the sprete of god / be the childern of god / wilt thou do of thy selfe wilt thou be led of thyne awne selfe to mortefye the dedes of the flesh what wil it profite the for if thou be not voluptuous with the epicure thow shalt be proude with the stoikes whether thou bean epicure or a stoike Thou salt not be amoÌ„ge the children of god for they that be gyded of the sprete of god be the children of god / not they that lyue after their awne flesh / not they that lyue after their awne spirite / not they that be led of their awne sprete / but as many as be led of the sprete of god / they be the children of god / But here a man will saye / Ergo than are we ruled aÌ„d we do not rule / I answere thou both rulest and arte ruled / but than dost thou well rule if thou be ruled of the good sprete / vtterlye if thou want the sprete of god thou canst doo no good Thou doest trulye with out his helpe by thy frewyl but yt is but evill done / vnto that is thy will which is called frewill and by evell doynge is she made a damnable bonde seruant whan I saye with out the helpe of god thou doste nothinge / I vnderstonde by yt no good thynge / for to doo evyl thou hast frewill with out the helpe of god though that be no fredome Vvherfore you shalle knowe that so do you goodnes yf the helpinge sprete be youre gyder / the which yf he be absent can do no good at all / cÌ„ lxxxv Austyne sayth / if man doo perceyue that in the commandementes is any thynge impossible or els to harde / let him not remayne in hym selfe / but let hym runne to god hys helpe the whych hath geuen his commandimentes for that entent that oure desyer might be sturred vp and that he myght geue helpe lxxxvij Austayne saith / The pelagianes thinke that they knowe a woÌ„ders thynge whaÌ„ they saye / God wil not commaunde that thinge the which he knoweth that is iÌ„possible for maÌ„ to do / euerie maÌ„ knoweth this / but therfore coÌ„mauÌ„deth he certeÌ„ thynges that we can not do / because we myght knowe what thynge we ought to aske of hym / fayth is she which by prayer optayneth that thynge that the lawe commaundeth Breuelye he that saith yf thou wilt thou mayst kepe my commaundimentes / In the same boke a lytle after sayth / he shal geue me kepinge in mi mouth / Playne it is that we maye kepe the commaundmeÌ„tes if we wyl / but because oute wil is pÌ„pared of god / of him must it be asked that we may so moch will / as wil suffice vs to do them trouth it is that we will whan we will / but he maketh vs to will that thinge that is goode lxxxvij Austyne sayth the pelagianes saye that they graunt how the grace doth helpe every maÌ„nes good purposse / but not that he geueth the love of vertue to him that striueth agenste it This thinge doo they saye as though maÌ„ of him selfe with out the help of god hath a good purpose a good minde vn to vertu / by that which merite precedinge a fore / he is worthye to be holpeÌ„ of the grace of god that foloweth after Doutles the grace that foloweth doth helpe the good purposse of man / but the good purposse shulde never haue bene if grace had not pÌ„ceded And though that the good studye of man whan it beginneth is holpen of grace / yet dyd it never beginne with out grace lxxxviij xcj. Austyne sayth / the grace which is geuen of the largenes of god prevelye in to mennes hartes / can not be dispysed of no maner of hard harte For therfore is it geuen that the hardnes of the harte shuld be taken awaye wherfore when the father is harde with in and doth lerne that we muste come to his sonne / than taketh he awaye oure stonye harte and geueth vs a fleshye harte / and by these meanes he maketh vs the children of promisse the vessels of mercie whiche he hath prepared to glory But wherfore doth he not lerne all men to come to christ Because that those that he lerneth / he lerneth of mercye / and those that he lerneth not of his iudgement doth he not lerne them cÌ„ lxxxix Austyne saith / the law was geuen that maÌ„ might finde him selfe / and not to make his sicknes hole / but that by his preaching the sickenes encresed / the physicyon mighte be sought wherefore the lawe thretenynge and not fulfyllynge that thinge that he commaundeth maketh a man to be vnderneth him But the lawe is good if a maÌ„ vse yt welle By the lawe to knowe oure sicknes and to seke godes helpe to helpe vs xcj. Austyne saythe / the disputacion of them is vayne which defende the prescience of god agenst the grace of god / whiche saye that we were chosen a fore the makynge of the worlde because that he knewe a fore that we shulde be good not be cause he shulde make vs good but Christ / that sayeth yov haue not chosyn me / saith not that For if he dyd therfore chose vs because that he knewe a fore that we shulde be good / than must he also knowe afore that we shulde fyrst haue chosyn him cÌ„ xcvj Austyne sayeth / my brothren reade holie scripture in that which yov shalle fynde what you ought to holde and what yov ought to flye what is a man reputed with out lernyng / what is he Is he not a shepe or a goote Is he not an oxe or an asse Is he anye better thaÌ„ an horse or a mule the whyche hath no vnderstondynge cÌ„ C.vij Austyne vppon this texte Matthewe .xxiij. the scribes and pharises sytte in Moyses sete cÌ„ sayth / by syttinge in the chayre is vnderstonde lernynge of the lawe of god / and therfore god doth teach by them but if they wyll teach their awne doctrine / heare it not / doo it not / for such men seke that that is theirs and not christes cÌ„ C.xviij. Austine vppoÌ„ the wordes of the apostle / touch not handel not cÌ„ Col. 2 saithe / because that those meÌ„ by such obseruacions were led from the verite by the whiche they were made fre / wherof yt is spoken / the veryte shal delyver yov IoaÌ„ viij It is a
they to helpe them we ought not to depose a kinge though he be wyked How dare they be so bolde / as to depose a kyng / whyche is ordenyd of god / yee and by hys holy worde / hauyng none example / nor scripture for thē Be they aboue god and hys blessyd worde But they wyl saye / that the kyng was a wyked man / I answere / the cronycles / geue contrary wytnes / how that he was a very good man / ād ryght symple and by cause he was so symple / therfore Pipinus whyche had all the rule vnder hym / thought hym silfe better worthy to rule than the kynge / and so wrote vn to the pope and desyred hym to geue sentence / whether he was better worthy to be kyng that had all the paynes and labours / or he that had no laboure Now the pope / to make Pipinum his frende / gaue sentēce wyth hym / and deposed the other and made hym a monke Thys can I welle proue by good cronycles Now lett youre noble grace consyder / yff yt were ryght / not only to depose such a kinge but also to make hym a monke Thys haue they done wyth other noble kynges / and no doute / but that same or worse / wyll they attempte to doo vn to youre grace / yff you dysplease them / and at the leste they wyll doo their vtter most Lett all the hole rable off thē / tell youre grace / when a trewe preacher off chrystes gospell dyd suche a deade There is no officer that hathe nede to be a frayde off Chrystis gospell / nor yet of the preachers ther off / For they wyll geue them auctoryte tēporalle / But off these preuy traytours / can no man be to ware you may se by experience / how in a maner by their preuy treason they haue gotten in to their handes / halfe youre royalme But lett vs graunt thē / that the kynge was a wyckyd mā The scripture commaundeth vs / to obey to wyckyd princes / and geuyth vs none auctorite to depose thē / who was more wycked than Herode / and yet S. Iohan sufferyd deethe vnder hym who was wyckedder than Pylate And yet Christ did not put him doune but was crucified vnder hym Breuely whyche off all the princes were good in the appostles dayes and yet they deposed none So that gods worde / and the practyse off oure Master Chryst / and hys holy apostles are openly agenste them More over their owne glosse sayeth that he was not deposed / by cause he was vnsuffycient / but by cause he was wanton and lecherous wyth wemen O my lordes yff you be not afrayde of the vengeaunce of god / at the leste take a lyttle shame of the worlde vn to yov / that haue so longe tyme wyth so great tyrannye defendyd these lawes that be so opynlye agēst gods ordinaunce / agenst gods worde / and agenst the commen ordynaunce and consent of all the worlde And this thynge haue yov done / to the greate iniury off noble princes / to the intollerable subduynge off all noble bloude / to the oppressyon off their trew subiectes / to the dystruccyon off alle commen welthes And fynalle to the damnacion off many a Chrystened soule Tell me by youre faithe / doo you beleue that there is a lyuyng god / that ys myghtye to punysh hys enymyes yf yov beleue yt / saye vn to me can yov deuyse for to avoyde hys vengeaunce / whyche be so opynly cōtrayrye to hys worde what answere thinke yov to make to hym Thinke yov that he will suffer youre worde to be harde / lette hys godly worde be dyspysed Thynke yov that yt will be suffycient for yov to saye / that they be the lawes of holy churche Thynke you that he will be thus taught off yov Than were yt tyme to plucke hym downe / ād sett you vpp Naye my lordes he ys no chylde / nor you shalle fynd yt no chyldis game / thus to tryfle playe with hys holy word and hys blessyd ordinaunce / ye and that to the dyspysyng / of the maker bothe of heuyn and erthe Saye what yov wyll / ye are not able neyther by crafte / nor subtyltye and yet be you falce ynough to defende thys matter / neyther a fore god / nor yet afore oure noble prince / nor a fore any mā off lernyng that wyll be trewe to hys prince for whiche waye so ever you turne you / oure Master Christ / and all hys blessyd apostles be agenst you / and will openlye accuse you / that yov be contrarye to their worde / and to their dede Answere ye to them / answere not to me yff I holde my peace / they wyll speake Nor yt will helpe you but lyttle / to crye after youre olde maner heresy / heresy / a Traytour / a traytour for now you crye agēst youre selves / and off those thinges they doo accuse you Doo yov thinke yt with the ordinaunce of god / that you shall depose a kinge by cause he lyuyth in advoutrye / or ys a lecherous man If you thynke yt a lawfull cause / why doo you not preache yt opynly why doo you not laye yt to kingis charges why suffer you them to be kingis that lyue in aduouttry why do you not put youre lawes in execution you saye they be the lawes of holy churche / and there by may you depose princes But yff you will put them in execucion / than were yt moche better / to be a bysshop or a preaste / than to be a kinge / or a duke For you maye lyue in whordom / or in any other vngracious lyuyng / ye and that to the destruccyon off many mens soules / and yet no man so hardye to repreue you / as youre awne lawe dothe openlye commaunde in these wordes Di. 40. Si papa Iff the pope doo drawe wyth hym innumerable people on a hepe to the deuyll of helle / there to be ponyshed for euer / yet shall no mortalle man presume / to repreue hys synnes / for he muste iugde alle men / and may be iudged off no mā c̄ Lykewyse haue you an other lawe in your decretales / that no laye man maye repreue a preate c̄ How thinke yov by these lawys / De. here Cū exiniuncto et sicut in yff they be not off the deuylle / telle me what ys off the deuyll you wyll bothe repreue / yee and also depose princes / but yov wyll neyther be deposed / ner yet repreued off any mortall man what thynke you youre selues godes But how can you depose a kyng / and yt lyeth not in youre powre to make a kyng / For eyther he ys borne a kyng / or he cometh to yt by elecciō / or he wynnethe yt victoriously by swerde which way so euer he cometh by yt / you can not make hym And wyll you depose hym for fornicacion / how wolde
obedyent vnto temporalle prynces / ye and that vnto infidels And not alonlye he / but all hys ordinaunce All hys wrytynges / and all his bisshops dyd agre to the same And yff they wyll dispice S. Paule / by cause he was but a begger / and no lorde off the parlament what wyll they say to oure Master Christe oure mighty / gracious / and excellent prynce / was not he obedyent vn to Pylate that was an infydelle / and in auctorite muche lesse than youre grace / dyd not he obey in bodye and goodes / dyd not he paye tribute vn to Cesar / was not he crucifyed / vnder Pons Pylat / was not he a spirituall man / was not his cause ryghtuous / was not he mighty to defende his cause was not he worthy to be exempted / was he not annoynted I meane not with oyle but wyth the holy gost so well as they / and yet wolde kepe the order / that was sett by hys heuynly father Dyd not he sore rebuke Peter / that wolde haue defended his cause / and sought for suche carnall lyberte / agenste the power off princes / Dyd he not clearly take a waye / the temporall swerd from hym we neuer rede that euer he drewe yt after / and yet we reade that he had causys suffycient And now commyth Peters successoure / and he wyll drawe yt out / and hed pryncis there with who gaue master vicare auctoryte / to doo that the the parson durste neuer doo / ner coulde neuer doo yt / was his cause neuer so ryght ye though yt were to defēd christ wyth out greate rebuke of his master Thus youre grace maye se / how they do vsurpe / bothe the name of christ / and off his holye appostles / but they neyther agre in worde nor dede what dothe yt profyte / to call an open whore an honest woman / the name can not make here honest / Disti 40. Nō est facile di 40. multi sacerdot◠so lykewysse as their lawe saith They be not the chyldern off holy men / that sytte in the romes of holy men / but they that doo their workes c̄ Also in a nother place The seate dothe not make a preaste / but the preast maketh the seate The place dothe not sanctifie the man / but the man sanctifyeth the place / All preastie be not holye / but all holye men be preastes c̄ Nowe yff youre grace wolde follow their awne lawe / what were they lesse than bysshops Take a way theyr seate / that is their worldely pompe and pryde / their outwarde shynynge / their glorious name / and what remayneth in them / Surelye not one poynte that belongethe to a bisshope / Thys may youre grace well doo / there is neyther lawe nor consciēce can lett you ye bothe the lawe of god / and also conscience dothe bynde you to doo yt / how can youre grace otherwyse be discharged / except yov sett other men in their romes / that wille doo those thynges / that belongeth by holy scripture to bysshops to doo There out commith their name / why shulde they not also be hounde to lyue there after youre grace hathe taken some off them from the bochers staulle and made them bysshops / you haue