y u shalt be iustified of thy wordes thou shalt be condēned Mat. xij That is thy wordes as well as other deedes shal testifie with thee or agaynst thee at the day of iudgemēt Many there are whiche abstaine from the outward dedes of fornication and adulterie neuerthelesse reioyce to talke therof laugh their wordes laughter testifie against them that their hart is vnpure and they adulterers fornicatours in the sight of GOD. The toung and other signes oftymes vtter the malice of the hart though a mā for many causes abstaine his hand from the outward dede or act IF thou wilt enter into lyfe kepe the commaundements Math. xix First remember that when God commaundeth vs to do one thyng he doth it not therfore because that we of our selues are able to do that he cōmaundeth but that by the law we might see know our horrible damnation and captiuitie vnder sinne and therfore should repēt and come to Christ receaue mercy the spirite of God to loose vs strength vs to make vs able to do Gods wil which is the law Now when he sayth if thou wilt enter into lyfe kepe the cōmaundementes is as much to say as he that kepeth the commaundementes is entred into life for except a mā haue first the spirite of lyfe in hym by Christes purchasyng it is impossible for him to kepe the commaundements or that his hart should be loose or at libertie to lust after them for of nature we are enemyes to the law of God As touching that Christ saith afterward if thou wilt be perfect go and sell thy substaūce and geue it to the poore he sayth it not as who should say that there were any greater perfection then to kepe the law of God for that is all perfection but to shew the other hys blindnes which saw not that the law is spirituall and requireth y t hart But because he was not knowyng that he had hurt any man with the outward deede he supposed that he loued his neighbour as him selfe But when he was bydde to shew the deedes of loue and geue of hys aboundaunce to them that neded he departed mournyng Whiche is an euiēdt tokē that he loued not his neighbour as well as him self For if he had neede hym selfe it would not haue greued hym to haue receaued succour of an other man Moreouer he sawe not that it was murther theft that a man should haue aboundaunce of riches lying by hym and not to shew mercy therewith and kyndly to succour hys neighbours neede God hath geuen one man riches to helpe an other at nede If thy neighbour nede thou helpe him not beyng able thou withholdest his dutie from hym and art a thefe before God That also that Christ saith how that it is harder for a rich man who loueth his riches so that he can not find in his hart liberally and freely to helpe the poore and nedy to enter into the kingdome of heauen then a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle declareth that he was not entred into the kingdome of heauen that is to say eternall life But he that kepeth the commaundementes is entred into life he hath life and the spirite of life in him THis kinde of deuils goeth not out but by prayer fasting Math. 27. Not that the deuill is cast out by merites of fasting or praying For he sayth before that for theyr vnbelefes sake they coulde not cast him out It is faith no doubte that casteth out the deuils and fayth it is that fasteth and prayeth Fayth hath the promises of God wher unto she cleaueth and in all thinges thyrsteth the honour of God She fasteth to subdue the body vnto the spirit that the prayer be not let and that the spirite may quietly talke with God she also whensoeuer oportunitie is geuen prayeth God to fulfil his promises vnto his prayse glory And God which is mercifull in promising and true to fullfill them casteth out the deuils and doth all that fayth desireth and satisfyeth her thyrste COme ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde for I was a thirst and ye gaue me drincke c. Math. xxv Not that a man with works delerueth eternal life as a work man or labourer his hyre or wages Thou readest in the text that the kingdome was prepared for vs from the beginning of the worlde And we are blessed sanctified In Christes bloud are we blessed from that bitter curse damnable captiuitie vnder sin wherein we were borne and conceiued And Christes spirite is poured into vs to bring foorth good woorkes and our workes are the fruites of the spirite the kingdome is the deseruing of Christes bloud and so is fayth and the spirite and good workes also Notwithstanding the kingdome foloweth good workes and good workes testify that we are heyres thereof and at the day of iudgement shall they testify for the elect vnto theyr comfort and glory and to the confusion of the vngodly vnbeleeuing and faythlesse sinners which had not trust in the worde of Gods promises nor luste to the will of God but were caryed of the spirite of theyr father the deuill vnto all abhomination to worke wickednes with all lust delectation and gredienes MAny sinnes are forgeuen her for she loueth much Luk. vij Not that loue was cause of forgeuenes of sinnes But contrariwise the forgeuenes of sinnes caused loue as it foloweth to whō lesse was forgeuen y ◠same loueth lesse And afore he commended the iudgement of Simon which aunswered that he loueth most to whom most was forgeuen and also sayde at the last thy fayth hath saued thee or made thee safe goe in peace We can not loue except we see some benefite and kyndenes As long as we looke on the lawe of God onely where we see but sinne and damnation and the wrath of God vpon vs yea where we were damned afore we were borne we can not loue God No we can not but hate him as a tyraunt vnrighteous vniust and flee from hym as did Caine. But when the Gospell that glad tidinges and ioyfull promises are preached how that in Christ God loueth vs first forgeueth vs and hath mercy on vs then loue we againe and the deedes of our loue declare our fayth This is the maner of speaking as we say Sommer is nie for the trees blossome Nowe is the blossomyng of the trees not the cause y t sommer draweth nie but the drawyng ni◠of sommer is the cause of y e blossoms and the blossomes put vs in remembraunce that sommer is at hand So Christ here teacheth Simō by the feruentnes of loue in the outward dedes to see a strong faith within whence so great loue springeth As y ◠maner is to say do your charitie shew your charitie do a deede of charitie shewe your mercy do a deede of mercy meanyng thereby y t our deedes declare how we loue our neighbours how much we haue compassion on thē at their neede Moreouer it is not possible to loue except we see a cause Except we see in our hartes y t loue kyndnes of God to vs warde in Christ our Lord it is not possible to loue God aright We say also he that loueth not
accord frely willingly for the great loues sake onely which they see in Christ therfore neede they no law to cōpell them Christ is all in all things to them that beleue and the cause of all loue Paule sayth Ephes 6. Seruantes obay vnto your carnall or fleshly maisters wyth feare and trembling in singlenes of your hartes as vnto Christ not wyth eye seruice as menpleasers but as the seruantes of Christ doing the wyll of God from the hart euen as though ye serued the Lord and not men And remember that whatsoeuer good thing any man doth that shall he receiue againe of the Lord whether he be bond or free Christ thus is all in all thinges and cause of all to a christen man And Christ sayth Math. 25. In as much as ye haue done it to any of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it to mee And in as much as ye haue not done it vnto one of the least of these ye haue not done it to me Here seest thou that we are Christes brethren and cuē Christ him selfe and what so euer we do one to another that do we to Christ If we be in Christ we woorke for no worldly purpose but of loue As Paul saith 2. Cor. 5. The loue of Christ compelled vs as who shoulde say wee worke not of a fleshly purpose For sayeth hee we knowe hencefoorth no man fleshly no though we once knew Christ fleshly we do so now no more We are otherwise minded then when Peter drewe hys swoorde to fight for Christ We are now ready to suffer with Christ and to lose life and all for our very enemies to bring them vnto Christ If we be in Christ we are minded like vnto Christ which knew nothing fleshly or after the will of the flesh as thou seest Math. 12. when one sayd to him Lo thy mother and thy brethren stande without desiring to speake with thee Hee aunswered who is my mother and who are my brethren And stretched hys hande ouer hys Disciples saying see my mother and my brethren for whosoeuer doth the will of my Father which is in heauen the same is my brother my sister and my mother He knew not his mother in that she bare him but in that she did the will of his Father in heauen So now as God the Fathers will and commaundement is all to Christ euen so Christ is all to a Christen man Christ is the cause why I loue thee why I am ready to do the vttermost of my power for thee and why I pray for thee And as long as the cause abideth so long lasteth the effect euen as it is alwayes day so long as the Sun shineth Do therefore the worst thou caust vnto me take away my goodes take away my good name yet as long as Christ remayneth in my harte so long I loue thee not a whit the lesse and so long art thou as deare vnto me as mine owne soule and so long am I ready to doo thee good for thine euill and so long I pray for thee with al my hart for Christ desireth it of me and hath deserued it of me Thine vnkindnes compared vnto his kindnes is no thing at all yea it is swallowed vp as a little smoke of a mightie winde and is no more scene or thought vppon Moreouer that euill which thou didst to me I receaue not of thy hande but of the hande of God and as Gods scourge to teach me pacience to norture me And therfore haue no cause to be angry with thee more thē the child hath to be angry with his fathers rod. or a sicke man with a soure or bitter medecine that healeth him or a prisoner with hys fetters or he that is punished lawfully with the officer that punisheth him Thus is Christ all and the whole cause why I loue thee And to all can nought be added Therefore cannot a litle mony make me loue thee better or more bound to pray for thee nor make Gods cōmaundement greater Last of all if I be in Christ then the loue of Christ compelleth me And therfore I am ready to geue thee mine not to take thyne from thee If I be able I will do thee seruice frely if not then if thou minister to me againe that receiue I of the hande of God which ministreth it to me by thee For God careth for his and ministreth all thinges vnto them and moueth Turkes and Saracenes and all maner infidels to do them good as thou seest in Abraham Isaac and Iacob and how God went with Ioseph into Egipt and gat him fauour in the prison and in euery place which fauour Ioseph receiued of the hand of God and to God gaue the thankes This is God and Christ all in all good and bad receiue I of God Them that are good I loue because they are in Christ and the euill to bring them to Christ When any mā doth well I reioyce that God is honoured and when any man doth euill I sorow because that God is dishonored Finally in as much as God hath created all and Christ bought all with his bloud therefore ought all to seeke God Christ in all els nothing But contrariwise vnto monkes friers and to y ◠other of our holy spiritualtie the belly is all in all cause of all loue Offer thereto so art thou father mother sister and brother vnto them Offerest thou not so know they thee not thou art nether father mother sister brother nor any kynne at all to them She is a sister of ours hee is a brother of ours say they hee is verily a good man for he doth much for our religion She is a mother to our couent we be greatly bound to pray for them And as for such and such say they we know not whether they be good or bad or whether they be fish or flesh for they do nought for vs we be more bounde to pray for our benefactours say they and for them that geue vs thē for them that geue vs not For them that geue little are they little bound and them they loue little and for them that geue much they are much bound and them they loue much And for them that geue nought are they naught bound and them they loue not at al. And as they loue thee when thou geuest so hate they thee when thou takest away from them and run all vnder a stoole and curse thee as black as pitch So is cloyster loue belly loue cloyster prayer belly prayer and cloyster brotherhode belly brotherhode Morouer loue that springeth of Christ seeketh not hir owne selfe 1. Cor. 13. but forgetteth her selfe and bestoweth hir vpon hir neighboures profite as Christ sought our profite and not hys owne He sought not the fauour of god for himselfe but for vs yea he toke the wrath and vengeance of God from vs vnto himself and bare it on his owne backe
That fayth haue they in theyr owne workes onely But the true hearers vnderstand the lawe as Christ interpreteth it here and feele thereby theyr righteous damnation and runne to Christ for succour and for remission of all their sinnes that are past and for all the sinne which chaunce thorough infirmities shall compel theÌ„ to do for remission of that the law is to stronge for their weake nature And upon that they consent to the lawe loue it and professe it to fulfill it to the vttermost of their power and then go to and worke Faith or confidence in Christes bloud without helpe and before the workes of the law bringeth all maner of remission of sinnes satisfaction Faith is mother of loue fayth accompanieth loue in all her workes to fulfill as much as there lacketh in our doing the lawe of that perfect loue which Christ had to his father and vs in his fulfilling of the law for vs. Now when we be reconciled then is loue fayth together our righteousnesse our keeping the lawe our continuing our proceeding forwarde in the grace which we stand in our bringing to the euerlasting sauing and euerlasting life And the woorkes be esteemed of God according to the loue of the hart If the woorkes be great loue little and colde then the woorkes be regarded thereafter of God If the workes be small and loue much and feruent the workes be taken for great of God And it came to passe that when Iesus had ended these sayinges the people were astonied at his doctrine for he taught them as one hauing power and not as the Scribes The Scribes and Phariseyes had thrust vp the sworde of the woorde of God into a scabbarde or shethe of gloses and therein had knit it fast that it coulde neither sticke nor cut teaching dead workes without fayth and loue which are the life and the whole goodnes of all workes and the onely thing why they please God And therefore their audience abode euer carnall and fleshly mynded without faith to God and loue to their neighbours Christes wordes were spirit life Ioh. vi That is to say they ministred spirite and life and entred into the hart and grated on the conscience and thorow preaching the lawe made the hearers perceaue their duties euen what loue they ought to God what to man and the right dampnation of all them that had not the loue of God and man written in their hartes and thorow preaching of fayth made all that consented to the lawe of God fele the mercy of God in Christ and certified them of their saluation For the worde of God is a two edged sworde that pearceth and deuideth the spirite and soule of man a sonder Heb. 〈◊〉 A man before the preaching of Godes woorde is but one man all fleshe the soule consenting vnto the lustes of the fleshe to follow them But the sworde of the worde of God where it taketh effect diuideth a man in two and serteth him at variaunce against his own selfe The fleshe haling one way and the spirite drawing another the fleshe raging to follow lustes and the spirite calling backe agayne to follow the lawe and will of God A man all the while â—e consenteth to the flesh before he be borne again in Christ is called soule or carnall But whe he is renued in Christ through y t word of lyâ—e and hath the loue of God and of hys neighbor and the fayth of Christ written in his hart he is called spirite or spirituall The Lord of all mercy send vs preachers with power that is to say 〈◊〉 expounders of the worde of God and speakers to the hart of man and deliuer vs from Scribes Phariseyes hypocrites and all false Prophetes Amen An aunswere vnto Syr Thomas Mores Dialogue made by William Tyndall 1530. ☞ First he declareth what the Church is and geueth a reason of certaine wordes which Master More rebuketh in the translation of the new Testament ¶ After that he aunswereth particularly vnto euery Chapter which semeth to haue any appearaunce of truth thorough all his foure bookes ¶ Awake thou that slepest and stand vp from death and Christ shall geue the light Ephesians 5. THe grace of our Lord the light of his spirite to see to iudge true repeÌ„taunce towardeâ— Gods lâ—we a fast fayth in the mercyfull prâ—…es y â— are in our sauiour Christ serueÌ„t loue toward thy neighbour after the exaÌ„ple of Christ his Saints be with thee O Reader with all that loue the truth loÌ„g for the redemption of Gods elect Amen Our Sauiour I esus in the 16. of Iohn at his last Supper when he tooke his leaue of his Disciples warned them saying the holy Ghost shall come and rebuke the world of iudgemeÌ„t That is he shall rebuke the world for lacke of true iudgement and discretion to iudge and shall proue that the tast of theyr mouthes is corrupt so that they iudge swete to be sowre and sowre to be swete the eyes to be blynd so that they thinke that to be the verâ— seruice of God which is but a blynd superstition for zeale of which yet they persecute the true seruice of God and that they iudge to be the lawe of God whiche is but a false imagination of a corrupt iudgement for blynd affection of whiche yet they persecute the true law of God and them that kepe it And this same it is that Paul sayth 1. Corinth ij how that the naturall man that is not borne agayne and created a new with the spirite of God be he neuer so great a Philosopher neuer so well sene in the law neuer so sore studied in the Scripture as we haue examples in the Phariseis yet hee cannot vnderstaÌ„d the thynges of the spirite of God but sayth he the spirituall iudgeth all thyngs and hys spirâ—e searcheth the deepe secretes of God so that what soeuer God commauÌ„deth hym to do he neuer leaueth searchyng till he come at the bottome the pith the quicke the lyâ—e the sâ—… the mâ—â—ow very cause why and iudgeth all thyng Take an example in the great commaundement loue God with all thyne hart y t spirituall searcheth the cause and looketh on the benefites of God and so conceaueth loue in his hart And when he is commaunded to obey the powers and rulers of the world hee looketh on the benefites which God sheweth the world through them and therefore doth it gladly And when hee â–ª is commauÌ„ded to loue his neighbour as hym selfe he searcheth that his neighbour is created of God and bought with Christes bloud and so forth and therefore he loueth hym out of his hart and if he be euill forheareth hym and with all loue and pacience draweth hym to good as elder brethren wayte on the youÌ„ger and serue them and suffer them when they will not come they speake fayre flatter and geue some gaye thyng and
hys neighbour and is a thefe And he that is proude of the giftes of God thinketh hym selfe by the reason of them better then his feeble neighbour not rather as the truth is knowledgeth hym selfe a seruaunt vnto hys poore neighbour by the reason of them the same hath Lucifers spirite in hym and not Christes These thynges to know first the law how that it is naturall right and equitie that we haue but one God to put our hope and trust in and hym to loue with all the hart all the soule and all our might and power and neither to moue hart nor hand but at his commaundemēt because he hath first created vs of nought and heauē and earth for our sakes And afterward when we had marred our selfe through sinne he forgaue vs and created vs agayne in the bloud of his beloued sonne And that we haue the name of our one God in feare and reuerence that we dishonour it not in swearyng therby about light trifles or vanitie or call it to recorde for the confirming of wickednesse or falshead or ought that is to the dishonour of God whiche is the breakyng of hys lawes or vnto the hurt of our neighbour And in asmuch as he is our Lord and God and we his double possessiō by creation and redemption and therfore ought as I sayd neither to moue hart or hand without his commaūdement it is right that we haue nedefull holy dayes to come together learne his will both the law which he will haue vs ruled by and also the promises of mercy whiche he will haue vs trust vnto and to geue God thankes together for his mercy and to commit our infirmities to hym through our Sauiour Iesus and to reconsile our selues vnto hym and eche to other if ought be betweene brother and brother that requireth it And for this purpose and such lyke as to visite the sicke and nedy and redresse peace and vnitie were the holy dayes ordeined onely so farforth are they to be kept holy frō all maner workes that may be conueniently spared for the tyme till this be done and no further but then lawfully to worke And that it is right that we obey father and mother Master Lord Prince and Kyng and all the ordinaunces of the world bodely and ghostly by which God ruleth vs and ministreth frely his benefites vnto vs all And that we loue them for the benefites that we receaue by them and feare them for the power they haue ouer vs to punish vs if we trespasse the law and good order So farre yet are the worldly powers or rulers to be obeyed onely as their commaūdements repugne not against the commaundement of God and thē hoo Wherefore we must haue Gods commaundement euer in our hartes and by the hygher law interpret the inferiour that we obey nothyng agaynst the belefe of one God or agaynst the fayth hope and trust that is him onely or agaynst the loue of God wherby we doe or leaue vndone all thyng for his sake that we do nothyng for any mans cōmaundement agaynst the reuerence of the name of God to make it despised and the lesse feared set by and that we obey nothyng to the hynderaunce of the knowledge of the blessed doctrine of God whose seruaūt the holy day is Notwithstandyng though the rulers which God hath set ouer vs commaunde vs agaynst God or do vs open wrong and oppresse vs with cruel tyranny yet because they are in Gods rowme we may not auēge our selues but by the processe and order of Gods law and lawes of mā made by the authoritie of Gods law whiche is also Gods law euer by an hygher power and remittyng the vengeaunce vnto God and in the meane seasō suffer vntill the houre be come And on the other side to know that a man ought to loue his neighbour equally and fully as well as hym selfe because his neighbour be he neuer so simple is equally created of God and as full redemed by the bloud of our sauiour Iesu Christ Out of which commaundement of loue spring these Kill not thy neighbour defile not his wife beare no false witnesse agaynst hym finally not onely do not these thynges in deede but couete not in thyne harte his house his wife his manseruaunt maydeseruaunt oxe asse or what soeuer is his So that these lawes pertaynyng vnto our neighboure are not fulfilled in the sight of God saue with loue He that loueth not hys neighbour kepeth not this commaundemēt defile not thy neighbours wife though hee neuer touch her or neuer see her or thinke vpon her For the commaundement is though thy neighbours wife be neuer so fayre thou haue neuer so great oportunitie geuen thee and she contēt or happly prouoke thee as Putiphers wife did Ioseph yet see thou loue thy neighbor so well that for very loue thou can not finde in thine hart to do y t wickednes And euē so he that trusteth in any thing saue in God onely in his sonne Iesus Christ kepeth no cōmaundemēt at all in the sight of God For he that hath trust in any creature whether in heauen or in earth saue in God his sonne Iesus cā see no cause to loue God with all his hart c. neither to absteine from dishonoryng his name nor to keepe the holy day for the loue of his doctrine nor to obey louing ly y t rulers of this world nor any cause to loue his neighbour as him selfe to absteine from hurtyng hym where he may get profite by hym saue him selfe harmeles And in likewise against this law loue thy neighbour as thy selfe I may obey no worldly power to do ought at any mans cōmaundemēt vnto the hurt of my neighbour that hath not deserued it though he be a Turke And to know how cōtrary this law is vnto our nature how it is dānation not to haue this law writtē in our hartes though we neuer committe the dedes how there is no other meanes to bee saued from this damnation then through repentaūce toward the law fayth in Christes bloud which are the very inward baptisme of our soules the washyng the dippyng of our bodyes in y t water is the outward signe The plungyng of the body vnder the water signifieth that we repent professe to fight against sinne and lustes to kill them euery day more and more with the helpe of God our diligence in folowyng the doctrine of Christ and the leadyng of his spirite and that we beleue to be washed from our naturall damnation in which we are borne and from all the wrath of the law and frō all the infirmities weakenesses that remayne in vs after we haue geuen our consent vnto the law and yelded oure selfe to be scholers thereof and from all the imperfectnesse of all our deedes done with cold loue and from all actuall sinne which shall chaunce on vs while we
eÌ„nsample Mary that annoynted Christes feete Luke 7. When SimoÌ„ which bad Christ to his house had condemned her Christe defeÌ„ded her and iustified her saying Simon I haue a certayne thyng to say vnto thee And he sayd maister say on There was a certayne lender whiche had two detters the one ought v. C. pence and the other fiftie When they had nothing to pay he forgaue bothe Which of them tell me will loue hym most Simon aunswered and sayd I suppose that he to whome he forgaue most And he said to him thou hast truly iudged And he turned him to y â— womaÌ„ and sayd vnto Simon Seest thou this womaÌ„ I entred into thine house and thou gauest me no water to my fete but she hath washed my feet with teares wypte them with the heares of her head Thou gauest me no kisse but she since the tyme I came in hath not ceased to kisse my feete My heade with oyle thou haste not annoynted And she hath annointed my feete with costly and precious oyntment Wherfore I say vnto thee many sinnes are forgeuen her for she loueth much To whom lesse is forgeuen the same doth loue lesse c. Hereby see we that dedes and works are but outward signes of of the inward grace of the bounteous and plenteous mercy of God frely receyued without all merites of deedes ye and before all dedes Christ teacheth to know the inwarâ— fayth and loue by the outward deedes Deedes are the fruites of loue and loue is the fruit of fayth Loue and also the deedes are great or smal according to the proportion of fayth Where fayth is mighty strong there is loue feruent and dedes plenteous and done with excedyng mekenes Where fayth is weake there is loue cold the dedes few seldom beare flowers blossomes in winter Symon beleued and had fayth yet but weakly according to the proportion of his fayth loued coldly and had dedes therafter he had Christ vnto a simple and a bare feast onely receaued him not with any great humanitie But Mary had a strong fayth and therfore burning loue notable dedes done with excedyng profound depe mekenes On the one side she saw her selfe clearely in the law both in what daunger she was in her cruell bondage vnder sinne her horrible damnation and also the feareful sentence and iudgement of God vpon sinners On the other side she heard the Gospell of Christ preached and in the promises she saw with egles eyes the excedyng aboundant mercy of God that passeth all vtteraunce of spech whiche is set foorth in Christ for all meke sinners whiche knowledge their sinnes And she beleued the word of God mightyly and glorified God ouer his mercy and truth and beyng ouercome and ouerwhelmed with y t vnspeakeable yea and incomprehensible aboundat riches of the kyndnes of God did enflame burne in loue yea was so swolne in loue that she could not abide nor hold but must breake out and was so droÌ„ke in loue that she regarded nothyng but euen to vtter the feruent and burnyng loue of her hart onely She had no respect to her selfe though she was neuer so great and notable a sinner neither to the curious hipocrisie of the Phariseis whiche euer disdaine weake sinners neither the costlines of her oyntment but with all humblenes did run vnto his feete Washed them with the teares of her eyes and wyped them with the heares of her head anoynted them with her precious oyntment yea and would no doubt haue runne into the grouÌ„d vnder his feete to haue vttered her loue toward hym yea would haue descended downe into hell if it had bene possible Euen as Paul in the ix Chapter of his Epistle to the Romaines was dronke in loue and ouerwhelmed with the pleÌ„teousnes of the infinite mercy of god which he had receaued in Christe vnsought for wished hym selfe banished from Christ and damned to saue y t Iewes if it might haue ben For as a man feeleth God in hym selfe so is he to hys neighbour Marke an other thyng also We for the most part because of our grossenes in all our knowledge procede froÌ„ that whiche is last and hiâ—â—ost vnto that which is first begynnyng at the latter end disputyng and makyng our argumentes backeward We begyn at the effect and worke and procede vnto the naturall cause As for an ensample we first see the Moone darke and then search the cause and find that the puttyng of the earth betwene the Sunne and the Moone is the naturall cause of the darknes and that the earth stoppeth the light Then dispute we backeward saying the Moone is darkned therfore is the earth directly betwene the Sunne and the Moone Now yet is not the darkenes of the Moone the naturall cause that the earth is betwen the Sunne and the Moone but the effect therof and cause declaratiue declaryng and leadyng vs vnto the knowledge how that the earth is betwene the Sunne and the Moone directly causeth the darknes stopping the light of the Sunne from the Moone And contrarywyse the beyng of the earth directly betwene the Sunne and the Moone is the naturall cause of y t darknes Likewise he hath a sonne therfore is he a father and yet the soone is not cause of the father but contrarywise Notwithstandyng y t sonne is the cause declaratiue wherby we know that the other is a father After the same maner here many sinnes are forgeuen her for she loueth much thou mayst not vnderstand by the word for that loue is the naturall cause of the forgeuyng of sinnes but declareth it onely and contrarywise the forgiuenesse of sinnes is the naturall cause of loue The workes declare loue And loue declareth that there is some benefite kindnes shewed or els would there bee no loue Why woorketh one and an other not Or one more then an other Because that one loueth and the other not or that the one loueth more then the other Why loueth one an other not or one more theÌ„ an other Because that one feeleth y â— exceding loue of god in his hart an other not or that one feeleth it more theÌ„ an other Scripture speaketh after y e most grossest maner Be diligent therfore that thou be not deceaued with curiousnes For meÌ„ of no small reputation haue bene deceaued with their owne sophistry Hereby now seest thou that there is great difference betwene beyng righteous and good in a mans selfe declaryng and vtteryng righteousnes and goodnes The fayth onely maketh a man safe good righteous and the frend of GOD yea and the sonne and the heyre of GOD and of all hys goodnes possesseth vs with the spirite of God The worke declareth the selfe fayth and goodnes Now vseth the Scripture the common maner of speakyng and the very same that is among the people As when a father sayth to his child go belouing mercyfull
the Lord. Teach thē to know Christ and set Gods ordinaunce before them saying sonne or daughter God hath created thee and made thee thorough vs thy father and mother and at his commaundement haue we so longe thus kindely brought thee vp and kept thee from all perils he hath commaunded thee also to obey vs saying childe obey thy father and mother If thou meekely obey so shalt thou grow both in the fauour of God man knowledge of our Lord Christ If thou wilt not obey vs at hys commaundement thē are we charged to correct thee yea and if thou repent not and amende thy self God shall sley thee by hys officers or punishe thee euerlastingly Nurtoure thē not worldly with worldly wisedome saying thou shalt come to honour dignitie promotion and riches thou shalt be better then such and such thou shalt haue iij. or iiij benefices and be a great doctoure or a Byshop and haue so many men wayting on thee and do nothing but hauke and hunte and lyue at pleasure thou shalt not neede to sweate to laboure or to take any payne for thy lyuing and so forth filling thē full of pride disdaine and ambition and corrupting theyr myndes wyth worldly perswasions Let the fathers and mothers marke how they themselues were disposed at all ages by experience of their owne infirmities helpe their children and keepe them from occasions Let them teach their children to axe maryages of their fathers mothers And let theyr elders prouide mariages for them in season teaching them also to know that she is not hys wyfe which y ◠sonne taketh nor he her husband which the daughter taketh wythout the consent and good wyll of their elders or them that haue aucthoritie ouer thē If their frends wil not marry thē then are they not to blame if they marry thēselues Let not y t fathers mothers alwayes take the vtmost of their authoritie of their children but at a time suffer with them and beare theyr weaknesses as Christ doth oures Seeke Christ in your children in your wiues seruants and subiectes Father mother sonne daughter maister seruaunt kyng and subiect be names in the worldly regiment In Christ we are all one thing none better then other all brethren must all seeke Christ and our brothers profit in Christ And he that hath the knowledge whether he be Lorde or kyng is bounde to submitte hymselfe and serue his brethrē and to geue hym selfe for them to winne them to Christ ¶ The office of an husband and how he ought to rule HUsbandes loue your wiues as Christ loued the congregation and gaue hymselfe for it to sanctifie it and clense it Men ought to loue their wiues as their owne bodyes For this cause shall a man leaue father and mother and shall continue with his wife and shall be made both one flesh See that euer one of you loue his wyfe euen as hys owne bodye All thys sayth Paul Ephe. v. and Collo iij. he sayth husbādes loue your wiues and be not bitter vnto thē And Peter in the thyrd chapter of hys first epistle sayth men dwell with your wiues according to knowledge that is according to the doctrine of Christ geuing reuerence vnto the wife as vnto the weaker vessell that is helpe her to beare her infirmities and as vnto them that are heyres also of y e grace of lyfe that your prayers be not let In many thynges God hath made the men stronger then the women not to rage vpon them to be tyrantes vnto then but to helpe thē but to beare their weakenesse Be curteous thereaefore vnto them and winne thē vnto Christ and ouercome them with kyndnes that of loue they may obey y ◠ordinaunce that God hath made betwene man and wife ¶ The office of a maister and how he ought to rule PAule Ephe. vi saith ye maisters do euen y e same thinges vnto thē that is be maister after y e example doctrine of Christ as he before taught y ◠seruauntes to obey vnto their maisters as vnto Christ putting away threanings that is geue thē fayre wordse exhort thē kyndely to do theyr dutie yea nurtour them as thine own sonnes with y ◠Lords nourtour that they may see in Christ a cause why they ought louingly to obey and remember saith he that your maister also is in heauen Neither is there any respect of persons wyth hym that is he is indifferent and not parciall as great in hys sight is a seruaunt as a maister And the third chapter to the Col. saith he ye maisters do vnto your seruaunts that which is iust and equal remembring that ye also haue a maister in heauen Geue your seruaunts kinde wordes fode rayment and learnyng Be not bitter vnto them rayle not on them geue thē no cruell countenaunce but according to the ensample and doctrine of Christ deale with them And when they labour sore cherishe them agayne When ye correct thē let Gods worde be by and do it wyth such good maner that they may see how that ye doe it to amende them onely and to bring them vnto the way which God biddeth vs walke in and not to auēge your selues or to wreke your malice on them If at a tyme thorough hastines ye exceede measure in punishing recompence it an other way and pardon them an other tyme. ¶ The dutie of Landlordes LEt Christen Landlordes be content wyth their rent and olde customes not reysing y ◠rent or fynes bringing vp new customes to oppresse their tenauntes neither letting two or three tenauntryes vnto one man Let them not take in their communes neyther make parkes nor pastures of whole parishes For God gaue the earth to men to inhabite and not vnto sheepe and wilde deare Be as fathers vnto your tenauntes yea be vnto them as Christ was vnto vs and shew vnto them all loue and kyndnes What soeuer busines is among thē be not parciall fauouring one more thē an other The complayntes quarels and strife that are among them counte diseases of sicke people and as a mercifull phisition heale them wyth wisdome and good councell Be pitifull and tender harted vnto them and let not one of thy tenauntes teare out an others throte but iudge their causes indifferently and compell them to make their diches hedges gates and wayes For euē for such causes were ye made landlordes and for such causes payde men rent at the beginning For if such an order were not one should sley an other and all should goe to wast If thy tenaunt shall labour and toyle all the yeare to pay thee thy rent and when he hath bestowed al his labour his neighboures cattell shal deuoure his frutes how tedyous and bitter should his life be Se therefore that ye doe your duties agayne and suffer no man to doe them wrong saue the kyng onely If he doe wrong then must they abyde Gods iudgement ¶
ceremonies or to lead them out of the waye with superstitiousnes of disguiled hypocrisie vnto which ful knowledge are the spirituall officers ordeined to bring them Ephes iiij So farre it is away that Christes Apostles should geue them traditions of blind ceremonies without signification or of whiche no man should know the reason as Rochester whiche loueth shadowes and darkenes lyeth on them God stoppe his blasphemous mouth Consider also how studiously Rochester alledgeth Origene both for his Pope and also to stablish his blind ceremonies with all which Origene of all heretickes is condemned to be the greatest He is an auncient Doctour sayth he yea and to whō in this point great fayth is to be geuen yea verely Aristotle and Plato and euen very Robynhode is to beleued in such a point that so greatly mainteineth our holy fathers authoritie and all his disguisinges Last of all as once a craftie theefe whē he was espied and folowed cryed vnto the people Stoppe the thefe stop the thefe And as many to begyn with all cast first in an other mans teth that which he feareth should be layd to his owne charge euen so Rochester layeth to Martin Luthers charge the slaying murtheryng of Christen men because they will not beleue in his doctrine which thing Rochester and his brethrē haue not ceased to do now certein hundred yeares with such malice that whē they be dead theyrage burnyng their bodies of which some they them selues of lickelyhode killed before secretly And because that all the worlde knoweth that Martin Luther slayeth no mā but killeth onely with the spirituall sword the word of God such cankred cōsciences as Rochester hath Neither persecuteth but suffereth persecution yet Rochester with a goodly Argument proueth that he would do it if he could And marke I pray you what an Oratour he is and how vehemently he persuadeth it Martin Luther hath burned the Popes decretals a manifest signe sayth he that he would haue burnt the Popes holines also if he had had him A like Argument which I suppose to be rather true I make Rochester and his holy brethrē haue burnt Christes Testament an euident signe verely that they woulde haue burnt Christ him selfe also if they had had him I had almost verely left out the chiefest point of all Rochester both abhominable and shamelesse yea sterke mad with pure malice and so adased in the braines with spite that he cā not ouercome the truth that he seeth not or rather careth not what he sayth in the ende of his first destruction I would say instructiō as he calleth it intēding to proue that we are iustified thorouh holy workes alleageth halfe a texte of Paule of the fift to the Galathians as his maner is to iuggle and cōuey craftely fides per dilectionem operans Which texte he thys wise Englisheth fayth which is wrought by loue and maketh a verbe passiue of a verbe deponent Rochester will haue loue to goe before and fayth to spring out of loue Thus Antichrist turneth the rotes of the tree vpward I must first loue a bitter medicine after Rochesters doctrine and then beleue that it is wholsome When by naturall reason I first hate a bitter medicine vntill I be brought in belief of the phisition that it is holesome that the bitternes shall heale me and then afterward loue it of that beliefe Doth the childe loue the father first thē beleue that he is his sonne or heire or rather because he knoweth that he is his sonne or heire and beloued therfore loueth agayne Iohn sayth in the third of his first epistle See what loue the father hath shewed vpon vs that we should be called his sonnes Because we are sonnes therefore loue we Now by fayth are we sonnes as Iohn sayth in the fyrst chapter of his Gospel He gaue them power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleued on hys name And Paule sayth in the thyrd chapter of hys Epistle to the Galathians we are all the sonnes of God by the faith which is in Iesus Christ And Iohn in the sayd chapter of hys epistle sayth Hereby perceaue we loue that he gaue hys life for vs. We coulde see no loue nor cause to loue agayne except that we beleued that he dyed for vs and that we were saued thorough his death And in the chapter folowing sayth Iohn Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to make agreement for our sinnes So God sent not hys sonne for any loue that we had to hym but of the loue that he had to vs sent he hys sonne that we myght so loue loue agayne Paule lykewise in the 8. chapter to the Romaynes after that he hath declared the infinite loue of God to vs ward in that he spared not hys owne sonne but gaue hym for vs cryeth out saying who shall separate vs from the loue of God shall persecution shall a sworde c. No sayth he I am sure that no creature shall separate vs from the loue of God that is in Christ Iesus our Lord as who should say we see so great loue in God to vs warde in Christes death that though all misfortune should fall on vs we can not but loue agayne Now how know we that God loueth vs verely by fayth So therefore though Rochester be a beast faythlesse yet ought naturall reason to haue taught hym that loue springeth out of fayth and knowledge and not fayth and knowledge out of loue But let vs see the text Paule sayth thus In Christ Iesu neither circumcision is any thyng worth nor incircumcision but fayth which worketh thorow loue or which thorow loue is strōg or mighty in working not which is wrought by loue as the iuggler sayth Faith that loueth Gods cōmaundemēts iustitieth a mā If thou beleue gods promises in christ and loue his commaūdementes then art thou safe If thou loue y e commaūdemēt then art thou sure y ◠thy fayth is vnfained that gods spirit is in thee How fayth iustifieth before God in the hart how loue springeth of fayth and compelleth vs to worke and how the workes iustifie before the worlde testifie what we are certifie vs that our fayth is vnfayned and that y e right spirit of God is in vs see in my booke of y e iustifiyng of faith and there shalt thou see all thyng aboundantly Also of the controuersie betwene Paul and Iames see there Neuer the later whē Rochester sayth if faith onely iustified then both the deuils and also sinners that lie still in sinne should be saued hys argument is not worth a strawe For neyther the deuils nor yet sinners that continue in sinne of purpose delectation haue any such fayth as Paul speaketh of For Paules fayth is to beleue Gods promises Fayth sayth he Rom. x. cōmeth by hearing and hearing commeth by the worde of God And
