teachers Looke vpon the Popes false doctrine what is the end thereof and what seeke they thereby Wherefore serueth Purgatory but to purge thy purse and to polle thee robbe both thee and thy hayres of house and laÌ„ds and of all thou hast that they may be in honour Serue not Pardons for the same purpose Whereto perteineth praying to Saintes but to offer vnto their belies Wherfore serueth confession but to sit in thy conscience and to make thee feare and tremble at what soeuer they dreame and that thou worship them as Gods and so forth in all their traditions ceremonies and coniurations they serue not the Lord but their belies And of their false expoundyng the Scripture and drawyng it contrary vnto the example of Christ and the Apostles and holy Prophetes vnto their damnable couetousnes and filthy ambition take an example Math. xvj When Peter sayth to Christ thou art the sonne of the liuyng God and Christ aunswered thou art Peter and vpoÌ„ this rocke I will build my congregation By the rocke interpret they Peter And theÌ„ commeth the Pope wil be Peters successour whether Peter will or will not yea whether God will or will not and though all the Scripture say nay to any such successioÌ„ and saith loe I am the rocke the foundation and head of Christes Church Now sayth all the Scripture that the rocke is Christ the fayth and Gods word As Christ sayth Math. vij he that heareth my wordes doth therafter is like a man that buildeth on a rocke For the house that is build on Gods woorde will stand though heauen should fall And Iohn xv Christ is the wine and we the braunches so is Christ the rocke the stocke and fouÌ„dation wheron we be built And Paul i. Cor. iij. calleth Christ our foundatioÌ„ and all other whether it be Peter or Paule hee calleth them seruauntes to preach Christ and to build vs on hym If therfore the Pope be Peters successour his dutie is to preach Christ onely and other authoritie hath he none And. ij xj Paule marieth vs vnto Christ and driueth vs from all trust confidence in man And Epht. ij sayth Paule Ye are build on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes that is on y â— word which they preached Christ beyng sayth he the head corner stone in whom euery buildyng coupled together groweth vp into an holy temple in the Lord in whom also ye are built together made an habitatioÌ„ for God in the spirit And Peter in y â— ij of his first Epistle buildeth vs on Christ contrary to the Pope whiche buildeth on hymselfe Hell gates shall not preuaile agaynst it that is to say agaynst the congregation that is builde vppon Christes sayth and vpon Gods word Now were the Pope the rocke hell gates could not preuayle agaynst him For the house could not stand if the rocke and foundation wheron it is builte did perish but the contrary see we in our Popes For hell gates haue preuayled agaynst them many huÌ„dred yeares and haue swalowed them vp if Gods word be true and the storyes that are written of them yea or if it be true that we see with our eyes I will geue thee the keyes of heauen sayth Christ and not I geue And Iohn xx after y t resurreccioÌ„ payed 〈◊〉 and gaue y â— keyes to them all indifferently What soeuer thou byndest on earth it shal be bounde in heauen what soeuer thou lousest on earth it shal be loused in heauen Of this text maketh the Pope what he will and expoundeth it contrary to all the Scripture contrary to Christes practising and the Apostles and all the Prophetes Now the scripture geueth record to himselfe and euer expoundeth it selfe by an other open text If the Pope theÌ„ can not bryng for his exposition the practisyng of Christ or of the Apostles and prophetes or an open text then is his exposition false doctrine Christ expoundeth him selfe Math. xviij saying If y â— brother sinne agaynst the rebuke him betwixt him thee alone If he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother but if he heare thee not theÌ„ take with thee one or two and so forth as it standeth in the text He concludeth saying to them all whatsoeuer ye bynde in earth it shal be bound in heauen and what soeuer ye louse on earth it shal be loused in heaueÌ„ Where byndyng is but to rebuke them that sinne and lousing to forgeue them that repent And Iohn xx Whose sinnes ye forgeue they are forgeuen and whose sinnes ye hold they are holden And Paul i. Cor. v. byndeth and ij Cor. ij louseth after the same maner Also this byndyng and lousyng is one power and as he byndeth so louseth he yea and byndeth first ere he caÌ„louse For who can louse that is not bound Now what soeuer Peter byndeth or his successour as he wil be called and is not but in dead y t very successour of Sathan is not so to be vnderstood that Peter or the Pope hath power to commaunde a man to be in deadly sinne or to bee damned or to go iâ—to hell saying bee thou in deadly sinne be thou damned go thou to hell go thou to Purgatory For that exposition is contrary to the euerlastyng Testament that God hath made vnto vs in Christ He sent his sonne Christ to louse vs from sinne and damnation and hell and that to testifie vnto the world sent he his Disciples Actes i. Paule also hath no power to destroy but to edifie ij Cor. x. and. xiij How can Christ geue his Disciples power agaynst him selfe and against his euerlastyng Testament Can he send them to preach saluation geue them power to damne whom they lust What mercy and profite haue we in Christes death and in his Gospell if the Pope which passeth all men in wickednesse hath power to sende whom he will to hell and to damne whom he lusteth we had theÌ„ no cause to call him Iesus y â— is to say sauiour but might of right call him destroyer Wherfore then this bynding is to be vnderstood as Christ interpreteth it in the places aboue rehearsed as the Apostles practised it and is nothyng but to rebuke men of their sinnes by preachyng the law A man must first sinne agaynste Gods law ere the Pope can bynde hym yea and a man must firste sinne agaynste Gods lawe ere hee neede to feare the Popes curse For cursing and binding are both one nothyng sauing to rebuke a maÌ„ of his sinnes by Gods law It foloweth also then that the lousyng is of like maner and is nothing but forgeuing of sinne to them that repent throughe preachyng of the promises whiche God hath made in Christe in whom onely we haue all forgeuenes of sinnes as Christ interpreteth it and as the Apostles and Prophetes practised it So is it a false power that the Pope taketh on hym to louse Gods
ye haue brought in besides the Scripture nor any that dyed for it But ye persecute and â—lea whosâ— euer with Gods woorde doth rebuke it And as for your owne miracles of which ye make your boast ye haue fayned them so grosly throughout al your Legendes of Saintes that ye be now ashamed of them and would fayne bee rid of theÌ„ if ye wist how with honestie and so would ye of a thousand thinges which ye haue fayned And the cause why heretickes fayne no miracles as ye doe is that they walke purely and entend no falsehead And why the deuill doth none for them is that they cleaue fast to Gods word whiche the deuill hateth and can do no miracles to further it But to hinder it as he doth with you Read the stories of your Popes and Cardinals see whether the deuill hath not holpe them vnto their highe dignities And looke whether your holy Byshoppes come any otherwise vnto their promotions then by seruing the deuil in setting all Christendome at variaunce in sheddyng bloud in bringyng the common wealth to tyraÌ„ny and in teaching Christen Princes to â—ule more cruelly then did euer any heathen coÌ„trary vnto the doctrine of Christ And as for the Turkes and Sarasenes that ye speake of I auÌ„swere that they were ChristeÌ„ once at the lest way for the most part And because they had no loue vnto the truth to liue their after as ye haue not God did send them false miracles to cary them out of the right waye as ye be And as for the Iewes why they hyde out is onely because they haue set vp their own righteousnesse as ye haue and therfore can not admit the righteousnesse that is in Christes bloud as ye can not and as ye haue forsworne it And when he sayth in that they haue miracles and the heretickes none it is a sure signe that they be the true Churche and the heretickes not Had ye Gods word with your miracles and the heretickes doctrine were without then it were true But now because ye haue miracles without Gods word to confirme your false imaginatioÌ„s and they whiche ye call heretickes haue Gods word coÌ„firmed with miracles fiue huÌ„dred yeares together it is a sure signe that they be the true church ye not in as much also as Christ saith that y â— deceauers shall come with miracles ye in his name therto as ye do For wheÌ„ christ saith there shal come in my name y t shal say he him selfe is Christ who is that saue your Pope that wil be Christes Vicare and yet maketh men to beleue in him selfe in his Bulles Calues skinnes and in what soeuer he listeth And who be those false annoynted that shall come with miracles to deceaue the elect if it were possible saue your Pope with his gresiamus And when he repeteth his miracles to proue that the olde holy Doctours were good men in the right belefe I aunswere agayne that the Doctours which planted Gods word watered it with miracles while they were alyue And wheÌ„ they were dead God shewed miracles at their graues to confirme the same as of Heliseus And that continued till the Scripture was full receaued and autenticke But ye can not shew nor shal any Doctour which beyng aliue preached your false doctrine confirmyng it with miracles as God doth his Scripture Then sayth hee God had in the olde TestameÌ„t good meÌ„ ful of miracles whose liuing a man might be bold to folow and whose doctrine a man might beleue by reason of theyr miracles and then iuggleth saying if God should not so now in the new TestameÌ„t haue Doctours with miracles to confirme their doctrine and liuynges but contrarywise should bryng to passe or suffer to bee brought to passe with false miracles that his church shuld take hypocrites for Saintes which exposided the Scripture falsly then should hee deceaue his Church and not haue his spirite present in his Church to teach them all truth as he promised them I aunswer God suffereth not his Church to be deceaued But he suffereth the popes Church because they haue no loue vnto the truth to lyue after the lawes of God but consent vnto all iniquitie as he suffered the Churche of Mahomet Moreouer y â— gift of miracles was not all way amoÌ„g the preachers in the old Testament For Iohn Baptist did no miracle at all The miracles were ceased longyer Christ And as for you in the Popes kingdome had neuer maÌ„ that either confirmed Gods doctrine or your owne with miracles All your Saintes be first Saints when they be dead and then do first miracles to confirme tithes and offeringes the Poetrie which ye haue fayned and not true doctrine For to confirme what preachyng doth S. Thomas of Canterbury miracles He preached neuer nor liued any other life then as our Cardinall and for his mischief dyed a mischieuous death And of our Cardinall if we be not diligent they will make a Saint also and make a greater relique of his shew then of the others And of your dead Saintes let vs take onâ— for an example Thomas de Aquino is a Saint full of miracles as Friers tell And his doctrine was that our Lady was borne in original sinne And Dunce doyng no miracle at all because I suppose no man wotteth where he lyeth improueth that with his sophistrie and affirmeth the contrary And of the contrary hath the Pope for the deuotioÌ„ of that the gray Friers gaue him ye may well thinke made an Article of the fayth And finally as for the miracles they are to make a man astonied to wonder and to draw him to heare the word earnestly rather then to write it in his hart For whosoeuer hath no other felyng of the law of God that it is good then because of miracles the saâ—…e shall beleue in Christ as did Symon Magus and Iudas and as they that came out of Egypt with Moyses and fell away at euery temptation shall haue good workes like vnto our Popes bishops and Cardinals And therfore when the Scripture is fully receaued there is no nede of miracles In so much that they which will not beleue Moses and the Prophetes when the Scripture is receaued the same wil be no true beleuers by the reason of miracles though one arose from death to lyfe to preach vnto them by the testimonie of Christ And agayne how doth S. Hierome Augustine Bede and many other old Doctours that were before the Pope was cropt vp into y e consciences of meÌ„ and had sent forth his daÌ„nable sectes to preach him vnder y t name of Christ as Christ prophesied it should be expounde this text thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will builde my Church and this text Peter feede my sheepe and all power is geuen me in heauen and in earth and innumerable such textes cleane contrary vnto all those
not commauÌ„ded to care for hys flocke as well as Peter Moreouer if to fede Christes shepe is to be greatest as no doubt to fede Christes flocke is to be great and most to fede is to be greatest in which office though Peter was great yet Paule was greater how commeth it that the pope by that authoritie chaleÌ„geth to be greatest yet this viij hundred yeares fedeth not at all but poysoneth their pasture with the venemous leuen of hys traditions and with wrestyng the text vnto a contrary sense Then came he to this text Math. xvj Thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will builde my congregation or Church Lo saith Antichrist the carnall beast Peter is the rocke whereon the Church of Christ is built I am his successour and therfore the head of Christes Church When Christ ment by the rocke the confession that Peter had confessed saying Thou art Christ the sonne of the lyning God which art come into this world This fayth is the rocke wheron Christes Churche is built For who is of Christes Churche but he onely that beleueth that Christ is Gods sonne come into this worlde to saue sinners This faith is it against which hell gates caÌ„ not preuaile This fayth is it which saueth the congregation of Christ and not Peter TheÌ„ he goeth forth vnto that which foloweth Vnto thee I will geue the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen and what soeuer thou byndest in earth it shal be bound in heauen c. Loe sayth he in that he sayth what soeuer thou bindest in earth he excepteth nothyng therfore I may make lawes and binde both King Emperour When Christ as he had no worldly kyngdome euen so he spake of no worldly bindyng but of bindyng of sinners Christ gaue hys Disciples the keye of the knowledge of the law of God to binde all sinners and the keye of the promises to loose al that repent to let them into the mercy that is layed vp for vs in Christ Then coÌ„meth he vnto an other text which Christ rehearseth Mathew last saying All power is geuen me in heauen and earth go ye therfore and teach all natioÌ„s Baptising them in the name of the father and the sonne of the hely ghost teachyng them to kepe all that I commauÌ„ded you And behold I am with you vnto the worldes end Loc sayth the Pope Christ hath all power in heauen and earth without exceptioÌ„ and I am Christes Vicare wherfore all power is myne and I am aboue all kynges and Emperours in temporall iurisdiction and they but my seruauÌ„tes to kisse not my feete onely but my N. also if I list not to