taken some out of the carte and sett them in Peters Chayre / who can denye but this youre grace maye doo All ways providyd that they doo those thynges that belongeth to their office by the worde of god / or els youre grace is in daunger But who can proue / that they are worthye off thys dignite / that youre grace hath heuen them moche lesse to be youre controllars / yee and also to be aboue all youre lawes / and to haue auctorite to deposse you But yf youre grace wolde doo thē ryght / you shulde returne them home ageyne / the bocker to his staulle / The begger to hys wallet / the carter to hys whyppe / and than aske them yff they be of the church and what exempcion they haue from youre obedyence and from youre lawe / and what auctorite to deposse kynges But as for thys / youre grace can order yt moche better / than I cane deuyse I saye yt for no nother purposse / but for to declare youre graces power / and youre goodnes towarde them / and lykewyse their vnworthynes / and ingratitude / agenst youre most noble grace I wylle returne agayne to oure Master Christ / whan the multitude wold haue chosene hym kyng dyd he not flye Io ▪ So that he dyd not allonly lerne obedience in his doctrine / but also he dyd practice yt in his outward workes and lyuinge Fynallye / they shall neuer be able to prove to youre grace / but that Chryst and alle his apostles were subiect / to the temporal princes / bothe in bodye and goodes / and toke no nother rule in this worlde / but only to preache the eternalle worde of god / and lefte all wordly rule / vnto temporall princes / whether they were faythefull / or vnfaythefull But now commyth oure spirituall fathers So muste we call them allonly of customme and of no deseruynge and wyll commaunde prynces to be sworne vn to them / and to defende them / and their lybertes / with all their gorgyousnes / and prowde dignytyes of this worlde which othe / yff the prynces wyll not make to thē / they wyll interdyte theyr londe / and priuate them of theyr dignite / yee and also asoyle men off the othe / that they made to their prince This ys opyn in their lawe / de hereticis De hereticis Ad abolendum Ad abolendum How dothe thys agre wyth S. Paulys commaundement / and wyth oure Master Christes factes Is thys obeying to princes / to depelle them their royalme / yff they wyll not be sworne vnto them / Be these trewe subiectes Is this the offyce of byshops / Be these the successors of Peter / Paule Be these the perfyt men that haue forsaken all thyng and followed Christ Doubtles they forsake all thynges / that they can not gett Be not these perfytt / forsakers But they wyll saye that princes be bounde to be sworne / to defēde their churche / from heretykes or ells to be deposed This ys yt that I lokyd for Vvhom call you heretykes Vvho shall iudge these men to be heretikes After what lawe shall they be iudged yff you call them heretikes / that speke agenst youre lawes / and agenst youre libertyes / and agenst youre dignite / than are Christ and all his holy appostles heretikes For they defende pertinaciter as yov say their lerninge agēste youre lawes / and that not in one place / but in euery place / as yt ys open in holy scripture But now yff you take them for heretykis that be agenst Christ and his holy worde / than ys the kynges grace sworne to expelle you his realme and
asoyled a greate doubte whereat the kynges grace and all hys noble lordes haue often mused That ys / how yt came that there was so greaâ— wherdome and bawdrye / amonge them that bâ— called spirituall men But now yt ys no wonder / for bawdry ys a spirituall cause and belongeth onlye to the iudgement of bysshops But shortly to oure purpose / The kyngis hyghnes commauÌ„deth yow straytely / to shewe hym by what auctoryte that you take causes out of his hye Court of complaynte / and to brynge them a fore yow / As who shulde saye yow wolde redresse bothe the Kynges lawe / and also the senteÌ„ce there of And not alonly that / but you wyll Master the Kynges grace and his lawe Shortlye to recyte all the iniuryes and wrongys that you doo to the Kyngys hyghnes / to all hys noble bloude and vnto all his trewe subiectis / yt were to longe a processe wherefore breuely I require you by the faith that you owe to christe Iesus / and by the othe that you haue made to the Kinges highnes if you be not dispeÌ„sed with all that you aÌ„swere to these thinges you can not denye but these thinges you do / wherefore what wyll you saie thereto / what aÌ„swere caÌ„ you make / haue you vpholdeÌ„ these thinges so loÌ„ge / haue you shamed / troubled killed so many of the Kynges trew subiectis for that thiÌ„g / which ye caÌ„ not defeÌ„de to be true aÌ„d if you haue nothinge for you / but youre awne dreamis / they wil not helpe you For they be accusyd with you And therfore / the kynges highnes if it pleased him myght laye hie tresone to youre charge / and also the abomynable cryme of heresye / whiche ys all ways in youre mouthes / yf a man speake but ageÌ„st youre olde showes what say yow to these thingis yff they be false / it is a smalle matter for yow to refelle them by holy scrypture / yf they be trewe / why geue you not place you shall well knowe that I wyll defend ernestly Godes cause aÌ„d my prynces / and that not out off myne awne hed / but out off holye scrypture / whyche I doo neyther wrynge nor wreste / but onlye declare it by the practyce off oure most gracyous Master Christ Iesus / and of all hys holy apostles Can you requyre any more It not thys suffycyent probacion Is not thys cause good Is yt not ryghtuous Is yt not to the honoure of god Notwithstondynge I am sure that I haue taken thys matter in hond with you / to my grete dauÌ„ger / yf you may haue youre wyllys / But here do I set my lyffe / and body agenste youres / to defende thys matter agenst you / yf yt wyll plesse the kinges noble grace / to geue me fre pardon and to defende me from youre vyolence / I aske no pardoÌ„ of any trespasse / that you or any dedly enymye that I haue / can proue that I haue done agenste the kynges noble grace / but that alonly I am compelled to flye youre dedly and intollerabylle vyolence But yf yt shall pleasse the kynges highnes to defend me frome youre vyolence in my ryght / I wylle dyscusse thys matter wyth you by Chrystes worde / And yf I be â—uercome / I doo not refuse dethe / and soo shall you be shortly rydde off me / And yf yow be ouercome / yt were ryght that you shulde be punysshed Not wythstondyng I wyll desyer but amendmeÌ„t wherefore Most gracious prince / Humbly aÌ„d mekely / I besech youre highnes and that in the name of oure sauioure Iesus Chryst / a fore whom you must geue an accumpte off youre dignyte / Also I requier you by youre othe / that yow haue sworne to ryght and to Iustice / ye and also by all youre honour do I humbly beseche youre grace that you wyll defende me in my right / as you wil be defended of Chryst Iesus from all youre dedly enymies ye not to defend me / but godes worde / and youre prerogatiue / So that I truste youre grace will not be dyspleased / with youre daylye bedeman / that he requireth you so ernestly / for he desireth of you nothinge but that that stondeth with godes honoure / with youre graces preheminence / and with good ryght and conscience / and also with the othe that youre grace hathe made bothe to god and man Thys wolde youre grace doo / though I dyd not requyre yt / The cause is not myne / but it is Christes veryte which wyll neyther be mocked nor yet ouercome / It is also youre prerogatyue / whiche deserueth defendynge and also audyence / Though there were no worde of god I do requyre as god shal Iudge me no wordlye promosyon thereby / but alonly the verite of Christes worde / and of chrystes ordynaunce Vvhiche thynge yf I can proue / I doubte not but youre graces conscience / wyll Iudge it right that I shulde be harde / youre grace hathe no nede of the bysshops no more than off me / but vn to Chrystes worde / youre grace ys bounde / vnder the payne of euerlastynge damnacyon / from the whych neyther the bysshops / neither all their power / neither theyr pardons / neyther heuen nor erthe can delyuer you if you be fouÌ„de a transgressor This is the veryte / lett them crake aÌ„d face / blaste blowe / Praye / Singe â— Curse / absolue / bringe in their custoÌ„s / bryng in their churche / bringe in their lawes with all their myters their crossestaues / with all theyr spiritual honoure / they can not helpe youre grace but that the daunger shal remayne to youre graces parsone / if any thinge be amisse but this youre grace knowith better than I can telle yt wherfore I wille returne agayne to the cause It is openlye proued that oure master Christ / and all hys holy apostles were subiect / bothe in bodye and goodes to teÌ„porall princes / And toke no temporall rule nor iurisdiccyon on theÌ„ wherefore I conclude / that what so euer they be that will be exempt from the teÌ„porall power / Be neyther Christes apostles / nor chrystes dyssyples / no nor yet trewe chrystened men / though they haue Chrystes and Peter and Paules name / an hundred tymes For Chrystes wordes be playne whych sayth / Matt. 20. yow doo knowe that the lordys of the gentles haue dominacyoÌ„ ouer theÌ„ but so shalle yt not be amonge yow And these wordes were spoken to the apostles and can not be avoyded by alytle dystynccyon / as the bysshops are wonte too avoyde all holly scrypture But what soo euer they saye / the practyce off oure Master Chryst and off all hys holy apostles wyll declare how they vnderstonde yt And moreouer to stope their mouthes I wyll shewe them how holy doctours vnderstode yt / Origene Ro. 13. Orygene vppon thys texte / Omnis anima / sayeth on thys maner / All maner
quis abstulerit cÌ„ noÌ„ est precipientis sed exhortantis But I dare say that Doctour steueÌ„ knewe that this was but a smal euasyon and of none auctorite / and therfore he wolde shewe me no more of the lawe for it followeth / what so euer he be that doth not obey the commandemeÌ„t ys gytly and worthy of payne for yt ys synne not to obey to the commandement off god 14. Q. 1. quisquis cÌ„ These be Saynt Austaynes wordes in their awne lawe / Now lett euerye châ—stened man iudge whether that the contrary wordes be of sufficieÌ„t auctoryte to resel the holy wordes of scrypture or no / if they avoyde scrypture yet caÌ„ they not auoyd holy doctours thou which by their awne law be of greter auctorite in expouÌ„ding scripture thaÌ„ the pope is but thaÌ„ caÌ„ doctor wolmaÌ„ / he brought thys text / if thy brother do offeÌ„d that thaÌ„ tel the church / what is that sayd he tel the churche / to whoÌ„ I answered that this place made not for suynge at the lawe aleging S. Augustine for me / for it speketh of the crymys that shulde be repreuyd by the congregacion / and not of the correccion of the temporalle swerde / For yt foloweth if he heare not the churche / counte hym as an hethyn and as a publycane / this is the vtter most payne that oure master Christ assigneth there / the which is no payne of the temporal lawe / but at this answere was he movyd and sayd if I dyd abyde by yt I shulde be burnte / this was a sherpe sentence of so great a man as he ys / but and if he had byn halfe so welle lernid in scripture as he ys greate / he wolde haue geuyn a more cheritable sentence But Apelles was a Ioly wisse fellow that sayd once to a shomaker / Ne sutor vltra crepidaÌ„ It is not an C. yere a goo syns that same Master doctour was butler in that same house where off I was master aÌ„d prior / and now to geue suche a strayte sentence this is a soddyn mutacion But here is it playne that I haue spokyn neuer a worde but that holy scriptur / holy doctours and their awne lawe saye the same / bothe in sentence and in wordes wherfore I can not se how they can condemne this article / for herysy / and I dare say for them that they rekkyn it none heresy / but peradveÌ„tur they vnderstond it not nor they dyd not condemne me for this artycle But here after folowe the heresys The .6 Article I wille neuer beleue nor I can neuer beleue that one man may be by the lawe off God a bysshop of .ij. or .iii. Cyttys ye of an holle contry / Titum 1. for yt is contrary to S. Paule whyche saythe / I haue lefte the be hynde to set in everye citye a bysshop And if yov fynde in one place of scripture that they be callid Epyscopi / thov shalt fynd in dyuers other places that they be callid contrary wyse presbiteri I was brought a fore my lorde cardynalle in to his galary and there he red al myne artycles tyl he came to this and there he stoppyd and sayd that this touchyd him and ther fore he askyd me if I thought it wronge that one bysshop shulde haue so meny Cyttys vndernethe hym / vn to whom I answeryd that I coulde no forther goo / than S. Paules text which set in euerye Cytty a bysshop Than askyd he me yf I thought yt now vnryght seyng the ordinaunce of the churche that one bysshop shulde haue so meny Cyttis I answeryd that I knew none ordinance of the churche as concerninge thys thynge but. S. paulys saynge only neuer the lesse I dyd see a contrary custom and practyce in the worlde / but I know nor the orygynalle there of / than sayd he that in the apostles tyme there were dyuers Citys somme seuen myle some sixe myle longe and ouer them was there sett but one bysshop and of their subbarbis so lykewyse now a bisshop hath but one Cytie to his Cathedrall churche and the coÌ„try aboute yt was as subbarbis vn to it My thought this was farfetchyd / but I durste not deny yt by cause it was of so great auctoryte / but thys dare I say that his holynes can neyther proue it by scriptur not yet by any auctory of doctours nor yet by any practyce of the apostles / Athanasiê° but let vs see what the doctours say to myne article / Athenasyus dothe declare this texte of the apostill / I haue lefte the by hynde cÌ„ He wold not committ vn to one bysshop a whole ylde / but he dyd enioyne that euery citty shulde haue his propre pastor supposing that be thys meanys they shulde more diligently over see that people aÌ„d also that the labour shulde be more easye to bere cÌ„ ChrisostoÌ„ Also Chrisostom on that same texte / He wolde not that a wholle contre shulde be permyttyd vn to one man / but he enioyned vn to every maÌ„ his cure by that menys he knew that the labour shulde be more easy and the subiectis shulde be with more dyligence governydde yf the teachers were not distract with the gouernyng of meny churchys but had cure and charge of one churche only cÌ„ My thynketh these be playne wordes and able to moue a man to speke as muche as I dyde / but graunte that you may haue alle these cytis yet can yov make it none heresy / for my lorde cardynalle graunteth that it is but agenst him aÌ„d agenst yov which be no godes / but I must be an heretyke there is no remedy yov wille haue yt so / and who ys abille to say nay not alle scrypture The .7 Article IT can not be provyd by scripture that a man of the churche shulde haue so greate temporal possessyoÌ„s / but they wille say if they had not so great possessions / they could not kepe so many seruantis / so many dogges / so meny horsses as .xl. or .l. and mayntane so great pompe and pryde and lyve so diliciously what heresy fynd you in this is it heresy to speke agenst youre horsses and youre houndes aÌ„d youre abhominabille lyuynge and douteles I did not say but that you myght haue possessyons but alloÌ„ly I spake agenste the superfluousnes and the abuse of them / but I pray you how caÌ„ yov proue it by scripture / that a man in as muche as he is a bysshop must haue temporall possessyons I am in the negatyue prove yov yovre affirmatyue this am I suer of that chrisostome saythe / A bysshop ought to have nothiÌ„g but meate and dryncke and clothe / I wille bringe no scripturs for you regarde them not Ad Tymo c. 5. The .8 Article SVer Iam that they cannot by the law off god / haue no iurisdiccion secular and yet they chalynge bothe powrys which if they
