stroke to ypocrisye then euer his life coulde haue bene Yf he was falsly accused to the Kynges highnesse and so put to death woo shall come to those accusers yf they repent not by tymes And yf D. Barnes in his hert mouth and dede committed no worse thinge towarde the Kynges highnesse then he committed agaynst god in these his wordes at his death he is like at the later daye to be a iudge ouer them that were cause of his death yf they do not amende Now indifferent reader to the intent that thou mayest the more clearly discerne light frō darknesse and knowe gods true worde from false docrine I shall whan I haue sayde somwhat to Standish preface rehearce vnto the. D. Barnes wordes Secondly though I rehearce not vnto the all Standish wordes lest I shuld make to greate a boke I shall poynte the to the begynning of his sentence requyring the yf thou wilt to reade out the rest thy selfe in his treatise Thirdly though he hath desserued to be roughly handled yet do I purpose by gods onely grace to deale more gently with him beynge alyue then he doth with the deed This interpryse now as I take in hand agaynst Standishe in this behalfe so am I ready to do the same agaynst the greate graundsire and captaine of false teachers I meane greate Goliath of Rome and his weapen-bearer That is agaynst all such as are enemies to Kynge Dauid oure lorde Iesus Christ for whose moost confortable sprete gentle reader I beseche the to praie with me vnto our moost deare father in heauen whose name be praysid whose kyngdome come whose onely wyll be fulfilled now and euer Amen Here Foloweth the Preface of Iohn Standish to the reader Standish TO se the most victoryous and noble Prynce oure soueraigne lorde the kyng labourynge and watchinge contynually wyth all diligent studye to expulse and dryue out I maye saye to pourge and clense this his catholike regyon etce Couerdale Though ye abuse youre termes in reporting that the Kyng goeth about to expell and dryue out his catholike region I will impute those youre wordes to the weaknesse of youre brayne and to the seacenesse of honest eloquence therin But yf the Kynges laboure watching and diligent studye in pourging and clensyng his realme from all heresies and scismes be occasion sufficient as it is in dede to compell euery true subiecte to helpe vnto the same why haue ye then bene so slack therin all this while Youre owne wordes bring yo in to a shrewd suspicion For ye knowe and haue sene with your eyes that the kyng hath these many yeares bene labouring and busie in abolishing out of his realme the vsurped power of the. B. of Rome his manifolde sectes of false religions his worshipping of ymages his disceatfull pardons his ydolatrye and pilgremages etc. Were not all these great heresies and scismes Or can ye excuse your selfe of ignoraunce that ye haue not sene how the Kyng hath laboured in putting downe the same Yf ye then be a writer against heresies and scismes why haue ye written agaynst none of these all this while Thus euery man which readeth your wordes maye se that ye haue bewraied your selfe to be a fauourer of such thinges Standish Wherfore maruayll not gentle reader etc. Couerdale Contrary now to your request wil euery man maruail at you not onely because ye declare your selfe to haue borne all this whyle no ryght loue toward gods word to the saluacion of mens soules ner to the dewtye that ye owe to your prynce but also because that now thorow the occasion of a poore mans deeth ye first starte vp to wryte as though the Kyng had put downe no heresies afore D. Barnes dyed Is this the zele that ye bear toward gods word and towarde his people Such a zele had they of whom the Apostle speaketh to the Galathians sayenge They haue no good zele vnto you but wolde thrust you out namely from the trueth that ye might be feruent to them ward Where as ye write the daye and yeare of D. Barnes death it increaseth your owne confusion and shall be a cleare testimonye agaynst youre selfe for resistinge those good wordes of his protestacion yf ye forsake not youre heresye in tyme. Yee euen by youre owne penne haue ye brought it to pas that it shall not be forgotten till the worldes ende what a Christen testament and last will D. Barnes made at his death and how paciently he forsoke this life Standish FOr in his protestacion is both conteyned heresye and treason Couerdale For saie ye in his protestaciō et cet Is that the cause why ye do enterpryse and take in hande to wryte agaynst it Then verely declare ye youre selfe not onely to be parcial but also a fauourer of heresye and treason knowinge so many to haue bene attaynted therof within these seuen yeares Standish ALlbeit do not thynke that I wryte this thorow anye malyce toward him that is burned etc. Couerdale He that compareth youre wordes to your dede shall soone perceaue that ye haue cast milk in youre owne face and that for all youre holy pretence some spice of Cainish stomake hath made you now do more then all the Kynges noble actes in abolishinge the saide abuses coulde make you do many yeares afore though the same yf ye were a true subiecte were by youre owne confession sufficient cause for you so to do Howbeit it is not I that go aboute to laye malice to youre charge youre awne acte is not your best frende I praye god your conscience accuse you not therof But why take ye god to recorde in a false matter Do ye not confesse yourselfe that the Kynges graces laboure watchinge and diligent studie is the thinge that causeth and compelleth you to write against D. Barnes protestacion and that thorow the loue and feruent zele ye beare towarde gods word and the saluacion of mens soules et cete And now take ye god to recorde that ye do it for feare lest the people schulde be infecte 〈◊〉 the multitude of copies of the saide protestacion Against the which feare I knowe none other comforte for you as longe as ye will not harken vnto gods worde but that wisdome it selfe geueth you in Salomons Prouerbes Namely that the thing which ye feare shal come vpon you and euen it that ye are afrayed of shall fall in sodenly amonge you This am I certified of not onely by the same place of scripture but euen by this youre present acte in putting forth youre treatise to be printed with and against the saide protestaciō For yf ye feare the great infection of the people thorow the multitude of copies therof why caused ye it to be printed or any man els for you Is the printing of the saide protestacion the nexte waie to kepe copies therof from the people Ye maie well haue witte but sure ye lacke policie Such a like wise waie was takē in England within these
A confutacion of that treatise which one John Standish made agaynst the protestacion of D. Barnes in the yeare M. D. XL. Wherin the holy scriptures peruerted and wrested in his sayd treatise are restored to their owne true vnderstonding agayne by Myles Couerdale Iacobi iij. Nolite gloriari mendaces esse aduersus ueritatem To the Reader To all them that either reade or heare gods holy worde and geue ouer them selues to lyue vnfannedly acording to the same do I hartely wysshe the grace peace and mercy of god the father in and thorow oure lorde and onely Sauioure Iesus Christ THe seuenth daye of Decembre was delyuered vnto me a certayne treatyse composed by one Iohn Standish Felow of Whittington college in londoÌ„ so is the tytle of it and prynted by Robert Redeman Anno M. D. XL. iij. Nonas Octobris At the reading wherof I mourned sore within my selfe for certayne occasions offred vnto me in the sande treatyse First that vnder the Kynges priuilege any thing shuld be set forth which is either agaynst the worde and trueth of allmightye god or agaynst the Kynges honoure Secondlye that good wholsome and Christen wordes shulde be calumpniated and reuyled Thirdly that the sayde Iohn Standish pronouncyng Doctoure Barnes to haue taught heresye so longe is not ashamed all this whyle to haue hold his penne but now first to wryte agaynst him whan he is deed et ce As touching the first whether I haue cause to mourne or no I reporte me to all true Christen hertes for as I am credibly enfourmed and as I partly haue sene there is now a wonderful diuersite in writing bokes and balates in England one enueyenge agaynst another one reuylinge and reprouyng another one reioysinge at anothers fall and aduersite And not onely this but also at the ende of euery balate or boke in maner whether it be the better partye or worse is set the Kynges priuilege Which as it is agaynst the glorye of god that one shulde reuyle another Is it not euen so agaynst the Kynges honoure Yee the shame is it of all Englande that vnder his priuilege anye erroneous contentious or slaunderous boke or