haue them stoupe so low When Christ as I sayd because he had no temporall kyngdome euen so he ment of no temporall power but of power to saue sinners which the processe of y e text declareth by that he sayth go ye therfore and teach and Baptise that is preach this power to al natioÌ„s and wash of their sinnes through fayth in the promises made in my bloud Then hee commeth vnto an other text Heb. vij which is The priesthode beyng translated the law must needes be translated also Now saith the pope the Priesthode is translated vnto me wherefore it pertayneth vnto me to make lawes and to binde euery man And y â— Epistle meaneth no such thyng but proueth euidently that the ceremonies of Moyses must ceasse For the Priestes of the olde Testament must nedes haue bene of the tribe of Leâ—i as AaroÌ„ was whose duty for euer was y e offeryng of sacrifices Wherfore when that Priesthode ceased the sacrifices ceremonies ceased also Now y t Priesthode ceased in Christ whiche was a Priest of y e order of Melchisedeke not of the order of Aaron for then he must haue bene of the tribe of Leâ—i and that he was not but of the tribe of Iuda of the seede of Dauid Wherefore they that are vnder Christes Priesthode are vnder no sacrifices or ceremonies And of this maner iuggle they with all the Scripture whiche falshed lest the laye men should perceaue with reading the processe of the text is all their feare what soeuer they pretend Moreouer that thou mayst perceaue the Popes falshed marke Christ sayd vnto Peter I will geue not I geue neither sayd he I will geue vnto the onely Therfore looke in the. xx chapter of Iohn where hee gaue them the keyes after his resurrection and thou shalt see that he gaue them vnto all indifferently saying As my father sent me so send I you Whether sent he theÌ„ into all the world and vnto all natioÌ„s What to do to preach the law that the people might repent and the promises that they might beleue in Christ for the remission of sinnes saying receaue the holy ghost who soeuers sinne ye forgeue they shall be forgeuen By which holy ghost he gaue them vnderstaÌ„dyng of the Scripture and of all that they should preach as thou mayst see Luke last where he opened their wittes to vndestand the Scripture and sayd that repentauce and forgeuenesse of sinnes must be preached in his name to all nations and that they were witnesses to preach it Whereby thou seest that to bynde and to lose is but to preach to tell the people their faultes to preach mercy in Christ to all that repent And when he sayth all power is geuen me he sayth not go thou Peter preach but saith vnto all indifferently go ye and preach this power geuen me of my father to saue all that repent and to damne them that repent not but folow the lustes of their flesh with full desire to lyue beastly beyng enemyes vnto the law of God And Math. xviij Peter asked Christ howe oft hee should forgeue hys brethren whether seueÌ„ tymes And Christ sayd seuentie tymes seuen tymes As who should say as ost as he repenteth and asketh forgeuenesse Now though this were spokeÌ„ vnto Peter onely because Peter onely moued the question yet pertaineth it not vnto vs all as well as vnto Peter Are not we as much bound to forgeue our neighbours that repeÌ„t and aske forgeuenesse as Peter Yes verely But because Peter onely asked the question therfore did Christ teach vs by Peter If an other had asked he would haue taught vs by that other And in lyke maner when Christ asked who say ye that I am if any other of the Apostles which beleued it as well as Peter had sayd as Peter did thou art Christ the sonne of the lyuyng God whiche art come into the world of sinners to saue them vnto him would Christ haue auÌ„swered as he did to Peter that vppon the rocke of that his coÌ„fession he wold haue built his church and would haue promised him keyes as well as he dyd Peter Yea and in the xviij chapter of Mathew Christ sayth to all the Apostles yea and to all congregatioÌ„s
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
â—eares Holy dayes are ordâ—â—ned for 〈◊〉 and not man for the holy dayes The signification of thynges are to be sought and not to serue the visible signes Ceremonies with out some good doctrine are to be reiected Turkes are rather to be lameÌ„ted for their ignoraunce and to be wonne with good doctrine example of good lyfe then to be hated and murthered We do nothyng well eâ—â—ept we do it of loue from a pure hart Superstitious obseruations are rather the breakyng of the law then the kepyng of the same The world is to be rebuked for lacke of iudgement Iudge by these things whether the Pope haue erred or noâ— Iudge what baggage is in the Popes doctrine and of his making Note the 〈…〉 spiritualtie 〈…〉 Christ Our 〈◊〉 is the cause that hypoâ—… The practice of prelates Signification of the 〈…〉 are 〈…〉 The ministers of the 〈◊〉 are 〈…〉 to preach to y t people sâ—…ly the woâ—… of 〈◊〉 to pray in a 〈…〉 vnderstand The lawe cannot be fulfilled w t workes or they neuer so holy A great abuse in prayer The church taken for the spiritualty King William King Iohn S. Thomas of Caunterbury Holy Church hath bornt a great swinge The Pope and his rable takeÌ„ for the church The church is a congâ—â—gation of people of all sortes gathered together The church of God how it is taken in Scripture Gal. 1. Actes 23. Gal. 1. Rom. 16. 1. Cor. 16. 1. Tim. 3. 1. Tim. 5. The church is a multitude of all them that beleue in Christ wheresoeuer â—hey be gathered together A double significatioÌ„ of this worde church The cause why Tyndall traÌ„slated y t word church into this worde congregation Congregation is vnderstand by the circuÌ„staunce Ecclesia is a greke worde and signifieth a congregation Actes 19. M. More was â—…ful in Poetry Iudas Balaaâ— A good adâ—… to M. More M. More did greatly fauour Erasmâ—s M. More was a â—epe dissembler M. More 〈◊〉 captious M. More 〈…〉 1. Pet. 5. 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 Byshops ought to be bydâ—rs in one place Note Women God poureth hys holy spirite 〈◊〉 wisdome 〈…〉 aswell weâ—… meÌ„ God is vnder no 〈…〉 necessitie lawlesse The cause why young 〈◊〉 was preferred by 〈◊〉 to be a Byshop Paul was a faâ—herly instructer to 〈◊〉 â—…thy S. Paule was a worthy moâ—t â—…ther instructour A great difference betwene teaching of the people and teaching of a preacher â—â—lyng 〈◊〉 shaâ—ing â—…ny thing or any part of priestâ—… Oâ—…â—alt 〈◊〉 are 〈…〉 â—yle hath â—…o 〈◊〉 at all 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 ☞ The minister amoÌ„g the 〈…〉 were naâ—… 〈◊〉 age Why â—yn 〈…〉 this worde 〈…〉 rather 〈◊〉 Charitie hath 〈◊〉 significations Loue 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 vnderstaÌ„d Euery loue is not charitie nor euery charitie is not loue Why Tyndall sayth fauour and â—ot grace Knowledge and not confession repentauÌ„ce and not penaunce The Papistes may not forbeare to haue their iugglyng termes Penaunce Penaunce was profitâ—… to the Papistes â—rue penaunce what it is Fayth in Christ 〈◊〉 get a true repentauÌ„ce Deut. 17. ☜ Balam The sinne agaynst the holy ghost ☜ 2. Pet. 1. The chuch before y â— gospell or the Gospell before the church Rom. 9. The word which is y â— Gospell was before the church Ioh. 15. Ioh. 17. Note wâ—ll thys Whether y â— Apostles taught any thing that they did not write So much to written as is necessary â—or 〈◊〉 saluation The scripture writteÌ„ must conâ—oâ—nde the vnwritten verities Writing hath bene from the beginning God froÌ„ y â— beginning hath 〈◊〉 ten 〈…〉 y â— hartes of his 〈◊〉 The Pope hath taken fro vs the significations of the Sacramentes Actes 7. There can no more be taught vs then to coÌ„teyned in the scriptures Purgatorye The HeatheÌ„ thought nothing more madder theÌ„ the doctrine of the resurrection The Apostles taught nothing that they were afrayde to write SacrameÌ„tes haue significations All y â— Sacramentes taught eyther in the olde testament or new haue significations ☞ The Popish Sacramentes 〈◊〉 one agaynste an other SacrameÌ„ts with out significations are not to be 〈◊〉 Whether y â— Church caÌ„â—… or not What y e very Church is what fayth saueth By fayth we are made the sonnes of God Ephe. 〈◊〉 â–ª Math. 〈…〉 The offeryng of Christes body and bloud is y e onely satisfaction for our sinnes There is no way to saluation but by Christes death and passion Collos 1. Ephes 5. Rom. 8. 1. Iohn 3. Fayth and sinne can not â—aâ—d together 1. Iohn 1. All fleshe deth sinne We sinne of frailtie weakenes We may erre yet be saued Who they be that erre from the way of â—ayth Faith is euer assailed with besperation All power readines to do good coÌ„â—eth of God not of our selues A very good example The faythfull though they slâ—â— yet they fall not Faith in y â— good neâ— of God is our staye Ioh. 15. If we consider how mercifull god is vnto vs we caÌ„not chuse but submit our selues vnto hys lawes Christian meÌ„ must be patient Mercy waiteth euer on the elect Dauid The elect of God must haue patience be long sufferers God trieth his elect by suffering them to tell into temptation We may coÌ„aâ—t sinne and yet not forget God The aÌ„postles beyng amased w t teÌ„ptations forgat all Christes myracles A great temptation layd vpoÌ„ y â— Apostles The Apostles were very doubtfull Christ hys resurrectioÌ„ The Disciples were not without fayth but yet the â—ame was very doubtfull Peters fayth fayled not ☞ Luke 22. A foolish glose made by M. More ☜ 1. Pope The Pope his sect are not the Church of Christ 2. 〈◊〉 The Pope in forbyddyng mariage to Priestes doth not coÌ„seÌ„t that the lawe of god is 〈◊〉 The Pope licenceth whordome whiche God forbiddeth 3. The Popish Clergy are persecutours An abhominable wicked deuilish decree 4. Rom. 13. 5. 1. Cor. 5. The Pope is vtterly against the doctrine of Christ Their first reason A 〈◊〉 reason One Argument confuted with an other of like nature The solution The right fayth dyd neuer 〈◊〉 continue in the greater number of 〈◊〉 Church Math. 16. Math. 23. Hypocrites are crept vp in to the seate of Christ his Apostles 〈◊〉 Pet. 2. The Pope and hys Clergye haue corrupted the Scriptures of God with their traditions Iohn 〈◊〉 The scriptures beare witnes who are the right Church Christ Iohn Baptist Luke 1. ☜ The doctrine of Iohn brought y â— hart of the Iewes into the right way Our Popish hypocrites haue nede of a Iohn Baptist to conuert theÌ„ Those which depart from the fayth of hypocrites are the true Church Their second reasoÌ„ Note here this Popish Argument The Pope and his sect say they are the church and can not erre The solution Iohn Baptist was a true expositor of the law Math. 17. The Phariseis added false gloses to y â— Scripture The Pa 〈◊〉 doctrine Purgatorye The Phariseis and papistes agree in the false interpreting of y â—
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
maliciously resisted the open truth agaynst hys owne conscience sence the world began that euer I read For it is sinne agaynst y â— holy ghost which Christ saith shall neither be forgeueÌ„ here nor in the world to come whiche text may this wise be vnderstand that as that sinne shal be punished with euerlastyng daÌ„nation in the lyfe to come euen so shall it not escape vengeauÌ„ce here As thou â—eest in Iudas in Pharao in Balam and in all other tyrauntes whiche agaynst their consciences resisted the open truth of God So now the cause why our Prelates thus rage that moueth them to call M. More to helpe is not that they finde iust causes in the translation but because they haue lost their iugglyng and fayned termes wherewith Peter prophesied they should make marchaundise of the people ¶ Whether the Church were before the Gospell or the Gospell before the Church AN other doubt there is whether the Church or congregatioÌ„ be before the Gospell or the Gospell before the Church Which question is as hard to solue as whether the father be elder then the sonne or the sonne elder then his father For the whole Scripture and all beleuing hartes testifie that we are begotten through the word Wherfore if the word beget the congregatioÌ„ he that begetteth is before hym that is begotten then is the Gospell before the Church Paul also Rom. ix sayth how shall they call on him whom they beleue not And how shall they beleue without a preacher That is Christ must first be preached yer men can beleue in him And then it foloweth that the word of the preacher must be before the fayth of the beleuer And therfore in as much as the word is before the faith and faith maketh the congregation therfore is the word or Gospell before the congregation And agayne as the ayre is darke of it selfe receaueth all her light of the sonne euen so are all mens hartes of theÌ„selues darke with lyes and receaue all their truth of Gods word in that they consent therto And moreouer as the darke ayre geueth the sonne no light but contrarywise the light of the sonne in respect of the ayre is of it selfe and lighteneth the ayre purgeth it from darkenesse eueÌ„ so the lying hart of man can geue the word of God no truth but contrary wise the truth of Gods word is of her self and lighteneth the harts of the beleuers and maketh them true and clenseth them from lyes as thou readest Iohn xv ye be cleane by reason of the word Which is to be vnderstand in that the word had purged their harces from lyes from false opinions from thinking euill good and therfore from consentyng to sinne And Iohn xvij sanctifie them O father thorough thy truth And thy woorde is truth And thus thou seest that Gods truth dependeth not of man It is not true because man so sayth or admitteth it for true But man is true because he beleueth it testifieth and geueth witnesse in hys hart that it is true And Christ also sayth him selfe Iohn v. I receaue no witnesse of maÌ„ For if the multitude of maÌ„s witnesse might make ought true then were the doctrine of Mahomete truer then Christes ¶ Whether the Apostles left ought vnwritten that is of necessitie to be beleued BUt did not y â— Apostles teach ought by mouth that they wrot not I aunswere because that many taught one thyng and euery man the same in diuers places and vnto diuers people and confirmed euery sermoÌ„ wyth a sundry miracle therfore Christ his Apostles preached an â—…red thousaÌ„d sermons and did as many miracles which had bene superfluous to haue bene all written But the pith and substaunce in generall of euery thing necessary vnto our soules health both of what we ought to beleue and what we ought to do was written and of the miracles done to confirme it as many as were nedeful So that whatsoeuer we ought to beleue or do that same is written expresely or drawen out of that which is written For if I were bound to do or beleue vnder payne of the losse of my soule any thing that were written nor depeÌ„ded of that which is writteÌ„ what holpe me the scripture that is written And thereto in as much as Christ and all his Apostles warned vs that false prophetes shoulde come with false miracles euen to deceaue the elect if it were possible wherewith shoulde the true preacher confound the false except he brought true miracles to confound the false or els autenticke scripture of full authoritie already among the people Some man woulde aske how dyd God continue his congregation from Adam to Noe and froÌ„ Noe to Abraham and so to Moses without writing but with teaching from mouth to mouth I aunswere first that there was no scripture all the whyle they shall proue wheÌ„ our Lady hath a new sonne God taught Adam greater thynges then to write And that there was writing in the world long yer Abraham yea yer Noe do stories testifie Notwithstanding though there had bene no writing the preachers were euer prophetes glorious in doing of miracles wherwith they cofirmed their preaching And beyond that god wrote his testameÌ„t vnto them aâ—way both what to do and to beleue eueÌ„ in y e sacramentes For the sacrifices which God gaue Adams sonnes were no dumme popetrie or superstitious Mahometrie but signes of the testament of God And in them they red y e worde of God as we do in bookes and as we should do in our sacraments if the wicked Pope had not taken the significations away from vs as he hath robbed vs of the true sence of all the scripture The testament which God made with Noe that he woulde no more drowne the worlde with water he wrote in the sacrament of the rainebow And the appointment made betwene him and Abraham he wrote in the sacrament of circumcision And therefore sayd Steuen Act. vij he gaue them y â— testameÌ„t of circumcision Not that the outwarde circumcision was the whole testament but the sacrameÌ„t or signe there For circumcision preached Gods worde vnto theÌ„ as I haue in other places declared But in the tyme of Moyses when the congregation was encreased that they must haue many preachers also rulers temporall then all was receaued in scripture in so much that Christ and his Apostles might not haue bene beleued without scripture for all their miracles Wherefore in as much as Christes congregation is spred abroad into all the worlde much broader then Moses and in as much as we haue not the olde testament onely but also the new wherein all thinges are opened so richly and all fulfilled that before was promised in as much as there is no promise behinde of ought to be shewed more saue the resurrection yea and seyng that Christ and all the Apostles with all the Angels of
