procedinges and the Lawes and Ordres of this Realme which haue graunted Tenthes and Tythes to many Ley persones Therfore this my sayeng as it may be taken iustly by the wordes and sentences as they be put I wyl not nor entend to defende nor aueere the same but I requyre that I may put theym and declare theim gently that I ment not in these my sayinges of any Lay men to the derogation of the Lawes and Statutes of this Realme but I ment only of Curates and Preestes which receyuing their Tythes do not their dutyes accordingly And where also in my sayd booke of Traditions and lykewyse in my boke of the Sacrifice of the Masse I folowyng Damascene and other Auncient Authors wrote that the Disciples of Christ dyd make certayne Canons which saint Clement dyd gether togither and put in writyng and that these same Canons must be taken for the Appostles doctrine and techyng and their woordes without doubt to be beleued kepte as that which is coÌ„teyned expressely in scripture Now hauynge red many thynges whiche at that tyme I had not diligently marked wayed I doo thinke affirme and coÌ„fesse that doctrine to be not trew but a vayne vnlawfull vniust and vnportable burdein to Christen consciences And that those Canons pretended to be of thappostles making and gatherd of saint Clement not to be made of thappostles or if they were not to be made otherwise than but for an order in the Church for that tyme not euer for to endure wherof many at this tyme in no wyse be too be obserued And those which do remayne not to be of that force as Gods lawe to charge mens conscieÌ„ces otherwise then as mans Ordinaunces and Policie whiche may be taken away by Superior powers aswel with so lytle scruple of coÌ„science as other of them which many yeres a go were taken away to sum clene contrary lawes made In the said boke of Traditions also I sayd affirmed that Christ and his Appostles taught and lefte to the church many thingê without writyng which we must both beleue stedfastly also fulfyll obediently vnder payne of dampnation euer to endure Amongest the which I rehersed by name a greate nomber to be obeyed kepte folowed as the obseruation of Lent from flesh or wyne the kepyng of the SacrameÌ„t in the Pyx the receyuing of it at the preestes handes the hallowyng of the water in the Font the thrise dippyng of the Chylde in the water at the Christenyng the puttyng on of the Chrisome the Consecration of the Oyle Anoyntyng of the christened chylde the hallowyng of the Aulters the prayeng towardes the East the Sensyng of the aultare the Wasshyng of the handes sayeng Confiteor and lifting vp of the Sacrament at the Masse the makyng of Holy Water That the. xii Appostles euery man a peace for his portioÌ„ made the Crede many mo besydes these And after lyke sorte I spake of Canons Decrees and Ordinaunces of bysshops and generall counsels Now I do confesse the saide doctrine as concernyng thobseruyng of the sayd Traditions vnder that payne to be false and Tirannicall an vniust vnlawfull and vntrew burdein of mens consciences not fit to be taught preched or defended Lykewyse of the beleuynge of thinges where I dyd say that there are diuerse thynges not expressed in the scripture which we are bouÌ„de to beleue egally with those thynges which arr written in Scripture in the nomber of which I dyd coÌ„fusely indiseretely for an example bring some of the afore rehersed and other many As coÌ„cernyng many things in my booke put and the more nomber there by me reconed and named I affirme and say to be false and in no wyse trew but very daungerous and vniustly onerous to the consciences of christen men and too be trew only in those Doctrines which necessaryly may be gathered consequently doo folow too the wordes and sentences in Scripture so that in effect they may be iustly counted to be in scripture though the very fourme of woordes be not there Of the which in my Booke is very few yet some I dyd reherse as Baptismus pueroruÌ„ Descensus Christi ad inferos Virginitas Marie Trinitas personarum Processio Spiritus sancti and a few other And bicause I wold declare the trew acceptions dignitie and auctoritie of scripture too be distincte diuerse of higher surer more stable and firme order and credence then the other vnwritten Tradicions Assertions wandring in thobseruation of many yeres the churches canons and Decres ordinaunces and traditions left by succession Here I do declare set furth confesse affirme and asserte my trew stedfast opinion belefe and fayth in these thynges