haue why do they not put them bothe in vse for they must say as the Iuys sayd / we may kille noman This is the article that did byte yov for yov can not be content with the office of a bysshop but yov wille be also kynges but how that stondeth with godes lawe and with youre othe I haue declaryd yt to oure nobille prince I doute not but he wille put yov to the trial of these articles The .9 Article They saye they be the successors of christ aÌ„d of his apostles / but I can se them follow none but Iudas / for they bere the pursse / and yf they had not so greate possessions I am suer an C. wolde speke agenst them where now dare not one for losse of their promosyon As for this artycle I wil ouer come you with the witnes of alle the worlde yov may well coÌ„demne yt for heresy / but it is as trew as youre pater noster / Iudas solde oure master but once / and yov selle hym as oftyn as he cometh in youre handes The .10 Artycle THere is not the greatyst pharisye in thys churche / but I am suer I prycke him with these wordes and he knowithe that these thynges be trewe though he say the contrary aÌ„d that do I wel knowe This artycle dyd I speake by cause of doctour Rydle which on a tyme grauntyd in master doctour buttes house that the bysshops were clear out of order And therfore I say that I know yt The .11 Article THese ordynary bysshops aÌ„d prelattes do folow that false prophete balaaÌ„ for they wolde curse the people but by the prouisyon of god they are compellyd toblesse theÌ„ / that ys to say / to teache them to lyue wel though they theÌ„ selfe lyue most myschevously so the Assis whych they ryde a pon that is the commen people haue their lyuys in abhominacyon Thys ys the heresy for it speketh agenst the holy fathers which be almost as holy as Balams asse whych dyd ons speke the word of god to a good purposse and so do they neuer / but I graunt that I dyd offend in callyng you ordenary bisshops for I shulde haue callid yov inordinate buchers / and as for that that I coÌ„pare yov to balaam it is youre awne lawe .ij. q. vij Secutisunt / And .c. Nos si And as for youre lyuyng alle the world knoweth it The .12 Article THey sett vp an Idolle to dyseaue the people with alle whych is callyd Baal peor / Or baal phegor which is iÌ„terpretated gaspyng that is their lawes and constitucions that gaspe and gape to mayntayne their worldly honoure / they cause vs do sacryfyce by fayre wymeÌ„ that is by their carnall affeccyons and sweate wordes that god of Israell is for gottyn / aÌ„d so by theyr sweat wordes and benedyctyon they disseue simple people These be the false masters that 2. Pet. 2. S. Peter speketh of / these be the fovntayns with out watter for they geue no good doctryne to the people where ys the heresy in thys by cause I coÌ„pare youre lawys to baal / but loke whether the interpretacion of the word do a gre with the nature of youre lawes or not what do al youre lawes but mynyshe the auctorite of princes / and of al other lordes and exalte youres only calle yov not that a gaspyng Idolle let thys article stoÌ„d tyll yov be able to proue it heresy The .13 Article NOw they selle vs / they selle the people / they selle holy orders / they selle church halowyng / there ys no better marchandysse in chepesyde / wilt thow knowe what is the price of a church halowyng no lesse than .xl. shelinges / they sel pardoÌ„s remyssions of synnes as opeÌ„ly as a cowe and an oxe is solde for thei never graunt them with out monny The suffrigan of ely dyd aske of master Iohan pur golde .xl. shelinges and the offringe for halowynge of S. Edwardes in Cambrige / yee and he wolde not do it so good chepe / but bi cause he had a goddoughter buryed in the churche yarde / But this may be prouyd by exampillys ynow for bryng ye forth one churche in all Englond that yov haue hallowyd with out monny or with out hope of mony / and I wyll graunte my conclusyon false / and as for youre pardoÌ„s all the worlde knoweth youre handelyng I dare say yt is the best marchandyse in the worlde as yov handill yt The .14 article VVylte thou know what their benedictyoÌ„ is worthe They had rather geue the ten benediccions than one halfpeny Is not thys a sore heresy you ryde thorow streates and townys blyssynge man and stone but yov never geue halfpeny to man nor to chylde The .15 Article NOw is come a pardon wherby they say that they haue power to send an huÌ„dred soules to heuyn / and if they may so doo with out any further respect than may they lykewysse send a nother hundred to helle for yt followeth in the texte quodcunque ligaueris / that is what soeuer thou bindest Is not this a sore heresy to say that you may not rule thys matter at youre iudgement / but this is a meruelous texte / QuodcuÌ„que ligaueris / for yt bindeth in helle and losythe in heuyn / and openeth mens pursys and cofers in erthe / yt deposith prynces / yt interdyteth londes yt losyth a man out of his cote / yee oftyn tymes yt losethe a man from his wyffe / yee and the horsse out of the carte And all ys done by this text Quodcunque ligaueris / is not thys a mervelous texte that hathe so great power I know not such a nother in aâ— the hole Bible The .16 Article IT ys abhominable to here how they preache and teache that they may absolue a pena a culpa / which I am suer that yt is â—mpossible as they vnderstond it Make of this what yov can / and loke of youre awne scolasticall doctours The .17 Article VVhat ys the cause that they forbyd vs thou we shuld not dyscusse how great their power is but by cause that they wold make all meÌ„ foles holde vs in ygnoraunce / youre awne scole men saye that the popis power is so great that no man can nor maye dyscusse yt / but this ys for from herysy The .18 Article THey haue a law most abhominable and coÌ„trary to godes lawe and cheryte to excoÌ„munycate the people foure tymes in a yeare / that ys to saye the men that rayse the rent off an housse / that must you vnderstonde yff yt belonge not to the church / for yff yt belonge to the church / thou mayst rayse yt everye moneth once and no man shall cursse the. Also they cursse them that be not buryed in their parish church / that must be vnderstond yff that they be ryche men / for yf they be poore they may be buryed amonge the fryars The bisshope of bathe sayd there was
artykyllis / men wolde geue hym none audience / nor they wolde not here hym / wherefore there were no feare off suche men / for as sone as they open their mouthis to speake agenste any of these / a none we condemne them with out any further iudgemēt wherefore S. Iohā must nedes speake of other craftyar heretikes than these / which graunt all those thinges with many other mo to mās iudgement yee all they doo / they do yt in christes name preache in christes name / do many good workes in christes name / yee paraduentuer al so do miracles in christes name / and yet neuer the lesse vnder the great crafte and subtylty of the deuylle they denye Christ / Is not this a meruelous thinge howe can this be How can they deny christ and also graunt christ how can they preache christ / and yet deny christ But all thys crafte and subtylty vse they in christis name / all by cause they wyll deny Christ / for the more that antichrist preachyth christ / the more wylle he deny hym For whan he hathe once gotte hym auctorite by christes name / than wylle he rage / and waxe secretly mad agenst Christ / and yet wyll he preache Christ / and also deny Christ and so subtylly deny hym / that wyth out we stycke faste to holy scripturs / and haue the spryte of god / we shall not perseue hym / therefore lett vs now proue his sprete / ād we shal sone se that he is not off god But fyrst we must declare / and perfytly know what is christ Not allonly by the name / for that Antichrist graunteth / but we must serche out the properte / and the nature / and the verye effect of christ / and so shall we sone know hym ▪ In holy scripture Christe is nothing elles but a sauiour / a redemer / a iustifyar / and a perfecte peace maker bytwene god ād man Mat. ◠1. Cor. ◠Esa 53. This testimonye dyd the angelle geue off hym in these wordes / he shall saue hys people from their synnes / and also S. Paule Christ is made oure ryghtwysnes oure sanctificacion ād oure redempcion / moreouer the prophet wyttnesyth the same saynge / for the wrechidnes of my people haue I strykyn him / so that here haue we christ with his properties / now yf we wil cōfesse that christ is borne in to this world / thā must we graunt with oure hartes that christ is al oure iustice / all oure redempciō / all oure wysdō / all oure holynes / alonly the purcheser of grace / alonly the peace maker / by twene god mā Breuely al goodnes that we haue / that yt is of him / by him / for his sake only And that we haue no nede of nothing but of hym only / we desyer no nother saluacion / nor no nother satisfaccion / nor any helpe of any other creature / other heuynly or erthely but off him onlye / for as s Pe. sayth / there is no nother name geuen vnto men / where in they must be saued Actu 4. Act. 13. And also S. Paule / by him are all that beleue iustifyde from all thynges Moreover S. Iohan witnesseth the same in these wordes he yt is that hathe opteyned grace for oure sinnes and in a nother place ▪ 1. Ioan. 2. 1. Ioan. 4 He sent his sone to make agremēt for oure synnes Now my lordes / here haue you Christ and his very nature fulle and holle / and he that denyethe any thinge / or any parte of these thinges / or take any of them and aplye them or geue the glorye of them to any other person than to Christ only / the same man robythe Christ of his honour / and denieth christe / and ys very antichrist wherefore my lordes / fyrst what say yov vn to this article / vn to these propertis of Christ / yff you graunt yt / thā are we at a poynte for it saith that faythe in Iesus Christ only iustifythe a fore god / secundarilye yff you deny yt as I am suer you wyll for yov had leuer denye youre crede then graunte yt how can yov than a voyde / but that you be the very antichristis / of whom S. Iohan spekyth for now haue we tryed youre spretis that they be not of god / for you deny Christ That is / yov deny the very nature / the properte of Christ you graunte the name / but you deny the vertu you graunte that he dissended from heaven / but you denye the profyte therof / for he descended from heaven for oure helth / thys denye you and yet it ys youre crede you graunt that he was borne / but yov deny the purposse you graunt that he is rysyn from dethe / but yov deny the profyte there of / for he rosse to iustify vs. you graunt that he is a sauiour but yov deny that he is allonly the sauiour I pray yov wherefore was he borne to iustify vs in parte to redeme vs in parte to doo satysfaccion for parte of oure synnes / so that we must haue a nother to make satisfacciō for the other parte Say what yov wyll yf you geue not al / and fully and alonly to one christ / than deny you christ / and the holy gost S. Iohan dothe declare yov to be contrary to christ This may also be proued / by a playne scripture of the holy gost which is this No man in heuyn nor in erthe / neyther vnder the erthe / was abylle to open the boke / or to loke on the boke / tyll the lambe came vn to whom the senyours spake / on this maner Thou arte worthy to take the boke / and to open the selys ther of for thou wast kylled haste redemed vs by thy bloud How say yov to thys my lordis In heuen was there none founde / neyther by the angyllis / nor yet by the senyours / worthy to open the boke but christ only / and will you fynd that they coulde not fynd wyl you sett an helper to christ / whome they sett a lone but I praye you tell vs what he shall be All the worlde knowethe that they be good workes / but now from whēce come youre good workes whether from heuen / or out of the erthe / or from vnder the erthe yf they were in any of these places / where were they whan the Angells and the senyers sought them haue you found them whome they could not fynd but let this passe I praye you what wylle you lay for youre good workes or by what tytell wyll yov bring them in to Ioyne them with the lambe in openyng off the boke The senyours haue layd for them that the lambe alonly was worthy to open the boke by cause he was slayne / and redemed them with his precious bloud Now what cause lay yov for youre good workes The lambe