papyre shulde be prynted Men wonder in other contrees that ther is so greate negligence of this matter in a realme where so wyse and prudent a counsail is â–ª And they that are moued with godly compassioÌ„ do lament Englande sory that ther is so great discencion in it sory that blasphemous ieasting and raylinge balates or bokes agaynst the manifest worde of god shulde either be suffred or priuilegied sory that gods trueth shulde thus spitefully be intreated of so greate a nombre Now the reformacion of this and all other defaultes lyeth onely in the hande of god To whom I referre it and to the rightfull admynistracion of his holy ordinauÌ„ce and auctorite in the kynges hyghnesse who whan he knoweth of the saide inconuenience how tryflinge and raylinge bokes and rymes are prynted vnder his priuilege wyll no doubte set a redresse herein Concernyng the seconde occasion aboue rehearced Is it not cause ynough forme and all other Christen to be right sory to mourne and lamente that the wordes which are good wholsome and acordinge to the holy scripture and Chrisies faith shulde be either blasphemed or taken to the worst Yf the Kynges grace shulde put forthe an wholsome proclamacion iniunction or commaundement as he doth many what true subiecte louynge gods holy ordinaunce and auctorite in his prynce wold not be greue to se anye man either spytt at those his soueraignes wordes or to defye them Yf we now which are Christen haue so iust occsion and are bownde to be thus wise mynded in this outward regiment wherein god hath appoynted us to be obedient to the hyer powers how much more cause haue we to water our eyes with sory hertes whan the proclamacion iniunction coÌ„maundement and worde of him which is kyng of all Kynges and lord of all lordes is thus reuyled and euell spoken of That the wordes of D. Barnes spoken at tbe houre of his death and here vnder written are good wholsome acording to gods holy scripture and not worthy to be euell taken It shalbe euidently sene whan we haue layed theÌ„ to the twych stone and tryed them by gods worde To the open text wherof yf ye take good hede ye shal se the peruerse doctryne and wycked opynions of Standish clerely confuted And no doubte god wyll so haue it because that vnder the pretence of bearing a zeale toward gods worde he taketh apon him to be iudge and geuer of sentence agaynst gods worde and to condemne it that gods worde aloweth And this as I sayde is another cause of the sorynesse of my hert that he which darre auowe another man to be an opeÌ„ heretike is not ashamed thus longe nether to haue written ner openly preached agaynst him by name but now to starte vp whan he is deed Is it not a greate worshippe for him to wrestle with a shadow and to â—â—ll a deed man Is he not a worthy souldyer that all the battayll tyme thrusteth his hand in his bosome and whan meÌ„ are deed then draweth out his swerde and fighteth with them that are slayne allreadye Iudge ye gentle readers yf Standish playeth not such a parte with D. Barnes To whom also he imputeth treason and yet proueth neuer a poynte therof agaynst him Yet were it as charitable a dede to confute all treason and to geue us warnynge of it by name as either to establishe false doctryne or to enueye agaynst good sayenges Yee a Christen and charitable acte were it in reprouyng anye traytoure to tell the Kynges subiectes in what thing he committed the treason that they maye beware of the same But thus doth not Standishe here in this his treatise which because it is buylded on sande and on a false foundacioÌ„ I doubte not but with gods worde which is the swerde of the sprete and a weapen mighty to ouerthrow euery ymaginacion that exalteth it selfe agaynst the knowlege of god To geue it a fall and with holy scripture to shewe euydently that Standishe hath farre ouershott himselfe in condemnynge the sayenges which gods word doth not disalowe He that wolde wryte agaynst anye man shulde leuell his ordinaunce agaynst his euell wordes yf he had spoken or written anye and not agaynst his good wordes ffor god is the authoure of all good which as his holy scripture aloweth so will he himselfe defende the same He that is therfore an enemye to the thinge which is good or resisteth it is gods aduersary and withstondeth him Wherfore let Standish froÌ„ hensforth and all other beware that they take no parte agaynst gods worde ner defende any false matter lest god be the auenger ffor yf the lyon begynne to roare he will make all his enemies afrayed And yf D. Barnes dyed a true Christen man be ye sure his death shalbe a greater
few yeares by certaine abbottes which thinkyng therby to vpholde their false religions wrought moued or els consented to insurrection within diuerse parties of the realme And yet was the same their wisdome a cause that haisted their owne destructiō And euen so now by youre printinge of the saide protestaciō ye haue brought it so to pas that the thinge whiche ye feared is come to light Thus can god pull downe his enemies houses with their owne hondes Certainlie like as I neuer heard that ther was any copie therof till I sawe it in youre boke so am I credibly enfourmed that it was neuer in printe afore Where as ye saie that it is an erroneous and traiterous protestaciō it is sooner saide then proued nether maketh it greately for youre honestie to knowe many secrete embracers of heresie and treason and not to utter them But ye maie twise saie it afore ye be ones beleued onely they that are of god wil whan thei haue tried and examined al thinges kepe that which is good and eschuethe contrary Standish BVt I trust in allmightie god yf it please you to rede this litle treatise with a louyng zele toward oure mother the holy church et cetera Couerdale Here do ye manifestly declare what zele moued you to write against D. Barnes protestacion Namely not any iust zele or loue toward gods worde or his people but euen because ye feare lest your mother shulde come to shame yf the trueth were knowne therfore to shew youre mother a pleasure ye thoughte to do youre best in defending her Nether helpeth it your pretēce anie thinge at all though ye call hir holy for euery such secte as ye be of hath a sundrie holinesse which commeth not of the sprete that sanctifieth Now like as your owne acte came of that zele which ye beare toward the church of the wicked so wolde ye haue youre treatise red with the same zele to the intent that the readers might smell heresie and treason where none is and be poysoned with such a corrupte iudgment as ye be of youre selfe Agayne how are ye or all men lyuinge able to proue that this protestacion of D. Barnes doth smell and sauoure nothinge but heresie and treason Is it heresie and treason to teach no erroneous doctrine to teach onely those thinges that scripture leadeth vnto to manteyne no erroure to moue no insurrection to be falsly slaundred to confute the false opinion of the Anabaptistes to deteste and abhorre all such sectes to set forth the glory of god obedience to the hyer powers and the true religion of Christ Doth it smell and sauoure nothinge but heresie and treason to beleue in the holy and blessed trenite to beleue the incarnacion passiō death and resurrection of oure lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ Is it heresye and treason for a synner to desire god to forgeue him to trust onely in the death of Christ to set forth good workes to beleue that ther is a holy church to beleue a life after this to speake reuerently of saintes to call oure lady a virgin immaculate and vndefiled to knowlege a Christen beleue concerning the body and bloude of oure lorde to ascribe vnto saintes the honoure that scripture willeth them to haue to praie for the Kyng and his counsaill et cete Do such thinges smell and sauoure nothinge but heresie and treason Wo vnto thē that call good euell and euell good darknesse light and light darknesse swete sower and sower swete Though ye do also esteme them to be heretikes and traitours that take parte with D. Barnes protestacion yet doth not youre estimacion or iudgment discorage me in this behalfe Nether is it my minde or will to medle with his offence yf he cōmitted anie against the Kyng nether to defende this his protestaciō with anie hand or weapen of man but by the scriptures to beare recorde vnto the trueth and to reproue youre peruerse and straunge doctrine which ye do teach against the same Standish FOr surely such as do improue them et cete Couerdale This youre saienge proueth not the cōtrary but that seinge ye resist the trueth I maie tell you your faute and enfourme you better acording to the Apostles doctrine yf god at any tyme will graunt you repentaunce for to know the trueth