euery man in his callynge to geue no occasion of fallinge vnto eny man to mortifye their erthly membres et cet acording to the wholsome doctrine of the Apostle Call ye this a preaching of a fleshly and carnall libertye Is this a doctrine that maketh men renne at ryote and to do what they list I wondre verely that ye shame not thus to belye the trueth so oft As pertayninge to youre blasphemye whiche saie that it is a damnable iustificacioÌ„ where faith is preached onely to iustifye it is damnably spoken of you yee though an aungell of heauen shuld speake it yf holy S. Paul be true which saieth he ought to be holden accursed that preacheth any other gospell then that he himselfe and the other Apostles had preached Yf ye of a cancred hatred to the trueth haue not wilfully and maliciously taken parte agaynst the holy goost so that ye are but led ignorauntly by a blind multitude to affirme the saide inconuenience I praie god lende you a clearer fight in the Kyngdone of Christ But yf ye be mynded as were the Pharises and maliciously ascribe damnacion to it wherby onely we receaue saluacion as they ascribed vnto the deuell it that was the onely workynge of the holy goost then am I sore afrayed for you and for as many as are of that mynde For yf it be damnable to teach or preach wittingly agaynst the expresse worde of god then verely is this a damnable heresye to affirme that faith onely doth not iustifye seynge that holy scripture so teacheth As Gene. xv Esa liij Abac. ij Mar. xvj Luc. j. viij.xxiiij Iohn v. xvij Acto xiij xvj· Rom. iij. iiij.v.x Gal. ij iij.iiij.v Philip. iij.j. Pet. j. ij Heb. iiij xj Of this faith that scripture speaketh of so plentifully haue I made sufficient mencion in the prologe of that litle boke which I lately put forth in Englische concernynge the true olde faith of Christ Now like as the scriptures afore alledged do testifye for us that we meane no false ner vayne faith euen so is the same article of iustificacion defended and maynteyned by the doctous in many and sondrye places specially by S. Augustine in the ccclij chapter de vera innocentia De verbis Domini sermone .xl. De verbis Apostoli ser xxvij In the boke of the fiftye sermons the xvij sermon In the first boke of the retractes the xxiij chapter In the cv Epistle vnto Sixtus the bisshoppe In the xxv treatise vpon Iohn the sixte chapter In his manualle the xxij and xxiij chapter In the exposicion of the lxvij and of the lxx Psalme In the liij sermon de tempore In the v boke of his homelis the xvij homelye In the boke of the lxxxiij questions the lxvj chapter And in the prologe of the xxxj Psalme I might alledge Cyrillus Ambrose Origen Hilarius Bernarde Athanasius with other moo but what helpeth it Yet shall all the world know that youre heresye is not onely condemned by the open and manifest scripture but also by many of the doctours As for naturall reason it fighteth clerely agaynst you also yf ye pondre well the parable of the mariage in the xxij of Matthew and in the xiiij of luke the parable of the vnthriftie sonne in the xv of Luke the parable also of the detter in the xviij oâ— Matthew and in the seuenth of Luke Where as it was laied to D. Barnes charge how that he shulde teach that god is the authour of synne verely he protested openly at S. Mary spitle the tewesdaye in easter weke that he was neuer of that mynde howbeit he confessed as the trueth is that where as in his boke he had wrytten of predestinacion and fre will ther was occasion taken of him by his writynge that he shulde so meane But verely yf he had in that matter bene as circuÌ„specte as the children of this worlde are wyse in their generacion he might the better haue auoided the capciousnesse of men afore hand Neuertheles it appeareth planely that he mistrusted no such thing and therfore dyd to moch simplicite disceaue him in that behalfe as it doth many moo which are not so wyse as serpentes Nether fynde ye in all his boke these wordes God is the authoure of synne but ye maie fynde these wordes The gouerner of al thinges is most wise moost rightous and most merciful and so wyse that nothinge that he doth can be amended so righteous that there can be no suspicion in him of vnrighteousnesse et cet â–ª Item All thing that he doth is well done Whâ—â—fore yf they that laied that heresye to D. Barnes charge had remembred their owne distinction of malum pene and malum culpe at the reading of his wordes aswell as they can note it in other places they might easely haue perceaued his meanynge and not haue mistaken him Ye saye also D. Barnes dyd preach that workes do not profit Yf ye meane workes inuented by mens owne braynes not grounded on gods worde then verely might he well saye that such workes do not profit to saluacion For what soeuer is not of faith is sinne But yf ye meane such