and priestes reade this thing hee speaketh agaynst mispending of goodes y t is offered to helpe poore men with the whiche doth teache their children prophane letters and maketh theÌ„ to read commedies and to sing baudy songes of iesters â–ª and these children they finde of the charges of the church c. 319. col 2 The Councell of Nicene willing to reforme the lyfe of men dyd set certaine lawes the which we call Canones among the which certaine men would haue had a lawe to bee brought iâ— that Byshops priestes Deacons and subdeacons should noâ— lye w t their wiues which they had maryed before their coÌ„secration But Paphnutius a confessour did withstand them and sayd that their mariage was honorable and it was pure chastitie for them to lye with their wyues So that the counsâ—…as perswaded not to make any 〈◊〉 law affirmyng it for to bee a greâ—…us occasioÌ„ both vnto them aâ—… aâ—… vnto their wyues of fornicatioâ—… 〈◊〉 this thing dyd Paphnutius though that hee hym selfe was vnmaryâ—… The Councell did alowe this sentence So that nothing was decreed as concerning this thing but euery man was left vnto his free-will and not bounde of any necessitie c. 320. col 1 The Popes lawe sayth If any man doth teach that a Priest by the reason of his order ought to forsake his wyfe cursed bee hee c. 321. col 1 We reade in the counsell of Gangrens how they moâ—e this decree If any maÌ„ doth iudge or condemne a Priest that is maried that hee may not by the reason of his mariage do sacrifice but will abstayne from his masse by the reason thereof cursed bee hee c. 321. col 1 We doe reade in a counsell that is called the sixt Synod these wordes Considering that it is decreed amongest the lawes made by them of Rome that no Deacon nor Priest shall company with their wiâ—es Therfore we notwithstanding that decree folowing the rules of the Apostles and the constitutions of holy men will that from this day forth maryage shall bee lawfull in no wise dissoluing the matrimonye betweene them and their wiues nor depriuyng them of their familiarytie in time coÌ„uenient Whosoeuer therfore shall bee founde able of the order of Deacon Subdeacon or of Priesthode we will that no such men be prohibited to ascend the dignities aforesaid for the cohabitatioÌ„ of their wiues Nor that they bee constrayned at the receite of their orders to professe chastitie or to abstayne from the company of their lawfull wiues c. 322. col 1 The Popes law sayth It is open y t neither Deacons nor subdeacoÌ„s ought to bee forbidden from maryage c. 322. col 2 Pope Innocent the thirde writeth in his decretalles on this maner Those Priestes that after the maner of the couÌ„trey hath not forsaken the coniunction of maryage if they doe breake their wedlocke ought greuously to bee punished seeing that they may vse lawefully matrimony c. 322. col 2 The master of sentences wryteth on this maner Our weaknes is prone to fall into filthynes but it is helped w t honest maryage And the thyng that is vnto whole men an offence is vnto sicke men a remedye c. 323. col 2 Ex lege Papal Thou doest aske of vs sayth the Pope to the Byshoppe of Cassell whether that these men that hath Priestes to their fathers may bee promoted to holy orders or not if they bee of good and honest demeanour and well learned To this we aunswere sayth the Pope that if they bee gotten of lawfull mariage there be none other Canonical impediment then may they lawfully bee promoted vnto holy orders and may enioy that same benefice which their fathers had before c. 324. col 1 Also in that same title the Pope saith we haue vnderstanded that N. Borne and gotten in Priesthod of a lawfull wife hath alwayes had an affection to serue God in the office of a spirituall man c. 324. col 1 The Emperours law saith of priests wyues We will sayth hee that all maner of spirituall men shall haue this prerogatiue that their wyues their children and their seruauntes that is for to say both male and female shall bee free from an homage which is called Perangariam 324. col 2 We doe reade in Tripertita Historia these wordes All Priests in y t orientall Church doth abstayne with a free will and of no necessitie from wiues For many of them in tyme when they bee Byshoppes haue had of their lawfull wiues children 325. col 〈◊〉 We doe reade in Ecclesiastica Historia that Penitus Byshop of a cytye called Gnoseos would haue made a decree that priests should haue vowed chastitie But Dionisius Byshop of Corinth wrote agynst hym and required hym that hee would not lay no necessitie of coÌ„pulsed chastity on other meÌ„s neckes Penitus folowed his counsell 325. col 2 Policrates Byshop of Ephesum doth shew that seuen of his parentes lynially were Byshops in order before hym and hee hym selfe was the eyght 325. col 2 13. Popes were Byshops DeacoÌ„s and Priestes sonnes which is sufficieÌ„tly proued 326. col 1 ¶ That it is agaynst the holy Scripture to honour Images and to pray to Saintes THou shalt make to thy selfe no graueÌ„ Images c. 340. col 1 A man did plant a pinaple tree and the raine did nurrish it c. as it is more at large 340. col 2 Their stockes bee polished of the carpenter and they bee gilded and siluered but they be false and can not speake c. as it is more at large 343. col 2 Moyses saith If theâ—e arise in the midst of thee a Prophete c. as it is more at large 344. col 2 Clement sayth We doe honour vysible Images to the honour of the invisible God the which is a false thing but if you will honour the Image of God in doing well to man in him shal you honour the true Image of God Wherefore if you will truely honour y t Image of God we will opeÌ„ that thing vnto you that is of trueth so that you must doe well vnto man the which is made vnto the Image of God geeue hym honour and reuerence geue hym meate when hee is hungrye geeue him drinke when hee is thyrsty Cloth hym when he is naked serue hym wheÌ„ hee is sicke geeue hym lodgyng when hee is a straunger and when hee is in prisoÌ„ minister to hym necessaries This is the thing that shall bee counted to be geuen God truely What honor is this of God to runne about foolishly to stonye and wooddy Images and to honour as Gods Idle and dead figures and to despise man in whom is y t very true Image of God Wherefore vnderstand you that this is this the suggestion of the Serpent that lurketh within the which doth make you beleeue that you bee deuouce when
Iohn v. that ye haue not the loue of God in you I am come in my fathers name and ye receaue me not if an other shall come in his own name him shall ye receaue This doth God auenge him selfe on the malicious hartes whiche haue no loue to his truth All the promises of God haue they either wypte cleane out or thus leauened them with open lyes to stablishe their confession with all And to kepe vs from knowledge of the truth they do all thyng in Latin They pray in Latin they Christen in Latine they blesse in Latine they geue absolution in Latin onely curse they in the English toung Wherein they take vpon them greater authoritie then euer God gaue them For in their curses as they call them with booke bell and candle they commaūde God and Christ and the aungels and all Saintes to curse them curie them God say they father sonne and holy ghost curse them virgine Mary c. O ye abommable Who gaue you authoritie to commaūde God to curse God commaundeth you to blesse and ye cōmaunde him to curse Blesse them that persecute you blesse but curse not saith S. Paul Roma xij What tyranny wil these not vse ouer men which presume and take vpon them to be Lordes ouer God and to commaunde him If God shall curse any man who shall blesse and make him better No man can amende him selfe except God poure his spirite vnto him Haue we not a commaundemēt to loue our neighbour as our selues How can I loue him and curse him also Iames sayth it is not possible that blessing cursing should come both out of one mouth Christ cōmaundeth Math. v. saying loue your enemies Blesse them that curse you Do good to them that hate you Pray for them that do you wrong and persecute you that ye may be the children of your heauenly father In the marches of Wales it is the maner if any man haue an Oxe or a Cow stollē he commeth to the Curate and desireth him to curse the stealer And he commaundeth the Parish to geue him euery man Gods curse and his Gods curse myne haue he sayth euery man in the Parish O mercyfull God what is blasphemy if this be not blasphemy shamyng of the doctrine of Christ Vnderstand therfore the power of excommunication is this If any man sinne openly and amendeth not when he is warned then ought he to be rebuked openly before all the Parish And the Priest ought to proue by the Scripture that all such haue no part with Christ For Christ serueth not but for them that loue the law of God and consent that it is good holy and righteous And repēt sorrowing mournyng for power and strength to fulfill it And all the parish ought to be warned to auoyde the company of all such and to take them as heathen people This is not done that he should perish but to saue him to make him ashamed to kill the lustes of the flesh that the spirite might come vnto the knowledge of truth And we ought to pitie hym and to haue compassion on him and with all diligence to pray vnto God for him to geue him grace to repent and to come to the right way agayne and not to vse such tyranny ouer God and man commaūdyng God to curse And if he repent we ought with all mercy to receaue him in agayn This mayst thou see Mat. xviij and. i. Cor. v. and ij Cor. ij ¶ Confirmation IF confirmation haue a promise then it iustifieth as farre as the promise extendeth If it haue no promise then is it not of GOD as the Byshops be not The Apostles and Ministers of God preach Gods word and Gods signes or Sacramentes signifie Gods word also and put vs in remēbraunce of the promises which God hath made vnto vs in Christ Contrarywise Antichristes Byshops preach not their Sacramentes speake not but as the disguised Byshops mum so are their superstitious Sacramentes domme After that the Byshops had left preachyng then fayned they this domme ceremonie of cōfirmation to haue somwhat at the lest way whereby they myght raigne ouer theyr Dioceses They reserued vnto them selues also the Christenyng of Belles and coniuring or hallowyng of Churches and Churchyardes and of Altares and superaltares and holowyng of Chalices and so forth what soeuer is of honor or profite Which cōfirmation and the other coniurations also they haue now committed to their Suffragans because they them selues haue no leysure to minister such things for their lustes and pleasures and aboundance of all thinges and for the combraunce that they haue in the kynges matters and businesse of the Realme One kepeth the priuey seale an other y ◠great seale the thyrd is confessour that is to say a priuey traytor and a secreat Iudas he is President of the Princes Counsaile he is an Ambassadour an other sort of the Kynges secret Counsaile Wo is vnto the Realmes where they are of y t counsell As profitable are they verely vnto the Realmes with their Counsell as the Wolues vnto the Shepe or the Foxes vnto the Geese They will say that the holy Ghost is geuen thorough such ceremonies If God had so promised so should it be but Paule saith Galat. iij. that the spirite is receaued thorough preaching of the fayth And Actes tenth while Peter preached the faith the holy Ghost fell on Cornelius and on hys houshold How shall we say then to that which they will lay against vs in the eight chapter of the Actes of the Apostles Where Peter and Iohn put their handes on the Samaritans and the holy Ghost came I say that by putting or with putting or as they put their handes on them the holy Ghost came Neuerthelesse the putting on of the hāds did neither helpe nor hinder For the text sayth they prayed for them that they might receaue the holy ghost God had made the Apostles a promise that he woulde wyth such miracles cōfirme their preaching and mou◠other to the fayth Mar. the last The Apostles therefore beleued and prayed God to fulfill his promise and God for his truthes sake euen so did So was it the prayer of fayth that brought the holy Ghost as thou mayst see also in the last of Iames. If any man be sicke saith Iames call the elders of the congregation and let them pray ouer hym annointing hym with oyle in the name of the Lord and the prayer of fayth shall heale the sicke Where a promise is there is fayth bolde to pray and God true to geue her her petition Putting on of the handes is an indifferent thing For the holy Ghost came by preaching of the fayth and myracles were done at the prayer of fayth as well without putting on of the hands as with as thou seest in many places Putting on of the hands was the maner of that nation as it was to rent their clothes
fathers fathers of theÌ„ that are past And as we feele our fathers so dyd they that are past feele their fathers neither were there in the world any other fathers then such as we both see and feele this many hundred yeares as their Decrees beare recorde and the stories and Chronicles well testifie If Gods word appeared any where they agreed all agaynst it When they had brought that a sleepe then stroue they one with an other about their owne traditions and one Pope condemned an others Decrees and were sometyme ij yea thre Popes at once And one Bishop went to law with an other and one cursed an other for their owne fantasies such things as they had falsly gotteÌ„ And the greatest Samts are they that most defeÌ„ded the liberties of the church as they call it which they falsly gote with blynding kings neither had the world any rest this many hundred yeares for reformyng of Friers and Monkes and ceasyng of schismes that were among our Clergy And as for the holy Doctours as Augustine Hierome Cyprian Chrisostomus and Bede will they not heare If they wrote any thyng negligently as they were men that drawe they cleane contrary to their meanyng and therof triumphe they Those Doctours knew of none authoritie that one Byshop should haue aboue another neither thought or once dreamed that euer any such should be or of any such whisperyng or of Pardons or scouryng of Purgatory as they haue fayned And when they cry miracles miracles remember that God hath made an euerlasting Testament with vs in Christes bloud against which we may receaue no miracles no neither y â— preachyng of Paule him selfe if he came agayn by his own teaching to the Galathians neither yet the preachyng of the aungels of heauen Wherefore either they are no miracles but they haue fayned theÌ„ as is the miracle that S. Peter halowed Westminster or els if there be miracles that confirme doctrine contrary to Gods word theÌ„ are they done of the deuill as the mayd of Ipswich of Kent to proue vs whether we will cleane last to Gods word and to deceaue them that haue no loue to the truth of Gods word nor lust to walke in his lawes And for as much as they to deceaue with all arme them selues against theÌ„ with argumentes and periÌ„nasions of fleshly wisedome with worldly similitudes with shadowes with false Allegories with false expositions of the Scripture contrary vnto the liuyng practising of Christ and the Apostles with lyes and false miracles with false names domne ceremonies with disguising of hypocrisie with the authorities of the fathers and last of all with the violence of the temporall sworde therfore do thou contrariwise arme thy selfe to defende thee with all as Paule teacheth in the last chapter to y â— Ephesians Gyrde on thee the sworde of the spirite which is Gods word and take to thee the shilde of fayth which is not to beleue a â—ate of Robynhode or Gestus Romanorum or of the Chronicles but to beleue Gods woorde that â—asteth euer And when the Pope with his falshead chalengeth temporall authoritie aboue King and Emperour set before thee y â— xxv chapter of S. Math. Where Christ commanudeth Peter to put vp his sword And set before thee Paul ij Cor. x. Where he sayth the weapons of of our warre are not carnall thynges but myghty in God to bryng all vnderstandyng in captiuitie vnder the obedience of Christ that is the weapoÌ„s are Gods word and doctrine and not swordes of yron and stele set before thee the doctrine of Christ and of hys Apostles and their practise And when the Pope chalengeth anthoritie ouer his fellow Byshops and ouer all the congregation of Christ by successioÌ„ of Peter set before thee y â— first of the Actes where Peter for all hys authoritie put no man in the rowme of Iudas but all the Apostles chose two indifferently and cast lottes desiring God to temper them that the lot might fall on y e most ablest And Actes viij the Apostles sent Peter and in the xi call him to rekening and to geue accomptes of that he hath done And when the Popes law coÌ„maundeth saying though that the Pope liue neuer so wickedly and draw with hym through his euill ensample innumerable thousaÌ„des vnto hell yet see that no man presume to rebuke him for he is head ouer all and no man ouer him set before thee Gallates ij Where Paule rebuketh Peter openly And see how both to the CorinthiaÌ„s and also to the Galathians he will haue no superiour but Gods word hee that could teach better by Gods worde And because when he rehearsed his preachyng and hys doynges vnto the hygh Apostles they could improue nothyng therfore will he be equall with the best And when the Friers say they do more theÌ„ their dutie wheÌ„ they preach and more theÌ„ they are bound to to say our seruice are we bouÌ„d say they and that is our dutie to preach is more then we are bound to Set thou before thee how that Christes bloud shedyng hath bounde vs to loue one an other withall our might and to do the vttermost of our power one to an other And Paul sayth i. Cor. ix Wo be vnto me if I preach not yea wo is vnto him y â— hath wherewith to helpe his neighbour and to make him better and do it not If they thinke it more then their dutie to preache Christ vnto you then they thinke it more then their dutie to pray that ye should come to the knowledge of Christ And therefore it is no maruell though they take so great labour yea and so great wages also to kepe you still in darkenes And when they crye furiously hold the heretikes vnto the wall and if they will not reuoke burne them without any more a do reason not with theÌ„ it is an Article condeÌ„ned by the fathers Set thou before thee the saying of Peter i. Pet. iij. To all that aske you be ready to geue an aunswere of the hope that is in you and that with mekenes The fathers of the Iewes and the Bishops whiche had as great authoritie ouer them as ours haue ouer vs condemned Christ his doctrine If it be inough to say the fathers haue condeÌ„ned it theÌ„ are y â— Iewes to beholdeÌ„ excused yea they are yet in the right way and we in the false But if the Iewes be bound to loke in the Scripture and to see whether their fathers haue done right or wrong then are we likewise bound to looke in the Scripture whether our fathers haue done right or wrong and ought to beleue nothyng without a reason of the Scripture and authoritie of Gods word And of this maner defend thy selfe agaynst all maner wickednes of our spirites armed alway with Gods woorde with a strong and a stedfast fayth thereunto Without Gods word do nothing And to his word adde nothyng neither pull any
coÌ„sent of many As if one tolde me that the turke had wonne a citie and I beleued it moued with the honestie of the man Now if there come an other that seemeth more honest or that hath better perswasions that it is not so I thinke immediatly that he lyed and lose my fayth agayne And a feeling fayth is as if a man were there present when it was wonne and there were wounded and had there lost all that he had and were taken prisoner there also That man should so beleue that all y e worlde could not turne him from hys fayth Euen likewise if my mother had blowen on her finger and tolde me that the fire woulde burne me I shoulde haue beleued her with an historicall fayth as we beleue the stories of the world because I thought she woulde not haue mocked me And so I should haue done if she had tolde me that the fire had bene cold and would not haue burned but assoone as I had put my finger in the fire I should haue beleued not by reason of her but wyth a feeling faith so that she could not haue perswaded me afterward the contrary So now with an historicall fayth I may beleue that y â— scripture is gods by the teaching of them so I should haue done though they had tolde me that Roben Hode had bene the scripture of God Which fayth is but an opinion and therfore abideth euer frutlesse and falleth away if a more glorious reason be made vnto me or if the preacher liue contrary But of a feeling fayth it is written Iohn vi They shall be all taught of God That is God shall write it in their harts with his holy spirite And Paule also testifieth Rom. 8. the spirite beareth record vnto our spirit that we be the sonnes of God And thys fayth is none opinion but a sure feling and therefore euer fruitfull Neyther hangeth it of the honesty of the preacher but of the power of God and of the spirite and therefore if all the preachers of the world would goe about to perswade the contrary it would not preuayle no more theÌ„ though they would make me beleue the tire were colde after that I had put my finger therein Of this ye haue an ensample Ioh. 4. of the Samaritanish wife which left her pitcher and went into the citie and sayd come see a man that hath tolde me al that euer I did is not he Christ And many of the Samaritanes beleued because of the saying of the womaÌ„ how that he had tolde her all that euer she did and went out vnto him desired him to come in which fayth was but an opinion and no fayth that could haue lasted or haue brought out fruit but when they had heard Christ the spirite wrought and made them feele Wherupon they came vnto the womaÌ„ and sayd we beleue not now because of thy saying but because we haue heard our selues and know that he is Christ the sauiour of the worlde For Christes preaching was with power and spirite that maketh a maÌ„ feele and know and worke to and not as the Scribes and Pharisies preached and as ours make a man ready to cast hys gorge to heare them raue and rage as mad men And therefore sayth y â— scripture cursed is he that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme that is to say hys strength And euen so cursed is he that hath none other beliefe but because men so say Cursed were he y â— had none other why to beleue theÌ„ that I so say And euen so cursed is he that beleueth only because y â— Pope so saith and so forth thoroughout all the men in the worlde ¶ The fayth that dependeth of an other mans mouth is weake IF I haue none other feeling in my fayth then because a man so sayth then is my fayth faithles and fruitles For if I haue none other seeling that lecherie is sinne then that the Pope so preacheth whom I see before my face set vp in Rome a stewes of xx or xxx thousand whores taking of euery pece tribute yearly and his Byshops with all other his disciples folowing the ensample mightely and the Pope therewith not content but to set vp thereto a stewes of young boyes agaynst nature the committers of which sinne be burnt at a stake among the Turkes as Moses also commaundeth in hys lawe And the Pope also to forbid all the spiritualtie a multitude of xl or l. huÌ„dred thousand to mary and to geue them licence to keepe euery man hys whore who so will If I say I haue none other feeling in my fayth that lechery is sinne theÌ„ this maÌ„s preaching I thinke my fayth should be to weake to beare much fruite How coulde I beleue a man that would say he loued me if all hys deedes were contrary I coulde not beleue God himselfe that he loued me if in all my tribulations I had of him none other comfort then those bare wordes And in like maner if I had none other feeling in my fayth that couetousnes were sinne then that the spiritualtie so sayth my fayth coulde be but weake and faintie when I see how y â— Pope with wiles hath thrust downe the Emperour and how the Byshops and Prelates be cropt vp an hye in all regions aboue their kynges and haue made them a seuerall kyngdome and haue gotten into their handes almost the one halfe of euery realme which they deuide among theÌ„selues geuyng no lay man any part with them heaping vp Byshopprike vpon Byshopprike promotion vpon promotion benefice vpon benefice with vnions and tot quottes robbing in euery parishe the soules of their â—oode and the poore of their due sustenaunce yea and some preaching that it were lesse sinne 〈◊〉 haue two wiues then two benifices but while they be yet young and hoâ—â— and therefore thinke couetousnes greater sinne theÌ„ lechery which same wheÌ„ they be waxed elder and their coÌ„plâ—â—tion somewhat altered thinke that couetousnes is as small a sinne as lechery and therfore take all that commeth And if any man cast their preachyng in their tethes they answere that they be better learned and haue seue further If I say I haue no other felyng that couetousnes is sinne then y e preaching of these holy fathers my fayth were built but vpoÌ„ a weake rocke or rather on the soft â—and And therfore our defenders do right well to some out their owne shame and to vtter the secrete thoughtes of their harâ—es For as they write so they beleue Other felyng of the lawes of God and fayth of Christ haue they none then that theyr God the Pope so sayth And therfore as the Pope preacheth wyth his moâ—th onely eueÌ„ so beleue they with their mouth onely whatsoeuer he preacheth without more a doe be it neuer so abhominable and in their hartes consent vnto all their fathers wickednes and folow
for the spedy preachyng of the Gospell among the heathen throughout the world Now Christ as he was promised so was he sent vnto the Iewes or Israelites And what by Christes preaching the Apostles after his resurrection there were innumerable Iewes conuerted haply an hundred thousand or mo in Ierusalem and Iewry and in the countreys about and abode still in the laÌ„d Then Paul rose vp and persecuted theÌ„ in IerusaleÌ„ and throughout all Iewry and Damasco slaying all that he could catch or making them for â—weare Christ For feare of which persecution they fled into all costes preached vnto the Iewes that were scattered prouing that Iesus was Christ the Sauiour of the world both by the scripture also by miracles so that a great part of the Iewes came to the fayth euery where and we heathen came in shortly after and part abode still in vnbelefe as vnto this day Now the Iewes beyng borne and bred vp rooted and noseld in ceremonyes as I haue shewed and as ye may better see in the. v. bookes of Moses if ye would read them could but wyth great difficultie depart from them as it is to see in all the Epistles of Paule how he fought agaynst them and in processe gat the vpper hand And therto the first that were christened and all the officers and Byshops of y â— church euen so much as y e great God of Rome were Iewes for the most part a great season And moreouer as Paule sayth Ro. ix not all that came of Israel are right Israelites neither are all they Abrahams sonnes that are AbrahaÌ„s seede why so because they followed not the steps of y â— faith of their graundfathers Euen so not all they that were called and also came vnto the mariage which God the father made betwene Christ his sonne all sinners brought theyr mariage garment with them that is to were true fayth wherwith we be maried vnto Christ and made his flesh his bloud and one spirit with hym his brethren and heyres with him and the sonnes of God also But many of theÌ„ to fulfill the saying of Christ that the kyngdome of heaueÌ„ which is the gospell is like a net that ketcheth good bad were driuen into the net and coÌ„pelled to coÌ„fesse that Iesus was Christ and that seede that was promised AbrahaÌ„ and Messias that should come not of any inward felyng that the spirite of God gaue them neyther of any louely consent that they had vnto the law of God that it was good mourning both because they had broken it and because also they had no power to fulfill it and therfore to obtayne mercy and power came to Christ and vnto the father thorow him with the hart of naturall children which receaue all thyng freely of their fathers bounteous liberalitie and of loue become seruauntes vnto their brethren for their fathers sake But were compelled onely with violence of the scripture which euery where bare witnesse vnto Christ and agreed vnto all that he did and ouercome also with the power of myracles that confirmed the same That is to say they came wyth a story faith a popish fayth a faithlesse faith and a fayned faith of their owne making and not as God in the scripture describeth the fayth so beleuing in Christ that they would be iustified by their owne deedes which is the denying of Christ As our Papistes beleue which more mad theÌ„ those Iewes beleue nothing by the reason of the scripture but onely that such a multitude consent thereto compelled wyth violence of sworde with falsifiyng of the scripture and fayned lyes Which multitude yet is not the fift part so many as they that consent vnto the lawe of Mahomet And therfore by their own argumentes the fayth of the Turkes is better then theirs And their fayth thereto may stand by their owne confession with all mischiefe as it well appeareth by them and with yeldyng themselues to worke all wickednesse with full delectation after the ensample of the faith of their father the deuil and without repenraunce and consent vnto the lawe of God that it is good And the popish also do so beleue in Christ and so will be his seruauntes that they will be bound vnto dumme ceremonies and dead workes putting their trust and confidence in them and hoping to be saued by them and ascribing vnto them the thanke of their saluation and righteousnes And therfore because as I sayd the Iewes ye and the Heathen to were so accustomed vnto ceremonies and because such a multitude came wyth a faithles fayth they went cleane coÌ„trary vnto the mynde of Paul and set vp ceremonies in the new testameÌ„t partly borowing them of Moses and partly imagening like as ye now see and called them sacraments that is to say signes as it is plaine in the stories the sacrament of holy water of holy fire holy bread holy salt and so forth And they gaue theÌ„ significations As holy water signified the sprincling of Christes bloud for our redemption which sacrament or signe though it seeme superstuous in as much as the sacrament of Christes body and bloud signifieth y e same dayly yet as loÌ„g as y e signification bode it hurted not And the kissing of the Pax was set vp to signifie that the peace of Christ shoulde be euer among vs one to loue an other after his ensample as the word it self well declareth For pax is as much to say as peace And as for confirmation it is no doubt but that it came this wise vp that this was the vse which the word it selfe well declareth We read in the stories that they which were conuerted vnto the fayth of the age of discretion were full taught in the law of God as right is and in the fayth of our sauiour Iesus yer they were baptised vppon the profession or promising to to keepe that law and faith were baptised And then for the sâ—ccour helpe of young children baptised before the age of discretion to know the lawe of God and fayth of Christ was confirmation instituted that they should not be alway ignoraunt and faythlesse but be taught the profession of their Baptim And this no doubt was the maner as we may well gather by probable coniectures and euident tokens when the children were of sixe or seuen yeares olde their elders brought them vnto the priest or Deacon in euery parish which officer taught the children what their baptim ment what they had professed therein that is to wete the law of God and their dutie vnto al degrees and the faith of our sauiour And then because it should not be neglect or left vndone an higher officer as the Archdeacon for it hath not bene as I suppose in the Byshops handes alway as now neither were it meete came about from parish to parishe at tymes conuenient And the Priestes brought the children vnto hym at xj
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
