swete water and bloud of very agonie conceiued of his passioÌ„ so nighe at hand The bloud stricken on the postes saued theÌ„ that they were not plagued with the Egyptians deliuered them out of the captiuitie of Pharao And the bloud of Christ strickeÌ„ on the postes of our consciences deliuereth vs from the captiuitie of Pharao the deuill and smitting of his auÌ„gels c. There might not a bone thereof be broken no more were there of Christes though the ij that were hanged with him had either of them his legges his armes brokeÌ„ Moreouer that it was a very prophecie of y e death of Christ of the vertue of his passion it is made the more manifest by the woordes of Christ himselfe Luke 22. for the night before hys passion when he had eaten Pesah with his Disciples he sayd I will no more â—ate of it henceforth till it be fulfilled in the kyngdome of GOD. As who should say This memoriall which we yearely haue hetherto obserued was once fulfilled in the kyngdome of this world when your fathers were deliuered out of bondage and seruitude of the Egyptians But it hath yet an other signification hetherto vnknowen vnto you which must be fulfilled spirituallie in the kingdome of God by my passion that is at hand and bloud that now shall shortly be shed by the which ye shal be deliuered out of the power of Sathan sinne and hell made heyres of the kyngdome of heauen Neither was it the lambes bloud that deliuered you then For what regarde hath God in the bloud of shepe and calues but the bloud of Christ whom that lambe figured and described his innocencie purenes and obedience to hys father and compassion to mankynde ward whose feble nature he had put on with all the infirmities of the same saue sinne did then deliuer you to bryng you to the fayth of this deliueraunce and to make you through faith partakers therof Many things there be in the Scripture whiche haue a carnall fulfillyng euen there where they be spoken or done and yet haue an other spirituall signification to be fulfilled long after in Christ and his kyngdome and yet neuer knowen till the thyng be done As the Serpent of Brasse which Moses haÌ„ged vp in the wildernes though it tooke effect carnally in the wildernes yet it so describeth the liftyng vp of Christ vpon the crosse the vertue of his passion that no touÌ„g could better declare it to make the hart feele it If ye aske why they may not be knowen till they be done and what prophecie may helpe I aunswere If men dyd vnderstand them before they were done they would endeuour to let the fulfillyng of them and when the significatioÌ„ is fulfilled then to see how playnly it was described in the Scripture doth excedyngly coÌ„firme the fayth thereof and make it better to be vnderstand And when this Pesah was fulfilled spirituallie in the kyngdome of heaueÌ„ by the death and bloud â—heddyng of Christ it ended there And in y t roome therof coÌ„cernyng that spirituall significatioÌ„ came the signe of the SacrameÌ„t of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ as Baptisme came in stede of CircuÌ„cision thyngs more easie lesse paynefull and tedious to be obserued and more gentle to prouoke and entise the Heathen For as the lambe describeth the death of Christ to come and the maner of his passion by which we should be deliuered euen so doth the ceremonie of the body and bloud of Christ testifie vnto vs that he hath giuen him selfe to death for vs and redemed vs already if we beleue and cleue 〈◊〉 to the profession of our Baptisme 〈…〉 thâ—â—in or will if any tempest had 〈◊〉 vs out of the right course returne to the right way agayne This to be so the wordes of the Instituâ—â—d declare which are these 1. Cor. 11. The Lord Iesus the night that he was betraâ—ed tooke bread and gaue thankes and brake it and sayd Take eate this is my body that shal be giuen for you this doe in remembraunce of me And likewise he tooke the cup wheÌ„ Supper was done saying This cup is the new TestameÌ„t in my bloud this do as often as ye shall drinke it in the remembraunce of me Here ye see by these woordes that it was ordeined to kepe the death of Christ in minde and to testifie that his body was giueÌ„ and his bloud shed for vs. And Luke 22. This is my body that is giueÌ„ for you do this in remembraunce of me And this cup is the new Testament in my bloud whiche shal be shed for you Loe here ye see agayne that it was instituted to kepe y t death of Christ in minde and to testifie wherfore he dyed eueÌ„ to saue vs from sinne death and hell that we should seeke none other meanes to be deliuered with for there is none other name for vs to be saued by but onely by the name of Iesus Actes 4. And as the children of Israell stong of the firie Serpents could haue none other remedy to saue them from present death then to go and behold the brasen Serpent hanged vp by Moses in the wildernes whiche lookyng on onely healed them Euen so if the styng of death whiche is sinne haue wounded their soule with the workyng of the law in the consciences there is none other remedy then to runne to Christ which shed his bloud hangyng vpon the Crosse and to his euerlastyng Testament and mercyfull promise that it was shed for vs for the remissioÌ„ of our sinnes If thou be stong with conscieÌ„ce of sinne the Cockatrice of thy poysoned nature hath beheld her selfe in the glasse of the righteous law of GOD there is none other salue for remedie theÌ„ to runne to Christ immediatly and to the father through him And to say father I haue sinned agaynst thee and thy godly holy and righteous law agaynst my brother whom I ought of all right to loue for thy sake as well as my selfe forgeue me O father for thy sonne Iesus Christes sake accordyng to thy most mercyfull promises Testament I will aske my brother forgiuenes if the peace I meane be not made already and will make to my power such satisfaction to hym as shall seme right in his eyes if he be reasonable or as the congregatioÌ„ shall assigne or faythfull men thereunto appointed by the congregation or such as I and he will agree vpon and will endeuour my self to do so no more with the helpe of thy grace And will submit my selfe to the wholesome ordinaunce of the coÌ„gregation accordyng the doctrine of thy sonne Iesus and of his faithful Apostles For there is none other name giuen vnder heauen wherby we shal be saued but onely the name of Iesus Hereof ye see that the SacrameÌ„t is an absolutioÌ„ of our sinnes as often as we receiue it where it is truly
28. the auoyding of all threatenynges and curses of which thou readest likewyse euery where but specially in the two bookes aboue rehearsed and the auoiding of all punishment ordeyned for the transgressours of the law And the olde Testament was builte altogether vpoÌ„ the kepyng of the lawe and ceremonies and was the rewarde of kepyng them in this lyfe onely and reached no farther then this lyfe this world As thou readest Leuit. 18. A maÌ„ that doth them shall lyue therin which text Paule reherseth Rom. 10. Gal. 3. That is he that keepeth them shall haue his lyfe glorious according to all the promises and blessings of the law and shal auoyde both all temporal punishments of the law all the threatnynges and cursinges also For neyther the lawe of the tenne commaundementes nor yet the ceremonies iustified in the hart before God or purified vnto the lyfe to come In so much that Moses at his death euen fourtye yeares after the lawe and ceremonies were geuen complaineth saying God hath not geuen you an hart to vnderstande nor eyes to see nor eares to heare vnto this day As who shoulde haue sayd God hath geuen you ceremonies but ye knowe not the vse of them and hath geuen you a lawe but god hath not writen it in your hartes Wherfore serueth the law then if it geue vs no power to do the law Paul answereth them that it was geuen to vtter sinne onely and to make it appeare As a corosie is layd vnto an old sore not to heale it but to stirre it vp and make the disease alyue that a man myght feele in what â—eopardie he is how nye death and not aware and to make a way vnto the healing playster Euen so sayth Paul Gal. 3. The law was geuen bycause of transgression that is to make the sinne alyue that it might be felt and sene vntill the seede came vnto whome it was promised that is to saye vntill the children of fayth came or vntill Christ that sede in whom God promised Abraham that all natioÌ„s of the world should be blessed came That is the law was geuen to vtter sinne death damnation and cursse and to driue vs vnto Christ in whom forgeuenes lyfe iustifiyng and blessynges were promised that we might see so great loue of God to vs ward in Christ that we hence forth ouercome with kindnes might loue agayne and of loue kepe the commaundementes Now he that goeth about to quiet his conscieÌ„ce and to iustifie him selfe with the law doth but heale hys woundes with freatyng coroseis And hee that goeth aboute to purchase grace with ceremonies doth but sucke the ale pole to quench his thyrst in as much as the ceremonies were not geuen to iustifie the hart but to signifie the iustifiyng and forgeuenesse that is in Christes bloud Of the ceremonies that they iustifie not thou readest Hebr. x. It is impossible that sinne should be done away with the bloud of Oxen and Goates And of the law thou readest Galla. iij. If there had bene a lawe geuen that could haue quickened or geuen lyfe then had righteousnes or iustifiyng come by the lawe in deede Now the law not onely quickeneth not the hart but also woundeth it with conscience of sinne and ministreth death and damnation vnto her ij Cor. iij. So that she must nedes dye and be damned except she find other remedy So farre it is of that she is iustified or holpen by the law The new Testament is those euerlastyng promises whiche are made vs in Christ the Lorde throughout all the the Scriptures And that Testament is built on fayth and not in workes For it is not said of that Testament He that worketh shall lyue but he that beleueth shall lyue As thou readest Iohn iij. God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that none that beleue in hym should perishe but haue lyfe euerlastyng And when this Testament is preached and beleued the spirit entreth the hart and quickeneth it geueth it life iustifieth her The spirite also maketh the law a liuely thyng in the hart so that a man bringeth foorth good workes of his owne accord without compulsion of the lawe without feare of threatenynges or cursings yea and without all maner respect or loue vnto any teÌ„porall pleasure but of the very power of the spirite receiued thorough fayth as thou readest Iohn i. He gaue them power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleued on his name And of that power they worke so that he which hath the spirit of Christ is now no more a child he neither learneth nor worketh any loÌ„ger for payne of y t rod or for feare of bugges or pleasure of apples but doth all thynges of his owne courage As Christe sayeth Iohn vij He that beleueth on me shall haue riuers of liuyng waters flowyng out of hys belly That is all good workes and all giftes of grace sprynge out of hym naturally and by their owne accord Thou nedest not to wrest good woorkes out of hym as a man would wryng veriuce out of crabbes Nay they flowe naturally out of hym as sprynges out of rockes The new TestameÌ„t was euer euen from the begynnyng of the world For there were alwaies promises of Christ to come by fayth in which promises the elect were then iustified inwardly before God as outwardly before the world by kepyng of the law and ceremonies And in conclusion as thou seest blessynges or cursynges folowe the breaking or keping of the law of Moyses euen so naturally do the blessynges or cursynges folowe the breakyng of keping of the law of nature out of which spryng all our temporall lawes So that when the people kepe the temporall lawes of their land temporal prosperitie and all maner of such temporall blessynges as thou readest of in Moyses do accompany them and fall vpon them And contrarywise when they sinne vnpunished and when the rulers haue no respect vnto equitie or honestie then God sendeth his cursse among them as hunger dearth morein bannyng pestilence warre oppression with straunge and wonderful diseases and new kyndes of misfortune and euill lucke If any man aske me seing that faith iustifieth me why I worke I aunswere Loue coÌ„pelleth me For as loÌ„g as my soule feeleth what loue GOD hath shewed me in Christ I can not but loue God agayne and his wil and commaundements and of loue worke them hor can they seme hard vnto me I thinke not my selfe better for my woorkyng nor seeke heauen nor an higher place in heaueÌ„ bycause of it For a ChristiaÌ„ worketh to make his weake brother perfecter and not to seeke an higher place in heauen I compare not my selfe vnto hym that woorketh not No hee that worketh not to day shall haue grace to turne and to woorke to morow and in the meane tyme I pitie hym and pray for hym If I had wrought the will of
agaynst vs but at one agreed with vs and we with it But to be vnder the law is to deale with the workes of the law and to worke without the sprite and grace for so long no doubt sinne raigneth in vs through the law that is to say the lawe declareth y t wee are vnder sinne and that sinne hath power and dominion ouer vs seyng we can not fulfill the law namely within in the hart for as much as no man of nature fauoureth the law consenteth therunto and deliteth therein which thyng is exceedyng great synne that we cannot consent to the law which law is nothyng els saue the will of God This is the right freedome and libertie from sinne and from the lawe whereof he writeth vnto the ende of this chapter that it is a freedom to do good onely with lust and to liue well without compulsion of the law Wherfore this freedome is a spirituall freedome which destroyeth not the lawe but ministreth that which the law requireth and wherwith the law is fulfilled that is to vnderstand luste and loue wherewith the law is stilled and accuseth vs no more compelleth vs no more neither hath ought to craue of vs any more Euen as thoughe thou were in debt to an other man and wer not able to pay two maner of wayes mightest thou be losed One way if he would require nothyng of thee and break thine obligation An other way if some other good man woulde paye for thee and geue thee as muche as thou mightest satisfie thyne obligation with all On this wyse hath Christe made vs fre from the law therfore is this no wylde fleshly libertie y t should do nought but that doth all thynges and is free from the crauyng and debt of the law In the seuenth he confirmeth y t same with a similitude of the state of matrimony As whē the husband dyeth the wyfe is at her libertie and the one losed and departed from the other not that the woman should not haue power to mary vnto an other man but rather now first of all is she free hath power to mary vnto an other man which she could not do before till she was loosed from her first husband Euen so are our consciences bound and in daunger to the law vnder olde Adam as long as he liueth in vs for the law declareth y t our hartes are bound and that we cannot disconsent from hym but when he is mortified killed by the sprite then is the conscience free and at libertie not so that the conscience shall now nought doe but nowe first of all cleaueth vnto an other that is to witte Christ and bringeth forth the fruites of lyfe So now to be vnder the lawe is not to be able to fulfill the law but to be detter to it and not able to pay that which the lawe requireth And to be lose from the lawe is to fulfill it and to pay that which the lawe demaundeth so that it can now henceforth aske thee nought Consequently Paul declareth more largely the nature of synne and of the law how that through the law synne reuiueth moueth her selfe and gathereth strength For the olde man and corrupt nature the more he is forbidden and kept vnder of the law is the more offended and displesed therwith for as much as he cannot pay y t which is required of the lawe For synne is his nature and of himselfe he cannot but sinne Therefore is the law death to hym torment and martirdom Not that the lawe is euill but because that the euill nature can not suffer y t which is good cannot abyde that the law should require of him any good thing like as a sicke mā cannot suffer that a man should desire of hym to runne to leape and to doe other deedes of an whole man For which cause S. Paule concludeth that where the law is vnderstand and perceiued in the best wise there it doth no more but vtter synne bryng vs vnto the knowledge of our selues and therby kyl vs and make vs bond vnto eternall damnation and detters of the euerlastyng wrath of God euen as he well feeleth and vnderstandeth whose conscience is truely touched of the law In such daunger were we ere the law came that we knew not what sinne ment neither yet knowe we the wrath of God vppon sinners tyll the law had vttered it So seest thou that a man must haue some other thyng ye a greater and a more mighty thing the the law to make hym righteous safe They that vnderstand not the law on this wise are blinde and go to worke presumptuously supposing to satisfie the law with workes For they know not that the law requireth a free a willing a lusty and a louing hart Therfore they see not Moses right in y t face the vayle hangeth betwene and hideth his face so that they can not behold the glorie of his countenaunce how that the law is spiritual and requireth the hart I may of myne own strength refraine that I do myne enemy no hurt but to loue him with all myne hart to put awaye wrath cleane out of my mind cā I not of mine own strength I maye refuse money of myne owne strength but to put away loue vnto riches out of myne hart can I not do of myne owne strength To abstaine from adultery as concernyng the outward dede can I doe of myne owne strēgth but not to desire in mine hart is as vnpossible vnto me as is to chose whether I will hungre or thrust and yet so the law requireth Wherfore of a mans owne strength is the law neuer fulfilled we must haue therunto Gods fauour and his spirite purchased by Christes bloud Neuerthelesse when I saye a man may do many things outwardly clean agaynst his hart we must vnderstand y ◠mā is but driuen of diuers appetites and the greatest appetite ouercōmeth the lesse and carieth the mā away violently with her As when I desire vengeaunce and feare also the incōuenience that is like to folowe if feare bee greater I abstaine if the appetite that desireth vengeaunce be greater I can not but prosecute the dede as we see by experiēce in many murtherers theeues which though they be brought into neuer so great perill of death yet after they haue escaped do euen the same agayne And common women prosecute their lustes because feare shame are away when other whiche haue the same appetites in their hartes abstaine at the lest way outwardly or worke secretly beyng ouercome of feare and of shame and so likewise is it of all other appetites Furthermore he declared how the spirite and the flesh fight together in one man and maketh an ensample of him self that we might learne to know that worke a right I meane to kill sinne in our selues He calleth both the spirit and also the flesh a law because that like as the nature of Gods
How many are there of the same sort which thou cāst not make beleue that a thousand thinges are sin which God damneth for sinne all the scripture throughout As to bye as good cheepe as he can and to sell as deare as he can to rayse the market of corne and victuale for his owne vauntage without respect of his neighbor or of the poore of the common wealth and such like Moreouer how many hundred thousandes are there which when they haue sinned knowledge their sinnes yet trust in a balde ceremony or in a lowsy Fryers coate and merites or in the prayers of them that deuoure widowes houses and eateth the poore out of house and harbour in a thyng of hys owne imagination in a foolishe dreame and a false vision not in Christes bloud and in the truth that God hath sworne All these are faythlesse for they follow their owne righteousnes and are disobediēt vnto all maner righteousnes of God both vnto the righteousnes of Gods lawe wherewith he damneth all our deedes for though some of them see their sins for feare of payne yet had they rather that such deedes were no sinne and also vnto the righteousnes of the truth of God in his promises whereby he saueth all that repent and beleue them For though they beleue that Christ dyed yet beleue they not that he dyed for their sinnes and that hys death is a sufficient satisfaction for their sinnes and that God for hys sake will be a father vnto them and geue them power to resist sinne Paule sayth to the Romaynes in the x. chap. if thou confesse wyth thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord and beleue wyth thine hart that God raysed hym vp from death thou shalt be safe That is if thou beleue he raysed hym vp againe for thy saluation Many beleue that God is riche and almighty but not vnto themselues and that he he will be good vnto them and defend them and be their God Pharao for payne of the plague was compelled to confesse hys sinnes but had yet no power to submit hymselfe vnto y t will of God and to let the children of Israell goe and to loose so great profit for Gods pleasure As our Prelates confesse their sinnes saying though we be neuer so euill yet haue we the power And agayne the Scribes and the Pharises say they sate in Moyses seate do as they teach but not as they do thus confesse they that they are abhominable But to the second I aunswere if they sate on Christes sear they would preach Christes doctrine now preach they their owne traditions and therefore not to be heard If they preached Christ we ought to heare them though they were neuer so abhominable as they of themselues confesse and haue yet no power to amende neither to let loose Christes flocke to serue God in the spirit which they holde captiue compelling them to serue their false lyes The deuils felt the power of Christ and were cōpelled against their willes to confesse that he was the sonne of God but had no power to be contēt therewith neither to consent vnto the ordinaunce eternall councell of the euerlasting God as our Prelates feele the power of God agaynst them but yet haue no grace to geue roome vnto Christ because that they as the deuils nature is will themselues sitte in hys holy temple that is to witte the consciences of men ¶ Simon Magus beleued Acts. 8. with such a fayth as the deuils confessed Christ but had no right fayth as thou seest in the sayd chapter For he repented not consenting vnto the lawe of God Neither beleued the promises or longed for them but wondred onely at y ◠myracles which Philip wrought and because tha◠he himselfe in Philips presence had no power to vse his witchcrafte sorcery and arte magike wherewith he mocked deluded the wittes of y t people He would haue bought the gifte of God to haue solde it much dearer as his successours now do and not the successours of Simon Peter For were they Simon Peters successours they would preach Christ as he did but they are Simon Magus his successours of which Simō Peter well proued in y t secōd chapter of hys second epistle saying there were false Prophetes among the people meaning of the Iewes euen as there shal be false teachers or doctours among you which priuely shall bring in sectes damnable sectes is part taking as one holdeth of Fraunces another of Dominyck which thyng also Paule rebuketh 1. Corin. 1. and 3. euē denying the Lord that bought them for they will not be saued by Christ neyther suffer any man to preach hym to other And many shall follow their damnable wayes thou wilt say shall God suffer so many to goe out of the right wayes so long I aunswere many must folow their damnable wayes or els must Peter be a false Prophet by which the way of truth shal be euill spoken of as it is now at this present tyme for it is heresy to preach the truth and through couetousnes shall they wyth fayned wordes make merchaundise of you of their merchaundise and couetousnes it needeth not to make rehearsall for they that be blinde see it euidently Thus seest thou that Iames when he sayth faith without deedes is dead and as the body without the spirite is dead so is fayth without deedes and the deuils beleue that he meaneth not of the fayth trust that we haue in the truthe of Gods promises and his holy Testament made vnto vs in Christes bloud whiche fayth foloweth repentaunce and the consent of the hart vn-the lawe of God and maketh a man safe and setteth him at peace with god But speaketh of that false opinion and imagination wherewith some say I beleue that Christ was borne of a virgine and that he dyed and so forth That beleue they veryly and so strōgly that they are ready to slay who soeuer would say the contrary But they beleue not that Christ dyed for their sinnes and that his death hath peased the wrath of God and hath obtained for them all that God hath promised in the Scripture For how can they beleue that Christ dyed for their sinnes and that he is their onely and sufficiēt Sauiour seyng that they seeke other Sauiours of their owne imagination seyng that they feele not their sinnes neither repent except that some repent as I aboue sayd for feare of payne but for no loue nor consent vnto the law of god nor lōging that they haue for those good promises which he hath made them in Christes bloud If they repented and loued the lawe of God and longed for that helpe whiche God hath promised to giue to all that call on hym for Christes sake then veryly must Gods truth giue them power strength to do good workes when so euer occasion were giuen either must God be a false God But let God be true and euery
Christ or entende to restore the Kynges agayne vnto their duties and right and to the rowme and authoritie which they haue of God and of shadowes to make theÌ„ Kynges in deede to put the world in his order agayne then the Kynges deliuer their swordes and authoritie vnto the hypocrites to â—lay him So dronken are they with the wine of the whore ¶ The text that foloweth in Paule wil they happely lay to my charge and others How shall they preach except they be sent sayth Paul in the sayd x. to the Romaines We wil they say the Pope Cardinals and Byshoppes all authority is ours The Scripture perteineth vnto vs and is our possession And we haue a law that who soeuer presume to preach without the authoritie of the Bishops is excommunicate in the deede doyng Whence therefore hast thou thine authoritie wil they say The old Phariseis had the Scripture in captiuitie likewise and asked Christ by what authoritie doest thou these thynges as who should say We are phariseis thou art none of our order nor hast authoritie of vs. Christ asked them an other question and so will I do our hypocrites Who seÌ„t you God Nay hee that is sent of God speaketh Gods word Iohn iij. Now speake ye not Gods worde nor any thyng saue your own lawes made cleane contrary vnto Gods worde Christes Apostles preached Christ not them selues He that is of the truth preacheth the truth Now ye preach nothyng but lyes and therefore are of the deuill the father of all lyes of hym are ye sent And as for mine authoritie or who sent me I report me vnto my workes as Christ Iohn v. and. x. If Gods word beare recorde that I say truth why should any man doubt but that God the father of truth and of lyght hath sent me as the father of lyes of darknes hath sent you and that the spirite of truth and of light is with me as the spirite of lyes and of darkenes is with you By this meanes thou wilt that euery man be a preacher will they say Nay verely For GOD will that not and therfore will I it not no more then I would that euery man of London were Mayre of London or euery man of the Realme Kyng therof God is not the author of dissention and strife but of vnitie and peace and of good order I will therefore that where a congregation is gathered together in Christ one be chosen after the rule of Paul and that hee onely preach and els no maÌ„ openly but that euery man teach hys houshold after the same doctrine But if the preacher preach false then whosoeuers harte God moueth to the same it shal be law full to rebuke and improue the false teacher with the cleare and manifest Scripture and that same is no doubt a true Prophet sent of GOD. For the Scripture is gods and theirs that beleue and not the false Prophet SAcrament is then as much to say as an holy signe And the Sacramentes which Christ ordeined preach Gods word vnto vs and therfore iustifie and minister the spirite to them that beleue as Paul thorough preachyng the Gospell was a minister of righteousnes of the spirite vnto all that beleued his preachyng Domme ceremonies are no Sacramentes but superstitiousnes Christes SacrameÌ„ts preach the fayth of Christ as his Apostles did thereby iustifie Antichristes domme ceremonies preach not y â— fayth that is in Christ as his Apostles our Byshops and Cardinals do not But as Antichristes Bishops are ordeined to kill who soeuer preach the true faith of Christ so are his ceremonies ordeined to quench the faith which Christes SacrameÌ„tes preach And hereby maist thou knowe the difference betwene Christes signes or Sacramentes and Antichristes signes or ceremonyes that Christes signes speake and Antichristes be domme Hereby seest thou what is to be thought of all other ceremonies as halowed water bread salt bowes belles waxe ashes and so forth and all other disguisinges and Apesplay and of all maner coniurations as the coniuring of church and churchyardes and of alter stones such like Where no promise of God is there can be no fayth nor iustifiyng nor forgeuenes of sinnes For it is more then madnes to looke for any thing of god saue that he hath promised How farre he hath promised so farre is he boduÌ„ to them that beleue and further not To haue a fayth therefore or a trust in any thing where god hath not promised is plaine idolatry and a worshipping of thyne own imagination in stede of God Let vs see the pith of a ceremony or two to iudge the rest by In coniuring of holy water they pray that whosoeuer be sprinckled therewith may receaue health as well of body as of soule and likewise in makyng holy bread and so forth in the coniurations of other ceremonies Now we see by dayly experience that halfe their prayer is vnheard For no man receaueth health of body thereby No more of likelihode do they of soule Yea we see also by experience that no man receaueth health of soule thereby For no man by sprinckling himselfe with holy water and wyth eating holy bread is more mercifull then before or forgeueth wrong or becommeth at one with his enemy or is more patient and lesse couetous and so forth Which are the sure tokens of the soule health They preach also that the wagging of the Byshops hand ouer vs blesseth vs and putteth away our sinnes Are these workes not against Christ How can they do more shame vnto Christes bloud For if the wagging of the Byshops hand ouer me be so precious a thyng in the sight of God that I am thereby blessed how then am I full blessed wyth all spirituall blessinge in Christ as Paul saith Ephe. j Or if my sinnes be full done away in Christ how remayneth there any to be done away by such phantasies The Apostles knew no wayes to put away sin or to blesse vs but by preaching Christ Paule sayth Gal. ij If righteousnes come by the law then Christ dyed in vayne So dispute I here If blessing come by the wagging of the Byshops hand then dyed Christ in vayne and his death blesseth vs not And a little afore sayth Paule if while we seeke to be iustified by Christ we be yet found sinners so that we must be iustified by the law or ceremonies is not Christ then a minister of sinne So dispute I here If while we seeke to be blessed in Christ we are yet vnblessed and must be blessed by the wagging of the Byshoppes hand what haue we then of Christ but curse Thou wilt say When we come first to the fayth then Christ forgeueth vs and blesseth vs. But the sinnes which we afterward commit are forgeuen vs through such thinges I aunswere If any man repent truely and come to the fayth and put hys trust in Christ theÌ„ as oft as he sinneth of frayltie at
