teach or warne me Seing that I was obedient vnto them whan they sayde beleue the gospel why may I not obeie them whan they saye vnto me beleue not Manicheus et cet By the circumstaunce now of S. Augustines wordes it is euident first that he wolde beleue no such doctrine as men brought vp of their owne heades Secondly that he wold beleue no vncertayne doctryne ner that he knewe not to be true Thirdly that the occasion which moued him to beleue the gospell was the whole consent and auctorite of the catholike or vniuersall church Now like as he reporteth not of them that they preached anie other doctryne vnto him saue the gospell so saieth he not that he beleued anye other lernyng saue onely it And in confutinge of Manicheus erroure he bringeth none other doctryne but the scripture as it is manifest in the same fifth chapter of his boke What helpe haue ye now in S. Augustines wordes either to proue praieng to saintes or that a particular church maye by her auctorite make anye article necessary to be beleued excepte it be grounded in scripture Ye meant somwhat whan ye chopped vp S. Augustines wordes of that fashion It is not for naught that ye so haue peruerted his sayeng and reade it otherwise then it standeth in his boke For these are his wordes I shulde not beleue the gospell vnlesse the auctorite of the catholike church dyd moue me Now is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much to saye as vniuersalis Which worde like as ye leaue out in youre lectiō so folowe ye the mynde of Franciscus Maronis such another holy father as was your inquit quidam who commynge long after S. Augustine dyd gather of these his forsaid wordes that the auctorite of the church is greater then the auctorite of holy scripture where as S. Aug. meant nothinge lesse but teacheth us that who so euer bringeth vp anye opynion or setteth forth anye doctryne we shall receaue none but that which agreeth with the manifest doctryne of the vniuersall church of Christ That is we shall holde us to that doctryne which was taught by the Prophetes by the Apostles and by such other as were true folowers of them in Christes holy congregacion and church Standish Is it not still fundamentum et columna veritatis et cet Couerdale The vniuersall congregacion and multitude of thē that beleue in Christ is still the house of god the church of the liuinge god the piler and stablishment of the trueth For there dwelleth god with his mercy grace trueth forgyuenesse et cet Nether dyd the Apostles contrary to Christes former institucion whan they to set vp his name which then was so sore spurned at dyd baptise in the same yf ye remembre well the prerogatyue of holy baptyme and the presence of the blessed trenyte therin Standishe Paul the vessel of election m. v. hundert yeres and more past desired the Romaynes cap. xv the Collo cap. iiij the Tessa j. Tessa v. to praye for him et cet Couerdale I turned not ouer two leafes of your treatise sens I red these your wordes where ye saie thus How can it be in scripture thou impudent heretike the prayer vnto saintes Lorde Iesu what meane ye man Will ye by scripture proue that thing which as ye your self confesse can not be in scripture Do ye not graūt your selfe that the holy scripture is the very worde of god Wyll ye then by gods holy worde proue that thinge which can not be therin Wyll ye belye the worde of god Saye ye not your selfe in another place afore that it is an abhominable vice to slaundre it To what poynt no to haue ye brought that worshipfull doctrine of your vnholy mother the malignaunt church Which teacheth that we must now praie vnto S. Paul and other sayntes because that he beynge here in this body dyd requyre other men to praye for him and for all saintes Now is his request such that yf we shuld fulfill it yet for him aswell as whan he was lyuyng vpō erth thē shuld we desire god to be good to his holy sayntes that are out of this life And then god saue oure lady helpe S. Paul and conforte swete S. Anthony A mocker are ye with gods holy word and a shameful slaūdrer therof therfore as vnworthy to be answered vnto euery vayne sentence of your vnstable doctryne so leaue I your long disputacion therin Desiringe all Christen readers to note wel what scriptures ye bring forth and to cōpare the same vnto the open texte and then trie which of oure two doctrynes is moost agreable to gods holy worde The doctryne of the Prophetes of Christ oure Sauioure of his holy Apostles and of such as haue and do folowe them in the catholike or vniuersall church and congregacion of god Is his holy worde and scripture which as holy S. Paul darre aduowe is able to instructe us vnto saluacion which is thorow the faith in Christ Iesu et cet Yf youre article therfore of prayenge to sayntes that be out of this life were a thing belonging to saluacion no doubte the same holy scripture of god wold haue taught it The awncient firme stable and true doctryne of Christes catholike or vniuersall church is this that like as Christ Iesus toke vpon him oure flesh and bloude without sinne and deliuered us frō eternall death and hell so is he still oure mercifull and faithfull hie prest in thinges concerning god to make agrement for oure sinnes and able to socoure such as are tempted He is the seate of grace to whom yf we resorte we maie receaue mercy and fynde grace to helpe in tyme of nede he is able also euer to saue them that come vnto god by him and lyueth euer to make intercessiō for us yee and appeareth now for us before the face of god This doctryne is confirmed by those same textes of scripture that ye bring in j. Iohn secundo Iohn xiiij j Timoth. secundo and yet without open scriptures are ye not ashamed to resiste it We are cōmaunded thorow out all holy scripture both of the olde and new Testamēt to praie vnto Allmightie god to call vpon him to make oure peticions vnto him and to aske of him what soeuer we lacke We haue his true and faithfull promes that yf we so do we shall be hearde we shall haue oure request we shall finde that we seke we shall be delyuered et cet We haue ensamples innumerable that all those faithfull people whom the scripture maketh mencion of dyd make their peticions and praier to none other but vnto god whyle they were in this life Let Cornelius whom we spake of afore and the practise of the prymityue church beare recorde Shal we now refuse gods holy cōmaundemēt thinke scorne of his louing promes despise the ensamples of his catholike and vniuersall church and defye gods holy ordinaunce as ye