thou feâ—e theÌ„ and that thine hart mourne for them and that with al thy power thou helpe to amende them and cease not to crye to God for theÌ„ neither day nor night and that thou let nothing be founde in thee that any man may rebuke but whatsoeuer thou teachest them that â—e thou and that thou be not a Wolfe in a Lambes skinne as our holy â—ather y e Pope is which commeth vnto vs in a name of hypocrisie and in the â—…e of curssed Cham or Ham calling hymselfe Seruus seruorum the seruaunt of all seruauntes and is yet founde tyrannus tyraâ—norum of all tyrauntes y e most cruell This is to receaue young children in Christes name and to receaue young children in Christes name is to beare rule in the kingdome of Christ Thus ye see that Christes kingdome is all together spirituall and the bearing of rule in it is cleane coÌ„trary vnto the bearing of rule temporally Wherfore none that beareth rule in it may haue any temporall iurisdiction or minister any temporall office that requireth violence to compell withall ¶ Peter was not greater then the other Apostles by any authoritie geuen him of Christ THey saye that Peter was chiefe of the Apostles verely as Appeâ—â—â—s was called chief of Painters for his excellent cunninge aboue other euen so Peter may be called chiefe of the Apostles for his actiuitie and boldnes aboue the other but that Peter had any auctoritie or rule ouer his brethren and felow Apostles is false and contrary to y e scripture Christ forbad it the last euen before his passion and in diuers tunes before and taught alway the contrary as I haue rehearsed Thou wilt say thou caust not see how there should be any good order in that kyngdome where none were better then other and where the superior had not a lawe and authoritie to compell the inferior with violeÌ„ce The worlde truely can see no other way to rule then with violence For there no man absteineth from euil but for feare because the loue of righteousnes is not written in their hartes And therefore the Popes kingdome is of the world For there one sorte are your grace your holines your fatherhode An other my Lord Byshop my Lord Abbot my Lord Pryor An other master Doctour Father Bachelar mayster Parson maister Vicar and at the last commeth in simple syr Iohn And euery man raigneth ouer other wyth might and haue euery ruler his prison his iayler his chaynes his tormentes euen so much as the Fryers obâ—eruauntes obserue that rule and compell euery man other with violeÌ„ce aboue the cruelnesse of the heathen tyrauntes so that what commeth once in may neuer out for feare of telling taâ—es out of schole They rule ouer the bodye with violence and compell 〈◊〉 whether the harte will or not to obserue thinges of their owne making But in the kingdome of God it is contrary For the spirite that bringeth them thether maketh them wilâ—ing and geueth them lust vnto the law of God loue coÌ„pelleth them to worke and loue maketh euerty maÌ„s good all that he can do coÌ„mune vnto his neighbours nede And as euery maÌ„ is stroÌ„g in that kyngdome so loue compelleth him to take the weake by the hand and to helpe hym and to take him that can not go vppon his shoulders and beare him And so to do seruice vnto the weaker is to beare rule in that kingdome And because Peter did excede the other Apostles in ferueÌ„t seruice toward his brethren therefore is â—e called noâ— in the Scripture but in the vse of speakyng the chiefest of the Apostles not that he had any dominion ouer them Of which truth thou mayst see also the practise in the Actes of the Apostles after the resurrection For when Peter had bene and preached in the house of Cornelius an heathen maÌ„ the other that were Circumcised chode him because he had bene in an vncircumcised mans house had eaten with him for it was forbidden in the law neither wist they yet that the heathen should be called And Peter was fayne to geue accountes vnto them which is no token of superioritie and to shew them how he was warned of the holy ghost so to do Actes xj And Actes xv when a CouÌ„cell was gathered of the Apostles and disciples about the Circumcision of the heatheÌ„ Peter brought forth not his commauÌ„dement and the authoritie of his Vicarshyp but the miracle that the holy ghost had shewed for the heathen how at y â— preachyng of the Gospell the holy ghost had lighted vppon them and purified â—heir hartes through fayth and therefore proued that they ought not to be Circumcised And Paule and Barnabas brought soorth the miracles also that God had shewed by them among the heathen through preachyng of saith And then Iames brought soorth a prophecie of the olde Testament for the sayd part And therewith the aduersaries gaue ouer their hold and they coÌ„cluded with one assent by the authoritie of the scripture and of the holy ghost that the heathen should not be Circumcised not by the commaundement of Peter vnder payne of cursing excommunicatioÌ„ 〈◊〉 interditing and like bugges to make fooles and children afrayed withall And Actes viij Peter was sent of the other Apostles vnto the Samaritanes whiche is an euident token that he had no iurisdiction ouer them for then they could not haue sent him But rather as the truth is that the congregation had authoritie ouer him ouer all other priuate persones to admitte them for ministers and send them forth to preach whether so euer the spirite of God moued them and as they saw occasion And in the Epistle vnto the Galathians thou seest also how Paule corrected Peter when he walked not the straight way after the truth of the Gospel So now thou seest that in the kingdome of Christ and in his Churche or congregation and in his couÌ„sels the ruler is the Scripture approued through the miracles of the holy ghost and men be seruauntes onely and Christ is the head and we all brethren And wheÌ„ we call men our heades that we do not be cause they be shorne or shauen or because of their names Parson Vicare Byshop Pope But onely because of the word whiche they preach If they erre froÌ„ the word theÌ„ may whosoeuer God moueth his hart play Paule and correct hym If he will not obey the Scripture then haue his brethren authoritie by the Scripture to put hym downe and send hym out of Christes Church among the heretickes whiche preferre their false doctrine aboue the true word of Christ ¶ How the Gospell punisheth trespassers and how by the Gospell we ought to go to law with our aduersaries THough that they of Christes coÌ„gregation be all willyng yet because that the most paâ—t is alway weake because also that the occasions of the world be euer many and great in so much that
had learued their crafte and had buylt them goodly and costly nestes and their limiters had denided all countryes amōg them to begge in and had prepared liuinges of a certain tie though with begging then they also tooke dispeusations of the Pope for to liue as largely and as lewdly as the Monkes And yet vnto the laye men whome they haue thus falsely robbed and frō which they haue deuided themselues and made them a seuerall kyngdome among themselnes they leaue the pay ing of tolle custome and tribute for vnto all y t charges of the realmes will they not pay one mite and the finding of all the poore the finding of scholers for the most part the finding of these foresayd horseleches and caterpillers the begging Fryers the repayring of the hye wayes and bridges the building and reparations of their Abbaies and Cathedrall Churches Chapels Coledges for which they sende out their pardons dayly by heapes and gather a thousand pounde for euery hundred that they bestow truely If the laye people haue warre or what soeuer charge it be they will not beare a mite If the warre be theirs as the one part almost of all warre is to desende them they will with falshead make thē beare the greatest part besides that they must leaue their wines and children and go fight for them and lose their liues And likewise in al their charges they haue a cast to poule the laye people The Scottes cast downe a castel of y e Byshop of Durhams on the Scottishe bancke called Norant castell And he gat a pardon frō Rome for the bulding of it againe wherwith I doubt not but he gat for euery peny that he bestowed three And what do they with their store that they haue in so great plenty euery where so that the very begging Fryers in short space to make a Cardinall or a Pope of their secte or to do what feate it were for their profite woulde not stick to bring aboue a kynges raūsom verely make goodly places and parkes of pleasure and gaye shrynes and painted postes and purchase pardons wherewyth they yet still poule and plucke away that little wherwith the poore which perishe for neede and fall into great inconueniences myght be somewhat holpen and releued And lay vppe in store to haue alway to pay for the defending of their faith and for to oppresse the truth ¶ How the Pope made him a lawe and why AFter that the Pope with tyranny was clom vp aboue his brethren and had made all the spiritualtie hys subiectes and had made of them hym a seuerall kingdome among thēselues and had seperated them from the lay in all things and had got priuileges that whatsoeuer they did no man shoulde meddle with them and after also he had receaued the kingdomes of the earth of Sathan and was become his Vicar to distribute thē and after that the Emperour was fallen in like maner at his feete and had worshipped him as God to receaue his Empyre of him and all kinges had done likewise to be annointed of him and to be crowned of hym and after that the worlde both great small had submitted them selues to receaue the beastes badge then because y t Christes doctrine was contrary vnto all such kingdomes therefore had no law therein how to rule it he went and made him a seuerall lawe of his owne makyng which passed in cruelty and tyranny y e lawes of all heathen Princes And in his lawe he thrust in fayned giftes of olde Emperours that were out of memory saying y t the Emperor Constantinus had geuen vp the Empyre of Rome vnto Saint Siluester which is proued a false lye for diuers causes One that Saint Siluester being so holy a man as he was would not haue receaued it contrary to his masters commaundementes doctrine Another that the Emperours raigned in Rome many yeares after and all Byshops sued vnto the Emperour not to the pope which was but bishop of Rome onely not called father of fathers Moreouer that no autentike story maketh meution that any Emperour gaue them their patrimony but that Pipine which falsely and wyth strength inuaded the Empyre gaue it vnto hym Then put he in the graunt of Phocas then the gift of Pipine confirmed by the great Charles then a fayned release of the election of the Pope geuen vp agayne vnto Pope Paschale by the Emperour Lewes For they thē selues had graunted vnto Charlemaine and his successours for euer the election or denomination of the Pope and Byshops to flatter him withall and to make him a faithfull defender and that in a generall counsell which as they say cannot erre Neuerthelesse Pope Paschall though he beleued the counsell coulde not erre yet he thought them somewhat ouer seene to make so long a grannt and therefore he purchased a release of gētle Lewes as they pretend But verely it is more likely that they fayned that graunt to excuse their tyranny after they had taken the election into their handes againe with violēce when the Emperours were weake not able to resist them as they fayned the gift of Constantine after they had inuaded the Empyre with subtiltie falsehead And last of all they brought in the othe of Ottho with the order that now is vsed to chuse the Emperour How the Pope corrupteth the Scripture and why MOreouer lest these his lyes should be spyed and lest happly the Emperours folowyng might say our predecessours had no power to bynde vs nor to minish our might And lest kynges folowyng should say after the same maner that the sword ful power to punish euil doers indifferently is geuen of God to euery kyng for hys tyme and therfore that their predecessour could not binde them cōtrary vnto the ordinaunce of God but rather y t it was vnto their damnation to make such grauntes and that they did not execute their office And therfore thefoule and mishapen monster gate him to the Scripture and corrupted it with false expositions to proue that such authoritie was geuen him of God and chalenged it by the authoritie of Peter say ing that Peter was the head of Christes Church and that Christ had made him Lord ouer y e Apostles his felowes in that he bade him fede his shepe and lambes Iohn the last as who should say that Paule ▪ which came long after was not cōmaunded to feed as specially as Peter which yet wold take none authoritie ouer the bodyes or ouer the faythes of them which he fed but was their seruaunt for Christes sake Christ euer the lord and head And as though the other Apostles were not lykewise as specially commaunded as Peter And as though we now all that here after shall loue Christ were not commaunded to fede Christes flocke euery man in his measure as well as Peter Are not we commaunded to loue our neighbours as our selues as well as Peter Why then are we