that we are holy righteous full of good deedes if y â— law be preached a right our righteousnes and good dedes vanish away as smoke in the winde and we are left damnable sinners onely And as thou seest how that Christ healeth not till Peter had wouÌ„ded and as an healyng plaister helpeth not till y â— corrosie hath troubled the wounde eueÌ„ so the Gospell helpeth not but wheÌ„ the law hath wouÌ„ded y e conscience and brought the sinner into y e knowledge of his sinne This allegory proueth nothyng neither caÌ„ do For it is not the Scripture but an exaÌ„ple or a similitude borowed of the Scripture to declare a text or a conclusion of the Scripture more expresly and to roote it and graue it in the hart For a similitude or an example doth printe a thing much deper in the wittes of a man then doth a plaine speakyng and leaueth behynd him as it were a stinge to pricke him forward and to awake him with all Moreouer if I could not proue with an open text that which the Allegory doth expresse then were the Allegory a thyng to bee gested at and of no greater value then a tale of Robyn hode This allegory as touching his first part is proued by Paul in ye. iij. chap. of his Epistle to the Romanes where he sayth The law causeth wrath And in y e vij chapter to the Romanes When the law or commaundement came sinne reuiued and I become dead And in the ij Epistle to the Cor. in the third chap. the law is called the minister of death and daÌ„nation c. And as concernyng the second part Paul sayth to the Rom. in the v. chap. In that we are iustified by faith we are at peace with God And in the ij Epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s in the. iij. The Gospell is called the ministratioÌ„ of iustifying and of the spirite And Gala. iiij The spirite coÌ„meth by preaching of the faith c. This doth the litterall sence proue the allegory beare it as the foundatioÌ„ beareth the house And because that allegories proue nothyng therfore are they to be vsed soberly and seldome onely where the text offereth thee an allegory And of this maner as I aboue haue done doth Paul borow a similitude a figure or allegory of Genesis to expresse the nature of the law and of the Gospell and by Agar her sonne declareth the propertie of the law and of her bonde children which wil be iustified by deedes and by Sara and her sonne declareth the propertie of the Gospell and of her free children which are iustified by faith and how the children of the law which beleue in their workes persecute the children of the Gospel which beleue in the mercy and truth of God and in the Testament of his sonne Iesus our Lord. And likewise do we borow likenesses or allegories of the Scripture as of Pharao and Derode and of the Scribes and Phariseis to expresse our miserable captiuitie and persecution vnder Antichrist the Pope The greatest cause of which captiuitie and the decay of the fayth this blindnes wherin we now are sprang first of allegories For Origene and the doctours of his time drew all y e Scripture vnto allegories Whose ensample they that came after folowed so loÌ„g till at the last they forgat y â— order and processe of the text supposing that y e scripture serued but to faine allegories vppoÌ„ In somuch that twenty doctours expounde one text xx wayes as children make descant vpon playne song Then came our sophisters with theâ—â— Anagogicall and Chopologicall sence with an antetheme of halfe an inch out of whiche some of them drawe a threde of ix dayes long Yea thou shalt fynde inough that will preach Christ and proue what soeuer poynte of thee fayth that thou wilt as well out of a fabell of Ouide or any other Poet as out of S. Iohns Gospell or Paules Epistles Yea they are come vnto such blyndnes that they not onely say the litterall sence profiteth not but also that it is hurtful and noysome and killeth the soule Which damnable doctrine they proue by a text of Paule ij Corinth iij. Where he sayth the letter killeth but the spirit geueth life Lo say they the litterall sence killeth and the spirituall sence geueth life We must therfore say they seeke out some choplogicall sence Here learne what sophistrie is and how blind they are that thou mayest abhorre them and spue them out of thy stomake for euer Paule by the letter meaneth Moyses law which the processe of the text folowyng declareth more bright then the sunne But it is not their guise to looke on the order of any text but as they find it in their doctours so alledge they it and so vnderstaÌ„d it Paule maketh a comparisoÌ„ betwene the law and the Gospell calleth the law the letter because it was but letters grauen in two tables of cold stoâ—e For the law doth but kill and damne the consciences as long as there is no lust in the hart to doe that which the law commaundeth Contrary wise he calleth the Gospell the administration of the spirite of righteousnes or iustifying For wheÌ„ Christ is preached and the promises whiche God hath made in Christ are beleued the spirit entereth the hart and looseth the hart and geueth lust to do the law and maketh the law a liuely thyng in the hart Now as soone as the hart lusteth to do the law then are we righteous before God our sinnes forgeuen Neuerthelesse the law of the letter graued in stone and not in the hartes was so glorious and Moyses his face shone so bryght that the children of Israell could not behold his face for brightnes It was also geuen in thunder and lightning and terrible signes so that they for feare came to Moses desired him that he would speake to them let God speake no more Lest we dye sayd they If we heare him any more as thou mayst see Exod. xx Wherupon Paule maketh his comparison saying if the ministratioÌ„ of death thorough the letters figured in stones was glorious so that the childreÌ„ of Israell could not behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenaunce why shal not the administration of the spirite be glorious And agayne if the administration of damnation be glorious much more shall the administration of righteousnes excede in glory That is if the law that killeth sinners helpeth theÌ„ not to be glorious then the Gospel which pardoneth sinners and geueth them power to be the sonnes of God to ouer come sinne is much more glorious And the text that goeth before is as cleare For the holy Apostle Paule sayth ye Corinthians are our Epistle which is vnderstand and read of all men in that ye are knowen how that ye are the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs and written not with ynke as Moyses law but with the
attrition character Purgatory pickepurse and how through confessioÌ„ they make the SacrameÌ„tes and all the promise of none effect or value There seest thou that absoluyng is but preachyng the promises cursing or excommunicating preachyng the law and of their power of their keyes of false miracles prayeng to Saintes There seest thou that ceremonies dyd not the miracles but faith eueÌ„ as it was not Moses rodde that did y â— miracles but Moses fayth in the promise of God Thou seest also that to haue a fayth where God hath not a promise is Idolatry And there also seest thou how the pope exalteth him self aboue God and commauÌ„deth him to obey his tyraÌ„ny Last of all thou hast there that no maÌ„ ought to preach but he that is called TheÌ„ foloweth the bely brotherhead of Monkes Friers For Christ hath deserued nought with them For his sake gettest thou no fauor Thou must offer vnto their belyes theÌ„ they pray bitterly for thee There seest thou that Christ is the onely cause yea all the cause why God doth ought for vs and heareth our complaint And there hast thou doctrine how to know and to be sure that thou art elect and hast Gods sprite in thee And hast there learnyng to try the doctrine of our spirites Then folow the foure senses of the Scripture of which three are no senses and the fourth that is to wite the litterall sense which is the very sense hath the Pope taken to him selfe It may haue no other meanyng theÌ„ as it pleaseth his fatherhode We must abyde his interpretatioÌ„ And as his belles thinke so must we thinke though it be impossible together any such meanyng of the Scripture Then hast thou the very vse of Allegories and how they are nothyng but ensamples borowed of the Scripture to expresse a text or an open conclusion of the Scripture and as it were to paynte it before thyne eyes that thou mayest feele the meanyng and the power of the Scripture in thyne hart Then commeth the vse of worldly similitudes how they are false Prophetes which bring a worldly similitude for any other purpose saue to expresse more playnly y â— which is coÌ„teined in an open text And so are they also whiche draw the Scripture contrary to the open places and coÌ„trary to the ensample liuyng and practising of Christ the Apostles and of the holy Prophetes And then finally hast thou of our holy fathers power and of hys keyes and of hys bindyng and excommunicatyng and of his cursyng and blessyng with ensamples of euery thyng The end of the obedience of a Christen man ¶ An exposition vppon the v. vi vii chapters of Mathew which three chapters are the keye and the dore of the scripture and the restoring agayne of Moses law corrupte by the Scribes and Pharises And the exposition is the restoring agayne of Christes lawe corrupte by the Papistes ¶ Item before the booke thou hast a Prologe very necessarie contayning the whole summe of the couenaunt made betwene God and vs vppon which we be baptised to kéepe it Set forth by William Tyndall ¶ The Prologe HEre hast thou deare Reader an exposition vpon the v. vi and vij chapters of Mathew wherin Christ our spirituall Isaac diggeth agayne the welles of Abraham which welles y t Scribes Phareses those wicked spitefull Philistines had stopped and filled vp wyth the earth of their false expositions He openeth the kingdome of heauen which they had shut vp that other men should not enter as they themselues had no lust to go in He restoreth the keye of knowledge which they had taken away and broken the wardes with wresting the text contrary to his due and natural course with their false gloses He plucketh away from the face of Moses the vaile which the Scribes and Phareises had spred thereon that no man might perceaue the brightnes of his countenaunce He wedeth out the thornes and bushes of their Pharesaicall gloses wherewith they had stopped vp the narrow way and straight gate that fewe coulde finde them The welles of Abraham are the scripture And the Scripture may well be called the kingdome of heauen which is eternall lyfe and nothing saue the knowledge of God the father and of his sonne Iesus Christ Ioh. xvij Moses face is the law in her right vnderstanding and the law in her right vnderstanding is the keye or at the least waye the first and principall keye to open the dore of the Scripture And the law is the very way that bringeth vnto y â— dore Christ as it is writteÌ„ Gala. iij. The law was our scholemaster to bring vs to Christ that we might be iustified by fayth And Rom. x. the ende of the lawe that is to say the thyng or cause why the law was geuen is Christ to iustifie all that beleue That is to say the lawe was geuen to proue vs vnrighteous and to driue vs to Christ to be made righteous the row forgeuenes of sinne by hym The lawe was geuen to make the sinne knowen sayth Saint Paule Rom. iiij and that sinne committed vnder the law might be the more sinfull Rom. vij The law is that thyng which Paule in his inward maÌ„ grauÌ„ted to be good but was yet compelled oft tymes of his meÌ„bers to do those thinges which that good lawe condemned for euill Rom. vij The law maketh no man to loue the law or lesse to do or commit sinne but gendereth more lust Rom. vij and increaseth sinne Rom. v. For I cannot but hate the lawe in as much as I finde no power to do it and it neuerthelesse condemneth me because I do it not The lawe setteth not at one with God but causeth wrath Rom. iij. The lawe was geueÌ„ by Moses but grace and veritie by Iesus Christ Ioh. j. Behold though Moses gaue the law yet he gaue no man grace to do it or to vnderstand it aright or wrote it in any mans hart to consent that it was good and to wishe after power to fulfill it But Christ geueth grace to do it and to vnderstand it aright and writeth it wyth his holy spirite in the tables oâ— the hartes of men and maketh it a true thing there and none hypocrisie The lawe truely vnderstoode is those fierie serpentes that strong the children of Israell with present death But Christ is the brasen serpent on whom whosoeuer beyng stoge with coÌ„science of sinne looketh with a â—ure fayth is healed immediatly of that stinging and saued from the paynes and sorrowes of hell It is one thyng to coÌ„demne and pronouÌ„ce the sentence of death and to flyng the conscience with feare of euerlastyng payne And it is an other thing to iustifie from sinne that is to say to forgeue and remitte sinne and to heale the conscience and certifie a man not only that he is deliuered from eternall death but also that he is made the
no vnrighteousnesse in hym that is to say he will do hys masters message truly and not alter it Where contrarywise he that seeketh his owne glory will be false wheÌ„ he is sent and wil alter his masters message to turne his masters glory vnto his owne selfe Euen so did the Scribes and Phariseis alter the woorde of God for their own profite glory And when Gods word is altered with false gloses it is no more Gods worde As when God sayth loue thy neighbour thou puttest to thy leueÌ„ and sayest if my neighbour do me no hurt nor say me any I am bound to loue him but not to geue him at his neede my goodes which I haue gotteÌ„ with my sore labour Now this is thy law and not Gods Gods law is pure and single loue thy neighbour whether he be good or bad And by loue god meaneth to helpe at nede Now when God byddeth thee to get thy liuyng and somwhat ouer to helpe him that cannot or at a tyme hath not wherewith to helpe him selfe if thou xxx or xl with thee get you to wildernesse not onely helpe not your neighbours but also robbe a great number of two or three thousand pouÌ„d yearely how loue ye your neighbours Such men helpe the world with prayer thou wilt say to me Thou were better to say they robbe y â— world with their hypocrisie say I to thee and it is truth in dede that they so do For if I sticke vp to the middle in the myre like to perish without present helpe and thou stand by and wilt not succour me but knelest downe and prayest wil God heare the prayers of such an hipocrite God biddeth thee so to loue me that thou put thy selfe in ieopardie to helpe me and that thyne hart while thy body laboureth do pray and trust in God that he will assiste thee through thee to saue me An hypocrite that will put neither body nor goodes in perill for to helpe me at my neede loueth me not neither hath compassion on me therfore hys hart caÌ„ not pray though he wagge his lippes neuer so much It is written Iohn ix If a man be a worshipper of God and do his wil which is the true worshyp him God heareth Now the will of God is that we loue one an other to helpe at nede And such louers he heareth not suttle hypocrites As loue maketh thee helpe me at my nede so when it is past thy power to helpe it maketh thee pray to God Euen so where is no loue to make thee take bodely paine w t me there is no loue y â— maketh thee pray for me But thy prayer is in deede foâ—…y bely which y â— louest What were the scribes and Phariseys The scribes besides that they were Phariseys as I suppose were also officers as are our Byshoppes Chauncellers Comistaries Archdeacones and Officialles And the Phariseys were religious men which had professed not as now one dominicke the other Fraunces an other Barnardes rules But euen to holde the very law of God with prayer fastyng and almeâ—â—eedes and were the flower and persection of all the Iewes as Saint Paule reioyseth of himselfe Phil. iiâ— saying I was an Ebrue and concernyng the law a Pharisey and concerning the righteousnes of the lawe I was faultlesse They were more honorable then any secte of the Monkes with vs whether obseruauÌ„t or Ancre or whatsoeuer other be had in price These might much better haue reioysed to haue beene the true Church and to haue had the spirite of God that they coulde not haue erred then they whom all the world seeth neither to keepe Gods lawes nor mans nor yet that deuilles lawe of their owne makyng For God had made them of y â— olde testameÌ„t as great promises that he would be their God and that hys spirite and all grace shoulde be wyth them if they kept his lawes as he hath made to vs. Now seing they kept the vttermost iote of the lawe in the sight of the worlde and were faultlesse and seyng thereto that God hath promised neither vs nor them ought at all but vppon the profession of keepyng hys lawes whether were more lyke to be the right church and to be taught of the spirite of God that they coulde not erre those Phariseys or ours Might not the generall councelles of those the things there decreed without scripture seeme to be of as great auctoritie as the generall councelles of ours the thynges there ordained and decreed both cleane without also against Gods worde Might not the ceremonies which those had added to the ceremonies of Moses seeme to be as holy and as well to please God as the ceremonies of ours The thynges which they added to the ceremonies of Moses were of y â— same kynde as those ceremonies were and no more to be rebuked then the ceremonies of Moses As for an ensample if Moses bad washe a table or a dishe when an vncleane worme had crept thereon the Phariseys did washe the table wyth a were cloute before euery refection least any vncleane thyng had touched them vnwares to all men as we put vnto our tythes a mortuary for all forgotteÌ„ tythes What was then the wickednesse of the Phariseys verely the leuen of their gloses to y â— morall lawes by which they corrupted the coÌ„maundementes and made them no more Gods and their false faith in the ceremonies that the bare worke was a sacrifice and a seruice to God the significations loste and the opinion of false righteousnesse in their prayers fastinges and almesoâ—edes that such workes did iustifie a man before God and not that God forgeueth sinne of his mere mercy if a man beleue repent and promise to do his vttermost to sinne no more When these thus sate in the hartes of the people with the opinion of vertue holinesse and righteousnesse and their lawe the lawe of God their workes workes coÌ„maunded by God and confirmed by all his prophets as prayer fasting and alâ—nesdeede they looked vppon as the Church of God that coulde not erre and finally they themselues eyther euery where were the chiefe rulers or so sate in the harts of the rulers that their worde was beleued to be the worde of God What other thyng coulde it be to preach agaynst all such and to coÌ„dempne their righteousnes for the most dampnable sinne that can be then to seeme to goe about to destroy the lawe and the prophetes What other thyng can such a preacher seeme to be before the blynde worlde then an hereticke scismaticke seditious possessed wyth the deuyll worthy of shame most vile and death most cruell And yet these must be first rebuked and their false righteousnesse detected yer thou mayst preach against open sinners Or els if thou shouldest conuert an open sinner froÌ„ hys euill lyuing thou shouldest make hym nyne hundred times worse theÌ„ before For he would at
desperation and partly that he fall not into hate of his father and of his commaundement thereto and thinke that his father is a tyraunt and his law but tyranny M. More seleth with his good endeuour inspiration together that a man may haue the best fayth coupled with the worst lyfe and with consentyng to sinne And I feele that it is impossible to beleue truly except a maÌ„ repent and that it is impossible to trust in y â— mercy y â— is in Christ or to fele it but y â— a man must immediatly loue God his commaundementes and therfore disagree disconsent vnto the fleshe and be at bate therewith and fight agaynst it And I feele that euery soule that loueth y â— law and hateth his fleshe and beleueth in Christes bloud hath his sinnes which he committed and payne which he deserued in haryng the law and consentyng vnto his flesh forgeuen him by that fayth And I feele that the frailtie of the flesh agaynst whiche a beleuyng soule lighteth to subdue it is also forgeuen and not rekened or imputed for sinne all the tyme of our curyng as a kynde father and mother reken not or impute the imposuÌ„bilitie of their youÌ„g children to consent vnto their law and as when the children be of age and consent theÌ„ they reken not nor impute the impossibilitie of the flesh to folow it immediatly but take al a worth and loue them no lesse but rather more tenderly then their old and perfect children that do their commaundemeÌ„tes so long as they go to schole learne such thynges as their fathers mothers set theÌ„ to And I beleue that euery soule that repeÌ„teth beleueth and loueth the law is thorough that fayth a member of Christes Churche and pure without spot or wrincle as Paule affirmeth Ephe. v. And it is an Article of my beleffe that Christes elect Church is holy and pure without sinne and euery meÌ„ber of the same thorow faith in Christ and that they be in the full fauour of God And I feele that the vncleanesse of the soule is but the consent vnto sin and vnto the fleshe And therefore I feele that euery soule that beleueth and consenteth vnto the lawe and here in this life hateth his flesh and the lustes therof and doth his best to driue sinne out of his flesh and for hate of the sinne gladly departeth from his flesh when he is dead and the lustes of the fleshe slaine with death needeth not as it were bodely tormenting to be purged of that wherof he is quit already And therfore if ought remaine it is out to be taught and not to be beaten And I feele that euery soule that beareth fruit in Christ shal be purged of the father to beare more fruit day by day as it is written Ioh. xv not in the Popes Purgatory where no man feeleth it but here in this life such fruit as is vnto his neighbours profite so that he which hath his hope in Christ purgeth himselfe here as Christ is pure 1. Ioh. 3. and that euer yet the bloud of Iesus onely doth purge vs of all our â—…s for the imperfectnes of our woorkes And I feele that the forgeuenes of sinnes is to remitte mercifully the payne that I haue deserued And I do beleue that the payne that I here suffer in my fleshe is to keepe the body vnder and to serue my neighbour and not to make satsfaction vnto god for the sore sinses And therfore when the Pope describeth God after his couetous complexion and when M. More feleth by inspiration and captiuating his wittes vnto the Pope that God forgeueth the euerlasting payne and will yet punish me a thousand yeares in the Popes purgatory that leauen sauoreth not in my mouth I vnderstand my fathers wordes as they sound and after the most mercifull maner and not after the Popes leauen and M. Mores captining his wittes to beleue that euery Poetes fable is a true story There is no father here that punisheth his sonne to purge hym when he is purged already and hath vtterly forsaken sinne and euâ—â—l and hath submitted himselfe vnto his fathers doctrine For to punishe a man that hath forsaken sinne of his owne accorde is not to purge him but to satisfie the lust of a tyrant Neyther ought it to be called Purgatory but a Iayle oftormenting and a satisfactory And when the Pope sayth it is done to satisfie the righteousnes as a iudge I say we that beleue haue no iudge of him but a father neither shal we come into iudgemeÌ„t as Christ hath promised vs but are receaued vnder grace mercy and forgeuenes Shew the Pope a litle money and God is so mercifull that there is no Purgatory And why is not the fire out as well if I offer for me the bloud of Christ If Christ hath deserued all for me who gaue the Pope might to keepe part of his deseruinges from me and to buy sell Christes merites to make marchaundise ouer vs wyth fayned wordes And thus as M. More feleth that y â— Pope is holy church I feele that he is Antichrist And as my feeling can be no proofe to him no more caÌ„ his wyth all his captiuating his wittes to beleue phantasies be vnto me wherefore if he haue no other probation to proue that the Pope is holy church then that his hart so agreeth vnto hys learning he ought of no right to coÌ„pell with sword vnto his sect How be it there are euer two maner people that will cleaue vnto God a fleshly and a spirituall The spirituall which be of God shall heare Gods woorde and the children of the truth shall consent vnto the truth And contrary the fleshly and children of falshead and of the deuill whose harts be full of lyes shall naturally consent vnto lyes as young children though they haue eate themselues as good as dead with fruit yet will not nor caÌ„ beleue him that telleth them that such fruit is nought but him that prayseth them wyll they heare and eate themselues starcke dead because their harts be full of lyes and they iudge all thinges as they appeare vnto the eyes And the fleshly mynded assoone as he beleueth of God as much as the deuill doth he hath inough and goeth to and serueth God with bodely seruice as he before serued his Idoles and after his owne imaginacion and not in the spirite in louing his lawes and beleuing his promises or longing for them no if he myght euer liue in the fleshe he would neuer desire them And God must do for him againe not what he hath promised but what he lusteth And his brother y â— serueth God in y e spirit according to Gods word hym will the carnall beast persecute So that he which will godly liue must suffer persecution vnto the worldes end according vnto the doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles and according vnto the
it is the gift of God and commeth not of workes lest any man should bost him selfe But we are his workemanshyp created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes vnto whiche God ordeined vs before that we shuld walke in them The text is playne we were stone dead and without lyfe or power to do or consent to good The whole nature of vs was captiue vnder the deuill and led at his will And we were as wicked as the deuill now is Except that hee now sinneth agayne the holy ghost and we consented vnto sinne with soule and body and hated the law of God But God of his grace onely quickened vs in Christ and raysed vs out of that death and made vs sit with Christ in heauenly thynges That is he set our hartes at rest and made vs sit fast in the lyfe of Christes doctrine and vnmoueable frō the loue of Christ And finally we are in this our second byrth Gods workemāshyp and creation in Christ so that as hee which is yet vnmade hath no life nor power to worke no more had we till we were made agayne in Christ The preachyng of mercy in Christ quickened our hartes through faith wrought by the spirit of Christ which God poured into our hartes yer we wist Dearely beloued if God so loued vs then ought we loue one an other If we felt the loue of God in Chrisles bloud we could not but loue agayne not onely God and Christ but also all that are bought with Christes bloud If we loue God for the pleasures that we receaue then loue we our selues But if we loue hym to do hym pleasure agayne that can we no otherwise do then in louing our neighbours for his sake them that are good to continue them in their goodnes them that are euill to draw them to good Loue is the instrument wherewith fayth maketh vs Gods sonnes fashioneth vs lyke the image of God and certifieth vs that we so are And therfore commaundeth Christ Math. v. Loue your enemyes Blesse thē that curse you pray for them that persecute you that ye may be the sonnes of your heauenly father whiche maketh his sunne rise ouer good and bad and sendeth his rayne vpon iust and vniust ye whiche made the sunne of his mercy shyne vpō vs and sent the rayne of the bloud of his deare and onely child vppon our soules to quicken vs and to make vs see loue to loue agayne No man hath at any tyme sene God If we loue one an other God dwelleth in vs and his loue is perfect in vs. Though we can not see God yet if we loue one an other we be sure that he abydeth in vs and that his loue is perfect in vs that is that we loue hym vnfaynedly For to loue God truly to giue him thankes is onely to loue our neighbour for his sake For vppon his person thou canst bestow no benefite And for as much as we neuer saw God let vs make no image of him nor doe hym any imageseruice after our own imagination but let vs go to the scripture that hath sene hym and there wete what fashion he is of and what seruice he wil be serued with Blind reason sayth God is a kerued post and wil be serued with a candle But Scripture sayth God is loue wil be serued with loue If thou loue thy neighbour thē art thou the image of God thy self and he dwelleth in the liuing temple of thine hart And thy louing of thy neighbour for hys sake is hys seruice and worshyp in the spirite and a cādle that burneth before hym in thyne hart and casteth out the light of good workes before the world draweth all to God and maketh his enemyes leaue their euill and come and worshyp him also Hereby we know that we abyde in him and he in vs. For he hath giuen vs of his spirite He that hath not Christes spirit the same is none of his Roma 8. If we haue the spirite of God then are we sure But how shall we know whether we haue the spirite Aske Iohn and he will say if we loue one an other And we haue sene and do testifie that the father hath sent hys sonne the sauiour of the worlde Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God in hym dwelleth God and he in God And we haue knowne and beleued the loue that God hath to vs. First the Apostles taught no fables but that they saw and receaued of God by the witnesse of his spirite Secondaryly Iohn ascēdeth vp stepe higher from loue to fayth and sayth he that be leueth that Iesus is Gods sonne hath God in hym And I doubt not but the Pope and his defēders will aunswere Iohn and say then the deuil hath God in hym and is also in God For other fayth then such as the deuill hath felt they neuer any But Iohn preuenteth them we haue knowē and beleued the loue that God hath to vs. That is we beleue not onely with story fayth as men beleue old Chronicles but we beleue the loue and mercy that GOD shewed vs and put our trust and confidence therein And so taketh Scripture belefe we beleue that Iesus is the sonne of God made man and slayne for our sinnes which is a tokē of great loue And that loue beleue we trust therto Where Paule sayth i. Cor. xij No man can cal Iesus Lord except the holy ghost had taught hym But thorough the holy ghost he meaneth not with the mouth onely but in the hart with vnfayned fayth putting his hope trust in the Lordshyp which he hath ouer sinne damnation hell and death For so could no man call Iesus Lord except the holy ghost had taught hym as Christ saith Math. xvi flesh bloud shewed thee not that But yet how shall I see my fayth I must come downe to loue agayne thence to the workes of loue yer I can see my faith Not alway but sometime thou shalt fecle thy fayth without the outward deede as in great aduersitie and persecution when the deuil assaulteth thee with desperation and layeth thy sinnes before thee would beare the in hād that God had cast the away and left the succourles for thy synnes sake Then commeth fayth forth with her shielde and turneth backe agayne the dartes of the deuill and aunswereth Nay for Iesus is y ◠sonne of God yea and my very God and my very Lord and hath takē away my sinnes all dānation And this trouble aduersitie which is come vpō me by settyng of thee and on of thy lymmes is onely to make me feele the mercy of my father and his power and helpe within in my soule and to slay the rest of the poyson which remaineth in the flesh God is loue and he that abydeth in loue abydeth in God and God in hym This haue we heard aboue and it is easie to be vnderstand Herefore is loue perfect with vs
grouÌ„ded and stablished in the fayth are in hys â—ight without faulte for their sinnes are not imputed vnto them but forgeuen through Christes bloud wherfore of necessitie I must conclude that no faythfull shall euer come there Euery man that departeth this world is either faithfull or vnfaithful if he be faithful then commeth he not there as y e foresaid argumeÌ„t proueth And if he be vnfaythfull theÌ„ commeth he neuer in Purgatory but is all ready damned Iohn iij. Marke the last Now if neither â—aythfull nor vnfaithfull enter into it then should it be in vayne but there is nothyng made in vaine wherfore I must conclude that there is no such Purgatory Paule sayth he that spared not his owne sonne but deliuered him for vs all how shal he not with him geue vs all thynges also who shall lay any thyng to the charge of Gods chosen Roma viij Forsooth Lord God our prelates lay so sore vnto their charge that they would haue them broyle in Purgatory But Lord be our protectour for it is thou that iustifiest vs hast fréely geuen vs all thynge with him Roma viij Paule sayth the law of the spirite wherein is lyfe through Christ Iesu hath deliuered me from the lawe of sinne and death Roma viij Seyng we be so deliuered what nâ—…de vs seke an other deliueraunce specially â—ith they make it so paynefull Sâ—yng we are on y e maner deliuered how â—hauÌ„ceth it that we are taken prisoners agayne vnder sinne that we must be purged a fresh by the fire of Purgatory I pray God geue vs grace that we may be purged froÌ„ this our blynd ignoraunce thorough hys spirite of knowledge that we may perceaue how it is Iesus Christ that purgeth our sinnes and hath deliuered vs thorough his bloudshedyng So should we geue hym the prayse whiche hath deserued it And not be so vnkind vnto hym as we now be Paule sayth y e there is no condeÌ„natioÌ„ to them which are in Christ Iesu Roma 8. But if we continue firme stable in Christ vnto the end theÌ„ shall we be saued Math. 24. what néedeth theÌ„ purgatory yea what should purgatory doe Is not Christ sufficient theÌ„ is our faith in vayne And if he be sufficient theÌ„ is Purgatory in vayne Paule sayth if you be iustified by the law then is Christ dead in vayne Now if the lawe beyng good iust and holy Roma vij And euen of Gods owne makyng caÌ„ not iustifie vs thinkest thou to be iustified by fryenge in Purgatory They that are the chief patrones and proctours of Purgatory do fayne it for no other intent but to purgeeuill workes and to be as a penaunce to supply the good workes whiche we lacked beyng in this world But all this can not bryng vs into heaueÌ„ For then were Christ dead in vayne And of this haue we euident examples Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid and all holy Prophetes were excluded from heauen vntill Christe had suffered death this all men testifie But if good workes or penaunce could haue brought them to heauen they should not haue taryed out of it so loÌ„g Therfore I may conclude that it is but vanitie to imagine a Purgatory for to purge euill workes and supply good For as I haue shewed that holpe not the Patriarches Peraduenture thou wilt say vnto me shall I then do no good workes I aunswere yes Thou wilt aske me wherfore I aunswere thou must do them because God hath commauÌ„ded them Thou wilt say for what intent hath he commaunded them I aunswere because thou art liuing in this world and must nedes haue conuersation with men therfore hath God appointed â—hée what thou shalt doe to the profite of thy neighbour and tamyng of thy flesh As Paule testifieth Ephes 2. we are his worke made in Christ Iesu to good woorkes whiche woorkes God hath prepared that we should walke in them These workes God would haue vs doe that the vnfaythfull might sée the godly and vertuous conuersation of his faythfull thereby be compelled to glorifie our father whiche is in heauen Math. v. And so are they both profitable for thy neighbour and also a testimonie vnto thée by the which meÌ„ may know that thou art the right sonne of thy heaueÌ„ly father and a very Christe vnto thy neighbour and euen as our heauenly father gaue his Christ vnto vs not for any profit that he should haue ther by but onely for our profite likewise y â— shouldest do all thy good workes not hauing respect what coÌ„modities thou shalt haue of it but euer attendyng through charitie the wealth and profite of thy neighbour Thou wilt yet obiect then sée I no great profite that I shall haue by them I aunswere what wouldest y â— haue First Christ is geuen thée fréely and with him hast thou all thinges He is thy wisedome righteousnes halowyng and redemption i. Cor. i. by him art thou made inheritour of God and felowheyre with Christ Roma viij This is fréely geuen thée with Christ before thou wast borne thorough the fauour and election of God whiche election was done before the foundations of the world were cast Ephes i. Now were thou very fonde and vnkynde if thou thoughtest to purchase by thy workes the thyng which is already geueÌ„ thée Therefore must thou do thy workes with a single eye hauyng neither respect vnto the ioyes of heaueÌ„ neither yet to the paynes of hell but onely do them for the profite of thy neighbour as God commaundeth thée and let him a lone with the residue To this well agréeth Paule Ephe. 2. saying by grace are ye made safe through fayth and that commeth not of your selues but it is y t gift of God coÌ„meth not of workes lest any man should boast him selfe Loe here sayth Paule playnly that our saluatioÌ„ is the gift of God coÌ„meth not of workes if it come not of workes then are we worse then mad to fayne a Purgatory For the chiefest operation of that should be but to supply the woorkes which we haue not accomplished beyng in this body Paule sayth Roma xi The remnaunt which are left at this time are through the election of grace If it be through grace theÌ„ is it not by workes for then grace were no grace Or if it be for the workes sake so is it not of fauour and grace accordyng to that which he wrote before Roma iiij If AbrahaÌ„ sayth Paul were iustified by his workes then may he reioyse but not before God But what sayth the Scripture Abraham beleued God that was imputed vnto hym for righteousnes for he that worketh receaueth his reward not of fauour but of dutye Now if it be duty then nedeth he not to thanke God but rather him selfe for theÌ„ God geueth him nothing but that which is his owne of dutye Where is then the prayse