and to turne from the snare of the deuell et cete If I can vnderstonde that thorow this enfourmacion ye will geue place to the open and manifest trueth godschall haue the praise and I shall thincke my laboure well bestowed Yf the trueth can haue no place in you by faire meanes but he wil stil resiste it obstinately and belye it as ye do here in this youre treatise then verely ye maie be sure to be afterward so handled as the lymites and boundes of gods holy scripture wil suffre I beseche god acordinge to his good pleasure that ye maie haue eies to se eares to heare and an hert to vnderstonde his holy worde to consente vnto the same and in all pointes to liue therafter Amen Here foloweth the protestacion of S. Robert Barnes Barnes I Am come hither to be burned as an heretike and you shall heare my belefe wherby ye shal perceaue what erroneous opynions I holde Standishe I am sory to se the obstinate blindnesse and finall induracion in this his protestacion which wolde clere iustifie and excuse himself by colour and disceate Couerdale Christ oure sauioure makyng mencion of his owne death afore he was hanged apon the crosse saide these wordes Beholde we go vp to Hierusalem and the sonne of man shalbe betraied condemned mocked scourged crucified et cetera Whan a true man commeth to be hanged on the galowes Is it obstinate blindnesse and finall induracion for him so to saie Peraduenture ye will saie vnto me Take ye D. Barnes then for a true man I answere Verely these his wordes proue him no false man for he saide that he came to be brent And sure I am that he came not to the fire to be made a bisshoppe Morouer D. Barnes tolde the people that they shulde heare his beleue et cet And ye laie to his charge for his so doinge that he wolde cleare iustifie and excuse himselfe with coloure and disceate As though he iustified himself with colour and disceate which acordinge to S. Peters doctrine is ready allwaie to geue answere vnto euery man that asketh him a reason of the hope which is in him Was not D. Barnes instantly required to shew his faith and to open his minde in sondrie thinges Againe though he or anie man els wolde clere himfelse from such thinges as are wrongfully laied to his charge did he euell therin Yf it be so then did holy S. Paul leaue us a shrewd ensample in the Actes Standishe Which ought to haue accused condemned and utterly forsaken all that he had offended in si nos ipsos iudicaremus non utique diiudicaremur a domino
owne words Who whan he had said to the yong man yf thou wilt entre in to life kepe the commaundementes and tolde his disciples how hard it is for the couetous to entre in to heauen They asked him and said Who can thē be saued Then answered he them saieng With men it is vnpossible but with god are all thinges possible Downe then goeth the Pelagians heresie and litle thanke are ye like to haue for holdinge with it Yf he aske Why then doth god cōmaunde us to decline from euell and to do good yf it be not in our power To the same obiectiō doth S. Augustine make a sufficiēt answere in the secōde chapter de correptione et gracia and not onely refelleth it by S.P. words saiēg It is god which worketh in you both the wil and the dede but also putteth us in minde that yf we be the children of god we are led by gods sprete to do good that whan we haue done anie good thinge we maie geue thankes to him of whom we are led et cet And in another place Therfore doth he commaunde certaine thinges that we can not do because we might knowe what thinge we ought to aske of him The same doctrine teacheth he also in the lxiij sermō de tempore This is confirmed by holy scripture for by the lawe commeth the knowlege of sinne So that euen they which are renewed in Christ fynd by the lawe that whan they wold faine do good for therin is their delite euell is present with them The wordes of oure Sauioure yf ye loue me kepe my commaundementes proue nomore your purpose then your wresting of them proueth you to be a true scolar of his For after those wordes he himself saieth thus I am the waie the trueth and life No man commeth to the father but by me Naie saieth your doctrine we maie come to god by oure selues he commaundeth us nothing vnpossible for us to do Now let me aske you this question Yf Christ whan he saide these wordes Yf ye loue me kepe my commaundementes did meane that it is not vnpossible for us so to do why then immediatly after the same wordes doth he promes us the sprete of conforte What nede haue we of him yf we be not comfortles of oure selues or yf nothing that he commaunded us be vnpossible for us to do What nede haue the whole of a phisician And. S. Augustine writing agaynst them that extolle their owne possibilite in the seconde sermon de uerbis Apostoli saieth Let us be glad to be healed whyle we are here in this church Let us not make oure boast of health beinge yet sicke lest by oure pride we do nothing els but make oure selues incurable Standishe Which to the louers of thē be but light Math. xj.j. Ioh. v and Deut. xxx Couerdale Ergo god cōmaunded us nothinge vnpossible for us to do Is that your consequent Full faintly are ye able to proue it by those thre chapters that ye do alledge First in the xj of Matth. doth our Sauioure bid all them that are laden et cet to come to him And yet saieth he in another place that no man can come vnto him excepte his father draw him Where is now oure possibilite That fifth chapter of S. Iohns first Epistle sheweth that they which are borne of god do ouer come the worlde by the victory of faith Now like as we begat not our selues in the Kyndome of god but he himselfe of his owne good will begat us with the worde of life So is it manifest also that true faith is the onely workyng of god and not oures Where is then I saie our possibilite forsoith euen fled into the yle of weaknesse Yf by the thirtieth chapter of Deuteronomiō ye will proue that god hath commaunded us nothing vnpossible for us to do because Moses saieth This precepte that I commaunde the this daie is not aboue the ner farre from the et cete Then must I require you to take the answere of S. Paul who saieth that it is the righteousnesse of faith which speaketh those wordes and that the worde which Moses there spake of is the worde of faith that Paul himself preached Yf ye thinke there to proue your purpose because Moses laieth before the people life and death good and euel blessinge and cursinge and biddeth them chose life et ce Then must I desire you not onely to remembre the office of the lawe wherfore it was geuen and wher to it serueth But also to considre that in the begynnyng of the same thirtieth chapter Moses himself saieth these wordes The lorde thy god shall circumcise thine hert and the hert of thy posterite that thou mayest loue the lorde thy god with all thy hert and in all thy soule et cet Wherby it is euident that excepte god circūcise our hertes we are not able to loue him ner to kepe his cōmaundementes So that these wordes of Moses do proue rather impossibilite in us For the circūcision of the hert saieth the Apostle is the true circumcision which is done in the sprete and not in the lettre whose prayse is not of men but of god All these thre chapters now proue that like as to be saued to kepe gods cōmaundementes to haue circūcised hartes and to ouercome the world with the lustes therof is the onely workyng of god in us Euen so to them that loue god are his cōmaundementes not greuous not thorow anye possibilite of man but partly because Christ hath takē awaie the curse of the lawe and deliuered thē frō the heuy burthens of their soules and partly because they delite in gods cōmaundementes and esteme his word sweter then hony as Dauid did For loue maketh all thinges light Standish Therfore I conclude in all our workynge we do not cōmitte sinne Couerdale Of an euell Maior and Minor foloweth a weake conclusiō Ye haue wrung and wrested the scriptures violently to make them serue for your purpose and now without anie scripture make ye youre conclusion that in all youre workyng ye do not committe sinne To the probacion wherof because ye bring no scripture your selfe I will helpe you with a text where the scripture saieth thus There is no righteous man vpon erth that doth good and sinneth not Yf ye be a man I wil not reason much with you of righteousnesse for I am a sinfull man miselfe then must ye nedes graunt this scripture to be true Yf ye be no man then am I sory that I haue disputed with you so long for angels haue no nede of my wordes and as for deuels they will not be counsailed Standish No ner our dedes and actes which be good can not be called so et cet Couerdale Of. D. Barnes secrete intent and meaning will not I presume to be iudge but what maye be gathered by the circumstaunce of his wordes I