wise The body of our Sauiour which was broken on the crosse for the sinne of all that repent and haue good hartes and would fayne keepe his law be broke vnto my danmation if I breake this othe then is it a terrible othe and they had nede to take hede how they make it and if it be lawfully made not to breake it at all But as they care for their othe whiche they make in wedlocke so they care for this What soeuer nede the Pope hath he wil not send to the Emperour to come and helpe him in Italy for feare lest he would take to him selfe what soeuer he conquered of the Frenchmen and waxe to strong and minish our holy fathers power and become our holy fathers Vicare as he is S. Peters Neuerthelesse if we Englishmen wil hyre the Emperour to come and fight agaynste Fraunce for the right of the Churche in these quarters that be next vnto vs his fatherhode is content to admitte his seruice When our kyng hath graunted to take our holy fathers part then the pretence and cloke outward must be that the kyng will chalenge his right in Fraunce And to ayde the kyng in hys right must the commons be milked till they blede agayne Thē to do the kyng seruice the Lordes sel or lay their lādes to morgage Then is cleane remission geuen to flea French dogges He that dyeth in the quarell shall neuer see Purgatory but flye to heauen streight euē with a thought WHen the Pope hath what he desireth in Italy then must we make peace with the Frēchmen agayn immediatly that Fraunce be not all to gether troden vnder the foote but that it remayne alwaye in a meane state strōg inough to match the Emperour and to keepe him downe but not to mighty for oppressing the Pope And then our Prelates to bryng the peace about send immediatly a Frier Forest or a Vicare of Croyden to preach before the Kyng and his Lordes which preacher roareth and crieth vnto them as though he halowed his houndes maketh exclamations saying Alas what will ye do spare Christen bloud will ye sea your owne soules Be not the Frenchmen as wel Christen as ye Moreouer ye slea poore innocētes that neuer offended Make peace for the passion of Christ Kill not one an other as though Christ had not dyed for you but fight rather agaynst the Turkes Then come in the Ambassadours of Fraunce and money a few Prelates certaine other the kinges playfelowes that be sworne with them to betray both the kyng and the Realme to And then is peace concluded But outwardly there is nothyng saue a truce taken for halfe an yeare till our souldiers be at home agayn for feare lest they wold not bee content Then commeth the whole host home beggarde both great and small And the poore that can not sodenly get worke fall to stealyng and be hanged at home This could More tell in hys Vtopia before he was the Cardinals sworne Secretary and fallen at his foote to betray the truth for to get promotion Take an example the Bishops sent kyng Henry the fifte out to conquere Fraūce The cause was saith the Chronicles that the kyng wēt about to take their temporalities from them And therfore to bryng the kyng into an other imagination they monyed hym sent him into Fraunce When they had sent out the kyng he conquered more then was their will and more then they supposed possible for him in so short space and brought Fraunce cleane vnder the foote so that our Prelates had much secret businesse to set it vp agayne but what is impossible vnto so great Gods In kyng Henryes dayes the vi our holy father of Rome made the Bishop of winchester a Cardinal which went shortly after into Fraunce to treate of a truce betwene England Fraunce And him mette a Legate of Rome a Cardinall also after which meatyng Englishemen had euer the woorse in Fraunce and their chiefest frende the Duke of Burgaine forsoke them For when Cardinals and Byshops mete together they haue their secret counsell by them selues wherin they conclude neither what is good for England nor yet for Fraunce but what is best for our holy fathers profite to kepe him in his state When kyng Henry was of age there was a mariage made betwen him and the Earle of Arminackes daughter in Gyan with the which should haue ben geuen many Castles and Townes in Gyan a great somme of money therto But that mariage was broken not without the secret working of our Prelates and dispensation of our holy father thou maist be sure And a mariage was made betwen him and the kyngs daughter of Cecile for which England gaue vp the whole Dukedome of Gyā and Earledome of Mayne wherby we lost all Normandy whereof they were the kaye And beside that the commons gaue a fiftene and an halfe to fette her in wyth pompe And then was the good Duke of Glocester trayterously murthered partly because he coulde iudge false myracles partly because of the deliueraunce of these two countryes For he beyng a liue they durste not do it And when kyng Edwarde had put downe kyng Harry a mariage was made and concluded betwene him and the kyng of Spayne this quenes mother that now is But yet the Embassadours were come home our Prelates had bewitched kyng Edwarde by their apostle Fryer Bongaye and maryed hym vnto a wydow that was a knyghtes wyfe least if Spayne and England had bene ioyned together kyng Edwarde should haue recouered Fraunce agayne But what folowed after the breaking of the mariage betwene kyng Edwarde and the Erle of Warwicke and what came of his children yea and what came on king Hēry of Windsores children also But what care our prelates what vēgeaūce or mischiefe fall on Princes or on their realmes so their kingdome prosper In kyng Henryes dayes the vij the Cardinall Murton and Byshop Fox of Winchester deliuered vnto y t kinges grace the confessions of as many Lordes as his grace lusted Who so euer was mistrusted if he shroue himselfe at the Charter houses Sion Grenewich at Saint Iohns or wheresoeuer it was the confessour was commaunded by the auctoritie of the Pope to deliuer his confession written sworne that it was all And Cardinall Murton had a licēce of the Pope for xiiij to to studie Necromācy of which he him self was one other I haue heard named which at this tyme I passe ouer with silence And how the holy Friers obseruauntes caryed fayned letters to trye who was true I passe ouer with silence also Howbeit such tēptations fayned profers were inough to moue thē that neuer would haue thought amysse yea in cōfession mē will shrine thē selues of thoughtes which they neuer went about in the outward deede Whē any great man is put to death how his confessour entreateth him what
where one I pray ye but also done by the commoÌ„ course of nature here in earth If they be done by the common course of nature so be they no miracles And some thynges made also by mans hand As one face beholded in diuers glasses and euery peece of one glasse broken into twenty c. Lorde how this pontiâ—icall Poete playeth his part Bicause as he saith we see many faces in many glasses therefore may one body be in many places as though euery shadow and similitude representing the body were a bodely substauÌ„ce But I aske More when hee seeth hys owne face in so many glasses whether all those faces that appeare in the glasses be his owne very faces hauing bodely substaunce skynne fleshe bone as hath that face which hath his very mouth nose eyen c. wherewith he faceth vs out the truth thus falsely with lyes And if they be all his very faces then in very deede there is one body in many places and he him selfe beareth as many faces in one hode But accordyng to his purpose eueÌ„ as they be no very faces nor those so many voyces sownes and similitudes multiplied in the ayre betwene the glasses or other obiect the body as the Philosopher proueth by naturall reason be no very bodyes no more is it Christes very body as they would make thee beleue in the bread in so many places at once But the bread broken and eaten in the Supper monisheth and putteth vs in remembraunce of his death and so exciteth vs to thankes giuyng to lande and prayse for the benefite of our redemption and thus wee there haue Christ present in the inward eye and sight of our fayth We eate his body and drinke hys bloud that is we beleue surely that hys bodye was crucified for our sinnes and hys bloud shed for our saluation At last note Christen reader that M. More in the third booke of his confutation of Tyndall the. CCxlix side to proue S. Iohns Gospell vnperfit and insufficient for leauing out of so necessary a point of our faith as he calleth the last Supper of Christ his MauÌ„dy sayth that Iohn speake nothyng at all of this SacrameÌ„t And now see againe in these his letters agaynst Frith how him selfe bringeth in Iohn the vj. chap. to impugne Frithes writyng and to make all for the Sacrament eueÌ„ thus My flesh is verely meate my bloud drinke Belike the man had there ouer shotte hym selfe foule the young man here causing him to put on his spectacles and poore better and more wisely with his old eyen vpoÌ„ S. Iohns Gospel to finde that thing there now written which before he would haue made one of his vnwritten verities As yet if he looke narowly hee shall espy that him self hath proued vs by Scripture in the xxxvij leafe of his Dialogue of quoth he and quoth I our Ladies perpetuall virginitie expoundyng non cogâ—osco id est non cognoscam whiche now written vnwritten veritie hee numbereth a litle before among his vnwritteÌ„ vanities Thus may ye see how this old holy vpholder of the popes church hys woordes fight agaynst him selfe into his own confusion in findyng vs forth his vnwritten written vanities verities I should say But returne we vnto the exposition of S. Iohn When the Iewes would not vnderstand the spirituall saying of the eating of Christes flesh and drinkyng of hys bloud so oft and so playnely declared he gaue them a strong stripe and made them more blynd for they so deserued it such are the secrete iudgementes of God addyng vnto all hys sayinges thus who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud abideth in me and I in him These wordes were spoken vnto these vnbeleuers into their farther obstinatioÌ„ but vnto the faithfull for theyr better instruction Now gather of this the contrary say who so eateth not my fleshe and drinketh not my bloud abydeth not in me nor I in him and ioyne this to the foresayd sentence Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of maÌ„ drinke hys bloud ye haue no lyfe in you let it neuer fal froÌ„ thy minde Christen reader that faith is the lyfe of the righteous and that Christ is this lyuyng bread whom thou eatest that is to say in whoÌ„ thou beleuest For if our Papistes take eatyng drinkyng here bodely as to eate the naturall body of Christ vnder the forme of bread and to drinke hys bloud vnder the forme of wyne theÌ„ must all young children that neuer came to Gods borde departed all laye men that neuer drancke hys bloud be damned By loue we abyde in God and hee in vs loue foloweth faith in the order of our vnderstanding and not in order of succession of tyme if thou lookest vpon the selfe giftes and not on their fruites So that principally by faith wherby we cleaue to Gods goodnes and mercy we abide in God and God in vs as declare his wordes folowyng saying as the liuyng father sent me so liue I by my father And euen so he that eateth me shall lyue bycause of me or for my sake My father sent me whose will in all thinges I obey for I am his sonne And euen soverely must they that eate me that is beleue in me forme and fashion them after my exaÌ„ple mortifying their flesh chaunging their liuing or els they eate me in vayne and dissemble theyr belief For I am not come to redeme y t world onely but also to chaunge theyr lyfe They therefore that beleue in me shall traÌ„sforme their life after my example doctrine not after any mans traditioÌ„s This is the bread y t came froÌ„ heaueÌ„ as the effect it selfe declareth whoÌ„ who so eateth shall lyue euer But he y t eateth bodely bread lyueth not euer as ye may see of your fathers y t eate MaÌ„na yet are they dead It is not therfore any materiall bread nor bodely foode that may geue you life eternall These wordes did not onely offende them that hated Christ but also some of hys Disciples They were offended sayd the text and not merueyled as More trifleth out the truth which said This is an hard saying who may here this These Disciples yet stoke no lesse in Christes visible fleshe and in the barke of his wordes then did the other Iewes and as doth now More beleuing him to haue had spoken of his naturall body to be eaten with their teth Which offence Christ seyng sayd doth this offend you what then will ye say if ye see the sonne of maÌ„ ascend thether where he was before If it offend you to eate my flesh while I am here it shal much more offend you to eate it when my body shal be gone out of your sight ascended into heauen there sittyng on the right hand of my father vntill I come again as I weÌ„t that is to iudgement Here might Christ haue instructed his disciples in the truth of the
of Lemster was a great miracle 176. a Women aswell as men endewed with wisedome 252. a Women why they Baptise 287. a Women discrete may minister the sacramentes 322 b Women haue power to bynde and how 358. a World shall know Christ 410. a World knoweth not Christ 409. a. blynd in godly matters 423. b Wrold worse worse 55. b. a louer of wickednes 7. b World of whom ouercomen 421. a World must bee rebuked for lacke of iudgement 248. b Worldlynes in the Popes doctrine 416. a Worldly wisedome tendyng to Gods glory is commendable 455. b Worldly prefermentes are lettes to true Christianitie 340. a Worldly wisemen vnderstand not the Scriptures 88. a Worldly rulers how farre to be obeyed 385. b Worldly witte 113. a Word of the law and Christes promises contayned in the hart 31 b Word of God 34 a. the force therof 178. a. ground of fayth 302. b. maketh true fayth 170. b. trieth miracles 300. b Word beyng the Gospell before the Church 255. a Word saueth 18. b Word altered not Gods word 201. a Wordes honoryng God expresly 269 b Wordes of Christ are spirituall onely 460. a. are spirite and lyfe 465. b Worke made acceptable by fayth 243. b Workes 4. b. 16. a. 19. b. 219. a. 225. b. and. 331. b What they be and to what end 81. a. Gods workemāship 15. b. are Sacramentes 226. a. whiche be good 84. b. whence they be 331. b. how to be done 73. a. how accepted of God 18. b. must be seasoned with Gods word 219. b Workes their force 15. a. 384. b Workes of the law and fulfillyng the same two thynges 40. b Workes Papisticall 396. a. taught with crueltie 29. b. blynd ibidem Workes make hypocrites the true in tent away 228. b Workes without fayth 16. a Workes are made perfect with Christes bloud 31. a. without Christ in Gods sight damnable 70. a Workes our witnesses before God 69. a. a shew of fayth 55. a. cannot be separated from fayth 42. b. declare fayth 402. a. declare Gods goodnes 67. b. expressed by fayth 413. b. cannot bee done without fayth 73. b. where true fayth is 411. b. folowe true fayth 68. a. spryng from true fayth vniuersally 41. b. folow iustification 45. a Workes looked on 162. b. not to be presumed vpon 11. a. cannot fulfill the law 249. b. deserue not the reward promised 218. a Workes of the law iustifie not 41. a. 195. b. 185. b. and 335. a. no satisfaction for sinnes to Godward 39. a. satisfactory in no wise 398. a. deserue not the giftes of grace 386. b Workes are vnder the law 336. b Workes without the promise saue not 153. a Workes of ours can deserue nothing 333. a. must be done without hope of reward 69. a. must be done and not trusted in 85. a. must serue vs and not we them 273. b Workes all euill where faith lacketh 46. a Workes of ours how farre they extend 37. a. fulfill the law before the world 117. a. must not be done for reward 333. a. obtaine not Gods fauour 89. b Workes must procede of loue 335. b Workes to our neighbour workes to God 421. a. the fruites of lyght 392. a. of loue 88. b. of fayth 73. b Workes outward declare where true fayth is 68. b Workes whiche most meete to bee done 49. a. why they must be done 32. a Worker first of our worke GOD. 329. b Worke holy sophisters confounded 117. a Worshyp of Saintes and heathen Gods a lyke 424. a Worshyp of God truly 396. a Worshypping of Saintes 398. b. and 224. b. of the Crosse 270. b. of vncōsecrate hostes 298. b. of Images 271. a Worshypping of Images neuer established by miracles 300. b Worshypping and honoryng are one 26◠a Worshyppyng in spirite 395. b Worthy receauyng of the Sacramentes encreaseth fayth 446. b Wrath of God styrreth vp destroyers of the Church 341. b Written Scriptures must confound vnwritten verities 255. b Writyng from the begynnyng ibidem Y. YOngest best beloued of parentes 264. a Yong widowes forbidden ministration 313. b Yong Timothy made a Byshop 252. b Yuye tree a similitude 352. b Z. ZAcharias the first Pope 348. a Zeale wtout knowledge nought 87. a Zeale of righteousnes what 192. b Zeale of ceremonies may not breake vnitie 237. b Zuinglius and Oecolampadius belyed of More 473. b ¶ The end of the Table of M. Tyndals workes Imprinted at London by Iohn Daye dwellyng ouer Aldersgate An. 1572. ¶ Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis I D THE WORKES of the excellent Martyr of Christ Iohn Frith DIEV ET MON DRIOT His lyfe and Martyrdome 1. His booke of Purgatory Fol. 1. 