Gospell declare And when he sayth he neuer founde nor heard of any of vs but that he would forsweare to saue his lyfe Aunswere the more wrath of God wil light on them that so cruelly delite to torment them and so craftely to beguile the weake Neuerthelesse yet it is vntrue For he hath heard of Sir Thomas Hitton whō the Byshops of Rochester and Caunterbury slew at Maydstone and of many y t suffered in Braband Holand at Colen and in all quarters of Dutchland and do dayly And when he sayth that their Church hath many Martyrs let hym shewe me one that dyed for pardons and Purgatory that the Pope hath fayned and let him take the mastrie And what a do maketh he that we say there is a Church that sinneth not that there is no man but that he sinneth whiche are yet both true We read i. Iohn iij. he that is borne of God sinneth not And Ephes v. men loue your wiues as the Lord doth the Churche and gaue him selfe for her to sanctifie her and to clense her in the fountaine of water through the word and to make her a glorious Church vnto hym selfe without spot or wrincle And i. Iohn i. If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and make him a lyer and hys word is not in vs. M. More also wil not vnderstand that the Church is some time taken for the elect onely whiche haue the law of God written in their hartes fayth to be saued through Christ written there also Which same for all that say with Paule that good which I would that do I not But that euill which I hate that do I so it is not I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in my flesh And Gala. v. the flesh lusteth cōtrary to y e spirit the spirit cōtrary to y ◠flesh so that these two fightyng betwene thē selues ye can not do what ye would For they neuer consent that sinne is good nor hate y ◠law nor cease to fight against the flesh but assoone as they be fallen rise and fight a fresh And that the Church is some tyme taken for the cōmō rascal of all that beleue whether with the mouth onely carnally with out spirite neither louyng the law in their harts nor feelyng the mercy that is in Christ but either runne all together at riot or keepe the law with cautels and expositions of their owne faynyng and yet not of loue but for feare of hell as the theues do for feare of the galowes make recompence to God for their sinnes with holy dedes He also will not vnderstand that there be two maner faythes one that is the fayth of the elect which purgeth them of all their sinnes for euer As ye see Iohn xv ye be cleane sayth Christ by the reason of the word that is thorough beleuyng Christs doctrine And Iohn i. he gaue them power to be the sonnes of God through beleuyng in his name And Iohn iij. he that beleueth the sonne hath euerlastyng lyfe a thousand like textes And an other of them that be called and neuer electe As the faith of Iudas of Symon Magus of the deuill and of the Pope In whose hartes the law of God is not written as it appeareth by their workes And therfore when they beleue many thynges of Christ yet whē they come vnto the saluation that is in his bloud they be but Iewes and Turkes forsake Christ and runne vnto the iustifying of ceremonies with the Iewes Turkes And therefore they remayne euer in sinne within in their hartes Where the elect hauing the law written in their brestes leuyng it in theyr spirites sinne there neuer but without in the flesh Agaynst whiche sinne they fight continually and minishe it dayly with the helpe of the spirite thorough prayer fasting and seruing their neighbours louyngly with all maner seruice out of the law that is writtē in their harts And their hope of forgeuenesse is in Christ onely through his bloud and not in ceremonies The v. Chapter ANd vnto hys v. Chapter I answere by the Pope the scripture is hid and brought into ignoraunce the true sence corrupt And by thē that ye call heretickes we know the scripture and the true sence thereof And I say that the Pope keepeth the scripture as did y e Phariseis to make marchaundise of it And agayne that the heretickes become out of you as out of the Scribes and Phariseis came the Apostles and Christ himselfe Iohn Baptist and that they be plucked out of you and graffed in Christ and built vppon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes And in the end when he sayth that the heretickes be fallen out of Christes misticall body which is the Pope and hys I aunswere that ye be a misticall body and walke in the mist and wyll not come at the light and the heretikes be departed out of your mist and walke in the cleare light of Gods worde The vj. Chapter IN the vj. he sayth that the heretikes be all nought for they all periure and abiure He yet saith vntrue Many abyde vnto the death Many for theyr weakenesse are kept out of your hāds Many for their ouer much boldnesse in their owne strength be deliuered into your handes and fall in the fleshe their hartes abiding still in the truth as Peter and thousandes did after repent and be no lesse Christen thē before though ye haue them in derision vnto your owne damnation And many because they come to Christ for fleshly liberty and not for loue of the truth fall as it becommeth them vnder your handes as Iudas and Balam which at the beginning take Christes parte but afterward when they fynde eyther losse or no vauntage they get them vnto the contrary part and are by profession the most cruell enemyes and subtellest persecuters of the truth Looke Maister More and reade and marke well The vij Chapter IN the vij he sayth that he hath holy Saintes and holy counsels on hys side Name the Saintes proue it Name the counselles and the holy Prelates thereof Thou shalt shew me none other Popes or Cardinals then such as we haue now that will obey neyther God nor mā or any law made by God or man but compell all men to follow them strengthning their kyngdome wyth the multitude of all misdoers He sayth also that good and bad worship Saintes the good well and the bad euill How cōmeth it then that ye shew not the difference and teach to do it well I see but one fashion among all the popishe And finally he sayth he is not boun◠to answere vnto the reasons and scriptures that are layde agaynst them It is inough to proue their part that it is a common custome and that such a multitude do it and so by his doctrine the Turkes are in the right way The viij Chapter
and hys Apostles Neither could it bee brought to passe vntill the Pope had got the Emperours sword out of hys haÌ„d The Grekes which were the one halfe of Christendome then I suppose would neuer admit it Now godly loue would neuer suffer them to coÌ„sent that we should be bouÌ„d vnto that burthen which they themselues could not beare as M. More in an other place affirmeth that they dyd And agayne we haue manifest storyes that it was brought in with violence ot sword that all the Priestes of Germany were coÌ„pelled to put away their wiues And we finde that whersoeuer the pope raigneth he came in with deceauyng the kyng of the countrey and then with his sword coÌ„â—elled the rest The Pope came but now late into Wales to raigne there ouer the Byshops and Priestes and that with the sword of the kyng of England And yet though all the Clergie of christendome had graunted it all the Church had not made it nor yet the tenth part of the Church The lay people be as well of the Churche as the Priestes Neither can all the Priestes in the world of right make any law wherin their part lyeth without their consent Now it perteineth vnto the coÌ„mon people and most of all vnto the weakest that their Priestes be endued with all vertue and honestie And the chastitie of his wife daughter and seruaunt perteineth vnto euery particular man which we see by experience defiled dayly by the vnchast chastitie of the spiritualitie Wherfore if the Parishes or any one Parish after they had sene the experience what incoÌ„ueniences came of their chastitie would haue no Curate except he had a wife to cut of occasions as Paule when he had sene that proofe would haue no young widowes minister who saue a tyraunt should be agaynst them Moreouer the generall Councels of the spiritualtie are of no other maner sence the Pope was a God then the generall Parlamentes of the temporalitie Where no man dare say hys mynde frely and liberally for â—eare of some one and of his flatterers And looke in what captiuitie the Parlamentes be vnder the priuate couÌ„sels of kinges so are the generall CouÌ„cels vnder the Pope and his Cardinals And this is the maner of both Some one two or three wilye Foxes that haue all other in subiection as ye haue sene in my Lord Cardinall imagine not what ought to be but what they lust to haue and conceaue in theyr own braynes and go with child some tyme a yeare ij iij. iiij v. vi or vij and some tyme. xx and aboue castyng canâ—esing and compassing for the byrth agaynst oportunitie openyng the matter priuely vnder an othe a litle and a litle vnto certaine Secretaries whose part is therin as they finde men of actiuitie and of courage prepared to sell soule and body for promotion And the matter in the meane tyme is turmoyled and tossed among themselues and persuasions and sutle reasons are forged to blind the right way and to beguile mens wittes And whoÌ„ they feare to haue aduersaries able to resist them for such meanes are sought to bring them in vnto their partie or to conuey them out of the way And wheÌ„ oportunitie is come they call a counsel or ParlameÌ„t vnder a contrary preteÌ„ce And a Masse of the holy ghost whom they desire as farre away as were possible is song and a goodly Sermon is made to blere mens eyes with all And then sodenly other meÌ„ vnprouided the matter is opened after the most suttle maner And many are beguiled with suttle argumentes and craftie persuasions And they that hold hard agaynst theÌ„ are called aside and reasoned with a part and handled after a fashion and partly entised with fayre promises and partly feared with cruell threatnyngs and so some are ouercome with siluer syllogismes other for feare of threatnyng are driuen vnto silence And if any be found at the last that will not obey their falsehead and tyranny they rayle on him and iest him out of couÌ„tenaunce call him opinatiue selfe mynded and obstinate beare him in hand that the deuill is in him that he so cleaueth vnto his owne witte though he speake no silllable but Gods word is asked whether he wil be wiser then other meÌ„ And in the spiritualitie they excommunicate him and make an hereticke of him And this to be true in the Clergies chastitie is as cleare as y e day by manifest chronicles in so much that the Prelates of Rome were a brewyng it aboue an hundred yeares and I wot not how long lenger yer they could bryng it to passe and yet in vayne til they had got the Emperours sword to proue that it was most expedient so to be And for what entent to bryng all vnder the Pope and that the Prelates of all landes might as the old maner was come and wayte on the Pope at Rome where he prepared theÌ„ whores inough And that his sworne Prelates in euery land might the more conueniently wayte in Kyngs Courtes to minister the commoÌ„ wealth vnto the popes pleasure and profite For had the Clergie kept their wiues they could neuer haue come vnto this where they now be and to these pluralities vnioÌ„s and totquottes For there is no lay man though he were neuer so euill disposed that could for his wife children haue leysure to coÌ„trâ—…e such mischiefe and to runne from countrey to countrey to learne falshead and subtiltie as our spiritualtie do which without feare of God and shame of man keepe whores whersoeuer they come And thus ye see that the clergies chastitie pertayneth as much vnto the temporaltie as vnto the spiritualtie And an other is this no power among them that professe the truth may bynde where God lowseth saue onely where loue and my neighbours necessitie requireth it of me Neyther can any power now binde them to come but they may freely keepe or breake as the thing is hurtfull or expedieÌ„t Neither can there be any bond where loue and necessitie requireth the contrary So that this law loue thy neighbour to helpe him as thou wouldest be holp must interpret all mans lawes As if I had sworne young or vnwisely that I would liue chast all the world had bound me if afterwarde I burnt and could not ouercome the passion I ought to mary For I must condition my vow and shew a cause of it thereto I may not vow for the chastitie it selfe as though it were sacrifice to please God in it self for that is the Idolatry of heathen I must therfore vowe to do my neyghbour seruice which in that case he may not require or to geue my selfe more quietly to prayer and studie which is not possible as long as I burne and the minde will not be quiet or that I may the better keepe y e lawes of God which if I burne I stand thorow my chastitie in more ieopardy to breake
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
siluer wythout care of thinges to come despising God whom they worshipped for their bellies sake onely and also maÌ„ Moreouer it was the custome eueÌ„ then saith the auctor to aske what the Byshopprike was worth yea and to leaue a worse for a better or to kepe both with a vnion And at the same tyme Isacius the deputie of the Emperour came to Rome to confirme the Pope in his sea with the Emperours auctoritie for y e election of the Pope was theÌ„ nothing worth except it had bene confirmed by the Emperour and he founde so great treasure in the Church of Saint Iohn Lateran that for disdayne which he had that they should haue such treasure in store and not to helpe the Emperour in his warres against y e Turkes â—…ng his soldiars lacked wages he tooke it away with violence against the wyll of y e Prelates of which he exiled some and payde his owne meÌ„ of warre with one part and tooke an other part vnto him selfe and sent the third part vnto the Emperour which must needes haue bene a great treasure in one Church ¶ By what meanes the Prelates fell from Christ THe office of a byshop was a roume at the beginning that no man coueted and that no man durst take vpoÌ„ hym saue he onely which loued Christ better theÌ„ his owne life For as Christ saith that no man might be his disciple except that he were ready to forsake life and all euen so might that officer be sure that it woulde cost him his lyfe at one time or another for bearing record vnto the truth But after that the multitude of the Christen were encreased many great men had receaued y â— faith then both landes and rentes as well as other goodes were geuen vnto the maintenaunce as well of the clergie as of the poore because they gaue then no tythes to the Priestes nor yet now do saue in certaine countryes For it is to much to geue almes offeringes landes and tithes also And then the Byshops made them substitutes vnder them to helpe them which they called priest and kept the name of Byshop vnto themselues But out of the Deacons sprang all the mischiefe For thorow their hands went all thing they ministred vnto y e clergie they ministred vnto the poore they were in fauoure with great and small And when the Byshops office began to haue rest and to be honorable then the Deacons thorow fauour and giftes climed vp therunto as lightly he that hath the olde Abbotes treasure succedeth with vs. And by y e meanes of their practise and acquintaunce in y e worlde they were more subtile and worldly wise then the olde Byshops lesse learned in Gods woorde as our Prelates are when they come froÌ„ stuardships in Gentlemens houses and from surueying of great mens landes Lordes secretes kinges counsels Embassidourship from warre and ministring all worldly matters ye worldly mischiefe and yet now they come not thence but receaue all and bide there still yea they haue enacted by playne parliament that they must byde in the courte still or els they may not haue pluralitie of benefices And then by litle and litle they enhaunsed theÌ„selues and turned all to themselues minishing the poore peoples part and encreasing theirs and ioyning acquaintaunce with great men and with their power climed vp and entitled them w t the chusing and confirming of y e Pope and all Byshops to flatter and purchase fauour and defenders trusting more vnto their worldly wisdome theÌ„ vnto the doctrine of Christ which is y e wisdome of God and vnto the defeÌ„ce of man then of God Then while they that had the plow by the tayle looked backe the plow went awry faith wax ed feble and faintie loue waxed colde the Scripture waxed darcke Christ was no more seene he was in y e mouÌ„t with Moses and therefore the Byshops would haue a God vppon the earth whom they might see and therupon they begaÌ„ to dispute who should be greatest ¶ How the Byshop of Rome became greater then other and called hymselfe Pope THen quod worldly wisdome HierusaleÌ„ must be the greatest for ytwas Christes seat Et factuÌ„ est so it came to passe â—or a season And in conclusion where a great Citie was and much riches there was the Byshoppe euer greater then his felowes Alexandre in Egipte and Antioch in Grece were greater then their neighbours Then those decaying Constantinople and Rome waxed great and stroue who shoulde be greater And CoÌ„staÌ„tinople sayd where the Emperour is there ought to be the greatest seat and chiefest Byshop For the Emperour lay most at Constantinople because it was I suppose nigh the middes of the Empyre therfore I must be the greatest sayde the Byshop of ConstaÌ„tinople Nay quod y e Byshop of Rome though y e Emperour lye nener so much at ConstaÌ„tinople yet he is called Emperour of Rome Rome is the head of the Empyre wherefore of right I must be the father of all WateÌ„ And thus whether they chaleÌ„ged their â—itle by the auctoritie of God or man or by Peter or pouling it was all one so they might be greatest And great intercession was made vnto the Emperours of both parties but in vayne a great ceason for y e Emperours stopped their â—ares at such ambitious requestes long tyme till at y e last there came an Emperour called Phocas which lay long in Italye and was a very soft man a pray for Prelates In whose tyme Boniface the iij. was Byshop of Rome a man ambitious and greedy vppon honour and of a very suttle witte nothing inâ—erior vnto Thomas Wolsee Cardinall of Yorcke This Boniface was great w t the Emperour Phocas and with hys wyly perswasions and great intercession together obtayned of Phocas to be called the chiefest of all Byshops and that his Church should be the chiefe Church Which auctoritie as soone as he had purchased he sent immediatly his commaundement with the Emperours power vnto all the Byshops of Almany commaunding that euery byshop should call all the priestes of hys diocese and charge them that euery man should put away his wife vnder payne of excommunication Which tyranny though great resistaunce was made against it he yet brought to passe with the Emperours sworde and his subtletie together For the Byshops were riche and durst not displeaâ—e the Pope for feare of the Emperour Assoone as Nemroth that mighty hunter had caught this pray that he had compelled all Byshops to be vnder him and to sweare obedience vnto him then he began to be great in the earth and called hymselfe Papa wyth this interpretation father of fathers And when the Pope had exalted hys throne aboue his fellowes then the vnitie that ought to be among brethren in Christes Church brake and deuision began betwene vs and y e Grekes which Grekes I suppose were at y
inch of her honour or Saint Peters seate one iot of her right And Anselmus that was Byshop in short tyme after neuer left striumge with that mighty prince kyng William the second vntill he had compelled him maugre his teeth to deliuer vp the inuestiture or election of Byshops vnto Saint Peters vicar which inuestiture was of olde tyme the kynges dutie And agayne when the sayde kyng William woulde haue had the tribute that Priestes gaue yearely vnto theyr Byshoppes for their whores payde to hym did not Rāfe Byshop of Chichester forbid Gods seruice as they call it and stoppe vp the Church doores with thornes thoroughout all his diocesse vntill the kyng had yelded hym vp his tribute agayne For when the holy father had forbode Priestes theyr wyues the Byshop permitted them whores of their owne for a yearely tribute do still yet in all landes saue in England where they may not haue any other saue mens wiues onely And agayne for the election of Steuē Langton Archbyshop of Canterbury what mysery and wretchednes was in the realme a long season Then was y e land interdited many yeares And whē that holpe not then Ireland rebelled agaynst kyng Iohn immediatly not without the secrete workinge of our Prelates I dare well say But finally when neither the interditing neither that secrete subtiltie holpe and when Iohn would in no meanes consent that Saint Peters vicar should raigne alone ouer the spiritualtie and ouer all that pertayned vnto them and y t they should sinne and do all mischiefe vnpunished the Pope sent remission of sinnes to the kyng of Fraunce for to goe and conquere his land Whereof kyng Iohn was so sore afrayde that he yelded vp his crowne vnto the Pope and sware to holde the land of him and that his successours should do so likewyse And againe in king Richardes dayes the second Thomas Arundell Archbyshop of Canterbury and Chauncellar was exiled wyth the Earle of Darby The outward pretence of the variaūce betwene the king and hys Lords was for the deliueraunce of the towne of Breste in Britayne But our prelates had an other secrete mistery a bruyng They could not at their owne lust slea the poore wretches which at that tyme were conuerted vnto repētaunce to y t true fayth to put their trust in Christes death bloud sheding for the remissiō of their sinnes by the preaching of Iohn Wiclefe As soone as the Archbyshop was out of the realme the Irishmen began to rebell agaynst kyng Richarde as before agaynst kyng Iohn But not hardly without the inuisible inspiration of thē that rule both in the courte and also in the consciences of all men They be one kyngdome sworne together one to helpe an other scatered abroad in all realines And howbeit that they striue amōg themselues who shal be greatest yet agaynst the temporal power they be alwayes at one though they dissemble it faine as though one helde agaynst the other to know their enemies secretes to betray them withall They can enspyre priuely into the brestes of the people what mischiefe they liste no man shall know whence it cōmeth Their letters go secretly from one to an other thoroughout all kingdomes Saint Peters vicar shall haue worde in xv or xvj dayes from the vttermost part of Christendome The Byshops of Englande at their neede can write vnto the Byshops of Ireland Scotland Denmarke Douchland Fraūce and Spayne promising them as good a turne an other tyme putting thē 〈◊〉 remembraunce that they be all one holy Church and that the cause of y t tone is the cause of the tother saying if our iugglinge breake out youres can not belong hid And the other shall serue their turne and bring the game vnto their handes and no man shall know how it commeth about Assoone as kyng Richard was gone to Ireland to subdue these rebellions the Byshop came in againe and preuēted the kyng and tooke vp his power agaynst hym and tooke him prisoner and put him downe and to death most cruelly and crowned the Erle of Darbye Kyng O mercifull Christ what bloud hath that coronacion cost England but what care they their causes must be auenged He is not worthy to bee kyng that will not auenge their quarels For do not the kyngs receaue their kyngdome of the beast sweare to worship hym and maintayne hys throne And thē whē the Erle of Darbye which was king Henry the fourth was crowned the prelates tooke hys sworde and his sonnes Henry the fift after hym as all the kynges swordes since and abused them to shed Christē bloud at their pleasure And they coupled their cause vnto the kynges cause as now and made it treasō to beleue in Christ as the scripture teacheth and to resiste the Byshops as now and thrust them in the kinges prisons as now so that it is no new inuention that they now do but euen an olde practise though they haue done theyr busie cure to hide their sciēce that their conueyaunce should not be espyed And in kyng Henry the sixt dayes how raged they as fierce Liōs against good Duke Humfrey of Glocester the kynges vncle and protectour of the realme in the kynges youth and childhod because that for him they myght not slea whom they would and make what cheuysaunce they lusted Would not the Byshoppe of winchester haue fallen vpon him and oppressed him openly with might and power in the citie of London had not the Citizens come to his helpe But at the last they founde y t meanes to contriue a drift to bring their matters to passe and made a Parlyament farre from the Cityzens of London where was slayne the good Duke and onely wealth of the realme and the mighty shylde that so long before that kept it from sorow which shortly after his death fell theron by heapes But the chronicles can not tell wherfore he dyed nor by what meanes No maruell verely For he had neede of other eyes then such as y e worlde seeth withall that should spye out their priuy pathes Neuerthelesse the chronicles testifie that he was a vertuous man a godly and good to the commō wealth Moreouer the proctour of purgatory saith in his Dialoge quod I and quod he and quod your frende how that the foresayd Duke of Glocester was a noble mā and a great clarcke and so wise that he coulde spye false myracles and disclose them and iudge them from the true which is an hatefull science vnto our spiritualtie and more abhorred amongest them then Necromancye or witchcrafte and a thyng wherfore a man by their lawe I dare well say is worthy to dye and that secretly if it be possible Now to be good to the common wealth and to see false myracles and thyrdly to withstand that Fraūce then brought vnder the foote of the Englishmen should not be set vp agayne by whose power the
Pope holdeth downe the Emperour and raygneth in his steade be causes why he myght die though by what meanes be not knowne For to be good to the coÌ„mon wealth is to be hurtfull to the spiritualtie seyng the one is the others pray as the Lambe is the Wolues Secondaryly if a man be so cleare eyed that he can spye false myracles how can iugglers get theyr liuing and be in price where such a felow is Thyrdly to keepe downe the kyngdome of Fraunce is to pull Saint Peters Vicar out of his seate Now if the great baude the whore of BabyloÌ„ were destroyed theÌ„ woulde the bordell and stues of our Prelates shortly perishe If Abadon that destroyer king of the grashoppers which deuoure all that is greene were destroyed then were the kyngdome of our caterpillars at an ende ¶ By what crafte the Pope keepeth the Emperour downe MArke an other practise of our most holy prelates When the Empyre was translated vnto the Germaynes though y e Emperour was falleÌ„ downe and had kyssed the Popes feete and was become his sworne seruaunt yet there was much strife and open warre ofttymes betwene the popes and the Emperours And the popes haue put downe many good Emperours by helpe of the Byshoppes which euery where secretly perswaded the Lordes to forsake the Emperours and to take dispensations of y t pope for their othes And contrarywise the Emperours haue now and then deposed diuerse popes at request of the Cardinalles other great prelates by whose helpe onely they were able to do it For els verely though all kynges christened had sworne to depose one pope out of hys seat if they had not the fauour of other prelates therto they might haply by the secrete practise of them to be put out of their owne seates in the meane tyme. The pope therfore to be sure of him selfe and out of the feare and daunger of the Emperour were he neuer so mighty and that y e Emperour should not see hys dayly open pastimes made frendship and amitie wyth the Venecians on the one side of him and let theÌ„ come into certaine cities of the Emperours in Italy and with the French kyng on the other side and let him also vp into certayne cities and possessions of the Emperours and he hymselfe in the middes shut out the Emperour from commyng any more to Rome and euer sent him his coronation home to him And then he made a law that no man should rebuke the Pope for what soeuer mischief he did saying that the Pope was aboue all iudge ouer all and none ouer him and therfore forbad in his law Distinctio xl Si Papa saying though the pope be proued negligent about him selfe and also the soule health of his brethren slacke in his workes speachlesse as concernyng any good draw w t him by his example innumerable people to hell to be punished with him with diuers tormeÌ„tes euerlasting yet see that no mortall man presume once to rebuke hys faultes here For he shall iudge all men and no man him O Antichrist Is he not Antichrist that will not haue his life tried by Gods word If the Venetians ketch any of our holy fathers Townes or possessions whether by warre or that they haue bought it or that it be layd to morgage vnto theÌ„ or that the old Pope hath geuen it with the mariage of some daughter vnto the Duke of Venice then the holy father that succedeth wheÌ„ he seeth his season sendeth for it agayne saying that it is not lawfull for lay men to withhold S. Peters patrimonie If they alledge that they bought it and so forth his fatherhode aunswereth that the old Pope had none authoritie to make any such cheuisauÌ„ce with S. Peters inheritauÌ„ce he could haue but the vse of it his life long and after it must needes returne vnto his successour agayne And vppon that he interditeth them curseth theÌ„ as blacke as coales downe to the pit of hell But the Venicians knowing more of our holy fathers practise for their nyenesse then we which dwell a farre of wiser then we of cold countreys perceauyng also that their colour chaungeth not with his cursing that they sincke not and that their meate digesteth as well as before and that as Erasmus sayth they shyte as easily as before with reuerence of the holy course I speake it and therfore feare not his interdiction nor excommunication Then our holy father rayseth vp all the power that he is able to make in Italy agaynst them and sendeth for theÌ„ Sochenars to come and helpe If he be not yet strong inough then he sendeth vnto the bishops of FrauÌ„ce warning them that if his seate decay theirs can not long prosper and therfore that they put their kyng in remembraunce how that he is called â—…ost Christian kyng and that they desire him to doe somewhat for his title agaynst this disobedient rebellions vnto the most holy sea of Rome our mother holy Church If an other tyme the Frenchmen come to our holy father as they be euer gaping for Italy to bryng the Empire home agayne to Fraunce Then y â— most holy Vicare bringeth his whole power agaynst them with the power of the Venicians with his old freÌ„des the Sochenars If he be not yet stroÌ„ge inough theÌ„ he sendeth to the Byshops of England to helpe their God and to moue â–ª their kyng to do somewhat for holy Church puttyng him in remembrauÌ„ce of whom he holdeth his crown and of his othe and how many cappes of mainteinaunce haue bene euer sent vnto his forefathers and what honour it was vnto them and that he may easely get as great honour as they and happly a more excellent title if he will take our holy fathers part besides that hee shall purchase remission of all his synnes Then must the peace and all the appointementes made betwene vs and Fraunce be broken and the kyng must take a dispeÌ„sation for his othe For the king of Fraunce will attempt nothing in Italy vntil he haue seÌ„t his ambassadours haue made a perpetuall peace with our kyng the Sacrament of the body of our Sauiour broke betwene them to coÌ„firme the appointment But I suppose that the breaking signifieth that the appointement shall not long endure for a greate deale of flower would not make so many hostes as they call theÌ„ or singyng loues as hath bene brokeÌ„ in our dayes betwen Christen Princes as they will be called to confirme promises that haue not long bene kept Other vse of that blessed sacrament will the Princes none know but Christ ordeined it to be a perpetuall memory that his body was broken for our sinnes vpon the crosse and that all that repent should receaue as oft as they eate of it forgeuenesse of their misdedes through faith If the kynges of the earth when they breake that Sacrament betwene theÌ„ do say on this
him therof and of the foure hundred yeares that his posteritie should be in thraldome in Egypt of their deliueraunce and as Gedeon was certified by the signe of his Flese of the victory that God had promised him and as many other that beleued in God were certified by the signes that God gaue them of the promises which God made them Verely no maÌ„ For our Prelates which lay for them selues compelle intrare compell not vs to enter into any such feast nor will suffer any such meate to be set before vs for feare of ouerthrowyng the foundation of their false buildyng whereof springeth so great glory and profit vnto them which foundation to builde their lyes vpon they could neuer haue layd except they had first thrust this doctrine of our soules health cleane out of knowledge And as soone as they had blinded y â— light they became leaders in darkenesse and made of the Masse imageseruice so that the strauÌ„ge holy gestures and the straunge holy voyces and straunge holy vestures with all other straunge holy ceremonies must be meritorious workes to deserue loÌ„g life health riches honour fauour dignitie and aboundauÌ„ce of all that we haue sorsakyng our baptisme to arme vs from bearing of the crosse with Christ And they haue made of it a pill of two contrary operations so that the same medicine that preserueth our soules from purgatory doth purge the body of house laÌ„des rentes goods and money that it is made as bare as Iob and as baulde as a Cout And the light that rebuketh them they call seditious that it maketh the subiectes to rise against their Princes Which thing the hypocrites layed sometyme vnto the Prophetes as ye may see in the old TestameÌ„t And at last they layed it vnto Christes charge as ye may see in the Gospell and to the charge of the Apostles as ye may see in the Actes But at all such tymes the hypocrites them selues styrred vp such a sword to mainteine their falsehead that euermore a great part of the world perished through their owne mischeuous incensing and prouokyng Princes to battayle These hypocrites layd to Wickleâ—â—es charge and do yet that his doctrine caused insurrection but they to quench the truth of hys preachyng slew the right kyng and set vp iij. false kynges a row by which mischeuous sedition they caused halfe England to be slayne vp and brought the Realme into such ruine and desolatioÌ„ that M. More could say in his Vtopia that as Englishmen were wont to eate shepe euen so their shepe now eate vp them by whole Parishes at once besides other inconueniencies that he then saw And so the hipocrites say now likewise that gods word causeth insurrection but ye shall see shortly that these hypocrites them selues after their old wont and examples in queÌ„chyng y t truth that vttereth their iugglyng shall cause all realmes Christen to rise one agaynst an other and some agaynst them selues Ye shall see theÌ„ runne out before the yeare come about that whiche they haue bene in bruwyng as I haue marked aboue this dosen yeares c. ¶ This much I haue sayd because of them that deceaue you to geue you an occasion to iudge the spirites The Testament of master William Tracie Esquier expounded by William Tyndall Wherein thou shalt perceiue with what charitie the Chaunceler of Worceter burned when he tooke vp the dead carkasse and made ashes of it after it was buried 1535. ¶ To the Reader THou shalt vnderstaÌ„d most deare Reader that after William Tyndall was so Iudasly betrayed by an Englisheman a Scholer of Louayne whose name is Philippes there were certaine thinges of his doyng found which he had entended to haue put forth to the furtheraunce of Gods word amoÌ„g which was this Testament of M. Tracie expounded by him self whereunto was annexed the expositioÌ„ of the same of Iohn Frithes doyng and owne hand writyng whiche I haue caused to bee put in Printe to the intent that all the world should see how earnestly the Cannonistes and spirituall lawyers whiche be the chief rulers vnder Bishops in euery Dioces in so much that in euery Cathedrall Churche the Deane ChauÌ„celor and Archdeacon are coÌ„monly doctours or Bachelers of law do endeuour them selues iustly to iudge and spiritually to geue senteÌ„ce according to charitie vpon all the actes and dedes done of their Diocessanes after the exaÌ„ple of the Chaunceler of Worceter which after M. Tracie was buried of pure zeale loue hardly tooke vp the dead carkasse and burnt it wherefore he did it it shall euidently appeare to the Reader in this little treatise read it therfore I besech thee iudge the spirites of our spiritualitie and pray that the spirite of him that raised vp Christ may once inhabite them and mollifie their hartes and so illumine theÌ„ that they may both see and shew true light no loÌ„ger to resist God nor his truth AmeÌ„ The Testament it selfe In the name of God AmeÌ„ I William Tracie of Todyngton in the Countie of Gloceter Esquier make my TestameÌ„t and laste will as hereafter followeth ¶ First and before all other thyng I coÌ„mit me vnto God to his mercy trustyng without any doubt or mistrust that by his grace and the merites of Iesus Christ and by the vertue of his passioÌ„ and of his resurrection I haue shall haue remission of my sinnes and resurrectioÌ„ of body and soule accordyng as it is written Iob. xix I beleue that my redemer lyueth and that in the last day I shal rise out of the earth and in my flesh shall see my Sauiour this my hope is layd vp in my bosome And as touching the wealth of my soule the fayth y t I haue taken rehearsed is sufficient as I suppose wtout any other mans woorke or workes My grounde and my belefe is that there is but one God and one medaitour betwene God and man whiche is Iesus Christ So that I doe except none in heauen nor in earth to be my mediatour betwen me God but onely Iesus Christ all other be but petitioners in receiuyng of grace but none able to geue influence of grace And therfore will I bestow no part of my goodes for that intent that any man should say or do to helpe my soule for therein I trust onely to the promise of God he that beleueth is baptised shal be saued and he that beleueth not shal be damned Marke the last Chapter And touchyng the burying of my body it auayleth me not what be done therto wherein S. Augustine De cura agenda promortuis sayth that they are rather the solace of them that liue theÌ„ the wealth or coÌ„fort of theÌ„ that are departed and therfore I remit it onely to the discretion of myne executours And touchyng the distribution of my temporall goodes my purpose is by the grace of God to bestow them to be accepted as fruites of fayth So that I do not suppose that my merite be by good bestowyng of