good workes as are coÌ„prehended in the coÌ„maundementes of god and within the precyncte of his word then truly ye fayle so to reporte of him for though saluacion be gods worke onely yet D. Barnes in his boke doth not onely condemne the fleshly and damnable reason of them which saye Yf faith onely iustifieth what nede we to do anye good workes et cet But also he affirmeth planely that we must nedes do them and that they which will not do theÌ„ because they be iustified alonely by faith are not the children of god ner childrne of iustificacion et ce For yf they were the very true children of god they wolde be the gladder to do good workes et cet Therfore saieth he shulde they also be moued frely to worke yf it were for none other purpose ner profit but onely to do the will of their merciful god that hath sâ—â—â—ely iustified them and also to profit their neghboure whoÌ„ they are bounde to serue of very true charite Are these wordes now asmuch to saye as workes do not profit Lorde god what meane ye thus vntruly to reporte of the deed Where as ye make this blynde obiection and saye of workes profit not so that faith onely iustifieth and Christes death be sufficient then penÌ„aunce is voyde and superfluous I answere A goodly consequent gathered nether of wittye sophistry wyse logyek ner of good Philosophy excepte it be of Philosophy vnnatural no ner of right diuynite Workes profit not to saluation ergo they profit nothing at all Is this a praty consequent Youre consequent is naught saieth S. Peter for by good workes must ye make your vocacion certayne and sure Alike argumeÌ„t might ye make after this maner and saye Yron is not profitable to chew or
abhominable swearers maye be punished and strately loked vpon For surely the vengeaūce of god will come on thē for their mischeuous oothes Thē desired he M. Pope which was present to haue him cōmended to M. Edgar ād to desire him for the deare bloud of Iesu Christ that he wold leaue that abhominable swearing that he vseth For surely excepte he forsake it he will come to some mischeuous ende The fourth that his grace wil set furth Christes true religiō And that seyng he hath begon̄e he go forward and make an end for many thinges haue bene done but yet much more is to do And that it wold please his grace to loke on gods word himselfe For it hath bene obscured with many tradicions inuented of our owne braynes Now sayd he how many peticions haue I spoken of And the people sayd foure Well sayd he euen these foure be sufficient which I desyre you that the kynges grace maye be certified of them And saye that I moost humbly desyre him to loke ernestly vpon them Standish It was high tyme to loke et cet Couerdale The prophet Daniel I trust was no arrogaunt wretche though he desyred his prince to make some prouision for the poore Nomore thē was holy S. Paul which taught Timothy to change the riche mē of this world with the same lesson All they also that were true messaungers of god laboured to haue aduoutry fornicacion whordome and abhominable swearinge expelled from among Christen men as all the whole scripture testifieth Nether dyd D. Barnes in these his wordes requyre anye other thing His wordes are playne ynough and yet as your maner is in your treatise ye ymagen an intent and mynde cleane contrary to the same Ye graunt that he spake ernestly for the poore and for the comons and yet call ye him an arrogaunt wretch and for his good will reporte of him that he desired to haue a great stroke in euery matter of waight et cetera D. Barnes sayd not that he and his felowes dyd refourme those thinges that were amysse for he knew that to be gods office and the Kynges and yet surmyse ye the same vntruly vpon him But he saieth that thorow the preaching of gods word in the mynistracion of him and such other the Kynges grace is now more obeyed then euer he was before And I praye you is it not so Or was it not gods holy word that gat the Kyng his owne agayne Maye he thank anye papisticall doctrine therfore No verely Concerning M. Edgar yf D. Barnes had not had a right good opynion in him no doubte he wold not haue sent him that commendacion with such an honest request But because he toke him as he might right well I trust for a gentle man that wolde suffre a Christen exhortacion as they will that perteyne vnto Christ therfore was he the bolder of him As for that swearing I thinke verely it cōmeth rather of a custome which yet might well be left then of anye set purpose Nether was D. Barnes acte here agaynst the processe requyred in the xviij of Matthew though he had not spoken with him afore seyng he might not now come at him Barnes ANd that his grace take good hede that he be not disceaued with false preachers and teachers and euell counsaill For Christ saieth that such false Prophetes shall come in lammes