good workes but a shadowe wherewith a man is neuer the better Nay Sir we make good woorkes fruites whereby our neighbour is the better and whereby God is honoured and our fleshe tamed And we make of them sure tokēs wherby we know that our fayth is no fayned imagination and dead opinion made with captiuing our wits after the Popes traditions but a lyuely thyng wrought by the holy Ghost And when he disputeth if they that haue faith haue loue vnto the lawe and purpose to fulfill it then faith alone iustifieth not how will he proue that argument he iuggleth wyth this worde alone and would make the people beleue that we said how a bare faith that is without all other company of repētaunce loue and other vertues yea without Gods spirite to did iustifie vs so that we shoulde not care to do good But the Scripture so taketh not alone nor we so meane as M. More knoweth well inough When an horse beareth a saddell and a man therin we may wel say that y t horse onely alone beareth the saddell and is not holpe of the man in bearing thereof But he would make men vnderstand that we ment the horse bare the saddell emptie and no man therin let him marke this to see his ignoraunce which woulde God were not coupled with malice Euery man that hath wit hath a will to and then by M. Mores argument witte onely geueth not the light of vnderstanding Now the conclusion is false and the contrary true For y t wit without helpe of the will geueth the light of the vnderstanding neyther doth the will woorke at all vntill the wit haue determined this or that to be good or bad Now what is faith saue a spirituall light of vnderstanding and an inwarde knowledge or feelyng of mercy Out of which knowledge loue doth spring But loue brought me not that knowledge for I knew it yer I loued So that loue in the processe of nature to dispute from the cause to the effect helpeth not at all to the feeling that God is mercifull to me no more than the louing hart and kinde behauiour of an obedient wife to her husband maketh her see his loue kyndnesse to her for many such haue vnkinde husbandes But by hys kynde deedes to her doth she see hys loue Euen so my loue and deedes make me not see Gods loue to me in the processe of nature but his kinde deedes to me in that he gaue his sonne for me maketh me see his loue to loue againe Our loue and good workes make not God first loue vs and chaunge hym from hate to loue as the Turke Iewe and vaine popishe meane but his loue and deedes make vs loue chaunge vs from hate to loue For he loued vs when we were euill and his enemies as testifieth Paule in diuers places and chose vs to make vs good and to shew vs loue and to draw vs to him that we should loue agayne The father loueth his childe when it hath no power to do good when it must be suffered to runne after the owne lustes without lawe and neuer loueth it better then then to make it better and to shew it loue to loue agayne If ye coulde see what is writtē in the first epistle of Iohn though all the other scripture were layde a parte he should see all this And ye must vnderstand that we sometyme dispute forwarde from the cause to the effect and sometyme backward from the effect to the cause and must beware that we be not therwyth beguiled we say sommer is come and therefore all is grene and dispute forwarde For somme◠is the cause of the grenesse We say the trees be grene therfore sommer is come and dispute backward from the effect to the cause For the grene trees make not sommer but maketh somme◠knowen So we dispute backward the man doth good deedes and profitable vnto his neyghbour he must therefore loue God he loueth God he must therefore haue a true fayth and see mercy And yet my woorkes make not my loue nor my loue my faith nor my faith Gods mercy But cōtrary gods mercy maketh my fayth and my fayth my loue and my loue my works And if the Pope could see mercy and worke of loue to his neighbour and not sell his woorkes to God for heauen after M. Mores doctrine we needed not so suttle disputing of faith And when M. More alleageth Paule to the Corinthians to proue that faith may be without loue he proueth nothing but iuggleth onely He saith it is euident by the wordes of Paule that a mā may haue a faith to do miracles without loue may geue all his good in almes without loue and geue his body to burne for the name of Christ al without charitie Wel I will not sticke with hym he may so do without charitie without fayth therto Then a mā may haue faith without faith Ye verely because there be many differēces of faith as I haue sayd and not all faithes one fayth as maister More iuggleth We read in the woorkes of S. Ciprian that there were martyrs that suffered martyrdome for the name of Christ all the yeare long and were tormented and healed agayne and then brought forth a freshe Which martyrs beleued as ye do that the payne of their martyrdom should be a deseruing merite inough not onely to deserue heauen for themselues but to make satisfaction for the sinnes of other men thereto and gaue pardons of their merites after the ensample of the Popes doctrine and forgaue the sinnes of other men which had openly denyed Christ and wrote vnto Ciprian that he shoulde receaue those men that had denyed Christ into the congregation agayne at the satisfaction of their merites For whiche pride Ciprian wrote to them and called them the deuilles martyrs and not Gods Those martyrs had a fayth without fayth For had they beleued that all mercy is geuen for Christes bloudshedding they would haue sent other mē thether and would haue suffered their owne martyrdome for loue of their neighbours onely to serue thē and to testifie the truth of God in our sauiour Iesu vnto the worlde to saue at the least way some that is to wete the elect for whose sake Paule suffereth all thing and not to winne heauē If I worke for a worldly purpose I get no rewarde in heauen euen so if I worke for heauen or an hyer place in heauen I get there no rewarde But I must do my woorke for y t loue of my neighbour because he is my brother and the price of Christes bloude and because Christ hath deserued it and desireth it of me and then my rewarde is great in heauen And all they which beleue that their sinnes be forgeuen them and they receaued as the scripture testifieth vnto the enheritaunce of heauē for Christes merites the same loue
And all that be confederate with the Cardinall and with the Bishops vpō any secret appointment be they neuer so great I rede thē to break their bondes and to follow right by the playne and open way and to be content and not too ambitious for it is now euill climing the boughes be brittle And let them looke well on the practise of Bishops how they haue serued all other men in tunes past and into what troubles they haue brought them that were quiet Many a man both great small haue they brought to death in England euen in my dayes beside in times past whose bloud God wil seek once Let them learne at the last that it is but the cast of the Bishops to receaue the sacrament with one man secretly vpon one purpose and with an other man as secreatly vppon the contrary to deceaue al parties For of periury they make as much conscience as a dog of a bone for they haue power to dispence with all thing thinke they At the beginning of the warre betwene the Frenchking and the Emperour the prognostication said yeare by yeare that there should be great labor for peace but it shall not come to passe for there is Bicorporeū or Corpus neutrum that commeth betwene and letteth it that is to say a body that is neither nother or holdeth on neither part and that body is the spiritualtie which hold but of thēselues onely For when any Ambassadors goe betwene to entreat of peace the bishops are euer the chief which though they make a goodly oration for the peace openly to deceaue the lay men yet secreatly by the bisshops of the same countrie they cast a bone in the way and there can be no peace vntill the peace be for their profite let it cost in the meane season what bloud it will And as for them which for luker as Iudas betraye the truth and write agaynst their consciences and which for honour as Balaam enforce to curse the people of God I would fayne if their hartes were not to hard that they dyd repent And as fayne I would that our prelates did repent if it were possible for them to prefer Gods honour before their owne And vnto all subiectes I say that they repent For the cause of euill rulers is the sinne of the subiectes testifyeth the Scripture And the cause of false preachers is that the people haue no loue vnto the truth sayth Paule 2. Thes 2. We be all sinners an hundred times greater then all that we suffer Let vs therfore ech forgeue other remembring the greater sinners the more welcome if we repent according to the similitude of the riotous sonne Luc. 15. For Christ dyed for sinners and is their sauiour and hys bloud theyr treasure to pay sor their sinnes He is that fatted calf which is slaine to make them good cheare withall if they will repent and come to their father again And his merites is that goodlye rayment to couer the naked deformities of our sinnes These be sufficient at this time although I could say more and though other haue deserued that I more sayd yea and I could more deeply haue entred into the practise of our Cardinall but I spare for diuers considerations and namely for his sake which neuer spared me nor any faythfull frende of his owne nor any that told him truth nor spareth to persecute the bloud of Christ in as cleare light as euer was and vnder as subtile colour of hypocrisie as euer was any persecutiō since the creation of the world Nether haue I sayd for hate of any person or persons God I take to recorde but of their wickednes onely and to cal them to repentaunce knowledging that I am a sinner also and that a greeuous Howbeit it is a deuilish thing and a merciles to defend wickednes against the open truth and not to haue power to repent And therefore I doubt not if men will not be warned hereby but that God will vtter more practise by whome he will and not cease vntill he haue broken the bonde of wilie hypocrites which persecute so subtelly And finally if the persecution of the kinges grace and of other temporall persons conspiring with the spiritualtie be of ignoraunce I doubt not but that theyr eyes shall be opened shortly and they shal see repent God shall shew them mercy But and if it be of a set malice against the truth and of a grounded hate against the law of God by the reasō of a full consent they haue to sinne and to walke in their olde wayes of ignorauncie wherunto being now past all repentance they haue vtterly yelded themselues to follow w t ful lust without bridle or snaffle which is the sinne agaynst the holy Ghost then ye shall see euen shortly that God shall turne the poynt of the swoorde wherewith they now shedde Christes bloud homeward to shed their owne again after the ensamples of the bible And let them remember that I well toward iij. yeares agone to preuent al occasions and all carnall beastes that seeke fleshly liberty sent forth the true obedience of a christen man which yet they condemned but after they had condemned the New Testament as right was whence the Obedience hath his authoritie Now then if when the light is come abroad in which theyr wickednes cā not be hid they finde no such obedience in the people vnto their old tyranny whose fault is it This is a sure conclusion none obedience that is not of loue can not long endure and in your deedes can no man see any cause of loue and the knowledge of Christ for whose sake onely a man wold loue you though ye were neuer so euill ye persecute Now thē if any disobedience rise ye are the cause of it your selues Say not but that ye be warned A Pathway into the holy Scripture made by William Tyndall I Do maruell greatly derely beloued in christ that euer any mā shuld repugne or speake against the Scripture to be had in euery lāguage and that of euery man For I thought that no man had bene so blinde to aske why light should be shewed to thē y t walke in darkenes where they cā not but stomble and where to stomble is the daunger of eternall damnation other so despightfull that he would enuie any mā I speake not his brother so necessary a thyng or so Bedlem mad to affirme that good is y t naturall cause of euill and darkenes to procede out of light that lying should be grounded in truth and verity and not rather cleane contrary that light destroyeth darkenes and veritie reproueth all maner lying Neuerthelesse seyng that it hath pleased God to send vnto our English men euen to as many as vnfaynedly desire it the Scripture in their mother toūg cōsidering that there be in euery place false teachers and blind leaders that ye should be deceaued of no man I supposed it very
manifest that they kepe not Gods coÌ„mauÌ„dementes nor be in state of grace but of all vngratiousnes Our Doctours know not whether they be in state of grace Our doctours kepe mens coÌ„mauÌ„dements Ergo meÌ„s commaundemeÌ„tes certifie not that we be in state of grace Though thou haue a deuotion to sticke vp a candle before a post and so forth yet thou canst neuer be sure thereby that thou art in the fauour of God But if thou haue deuotion to helpe thy brother in all his misfortunes because hee is the image of God and price of Christes bloud then thy denotioÌ„ certifieth the that thou art in the fauour of God or state of grace He that sayth I knowe hym and yet keepeth not hys commaundementes is a lyer and the truth is not in hym When our Phariseis say do as we byd you and not as we do they testifie that they keepe not Gods commauÌ„dementes vnto whiche testimonie our eyes also beare recorde And they that keepe not Gods commaundementes be lyers haue no truth in them And then when they preach they caÌ„ not but preache lyes And then though they preach Christ they preach hym falslie vnto their fleshsly vauÌ„tage and not our soules health And for as much as we may haue no felowshyp with theÌ„ that kepe not Gods commaundementes i. Cor. v. and in as much as all such are false Prophetes voyde of all truth it foloweth that we ought to geue our Doctours none audience though their defenders stode by them with theyr swoordes drawen but rather to laye downe our heades and stretch foorth our neckes to be slayne He that keepeth his woorde in hym verely is the loue of God perfect and hereby knowe we that we are in hym That is he that keepeth his commaundemeÌ„tes loueth vnfainedly and is therby sure that he is in God For to be in God is to beleue in y â— mercy of God And to beleue in mercy is cause of loue loue cause of workyng And therefore hee that worketh for Gods sake is sure that he loueth and that hee trusteth in God which is to be in God or in Christ And as by wilfull keping of the commaundemeÌ„t we be sure that we loue God and beleue in God euen so thorough wilfull breakyng of them we may bee sure that we neither loue nor beleue in him and therfore that we be not in hym He that sayth he abydeth in him ought to walke as he walked All that be Baptised in Christ are washed in hym to put of pride wrath hate and enuie with all their old conuersatioÌ„ by which they oppressed theyr neighbours and haue promised to become euery man euen as Christ hym selfe vnto his brethren in loue kyndnes both in word deede They therfore whiche resist Christes Testament and will not let it be knowen walke in the Testament of the Pope with vnions pluralities and totquots some one of them robbyng x. parishes of the tenth of all their yearely increase and withdrawing from them Gods word the foode of their soules and from the poore their dayly sustenaunce whiche ought to haue their part in the tythes and other rentes when the preacher other necessarie Ministers haue out their partes a due and lawfull stipend are not in Christ For Christ neither so walked not so taught Brethren I write no newe commaundement vnto you but an old commaundement which ye had at the begynnyng For an olde commaundement is the word which ye heard from the begynnyng I write no new precept but onely put you in remembraunce of that old which was taught you when ye were first Baptised in Christ to loue eche other as he did you Which is an old coÌ„maundement and was giueÌ„ at the begynnyng of the world and hath euer since bene writteÌ„ in the hart of all that put their hope in God Agayne a new commaundemeÌ„t I write vnto you whiche is true in him and also in you for the darkenesse is past and the true light now shyneth The deuill hath sowen his darknes in the field where this commaundemeÌ„t should grow and the weeds of mens traditioÌ„s had ouergrowen the corne of this old coÌ„maundement so that it was antiquate cleane out of knowledge But Christ y t light of all true doctrine now shyneth hath scatered the darknesse and plucked vp the weeds by the rootes restored this old commauÌ„dement agayne And in hym it is a true commaundement for he loued truly And in you it is a true commaundement for ye for his sake loue one an other truly also And by the reason of this renewyng it is called a new commaundement as it is now called new learnyng may well so be for it hath lyen long in darknes and that in such darknes that many be shryned for holy Saintes whose dedes liuing wheÌ„ thou lookest vpon them in the light of this old doctrine that now shyneth agayne out of darknes are more abhominable then the deedes and liuyng of him whiche of late for all his exaltyng his throne and swearyng by his highe honour and for the worshyp of his hat and glory of his precious shoes when hee was payned with the coliâ—ke of an euill conscience hauyng no other shift because his soule could finde no other issue tooke him self a medicine 〈◊〉 emitâ—erâ—t spiritum per posteriora He that sayth hee is in the light and yet hateth hys brother is in darknesse For whosoeuer feleth his owne daÌ„nation vnder the law beleueth in the mercy that is in Christ the same caÌ„ not but loue Christ and his neighbour for his sake And therefore hee that hateth his brother for any offence done to him the same seith not what Christe hath done for him but is in darkenes still He that loueth his brother abydeth in the light and there is none offendyng in hym Abydeth in the light that is continueth in the knowledge of Christ And there is none offending in him that is First he will willingly do nothyng either in word or in dede that shal offeÌ„de his brother For loue will not let hym And secondarily if ought bee done or sayd that may be well done or sayd he taketh it to the best and is not offeÌ„ded And thus ye see that the knowledge of Christ is cause of all goodnesse and the igoraunce of Christ cause of all euill And so the doctrine of theÌ„ is not false whiche say that fayth in Christ is roote of all godly vertue and the cause of kepyng the commaundementes where sayth is there to be no sinne nor damnation and that say vnbelefe to be the mother of all vice and cause of breakyng the commaundementes and to keepe men in sinne and daÌ„nation onely as fayth onely loseth vs thence And he that hateth hys brother is in darkenesse and walketh in darkenesse and knoweth not whether he goeth For darkenesse hath blynded his eyes He that hateth his brother is in the
it or to read in it To beleue that Iesus is Christe is to beleue in Christ that is to beleue earnestly and to put all thy trust therein and to lay the price of thy soule therupon that the sonne of Marie whom the aungell coÌ„maunded to be called Iesus because he shuld saue his people froÌ„ their sinnes is that Christ that Messias and that annoynted whiche God promised the fathers should come and blesse all nations and annoynt them with the oyle of his spirite with mercy and grace and to deliuer them froÌ„ death of their soules whiche is the consentyng to sinne and to make them a lyue with consentyng vnto the law of God and in certifiyng theÌ„ that they be the sonnes of God And to put the whole trust in all that he suffred in his fleshe for thy sake and in all promises of mercy that are in hym and that thou be full persuaded that there is no other name vnder heauen giuen vnto men to be saued froÌ„ sinne by or to purchase forgiuenesse of the lest synne that euer was coÌ„mitted An other conclusion is this whosoeuer loueth God loueth all that beleue in God For all that loue hym that begetteth loue them that are begotten of him and all that beleue in God are begotten of God through that belefe and made his sonnes theÌ„ al that loue God loue all that beleue in God An other conclusion is this When we loue God and his law theÌ„ we loue the sonnes of God Which is this wise proued The loue of God is to keepe the law of God by the text before and after the law of GOD is to loue our neighbours therfore if we loue God in kepyng his lawes we must needes loue the sonnes of God But Iohn should seme to be a very negligeÌ„t disputer to many men in that he here certifieth vs of the loue of our neighbours by the loue of God when aboue hee certifieth vs that we loue God because we loue our neighbours Hee semeth to doe as I heard once a great Clerke in Oxford stand halfe an houre in a pulpit to proue that Christ was a true Prophet by the testimonie of Iohn Baptist and an other halfe houre to proue Iohn y t Baptist a true Prophet by the authoritie of Christ as we say claw me claw thee and as euery these might lightly proue him selfe a true man in bearyng recorde to an other as false as he and takyng recorde of the same agayne Which kynde of disputyng schole men call Petitiâ— prâ—ncipij the prouyng of two certaine thynges eche by the other and is no prouyng at all as our holy father proueth the authoritie of Scripture by hys decrees for the Scripture is not autentike but as his decrees admit it to make his decrees shyne and appeare glorious and to obtaine authoritie he allegeth the Scripture after his iugglyng maner to make fooles starke mad But it is not so here for both the demonstrations are certaine both the proffe of the loue of God and his law by the loue of my neighbour and the proofe of the loue of my neighbour by the loue of God and his law For wheÌ„ ij thynges are so ioyned together that they can not be separated then the presence of the one vttereth the presence of the other whether soeuer thou first seest As if I see fire I am sure that some thyng doth burne And if I smell burnyng I am certified of fire Euen so the loue of God is the cause why I loue my neighbour and my loue toward my neighbour is the effect of the loue of God And these two loues are euer inseperable so that whether soeuer I feele first the same certifieth me of the other Iohn calleth the loue of a maÌ„s neighbour the deedes of loue after the Hebrue speach as to helpe at neede For the deede declareth what the man is within Neither can my loue to God fayth be sene to the world saue thorough the workes And by the workes doth Christ commaunde vs to iudge So that if a maÌ„ haue euill workes and continueth therin he loueth not God nor knoweth God no though he call hym selfe master doctour or Gods vicare Neither vnderstandeth he Gods word for all his high diuinitie but is in all hys preachyng an hypocrite a false Prophet and a lyer though hys preachyng please the world neuer so well Neuerthelesse a man is certified that he loueth God yer he come at the worke by the testimonie of the spirite which is giueÌ„ him in earnest The spirite sayth Paule Roma viij testifieth vnto our spirite that we be the sonnes of God and then it testifieth that we beleue in God for thorough fayth are we sonnes And then it certifieth me that I loue God For fayth and loue are inseparable The spirite thorough fayth certifieth my conscience that my sinnes are forgiueÌ„ and I receaued vnder grace and made the very sonne of God and beloued of God And theÌ„ naturally myne hart breaketh out into the loue of God agayne I seke how to vtter my loue and to do God some pleasure And because I can neither do seruice or pleasure vnto his owne person my neighbour is set before me to do God seruice and pleasure in him to be to him as Christ is to me because he is my brother bought with Christs bloud as I am And I consent vnto that law and loue it yer I come at the dede and long after the dede And then wheÌ„ I loue my neighbour in the deede accordyng to this law I am sure that I loue hym truly Or els if I examined not my loue by this law I might be deceaued For some loue their neighbours for pleasure profite glorie and for their doyng seruice onely as our spiritualtie loue vs and of that blessed loue do their busie cure to keepe vs in darkenes which loue is a signe that a man hateth God and hys neighbour therto and loueth him selfe onely But Gods law is that I should absteine from myne owne pleasure and profite and become my neighbours seruaunt and bestow lyfe and goodes vpoÌ„ hym after the example of Christ Wherfore if I loue my neighbour out of the loue of Christ and after the example of hys law I am sure that I loue him truly And his commaundementes are not greuous For all that is borne of God ouercommeth the worlde and this is the victory that ouercommeth the world eueÌ„ our faith To loue is not paynefull the commaundementes are but loue therfore they be not greuous because loue maketh the commaundements easie The seruice that a mother doth vnto her child is not greuous because she loueth it But if she should do the tenth part vnto one that she loued not her hart would brast for impacience Vnto a maÌ„ that fetleth not the loue of Christ it is as impossible to keepe the commaundementes as for a Camell to enter through the eye of a nedle But
and of his Apostles and iudge their fruites What blessing meaneth The commaundement maketh Priestes Putting on of haÌ„ds What Iudas is now A point of practise ☞ Repentaunce Repentaunce is signified by Baptime ☜ One confession is to knowledge wherein thou puttest thy trust If when tyrauntes oppose thee thou haue power to confesse then art thou sure that thou art sate An other confession is to knowledge thy sinnes in 〈…〉 vnto God Shrift Shrift was put downe for knauery among the Greekes But is stablished theâ— by among vs. How a maÌ„ shall know that 〈◊〉 sinnes are forgeuen Blind reason to their guide and not Gods spirite Learne to know them for they are verely lepers in theyr hartes AttritioÌ„ is of the leues of the phariseis Whom a man offendeth 〈◊〉 must hee confesse It hath no recorde in 〈◊〉 y â— Scripture that God shuld crepe in hyde him 〈◊〉 in Antichristes eare Christ is 〈◊〉 euerlastyng satisfaction Baptisme â—…steth eâ—er Of byndyng and loosing and of the Popes authoritie or power The Pope chalengeth power not ouer man onely but ouer God also Purgatory is the Popes creature he may therfore be bold there The Pope bindeth the aungels The true byndyng loosing S. Hierome agaynst Bishops and Priestes The curse is to bee feared The right maner of loosing ☜ Christ vnderstode this texte all power is geueÌ„ me in heauen in earth also vsed it farre other wise then the Pope ☜ What authoritie Christ gaue hys Apostles The right byndyng loosyng How the Pope reigneth vnder Christ A poena et a culia is a proper breaâ—… The Pope is more mightie more mercifull for money theÌ„ God is for the death of his onely sonne The merites of saintes The merites of Christ The Pope selleth that which God geueth frely Fryers Sinne is y â— best marchaundise that is Christ prophesied of Antichrist and tolde why he shoulde come The promises are either put out or leauened and why All is in Latin The Pope commaundeth God to curse A custome that is vsed in the marches of waies Gods sacramentes preach Gods promises The popes sacraments are dumme Christening of belles Why SuffragaÌ„s are ordeined The Byshops deuide all among theÌ„ Ceremonies bring not the holy Ghost Putting on of haÌ„ds Prayer of fayth doth the miracles The â—…ting on oâ— hands doth neither helpe nor hinder What soeuer is not of fayth is sinne The latine tounge destroyeth the sayth That the worke without y â— promise saueth is unproued The prople beleue in y â— worke without y â— prâ—…e Volowâ—…g ☜ The worke saueth not but the worde that is to say 〈◊〉 promise ☜ Workes be they neuer so glorious iustifie not In all thing they leaue ouâ— the promises How farre forth the deede is acceptable to God Our prayers acceptable according to our fayth ouâ— deedes according to the measure of loue A ChristeÌ„ maÌ„ nedeth not to go a pilgrimage to be saued therby Saluation is with in vs. Confession ☞ Byshops worke there treason thorough confession Kynges be sworne to the bishops and not the Byshops vnto the kynges How shall they preach except they be sent is expounded Howe to know who is sent of God and who is not No man may preach but he that is called sent of god ☜ The difference betwene true Sacraments and false A sayth without Gods promise is idolatrie The Byshops blessing How the Apostles blessed vs. RepentaÌ„ce and sure fayth in in Christ purgeth our sinnes The protestation of the author Confession robbeth the Sacraments and maketh theÌ„ frutelesse What grace is Howe to knowe what iustifieth and what not or what bringeth grace and what not With their Chaplayns quoth hee God geue grace their Chaplayns at the last make them not so mad to say seruice alone while they True miracles draw to Christ The effect and force of our good deedes False miracles driue from Christ He that teacheth to trust in a saint is a false Prophet What he should pray that prayeth for his neighbour The 〈…〉 be 〈◊〉 and not deceaued The spiriâ—… pray not that we might come to y â— knowledge of Christ The 〈◊〉 are but an enâ—… 〈◊〉 Offerings cause of the miracles God y â— father fulfilleth his promises to vs for Christes sake not for the merites of saintes as y â— Papistes taught All such Martyrs are the popes martyrs not Gods For martyr signifieth a witnes bearer now is he not Gods witnes that testifieth not his worde The reasons which they make for y â— worshipping of Saintes are solued It is not like wyth kynges and God Christ is no sinner Nothyng bringeth a man sooner to confusioÌ„ then the Idolatry of his owne imaginatioÌ„ â—hrist is a 〈◊〉 geue to â—…rs God loueth mercy Hypocrites loue oâ—â—eâ—ynges We are at peace in our consciences when we beleue constantly ouâ— sinnes are remitted throughe Iesus Christ Why we come not to Christ God looketh on our good dedes Intichrist turneth the rootes of the trees vnword In Christâ— we are one as good as an other equally beloued indifferently heard Christ is all to a Christen man The childreÌ„ of faith worke of loue and nede no law to coÌ„pâ—ll them We are all Christes seruauntes and serue Christ The contempt or loue we shewe one to another the same shewe we to Christ Christ knoweth nothyng worldly 〈◊〉 not his â—…ry mother As long as Christ abydeth so loÌ„g a Christen maÌ„ loueth Money byndeth not Christâ— people to pray God careth for his The bely to a God cause of all vnto our spiritualty â—â—ll is of the bely nothyng of Christ Christes loue forget teth her selfe but Monkes loue thinketh on the bely Friers and Monkes ought not to preach Christ is the whole cause why God loueth vs. Howe to know that we are Goddes sonnes The lawe is y â— mark yea and the touch stone where w t we ought to trye our selues see how farre â—orth we are purged Our byrth poyson that remayneth in vs. resisteth the spirite ☞ The right crosse of Christ Hee that loueth not the law hateth sin hath no part with Christ Howe to try the do â–ª ctrine of our spiritualtie If the prayers merites of our religious men purge our lustes then are they of value and els not ☞ What the spiritualtis taketh away with their prayers WheÌ„ other wept they sing and wheÌ„ other loose they wynne All is of Purgatory â—…ese Phisitions geue none other medicines saue purgations onely Allegory what it signifieth The scripture hath but one sence â—oroweâ—â—peach â–ª ☜ The right vse of allegories Allegories are no sense of Scripture ☞ Allegories proue nothyng If thou câ— not proue the allegory with an open text then is it false doctrine The litterall sense proueth the allegory They thâ—â— iustifie theÌ„ selues by their workes are the bond children of the law The fayth was lost thorough Allegories Chopologicall sophisters Poetry is as good diuinitie as the Scripture to our schole
DIEV ET MON DRIOT ¶ THE WHOLE workes of W. Tyndall Iohn Frith and Doct. Barnes three worthy Martyrs and principall teachers of this Churche of England collected and compiled in one Tome togither beyng before scattered now in Print here exhibited to the Church To the prayse of God and profite of all good Christian Readers Mortui resurgent AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye and are to be sold at his shop vnder Aldersgate An. 1573. ¶ Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis ARISE FOR IT IS DAY A Table of the seuerall Treatises conteyned in M. William Tyndals workes A Preface to the Christian Reader The lyfe of Wylliam Tyndall A protestation of the state of the soules departed A preface that he made before the v. bookes of Moses A prologue shewyng the vse of the Scripture Seuerall prologues that he made to the v. bookes of Moses fol. 2. 7. 11. 15. 21. Certaine harde wordes expounded by him in the fyrst second and fourth booke of Moses fol. 5. 10. 16. A prologue vpon the Prophet Ionas 23. Prologues vpon the iiij Euangelistes 32. Prologues vpon the Epistles of S. Paule 39. Prologues vpon the Epistles of S. Peter 54. Prologues vpon the iij. Epistles of S. Iohn 55. The parable of the wicked Mammon 59. The obedience of a Christian man and how Christian rulers ought to gouerne 97. An exposition vpon the v. vj. vij chapters of S. Ma. thewes Gospell 184. An answere to Syr Thomas Mores dialogues 244 The practise of popishe Prelates 340. A pathway into the holy Scripture 377. The exposition vpon the first Epistle of S. Iohn 387. The exposition vpon M. William Tracies will 429. A fruitfull treatise vpon signes Sacraments 436. Two notable letters that he sent vnto Iohn Frith 453. The Supper of the Lord wherein is confuted the letter of M. More sent vnto Iohn Frith supposed to be written by Tyndall 457. ¶ The Epistle or Preface to the Christian Reader AS we haue great cause to geeue thankes to the high prouidence of almighty God for the excellent arte of Printing most happely of late found out and now commonly practised euery where to the singular benefite of Christes Church wherby great increase of learnyng and knowledge with innumerable commodities els haue ensued and dayly doe ensue to the lyfe of man and especially to the fartheraunce of true Religion so agayne of our parte it is both of vs all in generall to be wished and especially of them to be procured who occupie the trade therof rightly to vse the same to the glory of hym which gaue it and to the ende wherefore it was ordayned and not to abuse vnworthely that worthy facultie eyther in thrusting into the worlde euery vnworthy trifle that commeth to hand or hauing respecte more to their owne priuate gayne then regarde to the publike edifiyng of Christes Church or necessary preferment of Religion For therefore I suppose this science of Printing first to be set vp and sent of God to mans vse not so much for temporall commoditie to be taken or mans glory to be sought thereby but rather for the spirituall and inwarde supportation of soulehealth helpe of Religion restoring of true doctrine repayring of Christes Church and repressing of corrupt abuses which had heretofore ouerdarckened the doctrine of fayth to reuiue agayne the lost lyght of knowledge to these blynde tymes by renuing of holsome and auncient writers whose doinges and teachinges otherwise had lyen in obliuion had not the benefite of Printing brought them agayne to light or vs rather to light by them Wherfore such Printers in my mynde are not to be defrauded of their due commendation who in pretermitting other light triflyng pamflets of matter vnneedful and impertinent little seruing to purpose lesse to necessitie doe employe their endeuour and workemanship chiefly to restore such fruitfull workes and monumentes of auncient writers and blessed Martyrs who as by their godly lyfe and constant death gaue testimonie to the trueth in tyme wherein they suffered so by their doctrine and learning geeue now no lesse lyght to all ages and posteritie after them In the number of whome may rightly be accompted and no lesse recommended to the studious Christen Reader these three learned fathers of blessed memory whom the Printer of this booke hath diligently collected in one volume togither inclosed the workes I meane of William Tyndall Iohn Frith and Robart Barnes chiefe ryngleaders in these latter tymes of thys Church of England Wherein as we haue much to prayse God for such good bookes left to the Church and also for such Printers in preseruing by their industrie and charges such bookes from perishing so haue I to exhorte all studious readers wyth lyke diligence to embrace the benefite of God offered and seriously to occupie them selues in markyng and folowing both the valiaunt actes and excellent wrytinges of the sayd godly persons Concernyng the prayse whereof I shall not neede in thys place to bestow much commendation because neither is it the prayse of men but profite of the godly that they doe seeke nor yet the contempt of the vngodly that they doe feare Moreouer what is to be sayde or thought of them rather by their owne workes then by other mens wordes by readyng their bookes then by my preface is to be seene In perusing whereof thou shalt fynde gentle Reader whether thou bee ignoraunt what to learne or whether thou be learned what to folowe and what to sticke to Briefly whatsoeuer thou art if thou be yong of Iohn Frith if thou be in middle age of W. Tyndall if in elder yeares of D. Barnes matter is here to be founde not onely of doctrine to enforme thee of comfort to delyte thee of godly ensample to directe thee but also of speciall admiration to make thee to wonder at the workes of the Lord so mightely workyng in these men so oportunely in stirryng them vp so graciously in assisting them Albeit diuers other also besides these I say not nay as well before them as after through the secrete operation of Gods mighty prouidence haue beene raysed vp both famous in learnyng florishyng in witte and stout in zeale who labouryng in the same cause haue no lesse valiantly and doughtely stoode in the like defence of Christes true Religion agaynst blynde errour pestilent superstition and perillous hypocrisie namely agaynst the Arche enemye of Christ and hys flocke the Byshop I meane of Rome with hys tyrannicall seate as namely here in England Iohn Wicklyffe Rigge Aston Swynderby W. Thorpe Walter Brute L. Cobham wyth the residue of that former age And also after them many other moe freshe wittes faythfull preachers and learned writers haue sprong vp by the Lord of hoastes to furnishe hys fielde Briefly no age nor tyme hath euerlacked some or other styll bayting at the beast but especially nowe in these our present dayes such plenty yea whole armyes the Lord hath powred vppon hys Church of heauenly souldiours who not
and vnto the tamyng of thy fleshe But thou mayst vowe neither of them vnto the slaying of thy body As Paule commaundeth Tymothe to drincke wyne no more water because of his diseases Thou wilt say that Timothy had not happely forsworne wyne I thinke the same and that the Apostles forsware not wedlocke thoughe many of them lyued chast neither yet any meate or drincke though they absteined from them and that it were good for vs to folow their example Howbeit though I vowe and sweare and thinke on none exception yet is the breakyng of Gods coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts except and all chaunces that hange of God As if I sweare to be in a certain place at a certain houre to make a loueday without exception yet if the king in the meane tyme commaunde me an other way I must goe by Gods commaundement and yet breake not myne othe And in like case if my father mother be sicke require my presence or if my wife children or houshold be visited that â—ny assistance be required or if my neighbours house be a fire at the same houre and a thousand such chaunces in whiche all I breake myne othe am not forsworne and so forth Read Gods word diligently with a good hart and it shall teach thee all thynges A Prologue into the fifte booke of Moses called Deuteronomy THis is a booke worthy to be read in daye and night neuer to be out of handes For it is the most excellent of all the bokes of Moses It is easy also lyght and a very pure Gospell y t is to wit a preachyng of fayth loue deducyng the loue to God out of fayth and the loue of a mans neighbour out of y t loue of God Herein also thou mayst learne right meditation or contemplation which is nothyng els saue y t calling to minde a repeatyng in the harte of the glorious and wonderfull dedes of God and of his terrible handling of his enemies and mercyfull entreatyng of them that come when hee calleth them whiche thyng this booke doth and almost nothyng elles In the foure first Chapters he rehearseth the benefites of GOD done vnto them to prouoke them to loue his mightie dedes done aboue all natural capacitie of faith that they might beleue GOD and trust in him and in his strength And thirdly he rehearceth the fierce plagues of God vppon his enemyes and on them which through impatiencie vnbeliefe fell from hym partly to tame and abate the appetites of the flesh which alway fight agaynst the spirite and partely to bridle the wilde ragyng lustes of them in whom was no spirite that though they had no power to do good of loue yet at the lest way they should abstaine from outward euill for feare of wrath and cruell vengeaunce whiche should fall vpoÌ„ them and shortly finde them out if they cast vp gods nurter and runne at riotte beyond his lawes and ordinaunces Moreouer he chargeth them to put nought to nor take ought away from Gods wordes but to be diligeÌ„t onely to keepe them in reeÌ„mbraunce in the hart and to teach their childreÌ„ for feare of forgettyng And to beware either of makyng imagery or of bowyng them selues vnto Images saying Ye saw no image when God spake vnto you but heard a voyce onely that voyce keepe and thereunto cleaue for it is your lyfe and it shall saue you And finally if as the frailtie of all fleshe is they shal haue fallen from God and he haue brought them into trouble aduersitie and combraunce and all necessitie yet if they repent and turne hee promiseth them that God shall remeÌ„ber his mercy and receaue them to grace agayne In the fifte he repeateth the x. CommauÌ„dementes and that they might see a cause to do them of loue he biddeth them remember that they were bound in Egypt and how God deliuered theÌ„ with a mighty hande and a stretched out arme to serue him and to kepe his maundementes as Paule sayth that wee are bought with Christes bloud and therefore are his seruauntes and not our owne and ought to seeke his wil and honour onely and to loue and serue one an other for his sake In the sixte he setteth out the fountaine of all commaundementes that is that they beleue how that there is but one God that doth all and therfore ought onely to bee loued with all the hart all the soule and all the might For loue onely is the fulfillyng of the coÌ„maundementes as Paule also sayth vnto the Romaines and Galathians likewise He warneth them also that they forget not the coÌ„maundementes but teache them their children and to shew their children also how God deliuered them out of the bondage of the Egiptians to serue him and his commaundements that the children might see a cause to worke of loue likewise The seuenth is all together of faith hee remoueth all occasions that might withdrawe them from the faith and pulleth them also from all confidence in them selues and sturreth them vp to trust in God boldly and onely Of the eight Chapter thou seest how that the cause of temptation is that a man might see his own hart For wheÌ„ I am brought into that extremity that I must either suffer or forsake GOD then I shall feele how much I beleue and trust in him and how much I loue him In like maner if my brother do me euill for my good then if I loue him when there is no cause in him I see that my loue was of God and euen so if I then hate him I feele and perceaue that my loue was but wordly and finally hee sturreth theÌ„ to the fayth and loue of God and driueth them froÌ„ all confidence of their owne selues In the ninth also hee moueth them vnto fayth and to put their trust in God and draweth them from confideÌ„ce of them selues by rehearsing all y e wickednesse whiche they had wrought from the first day he knew them vnto that same day And in the end he repeteth howe he coniured God in Horeb and ouercame him with prayer where thou mayest learne the right maner to pray In the tenth he reckeneth vppe the pith of all lawes and the keping of the law in hart which is to feare GOD loue him and serue hym with all their hart soule and might and kepe his coÌ„maundementes of loue And he sheweth a reason why they should that do euen because God is Lord of heauen and earth hath also done all for them of his owne goodnesse without their deseruyng And then out of the loue vnto God he bringeth the loue vnto a mans neighbour saying God is Lord aboue all Lordes and loueth al his seruauntes indiffereÌ„tly as well the poore and feble and the strauÌ„ger as the rich and mighty and therfore will that we loue the poore and the straunger And he addeth a cause for ye were straungers