stroke to ypocrisye then euer his life coulde haue bene Yf he was falsly accused to the Kynges highnesse and so put to death woo shall come to those accusers yf they repent not by tymes And yf D. Barnes in his hert mouth and dede committed no worse thinge towarde the Kynges highnesse then he committed agaynst god in these his wordes at his death he is like at the later daye to be a iudge ouer them that were cause of his death yf they do not amende Now indifferent reader to the intent that thou mayest the more clearly discerne light frō darknesse and knowe gods true worde from false docrine I shall whan I haue sayde somwhat to Standish preface rehearce vnto the. D. Barnes wordes Secondly though I rehearce not vnto the all Standish wordes lest I shuld make to greate a boke I shall poynte the to the begynning of his sentence requyring the yf thou wilt to reade out the rest thy selfe in his treatise Thirdly though he hath desserued to be roughly handled yet do I purpose by gods onely grace to deale more gently with him beynge alyue then he doth with the deed This interpryse now as I take in hand agaynst Standishe in this behalfe so am I ready to do the same agaynst the greate graundsire and captaine of false teachers I meane greate Goliath of Rome and his weapen-bearer That is agaynst all such as are enemies to Kynge Dauid oure lorde Iesus Christ for whose moost confortable sprete gentle reader I beseche the to praie with me vnto our moost deare father in heauen whose name be praysid whose kyngdome come whose onely wyll be fulfilled now and euer Amen Here Foloweth the Preface of Iohn Standish to the reader Standish TO se the most victoryous and noble Prynce oure soueraigne lorde the kyng labourynge and watchinge contynually wyth all diligent studye to expulse and dryue out I maye saye to pourge and clense this his catholike regyon etce Couerdale Though ye abuse youre termes in reporting that the Kyng goeth about to expell and dryue out his catholike region I will impute those youre wordes to the weaknesse of youre brayne and to the seacenesse of honest eloquence therin But yf the Kynges laboure watching and diligent studye in pourging and clensyng his realme from all heresies and scismes be occasion sufficient as it is in dede to compell euery true subiecte to helpe vnto the same why haue ye then bene so slack therin all this while Youre owne wordes bring yo in to a shrewd suspicion For ye knowe and haue sene with your eyes that the kyng hath these many yeares bene labouring and busie in abolishing out of his realme the vsurped power of the. B. of Rome his manifolde sectes of false religions his worshipping of ymages his disceatfull pardons his ydolatrye and pilgremages etc. Were not all these great heresies and scismes Or can ye excuse your selfe of ignoraunce that ye haue not sene how the Kyng hath laboured in putting downe the same Yf ye then be a writer against heresies and scismes why haue ye written agaynst none of these all this while Thus euery man which readeth your wordes maye se that ye haue bewraied your selfe to be a fauourer of such thinges Standish Wherfore maruayll not gentle reader etc. Couerdale Contrary now to your request wil euery man maruail at you not onely because ye declare your selfe to haue borne all this whyle no ryght loue toward gods word to the saluacion of mens soules ner to the dewtye that ye owe to your prynce but also because that now thorow the occasion of a poore mans deeth ye first starte vp to wryte as though the Kyng had put downe no heresies afore D. Barnes dyed Is this the zele that ye bear toward gods word and towarde his people Such a zele had they of whom the Apostle speaketh to the Galathians sayenge They haue no good zele vnto you but wolde thrust you out namely from the trueth that ye might be feruent to them ward Where as ye write the daye and yeare of D. Barnes death it increaseth your owne confusion and shall be a cleare testimonye agaynst youre selfe for resistinge those good wordes of his protestacion yf ye forsake not youre heresye in tyme. Yee euen by youre owne penne haue ye brought it to pas that it shall not be forgotten till the worldes ende what a Christen testament and last will D. Barnes made at his death and how paciently he forsoke this life Standish FOr in his protestacion is both conteyned heresye and treason Couerdale For saie ye in his protestaciō et cet Is that the cause why ye do enterpryse and take in hande to wryte agaynst it Then verely declare ye youre selfe not onely to be parcial but also a fauourer of heresye and treason knowinge so many to haue bene attaynted therof within these seuen yeares Standish ALlbeit do not thynke that I wryte this thorow anye malyce toward him that is burned etc. Couerdale He that compareth youre wordes to your dede shall soone perceaue that ye haue cast milk in youre owne