whence 38â— a Heretikes alledged by Rochester for his purpose 129. b Heretikes falleÌ„ out of the mist 295. a Heretikes all termed that resist the Popes tyranny 315. a Hierome 311. b. agaynst Popish Bishops and Priestes 150. a Hildericus 348. a Historicall fayth much inâ—eriour to feelyng fayth 267. a Holy dayes 181. b. and 274. a. their ordinaunce 248. a Holy dayes and offryng dayes how first they came vp 133. b Holy Church hath borne a swynge 289. b Holy ghost 5. a. shall rebuke y â— world 247. a Holy straunge gestures like Apishe play 282. b Holy water what it signifieth 276. a Honoryng God what 269. b Honour Gods name how we must â—22 a Honour superfluous 374. a Honour due to rulers â—69 b. to our neighbours ibidem Honor of Christ abrogate with trust in Saintes â—â—6 b Honour double due to vertuous Bishops 53. b Hope her office 188. b Hope certaine in Christ saueth 91. b Hope loue fayth inseparable 185. b Horsley 318. a House what it meaneth 406. 〈◊〉 Houshold must be cared for 84. a Humilitie of the Apostles 2. a. aduanuceth to heauen 456. a Hunne a Marchaunt 318. a Hunnes a kynde of people 351. b Husbandes how to rule their wiues 54. b Husbandes must rule their wiues by Gods word 121. a Husband in Gods stede to his wife 108. a Hypocriticall prayers 13. b. blynd reasons 274. a Hypocrisie of Papistes 181. a. must not be rebuked 142. a. condemned of Paule generally 44. a Hipocrites their holines 245. a. blind 114 a. howe they read Gods lawe 24. a. what deedes of mercy they taught 138. b. why they extoll their workes 244. b. how they bynd and louse 134. a. how they apply Gods punishement 105. a. neede Iohn Baptist 264. a Hypocrites sit in Christ seate 263. a. loue offrynges 161. b. causers of all wickednes 105. a. must be salted 196. a. lyue altogether by theft 141. a I. IAmes reproueth false frutes 333. b Idolatry 239. b. 424. a. 425. b. and 443. a Idolatry of mans ImaginatioÌ„ bringeth confusion 161. a Idolatry to worshyp Images 273. a. set vp the shauelynges 398. b Idolatours all before we came to Christ 312. b Idolatrous persons their worshyp 299. b Idols abhorred of God 8. b Ierome a brother of Grenwich hys entent 60. a Ierusalem the first seate of the hygh Byshop 347. a. destroyed 282. b Iesus 408. a. signifieth a Sauiour 174. a. our aduocate 393. b. a true Messias 420. a. calleth to hys father for vs. 393. b. the way to his father 431. a. procureth all thynges for vs. 280. a. looke more in this word Christ Iewes require signes to confirme their belefe 425. a. committed Idolatry 298. a. their obstinate blyndnes 459. b. accused Christ falsely 304. a. procured their owne vengeaunce 〈◊〉 how 340. b. rebuked of incredulitie 458. a. rebuked of Christ and why 298. b. enforced by Scripture to acknowledge Christ 275. b. their harts how hardned 30. a. locked froÌ„ the vnderstaÌ„dyng of scripture 33. a. iustified by fayth 273. a Iewes and Gentils how they differ 44. a. instructed of ceremonies 12. a. deliuered by Christ from errour â—â—5 b. conuerted to Christ 275. a. saued by fayth in Gods promise 12. b. captures to their workes 274. a Iewishe murmuryng reproued of Christ 458. b. their incredulitie taxed 438. a Iewish state in traditions more easie then the Christians 277. b Ignoraunce of Scripture whence 278. a. excuseth not 245. b. promoted Popery 182. a. made vs seruauntes to ceremonies 278. b. her fruites 277. a Ignoraunce of More 406. a. of the Apostles 26. a Ignoraunt who 404. b. Popishe Priestes 278. a Incredulitie chief of all sinnes 43. b Infidels mocke our domme ceremonies which quench fayth 132. a Infirmitie of our nature 13. a. how to be cured 171. a Inseparable the loue of God our neighbour 420. a Institution of the Sacrament 440. a. of the Lordes Supper 444. b Institution of the paschall lambe 439. a Instruction necessary for all preachers 43. b Interdiction 135. a Introductions into the Scriptures 390. a Images how well vsed 270. b. disalowed in the primitiue Church 325 a. not tollerable in Churches 325. b seruauntes to man and not econtrâ— 270. b. forbidden of God 8. b. must be abstaynod from 22. a Imageseruice abhorred of GOD. 401. b Imaginations Papall are Idolatry 280. a. carnall without Gods spirite 26. b Imaginations of man confirmed by Saintes miracles 30. a. alter not God 83. a Imperiall power and the Popes vertue perished together 351. a Impure harted who 193. b Iohn Tisen seruaunt to the Bishop of London a secret Ambassadour 456. b Iohn Baptist 263. b. expounded the law truly 264. b Iohn Baptist and our Lady were sinners 336. a Iohn the xij Pope 352. a Ionas his sacrifice 28. b. prayeth out of the Whales belly 28. b. moued the Heathen to repentaunce with preachyng 30. b Ionas afrayde 27. a. deuided within him selfe 27. a. an vnmeete message of hym selfe 26. b Ionas beyng carnall fled from God ibid. confesseth his sinnes 27. a Ioseph an example of Gods wonderfull workyng 98. a Israelites haue a kyng geuen them 118. a. mo in nuÌ„ber then the Iewes 298. a. howe comforted of Moses 98. a Iudas 251. a. 310. a. perished 337. a Iudas a Priest a Cardinall and a Pope 146. a Iudges 122. b. are called Gods 110. a. must be learned 138. a Iudgementes Papall Concernyng sinne 311. b. not indifferent 341. a Iudgements hypocritical of Scriptures 389. b Iudgyng of false miracles intollerable to Papistes 364. a Iudgyng rebuked of some sort 237. a Iugglers 108. a Iugglyng with wordes 279. b. with textes 357. b Iugglyng termes of Papistes 254. a. of More 330. b Iust who 335. a Iustification 17. a. 332. a. onely commeth by fayth 10. a. 14. a Iustification by fayth lothsome to Papistes 18. a. not by merites 17. a. of our selues 17. b IustificatioÌ„ commeth not by workes though they be neuer so glorious 153. b Iusticiaries bond children of the law 167. b Iustifiyng signifieth Gods fauour 117. a K. KEy 184. a. of the Scripture 388. a Keys of knowledge 357. a. what they be 123. b. promised payd ibid. are the law of God 138. b. counterfetted to be auoyded 123. a Kepers of the commaundemeÌ„t in the state of grace 402. b Kernell of all fruites faith 243. a Kindlyng first of Purgatory 398. a King Lewes 369. a King Iohn 249. b King Henry of Windsore 298. a King HeÌ„ry the iiij an vsurper 338. b King Henry the viij with his army abused 369. b. called defender of the fayth 349. b King Herold 362. a King of Fraunce made a Monke 348. b King is annointed 393. b. Gods gift though a tyraunt 178. b. a great benefite though neuer so euill 112. b. in gods rowme in this world 111. a hath Gods authoritie 213. b. may correct the spiritualtie 214. b. Lord of body and goodes 214. a. cannot priuiledge the spiritualtie to sinne 111. b. is bound by office
deliuer all men from hell if they be not damned already For sayth he whosoeuer hath committed a capitall crime hath therby deserued damnation and yet may the Pope deliuer hym both from the crime and also frō the payne due vnto it And he affirmeth that thre times in the xxj article for feare of forgetting Vpon this poynte will I a litle reason with my Lord and so wil I make an end If the Pope may deliuer any mā from the cryme that he hath committed also from the payne due vnto it as you affirme then may he by the same authoritie deliuer xx an hundred a thousand yea all the world for I am sure you can shewe me no reason why he may deliuer some and not all If he can do it then let him deliuer euery man that is in the poynte of death both from the crime and frō the payne so shall neuer man more neither enter into hell nor yet into Purgatory which were the best dede most charitablest that euer hée dyd yea this ought he to do if he could although it should cost hym his owne lyfe and soule thereto as Moses and Paule geue him exāple but yet there is no ieoperdy of neither other Now if he cā do it as you say and will not then is he the most wretched cruell tyraunt that euer lyued euen the very sonne of perdition and woorthy to bée damned in an hundred thousand helles For if he haue receaued such power of God that hée may saue all men yet wil not but suffer so many to be damned I report me vnto your selues what hée is worthy to haue Now if any man would solute this reason and say that he may do it but that it is not méete for hym to do it because that by theyr paynes Gods iustice may be satisfied I say that this their euasion is nothyng worth neyther yet cā I imagine any way wherby they may haue any apparēce to escape For my Lord sayth hym selfe that the Pope must pacifie Gods iustice for euery soule that hée deliuereth from Purgatory and therefore hath he imagined that the Pope hath in hys hand the merites of Christes passiō which he may apply at his pleasure where he will And also he sayth that the merites of Christes passion are sufficient to redeme all the sinnes in the world Now sith these merites on their part are sufficiēt to satisfie y e iustice of God and redeme the whole world also that the pope hath them in his hand to distribute at his pleasure then lacketh there no more but euen the Popes distribution vnto the the saluatiō of the world For he may pacifie Gods wrath and satisfie hys iustice sayth my Lord by applying these merites to them that lacke good workes And so if the pope wil Gods iustice may bée fully satisfied the whole worlde saued Now if hée may so iustly easely saue the whole world charitie also mouyng him vnto it and yet will not apply these merites so frutefully then is the faulte onely his and he the sonne of perdition and worthy more payne then can be imagined And so is not the reason improued but much more stablished and as I thinke ineuitable Beholde I pray you whether my Lord of Rochester hath brought our holy father in auauncyng hys power so high euen into y t déepest pit of hell which if my Lord sayd true it is impossible for hym to auoyde But it chaunceth vnto hym euen as it doth customably where such pryde raigneth for whē they are at the hyghest then fall they downe headlong vnto their vtter confusion and ruine If any man féele himselfe gréeued and not yet fully satisfied in this matter let him write hys minde and by Gods grace I shall make hym an aunswere and that with spéede Pray christen Reader that the woord of God may encrease Amen ¶ An other booke agaynst Rastell named the subsedye or bulwarke to his first booke made by Iohn Frithe prysoner in the Tower IT neadeth not Christē reader I thinke now that thou hast ouerread and diligentlye pondered in thine inward senses that the treatise of Iohn Frith wherein he confuteth all the reason which Rastel More and Rochester made for the maintenance and vpholding of the bitter paynes of purgatory to commende vnto thee thys briefe worke folowing named a subsedy defence or bulwarke to the same And much les nedeth it to dehorte thee from the vayne childish feare which our forefathers haue had of that place of purgatory as theyr good woorkes which at this day remayne vppon the earth founded for theyr thence deliueraunce do testifie And forasmuch as thou art a Christen man and reioysest in Christ I dare boldlye affirme for thee that thou takest neyther pleasure nor ioy of that place like as some persons do which triumphed of late and with much ioy and clapping of handes sent tidinges into all partes that purgatorye was founde agayne because they read in a booke named the Institution of a Christen man this worde Purgatory And yet haue I not heard hetherto that the selfe same persons haue shewed any tokens of gladnes for Gods woorde translated into english so that to me they seeme to reioyce more to haue the sely soules purged with punishmentes when they be departed then to haue them purged with the worde of God while they be here Who wil think but as they haue vttered theyr hartes concerning Purgatory with theyr tongues euen so say they in theyr stomakes that their holy father the Pope whome we may as iustly call the Bishop of Rome seeing he is there the head of S. Peters church as we may call the head of S. Paules church in London Byshop of London hath recouered agayne here in England his old authority yea that he neuer yet lost because they finde in theyr churches copes ropes bels and beades with other lyke holinesse and on themselues long gownes shauen crownes and fingers annointed with the holy oyle of idlenes For who will say but that these holy reliques declare the byshop of Rome as clarkly as this worde purgatory proueth a place to be where soules after the departure from theyr bodies suffer paines and punishmentes Doth not this preaty pageant of purgatory signifie and prognosticate what Tragedye they will play hereafter when the word of God shall blow and scatter from the face of the earth the darke cloudes and mistes of mens inuentions and shall scoure away y t rust of fleshly vnderstanding of the scriptures in other things likewise as it hath done in this if ought may be found in that booke wherwith they may resist that such thinges may be picked out of it the fruite which commonly hath come of all counsels conuocations and synodes since the Apostles time very few excepted causeth me somewhat to feare for if a mā wey the good with the bad that hath sprong from them
and if the righteous turn from his righteousnes and do iniquitie he shall die although thou shewe it hym not he shall die in hys sin but I wyll require his bloude at thy hand Take hede you curates vnto your charge and let no man excuse himselfe thorough ignoraunce FINIS Antithesis wherin are compared together Christes actes and the Popes gathered by Iohn Frith and annexed vnto the Reuelation of Antichrist which he translated 1529. ¶ Antithesis WE haue annexed Christen Reader vnto the end of the ReuelatioÌ„ a little treatise after the maner of an Epitome and shorte rehearsall of all thynges that examined more diligeÌ„tly in the aforesayd booke wherein their false and cloked hipocrisie is aboundantly opened by the compairing of Christes actes and theirs together for Christes rule can not bee deceauable whiche sayth that we should know theÌ„ by their workes for Paule saith that such false Apostles are wicked workers which be transfigured into Christes Apostles And no maruell for Sathan hym selfe is some tyme transfigured into an aungell of light therefore it is no great thyng if that his ministers do take vpon them a similitude as though they were the ministers of iustice whose ende shal be accordyng to their workes Christen men should marke such and flye away from theÌ„ for such serue not Christ but their owne bellyes And by sweete preachynges and flattering wordes deceaue the hartes of the innoceÌ„tes And euen as Iannes and Iambres withstode Moses euen so these resiste the truth men they are of corrupt myndes and lewed as concernyng the fayth but they shall preuayle no lenger for their madnesse shal be vttered vnto all meÌ„ as theirs was Thus the people be blynded fallyng into vnbelefe And are deceaued thorough the sleghty conueyaunce of Antichrist and his adherents Saint Iohn said that there were many Antichristes in his time no wonder if now be mo howbeit by their workes they shal be knoweÌ„ and also by their wordes for they shall contrary Christ both in lyfe learnyng whom they professe to folow Nowe let vs consider Popes Cardinalles Byshops Suffraganes Archdeacons Deacons Officials Persons Abbotes with Deans and Friers Sumners Pardoners and these Papal Notaries take hede to Monkes Chanons Ankers and He remites Nunnes and Sisters and marke how they folow Christ We will chiefly touch the head whiche is the Pope although it may be verified through all his members First CHrist was poore saying The Foxes haue holes and the byrdes of the ayre haue nestes but the sonne of maÌ„ hath not whereon to lay his head The Pope and his adherents are rich for the Pope sayth Rome is myne Sicilia is myne Corsica is myne c. And his adherentes haue also frutefull possessions this euery man knoweth 2. Christ was méeke and lowe and forsooke this worldly glory and fled alone vnto the mountaynes when the people woulde haue made him a kyng Saying my kingdome is not of this worlde The Pope is full high and proud saying I am a Lorde of both the realmes earthly and heauenly and the Emperour is my subiect This witnesseth his lawe Di. 96. ca. Si imperator 3 Christ full lowly and méekely washed his disciples féete The Pope sayth the Emperours and kynges shall knele and kysse my féete and is not ashamed to expresse it in the lawe ca. CuÌ„ olim de priuil ele 4. Christ came not to be serued but to serue takyng vpon him the similitude of a seruaunt humbling hymselfe and made himselfe of no reputation to serue vs. The Pope will be serued and sayth it were a shame if he shoulde so humble himselfe Dist 86. ca. Quando necessitas 5. Christ went on his féete with hys disciples both in wette and dry heat and cold to teach the people as it is euident through the Gospels The Popes and Byshops will kéepe their féete ful cleane with shoes of gold and siluer Sith with precious stones and will not preach them selues but say it is sufficient to cause other to preach cap. Inter ceteram de offic Iuor After this maner might the Turke be Pope also 6. Christ wold not suffer that doues shéepe oxen for the offeryng should be sold in the teÌ„ple of God but draue out the buyers sellers with whipes The Pope and Byshops suffer chapmen in the Church that minister the Sacramentes for money dayly vnto the common people And they geue great pardon vnto it that they may be partakers of the wynnyng to maynteine theyr cradles and other necessaryes with all this may you sée dayly 7. Christ saith ye haue it for nothing therfore shall you geue it for nothing The Pope hath Iudas mynde for you get nothyng of hym without money for he selleth both prayer preachyng 8. Christ sate at meate among hys Disciples ful lowly and poorely Not requiryng the hyghest seate The Pope sitteth full high in a curious throne and will be serued gloriously with long knéelyng and meÌ„ to kerue his morssels w t iagged coates blasphemyng God with othes many other vices as we may sée dayly 9. Christ was in hilles with wepyng and praying and walked in desert féedyng many thousandes both with meate and preachyng The Pope sitteth in hys Castels towers with minstrelsie laughter And the hungry poore shall sit at the gate he will not serue them hym selfe for shame he thinketh it were 10. Christ lay and slept in a boate on the hard bordes and had to his chamberlaynes but fishers crying to hym vppon the Sea in the tempest when they were a feard to perish The Pope sléepeth full soft easely and no man may awake hym vntil he haue slept inough for his chamberlaynes shal be ready with Marshals and vshers to kéepe his hall and chamber from noyse And the portar at the gate to kéepe out the poore Their Lord they will not awake 11. Christ fasted sought the frute on the trée when he was hungry and founde none theron The Pope hath great prouision at Cities and Townes to get him of the best that may be founde well dressed and dayntely to make digestion with spicery sawces and siropes coloured out of kynde 12. Christ lay in a stable with few clothes betwixt an oxe and an Asse for the place was narrowe The Pope in rich chambers with quiltes curtaines carpettes and quishâ—ons spread all about with swéete smelles and paynted walles 13. Christ chose to hym poore men and commaunded them to be simple as doues The Pope choseth subtile meÌ„ and crafty full of pride or els they are not méete for hym 14. Christ rode simply on an Asse had twelue that folowed him a foote all about The Pope on a mule or a white palfray much hygher then hys master dyd And hath many mo then twelue folowyng hym on horsebacke with swoordes and bucklers as it were to battaile 15. Christ bade hys Disciples to go into all
righteousnesse The Pope and Byshoppes kéepe their owne traditions and lawes but the lawe of God is cleane out of their myndes 37. Christ sayd that men shoulde know his disciples by their charitie because they should loue one another as he hath loued them The Pope causeth his to be knowen by theyr shauen crownes by gathering vp of tithes masse pence and offeringes by the gylden trentalles and salaryes to sing by Peter pence gathering and shriuing for monye by peny wedding and holy water sprinkling and many mo markes hath he geuen them As for charitie they know it not at all 38. Christ bad them that hee healed to go and sinne no more The Pope and Bishops haue fayned penaunce and commaunde men to fast bread water to go barefoote without a shurt to offer to certaine idols money or cattell some Masses must be song for them because theyr confessours should haue some profite Some must go about the church and Churchyard with a taper burnyng in hys hand And euer some be punished by the purse though they offend not 39. Christ sent to preach seueÌ„ty and and two Disciples whiche promised fréely heauen to them that would beleue in the name of Christ The Pope and Byshops sende about foure sectes of beggers to geue pardon vnder their master Antichrist And to sell heauen to whom so euer they liste the Apostles knew no such thynges 40. Christ was buryed in a garden in a poore monument without any funerall pompe The Pope and Byshops are buryed in tombes well gilt with many a torch and great solemnitie with angels gloriously portered that beare their soules to heauen Notwithstandyng it is to be feared that they go to supper with the deuill 41. Christ sayth if thou wilt be perfite go and sell all thy goodes and geue it vnto the poore for then shalt thou haue treasure in heauen The pope saith if thou wilt be perfite geue me thy money I will geue thée a pardon that shall absolue thée cleane a poena culpa I will for thy money geue thée the kaye of heauen gates 42. Christ said vnto his Apostles the Kynges and Princes of the Gentiles haue rule and power ouer them but you shall not so haue The Pope sayth all Emperours Kynges and Lordes be my subiectes This is dayly read in his Buls wher in he commaundeth the nobilitie like as a master doth his seruaunt 43. Christ sayth he that among you wil be greatest let him be all your seruauntes The Pope sayth The Emperour must sweare an oth vnto me as vnto his Lord that he will be my subiect eralte and worshyp me with honour Ca. Tibi Domino Di. 63. 44. Christ sayth that we worshyppe hym in vayne with mens doctrines traditions The Pope sayth my traditions in the spiritual law shall be kept as duely as if God had commaunded it him selfe or S. Peter had preached it hym selfe Ca. Si omnes Dist 19. 45. Christ sayth I am the way and the truth folow me in my learnyng And rule you by y e Scripture for that shall be your iudge The Pope sayth ye shall in all thynges folow the Church of Rome by that meaneth he him self and his Cardinals Dist xi Cap. quis ne sciat And as for the Scripture it standeth in my power authoritie for I may make of it what soeuer I will Dist xix Cap. Si romanorum 46. Christ saith he that beleueth and is baptised he shall be saued but he that beleueth not shal be damned The Pope sayth hee that geueth much money for my pardoÌ„ shal be absoyled a poena a culpa And theÌ„ must he néedes be saued And he that teacheth otherwise is an hereticke this testifieth his bulles and pardons 47. Christ promiseth forgeuenes of sinne And the kyngdome of heauen vnto them that repeÌ„t and will amend their lyues The Pope sayth that no man can be saued except he bee first shreuen of his Priestes Friers for they bryng in money Cap. omnes 48. Christ sayth you shall loue your enemyes and shall do good vnto them that hate you The Pope sayth they that be enemyes to me my Cardinals be cursed with the great excommunication and caÌ„ not be absoyled without much money this is euident inough 49. Christ commaunded his Disciples not to resist euill but if a man strike them on y e one cheke that they should offer him the other also The Pope sayth we may auenge and driue away force with force Dâ— sen excom cap. dilecto 50. Christ sayth God the father is my deare sonne hym shall you heare for hys yoke is swéete and his burden lyght The Pope sayth you shall heare me and my commaundement shall be kept and receaued of euery maÌ„ Dist 93. cap. Si cuiâ—s And if my coÌ„maundement and burthen were so heauy that it caÌ„ not well be sustained and borne yet shall ye obey me Dist 19. cap. In memoriam 51. Christ sayd vnto the. ij brethren who hath set me to be your iudge in temporal goodes As though he should say It pertaineth not to me but vnto worldly iudges The Pope sayth I am iudge in all maner of causes for they bryng money vnto me 9. q. 3. Conquestus 52. Christ saith geue the Emperour such as pertayneth vnto hym as tribute and custome for I haue payde tolle for me and Peter The Pope saith I care not for this But I excommunicate all them that aske any toll or tribute of me and my shauelynges for I haue made them all frée Cap. Nouit de senten excom Et ca. Si quis de cons dist i. 53. Christ sayth Peter put vppe thy sword into the sheath for he that striketh with sword shall perishe with the sword The Pope sayth you Emperours Kynges Princes and Lordes take swordes speares halberdes clubbes and gunnes and helpe me to slea theÌ„ that will not obey my tyranny This must an Emperour do or els he must be periured After this maner hath Iulius the Pope slayne xvi thousand men in one day was not that wel pastored Dyd not he well nourish the shéepe which Christ dyd committe vnto his tuition 54. Christ sayde Drinke you all of this cuppe for this is the bloude of my promise The Pope sayth I will not grauÌ„t this for my priestes alone shal drinke of it because it may crye auengeauÌ„ce on them alone the other shall not drinke of it in the payne of heresy 55. Christ sayth Ye are my frendes if you do all thinges that I my selfe commaunde you The Pope sayth you shall do as I bid you for I haue power and authoritie to make lawes And after them shall you liue 25. q. j. ca. Sunt quidam 56. Christ sayth that chastitie is not geuen vnto euery maÌ„ they that haue it geuen let them take it geuing thaÌ„kes to God And let the other vse the remedy which God hath prepared
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
similitudes and his argumentes are naught 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. Rastall sayth Purgatory is on the earth 18. Rastalles naturall reason deceaueth himselfe and his Turke Gingemyn 18. 20. Rastall cannot tell where purgatory shoulde bee 21. Rastalles ignoraunce 22. Rastall recogniseth his faulte 61 Rastall sheweth two causes why hee staÌ„deth in y t defeÌ„ce of purgatory 62 Rastals blynd argument 70 Rastall falsefieth the Scripture 71 Repentaunce is no satisfaction for sinne 14 Reconciliation to our neighbour is required of God 14 Reprouyng of hypocrites may not bee called raylyng 6â— Repentaunce what it is 74 Rochester the first patron of Purgatory 5â— Rochester and More agree not 5â— Rochester More and Rastall defenders of one heresie 6â— Rochester contrary to More and More contrary to Rochester 6â— S. SAbaoth kept on Saterday 96 Sabaoth kept on Sonday 96 Sabaoth abrogated 96 Sacramentes why they were instituted 111. 112 Sacramentes hath three thinges to be considered 91. 112 Sacrament to be the body of Christ is no Article of our fayth 108. 109 Sacrament to bee Christes naturall body is to grosse an Imagination 111 Sacrament diligently set forth by our Sauiour Christ 112 Sacrifices of the Iewes 113 Sacrament of Christes body and bloud what it signifieth 113 Sacrament is a figure of the breakyng of Christes body and shedyng of his bloud 115. 130 Sacrament may not bee worshypped 151. 155 SacrameÌ„t is the memoriall of Christes death 128 Sacrament what it is 132 Sacrament of Christes body is a thankes geeuyng 135 Sacrament how it is our body 136 ibidem Satisfaction is of two sortes 23. 57 Scripture maketh no meÌ„tioÌ„ of Purgatory 12 Scripture hath many senses 120 Scripture is to bee vnderstanded spiritually 121 Sectes of heretickes 51 Symon Fish made the supplication of Beggers 6 Siluester Pope in whose tyme corruption entred into the Churche 116 Sinne agaynst the holy ghost what it is 341 Sinnes are not remitted after this life 45 Sinne may bee committed and yet it is no sinne 73 Supplication of Beggers 6 T. TVrkes and Iewes beleeue that there is a Purgatory 33 Truth is not to bee sought at the dead 46 Tracyes last will and testament 77 Theeues and murtherers who they are 86. 87. 88 Tyndall a man of most innocent life 118 V. VOluntary or wilfull ignoraunce is not to bee excused 4 W. WIckleâ—â—e burned 118 Wicked and vnfaythfull persons doe not receaue the body of Christ 136. 141 William Tracyes will 77 Wisedome of the world is foolishnes with God 6 Wordes figuratiuely spoken 44 Worshyppyng of the Sacrament is Idolatry 151 Z. ZWinglius slayne 118 Finis Here endeth the Table of M. Frithes booke DIEV ET MON DRIOT THE WORKES of Doctour Barnes His lyfe and Martyrdome 1 A supplication to K. Henry the viij fol. 183 2 His Articles condemned by Popishe Byshops 205. 3. The disputation betweene the Byshoppes and hym 217. 4. Fayth onely iustifieth before God 226. 5. What the Church is and who bee thereof and whereby men may know her 242. 6. An other declaration of the Church wherin hee aunswereth M. More 252. 7. What the keyes of the Church bee and to whom they were geeuen 257. 8. Freewill of man after the fall of Adam of his naturall strength can doe nothyng but sinne afore God 267. 9. That it is lawfull for all maner of men to read the holy Scripture 282. 10. That mens constitutions which are not grounded in Scripture bynde not the coÌ„science of man vnder the payne of deadly synne 292. 11. That all meÌ„ are bouÌ„de to receiue the holy Communion vnder both kyndes vnder the payne of deadly synne 301. 12. That by Gods woorde it is lawfull to Priestes that hath not the gifte of chastistie to marry wiues 309. 13. That it is against the holy Scripture to honor Images to pray to Saintes 339. 14. Of the originall of the Masse 356. 15. A collection of Doctours testimonies 358. ARISE FOR IT IS DAY The death and burning of the most constant Martyrs in Christ D. Rob. Barnes Tho. Garret and W. Hierome in Smithfielde an 1541. ¶ A briefe discourse of the lyfe and doinges of Robert Barnes Doctour in Diuinitie a blessed seruaunt and Martyr of Christ summarely extracted out of the booke of Monumentes THe first bringing vp of the sayd Rob. Barnes from a childe was in the vniuersitie of Cambridge and was made a Nouice in y e house of y e Fryer Augustines there And beyng very apt vnto learning did so profite that by the helpe of his frendes he was remoued from theÌ„ce to the vniuersitie of Louayne in Brabant where he remained certayne yeares and greatly profited in the study of the tongues and there procéeded Doctour of Diuinitie And then from thence returned agayne into England and so to the vniuersitie of CaÌ„bridge where he was made Prior and Maister of the house of Augustines wherein he was first brought vp And at that tyme the knowledge of good letters was scarcely entred into the vniuersitie all thynges being full of rudenes barbarietie sauing in very fewe which were priuye and secrete whereupon Barnes hauing some féeling of better learning and had red better actours begaÌ„ in his house to reade Terence Cicero and Plautus so that what with his industry paynes and labours and with the helpe of Thomas Parnell his scholer whom he brought from Louayne with him reading Copia verborum et rorum he caused the house shortly to florishe with good letters made a great parte of y e house learned which before were drowned in barbarous rudenes as M. Cambridge M. Felde M. Colman M. Burley M. Couerdale with diuers other of the vniuersitie that soiourned there for learnings sake After these foundations layde then did he read openly Paules Epistles and put by Dâ—ns and Dorbell and yet he was a questionary himself and onely because he would haue Christ there taught and his holy word he turned their vnsauery problemes and fruitles disputations to other better matter of the holy Scripture and thereby in short space he made diuers good deuynes The same order of disputation which he kept in his house he obserued likewise in the vniuersitie abroad when he should dispute with any man in the common schooles And the first man that aunswered M. Barnes in the Scriptures was M. Stafford for his forme to be Bacheler of Diuinitie which disputation was merueilous in the sight of the great blynde Doctours and very ioyfull to the godly spirited Thus Barnes what with his reading disputation and preachyng became famous and mightie in the Scriptures preaching euer agaynst Byshops and hipocrites and yet did not sée his inward and outwarde Idolatry which he both taught and maintayned vntill that good Maister Bilney with other conuerted him vnto Christ The first SermoÌ„ that euer he preached of this trueth was y t Sonday before Christmas day at S. Edwardes Church longyng to Trinitie halle in Cambridge by y e Pease market whose theame was the Epistle