haue reasoned with you allready Now because ye can not proue this last parte of youre conclusiō by scripture namely that your good dedes and actes are not vnpure ner vnperfecte in this life therfore the Prophet Esaie to recompence you the wrong that ye dyd him in minishing his wordes afore will yet take the paines for you to proue your purpose though it be litle to your minde Whan he saieth All we are become as an vncleane man and all oure righteousnesses are as a clothe stained with the floures of a woman And the wise man saieth also Who maie saie My hert is cleane I am pure from sinne Barnes ANd with this he cast abrode his handes and desyred god to forgeue him his trespas Standishe Extra ecclesiam nulla salus et cetera Couerdale Without the church ye saie is no saluacion Now is it manifest that beside the church made of lime and stone ther is also a congregacion church and multitude of frowarde and wicked doers which not onely gather them selues together like roaringe lyons fatt bulles wanton calues and curre dogges agaynst Christ as the xxj Psalme complaineth but also make lawes cōstitucions statutes ordinaunces and tradicions agaynst gods worde Wherby it commeth to pas that though they boast neuer so much of gods seruice yet all is to them in vaine as the Prophet and Christ himselfe doth testifie Another church is there which is the holy spouse congregacion and company of them that are of the felashippe and communion of Christ and walke not in darknes but in the trueth hauing al their sinnes clensed by his bloude This church continueth in the Apostles doctryne renneth not out from the heauenly felashippe of Christ and his membres distributeth the sacramentes duely and truly ceasseth not frō praieng and well doinge et ce are of one minde and soule are glad to helpe one another as it is manifest in the actes and Epistles of the Apostles The men of this church praie in all places liftinge vp pure handes et cet In this church whosoeuer asketh hath he that seketh findeth and to him that knocketh doth god open In this church is fre pardon and remission of sinnes for all true penitentes For god will not the death of sinners but yf they cōuerte vnto him they shall liue and who so is laden with sinne and commeth vnto Christ findeth rest and ease in his soule and shall not be cast out Forasmuch then as ye condemne D. Barnes thus doinge and iudge him to be none of the church that desireth god to forgeue him his trespace it is euident that in your church ther is no forgeuenes for poore sinners and so is it not the church of Christ Wherfore seinge ye discente frō Christes church where the dore is euer opened to them that knocke youre owne sentence condēneth you that ye can trust to haue no saluaciō by gods promes But alas what blindnesse is in you Though a sinner doth erre or hath erred from the right faith and from the true vse of the holy sacramentes that be in the church of Christ and now commeth to repentaunce desiringe god to forgeue him his trespace Is not this a damnable doctrine to teach that he can not trust to haue saluaciō by gods promes No hath god promised that sin̄ers which repēt shal not be saued The thefe that hanged on the right hand of Christ hath proued the cōtrary Agayne Yf a sin̄er maie not trust to haue saluacion by gods promes wherby thē maie he trust to haue it By himselfe by his owne workes Or by youre merites Euen by your merites as it apeareth wolde ye haue him trust to haue saluacion for ye must nedes be full of merites that in all your workyng committe no sinne as ye saye your selfe Morouer the tenoure of your wordes separateth the mercy of god from his promes as though they cōcurred not together But I pray you who can trust to haue saluacion by gods promes and trusteth not in his mercy Whan the Apostle saieth God gaue the enheritaunce vnto Abraham frely by promes was it not done by his mercy And whan he saieth in the same chapter Ye are the heires of Christ acording to the promes what meaneth he els but as he saieth to Titus that the kindnesse and loue of oure sauioure hath appeared not for the dedes of righteousnesse which we haue done but acordinge to his mercy hath he saued us et cet S. Iames wordes which ye bring in in latyn denieth no forgeuenesse to them that repent but like as he rebuketh them that are but Christen men in worde and not in good workes and dedes so yf parcialite be sinne then doth the circūstaunce of the same text cōdemne your former conclusion that saie ye sinne not in all your workes Standishe Loke the reward of finalis impenitētia et cet Couerdale D. Barnes words testifie what faith and repētaunce he had toward god and what hert he bare toward the comon welth of all Christendome and yet shame ye not to wryte that he dyed without repentaunce and in errours because he wold not denie Christ and reuoke his worde with you Standishe Which died by his wordes without signe or token of saluacion Couerdale Is it no token ner signe of saluacion to beleue in the holy and blessed trenite the incarnacion passion death and resurrectiō of our sauioure and to knowlege the same before men Is all this utterly no token of saluacion Christ and the Apostle Paul are of another iudgment Standishe And so his praier must nedes be voyde Couerdale D. Barnes cast abrode his handes and desired god forgeuenes and yet darre ye affirme that his praier must nedes be voide By the which wordes like as ye denie the article of forgeuenesse mencioned in our Crede and promised in the scripture to euery one that truly repenteth so declare ye euidently that ther is litle mercy in your mother the church of the wicked for in Christes church yf the sonne aske the father a pece of bred he will not geue him a stone but good thinges Standish Marke how he trusteth with in an houre et ce Couerdale Is it blinde arrogauncy whan a man refusing all confidence in his owne workes trusteth to haue eternall life thorow the mercy of god What blynd arrogauncy was in the Apostle whan he saide we knowe certainlie that yf oure earthy house of this dwelling were destroyed we haue a building ordeined of god an house not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen Oure sauioure also geueth this comforte to such as beleue in him that they shall not come to damnacion but passe from death vnto life Are ye not a comfortable Phisician then to mens consciences that shame not to teach other wise then Christ doth But surely these two places of scripture are not for the stablishinge of your soule masses and diriges and therfore
no maruaill that ye teach a contrary doctrine For though the name of your purgatory be out of some of your bokes Yet are not all purse pykers come to the pillary Barnes FOr allthough perchaunce you knowe nothinge by me yet do I confesse that my thoughtes and cogitaciōs be in̄umerable Wherfore I beseche the entre not in to iudgment with me acording to the sayeng of the Prophet Dauid non in tres in iudicium cum seruo tuo domine and in another place si iniquitates obseruaueris domine quis sustinebir Lord yf thou strately marke our iniquyte who is able to abyde thy iudgment Standish Se I praye you the deuell seduced him so farre that he wold not knowlege any synne but onely cogitacions et cet Couerdale D. Barnes saide not that he had no sinne but all though saide he perchaunce you knowe nothinge by me yet I confesse that my thoughtes and cogitacions are in̄umerable Is this asmuch to saie as I haue no sinne but onely cogitacions and thoughtes Or be not thoughtes and cogitacions sinnes greate ynough Dyd he not cōfesse also with the Prophet that yf god wold strately marke his iniquities he were not able to abyde it Is iniquitie no sinne Not in your iudgment as it appeareth for ye darre boldly affirme that in all your workyng ye committe no sinne Standish Se how he iudged other men perchaunce to knowe no sinne in him et cet Couerdale Yf it be an abhominable vice as it is no doubte to slaundre the scripture or to belye it then verely are ye infecte with abhominable vice that haue misreported it and belied it in so many places of this youre treatise Now yf ye be of counsaill with so many good men that knew such vices in D. Barnes I maruaill ye tell us not what those vyces are As for your mother the vnholy church he called her an harlot many tymes And sure I am that who so knoweth her thorowly and cōpareth her with her frutes to Oolla and Ooliba wil iudge her to be litle better Standish Iudge therfore your selues what auaileth him these his fained praiers et cet Couerdale The praiers that D. Barnes vseth here are the holy wordes of gods scripture and yet