propounded vttred vnto me as concernyng scripture written and other Traditions vnwritten and not declared in the said holy Scripture The scripture of tholde and new Testament written by thinspiratioÌ„ of the Holy ghost concernyng our belefe is too be beleued accepted taken as an vndoubted truthe not to be altered refourmed or chaunged by any man nor to be minished nor abrogate by any custome but vnder perell of dampnation to be beleued and vnder the same daunger to be followed hauyng auctoritie geueÌ„ vnto it by almightie god taught enspired by the holy ghost dependyng of no mans auctoritie nor violable or defesible by any power otherwise then vnder the perell dauÌ„ger of eternall damnatioÌ„ Suche thynges as in the Actes of the Apostles or any other place of Scripture as for a tyme was taught and setfurthe for an introduction of the weake in the fayth not to remayne for euer as fayth incresed was abrogate none otherwise than it was thauctors mynde and intentes they shuld those that concerned eatyng drinkyng coueryng or discoueryng of heades or such other externe rites and ceremonyes rather concernyng an ordre among men outwardly to be for a tyme obserued than an eternall law to rule and gouerne the soule Suche thynges as sometyme be called traditions not expressely and by wordes found in holy scripture but which may necessarily and well be gathered of holy scripture are to be beleued and followed in somuche as farr as they may truly be gathered of the scripture or consequently doo follow the wourdes and intentes of the same TraditioÌ„s pretended to be made of thappostles by some authors ascribed to theym as concernyng thinges to be beleued not found in scripture directly nor necessarily directly consecutyng followyng to scripture laufully wtout perell of dampnation may be doubted of also denyed and refused by the superior powers suche as haue Auctoritie in the church There be many thinges ascribed to thappostles called traditions deduced from the tyme of thappostles read in the name of olde Authors and set furth vnder the pretensed title of their name which be feyned forged nothing trew full of superstition and vntrewth feyned by theym which wold magnify their owne power and auctoritie as
A GODLY AND Faythfull Retractation made and published at Paules crosse in London the yeare of oure Lorde God 1547. the 15. daye of May by Mayster Richard Smyth Doctor of diuinitye and reader of the Kynges Maiestyes lecture in Oxford Reuokyng therin certeyn Errors and faultes by hym committyd in some of hys bookes Londini Anno Domini M. D. XLVII Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ¶ A godly and Faithfull Retractation made and published at Paules crosse in London In the yeare of oure Lorde God M. D. xlvij the xv daye of May by M. Richarde Smyth Doctor of diuinity and reader of it in Oxforde THe holy Prophet Dauid good christen audiēce saith right truly Omnis homo mendax That is to wytt Euery man is a Lyer of his owne corrupted nature The which thing how trew it is theldest best Writers in the Christen Church doo euidently declare because they all haue erred in their bookes Wherfore the great Clerke saynt Austen in an Epipistle writen to Marcella writeth of himself Vos qui me multum diligitis si talem me asseritis vt nunquam in scriptis errasse me dicatis frustra laboratis nec bonam causam suscepistis facile meipso iudice superamini quoniā non placet mihi cum a charissimis meis talis existimor qualis non sum That is to say Yee that loue me muche if ye said that I am such that ye affirme that I neuer erred in my writyngs or Bokes ye labor in vayne ye haue not taken in hand a good cause ye are easely ouercome I my selfe being Iudge For it pleaseth not me whan I am estemed suche a man of my moast deare frendes as I am not Here we se that this blessed father saynt Austen was not ashamed to confesse his error in writing which thing he dyd not by woordes only but also in a certayne Booke wherin he wrote very many things in which he confesseth that he was deceyued This Booke is called in Latyn Liber Retractationum And in Englysh a Booke of Retractations or Reuocations of such thinges whiche he wrote amysse erred in Shall I now be ashamed to acknoledge my self to haue ben deceyued in my Booke of Traditions Am I worthy to be resembled or compared to this noble aunciente Doctor of Christes church Wyl ye not beleue S. Austen in other poyntes of our Religiō because he erred also confessed his error in dyuerse and sundry thynges of his bokes