byshopryke of the kinges grace How will you bée able by your workes to deserue heauen and iustification before the king of all kynges When you haue aunswered to this before the kinges grace then come and dispute with God the iustification of your workes and yet shall they bée farre vnlike Wherfore I conclud of these scriptures and of these doctours that the fayth that we haue in Christ Iesus and his blessed bloude doth onely and sufficiently iustifie vs béefore God without the helpe of any workes And though y e all scripture bee no thing els but a holle probacion of this article that is alonely a perfect commeÌ„dation and a prayse of Christ and of his blessed merites that hée hath deserued for vs yet will I passe ouer to bryng in any moe places For they y e are not coÌ„teÌ„t with these scriptures wyll not bée satisfied nor yet content to geue al onely glory to God though I brought in all the newe testament Yea Christ hym selfe could not satisfie them if hee were here no nor yet though heauen and earth and all creatures therin were nothyng els but probations of this article it would not helpe Wherefore I let such infidels passe and leue them to the iudgement of God alonely certifieng them of this one thyng that is infallible how the day shall come that it shall repent them yea and that sorer then I can either write or thinke that they did not beléeue the lest pricke of this holy article But vnto our purpose The very true way of iustification is this First commeth God for the loue of Christe Iesus alonely of his mere mercy and geueth vs fréely the gift of fayth wherby we doe beleeue God his holy word and sticke fast vnto the promises of God and beléeue that though heauen and earth and all that is in them should perish and come to nought yet God shall bée founde true in his promises for this faythe 's sake bée we the elect children of God This is not such a fayth as men dreame when they beléeue that there is one God and beléeue that hée is eternall beléeue also that hée made the worlde of naught yea and beléeue that the Gospell is true and all thing that God speaketh must bée true and fulfilled with other such thynges This I say is not the fayth that wée bée iustified by for deuils and infidels haue this fayth â—and also wée may attayne to these thynges by strength of reason But the fayth that shall iustifie vs must bée of an other maner of strength for it must come from heauen and not from the strength of reason It must also make mée beléeue that God the maker of heauen and earth is not alonely a father but also my father yea and that thorow the fauour that Christ hath purchased mée from the whiche fauour neither heauen nor earth tribulation nor persecution death nor hell can deuide mée But to this sticke I fast that hée is not alonely my father but also a mercifull father yea and that vnto mée mercifull and so mercifull that hée will not impute my sinnes vnto mée though they bée neuer so great so long as I hang on the blessed bloud of Christ Iesus and sinne not of malice but of frailtie and of no pleasure Hée is also a lyberall father yea and that vnto mée liberall which will not alonely promise mée all thynges but also géeue them me whether they bée necessary to the body or to y e soule Hée is also not alonely lyberall but myghty to performe all thynges that hée promyseth vnto mée Briefely this fayth maketh mée to hang clearely of God and of his blessed promyses made in Christ and in his swéete and precious bloud and not to feare death nor any affliction nor persecution nor tribulation but to despise all these thynges and not alonely these but to despise also myne own lyfe for Christes sake Finally of a fleshely beast it maketh mée a spirituall man of a damnable child it maketh mée a heauenly sonne of a seruaunt of the deuill it maketh mée a frée maÌ„ of Gods both deliuered from the lawe from sinne from death from the deuill and from all myserie that might hurt mée My Lordes this is the fayth that doth iustifie and that wée do preach And because it is geuen from heauen into our hartes by the spirite of God therfore it can bée no idle thing But it must néedes do all maner of things y e bée to the honour of God and also to the profite of our neighbour In so much that at all tymes necessary it must néedes worke well also bryng forth all good workes that may bée to the profite and helping of any man But these workes bée not done to iustifie the man but a iust man must néedes doe them Not vnto his profite but alonely to other mens profites euen as our maister Christ suffered hunger and thyrste and persecution and tooke great labours in preaching of his worde yea and also suffered death All these thinges I say did hée not to further or to profite himselfe but for our merites and for our profite So likewise doth a iust man his workes And as a good trée in tyme of the yeare bryngeth forth good Apples not to make hym good for hée is good afore nor yet this apple is not to his profite but vnto other mens notwithstanding y e good nature that is in hym muste néedes bring it forth So likewise the iust man must néedes doe good workes not by them to bée iustified but alonely in them to serue his brother for hée hath no néede of them as concerning his iustification Wherfore now here haue you the very true cause of iustification that is fayth alonely And also the very true way and maner of doynge good workes And how that no man can doe good workes but a iustified man as our maister Christ sayth Eyther make the trée good and then his fruite good or els the trée euill and his fruit euill for a good trée must néedes bring forth good fruite and a badde euyll fruite But now let mée aunswere to the Scriptures and to the reasons that they bring to prooue that workes doe iustifie First commeth the fleshly and dampnable reason and shée sayth If wée bée iustified alonely by fayth what néede wée to doe any good workes what néede wée to crucifie or mortifie our fleshe for all these wil not profite vs and wée shall bée saued though wée doe none of theÌ„ all Thus did blinde reason dispute with Saint Paule when that hée had proued that God of his mercy had deliuered vs fréely from the damnable bondage of the law Anone hée iudged that he might do what hée would for hée was no loÌ„ger vnder the law To this S. Paule auÌ„swereth y â— if wée obey vnto y â— workes of sinne then are we the seruauntes of sinne if we obey to the workes of iustice
tame his body that it may waite vpon God deceiueth hym selfe All our doynges must tende to the honour of God and loue of our neighbour This boke is a preachyng of fayth and loue Here thou mayest learne a right meditation or contemplation The workes of God are supernatural We must abstaine froÌ„ outward euill though not for loue yet for feare of the vengeance of God Vnto the law of god we may neither adde nor minish We are coÌ„maunded to abstayne from Images God is mercyful to them that repent Christ hath deliuered vs therfore we ought to serue him our neyghbour for his sake Loue onely to the fulfillyng of the lawes of God We must trust onely in God not in our selues Howe a maÌ„ may trye examine hym selfe how much he loueth God and his neighbour God styrreth vp his people vnto fayth A right way of prayer The pith effect of all y e lawes of God And if wee firste loue God then out of that loue wee must nedes loue our neighbour What it is to loue and feare God and what it is to despise hym The word of god may not be altered Let no maÌ„ draw vs from gods worde Of maters of the common weals None may be condemned vnder two witnessed Christ our sauiour declared in the old testament The curse and wrath of God ouer al those that break his lawes We may not be to curious in the searchyng of Gods secretes but rather study to vnderstand to do our duety towards god and our neighbour The Papistes kept the Scriptures from the lay people because they onely will be the publishers expositors therof The scripture hath a body and a soule The scripture contayneth iij. thinges The maner of hipocrites in reading the law of god The papisticall and corrupt doctrine of the papists Now the Papistes â—ring and wrest the scriptures God correcteth where he loueth God casteth none away but such as refuse to kept his lawes and will not harken vnto hys voyce Such as hardeÌ„ their hartes and not harken to the will of God to do it God casteth out The Prophetes of God bare the weakenes of their brethren their 〈◊〉 ries also with patience The Pope and his ministers are persecutors ouer their brethren The cruell opinioÌ„ that the disciples had of Christ The ignoraunce and imperfection of the apostles God doth mercifully try tempt vs to moue vs to vtter our hartes myndes towardes hym Ionas of himselfe was an vn mete messenger to be sent of such a message but god assisted him with his holy spirit The carnal imagination of mans nature without Gods spirite Ionas so long as he was in his carnall imagination could nâ—t abyde the voice of God but fled howbeit God called hym â—…ne Ionas flesh râ—belled agaynst the spirite The wicked seke to to coâ—er their wickednes with â—ope holy workes How Ionas was â—rapped made aâ—rayed Ionas beyng afrayd comesseth his sinnes Le ts howe they may be vsed law fully Miracle moueth the heathen to know god and to call vpon him As Ionas lay three dayes and iij. nightes in y t Whals Bely so Christ lay thre dayes and three nightes in the earth How christ sheweth his death resurrectioÌ„ by Ionas the Prophet Christ by the mouth of his Apostles preached repentaunce to the Iewes Where ther is no repeÌ„tauÌ„ce there God powreth out his vengeaunce Gildas a writer of y t Brittishe Chronicle Wicleffe a preacher of repenâ—â—nÌ„ce They slew Richard y t second They set vp Henry the fourth Henry the fift Henry the sixt Christ now preacheth repeÌ„taunce vnto vs. Ionas called vpon God out of the fishes belly The sacrifice that Ionas offereth vnto God The sacrifices of the olde lawe were ordeyned to put vs in remeÌ„braunce of the sacrifice of thankesgeuyng Ionas dyd that God commaunded hym Niniue was the greatest Citie in the world â–ª Christ is mercyfull to the that repent and call for mercy The doctrine of the Phariseis and the Papists make sinne of that is no sinne This is y â— doctrine of y t Papistes and hypocriticall monkes at this day The blynd and fruteles workes of the Papistes Papisticall sinnes Papistes taught theÌ„ selues and theyr workes withall crueltieÌ„ The false wicked doctrine of the Papistes Blinde and btpocritical doctrine The Phariseto set vp a righteousnes of workes to cleÌ„se their soules withall By the worldly fleship interpretations of the scriptures the Iewes hartes were hardened The heâ—â— then repented at the preachyng of Ionas A good and profitable example Note herâ— the great mercy of God The right maner how to read the Scripture All our deedes are made perfect in christes bloud All the promised made by God in Christ are made to theÌ„ that repent The two keyes that open aâ— the Scripture A very fruitfull good lesson How thou mayst at all tymes apply the stories of the Bible to thy great comfort The law must be fulfilled with the mercy that is in Christ In thy hart are the wordes of the law in thine hart are the promises and mercy of Christ Our sinne is of our selues but remission sorgeuenes therof commeth frely of the mercy of God for christes sake God hath no nede of our works but we must do theÌ„ for our selues and for the profite of our neighbors Christ hath satisfied for our sinnes as well after baptisme as before Baptisme Our actuall sinnes are washed away in Christes bloud The Zewes to this day ar locked out from the vnderstanding of the scriptures The right way into the vnderstanding of the Scritures Iaco. 1. The generall couenaunt that God hath made with vs. Lawe In these commaundemento is contayned tee whole law Where no good 〈…〉 are there the fayth is vayne What fayth it is that saueth Two thinges are required to be in a christian man What the nature of gods word is When we heare gods will and do it not then God withdraweth his mercy and fauour from vs. He that harkeneth to the word of God doth it the same shal be blessed in his deede What it is to build vppon â—and The vncleane spirit that returneth in worse sort theÌ„ he was when hee was cast forth Such 〈◊〉 are profes sours of the worde 〈◊〉 God and will not tame and scourge theÌ„ selues theÌ„ will God plague 〈◊〉 scourge Christes deedes â—et vs in the fauour of God our owne helpe vs to continue in his fauour Loue is the fulfilling of the law Faith is cause of loue God requireth mercie and not sacrifice Onely loue vnderstandeth the law Gospell New Testament Our workes extend no farther then to our neighbour Why Tyndall vsed this worde repeÌ„tauÌ„ce rather then penaunce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The foure partes of repentanÌ„ce What maner of satisfaction weâ— ought to make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why hee nameth theÌ„ Elders not priests William Tyndals Prologue vpon the Gospell of Marke The Prologue of W.
and comforte of the Scripture might haue hope That is the examples that are in the Scripture comfort vs in all our tribulations and make vs to put our trust in GOD and patiently to abide hys leysure And in the x. of the firste to the Corinthians hee bringeth in examples of the Scripture to feare vs and to bridle the fleshe that wee cast not the yoke of the lawe of God from of our neckes and fall to lustyng and doyng of euill So nowe the Scripture is a lyght sheweth as the true way both what to do what to hope for And a defeÌ„ce from all errour and a comforte in aduersitie that we dispaire not and feareth vs in prosperitie that we synne not Séeke therefore in the Scripture as thou readest it first the law what God commaundeth vs to do And secondarely the promises whiche God promiseth vs agayn namely in Christ Iesu our Lord. Then seeke examples first of comfort how God purgeth all them that submit themselues to walke in his wayes in the Purgatory of tribulation deliueryng them yet at the latter end and neuer sufferyng any of them to perishe that cleaue fast to hys promises And finally note the examples which are writteÌ„ to feare the flesh that we sinne not That is how God suffereth the vngodly and wicked sinners that resist God and refuse to folow him to continue in their wickednesse euer waxyng worse and worse vntill their sinne be so sore encreased and so abhominable that if they shuld loÌ„ger endure they would corrupt the very elect But for y e electes sake God sendeth them preachers Neuerthelesse they harden their hartes agaynste the truth and God destroyeth them vtterly and beginneth the world a new This comfort shalt thou euermore finde in the playne texte and litterall sense Neither is there any storye so homely so rude yea or so vyle as it semeth outward wherein is not excedyng great comforte And when some which seme to theÌ„ selues great clarkes say they wott not what more profite is in many gestes of the Scripture if they be read without an allegory then in a tale of Robenhode say thou that they were written for our consolation and comforte that we dispayre not if such like happen vnto vs. We be not holyer then Noe though he were once dronke Neither better beloued then Iacob though his owne sonne defyled his bead We be not holyer then Lot thoughe his daughters thorow ignoraunce deceaued hym nor peraduenture holier then those daughters Neither are we holyer then Dauid though he brake wedlocke and vpon the same committed abhominable murther All those men haue witnesse of the Scripture that they pleased God and were good meÌ„ both before that those things chaunced and also after Neuerlesse such thynges happened them for our example not that we should counterfeite their euill but if whyle wee fight with our selues enforsyng to walke in the law of God as they dyd we yet fall likewise that we despayre not but come agayne to the lawes of God and take better hold We read sence the tyme of Christes death of virgins y t haue bene brought vnto the common stues and there defiled and of Martyrs that haue bene bound and whores haue abused theyr bodyes Why The iudgementes of God are bottomlesse Such thynges chaunced partly for examples partely God thorow sinne healeth sinne Pride can neither be healed nor yet appeare but thorow such horrible deades Peraduenture they were of the popes sect and reioysed fleshly thinking that heauen came by dedes and not by Christ and that the outward dede iustifyed them and made theÌ„ holy and not the inward spirite receaued by fayth the consent of hart vnto the law of God As thou readest therfore thinke that euery sillable pertayneth to thine own selfe sucke out the pithe of the Scripture and arme thy selfe agaynst all assaultes First note with strong fayth the power of God in creatyng all of nought Then marke the greuous fall of Adam and of vs all in him thorow the light regardyng of the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of God In the iiij Chapter God turneth hym vnto Abell and theÌ„ to his offeryng but not to Cain and hys offeryng Where thou seest that thoughe the dedes of the euil appeare outwardly as glorious as the dedes of y t good yet in the sight of God which looketh on the hart the deede is good because of the man and not the man good because of his deede In the vj. God sendeth Noe to preach to the wicked and geueth them space to repent they wax hard harted God bringeth them to nought And yet saueth Noe euen by y t same water by whiche he destroyed them Marke also what folowed the pride of the buildyng of the Tower of Babell Consider how God sendeth foorth Abraham out of his owne countey into a straunge land full of wicked people and gaue him but a bare promisse with him that would blesse him defende him Abraham beleued and that worde saued and deliuered him in all perilles so that we see how that maÌ„s life is not maintayned â—y bread onely as Christe sayth but much rather by beleuyng the promises of God Behold how soberly how circumspectly both AbrahaÌ„ and also Isaac behaued them selues among the infidels Abraham byeth that which might haue ben geuen him for nought to cut of occasions Isaac when his welles whiche he had digged were taken from him geueth rowme and resisteth not Moreouer they eare and sowe and fede their cattell and make confederations and and take perpetuall truce and doe all outward thinges Euen as they doe whiche haue no fayth for God hath not made vs to be idle in this world Euery man must worke godly truly to y t vttermost of the power that God hath geuen him and yet not trust therin but in Gods word or promise and God will worke with vs and bryng that we do to good effect And theÌ„ wheÌ„ our power will extende no further Gods promises will worke all alone How many thynges also resisted the promises of God to Iacob And yet Iacob coniureth God with hys owne promises saying O GOD of my father Abraham and GOD of my father Isaac O Lord which saydest vnto me returne vnto thine owne countrey and vnto the place were thou waste borne and I wil do thee good I am not worthy of the lest of those mercyes nor of that trouth whiche thou hast done to thy seruaunt I went out with a staffe and come home with two droues deliuer me out of the handes of my brother Esau for I feare him greatly c. And God deliuered him and will likewise all that call vnto his promises with a repentyng hart were they neuer so great sinnes Marke also the weake infirmities of the man He loueth one wife more then an other one sonne more then an other And see how God purgeth hym Esau threateneth hym Laban begyleth him The beloued wife is long baren
fayth to God and loue and mercyfulnesse to our neighbours is all that y e law requireth therfore of necessitie the lawe must be vnderstand and interprete by them So that all inferiour lawes are to be kept obserued as lōg as they be seruaūts to faith and loue and then to be brokē immediatly if thorough any occasion they hurt either the fayth whiche we should haue to Godward in the confidence of Christes bloud or the loue whiche we owe to our neighbours for Christes sake And therfore when the blinde Phariseis murmured and grudged at him and his Disciples that they brake the Sabboth day and traditions of the elders and that he him self did eate with Publicanes and sinners he aunswered Math. ix allegyng Esayas y e Prophet Go rather and learne what this meaneth I require mercy and not sacrifice And Math. xij Oh that ye wist what this meaneth I require mercy and not sacrifice For onely loue and mercyfulnesse vnderstandeth the law and els nothyng And he that hath not that writtē in his hart shall neuer vnderstand the law no though al the angels of heauen went about to teache him And he that hath that grauen in his hart shal not onely vnderstand the law but also shall do of his owne inclinatiō all that is required of the law though neuer law had bene geuen as all mothers do of them selues without law vnto their children all that can be required by any law loue ouercommyng all payne grief tediousnesse or lothsomnesse and euen so no doubt if we had continued in our first state of innocencie we should euer haue fulfilled the law without compulsion of the law And bicause the law which is a doctrine throughe teachyng euery man his duetie doth vtter our corrupt nature is sufficiently described by Moses therfore is litle mention made therof in the new Testament saue of loue onely wherin all the law is included as seldome mētion is made of the new Testament in the old law saue here there are promises made vnto thē that Christ should come and blesse them deliuer them and that the Gospel and new Testamēt should be preached and published vnto all nations The Gospell is glad tidynges of mercy and grace and that our corrupt nature shal be healed again for christes sake and for the merites of his deseruynges onely Yet on that condition that we will turne to God to learne to keepe his lawes spiritually that is to say of loue for his sake will also suffer the curyng of our infirmities The new Testament is as much to say as a new couenaunt The old Testamēt is an old temporall couenaunt made betwene GOD and the carnall children of Abraham Isaac and Iacob otherwise called Israell vpon the deedes and the obseruing of a temporall law where the reward of the kepyng is temporall life and prosperitie in the land of Canaan and the breaking is rewarded with tēporall death and punishment But the new Testamēt is an euerlastyng couenaūt made vnto the children of GOD thorough faith in Christ vpon the deseruynges of Christ where eternall life is promised to all that beleue and death to all that are vnbeleuyng My deedes if I kepe the law are rewarded with temporall promises of this lyfe But if I beleue in Christ Christes deedes haue purchased for me the eternall promise of the euerlastyng lyfe If I cōmit nothyng worthy of death I deserue to my reward that no man kill me if I hurt no man I am worthy that no mā hurt me If I helpe my neighbour I am worthy that he helpe me agayn c. So that with outward deedes with whiche I serue other men I deserue that other men doe like to me in this world and they extēd no further But Christes dedes extende to lyfe euerlasting vnto all that beleue c. These be sufficient in this place concernyng the law and the Gospell new Testament old so that as there is but one God one Christ one faith one Baptisme euen so vnderstand thou that there is but one Gospell thoughe many write it and many preach it For all preache the same Christ bryng the same glad tidinges And therto Paules Epistles with the Gospell of Iohn and his first Epistle and the first Epistle of S. Peter are most pure Gospell and most playnly and richely describe the glory of the grace of Christe If ye require more of the law seke in the Prologue to the Romaines and in other places where it is sufficiently entreated of ¶ Repentaunce COncerning this word repētaunce or as they vsed penaunce the Hebrue hath in the old Testament generally Sob turne or be conuerted For which the translation that we take for S. Ieromes hath most part Conuerti to turne to be conuerted and somtime Agere poenitentiam And the Greeke in the newe Testament hath perpetually Metanoeo to turne in the hart and minde and to come to the right knowledge and to a mans right wit agayn For which Metanoeo s Ieromes trāslation hath sometime Ago poenitentiam I do repent sometime Poeniteo I repent sometime Poeniteor I am repentaunt sometyme Habeo poenitentiam I haue repentaunce sometyme Poenitet me it repenteth me And Erasmus vseth much this worde Resipisco I come to my selfe or to my right mynde againe And the very sence and signification both of the Hebrue also of the Greke word is to be conuerted and to turne to God with all the hart to know hys will to liue accordyng to his lawes and to be cured of our corrupt nature with the oyle of his spirite and wyne of obedience to his doctrine Whiche conuersion or turnyng if it be vnfayned these foure do accompany it and are included therin Confession not in the Priestes eare for that is but mans inuention but to God in the hart and before all the congregation of GOD how that we be sinners and sinnefull and that our whole nature is corrupt and inclined to sinne and all vnrighteousnes and therfore euill wicked and damnable and his law holy and iust by which our sinnefull nature is rebuked And also to our neighbours if we haue offended any person particularly Then contrition sorowfulnes that we be such damnable sinners and not only haue sinned but are wholy enclined to sinne still Thirdly fayth of which our old◠doctours haue made no mention at all in the description of their penaunce that God for Christes sake doth forgeue vs and receyue vs to mercy and is at one with vs and will heale our corrupt nature And fourthly satisfaction or amendes makyng not to god with holy workes but to my neighbour whom I haue hurt and the congregation of God whome I haue offended if any open crime be found in me and submittyng of a mans selfe vnto the congregation or churche of Christ and to the officers of the same to haue his lyfe corrected and gouerned henceforth of them
thee whatsoeuer thou art that readest this and note it well The Iewes loke for Christ and he is come xv hundred yeares agoe and they not ware we also haue loked for Antechrist and he hath raigned as long and we not ware and that because eyther of vs looked carnally for hym and not in the places where we ought to haue sought The Iewes had found Christ verily if they had sought hym in the lawe and the Prophetes whether Christ sendeth them to seke Iohn 5. We also had spied out Antechrist long ago if we had looked in the doctrine of Christ hys apostles where because y ◠beast seeth him selfe now to be sought for he roareth and seketh new holes to hyde hymselfe in chaungeth hymselfe into a thousand fashions with all maner wilinesse falshode suttletie craft Because that hys excommunications are come to lyght he maketh it treason vnto the kyng to bee acquaynted with Christe If Christe they may not raigne together one hope we haue that Christ shal liue euer The olde Antichristes brought Christ vnto Pilate saying by our lawe he ought to die and whē Pilate bade them iudge hym after their lawe they aunswered it is not lawfull for vs to kyll any man whiche they dyd to the intent that they whiche regarded not the shame of their false excōmunications should yet feare to confesse Christ because that the temporall sword had condemned hym They do all thing of a good zeale they say they loue you so well that they had rather burne you then y t you should haue fellowship w t Christ They are iealous ouer you amisse as sayth S. Paul Gal. iiij They would deuide you from Christe and his holy Testament and ioyne you to the Pope to beleue in his Testament and promises Some man will aske peraduenture why I take the labour to make this worke in as much as they will burne it seyng they burnt the Gospell I aunswere in burnyng the new Testament they dyd none other thyng then that I looked for no more shall they do if they burne me also if it be Gods will it shall so be Neuerthelesse in translatyng of the Testament I dyd my dutie and so doe I now and will doe as much more as God hath ordeined me to do And as I offered that to al men to correct it who soeuer could euen so do I this Who soeuer therfore readeth this compare it vnto the Scripture If Gods word beare recorde vnto it and thou also feelest in thine hart that it is so be of good comfort and geue God thankes If Gods word condemne it then hold it accursed and so doe all other doctrines As Paule counseleth his Galathians Beleue not euery sprite sodenly but iudge thē by the word of God whiche is the trial of all doctrine and lasteth for euer Amen The Parable of the wicked Mammon THere was a certain rich man whiche had a steward that was accused vnto hym that hee had wasted his goodes And called hym and sayd vnto him How is it that I heare this of thee Geue accoumptes of thy stewardshyp For thou mayst be no longer my steward The steward sayd with in him selfe What shall I do for my master will take away frō me my stewardshyp I can not digge and to begge I am ashamed I wote what to doe that when I am put out of my stewardshyp they may receaue me into theyr houses Then called he all his masters detters and sayd vnto the first how much owest thou vnto my master And he sayd an hūdred tonnes of oyle and hee sayd to hym take thy bill and sit downe quickely and write fiftie Then sayd he to an other what owest thou And he sayd an hundred quarters of wheate He sayd to hym Take thy bill and write foure score And the Lord commended the vniust steward because he had done wisely For the children of this world are in their kynde wiser then the children of light And I say also vnto you make you frendes of the wicked Mammon that when ye shall haue neede they may receaue you into euerlastyng habitations Luke xvi Chapter For as much as with this diuers such other textes many haue inforced to draw the people from the true faith from puttyng their trust in the truth of Gods promises and in the merites and deseruyng of his Christ our Lord and haue also brought it to passe for many false Prophetes shall arise and deceaue many and much wickednes must also be sayth Christ Math. xxiiij And Paul sayth ij Timo. iij. Euell mē and deceauers shall preuaile in euill while they deceaue and are deceaued them selues and haue taught them to put their trust in their owne merites and brought them in belefe that they shal be iustified in the sight of God by the goodnesse of their owne workes haue corrupt the pure word of God to confirme their Aristotle with all For though that y e Philosophers worldly wisemen were enemyes aboue all enemyes to the Gospell of God and though the worldly wisedome can not comprehend the wisedome of God as thou mayst see i. Corint j. and. ij And though worldly righteousnes can not be obedient vnto the righteousnes of God Rom. x Yet what so euer they read in Aristotle y t must be first true And to mainteine that they rent and teare the Scriptures with their distinctions and expounde them violently contrarie to the meanyng of the text and to the circumstaunces that go before and after and to a thousand cleare and euidente textes Wherfore I haue taken in hand to expounde this Gospell certaine other places of the new Testament and as far forth as God shall lende me grace to bryng the Scripture vnto the right sence and to digge agayne the welles of Abraham and to purge cleanse thē of the earth of worldly wisedome where with these Philistenes haue stopped them Whiche grace graunt me God for the loue that he hath vnto his sonne Iesus our Lord vnto the glory of his name Amen THat fayth onely before all workes and without all merites but christes onely iustifieth and setteth vs at peace with God is proued by Paul in the first chapiter to the Roma I am not ashamed sayth he of the Gospell that is to say of the glad tidinges and promises which God hath made and sworne to vs in Christ For it that is to say the gospell is the power of god vnto saluation to all that beleue And it followeth in the foresayd chapiter y ◠iust or righteous must liue by faith For in the fayth which we haue in Christ and in Gods promises fynde we mercy lyfe fauour and peace In the law we fynde death damnation wrath moreouer the curse and vengeaunce of GOD vpon vs. And it that is to say the lawe is called of Paule 2. Corin. 3. the ministration of death and damnation In the lawe we are
shewe your mercy do a deede of mercy meanyng thereby y t our deedes declare how we loue our neighbours how much we haue compassion on theÌ„ at their neede Moreouer it is not possible to loue except we see a cause Except we see in our hartes y t loue kyndnes of God to vs warde in Christ our Lord it is not possible to loue God aright We say also he that loueth not my dogge loueth not me Nor that a maÌ„ should loue my dogge first But if a man loued me the loue wherewith he loueth me would compell him to loue my dogge though the dogge deserued it not yea though the dogge had done him a displeasure yet if he loued me the same loue would refrayne hym from reuenging himselfe and cause him to referre the vengeaunce vnto me Such speakinges finde we in scripture Iohn in the fourth of hys first epistle sayth He that saith I loue God and yet bateth his brother is a lyar For how can he that loueth not his brother whom he seeth loue God whom he seeth not This is not spoken that a man should first loue hys brother and then God but as it foloweth For this commaundement haue we of hym that he which loueth God should loue his brother also To loue my neighbour is the commaundemeÌ„t which commaundement he that loueth not loueth not GOD The keeping of the commaundemeÌ„t declareth what loue I haue to God If I loued God purely nothing that my neighbour coulde do were able to make me eyther to hate him eyther to take vengeaunce on hym my selfe seing that God hath coÌ„maunded me to loue him to remitte all veÌ„geaunce vnto hym Marke now how much I loue the coÌ„maundement so much I loue God how much I loue God so much beleue I that he is mercifull kynde and good yea and a father vnto me for Christes sake how much I beleue that God is mercifull vnto me and that he will for Christes sake fulfill all his promises vnto me so much I see my sinnes so much do my sins greue me so much do I repent and sorrow that I sinne so much displeaseth me that poyson that moueth me to sinne and so greatly desire I to be healed So now by the naturall order first I see my sinne then I repeÌ„t and sorrow then beleue I Gods promises that he is mercifull vnto me and forgeueth me and will heale me at the last then loue I and then I prepare my selfe to the commaundement THis do and thou shalt liue Luc. x. that is to say loue thy Lord God with all thy hart with all thy soule with all thy strength and with all thy mynde and thy neighbour as thy self As who should say if thou do this or though thou canst not do it yet if thou â—ealest lust thereunto and thy spirite sigheth mourneth and longeth after strength to do it take a signe and euident token thereby that the spirite of life is in thee and that thou art electe to life euerlasting by Christes bloude whose gift and purchase is thy fayth and that spirite that worketh the will of God in thee whose gift also are thy deedes or rather the deedes of the spirite of christ and not thine and whose gift is the reward of eternal life which foloweth good workes It followeth also in the same place of Luke When he shoulde departe he plucked out two pence and gaue them to the host and sayde vnto him Take the charge or cure of him and what soeuer thou spendest more I wil recompeÌ„ce it thee at my coÌ„ming agayne Remember this is a parable and a parable may not be expounded worde by worde but the intent of the similitude must be sought out onely in the whole parable The intent of the similitude is to shew to whom a man is a neighbour or who is a mans neighbour which is both one what is to loue a mans neighbour as him selfe The Samaritane holpe him and shewed mercy as long as he was present and when he could be no longer present he left his money behind him and if that were not sufficient he left his credence to make good the rest and forsoke him not as long as y â— other had need TheÌ„ sayd Christ goe thou and do likewise that is without difference or respectioÌ„ of persons whosoeuer needeth thy helpe him count thy neighbour his neighbor be thou and shew mercy on him as long as he nedeth thy succour and that is to loue a mans neighbour as him selfe Neighbour is a word of loue and signifieth that a man shoulde be euer nigh and at hand and ready to helpe in tune of neede They that will enterpret parables worde by worde fall into straights oft-times whence they can not rid themselues And preach lyes in stead of the truth as do they whiche enterpret by the ij pence the old testament and the new and by that which is bestowed Opera supererogationis howbeit Superarrogantia were a meeter terme that is to say deedes which are more then the law requireth deeds of perfection and of liberalitie which a man is not bouÌ„d to do but of his free will And for them he shal haue an higher place in heauen and may geue to other of his merites or of whiche the pope after his deathe may geue pardons from the paines of purgatorye Against whiche exposition I aunswere first a greater perfection then the law is there not A greater perfection then to loue God and his will which is the commaundementes with all thine hart with all thy soule with all thy strength with all thy minde is there none And to loue a mans neighbour as himselfe is like the same It is a wonderfull loue wherewith a man loueth himselfe As glad as I woulde be to receiue pardon of mine owne life if I had deserued death so glad ought I to be to defend my neighboures life without respect of my life or of my good A man ought neither to spare his goods nor yet himselfe for his brothers sake after the ensample of Christ 1. Iohn 3. Herein sayth he perceiue we loue in that he y t is to say Christ gaue his life for vs. We ought therefore to bestowe our liues for the brethren Nowe sayeth Christ Iohn xv There is no greater loue then that a man bestow his life for his frend Moreouer no man caÌ„ fulfil the law For Iohn sayth i. Chapter of the said epistle if we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and truth is not in vs. If we knowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and righteous to forgeue vs our sinnes and to purge vs from all iniquitie And in the Pater noster also we say father forgeue vs our sins Now if we be all sinners none fulfilleth the lawe For he that fulfilleth the lawe is no sinner In the lawe may neither Peter nor Paule nor any other creature saue Christ onely reioyce In the bloud of