ye call thē fayned prayers Now yf the holy goost which is the authoure of the scripture doth abhorre faynednesse as the wise man saieth then verely is it blasphemous to cal those fained praiers that he onely hath taught Againe Yf they be fained praiers why saie ye that ye doubte not but to another man passing in the faith of Christ they shuld haue bene acceptable yee and meritoryous before god Can fained praiers be acceptable to god Can fayned prayers merite or deserue any thing of god Or can he that dyeth in the fayth of Christ vse fayned prayers at his death How agreeth faynedesse with the faith of Christ Full fained and false is your doctrine Oure lord roote it ones out frō among his people Barnes WHerfore I trust in no good worke that euer I dyd but onely in the death of Iesus Christ Standishe To trust in our workes ut in deum credimus that they of them selues et cet Couerdale What an vnstable doctryne is this that ye bring in among gods people and wold bear them in hand that Christ alowed your saieng in the xx of Matthew Where as the parable in the same chapter and the processe of the last parte of the xix chapter hard afore it do utterly cōdemne your doctrine Lord god what a derogacion vnto gods hye glory is this to teach that we maye trust in oure workes that we maie calenge our inheritaunce by our workyng that our workyng maie deserue to receaue immortalite In the later ende of the xix chapter of Matthew doth our lorde affirme that to be saued is a thing vnpossible through the power of men And in this xx chapter doth his parable testifie that like as we are first called by him receaue his promes and are set a worke by his comaundemēt so is not the rewarde geuen for anie deseruing or paynes takynge but acording to his awne promes First where finde ye in anie article of the Christen faith conteined within the holy bible ether commaundement or promes of god or example of anie good man that we maie put anie maner of trust in our workes Againe Yf oure enheritaunce come by the death of Christ and his promes how commeth it by our workyng Is our workynge the death of Christ or his promes Now yf our workyng maie deserue the inheritaunce of immortalite then maie we make satisfaction vnto god for oure offence and that ye haue denyed afore O how well agree ye with youre selfe Standish And this caused Paul boldly to saie .ij. Timo. iiij Bonum certamen certaui et cet Couerdale Whan that holy vessell of god S. Paul had exhorted Timothy to the feruent executing of his dutie in preaching gods worde and had tolde him afore of this present perlous time that men will not suffre wholsome doctrine et cete He shewed him of his owne death saiēge For I am now ready to be offred and the tyme of my departing is at hande I haue foughten a good fighte I haue fulfilled the course I haue kepte the faith From hence forth ther is layed vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the lord the righteous iudge shall geue me in that daie not onely vnto me but to all them that loue his commynge What caused Paul now to saie these wordes Any trust or confidence in his owne deseruyng or workes Naye verely He confesseth not onely that the crowne of righteousnesse is laied vp for him but also that god shall geue it him nether sayeth he here that it shall be geuen him for his workyng sake for then were he contrary to his owne doctrine which utterly condemneth yours Roma iij. Ephe. ij Philip. iij. ij Timoth. j. Tit. iij Note well the places your selfe Standish All be it I feare me these his wordes et cete Couerdale Yf whan he dyd anie good worke he caused no trompettes to be blowne before him ner mombled vp longe praiers in the corners of stretes ner disfigured his face to be sene of men whan he fasted then was there the lesse ypocrisie in him It is a prouerbe as true as olde A still pater noster is as good as a lowde Barnes I do not doubte but thorow him to inheret the kyngdome of heauen Standish I beseche god this false and erroneous beleue contrary allmost in euery sentence to our mother the holy church et cet Couerdale Full vnholy and vngracious is your mother and ye as vnwise to take hir parte that calleth it a false and erroneous beleue whan a man doubteth not but to inheret the Kyngdome of heauen thorow Christ Yf that beleue be contrary to your mother then is she contrary to it and so is she the sinagoge of Antichrist
glorifye our father which is in heauen Hath not our Sauioure chosen and ordeyned us to go and bringe forth frute et cet Were we not made heyres of eternall saluacion and baptised to the intent that we shulde now malke in a new life Are we not deed from the curse of the lawe and maried vnto Christ to the intent that we shulde now bringe forth frute vnto god Hath not god ordeined us to walke in good workes Are we not chosen of god to shew now his wonderful workes which hath called us out of darknesse in to his maruelous light Must we not lead an honest conuersacion in the world that they which bacbyte us as euell doers maye se our good workes and prayse god Now to do good dedes to bring forth good frutes to walke in a new life to shew gods wonderfull workes to lead an honest conuersacion in the world what is it els but to shew and set forth our profession the life that we haue promised and taken us to at the font stone euen the holy couenaunt and appoyntment that we haue made with the eternall god Do ye not considre also that the scripture appoynting maried women their estate and dewtye willeth them to be of so honest conuersacion that euen they which as yet will not beleue gods worde maye without the worde be won by theyr godly liuinge And not onely this but so to araye them selues in comly apparel with shamefastnesse and discrete bahaueour without excesse as it becommeth wemen that professe godlynesse thorow good workes What can be more planely spokeÌ„ then this How ernest is the scripture likewise in mouinge and commaunding us specially that take in hande to instructe and teach other aboue all thinges to shew example of good workes in the doctrine of god et cet that such as resiste his trueth maie be ashamed of their parte hauinge nothinge in us to reporte amysse And immediatly after in the same chapter how diligeÌ„t is the Apostle in requiring Titus to exhorte seruauntes to the doing of their dewtie to their masters and to shewe all faithfulnesse But for what intent to merite or deserue immortalâ—â—â— â–ª Naye to the intent that in all thinges they maie do worshippe to the doctrine of god oure Sauioure that the name of god and his doctrine be not euell spokeÌ„ of Thus wolde he haue Timothy also to teach and exhorte and then saieth he these wordes Yf any man teach otherwise and agreeth not vnto the wholsome wordes of oure lord Iesus Christ and to the doctryne of godlinesse he is puft vp and knoweth nothinge et cet Reade ye the text forth and remembre your selfe well considre in what case ye are and how wyde your doctryne disagreeth from the wholsome word of god Yf I shuld saye ye were puft vp ignoraunt a waist brayne et cete of a corrupte mynde or robbed of the trueth ye wolde happlie be angrie Yet be coÌ„tent to let Paul speake to you for though he rayle not yet shall ye not find him a flatrer Standish Which thing beynge true as the church confesseth et cete Couerdale The church of the wicked graunteth many moo thinges then it shall euer be able to proue excepte it be with violence and shedding oâ—â—nnoceÌ„t bloud which is in very dede a fearce sore and strong waye of probacion Nether be they heretikes that denye this your doctryne for I haue proued vnto you by open scriptures that your doctryne is false Standish Be not oure owne good workes meritorious to ourselues Couerdale Yes parde for the prophet saieth All our righteousnesses are as the cloth of a menstruous woman Standish Whether shall we rather beleue S. Hierome et cete Couerdale Yf we receaue the witnesse of men the witnesse of god is greater for this is the witnesse of god which he hath testified of his sonne et cete Euen that god hath geuen us euerlasting life and this life is in his sonne S. Augustine saieth also All my hope is in the death of my lord his death is my meryte my refuge my saluacion my life and my resurrection Standishe Which for their detestable opynions deserued iustly to be burnte as heretikes Couerdale Yf they were not burnte heretikes in dede no force And yf they were iust deseruers it is a tokeÌ„ that they medled the more with righteousnesse for no man can iustly erre ner iustly coÌ„mitte treason Standishe What a detestable heresie is it to saie the cause that we be commaunded to do good workes is to set forth oure profession Couerdale Is not oure profession the