hathe alonly dyed for vs. The lambe hathe alonly shed his bloude for vs. The lambe hath alonly redemyd vs. These thinges hath he done alone Nowe if these be suffycyent / than hath he alone made satysfaccion / aÌ„d is allonly worthy to opyn the boke Moreouer / Thys tytyll ys geuen to the lambe by them that be in heuyn / and how dare you beyng but stynkynge caryon geue it eyther in parte or in hole to any other Also they that be in heuyn confesse that thys laÌ„be ys allonly worthy to redeme them / be youre workes better thaÌ„ they Or can youre workis helpe them yf they can / than ys not the lambe alonly worthy to redeme them / yf youre workys doo not helpe rheÌ„ than are they alonly Iustyfyde be the lambe / and yf they be / why shall not we also Moreouer the seniours falle doune by fore the lambe / geuinge him alloÌ„ly praise / And shal youre good workys stonde vpe by the lambe / than be they better than the senyours But let vs proue this thing by opyn scripturs / That no maÌ„ shal be able too denye yt Saynt Paul toke so greate labours to proue thys artykyll / as he neuer toke in no nother / and all bycause he wolde make yt playne / and stope the mouthys off the agayne sayers / But all thys wyll not helpe theÌ„ / that haue not the sprete of god / Neuer the lesse we wyll by godes fauour / do the best we can too confounde the croked enymys of Christes bloude / aÌ„d though we can not make them hys frendes / at the lest we wylle so handylle them / that they shall be a shamyd openly to speake agenste hym / as they haue done longe tyme / And soo wyll we handylle them by godes helpe that all the worlde shall knowe that they glory in Chrystes name and by hym be they also hye promotyd in thys worlde that they can not be hyer yet deserue they of christ / worst or all meÌ„ But lett vs go to oure purposse S. paul sayth / All men be synners / and wante the glory of god / but they ar iustifyed frely by hys grace / Ro. 3 thorow the redemcyon that is in christ Iesu Vvhat is this that all meÌ„ haue synned ye are iustyfyde frely How shall a sinner do good workys how can he deserne to be iustifyde what call you frely yf there be any deseruyng lesse or more / than is it not frely what call you by his grace yf it be any parte of workes / than it is not of grace / for as S. paul saithe / Than grace were not grace Ro. 11. here can be none euasioÌ„ / that wordys be so playne yf you bring in any helpe of workys / than for so muche ys not oure redemption frely / nor yet ys yt of grace / but partly of workys / and than doo yow dystroye all S. paule / and hys holle dysputacyon / for he contendyth agenst workys / aÌ„d clearly excludyth workys in Iustyfycacion / and bryngythe in grace only / Now that that ys excludyd in the wholl by contencion / can not be brought in / in parte to the cause Thys ys opyn in hys wordys / where he sayth Vvhere ys nowe thy reioysynge yt ys excluded / By what lawe by the lawe off workys Nay but by the lawe off faythe / we do Iudge and geue senteÌ„ce that a man is Iustifyde by faythe wyth out the workys off the lawe / Here yow not / that the gloryacyon off workys ys excludyd / and yet wyll yow bost youre workys Here yow not playnly Saynt Paules sentence / that Iudgeth clearly wyth faythe / and agenst all workys in thys cause / how can yow a voyd this is it not clear Vvhat can yow answere too yt Is not this Paulis proposion that he toke to proue / fayth only iustifythe It were but lost labour for Paule to proue that workes dyd helpe to iustifycacion / for that the iuys dyd graunt In so moche that they gloryed ageÌ„st the geÌ„tyllis / which had no maner of workes / aÌ„d for that dispysed them as peopell vn worthy to be iustifide / but paradveÌ„ture you wil make a blynd a damnable evasion / and say that Paule condemneth the workes of the olde lawe / as vnworthy to iustificacion / but not the workes of the newe lawe / are yov now satysfyed in youre conscience Thynke yov that yov haue well assoâ—yd S. Paules argument thynke you that this ys sufficient to avoyde S. Paule that hathe taken so great labour to proue this cause thynke you that yov shal be thus discharged a fore god yf yov doo / than goo boldly in to the strayte iudgement off god with this euasion / and doute you not but there shalle yov fynde S. Paule as styfly and as strongly agenst yov aÌ„d youre newe workes as ever he was agenst the Iuys and their olde workes / and yf he dyd condemne the workes of the lawe / that were institute by the mouth of god / thynke yov that those workes that you haue inuented out of youre idylle brayne shalle be there a lowed Breuely what workes can yov doo / or excogitate that be good whiche be not in the olde law / Ergo he speketh of all maner of workes / for the law includythe all workes that euer god instituted / but lett me stope youre mouthis with S. Paule Doth not he brynge to proue his cause / the example of the great father Abraham / whom no maner off workes culde iustify / but faith only / thynke you that S. Paule dothe speke here of the workes of the olde lawe nay doutles For how coulde AbrahaÌ„ do the workes of the law / and there was no law geuen .iiij. C. .xxx. yeres after where fore S. paule constrayneth you to conclude that no maner of good workis though they be so good as Abrahams workys can helpe to iustificacioÌ„ But yet yov haue a nother evasyon that is of youre glosse / how that S. Paule speketh of cerimonial workys / how they do not Iustifye Glossa Thys distynccyoÌ„ is but for mad men / and for theÌ„ that be not lernyd whyche are glad whane they may avoyd holy scriptur / though it be notyng to purposse but alonly with ydille and vayne wordis I pray yov what nede S. paule to proue that the ceremonials did not iustyfy / was there ever any Iue that lokyd to be iustified by theÌ„ Nay doutles For they were not geuyn to Iustificacion where fore what maÌ„ wolde thynke that S. Paule except mad meÌ„ aÌ„d vnlernyd assis wolde take so great labour to proue that thing / that every maÌ„ did gravnt / where fore say what you can Here stondith holy S. paule styfly aÌ„d strongly for me and ageÌ„st yov and saith that we be frely aÌ„d alonly Iustifyed by faith with out allemaner of workis Ambro ad Rom. â— But let vs see what youre awne doctours
saye to this text S. Ambrose declarith it on this maner They are iustified frely / for thei doyng nothyng nor nothyng deseruyng / alōly by faithe are iustifyed by the gifte of god c̄ here you not / that mē workinge nothynge at al / nor nothyng deseruing / ar iustified bi faith only / yee that frely yov were wont to say that faithe dothe Iustifye / but not alonly ād therfore wolde yov crye / For. Sola Sola Sola only / only / only Here haue yov hym / ād to helpe hym yov haue also gratis that is frely / ād also dono de◠that is by the gyfte of god / and nihil operātes that is workinge nothinge at al. if these wordis do not exclude workis and alowe faithe only / I can not telle what wordis wille do it And lest that S. Ambrose shulde not be sufficient in this cause / I wille also bring yov Origyne on this same texte whose wordis be these Orig. ad Rom. li. 3. cap. 3. Paule saythe that the Iustificacion of fayth is alonly sufficient So that if a man / do beleue alonly he is iustifide though there be no workis done of hym at al / bi faythe was the thefe iustifide with out the workis of the law / wherefore a man is iustifide by faythe / vn to whom / as cōseruyng iustificacion the workis of the law / helpe nothyng c̄ Vvhat say yov by Origyn / that saythe how men be iustifyde / though they do no good workys at alle / for workis do helpe nothyng to Iustificaciō / but faythe only Be not these playne wordis / gravnt these wordis / and we wille aske no more of yow / here haue yov also Sola Sola Sola so that yov nede not Crye no more for Sola For yov haue more thā yov can welle a voyde / Also Origen bryngith an opyn example of the thefe that no man can deny who can haue lesse good workis than a theffe whiche is neither good before god nor man Rom. 9. Also paule in the .ix. chapter bryngithe in the gentille / whiche knowithe nothynge of God / nor hathe done no good workis / but contrary blasphemyde god / and hys holy name and hathe allways lyuyde in idolatrye ād byn an vtter enymy vn to alle goodnes / he bringythe in also the Iue fulle of good workes of the lawe / whyche hathe also great zele to god / Rom. 10. and to his workis / yee ād of that Paule beryth hym wytnes breuely he bryngith in for hym suche a Iue that no mā cā cōplaine of / but is fulle of good workis yee take al the best of the Iuys to gether For it were madnes for paul to speke of the damnable iuys that were opyn wrechis and damnable by the Iudgement of the law with al theyr good workis / and yet S. Paule dothe exclude them and repellithe them clearly from iustificacion with al their good zele / and with al their good workys ād concludithe with playne wordis / that the gentille which was fulle of damnable workis / and had neither zele nor loue vn to goodnes is iustifyed by faythe only / These be S. Paules wordis Rom. 9. Vve saye that the gentilles whyche followyd not rightwysnes haue obtenyd ryghtwysnes I mene the ryghtwysnes whiche comith of faithe But Israell whyche folowyd the law of rightwysnes / colde not attayne vnto rightwisnes / where fore bicause they sought it not bi faythe but as it were by the workis of the lawe Be not these playne wordis that the gentilles whiche followyd no rightwisnes / nor had no minde ther vn to / are Iustifyed frely by faythe Is not here Sola fides / only fayth More ouer the Iue ys repreuyd with al his zele with al his loue with al his studye and with all hys good workis Is not this a meruellous thyng yes verely And so meruelous that yov shalle neuer vnderstond it with out yov beleue But peradventure here shalle be sayd that the good workes of the Iuys dyd not profyte them / by cause they had no faythe But if they had had faythe / than wolde they helpe to their iustificacion To this I make answere / trouth it is that good workys dyd not proufyt that Iuys for want of faithe / but this is false they workis shulde haue holpe to Iustificaciō with faythe For S. Paule prouythe clearly that good workys helpe nothyng to Iustificacion nor eville workis let not the iustificacion that comythe by faythe / And this he prouyth bi the exampille of the gentille / which had no good workys but alle evill and all damnable workys / and yet ys iustyfyed by fayth Moreover the Iue hathe the zele of god and alle maner of good workis with alle thyng that the worlde cā deuisse al this coulde not helpe hym where fore the glory of iustificacion remanyth only to faith Also S. paule provithe playnly in these wordis that workis haue no place in Iustificaciō / to hym that workyth is the rewarde not geuyn of fauour but of deutye To hym that workythe not / Rom. 4. but beleuithe on hym that Iustifythe the wikkyd mā / is faythe coūtyd for rightwysnes How thynke you bi these wordis be they not opynly agēst al workis saythe he not that Iustyficacion is imputyd vn to hym that workith not but alonly beleuythe in hym that iustyfythe the wykkyd man I pray yov what good workis dothe the wikkyd man Marke also how he saythe that ryghtwysnes is ymputyd vn to hym / Ergo yt ys not deseruyd For that that is deseruyd / is not imputyd of fauour / but it must be geuyn of dewty How thynke yov is not this Sola fides onlye fayth ▪ yow know that there be but workis and faythe that do Iustitie / and S. Paule excludythe workys clearly Ergo faithe alone remaynith / but paradventure yov will say As yov be full of holy hypocrisye that workis with faythe do Iustifye / Neuer the lesse of mekenes and lowlynes / and avoydyng of al bost of youre godnes yov wille geue alle the glory to faythe / as vnto the principalle thynge with out the whiche no workis can helpe / not with stonding workis be good and do helpe to iustificacion / though of mekenes yov wille not know it Is not this damnble hypocrisy ye ād that with god which were intolerable if it were with men But how can yov proue by scripture that this hypocrisy of youres ys trewe / that workis ar worthy of any glory of iustificacion Is not this opyn lying on faith to geue alle to hym and yet as yov say he is not worthy off alle for workis be worthy of parte / yf faythe be not worthy alonly / Confesse it opynly / and geue workys hys prayse / and fayth her praisse / and say not one thyng with youre mouth ād thynke another in youre hartis for god serchith the
mercifulle / and so mercifulle / that he wyll not impute my synnes vn to me / Though they be neuer so great so longe as I hange on the blessyd bloud of Christe Iesus he is also a lyberalle father / yee and that vn to me lyberalle / which will not alonly promyse me al thynges / but also geue them me whether they be necessary to the body or to the soule He ys also not alonly lyberalle / but myghty to performe all thynges that he promisyth vn to me Breuely this faith maketh me to hange clearely off god and off his blessed promisis and not too fere dethe nor none afflyccion / nor persecucions / nor tribulacion / but too dispysse all these thinges / and not allonly these / but to dispisse also myne awne selfe / mine awne body / myne awne life for Christes sake Finallye of a fleshely best it maketh me a spirituall man / of a damnabille childe / yt maketh me a heuenly sone / Of a seruaunt of the deuell / yt maketh me a fre man of godys / both deliuered froÌ„ the lawe / from sinne / from dâ—the / fro the deuell / and from all mysery that might hurte me My lordes this is the faythe that dothe Iustifie / and be cause it is geuen from heuen in to oure hartis by the sprete off god / therfore it can be no ydille thynge / But it must nedis do all maner of thingis / that be too the honour off god / and also to the profite of oure neyboure / in so muche that at all tymis necessary yt must nedis worke well / and also brynge forthe all good workes / that may be to the profitte and helpynge off any man But these workys be not done / too Iustifye the man / but a iuste man must nedes do them / Not vnto his profite / but allonly to other meÌ„s profites / euyn as oure Master Christ / suffered hunger and thurst / and persecucion and toke greate labours in preachinge of hys worde / ye aÌ„d also suffered deth all these thinges I say dyd he not to further or to profite him selfe / But for oure merit and for oure profytt / so likewyse doth a Iuste man his workes And as a good tre in tyme off yeare bringeth forthe a god appylle / not to make hym good for he is good a fore / nor yet this appyl is not to his profyt / But vn to other mens not withstondinge the good nature that ys in him must nedys brynge yt forthe / so lykewyse the Iuste man must nedys do good workys / not by them to be Iustyfyde / but allonly in them to serue hys brother for he hathe no nede of them / as consernynge hys Iustyfycacyon wherefore now here haue yow the very trewe cause off Iustyfycacyon / that is faythe allonly / And also the very trewe waye and maner of doynge good workis / And how that no man can do good workis but a Iustified maÌ„ / As oure Master Christ saythe / eyther make the tre good aÌ„d thaÌ„ hys frute most be good / Mat. 7. Or ellys the tre euyll and hys frute also euyll for a good tre must nedys brynge forth good frute / And a bad / evell frute But now lett me answere to theyr scrypturs and too their carnall reasons that they brynge to proue that workys do Iustyfye SoluetoÌ„s to the scripture whych thei falsly allege Fyrst cometh the flesslye and damnable reson / And the saythe yf we be Iustyfyde allonly by fayth what nede we to do any good workis what nede we to crucyfye or to mortyfye oure fleshe / for all these wylle not profytt vs / and we shall be sauyd though we do none of them al. Thus dyd blinde reason dispute with Saint Paule whan that he had prouyd / that god off hys mere marcy / had delyuered vs frely from the damnable bondage off