To be short who of all the Writers of bokes erred not S Ambros S Hierome Chrisostome Hilary Ciprian Origen Tertulian and all the other Doctors of the church were deceyued in some poyntes of their Bookes as learned men do well know Why therfore may nott I erre or why shulde I be ashamed too confesse myne Error and too reuoke it Ought not euery good mā and woman too bee sory for my fall in this my Booke and too reioyce with me acknowledging the trewth in this matier of mans Traditiōs Preceptes Ordinaunces Rites Ceremonies Who sayth not that I haue a iust cause to excuse my wekenesse and fault and aske of you mercy which I trust I haue optayned of the Kynges gracious highnesse and his moost honorable Counsell by whose goodnesse and clemency I am here admytted and suffered too shew myne Errors and Faultes in my booke of Traditions which I made of late entituled thus A brief Treatise setting furth diuerse truthes necessary both too be beleued of Christen people and kepte also which ar not expressed in the Scripture but lefte to the Churche by the Apostles Traditions made and set furth by Richard Smyth Doctor of Diuinite and Reder of it in Oxforde Which Booke I do Reproue Reuoke in dyuers Faultes in it of the which I wyll a non recite certayne perticulerly and then I shall geue vnto you a trew and Generall Doctrine of all those thynges of which I doo entrete in that my Boke that therby you may well perceyue see after what sorte thei ought too be taken of Christen people that no man erre therin FYRST Wheras I spekyng in my booke of Traditions of the autorite of Bysshoppes in makyng lawes and ordenances whyche the people ought to obey I dyd say teache in this wyse That men ought to obey the Bysshoppes commaundement in all thynges leaful vpon payne of euerlastyng damnacyon And that these wordes of Mathew Doo as they byd you but not as they doo be vnderstand not only of thinges conteined in Scripture but also of the Churches ordenaūces besydes Scripture made by the Ministers of the Churche although the said Ministers do abuse their auctorite for their owne be nefite and profite And further where I taught that it is more conuenient that the people obey their Bisshops cōmaundementes Decrees although it be but in a thinge indifferent of it selfe and not commaunded by God then that seruaūtes shuld obey their maisters or children their fathers and mothers And finally where I sayd concernyng the same matter That as subiectes be bounde to obey and fulfyll their Princes Lawes which ar not conteyned in Gods Lawes beyng not agaynst it euen so be Christen people bounde too obey doo that which their Bisshops byddeth them doo All these sayinges I doo now Reuoke Disanull and Condempne as erronious and false And do professe and acknowledge fyrst that the auctorite aswell of the Bysshop of Rome whose auctorite is iustly and lawfully abolyshed in this Realme as of other Bisshops other called the ministers of the church consisteth in the dispensacion and ministratiō of Gods woorde not in makyng Lawes Ordinaunces and Decrees ouer the people besyde Gods word without the consent and auctoritie of the Prince and people ¶ Secondly I say affirme that no Bysshop nor none of the Clergy assembled togither haue auctoritie to make any Lawes or Decrees besydes Gods Law ouer the people without the consent of the Princes and the people and if they do make anye suche no man is bounde to obey theym ¶ Thirdly I say that in those coūtryes where by the auctorite of the Prince they haue made any suche Lawes thauctorite of those Lawes doth not appende and hang of the Bisshops and the Clergy but of the princes cheif heds in euery coūtry ¶ Fourthly I say affirme that within this Realme of England other the kinges Dominions there is no Law Decree Ordinaunce or Constitution ecclesiasticall in force and auaileable by any mans auctority but only by the Kynges maiestyes auctority or of his Parliamēt And where in any foresaid booke of Traditiōs I sayd that Tenthes of Benefices be dew only to theym that do preche and teche the Scripture and also that he that serueth not he Aulter nor precheth not the Gospell can nott iustly lyue by the Tenthes but is in conscience boūd to restore the profites and frutes taken therby Which my sayenges as it lieth in woordes sentences is seditious and sclaunderous to the Kynges maiesties