commeth it that they will pay none at all But to pay tribute is a signe of subiectiō verely the cause why Christ payed was because he had an houshold and for the same cause payed Peter also For he had an house a shippe and nettes as thou readest in the Gospell But let vs go to Paul agayne Wherfore ye must needes obey not for feare of vengeaunce onely but also because of conscience That is though thou be so naughty as nowe many yeares our Pope and Prelates euery where are that thou nedest not to obeye the temporall sword for feare of vengeaunce yet must thou obey because of consciēce First because of thine owne conscience For though thou be able to resiste yet shalt thou neuer haue a good cōscience as lōg as Gods word law and ordinaunce are against thee Secondarily for thy neighbours conscience For though through craft and violence thou mightest escape and obteyne libertie or priuilege to be free from all maner dueties yet oughtest thou neither to sue or to seeke for any such thing neither yet admit or accept if it were profered lest thy fredome make thy weake brother to grudge rebell in that he seeth thee go emptie and he him selfe more ladē thy part also layd on his shoulders Seest thou not if a man fauour one sonne more then an other or one seruaunt more then an other how all the rest grudge and how loue peace and vnitie is broken What Christenly loue is in the to thy neighbour ward when thou canst finde in thyne hart to go vp and down empty by him all day long and see him ouer charged yea to fal vnder his burthen and yet wilt not once set to thyne hand to helpe him What good conscience cā there be among our spiritualtie to gather so great treasure together and with hypocrisie of their false learnyng to robbe almost euery man of house and landes and yet not therewith content but with all craft and wilenes to purchase so great liberties and exemptions from all maner bearyng with their brethren seekyng in Christ nothyng but lucre I passe ouer with silence how they teach Princes in euery lande to lade new exactions and tyranny on their subiectes more and more dayly neither for what purpose they do it say I. God I trust shall shortly disclose their iugglynge and bryng their falshode to light and lay a medecine to thē to make their scabbes breake out Neuerthelesse this I say that they haue robbed all Realmes not of Gods word onely but also of all wealth and prosperitie and haue driuen peace out of all landes withdrawen them selues from all obediēce to Princes and haue separated them selues from the lay men countyng thē viler thē dogges and haue set vp that great Idole the whore of Babylō Antichrist of Rome whom they call pope and haue conspired agaynst all common wealthes haue made them a seuerall kyngdome wherin it is lawfull vnpunished to woorke all abhomination In euery Parish haue they spyes and in euery great mans house and in euery tauerne and alchouse And thorough confessions knowe they all secretes so that no man may open his mouth to rebuke what soeuer they do but that he shal be shortly made an hereticke In all Coūcels is one of them yea the most part and chief rulers of the Councels are of them But of there Councell is no man Euen for this cause pay ye tribute that is to witt for consciences sake to thy neighbour and for the cause that foloweth For they are Gods Ministers seruyng for the same purpose Because God will so haue it we must obey We doe not looke if we haue Christes spirite in vs what is good profitable glorious and honorable for vs neither on our owne will but on Gods will onely Geue to euery man therefore his dutie tribute to whom tribute belongeth custome to whom custome is due feare to whō feare belongeth honour to whom honor perteineth That thou mightest feele the workyng of the spirite of God in thee and lest the bewtie of the deed should deceaue thee and make thee thinke that the law of God whiche is spirituall were contēt and fulfilled with the outward and bodyly dede it foloweth Owe nothyng to any mā but to loue one an other For he that loueth an other fulfilleth the law For these commaundementes thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnes thou shalt not desire and so forth if there be any other commaūdement are all comprehended or contained in this saying loue thy neighbour therfore is loue the fulfillyng of the law Here hast thou sufficient agaynst all the sophisters workeholy iustifiers in the world which so magnifie their dedes The law is spirituall and requireth the hart is neuer fulfilled with the dede in the sight of god With y e dede thou fulfillest the law before the world liuest thereby that is y ◠enioyest this presēt life and auoydest the wrath and vengeaunce the death and punishment which the law threatneth to them that breake it But before God thou keepest the law if thou loue onely Now what shal make vs loue Verely that shall fayth do If thou behold how much God loueth thee in Christ and from what vengeaunce he hath deliuered thee for his sake and of what kyngdome he hath made thee heyre then shalt thou see cause inough to loue thy very enemie without respect of reward either in this lyfe or in the lyfe to come but because that God will so haue it and Christ hath deserued it Yet thou shouldest feele in thyne harte that all thy deedes to come are abundantly recompensed all ready in Christ Thou wilt say haply if loue fulfill the lawe then it iustifieth I say that that wherewith a man fulfilleth the law declareth hym iustified but that which geueth him wherewith to fulfill the law iustifieth hym By iustifiyng vnderstande the forgeuenesse of sinnes and the fauour of God Now sayth the text Roma x. the ende of the law or the cause wherfore the law was made is Christ to iustifie all that beleue That is the law is geuen to vtter sinne to kill the consciences to damne our deedes to bryng to repentaunce and to driue vnto Christ in whō God hath promised his fauour and forgeuenesse of sinne vnto all that repente and consent to the law that it is good If thou beleue the promises then doth Gods truth iustifie thee that is forgeueth thee and receaueth thee to fauour for Christes sake In a suretie wherof and to certifie thine hart he sealeth thee with the spirite Ephe. i. and. iiij And. ij Cor. v. sayth Paul whiche gaue vs his spirite in earnest How the spirite is geuen vs through Christ read the viij chapter of the Epistle to the Romaines and Gallat iij. and. ij Cor. iij. Neuerthelesse the spirit and his frutes
soeuer we loose here is nothing excepted And an other text lay they of Christ in y e last of Mathew All power is geuen to me sayth Christ in heauen and in earth go therfore and preach c. Preachyng leaueth the Pope out and sayth loe all power is geuen me in heauen in earth And thereupon taketh vpon him temporall power aboue kyng and Emperour maketh lawes and byndeth them And like power taketh he ouer gods lawes and dispenseth with them at his lust makyng no sinne of that whiche God maketh sinne maketh sinne where God maketh none yea wypeth out Gods lawes cleane and maketh at his pleasure with him is lawful what he lusteth He bindeth where God looseth looseth where God bindeth He blesseth where GOD curseth and curseth where God blesseth He taketh authoritie also to bynde loose in Purgatory That permit I vnto him for it is a creature of his owne makyng He also byndeth the aungels For we read of Popes that haue commaūded the aungels to fet diuers out of Purgatory Howbeit I am not yet certified whether they obeyed or no. Vnderstand therrfore that to bynde and to loose is to preach the lawe of God and the Gospell or promises as thou mayst see in the third chapter of the second epistle to the Corinthians Where Paule calleth the preaching of the law the ministration of death and damnation and the preaching of the promises then ministring of the spirite and of righteousnes For when the law is preached all men are found sinners and therefore damned and when the Gospell glad tydinges are preached then are all that repent and beleue founde righteous in Christ And so expounde it all the olde doctours Saint Hierome sayth vpon this text whatsoeuer thou bindest the Bishops and Priestes sayth he for lacke of vnderstanding take a litle presumption of the Phareseis vpon thē And thinke that they haue authoritie to bynde innocentes and to loose the wicked which thing our Pope and Byshops doe For they say the curse is to be feared be it right or wrōg Though thou haue not deserued yet if y e Pope curse thee thou art in perill of thy soule as they lie yea and though he be neuer fo wrongfully cursed he must be fayne to buy absolution But Saint Hierome sayth as y e Priest of the olde law made the lepers cleane or vncleane so byndeth and vnbyndeth the Priest of the new law The Priest there made no man a leper neither clensed any mā but God and the Priest iudged onely by Moyses law who was cleane who was vncleane whē they were brought vnto hym So here we haue the law of God to iudge what is sinne and what is not and who is bounde and who is not Moreouer if any man haue sinned yet if he repent and beleue the promise we are sure by Gods word that he is loosed forgeuen in Christ Other authoritie then this wise to preach haue the Priests not Christes Apostles had no other thē selues as it appeareth thoroughout all the new testamēt Therfore it is manifest that they haue not Saint Paule sayth i. Corinth xv When we say all thinges are vnder Christ he is to be excepted that put all vnder hym God the father is not vnder Christ but aboue Christ and Christes head i. Corinth vi Christ sayth Iohn xij I haue not spoken of myne owne head but my father which sent me gaue a commaundement what I should say and what I should speake What soeuer I speake therefore euen as my father bad me so I speake If Christ had a law what he should doe how happeneth it that the Pope so runneth at large lawlesse Though that all power were geuen vnto Christ in heauen and in earth Yet had he no power ouer his father nor yet to raigne temporally ouer temporall Princes but a commaundemēt to obey them How hath the Pope thē such temporall authoritie ouer king Emperour How hath he authoritie aboue Gods lawes and to cōmaunde the Angels the saintes and God himselfe Christes authoritie which he gaue to his Disciples was to preach the lawe and to bring sinners to repentaunce and then to preach vnto them the promises which the father had made vnto all men for his sake And the same to preach onely sent he his Apostles As a kyng sendeth forth his Iudges and geueth them his authoritie saying What ye doe that doe I. I geue you my full power Yet meaneth he not by that full power that they should destroy any towne or Citie or oppresse any mā or doe what they list or should raigne ouer the Lordes and Dukes of his Realme and ouer hys owne selfe But geueth them a lawe with them authoritie to bynde and loose as farforth as the law stretcheth and maketh mention that is to punishe the euill that doe wrong and to auenge y e poore that suffer wrong And so farre as the law stretcheth will the king defend his Iudge agaynst all men And as the tēporall iudges binde loose temporally so doe the pristes spiritually and no other wayes How be it by falshod and subtiltie the Pope reigneth vnder Christ as Cardinals and Byshops do vnder kinges lawlesse THe Pope say they absolueth or looseth a poena et culpa that is from the faulte or trespasse and from the payne due vnto the trespasse God if a man repent forgeueth the offence onely and not the paine also say they saue turneth the euerlasting payne vnto a temporall payne And appointeth seuē yeares in purgatory for euery deadly sinne But the Pope for money forgeueth both and hath more power thē God and is more mercifull thē God This doe I saith the Pope of my full power and of y e treasure of the Church of deseruinges of martyrs cōfessours and mērites of Christ First the merites of the Saintes did not saue themselues but were saued by Christes merites onely Secondarily God hath promised Christes merites vnto all that repent so that whosoeuer repenteth is immediatly heire of all Christes merites and beloued of God as Christ is How thē came this foule monster to be Lord ouer Christes merites so that he hath power to sell that which God geueth freely O dreamers yea O deuils and O venimous scorpians what poyson haue ye in your tayles O pestilēt leauen that so turneth the sweete bread of Christes doctrine into the bitternesse of gall The Friers runne in the same spirite and teach saying do good deedes and redeeme the paines y ◠abide you in purgatory yea geue vs somewhat to doe good workes for you And thus is sinne become the profitablest marchaundise in the worlde O the cruell wrath of God vpō vs because we loue not the truth For this is the damnation iudgement of God to send a false Prophet vnto him that wil not heare the truth I know you saith Christ
sonne of God heire of euerlastyng lise The first is the office of the lawe The second pertayneth vnto Christ onely thorow fayth Now if thou geue the lawe a false glose 〈◊〉 say that the lawe is a thyng which a man may do of his owne strength euen out of the power of his free wyll and that by the dedes of the law thou mayst deserue forgeuenes of thy foresinnes Then dyed Christ in vayne Galat. ij and is made almost of no sleade seyng thou art become thyne owne sauiour Nether can Christ where that glose is admitted be otherwise takeÌ„ or estemed of Christen men for all his passion and promises made to vs in his bloude then he is of the turkes how that he was an holy prophet and that he prayeth for vs as other Saintes do saue that we Christen thinke that he is somewhat more in fauour then other saintes be though we imagine hym so proude that he will not heare vs but thorow his mâ—â—de mother and other holy saintes which all we count much more meeke and mercifull then he but hym most of might and that he hath also an higher place in heauen as the graye Fryers and obseruaunts set hym as it were froÌ„ the chinne vpward aboue S. Fraunces And so when by this false interpretation of the lawe Christ which is the doore the way and the groÌ„und or foundation of all the scripture is lost concerning the chiefest frute of hys passion and no more sene in his owne likenes then is the scripture locked vp and henceforth extreame darcknes and a maze wherein if thou walke thou wottest neither where thou art nor canst finde any way out It is a confused Chaos and a minglyng of all thinges together without order euery thyng contrary to an other It is an hedge or groue of briers wherin if thou be caught it is impossible to get out but that if thou lowse thy selfe in one place thou art tangled and caught in an other for it This wise was the scripture locked vp of the Scribes Phareseis that the Iewes could not see Christ when he came nor yet can And though Christ with these iij. chapters did open it agayne yet by such gloses for our vnthankfulnes sake that we had no lust to lyue accordyng haue we Christen lost Christ agayne and the vnderstanding of the most cleare text wherewith Christ expoundeth and restoreth the lawe agayne For the hipocrites whatsoeuer semeth impossible to their corrupt nature vnrenued in Christ that they couer ouerwith the mist of their gloses that the light therof shuld not be seene As they haue interpreted here y â— words of Christ wherwith he restoreth the law agayne to be but good councelles onely but no preceptes that binde the consciences And thereto they haue so ruffled and tangled the temporall and spirituall regiment together and made thereof such confusion that no man can know the one from the other to the entent that they would seme to haue both by the aucthoritie of Christ which neuer vsurped temporall regiment vnto him Notwithstanding most deare reader if thou reade this exposition with a good hart onely to know the truth for the amendyng cheifely of thine owne liuing and theÌ„ of other mennes as charitie requireth where an occasion is geuen theÌ„ shalt thou perceaue their falshod and see their mist expelled with the brightnes of the incuytable truth An other conclusion is this all the good promises which are made vs thorow out all the scripture for Christes sake for hys loue his passion or suffering his bloudsheding or death all are made vs on this condition and couenaunt on our party that we henceforth loue the law of God to walke therin to do it fashion our lyues therafter In so much that whosoeuer hath not the lawe of God written in hys hart that he loue it haue hys lust in it and recorde therein night and day vnderstanding it as God hath geuen it and as Christ and the Apostles expounde it the same hath no part in the promises or can haue any true faith in the bloud of Christ because there is no promise made him but to them onely that promise to keepe the lawe Thou wilt happely say to me agayne if I cannot haue my sinnes forgeuen except I loue the lawe and of loue endeuour my selfe to keepe it then the keeping of the lawe iustifieth me I aunswere that the argument is false and but blinde sophistrie and lyke vnto thys argument I cannot haue forgeuenes of my sinne except I haue sinned Ergo to haue sinned is the forgeuenes of sinne And it is like to this also No man can be healed of the pockes but he that hath them Ergo to haue the pockes doth heale the pockes And lyke sophistry are these argumentes if thou wilt enter into life keepe the coÌ„mauÌ„dementes Math. xix Ergo the deedes of the lawe iustifie vs. Item the hearers of y â— lawe are not righteous in the sight of God but the doâ—rs of the lawe shall be iustified Rom. ij Ergo the deedes of the lawe iustifie from sinne And agayne we must all stand before the iudgement feate of Christ to receaue euery man according to the deedes which he did in the body Ergo the lawe or the deedes of the lawe iustifie These and all such are naughty argumeÌ„ts For ye see that the kyng pardoneth no murtherer but on a condition that he henceforth keepe the lawe and do no more so and yet ye know well inough that he is saued by grace fauour and pardon yet the keping of y â— lawe come Howbeit if he breake the lawe afterwarde he falleth agayne into the same daunger of death Euen so none of vs can be receaued to grace but vpon a condition to keepe the law neyther yet continue any longer in grace then that purpose lasteth And if we breake the law we must sue for a new pardon and haue a new sight agaynst sinne hell and desperation yeâ— we can come to a quiet fayth againe and fele that the sinne is forgeuen Neyther can there be in the a stable and an vndoubted fayth that thy sinne is forgeuen thee except there be also a lusty courage in thine hart a trust that thou wilt sinne no more for on that condition that thou endeuour thy selfe to sinne no more is the promise of mercy and forgeuenes made vnto thee And as thy loue to the lawe increaseth so doth thy fayth in Christ and so doth thyne hope and longing for the life to come And as thy loue is colde so is thy fayth weake thine hope and longing for the lyfe to come litle And where no loue to the lawe is there is neither fayth in Christ for the forgeuenes of sinne nor longing for the lyfe to come but in steede of fayth a wicked imagination that God is so vnrighteous that he is not offended with sinne And in stede of hope a
desire to liue euer here and a gredines of worldly voluptuousnesse And vnto all such is the Scripture locked vp and made impossible to vnderstand They may reade it and rehearse the stories thereof and dispute of it as the turkes may and as we may of the turkes lawe And they may sucke pride hipocrisye and all maner of poyson there out to slaye their owne soules and to put stombling blockes in other mennes wayes to thrust them from the truth and get such learnyng therin as in Aristotles Ethikes and morall philosophy and in the preceptes of olde philosophers But it is impossible for them to apply one sentence thereof to their soules health for to fashion their liues thereby for to please God or to make them loue the lawe or vnderstand it either to feele the power of Christes death and might of his resurrection and swetnes of the life to come So that they euer remayne carnall and fleshly as thou hast an ensample of the Scribes Phariseis and Iewes in the new testament An other conclusion is this of them that beleue in Christ for the remission of sinne and loue the law are a thousand degrees and not so few one perfecter or weaker thē another of which a great sort are so feble that they cā neither go forward in their profession purpose nor yet stand except they be holpe and borke of their strōger brethren and tended as young childrē are by the care of their fathers and mothers And therfore doth God commaund the elder to care for the younger As Paule teacheth Rom. xv saying we that be stronger ought to beare the feblenes of the weaker And Gala. vj. brethren if any man be caught in any fault ye that be spirituall and are growen in knowledge and haue gottē the victory of your flesh teach such with the spirite of softenes not callyng them heretickes at the first choppe threatenyng them with fier and fagottes But alter alterius onera portate sayth he sic adimplebitis legē Christi That is to saye beare eche others burthen so shall ye fulfill the law of Christ Euen so veryly shall ye fulfill the lawe of Christ and not with smityng your brethren and puttyng stomblyng blockes before theyr weake feete and killyng theyr consciences and makyng them more afrayde of shadowes and bugges then to breake theyr fathers commaundementes and to trust in wordes of winde and vanitie more then in theyr fathers promise And for their sakes also he hath ordeyned rulers both spirituall and temporall to teach them and exhorte them to warne them and to keepe occasions from them that with custome of synne they fall not from their profession Now when they that take vpon them to be the elder brethren are become hypocrites and turned to wily Foxes and cruell wolues and fierce Lyons and the officers be waxen euill and seruauntes to Mammon ministryng their offices for their owne lucre onely and not for the profite of their brethren but fauouryng all vices whereby they may haue a vauntage Then is God compelled of his fatherly pitie to scourge his weake hym selfe with pouertie oppression wrong losse daunger and with a thousand maner of diseases to bryng them agayne if they be fallen and to kepe their hartes fast to their profession So that diligentibus Deum omnia cooperantur in bonum Roma viij They that loue God that is to say the law of God for that is to loue God vnto them god turneth all to the best and scourgeth them with the lustes of their owne weakenes to theyr owne saluation An other conclusion is this God receaueth both perfite and weake in lyke grace for Christes sake as a father receaueth all hys children both small and great in lyke loue He receaueth them to be his sonnes and maketh a couenaunt with them to beare theyr weakenes for Christes sake till they be waxen stronger and how often soeuer they fall yet to forgeue them if they will turne agayn and neuer to cast of any till he yeld him selfe to sinne and take sinnes part and for affection and lust to sinne fight agaynst his owne professiō to destroy it And he correcteth and chastiseth his children euer at home with the rodde of mercy and loue to make thē better but he bryngeth them not forth to be iudged after the condemnation of the law An other conclusion is this euery man is two men flesh and spirite Which so fight perpetually one agaynst an other that a man must go either backe or forward and can not stand long in on state If the spirit ouercome the temptation then is she stronger and the flesh weaker But and if the fleshe get a custome then is the spirite none otherwise oppressed of the flesh then as though she had a mountaine vpon her backe and as we sometyme in our dreames thinke we beare heuyer then a milstone on our breastes or when we dreame now and then that we would runne away for feare our legges seme heauyer then leade Euen so is the spirite oppressed and ouer laden of the flesh through custome that she struggeleth and striueth to get vp and to breake lowse in vayne vntil the God of mercy which heareth her grone through Iesus Christ come and lowse her with his power and put his crosse of tribulation on the backe of the flesh to keepe her downe to minish her strength and to mortifie her Wherfore euery man must haue his crosse to nayle his fleshe to for the mortifieng of her Now if thou be not strong inough and discrete thereto to take vp thy crosse thy selfe and to tame thy fleshe with prayer and fastyng watchyng deedes of mercy holy meditations and readyng the Scripture and with bodely labour and in withdrawyng all maner of pleasures from the flesh and with exercises contrary to the vices which thou markest thy body most enclined to and with absteinyng from all that courage the flesh agaynst the spirite as readyng of wanton bookes wanton communication foolish iestyng and effeminate thoughtes and talkyng of couetousnes whiche Paule forbyddeth Ephe. v. and magnifieng of worldly promotions And takest I say vp such a crosse by thyne owne selfe or by the counsell of other that are better learned and exercised then thou Then must God put his crosse of aduersitie vpon thee For we must haue euery man his crosse in this world or be damned with the world Of this ye see the difference betwene the sinne of them that beleue in y ◠bloud of Christ for the remission of sinne and consent and submit themselues vnto the lawe and the sin of them that yelde themselues vnto sinne to serue it c. The first sinne vnder grace and their sinnes are veniall that is to say forgeueable The other sinne vnder the lawe vnder the damnation of the lawe and fight for a great part of them agaynst grace against the spirite of grace agaynst the law of
once be one of these sort euen an obseruaunt or of some like secte of which among an huÌ„dred thousaÌ„d thou shalt neuer bring one to beleue in Christ Where among open sinners many beleue at y â— houre of death fall flat vpon Christ beleue in him onely without al other righteousnes It were an huÌ„dred thousand tymes better neuer to pray theÌ„ to pray such lippe prayers neuer to fast or do almes then to fast and to do almes with a mynde therby to be made righteous and to make satisfaction for the fore sinnes Ye haue heard how that it was sayde to them of olde tyme kyll not for whosoeuer killeth shal be in daunger of iudgement But I say vnto you whosoeuer is angry with his brother shal be in daunger of iudgement And who soeuer saith vnto his brother Racha shal be in daunger of a councell But who soeuer sayth to hys brother thou foole shal be in daunger of hell fyre Here Christ beginneth not to destroy the lawe as the Phariseys had falsely accused hym but tâ— restore iâ— agayne to the right vnderstanding and to purge it froÌ„ the gloses of the Phariseys He that slayeth shal be giltie or in daunge of iudgemeÌ„t that is to say if a man murther his deede testifieth agaynst hym there is no more to do then to pronounce sentence of death agaynst hym This text did the Phariseys extend no further theÌ„ to kill with the hand and outward members But hate enuie malice churlishnesse and to withdraw helpe at neede to beguile and circumuent with wyles and subtil bargayning was no sinne at all No to bryng hym whom thou haredst to death with craft and falshood so thou diddest not put thyne hand thereto was no sinne at all As when they had brought Christ to death wrongfully compelled Pilate with subtiltis to slay hym they thought themselues pure In so much that they woulde not goe into the hall for defaling themselues beyng partakers wyth Pilate in hys bloud And Act. v. they sayd to the Apostles ye woulde bring this mans bloud vppon vs as who would say we slue hym not And Saul in the first booke of the Kinges in the xviij chap. beyng so wroth wyth Dauid that he would gladly haue had hym slaine determined yet that he would not defile hymself bâ—t to thrust him into y e haÌ„des of the Philistines that they might slay him and he hymselfe abide pure And as our spiritualtie now offer a man mercy once though he haue spoken against holy church onely if he wil but periure and beare a fagot But if he wil not they do but diet hym a season to winne him and make hym tell more and deliuer hym to the laye power saying he hath deserued death by our lawes and ye ought to kyll hym how beit we desire it not But Christ restoreth the law againe and sayth to be angry with thy neighbour is to slea hym to deserue death For the lawe goeth as wel on the hart as on the â—aÌ„d He that hateth his brother is a murtherer i. Ioh iij. If then the blynde hand deserue death how much more those partes which haue y â— sight of reason And he y â— sayth Racha lewde or whatsoeuer signe of wrath it be or that prouoketh to wrath hath not onely deserued that men shoulde immediatly pronouÌ„ce senteÌ„ce of death vpon him but also that when death is pronouÌ„ced they shuld gather a couÌ„cell to decree what horrible death he shuld suffer And he that calleth hys brother foole hath sinned downe to hell Shall then a man not be angry at all nor rebuke or punishe yes if thou be a father or a mother master or maâ—sâ—…sse husband Lord or ruler yet with loue and mercy that the angre rebuke or punishment exceede not the fault or trespasse May a man be angry with loue ye mothers can be so wyth their children It is a louyng anger that hateth onely the vice and studieth to mende the person But here is forbiddeÌ„ not onely wrath against father mother and all that haue gouernauÌ„ce ouer thee which is to be angry and to grudge agaynst God himselfe that the ruler shall not be wrath without a cause agaynst the subiect But also all priuate wrath against thy neighbour ouer whom thou hast no rule nor he ouer thee no though he do thee wroÌ„g For he that doth wrong lacketh witte and discretion and cannot amende till he be enformed and taught louingly Therefore thou must refrayne thy wrath and tell him his fault louingly and with kyndenesse winne him to thy father for he is thy brother as well made and as deare bought as thou as well beloued though he be yet childishe and lacke discretion But some wil say I wil not hate my neighbour nor yet loue him or do hym good yes y â— must loue him for the first coÌ„maundement out of which all other flow is thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thyne hart with all thy soule and with all thy might That is thou must keepe all his commaundemeÌ„tes with loue Loue must kepe thee from killing or hurting thy neighbour and from couetyng in thyne hart what soeuer is his And. 1. Iohn iiij This commaundement haue we of him that he which loueth God loue his brother also And agayne 1. Iohn iij. he that hath the substaunce of this world and seeth his brother haue necessity shutteth vp his compassion from him how is the loue of God in hym he then that helpeth not at neede loueth not God but breaketh the first commaundemeÌ„t Let vs loue therefore sayth S. Iohn not with word and toung but in dede and truth And agayne S. Iohn sayth in the sayd place he that loueth not his brother abydeth yet still in death And of loue hath Moyses textes inough But the Phariseis glosed theÌ„ out saying they were but good councelles if a man desired to be perfect but not preceptes Exod. xxiij if thou mete thyne enemyes Oxe or Asse goyng astraye thou shalt in any wise bryng them to him agayne And if thou see thyne enemyes Asse fall downe vnder hys burthen thou shalt helpe him vp agayne And Leuit. xix thou shalt not hate thy brother in thyne hart but shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour that thou beare no sinne for his sake For if thou study not to ameÌ„d thy neighbour wheÌ„ he sinneth so art thou partaker of his sinnes And therfore wheÌ„ God taketh vengeaunce and sendeth what soeuer plage it be to punish opeÌ„ sinners thou must perish with them For thou dyddest sinne in the light of God as deepe as they because thou dyddest not loue the law of God to mainteine it withall thiue hart soule power and might Is not he that seeth his neighbours house in ieopardie to be set on fire and warneth not nor helpeth in time to auoide the perill worthy if his neighbours house be burnt vp that his be burnt also seing