face and that for all youre holy pretence some spice of Cainish stomake hath made you now do more then all the Kynges noble actes in abolishinge the saide abuses coulde make you do many yeares afore though the same yf ye were a true subiecte were by youre owne confession sufficient cause for you so to do Howbeit it is not I that go aboute to laye malice to youre charge youre awne acte is not your best frende I praye god your conscience accuse you not therof But why take ye god to recorde in a false matter Do ye not confesse yourselfe that the Kynges graces laboure watchinge and diligent studie is the thinge that causeth and compelleth you to write against D. Barnes protestacion and that thorow the loue and feruent zele ye beare towarde gods word and the saluacion of mens soules et cete And now take ye god to recorde that ye do it for feare lest the people schulde be infecte 〈◊〉 the multitude of copies of the saide protestacion Against the which feare I knowe none other comforte for you as longe as ye will not harken vnto gods worde but that wisdome it selfe geueth you in Salomons Prouerbes Namely that the thing which ye feare shal come vpon you and euen it that ye are afrayed of shall fall in sodenly amonge you This am I certified of not onely by the same place of scripture but euen by this youre present acte in putting forth youre treatise to be printed with and against the saide protestaciō For yf ye feare the great infection of the people thorow the multitude of copies therof why caused ye it to be printed or any man els for you Is the printing of the saide protestacion the nexte waie to kepe copies therof from the people Ye maie well haue witte but sure ye lacke policie Such a like wise waie was takē in England within these
whether Paul and you agree and whether ye haue iugled with the texte or no. For I feare me we shall fynd that ye haue played another false cast euen with this same poore texte The wordes of the Apostle are these Yf we wolde iudge or reproue oure selues we shulde not be iudged But whyle we are iudged we are chastened of the lorde lest we shulde be damned with this worlde These are S. Pauls wordes Afore in another place of youre treatise ye bring in this texte for another purpose namely to proue that D. Barnes ought to haue accused and condemned himselfe And now forgetfull what ye sayd afore or els wilfull blind as it semeth ye alledge the same text to proue that euery man must satisfye for the punishment belonginge vnto sinne Thus make ye of gods holy scripture a shipmans hose wresting and wringing it to what purpose ye will Verely such peruerting of the scripture can ye not vse without your awne damnacion excepte ye amende yf S. Peter be true The Apostle shewing the Corinthians the true institucion of oure lordes holy supper and the right vse therof cōcludeth with these wordes sayenge Let a man examen himselfe and so let him eate of this bred and drinke of this cuppe For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnacion because he discerneth not the lordes body from other meates Therfore are many weake and sick amonge you and many slepe For yf we iudged oure selues we shulde not be iudged But whyle we be iudged we are chastened of the lord lest we shuld be damned with this worlde Wherfore my brethren whan ye come together to eate tary one for another et cet By the circumstaunce then of this chapter it is euident that these wordes of the Apostle extende to the right vse of the holy sacrament teachinge us that afore we come to the lordes boorde we ought first to iudge to trie to proue and to examen oure selues in what case we stonde towarde god and oure neghboure consideringe that it is no childish playe ner a thing lightly to be regarded but a most waightie and ernest matter concernynge oure saluacion the glory of god and edifienge of the worlde And whan we haue duely and vnfaynedly tryed oure selues by cōparinge oure whole conuersacion both inward and outward to the iust commaundementes of god and by occasion therof haue hartely knowleged and confessed oure synnes beynge sory and penitent for them beleuynge stedfastly in the promises of god receaued the absolucion of his worde entred in to true repentaunce and ernest amendment of oure liuinge beinge reconciled and at one with all men purposinge without fayle so to contynue till oure lyfes ende Then to come and suppe with the lorde This is now the thing that S. Paul teacheth in this chapter and proueth here no such article as ye go aboute Therfore do ye wrong to the texte in wrestinge it to this sense that euery man must satisfye for the punishment belonginge vnto synne By the which youre doctrine like as ye robbe Christ of his worshippe deface the merites and frute of his death and set euery man in Christes rowme Euen so doth your saide article cōdemne euery man For like as Christ onely satisfied his heauēly father for oure sinnes and for the punishmēt due to the same Euen so yf we shulde not auoide the eternall paine of hel which is the second death and rewarde of sin̄e till we made satisfactiō for it oure selues we shulde contynue still in the wrath of god and so be damned for euer Standishe And to proue this satisfaction the wordes of I baptist Matth. iij. be very stronge et cete Couerdale Be these wordes bringe forth the worthy frutes of pennaūce asmuch to say as Ye must satisfye for the punishment due vnto synne Prately well expounded of you O shamelesse controllers of the holy goost Will ye make Iohn the baptist contrary to himselfe Doth he not saie manifestly in another place Who so beleueth on the sonne of god hath euerlastinge life And what is it els to haue euerlasting life but to escape the