and God deliuered you and hath brought you vnto a land where ye bee at home Loue the straunger therefore for his sake In the xj he exhorteth them to loue and feare God and rehearceth the terrible dedes of God vpoÌ„ his enemyes on them that rebelled agaynst hym And he testifieth vnto them both what wil folow if they loue and feare God and what also if they despise hym and breake his commaundement In the xij hee commaundeth to put out of the way all that might be an occasion to hurt the fayth and forbiddeth to do ought after their owne myndes or to alter the word of God In the xiij he forbiddeth to herken vnto ought saue vnto Gods word no though he whiche counseleth contrary should come with miracles as Paule doth vnto the Galathians In the xiiij the beasts are forbidden partly for vncleannesse of them and partly to cause hate betwene the heathen and them that they haue no conuersation together in that one abhorreth what the other eateth Vnto this xv chapter all pertaine vnto faith and loue chiefly And in this xv hee begynneth to entreate more specially of thinges pertainyng vnto the common welth and equitie and exhorteth vnto the loue of a mans neighbour And in the xvj among other he forgetteth not the same And in the xvij he entreateth of right and equitie chiefly in so much that when hee looketh vnto faith and vnto the punishment of Idolaters hee yet endeth in a law of loue and equitie forbiddyng to condemne any man vnder lesse then two witnesses at the lest and commaundeth to bryng the trespassers vnto the open gate of the citie where all men go in and out that all men might heare the cause and see that he had but right But the Pope hath founde a better way euen to oppose him with out any accuser and that secretly that no man know whether hee haue right or no either heare his Articles or aunswere for feare lest the people should searche whether it were so or no. In the xviij hee forbiddeth all false and deuilish crafts that hurt true faith Moreouer because the people could not heare the voyce of the law spoken to them in fire he promiseth them an other Prophet to bring them better tydynges whiche was spoken of Christ our Sauiour The xix and so forth vnto the end of the xxvij is almost altogether of loue vnto our neighbours and of lawes of equitie and honesty with now and theÌ„ a respect vnto faith The xxviij is a terrible Chapter and to be trembled at A Chrisren maÌ„s hart might well bleed for sorrow at the readyng of it for feare of the wrath that is like to come vpon vs accordyng vnto all the curses which thou there readest For accordyng vnto these curse hath God delt with with all nations after they were fallen into the abhominations of blindnesse The xxix is like terrible with a godly lesson in the end that we shold leaue searchyng of Gods secrets geue diligence to walke accordyng to that hee hath opened vnto vs. For the keepyng of the commaundementes of God teacheth wisedome as thou maiest see in the same Chapter where Moses saith keepe the commaundementes that ye may vnderstand what ye ought to doe But to search Gods secretes blindeth a maÌ„ as it wel proued by the swarmes of our sophisters whose wise bookes are now when we looke in the Scripture founde but full of foolishnesse The Prologue of the Prophete Ionas made by William Tyndall AS the enuious Philislines stopped y e welles of Abraham and filled them vp with earth to put the memoriall out of mynde to the entent that they might chalenge the grounde euen so the fleshly minded hipocrites stoppe vp the vaynes of life which are in the scripture with the earth of their traditions false similitudes and lying allegories that of lyke zeale to make the Scripture their owne possession and merchaundice and so shut vp the kyngdome of heauen which is Gods worde neither entring in themselues nor suffering them that would The Scripture hath a body without and within a soule spirite lyfe It hath without a barke a shel and as it were an harde bone for the fleshlye mynded to gnaw vpon And within it hath pith cornell mary and all swetenes for Gods elect which he hath chosen to geue them hys spirite to write hys law and the fayth of hys sonne in their hartes The scripture conteineth iij. thinges in it First the lawe to condemne all flesh Secondarily the Gospel that is to say promises of mercy for al that repente and knowledge theyr sinnes at the preachyng of the lawe and consent in their hartes that the lawe is good and submit themselues to bee scholers to learne to kepe the law and to learn to beleue the mercye that is promised them and thirdly the stories lyues of those scholers both what chaunces fortuned them also by what meanes their scholemaister taughte them and made them perfect and how he tried y e true from the false When the hipocrites come to the law they put gloses to and make no more of it theÌ„ of a worldly law which is satisfied with the outwarde worke and whiche a Turke may also fulfill When yet Gods law neuer ceaseth to condemne a man vntil it be written in hys harte and vntill he keepe it naturally without compulsion and all other respect saue onely of pure loue to God and his neighbour as he naturally eateth when he is an hungred without compulsion and all other respect saue to slake hys hunger onely And when they come to the Gospell there they mingle their leuen and say GOD now receiueth vs no more to mercy but of mercy receueth vs to penaunce that is to witte holy deedes y â— make them fatte bellies and vs their captiues both in soule and body And yet they fayne their Idole the Pope so mercifull that if that thou make a litle money glister in hys Balaams eyes there is neither penance nor purgatory nor any fastyng at all but to flye to heauen as swift as a thought at the twincklyng of an eye And the liues stories and giftes of men whith are contayned in the bible they reade as thinges no more pertaining vnto them then a tale of Robin hood as things they wot not wherto they serue saue to faine false discant and iuglyng allegories to stablishe their kyngdome with all And one of the chiefest and fleshliest studies they haue is to magnifie the â—aintes aboue measure and aboue the truth with their Poetry to make them greter theÌ„ euer God made them And if they find any infirmitie or sinne ascribed vnto the sayntes that they excuse with all diligence diminishyng the glory of the mercy of god and robbyng wretched sinners of all theyr comforte thinke therby to flatter the saintes and to obtayne their fauour and to make speciall aduocates
it is chewed the pleasanter it is and the more groundly it is searched the precioser thynges are found in it so great treasure of spirituall thinges lyeth hid therin I will therfore bestow my labour diligence thorow this little preface or prologue to prepare a way in therunto so farreforth as God shall geue me grace that it may be the better vnderstand of euery man for it hath ben hitherto euill darkened with gloses and wonderful dreames of sophisters that no man could spy out the intent and meanyng of it which neuerthelesse of it selfe is a bright lyght and sufficient to geue light vnto all the scripture First we must marke diligently the maner of speakyng of the Apostle and aboue all thing know what Paul meaneth by these wordes the Law sinne grace fayth righteousnes flesh sprite and such lyke or els read thou it neuer so ofte thou shalt but loose thy labor This word Lawe may not be vnderstand here after the common manner and to vse Pauls terme after the maner of men or after mans wayes that thou wouldest say the law here in this place were nothyng but learnyng which techeth what ought to be done and what ought not to be done as it goeth with mans law where the law is fulfilled with outward workes only though the harte be neuer so far of but God iudgeth after the grounde of the harte ye and the thoughtes and the secret mouinges of the mynde therfore hys law requireth the grounde of the hart and loue from the bottome therof and is not content with the outward worke onely but rebuketh those workes most of all which spryng not of loue from the ground and low bottome of the hart though they appeare outward neuer so honest and good as Christ in the gospell rebuketh the pharises aboue all other that were open sinners and calleth them hipocrites that is to say Simulars and paynted Sepulchers which Pharises yet liued no men so pure as pertayning to the outward dedes and workes of y t law ye and Paul in the third chapter of his epistle vnto the Philippiās confesseth of himselfe that as touching the lawe he was such a one as no man coulde complayne on and notwithstandyng was yet a murderer of the christen per secuted them and tormented them so sore that he compelled them to blaspheme Christ was altogether mercilesse as many which now fayne outward good workes are For this cause the 115. psalme calleth all men lyers because that no man kepeth the law from the ground of the harte neither can kepe it For all men are naturally inclyned vnto euill and hate the law we fynde in our selues vnlust and tediousnes to do good but lust and delectation to do euill Now where no free lust is to do good there the bottom of the hart fulfilleth not the law and there no doute is also sinne and wrathe deserued before GOD though there be neuer so great outwarde shew and apparance of honest liuing For this cause concludeth S. Paule in the second chapter that the Iewes all are sinners and transgressors of the law thoughe they make men beleue thorow hipocrisie of outward works how that they fulfill the law sayth that he onely whiche doth the law is righteous before God meanyng therby that no mā with outward workes fulfilleth the law Thou saith he to the Iewe teachest a mā should not breake wedlocke and yet breakest wedlocke thy selfe Wherin thou iudgest an other man therein condemnest thou thy selfe for thou thy selfe doest euen the very same thynges whiche thou iudgest As thoughe hee would say thou liuest outwardly well in the workes of the law and iudgest them that liue not so thou teachest other men and seest a mote in an other mās eie but art not ware of the beame that is in thyne owne eye For though thou keepe the lawe outwardly with works for feare of rebuke shame and punishment either for loue of reward vantage vayne glory yet doest thou all without lust and loue toward the law and haddest leuer a great deale otherwise do if thou diddest not feare the lawe ye inwardly in thine harte thou wouldest that there were no law no nor yet God the author and venger of the lawe if it were possible so paynefull it is vnto thee to haue thyne appetites refrayned and to bee kepte downe Wherfore then it is a playne conclusion that thou from the grounde and bottome of thyne hart art an enemy to the law What preuayleth it now that thou teachest an other man not to steale when thou thyne owne selfe art a thefe in thyne hart and outwardly wouldest fayne steale if thou durst though that the outward dedes abyde not alway behind with such hypocrites and dissimulers but breake forth among euen as an euill scabbe or a pocke can not alwayes be kept in with violence of medicine Thou teachest an other man but teachest not thy selfe ye thou w◅est not what thou teachest for thou vnderstadest not the law a right how that it can not be fulfilled and satisfied but with inward loue and affection much lesse can it be fulfilled with outward deedes and workes onely Moreouer the law encreaseth sinne as he sayth in the fift Chapter because that mā is an enemie to the law for as much as it requireth so many thinges cleane contrarie to his nature wherof he is not able to fulfill one pointe or title as the law requireth it And therfore are we more prouoked and haue greater lust to breake it For whiche causes sake he sayth in the seuenth Chapter that the lawe is spirituall as though he would say if the law wer fleshly and but mans doctrine it might be fulfilled satisfied and stilled with outward deedes But now is the law ghostly and no man fulfilleth it except that all that he doth spryng of loue from the bottome of the hart Such a new hart and lusty courage vnto the law ward canst thou neuer come by of thyne owne strength enforcement but by the operation and workyng of the spirite For the spirite of God onely maketh a man spirituall like vnto the law so that now hence forth hee doth nothyng of feare or for lucre or vantages sake or of vaine glory but of a free hart and of inward lust The law is spirituall and wil be both loued and fulfilled of a spirituall hart and therefore of necessitie requireth it the spirit that maketh a mans hart free and geueth him lust and courage vnto the law ward Where such a spirite is not there remaineth sinne grudging and hatred against the law which law neuerthelesse is good righteous and holy Acquaint thy selfe therfore with the maner of speakyng of the Apostle and let this now sticke fast in thyne hart that it is not both one to do the dedes and workes of the law and to fulfill the law The worke of y t law is what soeuer a man doth or
conclusion not to bee doubted of that there must be first in the hart of a man before he do any good worke a greater and a preciouser thyng then all the good workes in the world to reconcile him to God to bryng the loue and fauour of God to him to make him loue God agayne to make him righteous and good in the sight of God to do a way his sinne to deliuer him and lose him out of that captiuitie where in he was conceaued and borne in whiche he could neither loue God neither the will of God Or els how can he worke any good woorke that should please God if there were not some supernaturall goodnes in him giuen of GOD freely where of the good worke must spryng euen as a sicke man must first be healed or made whole yer he can do the dedes of an whole man and as the blind man must first haue sight geuen him yer he can see and he that hath his feete in fetters giues or stockes must first be loosed or he can go walke or runne and euen as they whiche thou readest of in the Gospel that they were possessed of the deuils could not laude God till the deuils were cast out That precious thing which must be in the hart yer a man can worke any good worke is y ◠word of God which in the Gospell preacheth profereth bryngeth vnto all that repent and beleue the fauour of God in Christ Who soeuer heareth the word and beleueth it the same is thereby righteous and thereby is geuen hym the spirite of God which leadeth him vnto all that is the will of God and is loosed from the captiuitie and bondage of the deuill and his hart is free to loue God and hath lust to do the will of GOD. Therfore it is called the word of lyfe the word of grace the word of health the word of redemption the word of forgiuenes and the word of peace he that heareth it not or beleueth it not cā by no meanes be made righteous before God This confirmeth Peter in the xv of the Actes seyng that GOD through fayth doth purifie the hartes For of what nature so euer the word of God is of the same nature must the hartes be whiche beleue thereon and cleaue thereunto Now is the word liuyng pure righteous and true euen so maketh it the hartes of them that beleue theron IF it be sayd that Paul when he saith in the iij. to the Romaines no fleshe shal be or can be iustified by the deedes of the law meaneth it of the ceremonies or sacrifices it is an vntrue saying For it foloweth immediatly by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne Now are they not the ceremonies that vtter sinne but the law of cōmaundementes In the iiij he sayth the law causeth wrath whiche can not bee vnderstand of the ceremonies for they were geuen to reconcile the people to God agayne after they had sinned If as they say the ceremonies which were geuen to purge sinne and to reconcile iustifie not neither blesse but temporally onely much more the law of commaundementes iustifieth not For that whiche proueth a man sick health him not neither doth the cause of wrath bring to fauour neither can that whiche damneth saue a man When the mother commaundeth her childe but euen to rocke the cradle it grudgeth the commaundement doth but vtter the poyson that lay hid and setteth him at bate with hys mother and maketh hym beleue shee loueth him not These commaundements also thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house thou shalt not lust desire or wishe after thy neighbours wife seruaunt mayde oxe or asse or what soeuer pertaineth vnto thy neyghbour geue me not power so to doe but vtter the poyson that is in me and damne me because I can not so do and proue that God is wrath with me seing that his wil and mine are so contrary Therefore sayth Paul Gal. iij. If there had ben geuen such a law that could haue geuen lyfe then no doubt righteousnes had come by the law but the Scripture concluded all vnder sinne sayth he that the promise might bee geuen vnto them that beleue through the fayth that is in Iesus Christ The promises when they are beleued are they that iustifie for they bring the spirite whiche looseth the hart giueth lust to the law and certifieth vs of y t good will of God vnto vs ward If we submit our selues vnto God desire him to heale vs he wil do it and will in the meane tyme because of the consent of y ◠hart vnto y ◠law count vs for full whole wil no more hate vs but pitie vs cherish vs be tender harted to vs loue vs as he doth Christ him selfe Christ is our redemer Sauiour peace attonement and satisfactiō and hath made amendes or satisfaction to Godward for all the sinne whiche they that repēt consentyng to the law and beleuyng the promises do haue done or shal do So that if through fragilitie we fall a thousand tymes in a day yet if we do repent agayne we haue alway mercy layd vp for vs in store in Iesus Christ our Lord. WHat shall we say then to those Scriptures whiche go so sore vpō good workes As we read Math. xxv I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate c. And such like Whiche all sound as though we should be iustified and accepted vnto the fauour of God in Christ through good workes To this I aunswere Many there are which whē they heare or read of fayth at once they cōsent therunto and haue a certaine imagination or opinion of fayth as when a man telleth a story or a thyng done in a straunge lande that pertayneth not to thē at all Which yet they heleue and tell as a true thyng And this imagination or opinion they call faith They thinke no further then that fayth is a thyng which standeth in their own power to haue as do other naturall workes whiche men worke but they feele no maner workyng of the spirite neither the terrible sentence of the law the fearefull iudgements of God the horrible damnation and captiuitie vnder Sathan Therefore as soone as they haue this opinion or imaginatiō in there hartes that sayth verely this doctrine semeth true I beleue it is euē so Then they thinke that the right fayth is there But afterward when they feele in them selues and also see in other that there is none alteration and that the workes folow not but that they are altogether euē as before and abide in their old estate then thinke they y t faith is not sufficient but that it must be some greater thing then fayth that should iustifie a man So faule they away from fayth agayne and crye saying fayth onely iustifieth not a man and maketh him acceptable to GOD. If thou aske them wherfore They aūswere see how many there are that beleue and yet do no more
nothing but as the father moueth it euen so hath God all tyrantes in hys hande and letteth them not do whatsoeuer they would but as much onely as he appoynteth them to do and as far forth as it is necessarye for vs. And as when the childe submitteth himselfe vnto hys fathers correction and nurture and humbleth himself altogether vnto the will of his father theÌ„ the rod is taken away euen so when we ar come vnto the knowledge of the right waye and haue forsaken our owne will and offer our selues cleane vnto the will of God to walke which way soeuer he will haue vs then turneth he the tyrantes or els if they enforce to persecute vs any further he putteth them out of the way according vnto the comfortable ensamples of the scripture Moreouer let vs arme our soules with the promises both of helpe and assistance and also of the glorious rewarde that followeth Great is your reward in heaueÌ„ sayth Christ Math. 5. And he that knowledgeth mee before men him will I knowledge before my father that is in heauen Math. 10. and Call on me in time of tribulation and I wyll deliuer thee Psal 65. and Beholde the eyes of the Lord are ouer them thet feare hym and ouer them that trust in hys mercy to deliuer theyr soules from death and to feede them in time of hunger Psal 46. And in Psal 47. sayth Dauid The Lorde is nygh them that are troubled in theyr hartes and the meeke in spirite will he saue The tribulations of the righteous are many and out of them all will the Lord deliuer them The Lord keepeth al the bones of them so that not one of theÌ„ shall be brused The Lord shal redeeme the soules of his seruauntes And of such like consolation are all the Psalmes full woulde to God when ye read them ye vnderstood them And Math. 10. When they deliuer you take no thought what ye shall say it shall be geuen you the same houre what ye shall say for it is not ye that speake but the spirite of your Father which speaketh in you The very heares of your heades are numbred saith Christ also Math. 10. If God care for our heares he much more careth for our soules which he hath sealed with his holy spirite Therefore sayth Peter 1. Pet. 4. Cast all your care vppon him for he careth for you And Paule 1. Cor. 10. sayeth God is true he wil not suffer you to be tempted aboue your might And Psal 71. Cast thy care vpon the Lord. Let thy care be to prepare thy selfe with all thy strength for to walke which way he will haue thee and to beleue that he will goe with thee assist thee and strengthen thee agaynst all tyraÌ„tes deliuer thee out of al tribulatioÌ„ But what way or by what meanes he will do it that committe vnto him and his godly pleasure and wisedome and cast that care vpon him And though it seeme neuer so vnlikely or neuer so impossible vnto naturall reason yet beleue stedfastly that he will do it and then shall he according to his olde vse chainge the course of the worlde euen in the twinckling of an eye and come sodenly vpon our Gyantes as a theefe in the night and coÌ„passe them in their wyles and worldly wisedome when they crye peace all is safe then shall theyr sorrowes beginne as the panges of a woman that traueileth with childe and then shall he destroy them and deliuer thee vnto the glorious prayse of hys mercy and truth Amen ANd as pertayning vnto them that despise Gods worde counting it as a phantasie or a dreame and to them also that for feare of a little persecution fall from it sette this before thyne eyes how God since the beginning of the world before a generall plague euer sent his true prophetes preachers of his word to warne the people and gaue them time to repent But they for the greatest part of theÌ„ hardened theyr hartes and persecuted the worde that was sent to saue them And then God destroyed them vtterly and tooke them cleane from the earth As thou seest what followed the preaching of Noe in y â— olde world what folowed the preaching of Loth among the Sodomites the preachyng of Moses and Aaron among the Egiptians and that sodenly against all possibilitie of mans witte Moreouer as ofte as the children of Israell fel from God to the worshipping of images he sent his prophets vnto them and they persecuted and waxed harde harted and then he sent them into all places of the world captiue Last of all he sent his owne sonne vnto them and they waxed more hard harted then euer before And see what a fearefull example of his wrath and cruel vengeance he hath made of them vnto all the worlde now almost fifteene hundred yeares Vnto the olde Brittaines also which dwelled where our natioÌ„ doth now preached Gildas and rebuked them of theyr wickednes and prophesied both vnto the spirituall as they will be called and vnto the lay men also what vengeaunce would follow except they repented But they waxed hard harted and God sente his plagues and pestilences among them and sent theyr enemies in vppon them on euery side destroyed them vtterly Marke also how Christ threateneth theÌ„ that forsake him for whatsoeuer cause it be whether for feare eyther for shame eyther for losse of honour frendes lyfe or goodes â–ª He that denyeth me before men him will I deâ—y before my father that is in heauen He that loueth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me all thys he sayth Math. 10. And in Mark 8. he sayth Whosoeuer is ashamed of me or my wordes among this adulterous and sinfull generation of him shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his father with his holy Angels And Luk. 9. also None that layeth his hande to the plowe and looketh backe is meete for the kingdome of heauen Neuerthelesse yet if any man haue resisted ignorantly as Paule did let him looke on the truth which Paule wrote after he came to knowledge Also if any man cleane against his hart but ouercome with the weaknes of the flesh for feare of persecution haue denied as Peter did or haue deliuered his booke or put it away secretly let him if he repente come again and take better hold and not dispayre or take it for a signe that God hath forsaken him for God ofttimes taketh hys strength euen froÌ„ his very elect wheÌ„ they either trust in theyr own strength or are negligent to call to him for his strength And that doth hee to teach theÌ„ to make theÌ„ feele that in that fire of tribulatioÌ„ for his wordes sake nothing can endure and abide saue his word and that streÌ„gth onely which he hath promised For the which strength he will haue vs to praye vnto him night and day wyth all
also no longer obey but resiste and rise agaynst their euill heades And one wicked destroyeth an other Yet is Gods word not the cause of this neither yet the preachers For though that Christ hym selfe taught all obedience how that it is not lawfull to resiste wrong but for the officer that is appointed thereunto and howe a man must loue his very enemy pray for them that persecute him and blesse them that curse hym and how that all vengeaunce must bee remitted to God and that a man must forgeue if hee wil be forgeuen of God Yet the people for the most part receaued it not They were euer ready to rise and to fight For euer when the Scribes and Phariseis wēt about to take Christ they were afraide of the people Not on the holy day sayde they Math. xxvj lest any rumour aryse among the people And Math. xxi They would haue takē him but they feared the people And Luke xx Christe asked the Phariseis a question vnto whiche they durst not aūswere lest the people should haue stoned them Last of all for as much as the very Disciples and Apostles of Christ after so lōg hearyng of Christes doctrine were yet ready to fight for Christe cleane agaynst Christes teachyng As Peter Math. xxvi drew his sword but he was rebuked And Luke ix Iames and Iohn would haue had fire to come from heauen to cōsume the Samaritanes and to auenge the iniury of Christe but were likewise rebuked if Christes Disciples were so long carnall what wonder is it if we be not all perfect the first daye Yea in as much as we bee taught euen of very babes to kil a Turke to slea a Iewe to burne an hereticke to fight for the liberties and right of the Church as they cal it yea and in asmuch as wee are brought in belefe if wee shed the bloud of our euen Christen or if the sonne shed the bloud of hys father that begat hym for the defence not of the Popes Godhead onely but also for what so euer cause it bee yea though it be for no cause but that his holynes commaundeth it onely that we deserue as much as Christ deserued for vs when he dyed on the crosse or if we be slaine in the quarel that our soules goe nay flye to heauen and be there ere our bloud be cold In as much I saye as we haue sucked in suche bloudy imaginatiōs into the bottome of our harts euen with our mothers milke and haue ben so long hardened therein what wonder were it if while we be yet young in Christ we thought that it were lawful to fight for the true word of god Yea and though a man were throughly persuaded that it were not lawful to resist his kyng thoughe he would wrongfully take away lyfe and goodes Yet might he thinke that it were lawful to resist the hipocrites and to rise not agaynst his kyng but with his kyng to deliuer his kyng out of bondage and captiuitie wherin the hipocrites hold hym with wyles and falsehode so that no man may bee suffered to come at him to tell him the trouth This seest thou that it is the bloudy doctrine of the Pope which causeth disobedience rebellion and insurrectiō For hee teacheth to sight and to defende hys traditions and what soeuer he dreameth with fire water and sworde and to disobey Father Mother Master Lorde Kyng and Emperour Yea and to inuade what so euer lād or natiō that will not receaue and admit his Godhead Where the peaceable doctrine of Christe teacheth to obey and to suffer for the word of God to remit the vengeaunce and the defense of the word to god which is mighty and able to defende it which also as soone as the worde is once openly preached and testified or witnessed vnto the world and when he hath geuen them a season to repent is ready at once to take vengeaunce of his enemies and shoteth arrowes with heades dipte in deadly poyson at them and poureth hys plagues from heauen downe vpon them and sendeth the moren and pestilence among them and sinketh the Cities of them and maketh the earth swalow them and cōpasseth them in their wyles and taketh them in theyr owne trappes and snares and casteth thē into the pittes whiche they digged for other men and sendeth them a dasyng in in the head and vtterly destroyeth them with their owne suttle councell Prepare thy mynde therefore vnto this litle treatise and read it discretly and iudge it indifferently and when I alledge any Scripture loke thou on the text whether I interprete it right whiche thou shalt easely perceaue by the circumstance and processe of thē if thou make Christ the foundation and ground and build all on him and referrest all to hym and findest also that the expositiō agreeth vnto the common Articles of the faith and opē scriptures And GOD the father of mercy whiche for hys truthes sake raysed our Sauiour Christ vp agayne to iustifie vs geue thee hys spirite to iudge what is righteous in his eyes and geue the strength to abyde by it and to mayntayne it withall patience and long sufferyng vnto the example and edifying of his congregation and glory of his name Amen The obedience of all degrees proued by Gods word and first of children vnto theyr elders GOd which worketh all in all thynges for a secrete iudgement and purpose and for hys godly pleasure prouided an houre that thy father and mother should come together to make thee throughe them He was present with thee in thy mothers wombe and fashioned thee brethed lyfe into thee and for y t great loue he had vnto thee prouided milke in thy mothers brestes for thee agaynst thou were borne moued also thy father and mother and all other to loue thee to pitie thee and to care for thee And as he made thee through them so hath he cast thee vnder the power authoritie of them to obeye and serue them in his stede saying honor thy father and mother Exo. xx Which is not to be vnderstand in bowyng the knee and puttyng of the cappe onely but that thou loue them with al thyne hart and feare and drede them and wayte on their commaundementes and seke their worshyp pleasure will and profite in all thynges and geue thy life for them counting them worthy of all honour remembryng that thou art theyr good and possession that thou owest vnto thē thine owne selfe and all thou art able yea and more then thou art able to doe Vnderstand also that what soeuer thou doest vnto thē be it good or bad thou doest vnto God Whē thou pleasest them y ◠pleasest god whē thou displeasest thē thou displeasest God whē they are angry with thee god is angry w t thee neither is it possible for thee to come vnto y ◠fauour of God againe no though all the aūgels of heauē pray for thee vntil thou
seruauntes of Christ doyng the wil of God from the hart with good will euen as thoughe ye serued the Lord and not men Eph. vj. And i. Pet. ij seruauntes obey your masters with all feare not onely if they be good and curteous but also though they be froward For it commeth of grace if a man for conscience towarde God endure grief suffering wrongfully For what prayse is it if when ye be buffeted for your faultes ye take it paciently But and if when ye do well ye suffer wrong and take it paciently thē is there thanke with God Hereunto verely were ye called For Christ also suffred for our sakes leauing vs an example to follow hys steppes In what so euer kynde therefore thou art a seruaunt during the tyme of thy couenauntes thy maister is vnto thee in the stede and rowme of God and God thorough hym feedeth thee clotheth thee ruleth thee and learneth thee His cōmaundementes are Gods commaundementes and thou oughtest to obey hym as God and in all thinges to seeke his pleasure and profite For thou art his good and possession as hys Oxe or hys Horse in so much that who so euer doth but desire thee in hys hart from him without his loue and licence is condēned of God which sayth Exod. xx See thou once couet not thy neighbours seruauntes Paule the Apostle sent home Onemus vnto his maister as thou readest in the epistle of Paule to Philemon In so much that though the sayd Philemon with his seruaunt also was cōuerted by Paul obeyed vnto Paule and to the worde that Paule preached not hys seruaunt onely but also himselfe yea and though that Paule was in necessitie and lacked ministers to minister vnto hym in y t bondes which he suffered for the Gospels sake yet would he not retaine the seruaunt necessary vnto the furtheraunce of the Gospell wythout the consent of the mayster O how sore differeth the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles from the doctrine of the Pope and of his Apostles For if any man wyll obeye neither father nor mother neither Lord nor maister neither King nor Prince the same needeth but onely to take the marke of the beast that is to shaue himselfe a Monke a Fryer or a priest and is then immediatly free and exempted from all seruice and obedience due vnto man He that will obey no man as they will not is most acceptable vnto them The more disobedient that thou art vnto Gods ordinaūces the more apt meete art thou for theirs Neither is the professing vowing and swearyng obediēce vnto their ordinaunces any other thyng thē the defiyng denying forswearyng obedience vnto the ordinaunces of God ¶ The obedience of Subiectes vnto kinges Princes and rulers LEt euery soule submit himself vnto the aucthoritie of the hyer powers There is no power but of God The powers that be are ordayned of God Whosoeuer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinaunce of God They that resist shal receaue to themselues damnation For rulers are not to be feared for good workes but for euill Wilt thou be without feare of the power Do well then and so shalt thou be praysed of the same For he is the minister of God for thy wealth But and if thou do euill then feare For he beareth not a swearde for nought For he is the minister of god to take vengeaunce on them that do euill Wherefore ye must needes obey not for feare of vengeaunce onely but also because of conscience Euen for this cause pay ye tribute For they are Gods ministers seruing for the same purpose Geue to euery man therefore hys dutie Tribute to whom tribute belongeth Custome to whom custome is due feare to whome feare belongeth honour to whome honour perteineth Owe nothing to any man but to loue one an other For he that loueth an other fulfilleth the lawe For these commaundementes Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not beare false witnes Thou shalt not desire and so forth if there be any other commaundement are all comprehended in thys saying Loue thyne neighbour as thy selfe Loue hurteth not his neighbour therfore is loue the fulfilling of the lawe AS a father ouer his children is both Lorde and iudge forbidding one brother to auenge hymselfe on an other but if any cause of strife be betwene them will haue it brought vnto hymselfe or his assignes to be iudged and correct so God forbiddeth all men to auenge themselues and taketh the aucthoritie and office of auenging vnto himselfe saying Vengeance is myne and I will rewarde Deut. xxxij Which text Paule alleageth Rom. xij For it is impossible that a man should be a righteous an egall or an indifferent iudge in hys owne cause lustes and appetites so blinde vs. Moreouer when thou auengest thy self thou makest not peace but stirrest vp more debate God therefore hath geuē lawes vnto all nations and in all landes hath put kinges gouerners and rulers in hys owne stede to rule the world thorough them And hath commaunded all causes to be brought before them as thou readest Exod. xxij In all causes sayth he of iniury or wrong whether it be Oxe Asse shepe or vesture or any lost thing which an other chalengeth let the cause of both parties be brought vnto the Gods whome the Gods condemne the same shall paye double vnto his neighbour Marke the iudges are called Gods in the Scriptures because they are in Gods rowme and execute the commaundements of God And in an other place of the sayde chapter Moses chargeth saying see that thou rayle not on the Gods neither speake euill of the ruler of thy people Who so euer therefore resisteth them resisteth God for they are in y ◠rowne of God and they that reliste shall receaue the damnation Such obedience vnto father and mother mayster husband Emperor King Lordes and rulers requireth God of all nations yea of the very Turkes and Infidels The blessing and rewarde of them that kepe them is the life of thys worlde as thou readest Leuit. xviij Keepe my ordinaunces and lawes which if a man keepe he shall liue therein which text Paule rehearseth Rom. x. prouing thereby that the righteousnes of the law is but worldly and the rewarde thereof is the lyfe of thys worlde And the curse of them that breaketh them is the losse of thys life as thou seest by y ◠punishment appointed for them And whoseuer keepeth the lawe whether it be for feare for vayne glory or profite though no man rewarde hym yet shall God blesse him aboundantly and send hym worldly prosperitie as thou readest Deut. xxviij What good blessinges accompany the keping of the lawe and as we see the Turkes farre exceede vs Christen men in worldly prosperity for their iust keeping of their temporall lawes Likewise though no man punishe the breakers of the lawe yet shall God send hys curses
commeth it that they will pay none at all But to pay tribute is a signe of subiectiō verely the cause why Christ payed was because he had an houshold and for the same cause payed Peter also For he had an house a shippe and nettes as thou readest in the Gospell But let vs go to Paul agayne Wherfore ye must needes obey not for feare of vengeaunce onely but also because of conscience That is though thou be so naughty as nowe many yeares our Pope and Prelates euery where are that thou nedest not to obeye the temporall sword for feare of vengeaunce yet must thou obey because of consciēce First because of thine owne conscience For though thou be able to resiste yet shalt thou neuer haue a good cōscience as lōg as Gods word law and ordinaunce are against thee Secondarily for thy neighbours conscience For though through craft and violence thou mightest escape and obteyne libertie or priuilege to be free from all maner dueties yet oughtest thou neither to sue or to seeke for any such thing neither yet admit or accept if it were profered lest thy fredome make thy weake brother to grudge rebell in that he seeth thee go emptie and he him selfe more ladē thy part also layd on his shoulders Seest thou not if a man fauour one sonne more then an other or one seruaunt more then an other how all the rest grudge and how loue peace and vnitie is broken What Christenly loue is in the to thy neighbour ward when thou canst finde in thyne hart to go vp and down empty by him all day long and see him ouer charged yea to fal vnder his burthen and yet wilt not once set to thyne hand to helpe him What good conscience cā there be among our spiritualtie to gather so great treasure together and with hypocrisie of their false learnyng to robbe almost euery man of house and landes and yet not therewith content but with all craft and wilenes to purchase so great liberties and exemptions from all maner bearyng with their brethren seekyng in Christ nothyng but lucre I passe ouer with silence how they teach Princes in euery lande to lade new exactions and tyranny on their subiectes more and more dayly neither for what purpose they do it say I. God I trust shall shortly disclose their iugglynge and bryng their falshode to light and lay a medecine to thē to make their scabbes breake out Neuerthelesse this I say that they haue robbed all Realmes not of Gods word onely but also of all wealth and prosperitie and haue driuen peace out of all landes withdrawen them selues from all obediēce to Princes and haue separated them selues from the lay men countyng thē viler thē dogges and haue set vp that great Idole the whore of Babylō Antichrist of Rome whom they call pope and haue conspired agaynst all common wealthes haue made them a seuerall kyngdome wherin it is lawfull vnpunished to woorke all abhomination In euery Parish haue they spyes and in euery great mans house and in euery tauerne and alchouse And thorough confessions knowe they all secretes so that no man may open his mouth to rebuke what soeuer they do but that he shal be shortly made an hereticke In all Coūcels is one of them yea the most part and chief rulers of the Councels are of them But of there Councell is no man Euen for this cause pay ye tribute that is to witt for consciences sake to thy neighbour and for the cause that foloweth For they are Gods Ministers seruyng for the same purpose Because God will so haue it we must obey We doe not looke if we haue Christes spirite in vs what is good profitable glorious and honorable for vs neither on our owne will but on Gods will onely Geue to euery man therefore his dutie tribute to whom tribute belongeth custome to whom custome is due feare to whō feare belongeth honour to whom honor perteineth That thou mightest feele the workyng of the spirite of God in thee and lest the bewtie of the deed should deceaue thee and make thee thinke that the law of God whiche is spirituall were contēt and fulfilled with the outward and bodyly dede it foloweth Owe nothyng to any mā but to loue one an other For he that loueth an other fulfilleth the law For these commaundementes thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnes thou shalt not desire and so forth if there be any other commaūdement are all comprehended or contained in this saying loue thy neighbour therfore is loue the fulfillyng of the law Here hast thou sufficient agaynst all the sophisters workeholy iustifiers in the world which so magnifie their dedes The law is spirituall and requireth the hart is neuer fulfilled with the dede in the sight of god With y e dede thou fulfillest the law before the world liuest thereby that is y ◠enioyest this presēt life and auoydest the wrath and vengeaunce the death and punishment which the law threatneth to them that breake it But before God thou keepest the law if thou loue onely Now what shal make vs loue Verely that shall fayth do If thou behold how much God loueth thee in Christ and from what vengeaunce he hath deliuered thee for his sake and of what kyngdome he hath made thee heyre then shalt thou see cause inough to loue thy very enemie without respect of reward either in this lyfe or in the lyfe to come but because that God will so haue it and Christ hath deserued it Yet thou shouldest feele in thyne harte that all thy deedes to come are abundantly recompensed all ready in Christ Thou wilt say haply if loue fulfill the lawe then it iustifieth I say that that wherewith a man fulfilleth the law declareth hym iustified but that which geueth him wherewith to fulfill the law iustifieth hym By iustifiyng vnderstande the forgeuenesse of sinnes and the fauour of God Now sayth the text Roma x. the ende of the law or the cause wherfore the law was made is Christ to iustifie all that beleue That is the law is geuen to vtter sinne to kill the consciences to damne our deedes to bryng to repentaunce and to driue vnto Christ in whō God hath promised his fauour and forgeuenesse of sinne vnto all that repente and consent to the law that it is good If thou beleue the promises then doth Gods truth iustifie thee that is forgeueth thee and receaueth thee to fauour for Christes sake In a suretie wherof and to certifie thine hart he sealeth thee with the spirite Ephe. i. and. iiij And. ij Cor. v. sayth Paul whiche gaue vs his spirite in earnest How the spirite is geuen vs through Christ read the viij chapter of the Epistle to the Romaines and Gallat iij. and. ij Cor. iij. Neuerthelesse the spirit and his frutes
The dutie of Kynges and of the Iudges and Officers LEt Kynges if they had leuer be Christen in deede then so to be called geue themselues all together to the wealth of their Realmes after the ensample of Christ remembryng that the people are Gods not theirs ye are Christes inheritaunce and possession bought with his bloud The most despised person in his Realme is the kynges brother and felowmember with hym and equall with him in the kyngdome of God and of Christ Let him therfore not thinke him selfe to good to do thē seruice neither seke any other thing in them then a father seketh in his children yea then Christ sought in vs. Though that the kyng in the temporal regiment be in the rowme of God and representeth God him self and is with out all comparison better thē his subiectes yet let him put of that and become a brother doing and leauing vndone all thinges in respect of the common wealth that all men may see that he seketh nothing but the profet of his subiectes When a cause that requireth execution is brought before him then onely let him take y e person of God on him Then let him know no creature but heare all indifferently whether it be a straunger or one of his owne Realme the small as well as the great and iudge righteously for the iudgemēt is the Lordes Deut. i. In tyme of iudgement he is no minister in the kyngdome of Christ he preacheth no Gospell but the sharpe law of vengeance Let him take the holy iudges of the olde Testament for an example and namely Moses which in executing the law was mercylesse otherwise more then a mother vnto them neuer auengyng his owne wronges but suffering all thing bearing euery mans weakenes teaching warning exhorting and euer caryng for them and so tenderly loued them that he desired God either to forgeue them or to damne hym with them Let the iudges also priuatly when they haue put of the person of a iudge exhort with good counsell and warne the people helpe that they come not at Gods iudgemēt but the causes that are brought vnto them when they sit in Gods stede let them iudge and cōdemne y e trespasser vnder lawfull witnesses and not breake vp into the consciences of men after the example of Antichristes disciples and compell thē either to forsweare them selues by the almightie God and by the holy Gospell of his mercyfull promises or to testifie against them selues Which abhominatiō our Prelates learned of Cayphas Math. xxvj saying to Christ I adiure or charge thee in the name of the liuing God that thou tell vs whether thou be Christ the sonne of God Let that which is secret to God onely where of no profe cā be made nor lawfull witnesse brought abyde vnto the commyng of the Lord which shall opē all secretes If any malice breake forth that let them iudge onely For further authoritie hath God not geuen them Moyses Deut. xvij warneth iudges to kepe them vpright and to looke on no mans person that is that they preferre not the hye before the low the great before the small the rich before poore his acquaintaunce frende kinsman countrey man or one of his own nation before a straūger a frend or an aliant ye or one of their own faith before an infidell but that they looke on the cause onely to iudge indifferently For the rowme that they are in and the law that they execute are Gods which as he hath made all and is God of all and all are his sonnes euen so is he iudge ouer all and wil haue al iudged by his law indifferently and to haue the right of his law and will auenge the wrong done vnto the Turke or Sareson For though they be not vnder the euerlastyng Testament of God in Christ as few of vs which are called Christen be and euen no mo thē to whom God hath sent his promises and poured his spirite into their harts to beleue them and through fayth grauen lust in their hartes to fulfill the law of loue yet are they vnder the Testament of y e law naturall which is the lawes of euery land made for the common wealth there and for peace and vnite that one may lyue by an other In whiche lawes the infidels if they kepe them haue promises of worldly things Who soeuer therfore hyndreth a very infidell from the right of that law sinneth agaynst God and of him will God be auēged Moreouer Moyses warneth them that they receaue no giftes rewardes or bribes For those two pointes fauoryng of one person more then an other and receauyng rewardes peruerte all right and equitie and is y e onely pestilence of all iudges And the kynges warneth he that they haue not to many wiues lest their hartes turne away and that they read alway in the law of God to learne to feare him lest their hartes be lift vp aboue their brethren Which ij pointes wemen and pride the despising of their subiectes which are in very deed their owne brethren are the common pestilence of all Princes Read the stories and see The Shyriffes Bayly arauntes Constables and such like officers may let no man that hurteth his neighbour scape but that they bryng them before the iudges except they in the meane time agree with their neighbours and make them amendes Let Kinges defende their subiectes from the wronges of other natiōs but picke no quarels for euery trifle no let not our most holy father make them no more so dronkē with vayne names with cappes of maintenaunce and like bables as it were popetry for childrē to begger their Realmes and to murther their people for defendyng of our holy fathers tyrāny If a lawfull peace that standeth with Gods woorde be made betwene Prince and Prince and the name of God taken to recorde and the body of our Sauiour broken betwene them vppon the bonde whiche they haue made that peace or bonde can our holy father not dispence with neither lowse it with all the keyes he hath no veryly Christ can not breake it For he came not to breake the law but to fulfill it Math. v. If any man haue broken the law or a good ordinaunce and repent come to the rightway agayne then hath Christ power to forgeue hym but licence to breake the law cā he not geue much more his disciples and vicares as they call them selues can not do it The keyes wherof they so greatly bost them selues are no carnall things but spirituall and nothing els saue knowledge of the law and of the promises or Gospell if any man for lacke of spirituall feelyng desire authoritie of men let him read the old Doctours If any man desire authoritie of Scripture Christ sayth Luke xj woe be to you lawyers for ye haue takē away the key of knowledge ye enter not in your selues and them that come in ye forbyd that is