the lawe / A none he Iudged that he myght doo what he wolde / for he was no longer vndernethe the lawe / To thys Saynt Paule answereth / that yf we obey vn to the workys of synne / than are we the seruauntys off synne / and yff we obey to the workys off Iustys than are we the seruauntes off Iustys / soo that yff we truly haue that same faythe that Iustyfythe vs / we shall desyere too doo noo nother workys but those that belonge too Iustyfycacyon / not that the workys do Iustyfye vs / but that we must nedys doo these workys / as the very trew frutys off Iustificacyon / aÌ„d therfore those men that wyll do no good workys by cause they be Iustyfyde alonly by faythe / be not the chylderne of god nor the chylderne of Iustyfycacyon / and of that ys this a suer and an euydent token / for yf they were the very trew chylderne off god / they wolde be the gladder to doo good workys / by cause that they are Iustyfyed frely Therfore shulde they also be mouyd frely to worke / yff yt were for no nother purposse / nor profyte / but allonly to doo the wyll off their mercyfulle god / that hathe so frely Iustyfyed them / and also to profyte theyr neyboure / whom they are bound to serue of very trewe cheryte Take an exampell / here ys a thefe that ys condemnyd by ryght and by law to be hangyd whom the kyngis grace of hys mercy / dothe frely delyuere from the gallous / and geuythe hym hys pardon / Nowe thys thefe thus delyuered wyll not kepe hym selfe a trew man nor do those workys that belonge to a trew man to doo / but fallyth agayn to stelynge by cause the kynge perdonyd hym so frely / and rekenyth that the kynge ys so mercyfull that he wyll hange noo theuys but delyuer them all of hys mercy with out their deseruyng / Now how thynke you wyll the kynge be marcyfull vn to thys thefe whan he comythe agayne to the gallous nay truly / but yff he had done those thynges that the kyngys pardon deseruyd / than had he come noo more in danger / but shulde haue byn styll in the kyngys fauouâ—e TheÌ„ cometh my lorde off Rochester / aÌ„d he saith the faith doth be gynne a Iustyfycacyon in vs / But workys do performe yt and make yt parfyt / and by cause that noo man shall thynke that I lay yt vn to hym vnrightwisly I wil resyte his awne wordes Arti. 1. Per fidem initiari dicitur iusticia soluÌ„ / non auteÌ„ coÌ„summari naÌ„ coÌ„suÌ„mata iusticia noÌ„ aliter quaÌ„ exoperibê° natis / et in luceÌ„ editis acquiri potest / Opera coÌ„summate iustificaÌ„t / Fides primuÌ„ inchoat cÌ„ Vvhat christenyd man wolde thynke that a bisshope wolde thus triffylle and play wyth godys holy worde Godys worde ys soo playne / that no man can avoyde yt how that faythe Iustyfythe allonly / and now commyth my lorde of Rochester / wyth a lytle and a vayne
vs if they be impossible what right is in him that daÌ„neth vs for that thing that is impossible for vs to do / I answere o thou blind pÌ„sumtuous / daÌ„nable reson / where haste thou lernyd of ony other creature to inquier a cause of thy makers wyll / or ellis to murmur / agenst the ordynance of thy lyuinge god / what hast thou to do / to requier a cause of his actis he hath made that with out thy consent couÌ„sell may he not sett law ys ê¯maÌ„demeÌ„tis to rule that bi at his plesur with out couÌ„sel thou artworthy of none aÌ„swer / thou arte so presuÌ„tuê° nor there is no godly aÌ„swere that will satifyse that Neuer the lesse I wyll stope thy blasphemynge mouth / by thyne awne wysdom to thy gret shame First thys thyng must thow grauÌ„te me / that thy god is Essencial goodnes / is nothing but goodnes / wherfore he can commande nothyng / but that is good / Iust rightê° / which thngys yf thou doo not or be not abylle to doo Thy maker may not lett his goodnes vndone by cause of thy naughtynes / or for thyne vn a byllnes / And if thou biste not abille to do those good thyngis that he commandyth the / There is no faute in the commander / nor yet in the commandimentis / wherfore than doste thou grudge agenste hym with out a cause But yet wylte thou murmur and say how that he knoweth how they be impossible for the / Truthe that is he knoweth it / Than wylt thou say / wherfore dothe he command them to me O thou presumtuous creature it were suffycyently aÌ„swered to the to say that it is his plesur so to commaunde what couldest thou say more / what occasyon haddest thou to murmur what vroÌ„g haste thou But I wille go forther thy maker knowythe that they be impossible for the he knowithe also / thy damnable and presumtuous pryde / that rekkynest how thou canste do alle thyngis that be good of thyne awne streÌ„gth with out any other helpe / and to subdewe thys presumtuous pryde of thyne / to bryng the to knowlege of thyne awne selfe / he hath geuyng that his commaundymentes of that which thou canste not complayne / for they be bothe righttus aÌ„d good And if thou complayne bi cause they be impossible for the / thane consyder thy damnable pryde / that thoughtest thy selfe so stronge that thou couldest do alle goodnes / But what wylt thou nowe doo these commandimentis be geuyn and cannot nor shalle not be changyd to satysfyse thy presuÌ„tuus pryde / where of wilte thou now complayne godes commaÌ„dimentes be resonable / they be good / they be righttus / and they be laudable / shalle alle these thynges be dystroyd to satisfyse thy pryde / nay not so / But thou shalte rather remayne / with alle thy pryde vnder the damnacion of these commandimentes / what sayst thou ther to caÌ„ste thou avoyd this canste thou say but this is ryght / canste thou saue thy selfe from danger / canste thou a voyde thy damnacion by alle thy carnalle wysdom nay verely / for he that is thy aduersary is omnipotent where fore say what thou wylt / So must it be / for it is godes ordinaÌ„ce whiche may not be chaÌ„gyd But now wilte thou aske what remydy no remydy but this wonly / to confesse thy wekenes / to confesse thy pryde / to knowlege thy vnabyllnes / to graunt that these commandymentes be lawfulle holy and good / and how thou arte bounde to kepe them / and to geue laude and prayse to god for them / and to go to thy mercyfulle maker with this confessyon / and to desyer hym that he wille helpe the / that he wille be mercifulle vn to the / that he wille strength the for thou arte to weke / That he wille geue the his spret / for thy spret is to fleshely / to fulfylle these spritualle commandementes and doute thou not but thou shalt fynd hym bothe mercy fulle and also gracious for he gaue thou these commandymentes for that intent / secretly declaryng bothe thy pryde also thy wekenes / that thou mightest seke aÌ„d calle vn to hym for helpe Thys dothe S. Augustine declare welle in these wordis / de tempo ser 5.3 yf man do perseue that in the coÌ„mandymentes / is any thynge impossible or els to harde / lett hym not remayne in hym felfe / but lett hym runne vn to god hys helper / that which hathe geuyn his commandimentes for the intent / that oure desyer myght be sturryd vpe and that he myght geue helpe cÌ„ Marke S. Augustine saithe that the commandymentes be impossible vn to oure streÌ„gthe / but we must calle to god for strengthe The palagioÌ„s did rekyn / that they had got a grett vyctorduÌ„ whan they had made this carnalle reson / that God wolde commande nothyng that was impossible / of thys reson dyd they glory aÌ„d tryumphe and thought that they must nedes haue some naturalle strengthe and power to fulfylle the commandimentes of god / seyng that god wolde commande nothyng impossible to man Off this same reason dothe my lorde of rochester and alle his scollars glory vnto thys same day But let vs see how S. Augustine answeryth them / Dâ—li arb cap. 16. The palagions saithe he thynke that they knowe a wonders thyng / whan they say God wille not command that thyng the which he knoweth / that is impossibille for man to do / Euery man knoweth this / but ther fore dothe he commaunde sertyn thynges / that we caÌ„ not doo / Eccle. 12. by cause we myght knowe / what thyng we ovght to aske of hym / Faithe is she whych by prayer optaynyth that thyng that the law commandithe / breuely he that saythe / If thov wilt thou mayst kepe my commaÌ„dimentes / In the same boke a littille after saith / he shalle geue me kepyng in my mought Playne it is that we may kepe the commandimeÌ„tes if we wille / but by cause oure wille is prepared of god / off hym must it be askyd / that we may so muche wille / as wille suffice vs to do them / trouth it is / that we wille / whan we wille / but he makyth vs to wille that thyng that is good Here haue yov pâ—ayne that my lord of Rochesters opynyon and the palagyons ys alle won / for they bothe do agre that the commandimentes of god / be not impossible to oure naturall streÌ„gth But S. Augustine saythe they be impossible / And therfore be they geuyn that we shuld know oure wekenes / also aske the strengthe to fulfille theÌ„ / For faythe bi prayer dothe optayne strengthe / to fulfylle / the impossible commandimentes of the lawe Here haue you also / that god mouythe vs and causythe vs to be good willers / aÌ„d geuythe vs a good wille for els we wolde
be not maÌ„ may kepe theÌ„ or intend yf he wille / But yf thou wilte kepe them / thaÌ„ they shalle kepe that / where fore of these wordes cane yov not coÌ„clude any power in maÌ„ For it foloweth not whaÌ„ god saithe / do this / do that / here this / here that / kepe thys / kepe that / yf thou wilt here / yf thou wilt do this / yf thou wilte do that / That we cane do these thynges or cane intend to do theÌ„ / for god coÌ„mauÌ„deth vs to do al thynge that is good / ergo we be abille of oure naturalle streÌ„gthe to do them Than were the sprete of god frustrate / for the sprete of god is not geuyn vs / to geue coÌ„maÌ„dimentes but for to geue vs strengthe / to fulfylle / and righttusly to vnderstond those thynges that be commaÌ„ded vs. By the commaÌ„dimentes is declaryd that thyng that we ought to do / also they shewe oure wekenes aÌ„d imbecylite that we myght lerne to seke for a gretter strengthe and gretter helpe than is in vs / As. S. Augustine faithe in these wordes Aug. de verb apost s 13. The law was geuyn that man myght fynd hym selfe / and not to make his syknes holle / but that by hys preachyng the syknes incresyd / the phisicion might be sought wherfore the law thretnyng / and not fulfillyng that thyng that he coÌ„mandeth / makythe a man to be vndernethe hym / but the lawe is good if a man do vse it welle By the law to know oure syknes and to seke godes helpe to helpe vs cÌ„ Here is it playne / that the commandymentes of god geue vs no strengthe / nor yet declare ony strength to be in vs / but shewythe vs oure duty and also oure wekenes / aÌ„d also moveth vs / and causythe vs to seke for der for streÌ„gthe / So that these wordes si volueris / si feceris / si audieris / si emuÌ„daueris / si vis / with alle other suche that be wordes of coÌ„maÌ„dimentes or wordes vnder a condycion / do nothyng declare but what we are bound to do / aÌ„d what shalle folow if we do them / And as the wordes of the lawe do thretyn an yvylle ende for synne alonly for to fere evylle doars / and wykkyd persons from evyl / so do the wordes of promys stur vpe and quickyn good meÌ„s hartes for to do welle and also comforte them that they shuld not dispare in aduersites / but nether these nor those geue vs any strengthe to do that that is commandyd but alonly they do declare / what paynis and what rewarde shalle folowe to the brekers / and the kepers of them A nother scriptur haue yov where as oure Master christ saithe / Mat. 23. How of tyn wolde I haue getheryd thy childern / and thou woldste not Here crye yov / liberuÌ„ arbitriuÌ„ li. arb For if they had no frewille what ned oure M. to say thou woldste not First must we consyder that there are .ii. maner of willes in god / won is callyd his godly wille or his secret or vnscrutable wille / where by that alle thynges be made and orderd / and alle thynges be done Of this wille no creature hathe knowlege what he ought there by to do or not to do / for as S. Paule saithe / it is inscrutable / and there fore it is sufficient for vs / to know there of alonly that there is an inscrutable wille â—e â— The other wille in god is callyd a declaryd aÌ„d a manyfestyd wille / The whyche is declaryd and geuyn to vs in holy scripturs / This wille was shewyd vn to vs to the vttermost by oure Master christ the son of god / and therfore is it lawfulle / and also alle men are bound to serchâ— to know this wille and for that consideracyon was it manyfested vn to vs Thys wille dothe declare what every man is bound to do / and what everye man ys bound to flye / And bi this wille is offeryd vnto every man / those thynges that be of saluacyon / and by thys wille god wille haue no maÌ„ daÌ„ned / Now he that wille know this wille must go to oure Master christ in whome as S. Paule saithe be alle tresurs of wisdom and sciens / So that he wille shew vs as muche as is necessary for vs to know / and as muche as the father of heuyn wolde we shuld know / Now to the texte / here speketh god that is incarnatyd that was sent to wille / to speke / to do / to preche / to be famylier with vs / to do myrakylles ye and also to suffer dethe for oure saluacyon / Now saithe he / I wolde haue getheryd my childern / that is to say I dyd preche / I dyd labour with alle diligence to conuerte the / I dyd myracles a fore the / ye I wept I wayllyd for thy sake / alle these thynges dyd I with alle other thynges that myght be to thy convercioÌ„ and that belonged to god incarnate to do / but alle these thynges did not profite them / whye By cause they wolde not In hym was there no faute / For there was nothynge vndon / that belonged to hym to doo / so that he was willing and yet dyd it not profite Ierusalem / And whi by cause they wolde not But now why wolde they not / by cause it was in their power to wille to consent and to wille not to consent / nay trulye / but by cause as Iohan saithe they culde not beleue / for he had blynded their yies / Ioan. â—â— aÌ„d hardenyd their hartes / that they shulde not see with their yies nor vnderstond with theyr hartes / So that they must nedes aloÌ„ly wille not to consent / aÌ„d culd no nother wisse do but not coÌ„sent / and yet were they neither coÌ„strayned nor compelled / nor wronge to it by violence / but frely they wold not consent / and yet had they the liberte of their frewille that was to be agenst christ and not to be with hym / for the liberte of frewille stoÌ„deth not in thys that he may wylle thys thing / and also wille the contrary there of / But it stondeth in that that althyng that he wille or wille not is att his awne wille ys not ther to constranyd but willeth it frely with out any compulsyon / and yet he can not chouse no nor wille not chose so to wille or so not to wille / So that there is a necessite immutable / but not a necessite of compulsyoÌ„ or coaccion / now is it opyn that this place makythe not for yov for there was no power / nor none intent in their frewille to consent vn to christ / but to wille the contrary and not to wille vn to him and alle was by cause they were blindyd and theyr hartes wer hardenyd / and therfore of their natural streÌ„gth