is the Epistles of Clemens Anacletus Euaristus and Fabianus other which arr set furth by the bysshop of Rome and his complices which be forged feyned and of none auctoritie nor to be beleued but coūterfeyted by theym who with the color of antiquitie wolde magnify that vsurped power of the bysshop of Rome Traditions of the churche whether they be in deed or haue ben coūted so aunciēt that they haue ben vsed frō the begynnyng of the church the tyme of thapostles or els haue ben appoynted and prescribed of later dayes by Decrees of the bysshop of Rome or other bysshops or by generall counsels concernyng superioritie of one bysshop ouer another Watching Fasting Kneeling Sensynges Enoyntyng Blessings and all other suche Rites Ceremonyes and comen Orders to be vsed in the church of God doth not bynd but where they be receyued and by disuse maye be abrogate or by contrary law made in any countrey by thauctority of the superior powers many be clene taken away other Rites Canons Traditions Ceremonyes brought in for them with out any daūger of synne or grudge of conscience And with any suche last afore rehersed the Kynges maiestie for the tyme beyng may either of laufull and iust cause or of his mere goodnesse without any cause dispence or absolue any man frō beyng bound to theym And the sayd persone with whom the superior powers haue dispensed with all and so made free from them may vse his said lybertie with out any daunger of synne or scruple of conscience either to the Kynges maiestie which gaue lybertie or to him whiche hath obteyned the lybertie or Dispensacion None otherwyse than in any other acte statute or proclamation made by humane polycie the Kynges maiestye and the hygh powers may Whan contrary wyse that that is Goddes law and commaunded by scripture alwaies to be obserued no man can dispence with it nor gyue any man libertie to breake it vnder daunger of synne corruption of conscience This is my full firme and stable belefe as touchynge the scripture written Traditions vnwritten what thyng soeuer I or any other heretofore haue preached taught written or endyted to the contrary of these my assertions belefe now declared vnto you or if any man hereafter which God forbyd shuld preach teach or set furth any thing which is not consonaunt agreyng to these aforesayd articles and assercions beleue good hearers and know you surely that it is a false vntrew deuellysh doctrine and vngodlye vsurpation vpon the holly Scripture contrary too the trew pure and Catholicall doctrine of Christes churche In the which faythe and beleef conteyned in the sayd vi Assertions I doo entende good hearers with the grace of almighty God to lyue by Christ and all my hope is also too dye therin if need shal be And whensoeuer God shall call me therunto his grace assistyng I shal be redy AND now concernyng another booke whiche I made of the Sacrifice of the Masse where the moast chief and principall article of our fayth and moast directly perteynyng too the redemption of our synnes and to our saluation is That our sauyor Christ Iesu by his moast precious death and effusion of his moast precious blood vpon the crosse dyd redeme man kynde taking away our synnes pacifying the indignation of his father and cancellyng thobligation that was agaynst vs In which Sacrifice makyng vnto his father our sayde Sauyoure Ihesus Christ as saynt Paule sayth playnly to the Hebrewes was not a preest after the order of Aaron forasmuch as he was of another Trybe and also that preesthod was imperfite and vnprofitable bringyng nothyng too perfection But our Sauyour Christ made his sacrifice vpon the Crosse parfectly absolutely and with the most hyghest perfection that could be somuch that after that one oblation and sacrifice for syn made by hym but once only nother he nor any other creature shuld at any tyme after make any mo oblacions for the same And for as that saynt Paule sayth he was called an eternall preest of the order of Melchysedeth and not of Aaron This fayth ought euery man and woman vndoubtedly to beleue and openly to professe vpon payne of euerlastyng dampnation and also too dye in this professyon if case shall so requyre The which moast holsome moast necessary doctrine of our fayth I not dilygently consideryng as many tymes too right great clerkes lerned men in much writynge in lyke mattiers it hath chaunced to say too far The infirmite and weakenesse of men beyng suche that seldome in many words error hath escaped So in my boke of the Sacrifice of the masse I dyd incircumspectly rashly write and set furth too the people that Christ was not a preest after the order of Melchisedech whan he offred him selfe vpon the