that we are holy righteous full of good deedes if y â— law be preached a right our righteousnes and good dedes vanish away as smoke in the winde and we are left damnable sinners onely And as thou seest how that Christ healeth not till Peter had wouÌ„ded and as an healyng plaister helpeth not till y â— corrosie hath troubled the wounde eueÌ„ so the Gospell helpeth not but wheÌ„ the law hath wouÌ„ded y e conscience and brought the sinner into y e knowledge of his sinne This allegory proueth nothyng neither caÌ„ do For it is not the Scripture but an exaÌ„ple or a similitude borowed of the Scripture to declare a text or a conclusion of the Scripture more expresly and to roote it and graue it in the hart For a similitude or an example doth printe a thing much deper in the wittes of a man then doth a plaine speakyng and leaueth behynd him as it were a stinge to pricke him forward and to awake him with all Moreouer if I could not proue with an open text that which the Allegory doth expresse then were the Allegory a thyng to bee gested at and of no greater value then a tale of Robyn hode This allegory as touching his first part is proued by Paul in ye. iij. chap. of his Epistle to the Romanes where he sayth The law causeth wrath And in y e vij chapter to the Romanes When the law or commaundement came sinne reuiued and I become dead And in the ij Epistle to the Cor. in the third chap. the law is called the minister of death and daÌ„nation c. And as concernyng the second part Paul sayth to the Rom. in the v. chap. In that we are iustified by faith we are at peace with God And in the ij Epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s in the. iij. The Gospell is called the ministratioÌ„ of iustifying and of the spirite And Gala. iiij The spirite coÌ„meth by preaching of the faith c. This doth the litterall sence proue the allegory beare it as the foundatioÌ„ beareth the house And because that allegories proue nothyng therfore are they to be vsed soberly and seldome onely where the text offereth thee an allegory And of this maner as I aboue haue done doth Paul borow a similitude a figure or allegory of Genesis to expresse the nature of the law and of the Gospell and by Agar her sonne declareth the propertie of the law and of her bonde children which wil be iustified by deedes and by Sara and her sonne declareth the propertie of the Gospell and of her free children which are iustified by faith and how the children of the law which beleue in their workes persecute the children of the Gospel which beleue in the mercy and truth of God and in the Testament of his sonne Iesus our Lord. And likewise do we borow likenesses or allegories of the Scripture as of Pharao and Derode and of the Scribes and Phariseis to expresse our miserable captiuitie and persecution vnder Antichrist the Pope The greatest cause of which captiuitie and the decay of the fayth this blindnes wherin we now are sprang first of allegories For Origene and the doctours of his time drew all y e Scripture vnto allegories Whose ensample they that came after folowed so loÌ„g till at the last they forgat y â— order and processe of the text supposing that y e scripture serued but to faine allegories vppoÌ„ In somuch that twenty doctours expounde one text xx wayes as children make descant vpon playne song Then came our sophisters with theâ—â— Anagogicall and Chopologicall sence with an antetheme of halfe an inch out of whiche some of them drawe a threde of ix dayes long Yea thou shalt fynde inough that will preach Christ and proue what soeuer poynte of thee fayth that thou wilt as well out of a fabell of Ouide or any other Poet as out of S. Iohns Gospell or Paules Epistles Yea they are come vnto such blyndnes that they not onely say the litterall sence profiteth not but also that it is hurtful and noysome and killeth the soule Which damnable doctrine they proue by a text of Paule ij Corinth iij. Where he sayth the letter killeth but the spirit geueth life Lo say they the litterall sence killeth and the spirituall sence geueth life We must therfore say they seeke out some choplogicall sence Here learne what sophistrie is and how blind they are that thou mayest abhorre them and spue them out of thy stomake for euer Paule by the letter meaneth Moyses law which the processe of the text folowyng declareth more bright then the sunne But it is not their guise to looke on the order of any text but as they find it in their doctours so alledge they it and so vnderstaÌ„d it Paule maketh a comparisoÌ„ betwene the law and the Gospell calleth the law the letter because it was but letters grauen in two tables of cold stoâ—e For the law doth but kill and damne the consciences as long as there is no lust in the hart to doe that which the law commaundeth Contrary wise he calleth the Gospell the administration of the spirite of righteousnes or iustifying For wheÌ„ Christ is preached and the promises whiche God hath made in Christ are beleued the spirit entereth the hart and looseth the hart and geueth lust to do the law and maketh the law a liuely thyng in the hart Now as soone as the hart lusteth to do the law then are we righteous before God our sinnes forgeuen Neuerthelesse the law of the letter graued in stone and not in the hartes was so glorious and Moyses his face shone so bryght that the children of Israell could not behold his face for brightnes It was also geuen in thunder and lightning and terrible signes so that they for feare came to Moses desired him that he would speake to them let God speake no more Lest we dye sayd they If we heare him any more as thou mayst see Exod. xx Wherupon Paule maketh his comparison saying if the ministratioÌ„ of death thorough the letters figured in stones was glorious so that the childreÌ„ of Israell could not behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenaunce why shal not the administration of the spirite be glorious And agayne if the administration of damnation be glorious much more shall the administration of righteousnes excede in glory That is if the law that killeth sinners helpeth theÌ„ not to be glorious then the Gospel which pardoneth sinners and geueth them power to be the sonnes of God to ouer come sinne is much more glorious And the text that goeth before is as cleare For the holy Apostle Paule sayth ye Corinthians are our Epistle which is vnderstand and read of all men in that ye are knowen how that ye are the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs and written not with ynke as Moyses law but with the
vttered the wickednes of the spiritualtie the falshead of the Byshops and iugglyng of the Pope and how they haue disguised them selues borowyng some of their pompe of y e Iewes and some of the Gentiles and haue with suttill wyles turned the obedience that should be geuen to Gods ordinaunce vnto them selues And how they haue put out Gods Testament and Gods truth and set vp their owne traditions and lyes in which they haue taught y e people to beleue there by sit in their consciences as God and haue by that meanes robbed the world of landes goodes of peace and vnitie and of all temporal authoritie and haue brought the people into the ignoraunce of God haue heaped the wrath of God vpon all realmes namely vpon the kings Whom they haue robbed I speake not of worldly thinges onely but euen of their very natural wittes They make theÌ„ beleue that they are most Christen wheÌ„ they lyue most abhominably and will suffer no man in their Realmes that beleueth on Christ and that they are defenders of the fayth when they burne the Gospell promises of God out of which all fayth springeth I shewed how they haue ministred Christ Kyng and Emperour out of their rowmes how they haue made them a seuerall kyngdome which they gote at the first in deceauyng of Princes and now peruert the whole scripture to proue that they haue such authoritie of God And lest the lay men should see how falsely they alledge the places of the Scripture is the greatest cause of this persecution They haue fained confession for the same purpose to stablish their kyngdome with all All secretes know they therby The Bishop knoweth the confession of whom he lusteth throughout all his Dioces Yea and his Chaunceler commaundeth the ghostly father to deliuer it written The pope his Cardinals and Byshops know the confession of the Emperour Kyngs of all Lordes by confession they know all their captiues If any beleue in Christ by confession they know him Shriue thy selfe where thou wilt whether at Sion charterhouse or at the obseruaÌ„ts thy confession is knowen wel inough And thou if thou beleue in Christ art wayted vppon Wonderfull are the thinges that therby are wrought The wife is feared and compelled to utter not her own onely but also the secretes of her husband and the seruaunt the secretes of his master Besides that thoraugh confession they quench the fayth of all the promises of God and take away the effect and vertue of all y e Sacramentes of Christ They haue also corrupted y â— Saintes liues with lyes and fayned miracles haue put many thinges out of the sentence or great curse as raysing of â—ente and fines and hyring men out of their houses and whatsoeuer wickednes they them selues do haue put a great part of the stories and Chronicles on t of the waye lest their falshead shoulde be sene For there is no mischieues or disorder whether it be in the temporall regiment or els in the spiritual wherof they are not the chief causes and eueÌ„ the very fountayne and springes and as we say the wel head so that it is impossible to preach agaynst mischief except thou begyn at them or to set any reformation in the world except thou reforme them first Now are they indurate and tough as Pharao and will not bow vnto any right way or order And therefore persecute they Gods word and the preachers therof and on the other side lye awayte vnto all princes stirre vp all mischief in the world and send them to warre and occupy their myndes therewith or with other voluptuousnes lest they should haue laysure to heare the word of God and to set an order in their realmes By them is all thing ministred and by them are all kynges ruled yea in euery kynges conscience sit they â—re he be king and persuade euery king what they lust and make theÌ„ both to beleue what they will and to doe what they will Neither can any kyng or any realme haue rest for their businesses Behold kyng Henry the v. whom they seÌ„t out for such a purpose as they sent out our kyng that now is See how the Realme is inhabited Aske where the goodly townes and their walles and the people that was wont to be in theÌ„ are become and where the bloud royal of the Realme is become also Turne thine eyes whether thou wilt thou shalt see nothing prosperons but their suttle pollyng With that it is flowyng water yea and I trust it wil be shortly a full see In all their doynges though they pretend outwardly the honour of God or a common wealth their entent and secret Councell is onely to bryng all vnder their power and to take out of the way who soeuer letteth them or is to mighty for them As wheÌ„ they send the Princes to Hierusalem to coÌ„quere the holy land and to fight agaynst the Turkes What soeuer they pretende outwardly their secret entent is while the Princes there conquere them more Bishoprikes to conquere their landes in the meane season with their false hipocrisie and to bryng all vnder them which thou mayest easely perceaue by that they will not let vs know y â— fayth of Christ And when they are ones on hye then are they tyrauntes aboue all tyrauntes whether they be Turkes or Saracenes How minister they prouyng of testamentes How causes of wedlocke or if any man dye intestate If a poore man dye and leaue his wiâ—e and halfe a dosen young children but one cow to finde them that will they haue for a mortuary mercylesse let come of wife and children what will Yea let any thyng be done agaynst their pleasure and they will interdite the whole realme sparyng no person Read the Chronicles of England out of which yet they haue put a great part of their wickednesse thou shalt finde them all wayes both rebellious and disobedient to the kinges and also churiish and vnthankeful so that wheÌ„ all the Realme gaue the kyng somewhat to maynteine him in his right they would not geue a myte Consider the story of K. Iohn where I dout not but they haue put the best fayrest for them selues the worst of kyng Iohn For I suppose they make the Chronicles them selues Compare the doings of their holy Church as they euer call it vnto the learnyng of Christ and of his Apostles Did not the Legate of Rome assoyle all the Lordes of the realme of their due obedieÌ„ce which they ought to the king by the ordinaunce of God would he not haue cursed y â— king with his solemne pompe because he would haue done that office whiche God commaundeth euery kyng to do and wherfore God hath put the sword in euery kynges hand that is to wete because kyng Iohn would haue punished a wicked Clerke that had coyned false money The lay men that had not done halfe so great fautes must dye but
the Clerke must go escape fre Sēt not the Pope also vnto the kyng of Fraunce remission of his sinnes to go and conquere kyng Iohns Realme So now remission of sinnes commeth not by fayth in the Testament that God hath made in Christes bloud but by fightyng murtheryng for the Popes pleasure Last of all was not kyng Iohn fayne to deliuer his crowne vnto the Legate and to yeld vp his Realme vnto the Pope wherfore we pay Peter pēce They might be called the pollyng pence of false Prophetes well inough They care not by what mischief they come by their purpose War and cōquering of landes is their haruest The wickeder the people are the more they haue the hypocrites in reuerence the more they feare them and the more they beleue in them And they that cōquere other mens landes whē they dye make them their heyres to be prayed for for euer Let there come one cōquest more in the Realme and thou shalt see them get yet as much more as they haue if they can keepe downe Gods word that their iugglyng come not to light yea thou shalt see them take y ◠Realme whole into their hādes and crowne one of them selues kyng therof And veryly I see no other likelyhode but that the land shal be shortly conquered The starres of the Scripture promise vs none other fortune in as much as we denye Christ with the wicked Iewes and will not haue him reigne ouer vs but wil be still children of darknes vnder Antichrist and Antichristes possession burnyng the Gospell of Christ and defendyng a fayth that may not stand with hys holy Testament If any mā shed bloud in the church it shal be interoited til he haue payd for the halowing If he be not able the parish must paye or els shall it stand alwayes interdited They wil be auenged on them that neuer offended Full well prophesied of them Paule in the ij Epistle to Timo. iij. Some man wil say wouldest thou that men should fight in the Church vnpunished Nay but let the kyng ordeine a punishment for them as he doth for them that fight in his palace and let not all the Parish be troubled for on s faule And as for their halowing it is y t iuggling of Antichrist A Christen mā is the temple of God and of the holy ghost halowed in Christes bloud A Christē mā is holy in him selfe by reason of the spirite y t dwelleth in him and the place wherin he is is holy be reasō of him whether he be in the field or towne A Christen husband sanctifieth an vnchristē wife and a Christen wife an vnchristen husband as concernyng the vse of matrimony sayth Paul to the Corinthians If now while we seeke to be halowed in Christ we are found vnholy must be halowed by the grounde or place or walles thē died Christ in vayne How beit Antichrist must haue wherwith to sit in mens consciences and to make them feare where is no feare and to robbe them of their faith and to make them trust in that can not helpe them and to seeke holynes of that which is not holy in it selfe After that the old kyng of Fraunce was brought down out of Italy mark what pageaūtes haue ben playes and what are yet a playeng to separate vs frō the Emperour lest by the helpe or ayde of vs he should be able to recouer his right of the Pope to couple vs to the Frēchmē whose might the pope euer abuseth to keepe the Emperour frō Italy What preuayleth it for any kyng to mary his daughter or his sōne or to make any peace or good ordinaunce for the wealth of his realme For it shal no longer last thē it is profitable to them Their treason is so secret that the world cā not perceaue it They dissimule those thynges whiche they are onely cause of simul discorde among them selues whē they are most agreed One shall hold this and another shall dispute the contrary But the conclusiō shal be that most maynteineth their falshead though Gods word be neuer so contrary What haue they wrought in our days yea and what worke they yet to the perpetuall dishonour of the Kyng and rebuke of the Realme and shame of all the nation in what soeuer Realmes they go I vttered vnto you partly the malicious blindnes of the Byshop of Rochester his iuggling his cōneying his foxi wilenes his bopepe his wresting rentyng and shamefull abusyng of the Scripture his Oratory aliegyng of heretikes and how he would make the Apostles authors of blind ceremonies without signification contrary to their owne doctrine and haue set him for an ensample to iudge all other by What soeuer thou art that readest this I exhorte thee in Christ to cōpare his sermon and that which I haue written and the scripture together and iudge There shalt thou finde of our holy fathers authoritie and what it is to be great and how to know the greatest Then foloweth the cause why laye mē can not rule tēporall offices which is the falshead of the Bishops There shalt thou finde of miracles ceremonies without signification of false annoynting lyeng signes false names and how the spiritualtie are disguised in falshead how they rowle the people in darkenes and do all thing in the Latin toung and of their pety pyllage Their polling is like a soking consūption wherin a man cōplaineth of feblenes and of fayntynes and wotteth not whence his disease commeth it is lyke a pocke that freateth inward and consumeth the very marow of the bones There seest thou the cause why it is impossible for kynges to come to the knowledge of the truth For the sprites lay awaite for them serue their appetites at all poyntes and through cōfession buy and sel and betray both them and all their true frendes lay beytes for them and neuer leaue them till they haue blinded them with their sophistry haue brought them into their nettes And thē whē the kyng is captiue they compell all the rest with violēce of his sword For if any man will not obey them be it right or wrōg they cite him suspēde hym and curse or excommunicate him If he then obey not they deliuer him to Pylate that is to say vnto the temporall officers to destroy him Last of all there findest thou the very cause of all persecution whiche is the preachyng agaynst hypocrisie Then come we to the Sacramētes where thou seest that the worke of the Sacrament saueth not but the fayth in the promise which the Sacramēt signifieth iustifieth vs onely There hast y u that a Priest is but a seruaunt to teach onely and what soeuer he taketh vpon him more then to preach to minister the Sacramentes of Christ whiche is also preaching is falshead Then cōmeth how they iuggle thorough dōme ceremonies how they make marchaūdise with fained words penaunce a poena a culpa satisfactiō
such persons corrupt the common maners and cause the name of God the lesse to be feared men ought to complaine vpon such persons to the officer that is ordained of God to punish euill doers and the officer is bound to punish them If thou haue lent a foxe which with canillation will kepe thy goods from thee then if the ruler and the law will not helpe thee to thy right do as it is aboue sayd of him that will go to lawe with thee and take thy coate froÌ„ thee That is to say be content to loâ—e that as much more to it rather then thou wouldest aduenge thy self Let not the wickednes of other men plucke thee from God But abyde by God and his blessings and tary his iudgement Liberalitie is mercyfulnes that byndeth God to be mercyfull again Couetousnes the roote of all euill and father of all false Prophetes and the scholemaster that teacheth the messeÌ„gers of Sathan to disguise them selues like to the messengers of Christ is mercyles that shall haue iudgement without mercy And therefore exhorteth Christ all hys so diligently and aboue all thing to be liberall to beware of couetousnes Ye haue heard how it is sayd thou shalt loue thy neighbour and hate thyne enemy But I saye vnto you loue your enemyes Blesse theÌ„ that curse you do good to them that hate you Pray for them which do you wrong and persecute you That ye may be the childreÌ„ of your heaueÌ„ly father For he maketh his sunne to arise ouer the euill and ouer the good and sendeth rayne vpon the righteous and vnrighteous For if ye loue them that loue you what reward shall ye haue do not the Publicans so and if ye be frendly to your brethren onelye what singular thyng do ye do not the Publicans likewise ye shal therfore bee perfecte as your father which is in heauen is perfect This text of hating a mans enemy â–ª stâ—deth not in any one place of the Bible but is gathered of many places in which God commaundeth the childreÌ„ of Israel to destroy 〈◊〉 enemyes the Caâ—…s thâ—â—…es the Amalekâ—…s and other 〈…〉 people as the 〈◊〉 and â—…es whiche 〈…〉 out of the fauour of God and â—o destroy the name of God 〈…〉 came behynde them and 〈…〉 were faintie and weâ—…y as they came out of Egyâ—… Moabites and Ammonues 〈…〉 to curse them and beguâ—led them with their wemen and made a great plague amoÌ„g theÌ„ These and like nations were perpetuall enemies to their land which God had geuen them and also of the name of God and of their faith For which cause they not onely might lawfully but were also bounde to hate them and to studie their destruction agayne howbeit they might not yet hate of the sayd natioÌ„s such as were conuerted to their fayth Now by the reason of such textes as commaunded to hate the commoÌ„ enemies of their couÌ„trey and of God and his law and of their fayth the Phariseis doctrine was that a man might lawfully hate all his priuate enemyes without exception nor was bound to do them good And yet Moses sayth Thou shalte not hate thy brother in thyne hart And agayne thou shalt not aduenge thy selfe nor beare hate in thy minde agaynst the children of thy people And if thine enemyes Asse sinke vnder his burtheÌ„ helpe to lift him vp again And if his Oxe or Asse go astray bryng theÌ„ home agayne Which all no doubt the Phariseis did interpret for good couÌ„cel but for no preceptes wherfore Christ salteth their doctrine proueth that a man is bound both to loue to do good to hys enemy And as a naturall sonne though his brethren be neuer so euill yet to loue them shew them kyndnesse for his fathers sake to study to amend theÌ„ What hast thou to reioyce of if thy Religion be no better then the Religion of theenes For theeues loue among them selues and so do the couetous of the world as the vsurers and publicans which bought in great the Emperours tribute and to make their most aduauntage did ouer set y e people Nay it is not inough for thee to loue thy benefactours onely as Monkes and Friers do them of thine owne coate and order or the brethren of thyne owne Abbay onely for among some their loue stretcheth no further and that shall he that is remoued out of an other cloysture thether will finde yea and in some places charitie reacheth not to all the celles of the same cloisture and to all y e monkes that were professed in the same place But lift vp thine eyes vnto thy heaueÌ„ly father and as thy father doth so doe thou loue all thy fathers children He ministreth sunne and rayne to good bad by which two vnderstand all hys benefites For of the heate and dryeth of the sunne and cold and moyst of the rayne spryng all thinges that are necessary to the lyfe of man Euen so prouoke thou and draw thyne euill brethren to goodnesse with pacience with loue in word and deede and pray for them to him that is able to make them better and to coÌ„uert them And so thou shalt be thy fathers natural sonne and perfect as he is perfect The text sayth not ye shal be as perfect as God But perfect after his example To be perfect in the Scripture is not to bee a Monke or a Frier or neuer to sinne For Christ teacheth not here Monkes or Friers but his disciples and euery Christen man and woman And to be in this life all together without sinne is impossible But to be perfect is to haue pure doctrine without false opinions and that thyne hart be to folow that learnyng An exposition of the sixt Chapter TAke heede to your almose that ye do it not before men to be sene of theÌ„ or els ye get no reward of your father whiche is in heauen Therfore when thou geuest almose make not a trompet to be blowen before thee as the hypocrites do in the Synagoges in the stretes to be praysed of meÌ„ Verely I saye vnto you they haue their reward But thou when thou geuest almose let not thy left hand knowe what thy right hand doth that thine almose may be in secret And then thy father which seethin secret shall reward thee openly AS hee rebuked theyr doctrine aboue eueÌ„ so here he rebuketh their workes for out of deuilish doctrine caÌ„ spryng no godly workes But what workes rebuketh he verely such as as God in the Scripture commaundeth and without whiche no man can bee a Christen man euen prayer fasting and almose deede For as the Scripture corrupt with gloses is no more Gods word euen so the dedes commaunded in the Scripture when the entent of them is peruerted are no more godly deedes What sayd the Scribes Phariseis of him thinke ye when he rebuked such maner of workes No doubt as they sayd when hee rebuked their false gloses how he
bringeth he in the perpetuall virginitie of our Lady which though it be neuer so true is yet none article of our fayth to be saued by But we beleue it with a story fayth because we see no cause reasonable to thinke the contrary And when he sayth many misteries are yet to be opened as the commyng of Antichrist Nay verely the babe is knowne well inough and all the tokens spide in him which the scripture describeth hym by And when he alleageth Paules traditions to the Thessalo to proue hys phantasie I haue answered Rochester in the obedience that his traditions were the Gospell that he preached And when he alleageth Paule to the Corin. I say that Paule neuer knew of this word Masse Neither can any man gather thereof any straunge holy gestures but the playne contrary and that there was no other vse there then to breake the bread amōg them at supper as Christ did And therefore he calleth it Christes supper and not Masse There was learned y ◠maner of consecration A great doubt as though we coulde not gather of the scripture how to do it And of the water that the Priest mingleth wyth the wyne A great doubt also and a perilois case if it were left out For either it was done to slake the heate of the wine or put to after as a ceremony to signifie that as the water is chaunged into wine so are we chaunged thorow sayth as it were into Christ and are one wyth him how be it all is to their owne shame that ought shoulde be done or vsed among vs Christen whereof no man wist the meaning For if I vnderstand not the meaning it helpeth me not 1. Cor. 14. and as experience reacheth But if our shepherdes had bene as well willing to feede as to shere we had needed no such dispicience nor they to haue burnt so many as they haue And as for that he alleageth out of the Epistle of James for the iustifying of workes I haue aunswered in the Mammon against which he can not hisse and will speake more in the iiij booke And as for the Saboth a great matter we be Lordes ouer the Saboth may yet chaunge it into the monday or or any other day as we see neede or may make euery tenth day holy daye onely if we see a cause why we may make two euery weeke if it were expedient and one not inongh to teach y ◠people Neither was there any cause to chaunge it from the Saterday then to put difference betwene vs and the Iewes and least we should become seruanntes vnto the day after their superstition Neyther needed we any holyday at all if the people myght be taught without it And when he asketh by what scripture we know that a womā may christen I answere if baptim be so necessary as they make it then loue thy neighbour as thy selfe doth teach women to baptise in tyme of neede yea and to teach to rule their husbandes to if they be besides them selues And when he sayth that of likelihode the laye people vnderstoode the Gospell of Iohn and Paules Epistles better then great Clarkes now I answere the more shame is theirs How be it there be ij causes why the one is their diligent shering and an other they deny the iustifying of fayth wherof both Paule and Iohn do entreate almost of nothyng els if the signification of our baptim which is the lawe of God fayth of Christ were expounded truely vnto vs y t scripture would be easie to all that exercised themselues therin And sir in as much as the prelates care so little for the losse of y t vnderstanding of the Scripture and to teach y ◠people how happeneth it that they care so sore for a balde ceremonie which y ◠significatiō lost though Christ hymfelse had institute it we coulde not obserue without a false faith and without hurtyng of our soules And finally to rocke vs a sleepe with all he sayth that he shall neuer speede well that will seeke in the scripture whether our Prelates teach vs a true fayth though ten preach ech contrary to other in one day And yet Christ for all his miracles sendeth vs to y t scripture And for all Paules miracles the Iewes studyed the scripture the deligenterly to see whether it were as he sayd or no. How be it he meaneth that such cā not speede well because the prelates will burne them except M. More helpe them and make them forsweare Christ before hand The xxvii chapter IN the xxvij he bringeth Paule exhorting to agree and to tell all one tale in the fayth which can not be saith M. More except one beleue by the reasō of an other Yes verely we all beleue y e the fire is hot and yet not by the reasō of an other and that with a more surer knowledge then if we beleued it y ◠one by the tellyng of an other And euē so they that haue the law of God written in their hartes and are taught of y t spirite to know sinne and to abhorre it and to feele the power of the resurrection of Christ beleue much surer then they that haue none other certeintie of their fayth then the Popes preachyng confirmed with so godly liuing And it is not vnknowne to M. More that the churches of late dayes and the churches now beyng haue determined thynges in one case the one contrary to the other in such wise that he can not deny but the one hath or doth erre the which case I could shew hym if I so were mynded The olde Popes Cardinalles and Byshops sayd ye to the thyng that I meane whereunto these that now raigne say nay Now syr if you gather a generall counsell for the matter the churches of Fraunce and Italy will not beleue the Churches of Spayne and Douchland because they so say but will aske how they proue it Neyther will Louayne beleue Paris because they say that they can not erre but wyl heare first their probation Also how shall we know that the olde Pope and hys Prelates erred because these that are now so say When y t olde Pope liued we were as much bounde to beleue that he could not erre as we be now that this can not wherefore you must graunt me that God must shew a myracle for the tone parte or els they must bring autētike scripture Now syr God hath made hys last euerlasting testament so that all is open and no more behynde then the appearyng of Christ againe And because he wyll not stirre vp euery day a new prophet with a new miracle to cōfirme new doctrine or to call agayne the olde that was forgotten therefore were all thinges necessary to saluation comprehended in scripture euer to endure By which scripture the counsels generall and not by open miracles haue cōcluded such thynges as
all wayes and done thy best to hew them and to make them frame thou must be fayne to cast them out wyth the Turkes and Iewes to serue God wyth the image seruice of their owne false workes Of these and such like textes and of the similitudes that Christ maketh in the Gospell of the kyngdome of heauen it appeareth that though the holy ghost be in the chosen and teacheth them all truth in Christ to put their trust in hym so that they cannot erre therein yet whyle the worlde standeth God shall neuer haue a church that shal eyther persecute or be vnpersecuted them selues any season after the fashion of y ◠Pope But there shall be in the church a fleshly seede of Abraham and a spirituall a Cain and an Abell an Ismael and an Isaac an Esan and a Iacob as I haue sayd a worker and a beleuer a great multitude of them that be called and a small flocke of them that be elect and chosen And the fleshly shall persecute the spirituall as Cain did Abel and Ismaell Isaac so forth and the great multitude shall persecute y ◠small little flocke and Antichrist wil be euer the best christen man SO now the church of God is double a fleshly and a spirituall the one will be and is not the other is may not be so be called but must be called a Lutheran an hereticke and such like Vnderstand therefore that God when he calleth a congregation vnto hys name sendeth forth his messēgers to call generally which messengers bring in a great multitude amased and astonied wyth myracles and power of the reasōs which the preachers make and therewyth be compelled to cōfesse that there is but one God of power might aboue all that Christ is God and man and borne of a virgine and a thousand other thynges And thē the great multitude that is called and not chosen when they haue gotten thys fayth common as wel to the deuils as them more strongly persuaded vnto the deuils then vnto them then they go vnto their owne imaginations saying we may no longer serue Idoles but God that is but one And the maner of seruice they fet out of their owne braynes and not of the worde of God and serue God wyth bodely seruice as they did in tymes past their Idoles their hartes seruing their owne lustes still And one will serue hym in white an other in blacke an other in grey an other in pyed And an other to do God a pleasure withall will be sure that his show shall haue two or three good thicke soles vnder and wyll cut hym aboue so that in sommer whyle the weather is hot thou mayst see hys bare fote in winter hys socke They wyll be shorne and shauen and Saduces that is to say righteous and Phariseis that is seperated in fashions frō all other men Yea and they wyll consecrat thēselues altogether vnto God and wyll annoint their handes and halow them as the chalice from al maner lay vses so that they may serue neither father nor mother maister Lord or Prince for poluting thēselues but must wayte on God onely to gather vp hys rentes tythes offeringes all other duties And all the sacrifice that come they cōsume in the altar of their bellies and make Calil of it that is a sacrifice that no mā may haue part of They beleue that there is a God But as they can not loue hys lawes so they haue no power to beleue in hym But they put their trust and confidence in their owne workes and by their own workes they will be saued as the rich of this world whē they sue vnto great men hope with giftes and presentes to obtayne their causes Neither other seruing of God know they saue such as their eyes may see and their bellyes feele And of very zeale they will be Gods vicars and prescribe a maner vnto other and after what fashiō they shall serue God and compell thē therto for the auoyding of Idolatry as thou seest in the Phariseis But little flocke as soone as he is perswaded that there is a God he rūneth not vnto hys owne imaginatiōs but vnto the messēger that called hym and of hym asketh how he shall serue God As litle Paul Act. ix whē Christ had ouerthrowen him and caught him in hys net asked saying Lord what wilt thou that I do And as the multitude that were cōuerted Act. 2. asked of the Apostles what they shoulde do And the preacher setteth the lawe of God before them and they offer their hartes to haue it written therein consenting that it is good and righteous And because they haue runne cleane contrary vnto that good law they sorrow mourne and because also their bodyes and flesh are otherwise disposed But the preacher comforteth them and sheweth thē the testamēt of Christes bloud how that for his sake all y ◠is done is forgeuē and all their weaknes shal be taken in worth vntil they be stronger onely if they repent wyll submit themselues to be scholers and learne to keepe this law And a little flocke receaueth thys testament in hys hart and in it walketh serueth God in the spirit And from henceforth all is Christ wyth hym and Christ is his he is Christes All that he receaueth he receaueth of Christ and all that he doth he doth to Christ Father mother maister Lord and Prince are Christes vnto hym and as Christ he serueth them wyth all loue Hys wife children seruauntes and subiectes are Christ vnto hym and he teacheth them to serue Christ and not hymselfe and hys lustes And if he receaue any good thyng of mā he thāketh god in Christ which moued the mans hart And his neighbour he serueth as Christ in all hys neede of such thynges as God hath lent because that all degrees are bought as he is with Christes bloud And he wil not be saued for seruing hys brethrē neither promiseth his brethren heauē for seruyng hym But heauen iustifying forgeuenes all gyftes of grace and all that is promised them they receaue of Christ and by hys merites freely And of y t which they haue receaued of Christ they serue ech other freely as one hand doth the other seekyng for their seruice no more thē one hand doth of an other ech the others health wealth helpe ayde succour to assiste one an other in the way of Christ And God they serue in the spirit only in loue hope faith and dread When the great multitude that be called and not chosen Cain Ismaell Esau carnall Israell that serue God night and day wyth bodely seruice and holy workes such as they were wont to serue their Idoles withall beholde little flocke that they come not forth in the seruice of god they rore out where are thou Why commest thou not forth and takest holy water Wherfore saith y
IN the viij he sayth the Saintes be more charitable now then when they liued I answere Abrahā was while he lyued as charitable as the best And yet dead he answered hym that prayed to hym they haue Moses and y ◠Prophetes let them heare them And so haue we not Moses and the prophets onely but a more cleare light euen Christ and the Apostles vnto which if we harken we be Saintes already And to proue that they in heauen be better then we in earth he alleageth a text of our Sauiour Luke vij that the worst in heauen is better then Ihon Baptist Now y e text is he that is lesse in the kingdome of God is greater thē he We that beleue are Gods kyngdome And he that is least in doyng seruice vnto hys brethren is euer the greatest after the doctrine of Christ Now Christ was lesse then Ihon and therfore greater then he And by theyr owne doctrine there was no Sainte in heauen before the resurrection of Christ but what care they what they say blynded wyth theyr owne sophistrye Moreouer cursed is he that trusteth in ought saue God sayth the text and therfore the Saintes would haue no man to trust in them whyle they were aliue As Paule sayth 1. Cor. 3. What is Paule saue your seruaunt to preach Christ Did Paule dye for you were ye baptised in the name of Paule Did I not mary you to Christ to put your trust in hym And agayne let no man reioyce or trust in man sayth he For all are youres whether Paule or Appollo or Cephas whether the world life death present thynges or thynges to come all are youres and ye are Christes and Christ is Gods If my fayth be stedfast in the promises that I haue in Christes bloud I néede but to pray my father in Christes name and he shall send me a legion of Angels to helpe me so that my fayth is Lord ouer the Angels and ouer all creatures to turne them vnto my soules health and my fathers honour and may be subiect vnto no creature but vnto Gods woorde in our Sauiour Christ onely I may haue no trust therefore in the Saintes If ye say ye put no trust in them but onely put them in remembraunce of their dutie as a man desireth his neighbour to pray for him remembring hym of hys dutie and as when we desire our brethren to helpe vs at our neede That is false for ye put trust in all your ceremonies all your holy deedes and in whosoeuer disguiseth hymselfe and altereth hys coat from the common fashion ye and euen in the coates of them that be not yet Saintes after your dortrine If a priest sayd masse in his gowne would ye not rise against hym and slea hym and that for the false fayth that ye haue in the other garmētes For what honour can those other garmentes do to God more then hys gowne or profite vnto your soules ▪ seyng ye vnderstand nought thereby And therto in the collectes of Saintes ye say saue me God and geue me euerlastyng lyfe for the merites of thys or that Saint euery man after his phantasie chusing hym one Saint singularly to be saued by Wyth which collectes I pray you shew me how standeth the death of Christ Paule woulde say that Christ dyed in vayne if that doctrine were true And therto in as much as ye say the Saintes merite or deserue not in heauen but in this worlde onely it is to be feared least their merites be sore wasted and the deseruynges of many all spent thorowe our holy fathers so great liberalitie Abraham and the Prophetes and y ◠Apostles and many since prayed to no Saintes and yet were holy inough And when he sayth they could helpe when they were aliue That was thorow their fayth in beleuing the promise For they had promises that they shuld do such miracles to stablish their doctrine and to prouoke vnto Christ and not vnto them selues And whē he proueth that y e Saintes be in heauen in glory wyth Christ already saying if God be their God they be in heauē for he is not the God of the dead There he stealeth away Christes argument wherewyth he proueth the resurrection that Abraham and all Saintes shoulde rise agayne and not that their soules were in heauē which doctrine was not yet in the worlde And wyth that doctrine he taketh away the resurrection quite and maketh Christes argumēt of none effect For when Christ alleageth the Scripture that God is Abrahams God addeth to that God is not God of the dead but of the liuing and so proueth that Abraham must rise agayne I deny Christes argument and say wyth M. More that Abraham is yet aliue not because of the resurrection but because hys soule is in heauē And in like maner Paules argument vnto the Corrinthians is nought worth For when he sayth if there be no resurrection we be of all wretches the miserablest Here we haue no pleasure but sorrow care and oppression And therfore if we rise not agayne all our suffering is in vayne Nay Paul thou art vnlearned ▪ go to Maister More and learne a new way We be not most miserable though we ryse not agayne for our soules go to heauen assoone as we be dead and are there in as great ioy as Christ that is risē againe And I maruell that Paule had not comforted the Thessalonians wyth that doctrine if he had wist it that the soules of their dead had bene in ioy as he did wyth the resurrection that their dead should rise agayne If the soules be in heauen in as great glorie as the aungels after your doctrine shewe me what cause should be of the resurrection And when hee sayth Whether the Saintes do it them selues or by intercession made to God it maketh no matter so we be holpe it appeareth by his doctrine that all is good that helpeth though a man pray vnto the deuill by whom many be holpe Now in Christ we haue promises of all maner helpe not in them Where then is our faith to be holpe by Christ when we hope to be holpe by the merites of Saintes So it appeareth that the more trust we haue in Saintes the lesse we haue in Christ And whē he bringeth in a similitude that we pray Phisitions though God can helpe vs and therefore we must pray to Saintes It is not like for they haue naturall remedies for vs which we must vse not tempt God But the Saints haue no natural remedies nor promise of supernaturall And therfore it can be but a false superstitious fayth And where no natural remedy is there god hath promised to helpe thē that beleue in hym And moreouer when I pray a Phisition or Surgion and trust to be holpe by them I dishonour God except I first pray to God beleue that he will woorke with their doctrine and medicines