god / nor practys of christen men / nor exposycion of doctors / nor youre awne lawe / nor yet any statute of counselles that wylle hold agenst yov yov be meruelus giantes / how shall a man behaue hym selfe to handylle wyth yov / yt is not possible to ouer come yov / for yov wylle admytâ— nothynge that is agenst yov But yet wyll I not so leue yov / but I wylle fyrst declare yt manifestly / that yov be contrary to christe / In prohe In Epist ad Ephes Li. 1. and to alle holy doctours S. Hierom / repreueth yov very sore in these wordes O Paula and Eustochium / yf there be any thyng in this lyffe that dothe preserue a wyse man and dothe persuade hym to abyde wyth a good wylle in the oppressions and the thravlledoms of the world I do rekken that specially yt is the meditacioÌ„s and the studdy of holy scripture seyng that we doo dyffer from other creaturs specially in that that we be resonable and in that that we cane speke / now is reason and alle maner of wordes conteyned in godly scriptur / where by that we may lerne to know god and also the cause wherfore we be created / wherfore I doo sore marvelle / that there be certen men the whiche geue theÌ„ selfe / to slouthefullnes / and sluggyshnes aÌ„d wille not lerne those thinges / that be good / but rekken those men worthy to be reproued / that haue that good mynd cÌ„ Marke how that this was wrytten to two wemen / that were lerned Also he rekneth nothyng better / than to studdy holy scriptures / he also meruelyth / that serten wylle neyther studdy scriptures them selfe nor yet lett other men studdy them / It is well knowen / that these wordes prycke no men but yov / and yov be so slothefulle and so geueÌ„ to voluptuousnes / that yov youre selfe wyll not studdy scriptures nor yet suffer other meÌ„ to studdy theÌ„ but yf yov doo studdy them / it is to diffene youre symple pore brother there by / and to mayntayne youre abhominable lyuynge / with wrestyng and wryngynge of them other profite coÌ„meth there none of youre studdy / as all the worlde knoweth For you may not preche / but whaÌ„ yov haue damnablye coÌ„demned christes blessed worde or els by vyolence / made some of youre poore brethern heretikes / than come yov wyth alle youre gorgius estate / pompe and pryde / to out face christ and youre symple brother / wyth youre outward damnable pryd a fore the face of the world / but my lordes / leve of youre fasynge and youre brasyng / for oure lorde whose cause we defend agenste yov / wylle at length not be out fased Remember how the holy gost prayth agenst yov saynge / iudge them lorde / Psal 5 that they may falle from their cogitacions / expelle them lorde for they haue prouoked the / dought yov not but this holy sprett wylle prevaylle agenste yov / though god suffer yov for a sesonne yet hathe he tyll this day defended hym selfe his godly wordes agenst all the proude crakynges of the world / and thynke yov that he wylle nowe take a faulle at youre honde nay nay / he shall fyrste thrust yov out hedlynges that alle the worlde shall take example by yov / this is my beleue For that word that yov haue condemned doth thus lerne me / wherefore iff yov do not reuoke the condemnacion of the newe testament / and ordeyne that alle christen men may rede holy scriptur yov shalle haue the grettest shame that ever men hade in this worlde for yov ar neuer abylle to defend yt by no menys / nor by no power that is in erthe / and if alle power in erthe wylle withstonde yt / he shalle rather bryng theÌ„ alle to duste and raysse vpp of stonys newe rulars yov wormys meat / yov stynkyng carrion yov nurryshement of helle fyer / how dare yov thus presume agenste youre god omnipotent whether wyll yov flye to a voyd his danger heuen and erthe / watter and fyer / sone / mone / and starrys / saynctes and angelles / man and childe / be agenst yov and holde yov a cursed what though the deuylle laffe on yov for a seson / Rememâ—er the ende / but god geue yov his grace / that I losse not my labour a boute yov But now lett me a soylle youre carnalle reasons that yov bryng for yov The fyrst is this euyll men doo take an occasion of heresy out of scripturs / wherefore yt is best they haue yt not / I answere lyke wyfe good men doo take an occasion of goodnes there of ergo the people ought to haue yt / but wylle yov condemne alle thynges where by men doo take occasion of evylle Than must yov fyrste put out youre awne yies for by them take yov occasyon to see meny idylle thynges yov must also dystroy youre hondes youre fette youre tonge / and alle that yov haue for these do yov mysse vse very often / yov must also distroy youre awne hartes wherby yov haue not alonlye occasion of evylle / but yov doo thinke evylle in very dede / yov must also destroye alle fayre wemen / for of them take yov sore occasions of evylle / yov must also burne alle your goodes and destroy alle youre richys / for of them meÌ„ take occasion to be theuys and yov to be proude / yov must also distroye all winys / for of them men take occasion to be drunken / yov must distroy alle mettes / for they geue men occasion of gluttyny / yee yov must distroye the marcy of god / of the which evylle men take boldnes in their myschyffe / breuely what is there soo good a thynge but that evylle men cane take an occasion of evylle / yee and that of Christe him selfe / as 1. Corin. 1. S. Paule saith which vnto to the Iuys is offence / and vnto the gentylles occasioÌ„ of folyshenes / and yet for alle this yov maye not dystroye Christ / but he must remayne stylle and so lyke wyse the gospelles / for though that the evylle man which wyl neuer be good reseue of it occasioÌ„ of evyll / yet there be meny thousandes that reseue there by their saluacion Now be cause the spyder gethereth poyson of the good herbis / it were no reason therfore to dystroy alle good herbys Mar. 1â— A nother of youre reasons / there be serteÌ„ sentences in scripture that do not beloÌ„ge for everye maÌ„ to know / as oure M. Christ faith / vnto yov is it geueÌ„ to know / the mysterys of the kyngdoÌ„ of heueÌ„ / vnto theÌ„ is it not geueÌ„ I aÌ„swere whome mene yov whaÌ„ yov say / vnto yov it is geueÌ„ / yf yov mene the aposles alonly their successors thaÌ„ may not yov rede holy scriptur / for yov be not the successors of the appostles / by my lorde of
Rochestes auctoryte / but yff yov mene the christen people / that haue the sprete of god / as oure Master Christ ment than be yov excluded for yov haue not the sprytte of god as the effect dothe declare / ergo yov may not rede scripturs marke also that oure Master saithe vn to yov yt ys geuen / as who saith if yt were not geuen yov shulde no more haue yt thane other men Now howe cane yov proue that the vnderstondinge of scriptur is geuen to yov but now to the texte oure master Christe speketh here of the sprytualle / and the ryght vnderstonding of holy scripturs / which is the gyfte of god wonly / and he speketh not of studyyng or redynge of holy scripture / for yov haue in that same place / howe that meny dyd followe hym / and heare his prechynge but yet they vnderstonde hym not / therfore this texte maketh derectly agenste you aÌ„d youre workes doo declare that yov be the herars and reders of the worde of god but the vnderstondynge is not geuen yov But now wyll my lorde of Rochester say / that yov haue the very vnderstondyng as holy doctours had yt / for though that scripturs in them selfe and of their awne nature be playnest / aÌ„d beste to be knoweÌ„ yet be the holy doctours playnest vn to vs / wherefore he that wyll vnderstonde scripture must fyrst lerne to vnderstonde the doctours / they shall brynge hym to the trew vnderstondynge of holy scripture / or els he must erre I answere o my lorde doo yov wryte this with a saffe consyens thynke yov that yov cane discharge youre consyens a fore the dredfulle face of Christe with this tryflynge distynccyon / Quedam sunt nociora nobis / et quedaÌ„ nociora natura / I pray yow yf yow wylle proue that god were wyse / wold yov be gyne to proue yt at youre wysdoÌ„ yf yow wolde proue that god were a lyue wold yov proue yt by that that yov be a lyue if yow wolde persuade a man to beleue that there is a gode / wolde yov lerne hym / that he must nedes beleue yt / by cause that there be creaturs these thinges be best knowen vnto yow / and yf yow wold proue that a man hath a trew sens of scripturs / wylle yov proue yt / by that that he hath the sense of the doctours what if the doctors had takeÌ„ a false a contrary sense / this case is possible wold yov therfore saye that the sense which the maÌ„ hathe takeÌ„ out of scriptur is false But I pray yov my lorde / after this rule / how culde meÌ„ / vnderstond scripturs / in Peter and Paules days whane there were no doctours Scotê° â—â— Sent. di 3 q. 3 But after youre awne lernyng / that same sciens which must proue the principylles of other scieÌ„ces is fyrst knowen / actualiter / dystynkly / now be all the pryncipalles of alle other doctours proued trew by holy scriptur / ergo there is no saynge nor exposicion of holy doctoures that cane be perfytly knowen except that scripture be fyrst knowen / this is youre awne dyumyte ye cane not deny yt / wherefore if yov wille proue that yov haue the verite you must proue yt / by cause yov haue the sence of holye scriptur / and not the sence of holye doctoures but douteles I haue grete mervelle / that my lorde of Rochester / is neyther ashamed of man / nor yet afrayd of the vengeance of god that thus tryfylythe with holy scripture Besides this yov haue an other baulde reason / the Cytye of London hathe serten previleges and secret counsels / yt were no reason that alle men shulde know them / this was my lorde of Londons reason at Paulys crosse / whane he condemned the newe testament I Answere my lorde say of your consciens / dyd yov not speke these wordes to plesse my lord that mayre of London and his brethern / but I praye yov is thys a lyke symylitude of the serten counsels of men the which must be kept secrett by cause they be counsels / And of the holy scripturs the whiche were brought in to this world not to be kept secrett but to be preched openly / as oure Master Christe commandeth / preche the gospelle to alle creaturs / heare yov to alle creaturs Mar. vlt. lett these men haue yt for alle these be of the counsell aÌ„d kepe yov yt from the ressydue / furthermore oure Master saithe in a nother place / that that I haue shewed yov in secretnes / preche yt on the tope of the housse Also S. Paule saith / the gospell is declared openly thorow prechyng and in an other place god hathe brought lyffe and immortalyte / Ti. 1. 2. Timo. 2 Ioan. 3 Mat. 5. vnto lyght thorow the gospelle / also oure master calleth yt the lyght of the worlde / now who will sett as he sayth a lyght vnder a busshell / and not rather openly that alle men there by may be lyghtened wherefore my lorde youre symylytude ys verye for vn lyke / and iff yov were not a lorde yt ware worthy to be dyspised / but douteles yt may be welle thoughte that yov ware at a sore exigent / whan yov were coÌ„pelled to proue this thinge with so baulde a reason / who wolde haue loked for so symple a reason in so ernyst a matter of so wyse a man / of so grete a doctour / of so worshypfulle a father / and of the bysshop of London / yee and of hym that ys called a nother Solomon / nor withstoÌ„dinge suche an haltyng symilytude dyd he neuer lerne in the prouerbes of Salomon / but yt had byn a better symylytude / of the kynges proclamacioÌ„ / which is proclaymed that all meÌ„ myght know yt and also kepe yt and noo man ys bounde to kepe yt / tylle yt be proclamed / lyke wysse the gospelle was geuen for to be proclamed / and everye man is bound to kepe yt / wherfore yt must nedes be proclaymed to everye man / and vn to yov my lord I be seche god that yov may be won of them of whome yt ys spoken To yov ys yt geuen to knowe the mysteryes of god Amen ☜ Finis ¶ Mens constitucions which be not grounded in scripture bynde not the consciens of man vnder the payne of dedly synne ☜ TO this article we must note that there be two maner of mynysters or powers won ys a temporalle power / the other is called a spritualle power / the temporalle power ys commytted of god to kynges / Dukes / Erlys / Lordes / Barrons / Iudges / mayrys / shryuys / and to alle other mynystres vnder them / these be they that haue wonly the temporalle swerde / where by they must order alle the commen welthe with alle wordly thynges longynge there vnto / as the disposicioÌ„ of these wordly goodes / who shal be ryght owner and