eternall and seconde death euen euerlasting damnacion and punishment due vnto synne Which as ye confesse youre selfe we do auoyde thorow Christ Why do ye then wrest the scripture to your awne purpose But one question will I aske you who speaketh the wordes which are written in the Prophet Osee saienge From the hand of death will I deliuer them from death will I redeme them O death I will be thy death O hell I wilbe thy stinge Finde me now anie creature in heauen or in erth that maie of himselfe verefie and pronounce these wordes of Christes personne and I shall graunt that he maie make satisfaction for the punishment due vnto sinne which as this text declareth is eternall death and hell Els yf there be but one Iesus one sauyoure one destroyer of damnacion and hell then shall he verely haue my poore voyce to be called also as he is in dede the onely satisfier for the punishment due vnto synne aswell as he is the satisfier for sinne it selfe As for the wordes of Iohn the baptist they proue euydently that whan men conuerte vnto god as those Pharises pretended to do at the baptime of Iohn then shall do it vnfainedly and not to be ypocrites still ner to leane to their olde leuē but to bringe forth the worthy frutes of repentaunce wherof he nameth parte in the thirde of Luke to the people and speaketh of no such satisfactiō as you fayne But Remembre that ye haue named fasting prayer and allmes dedes to be the frutes of pennaunce for I feare me ye will denye it agayne anone whan we come to Cornelius the captaine Standishe Fructus .ii. dignus penitentia est opus restaurans ea et cet Couerdale There are some of you that call us English doctours for writinge so much in English as though in the vnderstondinge of other tonges we were inferiours to you but now ye make us youre English interpreters for putting us to the payne to English the wordes which ye wrappe vp in latyn from the vnderstondinge of the people For the worthy frute of pennaunce saie ye is a worke amendinge those thinges wherof the pennaunce is that is repayringe such thinges as it repenteth us to haue left vndone or to haue committed and this is it that we call satisfaction for sinnes That to bringe forth the worthy frutes of pennaunce is asmuch as to amende wherin so euer we haue thought or done amisse I graunt for the scripture aloweth the same But where as ye call that the satisfaction to god for sinnes ye speake it not out of the mouth of the lorde Againe Ye saide afore that no man can satisfie for the offence and now ye call the frute of pennaunce the satisfactiō for sinnes Is not euery offence sinne Lord god what hold is
owne words Who whan he had said to the yong man yf thou wilt entre in to life kepe the commaundementes and tolde his disciples how hard it is for the couetous to entre in to heauen They asked him and said Who can thē be saued Then answered he them saieng With men it is vnpossible but with god are all thinges possible Downe then goeth the Pelagians heresie and litle thanke are ye like to haue for holdinge with it Yf he aske Why then doth god cōmaunde us to decline from euell and to do good yf it be not in our power To the same obiectiō doth S. Augustine make a sufficiēt answere in the secōde chapter de correptione et gracia and not onely refelleth it by S.P. words saiēg It is god which worketh in you both the wil and the dede but also putteth us in minde that yf we be the children of god we are led by gods sprete to do good that whan we haue done anie good thinge we maie geue thankes to him of whom we are led et cet And in another place Therfore doth he commaunde certaine thinges that we can not do because we might knowe what thinge we ought to aske of him The same doctrine teacheth he also in the lxiij sermō de tempore This is confirmed by holy scripture for by the lawe commeth the knowlege of sinne So that euen they which are renewed in Christ fynd by the lawe that whan they wold faine do good for therin is their delite euell is present with them The wordes of oure Sauioure yf ye loue me kepe my commaundementes proue nomore your purpose then your wresting of them proueth you to be a true scolar of his For after those wordes he himself saieth thus I am the waie the trueth and life No man commeth to the father but by me Naie saieth your doctrine we maie come to god by oure selues he commaundeth us nothing vnpossible for us to do Now let me aske you this question Yf Christ whan he saide these wordes Yf ye loue me kepe my commaundementes did meane that it is not vnpossible for us so to do why then immediatly after the same wordes doth he promes us the sprete of conforte What nede haue we of him yf we be not comfortles of oure selues or yf nothing that he commaunded us be vnpossible for us to do What nede haue the whole of a phisician And. S. Augustine writing agaynst them that extolle their owne possibilite in the seconde sermon de uerbis Apostoli saieth Let us be glad to be healed whyle we are here in this church Let us not make oure boast of health beinge yet sicke lest by oure pride we do nothing els but make oure selues incurable Standishe Which to the louers of thē be but light Math. xj.j. Ioh. v and Deut. xxx Couerdale Ergo god cōmaunded us nothinge vnpossible for us to do Is that your consequent Full faintly are ye able to proue it by those thre chapters that ye do alledge First in the xj of Matth. doth our Sauioure bid all them that are laden et cet to come to him And yet saieth he in another place that no man can come vnto him excepte his father draw him Where is now oure possibilite That fifth chapter of S. Iohns first Epistle sheweth that they which are borne of god do ouer come the worlde by the