2. An aūswere to Rastals Dialogue 7. 3. An aūswere to Syr Thomas More 32. 4. Hys aunswere vnto Fisher Byshop of Rochester 51. 5. A Bulwarke against Rastall 60. 6. His iudgement vpon M. Tracyes will and Testament 77. 7. A letter written from the Tower to Christes congregation 81. 8. A mirrour or glasse to knowe thy selfe 83. 9. A treatise vppon the Sacrament of Baptisme 90. 10. An antithesis betweene Christ and the Pope 97. 11. A booke of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ 107. 12. Articles for the which he dyed 170. A Table contayning the principall matters of all his workes ARISE FOR IT IS DAY The storie life and Martirdome of Iohn Frith with the Godly and learned workes and writings of the sayde Author here after ensueing THe sayd Iohn Frith was borne in Kent and was the sonne of Richard Frith Inholder in Senenock in the Countye of Kent This yong man so greatly profited in lerning that scarcely in his time there might bée anye found equall vnto him And vnto his great knowledge and learning was adioyned such an honest conuersation and godlynes of life that it was harde to iudge in whether of them he was more commendable Of the great godlines that was in him this may serue for experiment sufficient that not withstanding his other manifold and singular giftes and ornaments of the mynde in him most pregnant wherwith all hée might haue opened an easye way vnto honour and dignitie yet he chose rather wholye to consecrate him selfe vnto the Church of Christ excellently shewing forth and practising in him selfe the Precept so highly commended of the Philosophers touching the lyfe of man which life they say is geuen vnto vs in such sort that how much better the man is so much the lesse hée should liue vnto hym selfe but vnto other seruing for the common vtilitie And that we shoulde thinke a great part of our birth to bée due vnto our parentes A greater part vnto our countrey And the greatest parte of all to bée béestowed vpon the Church if we wil bee counted good men Fyrst of all he began his studie at Cambridge where he had to his tutor Stephen Gardiner who afterward was Byshop of Winchester And in the nature of this yong man being but a child God had planted meruelous
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
Pope The second that hee had done sacrilege in takyng 22. Gallyes laden with holy spiritual prelates the which would haue gone to y e councell gathered agaynst the Emperour in Lugdune The third because y e Emperour was accused of certaine articles of heresye the which bée not set out The fourth because that hee had not payed the annuall pencyon for the kingdome of Sicill Sicill the which the Pope calleth the spirituall patrimony of S. Peter in the space of ix yeares For these same thinges dyd hée depose y e Emperour and pryuate hym of all hys dignity and assoyleth all hys subiectes of their othe and obedience and commaundeth euery man not to obey hym but all men y e eyther gaue hym councell helpe or fauour to bée excommunicate cursed This is your facte this is your déede this is your doctrine in this learning you bée promoted doctours vnto this learnyng you are sworne these bookes bée read openly in your vnyuersities Marke now which of vs twayne bée traytours Eyther you that doe depose Emperours kings for such trifles yea and also make a lawe thereof and swere vnto it and compell all other to swere vnto it or els we that speake agaynst it say y e you doe wronge both to God to his blessed ordynaunce and to all noble potentates For Fyrste ye ought to bée vnder them and not they vnder you more can you not doe but repreue by Gods worde their vnlawfull factes but to depose them though they bée infydelles and heretickes haue you none authoritye Ye sée howe our master Christ and all hys blessed Apostles did vse them selues towarde vnbeléeuyng Princes they neither deposed them nor yet caused them to bee sworne vnto them What a matter is it to depose an Emperour bicause hée layeth handes of a carnall Cardinall Is not Paule and Peter as holy as all the College of you And yet for laying handes of them was no mā deposed What and if hée kéepe no peace is that a sufficiēt cause to depose hym your owne law testifieth otherwise The holy church of God hath no sworde but the spirituall sword with the whiche she doth not kill but quicken Lykewise in an other place blessed S. Ambrose sayth willyngly will I neuer forsake you but if I bee cōpelled I may not resist I may sorow I may wéepe I may wayle Agaynst weapons agaynst souldiers agaynst the Gothans my teares are my weapons For such thynges bée the defence of a Priest otherwise ought I not nor may not resist c. Blessed S. Ambrose durst not depose the Emperour neither for laying hand of him nor yet for heresie neither for defendyng the liberties of holy Church But S. Ambrose was a simple foole knew not what the liberties of the Church ment nor yet what the holy spirituall fleshe of Cardinals is worth and therfore hée could do nothing but wéepe wayle But if hée had béene halfe so wise as I read of a certaine Bishop of Salisbury was hée had done more in this matter In the tyme of kyng Richard the second it chaūced a baker of London to beare horsebread in a basket and there came a seruaunt of the Byshop of Salisbury and tooke by violence a loafe frō hym The baker asked why hée dyd so hée made hym none aunswere but brake his head the pore felow cryed for helpe against this violence whereby the people were moued in the strete to come out kéepe the kinges peace so that the Byshops seruaunt was compelled to flye into a house Neuerthelesse the people moued at this great violence caused the Constable to come for to take hym to bryng him to prison but anone the Maior and the Shriues came and pacified the multitude and so departed did the Byshops seruaunt no more hurt Notwithstandyng the Byshop of Salisbury and the Archbyshop of Yorke were so moued with the Citie for makyng an asaute to the Bishops house that they made such a cōplaynt to the kynges grace that hée put the Maior and both the Shriues out and set in a Knight called Syr Edward to rule y t Citie and all this was done for a horseloafe What shall a mā say to the pacience of these spiritual men They doe open violence they breake the kynges peace they robbe men of their goodes yea that in the kynges chamber and also in the kynges hygh strete to the great disdayne of iustice to the rebuke of the kyng and to the great dispeasure of his subiectes and yet they can packe the matter so that they bée white sonnes and other men must suffer for it I can beléeue none otherwise but that they haue witched the worlde that men could neither heare nor sée For if this bée not a shamefull fact I can not tell what is shamefull It had becommed them a great deale better to haue punished their seruaūt in example of all other But that was neuer the wont of the spirituall Churche and yet they will accuse all other men of insurrection but I dare say there was no rebellion in this Realme this v. C. yeares if the kyng had displeased them but they were at the begynnyng of it We doe read in the time of kyng Henry the second that hée required of his spirituall Byshops that none of them should departe out of y t land but they should finde hym sureties that they should purchase nothyng to the hurt of the kyngs person his Realme But the spirite of the spirituall fathers would not agrée to it but rather founde the meanes that Pope Alexander the thyrd the whiche was an vsurper of the sea of Rome condemned this article for heresie and afterward one of the Bishops but agaynst his will dyed for this and such lyke articles mo and you declared him a stynkyng martyr but of this holy martyr I wil speake more an other time If this bée obedience to Princes to intende and purpose to betray them and their Realmes then are ye the best obedient children that euer were But if makyng of dissention debate and strife settyng men togither by the eares assoylyng men of their othe towarde their Princes may be cause of insurrection and treason then are ye the master of all masters and the best conueyers of all iugglers What true Englishe hart would thinke but that the kynges request was both godly lawfull what learnyng is able to defende the contrary Standeth it not with our fidelity that we owe toward our Prince yea with the truth that we owe to our father and mother to our brethren and sisterne and to all our coūtrey men Doth not our othe made to our Prince bynde vs to it yet you will not agrée to it but all your bookes must rather bee fulfilled with contrary doctrine and all men must bée cōdēned for heretickes that speaketh agaynst thē Beleeue me if I were your mortall enemy as you reken me to
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
came to teach both Peter and Paule learned his Disciples not to vse thē selues as Lordes but as seruauntes And marke the occasion that hée had There bée two newe Disciples brought vnto him and the old beyng not yet perfite thought scorne that these two should sit aboue all other y e one of the right hand and the other of the left hād But our master Christ reproueth this proude stomacke of theirs very straitely saying How y e Princes rulers of the infidels hath power ouer their subiectes but so shal not ye For hée that will bée greatest amōg you shal bée least Here our master Christ learneth none hypocrisie that they shold bée called lest in name and bée greatest in very déede but hée will that this doctrine shalbée expressed in their déedes My Lord the pope calleth him selfe in woordes the seruaunt of all seruauntes but in very déede hée wil bée Lord ouer all Lords Yea and my Lordes Byshops will bée sworne to hym as vnto a Lord they wil reken them selues periured if they burne not all them that will take the Pope but for a seruaunt Is not this a marueilous hypocrisie to bée called seruaunt of all seruauntes and yet desire for to bée taken as Lord and Kyng ouer all Kynges Yea and vnto this bée our Byshops sworne because they wil bée obedient to their Princes But and their consciences were rypped you should finde no mā sit there as a Kyng but my losell the Pope And we poore men must bée cōdemned for reprouyng of this And why Verely because my Lords haue sworne to hym agaynst their Prince and all his true subiectes But howe standeth it with your othe toward your Prince for to bée sworne to the Pope which is not all onely an other Lorde but also contrary yea and as the worlde now is the greatest mortall ennemy that our Prince hath For I dare say that if this wretched Clemēt could drowne our noble Prince with one worde it shoulde not bée longe vndone sine Clementia The common sayinge went in Hamburgh that this caytyfe hath not al onely excōmunicated our noble prince but also geuen away the kingdome to an other And this facte must you defende for you are sworne to y e Pope Yea I dare say if you had conuenient occasion you would declare your fidelitie I doe Iudge after your factes that you haue done to kinges in tymes past whensoeuer that you had power might to bring to passe y e which you haue conceiued agaynst your Prince If you thinke I iudge a mysse or els doe you wrong let me bée put to my proofe and you shall sée what an heape of holy factes y e I will bring you out of your own chronicles and bookes for the which you will bée lauded and praysed hyely that you haue so faythfully stucke vnto this dānable Idole of Rome Yea I dare say it had béene heresie within this two yeares to haue written or sayd thus much agaynst the lymme of the deuyll on our princes side This all y e worlde can testefye wherefore I thinke you will put me to no tryall But to your othe Howe doth it stand with your allegyance toward your prince to bee sworne to the Pope your owne lawe sayth that a lege man can make none othe of fydelytye to none other man but to his owne kinge Moreouer you doe remēber your othe made vnto your prince wherein you doe renounce all clauses wordes and sentences made vnto the Pope which may bée hurtfull or preiudiciall to his highnes How agréeth these ij othes you may set them togither as well as you cā but I know no waies to auoyde your periury For the very truth is that the kinges grace and his councell considering your othe made to the Pope to bée periudiciall to his regall power causeth you in your othe afterwarde made vnto him to reuoke those thinges that you haue afore sworne to y e Pope to declare that his grace his counsell did reckon your othe made to y e pope to bée against him therfore he maketh you to reuoke it by name naming the same othe also the same Pope So that you may clearely perceiue how that our prince doth suspect you for your othe making And in very déede the popes meaning yours was none other but for to betray y e king and his realme And therfore as soone as there was any variance betwéene y e king y t pope thē were you first of all assoyled of your allegyance dew vnto our king and that absolucion was blasen and blowen preached and taught throughout all the world all dores and postes must bée decked with papers and bulles for your discharge But for to helpe your Prince you could neuer bée discharged of your hereticall trayterous othe made vnto the Pope agaynst your Prince Here neither Peter nor Paule can helpe nor there is no key y e can open that locke O Lord God how haue we beene blynded thus trayterously to handle our naturall Prince But how this Caterpiller is come to bée a Lorde and hath brought kinges vnder hys féete I will speake God willyng after this in a peculiar treatyse It foloweth and to his successours lawfully and regularly entryng in After what lawe I reade in your owne bookes of law after which me thinketh there bée very few byshops made wherein I finde among all other good thinges that hée shoulde bée chaste of lyuyng méeke gentle to speake to mercyful wel learned in y t new olde testamēt and y e we shoulde not forbyd maryage nor should blame the eating of fleshe and should also beléeue that all maner of synnes as well actuall as original bée clerely forgeuē in baptysme How many of these things the Popes holines is indewed with all and how many hée aloweth his owne bookes and déedes wil testelie Wherfore I recken that your othe doth not meane this laws nor yet y e lawe that blessed S. Paule writeth of For then I recken that by the vertue of your othe you haue not béene bound to one Pope this 400. yeares so that it must folowe that you haue other lawes then blessed S. Paule speaketh of or the councell of Charthaginence to chose your Pope by the which as farre as men can recken by common experience and practice bée these In primis Hee that shall bée able to bée Pope must bée a vēgeable tyraūt neuer kéepeing peace but all wayes warryng for the defence as yée call it of S. Peters patrimonye To suffer no Prince to dwell in rest by hym but to snatch his possessions to the vnholy Church of Rome To set princes together by the eares tyll they bée both weary and then to take y e matter in his hande and neuer to make an ende tyll both partyes hath geuen some possessiōs to his holy fatherhed to assoyle the soules that hath bene slayne through his packyng And hée