Crosse too his father for our synnes but was a preest after the order of Aaron And that when Christ dyd offer his owne body too his father after thorder of Melchisedech tappease his wrath it may not be vnderstand of the sacrifice of the crosse but of the sacrifise that Christ made at his Maundy in forme of bread and wyne To the which in dede saynt Paules doctrine is contrary both in other places and in thepistle and Hebreos very manifestly agaynst whom who without doubt had the very spirite of God Neither it becometh nor I wyl not willingly teach or defend any thyng Wherfore you shal impute that good Audience too the frailty of mans nature and too my negligent marking hauing at that tyme rather a respecte too a fantasy that then I had in my mynde than too the trew and infallyble doctrine of scripture And moreouer in the same my booke I sayd not onely that the Sacrifice of the masse is the selfe same substaunce of Christ but also the selfe same oblacion or offeryng of our sauyoure Christes very flesh and blood which him self once offrid to his father on the crosse to appeale his wrath And that the preestes do continually and daily in the masse offre not onely the selfe same body of Christ but also to the same effecte that Christ dyd offre himselfe to his father at his Maundy Of the which wordes and doctrine if they be not very warely circumspectly reade and more fauorably taken then the wordes as they lye may well bere it might be gatherd that preestes herein be egall with Christ Preestes of thorder of Melchisedech appeasing the wrath indignation of the father of heauen crucifying or offeryng Christ to the same effecte that Christ in his owne persone dyd vpon the crosse which is a blasphemy intolerable to be herd of christen eares For Christ as saynt Paule sayth was but once offered once gaue vp himselfe for the redemption of our synnes on good friday on the crosse nor neuer before nor after was offered for vs but in a sacrament and as a commemoration of the same And so of the Maundy or Supper of our Lorde Christ himself sayth Hec quotiescūque feceritis in meam commemorationem facietis Ones he dyed for our synnes and once agayne he rose for our iustification He dyeth no more his sacrifice was so good so ful so plesant so precious to god that there needed no more oblatiōs to appease god nor only for the synnes past but also for all the synnes to the day of Doome There neede no more sacrifices no more offerers but as hauyng a respect and a remembraunce of that most holy most perfyte and most entier Lambe then for euer offred vp for vs. But these before sayd I can not deny but spoken of me and written And as I do not now lyke theym so at thexample of saint Austen and other good doctors I am not ashamed to retracte theym call theim agayne condempne theim For when I folowed myne own inuention not directed by Scripture I began as the nature of man is to wander and at the last went cleane contrary too Gods woord Wherfore I hertely exhort euery man as touchyng matiers of faith to founde the same vpon Gods certeyn trew and infallyble woorde lest by doyng the contrary they fall into superstition idolatry other manyfold errers as I my self sometyme and many other although I doo not come hyther too accuse any man yet I perceyue of late tyme haue doone Wherfore these my two bookes the one of the Sacrifice of the masse and thother of the Traditiōs vnwritten in those poyntes before rehersed all other wherin they be not full cōsonant to scripture I forsake renounce as false erroneous and agaynst the trew woord of God Requiring the good christen reder whosoeuer shall rede theym to geue no further credence vnto theym then I wold my selfe That is not to take as vndoubted truth all that is therin written but as written of a man that sometyme falleth to be so farre trew as they be consonaunt to scripture wher they be not agaynst scripture to be humane persuasion which may either be so or not so as the great resone shall leade where they be not consonaunt to scripture to be erroneouse and false and that I muche lament am sory that I wrote them in those poyntes And I desyre euery man that hath any of the sayd bokes to beware of theym and to gyue no credence to theym in all suche thynges in theim written as be not consonant to the scripture as they auoyde occasion of error and tendre the truth of Gods word and his glory To whom be laude prayse and honor Amen Imprented at London in Paules churchyarde at the sygne of the brasen serpent by Reynolde Wolfe