and so receaue mine health of the hand of God And euen so wheÌ„ I pray to man to helpe me at myne neede I sinne except I complayne first to God and shew him my nede and desire hym to moue one or an other to helpe me then wheÌ„ I am holpe thanke him and receaue it of his hand in as much as hee moued the hart of hym that holpe me gaue him wherewith and a commaundement to do it M. More Christ is not dishonoured because that they which here preach hym truly shall sit and iudge with hym Tyndale That to be true y e Scripture testifieth but what is that to your purpose that they whiche be dead can heare vs helpe vs How beit if M. More should describe vs those sectes I am sure he would paint them after the fashion of my Lord Cardinals holy chaire as he doth God after the similitude of worldly tyraunts and not accordyng to his owne word For they that be worldly and fleshly mynded can but fleshly imagine of God all together lyke vnto the similitude of worldely thynges M. More The Apostles and Saintes were prayed so when they were aliue and God not dishonoured Tynd. What helpeth that your carnal purpose I haue aunswered you vnto that many thinges â—…o in the obedieÌ„ce and other places agaynst whiche ye reply not but keepe your tune and vnto all thyng syng kokow kokow we be the Church can not erre The Apostles had Gods word for all that they dyd and ye none And yet many dishonoured God and Christ for their false trust confidence whiche they had in y e Apostles as thou mayst see by Paul to the Corinthians Then he breaketh forth into open blasphemy and sayth that it behoueth vs to pray vnto Saints and that God will els not heare vs for our presumptuous malapertenesse So it is now presumptuous malapertenesse to trust in Gods word and to beleue that God is true Paule teacheth vs to be bolde to goe vnto God sheweth vs good cause in Christ why we so may that God would so haue vs. Neither is there any cause to kepe vs backe saue that we loue him not nor trust him If a man say our sinne should keepe vs backe I say it we repent and beleue in Christ Christ hath taken them away and therfore through hym we may be bolde And Christ sayd at his last Supper Iohn xvj I say not that I will pray for you vnto my father for my father loueth you As who should say be not afrayed nor staÌ„d without the dores as a dastard but be bolde go into my father your selues in my name shew your complayntes for he now loueth you because ye loue my doctrine And Paul sayth Ephe. ij we haue all an opeÌ„ way in through him and are now no more forenners or straungers but of y e houshold of God Of God therfore we be bold as of a most louyng and mercifull father aboue all the mercy of fathers And of our Sauiour Iesus we be bold as of a thyng that is our owne and more our owne then our owne skinnes and a thyng that is so soft and gentle that lade we him neuer so much with our sinnes he can not be angry nor cast them from of his backe so we repent and will amende But M. More hath an other doctrine to driue vs froÌ„ God and to make vs tremble and be afferde of him He likeneth God to worldly tyrauntes at whom no man may come saue a few flatterers whiche minister vnto them all volâ—ptuousnesse serue their luâ—â—es at all pointes which flatterers must first be corrupt with giftes yer a man may come at the kyng TheÌ„ hee sayth a man may pray to euery dead man That me thinketh should be agaynst the Popes doctrine and profite also For he will haue no man prayed to vntill he haue caÌ„uesed him I would say canonised hym and till God or at the leâ—t way the deuill haue shewed miracles for him Then he bringeth how one that was dead and in the inuisible purgatory holpe an other that was alyue and in the visible Purgatory This is a straunge case that a man there may helpe an other not him selfe And a more strauÌ„ge case that God heareth a man here for hym selfe beyng in his owne Purgatory and helpeth him cleane out or caseth him if it be to sore But and he be in the Popes Purgatory God wil not heare him for him selfe and that because the Pope might haue somewhat to deliuer hym And the straungest case of aâ— is that the Pope is almighty there and God can do there nought at all as the Pope can not here in this Purgatory But because this is not Gods word nor lyke Gods doctrine I thinke it no damnable sinne to beleue it Poetrie Then how ye may pray for them and to them till they be canonised and wheÌ„ they be canonised but to them onely for then ye be sure that they bee in heauen By what token I may be as sure by y e canonising as I am that all the Byshops which the Pope confirmeth be holy men and all the Doctours that he maketh well learned and that all the Priests which he annoynteth haue the holy ghost If ye say because of the miracles then do men wrong to pray for kyng Henry of Windsore at Cambridge and Eton. For he as men say doth miracles And also if the miracles certifie vs what nedeth to buy the Popes canonisyng The ix Chapter IN the ix he putteth no ieopardy to pray to him that is daÌ„ned and to sticke vp a candle to him nor I trow vnto the deuill thereto if hee might haue a vauntage by him Then he maketh no ieopardy to do and beleue what soeuer an open multitude called Gods Church doth and beleueth For God will haue an open Church that can not erre For sayth he when the Israelites fell to Idolatry the true church remained in HierusaleÌ„ among the Iewes First I say if a man had no better vnderstandyng then M. Mores doctrine he could not know whether were y t true Church the Iewes or the Israelites For the Israelites were in number v. tymes moe then the Iewes and worshypped God though as present in the Image of a Calfe as y t Iewes for the most part present in the Arcke of testimonie And secondarely he sayth false For the Iewes were fallen into open Idolatrie a thousand tymes worse theÌ„ the Israelites euen in their very teÌ„ple as it appeareth by open stories and by the Prophetes so that for their open Idolatrie whiche they would for no preachyng of the Prophetes amende their Priestes therto resistyng the Prophetes and encoragyng the people in their wickednesse God sent them captiue out of the land Yea and the people erred in folowing the Scribes and Phariseis the open multitude called Gods Church at y t
coÌ„myng of Christ as it is to see in the Gospell contrary vnto M. Mores deceitfull Poetry And agayn God reserued hym a litle flocke euer in Israell and had euer Prophets there some time openly and some time in persecution that euery man must hide hym selfe and keepe hys fayth secret and euen in the houses of the euill kynges both of Iewry and also of Israell he had good people and that among the hyghe officers but secretly as Nicodemus among the Phariseis So that the very Churche was euery where ofttymes in captiuitie and persecution vnder their brethren as we bee vnder ours in the kyngdome of the Pope Then he putteth no ieopardy to worshpp an vnconsecrated hoste But with what worshyp men should woorshyp the consecrated doth he not teach neither the vse of that Sacrament or any other nor how ought may be worshipped but teacheth onely that all thynges may be worshypped and sheweth not the right worshyp from the false Then he noteth Paul 1. Cor. 1. how he exhorteth vs to agree onely but not on the truth or on the good but onely to agree a great multitude together O this deepe blindnesse Dyd not Paule first teach them the true way And did hee not instruct them a new in the true way and in the said Epistle rebuke the false confidence that they had in men the cause of all their dissention and all errours that were among them Then he sayth the Iewes had Saintes in honour as the Patriarkes and Prophetes We teach to dishonour none But the Iewes prayed to none More Christ rebuked not the Phariseis for garnishyng the sepulchres of the Prophetes but for that they folowed the coÌ„ditions of theÌ„ that slew them Tyndale Yes and for their false trust in suche woorkes as we do you And ye Syr thinke that ye deserue heauen in worshyppyng the Saintes bones and be as ready to slea them that beleue teach and lyue as the Saintes dyd as your fathers were to slea theÌ„ besides that ye worshyp Saintes that folowed Christ after the example of your holy Cardinall of whom I doubt not but that ye will make a God in processe of tyme also Then repeateth he for forgettyng how Eliseus bones raised vp a dead body That was to confirme his preachyng onely For the Israelites as wicked as they were neither prayed to hym neither kissed his bones nor offered nor sticked vppe candels before hym Whiche thyng if they had done in the kyngdoÌ„e of y â— Iewes I doubt not but that some good kyng wold haue burnt his bones to ashes as wel as the brasen Serpent that was as great a relique as dead bones And Christ shewed miracles at the findyng of the crosse That was to stablish the faith of Christes death and that it should be a memory of his death not that we shuld trust in the wood as we do For which false abuse y t whole land where Christ dyd his miracles is destroyed Then he alledgeth the woman that was healed through touching of Christes coate because we should worshyppe it When Christ sayd her fayth hath made her whole not in the coate but in Christ And the miracle was shewed to prouoke to the worshyppyng of the preachyng and not of the coate Though to kepe the coate reuerently in the memoriall of the deede to prouoke vnto the fayth of Christ were not euill of it selfe And Paule by your doctrine sent hys napkin to heale y t sicke that meÌ„ should shrine his sneueled napkin and not to beleue his preachyng The x. Chapter THe x. chapter of Saint Walary is meete for the auctor and his worshipfull doctrine The xi Chapter IN the xi he iuggleth wyth thys misticall terme Latria I answere God is no vayne name but signifieth one that is almighty all mercifull all true and good which he that beleueth will goe to God to hys promises and Testament and not follow his owne imaginations as M. Mores doctrine teacheth He sayth that bodely seruice is not Latria No but bodely seruice done referred vnto hym â–ª which is a spirite is Idololatria He trusteth that men know the Image from the Saint I aske M. More why God did hide Moses body diuers other The Iewes would haue knowen y t Moses had not bene God and that Moses bones had not bene Moses And they knew that the braseÌ„ serpent was not God and that y t golden calues were not God that wod and stone were not God But Syr there is euer a false imagination by The world because they can not worship God in the spirite to repent of euill and to loue the lawe and to beleue that he wyll helpe at al neede therfore runne they vnto their owne imaginations and thinke that God for such seruice as they do to Images will fulfill their worldly desires for godly caÌ„ they nought desire Now God is a spirite and wil be worshipped in hys woorde onely which is spirituall and wil haue no bodely seruice And the ceremonies of the olde law he set vp to signifie his word onely and to keepe the people in mynde of hys testament So that he which obserueth any ceremony of any other purpose is an Idolater that is an Image seruer And when he sayth if men aske women whether it were our Lady of Walsingam or Ipswich that was saluted of Gabriel or that stoode by Christ when he hung on the crosse they wyll say neyther nother Then I aske hym what meaneth it that they say our Lady of Walsingam pray for me our Lady of Ipswich pray for me our Lady of WilsdoÌ„ pray for me in so much y â— some which recken theÌ„selues no small fooles make them roules of halfe an houre long to pray after that maner And they that so pray thou mayst â—e sure meane our Lady that stoode by the crosse and her that was saluted therto Then he rehearseth many abuses and how that womeÌ„ sing songes of ribaudry in processions in cathedral churches vnto which abhominatioÌ„s yet our holy church that caÌ„not erre coÌ„sent wyth full delectatioÌ„ For on the one side they will not amende the abuse And on the other side they haue hyred M. More to proue with his sophistry that y e things ought not to be put downe Then he bringeth in how the wilde Irish and the Welch pray when they go to steale And asketh whether because they abuse prayer we should put all praying downe Nay M. More it is not like Prayer is Gods commaundement where fayth is there must prayer needes be cannot be away How be it thynges that are but mens traditions and all indifferent thynges which we may be as well without as wyth may well be put downe for their dishonouring of God thorow y â— abuse We haue turned kissing in the Church into the Pax. We haue put downe watching all night in the church on saintes eues for
sticke vp a candle to flatter him and to make him fauourable vnto vs and regarde not the testament of Christ nor the lawes of God because we haue no power to beleue nor to loue the truth And euen so to referre virginitie vnto the person of God to please hym therwith is false sacrifice and heathenishe Idolatrie For the onely seruice of god is to beleue in Christ and to loue the lawe Wherfore thou must referre thy wedlocke thy virginitie and all thy other deedes vnto the keepyng of the lawe and seruing thy neighbour only And then wheÌ„ thou lookest wyth a louing hart on the law that saith breake not wedlocke keepe no whore and so forth and findest thy body weake and thyne office such that thou must haue conuersation with meÌ„s wiues daughters and seruauntes then it is better to haue a wife theÌ„ to be without And againe if thou see seruice to be done y t thou canst not so well do with a wyfe as without then if thou haue power to be without it is best so to be and in such like And els the one is as good as the other and no difference And to to take a wife for pleasure is as good as to absteine for displeasure And when M. More seeth no other cause why it is not best that our spiritualitie were all gelded then for losse of merite in resistyng besides that that imagination is playne Idolatrie I hold M. More beguiled if all we read of gelded men be true and the experience we see in other beastes For then the gelded lust in their flesh as much as the vngelded Which if it be true then the gelded in that he taketh such great payne in geldyng not to minishe his lustes but if lustes ouercome him yet that he haue not wherewith to hurt his neighbour deserueth more then the vngelded And then it were best that we did eate and drinke make our flesh stroÌ„g that we burned to deserue in resisting as some of your holy Saintes haue layd virgins in their beddes to kindle their courage that they might after quench their heate in cold water to deserue the merite of holy Martyrs And wheÌ„ he sayth the Priestes of the old law absteined from their wiues when they serued in the teÌ„ple Many thynges were forbidden them to kepe them in bonde and seruile feare for other purposes And yet I trow hâ— findeth it not in the text that they were forbidden their wiues And when he imagineth so because Zacharias when his course was out gat him home to his house I thinke it was better for him to go to his house then to send for his house to him he was also old and his wife to But and if they were forbidden it was but for a tyme to geue them to prayer as we might do right well and as wel as they But I read that they were for bidden to drinke wine strong drinke when they ministred of whiche ours powre in without measure M. More Christ liued chast and exhorteth vnto chastitie Tyndall We be not all of Christes complection neither exhorteth he to other chastitie then wedlocke saue at a tyme to serue our neighbours Now y t Popes chastitie is not to serue a maÌ„s neighbour but to runne to riotte and to carie away with him the liuyng of the poore and of the true preacher euen the tythes of v. or vj. Parishes and to go either dwell by a stewes or to cary a stewes with him or to corrupt other mens wiues Paphnutius a man that neuer proued Mariage is praysed in the stories for resistyng such doctrine with Gods word in a generall Councell before the Pope was a God And now M. More a man that hath proued it twise is magnified for defendyng it with sophistrie And agayn me semeth that it is a great ouer sight of M. More to thinke that Christ though he were neuer maryed would not more accept the seruice of a maried maÌ„ that would more say truth for hym then they that abhorre wedlocke in as much as the spiritualtie accept his humble seruice reward his merites with so high honour because he can better fayne for them then any of their vnchast I would say owne chast people though he be Bigamus past the grace of his necke verse And finally if M. More loke so much on y e pleasure that is in Mariage why setteth he not his eyes on the thankes geuyng for that pleasure on the pacience of other displeasures The xiiij Chapter MOre Wicleffe was the occasion of the vtter subuersion of the Realme of Boheme both in faith and good liuing and of the losse of many a thousand liues Tyndall The rule of their fayth are Christes promises and the rule of their liuyng Gods law â–ª And as for losse of liues it is truth that the Pope sâ—â—e I thinke an hundred thousand of them because of their fayth that they wold no lâ—nger serue him As he sâ—â—e in England many a thousand sâ—â—e the true â—yng and see vp a false vnto the eâ—fusion of all the noble bloud and murthe ryng vp of the comminaltie because he should be his desender M. The constitution of the Byshops is not that the Scripture shall not be in English but that no man may translate it by his owne authoritie or read it vntill they had approued it Tyndall If no translatioÌ„ shal be had vntill they geue licence or till they approue it it shal neuer be had And so it is all one in effect to say there shal be none at all in English and to say till we admitte it seyng they be so malicious that they will none admitte but fayne all the cauillations they can to proue it were not expedient So that if it be not had spite of their harts it shall neuer be had And thereto they haue done their best to haue had it enacted by Parlament that it should not be in English The xv Chapter HE iesteth out Hunnes death with his Poetrie were with he built Vtopia Many great Lordes came to Baynardes Castell but all namelesse to examine the cause as y â— credible Prelares so well learned so holy and so indifferent whiche examined Bilney and Arture be also all namelesse M. Horsey tooke his pardon because it is not good to refuse Gods pardon and the kynges Tyndall Gods pardon can no man haue except he knowledge himselfe a sinner And euen so he y t receaueth the kynges yeldeth him selfe giltie And moreouer it is not possible y t he which putteth his trust in God should for feare of the xij men or of his iudges receaue pardon for that hee neuer was faultie vnto the dishonoring of our sauiour Iesus but would haue denyed it rather vnto the death And therto if the matter were so cleare as ye iest it out then I am sure the kynges
till domes day Tyndall And ye in putting them in heauen hell and purgatory destroy y e argumentes wherwith Christ Paul proue the resurrection What God doth with them that shall we know when we come to them The true faith putteth the resurrection which we be warned to looke for euery houre The Heathen Philosophers denying that did put that the soules did euer lyue And the Pope ioyneth the spirituall doctrine of Christ and the fleshly doctrine of philosophers together things so contrary that they can not agree no more then the spirite and the fleshe do in a Christen man And because the fleshly mynded Pope consenteth vnto heathen doctrine therefore he corrupteth the scripture to stablish it Moses sayth in Deut. the secrete thinges pertaine vnto the Lord and the thynges that be opened pertaine vnto vs that we do all that is written in the booke Wherfore Sir if we loued the lawes of God and would occupy our selues to fulfill them and woulde on the other side be meeke and let God alone wyth hys secretes and suffer him to be wiser then we we should make none article of the faith of this or that And againe if the soules be in heauen tell me why they be not in as good case as the Angels be And then what cause is there of the resurrection M. Item no man shall pray to saintes Tyndall When ye speake wyth saintes that be departed it is not euill to put them in remembraunce to pray for you M. Why do they not heare vs Tyndall If they loue you so feruētly and be so great with God why certifie they you not that they so do More So they do in that we feele our peticions graunted Tyndall God saued the olde Idolaters with worldly saluacion and gaue them their peticions which they yet asked of their Idoles as ye see thorow out all the olde testament God heareth the crowes foules beastes and wormes of the earth as the text saith men and beastes doth God saue which beastes yet pray not to God The Iewes and Turkes doth god saue in this worlde and geueth them their worldly peticions which yet worship not God as his godly nature is to be worshipped but after their owne imagination not in the spirite wyth fayth hope and loue but wyth bodely seruice as the Pope doth As the popishe serue S. Appoline for the tooth ache and are healed euen so the Iewes and Turkes be healed and pray not to her but serue God after an other maner for the same disease So that God doth saue in this world all that keepe y ◠worldely lawes worldely that is to wete outwarde in the body for bodely rewarde and not in the hart of loue that springeth out of the mercy that God hath geuen vs in Christ which same though they be Turkes if they breake the worldly lawes he rebuketh them as the Niniuites and punisheth them diuersly And if they knowledge their sinne and mende he healeeh them agayne But and if they harden and sinne as beastes and will not amend he destroyeth them vtterly as the Sodomites And yet all such haue no part in the life to come But with his children in whose hartes he writeth the fayth of hys sonne Iesus and the loue of his lawes he goeth otherwise to worke hys lawes in their will and their peticions are his honour their neighbours welth and that he will prouide them of all thinges necessary vnto this life and gouerne them that their hartes be not ouercome of euill And he heareth thē vnto his honour and their euerlasting saluation and purgeth them and teacheth them thinges wherof the popish and all they whose hartes the God of this world hath blynded to serue God with workes hath no feelyng And when he sayth that the Emperour and that coūsell which decreed that Images for the abuse should be put out of the church were heretikes It is much easier so to say then so to proue Vnderstand therefore that Images were not yet receaued in the Churche in the tyme of S. Hierome at the least waye generally whether in some one place or no I can not tell For S. Hierome rehearseth of one Epiphanius a Byshop in the countrey of Cipres that the most perfect of all y e Byshops of hys tyme how that the sayd Epiphanius the Byshop of Ierusalem went together to Bethell by the way they entred into a Churche for to pray and there found a vayle hāgyng before the doore and an image paynted thereon as it had bene of Christ or some Saint For the Byshop was so moued therwith because sayth S. Hierome that it was contrary to the Scripture that he cut counseled to bury some dead ther in and sent an other cloth to hāg in the stede And afterward when they were crept in a litle and litle there was no woorshyppyng of them at the least waye generally vntill the tyme of S. Gregory In so much that when Cirenus the Byshop of Massilia offēded with the superstitiousnes of the people burnt thē S. Gregory wrote that he should not destroy the Images but teach onely that the people should not worshyp them But whē it was so farre come that the people worshypped them with a false fayth as we now know no other vse and were no longer memorials onely then the Byshops of Grece the Emperour gathered them together to prouide a remedy agaynst that mischief cōcluded that they should be put down for the abuse thinkyng it so most expedient hauyng for them first the example of God whom a man may boldly folow which commaunded in the begynning of all his preceptes that there should be no image vsed to worship or pray before not for the Image it selfe but for the weakenesse of hys people and hauyng agayne before their eyes that the people were fallen vnto Idolatrie and imageseruyng by the reason of them Now aunswere me by what reason caust thou make an hereticke of hym that concludeth nought agaynst God but worketh with God putteth that blocke out of the way where at his brother the price of Christes bloud srōbleth and loseth his soule They put not downe the images for hate of God and of his Saintes no more then Ezechias brake the brasen Serpēt for enuy of the great miracle that was wrought by it or in spite of God that commaūded it to be kept for a memoriall But to kepe the people in the true faith onely Now seyng we may be all without images to put them downe is not against Gods cōmaūdemēt but with it namely if they be abused to the dishonour of God and hurt of our neighbours where is charitie if thou which knowest the truth and caust vse thyne image wel wilt not yet forbeare thyne image and suffer it to be put out of the way for thy weake brothers sake whō thou seest perish there
t tyme the one halfe of Christendome And when any Pope since exhorteth them to vnitie they aunswere that he which will raigne ouer his brethren with violence breaketh vnitie and not they and that they will not be vnder his tyranny wherunto he calleth them vnder a colour of vnitie And from henceforth with the helpe of hys Byshoppes which weresworne to be true ligemen vnto hym when beforetyme they were admitted to theyr byshopprikes of the Emperours and Kinges he beganne to lay a baite to catch the whole Empyre into his handes also By what meanes the Pope inuaded the Empyre AT that same season Mahomete the auctor of the sect of the Turckes and Saracenes beganne And assoone as he had got much people vnto hym with wyles and fayned myracles he inuaded the Empyre of Rome in those quarters And looke how busie Mahomete was in those parries so busie was the Pope in these quarters to inuade the Empyre with the helpe of his sworne Byshoppes which preached all of none other God then the Pope while the Emperour was occupyed a farre of in resisting of Mahomete And within few yeares after when the kynges of Italy now and theÌ„ vexed our holy fathers for their couetous ambicion then Gregory the third ioyned amitie with the Frenchmen and called them to helpe by whose power they gatte al they haue and also maintaine it vnto this day For if any man since that tyme hether displeased the Pope neuer so little he immediatly curssed him and excommunicate him and proclaymed him no right enheritour and that it was not lawfull to holde of him and absolued his Lordes and subiectes of their allegeaunce and sent his blessing vnto the French king and remission of sinnes to go and conquere his land the Pope and French kyng alway deuiding the spoyle betwene them the Byshops and all that serued God for the belye preaching the Popes might how that he had power so to do and all thynges to bynde and loose at his will wrestyng the Scriptures to serue for their purpose corruptyng all the lawes both of God man to proue his Godhead with all THen came Pope Zacharias the first in whose tyme Hildericus was K. of Fraunce a man that gouerned hys Realme as it oft chaunceth by a Debite as persons preache one Pipine a Lord of his owne and his sworne subiect This Pipine sent an holy Byshop to Pope Zacharias that he should helpe to make him kyng of Fraunce and he would be his defender in Italy as the maner of scalled horses is the one to claw the other and Zacharias aunswered that hee was more woorthy to be kyng that ruled the Realme and tooke the labours then an idle shadow that went vp and downe and did nought And so vpon that the Lords of FrauÌ„ce by the persuasions of the Prelates consented vnto Pipine and thrust downe their right king vnto whom they were sworne made a Monke of hym And both the Lordes and also Pipine tooke dispensations for their othes of our holy father and were forsworne Thus was our holy father the Pope crept vp into the consciences of men with hys false interpretation of byndyng loosyng good viij hundred yeares agone THen came Pope Stephanus the second out of whose hands Estulphus kyng of Lombardy would fayne haue scratched somwhat for he thought that the holy fathers gathered to tast and had all ready raked to much vnto theÌ„ But the new kyng Pipine of Fraunce warned of his duty and seruice promised and mindfull of old frendshyp and hopyng for part of the praye came to succour the Pope And when hee had subdued the kyng of Lambardy hee gaue vnto our holy father or rather to S. Peter y t hungry begger great Prouinces and countreys in Lombardy and in Italy with the I le Corsica and many great Cities of which some pertayned vnto the Emperour beyng theÌ„ at Constantinople and yet the Emperour had sent before vnto kyng Pipine that he should not geue of his townes vnto the Pope But Pipine aunswered that he came for the same intent and to enhaunce our holy father And our holy father receaued them And thus the Empire was deuided in two partes the Pope the French kyng partyng the one halfe betwene them And as the Emperour decayed the pope grew And as the pope grew so the sect of Mahomete grew for the Emperour halfe his empire lost was not able to defend him selfe agaynst the infidels And the Pope would suffer no helpe hence to come for two causes One lest the Emperour should recouer his Empyre agayne and an other because the Prelates of the Greekes would not submitte them selues vnto his Godhead as the Prelates of these quarters of the world had done AFter Pipine raigned his sonne the great Charles whom we call Charle mayne which knew no other God but the pope nor any other way to heauen then to do the Pope pleasure For the Pope serued him for twoo purposes One to dispence with him for whatsoeuer mischief he did an other to be stablished in the Empyre by his helpe for without his fauour hee wist it would not be so great a God was our holy father become all ready in those dayes This Pope Stephen in his latter dayes fell at variaunce with Desiderius kyng of Lombardy about the Archbyshop of Rauenâ—a AFter Stephen succeded AdriaÌ„ y â— first with whom Desiderius the K. of LoÌ„bardy would fayne haue made peace but pope Adrian would not And shortly vpon that the brother of this Charlemayne which raigned with him in half the dominion of Fraunce dyed whose wife for feare of Charles fled with her ij sonnes vnto Desiderius king of Lombardy for succour Defiderius was glad of their comming trusting by the meanes of these two children to obtaine fauour among many of the Frenchmen and so to be able to resist Charles if hee would medle and to bryng Italy vnto the right Emperour agayne would haue had that pope Adrian should haue annoynted them kynges in their fathers roome But Adrian refused that to do for he saw Charles mighty and mete for his purpose and was as wyly as Desiderius thought to kepe out the right Emperour and be Emperor of Rome him selfe though he gaue an other the name for a season till a more conuenient tyme came Then Desiderius warred vppon the Popes iurisdiction And Adrian sent to Charles And Charles came with his army and draue out Desiderius and hys sonne which sonne fled vnto the right Emperour to Constantinople And Charles the Pope deuyded the kyngdome of Lombardy betwene theÌ„ And Charles came to Rome And the Pope he were sworne together that who soeuer should be enemy vnto the one should be enemy also vnto the other This Adrian gathered a Councell immediatly of an C. liij Bishops Abbotes and religious persones gaue vnto Charles his successours the
empyre of Rome ordeined that the right and power to chose the Pope should be his and that no Byshop should bee consecrate till he had obtained of hym both consent and the ornamentes of a Byshop also whiche they now bye of the Pope vnder payne of cursyng and to be deliuered vnto blacke SathaÌ„ the deuill and losse of goodes Dist lxiij And Leo the third whiche succeded Adrian confirmed the same and crowned Charles Emperour of Rome for like seruice done vnto him And then there was appoyntmeÌ„t made betwene the Emperoures of Constantinople and of Rome and the places assigned how farre the borders of either Empire shuld reach And thus of one Empyre was made twayne And therfore the Empire of CoÌ„stantinople for lacke of helpe was shortly after subdued of the Turkes The sayd Leo also called Charles the most Christen kyng because of hys good seruice which title the kynges of Fraunce vse vnto this day though many of them bee neuer so vnchristened As the last Leo called our kyng the defender of the fayth And as this Pope Clemens calleth the Duke of Buâ—lder the eldest sonne of y t holy sea of Rome for no other vertue nor propertie that any man can know saue that hee hath bene all his â—yte a pickequarâ—ll and a cruell and an vnrighteous bloudshedder as his father that sitteth in that holy sea is So now aboue seuen hundred yeares to be a ChristeÌ„ kyng is to fight for the Pope and most Christen that most fighteth and sleath most men for his pleasure This Charles was a great conquerour that is to say a great tyraunt ouercame many natioÌ„s with the sword and as the Turke compelleth vs vnto his fayth so he coÌ„pelled theÌ„ with violence vnto the faith of Christ say the stories But alas Christes fayth whereunto the holy Ghost onely draweth mens hartes thorough preachyng the worde of truth and holy liuyng accordyng therto he knew not but vnto the Pope hee subdued them and vnto this superstitious Idolatrie whiche we vse cleane contrary vnto the Scripture Moreouer at the request and great desyre of his mother hee maryed the daughter of Desiderius kyng of Lombardy but after one yeare vnto the great displeasure of his mother he put her away agayne but not without the false sutiltie of the Pope thou mayst be sure neither without his dispensation For howe could Charles haue made warre for the Popes pleasure with Desiderius her father and haue thrust hym out of his kingdome and banished his sonne for euer deuiding his kingdome betwene him and the pope as long as she had bene his wife And therfore the Pope with his authoritie of bynding and losyng losed the bondes of that Matrimony as he hath many other sence and dayly doth for lyke purposes to the entent that he would with the sword of the Frenche kyng put the kyngdome of Lombardy that was somewhat to nye him out of the way by the reason of whose kings hys fatherhode could not raygne alone nor assigne or sell the Byshopprikes of Italy to whom he lusted and at his pleasure The sayd Charles also kept iiij concubines and lay with two of his own daughters therto And though he wist howe y t it was not vnknowne yet his lustes being greater theÌ„ great Charles he would not wete nor yet refrayne And beyond all that the saying is y t in his old age a whore had so bewitched him with a ryng and a pearle in it and I wotte not what imagerie grauen therein that he went a saâ—te after her as a dogge after a bitche and the dotehead was beside him selfe whole out of his mynde in so much that wheÌ„ the whore was dead he could not departe from the dead corps but caused it to be enbaâ—…ed to be caryed with him whether soeuer he went so that al the world wondered at him till at the last his Lordes accombred with carying her from place to place and ashamed that so old a man so great an Emperour and such a most Christen kyng on whom whose dedes euery mans eyes were set should dote on a dead whore toke counsell what should be y e cause And it was coÌ„cluded that it must nedes be by enchauntement TheÌ„ they went vnto the Cophyne and opened it and sought and found this ring on her finger which one of the Lordes tooke of and put it on his owne finger WheÌ„ the ring was of he commaunded to burye her regardyng her no longer Neuerthelesse he cast a phantasie vnto this Lord and began to dote as fast on him so that he might neuer be out of sight But where our Charles was there must that Lord also be and what Charles did that must he be priuey vnto vntill that this Lord perceauyng that it came because of this enchaunted ring for very payne and tediousnesse tooke and cast it into a well at Acon in Douchland And after that the ryng was in the well the Emperour coulde neuer depart from the towne but in the â—ayd place where the ring was cast though it were a foule marresse yet he built a goodly monastery in the worship of our Lady and thether brought reliques from whence he coulde gette them and pardoÌ„s to sanctifie y e place to make it more haunted And there he lyeth is a Saint as right is For he did for Christes Vicar as much as the great Turcke for Mahomete but to saue his holines that he might be canonised for a Saint they fayne in hys life that his abiding there so continually was for the hotte bathes sakes which â—e there AFter Charlemayne Lewes y e mylde was Emperour which was a very patient man another Phocas and another pray for the Pope and so meke and softe that scarcely he coulde be angry at any thing at all When our holy fathers had seene his water and spyed what complexion he was they chose Steuen the 4. of that name Pope without his knowledge and bad him neyther good morrow nor good euen nor once God speede about the matter against their owne graunt vnto his father for his good seruice And his softnes was yet somewhat displeased therwith in as much as the election of the Pope pertayned vnto his right But the Pope sent Embassadours wrote all the excuses that he coulde and came after him selfe to Fraunce to him and peaced him and crowned hym there Emperour and passed the tyme a season with him and they became very familiar together After that they chose Paschalis Pope of the same maner which Paschalis sent immediatly Legates vnto the Emperour softe Lewes excusing hymselfe saying that it was not his faulte but that the clergie and the commoÌ„ people had drawne him thereto with violence against his will Then the Emperour was content for that once bad they should no more do so but that the olde ordinaunce ought to
be kept The softnesse of this Lewes did him much care For he was after prisoned of his owne sonne with helpe of Pope Gregory the fourth After this mans dayes the Popes neuer regarded the Emperours nor did the clergie of Rome sue any more to the Emperour either for the election or confirmation of the Pope More ouer after this Lewes there was neuer Emperour in Christendome of any power or able of his owne might to correct any Pope neyther was there any kyng that coulde correct the outragious vices of the spiritualtie of his own realme after this time For this Lewes left three sonnes among which he deuided y e realme of FrauÌ„ce all Douchland Which same for pride disdayne that one should haue more then an other fell together as we say by the eares ech destroying others power so that Fraunce was afterwarde of no might to do any great thyng And theÌ„ the Pope raigned in Italy alone with out care of any Emperour in so much that Nicholaus the first decreed that no secular Prince or Emperour should haue ought to do or be at the counsels of the clergie And after that Adrian the secoÌ„d was chosen Pope the Emperours deputie being in Rome and not once spokeÌ„ to of the matter And when the Emperours embassadours disdained they answered who can resiste the rage of the people and prayed them to be coÌ„tent and to salute him as Pope And Adrian the thyrde decreed that they should not abide or tarie for the Emperours confirmation or authoritie in chusing the Pope and that the Pope onely should call a general counsel and not the Emperour or if the Emperour would presume y t to do the counsell should be of none effect though all the prelates of ChristeÌ„dome were there and though what soeuer they did were but Gods word So mighty was the beast now waxed when he once began to raygne alone And from this tyme hetherto perished the power of the Emperours and the vertue of the Popes sayth Platina in y e lyfe of Popes For since that tyme as there was none Emperour of might so was there no Pope of any vertue After this Lewes the Empyre of Fraunce and of all DouchlaÌ„d was deuided betwene his three sonnes which as I sayde fought one with another and destroyed the strength of the Empyre of Fraunce And from that tyme to this which is aboue vij hundred yeares thou shalt reade of few Popes that haue not led their liues in bloudshedding in so much that if thou consider the stories well thou shalt easely perceaue that there hath bene flayne about their cause farre aboue xl huÌ„dred thousand men besides that there hath bene but few Princes in ChristeÌ„dome that hath not bene busied and combred a great part of his life about their matter Either in warres begunne at their setting on eyther in ceasing scismes or diuision that hath bene amoÌ„g the clergie who should be Pope or striuing of byshops who should be greatest as betwene the Byshop of Yorke Canterbury in England and betwene the Byshops of England Wales wherof all the chronicles be full or in reforming Fryers or Monkes or in sleying them that vttered their false hypocrisie wyth Gods worde When the Emperour was downe and no man in Christendome of any power to be feared then euery nacion fell vppon other and all landes were at variaunce betwene theÌ„selues And then as the Danes came into England and vexed the Englishmen and dwelt there in spite of their hartes euen so came straunge nacions whose names were scarce heard of before in these quarters as the Vandales Hunnes and Gothes and ran thorowout all Christendome by C. thousands together and subdued the landes and dwelt therin maâ—gre the inhabitours as thou mayst see in Douchland how diuers nacions are inclosed in y e middes of the lande of a straunge tongue which no Douchmen vnderstande and that rule continued well viij or ix score or two hundred yeares And in all this ceason whosoeuer wan the maystrye hym the spiritualtie receaued and him they crowned kyng and to him they claue And whatsoeuer any tyraunt had robbed all hys life that or the most part thereof must he deale among them at hys death for feare of Purgatory The spiritualtie all that ceason preached the Pope mightely built Abbayes for recreation and quyetnes shrining them alway for saintes which purchased them priuileges or fought for their liberties or disputed for the Popes power howsoeuer they liued but after l. yeare wheÌ„ their liues were forgotten and if any resisted theÌ„ whatsoeuer mischief they went about hym they noted in the chronicles as a cruell tyraunt ye and whatsoeuer misfortune chaunced any of hys posteritie after him that they noted also as though God had plagued them because their forefather was disobedient vnto holy church and euer put the stories that vttered their wickednes out of the way and gathered reliques froÌ„ whence they coulde get them and fayned myracles and gaue theÌ„selues only vnto Poetry and shut vp the scripture so that this was the very tyme of which Christ speaketh Math. xxiiij in which false Prophetes should arise shew myracles and wonders to deceaue the very electe if it had bene possible FInally in thys busie worlde the kynges of Lumbardy gatte a little might and came vp agayne and were diuers tymes Emperours though of no great might And one Beringarius kyng of Lumbardy began to meddle with our holy fathers busines Wherfore y e Poge fled vnto Ottho kyng of y e Saxons which by that tyme had gotten might and brought him into Italy against Beringarium which Ottho ouercame Beringarium and was made Emperour for his labour and thus came the Empyre first vnto Douchlande And Ottho receaued the Empyre of one Pope Iohn say they with thys othe I Ottho do promise and sweare vnto the Lord Iohn by the father the sonne and the holy Ghost and by this wod of the crosse that maketh liuing and by these reliques of Saintes that if I come to Rome with Gods helpe I will exalte the holy church of Rome and the gouernour of the same vnto my power Neyther shalt thou lose lyfe nor members or that honour that thou hast by my will counsell consent or setting a worke Moreouer I wyll make in Rome no constitution or ordinaunce of any thing that pertayneth vnto thee or vnto the Romaines with out thy counsell And what so euer of the landes of Saint Peter commeth vnto our hands I will deliuer it thee And vnto whosoeuer I shall commit the rule of Italy I will make hym sweare that he shall helpe thee to defende the landes of Saint Peter vnto his power And Gregory the fift when they had got at the last that which they long gaped for made this ordinaunce of chusing y e Emperour to stablishe it withall that vi Lordes of Almany iij.