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
haue charitie but y e iustified mā hée is a frée seruaunt vnto God for the loue y e hée hath vnto him The which loue séeketh not in God his owne profit nor his owne aduaūtage for then were hée wicked but séeketh alonely the wyll of God and the profite of other men and worketh neyther for loue of heauen nor yet for feare of hell For hée knoweth well that heauen wyth all the ioyes thereof is prepared from the begynnyng of the world not by hym but by hys father And it must néedes folow as contrariwyse the Infidell and the wicked man doth not worke hys wicked déedes because hée woulde haue hell or euerlasting dampnation to hys rewarde but hée woulde rather the contrary Notwithstandyng hell and euerlasting dampnation must néedes follow his wicked déedes Finally a righteous man is a frée seruaunt of Gods and worketh not as an hyerelyng For if it were possible that there were no heauen yet woulde hée doe no lesse good for his respecte is to the maker of the worlde and the Lord of all rewardes There is also an other argument and that is thys Fayth is a worke but workes doth not iustifie Ergo fayth doth not iustifie Aunswere Truth it is that we doe not meane how that fayth for his owne dignitie and for hys owne perfection doth iustifie vs. But the Scripture doth say that fayth alonely iustifieth because that it is that thyng alonely whereby I doe hange of Christe And by my faith alonely am I partaker of y e merites and mercy purchased by Christes bloude and fayth it is alonely that receaue the promyses made in Christ Wherefore wée say with blessed S. Paule that fayth onely iustifieth imputatiue that is all y e merites and goodnes grace and fauour and all that is in Christ to our saluation is imputed and reckoned vnto vs because wée hange and beléeue of hym and hée can deceaue no man that doth beléeue in hym And our iustice is not as the schoole men teacheth a formal iustice which is by fulfillyng of the lawe deserued of vs for then our iustification were not of grace and of mercy but of deseruing and of duty But it is a iustice that is reckened imputed vnto vs for y e fayth in Christ Iesus and it is not of our deseruyng but clearely and fully of mercy imputed vnto vs. Now most honorable gracious Prince I haue declared vnto your highnes what faith it is that doth iustifie vs before God and also brought for my sentēce not alonely the blessed word of God the which were sufficient in this cause but the exposition of holy Doctours that your grace might sée that I am not moued to this opinion of a light cause nor that this doctrine of myne is so new as men hath noted it Moreouer I haue declared vnto your grace how that I woulde haue good workes done would not haue a Christen mans life to bée an idle thyng or els a life of vncleannes but I would haue them to bée chaunged into all vertue and goodnes and to liue in good workes after the commaundement will of God So that your grace may well perceiue that myne aduersaries hath not reported truely on me when they haue sayd how that I would that men should neither fast nor pray nor geue almes nor yet bée penitent for their sinnes I haue neuer sayd it nor yet taught no lyke sentence I take God to recorde my workes and my déedes and all my writynges that euer I wrote or made Wherfore I doubt not if it please your grace graciously to here me but that I wil proue them vntrue in this cause many other mo This doth almighty God know to bée true Who euer preserue your moste royall maiestie in honour and goodnes Amen What the Church is and who bee therof and whereby men may know her THe name of the holy church haue those mē of long tyme vsurped presumptuouslye and w t out all shame they were the greatest enemyes that holy church could haue in earth For they did no more agrée w t the maners of holy church then darknes and light then God and y t deuyll For where holy church hard no man but Christ onely They would heare all manner of men sauing Christ and neuer heare him except it weare to to their profit or glory Where as holy church was ruled in this world they would rule all the world where as holy church would bée holy by Christ onely they would bée holy by their owne helpe And where as holy church was allwayes despised and persecuted of the world They would bée honored of y t world and persecuters of all men And where as holy church was inwardly decked with spiritual vertues they would bée outwardly shinyng in spirituall araye And where as holy church would bée chaste in spryte they would with their mouthes vow chastite and spend all their liues in whore dome And where as holy church dyd allwayes shew méekenes in the worlde they would bée so proude y t hart could deuise no more Breifely whatsoeuer thing y e was agreable with the church of that had they neuer a crumme but allonely by violence vsurped the name of holy church So that if a man had had a crowne or a long goune and a white smock ouer his gowne thē was there no remedy but hée must nedes bée of the church yea and holy church her self So y e if a Barber had made a Bul a crowne a Taylor Iack napes a lōg gowne brought an Asse forth in a white rochet thē no mā might dout but y e there were holy church euerye man must fall downe to receyue clene remission a poena and a oulpa toties quoties for there came the successours of Peter Paule and they that haue the despensatiō of Christes bloud and the merites of holy saints and y e suffrages of holy church to distribute and the key bearers of heauē and hell Who can denye but this is truth It is to opē to néede an probation for wee sée it dayly before our eyes So that if a man will compare our M Christ y t is y e very head of holy church vnto these Prelates that call them selues his viccars hée shall finde but smale agréement betwéene the person and the vicar and hée that will consider S. Peter and S. Paule withall other Apostels shall think that eyther they were none of holy Church or els our prelals for they agrée in nothing Yea hée may reckē that S. Peter S. Paule were starke fooles ryght mad men that liued so despectuous a lyfe What néede me to make many wordes or to tell their names that I speake of There is no doubt but that galde horse will béewray hym selfe But shortly if the deuyll would come in his owne person disguised tell me how it were impossible that hée could bée more contrary to Christ and hys apostels
very head of the Church this is the Church that can not erre c. Here it is open that the counsell may erre and that a priuate person hauing scriptures for hym is to bée heard before the Pope and also y e coūsell hauing no scriptures for them you haue also what is the very trew Church which can not erre which thing can not bée veryfyed of your counsels for they bée neyther without errour nor yet the holy Church but that they doe represēt the Church as a legate representeth a kings person but of that followeth not that hée is y e king or hath as much power as the king or is aboue The king or that he may rule the king this may also bée proued by S. Augustine whose words bée these those counselles that bée gathered in euery Prouince must without doubt geue place to the auctoritie of the ful counsels which bée gathered of all Christendom and also those full counsels oft tymes must bée amended by the full counsels that come after if any thyng bée opened by any experience that was a fore shut and if any thing bée knowen that was hydden And this may bee done without any shadowe of supersticious pride without any boasted Arrogancy with out any contentiō of malicious enuy but with holy méekenes with holy peace and with Christen charitye c. Here it is playne that your full coūsels may bée amended and reformed y e which thing néede not if they could not erre yea and if they did not erre in déede Moreouer you must néedes graunt that there is a rule where by your counsels must bée exammined where by sentence must bée geuen which of your councels bée true and which false by the which rule if your counsels bée not ordered they must néedes erre and bée false and of the deuill Wherfore gather all your coūsels togither and yet of them can you not make holy church But peraduenture there may bée many in your coūsels good and perfite men and of holy Churche but they and you togither make not the vnyuersall holy church that can not erre neither haue you any anctoritie ouer holy Church further then the holy scripture of God but as soone as you forsake Christ and his holy worde so soone are you the congregation of the deuyll and théeues and murtherers and yet for all this there must néedes bée an holy church of Christ in earth that is neyther bounde to Ierusalem nor to Constantinople nor yet to Rome as though shée were lyke vnto the Asse and the fole But now wyll there bée obiected that our Mayster Christ commaundeth if my brother offende mée that I shoulde complayne to the church Now is this church that I haue set out spirituall and no man knoweth her but God onely shée is also scattered thorow out the worlde wherfore how can a man complayne to that church I aunswere our M. Christ doth playnely speake of a man that hath wronge the which must néedes bée a perticuler and a certayne man and therefore likewyse hée biddeth hym complayne not to the vniuersall church but to the perticular church Now this particular church if shée bée of God and a true member of the vniuersal church shée will iudge righteously after Christes worde and after the probations brought afore her Neuerthelesse oftētymes cōmeth it to passe y ◠this particular church doth fully and wholy erre and iudgeth vnryght and excommunicateth him that is blessed of god as it is open in your owne lawe whose wordes bée these oftētymes hée that is cast out is within and hée that is within is kept without c. Here haue you playnely y e the particular church may erre Wherefore that church that can not erre is all only the vniuersall church which is caulled the communion and the felowship of Saintes the which addition was made by holy fathers for in Ciprians time was there no mention of it by all likelyhode to declare the presumption of certayne men and of certayne congregations that reckened themselues to bée holy church Wherfore my Lordes sée well to it least the holy Ghost haue pricked you wyth thys addition for you haue alwayes made your selfe holy church yea and that wythout any holines Now haue I declared vnto you what is holy church that is the congregation of faithfull men thorowout all y e world and whereby shée is holy that is by Christes holynesse and by Christes bloud and also what is the cause that shée can not erre because that shée kepeth her selfe so fast to the worde of God whiche is a perfite a true rule Nowe must we declare by what signes and tokēs that we may know that in this place or in that place there bée certeine members of this holye church For though shée bée in her self spirituall ▪ and can not bée perfitely knowen by our exteriour senses yet neuerthelesse we may haue certeine tokens of her spirituall presence whereby we may recken that in this place and in that place bee certeine of her members As by a naturall example though the soule of man in her selfe bée spirituall inuisible yet may we haue sure tokens of her presence as hearyng mouyng speakyng smellyng with such other So likewise where the word of God is truely and perfitely preached without the damnable dreames of men and where it is well of the hearers receiued also where we sée good woorkes that doe openly agrée with the doctrine of the Gospell these bée good and sure tokēs whereby we may iudge that there bée some men of holy Church As to the first whereas the Gospell is truely preached it must néedes light in some mens hartes as the prophete witnesseth my word shall not returne agayne to me frustrate but it shall doe all thyng that I will and it shall prosper in those thynges vnto the which I did send it Also S. Paule sayth fayth cōmeth by hearyng and hearyng commeth by the word of God and therfore it is open in holy Scripture that when Peter spake the wordes of God the holy ghost fell downe on them all Wherfore it is open that Gods worde can neuer bée preached in vayne but some men must néedes receiue it and thereby bée made of holy Churche though that men doe not know them neither by their names nor yet by their faces for this word is receiued into their hartes The second token is that the receiuers of this woord doe worke well thereafter as S. Paule declareth of his hearers when you receiued of vs the word wherewith God was preached you receiued it not as the word of men but euen as it was in déede the word of God whiche worketh in you that beléeue So that if men doe worke after the worde of God it is a good token that there bée men of the Churche though that we hypocrisie is so subtile and so secret may bée oftentymes deceiued by these