Fléete commaunded that no man shoulde speakâ— with hym On the Saterday folowing he was agayne brought before them into the Chaptâ—… house at Westminster where he remayned almost the whole day and late in the euâ—ning they cauled him before them and demaunded of him whether he woulde abiâ—… or burne He was then in a great agonye and thought rather to burne then abiurâ—… But then was he sent agayne to haue the counsaile of Gardiner and Foxe and they perswaded him rather to abiure then to burne because they sayde he should doe more good in tyme to come with diuers other perswasions that were mightie in the sight of reason and fleshe Vpon that knéelyng vpon his knées he consented to abiure and the abiuration put into his hand he abiured as it was there written and then he subscribed it with his owne hand and yet they would scarcely receiue him into the bosome of the Church as they termed it Then they put him to an othe and charged him to execute doe and fulfill all that they commaunded him and he promised so to doe Then they commaunded the warden of the fléete to carye him with v. other of the stiliard that then were in like trouble with him vnto the fleete from whence they came and to kéepe them close prisoners and in the morning to prouide v. Faggots for Doctour Barnes and iiij stilliard men the which was readely done the next day by viij of the clocke in the morning At which tyme the knight Marshall with all his Billes and gleues all the Tipstaues he could make was coÌ„maunded to bring them froÌ„ the Fléete vnto Paules Church and in like maner to bring them from thence to the fléete againe And in the morning they were all ready by their houre appointed in Paules Church aforesayd the which Church was then so full that no man might get in The Cardinall had a skaffolde made for him in the toppe of the steyers before the Quyer dore where he him selfe with xxxvj Abbottes mitred Priors and Bishoppes and he in his whole Pompe mitred which Barnes had spoken against sat there inthronized his Chapleynes and spirituall Doctours in gownes of Dammaske and Satten and he himselfe in Purple euen like a bloudy Antechrist And on the top of the stayers also there was erected a new pulpit for the Bishop of Rochester whose name was fisher to preach against Luther and Barnes and great basketes full of Bookes standing before theÌ„ with in the rayles which after the ende of the Sermon a great fyer being first made before the Roode of Northen were commaunded to be there brent and the aforesayd heretikes after the sermon to goe thrise about the fyer and to cast in their fagottes Now while the Sermond was a doing Doctour Barnes and the Stilliard men were commaunded to kneele downe and to aske God forgeuenes y t Catholike Church and the Cardinalles grace And after that he was commaunded at the ende of the Sermon to declare that he was more charitabler handled then he deserued or was worthy his heresies were so horrible and so detestable and once againe knéeled downe on his knees desiring the people of forgeuenes and to pray for him And the Cardinall departed vnder a canapye with all his mitred men with him vntill he came to the West dore of Paules and there he tooke his Mule and the mitred men came backe againe Then Barnes and the other sayd poore men being commaunded to come downe froÌ„â—he stage whereon the swéepers vse to stand wheÌ„ they swéepe the Church the Bishops â—at them downe againe and commannded the knight Marshall and the warden of the fleete with their coÌ„pany to cary them about the fyer and so were they brought to the Byshops and there for absolution knéeled downe At which tyme Rochester declared to the people how many dayes of pardon and forgeuenes of synnes they had for being 〈◊〉 that Sermond and there did assoyle Doctour Barnes with the other and shewed y t people that they were receaued into the Church againe These thinges being done the warden of the Fleete and the knight Marshall were commaunded to cary them againe vnto the Fleete and charged y t they should haue the â—…tie of the fleete as other prisoners had and that their frendes might resort vnto â—hem and there to remayne vntill the Lord Cardinalles pleasure were knowen After that Barnes had contynued in y â— Fleete by the space of halfe a yeare at leÌ„gth â—…ng deliuered he was committed to be free prisoner at the Augustine friers in Lon 〈◊〉 WheÌ„ those Caterpillers and blouddy beastes had vndermined him they complay 〈◊〉 agayne to their Lord Cardinall WhereupoÌ„ he was remoued to the Austen fryers 〈◊〉 North hampton there to be burned Yet he him selfe vnderstanding nothing there 〈◊〉 but supposing still that he should there remayne and contynue in free prison At the 〈◊〉 one M. Horne who had brought him vp and was his speciall frende hauing intelâ—…nce of the writt that should shortly be sent downe to burne him gaue him couÌ„sell to fayne him selfe desperate and that he should write a letter to the Cardinall leaue it on his table where he lay and a paper by to declare whether he was gone to drowne him selfe and to leaue his clothes in the same place there an other letter to be left to the Maior of the towne to search for him in the water because he had a letter written in parchment about his necke closed in waxe for the Cardinall which would teach all men to beware by him Vpon this they were vij dayes in searching for him but he was conueied to London in a poore mans apparell and taried not there but tooke shipping and went to Antwarp and so into Germany to Luther and there fell to study vntill he had made aunswere to all the Byshops of the Realme and had made a booke intituled Acta Romanorum Pontificum and an other booke with a supplication to King Henry the viij Imediately it was tolde the Cardinall that he was drowned and he sayd Perijt memoria eius cum sonitu But this did light vpon him selfe shortly after which wretchedly dyed at Lecester In the meane tyme D. Barnes was made strong in Christ and got fauour both of the learned in Christ and of forreine Princes in Germany and was great with Luther Melanction Pomeran Iustus Ionas Hegendorphinus and Aepimus and with the Duke of Saxon and king of Denmarke which king of Denmarke in y t time of More and Stokesley sent him with the Lubeckes as an Embassadour to King HeÌ„ry the eight And during the time he remayned here he lay with the Lubeckes Chauncelour at the Stiliard Syr Thomas More being then Chauncelour would fayne haue entrapped him but the king would not let him for Cromwell was his great and deare frende And ere he went the Lubeckes and he disputed with the Bishops of this Realme in defence of the trueth And so he departed agayne without
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
lege Lord. Ye I doe beléeue that if the kynges grace at this same day should desire of y e spirituality but halfe of this summe I dare say they wold neuer graūt him with their good will nor there shoulde not bée found one Diuine in England of the holy Popes Churche that could and would proue by good Diuinitie that the kyng might take it and the spiritualitie were bounde to geue it Alas what shall I say beléeue me I doe want wordes to y e settyng out of this matter where is natural affectiō where is naturall loue where is fidelitie where is truth of hart that men ought to haue and to beare toward their naturall Prince toward their natiue countrey toward their fathers and mothers toward their wiues and childrē yea toward their liues God of his infinite goodnesse hath geuen vs a noble Prince to the maintaynyng and defence of all these thynges and toward hym we haue litle or none affection But vnto this idole of Rome are we ready to geue both body and goodes and the more we geue the better we are content Was not this a merueilous poueryshyng to this Realme to sende out so many thousandes and to receiue nothyng agayne but deceitfull Bulles and shéepes skynnes and a litle péece of leade yea and worst of all to make men beléeue that their saluation dyd hange on it I dare say boldly that if we poore men which bée now condēned for heretickes and also for traytours against our kyng had not béen the Realme of England had not stād in so good a condition as it is for men had béene bounde still in their conscience for to obey this wretched idole Who durst haue kept y e innumerable summe of money within the realme y e yearely was sucked out by this adder if our godly learnyng had not instructed their conscience Let all the Liberaries bée sought in Englād and there shall not be one booke writtē in iiij C. yeares and admitted by the Church of Rome and by our spiritualtie founde that doth teach this obedience and fidelitie toward Princes and deliuereth our Realme from the bondage of this wicked Sathan the pope or els that is able to satisfie and to quiete any mans conscience within this Realme and yet I dare say hée is not in Englād that cā reproue our learnyng by the doctrine of our master Christ or els of his holy Apostles Yea mē haue studyed and deuised how they might bryng our mighty Prince and his noble Realme vnder y e féete of this deuill There could bée nothyng handled so secretly within this Realme but if it were either pleasaunt or profitable to the Pope to know then were all the Byshops in England sworne to reuelate that matter to him This may bee wel proued by their shamefull trayterous oth that they contrary to Gods law mans law and order of nature haue made to this false man the Pope The wordes of their othe written in their owne law be these I Byshop N. frō this houre forth shal be faithfull to S. Peter to the holy Church of Rome and to my Lord the Pope to his successours lawfully entryng into the Popedome I shall not consent in counsell nor in déede that hée shoulde lose either lyfe or lymme or that hée should bée taken in any euill trap His councell that shall bée shewed vnto me either by hym selfe or els by his letters or by his Legates I shall open to no man to hys hurt or damage I shall helpe to defend mayntaine the Papacie of the Church of Rome the rules of the holy fathers sauyng myne order agaynst all men liuyng I shall come to the Councell when soeuer I bée called onles I bée lawfully let The Popes Legate I shall honorablye entreate both goyng and commyng in his necessities I shall helpe him I shall visite yearely either by myne owne proper person or els by some sure messenger the sea of Rome onles I bée dispensed with So helpe me God and this holy Euangelist There hath béene wonderous packing vsed and hath cost many a thousand mens liues ere that the spiritualitie brought it to passe that all they should bée sworne to the Pope owe none obedience to any man but to him onely This matter hath béene wonderous craftely conueyed for at the beginnyng the Bishops were not sworne so straitely vnto the Pope as now For I doe read in the tyme of Gregory the thyrd which was in the yeare of our Lord. vij C. lix how their othe was no more but to sweare for to kéepe the fayth of holy Church and to abide in the vnity of the same and not to consent for any mans pleasure to the contrary to promise also to séeke the profites of the Church of Rome And if any Byshops did lyue agaynst the olde statutes of holy fathers with him they should haue no conuersation but rather forbidde it if they coulde or els trewly to shewe the Pope of it This othe cōtinued a great many of yeares tyll that a mortall hatred sprang betwene the Emperour and the Pope for confirming of Byshops than as many Byshops as were confirmed of the Pope did sweare the othe that I haue first written For this othe that Gregory maketh mention of was not sufficient because that by it the Byshops were not bounde to betray their Princes nor to reuelate their counselles to the Pope The which thing y e pope must néedes know or els hee coulde not bring to passe his purpose that is to say he coulde not bée Lord ouer the worlde and cause Emperours and kynges to fetch their confirmation of him and to knéele downe and kisse his féete The which when hée had broght to passe hée procéeded farther adding more thinges in the Byshops othe to the maintayning of his worldly honour and dignitie as it shall afterward appeare But first wée wyll examine this othe how it standeth with Gods worde and with the true obedience to our prince I pray you tell me out of what Scripture or els out of what example of our mayster Christ his holy Apostles you haue takē this doctrine to learne to swere to Saint Peter or els to the Church of Rome or els to the Pope What néede you to sweare to Saint Peter ye cā neither doe hym good by your fidelitie nor yet hurt by your falshode Othes be taken that hée that the othe is made vnto might bée sure of the true helpe and succour of hym that sweareth agaynst all men that could hurte hym Now Saint Peter hath none enymies and though hée had yet is not hée afearde of them neyther can you helpe hym nor deliuer hym if hée had néede But the verytie is that good S. Peter must here stand in the fore frunt to make men afrayde with and to make men beléeue that you are his frendes but God knoweth that you neyther fauour his person lrarnyng nor lyuyng For if S. Peters person
were here with his nette on his necke I thinke you would bid hym walke beggar if you called him not heretik Why doe you not sweare to folowe hys lyuing and to preach and teach his doctrine but that maketh nothing for your purpose Therefore you swerre all onely to S. Peters name But wherein wyll you bée faythfull to S. Peter to mayntane his worldly honours dignities or riches you know well hée sayth that hée hath forsaken all these thinges for Christes sake And for these thinges I thinke hée will require none othe of you Wherfore if you will néedes bée faythfull sworne vnto S. Peter it muste bée in mayntayning and in defending spirituall thynges as preaching of Christes Gospell purely and sincerely mynystring truelye after the institution of our master Christ y e blessed sacramentes of holy church and in vertuous lyuyng geuing example to the holy church of Christe But now if this bée your othe truely you are periured worthy to weare papers for you doe reken your selues to hye and to honorable to goe aboute such simple thinges as these bée And therfore you haue applyed your selues to other greater matters as to christening of belles to halowing of churches to blessing of candels to consecrating of holy oyle to halowing of chalesies vestementes and aulters and to geuing 40. dayes of pardon to them that receiueth your blessings in the streate and to some that visyte holy saintes such like greate matters which partayneth nothing to your othe wherefore I doe recken y e after the true forme of your othe we haue but few byshops but y e bée periured or abiured call it as you will both against God agaynst S. Peter and against their prince It foloweth And to the holy church of Rome what néedeth this what good can you doe to y e holy church of Rome Or what profyte is it to her that you sweare where is any request of her in holy scripture that you shoulde sweare Thinke you that she will compell you by your othe to bée true to her then must shee néedes sue you of periurie if you breake your othe But marke how y e church of Rome is set in your othe as the better person before the Pope wherefore it must néedes followe that y e Pope is vnder y e church and lesse then the church and no hed of the church except you will make hym a third person that neither pertayneth to S. Peter nor yet to holy Churche but is a thyng of him selfe and as your law sayth neither God nor man but middle betwéene them both that is as much to say after my learnyng as the deuill hym selfe But what meaneth it that you sweare onely to the holy Churche of Rome will you bée traytours to the holy Church of Constātinople or els to the holy Churche of England Or doe you thinke other Churches not holy tell vs what you meane for it séemeth a marueilous thyng and also a speciall thyng that you make such an othe all onely to the holy Church of Rome naming none other church Why are you not rather sworne to kéepe and to féede to norish and to bée true to your owne Church of the which you haue taken cure charge As S. Peter commaundeth you Sée that you féede Christes flocke which is among you For of these you haue taken your name lyuyng and dignitie You are called Byshop of Winchester of London and of Lyncolne And of these you are fed but these bée forgotten in your othe and these you litle regarde but to mayntayne the holy Churche of Rome that geueth you neuer a peny but robbeth all other Churches you must bée straitly sworne And why Antichrist must haue a cloke for his treason For now if hée bée a traytour hée is to bée excused why for hée is sworne to it But shall I tell you what I doe take out of it The truth is that you sweare to betray to kil and slay all members of all other Churches sauyng those that liueth after the whoredome and mischief that is vsed in Rome For if you should bee bounde to séeke out in Rome Christened men and those that doth liue after the liuyng of holy church I thinke you should finde but few Yea and vnto those you would thinke scorne to bée sworne Ergo it must folow that you are sworne to the worst sort of Rome and that your holy Churche of Rome is taken for such a sorte as liueth agaynst God agaynst his blessed worde agaynst the liuyng of holy Aposties agaynst the cōditiōs of our holy mother y e church I could say in all whoredome in all oppression in all Sodomytrie in all murther in all pōpe pride summa summarum in all maner of mischief what toung cā tell or hart can thinke But I will not say so for men would reken me vncharitable and to vehement Neuerthelesse all the worlde knoweth that you doe recken your selfe by the vertue of your oth boūde to no men but vnto such as in very déede liueth after this vngracious maner and yet will you bée faithfull and true vnto them agaynst all men Yea I dare say if that their conscience had not cōdemned them of such mischief they would neuer haue desired this assistence of you or els haue thought it necessary to haue required an othe of you But the veritie is they bée naught and haue néede of mayntainers in their mischief And also suspect you not to bée true except you made an othe to them yea and scarsly then onles that you in very déede at tyme and place conuenient doe betray your Princes for that is y e cause of your othe and other profite hath not the kyng by it I will bée reported by all practise that euer came out of your othe It foloweth And to my Lord the Pope I would gladly learne where the Pope hath got the dignitie of a Lord. This thyng is litle regarded of my Lordes the Byshops to bryng in such a worldly dignitie yea they will say it is but a trifle and mocke men for speaking agaynst it But the truth is if they durst as much now as in times past they would burne for this litle trifle the best Lord in England For I dare say it hath cost many a mans lyfe or euer they brought the Pope to Lordshyp Blessed S. Peter whose successour the Pope boasteth him selfe to bée knew nothing of this Lordshyp for bée sayth vnto hys felowes they shall not exercise no Lordshyp ouer the congregation And likewise S. Paule durst not take vppon him to commaunde as a Lord collections to bée made for poore men but mekely desires thē without any Lordshyp Also in an other place Let no man iudge vs but as the Ministers of Christ Blessed S. Paule rekeneth him selfe but a minister a seruaunt And yet y e day hath béene that he was so good as my Lord the Pope Our master Christ that
that dare moste boldelye and with least shame depose Princes without a cause hée is best able to bée pope He that can by any trayne craft or subtyltye bring vnder hym any byshop or any spirituall person or inuent any newe clausein their othe hée is to bée alowed afore other Moreouer hée y e kéepeth fewest women and hath most of them that you wote of hée is holyest apte to bée head of your church And hée y e can most tyranously burne mē for preaching of y e Gospel and hée hym selfe to take no labours therein Item to burne priestes y e mary wiues and hée hym selfe to liue in all myschefe whordome yea in such abhominablenes as no man may with honestye speake you knowe what I meane this man I say hath a good testimony afore his spirituality that hée is a lawfull man to that office Furthermore hée that is a whores sonne as our holy father is now and can finde the meanes that 12. men will forswere them selfe that hée is lawfully borne as this holy Clement dyd This is a fitte father for such children Finally hée y e can geue most mony and bye y e greatest part of cardinales of hys syde hée is best worthy to bée called Pope to sit on Peters stoole For it can not bée vnknowen to you how y e Thomas Woulcy an holy piller of your Church woulde haue béene Pope whē this Clement was chosen and did offer for it a resonable peny But Clement dasshed hym out of consayte with 20000. li. more then hée offered and so hée was iudged best worthy and entered in lawfully and regularly and vnto him our bishops bée sworne and obedient And why because they will haue such a head as they bee members for how coulde els their kingdome stand For if one should bee chosen after the rule of blessed S. Paule or els after the lyuynge of these newe heretykes which bée simple and poore and care not for no dignityes nor will neuer swere nor fyght and would rather mary a wyfe of their owne then take other mens and alwayes studying preaching Gods worde séeking onely the honour of God and the profyt of his neighbour and will bée subiect and obedient in all thinges desiring none exception to his prince This man I say shoulde bée vnlawfull not eligible for hée were able to destroy y e whole kingdome of y e papistes and not worthy to receiue an othe of my Lordes y e byshops which will not gladly be periured for such a mās sake For he were able to destroy y e whole church of Rome vnto the which our Byshops haue béene before sworne It foloweth in your othe I shall not consent in counsell or in déede that they shoulde lose eyther lyfe or member or that they shoulde bée taken or trapped by any euill meane What néede you to sweare thus vnto the Pope doth not the order of charitie binde you thus to vse your selfe towarde all men that is to say neither to hurt them nor to harme them neither to intrappe them nor betraye them But all men must bée betrayde and with crafte and subtiltie vndone for the mayntenaunce of thys one wretched person The truth is that neuer man spake against this popet but you destroyde him and betrayde him But this popet hath blasphemed and betrayde all potestates and yet you were neuer against hym And why because you be sworne to hym And you will kéepe your othe bée it right or wrong But in your last othe which hath béene newely made is added thys clause That no man should lay violent bandes vpon them in any wyse or any wrong shoulde bee done vnto them by any maner of colour This part is newly brought in since the fleshe of the Pope hath béene so holy that no man might touch it but harlottes Christen men must patiently suffer iniuries and wrōges but your head will forsweare that point and mayntaine himselfe through your power against all men How neare that this is the Apostles liuing all Christen men can well iudge It foloweth in your othe Their counsell that shal bée shewed vnto mée either by theyr letters or by their messengers I shal open to no man to their hurte or damage Let Princes beware whan the pope sendeth coūselles vnto you for the meaning is to betraye them For all the worlde knoweth that the pope and you doth litle regarde what the beggars of the worlde doth handle But what Emperours kyngs and Dukes doth handle that must you let and destroye For that is the Popes counsell And you may shewe it to no man No not to your kyng And why because you are sworne to the pope But what say you to your othe made vnto your prince wherein you sweare that you shall be faithfull and true and beare vnto him aboue all creatures loue and fauour to lyue and to dye with hym and to open vnto him all maner of counselles that may bée hurtful vnto his grace Now is it well knowne that the pope hath done and dayly doth handle such coūselles as bée against our princes honour and conseruation And yet you may neyther tell it to your prince nor let it And why because you be sworn to the pope and for sworne to your prince Tell me when any thyng was opened vnto our prince by you that the pope had handeled in counsell agaynst our prince Of this thing I will take recorde of his noble grace whether I say true or false And yet must I bee accused of treason And why because you are sworne to the pope And I am true to the kyng It foloweth I shall helpe to defend and mayntaine the papistry of Rome against all men sauing myne order And in your new othe now in oure dayes made is added The regalles of Saint Peter What and in all mē bée contained your prince you must néedes defend him And why because ye bée sworne to the pope forsworn to your prince For your othe to your prince is to defend him with all your wit reason against all men Now must you forsake one of them And your practise hath béene alwayes to forsake your prince and sticke to the pope For of your othe made to your prince you haue béene oftentimes assoiled And as your lawe sayth the Church of Rome is wont so do doe But of your othe made vnto y e pope there is no absolution neither in heauen nor earth Neither was it euer redde heard nor séene that there could bée any dispensation for it Let mée bée reported by all y e bookes that euer were written and by all the bulles that euer were graunted and by all the experience that euer was vsed And if I bée found false let mée bée blamed And yet I am sure many mē will recken that I speake vncharitably But I would faine learne of all y e charitable mē in England with what other English wordes I coulde
declare this intollerable or subtile treason thus long shamefully vsed against my prince which is necessary to bée knowne And I am compelled by violēce to declare both my confession and learning in this cause For mē hath not béene ashamed to report that I would which am but a wretch and poore simple worme and not hable to kill a Catte though I woulde doe my vttermost to make insurrection against my noble and mighty prince whom as God knoweth I doe both honour worship loue and fauour to the vttermost power of my hart and am not satisfied because it is no more This I speake afore God Let him bée mercifull vnto mée as it is true And if I were not so true in mine hart it were not possible for mée so earnestly to write agaynst thē whome I doe recken to handle vnfaythfully and vntruely wyth theyr prince yea against both Gods lawe and mans lawe The very truth is I can suffer through Gods grace all maner of wronges iniuries and sclaunders but to bée called an hereticke agaynst God or a traytour against my prince he liueth not but I will say hée lieth And wil bée able so to proue him if I may bée reported by my workes or déedes by my conuer sation or liuing or by any thinge that euer I did But vnto my purpose the Byshoppes doth sweare one othe to the pope and an other contrary to their prince And yet they will bée takē for good and faithfull children And I poore man must bee condemned and all my woorkes for heresy and no mā to reade them vnder the payne of treason And why because I write against their periurie towarde their prince But how commeth S. Peter by these regalles that you are sworne to defende seing that he was neuer no kyng but a fisher All the worlde knoweth that regalia belongeth to kinges and to like power of kynges Why are you not rather sworne to defend Peters net and his fisherie the which thinges hee both hadand vsed neuer regalles But these thinges will not maintayne the holy Church of Rome and therefore ye sweare not to maintayne them But what meane you by that sentence Sauing mine order why say you not sauing my kinges pleasure Your glose sayth you may not defend these thinges with weapons But oh Lord God what vnshamefulnesse is this thus to delude with wordes all the whole worlde Men knoweth that when the Pope hath néede of your helpe there is no men sooner in armes then you are if you call armes harneys bylles glaues swordes and gunnes and such other thyngs Doe you not remember how soone the Byshop of Norwiche Henry Spenser was in armes to defende pope Vrbane It were but foly to recite examples In the yeare of our Lord. 1164. was there a controuersie betwéen the kynges grace the Byshops of England for certaine prerogatiues belōgyng to the kyng Wherfore the king required an othe and a confirmation of the Byshops as concernyng those Articles and prerogatiues But aunswere was made of the Bishops that those prerogatiues cum omnibus prauitatibus in regio scripto contentis were of none effect nor strength bicause they did forbyd to appele to the Court of Rome onles the king gaue licence And bicause that no Byshop might goe at the Popes callyng out of the Realme without the kynges assent And bicause that Clerkes should bée conuented in criminall causes afore a temporall iudge And bicause the kyng would heare matters as cōcernyng tythes other spirituall causes And bicause that it was agaynst the sea of Rome and the dignitie of the same that a Byshop should bée conuēted afore y e kyng Briefly they would not bée vnder the kyng but this addition should bée set vnto it Saluo honore Dei Ecclesie Romane ordine nostro that is we will bée vnder your grace sauyng the honour of God of the Churche of Rome and of our order The cause why they dyd except these thynges was this as they them selues graunt For kynges receiued their authorities and power of the church but the Church receiueth her authoritie of Christ onely wherefore they conclude that the kyng can not commaunde ouer the Byshops nor absolue any of them nor to iudge of tythes nor of Churches neither yet to forbyd Byshoppes the handlyng of any spirituall cause Is not here a marueilous blyndnesse and obstinacie agaynste theyr Prince They will make it agaynst Gods honour to obey their king and are not ashamed to say in the kynges face that his power is of them But I pray you whether was kynges before Byshops or Byshops before kynges You shal finde that God had long admitted kynges or any Bishop as you take hym was thought of Doth not the holy ghost commaūde that we should honour kynges Also in an other place Let all men bée vnder the high powers for the power is of God and hée that resisteth the power resisteth Gods ordinaunce Here blessed S. Paule sayth that kynges power is of God not of Byshops Furthermore what reason is it to defende the Popes prerogatiue agaynst your Princes Is not your Prince nearer and more naturall vnto you then this wretch the Pope But here is a thyng y e maketh me to marueile When you sweare to the Pope Sauyng your order Is as much to say as you shall not vse no weapons but els you shall bée ready and obedient in all thynges But when you shall sweare to your kyng then Sauyng your order is as much to say as you haue authoritie to confirme kynges and to bée their felowes and neither to bée obedient vnto them nor yet to aunswere to any Iustice before them but clearely to bée exempted and they not to medle with you excepte they will geue you some worldly promotion If I would vse my selfe as vnchatariblye agaynst you as you haue handled me doubtles I could make some thyng of this that shold diplease you How would you cry and how would you handle me poore wretch if you had halfe so much agaynst me as this is But I will let you passe God hath preserued mée hitherto of his infinite mercy agaynst your insaciable malice and no doubt but hée shall doe the same still I will returne to your othe It foloweth I shall come to the Synode when I am called vnles I shall bée lawfully let But why doe you not sweare to compell the Pope to call a Councell seyng that it hath béene so often and so instantly required of him by many and noble Princes of Christendome yea seyng that all Christendome doth require with great sightes an order to bée taken set in the highest articles of our faith But vnto this you are not sworne And why bicause it is agaynst your holy popet of Rome For if there were a generall Councell both hée you do know that there must néedes folow both ouer him you a streight reformation Therfore