haue an euydent example of S. Paule the which wold not circumcise Titus whan the false brethern wolde haue compelled hym there vn to as a thynge of necessyte vnto whome Gala. 2. S. Paule gaue no romthe as consernynge to be brought in to subieccion s Paule dyd not with stonde them / by cause that circumsicion was vnlawfulle or myght not be vsed of christen men / but by cause that they wolde haue compelled hym vn to yt as vnto a thinge of necessyte / that thinge wolde not S. Paule suffer / for that was agenst the liberty that we haue in Christ Iesus as he saith here planly wherefore we be not aloÌ„ly by christe made fre from synne / but also made fre in vsynge alle maner of thynges that be indiffereÌ„t / and vnto them we cane not be bound as vnto thynges of necessite as on the frydaye to eate fyshe / and there vnto be bounde in consciens vnder the payne of dedly synne / in thys we may not obey for yt is agenst the worde off god not be cause / it is evylle to eate fyshe for in tyme conuenient and whane thou arte disposed yt is good but by cause that they wylle in this thyng bynde oure consciens and make that thinge of necessite / that god hathe lefte fre Therfore speketh Paule agenst them in these wordes / In the latter dayes serten men shall swarue frome the faythe applyng them selfe to the spretes of errours / 1. Tim. 4. and doctryns of the deuylle / for byddynge maryage / and to absteyne from mettes / that god hathe created to be reseued of faithfullmen with thankes / for alle creaturs of god be good / and nothinge to be refused that ys reseued wyth thankes / marke how Paule saythe / nothynge ys to be refufed that may be reseued with thankes thys is openlye agenste them that wylle forbed other fyshe or fleshe this day or that day as a thynge vn ryght for a christeÌ„ man to eate for as S. Paule saith meate dothe not commend vs vn to god 1. Cor. 8. Also in an other place the kyngdom of heuen is nother meatt nor drynke / Rom. 14. therfore they doo vn ryght to bynde oure consyens in suche thinges / and to thynke vs vnfaythefulle by cause we obserue theÌ„ not Nowe lett oure holy hypocrites of the charter housse loke on their consciens / whiche rekken to by and to selle heuen / for a pece of fyshe or fleshe but they rekken yt no vyce to lyue in hatered / ranker / and malys / and neyther to serue god nor their neyboure but with suche an hypocrites seruyce as they haue inuented off their awne hypocrisy / and not reseued of god / they thynke yt a greate perfeccion to absteyne from befe and mutton / and to eate pyke / tenche gurnarde and alle other costly fyshys and that of the dentyyst fascion dressed / but a pece of grosse beffe may they not touche / may they not smelle for than they losse heuen and alle the merites of Christes bloude Is not here a goodly feyned hypocrisy a fore the worlde yt shyneth bryghte / but compare yt vn to Christes scripture there cane not be a gretter balsphemy / for here in they clearly damne Christ and his ordinance and make that of necessite that Christe lefte as indifferent / agenste these holy hipocrites wrytteth S. Paule saynge / we ought not to be led with the tradicions of meÌ„ / Colo. 2. that saye touche not taste not / handylle not / whiche thinges peryshe with vsynge of them and are after the commandementes and doctryns of men / which thinges haue the symylitude of wysdom in supersticicyous holynes humbylnes in that they spare not the boddy aÌ„d do the fleshe no worshyp vn to hys nede Here is clearly condemnyd all supersticiousnes and feynyd holynes that meÌ„ haue inventyd in eatyng or drincking / in touchyng or in handeling / or in any other suche thinges not that we may not do theÌ„ / but that we do them as thynges of necessite and rekkyn oure selfe holy whan we do them / and to synne dedly whan we do them not / this is by the daÌ„nable institucions of men / The whiche S. Augustine condemneth in these wordes / The apostle saythe / Touche not / haÌ„dille not cÌ„ Ad paui Epi. 59. By cause that those men by suche obseruacions were led froÌ„ the verite / by the which they were made fre / where of it is sprokyn the verite shalle deliuer yov / It is a shame saith he and vnconuenient and farre from the nobillenes of youre liberte seyng yov be the boddy of christ to be disseuyd with shaddowes aÌ„d to be iudgid as sinners if yov dispysse to obserue these thynges / where fore lett no man evercome yov seyng yov are the boddy of chryst that wille seme to be meke in harte in the holynes of angelles aÌ„d bringyng in thynges which he hathe not sene cÌ„ Here haue we planly that those thynges which be of the inuencion of man do not bynde oure conscieÌ„s though they seme / to be of neuer so grett holynes and of humbillenes and holynes of angelles as paule saythe Col. â— where fore let them make what statutis they wille / aÌ„d as mvche holynes as they cane devysse / Invent as muche godes seruyce as they cane thynke / lye that they haue reseuyd it from heuyn / aÌ„d that it is no lesse holynes than angelles haue / aÌ„d set there vn to alle their mandamus / remandamê° / excommunicamus / sub pena excommunicacionis maioris / et minoris / Precipimus / Interdicimus / et sub indignacione dei omnipotentis / et apostoloruÌ„ petri et pauli ligamus / with alle other suche blasphemis / that they haue for douteles if their belly were rippyd / there shulde be nothyng found but blasphemis of god and of his holy word / detraccions / Oppressions / Confusyons / damnacyons of their poore brethern / Other good haue we none of theÌ„ / lett alle Christen men answer to this of their conscyens if it be not trewe And yet are we fre in oure coÌ„scyens / and alle these cane neyther bynd / nor damne oure consciens / for we are fre made thorow christ / And in consciens not bounde vnder the payne of dedly synne / to nothyng that man cane order or sette / excepte it be conteynyd in holy scripture / Epi. ad ro propo 72. But in boddy we are bound to euery man This doth S. Augustyne proue in these wordes Seyng that we be made of soule aÌ„d of boddy / as longe as we do lyve in this temporalle lyffe we must vsse / to the norysheyng of this lyffe / these temporalle goodes Therfore muste we of that parte that belongythe to this liffe be subiect vn to powers / that is / vn to men that do minister worldly thynges with some honour
/ but as consernyng that parte / wherby we beleue in god and be callyd vn to his kyngdum we ought not to be subiect vn to any mā that wille peruerte that same thyng in vs / that hathe plesyd god to geue vs to eternalle liffe c̄ Here is it playne / that we in conscyens by christ be made fre / and nothyng cane bynd vs vn to synne but his worde wonly Nowe is it clearly opyn that if any power in heuyn / or erth commaund any thyng agenst godes worde / or to the distruccyon or mynyshynge of the same no man maye obey in any caue vnder the payne of damnacion / for godes veryte is not in different to be left or not to beleft Agayne if man commande any thyng to be done that may be done in tyme and place cōvenient / If he wille bynde vs vn to indifferent thynges as vn to a thyng of necessite / than shalle we not do it / not bi cause it is eville to do / but that it is damnable to be done as a thyng of necessite / Neuer the lesse if any of these thinges be commandyd of the byshopes as burdyns and as thynges in different thane shalle we kepe them in tyme ād place conuenient / as where I may by them serue my brother / or edyfye hym or doo hym any good or that it maye be vn to hym anye menys to come to the verite / neuer the lesse at a nother tyme / whane I am in place conuenient where I shalle not offend my broder nor ingender no sclaunder nor any dysquietnes in the cōmen welthe / Ther may I frely with out any charge of conscyens and with out alle maner of synne breke the bisshopes commandyment / For it is but as a burdyn of a tyraūte / that is layd on vs / and neyther helpyth to the incresyng of godes honour nor to the edyfyynge of oure brethern / And they them selfe kepe them not Of these speketh oure master Christ / They bynde grevous and intolerable burdyns and lay them on mens neckes / Mat. 23. but they them selfe wylle not wons set their lytle fynger to them As for an example To ette fleshe on the frydaye is forbodyn by the bysshops / now if they compelle the to it as vn to a thyng necessary and with out the which thou canste not be sauyd than shalte thou not do it vnder the payne of synne / But if they wille haue the kepe this as a thing of congruens / and as a thing that may be an exterior mene to mortify the boddy / or an outwarde shyne of holynes / and vn to this he will compelle the by outwarde paynes / thys thyng shalte thou do of thy cherite / by cause thou wilte not breke the outward order / nor make any disquietnes for those thynges that neyther make the good nor yet condemne the a fore god / 1. Cor. 8. for as S. paule saithe / if we eate nether are we the better / Nor if we eate not are we the worsse / Alleways prouidid that in these in different thinges thou nother sette confydēce nor holynes / nor yet offende thy weke brothers cherite / for there in though thou be fre in thy selfe and the thyng is also indifferent to the yet of cherite frely makest thou thy selfe seruant to alle men As S. Paule sayth Vvhan I was fre from alle thynges yet dyd I make my selfe a seruant that I might wynne meny men / Note that he alleways speketh of weke brethern and not of obstinate and of induratyd persons / agenst whome thow shalte alleways with stond an defend thy liberte as he dyd he is thy weke brother that hathe a good mind beleuithe the worde of god / 1. Cor. 9. neuer the lesse he hathe not that gifte to perseue as yet this liberty to vsse indifferent thynges frely with thākes There fore faithe and cherite must be thy gyde in al these thinges folowing thē thou cāste not erte ¶ Alle maner of Chrysten men / bothe sprytualle and temporalle are bound whan they wylle be houslyd to reseue the sacramēt in bothe kyndes vnder the payne of dedly synne ☜ IF men had stucke to the open scripturs of gode / and to the practys of christes holy church and to the exposicion of old doctours as yt dyd be come christen mē to doo / than had yt not byn nedefulle for me to haue taken these paynys and laboures in thys cause / nor yet to haue layd to theyr charges those thynges that Antichrist dothe wonly / but now seyng that they wylle doo the open dedes of Antichrist / they must be content that I may also geue them his name / and that alle the world may openly know / that Antichrist dothe rayne in the worlde yee and that vnder the name of Christ I wylle here sett yov forthe an acte of his which whā it is compared to our Master Christes wordes I doo not dought but alle trew christen men wylle iudge yt to be of the deuylle as it is in very dede / though that the chyldern of the worlde doo iudge yt other wyse This do I say of an acte / that the coūselle of constanciēs did make agenst the most holy and glorius sacrament of oure eternalle god Iesus christ where in the won kynd of this most blessed sacramente was condemned as vnlawfulle for laye men to reseue / that euerye man maye know / by what auctoryte they did it / and what thing did moue thē to condēne so blessed and so glorious an ordināce of oure lorde Iesus christ / here wylle I wryte their awne wordes whiche be these / The wordes of the counselle determinacion of Antichrist as thys custome for avoydynge serten sclaunders and parrelles was resonably broughte in notwithstondinge in the begenynge off the church this sacrament was reseued of christen men vnder both kyndes / and afterwarde yt was reseued alonly vnder the kynde of brede / wherefore seyng that suche a custom off the church / and of holy fathers resonably brought in and longe obserued muste be taken for a law the whych shall not be lawfulle to repreue / nor with out auctoryte of the churche to change yt at amans plesur / wherfore to saye that yt is sacrilege / or vnlawfulle to obserue this consuetude or lawe / muste be iudged erronius / and they that doo pertinaciter defende the contrarye off these premissis / must be restrayned as heretikes grevously ponysshyd by the bysshoppes or their officialles / or by them that be inquisitores heretice prauitatis which that be in kyngdoms or in prouinces / in these men that doo attempte or presume any thynge agenst this decre shalle men procede agenste them / after the hollye and lawfulle decreys that be invented agenst heretykes and their fauters / in to the fauour of the catholycalle faithe c̄ Now wylle I exhorte alle christen
Here is it playne that the bloud is geuyn out of the chalys and not out of the boddy / and in to faythefulle meÌ„s mowthis and not allonly in to pristes mowthis De coÌ„secÌ„ di 2. c. Siquocienscumê™ Also an other lawe / if that the bloud of christ be shed for remyssion of syns as oftyn as it is shede thane ought I lawfully for to reseue it I which do alle ways synne muste alle ways reseue a medecyn cÌ„ Here youre awne lawe saythe / that the reseuyng of the bloud is a medycinealle ways to be reseuyd of theÌ„ that synne yov wille not denye but that laymen synne where fore shulde they not than reseue a medecyn for their synne yov may perseue that this is not alonly spokyn of pristes but of synners Ad CorneliuÌ„ PapaÌ„ Furthermore S. Ciprian saythe Howe do we reache or howe cane we provoke men to shed their bloud for the confessyoÌ„ off christes name if we do deny them the bloud off chryst whan they shalle go to batylle Or how dare we able them vn to the victordum of marterdum / if we do not fyrst by ryght admitt theÌ„ to drincke the Cuppe of oure lorde in the coÌ„gregacyon c. Here is Cyprian opynlye agenst yov which wille that as meny shalle reseue the bloud of christ as do confesse the name of christ yee aÌ„d that out of the cuppe not out of the boddy Also S. Ambrose sayth to the Emperor Theodosyus / Ecclesiastica hist how shalte thow lyfte vpe they hondes out of that which dothe yet droppe vn ryghtwise bloud how shalte thov with those hoÌ„des reseue the boddy of god with what boldnes wilte thou reseue in to thy mought the Cuppe of the prâ—cius bloude seyng that thorow the wodnes of thy wordes so gret bloud is shed wrongfully cÌ„ Marke that the maner was in S. Ambrose tyme that lay meÌ„ shulde reseue the blessid bloude of christ ye and that out of the cuppe seuerally / and not out of the boddy wonly / where fore my lordes se to youre conscyens how yov cane discharge youre selfe a fore the dredfulle trone of christ Iesus / for makyng this detistable and damnable statute agenste the heuynly worde of god / aÌ„d agenste the vsse of holy churche aÌ„d contrary to the exposycion of alle holy doctours / It were to gret a thyng for yov so pÌ„umtuously to breke the statute of youre mortalle prince how muche more of youre immortale god whiche wille not be a voydyd with a carnalle resuÌ„ nor with condeÌ„nacyoÌ„ of heresy / nor yet with sayng there be Iuperdes perrelles and sclandres / for these proude crakes cane not there excuse yov nor yet helpe yov for I dought not but the grett Turke hath as good resons for hym as these be also as provd crakes as yov haue / thovgh peradueÌ„ture he vsythe theÌ„ not so hipocritly ageÌ„st god omnipoteÌ„t as yov do / but yet it wille not helpe hym / where fore now moste excelent and gracious prince I do with alle meknes / with all due subyeccyon admonyshe and exhorte youre moste noble grace / ye and the father of heuyn dothe opynly commaund yov vnder the payne of hys displesur / and as yov wille a voyde the danger of eternalle damnacyon / and also by the vertu of christes blessyd bloud aÌ„d as yov wille reseue remissioÌ„ froÌ„ al yovre synnes thorow the merittes of his glorious bloud / That you do defend with alle youre myght Christes blessyd worde aÌ„d hys swet bloude / his holy ordinaÌ„ce / suffer theÌ„ not so lyghtly to be oppressyd trodyn vnder the fote / youre grace may not consyder in this cause the multitude / nor the dygnite of meÌ„ / for yow be as good as the beste of theÌ„ / but youre grace must consider that it is god omnipotentes cause / it is christes cause / it is the worde of god / it is the bleued bloude of Chryst that is ouer trodyn / it is the ordynance that commyth out of heuen / and not out of couÌ„sellys ye aÌ„d geuyn by god hym selfe / and not by mans auctoryte / And now shall youre grace suffer this thyng so lyghtly to be broken by cause men do invente a carnall reason agenste it the devylle was neuer wyth out a reson / but that prouythe