promes and couenaunt that we haue made with god to seke his glory and oure neghbours profet euen to loue him with all oure herte with all our soules and with all oure strength and oure neghbour as oure selues In the which two pointes hangeth all the lawe and the Prophetes Are not we bound then by gods commaundement to set forth the glory of god oure neghbours profit and loue to them both Remembre what places of scripture I haue pointed you to afore concernyng this matter Standish Before whom shulde we set it forth before god he knowoth oure profession before Couerdale What then Studye allwaye to haue a cleare conscience toward god and men after the Apostles ensample Standish Before man So we maie haue good workes as the pharises had et cet Couerdale Though Pharises do their workes to be sene of men will you therfore beyng a preacher not geue good ensample to other ner let your light so shyne before men that they seinge your good workes maie geue the glory vnto god What are ye so farre from the knowlege of this geer and yet a preacher a reader and a post of the church Who wolde thinke that you which are so well aquaynted with him that can compare the deare bloud of Christ to the stinckynge bloud of a swyne shuld be so farre from the vnderstondinge of such thinges O wicked hogges whom Sathan hath possessed of that sort Is the worthy prynce of oure redempcion come to that worshippe amonge you No maruaill that ye are so blinded in your vnderstondinge for ther was neuer enemie of Christes bloud that had yet anye cleare iudgment in his worde till he ernestly repented and gaue him selfe wholy to the studye and life that it teacheth Barnes I Beleue that ther is a holy church and a company of all them that do professe Christ Standish Allbe it that euery true Christian ought thus to beleue et cet Couerdale Ye saye that euery true Christian ought thus to beleue and yet ye call the same belefe erroneous and damnable Is the Christen beleue erroneous and damnable Or is it erroneous and damnable to beleue as euery Christen man ought to beleue Thus are ye not onely contrary to youre selfe but iudge Christen men also to be heretikes Standishe For you iudge as appeareth by your preaching et cet
do and renne at riote with your doctryne Awaye from us ye wicked the commaundementes of our god will we kepe and not yours Standish Which toke oure synnes on him penam pro peccatis j. Pet. ij et cet Couerdale Ye taught afore wresting many scriptures for your purpose that euery man must satisfie for the punishment belonginge vnto sinne and now ye graunt that Christ toke the paine vpō him therfore As much hold is there at your doctryne as at an elys tale Standish But we haue moo meanes concernyng intercession et cet Couerdale The scripture is manifest that euery one of us in this life is boūd to praie for another and dailie occasions haue we of such peticions and exhortacions as appertayne to oure estate As for praiēg to saintes that be out of this life Ye haue myne answere allready Barnes NOtwithstonding whether they praye for us or no that I referre to god Standish A good Christē man wold haue gone no further then the congregacion of Christes church that is to saie in this region the kinges maiesty with his lerned counsaill Couerdale Like as your vnreuerent handling of the holy scriptures afore rehearced and your wicked doctrine against the same declareth you to be none of Christes church vnlesse ye repent and turne so do ye here exempte youre selfe from that holy congregacion Maruaill not therfore though whan I se you folowe your vnholy mother and not Christes deare spouse I call you now and then her owne whyte sonne In this region of England ye saie the congregaciō of Christes church is the Kynges Maiestie with his lerned counsaill But is this a sufficient diffinicion what a comforte is this now for so many of the Kynges subiectes both lerned and vnlerned to heare that they are not of Christes congregacion Is it a greate consolacion for the foote to be none of the body Ye repute D. Barnes no good Christen man because he wolde not define whether sayntes praie for us or no but referred that vnto god and not to the Kynges maiestie and his lerned counsaill What will ye make of the Kynges grace A prince that had rather haue secrete thinges referred vnto him then vnto god the onely knower of all secretes Or do ye esteme the Kynges lerned counsaill to be such men as will geue iudgment in thinges that be not euident Or thinke ye them to be ignoraunt of the scripture which forbyddeth men to search out or to medle with secrete thinges that god hath not commaunded Barnes ANd yf saintes do praie for you thē I trust within this halfe hour to praie for you M. sheriffe and for euery Christē man liuing in the faith of Christ and dyenge in the same as a saynt Wherfore yf the deed maye praye for the quicke then I will surely praye for you Standishe O damnable presumpcion et cetera Couerdale Because this man trusted thorow the onely mercy of god in Christ to passe from this death vnto life ye note damnable presumpcion arrogaunt presumpcion and presumptuous arrogaūcy in him And because ye maye seme to haue scripture to proue that D. Barnes wolde temerously appoynte and determyne the tyme himselfe for his so sayeng ye bringe in quod pater posuit in sua potestate as right as a rammes horne and as nye to the purpose as Pauls steple and mount Falcon. At the tyme of the ascension of oure sauyoure whan the Apostles were come together they asked him and sayde Lord shalt thou at this tyme set vp the kyngdome of Israel agayne He sayd vnto them It belongeth not vnto you to knowe the tymes and seasons which the father hath kepte in his awne power et cetera A like answere to such another question geueth he in another place and saieth Of that daye and houre knoweth no man no not the angels of heauen but the father onely What maketh this now to proue that he which acordinge to Christes promes trusteth to pas from this death to life doth temerously appoynt and determine the same time daye or season which our Sauyoure there speaketh of Or that he is either presumptuous or arrogaunt which acording to the ensample of holy scripture is certaine and sure that after the destruction of his body he hath an euerlastinge dwelling in heauen Haue ye not now alledged the scripture well to the purpose Ye wold haue men beleue as it appeareth by you doctrine that whan they departe hence they shall go from the hall in to the kytchen or els in to the whole kylle of your purgatory Standish Loke what case he is in that thus ended his life et cet Couerdale To proue here that saintes praie for us in heauen ye make a long disputacion and with the scriptures ye do as ye were wont They haue loue yet ye saie and therfore they praye for us and are our aduocates I answere The same places of scripture that ye bringe in your selfe are moost against you for they declare manifestly that it is the office of Christ to make intercession for us and that he is with the father oure aduocate which opteineth grace for our sinnes The saintes then that be in heauen knowinge this eternall will of god loue us not so that they desyre to be nether can they be against it It is a token that your doctryne hath but a weake foundacion whan ye go aboute to proue it by a dreame yee and that out of such a boke as serueth not for the confirmacion of the doctryne of Christes church for though it be red among the stories of other bokes yet dyd not the church receaue it among the Canonical scriptures in S. Hieroms tyme. Nether can ye proue that boke laufull by anye sayeng of Christ for thorow out all the new Testament he maketh mencion of none but of the lawe the Prophetes and the Psalmes and byddeth not search anye other scriptures but such as beare recorde and testimonye of him The xv of Ieremy proueth as doth also the vij the xj the xiiij of his boke that god will not be intreated where his worde is troden vnder foote and where men will nedes spurne agaynst it And verely in all the scripture could ye not haue brought in a more manifest place to cōfute your owne doctrine if it be compared to the xiiij of Ezechiel The xvj of Luke proueth nothing for your purpose in that Abraham praied not to god whan he was desired But like as it proueth that ther is no redempcion in hell ner time of acceptable repentaunce and forgyuenesse after this life So proueth it euidently that we ought to holde us to the onely word and scripture of god and not to loke for other doctrynes visions dreames or reuelacions The place Apoca. vj. proueth that the voyce of Abels bloude and of such as are slayne for the worde of god cryeth vengeaunce from the erth and vnder the altare as S.