an other mans wife in the hart But as he there forbad that which defileth matrimony euen so he forbiddeth here that which troubleth vnquieteth and destroyeth the temporall regimēt and that thyng which to forbid the temporall regiment was ordayned which is that no man aduenge himselfe Christ medleth not with the temporall regiment But in all this long sermon fighteth agaynst the Phareseyes false doctrine and salteth the law to purge it of the corruption of their filthy gloses and to bring it vnto the right taste and true vnderstanding agayne For the Phariseyes had so enterpret that lawe of Moses which pertayned onely vnto the rulers that euery priuate person might aduenge hymselfe do his aduersary as much harme againe as he had receaued of hym Now if he that is angry haue deserued that men pronounce death vpon hym and he that sayth Racha hath deserued that mē should gather a coūsell to determine some sondry and cruell death for so haynous a crime if he that calleth hys brother foole haue deserued hell what deserueth he that smiteth or aduengeth himselfe wyth his owne hand Here is forbidden therfore priuate wrath onely and that a man aduenge himselfe To turne the other cheeke is a mater of speaking and not to be vnderstand as the woordes sounde as was to cutte of the hand and to plucke out the eye And as we commaunde our children not onely not to come nie a brooke or a water but also not so hardy as once to looke that way either to looke on fier or once to thinke on fier which are impossible to be obserued More is spoken then ment to feare them and to make them perceaue that it is earnest that we commaunde Euen so is the meaning here y t we in no wise aduenge but be prepared euer to suffer as much more neuer to thinke it lawfull to aduenge how great soeuer the iniurie be for he himselfe turned not the other cheeke whē he was smitten before the Byshoppe nor yet Paule whē he was buffeted before the Byshop also But ye haue heard a little aboue Blessed are the meeke for they shall possesse the earth Let all the world studie to do thee wrong yea let them do thee wrong and yet if thou be meeke thou shalt haue foode and rayment inough for thee and thyne And moreouer if the worst come God shall yet set such a tyraunt ouer thee that if thou be meeke and canst be cōtent that he polle thee properly and euen as thou mayst beare shall defend thee from all other Who is polled intollerably that hys lite is bitter and euen death to hym but he that is impatient and cannot suffer to be polled Yea poll thy selfe and preuent other and geue the Baylife or like officer now a Capon now a Pigge now a Goosse and so to thy Landlord likewise or if thou haue a great Ferme now a Lambe now a Calfe and let thy wife visit thy Landladye three or foure tymes in a yeare wyth spised cakes and Apples Peares Cheries and such like And be thou ready with thyne Oxen or Horses three or foure or halfe a dosen dayes in the yeare to set home their wood or to plow their lād yea and if thou haue a good horse let them haue hym good cheape or take a worse for hym and they shal be thy shilde and defende thee though they be tyraūtes and care not for God that no man else shall dare polle thee And thereto thou maist with wisdome get of them that shall recompence all that thou doost to them All thys I meane if thou be patient and wise and feare God thereto loue thine neighbour and do none euill For if thou keepe thy selfe in fauour with hurting thy neighbour thine ende will be euill and at the last desperation in thys worlde and hell after But and if thou canst not polle thy selfe with wisdome and laugh beare a good countenaūce as though thou reioysedst while such personnes polle thee euery man shall polle thee and they shall mainteine them and not defende thee Let this therefore be a cōmon prouerbe be contented to be polled of some man or to be polled of euery man Ye must vnderstand that there be two states or degrees in thys worlde the kyngdome of heauen which is the regiment of the Gospell And y ◠kingdome of this world which is the temporall regimēt In the first state there is neither father mother sonne daughter neither master maystres mayoe manseruaunt nor husband nor wyfe nor Lord or subiect nor man or woman But Christ is all and ech to other is Christ himselfe There is none better then other but all like good all brethren and Christ onely is Lord ouer all Neither is there any other thyng to do or other law saue to loue one an other as Christ loued vs. In the temporall regiment is husband wyfe father mother sonne daughter maister maystresse mayde manseruaunt Lord and subiect Now is euery person a double person and vnder both the regimentes In the first regiment thou art a person for thyne owne selfe vnder Christ and his doctrine mayst neither hate or be angry and much lesse fight or aduenge But must after the ensample of Christ humble thy selfe forsake and deny thy selfe and hate thy selfe and cast thy selfe away and be meeke and patient and let euery mā goe ouer thee and tread thee vnder foote and do thee wrong and yet loue them and pray for them as Christ did for his crucifiers For loue is all and what is not of loue that is damnable and cast out of that kyngdome For that kyngdome is the knowledge of God and Christ But he that loueth not knoweth neyther God nor Christ therefore he that loueth not is not of that kingdome The minor is on this wise proued he that knoweth God and Christ seeth light for Christ is light But he that hateth hys brother is in darcknes and walketh in darcknes and wotteth not whether he goeth for darcknes hath blinded hys eyes 1. Ioh. 2. Ergo he that hateth his brother knoweth not what Christ hath done for hym and therefore hath no true fayth nor is of the spirituall kyngdome of God To hate thy selfe that shalt thou get if thou considerest thyne owne sinnes and the deepe dampnation that long thereto with due repentaunce And to loue that thou shalt obtayne if thou beholde the great and infinite mercy of God wyth strōg faith There is none so great an enemy to thee in this worlde but thou shalt lightly loue hym if thou looke well on the loue that God shewed thee in Christ In the temporall regiment thou art a person in respect of other thou art an husband father mother maister maistresse lord ruler or wife sonne daughter seruaūt subiect c. And there thou must do accordyng to thyne office If y u be a father thou must do the office of a father and rule or els
promise fayre and so drawe them and â—…te them not but if they may in no wise be holpe referre the punishment to the father and mother and so foorth And by these iudgeth he all other lawes of God and vnderstaÌ„deth the true vse and meanyng of them And by these vnderstandeth he in the lawes of man whiche are right and which tyranny If God should coÌ„maunde hym to drinke no wine as he commauÌ„ded in the olde testament that the priestes should not when they ministred in the temple and forbad diuerse meaâ—es the spirituall because he knoweth that man is Lord ouer all other creatures they his seruauntes made to be at his pleasure and that it is not commaunded for the wyue or meate it selfe that man should be in bondage vnto his owne seruaunt the inferiour creature ceaseth not to search the cause And when he findeth it that it is to tame the fleshe and that he be alway sober he obeyeth gladly and yet not so superstitiously that the tyme of his disease he would not drinke wine in y e way of a medicine to recouer his health as Dauid eat of the halowed bread and as Moses for necessitie left the children of Israell vncircumcised xl yeares where of likelyhoode some dyed vncircumcised and were yet thought to be in no worse case then they that were circumcised as the children that dyed within the viij day were counted in as good case as they that were circuÌ„cised which ensamples might teach vs many thinges if there were spirite in vs. And likewise of the holy day he knoweth that the day is seruaunt to man and therfore when he findeth that it is done because he should not be let from hearing the worde of God he obeyeth gladly and yet not so superstitiously that he would not helpe his neighbour on the holy day and let the sermoÌ„ alone for one day or that he would not worke on the holyday neede requiring it at such tyme as men be not wont to be at church and so throughout all lawes And euen likewise in all ceremonies and sacramentes he searcheth the significations will not serue â—he visible thinges It is as good to him that the priest say Masse in his gowne as in his other apparell if they teach him not somewhat and that his soule be edified thereby And as soone will he gape while thou puttest sande as holy salt in his mouth if thou shew hym no reason thereof He had as lefe be sâ—â—ered wyth vnhalowed butter as annointed wyth charmed oyle if his soule be not taught to vnderstand somewhat thereby and so forth But the world captiuateth his wit and about the law of God maketh him wonderfull imaginations vnto which he so fast cleaueth that ten Iohn Baptistes were not able to dispute them out of his head He beleueth that he loueth God because he is ready to kill a Turke for his sake that beleueth better in God then he whom God also commaundeth vs to loue and to leaue nothyng vnsought to winne him vnto the knowledge of the truth though with the losse of our â—â—ues He supposeth that he loueth his neighbour as much as he is bounde if he be not actually angry with him whom yet he will not helpe freely with an halfepenny but for a vauntage or vayneglory or for a worldly purpose If any man haue displeased him he keepeth his malice in and will not chafe him selfe about it till he see an occasion to aueÌ„ge it craftely and thinketh that well inough And the rulers of the world he obeyeth thinketh he when he flattereth them and blindeth them with giftes and corrupteth the officers with rewardes and â—eguiâ—th the lawe with cautels and subtilties And because the loue of God and of hys neighbour which is the spirite and the life of all lawes wherfore all lawes are made is not written in his hart therefore in all inferiour â—awes and in all worldly ordinaunces is he betell blinde If he be commaunded to absteyne from wine that will he obserue vnto the death to as the Charterhouse MoÌ„kes had leuer dye then eate fleshe and as for the sobernesse and chastising of the members will he not looke for but will poure male bere of the strongest without measure and heat them with spices and so forth And the holyday will he keepe so straight that if he meete a sâ—ee in his bed he dare not kill her not once regarde wherfore the holyday was ordayned to seeke for Gods worde and so forth in all lawes And in ceremonies and sacramentes there he captiuateth his witte vnderstanding to obey holy Church without asking what they meane or desiring to know but onely careth for the keeping and looketh euer wyth a payre of narrow eyes and wyth all hys spectacles vppon them lest ought be lefte out For if the priest shoulde say Masse baptise or heare confession without a stole about his necke he would thinke all were marred and doubt whether he had power to consecrate and thinke that the vertue of the Masse were lost and the childe not well baptised or not baptised at all and that his absolution were not worth a mite He had leuer that the Byshop should wag two fingers ouer him then that an other man should say God saue him and so forth Wherfore beloued reader in as much as the holy ghost rebuketh the worlde for lacke of iudgement and in as much also as their ignorauÌ„ce is without excuse before whose faces inough is set to iudge by if they woulde open their eyes to see and not captiuate their vnderstanding to beleue lyes and in as much as the spirituall iudgeth all thing euen the very bottome of Gods secretes that is to say the causes of the thinges which God commaundeth how much more ought we to iudge our holy fathers secretes not to be as an Oxe or an Asse without vnderstanding Iudge therfore reader whether the Pope with his be the Church whether their authoritie bee aboue the Scripture whether all they teach without Scripture be equall with the Scripture whether they haue erred and not onely whether they can And against the myst of their sophistry take the examples that are past in the old Testament authentike stories and the present practise whiche thou seest before thyne eyes Iudge whether it be possible that any good should come out of their domme ceremonies Sacramentes into thy soule Iudge their penaunce pilgrimages pardons purgatorie praying to postes domme blessynges domme absolutioÌ„s their domme pateryng and howlyng their domme straunge holy gestures with all their domme disguisinges their satisfactioÌ„s and iustifyinges And because thou findest them false in so many thynges trust them in nothyng but iudge theÌ„ in all thinges Marke at the last the practise of our fleshly spiritualtie and their wayes by whiche they haue walked aboue eight hundred yeares how they stablish their lyes first wtth falsifiyng the Scripture
or xii yeare olde before they were admitted to receaue the sacrameÌ„t of Christes body haply And he apposed them of the lawe of God and fayth of Christ asked them whether they thought that lawe good and whether their hartes were to follow it And they aunswered yea And he apposed them in the articles of our fayth and asked them whether they put their hop and trust in Christ to be saued thorow his death and merites And they answered ye TheÌ„ coÌ„firmed he their baptim saying I confirme you that is I denounce and declare by the authoritie of Gods worde and doctrine of Christ that ye be truely baptised within in your hartes and in your spirites thorow prosessing the lawe of God and the faith of our sauiour Iesu which your outwarde baptim doth signifie and therupon I put this crosse in your foreheades that ye goe and fight agaynst the deuill the world and the flesh vnder the standard of our Sauiour in the name of the father the sonne the holy ghost AmeÌ„ Which maner I would to God for his tender mercy were in vse this day But after that the deuil was broken lowse and the Byshops began to purchase and the Deaâ—…s to scratch all to them and the spiritualtie to clime an hygh then because the labour seâ—… to tedious and paynfull to appose the children one by one they asked the Priests that presented theÌ„ onely whether the children were taught the professioÌ„ of their Baptisme And they aunswered yâ—â— And so vpon their wordes they confirmed theÌ„ without apposing So wheÌ„ they no lenger apposed them the Priests no lenger taught them but committed the charge to their Godfather and Godmothers and they to the father and mother dischargyng them selues by their owne authoritie within halfe an houre And the father mother taught theÌ„ a monstrous Latin Pater noster and an Aue and a Crede Which gibbresh euery Popâ—…iaye speaketh with a sundry pronunciation and fashion so that one Pater noster semeth as many languages almost as there be tounges that speake it Howbeit it is all one as loÌ„g as they vnderstand it not And in processe as the ignoraunce grew they brought them to confirmation straight from Baptisme so that now oftymes they be volowed and bishoped both in one day that is we be confirmed in blindnesse to be kept from knowledge for euer And thus are we come into this damnable ignoraunce and fierce wrath of God through our owne deseruyng because when the truth was told vs we had no loue therto And to declare the full and set wrath of God vpon vs our Prelates whom we haue exalted ouer vs to whom we haue geuen almost all we had haue persuaded the wordly Princes to whoÌ„ we haue submitted our selues and geueÌ„ vp our power to deuour vs vp body soule and to kepe vs downe in darkenesse with violence of sword and with all falsehead and guile In so much that if any do but lift vp his nose to smell after the truth they swap him in the face with a fire brande to seng hys smellyng or if he open one of his eyes once to looke toward y â— light of gods word they bleare daze his sight with their false iugglyng so that if it were possible though he were Gods elect he could not but be kept down and perish for lacke of knowledge of the truth And in like maner because Christ had institute the Sacrament of his body and bloud to kepe vs in remembrauÌ„ce of his body breaking blud sheding for our sinnes therfore went they and set vp this fashioÌ„ of the Masse and ordeined Sacramentes in the ornamentes thereof to signifie and expresse all the rest of his passioÌ„ The amice on the head is the kercheue that Christ was blynd folded with when the souldiours buffeted him and mocked hym saying prophecie vnto vs who smote thee But now it may wel signifie that he that putteth it on is blynd and hath professed to leade vs after him in darkenesse according vnto the beginnyng of his play And the flappe theron is the crowne of thorne And the albe is the white garment that Herode put on him saying he was a foole because he held his peace and would not auÌ„swere him And the ij flappes on the sleues and the other ij on the albe beneath ouer agaynst his fete behind and before are the. iiij nayles And the fanon on his hand the cord that his haÌ„des were bound with And the stole the rope wherwith he was bound vnto the piller when he was scorged And the corporiscloth the sindon wherin he was buried and the altare is the crosse or haply the graue and so forth And the casting abroad of his hands the splaying of Christ vpon the crosse And the light and sticking vp of candles bearyng of candles or tapers in procession happly signified this text Math. v. ye be the light of the world and let your light so shyne before meÌ„ that they may see your good workes glorifie your father which is in heauen And the salt signifieth the wisedome of Christes doctrine and that we should therewith salt our dedes and do nothing without the authoritie of Gods word So that in one thing or other what in the garmeÌ„tes and what in the gestures all his playde in so much that before he will go to Masse he wil be sure to sell hym lest Iudases part should be left out And so throughout all the SacrameÌ„ts ceremonies or signes iij. words of one signification there were significations vnto them at the beginning And so long as it was vnderstaÌ„d what was ment by them and they dyd but serue the people and preach one thyng or an other vnto them they hurted not greatly though that the free seruaunt of Christ ought not to be brought violently into captiuitie vnder the boÌ„dage of traditions of men As S. Augustine complayneth in his dayes how that the condition and state of the Iewes was more easy then the ChristiaÌ„s vnder traditions so sore had the tyranny of the shepheardes inuaded the flocke all ready in those dayes And theÌ„ what iust cause haue we to coÌ„plaine our captiuitie now vnto whose yocke from that tyme hetherto enen xij hundred yeares long hath euer somwhat more waight bene added to for to keepe vs bowne and to confirme vs in blyndnesse howbeit as long as the significatioÌ„s bode they hurted not the soule though they were paynefull vnto the body Neuerthelesse I impute this our greuous fal into so extreme and horrible blyndnesse wherin we are so deepe and so deadly brought a slepe vnto no thyng so much as vnto the multitude of ceremonies For assoone as the Prelates had set vp such a rable of ceremonies they thonght it superflnous to preach the playne text any longer and the law of God faith of Christ loue toward our
to hurt my neighbour and to shame y t doctrine of Christ And in like maner if I had forsworne flesh al the world had bound me yet if necessitie require it of me to saue my life or my health I ought to breake it And againe though I had sworne chastitie and the cōmon wealth or the necessitie of an other required the contrary I must breake it But on the one side of all that euer burnt in the Popes chastitie he neuer gaue priest licence to take wife but to keepe whores onely And on the other side all that vow any vow do it for the thing it selfe as though it were as I sayd seruice or sacrifice to God that had delite in the deede as young children haue in Apples and that for that deede they shall haue an higher roome in heauē then their neighbours which is the Idolatry of the heathen whē he ought to bestow his vow vppon hys neighbour to bryng him to heauen not to enuie him to seeke thereby an higher roome not caring whether his neighbour come thether or no. And finally to burne and not to vse the naturall remedy that God hath made is but to tempt God as in all other thinges But if God haue brought thee into a straite and haue therto takē the naturall remedy from thee then to resiste and to crie vnto God for helpe to suffer is a signe y t thou louest Gods lawes And to loue Gods law is to be sure that thou art Gods childe elect to mercy For in all his children onely he writeth that token And then he sayth euery man hath his choyce whether he will be Priest or no. But what nettes and snares doth Antichrist lay for them First his false doctrine where with the Elders beguiled cōpell their children and sacrifice them to burne in the Popes chastitie with no other mynde then those olde Idolaters sacrificed their children vnto the false God Moloch so that they thinke by the merites of their childrens burning after the Popes false doctrine to please god and to get heauen cleane ignoraunt of the testament made in Christes bloud Then what a multitude are blinded and drawen into the net with the baite of promotion honour dignitie pleasures freedome and libertie to sinne to do all mischiefe vnpunished things which all euill that feare not God do desire And what a number brought vp idely vnto xx and aboue then put their heades in his halter because they haue no other crast to get their liuinges not because they can liue chast Also some liue chast at xxiiij which same burne at xxx And that to be true dayly experience teacheth and good naturall causes there be And thē looke on the Apostles learning and ordinaunce When one or two young wydowes had brokē their chastitie he would neuer after let any moe bee chosen of the same age How commeth it then that the Pope for so many hundred thousandes that miscary will neither breake the ordinaunce or mitigat it or let any goe backe but if any burne sendeth them vnto the shame of Christes doctrine and offending and hurt of hys Church neuer vnto the lawfull remedie of mariage And when M. More calleth it heresie to thinke that the maried were as pleasaunt to God as the vnmaryed he is surely an hereticke that thinketh the cōtrary Christes kingdom is neither meate nor drinke nor husband nor wife nor widow nor virgine but the keepyng of the commaundementes and seruing of a mans neighbour louingly by the doctrine of S. Paul where not to eate helpeth me to keepe the commmaūdementes better then to eate there it is better not to eate then to eate And where to eate helpeth me to keepe the commaundementes and to do my dutie vnto my neighbour there it is better to eate then not to eate And in like case where to be without a wife helpeth more to keepe the cōmaundemētes and to serue a mans neighboure there it is better to be vnmaryed then maried and where a wife helpeth to keepe the commaundementes better then to be without there it is better to haue a wife then to be wythout That hart onely which is ready to do or let vndone all thinges for his neighbours sake is a pleasaunt thing in the sight of God And when he will haue the Priestes to liue chast for reuerence of the Sacramentes it is deuillishe doctrine hauing the similitude of godlines but the pith marow is away If he meane water oyle salt and such like then is y ◠wyfe with her body and all her vses in the lawes of God incomparable purer holyer If he meane the sacrament of Christes body I aunswere that the handes defile not the man nor ought that goeth thorow the handes be they neuer so vnwashed by the testimony of Christ and much lesse can they then defile Christ Moreouer the Priest toucheth not Christes naturall body wyth his handes by your owne doctrine nor seeth it with his eyes nor breaketh it wyth hys fingers nor eateth it wyth hys mouth nor chāmeth it with his teeth nor drinketh his bloud with his lippes for Christ is impassible But he that repenteth toward the lawe of God and at the sight of the sacrament or of the breaking feling eating chamming or drinking calleth to remembraunce the death of Christ his body breaking and bloud shedding for our sinnes and all his passion the same eateth our Sauiours body and drinketh his bloud thorow fayth onely receaueth forgeuenes of all his sinnes therby and other not And all that haue not this doctrine of the Sacrament come therto in vaine And therfore there is no more cause that he which sayth the Masse should liue chast then he that heareth it or he that ministreth the Sacramēt then he that receaueth it It is to me great maruell that vnlawfull whoredome couetousnes and extortion can not defile their handes as well as law full matrimonye Curssed therefore be their deuillishe doctrine wyth false appearing godlines the fruit and power away out of the hartes of all Christen men And when he bringeth the ensample of the heathen I prayse him For the heathen because they could not vnderstand God spiritually to serue hym in the spirit to beleue in him and to loue his lawes therfore they turned hys glory vnto an Image and serued hym after their owne imagination with bodely seruice as the whole kingdome of the Pope doth hauing lesse power to serue hym in spirite then the Turkes For when the heathē made an Image of the axes or feuers and sacrificed ther to they knew that y e Image was not the feuers but vnder y e similitude of y e Image they worshipped the power of God which plagued them with the feuers with bodely seruice as the Pope doth aboue all the Idolaters that euer were in the worlde As when we paint Saint Machael weying the soules
not vnto repentaunce nor to fayth nor to loue a mans neighbour M. More declareth the meanyng of no sentence hee describeth the proper signification of no word nor the difference of the significatioÌ„s of any terme but runneth foorth confusedly in vnknowen wordes and generall termes And where one word hath many significations he maketh a man some tyme beleue that many thynges are but one thyng and some tyme he leadeth from one signification vnto an other mocketh a mans wittes As he iuggleth with this terme Church makyng vs in the begynnyng vnderstand all that beleue and in the conclusion the Priestes onely He telleth not the office of the law he describeth not his penauÌ„ce nor the vertue therof or vse he declareth no Sacrament nor what they meane nor the vse nor wherin the frute of coÌ„fession standeth nor whence the power of the absolution commeth nor wherin it resteth nor what iustifying meaneth nor the order nor sheweth any diuersitie of faythes as though all faiths were one fayth and one thyng Marke therfore the way toward iustifying or forgeuenesse of sinne is the law God causeth the law to be preached vnto vs writeth it in our harts and maketh vs by good reasons feele that the law is good and ought to bee kept and that they which keepe it not are worthy to be damned And on the other side I fele that there is no power in me to kepe the law wherupon it would shortly folow that I should dispaire if I were not shortly hoâ—pe But God which hath begon to cure me and hath layde that corosy vnto my sores goeth forth in his cure and setteth hys sonne Iesus before me and all his passions and death and sayth to me this is my deare sonne and he hath prayed for thee hath suffred all this for thee and for his sake I will forgeue thee all that thou hast done agaynst this good lawe and I will heale thy flesh teach thee to kepe this law if y â— wilt learne And I will beare with thee take all a worth that thou doest till thou caust do better And in the meane season not withstandyng thy weakenesse I will yet loue thee no lesse then I do the aungels in heauen so thou wilt be diligent to learne And I will assiste thee and keepe thee and defend thee and be thy shielde and care for thee And the hart here beginneth to mollifie and waxe soft to receaue health and beleueth the mercy of God and in beleuyng is saued froÌ„ the feare of euerlastyng death and made sure of euerlastyng life and then beyng ouercome with this kindnesse begynneth to loue agayne and to submitte her selfe vnto the law of God to learne them and to walke in them Note now the order first God geueth me light to see the goodnesse and righteousnesse of the law myne own sinne and vnrighteousnesse Out of whiche knowledge spryngeth repentaunce Now repentaunce teacheth me not that the law is good and I euill but a light that the spirite of God hath geuen me out of whiche light repentaunce springeth Then the same spirite woorketh in myne hart trust and confidence to beleue the mercy of God and his truth that he will do as hee hath promised Whiche beleffe saueth me And immediatly out of that trust spryngeth loue toward the law of God agayne And what soeuer a man worketh of any other loue theÌ„ this it pleaseth not God nor is that loue godly Now loue doth not receaue this mercy but fayth onely out of whiche fayth loue springeth by which loue I power out agayn vpon my neighbour that goodnesse which I haue receaued of God by fayth Hereof ye see that I caÌ„ not be iustified without repentauÌ„ce and yet repentaunce iustifieth me not And hereof ye see that I can not haue a fayth to be iustified and saued except loue spryng therof immediatly and yet loue iustifieth me not before God For my naturall loue to God agayne doth not make me first see feele the kyndnesse of God in Christ but fayth thorough preachyng For we loue not God first to coÌ„pell him to loue agayn but he loued vs first gaue his sonne for vs that we might see loue and loue agayne sayth S. Iohn in his first Epistle Which loue of God to vs ward we receaue by Christ thorough fayth sayth Paule And this example haue I set out for them in diuers places but their blynd Popish eyes haue no power to see it couetousnesse hath so blynded them And when we say faith onely iustifieth vs that is to say receaueth the mercy wherewith God iustifieth vs and forgeueth vs we meane not fayth whiche hath no repentaunce and fayth whiche hath no loue vnto the lawes of God agayne and vnto good workes as wicked hypocrites falsly belye vs. For how theÌ„ should we suffer as we do all misery to cal the blind and ignorauÌ„t vnto repentaunce good workes which now do but consent vnto all euill and study mischief all day long for all their preachyng their iustifying of good woorkes Let M. More improue this with his sophistrie and set foorth his owne doctrine that we may see the reason of it and walke in light Hereof ye see what fayth it is that iustifieth vs. The fayth in Christes bloud of a repentyng hart toward the law doth iustifie vs onely and not all maner faythes Ye must vnderstaÌ„d therfore that ye may see to come out of Mores blynd maze how that there be many faythes and that all faythes be not one faith though they be al called with on generall name There is a story faith without feelyng in the hart wher with I may beleue the whole story of the Bible yet not set myne hart earnestly thereto takyng it for the fode of my soule to learne to beleue and trust God to loue him dread him and feare him by the doctrine and examples ther of but to seme learned to know the story to dispute and make marchaundise after as we haue exaÌ„ples ynough And the fayth wherewith a man doth miracles is an other gift then the faith of a repeÌ„tyng hart to be saued through Christes bloud and the one no kynne to the other though M. More would haue them so appeare Neither is the deuils fayth the Popes fayth wherwith they beleue that there is a God that Christ is all the story of the Bible and may yet stond with all wickednesse and full coÌ„sent to euil kynne vnto the fayth of them that hate euill and repent of their misdeedes and knowledge their sinnes and be fled with full hope and trust of mercy vnto the bloud of Christ And when he sayth if fayth certifie our hartes that we bee in the fauonr of God and our sinnes forgeuen become good yer we do good workes as the tree must be first good yer it bring forth good fruite by Christes doctrine theÌ„ we make
as we haue sinned be in sinne or do sinne or shal sinne so farforth must faith in Christes bloud iustifie vs onely and els nothing To loue is to be righteous so farforth as thou louest but not to make righteous nor to make peace To beleue in Christes bloud with a repēting hart is to make righteous and the onely makyng of peace and satisfaction to Godwarde And thus because termes be darcke to them that be not expert and exercised we alway set out our meaning wyth cleare ensamples reporting our selues vnto the hartes and consciences of all men M. The blasphemous wordes of Luther seme to signifie that both Iohn Baptiste and our Lady were sinners Tyndall Iohn Baptiste sayde to Christ Mat. 3. I had neede to be baptised of thee and commest thou to me Wherof did Iohn confesse that he had nede to be washed purged by Christ of his holynes and good deedes When Iohn saide beholde y e Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of y e worlde he was not of that sorte nor had any sinnes to be taken away at any time nor any part in Christs bloud which dyed for sinners onely Iohn came to restore all thyng sayth Christ That is he came to enterprete the law of God truely and to proue all fleshe sinners to send thē to Christ as Paul doth in the beginning of y e Romanes Which lawe if M. More coulde vnderstand how spirituall it is and what it requireth of vs he woulde not so dispute And if there were no imperfectnesse in our Ladies deedes why dyd Christ rebuke her Iohn 2. when he ought rather to haue honoured his mother and why did he make her secke him three dayes Chrisostomus dare say that our Lady was now and then taken with a little vayne glory She ioked for the promises of him that should come and blesse her from what She beleued to be saued by Christ from what This I graunt that our Lady Iohn Baptiste Isaac Iacob Ioseph Moses and many like did neuer consent to sinne to follow it But had the holy ghost from the beginning Neuer the later while they folowed the spirite and wrought their best yet chaunces met them by the way and temptations that made their woorkes come sometimes vnperfectly to passe as a potter that hath his craft neuer so wel meteth a chaunce now and then that maketh him fashion a pot a misse So that I thinke the perfectest of them all as we haue ensamples of some were compelled to say with Paul that good that I would I do not and that euill that I would not that I do I would not sweare on a booke that if our Lady had bene let slip as we other were and as hard apposed with as present death before her eyes that she would not haue denyed somethinges that she knew true ye but she was preserued by grace that she was not No but though she were kept by grace from y e outwarde deede yet if there were such wickednes in her fleshe she had sinne And the grace was that she knew it and was meeke to beleue in Christ to haue it forgeuen her and to be preserued that it should not bud forth Iohn the Euangelist when he was as holy as euer was Iohn the Baptist sayd if we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues Then he compareth fayth deedes together and will that fayth shoulde stand in no better seruice of right then deedes Yes for the deedes be examined by the lawe and therfore it is not inough to do them onely or to do thē with loue but I must do them wyth as great loue as Christ did for me and as I receaue a good deede at my nede But faith is vnder no lawe and therfore be she neuer so feeble she shall receaue according to the truth of the promiser M. What thing coulde we aske God of right because we beleue him Tyndall Verely all that he promiseth may we be bolde to aske of right and dutie and by good obligation More Ferman sayd that all workes be good inough in thē that god hath chosē Tyndall I am sure it is vntrue for their best be not good inough though God forgeueth them their euill of hys mercy at y e repentaunce of their harts Then he endeth in his schole doctrine contrary vnto all the scripture that God remitteth not the sinne of hys chosen people because that he hath chosen thē not of his mercy but of a towardnes that is more in one then in an other saying God saw before that Peter should repent and Iudas woulde dispaire and therefore chose Peter If God chose Peter because he did repent why chose he not Iudas to which repented as much as he knowledged his sinne and brought the money agayne O this blindnesse as God had wrought nothing in the repentaunce of Peter Sayde not Christ before that Peter should falle And sayd he not that he had prayed for him that he shoulde be holpe vppe agayne Christ prayed a strong prayer for Peter to helpe hym vp agayne and suffered a strong death thereto And before his death he committed them vnto his father saying I haue kept them in thy name and I depart keepe them now from euill Peter had a good hart to God and loued his lawe and beleued in Christ had the spirite of God in him which neuer left him for all his falle Peter sinned of no malice but of frailtie and sodaine feare of death And the goodnesse of God wrought his repentaunce and all the meanes by which he was brought vp againe at Christes requeste And Iudas was neuer good nor came to Christ for loue of his doctrine but of couetousnesse nor did euer beleue in Christ Iudas was by nature and birth as we all be heyre of the wrath of God in whome the deuill wrought his will and blinded his hart with ignoraunce In which ignorannce and blindnes he grew as he grew in age and fell deeper and deeper therein and thereby wrought all his wickednesse and the deuilles will and perished therin Frō which ignoraunce God purged Peter of his mercy and gaue him light and his spirite to gouerne him and not of any towardnesse that was in Peter of hys owne byrth but for the mercy that we haue in the birth of Christes death And how will M. More proue that God chuseth not of his goodnes but of our towardnes What good towardnes can he haue and endeuour that is altogether blinde and caryed away at the will of the deuill till the deuill be cast out Are we not robbed of all towardnes in Adam and be by nature made the children of sinne so that we sinne naturally and to sinne is our nature So that as now though we would do well the flesh yet sinneth naturally neither ceaseth to sinne but so farforth as it is kept vnder with