these Illud euangelij si quis abstulerit c. non est precipientis sed exhortantis Now let euery Christen man iudge whether that these wordes of theyr lawe bée of sufficient auctoritie to refell the holy wordes of Scripture or no But than came doctour Wolmā and hée brought this texte If thy brother doe offende thée than tell the Church What is that sayd hée tell the Church to whom I aunswered that this place made not for his purpose aleaging Saint Augustine for mée For it speaketh of the crymes that should bée reprooued by the congregation and not of the correction of the temporall sworde It also foloweth If hée heare not y e church coūte hym as an heathē and as a publican This is the vttermost payne that our M. Christ assigneth there y e which is no payne of the temporall lawe But at this aunswere was hée sore moued and sayd if I did abide by it I should be burnt This was a sharp sentence of so greate a man as hée is Apppelles was a ioly wyse felowe that sayd once to a shomaker Ne sutor vltra crepidam But neuertheles let hym and them burne as many as they can yet it is playne that I haue spoken neuer a worde but the holy scripture and holy doctours say the same both in sentence and in wordes Wherefore I can not sée how they can condemne this article for heresye yea and I dare saye for them that they recken it none heresy nor they did not condēne mée for this article I Wyll neuer beléeue nor yet I can neuer beléeue that one man may be by the lawe of God a byshop of 2. or 3. cyties yea of an whole coūtrey for it is contrarye to S. Paule which sayth I haue left thée behynde to set in euery citye a byshop And if you finde in one place of scripture y e they bée called Episcopi you shal finde in diuers other places that they bée called Persoiteri ¶ I was brought afore my Lorde Cardinall into his galary and there hée reade all myne articles tyll hée came to this and there hée stopped sayde that this touched hym and therefore hée asked me if I thought it wronge that one byshop shoulde haue so many cityes vnderneath hym vnto whom I answered that I could no farther goe then to S. Paules texte which set in euery cytye a byshop Then asked hée mée if I thought it now vnright séeing the ordinaunce of the church that one byshop should haue so many cities I aunswered y e I knew none ordinaunce of y e church as concerning this thinge but S. Paules sayinge onelye Neuertheles I did sée a contrary custome and practise in the world but I know not the originall thereof Then sayde hée y e in the Apostles tyme there were dyuers cities some 7. myle some vj. myle long and ouer them was there set but one byshop of their subbards also So likewise now a byshop hath but one citye to his cathedrall churche and the country about is as subbards vnto it Me thought this was farre fetched but I durst not denye it because it was so greate auctorite and of so holy a father and of so greate a deuine But this dare I say that his holynes could neuer proue it by scripture nor yet by any auctorite of doctours nor yet by any practise of the Apostles and yet it must bée true because a piller of the church hath spoken it But let vs sée what y e doctours say to myne article Athanasius doth declare this text of the Apostle I haue left thée behinde c. Hée woulde not commit vnto one bythop a whole ylde but hée did inioyne that euery cytye shoulde haue his proper pastor supposing y e by this meanes they shoulde more diligently ouer sée the people and also that y e labour should bée more easye to beare c. Also Chrisostome on that same texte Hée would not y e a whole countrey shoulde bée permitted vnto one man but hée enioyned vnto euery mā his cure by y e meanes hée knew that the labour shoulde bée more eaysye and the subiectes should bée with more diligēce gouerned if the teachers were not distract with y e gouerning of many churches but had cure and charge of one church onely c. Mée thinketh these bée plaine wordes and able to moue a man to speak asmuche as I did But graunte that you may haue all these cities yet can you make it none heresy For my lord Cardinall graunted that it was but agaynst hym and against you which bée no Gods But I poore man must bée an heretike there is no remedy you will haue it so And who is able to say nay Not all scripture nor yet God hymselfe IT can not bée proued by scripture that a man of the churche shoulde haue so greate temporall possessions But they will say if they had not so great possessions they could not kepe so many seruantes so many dogges so many horses as 40. or 50. maintayne so great pompe and pride and liue so deliciously what heresye fynde you in this Is it heresye to speake against your horses and your houndes and your abhominable lyuing And doubtles I did not say but that you myght haue possessions all onely I spake against the superfluousnes and the abuse of them for the which all y e world wondereth on you What mischiefe is there in the worlde vsed y e is more clerely and openly knowen then that you doe abuse the goodes of the Church And yet must I bée cōdemned for an heretyke for speaking against it Alas doe you thinke that God will suffer this violence that you doe vse agaynst poore men I will stād in y e daunger proue how his Godly maiesty shall iudge this matter béetwéene you and mée I dare trust hym with it SUre I am that they can not by the law of God haue any iurisdiction seculer and yet they chalēge both powers which if they haue why doe they not put them both in vse For they must say as the Iewes sayde we may kill no man This is the article that dyd byte you for you can not bée content with the office of a byshop but you will bée also kynges Howe that standeth with Gods lawe and with your othe I haue declared it to our noble prince I doubt not but hée will put you to the tryall of it Haue not you this many yeres condemned many a poore man then deliuered hym to the temporall power to be put to death which knew nothing of his cause And if hée would y e yée shoulde put hym to death your selfe then answered yée how you might kyll no man So y t they were alwayes your hangmen THey say they bée the successours of Christ and of his Apostles but I can sée them folow none but Iudas For they beare the purse and haue all the money
your owne doctrine Looke in Alexander de Hales in Duns and in Bonauenture in the 4. booke of the sentences Now if you will condemne mée then must you fyrist condemne this your owne doctrine WHat is the cause that they forbid vs that we shoulde not discusse how greate their power is but because that they would make all mē fooles and holde vs in ignoraunce Your owne scholemen say the popes power is so greate that no man can nor may discusse it Also your lawe cōmaundeth That no mā bée so hardy as to aske y e pope Lord why doe you so But put the case that this were a lye yet is it farre from heresie Yet my Lordes say that I shall bée an heretyke And why say I Because we will haue it so say they Yea and thou béest not so content y u shalt bée burnt Mary I thank you hartely my Lords Pro bona vestra informacione THey haue a lawe moste abhominable contrarye to Gods lawe and charitie to excommunicate the people 4. tymes in a yeare that is to say those men that raise the rent of an house that must you vnderstand if it béelong not to the church For if it béelong vnto y e church thou maist raise it in euery moneth on s and no man shall curse thée Also they curse them that bée not buried in their parishe church y e must bée vnderstāded if that they bée rich men for if they bée poore they may bée buried amōg the friers The Byshop of Bath sayd ther was no such maner to curse men And all y e world knoweth the contrary More ouer I red these articles in the booke of the generall curse that belongeth to saynt Benets church in Cambrige and there did I marke it with myne owne hand and yet the byshop was not ashamed to denye it And why Because I muste bée an heretyke there is no remedye the holy fathers hath so determined it THey haue myters with glystering precious stones they haue gloues for catching colde in y e middest of their ceremonies They haue rynges and ouches other ceremonies so many y e there is in a manner now nothing els in the church but all iewyshe maners wyll you make this heresy because I speake against your dānable and pompous myters I thinke such ornamentes were to bée condemned euen among heathen men I will not say among christean men But this dare I say that there was neuer no God among heathen men that euer delighted in such ornamentes And yet you will serue the God of heauen by thē And your poore brother whom Christ hath redéemed with his precious bloud dyeth in prison and openly in the streate hangeth him selfe for necessitie yet wil you not bestow on hym so much as one of your precious stones Tell me of one byshop that euer brake his myter to the helping of a poore man was there neuer man in necessitye in England but all y e world may sée what you bée These thinges bée sensible inough THese myters I can not tell from whence they do come except they take them from the iewes byshops if they take them from y e Iewes then let them also take theyr sacrifices and their oblations from them and offer calues and lambes as they dyd and then haue we nothing to doe with them for wee bée christen men and no Iewes I pray you tell mée where yée finde but one pricke in holy scripture of your myters Our mayster did institute byshops And S. Paule setteth out what is their office and also what is their ornamēt yet speaketh neuer a worde of your myters But I dare boldelye say y e if you bée put to y e tryall you shall bée fayne to rūne to the olde lawe But can I bée an heretyke if I condemned clearely your myters and sayde they were of the deuyll when you proue them to bée of Christes institution then will I be an heretyke Is not that Inough I praye you let mée so long bée taken for a christean man And if you bée not cōtent with this truely then doe yée me wronge THese myters with 2. hornes I cānot tell what they should signifye except it be the hornes of the false prophet of whome It is spoken with these hornes shalt y u blowe afore thée all Syria And so dyd hée mocke their ringes and all their ornamentes and ecclesiasticall ceremonyes It wil com to my saying that you bée byshops of the olde lawe for you haue nothing to defende your rynges your ornamentes and your ceremonies but very tyranny Wherefore to mayntaine these depose you kynges and princes interdite landes burne man wyfe and chylde And when you haue all done you haue defended but a deuelysh token of prid The doctours that wolde fauour your proude tokens expound them to the best haue declared that the two hornes of your myters dyd sygnify the new and the olde testament that is how you should be learned in them both Now I saw that this exposition did not agrée with that thyng for no man can bée lesse learned in them thē you bée I speake of a great many Wherefore me thought it was but a vaine exposition and therfore I compared them to the two hornes of the false Prophet bicause as you know this false Prophet sayde vnto the kyng that hée shoulde with these two hornes blow afore him all Syria And yet hée lyed for the kyng was the first mā that was slayne So likewise you say vnto kynges if they folowe your coūsell and mayntaine your authoritie and bée ruled after you Thē shal they ouercome all their enemies As sinne death and hell and yet Saluo ordine vestro you lye for you haue no word of God for you Wherefore you must be false Prophetes Here haue I cōpared with a similitude your myters to the two hornes and you to false Prophetes what if this bée false what if I can not proue it yet can you make me none hereticke For then must you make those men heretickes that haue compared the forkes of your myters to the new and to the old Testamentes and you to the true Apostles for they haue made a greater lye then I haue done and they are neuer able to proue it And as for me I will proue my saying true if ye will stād to Scripture or els wil I be taken for an hereticke THey haue baculum pastoralem to take shéepe with but it is not like a shepheardes hooke for it is intricate and manifold crooked and turneth alwayes in so that it may bee called a mase for it hath neither begynnyng nor endyng and it is more like to knocke swine and woules in the head with then to take shéepe They haue also pyllers and pollaxes and other ceremonies whiche no doubt bée but tryfles and thynges of naught I pray you what is the cause that you call your staffe a
articles that were agaynst the Byshops they did great diligence in a part of them gathered they my very true sentences and myne owne wordes though in those thinges they left out vncharitably those wordes that made for my declaration and also for the probation of my saying the which I haue also here lefte out all onely adding the articles as thye laid them against mée that all men may sée y t worst that they had against mée For all men may thinke that they wil neither lay the best nor yet the truth agaynst mée But this article dyd I thus preach that men should not in their peticiō and prayers put to their good workes nor their good déedes and their merites As O Lord I doe faste I doe pray I am no theife I am in charitie with all the world and for them defire God to bée mercifull vnto them But they shoulde desire the father of heauen to bée mercifull vnto them alonely for Christes merites For they were y e things wherby both wée and our prayers are accepted in the sight of the father And to prooue this I brought certayne Scriptures As this whatsoeuer yée shall aske the father in my name hée shall geue it you And also the figure of y e old law where there was no sacrifice done but with y e fire that was taken from the aulter Now did I say that Christ is our aulter But thys myne aduersaries vnderstoode not But I maruayle what this article doth amonge the other hereticall articles I thinke they doe not recken it heresie HEe did not praye for the thrée estates of holy Churche neyther made hée his prayers in y e beginning of his sermon according to the olde custome but at the last ende and for the true knowledge of all Christen men making no prayer to our Lady nor for the soules in gurgatory nor for grace expedient If the Byshops had had any indifferency in them or any charitie they woulde haue béene ashamed that such articles shoulde haue béene brought afore thē What is this to the purpose of heresie that I did not pray for the thrée estates of holy Church And yet they graunt that I prayde for all true Christē mē and that men might come to the true knowledge Is not all the church contayned in this But they bée vncharitable men without all cōsideration they bée so blinded in their worldly honour That I did not pray to our Ladye nor for the soules in purgatory what is that to heresy for then were the Apostles heretykes for they did not pray in their sermons to our Lady nor yet to y e soules in purgatorye And as for praying for grace expedient that is not the preacher bound to doe openly But mée thinketh by these articles that God gaue mée a greate grace that I durst so boldelye reproue their abhominable liuing not fearing the daunger that should come thereof but this I leue to other mens iudgement And I dare boldelye say y e if I had spoken tentymes asmuch against y e auctorite of our noble prince and agaynst all his noble dukes and Lordes had taken all power both spirituall and temporall from them and geuen it to our idle byshops then had I béene a faythfull christen man for I had defended y e liberties of holy church But god send them his grace and space for to conuert Amen The whole disputation betweene the Byshops and Doctour Barnes NOw most honorable gracious Prince here haue I shewed your grace the articles that myne aduersaries vncharitablie hath layd agaynst me In the whiche though a greate many of my wordes and sayinges were Yet neuerthelesse there was left out all those things that did make for my declaration and for probations of my wordes and also for mollifying and temperatyng of those thinges that séemed to bée somewhat hardly spokē agaynst the Byshops The whiche thinges were to longe to recite vnto your noble grace But as God is my iudge and also my conscience and all my wordes and déedes and all maner of my liuyng and conuersation I did neuer intende to speake agaynst the Byshops or els any other man further then their liuing and conuersation were agaynst the blessed word of God and the holy doctrine of Christes Churche For the truth is there was no great clerke in the Church of God this CCCC yeares that wrote any thyng but hée complained vehemently agaynst the liuing of the spiritualtie Let their bookes bée brought foorth to proue whether my saying be truth or not Alas is it not a pituous case yea and also agaynst all law and conscience that I poore man shalbée thus violently cast away for speaking agaynst these vices that béene damned by almightie God and by all hys holy creatures yea and the Byshops them selues and all the worlde must graunt that they doe liue as euill yea and rather worse then I did speake Oh Lord God where is loue to vertue where is the shamefastnes that Christen men ought to haue where is Iustice That I shalbée thus shamefully cast awaye for speakyng of that thynge that euery Christen man is bounde to speake They doe so lyue and I beyng a preacher of the verity must bée condemned for speakyng agaynst it But most gracious and mightie Prince God hath set your grace in the same honour and dignitie that you by Gods ordinaunce ought to defende those men that are oppressed wrongfully Wherefore humbly and méekely and with all lowlynes reuerence I beséech your grace to minister vnto me gracious iustice let me bée heard indifferently whether that I can iustifie my cause with learnyng or not If I can not iustifie it your grace is a minister of iustice I will refuse no maner of payne that shal bée due for my trāsgressiō Wherfore ones agayne with all méekenes and lowlynes in the way of charitie and in Christes name and for his swéete bloud sake that hée hath shed for your grace yea and also by y e vertue of your auctoritie that the heauēly God hath deliuered you I doe require and desire of your grace audience and iustice I and all my parētes bée your naturall subiectes borne and a great many of vs hath dyed in your graces quarell and yet is there none of vs but are ready to doe your grace that seruice with our bodyes bloud that shall become trewe subiectes to doe to their noble prince Wherfore thyrdely in my name and in all our names for al they are rebuked in me with all méekenes reuerence I béeseche your grace of gracious audience and of fauorable iustice This thing I trust your grace will not denye me Nor yet take any displeasure with me your poore subiect for thus requiring For I haue none other prince nor Lorde to séeke vnto here on earth but vnto your grace onelye Nor can I come to any charitable ende with myne aduersaries Wherefore I am compelled by extreme violence thus to complayne
Lord Cardinall were myne ordinarye iudge or not wyth other lyke captious interogations at the last they came to my first article and inquyred of mée if all dayes were alyke I sayde after the mynde of S. Hierome that all dayes were equall Then asked they mée if wée shoulde kéepe any holy dayes I sayde yes And in this matter wée had a great disputation till at the last my Lord of Rochester came And hée asked mée if this commaundement Sabatum sanctifices were a ceremoniall or a morall precepte I answered that it was a ceremoniall alleaging for mée S. Augustine ThaÌ„ sayd hee that I was not learned But alwayes when they had asked of mée a question and I had assoyled it so that they neyther woulde nor coulde abiecte any thyng agaynst mée than was I commauÌ„ded alwayes to stand a parte And they layde their heades togither till they had inuented an other captious question Than was I called agayne and myne answere geuen I was coÌ„maunded backe agayn Thus they continued with me thrée dayes in the which space their Notary wrote a reuocation of all my articles before the tyme that myne aunswere was heard And on the thyrde day after noone about iij. of y e clocke was there a greate long rolle offered vnto me for to read word by word as it there stode and commaundement was geuen me by y e Byshop of Bath â–ª that I should not speake one word afore the people more or lesse theÌ„ was written in the rolle for if I did hée would handle me well inough So I required first to sée what was writteÌ„ in the rolle or I would grauÌ„t vnto it Aunswere was made that if I would read it as it was written well good if not I should stand to the ieoperdy So I desired them to know if they had condemned any of my articles for heresie They sayd yea I asked theÌ„ which it was They sayd they would not tell me more then was writteÌ„ I aunswered Alas my Lordes y e truth is that to my iudgement I haue spoken nothyng but that standeth with S. Augustine with S. Hierome and with other Doctours of holye Churche Wherfore if it shall chaunce me thus to bée coÌ„deÌ„ned and not to bée taught wherein I can not tell what I should preach in tyme to come The Byshop of Bathe aunswered that I shoulde take no care for that for as for preachyng hée would prouide for me But I should alonly aunswere if I would read this rolle or not I desired that they would first pointe with their finger if they wold not speake it which article they had condemned for heresie and I would bée bounde to proue it true by S. Augustine or els by S. Hierome or I would bée takeÌ„ for an hereticke To this said the Byshop of Bathe that if S. Augustine and S. Hierome were here they should staÌ„d to the determination of the Church Vnto whom I sayd that the Church had so determined of S. Augustine S. Hierome that if any other church determined agaynst them I would suspect it Well sayth hée If you will stand vnto them doe We are conteÌ„t alonely tell vs whether you will read this rolle or not Then sayd I. My Lordes I beséech you in the way of charitie and for Christes sake deale charitablye with me doe me no wrong For S. Paule sayeth that you haue power geuen to edifiyng and not to destruction Very well sayd the Byshop of Bath ye néede not to feare Here bée to many witnesses that we should oppresse you wrongfully But sayd hée tell vs whether you will read this rolle or not This is the thyrd tyme the last Then sayd I. I will not grauÌ„t to it except I may first sée it Doe as it shall please you At this they sat all still wone looking on the other Then the Bishop of Bath commaunded me to departe aside So tooke they their counsell togithers And at the last I was called agayne and this was sayd to me Syr ye shall haue a man that shall read it vnto you afore Well said I. I am content And so one of their Notaries a lay maÌ„ was assigned vnto me and we departed a litle aside there hée began to read The yeare of our Lord such a day of the moneth was one Doct. Barnes conuented before the byshops in Westminster for certeine articles which were gathered out of a Sermonde that hée preached in Cambridge of the whiche some of them bée sclaunderous some bée erronious some bée contentious some bée seditious some bée foolishe and some bée hereticall When that hée came to this worde hereticall I asked hym which of them were hereticall Hée answered mée agayne yée haue heard what my Lordes sayth I can make you no answere Alas sayd I shall I bée thus condeÌ„ned for an hereticke and can not tell what is myne heresie Then sayd hée it belongeth not to me speake vnto them Well said I. Read no more So went I agayne before the Byshops And â—ell downe on my knées and desired them for the better passion of Christ that they would shewe vnto me whiche article they condemned for heresie and then if I would not bée taught they should handle me after the forme of law But to this the Byshop of Bath auÌ„swered sayd I should chose whether I would read y e rolle or els bée burned y e one of both I should doe TheÌ„ sayd I Iesus haue mercy on me I wil surely not read it And so I deliuered it to them againe Then the other Doctours cryed vppon me the one here the other there that I shoulde remember my selfe and not to cast my selfe awaye after this manner For to read the rolle said they was but a small thing and I was neuer the worse maÌ„ And I should sée that my Lord Cardinall should bée good gracious vnto me and they would all speake for me so that I supposed in very déede that they would haue required no more of me but for to haue read the rolle afore y e face of the world that I should not séeme to haue the victory agaynst them all which thing I did not greatly regarde But in very déede and if I had knowen that there had beene so mischieuous poyson tyranny and cruelnes in them as I founde afterward I would neuer haue read it to haue dyed for it But God bryngeth all thinges to passe at his pleasure Now vpon this opinion that I had in them and by the reason of theyr good wordes and pituous that they spake vnto mée I graunted to reade the roolle But than when I woulde haue read it the Byshoppe of Bathe sayd it was to late so was there a great disputation betwéene them vppon the matter Till that Doctour Quarton sayd my Lorde it is not to late for it is all in one session and in the tyme of one iudgement But the Byshop of Bathe our Lord forgéeue him sought all y e meanes y e hée
could vsed all maner of cruelnes to haue destroyed mée Neuertheles at y e last hée deliuered mée y â— roole for to reade TheÌ„ was all y e people y â— stoode there called to heare me For in y e other iij. dayes was there no man suffered to heare one worde that I spake So after their commaundement that was geuen mée I red it adding nothing to it nor saying one word that might make for myne excuse supposing that I should haue founde the Byshoppes the better After this I was commaunded to subscribe to it to make a crosse on it Then was I commaunded to goe knéele downe before the Byshop of Bathe and to require absolution of hym but hée woulde not assoyle mée except I woulde first sweare that I woulde fulfill the penaunce that hée shoulde enioyne to mée So did I sweare not yet suspectinge but theâ—e men had had some cromme of charitie within them But when I had sworne then enioyned hée mée that I should returne that nyght agayne to pryson And the nexte day which was Fastingam Sonday I should doe open penaunce at Paules And that the worlde shoulde thynke that I was a marueylous haynous heretyke the Cardinall came the next day with all y e pompe and pride that hée could make to Paules church and all to bring mée poore soule out of consayte And moreouer were there commaunded to come all y e byshops that were at London and all the abbots dwelling in London that dyd weare miters in so much that the prior of S. Mary spittell and an other moncke which I thinke was of Tower hill were there also in their myters And to set the matter more forth that the world should perfectly know perceiue that the spirituall fathers had determined my matter substancially The byshop of Rochester must preach there the same day and all his sermon was agaynst Lutherians as though they had coÌ„uicted me for one The which of truth and afore God was as farre from those thinges as any man could bée sauing that I was no tyraÌ„t nor no persecutour of Gods worde And all this gorgyous fasing with myters and crostaues abbotts and priors were done but to blinde the people and to outface mée God amend all thinges that is amysse I had béene well content to haue suffered all these thinges so I might haue come to a charitable end But I must returne agayne after this to prison there remayne tyll my Lord Cardinals farther pleasure The which pleasure I did abide fyrst and last â–ª 2. yeares and thrée quarters yet could neuer bée at any poynt with theÌ„ For I sent vnto y â— byshop of London that was then certayne worshipfull men of the Cyty of LoÌ„don whose names bée these Mayster Lambert which hath béene Maior M. Raynold which hath béene shreue M. Palmer M. Petyt M. Iones and M. Pernell And desyred these men in the way of charitie to goe to the Byshop of London and to desire him to bée good and gracious vnto mée And if I had offended I would bée glad to make amends asmuch as hée should reasonably require of mée Desiring hym to shew theÌ„ what hée would of his charitie require me to doe they for to bée bound vnto hym y e I would kéepe it This they dyd But what aunswer y e they had of hym they bée men aliue for the most part they can tell And amongst all other maister Petit sayd vnto the byshop Alas my Lorde it is a petuous case If a man come in the daunger of your lawe there is no remedy to helpe hym out Yes saydâ— the byshop What is that sayd maister Petyt This is a yong man hath good frendes which would bée right lothe to haue him cast away wherefore if there bée any remedy deuise you it and we wil bée bound for him At this the byshop was astonyed and sayde at the last that hée would speake to my Lorde Cardinal for mée Then these meÌ„ offered him to goe with him and to bée bounde for mée Hée sayde it should not néede But neuertheles hée spake so vnto them or they departed that wheÌ„ they came home there was not one of them that durst geue mée so much bread meat as hée durst geue his dog nor yet speake one word to mée Immediatelye after this the byshop founde y e meanes that I was sent to northaÌ„pton there to remayne as in a perpetuall prison Thus most gracious prince haue they handled me your poore Oratour I beseche your highnes to bée good and gracious vnto mée iudge if this bée charitable dealyng thus to coÌ„demne mée for an heretyke not to shew mee the poynt wherefore But euen with a violent tyrannye to compeil mée to doe confesse what they will or els to bée put to death And if there bée any of them yet y e will come forth and proue any of these articles heresye I will not refuse to suffer any payne that your grace shall iudge me worthy Thus our Lord Iesus Christe preserue your noble grace euermore Amen Onely fayth iustifieth before God NOw if your grace doe not take vppon you to heare the disputation the probation of this article out of the grouÌ„d of the holy Scripture my Lordes the Bishops will condeÌ„ne it afore they read it as their maner is to doe with all thynges that pleaseth them not and which they vnderstand not and then crye they heresy heresie an hereticke an hereticke hée ought not to bée heard for his matters bée condemned by the Church by his holy fathers and by all long customes and by all maner of lawes Vnto whom with your graces fauour I make this auÌ„swere I would know of them if all these things that they haue reckened can ouercome Christ and his holy worde or set the holy ghost to schole And if they can not why should not I then bée heards that doe require it in the name of Christ and also bryng for me his holy worde the holy fathers which haue vnderstand Gods worde as I doe Therfore though they will not heare me yet must they néedes heare them In holy Scripture Christ is nothing els but a Sauiour a redéemer a iustifier a perfect peace maker betwene God and man This testimony dyd y e aungell geue of him in these wordes Hée shall saue his people from theyr sinnes And also S. Paule Christ is made our righteousnes our satisfaction and our redemption Moreouer the Prophet witnesseth the same saying For the wretchednes of my people haue I striken him So that here haue we Christ with his properties Now if we wil truly coÌ„fesse Christ then must we grauÌ„t with our hartes that Christ is all our iustice all our redemption all our wisedome all our holynes all alonely the purchaser of grace alonly y e peace maker betwéene God and man Briefely all goodnes that we haue y e it is of hym by him and for his