he breake his fathers cōmaundementes though he be not vnder damnatiō yet is he euer child and rebuked and now then lasshed with the rod by the reason wherof he is neuer bold in his fathers presence But y t childe that kepeth his fathers commaūdements is sure of himselfe and bolde in his fathers presence to speake aske what he will They that minister well get them good degree and great confidēce in the fayth that is in Christ Iesu sayth Paule 1. Tim. 3. He that worketh is bold before God and man For hys conscience accuseth hym not within neither haue wee ought to wyte hym withall or to cast in his teeth And as without the sight of the woorkes Iacob the Apostle can not see thy fayth Iaco. 2. no more shalt thou euer be sure or bold before God or man But if our hartes condemne vs God is greater then our hart and knoweth all thyng If our conscience accuse vs of sinne God is so great and so mightie that it can not be hid Dearely beloued if our hartes condemne vs not then we trust to Godward And whatsoeuer wee aske that shall we receaue of him because we keepe his commaundementes and do the thynges whiche are pleasaunt in his sight Kepyng of the commaundementes maketh a man see his fayth and to bee bold therein And fayth when it is without conscience of sinne goeth into God boldly and is strong and mighty in prayer to coniure God by all hys mercyes therewith obtayneth what soeuer hee asketh of all his promises And the text sayth because we kepe his commaundementes Yea verely hys commaundemētes make vs bold But the keepyng of mens traditions and domine ceremonies make vs not bold before God nor certifie our conscience that our faith is vnfayned Thou shalt not know by sprynkling thy selfe with holy water nor kyssing the pax nor with takyng asshes or though thou were annoynted with all the oyle in Thames strete that thy fayth is sure But and if thou couldest finde in thyne hart to bestowe both lyfe and goodes vpon thy neighbour in a iust cause and hast proued it then art thou sure that thou louest Christ and feelest that thou hast thy trust in his bloud And this is his commaundemēt that wee beleue in his sonne Iesus Christ and loue one another as he gaue commaundement Fayth is the first and also the roote of all commaundementes And out of fayth spryngeth loue and out of loue workes And when I breake any commaundemēt I sinne agaynst loue For had I loued I had not done it And when I sinne agaynst loue I sinne agaynst fayth For had I earnestly and with a full trust remembred the mercy that Christ hath shewed me I must haue loued Wherefore when we haue broken any commaundement there is no other way to bee restored agayne thē to go through repētaunce vnto our fayth agayne and aske mercy for Christes sake And assoone as we haue receaued faith that our sinne is forgiuen wee shall immediatly loue the commaundemēt agayne and through loue receaue power to worke And he that keepeth his commaundemētes abideth in him and he in hym And hereby we knowe that there dwelleth in vs of hys spirite which he gaue vs. Through the woorkes we are sure that we continue in Christ and Christ in vs and that his spirite dwelleth in vs. For his spirite it is that kepeth vs in fayth and through fayth in loue and through loue in workes The fourth Chapter DEarely beloued beleue not euery spirit but proue the spirits whether they bee of God For many false Prophetes are gone out into the world Spirites are taken here for preachers because of the preachyng or doctrine which if it be good is of the spirite of God and if it be euill of the spirite of the deuill Now ought we not to beleue euery mans doctrine vnaduisedly or condeinne any mans preachyng yer it be heard and sene what it is But a Christen mās part is to examine iudge trie it whether it be true or no. Quench not the spirit saith Paul i. Thess the last Neither despise prophesiynges but proue all thyng and kepe that whiche is good Destroy not the giftes of the spirite of God but trie whether they be of God and good for the edifiyng of his congregation and keepe that whiche is good and refuse that whiche is euill And suffer euery person that hath any gift of God to serue God therin in his degree and estate after a Christen maner and a due order Why shall we try the doctrines Verely for there bee many false Prophetes abroad already We told you before that Antichrist should come as our master Christ told vs that he shuld come But now I certify you that Antichristes kyngdome is begon already And his Disciples are gone out to preache Trie therefore all doctrine wherewith shall we trie it with the doctrine of the Apostles and with the Scripture which is the touchstone ye and because ye loue compendiousnes ye shall haue a short rule to trie them with all Hereby knowe ye the spirite of God Euery spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the fleshe is of God And euery spirite that cōfesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God And the same is that spirite of Antichrist of whō ye haue heard that he should come And euen now he is in the world already Whatsoeuer opinion any member of Antichrist holdeth the ground of all his doctrine is to destroy this article of our fayth that Christ is come in the flesh For though the most part of all heretickes confesse that Christ is come in the flesh after their maner yet they deny that he is come as the Scripture testifieth the Apostles preached hym to be come The whole study of the deuill and all his members is to destroy the hope and trust that we should haue in Christes flesh and in those thynges which he suffered for vs in his flesh in the Testament and promises of mercy which are made vs in his flesh For the scripture testifieth that Christ hath taken away the sinne of the world in his flesh and that the same houre that he yelded vp his spirite into the hands of his father hee had full purged and made full satisfaction for all the sinnes of the world So that all the sinne of the worlde both before his passion and after must be put away through repentaunce toward the law and fayth and trust in his bloud without respect of any other satisfactiō sacrifice or worke For if I once sinne the law rebuketh my consciēce and setteth variaunce betwene God and me And I shal neuer be at peace with God agayne vntill I haue heard the voyce of hys mouth how that my sinne is forgiuen me for Christes bloud sake And assoone as I that beleue I am at peace with God Rom. v. and loue his law agayne and of loue
in their Sacrament euery where which thing is not like but they would haue done if that opinion had thē bene a generall article of the fayth Neither was there any heresie or diuersitie of opinion or disputyng about the matter till the Pope had gathered a Councell to confirme this transubstāciation wherfore it is most likely that this opinion came vp by thē of latter dayes Furthermore all the law and Prophetes all the Christ dyd or can yet do is to bring vs to beleue in him and in God the father through him for the remissiō of sinnes to bryng vs vnto that whiche immediatly foloweth out of that belefe to loue our neighbours for hys sake as he loued vs. Wherfore if Christ did put his bodilie presence in the Sacrament and would we should beleue it It is done onely to bring vs to this fayth Now is this fayth no where lesse had then where that opinion is most strong neither so cruelly persecuted of Iew or Turke as of thē that most feruently defend that opiniō True fayth maketh a man to loue hys brother but that opinion maketh them to hate and slay their brethren that better beleue in Christ then they of that opinion do and that murther do they for feare of losyng that they haue gotten through that opinion Item they of this opiniō in stede of teachyng vs to beleue in Christ teach vs to serue Christe with bodily seruice which thing is nought els but Idolatry For they preach that all the ceremonies of the Masse are a seruice to God by reason of the bodily workes to obtayne forgeuenes of sinnes therby and to deserue merite therewith And yet Christ is now a spiritual substaunce with his father hauyng also a spirituall body and with the father to be worshypped in spirite onely And his seruice in the spirite is onely to beleue in hym for the remissiō of sinne to call vpon hym giue hym thankes to loue our neighbours for his sake Now all workes done to serue man and to bryng him to this poynt to put his trust in Christ are good acceptable to God but done for any other purpose they be Idolatry and Imageseruice and make God an Idole or bodily Image Agayne seyng the fayth of the Testament in Christes bloud is the lyfe of the righteous from the begynnyng of the world to the end and for as much as the Sacramēt was instituted onely to bryng to this lyfe Now when they which thinke not the body to be presēt in the Sacramēt haue by the preaching and confirmation of the Sacrament obtayned this lyfe or stedfast fayth in Christes bloud and by the dayly vse of the Sacrament are more more hardned therein and in the loue that springeth thereof What reasonable cause haue the contrary part whiche beleue the body present and bread turned into the very body as flesh bones her◠sinewes nayles all other as he was put on the crosse of length and quantitie I cannot tell what to rayle on vs as heretickes hate persecute and slay vs most cruelly as enemyes Christ sayth Qui contra me non est mecum est He that is not agaynst me is with me Now they that beleue in Christ for the remissiō of their sinnes and for his sake loue their foes are not Christes enemies Ergo they be on Christes side Why then should they that boast them selues to be Christes trendes slay thē Fayth in Christes bloud and in the father thorough him is Gods seruice in spirite And so haue they whiche beleue not the bodily presence serued God a long time and there to bene holpen by the Sacrament The other part fallen there from through beleuyng the body present seruyng God with bodily seruice which is Idolatrie and to make God an Idoll or Image in that they trust in the goodnes of their woorkes as they which serue tyrauntes not in the goodnes of God through trust in the bloud of Christ Ergo they that beleue not the bodily presence not a litle therto compelled through the wicked Idolatrie of the contrary belefe are not to be thought so euill as the other would haue them seme to be Paule teacheth 1. Cor. 13. that if a man had all other giftes that God can giue man and had not charitie to loue his neighbour it helpeth not For all other giftes and the remissiō in Christes bloud also are giuen hym of God to bryng hym to loue hys neighbour which thing had a mā hath all which not had a man hath nothyng And Phil. 2. how swetely and how vehemently cōiureth he them to draw all one way to be of one accorde one mynde or sentence And to do nothyng of strife or of vayne glory that is to say of hate or disdayne one of another or of affectiō to him selfe for to seme glorious but ech to preferre other through mekenes and to haue his opinion suspect and to feare least he hath not obtayned the vnderstandyng rather thē of presumption to his owne witte to despise hate the cōtrary party persecute as a tyraunt And in the thyrd of the same Paul sayth let as many as be perfect that is to say be truly taught and know the law truly and her office and the office and effect of fayth and know whiche be good workes before God and what the intent of them is let sayth he so serue as we be come procede in one rule that we may be of one accorde Now hetherto we be all come and this generall rule haue we gotten that fayth onely instifieth that is to say that the sinne is forgiuen onely for Christes sake againe that our duety is to loue our neighbours no lesse then Christ loued vs wherfore let vs procede forth in this rule exhort ech other to trust to Christ to loue ech other as Christ dyd and in this where in we all agree let vs bewise onely feruēt and striue who shal be greatest and go formost And in this which is not opened to all parties let vs be meeke sober and cold and keepe our wisedome secret to ourselues and abyde paciētly till God open it to other also The cause why the third part say that this worde is compelleth vs not to beleue the bodily presence of Christ to be there is this The Iewes say they are wont euer to name the memoriall and signes of thinges with the very name of the thyng signified that the very name might the better keepe the thyng in mynde As when Iacob Gene. 32. turned home agayne out of Mesopotamia saw the aūgels of God come agaynst hym hee called the place where he saw thē Mahanaim An host because his posteritie in tyme to come when they hard the field whiche was none host yet so called should aske why it was so named y t their elders might thereby haue an occasion to teach that Iacob saw there an host of
the poore become Peters patrimonie 352. b Altar 277. b Alteration of Gods word intollerable 23. a AlteratioÌ„ of bread into Christs body not proued by any scripture 465. b Alteration of thynges for the abuse therof 299. b Ambition 290. b. altereth her masters message 201. a Ambitious personnes haue neither fayth nor can doe good message 141. b Amendement of lyfe foloweth true faith 303. b. the same to be wished for 177. b Amendement may be in all thinges 393. a Amice 277. b Anger how no sinne 203. a Anker of our saluation 188. b Annoyntyng 408. b Annoyntyng of the head 227. a. and of Priestes sincerely 133. a Answere of the Popishe Churche 292. b. of Cloysterers to the poore 243. a Answere to the Papistes by Paule concernyng iustification 44. b Anselmus the Popes Chapleine 362. b Antichrist 406. b. What it signifieth 60. a. who it is 407. b Antichrist is knowen 286. b Antichrist his Churche 290. a. his properties 60. b Antichrist beleueth Christ to be commen in the fleshe 415. a. wresteth Scriptures 357. a Antichrist sendeth hys soorth with false names and signes 134. a Antichrist hath reigned among vs long tyme. 60. b. 407. a. subuerteth all thynges 162. b. turneth the roote vpward 130. a Antithesis betwene Christ and the Pope 175. b. betwene the Popes Church and Christes 292. b Antioch Peters see 358. b A poena culpa 151. a Apostles alledge not their owne authoritie 344. a. their fayth rayled on by Papistes 422. b. all had like authoritie of Christe 257. b. all sent out 358. a Apostles howe they blessed vs. 157. a. gaue vs no blynde ceremonies 129. a Apostles doubtfull 261. a. their ignoraunce 26. a Apostles howe they first celebrated the Lordes Supper 476. a. neither shauen shorne nor annointed 133. a. knew not the Popes vsurped authoritie 392. b Apostles taught thynges they write not 255. b. they taught obedience 340. preached Christ and not Peter 125. b. their doctrine is firme 256. b. must be cleaâ—ed vnto 40â— a Apostles preached repentauÌ„nce to the Iewes 28. a. made heretikes of the pope with their master Christ 265. a Apparaunt godlynesse in Popishe Decrees 312. a Appearaunce of godlynes 291. a Application of vowes 21. a Argumentes Popishe to bee noted 260. a. to know false Prophetes by 403. a Argumentes prouyng our saluation in Christ 432. a. Worthy notyng touchyng the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper 447. b Aristotle 103. a beleued of Papistes before Christ 61. b Aristotle and Plato cannot vnderstand the Scriptures 88. a Armour of the Popishe spiritualty 176. b. of a Christian man 423. a Armes sent into Fraunce 371. b A true story 369. a Attrition a new seyned word 148. b Auarice 405. a Aungels bound of the Pope 150. a Authority of Peter 358. b. of his successour onely is to preache 173. b. not aboue the rest 343. b Authoritie of the Pope 149. b. chalenged ouer God and man 150. a Auricular contession opened all secretes 116. b. standeth not with Gods Testament 155. b Austen his opinioÌ„ of the SacrameÌ„t Calleth it a signe of Christes body 474. b Austen his place of the Churche expouÌ„ded 266. a. he complayneth one hys tyme. 277. b B. BAdges of sundry fashions among the shauelynges 140. a Badge of loue 417. b Baggages superstitious 271. b Baggage all the Popes doctrine 248. b Balaam 251. a. 254. b Balaam an example 306. a Baptisme 14. b. 187. b. 226. a. description therof 14. b Baptisme figured by Circumcision compared with CircumcisioÌ„ 467. b. is euerlastyng 148. a. to vs as Circumcision to the Iewes 437. b Baptisme inward of the soule what 187. b â–ª Baptisme to what ende 411. a. teacheth repentaunce 14. b. what it woorketh in vs. 441. b. without fayth not auaylable ibidem Baptisme 〈◊〉 y t SacrameÌ„t of Christes Supper are most necessary 467. b Barren fayth without loue 332. b Bâ—…le betwene the spirite and the flesh 46. a Beauty of the tabernacle 9. a Beggers in times past not suffred to runne abroad 133. b Beggers Friers 355. a Begynnyng of penaunce and Purga toâ—… 97. b. of the Popes authoritie 352. b Behauiour in readyng Scriptures and Doctours 106. b Beleâ— in Christ what 131. a. in God and contempt of the world 7. b. of Christes humanitie and diuinitie 390. b Belefe in Gods promise iustifieth 117. b. in Christ 390. b Belefe must be takeÌ„ heede to 286. b Beâ—… of the resurrection is an article 〈◊〉 our fayth 431. b Belefe in Christ and that he dyed not alâ—â—e 130. b Belefe in God 238. b Beleuers in God whom 287. b. in man cursed 267. a Beleuers in Christ must folow him 132. b Beleuing remissioÌ„ of sinnes in Christ 321. a Belly Gods reproued of Christ 457. a Bels christined 152. a Benefite of Christes death of whom receaued 443. b Beren garius kyng of Lombardy 352. a â—…wyng of benefices wickedly 360. a Bibles searched for to bee burned 454. b 〈…〉 straunge worde to Popishe Curates 102. a 〈…〉 warnyng to y â— godly 454. b Byndyng lowsing 123. by the meanyng therof 174. a. and 150. a. b Byndyng and lowsing commeth thoroâ—…chyng 15. a. are of one 〈…〉 174. a Bâ—… 1â—4 a. and â—4â— b. ouerse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a. why ordayned 251. b Byshop described â—4 a Bysâ—… of Fraunce 114. b. of â—yn 〈…〉 b. 〈◊〉 Alâ—…e 114. b. of 〈…〉 â—â—essed downe the 〈◊〉 1â—… a 〈…〉 of Rome 〈◊〉 the proue 〈…〉 Their ofâ—… in primitiue 〈…〉 346. b 〈…〉 must not be â—â—gitiue 2â—2 a. 〈◊〉 should be 〈…〉 and not 〈…〉 285. b Bâ—â—hops 〈…〉 all 〈◊〉 b. they perseâ—… 114. b 〈…〉 not swâ—… 〈◊〉 kynges but 〈…〉 to them 〈◊〉 b. they 〈…〉 141. a 〈…〉 thâ—◠〈…〉 or reach false doctrine none of Gods annoynted 135. b Bishop of Durham 374. a Birdes and beastes examples of securitie 334. a Blasing of armes 113. a. and of hypocrites 291. b Blasphemy of Christes death by papistes 16. b Blessed who 34. b Blessednes through whom 394. a Blessyng 110. a. of God to Abraham 436. b. of Bishops 157. a Blessyng what it meaneth 145. a Blindnes through Allegories 14. a. of the Iewes 457. a. of our nature 44. a Bloud of Christ in whom lost 132. b Bloud of fayth feedeth Christ Gospell 453. b Bloud of Christ washeth away actual sinne 32. a. maketh perfect our workes 31. a Bloud sacrifices 424. b Bodyly exercise 280. a Bodyly seruice satisfieth not God 184. b. and 284. a. nor purgeth the soule 306. b Bodyly eatyng of Christe profiteth not 464. b Body of Christ spirituall in the Sacrament 310. b. naturally not in the Sacrament 316. b Body and bloud of Christ how to be receiued 316. b Body subiect to the Prince soule to God 271. b Boldnes of spirite in Christes cause bringeth immortalitie 454. a Bones not to be worâ—hypped 281. b Boniface the thyrd 347. b Bootes 134. b Borne of God all that loue hym 416. a Borowed spech 397. a Bountifulnes towarde our neighbour 383.
frō all their iniquities and that all the nations of the world should be blessed in him Gene. xij This séede he promised of his mercy fauour whō also he sent in the time that he had ordeined Gala. iiij not for our owne deseruynges but for his truthes sake to fulfill that he had promised This Christ is become our righteousnes i. Cor. i. so y t the iustice of God is not to geue vs y ◠we our selues haue deserued as Rastell lyeth but to cloth vs with an other mans iustice that is Christes to geue vs y ◠which Christ hath deserued for vs. And this iustice of God through the fayth of Iesu cōmeth vnto all and vpon all them that beleue Roma iij. Now marke a mystery Christ humbled him selfe and was made obedient vnto the death euen to the death of y t crosse Phil. ij This obedience and death was not for himselfe but for vs for he alone suffered and dyed for vs all Cor. v. Now sith hee was obedient vnto the death for vs that is euen as good as though we our selues had bene obedient euery man for him selfe vnto the death And sith he dyed for vs that is euē as good as though we had dyed our selues for our owne sinnes What wilt thou haue more of a man then that hee be obedient vnto God the father euen vnto death yea dye for his sinnes wilt thou yet thrust hym into Purgatory On these two lyes bryngeth he in an aunswere which is so confused intricate and long that it were not onely foolishnes to solute it but also much lost labour cost to rehearse it wherfore I let it passe for euery child shall easely solute it sith his foūdation and first stone is taken from hym But yet one thyng is necessary to be touched He goeth about to proue hys purpose with an ensample on this maner If I do beate thy seruaunt or apprentisse and do mayme him wher by thou doest loose his seruice and also that this seruaunt duryng hys life is not able to get his lyuyng If so be that thou do forgeue me the offēce done vnto thee in that thou hast lost his seruice yet am I boūd to make an other satisfaction vnto thy seruaunt for the hurt I haue done him which is the cause of the hynderaunce of his lyuyng And in lyke maner if I haue offended God and my neighbour Albeit God for geue me his deale yet can he not of iustice forgeue me my neyghbours deale to but yet must I make satisfaction vnto my neyghbour Now in case I would and be not able to fatisfie my neyghbour and yet he forgeue me not then must I suffer in the paynes of Purgatory for it those paynes shall stād my neighbour in profite for part of his Purgatory if he come there or els to the increase of his ioy if he go to heauē this is y t sūme but he speaketh it in many mo wordes Now because he hath touched the matter of satisfactiō I wil shew you my minde therin There are twoo maner of satisfactions The one is to God the other to my neighbour To God can not all the worlde make satisfaction for one crime In so much that if euery grasse of the grounde were a man euen as holy as euer was Paul or Peter and should pray vnto God all their lyues long for one crime yet could they not make satisfaction for it But it is onely the bloud of Christ that hath made full satisfaction vnto God for all such crimes Heb. vij or els were there no remedy but we should all perish as I haue proued before And he that seeketh any other satisfaction towardes God then Christ our Sauiour hee doth wrong vnto his precious bloud There is an other satisfactiō which is vnto my neighbour whom I haue offended As if I haue taken any mās good from hym For then am I bound to pacifie him either by restoring it agayne or els by other meanes as we two can agrée If I haue diffamed hym then am I bound to pacifie him and to restore him vnto his good fame agayne and so forth But if I be not able to satisfie him thē must I knowledge my selfe giltie and desire him to forgeue me and then is he bounde to forgeue me or els shal he neuer enter into heauē For God hath taught vs to pray Math. vj. that he should forgeue vs as we forgeue them that trespasse against vs so if that we forgeue not one an other then will not God forgeue vs. To this well agréeth the parable Math. xviij The kyngdome of heauen is likened vnto a certaine kyng which would take accomptes of his seruauntes And when he had begon to recken one was brought to hym whiche ought him ten thousand talentes but when he had nought to pay the Lord commaunded him to be sold and his wife and his children all that he had payment to be made The seruaunt fell downe besought him saying Syr geue me respite and I will paye it euery whit Then had the Lord pitie on the seruaunt and losed him and forgaue him y t debt The same seruaunt went out and founde one of his felowes which ought hym an C. pence And layed handes on hym and tooke him by the throat saying pay that thou owest And his felow fell downe and besought him saying haue pacience with me I will pay thée all he would not but went and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt Whē his other felowes saw what was done they were very sory and came told vnto their Lord all that happened Then the Lord called hym sayd vnto him Deuill seruaunt I forgaue thée all the debt because y ◠praydest me was it not méete also y t thou shouldest haue had cōpassion on thy felow euen as I had pitie on thée And his Lord was wroth and deliuered him to the gaylers till he should paye all that was due to hym So lykewise shall your heauenly father doe vnto you if you will not forgeue with your harts ech one to his brother their trespasses Here mayest thou sée that if you forgeue hartly the small debt or offence y ◠thy neighbour hath done agaynst thée then will thy heauenly father forgeue thée y t whole and great debt that thou owest hym for the which thou art well worthy to be damned And so is it more profitable for thée to forgeue it then that thy neighbour should broyle in Purgatory for it as Rastell fayneth And contrarywise if thou forgeue him not thē shall not God forgeue thée thy great debt but thou shalt surely be dāned and so shall not thy neighbours Purgatory profite thée be it in case there were one and that he should goe thether but it is rather the cause of thy dānation but this can not Rastell sée NOw
God 69. Christ sayth blessed are ye when men hate you curse you and excommunicate you for the righteousnes that is to say you nothing giltye nor worthy such affliction The Pope and Byshoppes saye that their curse is sore to be feared yea and that it maketh men as blacke as a coale in the sight of God though they haue not offended In so much that they must néedes be damned except they absoile them agayne howbeit Christ sayth that they are blessed wherfore Christ is false or els they are most vayne lyers 70. Christ sayde when thou makest a dinner or feast call not thy frendes kinsmen and neighbours that are riche but the poore lame and blinde which are not able to recompeÌ„ce thée then shalt thou be happye for it shall be rewarded thée in the resurrection of the iust The Pope and Byshoppes wyll call none such for they thinke it great shame but they call men of great authoritie and riches which wil receiue them wyth an other feast they had leuer haue their bellies well stuffed in this world then to tary for the promise of Christ They thinke it long a comming 71. Christ sayth eyther make y e trée good and his fruite good also or els make the trée naught and his fruite naught also meaning that the trée first shoulde be good and then bringe forth good fruite the fruite maketh not the trée good but the trée maketh the fruite good although we can not know that the trée is good but by hys fruite for we can iudge nothing but by his outward operation yet God séeth the quicknes in the roote which in the tyme that God hath appointed him shall bring forth his fruite And approueth y e trée to be good although he séeme dead vnto vs. The trée is fayth which is the mother of all good workes which euer worketh by charitie when he séeth occasion The Pope and Byshops say that the fruite maketh the trée good cleane contrary to all Scripture and reason And thus turne they the trées and the rootes vpwarde while they affirme that fayth springeth and is made good of workes And not the contrary eueÌ„ as a man would say the fruite bringeth forth and maketh good the trée And not the contrary O what madnes is is They woulde make men beleue if they shoulde longe continue that y e Moone is made of grene chese 72. Christ sayth I am the doore of the folde he that entreth not in by the doore but by some other waye is a théefe a murtherer and regardeth not the shéepe The Pope yea and all the cleargie for the most part enter not in by Christ but they runne in and are not called nor sent of Christ One entreth by a bagge of money wherewyth he buyeth a fatte benefice An other entreth by seruing great men and corying fauour An other because he is a great man borne must be made a Cardinall or els a Bpshop Some haue voysons of Abbayes and other places to speake a good worde for them to the kyng or other great men Some enter thorowe their curious singing and minyon daunsing fewe or none for vertue learninge 73. Christ sayth I am a good shepheard A good shephead geueth hys lyfe for hys shéepe The Pope and Byshoppes say also that they are good shepheards how be it they pille and shere the sheepe so nigh that they leaue not one locke of wolle on their backes And in all pointes may be likened vnto the shepheardes that Zacharias prophesied of which sayth I shall rayse vp a shepheard in the earth which shal not visite the thinges that are forsaken and shall not séeke that which is gone astray neither yet heale the diseased nor nourishe and mayntayne that which standeth but such a shepheard that shall norishe himselfe and not the shéepe and cryeth out of hym saying O thou shepheard and idoll thynke you that this shepheard wyll geue his lyfe for the shéepe 74. Christ sayth desire you not to be called master for you haue but one master which is Christ and all you are brothers The Pope will be called most holy hys Cardinalles most reuerend hys Byshoppes reuerend hys Abbottes and Priors most and other glorious titles haue they that passe master farre And except thou call them by those names and titles thou shalt runne farre into their indignation let Christ say what he wyll 75. Christ commaunded his Disciples that they should call no man father on the earth shewing them that they had but one father which is in heauen The Pope must be called most holy father if thou geue him not that name he will excommunicate you out of his sinagoge reason not with him you may shew him the scripture but it auayleth not for he will wrest it wring it into a thousand fashions And will neuer leaue it vntill he haue brought it vnto his owne purpose 76. Christes faithfull seruaunt Stephen sayd that God almighty dwelleth not in temples y â— are made with mans hands according vnto the prophetes saying Heauen is my seate and the earth is my footestole What house will you builde for me sayth the Lorde which is the place of my reste Did not my handes make all these thinges The Pope and his adhereÌ„tes say that he dwelleth in this place and that place the Friers say we haue hym you must bye hym of vs the Monkes say he is with vs be good to our monastery and you shall be sure to haue hym And so runne the sely soules froÌ„ Herode to Pilate But they finde not Christ for he dwelleth in no place but in the hart of a faithful maÌ„ which is the very temple of God 77. Christes Apostle Paule sayth We ought not to thinke that God is like gold siluer karâ—ed stones or any such thyng as man imagineth The Pope and his adherentes say that he is lyke a stocke and a stone causeth men to make images of hym though God commaunded contrary saying Thou shalt make no grauen image neither any maner of similitude of those thynges whiche are in heaueÌ„ aboue or on the earth beneath Neither of those thynges whiche are in the water or vnder the earth neither shalt thou honour or worshyppe them Good Christen beware of these Idolles as Saint Iohn councelleth thée truely I thinke it be one of the greatest causes of this exceâ—ation which God hath sent into the world for sinne 78. Christ sayd vnto Peter thou art Symon the sonne of Iona thou shalt be called Cephas which if it be enterpreted signifieth a stone as S. Iohn sayth in his Gospell The Pope sayth that Cephas signifieth the head and of that gathereth he to be head of all the Byshops here doth he playnly contrary to Gospell whiche expoundeth Cephas to bee a stone what impudencie is this I thinke he would say also that an Asse were a man if he thought to get any auauntage through it There
are infinite other thynges wherein hee contrarieth Christ in so much that if it be diligētly examined I thinke there is no word that Christ spake but the other hath taught or made a law agaynst it Howbeit for to auoyde tediousnes we shall leaue them vnto your owne iudgement for they are soone searched out espyed Iudge Christē reader all these things with a simple eye be not parcially addict to the one nor to the other But Iudge them by the Scripture And knowledge that to be the truth which Gods word doth alow auoydyng all other doctrine for it springeth of Sathan be not ashamed to confesse poore Christ and to take him for thy head before these rauenous Wolues for then shall he cōfesse thée agayn before his father the aungelles in heauen Then shalt thou bee inheritour with Iesu Christe And the faythfull sonne of thy father whiche is in heauen to whom be all glory eternally Amen ¶ Here endeth the Antithesis betwene Christe and the Pope A booke made by Iohn Frith prisoner in the Tower of London aunsweryng vnto M. Mores letter which he wrote against the first litle treatise that Iohn Frith made concernyng the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ vnto which booke are added in the ende the articles of hys examination before the Bishops of London Winchester and Lyncolne in Paules Churche at London for which Iohn Frith was condemned and after burned in Smithfield without Newgate the fourth day of Iuly Anno. 1533. ¶ The Preface of this booke GRace and increase of knowledge from God the father through our Lorde Iesus Christ be with the Christen reader and with all them that loue the Lord vnfaynedly Amen I chaunced beyng in these parties to be in company with a Christen brother which for his commēdable conuersation and sober behauiour might better be a Byshop then many that weare miters if the rule of S. Paule were regarded in their election This brother after much communication desired to know my mynde as touchyng the Sacrament of the body and bloud of our sauiour Christ Which thing I opened vnto hym accordyng to the gift that God had geuen me First I proued vnto hym that it was no article of our fayth necessary to be beleued vnder payne of damnation Then I declared that Christ had a naturall body euen as myne is sauyng sinne and that it could no more bee in two places at once thē myne cā Thirdly I shewed him that it was not necessarie that the wordes should so be vnderstand as they sound But that it might be a phrase of Scripture as there are innumerable After that I shewed him certaine phrases and maner of speakynges And that it was well vsed in our English toung and finally I recited after what maner they might receiue it according to Christes institutiō not fearyng the froward alteration that the Priests vse contrary to the first forme and institution When I had sufficiently published my mynde hee desired me to entitle the sūme of my wordes and write them for hym because they seemed ouerlong to be well reteined in memorie And albeit I was loth to take the matter in hand yet to fulfill his instant intercession I tooke vpon me to touche this terrible tragedie and wrote a treatise whiche beside my paynfull imprisonmēt is like to purchase me most cruell death which I am ready and glad to receiue with the spirite and inward man although the fleshe be frayle when soeuer it shall please God to lay it vpon me Notwithstādyng to say the truth I wrote it not to the intēt that it should haue ben published For then I would haue touched the matter more earnestly and haue written as well of the spirituall eating drinking which is of necessitie as I dyd of the carnall which is not so necessarie For the treatise that I made was not expedient for all men albeit it were sufficient for them whom I tooke in hand to instruct For they knew the spirituall and necessarie eatyng and drinkyng of his body bloud which is not receiued with the teth and bellye but with the eares and faith and onely neded instructiō in the outward eating whiche thing I therfore onely declared But now it is cōmon abroad and in many mēs mouthes in so much that M. More whiche of late hath busied hym selfe to medle in all such matters of what zeale I will not define hath sore labored to confute it but some mē thinke that he is ashamed of his part and for that cause doth so diligently suppresse the woorke whiche he printed For I my selfe saw the worke in Print in my Lord of Winchesters house vpon S. Stephens day last past But neither I neither all the frēdes I could make might attaine any copie but onely one written copie whiche as it seemed was drawen out in great hast notwithstandyng I can not well iudge what the cause should bee that his boke is kept so secret But this I am right sure of that he neuer touched the foundation that my treatise was builded vpon And therefore sith my foundation standeth so sure and inuincible for els I thinke verely he would sore haue laboured to haue vndermined it I will thereupon builde a litle more and also declare that his ordinaūce is to slender to breake it downe although it were set vppon a woorse foundation ¶ The foundation of that litle treatise was that it is no article of our fayth necessary to be beleued vnder payne of damnation that the Sacrament should be the naturall body of Christ which thyng is proued on this maner FIrste we must all acknowledge that it is no article of our fayth which can saue vs nor which we are bound to beleue vnder the paine of eternal damnation For if I should beleue that hys very naturall body both flesh and bloud were naturally in the bread and wine that should not saue me seyng many beleue that and receiue it to their damnation for it is not his presence in the bread that can saue me but his presence in my hart through faith in his bloud which hath washed out my sinnes and pacified y t fathers wrath toward me And agayne if I doe not beleue his bodely presence in the bread and wyne that shall not damne me but the absence out of my hart thorough vnbelefe Now if they would here obiect that though it be truth that the absēce out of the bread could not damne vs yet are we bounde to beleue it because of gods word which who beleueth not as much as in him lyeth maketh God a lyer And therfore of an obstinate mynde not to beleue hys word may be an occasion of damnation To this we may answere that we beleue Gods worde and knowledge that it is true but in this we dissent whether it be true in the sence that we take it in or in the sence that ye take it in And we say agayne that though
bee and as you haue wel deserued that I should bée I could so set out this matter that all mē should spytte at you but I will vse my selfe charitable toward you and if the matter had not béene so haynously and so violently hādled of you I would not haue geuen you one ill woorde But now let no man require of me that I should vnto such an abhominable detestable deuill as hath brought in this wicked and shamefull learnyng and maners put of my cappe make low curtesie and geue fayre wordes and say God geue you good morow syr deuill how fare you I am glad of your welfare and prosperity your Lordship doth rule very graciously and all men prayseth you I doubte not but God shall prosper you I say let no man require this of me for I am and will bée so taken for his mortall enemy whersoeuer I doe finde hym whether hée bée Lord or Byshop sauing peraduenture if I spye hym dwelling in a Byshoppe I wyll not hādle him with so rough wordes for the weaknes of certayne men as I would if I founde him in an other place It were not vncharitable if I recited here by name the innocent bloud that you haue shed in my time for the speaking against your vnlawfull doctrine Alas what fault coulde ye sinde in good mayster Bylney whō ye haue cast away so violently I dare say there is not one among you that knew hym but must commende and prayse his vertuous lyuinge And though you had founde him with a litle faulte the which I thinke and hée were now aliue should be no faulte alas would you cast away so cruelly so good a man and so true a mā both to God and to his kyng But I will returne agayne to my purpose and shewe an other example how you haue learned and taught to set kings and kingdomes togither by y e eares for the maintenance of your dignities and doctrines Pope Vrban the vj. which was chosē in the yeare of our Lord 1378. by sedition violence of Romaines which would haue no Cardinall of Fraunce because they woulde the Pope shoulde bee resident in Rome This Vrban I say deuising how to mayntaine his secte and part agaynst his aduersary which was called Clement of whose side y e kyng of Fraūce helde sent to the kyng of England Ed. the 3. the which as than was not well content with the Frenche kyng certayne Bulles contaynyng cleane remission a poena a culpa for all them that would wage battayle against the kyng of Fraunce against them that were of Clementes side And because the kyng and his Lords shoulde bée the willinger to take battayle on them hée sent a commaundement to the Byshops to rayse of the spiritualtie a taxe for to pay the souldiours wyth Moreouer because the Duke of Lancaster had a tytle to the kyngdome of Castell the which helde of Clementes side therefore y e Pope graunted that part of this money should also bée deliuered to hym if hée would wage battayle agaynst y e kyng of Castell promysing hym also that hée would styrre the kyng of Portyngale which than had also varyaunce with the sayde kyng of Castelll to warre agaynst the sayd kyng and to the mayntaynyng of his warre hée would graūt y t kyng of Portyngale a demy of his spiritualty thorow all his Realme How much was gathered in Portyngale our stories maketh no mension but in London and in the diocese was gathered a tūne of golde and in the whole realme of England was gathered xxv C. M. frankes whiche makes in Englishe money CC. lxxvij M. vij C. lxxvij 〈◊〉 And because this money was gathered of y e spiritualitie and by their diligence therefore the Pope ordayned Henry Spenser the Byshop of Norwych to bée the chiefe captayne of this warre but or euer the Pope coulde brynge this matter to passe he sent to y e king to his Lordes and to his Byshoppes xxx Bulles So that at the last thys foresayd Byshop of Norwyche was sent foorth with a greate number of men in the wages of the Church And the Duke of Lankester likewise agaynst the kyng of Castell Theyr oth was geuen them to fight agaynst no man nor countrey that helde with Pope Vrban And our chronicle saith that Pope Vrban would haue made peace betwene the Frēch king and ours at the last How thinke you is not this a pretie practise to set men together by the eares and than to make them beleeue that he woulde make a peace Fyrst we must haue cleane remission to fight and thā wée shall bée curssed as blacke as a potte if wée will make no peace And why because the Pope hath hys purpose Is not this a goodly packyng of spirituall men Is not here goodly obedience taught toward Princes Bée not mens soules well fed wyth thys doctrine Bée not these good fathers that thus watcheth nyght and daye for y t cure and charge that they haue of mens soules Marke how charitable and liberall that the holy Fathers bée in distributing of Christes merites Euery man that fighteth in his cause shall haue cleane remission a pena a culpa and must néedes bée the childe of saluation Let Christ say and doe what hée can for the holye Church hath so determined And that no man shoulde doubt of it there bée xxx Bulles graunted and that vnder leade And the Church of Rome can not erre for the spirituall lawe sayth what the sea of Rome doth approue that must néedes bée allowed and that that she reproueth must bée of no strength Likewise in an other place So must the decrées of the sea of Rome bée accepted as though they were spoken by the godly voyce of Peter hymselfe Agaynst these thinges dare I not speake for I would fayne bee taken for a Christen man but yet I muste bee so bolde to speake one worde the truth is the deuill himselfe hath blowen out these presumptuous voyces And yet mē must set both life soule on these wordes For there bée xxx Bulles of leade to confirme the matter And that is a weightye thynge But when kyng Iohn our naturall prince shoulde haue had of the pyed Mōkes for the defēce of this realme but a small summe of money Than was there neuer a Bull to gette nor yet one Byshop in Englād to preach on his side But now CC. M. pound gathered in one Lent and a greate deale more for the maintainaūce of y e pope his holy flesh Was not this a marueilous subiectiō that we should suffer our selues so lightly to bée moued to geue not onely so greate a sūme of money but also to send forth in the defence of such a wicked person our naturall brethren kinsemen and countreymen I dare say of my conscience that in fiue hūdred yeares there was not such a summe of money so lightly graunted were the cause neuer so great vnto our right naturall and