necessary to prepare this Pathway into the Scripture for you that ye might walke surely euer know the true frō the false And aboue all to put you in remembraunce of certaine pointes which are that ye well vnderstand what these wordes meane The old Testament The new Testament The law The Gospell Moses Christ Nature Grace Workyng and beleuing Dedes and faith Lest we ascribe to the one that which belongeth to the other and make of Christ Moses of the Gospell the Law despise grace and robbe fayth fal from meke learnyng into idle despitions brawlyng and scoldyng about wordes The old Testament is a booke wherein is written the law of God the dedes of them which fulfill them of them also which fulfill them not The new Testament is a booke wherein are conteined the promises of God and the dedes of them which beleue them or beleue them not Euangelion that we call the Gospel is a Breke word and signifieth good mery glad and ioyfull tydinges that maketh a mans hart glad and maketh him sing daunce and leape for ioy As when Dauid had killed Goliath the gyaunt came glad tydinges vnto the Iewes that their fearefull and cruell enemy was slayne and they deliuered out of all daunger for gladnes wherof they song daunced and were ioyful In like maner is the Euangelion of God which we call Gospell and the new Testament ioyfull tydinges and as some say a good hearing published by the Apostles throughout all the world of Christ the right Dauid how that hee hath fought with sinne with death and the deuil ouercome them wherby all men that were in bondage to sinne woūded with death ouercome of the deuill are without their owne merites or deseruinges losed iustified restored to life and saued brought to libertie and reconciled vnto the fauour of God set at one with him agayne whiche tydinges as many as beleue laude prayse thanke God are glad syng and daunce for ioy This Euangelion or Gospell that is to say such ioyfull tydinges is called y ◠new Testament Because that as a mā whē he shall dye appointeth his goods to be dealt distributed after his death among them whiche he nameth to bee his heyres Euen so Christ before hys death commaūded and appointed that such Euangelion Gospell or tydynges should be declared throughout all the world and therewith to geue vnto all that repent and beleue all his goodes that is to say his lyfe wherewith hee swalowed and deuoured vp death hys righteousnes wherewith he banished sinne his saluatiō wherwith he ouercame eternall damnation Now cā the wretched man that knoweth him selfe to be wrapped in sinne and in daūger to death hell heare no more ioyous a thyng them such glad and comfortable tydinges of Christ So that he can not but be glad and laugh frō the low bottome of his hart if hee beleue that the tydinges are true To strēgth such sayth with all God promised this his Euangelion in the old Testament by the Prophetes as Paul sayth Rom. 1. How that he was chosē out to preach Gods Euāgeliō which he before had promised by the Prophetes in the Scriptures that treate of his sonne which was borne of the sede of Dauid In the Gene. iij. God sayth to the Serpent I wil put hatred betwen thee and the woman betwen thy seede and her sede that selfe sede shall treade thy head vnder foote Christ is this womās seede he it is that hath troden vnder foote the deuils head that is to say sinne death hell all his power For without this seede can no man anoyde sinne death hell and euerlasting damnation Agayne Gene. xxij God promised Abraham saying in thy seede shall all the generations of the earth be blessed Christ is that seede of Abraham sayth S. Paule Gala. iij. He hath blessed all the world through the Gospell For where Christ is not there remaineth the curse that fell on Adam as soone as he had sinned so that they are in bōdage vnder the damnation of sinne death and hell Against this curse blesseth now the Gospell all the world in asmuch as it cryeth opēly vnto all that knowledge their sinnes and repēt saying who soeuer beleueth on the sede of Abraham shal be blessed that is he shal be deliuered from sinne death and hell and shall hence forth continue righteous and saued for euer as Christ hym selfe sayth in the xj of Iohn He that beleueth on me shall neuer more dye The law sayth Iohn i. was geuē by Moses but grace and verity by Iesus Christ The law whose minister is Moses was geuen to bryng vs vnto the knowledge of our selues that we might thereby feele and perceaue what we are of nature The law cōdemneth vs and all our deedes and is called of Paule in the ij Cor. iij. the ministration of death For it killeth our consciences and driueth vs to desperation in as much as it requireth of vs that which is vnpossible for our nature to do It requireth of vs the deedes of an whole man It requireth perfect loue from the low bottome and grounde of the hart as well in all thinges whiche we suffer as in the thinges which we do But sayth Iohn in the same place grace and veritie is geuē vs in Christ So that when the law hath passed vpō vs and condemned vs to death which is his nature to do then haue we in Christ grace that is to say fauour promises of life of mercy of pardon freely by y e merites of Christ in Christ haue we veritie truth in that God for his sake fulfilleth all his promises to them that beleue Therfore is y ◠Gospell the ministration of life Paule calleth it in the fore rehearsed place of the Cor. ij the ministration of the spirite and of righteousnes In the Gospell when we beleeue the promises we receaue the spirit of life and are iustified in the bloud of Christ from all thyngs wherof the law condemned vs. And we receaue loue vnto the law and power to fulfill it and grow therein dayly Of Christ it is written in the fore rehearsed Ioh. i. this is he of whose aboundaunce or fulnes all we haue receaued grace for grace or fauour for fauour That is to say for the fauour that God hath to his sonne Christ he geueth vnto vs his fauour good wil al giftes of his grace as a father to his sonnes As affirmeth Paule saying whiche loued vs in his beloued before the creation of y ◠world So y ◠Christ bringeth the loue of God vnto vs and not our owne holy woorkes Christ is made Lord ouer all and is called in Scripture Gods mercy stole who soeuer therfore flyeth to Christ can neither heare nor receaue of God any other thyng saue mercy In the old Testamēt are many promises which are nothyng els but the Euāgelion or Gospel to saue those
y t beleued thē frō y t vengeaunce of the law And in the new Testament is oft made mention of the law to cōdemne them which beleue not the promises Moreouer the law and Gospell may neuer be separate for the Gospel and promises serue but for troubled consciences which are brought to desperation and feele the paynes of hell and death vnder the law and are in captiuitie and bondage vnder the law In all my dedes I must haue the law before me to condemne myne vnperfectnes For all that I do be I neuer so perfect is yet damnable sinne when it is compared to the law whiche requireth the ground and bottome of myne hart I must therefore haue alwayes the law in my sight that I may be meke in the spirite and giue God all the laude and prayse ascribyng to him all righteousnes and to my selfe al vnrighteousnes and sinne I must also haue the promises before myne eyes that I dispayre not in which promises I see the mercy fauour and good will of God vpon me in the bloud of hys sonne Christ which hath made satisfaction for myne vnperfectnes and fulfilled for me that which I could not do Here may ye perceaue that two maner of people are sore deceaued First they whiche iustifie them selues with outward dedes in that they abstayne outwardly frō that which the law forbiddeth and do outwardly that which the law commaundeth They compare them selues to open sinners and in respect of them iustifie them selues condemning the open sinners They set a vayle on Moyses face and see not how the law requireth loue from the bottome of the hart and that loue onely is the fulfilling of the law If they dyd they would not condemne their neighbours Loue hydeth the multitude of sinnes sayth S. Peter in his first Epistle For whom I loue from the deepe bottome grounde of myne hart him condemne I not neither recken his sinnes but suffer his weakenes infirmitie as a mother the weakenes of her sonne vntill he grow vp into a perfect man Those also are deceaued which with out all feare of God geue them selues vnto all maner vices with ful consent and full delectation hauyng no respect to the law of God vnder whose vengeaunce they are locked vp in captiuitic but say God is mercyfull Christ dyed for vs supposing that such dreaming imaginatiō is that fayth which is so greatly cōmended in holy Scripture Nay that is not faith but rather a folish blind opinion springing of their owne corrupt nature and is not geuē them of the spirite of God but rather of the spirite of the deuill whose fayth now a dayes the Popish compare and make equall vnto the best trust confidence and belefe that a repenting soule can haue in the bloud of our Sauiour Iesus vnto their owne confusion shame vtteryng what they are with in But true faith is as sayth the Apostle Paule the gift of God and is geuē to sinners after the law hath passed vppon them and hath brought their consciences vnto the brim of desperation and sorowes of hell They that haue this right faith consēt to the law that it is righteous and good and iustifie God which made the law and haue delectation in the law notwithstanding that they cā not fulfill it as they would for their weakenes and they abhorre what soeuer the law forbiddeth though they can not all wayes auoyde it And their great sorrow is because they can not fulfill the will of God in the law and the spirite that is in them cryeth to God night day for strength and helpe with teares as sayth Paul that can not be expressed with toung Of which thinges the belefe of our Popish or of their father whom they so magnifie for his strong faith hath none experience at all The first that is to say he whiche iustifieth him selfe with his outward deedes consenteth not to the law inward neither hath delectation therin ye he would rather that no such law were So iustifieth he not God but hateth him as a tyraunt neither careth he for the promises but will with his owne strength be sauiour of him selfe no wise glorifieth he God though he seme outward to do The second that is to say the sensuall person as a voluptuous swyne neither feareth God in his law neither is thankefull to him for his promises and mercy which is set foorth in Christ to all them that beleue The right Christen man consenteth to the law that it is righteous and iustifieth God in the law for he affirmeth that God is righteous and iust which is author of the law he beleueth the promises of God iustifieth God iudgyng him true and beleuyng that he will fulfill his promises with the law he condemneth him selfe and all his dedes and geueth all the prayse to God He beleueth the promises and ascribeth all truth to God thus euery where iustifieth he God and prayseth God By nature through the fall of Adam are we the children of wrath heyres of the vengeaunce of God by byrth yea and from our conceptiō And we haue our felowship with the damned deuils vnder the power of darkenes and rule of Sathan while we are yet in our mothers wombes and though we shewe not forth the frutes of sinne as soone as we be borne yet are we full of the naturall poyson whereof all sinnefull deedes spryng and can not but sinne outwardes be we neuer so young as soone as we be able to woorke if occasion be geuen for our nature is to do sinne as is the nature of a Serpent to stynge And as Serpent yet young or yet vnbrought forth is full of poyson and can not afterward when the tyme is come and occasion geuen but bryng foorth the frutes therof And as an adder a tode or a snake is hated of man not for the euill that it hath done but for the poyson that is in it and hurt which it can not but do so are we hated of God for that naturall poyson which is cōceaued and borne with vs before we do any outward euill And as the euil which a venemous worme doth maketh it not a Serpent but because it is a venemous worme doth it euill and poysoneth and as the frute maketh not the tree euill but because it is an euill tree therfore bryngeth it foorth euill frute when the season of frute is Euen so do not our euill dedes make vsfirst euill though ignorance blindnes through euill workyng hardeneth vs in euill maketh vs worse and worse but because that of nature we are euill therefore we both thinke and do euill and are vnder vengeaūce vnder the law conuict to eternal damnation by the law and are contrary to the will of God in all our will and in all thynges consent to the will of the tende By grace that is to say by fauour we are plucked out of Adā the ground of all euill and
graffed in Christ the roote of all goodnes In Christ God loued vs his elect and chosen before the world began and reserued vs vnto the knowledge of his sonne and of his holy Gospell and when the Gospell is preached to vs openeth our hartes and geueth vs grace to beleue and putteth the spirite of Christ in vs and we know him as our father most mercyfull and consent to the law and lone it inwardly in our hart and desire to fulfill it and sorrow because we can not which will sinne we of frailtie neuer so much is sufficient till more strength bee geuen vs the bloud of Christ hath made satisfaction for the rest the bloud of Christ hath obteyned all thyngs for vs of God Christ is our satisfaction redemer deliuerer sauiour from vengeaunce and wrath Obserue and marke in Paules Peters Iohns Epistles in the Gospell what Christ is vnto vs. By faith are we saued onely in beleuyng the promises And though fayth be neuer without loue good workes yet is our sauing imputed neither to loue nor vnto good workes but vnto faith onely For loue and woorkes are vnder the law which requireth perfection and the ground and fountayne of the hart and damneth all imperfectnes Now is fayth vnder the promises which damne not but geue pardō grace mercy fauour and what soeuer is contayned in the promises Righteousnes is diuers for blynd reasō imaguieth many maner of righteousnesses There is the righteousnes of workes as I sayd before when the hart is a way and is not felt how the law is spirituall and can not be fulfilled but from the bottome of the hart As the iust ministration ▪ of all maner of lawes and the obseruyng of them for a worldlye purpose and for our owne profite and not of loue vnto our neighbour without all other respect and morall vertues wherein Philosophers put their felicity and blessednes whiche all are nothyng in the sight of God in respect of the lyfe to come There is in like maner the iustifying of ceremonies whiche some imagine their owne selues some counterfaite other saying in their blynd reasō such holy persons dyd thus and thus and they were holy men therfore if I do so likewise I shall please God but they haue none aūswere of God that that pleaseth The Iewes seke righteousnes in their ceremonies which god gaue vnto them not for to iustifie but to describe and paynt Christ vnto thē of which Iewes testifieth Paule saying how that they haue affection to god but not after knowledge for they go about to stablish their owne iustice and are not obedient to the iustice or righteousnesse that commeth of God which is the forgeuenesse of sinne in Christes bloud vnto all that repent and beleue The cause is verely that except a man cast away his owne imagination and reason he can not perceaue God and vnderstand the vertue power of the bloud of Christ There is a full righteousnes when the law is fulfilled from the ground of the hart This had neither Peter nor Paule in this life perfectly vnto the vttermost that they could not be perfecter but sighed after it They were so farreforth blessed in Christ that they hungred and thyrsted after it Paule had this thyrst he consented to the law of God that it ought so to be but he found an other lust in his members cōtrary to the lust desire of his mynde that letted him and therefore cryed out saying Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death thankes bee to God through Iesus Christ The righteousnes that before God is of value is to beleue the promises of God after the law hath confounded the conscience As when the temporall law ofttymes condenmeth the thefe or murtherer bringeth him to execution so that he seeth nothyng before him but present death and then commeth good tydinges a charter frō the kyng and deliuereth hym Likewise when Gods law hath brought the sinner into knowledge of himselfe and hath confounded his conscience opened vnto him the wrath and vengeaunce of God then commeth good tydinges the Euangelion sheweth vnto him the promises of God in Christ and how that Christ hath purchased pardon for him hath satisfied the law for him and peased the wrath of God And the poore sinner beleueth laudeth and thāketh God through Christ and breaketh out into exceedyng inward ioy and gladnes for that he hath escaped so great wrath so heauy vengeaunce so fearefull and so euerlastyng a death And he henceforth is an hūgred and a thurst after more righteousnes that he might fulfill the law mourneth continually commendyng hys weakenes vnto God in the bloud of our Sauiour Christ Iesus Here shall ye see compendiously and playnly set out the order and practise of euery thyng afore rehearsed The fall of Adam hath made vs heyres of the vengeaunce and wrath of God and heyres of eternall damnatiō And hath brought vs into captiuitie and bondage vnder the deuill And the deuill is our Lord and our ruler our head our gouernour our Prince yea and our God And our will is locked and knit faster vnto the will of the deuill then could an hundred thousand chaines bynde a man vnto a post Vnto the deuils will consent we with all our hartes with all our myndes with all our might power strēgth will and lust so that the law and will of the deuill is written as well in our harts as in our members and we runne headlong after the deuill with full seale and the whole swyng of all the power we haue as a stone cast vp into the ayre cōmeth downe naturally of his owne selfe with all the violence and swyng of his owne wayght With what poyson deadly and venemous hate hateth a man hys enemy With howe great malice of mynde inwardly do we slea and murther With what violence and rage yea and with how feruent lust commit we aduoutrie fornication and such like vncleannes with what pleasure and delectation inwardly serueth a glotton his belly With what diligence deceaue we How busily seke we the thinges of this world What soeuer we doe thinke or imaginne is abhominable in the sight of God For we can referre nothyng vnto the honour of God neither is his law or will written in our members or in our hartes neither is there any more power in vs to folow the will of God then in a stone to ascende vpward of hys owne selfe And beside that we are as it were a slepe in so depe blindnes that we cā neither see nor feele in what misery thraldome and wretchednes we are in till Moses come and wake vs and publish the law When we heare the law truly preached how that we ought to loue and honour God with all our strength and might from the low bottome of the hart because he hath created vs and both heauen and earth for our sakes and made vs Lord
therof and our neighbours yea our enemies as our selues inwardly from the grounde of the hart because God hath made them after the likenesse of his owne image they are his sonnes as well as we and Christ hath bought them with his bloud and made them heyres of euerlastyng lyfe as well as vs And how we ought to do what soeuer God biddeth and absteine from what soeuer God forbiddeth with all loue and mekenes with a feruent and a burnyng lust from the center of the hart then begynneth the conscience to rage against the law and against God No sea be it neuer so great a tempest is so vnquiet For it is not possible for a naturall mā to cōsent to the law that it should be good or that God should be righteous which maketh the law in as much as it is contrary vnto hys nature and damneth him and all that he cā do neither sheweth him where to fetch helpe nor preacheth any mercy but onely setteth mā at variaunce with God as witnesseth Paule Rom. iiij and prouoketh hym and styrreth hym to rayle on God and to blaspheme him as a cruell tyraunt For it is not possible for a mā till he be borne agayne to thinke that God is righteous to make hym of so poyson a nature either for his own pleasure or for the sinne of an other man and to geue him a law that is impossible for him to do or to cōsent to his witte reason and will beyng so fast glued yea nayled and chayned vnto the will of the deuill Neither can any creature louse the bondes saue the bloud of Christ onely This is captiuitie and bondage whence Christ deliuered vs redemed and loused vs. His bloud his death his pacience in suffering rebukes and wronges his prayers and fastynges his mekenes and fulfillyng of the vttermost point of the law peased the wrath of God brought the fauour of God to vs agayne obteined that God should loue vs first and be our father and that a mercyfull father that will consider our infirmities and weakenes and wil geue vs his spirite agayn which was taken away in the fall of Adam to rule gouerne strength vs and to breake the bondes of Sathan wherein we were so straite bounde When Christ is thus wise preached the promises rehearsed which are contained in the Prophetes in the Psalmes and in diuers places of the fiue bookes of Moses which preachyng is called the Gospell or glad tydinges then the hartes of them which are elect and chosē begyn to waxe soft and melt at the bounteous mercy of God and kyndnes shewed of Christ For when the Euangelion is preached the spirite of God entreth into them which God hath ordeined and appoynted vnto eternall lyfe and openeth their inward eyes and worketh such belefe in them When the wofull consciences feele and tast how swete a thyng the bitter death of Christ is how mercyfull louing God is through Christes purchasyng and merites they begin to loue gayne and to consent to the law of God how that it is good and ought so to be and that God is righteous which made it and desire to fulfill the law euen as a sicke man desireth to be whole and are an hungred and thirst after more righteousnes and after more strength to fulfill the law more perfectly And in all that they do or omit and leaue vndone they seke Gods honour and his will with meekenesse euer condemnyng the vnperfectnes of their deedes by the law Now Christ standeth vs in double stede and vs serueth two maner wise First he is our redemer deliuerer reconciler mediator intercessor aduocate atturney soliciter our hope comfort shield protectiō defender strēgth health satisfaction and saluation His bloud his death all that he euer dyd is ours And Christ him self with all that he is or can do is ours His bloud shedyng and all that he dyd doth me as good seruice as though I my selfe had done it And God as great as he is is myne with all that he hath as an husband is his wiues through Christ and his purchasing Secondaryly after that we be ouercome with loue and kindnes and now seke to do the will of God which is a Christen mans nature Then haue we Christ an exāple to counterfeit as saith Christ him selfe in Iohn I haue geuen you an example And in an other Euāgelist he sayth He that wil be great among you shal be your seruaunt and Minister as the sonne of man came to minister and not to be ministred vnto And Paule sayth Counterfeit Christ And Peter sayth Christ dyed for you and left you an example to folow hys steppes What soeuer therefore fayth hath receaued of God through Christs bloud and deseruyng that same must loue shed out euery whit and bestow it on our neighbours vnto their profite yea and that though they be our enemyes By fayth we receaue of God and by loue we shed out agayne And that must we do frely after the example of Christ without any other respect saue our neighbours wealth onely neither looke for reward in earth nor yet in heauen for the deseruyng merites of our deedes as Friers preach though we know that good deedes are rewarded both in this lyfe and in the lyfe to come but of pure loue must we bestow our selues all that we haue all that we are able to do euen on our enemyes to bryng them to God consideryng nothyng but their wealth as Christ dyd ours Christ dyd not hys deedes to obteyne heauen therby that had bene a madnes heauē was his all ready he was heyre therof it was his by inheritaunce but dyd them frely for our sakes consideryng nothyng but our wealth and to bryng the fauour of God to vs agayne and vs to God As no naturall sonne that is his fathers heyre doth his fathers will because he would be heyre that he is already by byrth his father gaue him that yer hee was borne and is lother that he should go without it then he him selfe hath wit to be but of pure loue doth he that he doth And aske him why he doth any thing that he doth he aunswereth my father bade it is my fathers will it pleaseth my father Bond seruauntes worke for hyre Children for loue For their father with all he hath is theirs already So doth a Christen man frely all that he doth considereth nothyng but the will of God his neighbours wealth onely If I liue chaste I do it not to obteine heauen therby For then should I doe wrong to the bloud of Christ Christes bloud hath obteined me that Christes merites haue made me heyre therof He is both doore and way thether wardes Neither that I loke for an higher roume in heauē thē they shal haue which liue in wedlocke other thē a whore of the stewes if she repēt for that were the pride of Lucifer But frely to wayte on the Euangelion and
despised and haue translated the Scripture purely and with good consciēce submittyng them selues and desiryng them that can to amend their trāslation or if it please thē to trāslate it themselues after their best maner yea and let them sow to their gloses as many as they thinke they can make cleaue thereto and then put other mens translation out of the way Howbeit though God hath so wrought with them that a great part is translated yet as it is not inough that the father and the mother haue both begotten the child brought it into this world except they care for it and bryng it vp till it can helpe it selfe Euen so it is not inough to haue translated though it were y e whole Scripture into the vulgare common toung Except we also brought agayne the light to vnderstād it by and expell that darke cloude which the hypocrites haue spread ouer the face of y e scripture to blind the right sense and true meanyng thereof And therfore at their diuers introductions ordeyned for you to teach you the professiō of your Baptisme the onely light of the Scripture one vppon the Epistle of Paule to the Romains and an other called The pathway into the Scripture And for the same cause haue I taken in hand to interpret this Epistle of S. Iohn the Euangelist to edifie the lay mā and to teach him how to read the Scripture and what to seke therein that he may haue to aunswere the hypocrites and to stop theyr mouthes with all And first vnderstand that all the Epistles that the Apostles wrote are the Gospell of Christ though all that is the Gospell bee not an Epistle It is called a Gospell that is to say glad tydinges because it is an open preachyng of Christ and an Epistle because it is sent as a letter or a bill to them that are absent ¶ Here begynneth the first Epistle of S. Iohn Chapter 1. THat which was from the begynnynge declare wee vnto you which we haue heard which we haue seene with our eyes which we looked vppon and our handes haue handled of the worde of lyfe For the lyfe appeared and we haue sene and beare witnesse and shewe vnto you that euerlastynge lyfe which was with the father and appeared vnto vs. In that S. Iohn sayth The thyng which was from the begynnyng and the euerlastyng lyfe that was with the father he witnesseth that Christ is very God as he doth in the begynnyng of his Gospel saying The word or the thyng was at the begynnyng and the thyng was with God and that thyng was God and all thinges were made by it And whē he sayth which we heard saw with our eyes our hands handled hym he testifieth that Christ is very man also as he doth in the begynning of his Gospell saying The word or that thyng was made flesh that is became man And thus we haue in playne and opē wordes a manifest Article of our fayth that our Sauiour Christ is very God and very man Which Article who soeuer not onely beleueth but also beleueth in it the same is the sonne of God hath euerlasting lyfe in him shall neuer come into condemnation as it is written Iohn i. He gaue them power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleued in his name And Iohn iij. He that beleueth in the sonne hath euerlastyng life And a litle before in the sayd Chapter He that beleueth in hym shall not be condēned And to beleue in the wordes of this Article is y t eatyng of Christes flesh and drinkyng his bloud of which is spoken Iohn vj. The words which I speake are spirite and lyfe the flesh profiteth not at all meanyng of y e fleshly eatyng of his body and fleshly drinkyng of hys bloud There is therefore great difference betwene beleuing that there is a God and that Christ is God mā and to beleue in God and Christ God and man and in the promises of mercy that are in hym The first is cōmune to good and bad and vnto the deuils thereto and is called the fayth beleue of the hystory The secōd is proper vnto the sonnes of God is their lyfe as it is written The righteous liueth by fayth that is in puttyng hys trust confidēce and whole hope in the goodnes mercy and helpe of God in all aduersities bodely and ghostly and all temptations euen in sinne hell how depe so euer he be fallen therin But as he which feeleth not hys disease can long for no health euen so it is impossible for any man to beleue in Christs bloud except Moses haue had hym first in cure with his law haue robbed hym of his righteousnes and cōdemned him vnto euerlastyng death haue shewed hym vnder what dānation they are in by birth in Adā how all their deedes appeare they neuer so holy are yet but damnable sinne because they cā referre nothyng vnto the glory of God but seke thē selues theyr owne profite honour and glory So that repentaunce toward the law must go before this belefe and he which repenteth not but cōsenteth vnto the life of sinne hath no part in this fayth And when Iohn calleth Christ the euerlastyng life that was with the father hee signifieth that Christ is our lyfe as after in the Epistle and in the first also of his Gospel saying In him was lyfe For vntill we receaue lyfe of Christ by fayth we are dead and can be but dead as saith Iohn iij. He that beleueth not in the sonne can see no lyfe but the wrath of God abydeth vppon him Of which wrath we are heyres by byrth sayth Paule Ephe. ij Of whiche wrath we are ignoraunt vntil the law be published and walke quyetly after our lustes loue God wickedly that he should be content therwith mainteine vs therin cōtrary vnto his godly and righteous nature But assoone as the lawe whose nature is to vtter sinne Roma iij. and to set man at variaunce with God is preached thē we first awake out of our dreame and see our damnatiō and haue the law which is so contrary vnto our nature and grudge agaynst God therto as young children do agaynst their elders when they first commaūde and count God a cruell tyraūt because of his law in that he cōdemneth vs for that thyng which we can not loue nor of loue fulfill But when Christ is preached how that God for his sake receiueth vs to mercy forgiueth vs all that is past hencefoorth rekeneth not vnto vs our corrupt and poysoned nature taketh vs as his sonnes and putteth vs vnder grace and mercy promiseth that he will not iudge vs by the rigorousnes of the law but nourture vs with all mercy and patiēce as a father most mercyful Onely if we will submit our selues vnto his doctrine and learne to kepe his lawes Yea