then those men that call thē selues y e holy church yea take away the name of the church and set in her stéede the name of the deuyll how will you then know a byshop frō the deuyll By their workes nay trewly for they bée all one And yet will you bée the heades of Christes church yea the holy church her selfe not so yée wicked not so Wherefore that this blessed spouse of Christ may bée knowen from thée open and abhominable whores and harlotes therefore will I by gods grace set out what holy Church is and where by men shall know her This worde Ecclesia both in y e new testament and the olde is taken oftētymes for the whole congregatiō and and the whole multitude of y t people both good and bad as it is in the booke of Numeri Why haue you brought the congregation or Church of God into wildernes Also in an other place The king turned his face and blessed the whole congregation or Church of Israell and all the Church of Israell stoode Likewise in the new testamēt Saint Paule to the Corinthians I haue sēt vnto you Tymothy the which shall learne you my wayes y e bée in Christ Iesu as I doe learne euery where in all congregations Also in an other place doe you despise the congregation of God and shame thē that haue not In all these places in many moe is it open that this greke word Ecclesia is taken for the whole congregation both of good bad Wherfore this is not y e church that we will greatly speake of for in this church are Iewes and Sarasens Murtherers and Theeues Baudes and Harlots though we know them not But there is an other holy Church of the which S. Paule speaketh you men loue your your wiues as Christ hath loued the Church and hath geuē him selfe for her that hée might sanctifie her and clense her in the fountaine of water through the worde of life to make her to him selfe a glorious Church without spot or wrincle or any such thyng but that she might bée holy without blame Here haue you the very true Churche of Christ that is so pure and so cleane without spotte But wherby is shée pure cleane not by her owne merites nor by her owne might not by exteriour araye not by gold nor siluer nor yet by precious stones neither by myters nor crosestaues nor by pillers nor pollaxes But wherby then by Christ onely which hath geuen him selfe for that intēt that hée would make her cleane and therefore sayth S. Paule Hée gaue him selfe that hée might sanctifie her that hée might clense her and make her to him selfe a glorious Church Also in an other place you are washed you are sanctified you are iustified in the name of Iesus Christ and in the spirite of God Sée my Lordes how the Church is washed by Christ by his holy spirite and not by your blessynges not by your spirituall ornamentes nor by your spirituall holy water for these thynges cannot helpe the holy Church for she is holy in spirite and not in outwarde hypocrisie she is also clensed by Christes blessed bloud not by outward disguisinges This doth S. Augustine wel proue saying Of Christ is the church made fayre first was she filthie in sinnes afterward by pardon and by grace was she made fayre c. Here S. Augustine sayth y t Christ hath made his Church fayre and that by his grace his pardon and not by your pardons nor by your grace For this Church stādeth by Christes election not by yours And if Christ haue not washed you chosen you then bée you none of this Church though you ride with a thousand spiritual horses and haue all the spirituall tokēs on earth For and if y e sonne of God haue deliuered you thē are you truely deliuered Ye can not make by all your power and holynes that we shall alwayes finde good ale or wyne where there hangeth out a gréene signe and will you with your spirituall signes and tokens make the Churche of God to folow you or by them assigne out where the Churche shall bée Nay nay my Lords it will not bée but they that beléeue y e Christ hath washed them from their sinnes and sticke fast vnto his merites and to the promise made to them in hym onely they bée the Church of God so pure and so cleane that it shall not bée lawfull no not for Peter to say that they bée vncleane but whether they bée Iew or Gréeke kyng or subiect carter or Cardinall butcher or Byshop tancardbearer or cannelrater frée or bounde Frier or fidler Monke or miller if they beléeue in Christes word sticke fast to his blessed promises and trust onely in the merites of his blessed bloud they bée the holy Church of God yea and the very true church afore God And you with all your spiritual tokens with all your exteriour cleannes remaine in your filthynes of sinne from the which all your blessings all your pardons all your spirituallitie all your holynes can not clense you nor bring you into this Churche Boast crake blast blesse curse till your holy eyes start out of your head it wil not helpe you for Christ chooseth his church at his iudgement and not at yours The holy ghost is frée inspireth where hée will hée will neither bée bound to Pope nor Cardinall Archbishop nor Byshop Abbot nor Prior Deacon nor Archdeacon Parson nor Vicare Nunne nor Frier Briefly come all the whole rabble of you togither that call your selues y e holy Churche and exclude all other yea and take sunne moone starres to helpe you with all the frendes you haue in heauē and earth and yet shall you not bée of holy church except that you haue y t spirite of Christ bée washed in his blessed bloud For y e holy Churche of Christ is nothyng els but that congregation that is sanctified in spirite redéemed with Christes bloud and sticketh fast and sure alonely to the promises that hée made therein So that the Church is a spirituall thyng and no exterior thyng but inuisible from carnall eyes I say not that they bee inuisible that bée of the Church but that holy Church in her selfe is inuisible as fayth is and her purenes and cleanes is before Christ onely and not before the worlde for the worlde hath no iudgement nor knowledge of her but all her honour and cleanes is before Christ sure and fast And if there appeare any of her goodnes vnto the worlde of that shée maketh no reckenyng nor thinketh her selfe any thyng thyng the better that the worlde iudgeth well of her for all her trust is in Christ onely She suffereth the worlde to rage and blaspheme both agaynst her and agaynst Christ her maker Shée standeth fast and beléeueth sted fastly that that shal haue a shamefull ende and euerlasting
of thys bée their bagges so filled for such thinges as these bée will they bée rulers of the church as Deacons Archdeacons Byshoppes and Archbyshops c. My Lordes I had thought to haue added Cardinalles and Legates Abbottes and Pryors to haue made the company more holy but I ourst not How thinke you of whom doth hée speake when hée fayth Byshops and Archbyshops what holynes doth hée reprooue when hée spraketh of gorgious araye of harlottes deckyng of game players disguising of goulden spurres saddelles bridles If there were an C. that did vse it more then you yet must you néedes graunt that hée speaketh of you Hée passeth mée sore in condemning of your holy ornamentes for hee caulleth you the seruauntes of Antichrist and your holy ornamentes harlottes decking and game players disguising and hée saith that you are neyther the church nor of the church but the seruauntes of Antichrist how thinke you by S. Barnarde it is tyme to condemne hym for hée speaketh agaynst holy church and all her holy ornamentes thys dare I well say that if the best Christen man within the Realme should preach these wordes of Saint Barnarde you woulde not sticke to condemne hym for an beretike but you were wonte to call hym swéete Barnarde but mée thynketh that hée is soure inough in thys thynge Wherefore dispute the matter wyth hym that you may come into the Church and not wyth mée FINIS An other declaration of the Church wherein hee aunswereth to Maister More IN my first booke I dyd declare how that certayne men dyd take vppon them to bée counted of holy Church whose maners and lyuynges dyd nothyng agrée wyth holy church But after that commeth M. More and hée layeth to my charge that I counted all the spiritualtie to bée naught because hée would make my name somewhat odious vnto them But verely hée doth mée great wrōge for it was neuer my meanyng nor yet my saying But myne intent was to declare that neyther the Pope nor his colledge of Cardinalles nor yet all the Byshoppes in the worlde gathered togither did make holy Churche because of theyr names or else for theyr long gownes or for theyr shauen crownes or else annoynted fingers nor yet for any other exterior thynges that the worlde had in admiration But yet neuerthelesse I dyd graunt and also doe now confesse many good men to haue shauen crownes and also longe gownes But yet for these thyngs they were neuer the more of the church All the popes learning hath béene that hée and his hath béene y e church the which can not erre and all things that belong vnto them were called y e goods of holy church All lawes made by them were the lawes of holy Church They myght not bée conuēted before any temporall Prince because they were men of holy church They myght not bée hanged for murther because they were annoynted and of holy church Briefely there bée innumerable such thynges inuented of them to maynetayne and to defēde theyr holynesse and to proue that they bée holy Church the which thinges I thynke M. More can not denye And if hée woulde yet there bée a great many of bookes forth comming to proue my sentēce against him And also y e practise that hath béene vsed in y e worlde will testifie the same I thinke M. More nor yet any mā lyuyng dyd euer know in hys tyme that any man was iudged or taken to bée of the church but such men as I haue spoken of And I thynke thys name church was neuer named but it was taken specially and principally for those men that had shauen crownes and other lyke tokens Let mée bée reported to those men that bée alyue Now because I saw that these thynges were nothyng the cause of holy church nor yet belonged greatly to holy church therefore I say was I moued to declare what holy church was and who were thereof and by what signes and tokens men myght know her ¶ Now to declare this I brought certaine places of scripture to prooue that this worde Eccleasia was taken in scripture for the whole congregatiō both of good and bad But I sayd I would not greatly speake of that cōgregation for that was not it that could not erre of the which was mine intent to speake And I brought for me y e saying of S. Paule Christ hath geuen hym selfe for his Church that hée might sanctifie her and clense her in the fountaine of water through the worde of lyfe to make her to hym selfe a glorious church without spot or wrincle or any such thyng But that shée might bée holy and without blame To prooue that the Churche was clensed by Christ I brought the saying of S. Augustine for mée Of Christ is the church made fayre First was shée filthy in sinnes afterwarde by pardon and by grace was shée made fayre c. Moreouer to proue y e this church was made cleane by Christ and not by names or by clothyng or by any other exteriour thyng I brought for me y e saying of S. Iohn If y e sonne of God haue deliuered you then are you truely deliuered Also S. Paule You are washed you are sāctified you are iustified in y e name of Iesus Christ in the spirite of God But vnto these things doth M. More answere that I doe not well to exclude out of this Church bad mē for y e knowne church sayth hée standeth in a gathering togither of good mē and bad to prooue that hée bringeth in certeine parables of our Sauiour Christ To this I aunswere that I neuer denyed but that there was such a cōgregatiō of good and bad but I sayd that that was not y e very true church afore God though it beare the name of the Church and in very déede hys owne parables doth declare that our maister Christe shall at length géeue sentence agaynst them that call them selues falsely of the Churche Iudas was called an Apostle and taken so of all his company but yet our maister Christ calleth him the deuil Now if M. More will haue Iudas in hys Churche I must bee content that hée shall also betraye Christe The very trueth is that bad men bée mixt here in the Churche and after outwarde signes bée taken for members of the Churche specially if they bée not excommunicate But the Churche whiche I dyd speake of was not a felowship gathered togither in a cōsent of exteriour things and ceremonies as other politicke felowships bée But it is a felowshyp specially gathered in the vnitie of fayth hauyng the holy ghost within them to sanctifie their spirites whiche doth set their trust onely in the redemptiō promised thē in Christes blessed bloud This I say is the very true church of God let the worlde say what they will and let men call them selues as it pleaseth thē For as S. Paule saith hée that hath not the spirite of God is none of his Also M. Mores
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
sometime they losse the coate frō his backe Our maister Christe sayth vnto you you haue receiued it frée geue it frée agayne and you geue nothyng frée But I know your aūswere You will say that you sell not your Masse nor Sacramentes nor the word of God but the labour that you haue about them O thou deuill when wilt thou bée without an excuse whē wilt thou graunt thy selfe gilty Tell me ye that bée without shame if you doe sell but your labour is it not sore and an vnlawfull price to sell it so deare what Byshop can deserue by his labour a thousand pound by yeare yet some of them haue a great deale more and labour nothyng at all How deare wil these men sell their labour if they shoulde bée tankerdebearers They would make water dearer thē wyne Yea tel me what labour there is with in the Realme that is halfe so deare sold as their idlenes is But you belly gods did not Christes Apostles take paynes labours about the ministration of the worde and in fulfillyng of their office more in one day then you doe in all your lyues and yet was it not lawfull for them more to receiue then a lyuyng For our maister Christ sayd y t worke man is worthy of his meate so y e our maister wold that they should receiue no more but that was necessarie Also S. Paule sayth our Lord dyd ordeine that they whiche preache the Gospell should lyue on y t Gospell Marke how hée sayth they that preach y t Gospell Now which of you all doth preache y e Gospel not one and yet will you enioye these innumerable possessions S. Hierome sayth on this same text you must lyue on the Gospell but not bée riche also Chrisostome sayth I say boldly that the byshops and Prelates of the Church may haue nothyng but meate and drinke and cloth c. Heare haue you playnely that if you did labour faythfully and truely in the Gospell you could haue but a lyuyng there on and no Lordly possessions but now doe you nothing in the worlde but excercise tyranny on them that would preach the Gospell and make lawes and statutes to destroy them and the holy Gospell of God so that Chrisostome speaketh well of you Beholde I sée men that haue no trew sence of holy scripture yea they vnderstand nothing at all thereof to passe ouer many things for I am ashamed to call thē mad mē triflers wranglers they bée such as know not what they say nor of what thynge they speake but all onely bée they mighty bold to make lawes to curse cōdemne those things of y t which they know nothing at all c. Bée not these your workes who can say but that these wordes be spoken of you who maketh statutes and lawes but you who curseth and condemneth but you how can you lay these thinges from you how can you auoyde thē so long shall they bée layd agaynst you tyll you can bring in one that is gylty of them I think that will bée long And yet will you haue these great possessions and bée also greate Lordes doing nothing therefore at al but al onely play the part of a byshop as a Christmas game player doth of a king and as a Popet which springeth vp and downe and cryeth Peepe Péepe and goeth his way So doe you make a coūtenaūce of great holines of great perfectiō but all y e world can testify what you doe in indeede More ouer you are more bound to the Gospell then all other men bee in y e world for thereby haue you all your honour all your riches all your Lordly possessions and if the gospell were not men would no more regard you then they doe Coblers yet deserue you worst of all men of the Gospell Wherefore I can no more say vnto you but the wordes of our Maister Christ Woe bée vnto you hypocrites the whiche shut heauen gates before other men and as S. Luke sayth you haue taken away y e key of science and neyther enter in your selfe nor yet suffer other that come to enter in Now let mée sée how all your keyes and al your power can assoyle you frō this same woe y t our M. Christ doth heare laye vnto you This worde of God byndeth you to euerlasting damnation let vs sée if your piklocke can open this locke then will I say that you haue the keyes of heauen or els not I thinke you may séeke all your clegge with keyes and fynde not one that will open this locke FINIS ¶ Free will of man after the fall of Adam of hys naturall strength can doe nothyng but sinne beefore God IN this article will wée not dispute what man may doe by the cōmon influence geuen hym of God ouer these inferior and worldelye thinges as what power hée hath in eating and drinking in sléeping and speaking in buying and sellyng and in all other such naturall thinges that bée géeuen of God indifferently to all men both to good and bad But here will wée search what strength is in man of his naturall power without the spirit of God for to will or to doe those thinges that bée acceptable before God vnto the fulfilling of the will of God as to beléeue in God to loue God after his commaundemēts to loue iustice for it selfe to take God for his father to recken him to bée mercifull vnto him to feare God louingly with all other thinges that mē doe call good workes this is the thing that wée will search to knowe Now that hée can doe nothyng in these causes by his frée wil our maister Christ prooueth it in these wordes Hee that abideth in mée and I in him bringeth forth much fruite for without mée cā ye doe nothing if a man abide not in mée hée is cast out as a braunch and shall burne Here it is open that fréewill without grace can doe nothing I doe not speake of eating drinking though that bée of grace but nothing that is fruitfull that is meritorious that is worthy of thanke that is acceptable before God For hee that hath not Christ in hym is cast out this is the first fruite of freewill than wythereth hée that is the second fruite this wythering helpeth hym nothing to goodnesse hée must wither let him doe the best than is hée gathered and cast in the fire this is the thirde fruit What can bée in the fire doe nothing but burne Hée can not lye there as a thing indifferent but hée must néedes burne hée cā not come out of y t fier by his owne strēgth let hym intende as much as hée can his intention can not helpe hym nor yet further hym So that all the might of fréewil when hée is left alone is nothyng els but firste to bée cast out and seconde to wyther so decayeth hée thyrdly to be
caÌ„ I say to it I must bée content I can doe no more but say my learnyng and let God alone wyth hys punishment Also blessed S. Augustine writing of thys same matter sayth these wordes Certayne men doe affirme those men to bée aduoulterers that doth marry after they haue vowed â—hastitie but I doe affirme that those men doe greuously sinne the which doth separate them c. Note first that S. Angustine wryteth of them that had vowed chastitie And yet notwithstanding hée woulde that those men shoulde continue in their maryage togither The which thyng hée would neuer haue suffered if it had béene vnlawfull and heresâ—e as men woulde make it now a dayes Secondarily obserue that there were in his dayes as â—ée now many in ours that thought it a greuous sinne for a man to marry after hys vowe And yet this opinion S. Augustine doth condemne Now let men admit this doctrine of S. Augustine and I wil require no more And if they will condemne me then let them also condemne S. Augustine for I haue learned it of hym Also blessed S. Ambrose writeth of virginitie in this maner Chastitie of body ought to bée desired of vs. The which thyng I doe geue for a couÌ„sell and doe not commauÌ„de it imperiously For virginitie is a thyng alonely that ought to bée counsayled but not to bée commaunded it is rather a thyng of voluntary will then of a precept c. Note how S. Ambrose teacheth how that virginitie ought not to bée required as vnder a precept Wherfore it must néedes folow that the Popes doctrine is vnlawfull wheÌ„ hée commaundeth that no man shall bée a Priest except hée vow chastitie For â—ere the Pope compelleth men vnder a colour for to vow chastitie As for an example It chaunceth me to méete by the way a théef the which sayth vnto me Thou shalt not goe ouer y â— bridge except thou wilt deliuer me thy purse Now is it of trueth that I may choose whether I will goe ouer the bridge or not but yet this man doth violence for coÌ„pellyng mee either to goe backe agayne or els to lose my purse if that I will goe ouer And I doubt not but the kynges lawe will both condemne hym for doyng violence and also take him for a théefe So likewise the pope doth wrong when hée sayth I shall not bée a priest except that I first vow chastitie I say that this condition is vnlawfull and it is wrongfully done to bynde me to any thyng vnder any condition that God hath left frée to me Moreouer our M. Christ did not require that condition of hys priests Wherfore it must néedes folow that it is not a thyng that of necessitie belongeth to Priesthode Also S. Hierome approoueth this doctrine of mine saying Let bishops and priestes read this thyng hée speaketh agaynst mispendyng of goodes that is offered to helpe poore men with the which doth teach their children prophane letters and maketh them to read commedies and to sing baudy songes of iesters and these children they finde of the charges of the church c. Obserue this y â— S. Hierom speaketh here of Byshops and priests children the whiche they could not haue if they were vnmaryed For it is not to bée supposed that S. Hieâ—ome speaketh of bastardes or of whores children for then hée would haue vsed other wordes So that good reader it is cleare after the doctrine of holy Doctours that it is lawful for Priestes to haue wiues and specially if they can not lyue sole But now will we goe farther and sée what holy councels hath ordeined in this cause The trueth is that y â— deuill hath of long tyme harped on this stryng to sorbyd Priestes Matrimony Not for any deuotion that hée had to virginitie for hée knew well men could not kéepe it farther then theyr gifts were but alonely that hée might lay a snare for mens soules and also bryng the holy institution and ordinaunce of God into a contempt and a despising But God hath alwayes of hys infinite mercy styrred vp some good man to resiste hym We doe read in authenticall storyes that in the couÌ„cell of Nicene certeine men went about to haue priâ—ated Priestes from their wyues But almighty God dyd lâ—t them The woordes of the storyes bée these The Councell of Nicene willyng to reforme the lyfe of men dyd set certayne lawes the which we call Canones among the whiche certayne men would haue had a lawe to hée brought in that Byshops priests Deacons and Subdeacons should not lye with their wyues which they had maryed before theyr consecratioÌ„ But Paphnutius a confessour dyd withstand them and sayd that theyr mariage was honorable and it was pure chastitie for theÌ„ to lye with theyr wyues So that the CouÌ„cell was persuaded not to make any such law affirmyng it for to bée a greuous occasion both vnto them also vnto their wyues of fornication And this thyng dyd Paphnutius though that hée hym selfe was vnmaryed The Councell dyd alowe this sentence So that nothyng was decréed as coÌ„cernyng this thyng but euery man was left vnto hys freewill and not bounde of any necessitie c. Here is to bée noted that this holy CouÌ„cell dyd not recken it an vnpure â–ª or a filthye thyng for a Byshop or a Priest to coÌ„pany with his wyfe But they doe grauÌ„t that it is a pure and a cleane chastitie for a Priest to company with his wife The which is clearely agaynst y â— Pope For hée sayth that it is fleshly and carnall and that their handes bée defiled and they made vnworthy thereby to handle the blessed Sacramentes But here will bee sayd that these meÌ„ had wyues before theyr consecration the whiche thyng they will also graunt that a maryed man may bée chosen a Byshop also kéepe his wife afterward But hée may not marry after hys coÌ„secration that had no wyfe before To this I aunswere that it is no lawfull solution thus to say For if it bée lawfull for a maÌ„ to kéepe his wyfe after his Priesthode why shall it not bée as lawfull for hym to take a wyfe after hys coÌ„secration What thyng is there in hys matrimony that is made after hys consecration that was not in his matrimony before hys consecration Or for what cause dyd hée take a wyfe before hys consecration If hée dyd it to auoyde fornication then is hée now much more bound to take a wyfe then before for it becommeth hym a great deale worse to lyue in fornication after hys consecratioÌ„ then hée dyd before But these meÌ„ that maketh this lighte solution doe not haÌ„dle this matter truely before God For it is not their meanyng that maryed men should either bée Byshops or Priestes For let them shew me in all their chronicles that euer any maryed man was chosen to bée a byshop â–ª since they had made lawes that Priestes should haue no wyues and then
if they hée of good and honest deâ—…our well learned To this we aunswere sayth the Pope that if they bée gotteÌ„ of lawfull marriage there bée none other Canonicall impediment then may they lawfully bée promoted vnto holy orders and may enioy that same benefice which their fathers had before c. This no maÌ„ caÌ„ not deny but y t law speaketh of Priestes children y t were gotten in lawfull matrimony Wherfore it must néedes follow y t Priestes were then maryed yea and the lawe calleth theyr marriage lawfull which must also bée noted so y t men may sée that this doctrine of myne is no new thyng but it is elder then theyr law Also in that same title the Pope sayth we haue vnderstanded that N. borne and gotten in Priesthode of a lawfull wife hath alwayes had an affection to serue God in the office of a spirituall man c. Here note that the Pope speaketh of Priestes children yea and of them that were gotten in lawfull marriage and not in fornication Wherfore the Pope supposeth that Priestes may haue a lawfull matrimony And therfore mee thinketh that when men finde in the law mention made of Priestes children they should rather suppose them to bée gotten in matrimony then in fornicatioÌ„ both for the honesty of the father mother and also of the childe specially séeyng y t Priestes had wyues in those dayes And it staÌ„deth also more with honesty of Priesthode to graunt that they had wyues rather then whores Now let vs sée what the Emperours lawe sayth to Priestes wyues We will sayth hée that all maner of spirituall men shal haue this prerogatiue that theyr wyues and their children and their seruauntes that is for to say both male and female shall bée frée from an homage whiche is called PeraÌ„gariam Here is to bée noted that the Emperour doth not alonely admit Priestes matrimony but also hée honoreth it with a priuilege a prerogatiue the whiche hée would not haue done if hée had iudged their matrimony vnlawfull Wherefore men may sée if they will how indifferent our forefathers hath béene vnto this holy state of matrimony And it wold not become vs euill if we learned of them better to iudge of these thyngs that God our maker hath both instituted and sanctified Now good reader haue I prooued this article by Gods holy word by the sayinges of Doctours by the authoritie of Councels by some certaine lawes both Emperiall and Popish Wherfore now wil I goe farther vnto the hystories and prooue this thing by examples and practise of holy meÌ„ First we haue she example of blessed S. Peter the which had doubtles a wyfe as it may bée prooued by Mathew which sayth Quod socrus Petri tenebatur magnis febribus Peters wyues mother had a gret agew Now if Peter had a wife as this text is clere what thyng should forbyd our priests mariage I thinke they are not bouÌ„de to more chastitie then Peter was Nor it will not helpe to say that hée forsoke his wife after his calling For the Scripture here speaketh of Peters wyues mother Why doe they not as well take hys wyues mothers name awaye as they take away hys wife But I haue aunswered to this reason largely inough before Also Philippe the Euangelist had thrée daughters the whiche hée could not haue bad if that hée had had no wyfe for I thinke there is no good maÌ„ that will reckeÌ„ them to bée bastardes and whores children Neither it can helpe to saye that these children were borne before hys electioÌ„ for this is but a simple saying and no probatioÌ„ And it is not inough to say séeyng that men will haue it for so necessary an article but men must also prooue it by open Scriptures For els I may saye by as good authoritie that these daughters were borne after hys election as other meÌ„ say how they were borne before hys election And I haue better supposition for me out of the texte then they haue for they are not called Philips daughters alonely but Philippe the Euangelist daughters Wherfore they may by a good reason say they were not Philippes daughters as they may say that their father was none Euangelist We doe read in Tripertita Historia these wordes All Priestes in the orientall Church doth abstayne with a frée will of no necessitie froÌ„ wyues For many of them in tyme wheÌ„ they bée byshops haue had of their lawful wiues chlidreÌ„ Note how this history declareth clearely that priestes in the orientall Church were not compelled to vowe chastitie Secondarily y t history cauleth priestes wiues lawfull wiues And also how the byshops had childreÌ„ after their consecration Now doth all learned men know that the orientall Church receiueth their maners nerer of the Apostles then we Wherefore it is to bée presupposed that these men tooke their custome of marryage of the holy Apostels And at the least wise it must followe that if their priestes may haue wiues lawfully that then our priestes may haue also For God hath layde none other burthen on our Priestes neckes theÌ„ hée had on theirs Moreouer we doe reade in Ecclesiastica Historia that Penitus byshop of a citie called Gnoseos would haue made a decrée y t priestes should haue vowed chastitie But Dionisius Byshop of Chorinth wrote agaynst hym and required hym that hée would not lay no necessitie of compulsed chastity in other mens neckes Penitus folowed his counsell Here you may sée y t the deuell hath béene of long tyme aboute to bring in this snare for priests but God hath resisted hym We haue also in the same historye agaynst those men that did despise mariage a goodly saying which is this what will they reproue the Apostles Peter and Philip had wiues and did also geue their daughters to mariage In so much as S. Peter did crye vnto his wyfe when shée should bée led vnto her passion and called her by her name and sayde vnto her Oh deare wyfe remember our Lord. Heare is it cleare that Péeter had a wife And heare is also against them that sayth how y t Peter forsoke his wife which is here proued a false lye Moreouer Spiridon the byshop of Cipres hauing the gift of prophecye had also a daughter whose name was called Irenem which after her faithfull seruice dyed a vergin Heare is it cleare y t this holy man had a daughter which hée could not haue if hée had had no wife Farthermore we do reade that Policrates byshop of Ephesum doth shew that seuen of his parentes lynially were bishops in order before hym and hée hym selfe was the eyght Now coulde not this bée that his fathers from the seuenth degrée could haue béene byshops if bishops had had no wiues for the text is cleare of his fathers and not of his kynsmen Mée thinke this is a cleare example sufficient to proue as great a matter as
their church doth grauÌ„t it lawful so to bée Moreouer where bée now all their Scriptures whereby they prooue that Priestes may not marry for defilyng of them Is not the company that a Priest kéepeth with hys wife after his consecration which they graunt as pure and as cleane as it was béefore his consecration Hath his consecration made y t thyng vncleane y t was before pure Wherfore if hée may kéepe his wyfe after these men which hée maryed before his consecration why may not an other Priest lykewise marry a wife after his Priesthoode What doth thys man as concerning the office of matrimony that the other maÌ„ doth not Farthermore they were wont to say that Priestes might not kéepe their wiues in so much that they fained how y t Apostles did forsake their wiues How staÌ„deth thys wyth their solution that maryed men myght bée bishops But mée thinke they doe but trifle with this matter and séeke no more but a light euasion to helpe them for a tyme. Moreouer both the practise and the lawes of their church declareth clearly that their meaning is not to chuse a maried man to bée a byshop For their custome is that a man may bée a Subdeacon at 16. yeares olde Now is there no man customably maryed so younge And when hée shall be subdeacon hée must forsweare mariage as the Popes lawe commaundeth Therefore it must néedes folow that no maryed man can bée a Priest For hée hath forsworne maryage many yeares before Moreouer all Doctours doe graunt that after the fall of Adam matrimony was a remedye against fornication and S. Paule approoueth the same Vnusquisque suam habeat vxoreÌ„ propter fornicationeÌ„ What if this man after his consecration is in more ieopardie of fornication then hée was béefore What remedy will men finde nowe for this infirmitie His consecration taketh not away his naturall appetite nor it maketh Gods remedy vnlawfull And eyther hée must lyue in fornication or elles marry a wife Let men iudge which of them becommeth a priest best after his consecration Farthermore no man can denye but the hystories make mention how diuerse priests haue béene maryed after their consecration at the dispensation of the pope Wherfore it must folow that it is not agaynst Gods law for a Priest to marry after his consecration For then the pope might not dispense with him Men must graunt that many Priestes haue had wyues Now staÌ„deth it with good reason and learnyng that they prooue y t all these men dyd marry before their priesthode onely and not after séeyng they wil haue it so necessary and so perfect a solutioÌ„ And if they caÌ„ not prooue it why doe they affirme it so styfly what moueth theÌ„ so to say yea and so boldly But yet I will bée content let the matter bée indifferently handled and let as many maryed men bée chosen to bée Byshops as bée vnmaryed séeyng they graunt it lawfull And then am I sure y t we shall auoyde a great heape of fornications that béen now vsed Yea I feare me that our chaste men shall soone bée quyt of all and the maryed men shall haue all An other reason they haue that is this Priestes may extinct the brennyng heate that is in theÌ„ by fastyng labouryng watchyng praying by other good workes doyng And if they doe thus no doubt but God wil geue them the gift of chastitie for hée is liberall in geuing and mercyful in hearing of their prayers Ergo they néede not to marry First I desire to know of those meÌ„ if they will say of their coÌ„science that the thyrd part of Priestes in EnglaÌ„d doe kéepe their chastitie I thinke they will rather sweare nay theÌ„ yea Now come to their argument and sée how shamefully they doe reprooue priests I durst not speake so much agaynste them as these men doe For first they say that if priestes did pray or fast or did like good workes theÌ„ God would yea hée must of his liberalitie mercy geue them the gift of chastitie Secondly they graunt that y t thyrd deale of priestes kéepe not their vow Now is this as much to say thinketh me Firste that Priestes bée naught in déede Secondarely that they neither will not yet desire to bée better For if they did desire it of God hée would geue it them saye they In hym is no fault Ergo the fault is in the priestes that neither bée good in déede nor yet will praye or desire to bée good I would not gladly haue such patrons in my cause Moreouer I graunt that Priestes shall fast and pray to kéepe their bodyes lowe But now to them Why shal not priests also marry to auoyde fornication as well as fast and pray séeyng that God hath ordeined matrimony for a peculiar and singular remedy agaynst fornication I doe not condemne true fastyng and praying Why doe they then condemne marying séeyng that God which ordeyned fastyng and praying hath also ordeyned marying Yea and me thinke if any one thing should bée first prooued then should mariage bée first prooued séeyng that it is deputed of God for a proper and spedy remedy agaynst fornication Notwithstanding I will bée content first to exhorte all Priestes both to praying and fastyng if they can so kéepe their chastitie I will thanke God with them But if they can not then will I in no wise that they shall bée coÌ„pelled either by law or by vow to chastitie For that is agaynst Gods word and the doctrine of his holy Apostles But yet let me touch their grounde nearer I would desire theÌ„ to tell me and to prooue vnto me by learnyng that God is bounde in as much as hée is liberall and mercyful to graunt vnto them y t gift of chastitie for theyr praying and fasting It is not inough for them thus to saye séeyng that many good men hath both prayed and fasted and yet had not the gift of chastitie But they must bryng me an open Scripture wherin that this promise is made vnto their fastyng and watchyng or elles they must graunt that they bée bounde to vse Gods remedies which hée hath ordeined and instituted to the helpyng of our infirmitie If I were hungry and thursty and would goe and praye to God to slake my hunger and thurst would not vse those meanes and remedies that God hath ordeined thinke you that God were bound of his liberalitie to graunt me my request Nay for sâ—â—th But it were rather to bée iudged that I were a tempter of God a despiser of his holy ordinaunce and would not bée content with those remedies that God hath appointed The deuill commeth with like teÌ„ptatioÌ„ to our M. Christ and requireth him to the honour of God to doe a miracle to leape down from the highest of the temple if hée would bée taken for the sonne of God as for harme hée could haue none For the Scripture testifieth saith hée that God