victory of faith Now like as we begat not our selues in the Kyndome of god but he himselfe of his owne good will begat us with the worde of life So is it manifest also that true faith is the onely workyng of god and not oures Where is then I saie our possibilite forsoith euen fled into the yle of weaknesse Yf by the thirtieth chapter of Deuteronomiō ye will proue that god hath commaunded us nothing vnpossible for us to do because Moses saieth This precepte that I commaunde the this daie is not aboue the ner farre from the et cete Then must I require you to take the answere of S. Paul who saieth that it is the righteousnesse of faith which speaketh those wordes and that the worde which Moses there spake of is the worde of faith that Paul himself preached Yf ye thinke there to proue your purpose because Moses laieth before the people life and death good and euel blessinge and cursinge and biddeth them chose life et ce Then must I desire you not onely to remembre the office of the lawe wherfore it was geuen and wher to it serueth But also to considre that in the begynnyng of the same thirtieth chapter Moses himself saieth these wordes The lorde thy god shall circumcise thine hert and the hert of thy posterite that thou mayest loue the lorde thy god with all thy hert and in all thy soule et cet Wherby it is euident that excepte god circūcise our hertes we are not able to loue him ner to kepe his cōmaundementes So that these wordes of Moses do proue rather impossibilite in us For the circūcision of the hert saieth the Apostle is the true circumcision which is done in the sprete and not in the lettre whose prayse is not of men but of god All these thre chapters now proue that like as to be saued to kepe gods cōmaundementes to haue circūcised hartes and to ouercome the world with the lustes therof is the onely workyng of god in us Euen so to them that loue god are his cōmaundementes not greuous not thorow anye possibilite of man but partly because Christ hath takē awaie the curse of the lawe and deliuered thē frō the heuy burthens of their soules and partly because they delite in gods cōmaundementes and esteme his word sweter then hony as Dauid did For loue maketh all thinges light Standish Therfore I conclude in all our workynge we do not cōmitte sinne Couerdale Of an euell Maior and Minor foloweth a weake conclusiō Ye haue wrung and wrested the scriptures violently to make them serue for your purpose and now without anie scripture make ye youre conclusion that in all youre workyng ye do not committe sinne To the probacion wherof because ye bring no scripture your selfe I will helpe you with a text where the scripture saieth thus There is no righteous man vpon erth that doth good and sinneth not Yf ye be a man I wil not reason much with you of righteousnesse for I am a sinfull man miselfe then must ye nedes graunt this scripture to be true Yf ye be no man then am I sory that I haue disputed with you so long for angels haue no nede of my wordes and as for deuels they will not be counsailed Standish No ner our dedes and actes which be good can not be called so et cet Couerdale Of. D. Barnes secrete intent and meaning will not I presume to be iudge but what maye be gathered by the circumstaunce of his wordes I
glorifye our father which is in heauen Hath not our Sauioure chosen and ordeyned us to go and bringe forth frute et cet Were we not made heyres of eternall saluacion and baptised to the intent that we shulde now malke in a new life Are we not deed from the curse of the lawe and maried vnto Christ to the intent that we shulde now bringe forth frute vnto god Hath not god ordeined us to walke in good workes Are we not chosen of god to shew now his wonderful workes which hath called us out of darknesse in to his maruelous light Must we not lead an honest conuersacion in the world that they which bacbyte us as euell doers maye se our good workes and prayse god Now to do good dedes to bring forth good frutes to walke in a new life to shew gods wonderfull workes to lead an honest conuersacion in the world what is it els but to shew and set forth our profession the life that we haue promised and taken us to at the font stone euen the holy couenaunt and appoyntment that we haue made with the eternall god Do ye not considre also that the scripture appoynting maried women their estate and dewtye willeth them to be of so honest conuersacion that euen they which as yet will not beleue gods worde maye without the worde be won by theyr godly liuinge And not onely this but so to araye them selues in comly apparel with shamefastnesse and discrete bahaueour without excesse as it becommeth wemen that professe godlynesse thorow good workes What can be more planely spokeÌ„ then this How ernest is the scripture likewise in mouinge and commaunding us specially that take in hande to instructe and teach other aboue all thinges to shew example of good workes in the doctrine of god et cet that such as resiste his trueth maie be ashamed of their parte hauinge nothinge in us to reporte amysse And immediatly after in the same chapter how diligeÌ„t is the Apostle in requiring Titus to exhorte seruauntes to the doing of their dewtie to their masters and to shewe all faithfulnesse But for what intent to merite or deserue immortalâ—â—â— â–ª Naye to the intent that in all thinges they maie do worshippe to the doctrine of god oure Sauioure that the name of god and his doctrine be not euell spokeÌ„ of Thus wolde he haue Timothy also to teach and exhorte and then saieth he these wordes Yf any man teach otherwise and agreeth not vnto the wholsome wordes of oure lord Iesus Christ and to the doctryne of godlinesse he is puft vp and