righteousnes our iustifying our redemption our attonement that hath appeased God and clenseth vs froÌ„ our sinnes and all in his bloud so that his bloud is the satisfaction onely And that thou mayst the better perceaue the falshead of our holy fathers fleshly imagination call to minde how that the Scripture sayth Iohn the iiij God is a spirite and must be worshypped in the spirite That is repentauÌ„ce fayth hope and loue toward his law and our neighbour for his sake is hys worshyp in the spirite And therefore whosoeuer woorshyppeth God with workes and referreth his woorkes to God to be a sacrifice vnto hym to appease hym as though hee delited in the worke for the woorkes sake the same maketh of God an image or idoll and is an image seruer and as wicked an Idolater as euer was any blynd heathen and serueth God after the imagination of his owne hart and is abhominable vnto god as thou seest in how many places God defieth the sacrifice of the children of Israell for the sayd imagination So that whosoeuer supposeth that his candle stickyng before an Image his puttyng a peny in the boxe his goyng a pilgrimage his fastyng his wolward goyng barefoote goyng his crowchyng knelyng and paine taking be sacrifice vnto God as though he delited in them as we in the gestures of Iack Napes is as blind as hee that gropeth for his way at none Gods worshyp is to loue hym for hys mercy of loue to bestow al our works vpon our neighbour for his sake and vpon the tamyng of our flesh that we sinne not agayne which should be the chiefest care of a Christen man whyle Christ careth for that that is once past and coÌ„mitted already whether before our profession or after For the conditions of the peace that is made betwen God vs in Christes bloud are these The law is set before vs vnto whiche if we consent and submit our selues to be scholers thereof then are not onely all our foresinnes forgiuen both Poena culpa with our holy fathers licence euer but also all our infirmities weaknes pronesse readynes and motions vnto sinne are pardoned and taken aworth and we translated froÌ„ vnder the damnation of the law which damneth as well those infirmities as the sinne that springeth of them and putteth vs vnder grace Rom. 7. So that we shall not henceforth as long as we forsake not our professioÌ„ be iudged by the rigorousnes of the law But chastised if we do amise as children that are vnder no law Now then if God in Christ pardon our infirmities by reasoÌ„ of which we cannot escape but that we shal now and theÌ„ sinne it foloweth that he must likewise pardon the actuall sinne whiche we do compelled of those infirmities in spite of our hartes and agaynst the will of the spirite For if thou pardon the sicknesse of the sicke then must thou pardoÌ„ the deeds which he doth or â—eueth vndone by the reason of his sicknesse If the madnes of a mad man be pardoned and vnder no law then if he murther in his madnesse he may not be slayne agayne If children within a certaine age are not vnder the law that flayeth theues then can ye not of right hang them though they steale What popishe pardoning were that Thys doth Paule Rom. 7. so confirme that all the world cannot quitch against it saying I consent vnto the law of God that it is good and fayne would I do it and yet haue I not alwayes power so to do but find an other thing in my flesh rehelling agaynst the will of my minde and leading me captine into sinne so that I cannot do that I wold doe but am compelled to doe that I would not If sayth he I do that I woulde not then I do it not but the sinne that dwelleth in me doth it And then sayth he Who shall deliuer me from this body of deathe in which I am bound prisoner agaynst my will Thankes be to God saith he through Iesus Christ our Lorde which hath conquered and ouercome sinne death and hell and hath put the damnation of the law out of the way vnto all that professe the law and beleue in him We be vnder the lawe to learne it and to fasshion our deedes as like as we can but not vnder the damnation of the lawe that we shoulde be damned though our deedes were not perfect as the law requireth or though of frailty we at a time breake it As children are vnder the law that they steale not but not vnder the damnation though they steale So that all they that are graffed into Christ to follow hys doctrine are vnder the law to learne it onely but are deliuered from feare of euerlasting death and hell and all the threatenings of the law and from conscience of sinne which feared vs from God And we are come into God thorough the confidence that we haue in Iesus Christ are as familiar bold with him as yong innocent children which haue no conscience of sinne are with their fathers and mothers or theÌ„ that nourishe them Which were vnpossible if God now as the pope painteth him did shake a rod at vs of vij yeares punishment as sharpe as the paynes of hel for euery trespace we do which trespace for the number of them were like to make our purgatory almost as long as hell seing we haue no Gods word that we shall be deliuered thence vntil we haue payd the last farthing And therefore could our conscience neuer be at rest nor be bolde and familier with God If ye say the Pope can deliuer my conscience from feare of purgatory as his poetry onely putteth me in feare and that by this text Whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth c. If thou this way vnderstand the text whatsoeuer thou being in earth losest any where then might he lose in hell and binde in heauen But why may not I take the text of Christ Ioh. 16. Whatsoeuer ye aske my Father in my name he will geue it you and desire forgeuenesse of all together in Christes name both a poena culpa and theÌ„ remayneth no such purgatory at all Howbeit the text of binding losing is but borowed speach how that after the similitude of worldly binding and losing locking and vnlocking the word of God truely preached doth binde and lose the conscience God sayth to Hieremias cap. 1. Behold I geue thee power ouer nations and kingdomes to plucke vp by the rootes and to shiuer in peeces to destroy and cast downe and to build and plante How did he destroy nations kingdomes and how did he build theÌ„ verily by preaching and prophecying What nation kingdome or citie he prophecyed to be ouerthrowne was so And what Citie he prophecyed to be built againe was so And what nation after they were brought into captiuity he prophecyed to be restored agayne were so And whome he prophecyed to perish perished
hapned sithens kyng Richard the second his death to this Realme 207. a Entent of fastyng 229. b Entent of our â—eedes is all 217. b Epiphanius cut downe Images 325. b Erasmus 304. a. fauoured of More 251. a. partiall in iudgement 2. a Error may be saued 258. b Error of couetousnes 230. b Estulphus king of Lombardy 348. b Etymologie of this word Euangelion 378. a Euangelion called the new Testament 378. a Eucharistia 467. b Euerlastyng lyfe to whoÌ„ due 390. b Euill rulers not to be refused 119. a. signe of Gods wrath 118. b. whole some medecines 119. b Euill Priestes their prayers prosits not 300. a Euill outward to be auoyded 22. a. must bee recompensed with goodnes 413. a. Examples for our learnyng 5. a. of loue 332. a. of two poore men 94. b Examples very profitable 30. b. and 259. a Example of false expoundyng Scriptures 173. a. how to vnderstand ij regimentes 211. b Examples euill and their vse 4. a. of acceptable dedes before God 243. b Examination of consciences must go before the receipt of the Lordes Supper 472. b Exceptions in bowes 21. b Exempt from Christ who 403. b Exhortation generall to all people 376. a Experience is in the aged 345. b Exposition of the Pater noster 222. a. of this word seuen tymes 17. b Ezechias 299. b. face of y e law 383. b F. FAyth 42. a. 225. b. 16. a. 8. a. 226. b â–ª truly defined 42. b Fayth iustifieth expounded 187. a 225. b. 64. b. iustifieth before all workes 45. b. apprehendeth iustification 330. a. sufficient to iustifie vs. 431. b. and 62. a Faith that worketh not iustifieth not 333. b. 331. b. and. 303. a. 432. in Christs bloud onely iustifieth 336. a. onely bringeth to Christ 17. a. vnder no law 336. b. accompted to vs for righteousnes 63. b. in Christ fulfilleth the law 91. b Faith how it iustifieth compendiously declared 433. b Fayth eateth and drinketh Christes body and bloud spiritually 464. a Fayth in Gods promise saued the Iewes 12. b Fayth apprehendeth Christ 457. b Faith apprehendeth Christes death 418. a Fayth in Christ bryngeth to saluation 80. b Fayth loue and charitie thre sisters 286. b. casteth out deuils fasteth and prayeth 77. a. prayeth in all places 93. b. the lyfe of the righteous 463. b. expelleth Gods wrath Not idiâ— 430. b. chief part of penaunce 398. a Faith and charitie ioyneth with true prayer 82. a Faith y e fouÌ„datioÌ„ of Christes church 357. a. the holy candle wherwith to blesse vs at the houre of death 62. b â–ª foloweth repentaunce 18. b. styrred vp in Gods people 22. b. confirmed by ceremonies 12. b Fayth required of the Iewes 457. b God respecteth in prayer 221. and 239. b. bryngeth forth fruites of her selfe 65. b â–ª maketh vs gods sonnes 89. b. accompanyed with Gods spirit 64. b. maketh deedes of the law glorious 94. a. how it bringeth forth fruites 63. b. without fruites vayne 33. b Fayth maketh vs Gods heyres 67. b. 69. b. 419. b. maketh woorkes acceptable 335. b. knowen by her fruites â–ª 66. a. of two sortes 266. b. 294. lost through allegories 168. a Fayth of woorkes is darknes 232. b. contrary to the law in operations 184. b. cannot appeare without workes 225. a Fayth of the called not of the elect 294. b. coÌ„meth not by freewill 329. b. without fruite is a dreame 65. a Fayth and woorkes come not of our selues 66. a Fayth false and fained 42. b. without Gods promise is Idolatry 156. b Faith our victory 190. b. Gods gift 65. a. onely receaueth grace 45. b. the surest sheild 4. b. the roote of al goodnes 130. a. bryngeth lyfe 62. a Gods gift 329. b. possesseth Gods spirite 67. b. idle without workes 55. a. her power 225. a. vniteth vs to Christ 93. b Fayth feelyng 266. b. true and liuely 42. b. in Christes bloud 395. b. and 307. a. bryngeth loue 32. a. 117. a. 225. a. the mother of loue 419. a Fayth what it bredeth 246. b Faythfull haue all thynges of God 435. a. are in good state 448. b. though they slip yet fall not 259 b Faythles mans prayer 93. b Faythfull and vnfaythfull sinne diuersly 412. a Faythfull frutes 95. a False Prophetes who 241. b. how knowen 245. b. proue vnwritten verityes by similitudes 170. b. teach vs to trust in Saintes 158. b False worshipping 271. a. of martirs 333. a. delusions 285. a. miracles 119. a False prayer is paynfull 221. a False doctrine neuer persecuted 301. a False Popish bookes 3. 4. a False preachers are murtherers 306. a Falsehode not all spyed in one day 326. b Fall of the Pope from God 302. a Fall of Adam made vs slaues to the deuill 381. b Fanon 277 â–ª b Fastyng 21. a. 228. a â–ª and 242. b Fastyng truly what 275. a true vse thereof 81. a. 227. a. which required of God 204. b Fastyng not onely in eatyng drinkyng 228. a Fasting papal is hipocriticall 229. b Fast superstitious which 81. a Father not knowen but by the sonne 405. a Feare 114. b. 418. b Feare of God not taught by y â— spiritualty but feare of traditioÌ„s 141. a Fâ—astyng fastes 229. b Fightyng slaying and loue may all be vsed at one instant to our enemyes 212 â–ª b Figures by Christ borowed of the old Testament 14. b Figuratiue speaches vsed in Scriptures 469. b Filthynes of the hart 193. a. of Popish doctrine 411. b Firye piller 283. a First fruites 273 b Fisher 182. b. his shameles iuggling 116 a Fish and flesh all one in heauen 313. b Fiue Doctours apprehended at Paris for the Gospell 454. b Flappe 277 â–ª b Flappes of the Albe 277 â–ª b Flesh described 43. b. how to be vnderstode in Scriptures 43. a. sinneth all generally 258. a. enemy to man 442. a Flesh and spirite what 43. a. 186. b. contrary 48. a Fleshe of Christe howe signified by bread 459. a Fleshe and bloud of Christ of whom eaten and dronke 458. a. b Fleshly Church 291. b Fleshly persecute the spiritual 268. a Fleshly minded voyde of iudgement 297 a Fleshly reasons for woorshyppyng Saintes 160. a Fleshly man sauoureth not spirituall thynges 90. a Fond saying 310. a Fond reasons of More 337. a Foolish Imaginations 274. a Forbyddyng of Mariage 312. a Forgiuenes 358. a Force of good workes 15. a Fountaine of true righteousnesse is Christes bloud 74. a Free wil. 113. b. 321. a. and 328. b. preuenteth not grace 321. a. ouerthrew our forefathers 16. a Freedome 113. a. from sinne and the law 46. b Free from the law who 46. b Free gift and desert are coÌ„trary 19. b Free Chappels 136. a Frenchmen 365. a French kyng 182. b. made a Monke 348. b. helped forward the Pope 348. a Friers 151. a. 292. b Frier Forest 366. a Frier Bongey 366. b Friers not bound to preach 277. a Friers and Monkes shoulde not preach 164. b Fruites of fayth and woorkes 45. b. of our loue
to aduenge and no man els 136. b. onely ought to punish open sinne 137. a Kyng geuen to the Israelites 118. a Kinges why chosen 109. b Kinges and Emperours once elected the Pope onely 352. b. throwen downe by Papistes 127. a. how instructed of Byshops 98. b. captiues through flatterers 137. a. become hangmen to Antichrist 138. a in subiection to the Clergy 140. b. sinne in geuyng and Prelates in reuyng exemptioÌ„s 115. b. wayt on the Popes pleasure 114. b. defeÌ„ded the Popes false authoritie 114. b. sworne to Byshops and not Byshops to kynges 155. b Kinges must make their accompt to to God onely 111. b. must kepe law-promise with all men 124. a. must execute their office them selues and commit the same to wicked Popish Byshops 138. a Kinges law is Gods law 137. b Kinges must be learned 198. a. may not rule after their owne Imagination 179. a. must folowe Gods word in all their doynges 222. a Kinges and subiectes one afore God 224. b Kingdome of heauen what 235. a. of Christ spirituall 343. a. of heauen of this world not alyke 160. a Kingdome of the pope of this world 343. b Kingdome of Lombardy deuided 349. a Knauery in shrift 147. b Knowledge of God 408. b. of the true way 298. b. of Scriptures pertayneth to all men 138. a Knowledge of Christ not taught vs by Papistes 159. a Knowledge al darke saue harty knowledge of Christes bloudshedyng 197. b Knowledge why vsed and not coÌ„fession 254. a L. LAdders sold of Papistes to clime to heauen 123. b Lambes 187. a Landes why first geuen to spirituall officers 134. a Landes temporall small in respect of the spirituall landes 135. b Landlordes should not rayse rentes 121. b. shoulde not suffer their tenauntes to be damaged 122. a Last farthyng expounded 204. b Latine seruice 151. b Latin toung onely vsed to all 134. b Latin text coÌ„demned of More 251. b Latria 299. a Lawes of Papistes seuerall 102. a Law spirituall of the Arches how it spoyleth 136. b Law condeÌ„neth 77. b. bringeth death 62. a. how geuen 117. b. what it requireth 47. a. a marke to see how we are purged 165. a. must be in â—ight and why 379. a. requireth impossible thynges of vs. 378. b. driueth to desperation 442. a Law her office 186. a. how fulfilled 186. a. accuseth the holyest of all 120. a. cannot iustifie 64. a. leadeth to Christ 184. a. cannot geue lyfe 9. b. fulfilled with loue 22. a. fulfilled with Christes mercy 31. b. geueÌ„ by Moses 184. b. 378. how read of hypocrites 24. a Law walkyng 74. a. requireth all our hartes 39. b. condemneth and why 389. a. must be fulfilled spiritually 41. a. byndeth the Gospell lowseth 383. b. is spiritual 26. a. and 40. b. fulfilled by Christ onely 40. a. condemneth Christ geueth pardoÌ„ 378. b. how satisfied 40. a. wholly conteined in the x. commaundementes 33. b Law her subiection what 46. b Law and sinne wordes to be noted 39. b Law vttereth what sinne is 47. b. encreaseth sinne 40. b Lawes temporall 10. b. not executed no law 311. a Law of nature byndeth vs to helpe our neighbour 72. a Law kepyng and breakyng what foloweth 206. b Law breakers cursed of God 23. b Layty why they rule not 131. a. kept from halfe the Sacrament 428. a. must néedes now haue the Gospell 148. a Leadyng in darknes 310. a Learned men haue doubted of Paule his Epistle to the Hebrues who is author therof 56. a Leauen of many sortes 225. a. of the Pope 307. b Lechery 267. a. 405. b Lechery and couetousnes no sinnes with Papistes 267. b Legend of Popish lyes 301. a Left hand 141. a Leo the iij. Pope 349. b Leper a good example 15. a Lesser ceasseth in presence of the greater 358. b Lesson very frutefull 31. b. godly 309. b. good for ministers 477. a. tellyng vs when we haue Gods spirite 92. b Leude Cardinall and a false Pope 371. b Lewes the milde 350. b Libertie 105. b. commeth through patience 119. a Liberties graunted by Papistes to all maner malâ—factours 179. a Liberalitie to our brethren 425. a Light continuaunce therein what 404. a Litle flocke 292. b. receiueth the promises 292. a. goeth to wracke 293. a Litle master Parson hys practises 362. b Life of Gods elect Scripture 389. b Life not geuen by the law 9. b Litterall sense is spirituall 169. a. proueth an allegory 167. b Litterall seÌ„se of More dashed 466. a Loafe of bread signifieth one body in Christ 472. a Loane forgeuen of the Clergy 374. a and by the temporaltie ibidem Losing and bindyng 357. a. the ryght maner thereof 150. a. signification therof 174. b Losse for Christes sake a C. tymes restored 89. a Lottes castyng lawfull 27. a Lone 10. b. 205. a. 225. b. and 246. b. office therof 188. a. diuersly vnderstode 253. b. is righteousnes 225. a. prayeth 201. b. expelleth feare 419. a. causeth boldnes 418. b. maketh vs Gods sonnes 417. a. maketh all thynges common 40â— a. helpeth at neede 201. a. careth for our brethreÌ„ 418. b Loue of the world 97. a. 405. a. of our neighbour 211. a. towardes god and our neighbour how to be tryed 22. b. must woorke in all thynges 281. a Loue of God and the contrary what they be 23. a Loue to the law is coupled with true fayth 187. a Loue fulfilleth the law 49. a. 22. a. 50 keepeth the lawe 203. a. fulfilleth Gods will 419. a Loue towardes God fruites therof 22. b. seketh not her owne 84. a Loue of our selues â—90 b. of our neighbour Gods commaundement 419. b Loue is not charitie generally econtra 253. b Loue vnderstandeth the lawe 36. b. breaketh the law 411. a Loue towardes God what 78. a. among ChristiaÌ„s maketh all things commoÌ„ 83. a. beautifieth all things 248. b. not paynfull 418. b. signified to vs by Gods correction 25. a Loue of God to vs before ours to hym 416. b Loue both frend and foe 216. b Louers of God loue their neighbour 332. b Lucretia the Romane Lady 113. b Lucifer 353. a. his broode iustifie theÌ„ selues 224. a Lustes euill how purged 186. b. diuerse in one man 113. a Luther his submission to kyng Henry the viij 375. a M. MAgistrates reuengers of temporall causes 191. a Mahomet waxed great how 348. b. his doctrine and continuaunce therof 301. a Mahomet and the pope began at one tyme. 348. a Mayd of Ipswich 284. b Mayd of Kent inspired 285. a. receiued small pleasure of our Lady 285. a Maister in Gods stede to hys seruaunt 109. a Malice of the Iewes toward Christ 459. b Malicious blindnes in More Mammon what it is 71. b. 233. a. a God ibidem his seruaunt who and how knowen 233. b. disguiseth meÌ„ 233. a. his seruauÌ„t no true preacher 233. b. may purchase frendes for vs. 71. 〈◊〉 Man is first good 412. a. first euill ibidem cannot helpe the dead 13. b. Lord ouer all creatures 248. a.
that pray to them 433. b Saint Bartholomew 285. a Sanctuaries 112. a Salt 196. b. 277. b. meanyng therof 197. a Salt of the word vnsauery through couetousnes 231. b Salt of Papistes vnsauery 280. a Salutation 370. b Saluation certified in writyng 255. b. is within vs. 155. a. by grace 395 b. by fayth 34. a. commeth by the word 18. b Salue Regina 326. a Sathan an enemie to man 442. a Satisfaction what how we should make it 37. b. onely for our sinnes what 257. b. Christes bloud 394. a. true fayth 387. b Satisfaction may bee made to our neighbour 133. a Scala coeli 139. b Scriptures 103. a. how they speake 87. b. haue sene God 417. b. wisedome thereof 99. a. contentes and methode therof 169. a. how to bee searched 3. b. how locked vp 184. b. and 388. b. how to be read 30. b. how to be vnderstode 7. a. 33. a. of whom vnderstode 319. a. the right touchestone 103. a. teache the truth 388. b. must be kept sincerely 22. a Scripture teacheth the truth 388. b. chief of the Apostles 344. b. declareth gods good wil nedeth no miracles 301. a. authorised with true miracles ibidem 304. a. testifieth of the right Church 293. b. containeth our saluation wholly 256. a. causeth belefe of Scripture 304. a Scripture hath body and soule 23. b. calleth signes thyngs signified 469 b. deliuered first to the people in the vulgare toung 319. a. ought to bee knowen of all men 142. a. ought to be in English 101. a. should be in euery language 377. a Scriptures caused of God to auoyde heresies 303. a. must trye the Papistes 288. a. corrupted by the pope and why 256. b. hidde by the pope and Papistes 1. a. 304. and 394. b. wrested by Papistes 24. a. 446. a. locked vp by Papistes and why 23. b. suppressed by Papistes 1. b Scripture resisteth Popish doctrine 304. b Scriptures speake diuersly 79. b. full of hidde misteries 440. a. opened with two keyes 31. a. containe three principall thynges 23. b. not grosly to be vnderstode 80. a. haue but one sense 166. a Scholes of Diuinitie 104. a Schole doctrine of Papistes corrupt 171. a Scholemasters take great wages and teach not 101. b Scribes Phariseis and elders erred 303. b Scribes and Phariseis what they were 201. b. were very Antichrists 60. b Scoffyng 313. a Secretes 371. a. of God knowen to few 12. b Sectaries Papish are scoulders and braulers 2. b Sectes through mans wisedome innumerable in Popery 300. b. damnable amongest Papistes and heretiques 173. a Sâ—â—ge of Pauie 371. b Seruice of God 177. b. of Christ passeth seruice of Saintes 295. b Seruauntes all in Christ 121. a Seruauntes must be taught to know Christ 121. b Seruaunts of Mammon not Christes Church 233. b Shauelings winne whosoeuer loose 141. b. put downe Christ 127. a. are the world 405. b. desire to be sanctified with an whore rather then a wife 144. a. chalenge onely Gods spirite to them selues 137. b Shauyng borowed of the heathen oylyng of the Iewes 134. a Sheepes clothyng 241. b Sheryng what it signifieth 135. b Sheild of fayth inuincible 4. b Shippes saylyng by laÌ„d a. M. miles 372. a Shrift a woorke of Sathan 147. b. put downe among the Grecians for knauery 147. b Shrinyng of Saintes 351. b Shuttyng the chamber doore expouÌ„ded 220. b Sicke comforted by Papistes with a Latin Gospell 135. a Signes euident of the latter day 53. a Signe of y e cros truly beholdeÌ„ 282. b Signes are called commonly by the names of thynges signed 447. a Signe of Christes body called by the name of Christes body 444. b Significations of thynges must bee sought 248. a Significations of Sacramentes taken away by the Pope 256. a SignificatioÌ„ of our Baptisme 386. b Similitude 332. a. 360. b. 380. a. of what force 12. a. aptly applyed 18. b 109. b Similitude of woorkes 69. b. of a mother 421. a. of an earthly kyng 432. b Similitudes their vse 170. a. proue weakely 171. a Similitudes and reasons of mens wisedome 170. b Similitudes of well and euill doyng 219. a Simon Magus his fayth 95. b Sinne. 41. b. 321. a. defined 410. b. how farre it extendeth 113. b. vnder grace 186. b. vnder the law ibidem encreased by the law 40. b. all with out fayth 153. a. when it chiefly raigneth in vs. 40. a. paine therof 307 b. must be wrestled withall 397. a Sinne called in Scriptures vnbelefe 41. b. agaynst the holy ghost 254. b. cannot stand with fayth 258. a. the best marchaundize 151. a Sinne all of our selues goodnes all of God 384. b Sinnes accompsed no sinne â—5 a. are of our selues 32. a. veniall 186. b. beadly 187. a. all forgeuen for Iesus sake 387. a. washed away 13. a. how knowen to be forgeuen 47. b Sinners must be holpen of vs or els we must perish with them in their sinne 203. b Sinners all in generall 44. a Sinners all forget not God 260. b. must repent spedely 334. b Sinners saued all by Christes power 357. b Sinceritie required in all 104. a Sir Thomas Hitton 294. a. murdered 375. a Sâ—eigh practises 367. a Sâ—â—res of Papistes 316. a Solution of doubtes 240. a. of Popish reasons 262. a Sophisters 168. a. say the litterall sense killeth 168. a Soules departed rest at Gods pleasure 324. b Soundnes in fayth bryngeth knowledge in Scriptures 38â— a Spirices 414. b Spirite of God maketh a man spirituall 40. b Spirite of God accompanieth fayth 65. b contrary to the â—lesh 48. a Spirite resisted by our byâ—… remainyng in vs. 165. a Spirite vncleane 35. a Spirit of God â—o guide to Popistes 148. a Spirite 〈◊〉 188. b Spech boâ—… 166. b Spirituall 〈◊〉 1â—4 a Spirituall â—…ers why â—…ned 1â—… Spiâ—… 247 b Spirituall â—…ce of God what 443. a Spirituall â—…ng onely â—…eth 464 â–ª b Spirituall vnderstandâ—ng of Chrisâ—… 460 â–ª b Spirituall and tempâ—ral reâ—… 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 woulâ— not that sâ—… 3â—8 a 〈…〉 desâ—…sed 〈◊〉 a 〈…〉 â—45 〈…〉 with coâ—… â—07 〈…〉 for Châ—… vs. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 and temporâ—… 201. 〈◊〉 〈…〉 workes true â—ayth 41. b 〈…〉 402. b Sâ—… the fourth â—ope 〈◊〉 b 〈…〉 the second Pope â—48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 277 â–ª b â—…e 24â— b â—…ctrine 29◠〈◊〉 〈…〉 the â—…ers 143 a â—…ed how 〈◊〉 be applyed to 〈…〉 31. b Submission to Christ â—â—1 a Suffraunce with Christe bryngeth ioy 342. a Suffraganes why ordained 152. a Summe of Gods law 410. b Supper of Christe howe instituted 470. a. a memortall of his death 441. b. why geuen vs. 323. a Superstition odious 401. b. furthered by Papistes 279. a Superstitious obseruations 248. b Superstitious fast God abhorreth 274. b Suttletie of the Pope to enlarge hâ—â— kingdome 356. a. of Allegorâ—es 1â— b. of the Popes Clergy 〈…〉 Suttle conueyaunces of Papistes 3â—6 a Sute in law without offence â—45 a Swarmes of Popishe sectes 280. a. 〈…〉 Swearyng 30â— b. by God 〈…〉 how lawfull 〈…〉
the world and to preach the Gospell to euery creature The Pope and hys Byshops forbyd it in the payne of disobedieÌ„ce and excommunication saue onely such as they will assigne 16. Christ was naked beaten scourged and false witnesse brought agaynst hym The Pope and his adherentes are wel clothed with precious garments and haue chaunge for ech day false witnes they haue inough not against them but to testifie with them what soeuer they will haue agaynst the innocentes 17. Christ came to séeke the poore comfort them he was not chargefull vnto them but was milde and had pitie on them The Pope and Byshops somon cite them be they neuer so poore not regarding their aduersitie But curse if they come not So that they go away soryer and sicker in soule and in purse then they were before 18. Christ commaunded that we should not sweare at all neither by heaueÌ„ neither by the temple c. But that our wordes should be yea yea nay nay The Pope sayth if any man wyll receaue any office vnder vs he shal be sworne before yea and geue a great summe of money Ca. Signifi de elect 19. Christ had a crowne of thorne thrust vpon his head so that y e bloude ranne downe vpoÌ„ his amiable countenaunce and sharpe nayles thorow his precious handes The Pope must weare thrée crownes of golde set with riche precious stones he lacketh no Diademes hys handes and fingers with owches and ringes are royally dight he passeth poore Christ farre 20. Christ tooke the crosse of painfull affliction vpon himselfe and coÌ„mauÌ„ded his disciples to folow him saying he that taketh not his crosse and folow me is not méete for me The Pope and hys Byshops take the crosse of pryde and haue it borne before them well gilt and amelde to haue a worshippe of thys worlde as for other crosse know they none 21. Christ prayed his father to forgeue them that trespassed hym yea and for them that put him to death Our Byshoppes pray the kyng to be auenged on them that resiste their mindes with forgeuenes they haue no acquaintance 22. Christ bad his disciples to preach the Gospell The Pope and his Byshops wyll haue men to preach fables and therto graunt letter and seall and many dayes of pardon 23. Christ commaunded hys disciples to know his lawe and bad the Iewes to serche the Scriptures And Moses exhorted y e Israelites to teach the lawe of God to their younge children And that they shoulde haue it bounde as a signe in their handes that it myght euer be before theyr eyes And caused them to write it on the postes and doores of their houses The Pope and his Bishoppes say that it is not méete for vs to know it they make it heresie and treason to y e kyng to know Christ or his lawes they haue digged cisternes of theyr owne traditions and haue stopped vp the pure fountaynes of Israell Oh Lord in whom is all our trust come downe from the heauens why doost thou tary so long seyng thyne aduersary thus preuayling agaynst thée 24. Christ approued hys lawe and confirmed it with his owne death The Pope and Bâ—shoppes vs full busie how they may destroy it and magnifie more theyr owne lawe then Christes to maintayne theyr fatte bellyes 25. Christ would men visited prisoners to comfort and deliuer them The Pope with his adherentes discomfort the poore and the true and put them in prison for the truth 26. Christ whom they call their example did neuer prison nor persecute any The Pope and his champyons persecute punishe prison and put to death them that are disobedient to their voluptuous pleasures Ye sée how strayghte they followe Christes steppes 27. Christ coÌ„maunded his disciples that if any man trespassed agaynst them they shoulde go reproue hym priuely if he would not obey and be reconcyled then shoulde they take with them one witnes or twayne if he would not then heare them that they should tell it to the whole coÌ„gregation And if he would still continue in his stubbernes that they should auoyde his company The Pope and Byshoppes wyll cast straight into prison there to remaine in yrons to make them reuoke the truth and graunt to their willes and if he be stronge and will not forsake the truth they will condemne him without audience for feare of losing of their temporall winning And offering to their wombes and taking away of their temporaltyes wherewith the church is venomed 28. Christ charged Peter thrise to kéepe well and nourishe his shéepe The Pope chargeth much more to kéepe well his money As for the shéepe he shereth and punisheth wyth infinite exactions 29. Christ healing the sicke and doing many myracles did lightly euer commaunde that they shoulde tell no man who did heale them The Pope and Byshoppes geue great giftes to minstrelles and messengers to leude lyers and flatterers to crye their name about that they may haue worshyppe in this worlde 30. Christ had no secular courtes to pleade y e matters of his disciples for they would not resist euill The Pope and Bishoppes haue many with men of lawe to oppresse y e poore against mercy forgeue they will not but euer be auenged 31. Christ in cities and townes hunted the féendes out of men that they dwelled in with the wordes of hys mouth The Pope and Byshoppes hunt the wilde Deare the For and the Hare in their closed parkes wyth great cryes and hornes blowinge with Hâ—undes and ratches running 32. God was called the holy father of Iesu Christ his sonne The Pope is called most holy father of SathaÌ„s children taketh that name on him wyth Lucifers pride his disciples say y e he is god on earth and we are taught by Christes lawe to haue but one God 33. Christ sate in the middes of the Doctors asking and hearing them The Pope and Byshoppes sit in thrones wyth glorious myters iudgeing and condemning by theyr owne made lawes A litle matter long in pleating which myght be soone determined by the lawe of God if they would vse it but then were their winning the lesse and their lawe wythout profite 34 Christ taught that a man shoulde forsake his wife for no cause but for aduoutry The Pope and Byshoppes wyll make deuorces for money as often as they list and so they pille the poore and make themselues rich nothyng regardyng to breake the law of God 35. Christ sent the holy ghost in feruent loue to teach all the truth vnto them which were chosen of God The Pope and Byshoppes sende commaundements all about to curse and aske auengeaunce on them that resiste theyr tyranny And absoile theÌ„ agayne cleane for money all their doctrines haue golden tayles for money is euer the ende geue them money and you haue fulfilled all theyr lawes 36. Christ fulfilled and kept the olde lawe and the new and all