not the cause agenste godes worde Kynge Saul had no smalle reson for hym / 1. Reg. 15 whan he dyd saue Kinge Agag and the best shepe and oxen to offer to god / was not thys a resonable cause / to saue the bestys to godes honoure and to offer theÌ„ vp vn to god was it not a goodly shyne to saue the kinge rather than to kylle hym / what man wil rekyn it euyll to saue a maÌ„ what maÌ„ can iudge it evyll to saue bestis / ye and that the best to offer them to god was not god best worthy was not thys a good consyderacion was not this a good intent Fynallye yt ys ten tymys better than the reson of the counselle ys / aÌ„d yet Saull wyth all his good reson / with all his good deuocyon / wyth all hys good purposse / wyth all hys â—atte bestys ys repellyd of god for euer and alle by cause he stucke to his good inteÌ„cion and left the coÌ„mandement of god / Sum men wyll think it but a lyghte thyng whether they reseue the blessyd bloud by yt selfe or ellis with the boddy / but as lyghte as they thynke yt yet ys it godes worde yet is it Chrystis ordynaunce / yet did the apostles obserue yt / yet dyd the holy church so fulfyll yt / And yf the worde of god were awaye by reson yt were but a lyghte thyng to baptyse in watter or in wine / but the worde of god ys open that it must be done with watter and not in wyne and yet there is no cause why but the worde of god Moreouer by reson it was but a light thyng to say / zacha 9. Mat. 20. Be glad thou doughter of Syon be holde they kyng coÌ„myth to the syttyng on an asse aÌ„d on hare foole this saing by reson is not alonly Symple / but also foolyshe to say that a kynge shall come rydyng on an Asse yee and on a borowyd asse and there of to make so muche a doo as though yt were a notable thynge / who wold not now mocke a kyng yf he dyd soo ryde / not with stondynge all thys these be the wordis of god / ye and also fulfyllyd in very dede of oure Master Chryst in hys awne proper parson Luc. 2. Moreouer by reson / yt was but a mad tokyn that the sauyour of the worlde christ Iesus was borne / to say you shall fynde a younge chylde wrappyd in clouttes and layde in a crybbe / what ys thys to purposse what ys thys to proue that the sauyoure of the worlde ys borne wyll not reson mocke thys whan
sacryfice which was none other / but suche as god had coÌ„mandyd in the lawe / Ergo after youre rule they myght lawfully honour these calues referring it to god / They had also a gret Collour for them / for all the olde fathers dyd always offer to god Caluys / as Abraham with meny other which oblacyon was acceptyd of god / where fore they myght well thynke that god wolde be honouryd in the Imagis of caluys Now what thynge can you lay to theÌ„ where by you wylle proue that they honouryd their stockys and their stonys and there caluys but those same thyngys shall also be layd vnto you aÌ„d vnto youres to proue that you doo like wysse honoure youre stockis and youre stonys Fyrst you runne from place to place to seke theÌ„ which is a token that you do honoure the stocke or stone / for there haue you nothing of the saynct more thaÌ„ in an other place sauyng wonly the stocke and stone Now whan you haue founde them than praye you a fore them / And that wyth knelingis / and knokkingis / aÌ„d shakynge of youre hedis and lokinge deuoutly pituously / than kisse you their fete or theyr showis for they be seldoÌ„ bare foted lest they shuld haue the murre or couffe by the reson they be not vsed to coulde as you may se by their smokid scolioÌ„s facâ—s haÌ„dis aÌ„d fete with all the place where they stonde and wype youre napkyns and rubbe your bedes on theÌ„ aÌ„d licke theÌ„ with your tongis aÌ„d lay youre yiâ—s on theÌ„ / Than see you lighttis a fore theÌ„ / aÌ„d thaÌ„ offer you to theÌ„ Though in the M. doctour your person is nothyng gilty gret oblacyons so that they shyne in gold syluer aÌ„d preciê° stones ye and not thus coÌ„tent / but also ê“misse to vysyt that stocke wons a yere if god and the good saint send you lyâ—e and helthe cÌ„ I pray yov is note this honoringe of the stocke aÌ„d stone what did Cicero with all the romans to their stockis and stonis what dyd roboam to hys Caluis yf this be not honoryng / defyne me what honoryng ys what more exterior honour can you deuyse thaÌ„ thys ys aÌ„d yet you do say that you honour no stockis nor stonys / but wordly shame and inuincyble scrypturs haue brought you to make this damnable evasyon by cause you se men nowe waxe wysse in the lorde / by the whyche they see clearly youre false dissimulacyon and hypocryse / but yf you were the trew honorars of god as yow be secret hipocrytis / you wolde not make thys damnable evasyon to stablyshe / vpp holde and mayntayne youre Idolatry / nor yet suffer so muche as lay in you any thinge to be done that hath any collour or shaddowe of holynes that myght be an occasyon of Idolatry / but by cause you be hypocrytes and vnsacyable belly godes you care not soo yow maye disseue the sympille people and lede them with blinde shadowes there by to fylle youre offerynge boxis aÌ„d chestes to mayntayne youre vnsaciable carnall â—ppytytes how the honoure of god be sauyd / or how your pore brothers coÌ„scieÌ„s be disseued / thiÌ„k you that thys ys ynough to say that no man ys so mad nor so folyshe as to honoure the stockes and stonys / And yet to suffer and dayly a fore your yies to see / so gret exteryour honoure geueÌ„ vnto theÌ„ / That no tonge caÌ„ expresse nor hart caÌ„ deuysse more / yee yf yow wyll beleue youre subtylle Duns they geue vn to them as I shalle well prove by hys diffyncyon honour which is callyd Latria the whyche latria after youre owne lernyng ought to be geuyn to god wonly Thys saithe Duns / Latria is callyd an exteryour honouryng or a boddyly seruyce cÌ„ Now yf that be trew / yt followeth that they geue that honoure to stockes and stonys that woÌ„ly pertaynythe to god / which do any exterior honoure whether yt be offeryng of caÌ„delles or kissyng of their showys or any other thynge too them / Make yow the coÌ„clusion / for I nede nott to say that they do Idolatrye For thermore / This worde latria where with yow disseue the sympylle people is a greke worde and after S Augustyn yt sygnifithe no more but seruyce / the which yow can not deny but that you geue too youre stockis and stones / conclude now this proposicion after M. subtyll doctor Duns dyffynycioÌ„ I pray you / for I haue no lesure Thinketh your doctorhed that the childern of Israel with their hie prist AroÌ„ coulde nott haue made this pop holy excuse that they were not so mad nor so follyshe as to honour the goldeÌ„ Calfe / but rather to refere the honour to the lyuing god / they had a good collour for theÌ„ for they knewe none other god nor saint but him / yet this excuse was not lawfull nor coulde not be a lowyd whaÌ„ Moses cam with the word of god / Marke also what he was that made this Calf / not a fole nor ignoraÌ„t parson a monge the people or won off none auctoryte / But the moste wysyste eloquenste and chefe a monge them / yee he was that tyme the verye hed of the churche or congregacion Also note that intente which was to kepe the peopille to gether in good order / he also made a calfe with the which thyng alle their fathers had plesyd god in doynge sacrifice with them / so that they myght welle thynke that it myght be acceptable to god to be honouryd in the image of a calfe by fore any other image / but alle these colours be nakyd by fore the worde of god Breueli wolde yov alowe that the people shulde geue that same honour to me that they geue to youre stockes and stonis And vnder the same colloure that it shulde be in the name aÌ„d honour of god yov cane not say but I am as good as youre best stockes and stonys and if they be the Image of sayntes aÌ„d represent sayntes after youre faynynge / I am the Image of god and represeÌ„t hym so longe as I beleue in hym acordyng to the holy scripturs / And if a connyng and an artificialle grauer made them / god made me And I haue .ij. thynges a boue theÌ„ which alle youre caruers / and yov with alle youre distinccioÌ„s can not geue to youre stockes nor stonys / That is I am a liuynge creature / and youre stockes be dede I am creatyd to lyue with the euerlastinge god and youre stockes be made to the fyer I am suer yov nor no man wille alow it But there is won marvelus wonder That if the beste and most holy of alle youre new Godes ye won that dothe myracles every day were takyn out of youre hondes and sette a gayne in the caruers his makers house he shulde be no better thane a stocke or a stone / nor coulde do no myrakles ye if he wer prayd
never so muche / noo not somuche as if the housse were fyer to saue eyther the housse or hym selfe Also yt is not lawfulle so longe as he there stondeth neyther to praye to hym nor yet to offer to him whiche offering wolde bothe helpe the poore man his wyffe chylderne and seruantes / but lett them suffer yov to take thys wormye god in to youre hondes agayn / and than ys he lordâ— ouer all the worlde / than maketh he ryche men and poore men / than maketh he men blynd / and blynd to se agayne / than maketh he lame men wholle / than maketh he wemen with chyld / yeâ— and also bringeth them welle to bed Then expelleth he deuylles / than telleth he thinges to come / thane rulethe he in heuen and erthe and in watter / breuely he defendethe bothe kynge and kyngdom / Is not here a sudden mutacion / and alle is by cause he hathe gotte him a new Master and a new place O yov hypocrites thynke yov that men be so blynde that they cane not se thys falsed yov wolde make them blynde in dede the which wold make them to honoure stockes and stonys yee and that in the name of an other thing the whiche also they knowe not / whiche of yov alle hath sene oure ladye or any other saynt where by you may lerne to make hare symylitude and yf yov haue nothing to laye for yov / but bycause she was a woman / thane is youre Image as muche the symilitude of an harlott of the stuys the whiche berythe alle the shape that belongeth to a naturalle woman as well as oure lady / nothwithstondinge that oure blessed lady ys a virgyn and the other a struÌ„pet / yet in exterior formis and shapes that may be sene and iudged by senses be they alle won / ye and youre ymage in alle exterior sygnis is a grete delle more lykker vn to an harlott / than to a puer and a blessed meke virgyn / and yet ar yov not a shamyd with these damnable shaddowes / bothe to priuate god of his honoure aÌ„d also compelle youre simpelle brethern to this shaÌ„fulle idolatrye If yov wille loke youre selfe see clearly youre idolle in a puer mirrour / rede the .vi. chapter of Baruch / Baruc. 6. where in you shalle fynd these wordes / * Their stockes be pulyshed of the carpenter / * and they be gilded and siluered / * but they be false and can not speke / How thynke yov haue not youre images these properties * Their godes haue goldyn crounys on * their hedes from whome the prystes dothe take * a way golde and syluer and spend it on theÌ„ selfe / * They geue also of it vn to their strumpittes and decke their harlottes / * and whan they haue takyn it a way from their harlottes / * than decke they there with their godes agayne / wherefore know that they be no godes Be not alle these thynges fulfilled on yov do not yov take a way their oblacions and there with maynteyne youre pompe and pryde / and decke also youre harlottes * say not nay for alle the worlde wille condemne yov for opyn lyers / * the matter is so playne * Their godes haue a septer like a man / and lyke a Iudge of a londe / but they cane not slee hym that offendeth them / where fore fere them not Doth not thys agre with youre godes Note how bolde the prophet is which dare crake with youre godes and saythe how that they can not hurte their enymys / where fore he biddeth vs that we shalle not fere them / Now if yov thynke that this be not spokyn of youre godes not with stonding that none of these thynges they be voyde of go to theÌ„ and â—rye but remeÌ„ber that yov crye a loude for they be very thicke of heryng or peraduentur they be gone forthe attoune and occupide Therfore I say crye whope aloud / and byd them if they be godes or wille haue any honour that they wille now avenge them selfe of theyr enymys / If they cane do notyng / thaÌ„ wille we lay vn to theÌ„ this mocke of the ê“fyt will not fere theÌ„ * They haue a swerde in their hande / and an axe / * but they caÌ„ not delyuer theÌ„ selfe froÌ„ batylle nor froÌ„ * theuys there fore tere theÌ„ not / * A ryghtwyse maÌ„ is better that hathe none Imagys for he shalle be fre from obprobriusnes * How thynke yov haue not youre godes alle these tokyns how many theuys haue yov hangyd for robbyng of youre godes but youre godes neuer sauyd theÌ„ selfe from theuys Moreouer / why make yov so suer lockes and so suer dorys yf youre godes be abille to kepe youre godes I thynke yov fere not their ruÌ„ning a way Fur theremore why kepe yov so grett bandoges / yf your godes be abylle to saue their godes froÌ„ theuys But my thynke that baÌ„doges be myghtyare thane youre godes also yov truste more to theÌ„ / for they defend bothe you aÌ„d youre godes yov duÌ„me stockes where is alle youre reson where is all youre wyt where is alle youre wisduÌ„ where is alle youre pollycy where is alle youre godly faythe that you ought to haue in the god of heuyn Are you not a shamyd thus grosly to disseue men yee and with those thynges which you cane neither defend with scriptur nor yet with any reson / but peraduenture you wille say that the prophet speketh here of idolles and not of Images I answere / I pray you what calle yov IdoluÌ„ is it not as muche as imago iÌ„ latin which we call iÌ„ inglish an image but we wil not vary for the name let vs go to the ê“ê‘tis / haue not youre Images all these propertis that the prophet laieth to these thinges which you cal idoles can you say nay can you proue that coÌ„trary Doth not experience lerne vs that they be all won Now what matter ys yt what name you geue them whan the propertis and the very thynge ys all won Moreouer the prophete Dauyd dothe defyne an Idolle wyth these propertis / Fyrst it hath yies and can not se / yt hath a nosse and can not smell / it hath a mought and can not speke / yt hath erys aÌ„d caÌ„ not heare / it hath hondes and can not fele it hath fete aÌ„d can not goo cÌ„ Now which of all these propertis hath not youre Idollis what wyll you make now of theÌ„ The prophet dauyd maketh an Idolle of that thyng / that hath these propertes and wyll yow make a god and a helper of them will you pray to them / will you offer to them will you runne from place to place to seke them There ys no distinccion / there is no subtylty that cane helpe you for more reuerens more seruice more honor More