why bring ye in this or any other place of the olde Testament to proue that the merites of sayntes in heauen do profit us seyng ye saye your selfe that afore Christes ascension ther were none in heauen and seing also that those vertues of Abraham and Dauid were thinges practised here and not in heauen God is my recorde I wonder greatly what ye meane thus to daly with his worde Touchinge merites I haue answered you allreadie but. S. Paul answereth you better and saieth that god geuing us his deare sonne hath geuen us all thinges with him and that in him dwelleth al fulnesse so that we are cōplete in him Sure I am also that no true seruaunt of god wil be otherwise minded then was holy Iohn baptist which saide that out of Christes fulnesse all we receaue grace et cet and that grace and trueth cōmeth by Iesus Christ Yf the merites then that ye speake of be anye parte of grace and trueth then must ye nedes graunt that we receaue them onely of him But surely ye haue some vngracious and false matter in hand Standish He speaketh nothinge of oure workes after our iustificacion but onely of workes before faith which in dede are not meritorius et cetera Couerdale Afore to proue by Cornelius workes that our iustificacion deserued onely by the death of Christ is a false iustificacion Ye saye that his good workes before he was iustified somthing deserued that he shuld be called in to the congregacion of our sauioure and so through gods mercy his workes dyd deserue much of allmightie god These are your awne wordes And now cleane contrary to the same ye graunte that workes before faith are not meritorious Thus by youre awne wordes condemne ye youre awne doctryne But though euery good worke done in true faith after gods commaundement shalbe rewarded and hath his promes annexed vnto it as yf I be mercifull vnto my neghboure god hath promised to haue mercy on me agayne shall that rewarde be geuen for my workes sake and not rather because of his owne promes and blessing in Iesu Christ Is not all oure sufficiency of god Can we thinke a good thought of our selues Is it not god which worketh in us both the will and the dede Whan god rewardeth any good worke doth he not crowne his owne giftes in us Stoppe your mouth then and knowlege your selfe to be in gods daunger and in his dett Why boast ye of your merites agaynst the doctryne of gods worde Why graunt ye not with S. Luke whom ye alledge your selfe that whan ye haue done all such thinges as are commaunded you ye are an vnprofitable seruaunt And with S. Paul that the paynes taken in this life are not worthy of the glory for to come Do ye not saye your selfe also these wordes We must think and surely beleue that all cōmeth of Christes liberalite which frely did cal us and loue us before we loued him What practise then of anye wordly prynce can proue this trueth to be false Your owne wordes and sentences destroye your doctryne of merites Folowe S. Augustines counsaill thē and boast not of mens merites but let the grace of god which raigneth thorow Iesus Christ haue all the preemynence And yf ye haue any workes folowinge the fre and liberall vocation of god thē graunt with Chrisostome that they are his rewarde and youre dewtie and that the giftes of god are his owne benignite grace and greatnesse of his owne liberalite Barnes WEl haue ye yet any thing more to saye then called he M. Shyreffe and sayd haue you any articles against me for the which I am condemned And the sheriffe answered no. Then said he Is there here any man els that knoweth wherfore I die or that by my preaching hath taken any erroure let them now speake and I will make them answere And no man answered Then sayd he well I am condemned by the lawe to die and as I vnderstōd by an acte of perliamēt but wherfore I cā not tel but belike for heresy for we are like to be burnt Standish Articles agaynst the What articles dyddest thou reuoke at the spyttle et cet Couerdale A very spittle fashion is it no doubte to aske questions of the deed And I suppose verely that excepte it be a cōiurer a iugler or a worker with spretes there is none that vseth it Touchinge articles at the spittle I am certaine D. Barnes dyd not affirme there that faith doth not iustifie or that Christes death was not the sufficient satisfaction for our synnes Now where as he was enioyned to affirme that though Christ be oure onely mediatour sauyour iustifier and onely satisfaction vnto god for the sinnes of them that beleue in him Yet yf we loose this grace thorow sinne then must we rise agayne by true pennaunce et cet Yf for this article I saye ye will gather that he shulde reuoke then do ye interprete his wordes contrary to his owne declaracion that he made of them in the same sermon In so much that the sondaye after at Pauls crosse as I vnderstond D. Wilson could laye no greater thing to his charge then that he had expounded pennaunce after his wont maner by the office of the law and the gospell Now like as afore in your wordes ye compare this his confession to the cōfession of the deuel so by this and such other your tawntes ye wold make the world beleue that he reuoked al trueth at the spittle felde and that he had all his life tyme taught an vngodly and carnall libertye the contrary wherof is euident not onely by this present protestaciō but also by his wryting and preaching afore Namely that to the true beleue and consent of the hert are necessarilie required good Christen frutes in euery man and womans conuersacion acording to the same Wherfore this his confessiō so long as he mainteined no damnable errour contrary vnto it which in all your babling boke ye haue not proued nether shalbe able to do was a sufficient euidence at his latter ende that he dyed a true Christen man Nether can ye iustly condemne him that maketh no worse confession on his death bedde Agayne S. Iohn saieth Euery sprete which confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of god Wherfore ye are to rashe in iudgment to affirme that he was iustly condemned for heresie seinge that he nether helde any doctryne ner manteined by euell conuersacion eny thing out of which ye can truly deduce that euer he denied the true faith of god or any one of the benefites or offices of Iesus Christ As for the articles that were laied against him in Cambrige aboue xij yeares agoo verely like as in repetinge of thē ye accuse your church to pretende an outward forgyuenesse and yet to kepe hatred stil many yeares So appeare ye to fauour them that accused him of the saide articles in som
abhominable swearers maye be punished and strately loked vpon For surely the vengeaūce of god will come on thē for their mischeuous oothes Thē desired he M. Pope which was present to haue him cōmended to M. Edgar ād to desire him for the deare bloud of Iesu Christ that he wold leaue that abhominable swearing that he vseth For surely excepte he forsake it he will come to some mischeuous ende The fourth that his grace wil set furth Christes true religiō And that seyng he hath begon̄e he go forward and make an end for many thinges haue bene done but yet much more is to do And that it wold please his grace to loke on gods word himselfe For it hath bene obscured with many tradicions inuented of our owne braynes Now sayd he how many peticions haue I spoken of And the people sayd foure Well sayd he euen these foure be sufficient which I desyre you that the kynges grace maye be certified of them And saye that I moost humbly desyre him to loke ernestly vpon them Standish It was high tyme to loke et cet Couerdale The prophet Daniel I trust was no arrogaunt wretche though he desyred his prince to make some prouision for the poore Nomore thē was holy S. Paul which taught Timothy to change the riche mē of this world with the same lesson All they also that were true messaungers of god laboured to haue aduoutry fornicacion whordome and abhominable swearinge expelled from among Christen men as all the whole scripture testifieth Nether dyd D. Barnes in these his wordes requyre anye other thing His wordes are playne ynough and yet as your maner is in your treatise ye ymagen an intent and mynde cleane contrary to the same Ye graunt that he spake ernestly for the poore and for the comons and yet call ye him an arrogaunt wretch and for his good will reporte of him that he desired to haue a great stroke in euery matter of waight et cetera D. Barnes sayd not that he and his felowes dyd refourme those thinges that were amysse for he knew that to be gods office and the Kynges and yet surmyse ye the same vntruly vpon him But he saieth that thorow the preaching of gods word in the mynistracion of him and such other the Kynges grace is now more obeyed then euer he was before And I praye you is it not so Or was it not gods holy word that gat the Kyng his owne agayne Maye he thank anye papisticall doctrine therfore No verely Concerning M. Edgar yf D. Barnes had not had a right good opynion in him no doubte he wold not haue sent him that commendacion with such an honest request But because he toke him as he might right well I trust for a gentle man that wolde suffre a Christen exhortacion as they will that perteyne vnto Christ therfore was he the bolder of him As for that swearing I thinke verely it cōmeth rather of a custome which yet might well be left then of anye set purpose Nether was D. Barnes acte here agaynst the processe requyred in the xviij of Matthew though he had not spoken with him afore seyng he might not now come at him Barnes ANd that his grace take good hede that he be not disceaued with false preachers and teachers and euell counsaill For Christ saieth that such false Prophetes shall come in lammes skynnes Standish O how great thanke be you worthy et cetera Couerdale Ye shuld haue proued these wordes to smell nothing but heresie and treason as ye saye in your preface because they haue the swete odoure of the gospell where