article collected seuerally by theÌ„ selues I haue therefore accordyng to my simple skill gathered this Epitome and haue added also thereunto foure other articles translated into Englishe out of hys Booke De Doctorum Sententijs whiche bee confirmed in the lyke sorte onely by bare testimonyes of scriptures fathers couÌ„cels lawes Which foure articles and the treatise beefore of the originall of the Masse were omitted in hys English workes But as for all the other testimonies in his booke De DoctoruÌ„ Sententijs hee hath in this volume of his workes dispersedly alleaged most of them to his purpose as hee had occasion which by this Epitome folowing thou mayest perceaue Now hast thou gentle reader to consider of these auncient testimonyes desiring thee for the coÌ„firming and establishyng of thy doubtfull conscience to compare these sayinges of Doctors holy fathers and of the Popes own law vnto the saying of the Pope and his Papisticall byshops that bee in these latter dayes and to their late practises where their power is or hath beene receaued and then geeue sentence howe they doe agree If they doe accorde then is it lyke they bee of the true Church whereof these holy fathers were But if they agree not then mayest thou suspect that they haue gone astray and that the deuill hath transfigured hym selfe into an Aungell of light and that they are his ministers Who notwithstandyng haue fashioned them selues as though they were the ministers of righteousnes whose end shall bee accordyng to their deedes ¶ That faith onely iustifieth AMbrose sayth they are iustefyed freely for they doeing nothing nor nothing deseruing all onely by fayth are iustefied by the gyft of God Fol. 230. col 1. Ambrose sayth It was so decreed of God that after the lawe hee should require vnto saluation all onely the fayth of grace hee sayth that they bee blessed of whom God hath determined wtont labour without all manner of obseruation all onely by fayth that they shall bee iustefyed before God Blessed are they whose sinnes are forgeuen Clearely they are blessed vnto whoÌ„ without labour or without any worke their iniquities bee remitted and their synnes couered and no manner of workes required of them but all onely that they should beleeue 231. col 1 Athanasyus sayth there are two maner of faythes one is iustefying as y t of the which it is spoken thy fayth hath saued thee An other is cauled the gift of God whereby myracles bee done of the which it is written if you haue fayth as a graine of mustard seede 241. col 1. Athanasyus sayth Nowe doth the Apostle playnely showe that fayth all onely hath vertue in hym to iustifie and bryngeth Abacuke saying of fayth and not of the law shall a righteous man lyue Hee addeth well beefore God for beefore man peraduenture they shall bee reckened righteous that sticke to the law but not beefore God c. 233. col 1 Augustine saith those same workes y t bee done beefore fayth thoughe they seeme vnto men laudable are yet but vayne and I doe iudge them as great strength and swift running out of the way Wherefore let no man count his good workes before fayth where as fayth is not there is no good worke the ententioÌ„ maketh a good worke but fayth doth guide the entention c. 233. col 2 Augustine sayth we doe gather that a man can not bee iustefyed by the preceptes of good lyuing that is not by y t lawe of workes but by that lawe of faith not by the letter but by the sprite not by the merites of workes but by free grace 234. col 1 Augustine sayth S. Paule affirmeth that a man may bee iustifyed by fayth without any works goyng before iustifycation but when a man is iustifyed by fayth how can hee but worke well though y t he before working nothinge righteously is now come to the iustifycation of fayth not by merytes of good workes but by the grace of God the which grace in hym now can not bee Idle seeing that now thorow loue hee worketh well And if hee depart out of this worlde after that hee beleeueth the iustifycation of fayth abydeth by hym not by his workes going before iustifycation for by his merites came hee not vnto that iusteficatioÌ„ but by grace nor by his workes that followe iustefycation for hee is not suffered to lyue in this lyfe Wherfore Paule and Iames are not contrary for Paule speaketh of the workes that goe beefore fayth and Iames speaketh of the woorkes that followe the iustefycation of fayth 238. col 1 Augustine expoundinge the texte of y t Apostle Roma 2. The doers of the law must bee iustifyed sayth so must it bee vnderstoode that we may know that they can no otherwise bee the doers of of the law except they bee fyrst iustifyed not that iustifycation belongeth to the doers but that iustifycation doth proceede of all manner of doeing 240. col 1 Barnarde sayth I doe abhorre what so euer thinge is of mee except peraduenture that that bee myne that God hath made mee his By grace hath hee iustifyed mee freely and by that hath hee deliuered mee from the bondage of synne Thou hast not chosen me saith Christ but I haue chosen thee nor I found any merites in thee that might moue mee to chuse thee but I preuented all thy merytes Wherefore thus by fayth I haue maried thee vnto me and not by the workes of the lawe I haue maried thee also in iustice but not in the iustice of the lawe but in that iustice which is of fayth 233. col 2 Popes law sayth Cornelius centuno being a heathen man was iustifyed by the gift of the holy Ghost 240. col 2 ¶ What the Church is and who bee thereof and whereby men may know her AVgustine saith of Christ is y e church made fayre fyrst was shee fylthy in synnes afterward by pardon and by grace was shee made fayre 244. col 1 Augustine sayth The holy church are we but I doâ— not say we as one should say we that bée here alonely that heare 〈◊〉 now but as many as bee here faith full Christen men in this Church that is to say in this Citie as many as bee in this region as many as bee beyond the Sea c. 245. col 1 Lyranus sayth The Church doth notâ—stand in men by reason of spirituall power or secular dignities For many Princes and many Popes other inferiour persons haue swarued from the fayth Wherefore that Church doth stand in those persons in whom is the true knowledge and coÌ„fession of faith and of veritie c. 245. col 1 Augustine sayth The whole Church sayth forgeue vs our sinnes wherfore sheâ— hath spottes and wrinckles but by knowledgyng of them her wrinckles bee extended and stretched out by knowledgyng her spottes are washed away 246. col 1 Augustine sayth Our holy mother the Churche throughout all the world
Likewise blessed S. Ambrose sayth willingly will I neuer forsake you but if I bee compelled I may not resist I may sorow I may wepe I may waile Agaynst weapons agaynst souldiers agaynst the Bothans my teares are my weapons For such thinges bee the defence of a Priest otherwise ought I not nor may not resist c. 191. col 2 ¶ Testimonyes proouyng also the same taken out of his first Edition Fol. 15. and 16. ORygene vpon this text Omnis anima sayth on this maner All maner of synnes that God wold haue punished hee would haue them punished not by the byshops and rulers of the Church but by the Iudges of the worlde c. The mediatour betweene God and man Christ Iesus hath deuided the offices of both powers into their proper actes and into distincte dygnities willing by his owne medicinall meekenes that mens hartes should bee lyfted vp and not with mans pride agayne to be drowned in these inferior thinges so that Christen Emperours as concerning eternall lyfe should haue neede of Byshops likewise the Byshops for the course all onely of these temporal goodes should vse the Emperours lawes so that y t spirituall acâ—… should be distincted from the worldly courses and hee that should serue God should not wrappe hym selfe in worldly busynesses ¶ That the true obseruation of the sabaoth consisteth not onely in abstaining from bodely labours and that to a Christen maÌ„ euery day is the Sabaoth and not onely the seuenth day HIerome sayth Therefore be certaine dayes assigned y t we should come to gither not that that day in the which we come togither is holier theÌ„ an other but all dayes be lyke and equall And Christ is not all onely crucifyed in Parasceden and risen onely on the sonday but the day of resurrection is alwayes and alwayes may we eate of our lords fleshe c. 206. col 2 Augustine sayth we must obserue the sabboth day not that we should recken our self not to labour but that all thing that we doe worke well must haue an intention to the euerlastyng rest Wherfore we must obserue the holy day not by corporall idlenes and vnto the letter but spiritually must we rest from vyces and concupiscences wherfore among all the ten commaundementes that of the Sabboth day is all onely coÌ„mauÌ„ded to be figuratiuely obserued c. 206. col 2 Also Tertullian sayth The carnall Circumcision is put away and extincted at his tyme. So likewise the obseruation of the Sabboth day is declared to bee for a tyme for we must keepe the Sabboth day not alonely the seuenth day but at all times as Esay sayth c. 206. col 2 Augustine sayth It is come vnto me that certaine men whiche bee of an euill spirite haue sowen certaine euill thynges among you and contrary to the holy fayth so that they doe forbyd that men shoulde worke on the Sabboth day The whiche men what other thyng shall we call them but the preachers of Antichrist the whiche Antichrist shall make the Sabboth day and the sonday bee keept from all maner of worke c. 207. col 1 ¶ Testimonies procayng the same article translated out of hys booke De Doctorum Sententijs ANd it shall come to passe that from Moone to his Moone from Sabboth to his Sabboth all flesh shall come to worshyp before me c. For the sonne of man is also Lord of the sabboth c. Let no man therefore iudge you in meate or in drinke or in part of an holy daye or of the new moone or of the saboth dayes c. You obserue dayes times moneths and yeares c. ¶ S. Ambrose ad Irenae Epist. 72. The Iewes were commaunded to celebrate the holy sabboth one day in the weeke that they should bee subiect to no burthen because they being losed from worldly busines I would they had so passed that they might not cary with theÌ„ no burthen of greuous sinnes vnto the euerlasting sabboth of y e world to come Let the synagoge of y t Iewes obserue the day Let the church obserue it to immortalytie In the lawe therefore was a portion in the Gospell is the perfection c. ¶ S. Augustine de spiritu lit cap. 14. Because whosoeuer obserueth that day hither vnto as the letter soundeth hee iudgeth carnally ¶ S. Augustine ad Bonifa lib. 3. Cap. 4. contra 2. Epist Pelagia For if Christe hath taken from vs that greuous yoke of many obseruances that we should not be carnally circumcised that wee should not offer sacrifice for our sinnes that on the sabboth of the seuenth day wee shoulde not abstayne from necessary busines other such lyke if we obserue them being spiritually vnderstand and setting a syde all shadowes signifying the true lyght of those things Let vs take heed whether we shall therefore say that it pertayneth not vnto vs which is written that whatsoeuer one findeth of an other mans hee restore it agayne to hym that lost it and many other such like preceptes where by we learne to liue well and godly and especially that Decaloge which is contayned in the ij tables of stone the carnall obseruation of the sabboth onely excepted which signifieth a spirituall sanctification and rest c. ¶ S. Augustine vpon S. Paules epistle to the Galath First must a man know y t the works of the law bee of too sortes For they partly consist in sacramentes partly in morrall preceptes Vnto the sacramentes are referred the circumcision of the flesh the temporall sabboth the new moone the sacrifices and all such lyke innumerable obseruances Vnto morall preceptes are referred these Thou shalt not slaye Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not beare false witnesse and such other lyke ¶ S. Augustine vpon Iohn Tractat. 17. Take vp thy bed c. Here is a manyfest corporall worke of y t body done not the healing onely of the body but a playne bodely worke That Christians ought not to seeke spitfull reuengement by extremitie of the law NOw is there vtterly sinne among you sayth Paul because you go to law one with an other why rather suffer you not wrong why rather suffer ye not your selues to bee robbed Also our maister sayth If any man will sue at the lawe and take thy coate froÌ„ thee let hym haue thy cloke also 208. col 2 Athanasius on this texte of Saint Paule sayth There is vtterly sinne among you that is to say It is to your condemnation and to your ignominie that you doe exercise iudicials among you Wherefore doe you not rather suffer wrong c. 209. col 1 Also S. Hierome sayth It is â—inne vnto you that you doe agaynst the com maundement of Christ that you haue iudgementes among you the which ought alwayes to keepe peace yea though it were with the losse of your temporall goods Wherefore doe you not rather suffer wrong Where
persecutour 250 Church truely declared 253. 254. 256 Counsailes haue erred and may erre 255 Councell of Constance forbad the Sacrament in both hyndes 302 Coūcell of Nice thought it meete for a Byshop to haue a wife 320 D. DAyes are no one better nor higher then an other 206 Doctours of the law geue euill counsayle 208 E. ENemy to a true mā is a theef 189 Extreme law is extreme miustice 208 F. FAyth onely iustifieth 226. 235 Fayth without workes iustifieth 228 Fayth is accompted for righteousnes 231 Fayth in Christ attayneth saluation 231 Fayth bryngeth forth good workes 236 Fayth that bryngeth forth frute is the fayth that iustifieth 238 Fayth iustifieth before God good workes declare our iustification to the world 239 Faythes are of two sortes 241 Fayth that iustifieth is geuen vs frely of God 241 Faythfull beleeuers in Christes merites are the right holy Churche of God 244 Faythfull congregation cannot erre 247 Fayth is the mere gift of God 277 Fisher Bishop of Rochester sworne to the Pope 197 Flocke of Christ is litle 247 Fleshly reason refoned frowardly 270 Fridericke the Emper our deposed 191 Freewill of man without Gods grace can doe no good 266. 267. 268 Freewill without grace is sinne 269. 270 Freewill wherein it consisteth 276 Frutes of fayth 235 G. GErmayne a Popes Sainte a straunge hystory 190 George Stafford a learned man 221 God onely is omnipotent and almightie 351 God is to bee obeyed before men 295 God doth wōderfully worke to saue his flocke ibidem Gods commaundements are impossible to our nature to bee kept 272 Gods mercy is the onely cause of our saluation 179 Good counsaile geuē to the Bishops 215 Good workes what goodnes is in them 229 Good workes cannot deserue remission of sinnes 235 Good workes are to be done though they iustifie not 237 Good workes are the frutes of good fayth 249 God disposeth his mercy to whom it pleaseth him 278 Gospell preachyng is no cause of insurrection 184 Gospell profitable to England 194 Grace without deseruyng 224 Grace findeth our hartes stony 273 H. HErode kept his brothers wise 188 Hipocrisie abhominable 189 Holy dayes why they were ordeyned 205 Holy Church truely defined 243 Holy church that is the true church of God is to the worlde inuisible 244 Holy Church is the grounde and piller of trueth 245 Holy Church is built vpon the Apostles and Prophetes 250 I. IAcob is elected and Esau reiected 178 Idols and Images described 344 Idols Images are all one ibidem Ignoraunce made vs worshyppe stockes and stones 341 Images are neither to bee honored nor worshypped 340 Image of God is thy poore Christian brother 345 Images or Idols are not the workers of any miracles 345 Insurrections whereof they came 192 Indifferent thynges are to bee obeyed 298 Iohn kyng of Englād cruelly handled by the Clergy of England 189 Iustification is not by the lawe of of workes but by the law of fayth 234 Iustification how it commeth 236 Iustified personnes cannot abstayne from doyng of good workes 240 K. Kynges ought not to bee deposed though they bee wicked 187 Kyng Iohn was cruelly handled of the Clergy of England 189 Kyng Iohn poysoned 189 Kynges brought by violence vnder the Popes foote 195 Kynges of the kyngdome of heauen what they are 257. 258 Keyes of Christ abused by the Byshops 262. 263 L. LAw why it was geuen 275 Liberties of holy Churche may not bee impugned 217 Losing and byndyng what it is 259 M. MAn is Lord ouer all creatures 274 Mans dominion restreyned 275 Man is the lyuely and true Image of God 346 Mariage of Priestes is allowed of God 317 Mariage hath a greater crosse then virginitie 313 Mariage of Priestes is neither agaynst Gods law nor mans law 328 Mariage is all one beefore Priesthode and after Priesthode 336 Masse made of many patches 357 Masse welbeloued of the Papistes for gaynes sake ibidem Ministers of the Churche ought to bee no Lordes 262 Money is the popes best marchaūt 265 Monkes of the Charterhouse and their superstition 299 Mores holy Church are the Pope Cardinals and Byshops 252 Moses chayre what it is 297 N. NAturall reason is a blynde iudge of the Scriptures 307 Naturally all men desire Mariage 323 O. OBedience to the higher powers taught by Christ and his Apoles 185 Obedience to the Prince wee owe with our bodyes and to God with our soules 300 Officers are Byshops hangmē 211 Offendours of the common weale may not breake prison but paciently suffer that the law doth determine 293 Orders in the Clergy hath two significations 202 Othe the Byshoppes made to the Pope 195 Othe to the Pope last made by the Byshops 200 P. PApistes and Schoolemen peruert the Scriptures 180 ▪ Papistes charge the Preachers of Gods word with heresie 185 Papistes teach disobedience to Princes 185. 186 Papistes shamelesse doynges 186 Papistes and Protestantes wherin they differre 191 Papiste is an vnnaturall subiect agaynst hys soueraigne Lord and Lady 202 Papistes are arrogant and proude 209 Papistes are craftie iugglers 223 Papistes crueltie 225 Papistes are trappers of innocents 223 Papistes are tyrantes 224 Papistes are blasphemers of Gods holy word 286 Papistes preach lyes 287 Papistes and S. Paule are contrary 285 Papistes are the norishers of ignoraunce and darknes 290 Papistes finde faulte with gnattes and swalow Camelles 308 Papistes make blynd reasons 308. 309 Papistes carnall reasons 351 Papistes worshyppers of stockes and stones 352 Papistes blynd and malicious 353 Papistes foolish arguments soluted 354 Paule dispenseth with vnlawfull vowes 314 Peter the Apostle had a wife 325 Petition of Doct. Barnes to kyng Henry the viij 205 Philip the Euangelist was maryed 325 Popes depose kynges 186 Popes shamelesse arrogancy and tyranny ibidem Popes dispense with othes that subiectes make of obedience to theyr Princes 188 Popes procurers of warre and destruction of people 193 Pope agaynst Pope one cursing an other ibidem Popes alter the Byshops othes as semeth best for their purpose 195 Popes and their lewdenes truely described 197 Pope how hee cōmeth by the name of Lord. ibidem Pope Clement excōmunicated kyng Henry the viij 198 Popes what maner of men they are that are chosē to that dignitie 199 Pope Clement the sonne of a Curtisan ibidem Pope a monstruous hypocrite 198 Pope and hys lawes agree not 199 Popes are not chosen after Sainte Paules rule ibidem Power of kynges is immediatly of God 202 Popes Saintes worke straūge miracles 190 Pope absolueth all rebellion agaynst Princes but pardoneth none that hath beene agaynst hym selfe 201 Popes regalles ibidem Pope calleth Councelles as it pleaseth hym 202 Pope hath libertie to say do◠what hee list 204 Popes pardōs haue beene good marchaundise in England 212 Pope may not bee controlled of any man 213 Popish law is tyrannous 218. 219. 220 Pope and the true holy church how farre they differre 242 Pope and his maners agreeth nothyng with the holy Church ibidē Pope
shamefully abuseth the holy Church 243 Popes Church glory in trash 251 Popes Clergy is condemned by S. Augustine as heretickes 264 Pope and Christ are contrary 284 Pope and his Clergye are the very Antechristes 288 Pope a persecutour of holy church 242 Pope selleth God and all hys ordidinaunces 265 Popes condeÌ„ned for heretickes 247 Popes own lawes both agaynst him selfe and his Clergy 305 Pope defameth Priesthode 324 Pope and his Clergye feare not to breake Christes institution 306 Pope forbyddeth mariage 315 Pope accompteth whoredome matrimony to bee all one 321 Popes doctrine condeÌ„ned by a CouÌ„cell 322 Popes lawes agaynste mariage of Priestes 316 Pope alloweth y t kepyng of whores 317 Pope wil not suffer any persoÌ„s maryed to bee Byshops 320 Pope is a renter and tearer of the Scriptures 334 Pope maketh a hotchpot of mariage ibidem Pope accompteth whoredome better then Matrimony 335 Pope a blasphemer of God ibidem Practise of Prelates 203 Practises of Papistes to cause Images to worke miracles 343 Preachers of true doctrine teach obedience 185 Preachers of true doctrine are sufferers 184 Preachers of false doctrine are persecuters 184 Preachers agaynst the Pope are accompted heretickes 205 Prelates caÌ„not vse obedience to their Prince 202 Prelates are blynd guides ibidem Prelates will obey the pope but not the Prince 203 Priestes rore and mumble out their Diriges and Masses 216 Priestes may marry wyues by the law of God lawfully 309 Priestes must marry for auoydyng of fornication 310 Prophetes neuer styrred the people agaynst the Prince 184 ProtestaÌ„tes and Papistes how they differre 191 Power temporall described 292 R. REason deuotion that is agaynst the will of God is mere blyndnes 307 Righteous man lyueth by fayth 233 Rochester agaynst Winchester 206 Rochesters great iudgement ibidem Rochesters vayne distinction 237 Rochesters rule to know the difference betweene the Pope and the Councell 247 Rochesters wordes vppon Christes wordes 303 S. SAcrament forbydden to bee receaued in both kyndes 301 Sacrament vnder both kyndes 305 Saintes can obteine nothyng for vs. 347 Saintes how they ought to bee honored 349 Saintes are boly but they are no Gods 351. Scriptures are to be read of all men 182 Scriptures in the common tounge teach all obedience 184 Scriptures iudge the true Church 250 Scroupe Richard Archbyshoppe of yorke a rebell 188 Scriptures are the iudges of Councels 248 Scriptures not suffered by the Popes Clergye to bee in the mother toung 283 Scriptures teache the commaundementes of God 288 Scripture is profitable to bee read 289 Scriptures is to bee made knowen to all men 291 Solutions and argumentes to the Scriptures 236 Spiritualtie ready to helpe the pope 194 Spirituall power 297 Stafford George a learned maÌ„ 22â— Stokesly Byshop of London a foolish and malicious Papist 291 Stockes and stones the Papistes honor as Goddes 342 Subiectes must obey and in what maner 294. 295 Supplication made by D. Barnes to kyng Henry the viij 183 Supersâ—â—tion of the Monkes of the Charterhouse 299 T. TRaditions agaynst God are to be rooted vp by the rootes 298 Tunstall Byshop of London 215 V. VIrginitie is a state indiffereÌ„t 313 Vncharitable sutes are to bee reproued 209 Vniuersall Church is not a generall Councell 248 Vowes that haue vnlawfull conditions are not to bee obserued 319 Vrbane Pope agaynste Clement Pope 193 W. WOrkes which bee of greatest value and are accompted for the best 228 Workes are good and helpe to iustification 231 Workes without fayth are but sinne 233 Workes of the new law 234 Whoredome is lawfull in no case 311 ¶ FINIS AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye and are to bee sold at hys shop vnder Aldersgate An. 1572. ¶ Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis A liuely picture describyng the authoritie and substaunce of Gods most blessed word weyghing agaynst Popish traditions ☞ Iudgement indifferent How light is chaffe of Popish toyes if thou desire to trye Loe Iustice holdes true beame without respect of partiall eye One ballance holdes Gods holy word and on the other parte Is layde the dregs of Antichrist deuisde by Popish arte Let Friers and Nunnes and baldpate Priestes with triple crowne of Pope The Cardinals hatt and deuill him selfe by force plucke downe the rope Bryng bell booke candle crosse beades and mitred Basan bull Bryng buls of leade and Popes Decrees the ballance downe to pull Yet shall these tares and filthy dregs inuented by mans brayne Through force of Gods most mighty word be fouÌ„d both light and vayne Magna est veritas preualet Great is the trueth and preuayleth 3. Esdra 4. Tyndall a vertuous and godly man Wilfull malice agaynst opeÌ„ trueth The authors that Popishe Pristes doe studie Vniust dcaling of the Papistes Notorious blasphemy of a Papist Tyndall remoueth from M. Welshe Tyndall sueth to be with Tonstall Byshop of London but coulde not obtayne The Scripture in the vulgare tongue a speciall manifesting of the trueth IgnorauÌ„ce of Scripture cause all mischife erroures in religion The reprobate are alwayes offended at y e trueth Henry Phillippes a wicked and dissembling Iudas Tyndals simplicitie pitied of the officers Tyndals godly zeale to his Prince A testimony of Tyndals godly life euen by his aduersarye The fayth of Tyndall shewed by a manifest myracle The reason that the papistes make agaynst the translation of the scripture into English A subtile shift of the popes clergy to couer their euill How the Papistes were vexed with Tindals translation of the new testament The Papistes shamed not to wrest the scriptures The Papistes haue wrought wonderfully to haue suppressed y â— scripture As owles abide not the brightnes of the day so cannot the papists abide the lyght of the gospell What first moued W. Tyndale to translate y â— Scripture into englssh This bishop of LoÌ„don was then Tunstall which afterward was bishop of Durham The popes chaplens pulpet is the alâ—house Christes apoitles dyd mekely admonish but the Popes sectaryes dyd braule and skold Parcialitie sometyme in men of great learnyng How Tindale was deceaued Roome enough in my Lordes house for belly chere but none to translate the new testament Tindale could get no place in the bishop of LondoÌ„s house Tyndals submission is to all such as submit themselues to God Not the toung but the life proueth a true Gospeller The truest touchestone or Religion is Christes Gospell The scripture of god is y â— sworde of the Spirite TribulatioÌ„ is the gifte of God What we ought to seeke in the Scriptures A goodly comfort agaynst desperation EnsaÌ„ples of their euils not to bolden vs but to feare vs froÌ„ sinne and desperation Howe we ought to prepare our selues to the reading of the scriptures Fayth our surest shield in all assaultes We may not trust in our workâ— but in the word and promise of God God burdened with hys promise The holy ghost breateth where and when it pleaseth hym Conscience of euill doynges fyndeth out 〈◊〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 men Of
vsed by hypocrites The Popes clergie are lyers The wrath of God styrreth vp the people to destroy the enemieâ— and persecutors of the truth God is the defender of kynges and princes Wicked kynges and rulers that persecute Gods ministers are the troublers of themselues and their realme and not the preachers As many as will be the disciples of Christ must learne of him meekenes obedience to the higher powers Ye must suffer wyth Christ that ye may ioye with him in the lyfe to come God will be reuenged vpon cruell tyrauntes In the treatise folowing is shewed who are the causeâ—s of insurrection Iohn 18. Math. 1â— â–ª The mâ—…sters of Christes doctrine may not haue any temporall offices Math. 6 â–ª Math. 1â— â–ª The officers in Christes kingdome may haue no temporall dominion Math. 1â— â—o receiue a child in Christes name what it is 〈◊〉 Thes 3. The Pope is a Wolfe in a lambes skinne Why Peter was called chief of the Apostles Peter had no authoritie aboue the rest of the Apostles The â—opes kyngdome is of the world â—…able of the Popes gâ—…e 〈◊〉 â—…e his badge The ministers of the kyngdome of God must gouerne with all loue mekenes pacience Peter in y â— vse of speakyng for his diligeÌ„ce is called but not in the Scripture the chief of the Apostles Peter was inforced to render an accompt to his brethreÌ„ of his doynges Peter shewed no paâ—t of hys aâ— hoâ—…e 〈◊〉 the mighty power of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostles alledge the authoritie of God in Christ and no authoritie of their own Peter was sent by the other Apostles to preach 〈◊〉 Samaria Gal. Paul 〈…〉 to his 〈◊〉 Scripture is the châ—efest of the Apostles We geâ—e the 〈…〉 〈◊〉 reueâ—â—nce noâ— for them â—…es bâ—â— because of the word thâ—â—â—…y minister â–ª Math. 18. Oâ—â— brethren 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 must bâ— reformed by loue â–ª a 〈◊〉 â—y 〈◊〉 how we may go to the lawe wythout trespassers Math. 6. Open and 〈◊〉 offeÌ„dâ—urs are to be râ—buked openly The kingdome of Christ is spirituall Lukâ—… Officers first ordayned in Christes church Byshop Honour the aged In y e aged is experience Deacon In the primitiue Church they chose Deacons to minister to y â— poore Widowes Common goodes The â—reat and ferueÌ„t charitie in the primatiue church The couetousnes of y t Prelates was the decay of Christendome and y e encreasing of the kingdome of Mahomete The proud clergie how they spent the treasure 〈◊〉 yâ—â—oore Isacius The election was coÌ„firmed by the Emperour Note here the treasure that y e Byshops of Rome had at thys tyme. The Byshop of Rome in y â— primatiue Church was a dauÌ„gerous office At the first entry of Christes Churche there was no tythes payde to y e ministers All corruption of the Churche came first out of the Deacons Money purchased prefermeÌ„t The Prelates must bide still in the courte How the clergie first by riches theÌ„ by â—…attery aduaunced theÌ„selues When the Prelates waxed riche then they disputed who shoulde be highest Ierusalem was y â— firâ—t seaâ— of ou◠〈◊〉 byshop Constantinople Rome Hâ—â— Rome come to be y â— chifest citie Rome the seate and mother of all wickednesse Phocas Pope Boniface the thirde Phocas the Emperour first gaue priuilege to the Byshop of Rome â—o be the chief Byshop The chastitie of Priestes how it came vp Note 〈◊〉 the climing vp of the Pope Diuision in the Church The Grekes will not be vnder the Popes tyranny Mahomet the Pope began at one tyme. Gregory The Pope came vp by the French meÌ„ and by them he coÌ„tinueth his estate still Pope Zacharias the first Hildericus Pipinns The Pope put downe the right French kyng and set vppe Pipine The kyng of Fraunce was made a Monke Pope Steuen the second Estulphus kyng of Lumbardy How the Pope was aduaunced By what meanes Mahomet waxed great Carolus magnus The Pope become a great God on y â— earth Desiderius Pope Adrian the first The Pope purposed to be Emperour him selfe Charles the Pope deuided the kyngdome of Lombardy The Pope gathered a Councell and gaue vnto Charles the Empâ—re of Rome Leo the 〈◊〉 Pope Oâ—…ne whoâ—e Empyre the Pope made â—â—o Most Christen kyng Defender of the faith The eldest sonne of the holy seate Who is a Christian kyng The lyfe of Charles Charles coÌ„pelled aâ— men to the obedience of the pope Practise The Pope is a dispenser a breaker of the bondes of Matrimonie Charles a filthy whoremonger Charles hath hys whore caâ—â—ed with hym This was an Emperour for the â—â—pes own mouth Idoâ—yng Emperour The Pope made this lecherous Emperour a Saint Lewes the milde Pope Steuen the iiij The Pope elected and set vp with out the assent of the Emperour Pope Paschale The Pope how hee abused the Emperour The Pope setteth noâ— by the Emperour â—…ne Pope Nicholaus the first Pope Adrian the second Pope Adrian the third The vertue of the Pope and power oâ— y â— Emperour perished together The popes haue bene onely bloud shedeâ—â— aboue vij C. peates All Christâ—dome hath bene troubled wyth the Popes causes Vandales Hunnes Gothes The spiritualtie obeâ—ed to him that gat the victory how wicked soeuer he was Building of Abbeyes Shrining of saintes This was the tyme that false prophetes did arise in the church Beringarius Ottho Pope Iohn the. xij The oth of the Emperour made to the pope Notâ— here the dissimulation of y â— Pope in callyng his possessions S. Peters possessions Pope Gregory the fiâ—t The election of the Emperour apperteyneth to the Lordes of Germany The Iuytree springeth The maner how y â— pope did spring vp to hys great auctoritie The chusing of the Pope all Bishoppes perteyned vnto the Emperour and kinges once The almes geuen vnto the poore is become S. Peters patrimony Dani. xiiij The Pope first gat aboue all the Bishops then aboue the Emperour O Lucifer Note this deuilish â—…nable pride â—…e â—…e by the Pope The Pope createth his shauelyngs into dignities Qualis pater talis filius good naturall children The popes order compared with Christes Christ aâ—d the Pope compared together Christ bringeth a man lowe but the Pope lifteth vp a hygh The Pope receaueth his riches and kyngdomes of the deuill The Pope distributeth his fathers kyng dome The popes order compared with the order of the Apostles The popes Priestes The popes widowes The popes Deacons How the Pope deuideth the poore peoples almes Monkes Monkes made ministers to the poore Monkes robbe the poore â–ª Begging friers The charge of the â—ay people How the spiritualtie bestow their treasure The Pope maketh lawes What subtiltie the Pope vseth to stablishe his kingdome The Pope hath feined the gift of Constantine The Pope corrupteth the scripture and why Peter sayth the Pope was the head of Christes church All ministers haue as great a charge geuen them of God as Peter had Peter preached but the Pope preached not Fayth is the rocke whercon Christes Churche