knoweth nothinge et cet Reade ye the text forth and remembre your selfe well considre in what case ye are and how wyde your doctryne disagreeth from the wholsome word of god Yf I shuld saye ye were puft vp ignoraunt a waist brayne et cete of a corrupte mynde or robbed of the trueth ye wolde happlie be angrie Yet be coÌ„tent to let Paul speake to you for though he rayle not yet shall ye not find him a flatrer Standish Which thing beynge true as the church confesseth et cete Couerdale The church of the wicked graunteth many moo thinges then it shall euer be able to proue excepte it be with violence and shedding oâ—â—nnoceÌ„t bloud which is in very dede a fearce sore and strong waye of probacion Nether be they heretikes that denye this your doctryne for I haue proued vnto you by open scriptures that your doctryne is false Standish Be not oure owne good workes meritorious to ourselues Couerdale Yes parde for the prophet saieth All our righteousnesses are as the cloth of a menstruous woman Standish Whether shall we rather beleue S. Hierome et cete Couerdale Yf we receaue the witnesse of men the witnesse of god is greater for this is the witnesse of god which he hath testified of his sonne et cete Euen that god hath geuen us euerlasting life and this life is in his sonne S. Augustine saieth also All my hope is in the death of my lord his death is my meryte my refuge my saluacion my life and my resurrection Standishe Which for their detestable opynions deserued iustly to be burnte as heretikes Couerdale Yf they were not burnte heretikes in dede no force And yf they were iust deseruers it is a tokeÌ„ that they medled the more with righteousnesse for no man can iustly erre ner iustly coÌ„mitte treason Standishe What a detestable heresie is it to saie the cause that we be commaunded to do good workes is to set forth oure profession Couerdale Is not oure profession the promes and couenaunt that we haue made with god to seke his glory and oure neghbours profet euen to loue him with all oure herte with all our soules and with all oure strength and oure neghbour as oure selues In the which two pointes hangeth all the lawe and the Prophetes Are not we bound then by gods commaundement to set forth the glory of god oure neghbours profit and loue to them both Remembre what places of scripture I haue pointed you to afore concernyng this matter Standish Before whom shulde we set it forth before god he knowoth oure profession before Couerdale What then Studye allwaye to haue a cleare conscience toward god and men after the Apostles ensample Standish Before man So we maie haue good workes as the pharises had et cet Couerdale Though Pharises do their workes to be sene of men will you therfore beyng a preacher not geue good ensample to other ner let your light so shyne before men that they seinge your good workes maie geue the glory vnto god What are ye so farre from the knowlege of this geer and yet a preacher a reader and a post of the church Who wolde thinke that you which are so well aquaynted with him that can compare the deare bloud of Christ to the stinckynge bloud of a swyne shuld be so farre from the vnderstondinge of such thinges O wicked hogges whom Sathan hath possessed of that sort Is the worthy prynce of oure redempcion come to that worshippe amonge you No maruaill that ye are so blinded in your vnderstondinge for ther was neuer enemie of Christes bloud that had yet anye cleare iudgment in his worde till he ernestly repented and gaue him selfe wholy to the studye and life that it teacheth Barnes I Beleue that ther is a holy church and a company of all them that do professe Christ Standish Allbe it that euery true Christian ought thus to beleue et cet Couerdale Ye saye that euery true Christian ought thus to beleue and yet ye call the same belefe erroneous and damnable Is the Christen beleue erroneous and damnable Or is it erroneous and damnable to beleue as euery Christen man ought to beleue Thus are ye not onely contrary to youre selfe but iudge Christen men also to be heretikes Standishe For you iudge as appeareth by your preaching et cet
Iohn saieth in his vision and that all such as are malicious persecuters therof are giltie of the righteous bloude that is shed vpon erth S. Peters shadowe proueth your doctrine but weakly excepte ye can make us beleue that ther be shadowes in heauen Nomore doth S. Pauls napkyn vnlesse ye can proue that he hath not yet left wiping of his nose But where lerne ye to belye the word of god Where finde ye in the scripture that Peters shadowe or Pauls napkyng could heale the sicke doth the text saie so Because the people brought their sicke in to Peters shadow did it therfore heale them Peter confesseth him selfe that it was not his owne power which made the lame man hole S. Luke also reporteth that god wrought no small miracles by the handes of Paul And as Christ our sauioure himselfe witnesseth that it was not his vesture but the womans faith which made her whole though she touched it so saieth S. Marke that the lord wrought with the Apostles and confirmed the word with tokens folowinge Morouer where as S. Paul desired to be lowsed and to be present with Christ what proueth that the praieng to saintes He saied in the same place that it were more nedefull for them to haue him yet lyuing among them Which thinge were not so yf this your article were so necessary as ye make it But Pauls wordes shalbe true still for greate nede haue we of many such as he was yf it were for nothing els but to preach with his mouth as he hath done in his Epistles agaynst youre and all other such false doctrines Standishe Nonne confortatus est principatus eorum Psal cxxxviij Couerdale