For if there be any sparkle of grace in your breastes I trust it should bee an occasion somewhat to kyndle it that you may consider and know your selues whiche is the first poynt of wisedome And would God for his mercy sayth M. More that sith there can nothing refrayne their studie from deuising and compassyng of euill and vngracious writyng that they would and could keepe it so secretly that neuer man should see it but such as are so farre corrupted as neuer would be cured of their cāker It is not possible for hym that hath his eyen and séeth hys brother whiche lacketh sight in ieoperdie of perishing at a perillous pit but that hee must come to hym and guide hym till he be past that ieoperdye at the lest wise if he can not come to him yet will he call and crye vnto hym to cause hym chose the better way except his hart bee cankered with the contagion of such hatered that he can reioyse in his neighbours destruction And euē so is it not possible for vs whiche haue receiued the knowledge of gods word but that we must cry and cal to other that they leaue the perillous pathes of their owne foolish phantasies And doe that onely to the Lord that he cōmaundeth them neither addyng any thyng nor diminishyng And therfore vntill we sée some meanes founde by the whiche a reasonable reformation may be had on the one partio and sufficient instruction for the poore commōs I insure you I neither will nor can cease to speake for the worde of God boyleth in my body like a feruēt fire and will néedes haue an issue and breaketh out when occasion is geuē But this hath bene offered you is offered and shall be offered Graunt that the word of God I meane y e text of Scripture may go abroad in our English toung as other nations haue it in their tounges and my brother William Tyndall and I haue done will promise you to write no more If you wil not graunt this condition then will we be doing while we haue breath and shew in few wordes that the Scripture doth in many and so at the lest saue some But a lacke this will not be for as S. Paule sayth the contagion of heresie creepeth on lyke a canker For as the canker corrupteth the body further and further and turneth the whole parties into the same deadly sicknes so doth these heresies creepe forth among good simple soules till at the last it be almost past remedy This is a very true saying and maketh well agaynst his owne purpose for in déede this contagion began to spring euen in S. Paules tyme. In so much that the Galathians were in a maner wholy seduced from his doctrine And he sayd to the Thessalonians the mistery of iniquitie euē now beginneth to worke And S. Iohn testifieth that there were all ready many Antichristes risen in hys dayes And also Paul prophesied what shold folow after his tyme. Actes 20. saying take ye héede to your selues and to all the flocke ouer whiche the holy ghost hath put you ouerséers to féede the congregation of God whiche he purchased with his owne bloud For I know this wel that after my departyng shall enter in greuous Wolues among you which shall not spare the flocke And euen of your selues shall arise men speaking peruerse things to draw Disciples after thē and therfore watch c. This canker then began to spread in the congregatiō and dyd full sore noy the body in so much that within iiij C. yeare there were very many sectes scattered in euery cost Notwithstandyng there were faythfull fathers that diligently subdued them with the sworde of Gods word But surely since Siluester receiued such possessions hath the canker so créept in y e Church that it hath almost left neuer a sounde member And as Cistercensis writeth in the 8. booke that day that hee receiued reuenues was a voyce heard in y e ayre crying ouer the court whiche sayd this day is venime shed into y e church of God Before that tyme there was no Byshop gredy to take a cure For it was no honour and profite as it is now but onely a carefull charge which was lyke to cost him his lyfe at one tyme or other And therefore no man would take it but he that bare such a loue and zeale to God and his flocke that he could be content to shed his bloud for them But after that it was made so honorable and profitable they that were worst both in learnyng and lyuyng most laboured for it For they that were vertuous wold not entangle them selues with the vayne pride of this world and weare thrée crownes of gold where Christ dyd weare one of thorne And in conclusion it came so farre that who soeuer would geue most money for it or best could flatter the Prince which he knew wel all good men to abhorre had the preheminence and gote the best Byshoprike and then in stead of Gods word they published their own commaundements and made lawes to haue all vnder them and made mē beleue they could not erre what soeuer they dyd or sayd euen as in the rowmes and stede of Moses Aaron Eliazer Iosue Calib and other fayth full folke came Herode Annas Cayphas Pylate and Iudas whiche put Christ to death So now in the stede of Christ Peter Paule Iames and Iohn and the faythfull folowers of Christ we haue y e Pope Cardinals Archbyshops Byshops and proude Prelates with their Proctour the malitious ministers of their masters the deuill which notwithstandyng transforme them selues into a lykenes as though they were the ministers of righteousnes whose end shal be accordyng to their workes So that the body is cankered long agone and now are left but certaine small members whiche God of his puissaunt power hath reserued vncorrupted because they sée that they can not be cankered as their owne flesh is for pure anger they burne them lest if they cōtinued there might séeme some deformitie in their owne cankered carkase by the comparyng of these whole members to their scabed body Teacheth in a few leaues shortly al the poyson that Wickleff Oecolampadius Huskyn Tyndall and Zwynglius haue taught in all their bookes before Cōcerning the blessed Sacrament of the aulter not onely affirmyng it to very breade still as Luther doth but also as these other beastes do sayth it is nothing els And after the same Syr Thomas More saith These dregges hath he dronken of Wickleffe Oecolampadius Tyndall and Zwinglius and so hath he all that he argueth here beside which iiij what maner folke they be is metely well perceyued and knowen and God hath in part with hys open vengeaunce declared Luther is not the pricke that I run at but the scripture of God I do neither affirme nor deny any thyng because Luther so
not in me and in whom I abyde not let hym not say or thynke that he eateth my body or drinketh my bloud They abyde not in Christ which are not his members And they are not hys mēbers which make them selues the mēbers of an harlot And these are also the very wordes of Bede Here it is playne proued agayne by the authoritie of S. Austen and Bede that the wicked and vnfaythfull which are not the members of Christ doe not eate hys body nor drinke hys bloud and yet they do eate the sacrament as well as the other Wherefore you must néedes graunt that the Sacrament is not y e naturall body of Christ but a figure tokē or memoriall therof Now good Christen people count not thys new learning which is firmed by such olde Doctors and faythfull fathers Now were this inough for a Christen man that loued no contention But because there are so many sophisters in y ◠world which care not what they say so they holde not theyr peace I must néedes set some bulwarke by thys holy Doctor to helpe to defend hym for els they will shortly ouerrunne hym as they do me and make hym an hereticke too Therefore I will alleage hys master S. Ambrose Saint Ambrose sayth Non iste panis est qui vadit in corpus sed ille panis vitae aeternae qui animae nostrae substantiam fulscit That is It is not thys bread that goeth into the bodye but that bread of euerlasting life whiche vpboldeth the substance of our soule Furthermore the great clerke Prosper confirmeth the same saying Qui discordat a Christo nec carnem Christi manducat nec sanguinem bibit etiamsi tamtae rei sacramentum ad iudicium suae praesumptionis quotidie indifferenter accipiat That is He that discordeth from Christ doth neyther eate hys fleshe nor drinke hys bloud although he receaue indifferētly euery day the sacrament of so great a thing vnto the condemnation of hys presumption And these are also the very wordes of Bede vpon the xj Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Now you may sée that it is not S. Austens minde onely but also the saying of many moe And therefore I trust you will be good vnto hym And if ye condemne not these holy fathers then am I wrongfully punished But if you condemne thē then must poore Frith be content to beare the burthen with them ¶ The mynde and exposition of the old Doctours vppon the wordes of Christes maundey ANd where M. More sayth that if Christe had not ment after the plaine literal sece that both the hearers at that tyme and the expositours since and all Christē people beside this xv c. yeare would not haue taken onely the litterall sence beyng so straunge and maruelous that it might seme impossible decline from the letter for allegories in all such other thynges beyng as hee sayth and as in deede they be so many farre in nomber mo As touchyng y e hearers they were deceiued and vnderstode him not I meane as many as tooke his wordes fleshly as you do And they had their aunswere of Christ when they murmured that his wordes were spirite and lyfe that is as S. Austen sayth spiritually to bee vnderstand and not fleshly as is before declared And as for the expositours I thinke he hath not one of the old fathers for him but certaine new felowes as Dominie S. Thomas Decam and such other whiche haue made the Pope a God And as I haue shewed S. Austen maketh full for vs and so do all the old fathers as Occolāpadius hath well declared in his booke Quid veteres senserint de Sacramēto eucharistiae And some of their sayinges I shall alledge anone And where you say that all Christen people haue so beleued this 1500. yeares that is very false For there is no doubt but that the people thought as holy S. Austen and other faithful fathers taught them Which as I said make with vs. Notwithstādyng in déede sith our Prelates haue bene made Lordes and haue set vp their lawes and decrées contrary to the prerogatiue of all Princes lyke most sutle traytours haue made all mē beleue that they may make lawes and bynde mens consciences to obey them and that their lawes are Gods lawes blindyng y e peoples eyes with two or thrée textes wrongfully wrested to aduaunce their pride where they ought to obey Kyngs and Princes and be subiect to their lawes as Christ and his Apostles were euē vnto y e death Sith that tyme I say they haue made men beleue what they list and made articles of the faith at their pleasure One article must be y e they be the Church and can not erre And this is the grounde of all their doctrine But the truth of this article is nowe sufficiently knowen For if Quéene Katherine be kyng Henries wife then they do erre and if she be not then they haue erred to speake no more cruelly It is now become an article of our fayth y e the Pope of Rome must be y ◠head of y e Church the Vicare of Christ that by Gods law It is an article of our fayth that what soeuer hee byndeth in earth is bounde in heauen in so much that if he curse wrongfully yet ye must be feared and infinite such other which are not in our Crede but blessed bee God that hath geuen some light into our Princes hart For he hath lately put foorth a booke called the glasse of truth whiche proueth many of these articles very foolishe phantasies and that euen by their owne Doctours so I trust you shal be proued in this poynt of the Sacrament for though it be an article of our fayth it is no article of our Crede in y e xij articles wher of are sufficient for our saluatiō And therefore we may thinke that you lye without all ieoperdye of damnation Neuerthelesse seing his mastership saith that all make for him and I say cleane contrarie that all the olde fathers make against him or at the lest wise not with him It were necessary that one of vs should proue his purpose But indeede in this poynt he would loke to haue the vauntage of me For he thinketh that men will soner beleue hym which is a great man then me which am but a poore man and that therfore I had more néede to proue my part true then he to proue his Well I am content and therfore geue eare deare reader and Iudge betwéene vs. First I wil begin with Tertulian because he is of most antiquitie Tertulian speakyng of Christ sayth Nec panem reprobauit quo ipsum corpus suum representat That is to say Christ him selfe did not reproue or discommend bread whereby he doth represent hys very body For the vnderstandyng of thys place you must knowe that there was an hereticke called Marcion which dyd reproue creatures and said
the order of Melchisedech And he hym selfe brake the bread which hee gaue to shewe that the breakyng of hys body should not be done without hys own will c. And a little after And lykewyse he gaue them the cuppe after he had supped And because bread doth confirme or strength the fleshe and wyne worketh bloude in the fleshe therefore is the bread mystically referred vnto the bodye of Christ and the wyne referred vnto hys bloud Here may you note first that as the Lambe was a remembraunce of theyr deliueraunce out of Egypt and yet the Lambe deliuered them not so is the Sacrament a remembrance of our redemption and yet the Sacrament redéemed vs not Besides that he sayth that Christ in the stead of the fleshe and bloud of the Lambe dyd institute the Sacrament of hys flesh and bloud in figure of bread and wyne Marke well he sayth not that in the stead of Lambes fleshe bloud he dyd institute hys owne fleshe and bloud but sayth that he dyd institute the Sacrament of hys fleshe bloud What thyng is a Sacrament verely it is the signe of an holy thyng and there is no differeÌ„ce betwene a signe and a Sacrament but that the signe is referred vnto a worldly thyng and a Sacrament vnto a spirituall or holy thyng as S. Austen sayth Signa cum ad res dininas pertineÌ„t sacramenta appellantur That is to say Signes when they pertain vnto godly things are called sacramentes Therefore when Beda sayth that they did institute the sacrament of hys fleshe and bloud in the figure of bread wyne it is as much to say by S. Austens definition as that he dyd institute the figure of hys holy sleshe and bloud in the figure of bread and wyne that is to say that bread and wyne shoulde be the figure and signe representyng hys holy fleshe and bloud vnto vs for a perpetuall remembrance And afterwarde hee declareth the propertie for which the bread is called the body and the wyne the bloud sauyng hée speaketh not so darkely as I now do but plainly saith that the bread is mystically referred vnto the bodye of Christ because that as bread doth strength the fleshe so Christes bodye whiche is figured by the bread doth strength y t soule through fayth in hys death And so doth he clerely proue my purpose Now let vs sée what Chrisostome sayth which shall describe vs the faith of the ould grecyaÌ„s and I doubt not he had not lost the true fayth how so euer the world goo now a dayes Chrisostome sayth in this manner Si enim mortuus Iesus non est cuius signum et simbolum hoc sacrificium est vides quantuÌ„ ei studiuÌ„ fuerit vt semper memoria teneamus pro nobis ipsuÌ„ mortuuÌ„ fuisse That is to say for if Iesus haue not died whose memoriall and signe is y t sacrifice Thou séest what diligence he gaue that we should continuallye kéepe in memory that he died for vs. Here you may sée that Chrisostome calleth the SacrameÌ„t simboluÌ„ signuÌ„ that is to say a memoriall signe of Christe and that it was institute to kéepe his death in perpetuall remembraunce But of one thing thou must beware or els thou art deceiued he calleth it also a sacrifice and there thou must wisely vnderstaÌ„d hym For if it were the sacrifice of Christes body theÌ„ must Christes body be slayne there agayne which thing God forbyd And therfore thou must vnderstand him when he calleth it a sacrifice that he meaneth it to be a remeÌ„braunce of that holy sacrifice where Christes body was offered on y e crosse once for all For he can be sacrifised no more seing he is immortall Notwithstanding our prelates will heare note me of presumption that I dare bee so bolde to expound his minde on this fashioÌ„ For in déede the take him otherwise and thinke that it is a very sacrifice And therfore I will bring one other text where Chrisostome shall expound him selfe Chrisostome sayth Nonne per singulos dies offerrimus offerrimus quidem sed ad recorda â—â—onem mortis eius facientâ—s c et paulo poâ—t Non aliuâ— sacrificium sicut pontifex sed id ipsum semper facimus magis autem recordationem sacrificij opera mur. That is to say do we not dayly offer or do sacrifice yes surely But we do it for the remembraunce of his death for this sacrifice is an example of that we offer not an other sacrifice as the â–ª Byshoppe in the olde lawe dyd but euer the same yea rather a remembraunce of the sacrifice first he sayth that they dayly do sacrifice but it is in remembraunce of christes death then hee sayth that the sacrifice is an example of that Thyrdly he sayth that they offer not an other sacrifice that is to say an oxe or a goate as the Byshops of the old law but euer the same Marke this poynt for though it séeme at y e first sight to make with theÌ„ yet doth it make so directlye against them that they shall neuer be able to auoyde it Chrisostome sayth they do not offer an other sacrifice as the Byshops dyd but euer the same They offer other breade and wyne this day then they did yesterday they shal say an other Masse to morow theÌ„ they dyd this day Now if this bread and wyne or the Masse be a sacrifice then do they offer an other sacrifice as well as the Byshops of the ould lawe For this sacrifice did signifie y e Christ should come shed his bloud as well as the bread wine Massedo represent that he hath done it in dede And therfore if it be a sacrifice theÌ„ do they offer any other sacrifice represeÌ„ting his passioÌ„ aswell as y e Bishop of y e ould law But y t doth Chrisostome denye and sayeth that they offer euery day the same What same verely euen the same that was done and sacrificed when Christ shed his bloud In this sacrifice is Christ bound and buffeted and led from Anna to Cayphas he is brought to Pilate condemned he is scourged and crowned with thorne and nayled on the crosse and his hart opened with a speare so shedeth his bloud for our redemption Why Chrisostome and do you the selfe same sacrifice euery day yea verely TheÌ„ why doth S. Paule say that Christ is risen from death and dieth no more if he dye no more how do you dayly crucifie hym Forsoth Paule sayth truth For we do not actually indéede but onely in a mistery And yet we say that we do sacrifice hym and that this is his sacrifice for the celebration of the sacrament and memory of y t passion which we kéepe And for this cause it hath the name of the thing that it doth represent signifie And therefore I expounde my mynde by a rethorical correction and say magis recordationem sacrificij that is to
these Illud euangelij si quis abstulerit c. non est precipientis sed exhortantis Now let euery Christen man iudge whether that these wordes of theyr lawe bée of sufficient auctoritie to refell the holy wordes of Scripture or no But than came doctour Wolmā and hée brought this texte If thy brother doe offende thée than tell the Church What is that sayd hée tell the Church to whom I aunswered that this place made not for his purpose aleaging Saint Augustine for mée For it speaketh of the crymes that should bée reprooued by the congregation and not of the correction of the temporall sworde It also foloweth If hée heare not y e church coūte hym as an heathē and as a publican This is the vttermost payne that our M. Christ assigneth there y e which is no payne of the temporall lawe But at this aunswere was hée sore moued and sayd if I did abide by it I should be burnt This was a sharp sentence of so greate a man as hée is Apppelles was a ioly wyse felowe that sayd once to a shomaker Ne sutor vltra crepidam But neuertheles let hym and them burne as many as they can yet it is playne that I haue spoken neuer a worde but the holy scripture and holy doctours say the same both in sentence and in wordes Wherefore I can not sée how they can condemne this article for heresye yea and I dare saye for them that they recken it none heresy nor they did not condēne mée for this article I Wyll neuer beléeue nor yet I can neuer beléeue that one man may be by the lawe of God a byshop of 2. or 3. cyties yea of an whole coūtrey for it is contrarye to S. Paule which sayth I haue left thée behynde to set in euery citye a byshop And if you finde in one place of scripture y e they bée called Episcopi you shal finde in diuers other places that they bée called Persoiteri ¶ I was brought afore my Lorde Cardinall into his galary and there hée reade all myne articles tyll hée came to this and there hée stopped sayde that this touched hym and therefore hée asked me if I thought it wronge that one byshop shoulde haue so many cityes vnderneath hym vnto whom I answered that I could no farther goe then to S. Paules texte which set in euery cytye a byshop Then asked hée mée if I thought it now vnright séeing the ordinaunce of the church that one byshop should haue so many cities I aunswered y e I knew none ordinaunce of y e church as concerning this thinge but S. Paules sayinge onelye Neuertheles I did sée a contrary custome and practise in the world but I know not the originall thereof Then sayde hée y e in the Apostles tyme there were dyuers cities some 7. myle some vj. myle long and ouer them was there set but one byshop of their subbards also So likewise now a byshop hath but one citye to his cathedrall churche and the country about is as subbards vnto it Me thought this was farre fetched but I durst not denye it because it was so greate auctorite and of so holy a father and of so greate a deuine But this dare I say that his holynes could neuer proue it by scripture nor yet by any auctorite of doctours nor yet by any practise of the Apostles and yet it must bée true because a piller of the church hath spoken it But let vs sée what y e doctours say to myne article Athanasius doth declare this text of the Apostle I haue left thée behinde c. Hée woulde not commit vnto one bythop a whole ylde but hée did inioyne that euery cytye shoulde haue his proper pastor supposing y e by this meanes they shoulde more diligently ouer sée the people and also that y e labour should bée more easye to beare c. Also Chrisostome on that same texte Hée would not y e a whole countrey shoulde bée permitted vnto one man but hée enioyned vnto euery mā his cure by y e meanes hée knew that the labour shoulde bée more eaysye and the subiectes should bée with more diligēce gouerned if the teachers were not distract with y e gouerning of many churches but had cure and charge of one church onely c. Mée thinketh these bée plaine wordes and able to moue a man to speak asmuche as I did But graunte that you may haue all these cities yet can you make it none heresy For my lord Cardinall graunted that it was but agaynst hym and against you which bée no Gods But I poore man must bée an heretike there is no remedy you will haue it so And who is able to say nay Not all scripture nor yet God hymselfe IT can not bée proued by scripture that a man of the churche shoulde haue so greate temporall possessions But they will say if they had not so great possessions they could not kepe so many seruantes so many dogges so many horses as 40. or 50. maintayne so great pompe and pride and liue so deliciously what heresye fynde you in this Is it heresye to speake against your horses and your houndes and your abhominable lyuing And doubtles I did not say but that you myght haue possessions all onely I spake against the superfluousnes and the abuse of them for the which all y e world wondereth on you What mischiefe is there in the worlde vsed y e is more clerely and openly knowen then that you doe abuse the goodes of the Church And yet must I bée cōdemned for an heretyke for speaking against it Alas doe you thinke that God will suffer this violence that you doe vse agaynst poore men I will stād in y e daunger proue how his Godly maiesty shall iudge this matter béetwéene you and mée I dare trust hym with it SUre I am that they can not by the law of God haue any iurisdiction seculer and yet they chalēge both powers which if they haue why doe they not put them both in vse For they must say as the Iewes sayde we may kill no man This is the article that dyd byte you for you can not bée content with the office of a byshop but you will bée also kynges Howe that standeth with Gods lawe and with your othe I haue declared it to our noble prince I doubt not but hée will put you to the tryall of it Haue not you this many yeres condemned many a poore man then deliuered hym to the temporall power to be put to death which knew nothing of his cause And if hée would y e yée shoulde put hym to death your selfe then answered yée how you might kyll no man So y t they were alwayes your hangmen THey say they bée the successours of Christ and of his Apostles but I can sée them folow none but Iudas For they beare the purse and haue all the money
iustifieth The cause why W. Tyndall put his name to some bokes left it out in some William Roye a falâ—e Disciple Ierome a brother of Grenewich 2. Timo. 2. 2. Timo. 3. 2. Thess 2. 2. Cor. 10. 1. Cor 3. Actes 6. Antechrist what it is Scribes Phariseis were very Antechristes The properties of Antechrist 2. Cor. 11. Antechrist hath bene among vs a loÌ„g tyme. Iohn 〈◊〉 Antechrist accompteth it treason to bee acquainted w t Christ Galâ— 4. Luke 16. Math. 2â—… 2. Timo. 3. 1. Cor. 1 â–ª and. 2. Roma 10 â–ª Faith onely iustifieth Roma 1. Faith bringeth lyfe The law bryngeth death 1. Cor. 3. Ephe. 2. The Gospell is the ministratioÌ„ of righteousnes Resiste the deuill with the shield of fayth Faith is y â— holy canâ—de wherewith we must blesse our selues at y â— last houre Roma 3. Roma 4. Fayth is accompted to vs for righteousnes Gal. 3. The children of fayth are the children of Abraham Gal. 2. Fayth only iustifieth vs. Math. 7. Mat. â—2 A principle taught by Christ Fayth beyng ioyned with the worde of God bringeth forth good fruit Acts. 15. The law cannot iustify vs. Gal. 3. Fayth in christes promises doth iustify vs. Christ is the store-house of mercy for vs. The definition of true fayth Faith that bringeth not forth fruite is but a dreame Mat. 9. Faith is the gift of God Ephe. 2. The spirite of God accompanieth Faith Fayth of her selfe bringeth forth good frutes that is good workes True fayth is not with out good workes True fayth and good workes are the gift of God and come not of our selues The difference betwene false fayth and right faith As the tree is knowen by his fruit â—o right fayth is knowen by her fruit Example The frutes of fayth A differeÌ„ce betwene true faith fained faith Rome 9. Backeward disputations The kindnes of God moueth vs to loue god Fayth onely maketh vs the sonnes and heires of God Faith possesseth the spirite of God Workes declare fayth and Gods goodnes Goddes grace is to be exercised in vs. Where true fayth is good workes folow Gene. 2. The outward righteousnes the inward righteousnes what they are Outward workes declare where true fayth is Good workes are witnesses for vs before God Math. vi vij Math. 10. We must of duety do good workes without hope of reward Fayth maketh vs the sonnes and children of God Roma 8. Gala. 4. Math. 7. Math. 19. They that seeke heauâ— for theyr workes are such as vnderstand not the treasures of Christ Math. v. As good workes naturally folow fayth So eternal life foloweth fayth good lyuyng As good workes folow faith So hell foloweth euil workes Of our selues we are the vessels of y â— wrath of God and the heyres of daÌ„natioÌ„ To beleue in Christ is saluatioÌ„ To seeke heauen by good workes were to derogate the dignitie of the bloud of Christ All that is good is purchased for vs by Christ Sainteâ— can â—ot helpe vs in to heauen Math. â—5 1. Pet. 4. How â—â—e may make frendes of the wycked Mammon To do good to such as 〈…〉 is â—…able Rom. 9. All our righteouscommeth â—â—â—ely from Christ Mammon what it is Esay 61. Prou. 3. Ephe. 5. The dayes are called euil because euill men vse them We are bound by the law of nature to helpe our needye neighbour The vnrighteous Stuard who it is Christ is the father of all righteousnes Math. 5. For Christes bloud sake onely through fayth God is at one with vs. Christes bloud onely putteth away all sinne We must follow 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 â—oâ—ng Math. 〈◊〉 We may not do good worken to be praysed of the world We must 〈◊〉 to our neighbour â—s God is to vs. 〈◊〉 seeke to be praysed of men Rom. 6. Faith 〈◊〉 lâ— in 〈◊〉 vs and no good â—…e can be done without Faith Good workes are the 〈◊〉 of Faith 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Act. 7. Luke 23. True righteousnes springeth out of Christes bloud True fasting what it 〈◊〉 No fleshe can fulfill the lawe We cannot deserue forgeuenes of God but he of hys mercy pardoneth vs. Mat. 〈◊〉 A true bestowing of almes In Christ we are all in all We must do good workes because it is Gods will that we should do them We must heare the word of God and 〈◊〉 1. Ceâ— 2. Christ is our onely Phisitian to heale 〈◊〉 deliuer vs of our sins Christ is our ankerhold to saluation A Prophet what hee is Math. 12. The absteinyng from sinne outwardly is but hypocrisie Math. 19. To beleue vnfaynedly in Christ is to kepe the coÌ„maundementes The law is spirituall and requireth the hart If the rich helpe not y â— poore in their nede they are but theues before god Math. 27. Faith casteth our deuils Faith fasteth Faith prayeth Math. 25. In Christes bloud we are blessed from y â— curse of the law Luke 7. The law condeÌ„neth The Gosspell coÌ„forteth maketh vs saâ—e Certaine phrases of spech expounded Iohn 4. Where perfect loue to God is there are all good workes Luke 10. What it is to loue god withall our hart c. The true vnderstandyng of a parable We must euer be ready to helpe our neighbour Iohn 3. Iohn 15. 1. Iohn 1. Workes that the Papistes called workes more then the lawe requireth Luke 10. Luke 12. Whatsoeuer we haue we receaue it of the mercy goodnes of God The great diuersitie maner of the speaking of the Scriptures The sayinges of the Scriptures may not be grossely vnderstaÌ„d The naturall man vnderstandeth not the thinges of God Rom. 8. Iohn 8. The scripture is nothing els but that which the spirit of God hath spoken By Faith in Christ we are brought to the state of saluation God worketh his owne will with all his creatures If we beleue in god we must put of the olde man his works Good workes what they are and to what ende they serue Fasting the true vse thereof true fasting what it is Supersticious fasting Supersticious watching True watching Prayer what it iâ— True prayer True prayer is not without faith charitie Math. 5. He that repenteth his sinne is no sinner before God How we should pray for our neighbour Rom. 9. Christ is our righteousnes Loue amoÌ„g Christen meÌ„ maketh all thynges common Mans ImaginatioÌ„ cannot alter the law of god neither make it more or lesse Almesâ— what it is 1. Pet. 1. 1. Iohn 〈◊〉 He that is mercyfull hath the spirite of God Rom. 〈◊〉 Loue seketh not her owne profite 2. Cor. 12. Christ is all in all thynges Euery one must care for their owne housholdes First looke to thyne owne houshold and then to the poore We must for christes sake shew our coÌ„passion charitie to all men so far as our habilitie will extend Good workes what they arâ— 2. Cor. 9. We must do good workes yet put no trust in them God is no accepter of persons but receaueth all that submit them selues vnto him Math. â—0 As all
bisshops make no accompt of periury The spiritualtie are neither of y ◠〈◊〉 side nor of the other for there is no truth in them more then shall serue their turne An admonition to all subiectes Luk. 15. Here Tindall sheweth himself to be voyde of malice to any priuate person God is mercyfull to the ignoraunt but he pleaseth the malicious wilful offeÌ„der The obedience of 〈◊〉 Christen man written three yeares before this booke Scriptures should be translated into â—â—â—ry language The cause of the edition of this Pathway What are contayned in the old TestameÌ„t The contentes of the newe TestameÌ„t The Etymologie of this worde EuangelioÌ„ EuangelioÌ„ is called the newe TestameÌ„t No greater comfort can happen to a sinner being penitent theÌ„ the promises of the Gospell The Gospell was promised of God in the old TestameÌ„t by the Prophets Christ hath ouer â–ª throwen y e deuill and all hys power The 〈◊〉 was geuen by Moses grace and truth by Iesus Christ The lawe requireth of vs that whiche is impossible for our nature to do When the law hath condemned vs Christ graunteth vs free pardon Christ is Gods mercy stoole so that no mercy commeth from God but through Christ The law must euer be in sight to make vs humble spirited the gospel also before our â—yes to comfort vs. Two maner of people deceaued those which iustifie theÌ„selues by thse workes those that through their blinde opinion of faith vtterly perâ—ert the liuely fayth He that hath a right fayth deliteth in the law althogh his weaknes can not fulfill the same He that iustifieth him selfe reiecteth y t law priuises The voluptuous person A true christian A proper similitude We are plucked froÌ„ Adam and graffed in Christ by grace The bloud of Iesus hath obtained al thinges for vs of God Sundry sortes of righteousnes MaÌ„s sensuall reason can not perceaue the vertue of Christes bloud Adams fall brought vs in bondage to the deuill The natural corruption of the myndes of Adams heyres playnly sâ—â— forth Man before his regeneratioÌ„ can not thinke wel of God The harts of the electâ— do eueÌ„ melt at the preachyng of Gods mercy and Christes kyndnes Christ â—eâ—â— nothyng vndone that might be to our saluation Christ an example to vs of all goodnes What faith receiueth of God thorough Christes bloud that we must bestowe on our neighbours though they be our enemyes Christ dyd not good deedes to merite heaueÌ„ for that was his all ready but frely for our sakes The law byndeth the Gospel louseth all men The force of the law The vprising sinner feeleth such ioy in the Gospell that he thinketh it â–ª impossible that God should forsake hym All synne in vs is of 〈◊〉 selues â–ª and all goodnes of Christ Workes certifie vs of euerlastyng â—nheritaunce â—ill sinne in vs and releue the necessitie of our neighbour Giftes of grace beloÌ„g to our brother as much as to our selues Holydayes necessary to come together in learne Christes will Worldly rulers to be obayed so far forth aâ— their lawes impugne not Gods lawes Though rulers appointed of God oppresse vs yet we may not auenge they being in Gods roome We must loue our neighbour as our self Our baptisme signifieth that we repent and professe a new life The perfecter we are the greter is our repentante and the stronger is our fayth Our workes deserue not y t giftes of grace The principles of scripture perfectly learned aâ— y â— rest is more easie We must first learne the profession of our Baptisme The profession of our Baptisme what it is Gospell All our sinnes for Iesu Christes sake for hys death passion are clearely forgeuen Euery Christen man must reconcile himselfe vnto his brother The right penaunce is repentaunce of sinne and amendemeÌ„t of lyfe All our lyfe must tend to this ende to came our flesh serue our neighbour Fayth in Christes bloud with a repentauÌ„t hart is the onely satisfaction that we caÌ„ make towarde God The father of loue correcteth the child God as a louyng father careth for vs and geÌ„tlye correcteth vs to keepe vs in the right way To vnderstand our baptisme is to vnderstaÌ„d the law and the Gospell The key light of the Scripture Howe the Scripture is locked vp from ouâ— vnderstandyng If we be not taught by God we do but wander â—leane out of the way He that vnderstandeth the professioÌ„ of his Baptisme can be no hereticke The Scripture teacheth low lynes and hateth prid â–ª The Scripture maketh no heretikes If God lighten not our hartes we read the Scripture in vayne The law condemneth to driue vs to faith in Christes death Heresy springeth out of the harts of hypocrites He that is souÌ„d in faith shal easely attaine to the true seÌ„ce of the scripture The papists vnwritten berities are not to be credited The papist 〈…〉 haue corrupted the scriptures abused the sacramentes The scripture to the life of Gods elect Hypocrites say that the scripture maketh heretiques The translation of the scripture is not sufficieÌ„t onely but it must be well taught that the people may haue the true seÌ„ce Introductions made to bring you to the true vnderstanding of the scripture 〈◊〉 â–ª Ioh. 1. S. Iohn witnesseth that Christ is very God That Christ is very man He that beleueth that Christ is the sonne of God also very man hath euerlasting life To beleue in Christ To beleue that Christ is God and man is to put all our trust hope confideÌ„ce in him Moses Christ is our life By nature we are the children of wrath The law coÌ„demneth vs. Christ If we submit our selues to Christ knowledge our weakenes he will of his great mercy receaue vs. The touch stone of all true doctrine and preachers The modest charitable maner of S. Paules doctrine S. Paule preached Christ and not hym selfe As God is light so the deuill is darkenes Good workes are the frutes of lyght Walkyng in darknes or in light If wee haue the spirite of God in vs then will he rayse vs vp with Iesus Christ Hee that sayth hee hath no sinne deceaueth him selfe If we confesse our sinnes to God with true fayth and repentaunce he will forgeue vs. All meÌ„ are sinners Nothing can be so well done but it may be ameÌ„ded All the nature of maÌ„ is sinfull We must resist sinne with al our power and might We sinne daily by the frailty and weaknes of our flesh Our aduocate Iesus Iesus that is God and maÌ„ calleth â—…o thee O Father for vs. Christus By Iesu Christ we are made blessed Christes bloud is the satisfaction for our sinnes Christ gaue himselfe for the redemption salnation of al the world Christ is king ouer death hell sinne Christ onely is our sauiour Christ forgeueth all our sinnes freely for his mercy sake Christ onely is our aduocate Popish for geuenesse The forgeuenesse that we haue of god for Christes sake is â—ree Faith in