our sauyour byddeth us beware of false Prophetes and of the leuen of pharises and telleth us that many such shall aryse and disceaue many yee euen thorow swete preachinges and flatring wordes saieth the Apostle and because the scripture byddeth us beware of such marchauntes as goyng in long garmentes et cete deuoure wedows houses vnder the pretence of long prayers This man called not the Kynges moost honoble councell euell and yet euen like a pyke thank still ye surmyse it vpon him Yf a frend of the Kynges shuld saye vnto him I besech your grace take good hede whom ye receaue in to your preuy chambre Doth he therfore call his chamberlaynes euell Or doth he therfore preferre his owne witte aboue the discrete wisdome of the Kynges noble counsaill Holy S. Peter as long as he was in this body thought it mete to put Christen men in remembraunce of their dewtie yee though they were of ripe knowlege them selues and stablished in the trueth And yet you call it obstinate pryde treason blyndnesse and rash foolishnesse so to do Such is your iudgment Yee euen whan the partye doth most humbly desyre his prynce to whō he speaketh Barnes THen desyred he all men to forgeue him and that yf he had sayd any euell at any tyme vnaduysed wherby he had offended any man or geuen any occasiō of euell that they wold forgeue it him and amend that euell they toke of him Standish Mark how he doth contynue one maner of man et cetera Couerdale Stedfastnesse in the waye of gods trueth is to be commended And an euident token is it that he is of the same doctryne which wittingly teacheth no euell reconcyleth himselfe vnto all men is sory yf he haue offended anye man or geuen any euell occasion and geueth other men at their death an ensample of true repentaunce Barnes ANd that they wold beare him witnesse that he detested and abhorred all euell opynions and doctrines against the word of god and that he dyed in the faith of Iesu Christ and the sacramentes of the church by whō he doubted not to saued Standishe I knowe that no good man et cetera Couerdale Then it appeareth that yf he had not detested and abhorred all euell and erroneous opynions but had loued your straunge doctrines which are agaynst gods word and so dyed out of Christes faith ye wold haue bene a recorde and witnesse to him rather then fayle Barnes ANd with this he desyred them all to praye for him and then he turned him aboute and put of his clothes makyng him ready to the fyre and most paciently toke his death yeldinge his soule into the handes of allmightie god Standish By this it doth appeare that the first wryter of these his wordes was very charitable et cete Couerdale What so euer he was that first wrote these his wordes verely I can not tell nether dyd I euer reade them or heare them till I sawe them in your treatise And though it may be suspected that this is not the trewest copie because it commeth out of your handes Yet truly a right charitable dede was it to wryte his wordes and to certifye us of them for els by your present practise we maye coniecture that ye wold haue discanted of his deeth as of one whom ye had ouercome with your doctryne Now also that ye
can stoppe the trueth no farther ye wold beare us in hand that it is the wryters iudgment onely which ascrybeth vnto him that he paciently toke his death as though there were none els that herd him and sawe him dye but the wryter alone Couerdale Allbe it I will iudge onely of the outwarde behaueour Couerdale Iudge not after the outward appearaūce saieth our sauyour but geue a righteous iudgment Yet do ye not as ye saye for in many places of your treatise ye iudge the mans mynde and intent yee contrary to his wordes Standishe Takyng occasion by his erroneous wordes to iudge he dyed an obstinate heretike Couerdale Ye can not denye but that after the open confession of his faith and his humble requestes vnto the Kynges grace he than reconcyled himselfe to all men and at the last whan he had desyred thē to praye for him toke his death paciently and yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightye god For all this ye do not onely call his wordes erroneous but also geue sentence that he dyed an obstinate heretike Standish And as for the inward secretes whether he be condēned or saued whether he yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightie god or no et cet I remitte that to the secrete counsaill of the blessed trenite Couerdale A wonderfull thing is it that ye are so vnstable in your wordes Do ye not take vpon you afore to iudge that he dyed an obstinate heretike And now ye can not tell whether he be saued or condemned whether he yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightie god or no. But can an obstinate heretike yelde vp his soule whan he is deed all ready Can an obstinate heretike be saued Beholde now to what worshippe ye bring your doctryne at the last Standish Vnto whom be laude honour and glory for euermore Amen Couerdale Amen Euen to that same blessed trenyte father sonne and holy goost be honour and glory now and euermore Amen The Apostle describing the office and dewtie of a ministre or preacher of gods word wylleth him among all other qualities to shew himself such a laudable workman as nede not be ashamed handling the word of trueth iustly Wherfore seyng ye haue so vnreuerently handled gods holy word peruerted it wrested it and belyed it so oft and many tymes in your treatise Maruaill not at this myne inuectyue agaynst your false doctryne As for symple ignoraunce and such frayll weaknesse as accompanyeth the nature of man whether he will or no it may be suffred and borne But wilful spurnyng at gods holy word froward and false belieng therof must nedes be rebuked and improued Your zele for all your holy pretēce is to suppresse gods trueth to mainteine that doctrine which the catholike or vniuersal church of christ neuer receaued and to defend the church malignaūt in hir wickednesse This is manifest by your present practise But god allmightie which soweth the sede of his holy word and dayly increaceth it in the hartes of his faithfull shall though no man els will maynteyne and defende it himselfe We also whom god will not to be ydle shall do our best and be carieng stones to the makyng vp of the wal which ye haue broken downe To the intent that Christ our sauyour maye haue his owne glorye which ye haue robbed him of our prince his honoure and oure neghboure his dewtie To all true Christen readers Faynt not thou in faith deare reader nether waxe colde in loue and charite though the enemies of gods worde be gathered together and growne in to such swarmes Be thou strong in the lorde and in the power of his might And let it not discorage the that the sayd worde is so litle in the estimacion of the world so greatly despised so sore persecuted so wickedly peruerted wrested and belyed so vnthankfully receaued so shamefully denied and so slouthfully folowed Arme thy selfe therfore with the confortable ensamples of the scripture And as touchinge those ioly Nimrottes that persecute gods worde hunting it out of euery corner whetting ther swerdes and bendyng their bowes agaynst it Be thou sure that the god of oure fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob shall do with thē as he euer was wont to do with tirauntes in times past Thou seist thorow out the stories of the holy byble how that like as he turneth some of their hartes from crueltie to mekenesse Euē so with death with fyre with water and with such other his plages destroyeth he them that will nedes despise his warninge Yee breaketh their bowes in peces and killeth thē with ther own swerdes As for Iamnes and Iambres those wicked sorcerers and couetous chaplens that teach cōtrary to gods worde and dissuade the greate mē of the world frō it Their owne wrestinge and belyeng of it must nedes cōfound thē For though ther be many that resist the truth yet whan it is uttered and commeth to light their madnesse as S. Paul saieth shall be manifest vnto all men And as Moses rodd deuoured their roddes in the Kynges presence So likewise the same places of scripture that they alledge for their wicked purpose shall destroye their false doctryne in the face of the world Yee euen as litle honestie as the papistry hath gotten by wresting of Tu es Petrus et cet so small profit are they like to haue for belyeng of other textes Nether is it to be feared but god will do for one parte of his worde asmuch as for another whan he seith his tyme. Concernyng those bely beastes that for no cōmaundement ner promes of god for no example warnyng ner exhortacion will be counsayled but still blaspheme his holy worde thorow their vngodly conuersacion let not that withdrawe the from the waye of righteousnesse Loue not thou Christ the worse though Iudas be a traytoure Sett not thou the lesse by his wholsome doctrine though dogges turne to their vomite and though swine walow in their stinking mire agayne I knowe gentle reader that to all true Christē hartes it is a great tentaciō to se gods holy worde either persecuted belyed or vnthankfully receaued But first remembre thy selfe well by the practyse of all stories whan was it without persecucion Whan was there not one tyraunt or other that exercised all his power strength witte and counsaill against it Whan were the childrē of Israel without some bloudy Edomites Egiptians Assirians Babilonians Philistines or other Secōdly Whan was not gods worde belied peruerted or euell spoken of by one false Prophet or other Were there not heretikes and flatringe chaplens in all ages that withdrue men from the trueth and misreported the straight waies of the lord Thirdly whan were there not some multitudes that pretēding a loue toward Christes word did but folow him for their own belies sake whan was the sede of Christes word sowē but some parte of it fell vpō the stony ground where it withred and among the thornes