Like as that scripture maketh no mencion of anie such article as ye ymagen so doth the content of thē Psalme set forth the wonderfull care and prouision that god maketh for us and teacheth us that gods secrete counsails and thoughtes are to hie for oure capacite Standish Hinc Iero. aduersus vigilantium et cet Couerdale S. Ambrose saieth Christ is oure mouth by the which we speake vnto the father Oure eye by the which we se the father oure right hand by the which we offre vnto the father Without whose intercession nether we ner all sayntes haue any thing with god Standish Yf you saie saintes do not heare us et cete Couerdale What knowlege the saintes haue it is trulye aboue my capacite but well I wote that the scripture of the olde testament ascribeth onely vnto god the knowlege of mens hartes Wherof the gospells also beare recorde sufficient and so doth the first of the Actes Now is it manifest likewise that as the praier which commeth from the harte is most acceptable so doth our Sauyoure byd us praye vnto our father in secrete Where as ye bring in the ensample of Abraham and the worke of god shewed vnto him in this life for to serue youre present purpose It proueth that ye are an vnreuerent handler of gods worde for the texte is plaine that god dyd there shewe vnto Abraham being yet in this life the destruction of the Sodomites of his onely accustomate goodnesse and mercy because Abraham was vnder his couenaunt and did faithfully cleue to his promes and because he knew that Abraham wolde cōmaunde his childrē and housholde to kepe the waie of the lorde et ce To affirme your purpose then by this place is euen as much as to go aboute to proue that saintes in heauē haue children yet and housholdes to teach in the waie of the lorde Standish Where as the leest of them qui minor est et cetera Couerdale Like as of a comparatiue degree ye make a superlatiue and wrest the wordes to Abraham that oure Sauioure spake of Iohn the baptist Euen so to the estate that saintes be now in applye ye those wordes which S. Iohn speaketh of the estate that gods electe shall haue at the seconde appearinge of Christ euen whan they shalbe like him whan their bodies shall ryse vncorruptible as his is rysen and whan he shall chaunge their vile body that it maie be like fashioned vnto his glorious body Agayne ye sayde afore that there were no sayntes in heauen afore Christes ascension And now to proue that the leest of the sayntes in heauē is more entyerlye beloued of god then Abraham was in this life ye alledge the wordes that were spoken long afore the death of Christ Qui minor est in regno et cet Remembre your selfe wel what a clarklye parte ye plaie with that text As for sanctorum communionem it is the declaraciō of the holy catholike or vniuersall church of Christ that they are a company or felashippe of all such as be sanctified in Christes bloude and are partakers of his merites and membres one of another But no probacion is it that sayntes in heauen do praye for us yf ye note well the descripcion therof by S. Pauls doctryne Now yf ye will proue youre purpose by the angels offices then must ye proue that sayntes are mynistring spretes sent for their sakes which shal be heyres of saluacion But that will be hard for you to do Nether doth the twentieth chapter of luke helpe your matter anye thinge at al for though ye choppe vp the text at your pleasure with the shortest these are our Sauiours wordes The children of this world do mary and be maried but they that shalbe counted worthy of yonder world and the resurrection from the deed shall nether mary ner be maried for they can die nomore for they are like vnto the angels et cet This answere now of our Sauiour to the Saducees as it confuteth their heresie so doth it proue that the children of god in heauen be like the aungels in life in immortalite and in that they are as fre from the necessite of mariage as the angels be but it proueth not that they are like angels in all thinges for thē shuld they haue no bodies to be raised vp at the generall resurrection Standish But also that their merites do profit us as by example we do reade Gene. xxvj et cetera Couerdale Where as allmightie god saieth vnto Isaac Vnto thy sede will I geue all this land et cet because Abraham was obedient vnto my voyce et cet Vpon this are ye not ashamed to saye that the cause is onely thorow the merites of his father Abraham Now saieth not the text so but thus Vnto the and thy sede will I geue all this lande and wil perfourme mine ooth that I sware to thy father Abraham et cet This scripture then like as it proueth acording to S. Pauls wordes that they which are of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham so declareth it manifestly that this same blessing commeth of gods promes in and thorow the sede of Abraham and Isaac that is euen thorow Christ But