of workes is excluded and yet will you boaste your workes Heare you not playnely S. Paules sentence that iudgeth clearely wyth fayth and agaynst all workes How can this bée auoyded Is it not cleare What can bée aunswere to it Is not thys Paules proposition that hée tooke to prooue faith onely iustifieth It were but lost labour for Paule to proue that workes did helpe to iustification For that the Iewes did graunt and required no more but that workes might not bée clearely excluded They were Christened and content to receiue Christ for their sauiour but not onely and alonely This was the contentation In so much that they gloryed agaynst the Gentiles which had no maner of workes and for that dispised them as people vnworthy to bée iustified But paraduenture here wyll bée sayde that Paule condemneth the workes of the olde lawe but not the workes of the newe lawe Are you nowe satisfied in your conscience Thinke you that you haue well assoyled S. Paules argumeÌ„t Thinke you that this is sufficient to auoyde Saint Paule that hath takeÌ„ so great labour to prooue this cause Thinke you that you shall bée thus discharged afore God If you doe then goe boldly into the straite iudgement of God with this euasion and doubt you not but there shall you finde S. Paule as stifly and as strongly against you and your newe workes as euer hée was agaynst the Iewes and theyr olde workes And if hée did condemne the works of the law that were instituted by the mouth of God and the best workes that euer were Thinke you that those workes that you haue inuented shal be there alowed Briefely what workes can you doe or excogitate that bée good which bée not in the olde lawe and of the olde lawe Ergo hée speaketh of all maner of workes for the lawe includeth all workes that euer God instituted The highest and the best and most of perfection of all workes bée Opera decalogi the workes of the ten Commaundementes And these bée the workes of the olde lawe and can not iustifie after your owne saying Nowe what workes haue you of the nowe lawe other then these or better then these Our mayster Christ sheweth that in fulfilling ij of these Commaundementes bée all workes included What workes then bée of the newe lawe that were not commaunded in the olde Paraduenture you will say All those workes that Christ speaketh of in the v. of Math. bée of the newe lawe and not of the olde For Christ sayth I say vnto you He that calleth his brother foole or that looketh on a woman to desire her and such like doth offend These séeme to bée workes of Christ and not of Moyses Ergo there bée works of the newe lawe that were not coÌ„maunded in the olde and against theÌ„ disputeth not S. Paule say yée To this I aunswere that our maister Christ doth there reprooue y t false interpretation that the Scribes and Pharysies did set to the lawe but hée teacheth no newe workes nor is no geuer of any newe lawe For Saint Iohn sayth The lawe is geuen thorough Moyses but grace and veritie came by Iesus Christ Hée is the géeuer of grace and mercy as all the prophetes testifieth and not an other Moyses And therfore to purchace vs fauour hée dyed on the crosse and so did not Moyses But hée commaundeth vs to doe this and doe that But Christ sayth hange thou on my doing beléeue thou that I haue done for thée for thée and not for mée Now to our purpose Christ I say doth interprete and declare the olde lawe agaynst the Scribes and Pharyses which learned that the lawe was fulfilled and content wyth outwarde workes and that was their iustification This false doctrine doth our mayster Christ reprooue And sayth that the lawe doth require a pure and a cleane hart and will haue hys workes fulfilled out of the hart and not alonely wyth hand and séete and toothe and nayle as the Pharyses sayth and teacheth So that our mayster Christ teacheth no new workes but alonely expresseth the vertue of the olde lawe And thus doth holy Doctours declare this v. chapiter of Math. and specially S. Augustine Wherfore out of that place caÌ„ not bée prooued that there bée certayne workes of the new law that were ueuer commaunded in the olde Moreouer looke in the olde lawe whether these thinges bée forbidden or commaunded and you shall finde that the wordes of the law and Christes exposition doth agrée So that our mayster teacheth no newe thyng nor yet any newe workes But now graunt that there bée certayne workes of the new lawe which bée not of the olde yet haue you not nor caÌ„ not prooue that those shall iustifie For there can bée no more goodnesse in workes then were in workes of the olde lawe for they were to Gods honour and to the profite of our neighbour What goodnes can works haue more And yet you graunt that they can not iustifie How then shall your newe workes iustifie Blessed Saint Paule disputeth agaynst them that were Christened and had both workes of the olde lawe and also of the newe And yet concludeth hee that Christ alonely was their iustifier Marke his argument if righteousnes coÌ„meth of the law then is Christ dead in vayne As hée woulde say if the lawe helpe to iustifie for that was the opinion of the Iewes then is not Christ alonely your iustifier If hée be not your iustifier alonely then is bée dead in vayne How will S. Paule proue this consequent On this maner Eyther Christ doth thys thyng alone or els hée is dead in vayne for hée will haue no helper Thys must néedes bée the meaning of hys argument there Now will I take this argument of S. Paule and likewise dispute agaynst your newe woorkes If newe woorkes doe helpe to iustifie then is Christ deade in vayne But Christ is not dead in vayne Ergo new workes doe not helpe to iustify The first part is Paules The second you graunt Therfore the third must â—â—edes folow But let vs sée how S. Paule proueth this preposition by an example not of the olde lawe as though hée disputed alonely agaynst the works of the ould lawe But by that holy and excellent Patriarch Abraham whoÌ„ no maner of workes coulde iustifye but fayth onely Thynke you y t S. Paule doth speake here of the workes of the ould lawe nay doubtles For how could AbrahaÌ„ doe y t works of lawe there was no lawe geueÌ„ 400. 30. yeares after wherefore S. Paule constrayneth you to conclude that no maner of good workes though they bée soe good as Abrahams workes can helpe to iustificacion Note also S. Paules argument AbrahaÌ„ was instified so many yeares before y t lawe was geuen Ergo saith hée the lawe doth not iustifie So like wise dispute I agaynst your newe workes Men were sufficiently and perfectly iustifyed alonely by fayth afore any new workes were geuen or
iustification Is not this open lyeng on fayth to geue all to him yet as you say hée is not worthy of all for workes bée worthy of parte If fayth bée not worthy alone confesse it openly and gene workes his prayse and faith her prayse say not one thyng with your mouth and thinke an other in your hart For God searcheth the priuities of hartes Who hath required of you such a méekenes But I praye you how can workes helpe to iustification lesse or more when they bée neyther done nor yet thought of Who is iustified but a wicked mā which thinketh nothing of good works But these méeke lyes deserue none aunswere Wherefore let vs heare what holy Doctours say on this texte To hym that worketh not c. Saint Ambrose sayth on this maner It was so decréed of God that after y e lawe the grace of God should require vnto saluation alonely fayth Which thyng hée prooueth by the example of the prophet saying Blessed is that man to whom God doth impute iustification without workes Hée sayth that they bée blessed of whom God hath determined without labour without all maner of obseruation alonely by faith that they shal bée iustified before God Blessed are they whose sinnes bée forgeuē Clearly they are blessed vnto whom without labour or without any worke their iniquitios be remitted and their sinnes bée couered and no maner of workes required of them but alonely that they should beleeue c. Bée not these wordes playne God hath decréed that hée shall require nothyng to iustification but fayth And hée is blessed to whom God imputeth iustification without all manner of works without all maner of obseruations Also their sinnes bée couered no maner of works of penaūcered of them but alonely to beléeue Here haue you Sola fides and Tantum fides and here can you not say that S. Ambrose speaketh alonely of workes of the law but of all maner of works of all maner of obseruations yea and also of penaunce Peraduēture it will bee sayd as a great doctour sayd once to me that S. Ambrose dyd vnderstād it of young children that were newly baptised them their fayth should saue alonely without workes How thinke you is not this a likely aunswere for a great Doctour of Diuinitie for a great Duns man for so great a preacher Are not S. Paule and S. Ambrose wel auoyded and clerkely But I made him this aunswere that this Epistle was written of S. Paule to the Romanes which were men and not children and also the wordes of Scripture speake of the man and not of the childe And S. Ambrose sayth blessed is that man But at this aunswere hée was not a litle moued and sware by the blessed God let Ambrose Augustine say what they will hée would neuer beléeue but that workes dyd helpe to iustificatiō This was a Lordly word of a Prelate of a pyller of Christes Churche But what medlyng is with such mad men But yet peraduenture you will say how that I take a péece of the Doctour as much as maketh for my purpose Notwithstandyng hée sayth otherwise in an other place which I doe not bryng What is that to me yet is not my Doctour thus auoyded For you cā not deny but this is his saying and vppon this place of Scripture and this doth agrée with Scripture or els hée doth expounde Scripture euill Wherfore you must aunswere to the saying of the Doctour in this place for this is the place that is layd agaynst you and this is y e place whereby other places must bée expounded And if you dare deny him in this place then will I deny him in all other places by that same authoritie then bée the holy doctours clearely gone Neuertheles holy Scripture standeth openly agaynst you which if you deny then haue I a cause to suspect you Wherefore take héede what you doe But yet peraduenture will ye say that I vnderstand not S. Ambrose nor holy Doctours as my Lord of Rochester sayd howe I vnderstode not Tertullian hée had none other euasion to saue his honour with But this is not inough so to say but you must proue it other mē must iudge it betwéene you and me Here haue I translated a great many of their sayinges into English let other men iudge whether I vnderstand them or not Go ye to the Latin and let vs sée what other sense you cā take out But my Lordes remember that our God is alyue whose cause we defende afore whom I dare well say you are already confounded in your conscience wherfore doubt you not but that terrible vengeaunce han geth ouer you if you repēt not which whē it cōmeth cōmeth sharpely How are ye able to defend a thing that you cā not proue opēly by holy scripture Say what you will your conscience will murmour and grudge and will neuer bée satisfied with mēs dreames nor yet with tyranny Thinke you that your lawes and your inuentiōs can bée a sufficient rule for Christen men to liue by and to saue their conscience therby Thinke you that your cause is sufficiently proued when you haue compelled poore men by violēce to graūt it Then may we destroy all Scriptures and receiue alonely your tyranny But my Lordes this matter is not righted by your iudgemēt but by our master Christ and his blessed worde afore whose strayte iudgement you shall bée iudged and that straytly For when all your grace all your honour all your dignitie all your pompe and pride briefly all that your hartes doe nowe reioyse in shall lye in the dust then shall you bée called to a strayte rekening It is no light game nor no childes playe Marke it well for it lieth on your necke But what nedeth me to loose many wordes for if you be halfe so full of grace as you say you bée of good workes then will you recken it better then I can moue you But againe to our purpose S. Paule proueth the iustification of faith onely in these wordes No man is iustified by the workes of the law but by the faith of Iesus Christ and we doe beléeue in Iesus Christ that we may bée iustified by the fayth of Christ not by the workes of the law Marke how hée sayth that no man is iustified by the workes of the law no not S. Peter Howe thinke you doth not S. Paule exclude workes bringeth in alonely faith yea and that the workes of the law whiche were the best workes in the world and hée beleeueth to bée iustified onely by the fayth of Iesus Christ and not by workes and that proueth hée in these wordes of the Prophet A righteous man lyueth by fayth Here you not how a righteous man liueth by faith What call you liuing by fayth If hée liue any part by workes then lyueth hée not by fayth but partly by workes Thē is S. Paules probation vnperfite But let vs sée how your Doctours doe
hée haue better reasōs and Scriptures of the newe and olde testament for hym then the Pope hath Neyther it can helpe to say that the counsell can not erre because y e Christ did pray that the fayth of the church should not fayle For I aunswere to thys that though the generall counsell doe represent the whole vniuersall church yet neuerthelesse in very déede there is not the vniuersall church but representatiue For the vniuersall church standeth in the election of all faythfull men throughout the whole worlde whose head spouse is Christ Iesus And the Pope is but the Vicar of Christ and not y e very head of the church Thys is the Church that can not erre c. Here sayth this Doctour that same sētence of the church that I sayd I brought also for the same purpose the saying of Augustine whose words bée these Those counsels that be gathered in euery prouince must without doubt geue place to the auctoritie of the full counsels which bée gathered of all christendome And also those full coūselles oftentymes must bée amended by the full counselles that come afterwarde if any thing bée opened by experience that was before shutte and if any thing bée knowne tha◠was before hydden And this must bée done without any shadow of superstitious pride without any boasted arrogācy without any contention of malicious enuy but wyth holy méekenes with holy peace and with Christen charitie c. Here S. Augustine sayth plainly that the full counselles may erre and may bée refourmed After this I did declare how a mā should know this church by what fignes and tokens sayd that where as the worde of God was purely and sincerely preached and the sacramēts orderly ministred after the blessed ordinaunce of Christ and where as mē did patiently suffer for the veritie the hearers did apply their lyuing to Christes doctrine and with méeknes receaued the holy sacaments These I sayde were good and perfect tokens to iudge vppon that there were certayne members of Christes church And to prooue this I brought also S. Augustine saying Our holy mother the church through all the world scattered farre and wyde taught in her true head Christ hath learned not to feare the contumelies of the Crosse nor yet of death But more more is shée strengthened not in resisting but in suffering Also Chrisostomes wordes bée these They that bée in Iudea let them flye vp to the mountaines that is to say they that bée in Christendome let them géeue themselues to scriptures Wherfore commaunded hée that all christen men in that tyme should flie vnto scriptures For in that tyme in the which heresies haue crepte into the church there can bée no true probation of christendome nor no other refuge vnto christen men willing to know the verity of fayth but the scriptures of God Before by many wayes was it shewed which was y e church of God and which was the congregation of y e Gentiles But now there is none other waye to them that will knowe whiche is the very true Churche of Christ but alonely by scriptures By workes first was y e church of Christe knowne when the congregation of christen men eyther of all or of many were holy the which holynes had not the wicked men But now christen men bée as euill or worse then heretikes or Gentiles yea and greater continencie is founde amonge them then christen men Wherefore hée that will know which is the very church of Christ how shall hée know it but by scriptures onely And therfore our Lorde considering that so great confusion of thynges shoulde come in the latter dayes for that cause commaundeth hée that christen men willing to reserue y ◠stedfastnes of true fayth shoulde flée vnto none other thyng but vnto scriptures For if they haue respect vnto other thynges they shall bée sclaundered and shall pearishe not vnderstandinge which is the true church c. Maister More hath no great thing in this pointe agaynst mée sauynge that hée sayth these sayinges are none of Chrisostomes but of an other mā written in Chrisostomes name Neuerthelesse I let it passe let other men iudge betwéene vs both Afterwarde because that I sawe so great persecution vsed by the popes church agaynst all maner of sortes of good men whome M. More caulleth heretikes more for his pleasure then for theyr deseruynge For this cause I say I brought a saying of Hilarius to prooue that they that did exercise such tyranny were more to bée compared to the Arians then to Christes church his saying is this The church doth threaten with banyshmentes imprisonmentes and shée compelleth men to beléeue her which was exiled and cast in prison Shée hangeth on y e dignitie of her felowshop the which was consecrated by the threatenings of persecutours Shée causeth Priestes to flee that were encreased by the chasing away of Priestes Shée glorieth that shée is loued of y e worlde the which coulde neuer bée Christes except the worlde did hate her c. After this I brought a saying of S. Barnard to proue that the name of spirituall array gorgious apparell y e is vsed in y e Popes church dyd not make y e Church Hys saying is thus They bée the ministers of Christ but they serue Antichrist they goe gorgiously arayed of our Lordes goodes vnto whom they geue no honor And of these commeth the decking of harlots that thou séest dayly the game players disguising kings apparell Of this commeth golde in their brydells in their saddelles and in their spurres so that their spures bée brighter then the aulters Of this commeth their plenteous wyne presses their full sellers bolking from this vnto ye. Of this cōmeth their tūnes of sweete wynes Of this bée their bagges so fylled For such thinges as these bée will they bée rulers of the Church As Deacons Archdeacons Byshops Archbyshops c. Men may make an exposition of S. Barnarde but it wil bée hard to frame hym to their purpose But for a conclusion M. More and I doe vary but in this poynt that hée sayth the very Church of God stādeth by them that bée good and bad and I say that the trew church of Christ standeth in thē onely that bée good men For the kingdome of Christ is distincted in very déede from the kingdome of y e deuyll For euell men bée doubtles the membres of the dyuell as Paule sayth Ephe. 2. Also our M. Christ sayth vnto the Pharysyes You are of your father the dyuell Wherefore it can not stande with no learning that wicked men which bée the members of the deuyll and bée gouerned by hym can bée members of Christs body though that in this present lyfe they bée not yet so declared vnto y e worlde God send vs all his grace y ◠we may bée of his holy Church and mēbres of his blessed Sonne Iesus Amen FINIS What the keyes of
there bée a playner example what meaneth Paule in these words when they weare neyther borne nor had done neyther good nor bad but that the election of God myght stand Doth hée not clearely take away all manner of merites both de congruo also de condigno and declare the wyll of God to bée the cause onely But heare will subtyll blyndnes say that God sawe béefore that Iacob should doe good and therefore dyd hée chuse hym Hée sawe also that Esau should doe no good and therefore hée repelled hym Alas for blindenes what will you iudge of that that God saw How know we that God sawe that And if hée sawe it yet how know we that that was the cause of Iacobs election These children bée vnborne and they haue done neyther good nor bad and yet one of them is chosen the other is refused S. Paule knoweth none other cause but the will of God and will you discuse an other And where you say that God did sée afore that one of them should doe good I praye you what was the cause or whereby saw hée that hée should doe good you must néedes say by that that hée would geue hym his grace Ergo the will of God is yet the cause of election for because y e God would geue hym his grace Therefore God saw that hée should doe good and so should also y e other haue done if God woulde haue geuen hym that same grace Wherefore you gyauntes that will subdue heauen and earth leaue your searching of this cause and bée content with the will of God doubt not but the will of God is as righteous and as lawfull a cause as your merites can bée And doubt you not but S. Paule that toke so great labours in this matter dyd sée as farre in mans deseruing as we can doe yet hée concluded with these wordes of scriptures I will shew mercy to whom I shew mercy I will haue cōpassion of whom I haue compassion So lyeth it not in mans will or cunnyng but in the mercy of God Hée sayth not I will haue mercy on hym that I sée shall doe good but I will shew mercy to whom I wil. Hée saith not I will haue compassion of hym y ◠shall deserue it de congruo But of him of whom I will haue cōpassion This doth S. Augustine well proue in these words The disputatiō of thē is vain y ◠which doe defend y e presēce of God agaynst the grace of God and therfore say that we were chosen afore y e making of the world because y e God knew afore that we should bée good not béecause hee should make vs good But hée that sayth You haue not chosen mée sayth not that For if hée dyd therefore chose vs béecause that hée knew before that wée should bée good thē must hee also knowe béefore that wée should fyrst haue chosen hym c. Here is it playne that the election of God is not because hée sawe afore that we should doe well but all onely the cause of election is his mere mercy and the cause of our doing well is his election And therefore S. Paule sayth not of workes but of callynge Now goe to you subtill Duns men with all your carnall reasons search out a cause of his secrete will If you dyd beléeue that hée were good righteous and mercyfull it were a great comfort for you that the electiō stoode all onely by hys will for so were you sure that it should bée both righteously done and mercifully but you haue no fayth therfore must you nedes mystrust God and of that fall you to inuent causes of election of your own strength As one should say béecause God will not of his righteousnes or of his mercy choose vs we will be sure that we shall bée elected For fyrst will we inuent that the election commeth of deseruyng and then will we also dreame certayne workes that shall thereunto bée appoynted of vs and those will we doe at our pleasure so that the election and reprobacion shall stande all in your hands let God doe what that pleaseth him But now béecause there bée certayne open places of scripture that geue onely the cause to God all onely of election also of reprobation therefore are these men sore troubled and can not tell no other remedy but all onely to studye how they may wring wrest the open scriptures to the fortifiing of their errour and to the satisfyinge of their carnall reason so that where the holy Ghost sayth I will obdurate the hart of Pharao they will take vpon them to learne and to teach the holy Ghost to speake better and to say of this maner I will suffer Pharao to bée indurated but I will not doe it but my easynes my softnes whereby that I shall suffer him shall bring other men to repentaunce but Pharo shal it make more obstinate in malice So that God doth indurate as you say when hée doth not chastice a synner but sheweth softnes and easynes and sufferaunce to hym Hée is mercifull when hée doth call a sinner to repentaunce by affiction and scourging So that induration after your exposition is nothing els but for to suffer euyll by softnes and by goodnes To haue mercy is nothing els but to correcte to scourge and to punyshe men for their synnes This is the exposition of induration after S. Hierome and after your common glose S. Hieromes wordes bée these God doth indurate when hée doth not by and by castigate a synner Hée hath mercy when hée doth call a synner by and by vnto repentāce by afflictions c. This is auctoritie inough as you thinke what shoulde you search any farther Dyd not these men vnderstand scripture Is not this exposition playne This taketh away all inconueniēces By this exposition God is not the auctor of euell This is a clarkely exposition Briefly this this must néedes bee the true expositiō Wherfore it weare better for you to erre with S. Hierome and with our oulde schoolemen then for to say true with these newe heretykes so call you all them that will reproue oulde errours Now haue you well defended the matter Now is your cause well proued Now must the holy Ghost chang his wordes For hée hath new schoolemaysters And wheare hée was wont to say I haue hardened Pharos hart Now must hée say Pharao hath hardened hym selfe by my softnes and by my easines but I haue not done it But yet I pray you how woulde you satisfie a weake conscience that stickes faste to the worde of God and reckeneth that the holy Ghost knoweth well what hée shal speake and wil speake nothing without a great cause but that that hée speaketh shall bée so well spoken that you can not amende it How thynke you is it sufficient to say to this poore man S. Hierome and all schoole men say so holde thou thy peace
name This was about y t yeare of our Lorde 1186. So that meÌ„ may perceaue how the pope doth not greatly regarde the vowe of hys spiritualtie if any thing may bée gotten to pay for a dispensation And it wil not helpe to say that the pope did dispense with this woman for a common wealth For the stories maketh mention that the pope dispeÌ„sed with him vnder a coÌ„dition that hée should paye hym a yearely pencion for the kyngdome of Cecyll and should recouer it of his owne charges out of the handes of Tancredus which was then in possession of it And béecause that hée myght haue the better title to the kyngdome hée gaue hym the onely daughter of Cecill So that y t pope did it not for a common wealth but for his owne lucre But now graunt that it were for â–ª a common wealth therefore first it was not Gods commaundemeÌ„t that priestes should liue sole For gods word géeueth no place to no common wealth And if y â— pope did then dispence for a coÌ„moÌ„ wealth why doth hée not now dispence for auoyding of fornication in so many innumerable priestes Doth not meÌ„ recken it for a common wealth to expell fornication all occasions therevnto But now there is no commoÌ„ wealth to bée regarded béecause there is no shyning golde offered But at y t least wayes mée thinketh that priestes which marry bée very farre from heresie for it is neyther agaynst Gods lawe nor yet agaynst the common wealth Here were many examples to bée brought in how the pope hath dispensed both with Monkes Friers and Nunnes the which I will passe ouer and will she we as neare as I can out out of Chronicles how loÌ„g â–ª it is that the pope hath gone about to bryng in the vow of chastitie Doctour Eckius doth say that Calixtus primus dyd firste make the statute that priestes should vow chastitie bâ—t that is false For all Chronicles beareth witnesse that priestes had wyues in the Councell of Nicene the which was almost an hundreth yeares after Calixtus dayes Wherfore it can not bée supposed that y t statute was made béefore the Councell of Nicene But authenticall hystories doth make mention that Nicholas the first whiche was Byshop of Rome the yeare of our Lord 860. did goe about this thyng but hée could not bryng it to passe by the reason of an holy man S. Huldericke Episcopus Augustensis the which wrote a very sharpe Epistle agaynst hym reproouyng hym sore bycause hée would compell priestes to vow chastitie Hys woords bée these Thou hast not swarued a litle from discretion y t where as thou oughtest to haue counsayled priestes to chastitie thou hast with a Lordly violence compelled them to it Is not this after the iudgement of all wise men a great violence wheÌ„ that thou agaynst the institution of the Gospell and agaynst y e decrée of the holy ghost wilt compell men to obserue thy priuate decrée c. Hée reciteth also agaynst y e Byshop of Rome all those same scriptures that I haue brought herein my booke of this matter and alâ—o certain of the counsels to that purpose that I haue brought them So that men ought not to thinke that I am the first that thus hath vnderstande the Scriptures nor yet the first that hath spoken agaynst priestes vowes Note also how this holy maÌ„ sayth that priests ought to bée admonyshed counselled to chastitie but not compelled For that sayth hée is a great violence and agaynst Christes holy Gospell and y t blessed spirite of God These bée as vehement wordes as I haue spokeÌ„ For out of these woordes men may gather that it is not farre from heresie to compell priestes to vow chastitie This holy man procéedeth farther with y t Bishop of Rome and telleth a fact of S. Gregory the which went about to compell priestes to vow chastitie Vpon a day S. Gregory sent vnto hys pondes for fish and in the nettes that they fished withall were brought vp aboue sixe thousand young childrens heades the which thyng when S. Gregory saw stroke hym sore to the hart hée was very heauy of that sight and perceyued anone that hys decrée that hée made for priester chastitie was the occasion of this great murther In that that priestes could not lyue sole nor yet they durst not auow theyr children for feare of the decrée And so for sauegarde of theyr honesty they fell into a fearefull and abhominable sinne to kyll theyr own children And for this cause S. Gregory sayth this holy Byshop dyd reuoke hys decrée agayn and did greattly alow the saying of the Apostle Iis better to marry then to burne Addyng vnto it of hys owne It is better to marry then to geue occasion to murther Here note good reader what a terrible and a fearefully example this is Is not this a piteous case that so many thousandes innoceÌ„tes bée thus slayne When shall the chastitie keepyng of all the priestes in the worlde bée an occasion of so great goodnes as the law of chastitie hath béene hereof mischief Alas is there no pyty in â—…eÌ„s hartes that are nothyng moued wheÌ„ they read such horrible factes in holy mens writyngs Or doe men thinke that there is no mischief now in our dayes done by the reason that priests are compelled to chastitie If men thinke that there come any mischiefe by the reason of it how can men recken to auoyde Gods vengeauÌ„ce that will so stifly and strongly mayntayne the same I haue béene informed of credible persons the whiche if néede were I could yet bryng foorth that in a place of Religion within this fewe yeares there was a religious man that dyd get a woman with child the whiche woman was brought a bed in the brothers chamber of a fayre sonne This child was Christened in the same chaÌ„ber and as soone as it was christened hée brake the necke of it and buryed it in the night in the Churcheyarde This is the trueth I caÌ„ prooue it Is not this a terrible thyng dooth not nature abhorre this And yet men had rather here this abhominablenes theÌ„ for to release a litle of theyr own will But oh Lorde God howe streightly shalt thou punish this It is not yet out of y t minde of maÌ„ sinnes y t an honest man lost his daughter by the reason that a priest defiled her the which bycause hée would not bée dishonested kylled the mayde priuely and afterwarde cast her into a well If men will not bée moued at this and such lyke other factes I can not tell what will moue them I could recite a great many of abhominable and detestable factes if I were not more ashamed to tell them then priestes hath béene to doe them Neither will I recite how shamefully that mens daughters mens wyues mens seruauntes hath béene and are dayly cast awaye by the â–ª reason that priestes are so hoate of courage and can not
kéepe theyr chastitie Would it not abhorre a Christen maÌ„ to heare tell of the innumerable baudes that are made by y t reason y t priests caÌ„ not lyue chaste What a petious case is it to sée so many young men cast away thâ—… whiche doth sée dayly their maisters vncleane liuyng Here were many thynges to bée recited but honesty compelleth me to passe theÌ„ ouer But I thinke there is no good man but hée will thinke as much in hym selfe as I either would say or can say I could tell if If I would the occasion why y t those Cardinals of Rome which kéepeth whores bée noted of the common people to bée of the best sort of Cardinals But I will passe it ouer Neuertheles it gréeueth mée a lyttell that I may not somewhat opeÌ„ my hart But this I promyse them if any of these proiectours of this fylthy chastitie doth take in hand to defende it agaynst mée I will not bée ashamed to writeâ— that they haue not béene ashamed to doe Nor I will not kéepe secrete how certayne byshops of England and also of other countries doth let whores to ferme vnto priests And all béecause they will not suffer them to marry Yet heare will I tell you one prety tale There is a byshop lyuyng at this same day in Germanye which had néede of a great some of money I could tell his name if I would this byshop called vnto hym a gentilman a great frend of his which smelled a littell of the new learning so called Vnto this maÌ„ hée made his complaint how that hee must néedes make shifte shortly for a great somme of money desyring hym both to helpe hym and also of his counsell This man sayde vnto hym if hée would folow his couÌ„sell hée would shortly helpe him The byshop was very glad and grauÌ„ted to folowe his counsell Then sayde the gentylman My Lord your Lordship shall geue a strayte commaundement that all your Priestes within your diocese shall put away their whores within this two monethes vnder the payne of heresye at the least After this your Lordship shall send ij of your couÌ„sellers that bée knowen to bée greately in your fauour to handle with the priestes in their owne names for to take vp thys matter betwéene your Lordeship and them But vnder this condition that the priests shall grauÌ„t vnto them a certayne some of money and they shall promise the priestes y t they will bring it to passe that your Lordship notwithstaÌ„ding your strait commaundement shall bée contented to suffer them to liue as they haue done in tymes past and after the olde custome of the Church The byshop was contented with this counsell incontinent gaue out y t commaundement and afterward sent out two of his best frendes priuelye to treate with the Priestes in their names but not in his For hée woulde not bée knowen of it because hée had vowed chastitie But what thinke you that these two meÌ„ did gather in this one byshoppricke within y t space of ij moneths Verely â—xx M. guyldens the which money the byshop receiued very deuoutly and thought it not against the vowe of chastitie What shall men say to these mens conscience that will not sticke to burne a poore priest that maryeth a wife but yet they will receyue xx M. guyldens to mayntayne open whoredome O lord God thou knowest this yet doubtles thou sufferest it And all béecause they should haue space and respite to amende vnto which God geue them grace Amen But agayne to our purpose men may perceaue that this holy byshop Hulderyke was agaynst the pope dyd also alowe my doctrine and declare that S. Gregorie did repeÌ„t him of y t statute y t hée had made for priests â—…astitie Wherefore I conclude here yet agayne that Gods holy worde olde doctours holy counselles the Emperours lawe olde decrées of the Church the practice of the holy Apostels the lyuing of holy men Gods lawe and mans lawe nature reason doth alowe this article of myne Wherefore I trust no good nor reasonable man will withstand mée in this case There runneth a greate voyce of mée that I haue maried a wife and for that cause men doth recken that I will something proue my witte and also stretch my learning to mayntain that priestes myght haue wyues But the very trueth is béefore God maÌ„ that I haue no wife â—or neuer went about to marry I thanke God of his grace And of this I haue as noble princes as bée in Germany to beare mée witnesse and also many other worshipfull and honest men y t doth knowe mée and my conuersation I haue also the ryght worshipfull man Doctour Lée which was the kinges Embassadour with vs and all his seruauntes to testifye for mée which bée honest men and sufficient in a greater cause then this is Finally here is also the byshop of our citie with whom I doe dwell am most conuersant with Heare is also the Embassadours of Lubycke which doth also know mée and my conuersation And I doubt not but all they will testifye for mée as farre as any lawe shall require Yea I dare boldly say y t myne aduersaries haue not so good testemony that they kéepe theyr vowe of chastitie as I haue that I am not maryed But all is done to bringe mée in defamation Let God prouide Neuertheles what if I had a wyfe is y so great a crime What can men make of it Hath not many noble Princes and good men wyues Will meÌ„ make more articles of saluation for mée then for princes or for other Christen men what haue I deserued thus to bée taken Men will haue to doe with mée but I promise them they shall get no good by it if I may come to my aunswere I wil bée able alwayes to defend a wyfe if I weare disposed to marry agaynst all those that kéepe whores Let them begin when they will Notwithstandyng I doe not abstayne from a wife béecause that is euell and vncleane to marry but I haue other lawfull considerations Let no man doubt but this is of trueth if I had a wyfe I would not haue medled with this article because that men myght haue suspected mée that then I would haue defended this article for the maintenaunce of my facte But now on the other syde that men should not think how I despised mariage or thought it vnlawfull for a Priest to marry in as much as I my selfe doe not marry Therfore haue I takeÌ„ this labour on mée to wryte my meaning so much the more boldely béecause that men haue no cause to suspect mée that I speake to defende myne owne cause but all onely to set out the veretye so God helpe mée Amen But now will I goe to the Popes lawe and sée what tyme that thys thyng begunne to take strength It had beene often times attempted but it was alwayes repelled by one good man or
small occasions do rise gret euils EnsaÌ„ples for our â—earnâ—ng Learn here how to read vnderstaÌ„d y â— scripture If we herken vnto the voyce of God and bend our selues to do hys wyl he wyll be our God help vs but otherwise he wyl plague vs as he plagued the vnthankful faythlesse Iewes Trust and beleue in God and care not what the world say The world liketh well all wycked lyuers and vngodly people Here is set forth the office of euery good person TemptatioÌ„ is the triall of true christians The excellency of faith which is the gifte of God Those whoÌ„ God scourgeth he dearely loueth A necessary lesson for a good precher God commaundeth that we shold make no images The worshipping of Idoles or Images was abhorred of god Witchcraft sorcery c. abhorred of God Moses often reherseth the benefites of almighty God to moue vsto feare hym and to loue our neighbour God will haue vs to be merciful to our neighbors All the ceremonies of the olde testament weâ—â— but preachers of Christ that was to come The â—ea◠〈◊〉 of the tabernacle was to keepe the Iewes froÌ„ harkenyng to the heathen God had two Testaments that is the olde and the new The old testament was built vpon the obseruatioÌ„ of the law The law could not geue lyfe The law is the vtterer of sinne The law was geuen by God to shewe what sinne was Ceremonies are not geuen to iustify the hart but to signifie our iustificatioÌ„ by Christ Ceremonies cannot iustify The new Testament are the euerlastyng promises made to vs in Christ Faith only iustifieth Good workes spryng out of the loue we haue to God Where true fayth is there good workes do flow and abound The new Testament was from the beginnyng Our temporall lawes spring out of the law of nature Loue counselleth the faythfull to worke We must nor presume in our well doing not coÌ„deÌ„ne others that run astray the last which turneth to god is as farre forward as the first MaÌ„s wisedome is playn Idolatry it scat tereth diuideth and maketh sectes Ceremonies to the Israelites and â—ewts were as good schole masters are to young scholers All thyngs were first reueled in ceremonies and shadowes vntill it pleased almighty God to reuele hys sonne Iesu Christ Small and litle giftes geueÌ„ by the parentes to their children causeth loue obedience Sacrifices and ceremonies serue for allegories to find out Christ Similitudes proue nothyng but doe more playnly lead thee to vnderstand the text Some ceremonies coÌ„teine whole some and profitable doctrine Ceremonies ordeyned to confirme our fayth Gods secrets were opened but to a fewe The ceremonies of themselues saued not but fayth in Gods promise Our nature is so weake that we must be holpen by outwarde signes and tokens No man is holpen by 〈◊〉 promises but sinners that feele their sinne Sacraments truly ministred are profitable Sacraments truly miniâ—â—res preach vnto vs repeÌ„taunce of our sinnes Noâ— naked or dome ceremonies but the holy ghost throughe fayth washeth away sinnes The difference betwene a sacrifice and a Sacrament What slate we dye in the same wee shall rise agayn either of saluation or damnation The Sacramentes are vnto y e dead no Sacramentes at all Sacramentes abused vp y â— Clergy The Papistes haue had no smal frend and good helper of the masse Hipocrites prayers caÌ„ neither profite them selkes nor any maÌ„â—ls Those that are enemies to the worde of God loue neither god nor his people Allegories are to bee wel weyed and considered The greatest cause of the decay of faith and blindnes that wee were in â–ª was thorough Allegories How allegories are to bee vnderstand The ryght vsed of allegories Baptisme is y e commoÌ„ badge of all true professours of Christ Baptisme teacheth vs repentaunce of sinne The bare washyng helpeth not but throrough the worde of fayth it purifieth vs. How christ boroweth figures of the old Testament to make plain the textes of the new testament Our duety is to do good dedes but saluation we cannot chaleÌ„ge therby A good example taken of the Lepers The true preachyng of Gods word doth bynde and lose consciences In allegories is both hony gall that is to say both good euil All good dedes are gods work manship wee hys instrumeÌ„ts wherby he doth them Freewill and vnbeliefe were the ouerthrow of ouâ— for eâ—athers Then cannot they be the childreÌ„ of God which put more trust in their owne workes then in y e bloud of Iesus Christ Faithlesse workes The Pharises by their free-will excluded them selues from the saluatioÌ„ 〈◊〉 Christ Blasphemy to christes death O subtle Foxes thorow pouertie made themselues Lordes of all Wilfull chastitie is wilful wikednes The Papistâ—… wilful obedience is coÌ„mon disobedience to all princes Our 〈…〉 commeth not by our merites but thorow sayth by the bloud of ouâ— sauiour Iesus Christ Fayth only bringeth vs to christ and vnbeâ—… driueth do from Christ Christ rebuâ—… the Pharises for their holy and 〈…〉 The pharises ascribe righteousnâ—… workes therfore were condemned of Christ The iustifiyng oâ— our selues maketh the diuâ—… more buâ—… then he wold be What to meant in the scripâ—… by this 〈◊〉 vâ—… tymeâ— Meritâ—…gerâ— y e more their blindnes is rebuked the more they rebell against Christ and his golyâ—… The doctrine of the pharises and the doctrine of our papists do well agree The Papistes cannot away with iustification by fayth Of vowes God accepteth for vs none other sacrifice but onely Iesu christ his sonne 〈◊〉 holines in our own imaginatioÌ„ is a robbing of christes honor Faith foloweth repentaunce of sinne RepentaÌ„ce goeth before fayth and prepareth the way vnto Christ How our workes are good in the sight of God The work saueth not but the word that it is to say the promise An apt similitude for reward of good workes All vowes must be made for y â— mortifying or tamyng â–ª of our members or the edifying of our neighbours or els they are wicked How we ought to vowe wilfull pouertie Whether fished the Popes prelates with tâ—… nâ—t or no Our workes do not stand in the wisedome of maÌ„ but in the power of God Desert and free gift are contraries The sight of riches is rather a cause of coueteousnes then a meane to honor God Whether dyd the papist so or no Yet y â— spiritualities pillage was more then theyr standing stipeÌ„d A good vowe is to kepe Gods commaundementes Howe thou mayst lawfully goe on pilgrimage God heareth al that call vppon him in all tymes and at al places alyke God regardeth the hart and not y â— place where wee pray Wilfull chastitie is not mete for all persons to vow False fayned chastitie The Pope restrayned that which God permitted and setteth at liberty that which God forbiddeth A good adminition to such as wil make vowes Wherunto and howe we should apply our vowes How a vow is to be made He that fasteth to any other ende theÌ„ to
of righteousnes what it is Carâ— How the spirituality â–ª care for the temporall common wealth As thou 〈…〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 â—o shalt 〈◊〉 ob 〈◊〉 mercy in y â— life to come 6. The filthines of the hart what The purenes of the hart what The ende of the lawe 〈◊〉 to iustiâ—… all that â—…leue Impure harted who are 7. Peacemaking what Princes what they ought to 〈◊〉 yet they make warre WheÌ„ thou maist assure thy selfe to be y â— sonne and heyre of God VengeauÌ„ce pertayneth to God onely 8. In y e fayth of Christ lawe of God â–ª all oâ—r righteousnes is conteyned Peace The peace of Christ is a peace of conscience To suffer with Christ in this worlde is to be glorified wyth him in the worlde to come Payne No 〈◊〉 payne caâ— be a satisfaction to God 〈◊〉 Christes passion 9. What the most cruell persecution is Set the example of Christ before thee Cursed Most accursed who Workes iustifie noâ— Not the worker but y e pure mercy of God is cause of the promise made vnto The office of a true preacher It is a leopardous thyng to salt hypocrisie Salt Who is mete to salt A true preacher of gods word must vse no parcialitie for feare of persecution Monkes why they runne to cloystures By salte is vndersteod the true vâ—deâ—â—tandinâ— of the â—…as of fayth of woâ—kes c â–ª Spiritualtie why 〈◊〉 be dispiâ—â—d Ceremonies must be salted Darcknes all knowledge is darcknes 〈◊〉 the knowledge of Christes bloud shedâ—ing be in the hart Laye The laye ought to haue the Gospell Gospell The propertie of y â— Gospell Gospell The trâ—e Gospell is not hid in dennes If y â— spiritualty were a light as they ought to be they woulde make them â—…ues pore to make other riche but they make other poore and themselues riche Kinges ought to be learned The order how euery man may be a preacher and how not None ought to preach â—…ly but such as are admitted by y â— ordinaunce of the congregation Spirituall and temporal reqâ—… do biffer Euery maÌ„ must defeÌ„de Christes doctrine in 〈◊〉 owne person Whose refuseth tadâ—… for Christes sake caÌ„ not be the disciple of Christ False doctrine causeth â–ª 〈◊〉 workes True doctrine is cause of good workes Grace and truth thorough Iesus Christ Gloses They that destroy the law of God with gloses must be cast out The Church Law Except a man loâ—e Gods law â—e cannot vnderstand the doctrine of Christ The righteousnes of Phariseis Glorie He that seketh hys owne glory teacheth his owne doctrine not his masters Glory â–ª he that sekâ—… came glory altereth his maâ—…s message Worde Gods worde altered is not his worde To loue is to helpe at â—eede Prayer The prayer of MoÌ„kes robbeth helpeth not Loue prayeth Scribes Phâ—… what they were The Phariseyeâ— might better haue proued theÌ„selues the true Church theÌ„ our spiritualâ—â—e way The promises are made vpon the profession of the keepyng of the lawe of God so that the Church that will not keepe Gods lawe hath no promise that they caâ—ot erre The wickednes of y â— Phariseies what it was Preacher Why the true preacher is accused of treason and heresie Ipocrisie Why hipocrisie must be first rebuked though it be ieopardie to preach against it The lawe is restored The Phariseis 〈◊〉 exteÌ„d 〈…〉 doinges or actes to y â— outward shew 〈◊〉 deede and nothing to the hart The lawe 〈…〉 wâ—â—t on the hart as the hand Racha How a maÌ„ may be angry without sinning Loue is y â— keeping of the lawe Sinnerse He that helpeth not to mâ—nde sinners must suffer with them when they be punished In doyng out best to further our neighbour in vertue although we preuaile not we are excused Hate When a man may hate hys neighbour Offeringes or sacrifices what they meant The faste that God requireâ—… Last farthyng How corruptly the Phariseis dyd attribute all euil to the deede onely Loue is the fulfillyng of the law Aduoutrie Some doctoure â—aue doubted in that which Christ hath flatly condemned Filthy A wife How good a thyng The office of a preacher Law What foloweth the kepyng of the law Law What foloweth the breaking of the law The enormities that haue chauÌ„ced since y â— slaughter of King Richard y e secoÌ„d vnto this realme of EnglaÌ„d Tiraunts Why God geueth vs vp and leaueth vs in the handes of titaunts and in all misery An admonition What rulers ought to do touching such as runne Flie from their wiues without â—ust cause Swearing To sweare by God Men ought so 〈◊〉 deale that their wordes may be credited without any othes Swearing in what sort it is lawfull â–ª Charitie moderareth the law Othe To performe an euill othe is doubleâ— sinne He is not forsworne whose hart ment truly when hee promised To lye or dissemble 〈◊〉 some causes not culpable Cheke To turne the other cheke what it is Mekenes Pollyng how to auoyde it Two maner states degrees of regimeÌ„tes Euery maÌ„ is of the spiritualtie and of the temporalitie both 〈…〉 He that loueth not his neighbour â—ath not y e true fayth of Christ The temporall regiment Violence Not to resist violeÌ„ce how it is vnderstode Rulers must punishe â—ut for malice but for defence of the people and maintenaunce of y â— lawes An example how to vnderstand y â— two regimentes What soeuer thou art bound to do do it with loue How to be a warriour Thou 〈…〉 or 〈…〉 〈…〉 Goodes Math. xxv To go◠〈◊〉 lawe To rise agaynst the iudge or magistrate so to resiste God Princes whether they may be resisted or put downe of their subiectes in any case The king hath Gods authoritie An aunswere to the former Argument Goodes The kyng as â—ee is Lord of thy body so 〈◊〉 hee of thy goodes RegimeÌ„ts Euery maÌ„ is vnder both regimentes As the spiritualitie may rebuke kings vices so may kyngs vse temporall correctioÌ„ agaynst the spiritualtie A preacher of â—…eâ—ce Rulers do repene to heare of theyr â—…es In lending we must folow the rule of mercy We must not reuenge our selues vpon our euill detters but referre our cause to God and his officers 〈◊〉 Couetousnes is the roote of all euill Iaco. ij The enemies of God and hiâ— wordâ— are to be huted Leui. 19. Publicans what they were As our heaueÌ„ly father bestoweth his benefites vpon good bad so ought we to loue both frend and soe To be perfect what it meaneth Almose Deedes coÌ„manded by the scripture done to any other ende then they ought are â—o good deedes 〈◊〉 xvi It is the purpose entent of our deedes that make or marrâ— Trumpets To blow trumpetes what Lefte hand Vaine glorie A good remedy against it Workes iustifie not from sinne neither deserue the rewarde promised Our rewarde commeth not of our deserts but thâ—… the loue that God beareth 〈◊〉 thorough faith in Iesus Christ We may not chaleÌ„ge the proâ—… by our merites but by Christes bloud Crosse Workes What