bée dons without any errour and that no man should doubt in it hée gaue them the holye ghost saying these wordes whose sinnes you doe forgeue shall bee forgeuen whose sinnes you doe retaine shall bée retained To these wordes addeth S. Luke Thē opened hée their wytte that they might vnder stand the Scriptures so that where S. Iohn sayth hée gaue them the holy ghost Luke sayeth hée opened their wytte to vnderstand Scripture It foloweth in Luke thus thus is it written that Christe must suffer death and rise agayne the thyrd day that repentaūce remission of sinnes shoulde bée preached in hys name among all nations Now where Saint Iohn sayth whose sins you doe loose shall bée loosed c. That sayth Luke in these wordes remissiō of sinnes must bée preached in hys name So that whose sinnes you doe loose shal bée loosed is nothyng els but that you must preach remission of sins in my name and as many as receiue this word you shall loose them by this word as many as doe not receiue it you shall bynde them by that same word That this is the sentence of these two places it is opē by that that they speake all of one story of that thyng that was done all in one day This doth also S. Paule prooue wel where hée reciteth the wordes of Luke saying Christ must néedes suffer ryse agayne from death and this Iesus is Christ Here is it plaine that s Paule losed men from their sinnes by preaching remissiō through Christ so that you haue openly here the practise of the holy Apostles how they did bynde loose by preaching the word of God They did bynde with the word when it was not beléeued They dyd loose by the worde when it was beléeued Thus dyd they by one word preache both saluation and damnatiō but vnto diuers men This vertue of the worde doth S. Paule declare in these wordes we are vnto God the swéete sauour of Christe both among them that are saued and also among them which perish To the one part are we the sauour of death vnto death vnto the other parte are we the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe What is this sauour nothyng els but the Gospell which is vnto one sauour of lyfe that is nothyng els but loosing and remission of sinnes And vnto the other it is the sauour of death vnto death that is occasion of bynding and reteinyng in sinne This doth Paule also declare in an other place The preachyng of the crosse is to them that perish foolishnes But vnto vs whiche are saued it is the power of God What is y e power of God nothyng els but remission and losing from our sinnes What is foolishenes nothyng els but they despise the Gospell recken it of no value and of no power Wherfore they remayne bound in their sinne Thus is it declared that one word of God worketh in diuers mē diuers operatiōs In y e one it worketh lyfe y e is remission of sinnes in the other worketh it death is taken for foolishnes that is it declareth them bounde and retained in their dānable sinnes and yet in him selfe hée is of one goodnes and of our nature but the diuersitie commeth of them that bée the receiuers This may bée proued by a naturall example The dew of heauē cōmeth downe indifferently vppon all grounde but in the one it bryngeth forth good corne swéete frutes and in the other it bryngeth forth nettles brombilles that bée nothyng worth but to the fier This exāple haue you in the epistle to the Hebrues for this same purpose Likewise by one word doe the holy Apostles Christes ministers loose and bynde but this doe they not by charmyng coungeryng iugglyng and whyslyng absolutions as you doe But by preachyng the holy word of God which when it is beléeued doth quiet and loose our conscience from all sinne and offereth it vs through Christ onely But when it is not beléeued then doth it bynde vs and retaine vs in sinne So that this holy worde is the very true keye of heauen for by it heauen is opened and shut This doth Chrisostome wel prooue in these wordes The key is the word and the knowledge of Scriptures whereby the gate of veritie is opened vnto men c. S. Augustine doth also witnes the same saying These keyes hath bée geuen to the Churche that what shée byndeth in earth shall bée bound in heauē and what shée looseth in earth shall bée loosed in heauen that is to say who soeuer doth not beléeue that his sinnes bée forgeuē hym in the Churche they bée not forgeuen hym But hée that doth beléeue and auerte him selfe from his sinnes beyng with in the Church by that same fayth and amendement is hée made whole c. Here haue you openly that by bée leeuing the worde of God our sinnes bée loosed by vnbeléefe bée we boūde in our sins But now must we search to whom these keyes bée geuen They may not all onely bée geuen to Peter for then Paule and the two sonnes of thunder had them not Nor they may not bee geuen to one more then to the other For Christ was indifferent and they were all his Apostles their confession was all one Wherfore no doubt but these keyes weare geuen vnto all Christes Apostles vnto the whole Church as S. Augustine doth declare openly vpon Iohn This may bée also proued by the wordes of your owne lawe which bée these if Peter haue power all onelye to binde and to loose then doth it not the Church But if this bée donne in the Church then did Peter when hée receaued y e keyes sygnifie holy chucrh c. Heare haue you openly that Peter had not onely the keyes but hée receiued them in the name of the Church Wherefore they béelong to all Christen men This doth Origene well prooue in these wordes Tu es Petrus c. These wordes were spoken vnto Peter vnto all Apostles vnto all maner of perfect faythfull men for all they are Petrus in all them is builded the church of Christ and agaynst none of them can the gates of hell preuayle Doost thou recken that y t keyes of heauen were all onely geuen to Peter and that no other Christen man did receaue them c. Here is it clearely that all Christen men bée Peter and all they haue receyued the keyes of heauen and hell can not preuayle agaynst them S. Augustine doth also testifie the same in these wordes Wherefore the church which is founded and grounded in Christ of hym hath receyued in Peter the keyes of heauen that is to say power to bynde and loose c. Thus is it playne that those keyes are geuē to y e whole church of Christ for her fayth and they bée the cōmon treasure of the Church and béelonge no more to one man then to
scattered far and long in her trew head Christ Iesus taught hath learned not to feare the contâ—…elyes of the Crosse nor yet of death but more and more is shee strengthned not in resistyng but in sufferyng c. 250. col 2 The Popes law sayth Therfore is the Church holy because shee beleueth righteously in God c. 246. col 2 The Popes law sayth The whole Church can not erre Also in an other place of the congregation of faythfull men must needes bee which also caÌ„ not erre c. 247. col 2 ¶ That the keyes of the Churche bee the Woorde of God and not mans power HIerome sayth vppon these wordes I shall geue thee the keyes of heaueÌ„ This place the Byshops the Priests not vnderstanding haue vsurped vnto them somewhat of the Phariseis pride so that they thinke that they may condemne innocentes and loose them that bee giltie wheÌ„ beefore God not the sentence of the Priest but the lyfe of the giltie is regarded c. 257. col 2 Augustine sayth That must bee called a key where by the hardnes of our hartes are opened vnto fayth where by y t secretnes of myndes are made manifest A key it is sayth hee the whiche doth both open the conscience to the knowledge of sinne and also includeth grace vnto the wholsomnes of euerlastyng mistery c. 258. col 1 This doth Chrisostome well proue in these wordes Thâ— key is the word the knowledge of Scriptures wherby the gate of veritie is opened vnto men c. 261. col 1 Augustine doth also witnes the same saying These keyes hath hee geuen to the Church that what shee byndeth in in earth shall bee bounde in heaueÌ„ and what shee looseth in earth shal bee loosed in heaueÌ„ that is to say who soeuer doth not beleeue that his sinnes bee forgeuen hym in the Church they bee not forgeuen hym But hee that doth beleeue and auerte hym selfe from hys sinnes beyng within the Churche by that same fayth and amendement is he made whole c. 261. col 1 Origene vpon these wordes Tu es Petrus c. The wordes were spoken vnto Peter vnto all Apostles vnto all maner of perfect faythfull men for all they are Petrus and in all them is builded the Church of Christ and agaynst none of them can the gates of hell preâ—ayle Doost thou reckeÌ„ that the keyes of heauen were alonely geuen to Peter and that no other Christen maÌ„ dyd receaue them c. 261. col 2 Augustine doth also testifie the same in these wordes Wherfore the Church whiche is founded and grounded in Christ of hym hath receiued in Peter the keyes of heaueÌ„ that is to say power to bynde and loose c. 261. col 2 Chrisostome sayth The key bearers are Priestes vnto whom is committed the word to teach and to interprete Scripture c. 262. col 2 Ambrose sayth Sinnes bee forgeueÌ„ by the word of God whose interpreter is the Deacon c. 262. col 2 Chrisostome sayth Behold I see meÌ„ that haue no trew sence of holy Scripture yea they vnderstand nothyng at all therof to passe ouer many things for I am ashamed to call them madde men triflers and wranglers they bee such as know not what they say nor of what thyng they speake but alonely bee they mightye and bolde to make lawes and to curse and coÌ„demne those thynges of the whiche they know nothyng at all c. 265. col 2 The Popes â–ª law sayth If Peter haue power alonely to bynde and to loose then doth it not the Church But if this bee done in the Church then did Peter wheÌ„ hee receaued the keyes signifie holy Church c. 261. col 2 ¶ That free will of man after the fall of Adam of his naturall streÌ„gth can doe nothyng but sinne beefore God AVgustine sayth Lest any maÌ„ should suppose that the braunche of hym selfe could bryng forth at y t lest wayes a litle srute therfore saith hee nor with out me can you doe a litle but without we caÌ„ you doe nothyng Therefore whether it bee litle or much without him can it not bee done without whoÌ„ is nothyng done One of two thinges must the braunche needes doe either abyde in the vyne or els burne in the fire if it bee not in the vyne then is it in the fire c. 267. col 1 Barnarde sayth What shall we say is this alonely all the merite of freewill that hee doth alonely coÌ„sent yea doubtles Not that the same consent in the which is all his merite is not of God when that we can neither thinke the which is lesse then to coÌ„sent any thing of our selues as though we were sufficient of our selues These wordes bee not myne but the Apostles the whiche geueth vnto God and not to his free-will all maner of thinges that can bee good that is to say to thinke to will or to performe c. 267. col 2 Augustine sayth What goodnes can hee doe that is lost except that hee bee deliuered from his miserie Can hee doe good by his freewill God forbyd for man euill vsyng hys freewill dyd both loose him selfe and also his freewil and as man beeyng alyue doth kil him selfe and when he hath killed him selfe hee can not make hym selfe alyue agayne So likewise when we doe sinne by freewil and sinne hath the victory then is freewill cleane lost for of whom a man is ouercome vnto hym must hee bee seruaunt Doubtles this sentence is of Peter the Apostle the which seeing that it is true I pray you what maner of freedome caÌ„ a bonde seruaunt haue except it bee when it pleaseth him to sinne c. 268. col 1 Augustine sayth O cursed freewill without God we haue experieÌ„ce what freewil can doe without God therfore are we miserable because we haue experience what freewill is able to doe without God Behold maÌ„ was made good by his freewill was hee made an euill man When shall an euill man by his freewill forsaking God make a man good hee beeyng good could not keepe him selfe good and now that he is euill shall hee make him selfe good when that hee was good hee kept not hym selfe good and now that hee is euill shall hee say I make my selfe good c. 268. col 2 Augustine sayth Hee that feedeth without mee feedeth agaynst mee c. 269. col 2 Augustine sayth Thou wilt say that can my will doe that can my freewill doe What will what manner of free-will except that hee guide thee thou fallest except hee lift thee vp thou lyest stil How canst thou then doe it by thy spirite seeing that the Apostle saith As many as bee led by the spirite of God bee the children of God Wilt thou doe of thy selfe Wilt thou bee led of thyne owne selfe to mortifie the deedes of the flesh what will it profite thee
is built Bindyng and losyng how it is to be vnderstand The keyes Behold here Antichrist how he wresteth the Scriptures Christes power is 〈◊〉 saue sinners Of this maner iuggleth â—ee with all textes At the sufferyng of Christ the offeryng of sacrifices ceremonies â–ª ceassed for Christ offered hym selfe once for all Christ gaue all his Apostles like authoritie To bynde and lose is to preach Christ sent out all hys Apostles not Peter â—â—â—nâ— Note We are bound to forgeue our neighbours aswell as Peter was Christ builded his Churche vpon the confession of Peter not vppon Peter A woman hath power to bynd How 〈…〉 man may bynde and lose To bynde the conscience and to reproue opeÌ„ sinners perteineth to the congregation Reasons that Peter was not y â— greatest by authoritie geuen hym of Christ Peter had first his seate at Antioche Christes power is in the Gospel Paul is called to helpe In the presence of the greater the power of the lesser doth 〈◊〉 Paule is made equal felow with Peter Peters seate what it is Peters seate Peters doctrine Peters keyes are all but one thyng Peters seate is Christes Gospell The Pope sitteth in thâ— deuils seate whose Vicare he is Purgatory The Pope sayth that Purgatory â—s in â—arth Vowes Othes TestameÌ„ts The Pope altereth meÌ„s willes testameÌ„ts at his pleasure The popes marchaundise Vnion The great and shamefull abuse of â—bbeyes DispeÌ„sations purchased of the Pope Choppyng and chaungyng vsed by the pope The wicked bestowing of benefices by the Pope The church can â—ot erre The Pope sayth that the Scripture is true not of it selfe but because he alloweth 〈◊〉 approueth it A similitude This doctrine the papistes vsed in those dayes The câ—â—mon and 〈◊〉 and â—…ching of â—he Papistes The Abbotes keep the monks in ignoraÌ„ce and the bisshops y e priestes â—alne ioyned w t pain maketh â—â—yne nothing The vse of vniuersities â–ª Prouiso S. Tho. de Aquino Saintes Thomas of Canterbury Tho. â—eâ—ket Tho. Wolsey copared together The Pope rewardeth his seruaÌ„ts highly wheÌ„ they be dead Policie The practise of little master parson K. Herold Robert of CaÌ„terbury Remission of sinnes to conquere England Note here how well Christ and the pope agre Christ biddeth saue the pope biddeth kill The pope is a cruell mercilesse tyrant Anselmus a chapleine of y e popes ☜ The pope is well pleased to admit priestes to haue whores but not wiues Note here the pryde and wickednes of the Pope Remission of sinnes to coÌ„quere England Thomas Arundell Practise of Prelates The popes clergy are secret and subtile conspirators ☞ A trayterous practise ☜ The Papistes are styrers vppe of warres sheders of bloud Duke HuÌ„frey Papistes are cruell A Parliament kept at Bury The death of Homfrey Duke of Gloucester protectour of the Realme of England This is Syr Tho. More The Clergy cannot abyde them that can iudge talse miracles Thre causes why the Duke of Gloucester was murthered The Pope is the whore of Babylon An other practise of Prelates Popes haue deposed Emperours and lykewise Emperours haue deposed Popes No man may rebuke the Pope for any mischief that he doth Venetians The Pope may geue and take agayne at hys will pleasure The Venetians â—aâ—e not for the popes cursing nor blessing FrenchmeÌ„ EnglishmeÌ„ The practise of the pope with all kinges princes The pope a breaker of peace The abuse of the sacrament How y â— sacrament should be broken betwene kinges and princes The Pope would not haue the Emperour to strong Remission of sinnes cleane deliuerance out of puâ—gatoâ—ye A frier Forest or a vicar of Croiden Popish practises Dissembled â—ruce Henry v. K. Henry v. conquered more then the prelates thought he would do Henry vi The crafty practise of the popes legate The mariage of king Henry vi The Duke of Glocester trayterously murthered ☜ Frier Bongaye Cruel war betwene k. Henry and the erle of Warwike Confession in the eare was a wicked inuention Lycence of the Pope for xiiij to study Nicromancy A subtile practise of Prelates He meaneth Cardinal Wolâ—ey Leut. 2â— Deut. 28. 