why bring ye in this or any other place of the olde Testament to proue that the merites of sayntes in heauen do profit us seyng ye saye your selfe that afore Christes ascension ther were none in heauen and seing also that those vertues of Abraham and Dauid were thinges practised here and not in heauen God is my recorde I wonder greatly what ye meane thus to daly with his worde Touchinge merites I haue answered you allreadie but. S. Paul answereth you better and saieth that god geuing us his deare sonne hath geuen us all thinges with him and that in him dwelleth al fulnesse so that we are cōplete in him Sure I am also that no true seruaunt of god wil be otherwise minded then was holy Iohn baptist which saide that out of Christes fulnesse all we receaue grace et cet and that grace and trueth cōmeth by Iesus Christ Yf the merites then that ye speake of be anye parte of grace and trueth then must ye nedes graunt that we receaue them onely of him But surely ye haue some vngracious and false matter in hand Standish He speaketh nothinge of oure workes after our iustificacion but onely of workes before faith which in dede are not meritorius et cetera Couerdale Afore to proue by Cornelius workes that our iustificacion deserued onely by the death of Christ is a false iustificacion Ye saye that his good workes before he was iustified somthing deserued that he shuld be called in to the congregacion of our sauioure and so through gods mercy his workes dyd deserue much of allmightie god These are your awne wordes And now cleane contrary to the same ye graunte that workes before faith are not meritorious Thus by youre awne wordes condemne ye youre awne doctryne But though euery good worke done in true faith after gods commaundement shalbe rewarded and hath his promes annexed vnto it as yf I be mercifull vnto my neghboure god hath promised to haue mercy on me agayne shall that rewarde be geuen for my workes sake and not rather because of his owne promes and blessing in Iesu Christ Is not all oure sufficiency of god Can we thinke a good thought of our selues Is it not god which worketh in us both the will and the dede Whan god rewardeth any good worke doth he not crowne his owne giftes in us Stoppe your mouth then and knowlege your selfe to be in gods daunger and in his dett Why boast ye of your merites agaynst the doctryne of gods worde Why graunt ye not with S. Luke whom ye alledge your selfe that whan ye haue done all such thinges as are commaunded you ye are an vnprofitable seruaunt And with S. Paul that the paynes taken in this life are not worthy of the glory for to come Do ye not saye your selfe also these wordes We must think and surely beleue that all cōmeth of Christes liberalite which frely did cal us and loue us before we loued him What practise then of anye wordly prynce can proue this trueth to be false Your owne wordes and sentences destroye your doctryne of merites Folowe S. Augustines counsaill thē and boast not of mens merites but let the grace of god which raigneth thorow Iesus Christ haue all the preemynence And yf ye haue any workes folowinge the fre and liberall vocation of god thē graunt with Chrisostome that they are his rewarde and youre dewtie and that the giftes of god are his owne benignite grace and greatnesse of his owne liberalite Barnes WEl haue ye yet any thing more to saye then called he M. Shyreffe and sayd haue you any articles against me for the which I am condemned And the sheriffe answered no. Then said he Is there here any man els that knoweth wherfore I die or that by my preaching hath taken any erroure let them now speake and I will make them answere And no man answered Then sayd he well I am condemned by the lawe to die and as I vnderstōd by an acte of perliamēt but wherfore I cā not tel but belike for heresy for we are like to be burnt Standish Articles agaynst the What articles dyddest thou reuoke at the spyttle et cet Couerdale A very spittle fashion is it no doubte to aske questions of the deed And I suppose verely that excepte it be a cōiurer a iugler or a worker with spretes there is none that vseth it Touchinge articles at the spittle I am certaine D. Barnes dyd not affirme there that faith doth not iustifie or that Christes death was not the sufficient satisfaction for our synnes Now where as he was enioyned to affirme that though Christ be oure onely mediatour sauyour iustifier and onely satisfaction vnto god for the sinnes of them that beleue in him Yet yf we loose this grace thorow sinne then must we rise agayne by true pennaunce et cet Yf for this article I saye ye will gather that he shulde reuoke then do ye interprete his wordes contrary to his owne declaracion that he made of them in the same sermon In so much that the sondaye after at Pauls crosse as I vnderstond D. Wilson could laye no greater thing to his charge then that he had expounded pennaunce after his wont maner by the office of the law and the gospell Now like as afore in your wordes ye compare this his confession to the cōfession of the deuel so by this and such other your tawntes ye wold make the world beleue that he reuoked al trueth at the spittle felde and that he had all his life tyme taught an vngodly and carnall libertye the contrary wherof is euident not onely by this present protestaciō but also by his wryting and preaching afore Namely that to the true beleue and consent of the hert are necessarilie required good Christen frutes in euery man and womans conuersacion acording to the same Wherfore this his confessiō so long as he mainteined no damnable errour contrary vnto it which in all your babling boke ye haue not proued nether shalbe able to do was a sufficient euidence at his latter ende that he dyed a true Christen man Nether can ye iustly condemne him that maketh no worse confession on his death bedde Agayne S. Iohn saieth Euery sprete which confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of god Wherfore ye are to rashe in iudgment to affirme that he was iustly condemned for heresie seinge that he nether helde any doctryne ner manteined by euell conuersacion eny thing out of which ye can truly deduce that euer he denied the true faith of god or any one of the benefites or offices of Iesus Christ As for the articles that were laied against him in Cambrige aboue xij yeares agoo verely like as in repetinge of thē ye accuse your church to pretende an outward forgyuenesse and yet to kepe hatred stil many yeares So appeare ye to fauour them that accused him of the saide articles in som