they â—oâ— NegligeÌ„ce 〈◊〉 doyng â—…ed brynâ—…th vs to desperation Two apte similitudes 〈◊〉 well and â—…l doings Promise He that professeth not a newe lyfe hath no promise of mercy in Christ Prayer Workes must be seasoned with Gods worde if they shall please God Prayer What it is and how many wayes it may be named prayer Chamber To shut thy chamber doore what it meaneth Prayer Gods commaundement and promise shuld moâ—â— vs to pray The Pater noster That prayer is vayne wherein y t hart is not ioyned with the toung False prayer is painefull True prayer to pleasaunt Sion Shenâ—… Not the multitude of thy â—ordes but thy fayth 〈◊〉 praying God doth respect The Dater noster is expounded To honour Gods name what it is Kinges must commaunde nothyng nor forbid to do any thing contrary to Gods worde When we request any thing at Gods haÌ„d we must pray that his will be done not ours Dayly breade whereby is vnderstoode all that pertaineth vnto the necessitie of this lyfe A surer way then pardons How thou mayst bee sure of pardon for thy sinnes We cannot of our selues but â—all into 〈◊〉 Small occasions drâ—… vs to 〈…〉 〈◊〉 we are 〈◊〉 ly prone Who shuld thinke hym selfe to be without sinne were as euill as Lucifer Kynges 〈◊〉 subiectes are all one afore God A couenauÌ„t where with God is bounde to forgeue vs and we to forgeue ech other Gods couenaunt is a sure absolution to all that keepe Leauen how many wayed it is taken Faith what power it is of and the fruites that spring thereof Loue is righteousnes Faith bringeth loue Workes Loue. Fayth As Leauen can not be seene in a â—oafe without smell or tast so cannot saith in vs without good workes and y â— intent of the same be seene or appeare That fayth iustifieth what iâ— meaneth Fayth Workes are sacramentes Baptim Christ Fayth Fast If fasting be vsed to any other and then to tame the fleshe that thereby we may be the more prone to serue God it is abused To annoint the head what it meaneth Fastyng The heape of inconueniences that spring by â—…rate superfluous 〈◊〉 and drinking Fastyng dayes or dayes of abstmence are to be ordained for common weales sake Almose Prayer Fasting Almose prayer and fasting how necessary Almose prayer and fasting are inseperable Fasting is not in eating and drinking onely Workes make hipocrites 〈◊〉 y â— true entent be away Rulers be ordained for theÌ„ that cannot rule theÌ„selues Preacher The office of a true preacher Note this well ye temporall magistrates Prophets Priestes yea and Kynges of the old TestameÌ„t zealous Preachers Papistes haue often bene called to the Popes couenaunt but seldome to the Lords Obiection Solution Payne How God delueth in our payne takyng Fast The intent of fastyng what â—…s Fast How the Iewes did fast Fast The popes fast A feasâ—yng fast Faslyng The true intent is away from the Popes fastyng Monkes made the Pope a â—…od for his dispensations Couetousnes 〈◊〉 at a 〈…〉 〈◊〉 is 2. Pet 〈◊〉 Couetousnes cannot but erre More Couetousnes blinded the eyes hardened y e hart of Sir Thomas More The coÌ„modities that folow couetous and worldly rich men â—uke xij Luke xiiij Couetousnes maketh the salte of Godes worde vnsauery Couetousnes maketh a false Prophet Darckenesse Couetousnes causeth darcknesse Darckenesse The daâ—â—nes of the Popes doctrine here plainely appeareth Fayth in workes is darcknesse Darcknes Mammon what it is Mammon is a God Mammon maketh meÌ„ disguise theÌ„ selues The seruauntes of Mammon are not oâ— Chriâ—â—es Church The seruaunt of Mammon to no true preacher To bee MammoÌ„s seruaunt what it is MammoÌ„s seruaunt how he is knowen The goodnes of god towarde mankynd Byrdes beastes teache vs to put away care Care Mammon Actes 〈◊〉 ConenauÌ„t keepe couenaunt with God and he shal keepe promise wyth thee Kingdome of heauen what Righteousnes of the kingdome of heauen what it is Iâ— thou folow Christ thou canst not 〈…〉 sufficient liuing Care What we ought châ—â—â—â—est to care for Tempte Why God letteth hys children be tempted with aduersitie What care is forbiddeÌ„ Care whâ—… care euery man ought to haue Gods commaundement is mans lyfe Exod. xx Why God suffereth tirauntes to prosper Iudgyng What iudgyng is to be rebuked All dayes are indifferent to do good dedes to y â— prayse of God the profite of our neighbore The beame Ceremonies hee that breaketh vnitie for zeale of ceremonies vnder slandeth not Gods law Ceremonies Measure â–ª Dogges who they be what is signified therby Swyne truly described Praâ—er is a commauÌ„dement Belefe To beleue in God what Luke 18. Prayer By prayer we wynne the victory onely and therefore is it of all thyngesâ— most necessary False Prophetes what their wickednes 〈◊〉 Mark xiij Math. 24. Thy hart must be ioy ned with thy prayer The riche must pray for dayly bread To thinke our selues saued or preserued by any other meanes then by Gods â–ª is Idolatry Faith must be ioyned to our prayer Though God differ thy request yet must thou not saynt Doubtes How to â—oyle doubtes Note Note Law what the fulfillyng therof is The end of all y â— lawes betwen mâ— and man is to loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Strayte gate The narrow way Few finde the narrow waâ— and whâ— Peter Paule â–ª Christ The false prophetes who Sheepes clothing what it meaneth â–ª 〈◊〉 Thess 2. Sheepes clothing Rauening wolues The obedience pouertie and wilfull chastitie of our spiritualtie Pouertie Chastitie Charitie Fasting Prayer Thornes beare no Figges The aunswere of cloysterers to such as shall desire â—elefe at theâ— haÌ„ds A corrupt tree beareth no good â—â—ute Fayth is the kernell of all our good frutes Faith maketh the â—oorke â—oâ—d and acceptable An example howe thy workâ— or deede may be pleasaunt and acceptable before God â–ª Handy craftes are the commaundement of God The Iewes Turkes geâ—r almes as we doe yet for lacke of fayth it is abhominable God is aswell pleased when we thankefully receaue his benefites as when we do geue for his sake Hipocrites exâ—oll their owne workes to destroy the workes of God The holynes of hypocrites wherein it is Aske the 〈◊〉 steÌ„ Friâ—is why they murthered one of their felowes at London Who is y â— spiritualty IgnoraÌ„ce 〈◊〉 not if we wâ—â— notâ—câ— False prophetes how to 〈◊〉 â—here they be Beleuers without 〈◊〉 workers without fayth are built on 〈◊〉 The 〈…〉 〈…〉 the◠〈…〉 in Iesus Christ Fayth what it breedeth Loue. The word of God 〈…〉 〈◊〉 a man into 〈◊〉 parts 〈…〉 y t fleâ—â—e to hold one â—ay and 〈◊〉 spirite to draw an other Iohn 16. The holy ghost shall rebuke the world for lacke of true iudgement 〈◊〉 Cor. 2. The spiritual iudgeth all thynges spiritually Math. 22. Rom. 13. Math. 22. The spirituall man searcheth 〈◊〉 the cause why 〈◊〉 ought to loue hys neighbour â–ª Man is Lord ouer all the creatures of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reg. â—1 Circumâ—…oÌ„ not trequented in 〈◊〉
Dauiour of the world from their sins All that loue God loue all that beleue in him He that loueth God loueth also the sonnes of God The loue of God and the loue of my neighbour are in seperable Workes set forth 〈◊〉 declare faith To doe good to my neighbour is to do God good seruice A goodly similitude Al that are borne of God ouercome the world The conquestes of fayth Christ had three witnesses The true doctrine of the Sacramentes is away from vs. The faythfull haue the true witnes of God in their harts The vnfaythfull worshyp God in imageseruice and outward Popery The Papistes haue not the fayth of the Apostles neither do they know and therefore they rayle on it To aske in Christes name what it is Such as lacke fayth in Christ wander they wot not whether The sinne to y t death All that are borne of God câ— not sinne The armour of a Christen man The world seeth not the thyngs that are of God Christ eâ—e 〈◊〉 is the founteine and fulnes of all good giftes He that seketh any other way to eternall saluation then by Christ shal neuer come there Idolatrie Idolater As great Idolatry may be coÌ„mitted to the Image of a Saint as was by the Gentiles committed vnto Idoles Grosse worshyppyng of God Ceremonies Sacrifices The Iewes could beleue nothyng with out tokeÌ„s Sacraments and ceremonies were ordeined onely for remembraunces Idolatry We ought to be fraÌ„ke and to distribute to our poore brethren such as God hath sent vs. Supersticious Popery are Idolatry In all our needes wee must call vpon God in the name of Iesu Christ he will â—eare vs. The masse as the pope vseth it is damnable Idolatrie We must eâ—er cleaue vnto God and submit our selues to his mercy The masse at the first was a declaration of Christes passion 1. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 10. and 12. Ephe. 1. What penaunce was Greuous sinne not passed vpoÌ„ Discipline vsed in the primatiue Church The description of the partes of the masse The abhominable vse of the masse The abuse of the Sacrament Halfe of the Sacrament kept from the lay people The frutefull and profitable doctrine of the Sacramentes are kept from vs. I descriptioÌ„ of God Iesus Christ the onely way to his father The belefe of the resurrection is an article of our faith Fayth is sufficient to iustifie vs. Christ the onely mediatour betwene God and man ArgumeÌ„to prouyng our saluation in Christ The false fayth of the downe falling sinner Fayth in the promise betwene â—â—od and 〈…〉 our soules Gods promises haue couenauÌ„tes annexed vn to them the breakers â–ª â—herof are â—…luded 〈◊〉 the promise An obiection of our aduersaries against iustificatioÌ„ by fayth A compendious declaration of our iustification by fayth A similitude of an earthly kyng pardonyng a condemned person The prayer of the faythfull for his brother taking effect thankes therefore muâ—â— wholly bee attributed to the geuer All our helpe is froÌ„ aboue for man can not helpe â—ut when God prepareth hys hart Praying to Saintes is damnable Saintes abhorre theÌ„ that pray vnto them M. Tracie studious in S. Austen Burials must be ceâ—â—brated honorably for the hope of our resurrection One must pray for an other and one helpe an other A true Christian feareth not the Popes Purgatory Couetousnes pretely described God graunteth all thynges to the faythfull Papistes burne both quicke and dead if they touch their roten sores Writinges and monuments preserue the memory of notable doynges Gene. 32. Gene. 50. A sure hande of all couenaâ—tes amoÌ„gst the Iewes Gene. 21. The well of swearing or the well of seuen Gene. 31. A heape of stones was a sufficient bande for all couenauntes Gene. 9. The rainebow a pledge of Gods promise Gene. 17. The blessing of God to AbrahaÌ„ Gene. 17. Circumcision the seale of Gods couenaunt with vs. Rom. 2. Gods promise recheth to all Abrahams posteritie Baptisme to vs is as CircumcisioÌ„ was to the Iewes Axod 13. Exod. 20. Nume 10. Nume 15. Iosua 4. 3. Reg. 11. 4. Reg. 13. Esay 12. Ierem. 27. Luke 1. Luke 1. Luke 2. Exod. 12. Exod. 12. The institution of y t Paâ—ch all lambe Christes death figured by the Paschall lambe Luke 22. Christes exposition of y t Paschall lambe The Scriptures of God 〈◊〉 full of hiâ—den misteries Nume 21. Iohn 3. 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 was spiritually fulfilled in the kyngdome of heauen 〈◊〉 â—…tâ—t oâ— of y t SacrameÌ„t of y t body bâ—… of our 〈…〉 Christ The Paschall lambe 〈◊〉 the death and sacrâ—… 〈…〉 〈…〉 together 1. Cor. 11. The chief and onely cause of the institution of the Sacrament Actes 4. 1. Cor. 15. In all afflictions we must resoâ—â— to Christ We must be ordered by the congregation Onely by the name of Iesus Christ commeth our saluation Actes 4. The nature of the SacrameÌ„t of the Sâ—ppeâ— of our Lord. Sacramentes and ceremonies were first ordeined by God to kepe hys couenantes and promises in remeÌ„braunce Sacramentes are as stories to keepe Christes couenaunts in memory Circumcisio without fayth auayled noching Baptisme w t out fayth auayleth nothyng Baptisme and the Sacrament of Christes body and bloud are both necessary The Sacrament of Baptisme what it worketh in vs. The Sacrament of the body bloud of Christ what it worketh in vs. Marke 10. The law driueth a sinner to desperatioÌ„ The deuill enemy to man The flesh enemy to man The impeâ—…ent and wilfull sinner feeleth not the wrath of God in his law The law the flesh the deuill are three great enemyes vnto man Why the Sacramentes were chiefly ordeined by God God hath coÌ„maunded his Sacramentes to be had in dayly vse the cause why The Sacrament of Christes body bloud 〈…〉 to keÌ„ of Christes promise of our saluation in his death Iudi. 13. A brief collection of the premisses Math. 1. Math. 7. To an ignorauÌ„t and vnfaithfull person the Sacramentes and ceremonies are sinne Idolatry what it is The spirituall and right seruyng of God what it is Math. 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. The institution of the Sacramentes of Christes body and bloud Who they are that receaue the benefite of Christes death The cup of the bloud of Christ what it is Exod. 24. Hebr. 9. The great mercyfull differeÌ„ce betwene the old Testament the new The great mercy of God to maÌ„kynd Marke 14. Luke 22. The cause of the institution of y e SacrameÌ„t of Christes body The signe of the body of Christ is called by the name of Christes body whiche is there signified 1. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 11. Hebr. 10. What the SacrameÌ„t meaneth why the same was instituted There are iij. opinioÌ„s about the SacrameÌ„t of the body and bloud of Christ The first opinion The second opinion The thyrd opinion A declaration made by them of the first opinioÌ„ aboue mentioned A declaratioÌ„ of them of the secoÌ„d opinion abouâ— mentioned A declaration of theÌ„ of the third opinion about mentioned
geuen vs his commaundementes to bee kept De temp ser lxiij De lib. arb cap. xvi Eccl. 12. Gods commaundementes bee impossible to our nature Whereof our good will commeth De coÌ„gruo De lib. arb cap. xvi The Pelagians sayth that God giueth good lawes man may keepe them of his natural strength or els the coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts were frustrate iiij sen dist xiiij quest ij Hee that hath not y t grace of God caÌ„not abhorre sin Roma 18. De gredeâ—iâ— cap. 8. Grace findeth our hartes stony Meritum de congruo Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo Eccl. 16. Mans Lordshyp ouer all creatures of God Mans dominion restreined Aug. de lib. arb cap. xvi August de verb. Apost sent xiij Wherefore the lawe is giuen Math. 23. Two wils in God Gene. 2. Howe Christ willed to saue the Iewe â–ª Iohn 11. Wherin thâ— libertie of freewill consisteth Magist sen in ij It was not in their handes to chaunge their will We may not â—ee to inquisiâ—â—ue of Gods secâ—etes Nothyng that God doth caÌ„ bee amended Note here the wicked and sinnefull state of man Fayth doth not come of exterior causes but is the mere gift of God God disposeth hys mercy to whom it pleaseth hym Math. 20. Roma 9. God hath no delight in our damnation A comfortable and wholesome doctrine Scâ—â—â—s i. s dâ—st 〈◊〉 Bonauenture Iacob Esau Meritum de congruo Iacob is elected and Esau reiected Rom. 9. Gods mercy is y e cause onely of our saluation August super Ioannem tract lxxxviij God is mercyfull MaÌ„s good intent to saue hym selfe Origine in perâ—arcon Glos Rom. 5 Hierâ— super Esaiam which bee newe men Howe the Papistes schoole men peruert the holy scriptures How God indurateth Ephe. 2. All thyngs are subiect to the will of God Gods actioÌ„ is good As y t faithfull take profite by the hearing of the word of God so the wicked and vnfaith full take hurt thereby The Pope and his cleargie wil not allow y t scripture to bee in y t mother vulgar tongue of y t people This was Byshoppe Stokesley A common practise of Prelates to deface the scriptures The cleargie were more willing to finde faulte wyth the translating of the Scripture then to amende it W. Tyndal The onely cause why the Scriptures were condemned by the Byshops Esay 61. Hebr. 10. The words of God was firste written to all nations and people and not to priestes onely The Byshoppes worse then the great Turke A worshyp full counsell of an vnpreachyng Prelate The earnest zeale of Doctour Barnes Doctour Barnes most earnestly defeÌ„deth Christes cause Deut. 32. Psal 118. Psal 1. The Pope and Christ are contrary Ephes 6. A godly saying of S. Ihon. The Pharisies iudged better of the scriptures of God then our Byshops dyd 1. Tim. 3. Papistes S. Paule are contrarye 2. Tim. 3. One of the chiefest workes of Antichrist is to condemne the scriutures of God Mar. vlt. Mat. vlt. The Papistes are blasphemers of Gods heaueÌ„ly word Papistes abyde the true preachers of the Gospell Psal 9. The euangelistes and Apostles did not onely preache but also wrote the Scripture that all meÌ„ might read it Actes 17. Papistes preach lyes Dect Alen expoundeth Scripture A Popish Doctors interpretation A foolish tale of a tubbe The Papisticall and vayne doctrine of Papistes Authorities to prooue that the scriptures ought to bee in the mother toungue Actes 18. Acte 8. Collos 3. The Pope and hys Clergy are the very â—lntechristes August ad fratres s 3â— In epis ad Ephes c. 6. Scriptures reache the commaundementes of God In Gen. 〈◊〉 9. ho 28. A notable saying of S. Chrisostome Iâ— Mat. c. 〈◊〉 hom 2. The scripture is meete to bee knowen of all states and sortes of people Di. 38. Si iuxta 7. Sinod c. Omnes et dâ— 38. The readyng of the Scripture allowed by a counsell In prohe In Epist ad Ephes Li. 1. What benefites we may receaue by readyng of Scripture The great arrogancy pride tyranny that is in Papistes Psal 5. Doctour Barnes is vehement The Papistes first reason to prooue that lay men ought not to read Scriptures Euill men will take occasion of euill of euery good thyng 1. Cor. 1. Math. 13. An other reason of the Papistes What is meant by this saying to you is geuen the true vnderstyng and interpretation of scriptures Scotus 11. Sent. di 3. q. 3. Scriptures must bee first knowen therby you may iudge the opinion of the Doctours whether they say right or not A third reason of the Papistes CouÌ„sâ—…s are to bee kept secret but the Scripture must bee made knowen to all men Mar. vâ—â— Ti. 1. 2. Tim. 2. Iohn 3. Math. 5. A foolishe similitude made by Stokesley Byshop of London There are two maner of powers A temporal power The description of the temporall power Roma 13. 1. Pet. 2. Roma 13. 1. Cor. 13. Math. 6. A man wrongfully imprisoned by a tyraunt maye in quyet maner make his escape 1. Cor. 7. Such as haue made offeÌ„ces to the common weale ought not to breake prison 4. Kyng 6. 3. King 89. Actes 12. idem 9. and. 14. What were to bee done if the kyng should forbyd vs the readyng of the Scripture Roma 1. Note here what is to bee done if the kyng doe sorbid the Scripture â—o bee read of his subiectes Subiectes must obey but here is shewed in what sorte and maner Note here how a Christian subiecte must shewe himselfe obedient 1. Cor. 15. Math. 20. Act. 20. 1. Tim. 6. 1. Tim. 2. Act. 4. 5. God is to bee obeyed beefore meÌ„ Luke 13 Daniell 3. Dan. 6. Math. 10. 1. Pet. 3. God doth woÌ„derfully worke to saue and defend hys poore flock Dan. 13. Gene. 37. and. 39. Exod. 2. Psal 〈◊〉 Actes 12. Math. 27. and. 28. Christ is for euer to bee set beefore vs for an example to comforte vs in our persecutioÌ„ Wee must rather suffer perâ—ecution then in any wise resiste A spirituall power The spirituall power hath no auctoritie to make lawes to rule the worlde by 2. Tim. 3. Roma 16. Gala. 1. Ierem. 23. Luke 10. Math. 23. Super Ioan. Trac 46. By the chayre of Moses â–ª is vnderstand the lawe of God which Moses deliuered to the Iewes Act. 5. Hylarius in Mat. canâ— 14. All traditions of men that are agaynst God must bee rooted vp by the rootes Ezechi â–ª 20. Thynges that are indifferent to bee done or not done are to bee obeyed so that y e same bee not commauÌ„ded vnder the peine of deadly sinne 1. Cor. 7. Galat. 2. Note here that things that oâ— the selues are indifferent and yet are comaunded to bee of necessitie obserued those are to bee disobeyed 1. Tim. 4. 1. Cor. 8. Roma 15. Superstition of the Monkes of the Charterhouse Coll. 2. A notable saying of S. Paule Ad Paul Epi. 59. Collos 2. ΣÏι. ad ro propo 72. Our bodyes are subiect to princes but our soules
them whiche with their false doctrine and violence of sword enforce to quenche the true doctrine of Christe And as thou canst heale no disease except thou begyn at the roote euen so canst thou preach agaynst no mischief except thou begyn at the Byshops Kinges they are but shadowes vayne names and thynges idle hauyng nothing to do in the world but when our holy father nedeth their helpe The Pope contrarie vnto all conscience and agaynst all the doctrine of Christ which sayth my kyngdome is not of this world Iohn xviij hath vsurped the right of the Emperour And by policie of the Byshops of Almany and with corruptyng the Electours or chosers of the Emperor with money bryngeth to passe that such a one is euer chosen Emperour that is not able to make his partie good with the Pope To stoppe the Emperour that he come not at Rome he bringeth the French kyng vp to Milane and on the other side bryngeth he the Venetians If the Venetiās come to nye the Byshops of Fraunce must bryng in the French kyng And the Socheners are called and sent for to come and succour And for their labour he geueth to some a Rose to an other a cappe of mayntenaunce One is called most Christen king an other defender of the fayth an other the eldest sonne of the most holy seate He blaseth also the armes of other and putteth in the holy crosse the crown of thorne or the nayles and so forth If the Frēch kyng go to hye and crepe vp other to Bononie or Naples then must our English Byshops bryng in our kyng The craft of the Byshops is to entitle one kyng with an others Realme He is called kyng of Dennemarke and of England he kyng of England and of Fraunce Then to blinde the Lordes and the commons the kyng must chalenge his right Then must the lande be taxed and euery man paye and the treasure borne out of the Realme and the land beggerde How many a thousand mens liues hath it cost And how many an hundred thousand poundes hath it caried out of the Realme in our remembraunce Besides how abhominable an example of gatheryng was there such verely as neuer tyraunt sence the world began did yea such as was neuer before heard or thought on neither among Iewes Saresens Turkes or Heathen sence God created the Sunne to shyne that a beast should breake vp into the Temple of God that is to say into the hart and consciences of men and compell them to sweare euery man what hee was worthe to lende that should neuer be payd agayne How many thousandes forsware thē selues How many thousandes set them selues aboue their habilitie partly for feare lest they should be forsworne and partly to saue their credence When the pope hath his purpose then is peace made no man woteth how and our most enemy is our most frend Now because the Emperour is able to obteine his right French English Venetians and all must vpō him O great whore of Babylon how abuseth she the Princes of the world how dronke hath she made them with her wyne How shamefull licences doth she geue them to vse Nichromancy to hold whores to diuorse them selues to breake the fayth and promises that one maketh with an other that the confessours shall deliuer vnto the kyng the confession of whom he will and dispēceth with them euen of the very lawe of God whiche Christ him selfe can not do ¶ Agaynst the Popes false power MAthew xxvj Christ sayth vnto Peter put vp thy sword into his sheth For all that lay hand vpon the sword shal perish with the sword that is who soeuer without the cōmaundement of the temporall officer to whom God hath geuē the sword layeth hand on the sword to take vengeaunce the same deserueth death in the deede doyng God did not put Peter onely vnder the tēporall sword but also Christ him selfe As it appeareth in the fourth Chapter to the Galathiās And Christ sayth Math. iij. Thus becommeth it vs to fulfill all righteousnes that is to say all ordinaunces of God If the head be then vnder the tēporall sword how can the members be excepted If Peter sinned in defendyng Christ against the temporall sword whose authoritie and Ministers the Byshops then abused agaynst Christ as ours do now who can excuse our Prelates of sinne which will obey no man neither Kyng nor Emperour Yea who can excuse from sinne either the Kynges that geue either the Byshops that receaue such exemptions contrarie to Gods ordinaunces and Christes doctrine And Math. xvij both Christ and also Peter pay tribute where the meanyng of Christes question vnto Peter is if Princes take tribute of straungers onely and not of their children then verily ought I to be free whiche am the sonne of God whose seruaūtes and Ministers they are and of whom they haue their authoritie Yet because they neither knew that neither Christ came to vse that authoritie but to bee our seruaunt and to beare our burthen and to obey all ordinaunces both in right and wrong for our sakes and to teach vs therfore sayd he to S. Peter Pay for thee and melest we offend thē Moreouer though that Christ Peter because they were poore might haue escaped yet would he not for feare of offendyng other and hurtyng their consciences For he might well haue geuen occasion vnto the tribute gatherers to haue iudged amisse both of him and his doctrine yea and the Iewes might happely haue bene offended thereby and haue thought that it had not ben lawful for them to haue payd tribute vnto Heathen Princes and Idolaters seyng that he so great a Prophet payd not Yea and what other thyng causeth the lay so litle to regarde their Princes as that they see them both despised disobeyed of the spiritualtie But our Prelates whiche care for none offendyng of consciences and lesse for Gods ordinaunces will pay nought but when Princes must fight in our most holy fathers quarell and agaynst Christ Then are they the first There also is none so poore that then hath not somewhat to geue Marke here how past all shame our schole Doctours are as Rochester is in his Sermon agaynst Martin Luther which of this text of Mathew dispute that Peter because he payd tribute is greater then the other Apostles and hath more authority and power then they and was head vnto thē all cōtrary vnto so many cleare textes where Christ rebuketh them saying that is an Heathenish thyng that one should clyme aboue an other or desire to be greater To be great in the kingdome of heauē is to be a seruaunt and he that most humbleth hym selfe and becommeth a seruaunt vnto other after the ensample of Christ I meane his Apostles and not of the Pope and his Apostles our Cardinals and Byshops y e same is greatest in that kingdome If Peter in paying tribute became greatest how
into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saued He that beleueth on him shall not be damned but he that beeleeueth not is damned alreadye Iohn iij. Paule Rom. 5. sayth Because we are iustifyed through fayth we are at peace with God through our lord Iesus Christ that is because that God which can not lye hath promised and sworne to be mercyfull vnto vs and to forgeue vs for Christes sake we beleue and are at peace in our consciences we run not hither and thither for pardon we trust not in thys fryer nor that monke neyther in any thing saue in the woord of God onely As a childe when his father threateneth him for his faâ—t hath neuer rest til he heare the worde of mercy and forgeuenes of his fathers mouth againe but assone as he heareth his father say Goe thy wayes do me no more so I forgeue thee this fault then is his hart at rest then is he at peace then runneth he to no man to make intercession for him Neyther though there come any false marchant saying what wilt thou geue me and I will obtayne pardon of thy father for thee Will he suffer him selfe to be beguiled No he will not buy of a wilie fox that which his father hath geuen him freely It foloweth God setteth out hys loue that he hath to vs. that is he maketh it appeare that men may perceiue loue if they be not more then stocke blinde In asmuch sayth Paule as while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. Much more now sayth he seeing we are iustifyed by hys bloud shall we be preserued from wrath thorough him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of hys sonne much more seeing we are reconciled we shall be preserued by hys life As who should say If God loued vs when we knew him not much more loueth he vs now we know him If he were mercifull to vs while we hated his Lawe how much more mercifull will he be now seeing we loue it and desire strength to fulfill it And in the viij he argueth If God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all how shall he not wyth him geue vs all thinges also Christ prayed Iohn xvij not for the Apostles onely but also for as many as should beleue through theyr preaching and was heard whatsoeuer we aske in his name the Father geueth vs Iohn xvi Christ is also as mercifull as the saintes Why go we not straight way vnto him Verely because we feale not the mercy of God neyther beleue his truthe God will at the least way say they heare vs the sooner for the saintes sake Then loueth he the saintes better then Christ and his own truth Heareth he vs for the saintes sake so heareth he vs not for his mercye For merites and mercye can not stand together Finally if thou put any trust in thine owne deedes or in the deedes of any other man of any saint then minishest thou the truth mercy and goodnes of God For if God looke vnto thy workes or vnto the workes of any other man or goodnes of the saint then doth he not all thinges of pure mercy and of his goodnesse and for the truthes sake which he hath sworne in Christ Now sayth Paule Tit. 3. Not of the righteous deedes which we did but of his mercy saued he vs. Our blinde disputers will say If our good deedes iustify vs not if God looke not on our good deedes neither regard them nor loue vs the better for them what need we to do good dedes I aunswer God looketh on our good deedes and loueth them yet loueth vs not for their sakes God loueth vs first in Christ of his goodnes and mercy and poureth his spirit into vs and geueth vs power to do good dedes And because he loueth vs he loueth our good deedes yea because he loueth vs he forgeueth vs our euill dedes which we do of frailtie and not of purpose or for the nonce Our good dedes do but testifie onely that we are iustifyed and beloued For except we were beloued and had Gods spirite we could neyther do nor yet consent vnto any good deed Antichrist turneth the rootes of the trees vpwarde He maketh the goodnes of God the braunches and our goodnes the rootes We must be first good after Antichristes doctrine and moue God and compell him to be good againe for our goodnesses sake so must Gods goodnesse spring out of our goodnes Nay verely Gods goodnesse is the root of al goodnes and our goodnes if we haue any springeth out of his goodnes Prayer OF Prayer and good deedes and of the order of loue or charitie I haue aboundantly written in my booke of the iustifying of fayth Neuer the later that thou maist see what the prayers and good workes of our monkes and friers and of other ghostly people are worth I will speake a woord or two and make an end Paule sayth Gal. 3. All ye are the sonnes of God through fayth in Iesu Christ for all ye that are baptized haue put Christ on you that is ye are become Christ himself There is no Iew sayth he neither Greeke neither bond nor free neither man nor woman but ye are all one thing in Christ Iesu In Christ there is neither french nor english but the frenchman is the englishmans owne selfe and the english the frenchmans owne self In Christ there is neither father nor sonne neyther maister nor seruaunt neyther husband nor wife neither king nor subiect but the father is the sonnes selfe and the sonne the fathers owne selfe and the king is the subiects owne self and the subiect is the kinges own self and so fourth I am thou â—hy selfe and thou art I my selfe and can be no nearer of kyn We are all the sonnes of God all Christes seruauntes bought with hys bloud and euery man to other Christ his owne selfe And Col. 3 Ye haue put on the new man which is tenned in the knowledge of God after the image of him that made him that is to say Christ where is sayth he neyther Greke nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision barbarous or Scithian bond or free but Christ is all in all thinges I loue thée not now because thou art my father and hast done so much for me or my mother and hast borne me and geuen me sucke of thy brestes for so do Iewes and saracens but because of the greate loue that Christ hath shewed me I serue thee not because thou art my maister or my king for hope of rewarde or feare of payne but for the loue of Christ for the children of fayth are vnder no law as thou seest in the Epistles to the Romanes to the Galathians in the first to Timothe but are free The spirit of Christ hath writteÌ„ the liuely law of loue in their hartes whiche driueth theÌ„ to worke of theyr owne
all thyng for vauntage leadeth in the darkenesse of death M. Tyndall doth knowe how that S. Augustine and S. Hierome do proue with holy Scripture that confessioÌ„ is of necessitie vnto saluation Tyndall That is false if ye meane eareconfession Why alledge ye not the places where But ye know by S. Hierome and other stories and by the conuersation with Erasmus how it came vp and that the vse was once farre other then now M. I meruell that Tyndal denieth Purgatory except he entend to go to hell Tyndall He entendeth to purge here vnto the vttermost of his power hopeth that death will end and finish hys purgation And if there be any other purgyng he will commit it to God take it as he findeth it when he coÌ„meth at it and in the meane tyme take no thought therefore but for this that is present wherewith all Saintes were purged and were taught so to be And Tyndall marueleth what secret pilles they take to purge them selues whiche not onely will not purge here with the crosse of Christ but also bye out theyr Purgatory therof the pope for a groat or vj. pence The xviij Chapter M. The Clergie doth nothyng vnto the heretikes but as the holy Doctours dyd Tyndall Yes ye put them in your prisons and diote them and handle them after your fashion as temporall tyrauÌ„tes and dispute with them secretly and will not come at light And ye slea theÌ„ for rebukyng you with Gods worde and so did not the old holy Doctours If a man slea his father ye care not But if any man touche one of you though he haue neuer so great an occasion geuen him ye curse him and if he will not submitte him selfe vnto your punishmeÌ„t ye leaue him vnto the temporall power whome ye haue hyred with y e spoyle of his goodes to be your hangman so that he must lose his life for geuyng one of you but a blowe on the cheke M. Saint Paule gaue two heretickes vnto the deuill whiche tormented theyr fleshe whiche was no small punishement and haply he slew them Tyndall O expounder of the Scripture like Hugo Charensis which exposideth haereticum hominem deuita take the hereticke out of his lyfe We read of no payne that he had whom the Corinthians excommunicated and gaue to Sathan to slea his fleshe saue that hee was ashamed of hym selfe and repented when he saw his offence so earnestly taken and so abhorred But ye because ye haue no power to deliuer them to Sathan to blynde theyr myndes ye deliuer theÌ„ to the fire to destroy their flesh that no more is seene of them after then the ashes ¶ FINIS ¶ The practise of papisticall Prelates made by Wylliam Tyndall ¶ In the yeare of our Lorde 1530. ¶ William Tyndall to the Christian Reader WHen the olde Scribes and Phariseis had darckned the Scripture wyth their traditions and false interpretacions and wicked perswasions of fleshly wisdome and shut vp the kingdome of heauen which is Gods word that the people coulde not enter in vnto the knowledge of the true way as Christ complayneth in the Gospell Math. x. iij. Then they sat in the hartes of men with their false doctrine in the stead of God and hys word slew the soules of the people to deuoure their bodyes and to robbe them of their worldly substaunce But when Christ and Iohn the Baptiste had restored the Scripture agayne vnto the true vnderstanding and had vttered their falsehead and improued their tradicions and confounded their false interpretations with the cleare and euident textes and with power of the holy Ghost had brought all their iuggling and hypocrisie to light theÌ„ they gat them vnto the elders of the people perswaded them saying this man is surely of the deuill and hys myracles be of the deuill no doubt And these good workes which he doth in healing the people yea and his preaching against our couetousnes are but a cloke to bring hym vnto hys purpose that when he hath gotteÌ„ him disciples ynow he may rise against the Emperour and make hymselfe kyng And then shall the Romaynes come take our land from vs and cary away our people and put other naâ—ions in our realme and so shall we lose all that we haue and the most part of our liues therto Take heede therefore betimes while there is remedy yer he go so far that ye be not able to resiste hym The elders of the people which were rich and welthy though before they in a maner fauoured Christ or at y â— least way were indifferent nor greatly caryng whether God or the deuil raigned so that they might bide in their authoritie feared immediatly as Herode did of the losse of his kingdome when the wise men asked where the new borne king of Iewed was and conspired with the Scribes and Phariseis against Christ and tooke him and braught him vnto Pilate saying We haue â—ounde this fellow peruerting the people and forbidding to pay tribute vnto Cesar and saying that he is king and mouyng the people from Galile vnto this place The Pilate though he likewise was before indifferent put now in feare of the losse of his office thorow such perswasions slew innocent Christ And in very deede as the Scribes Phariseis were all their liues before blynde guides vnto the destruction of their soules euen so were they at their last ende blinde Prophetes vnto the destruction of their bodyes For after that they had slayne Christ and diuers of his Apostles and persecuted those poore wretches that beleued on hym God to aduenge the poore innocent bloude that bare witnes vnto the truth poured hys wrath among them that they theÌ„selues rose against the Emperour And the Romaynes came according as they blyndly prophesied and slew the most part of them and caryed y e rest captiue into all nacions and put other nacions in the Realme But whose fault was that insurrection against the Emperour and mischiefe that followed Christes and his Apostles whom they falsely accused before hand Nay Christ taught that they shoulde geue Cesar that pertayned vnto Cesar and God that which belonged to God EueÌ„ that they should geue Cesar lawfull their bodely seruice God the hart and that they should loue Gods law repent of their euill come and receaue mercy and let the wrath of god be taken from of them And the Apostles taught that all soules should obey the hyer powers or temporall rulers but their obstinate malice that so hardened their harâ—s that they coulde not repent and their raylyng vppon the open and manifest with which they coulde not improue and resisting the holy Ghost and sleying of the preachers of righteousnes brought the wrath of God vpoÌ„ theÌ„ and was cause of their vtter destruction Euen so our Scribes and Pharises now that their hypocrisie is disclosed and there falshead so brought
to light that it can no lōger be hid get thē vnto the elders of the people the Lordes gentlemen and temporall officers and to all that loue this worlde as they do and vnto whosoeuer is great wyth the kyng and vnto the kyngs grace himselfe and after the same ensample and wyth the same perswasions cast them into like feare of losing of their worldly dominions and rore vnto them saying ye be negligent and care nothing ot all but haue a good sport that the heretickes rayle on vs. But geue thē space a while till they be growen vnto a multitude and then ye shall see them preach as fast against you and moue the people agaynst you and do their beste to thruste you downe also and shall cry hauocke and make all common O generation of serpentes how well declare ye that ye be the right sonnes of the father of all lyes For they which ye call heretickes preach nothing saue that which our Sauiour Iesus Christ preached and his Apostles adding nought therto nor plucking ought therfro as the Scripture commaundeth and teach all men repentaunce to God and his holy lawe and fayth vnto our Sauiour Iesus Christ and the promises of mercy made in hym and obedience vnto all that God commaundeth to obey Neyther teach we so much as to resiste your most cruell tyranny with bodely violence saue wyth Gods worde onely entending nothing but to driue you out of the temple of Christ the harts consciences and soules of mē wherein with your falshead ye sit and to restore agayne Iesus our Sauiour vnto his possession and inheritaunce bought with his bloude whence ye haue driuen him out with your manifolde wyles and subtiltie Take heede therefore wicked Prelates blynde leaders of the blynde indurat and obstinate hypocrites take heede For if the Phariseis for their resisting the holy Ghost that is to say persecuting the open and manifest truth and sleying the preachers therof escaped not the wrath vengeaunce of god how shall ye scape which are farre worse thē the Phariseis For though the Phariseis had shut vp the Scripture and set vp theyr owne professions yet they kept theyr owne professions for the most part But ye will be the chiefest in Christes flocke and yet wyll not keepe one iot of the right way of his doctrine Ye haue therto set vp wonderfull professions to be more holy therby thē ye thinke that Christes doctrine is able to make you and yet keepe as little thereof except it be with dispensations in so much that if a man aske you what your maruelous fashioned playing coates and your other popatrye meane and what your disfigured heades all your Apishplay meane ye know not and yet are they but signes of thinges which ye haue professed Thyrdly ye will be Papistes and holde of the Pope and yet looke in the Popes lawe and ye keepe thereof almost nought at all but whatsoeuer soundeth to make for your bellyes and to maintaine your honour whether in the Scripture or in your owne traditions or in the Popes lawe that ye compell the laye people to obserue violently threatening them with your excommunications and cursses that they shal be damned both body and soule if they keepe them not And if that helpe you not then ye murther them mercilesly with the sworde of the temporall powers whom ye haue made so blinde that they be ready to sley whom ye cōmaūde and will not yet heare his cause examined nor geue him roome to aunswere for himselse And ye elders of the people feare ye God also For as the elders of the Iewes which were partakers with the Scribes and Phariseis in resisting the holy Ghost and in persecuting the open truth and sleying the witnesses therof and in prouoking the wrath of God had their parte with them also in the day of wrath and sharpe vengeaunce which shortly after fell vppon them as the nature of the sinne against the holy Ghost is haue her damnation not onely in the worlde to come but also in this life according vnto all the ensamples of the Bible and autenticke stories since the worlde beganne euen likewise ye if ye will wincke in so open cleare light and let your selues be led blyndfold and haue your part with the hypocrites in lyke sinne and mischief be sure ye shall haue your part with them in lyke wrath and vengeance that is like shortly to fall vpon them And concernyng that the hypocrites put you in feare of the rising of your commons agaynst you I aunswere if ye feare your cōmōs so testifie ye agaynst your selues that ye are tyrauntes For if your consciences accused you not of euill doyng what neede ye to feare your commons What commons was euer so euil that they rose against their heads for well doyng Moreouer ye witnesse agaynst your selues also that ye haue no trust in God For he hath promised the temporall officers assistence if they minister their offices truly and to care for the keepyng of thē as much as they care for to kepe his lawes The hypocrites happly byd you take an example of the Vplanoish people of Almany which they lye that Martin Luther styrred vp For first what one sentence in all the writyng of Martin Luther finde they that teacheth a mā to resist his superiour Moreouer if Martin Luther and the preachers had styrred vp the common people of Germany how happened it that Martin Luther other like preachers had not perished likewise with them whiche are yet all alyue at this houre Ye will aske me who styrred thē vp them I aske you Who styrred vp the commōs of the Iewes to resiste the Emperour after that the Scribes and Phariseis with the Elders of the people had slayne Christ his Apostles Verely the wrath of God And euen so here the wrath of God styrred them vp partly to destroy the enemyes and persecutours of the truth and partly to take vengeaunce on those carnall beastes whiche abused the Gospell of Christ to make a cloke of it to defend their fleshly libertie and not to obey it and to saue their soules therby If Kynges Lordes and great men therfore feare the losse of this worlde Let them feare God also For in fearyng God shall they prolong their dayes vpon the earth and not with sightyng agaynst God The earth is Gods onely his fauour and mercy doth prolong the dayes of kynges in their estate not their owne power and might And let all men be they neuer so great hearkē vnto this and let this be an aunswere vnto them Wicked kyng Achab sayd vnto the Prophet Elias Art thou he that troublest Israell And Elias aūswered it is not I that trouble Israell but thou and thy fathers houshold in that ye haue forsaken the commaundementes of the Lord and folow Idoles Euen so the preachers of the truth which rebuke sinne are not the troublers of