29. A practise of the Prelates with their poore Priestes Thomas Wolffe The description of Cardinall Wolsey The kings byrth calked by the Cardinall Byshops talke kings natiuities Kyng Henry the viij had Cardinall Wolsey in great estimation The maner practise of Cardinal Wolsey The kyng is betrayed The quene is betrayeâ— Note this deuilish practise The Byshop of Lyncolne Cardinall Wolsey ruled altogether K. Lewes Pope Iulye This is a true story The new Thomas Maximilian the Emperour was K. Henry 〈◊〉 his souldier Remission of sinnes Note here the subtletie craft of the pope Now King Henry 8. with aâ— his army was abused The Prelates see euer before-hand what is like to folow Papistes are great forecasters of perils Practise The kinges sister 〈◊〉 to Fraunce Traiterous Prelates ☜ The pomp and apparell of the Cardinall his chapâ—aines passed the xij Apostles Prelates SalutatioÌ„ Cardinall Wolsey was a subâ—… worker A certaine secreat Milane Turnay The Emperor came thorough England Nurturing of kinges Practâ—â—e The french king sendeth a defiance to K. Henry viâ— Armies sée into stance The Cardinal was the Emperours freÌ„d openly and the french kinges secreatly The sege of Pauie Pauie A false pope and leud Cardinall Pace the 〈◊〉 of Englands Ambassadour Burbon The Emperour setteth vpon y â— french king by night These shippes were english Angels of gold At the taking of the french king Te Deum was song and great triumph made in England Subtile practises of the Cardinall The marte shold haue bene at Cales A ruffelar The pride and arrogancie of Cardinall Wolsey Cardinall Wolsey a great traytor Cardinall Wolsey coÌ„mitted treason agaynst the Emperour Cardinall Wolsey preferred More to he Chauncelour Treason layd to the Cardinall charge Mortunries probate of Testamentes Pluralitie of benefices Tithes The Churchewardens haue bene accustomed to gather the tithes and to geue the Paâ—â—o his reasonable stipend and to geue the reâ— to the poore Princes haue herein much to aunswere The loane first forgeuen by the Clergie The loane forgeueÌ„ by the temporalitie The Byshoprieke of DurhaÌ„ Tunstall Byshop of Durham brent the new Testament A Bishopricke is a superfluous honor and a lew de liberty The Carnall clearely discharged DefeÌ„der of the fayth The title of the defeÌ„dour of the fayth came froÌ„ Rome The Popishe and vayne glorious maner of Cardinal Wolsey The Cardinals hat The falsest and vainest Cardinall that euer was The chirch erreth if y â— pope and bishops be the chirch Marten Luther submitted him self to king Henry viij More is proued a lyer Sir Thomas HittoÌ„ A daunce in Paris Here Tindal prayeth for y â— ceasing of persecution Tindall proâ—eth the vnderstanding of such as of right should succeed to the crowne Tindall warneth al the Cardinals secretaries to repent and turne to God A generall exhortation to all kinds of people Popish
vsed of Christ Iohn 6. The olde passeouer compared with the Supper of our Lord. Baptisme compared with Circumcision 1. Cor. 10. 11. and 12. Rom. 6. Ephes 4. Eucharistia thaÌ„kes giuyng 1. Cor. 10. and 11. 1. Tim. 1. Baptisme was figured by Circumcision and the Lordes Supper by the paschall lambe Luke 12. 1. Cor. 5. Exod. 12. Luke 22. The Paschall lambe eaten and the Sacrament instituted Twoo thynges to be considered in the Sacramentes The matter and substaunce of of the SacrameÌ„t and the signes of the 〈◊〉 â–ª The signe is called the thyng Gene. 17. Exod. 12. The scripture calleth the signe by the name of the thing that it signifieth The bread in the SacrameÌ„t called the body of Christ the wyne called the bloud of Christ â—st is takeÌ„ for significat Gene. 40. The figuratiue speches vsed in the scripture 〈◊〉 Pet. 2. Ezech. 5. The maner of speakyng in the scripturo Iohn 3. The naturall body of Christ is not in the SacrameÌ„t â–ª The Sacrament is to be receaued with thankes geuyng The vse of the supper Luke 22. Note here the whole circumstaunce of the maner and institution of the SacrameÌ„t of Christes body Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. Iohn 6. Abacuk 2. Christ declared to his disciples that he would leaue this world 〈◊〉 go to his father in heauen Scriptures are many that shewe Christ as touchyng his natural body is gone and is not here Actes 2. Christ asceÌ„ded into heauen Iohn 14. and. 16. Christ â—â—playne wordes declareth his bodely departure out of this world Christ playnlye shewed vnto the disciples that he must depart from this world to his father in heauen Christes â—…rified body is in heauen Christes 〈◊〉 scention was witnessed by many The here 〈◊〉 of Marcâ—… what it was 1. Timo. 6. 2. Timo. 2. 1. Timo. 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 11. The Supper of the Lord is the commemâ—ration and memoriall of Christes death S. Paule calleth the SacrameÌ„t bread after the consecration By one loafe of bread we are fignified to bee one body in Christ The cup of the Lord 〈◊〉 the cup of the deuill how they differte Who they are that eate of the bread and drinke of the cup vnworthely Euery 〈◊〉 did eate his own supper and not the Supper of the â—â—rd We must firste examine out stlues and theÌ„ come to the table of the Lord. Loke more of this in the Epistle to the reader If we come not thankfully and charitably vnto y t Lordes borde we eate and drinke our damnation S. Paule calleth the poore the Church of God This place the Papistes alledge to proue vnwritten be ritie More belyeth Decolampâ—dius and Zuingitus Loke more of this in the Epistle to the reader Tertulian The worâ—es of Tertulian AusteÌ„ cap. xij against â—dimâ—nt Gene. 6. Leui. 7. Deut. 12. Austen calleth Sacrament the signe of his body Homâ— 83. operitiâ— imperfectâ— Chrisostome calleth the sacrameÌ„t the signe of Christes body The confutatioÌ„ of the Papistes gloses The Papistes are wreâ—ters peruerters of the scriptures The Papistes say that the traÌ„ substantion is done by miracles All true miracles are done to let forth the glory of God Christ dyd miracles to declare hâ—m selfe to be both God and man 〈…〉 〈…〉 1. Thes 2. 1. Iohn 2. 〈…〉 scriptures The conteÌ„tious and wicked doctrine of y â— Papistes hath prouoked the lyght of gods truth to be set forth to the vnderstandyng of the people How the 〈…〉 Aâ—…â—2 The Sacrament is not vsed in these dayes as it was in the tyme of the Apostles A good doctrine for al such ministers as haue cure of soules to vse to his flocke Thankes geuyng The bread and wyne are not prophane but Sacramentes to holy vse 1. Cor. 1. A wholesome and good lesson namely for all ministers Rom. 5. At the ministration of the Sacrament let the minister exhorte all men to haue faith and lone to pray for grace I good and necessary exhortatioÌ„ to be mate to y â— people of the tâ—… they receaue the communioÌ„ None may come to the commuâ—… without y â— weddyng germent 〈◊〉 â—ayth Iohn 13. Thankesgeuyng to God Those wordes of his are in his booke that he made for y t pore soules in Purgatory Marke 42. Not who speaketh but that whiche is spoken is to be weyed most 1. Tim. 4. The holy ghost inspireth where when and on whom he pleaseth Actes 2. 1. Cor. 12. The talent of our learnyng is to be employed to the edifiyng of Christes congregation Wilfully to resist Gods worde is sinne agaynst the holy ghost Ezech. 33. Obiection Aunswere 1. Thess Our imperfection forgeuen thorough faith in Christes bloud The Byshop of Rochesters owne opinion concernyng the vnderstandyng of the scriptures in his time and long a forâ— that Actes 17. The cause of our blindnes and grosse errours 2. Thess 2. Rom. 15. Voluntary ignorauÌ„ce not to bee excused The cause of Iohn Frithes writyng against Purgatory Mans reason must be obedient to the Scriptures Aulus Gelius The rebuke of an open enemy better then the sclender prayse of a frend M. More my Lord of Rochester can not agree The Purgatoryes that God hath ordeyned Iohn 15. The Purgatory of the hart The Purgatory of the hart is fayth The Purgatory of the members Heb. 12. The Purgatory of the meÌ„bers is the crosse of Christ Psal 89. God nayleth vs to the crosse to heale our infirmities So euill was the life of the Papistes that they imagined a Purgatory for them selues The wisedome of the world foolishnes afore God Symon Fishe the maker of the booke of the Supplication of Beggers Our riches is to be bestowed on the poore Either there is no Purgatory els the Pope is mercylesse Whereat M. More first began to fume agaynst such as denye Purgatory Rastell foloweth M. More The names of the disputers in the matter of Purgatory The soÌ„me and contentes of Rastels iij. Dialogues An aunswere to Rastels Dialogue Rastels booke is either true or false If naturall reason conclude agaynst the Scripture then is naturall reasoÌ„ false Roma 5. Iohn 11. 2. Rastels boke clearely quickly confouÌ„ded Rastel beaten to the wall The first chief reason made for Purgatory Rastell Aunswere to the first argument Psal 81. 1. Thess 4. Question Math. 24. The confutatioÌ„ of Rastels first chief argument 1. Iohn 1. 1. Cor. 15. 1. Thess 4. Ephes 1. and. 5. Rastell ouerthroweÌ„ in his owne turne 3. Hebr. 1. Christ is the onely Purgatory and purger of our sins 4. Ephe. 5. A frutefull and excelleÌ„t argument 5. Ephe. 1. Christ by his election doth purge and clense vs. 6. 1. Iohn 1. Ephe. 1. Gallat 5. Roma 7. Roma 8. Roma 5. Roma 4. Psal 31. Iustification freely doth exclude Purgatory Roma 3. Obiection In aunswere to the first obiection Obiection 1. In aunswere to the second obiection 2. The Pope â—elleth Christes merites for money 3. We may not robbe God of his honour 4. Blasphemy to say Christes bloud is not full
the saints y t worshyp to stockes and stones that we should geue to God Math. 4. Glosâ— de coÌ„sec Dist. 3. c. venerabiles The blindnes ignoraunce of the malicious Papistes Math. 27. De media villa 4. sent A papistical reason well aunswered confuted An other Papisticall reason Iohn 4. Actes 19. Iob. 5. Papistes are wresters of the scriptures of God Psal 150. A foolishe papisticall argument well aunswered A foolishe reason of y e papistes Ad. Ro. c. 1. De consec Dist 3. c. perlatum Images are no more to bee worshipped theÌ„ the bookes that learned men reade 1. Tim. 1. Doctour Barnes conclusion A bold chalâ—nge of Doctour Barnes The Papistes lye manifestly displayed Iames Basil falsesied by the Papistes In regist lib. ca. 63. The simplicitie of celebratyng the communion in the primatiue Gayne and aduauntage maketh the Masse to bee the better loued of Papistes Cronic cro Fâ—sci temp Introitus Kirieleyson Diesque nostros Pater noster Fasc temp Orationes Tractus Cronic cro Gloria in excelsis Cronic cro Cronic cro Fasci temp Nicene Creede Bern. Abbas de officio Missa Cronic cro Fasâ—â— temp Sanctus Ratio di Cronic cro Fasci temp Doct. CraÌ„tz Fasci temp Sanctum sacrificium Croni cro Fasci temp Quorum solemnitas Cronic cro Cronic cro Ratio diui Qui pridiâ— quam pateretur Fasci temp Agnus Dei. Cronic cro Ambr. ad Rom. 3. Ambr. super Rom. 4. Super Rom. 2. Atha super Galat. 3. Aug. in prolâ— psal 31. De spiri lit cap. 12. â—3 quest c. 76. De spiri lit Super can â–ª ser 67. 2. quest 7. non omnes Episcopi De verb. Domi. ser 50. August ser 〈◊〉 de tempere â—yranus in Mat. cap. 〈◊〉 August de verbus Apostole ser 19. Augustinus De con D. D. 4. c. primaâ—gitur De penâ— Dis 2. Si in glosâ— 23. q. 1. Arecta iâ— glosa Hiero. in M. c. 16. August ser 〈◊〉 de sane Chriso in M. c. 15. Dâ— doctr christia li. 1. c. 15. 18. Super 〈◊〉 Origenes Super. M. Hâ— 1. Super Ioan. Trâ—… 124. c. 21. In M. c. 23. Li. de Cain Abeâ—â— Chriso s 6. de anathemate 24. q. 〈◊〉 Quodâ—uÌ„que Super Ioannem tract lxxi Barnarde lib. arbit In Enche ca. 29. De verbis Apost serâ—… De verbis Demi ser xv De verbis Apost ser xiij De temp ser lxiij De lib. arb cap. xvi De lib. arb cap. xvi De predest Cap. 8. August de verb. Apost sent xiij August Super Ioannem tract lxxxviij August ad fratres s 38. In Epis ad Ephes c. 6. In Gen. c. 9 hom 28. In Mat. c. 1. hom 2. In proâ—e In Epist. ad Ephes Li. 1. Di. 38. cap. Si iuxta 7. Sinod c. Omnes et di 38. 1. Cor. 7. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Cor. 8. Roma 15. Super Ioan. Tract 46. Hilarius in Mat. Cano. 14. Ad Paul Epist. 59. Epi. ad râ— propo 72. Ad Cornelium PapaÌ„ Ecclesiastica hist De consecr â–ª di 2. c. comperimus De consecr di 2. c. cum frangimus De consecr de 2. c. Si quocâ—esâ—umque Athanasius super 1. Cor. 7. Ciprian Epist 11. Aug. de bono coniugali ad Iulianum Ambro. 32. quest cap. 1 Integriâ—as Hie. d. 37. cap. Legans Ex tripertita historia Dist. xxxi ca. Niceâ—a Canon Apost Consilium Gangrens Canon 4. 6. Sinodus Dist xxviij c. Diaconi De vita honest clericorum Magister SeÌ„tentiarum lib. ij Dist xx Extra lib. i de filijs presbyterum c. Ad hac Ibidem cap. Litteras Imperator Constan lege Omnis Pa. Ad perangariam Codice de Epis â—le Ex tripertita historia lib. 9. cap. xxxviij Li iiij ca. xxiij Penitus Dionisius Eccle. hist lib. v. cap. xxiiij Exod. 20. Deut. 5. Esay 44. Abacuc 6. Deut. 13. Libro 5. ad Iacob Clemens in codem libro De vera reli ca. vlti Super Dani Roma 8. That we ought not to pray to Saintes 1. Iohn 2. Roma 8. 1. Cor. 1. Iohn 14. Iohn 14. Iohn 16. Iaco. 1. Psal 119. Psal 120. August de vera relig cap. vlti Apoc. 19. and. 22. Mat. 15. tom 6. ho. de profect Euange Chri. To. 6. ho. de profectu enangeliorum Ad Ro. c. 1. De electio 〈◊〉 significa Augustinus de bap li. 2. c. 3. contra Donatistas xxxiij q. ij Inter haec â—…iij q. viij Conueniter Origene Rom. 13. Dist 10. ca. Quoniam Super Gulat 4. All dayes bee a lyke Epist. c. 19. Aduersus Iudeos De consec dist 3. cap. peruenit Esay the last Math. 12. Collos 2. Galat. 4. 〈◊〉 Cor. 6. Math. 5. Athanasius S. Hiero. ad Cor. 6. Haymo ad Cor. 6. Luke 6. Psal 31. A publike offender ought to make publike satisfaction Secret offences require no secret confession for remission of them to necessitie for saluation Auricular confession is not necessary to saluation Is not this offensiue to godly eares slaunderous seditious and contumelious agaynst our fathers of the Churche What is a reproche if thys bee not Doe not the Byshoppes and Priestes vnderstand this place so manifest But pride and worldly pompe Iudas gayne maketh them as blynd as bittles to see any trueth To the fire to the fire with hym without any farther hearyng for wee must not dispute with heretickes And this felow is an notorious hereticke for hee sayth that all y e faythfull bee Peters successours whiche if it shoulde bee so let passe y t ChristiaÌ„s will come and take awaye your place and dignitie Wherfore you will deny him in this place because hee teacheth agaynst the determination of the Church O you Inquisitours of heresie awake it is brodeÌ„ day you sleepe to long Here you haue the originall of your secret confession whiche the Church of God knew not by the space of 300. yeares I say not this as vtterly condemning it yea rather as approuyng it but I doe teach it not to bee necessary to our saluation A notorious exaÌ„ple what mischief commeth by the single lyfe of the Clergy men Doth hee not here lyuely set forth our holy MoÌ„kes What maner of fast is yours who fare so deÌ„tely with your fishe who would not rather fast with you and to eate of a turbate theÌ„ with vs to eate porke or baken coÌ„pare one excesse to the other yet forsoth doe you seme to fast Beholde how manifestly by this Councell not y t eaters of flesh but the superstitious abstainers are counted heretickes Prou. 26. So you dâ— here condemne those for heretickes whoÌ„ Christe crowneth for saintes And you onely cast out y t faithfull and beleeuyng but whoremoÌ„gers and adulterers you blesse For if you should cast out all theÌ„ your church would bee but small