they can not make payment but rather shall perish and dye in prison whiche thyng is agaynst charitie therfore it is sinfull Extreme law is extreme iustice The euill counsell of the Doctours of law 1. Cor. 6. Math. 5. I doe not condemne suing but in a case The spiritualtie forbiddeth Priestes to sue in causa sanguinis et tamen non daÌ„pnaÌ„t leges Athanasius S. Hiere ad Cor. 6. These doctours wyll not nor can not destroy all iudicialles but onely vncharitable sutes Haymo ad Cor. 6. Luke 6. If it bee a counsell than can ye not condemne it for heresie 14. quest 1. His ita They vnderstoode myne answere so well that they were than conteÌ„t with mee The sixte article Tit. 1. The Cardinall and Doctour Barnes reasoned togither But therefore was I an heretick O sigmeÌ„tuÌ„ If I fayned sutâ—… thynge 〈◊〉 shoulde bee an heretick Athanasius Chrisostome The vij article The viij article Officicers bee but byshops hangmen God amende it The ix article The x. article The xj article 2. q 7. Secuti sunt cap. Nos si The xij article 2. Pet. 2. The xiij article The popes pardons hath beene the best marchaundise in England The xiiij article The xv article The xvj article Alexander Duns Bonauenture in iiij sent The xvij article The Pope may not bee conptrolled of any man The xviij article The xix article No man may speake agaynst the pompe of Prelates The xx article Byshops myters coÌ„meth from the Iewes The xxi article 3. King Byshops vse vayne foolish ceremonies What the two hornes of the myter meaneth The xxij article The meanyng of the Byshops crosier staffe Cardinall Wolsey lyked well hys pyllers pollaxes Where bee they now Tunstall Byshop of LondoÌ„ had intelligence where D. Barnes was become I am now here what saye to you me Good counsayle geuen to the Byshops The xxiij article Phil. 4. Iaco. 1. The xxiiij article The articles as euill as they were layd of myne aduersaryes Iohn 14. The xxv article Liberties of holye Churche may in wise bee impugned All the auncient learned fathers cry out vpoÌ„ the pryde lewde lyuyng of the Byshops An earnest petition made by Doctour Barnes 1525. Doct. Batnes inhibited of preachyng The Popish law is tyrannous Doctour Barnes is accused of contention sedition and heresie The bodye of the Vniuersitie stirred vp Here yee may note the course of y t Popes lawe A subtile craftie and popishe Chauncelour A protestation D. Barnes answere to the articles alleaged against him Note here the craftiâ— and willy Foxes Note here the most false and â—euilishe practise of the popishe cleargie God to helpe his true preachers styrreth vp some good men O cruell mercylesse Papistes Barnes arested by a Sergeaunt of armes Cardinall greatly delighted and estemed his crosses and pollaxes Nothyng els The maner of the examinatioÌ„ at Westminster Here ye may note the crafty iugglyng of the Papistes The more innoceÌ„t the sooner trapped and condemned among the Papistes Epist c. xix Doctour Barnes forbydden preachyng Note here the tyranny of the Papistes That was the lest Grace with out deseruyng Note here what crossing tossing y â— Papistes vse The gloriâ—us assembly of the papistes The Cardinall had put the matter to hym God saue me from such speaking Math. 1. 1. Cor. 2. Esay 53. Christ is all in all Actes 4. Actes 13. 1. Iohn 2. 1. Iohn 4. 1. Iohn 4. The Papistes deniyng onely fayth to iustifie denye the nature of Christ Apoc. 5. Christ onely hath wrought our redeÌ„ption Christ is our onely redemer iustifier Roma 3. Roma 11. Faith with out workes iustifieth Roma 3. A crafty subtile euasion All good woorkes are coâ—teyned in the law of God Iohn 1. Christ suffered for our sinnes August in ser Domini de monte Exod. xx Leuit. xix What goodnes is in good workes Galat. 2. Rom. 4. Galat. 3. Ambro. ad Rom. 3. Orig. ad Ro. lib. iij. cap. iij. Fayth onely and alone iustifieth Roma 9. Roma 10. Roma 9. We can neuer attayne to saluation but by faith in Christ Roma 4. Fayth is accompted for righteousnes Ambrosi Sola fides iustificat D. Wetherall Gallat 2. Abacuc 2. Athanasius Galat. 3. The righteous man lyueth by fayth not by workes Aug. in prolo Psal 31. Good workes without fayth are but sinne Barnar super Can. ser lxvq Workes of the newe law Aug. despiri lit câ— â–ª xij No man can bee iustified by y e lawe of workes but by the law of faith in Christes bloud Luke 17. Good workes can not deserue remission of sinne The maner of iustification Fides historica Fides iustificans Roma 8. The frutes of fayth An exaÌ„ple how fayth bryngeth forth good workes Math. 7. Solutions and argumentes to the Scriptures Roma 6. Good workes are the frutes of true fayth A very good example â—â—ti 2. The Byshop of Rochesters vayne distinction Ephe. 2. Good workes are to bee done although they iustifie not Roma 3. Iam. 2. Aug. 83. quest c. 76. Roma 6. Fayth that bryngeth forth fruite is the fayth that iustifieth and yet the fruite doth not iustifie 1. Iohn 2. Hebr. 9. fayth iustifieth before God and good wordes declare our iustification to y t worlde Gala. 3. The reward of good workes is not remission of sinnes Roma 2. August de spiri lit Glosa Actes 10. The man that is iustified before God 〈◊〉 not bee idle but must doc good ij Quest 〈◊〉 Non omnes Episcopo Math. 7. Iohn 17. Gala. 5. Atha ad Rom. Fayth that iustifieth vs is geueÌ„ vs freely of God Fayth onely iustifieth because by fayth we attaine the benefite of Christes death which onely iustifieth vs. It is no new doctrine that is nowe taught The Pope and hys Churche agreeth no more with the maners of holy Churche then darkenes light The Pope is a persecutor of holy Church How farre the Pope doth differ with his Churche from the true holy Church The foule and greate abuse of the Pope in takyng vpoÌ„ hym that hee and his were y e holy Church What difference is betweene a Byshop the deuill Nume 20. 3. King 8. 1. Cor. 4. 1. Cor. 11. Ephe. 5. The holy Churche truely defined The true holy church is that which is sanctified made holy by Christ 1. Cor. 1. Augustinus de verbis domini ser so Iohn 6. The faithful beleuers in Christes merites are y t ryght holy church of God God is not to bee ruled by any state or degree of person The holy Churche which is y t true church of God is to y e worlde inuisible The true holy church is the piller and ground of trueth August ser 〈◊〉 de tempore The holy Church is the congregation of faythfull men where soeuer they bee in the world Lyra in mat ca. 19. Math. 6. 1. Iohn 1. Ephe. 5. The holy Churche how it is made pure and cleane without spotte or wrinkle Augustinus
de verbis Apostoli s 〈◊〉 The church of God is the treasures of God without spotte or wrinkle That which is of fayth can neither bee seene nor felt The true holynes that is of our right holye mother the Church 1. Iohn 2. Iohn 15. De con D. D. 4. c. prima igitur 1. Iohn 2. De pâ—ne Dis 2. Si in glossa 24. q. 1. Arecta in Glossa The faythfull congregation can not erre The voyce of murtherers and theeues A rule that Rochester teacheth to know the difference betweene y â— Pope and Councell The Councell erreth if the Pope agree not to their do ynges Popes haue erred Popes condemned for heretickes 3. King 2. 3. King 18. The litle flocke is y e flocke of Christ De electio c. significa The Councell of Meldelci dyd erre A generall Councell is not the vniuersall Churche Augustinus de bap li. 2. c. 3 contra Donatistas Councels haue erred and many erre The holy scriptures are the iudges of the Councels doings Math. 10. There are perticular Churches to whome wee may complayne 24. q. 3. Si. quis et c. cuÌ„ aliquis The communion felowship of Saintes is the vniuersall Church How a maÌ„ may know the church An example teaching how y e true church may be knowne Esay 55. Roma 10. Actes 10. 1. Thess 2. Good workes are the fruite of good fayth Charitie may be deceaued but fayth can neuer bee deceaued A saying of Chrisostome Chrisostome sendeth vs to scriptures to learne which is the holy Church not vnto them that call themselues y e holy church Ephe. 2. The holy Church is builte and founded vpon the Apostles Prophets Augustinus The true Church is a sufferer and no persecutor 2. Tim. 3. The Popes church are persecutors but no sufferers The glory of the Popes churche is in trash Hilarius cont Arianos Barnardus super can s 33. Note here the saying of Saint Barnard S. Barnard greatly reproueth the insaciable pride of the Popes Church xiiij quest i c. QuodeuÌ„que in verbo Reconciliat M. More would haue vs to thinke there is none other holy church but y e Pope and his Cardinals and Byshops c. Epes 5. Aug. de ver bis Domini serm l. Iohn 6. 1. Cor. 6. Now euill men be in the church What the very true church is Roma 〈◊〉 Homo mortuus non est homo Ephes 5. M. More layeth many thynges to me wroÌ„g fully Aug. Serm. 99. de tempore Lyra in Mar. ca. xix De verbo Apost ser xxix Anotable saying of S. Augustine De coâ—se D. iiij c. Igitur xxiiij q. i. Arâ—cta in glosa De electio c Significal 1. The counsell of Weldâ—us did erre Au. de Bapt. li. 2 cap. 3. The full counsels may erre How a man may knowe the church The church suffereth Chris in opere Im ê‘secto By scriptures men may know the veritie Hila. contra Arrianos Barn suê‘caÌ„ serm 33. The true church of Christ staÌ„deth onely in them that are good men 1. Tim. 4. The keyes of y e church is the openyng of Christ and the loosing of vs from sinne Psal 80. Scâ—tus 4. sent di 18. How DuÌ„s interpreteth the keyes Nicho. de orbel di vs supra Hiero. in M. c. 16. The saying of S. Hierome vppon the keyes Scotus 4. sen dist 15. Quest 1. August ser 2. de sane The nature property of the keyes of heauen Roma 10. Psal 118. Ibidem 1. Cor. 14. 2. Tim. 1. Psal 118. All thinges shal perish but y â— word of God endureth for euer Hebr. 4. Roma 3. What power it is that the Priest hath The word of God is the true keye that openeth loseth Math. 6. Acte 2. The true maner of losyng and byndyng of openyng and shottyng Math. 10. The hearyng of the worde of God and beleuyng the same loseth vs from our sinnes Mark 6. Actes 18. Iohn 20. Luke 24. Luke 24. Preachyng of the word of God is losing from sinne Actes 17. How the worde of God byndeth how it loseth 2. Cor. 2. 1. Cor. 1. The worde of God is remission of sinne if it bee beleeued when it is preached Hebr. 6. By preaching of the worde of God heaueÌ„ is opened and shut Chriso in M. c. 15. De doctr christi li. 1. c. 15. es 18. Augustine in Ioan Trac 124. 24. q. 1. QuodcuÌ„que Origenes Super. M. Ho. 1. The church is builded vpoÌ„ the confession of all the Apostles and of all faithfull people Super Ioan Trac 124. c. 21. Preachers if they abuse their preaching maye bee deposed 1. Cor. 14. 1. Cor. 4. Item 3. 1. Pet. 5. The ministers of the Churche ought to be no Lordes In M. c. 23. li. de Cain et Abell The Byshops and cleargie abuse Christes keyes The false allegyng of fathers and Councels is the next way to deceaue the Churche of God Psal 1. Blessed are they whose meditation is in the law of God An exaÌ„ple The ministration of the Church belongeth to the Byshops other ministers but the authoritie of the same belongeth to Christ An other example The doctrine and true preaching of the worde of God is the pardon and remission of our sins The authoritie of the churche belongeth to Christ onely Luke 7. August lib. Quinquaginta home liarum be 23. The popes Clergy is condemned by S. Austen to bee heretickes Money is the Popes best marchaunt Shamefull doyngs must bee shamefully rebuked The Pope selleth God and all his ordinauÌ„ces The Pope will not folow nor obey to Christes commauÌ„demeÌ„t for hee biddeth hym loose The Pope selleth hys ware very deare Math. 10. 1. Cor. 9. Hierome Chrisosto ad Ti. 5. S. Chrisostome is very straight to byshops and the rest of the Clergye Chri. s 6. de anathemate Byshops compared to popets and stage players Math. 26. Luke 11. A sore sentence of Christ agaynst vnpreachyng Prelates In what thinges we haue free-will and in what none Iohn 15. The frutes of freewill Freewill without gods grace can doe nothyng that is good Bona intentio Super Ioannem tract lxxi DuÌ„ces doctrine ouerthrowen 2. Cor. 3. We of our selues as of our selues can not doâ— so much as thinke a good thought Barnarde lib. arbit Math. 7. Math 12. Mans free-will without Gods grace can doe nothing that is good Roma â–ª 3. In Enche 〈◊〉 â—9 Man by vsâ—ig of his freewill euill did lose both hymselfe his freewill De â—erbis apost â–ª ser 11. Mans free-will caÌ„ doe nothing but sinne Roma 8. MaÌ„s fleshly wisdome is enemy to God Duns Marke 7. Roma 8. De verbis Domini ser xv Freewill without grace is sinne Roma 8. De verbis Apost â—…ij We can doe nothyng that is good without the spirite of God Who are y t children of God Bonus conatus verstum de congruâ— Fleshly carnall reason reasoneth frowardly and crookedly As God is nothynge but goodnes so can hee commaunde nothyng but that which is good Why God hath
keepe c. 289. col 1 ¶ That mens coÌ„stitutions which are not grounded in Scriture bynde not the conscience of maÌ„ vnder the payne of deadly sinne S. Paule sayth We are bought with y t price of Christes bloud we will not bee the seruantes of men 298. col 2 S. Paule sayth In the latter dayes certaine men shall swarue froÌ„ the fayth applying them selues to the spirites of errours and doctrines of the deuill forbidding Mariage c. 298. col 2 S. Paule sayth meate doth not commende vs vnto God Also in an other place the kingdome of heauen is neyther meate nor drinke 299. col 1 S. Paule sayth We ought not to be led with the traditions of men that say touch not tast not c. 299. col 1 Augustine sayth by sitting in y t chayre is to vnderstand the learning of y t lawe of God and therefore God doth teach by theÌ„ but if they will teach their owne doctrine heare it not doe it not for such meÌ„ seeke that is theirs and not Christes c. 297. col 2 Hilarius sayth All maner of plantes that bee not planted of the father of heauen must bee plucked vp by the rootes that is to say the traditions of men by whose meanes the commaundementes of the lawe be broken must be destroyed and therefore cauleth hee theÌ„ blinde guides of the way to euerlasting life because they see not that thing they promise and for that cause hee sayth that both the blinde guidds and they that bee led shall fall into the dyke c. 297. col 2 Augustine sayth Because that those men by such obseruations were led froÌ„ the veritie by y t which they were made free whereof it is spoken the veritie shall deliuer you It is a shame sayth hee and vnconuenient and farre from the noblenes of your libertie seeing you bee the body of Christ to bee disceaued with shadowes and is bee iudged as sinners if you dispise to obserue these thinges Wherefore let no man ouercome you seeing you are the body of Christ that will seeme to bee meeke in hart in the holynes of Aungels and bringing in thinges which he hath not seene c. 299. col 〈◊〉 Augustine sayth Sâ—ing that we bee made of soule and of body as long as we doe liue in this temporall lyfe we must vse to the noryshing of this lyfe these temporall goodes Therfore must we of that part that beelongeth to this lyfe bee subiect vnto powers that is vnto meÌ„ that doe minister worldly things with some honour but as concerning that part whereby we beleeue in God and bee called vnto his kingdome we ought not to bee subiect vnto any man that will peruert that same thing in vs that hath pleased God to geue vs to eternall lyfe c. 300. col 1 ¶ That all men are bounde to receiue the holy CoÌ„munion in both kindes vnder the payne of deadly sinne CYprian sayth How doe we teach or how can we prouoke men to shed their bloud for the confessioÌ„ of Christes name if we doe denye them the bloud of Christ wheÌ„ they shal goe to battaile Or how dare wee able them vnto the victory of martyrdome if wee doe not firste by right admitte them to drinke the cuppe of our Lord in the congregation c. 306. col 2 Ambrose sayth to y t Emperour Theodosius how shalt y u lift vp thy hands out of the which doth yet droppe vnrighteous bloud how shalt thou with those handes receaue the body of God with what boldnes will thou receaue into thy mouth the Cuppe of the precious bloud seeing that through y t woodnes of thy wordes so great bloud is shed wrongfully c. 306. col 2 This doth S. Ciprian learne vs saying what thing so euer it bee that is ordeyned by mans maddenes where by the ordinaunce of God is violated it is whoredome it is of the deuill and it is sacrilege Wherfore flye from such contagiousnesse of men and auoid their wordes as a cancar and as pestilence c. 308. col 1 The Popes law sayth We vnderstand that certayne men receauing allonely the portion of the blessed body doe abstaine from the chalice of the holy bloud the which doubtles seeing I can not tell by what superstition they are learned to abstaine let them eyther receaue the whole Sacrament or els let them bee forbidden from the whole Sacrament for the deuision of one and of the same misterie can not bee done without great sacrilege c. 305. col 1 The Popes law sayth When the host is broken and the bloud shed out of y t chalyce into y t mouthes of faithfull men what other thing is there signified but the immolation of our Lordes body on the crosse and the shedding of his bloud out of his side c. â—06 col 1 The Popes lawe sayth If that the bloud of Christ be shed for remission of sinnes as often as it is shedde then ought I lawfully for to receaue it I which doe alwaies sinne must alwaies receaue a medecyne c. 306. col 1 ¶ That by Gods word it is lawfull for Priestes that hath not the gift of chastitie to marry wiues AThanasius vpon the first Epistle of s Paule to the Corinthians in the 7. chapter sayth that the Apostle would compell no man to keepe virginitie against his will nor he would not make virginitie a thing of necessitie 314. col 1 Ciprian sayth Thou doest aske what we doe iudge of virgines the which after they haue decreed to liue chastly are afterward founde in one bedde with a man Of the which thou sayst that one of them was a Deacon We doe with great sorow see that great ruine of many persons which commeth by the reason of such vnlawfull and perilous coÌ„paning togtiher Wherfore if they haue dedicated them selues vnto Christ out of fayth to lyue purely and chastly theÌ„ let them so remayne without any fable and strongly stedfastly to abyde the reward of virginitye But if they will not abyde or els caÌ„ not abide then is it better to marry theÌ„ for to fall into the fier of concupiscence and let them geue vnto the brethren and sisterne none occasion of sclaunder c. 318. col 2 Augustine sayth Certaine men doe affirme those men to bee aduoulterers that doth marry after they haue vowed chastitie but I doe affirme that those men doe greuously sinne y e which doth seperate them c. 319. col 1 Also blessed S. Ambrose writeth of virginitie in this maner Chastitie of body ought to bee desired of vs. The which thing I doe geue for a counsell and doe not commaund it imperiously For virginitie is a thing all onely that ought to bee counsayled but not to be commaunded â–ª it is rather a thing of voluntary will then of precept c. 319. col 2 S. Hierome also sayth Let Bishops
pardon already had and not as a cause of remission to bee receaued ¶ S. Ambrose vpon the. 1. Cor. 2. TO remit sinnes and to geue the holy ghost is onely in Gods power If God therfore gaue the effect of our saluation maÌ„ hath nothyng in this behalfe to glory of 5. Beda in Lucam Lib. 5. cap. 68. GOe your wayes and shew your selues vnto the Priest And it came to passe that as they weÌ„t they were made cleane It is not found that the Lord sent any of those to whom hee shewed these corporall benefites vnto the Priestes but onely lepers soothly because the Priest hode of the Iewes was a figure of the regall Priesthode to come which is in the Church by the which all pertainyng to the body of Christ the hyghest Priest and Prince of all others are coÌ„secrated And who soeuer from hereticall malice or gentilical superstition or iudaicall trechery or els with brotherly discord as from the spotted coullour of leprosie shal bee clensed by the grace of Christ it is necessary for hym to come to the Church and there shew the true coullor of his fayth which he hath receaued But other vices as it were diseases of the members of the soule the senses y e Lord by him selfe inwardly in the conscience and vnderstanding doth heale and correct them S. Chrisostome Tomo 6. Sermone de confessione BVt now is it not necessary that our sinnes should bee confessed before witnesses Let thy offences be searched out in thy inward thought and let that shewyng bee without a witnesse and let God onely heare thy coÌ„fession God I say that obbraideth not thy sinnes but looseth them because of thy confession ¶ S. Ierome vpon Math. 16. TO thee I will geue the keys c. This place the Byshops Priestes not vnderstandyng doe arrogate vnto theÌ„ selues some thyng of the Phariseis pride forasmuch as they thinke they may condemne innocentes or release sinners Where as beefore God the seÌ„teÌ„ce of the priestes is not regarded but the lyfe of the offenders is considered We read in Leuiticus of the lepers where as they are willed to shew them selues to the Priestes And if they had the lepry then by y t priest were they made vncleane not that the Priestes did make men lepers vncleane but because they had the knowledge who were lepours who were not and could discerne who were cleane and who were vncleane Lyke as therfore the Priests dyd there make the lepour cleane or vncleane so doth our Byshop or Priest loose or bynd not those which bee sinnefull or innocent but accordyng to his office when hee hath heard the varieties of the sinnes hee knoweth who is to bee bound and who is to bee losed S. Origine in Math. Homel 1. IT was therefore truely sayd to Peter Thou art Peter c. Notwithstandyng it semeth to bee sayd also to all the Apostles and to all perfect faythfull men because they bee all Peters rockes and vppon them all is the Church of Christ builded agaynst no one of those that bee such shall the gates of hell preuayle Notwithstandyng by that which foloweth let vs see farther Doest thou thinke that to Peter onely were geuen the keyes of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ and shall no other of the blessed Saintes receaue them If it be coÌ„mon to all that was sayd I will geeue thee the keyes why should not all that was referred to Peter before seeme to bee common to all the Apostles For in the Gospell of S. Iohn Iesus geuyng the holy Ghost to his Disciples by breatnyng sayd these wordes Receaue the holy ghost c. as though hee said it to all such so affectionated as Peter was For all which bee folowers of Christ in like maner are named rockes Thou art Peter c. But because they which do chaleÌ„ge the place of a byshop doe vse this text as Peter dyd teach vs that they haue receaued the keyes of the kyngdome of heaueÌ„ from Christ because that who soeuer bee bound by them they bee bound in heauen also they which bee loosed by theÌ„ y e is haue receaued remission of their sinnes bee loosed in heauen also We must say that they say well if they haue those good workes for the which it was sayd vnto Peter Thou art Peter and if they bee such as Peter was that on them may bee builded the Church of Christ if the gates of hell shal not preuayle agaynst theÌ„ Otherwise it is a vayne iest to say that he which is tyed with the bondes of sinnes and draweth his sinnes after hym as a long rope and his iniquities be as the hoofes of a calfe for that onely that hee is a called Byshop should haue such power that they which bee loosed of hym bee also loosed in heauen or who so bee bounde in earth by hym bee bounde also in heauen Let the Byshoppe therefore whiche doth bind or loose an other man bee irreprehensible him selfe Hee that is worthy to bynd or lose in heauen must bee the husband of one wife sober chast comely apparelled a louer of hospitalitie apt to teach not geueÌ„ to ouer much wyne no striker nor greedy of filthy lukre but gentle no quareller abhorryng couetousnes one that ruleth well his owne house hauyng childreÌ„ in subiection in all chastitie If hee bee such a one hee shall not vniustly bynde vpon earth neither shall hee lose without good aduisement For if there shall bee as I may say a Peter and hath not these giftes here mentioned as it weâ—e to Peter and shall thinke that he can so bind sinnes that the same shall bee bound in heauen so lose theÌ„ that they shall bee losed in heauen hee deceaueth him selfe not vnderstandyng the meaning of the Scripture but puffed vp hee falleth into the iudgement of the deuill ¶ Tripartita historia lib. 9. cap. 35. Verba Sozemeni BEcause it is knowen to bee a diuine thyng and aboue maÌ„s nature neuer to sinne God commaunded remission to bee geuen to sinners that doe repeÌ„t But they which refuse to acknowlege their sinnes they heape vnto theÌ„selues a greater burthen of sinnes Wherfore it seemed good to the auÌ„cieÌ„t Byshops that as it were vpon a stage vnder the testimony of the Ecclesiasticall people their sinnes should be opened And for this purpose they appoynted a Priest of good conuersation a wise man and a keeper of secretes vnto whom they commyng that had offended confessed their owne sinnes But hee accordyng to euery maÌ„s offence assigned a penaltie Which custome also hitherunto is obserued in the Weasterne Churches especially at Rome where there is also a certaine place appointed for repentaunt sinners For the offenders stand amongest the peniteÌ„tes and morners For when as the holy celebration is a doyng they not participating the communion prostrate them selues vppon the earth with mornyng and lamentation vnto whoÌ„ the Byshop repayring hee also prostrateth him selfe with
spirituall teares and gronyng and all the common multitude in the Church fall on weeping After this first ariseth the Byshop and taketh vp those which lay on the ground Thē when hee hath competently prayed for them whiche haue repented hee demisseth them all But they of there owne accorde afflictyng them selues either with fastyng or abstinence from washing or forbearyng of meates or by other like things which they bee commaūded doe looke for the generall day which the Byshop assigneth The tyme beyng appoynted and they hauyng as it were fulfilled certaine dutyes and tendred the penaltie for their sinne then are they admitted to communicate with the people And this custome the aūcient byshops of Rome haue obserued euen vntil our dayes Moreouer at Constantinople there was a minister appoynted to attend vpon the penitēt vntill that time that a certaine noble woman when she had confessed her sinnes and the minister had cōmaūded her that she should fast and praye vnto God with good workes when she had this obserued she confessed that she had often tymes leyen with the Deacon When the people vnderstoode this they raged at the Priestes as though they had beene iniurious to the Church Then Nectarius the Bishop remoued the wicked Deacon and certaine persuadyng him that hee would leaue free for euery mans conscience to communicate when they thought good appoynted no more any Deacon to attend on the penitēts And from that tyme that auncient custome was taken away When as I thinke lesse offences were committed for the shame of confession and the subtill examination ¶ That Monkes bee no holyer thē lay men by reason of their coule or place translated into English out of his booke De Doctor Sent. ¶ S. Gregory in Ezech. Home 10 lib. 1. FOr often times we see certaine as it were stricken with remorse by the voyce of the preacher to haue chaūged their habite and not their mynde so that they would take vnto them a religions garment but they would not tread vnder foote their former vyces but were styrred outragiously with the prickes of anger or waxyng whote w t grief of theyr neighbours become proud with certain good gifts shewed in the sight of mē gape after the gayne of this present world and haue onely a cōfidence of holynes on their outward habit which they haue taken For it is of no matter of any merite to regarde what is outwardly done in our body but we must bee very carefull what is done in our mynde ¶ S. Gregory in Ezech. Home 9. lib. 1. FOr oftē tymes we complayne of our neighbours lyfe wee endeuour to chaunge our dwellyng place and to choose a secret place for a solitary lyfe not consideryng that if Gods spirite bee wantyng the place helpeth not Loth wēt out from the Sodomites holy but in the moūtaine hee sinned But that the place doth not strengthen the mynde the first father of all mankynd doth witnesse who fell by transgression in Paradise For if the place could haue saued Sathā had not fallen frō heauē ¶ The Councell of Gangrens IF any man shall thinke it requisite accordyng to his vow or purpose of continēcy to weare a coule as thereby to attaine righteousnes doth reprehend or iudge others who with reuerence doe weare a lay mans weede or other common garmentes vsed of the lay people let him bee accursed ¶ Out of the same Councell IF any sonnes shall forsake their fathers especially being faithful Christians vpō the pretence of religiō thin kyng it lawfull will not rather yeld due reuerēce to their parētes that they may in them worshyppe God for that they be faythfull be they accursed ¶ S. Barnard ad Guilhelmum Abba THe kyngdome of God is within you that is not outwardly in your apparell or nourishments of the body but in the vertue of the inward man Wherof y e Apostle sayth the kyngdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy Ghost ¶ Distinctio 40. cap. Non loca NOt our place orders doth make vs nearest vnto our creatour but our good desertes doth either ioyne vs vnto hym or our euill desertes doth separate vs from him ¶ In the same place THey are not the sonnes of saintes which possesse the place of Saints but they whiche exercise theyr good workes ¶ In the same place cap. Multi THe place doth not sanctifie the mā but the man sanctifieth the place Euery Priest is not a holy man but euery holy man is a Priest Hee that sitteth well on the chaire receaueth the honour of the chayre but hee that sitteth euilly is iniurious to the chayre ¶ In the same place the wordes of S. Ambrose Cap. Illud autem BVt marke this one thyng that the mā was made out of Paradise and the woman in Paradise wherby thou mayest note that not by the worthines of y t kinred or place but by vertue euery man doth purchase to him selfe the fauour of God Finally out of Paradise that is in an inferiour place the man was made which proued the better and the woman which was made in the worthier place that is in Paradise is the inferiour creature ¶ In the same place Cap. Quaelibet NO secret places without grace can preserue the soule which we haue eftsoones perceaued in the faultes of y t elect For Loth in that peruers Citie was iust but on the mountaine hee sinned But what speake we of this whē as we haue greater exāples For what was more pleasaunt then Paradise What was more saffer then heauē and yet notwithstandyng man fell out of Paradise and the aungell from heauē ¶ Distinctione 41. Cap. Clericus WHosoeuer despising those things wherby hee presently liueth doth seeke either more delicate or more hom lyer apparell or foode then otherwise is commonly vsed hee is either vntemperate of him selfe or superstitious ¶ That the fastyng of Christians doth not cōsiste in choyse or difference of meates translated into Englishe out of his booke De Doctorum Sententijs ¶ Distinct 41. Cap. Quisquis Verba Augustini WHo soeuer doth vse thinges present more straitly then the maners of them is with whom hee liueth is either vntemperate or superstitious And who soeuer vseth thē in such sorte that it passeth y t boundes of good mēs vsage with whom hee liueth he either doth it to some speciall purpose or els is hee a wicked person For in all such cases not the vse of thyngs but the carnall lust is in fault What therfore is agreable to place tymes and persons we must diligently marke neither let vs rashly reprehend offences For it may come to passe that a wise mā may vse a most precious and delicate meate without any greedy lust or glotony that an vnwise person may haue an vnsatiable appetite to some grosse foode and that some man after the maner of Christ had leyther feede of fishe then fine brothe as dyd Esau Abrahames nephew or on coren as cattle