skynnes Standish O how great thanke be you worthy et cetera Couerdale Ye shuld haue proued these wordes to smell nothing but heresie and treason as ye saye in your preface because they haue the swete odoure of the gospell where our sauyour byddeth us beware of false Prophetes and of the leuen of pharises and telleth us that many such shall aryse and disceaue many yee euen thorow swete preachinges and flatring wordes saieth the Apostle and because the scripture byddeth us beware of such marchauntes as goyng in long garmentes et cete deuoure wedows houses vnder the pretence of long prayers This man called not the Kynges moost honoble councell euell and yet euen like a pyke thank still ye surmyse it vpon him Yf a frend of the Kynges shuld saye vnto him I besech your grace take good hede whom ye receaue in to your preuy chambre Doth he therfore call his chamberlaynes euell Or doth he therfore preferre his owne witte aboue the discrete wisdome of the Kynges noble counsaill Holy S. Peter as long as he was in this body thought it mete to put Christen men in remembraunce of their dewtie yee though they were of ripe knowlege them selues and stablished in the trueth And yet you call it obstinate pryde treason blyndnesse and rash foolishnesse so to do Such is your iudgment Yee euen whan the partye doth most humbly desyre his prynce to whō he speaketh Barnes THen desyred he all men to forgeue him and that yf he had sayd any euell at any tyme vnaduysed wherby he had offended any man or geuen any occasiō of euell that they wold forgeue it him and amend that euell they toke of him Standish Mark how he doth contynue one maner of man et cetera Couerdale Stedfastnesse in the waye of gods trueth is to be commended And an euident token is it that he is of the same doctryne which wittingly teacheth no euell reconcyleth himselfe vnto all men is sory yf he haue offended anye man or geuen any euell occasion and geueth other men at their death an ensample of true repentaunce Barnes ANd that they wold beare him witnesse that he detested and abhorred all euell opynions and doctrines against the word of god and that he dyed in the faith of Iesu Christ and the sacramentes of the church by whō he doubted not to saued Standishe I knowe that no good man et cetera Couerdale Then it appeareth that yf he had not detested and abhorred all euell and erroneous opynions but had loued your straunge doctrines which are agaynst gods word and so dyed out of Christes faith ye wold haue bene a recorde and witnesse to him rather then fayle Barnes ANd with this he desyred them all to praye for him and then he turned him aboute and put of his clothes makyng him ready to the fyre and most paciently toke his death yeldinge his soule into the handes of allmightie god Standish By this it doth appeare that the first wryter of these his wordes was very charitable et cete Couerdale What so euer he was that first wrote these his wordes verely I can not tell nether dyd I euer reade them or heare them till I sawe them in your treatise And though it may be suspected that this is not the trewest copie because it commeth out of your handes Yet truly a right charitable dede was it to wryte his wordes and to certifye us of them for els by your present practise we maye coniecture that ye wold haue discanted of his deeth as of one whom ye had ouercome with your doctryne Now also that ye
can stoppe the trueth no farther ye wold beare us in hand that it is the wryters iudgment onely which ascrybeth vnto him that he paciently toke his death as though there were none els that herd him and sawe him dye but the wryter alone Couerdale Allbe it I will iudge onely of the outwarde behaueour Couerdale Iudge not after the outward appearaūce saieth our sauyour but geue a righteous iudgment Yet do ye not as ye saye for in many places of your treatise ye iudge the mans mynde and intent yee contrary to his wordes Standishe Takyng occasion by his erroneous wordes to iudge he dyed an obstinate heretike Couerdale Ye can not denye but that after the open confession of his faith and his humble requestes vnto the Kynges grace he than reconcyled himselfe to all men and at the last whan he had desyred thē to praye for him toke his death paciently and yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightye god For all this ye do not onely call his wordes erroneous but also geue sentence that he dyed an obstinate heretike Standish And as for the inward secretes whether he be condēned or saued whether he yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightie god or no et cet I remitte that to the secrete counsaill of the blessed trenite Couerdale A wonderfull thing is it that ye are so vnstable in your wordes Do ye not take vpon you afore to iudge that he dyed an obstinate heretike And now ye can not tell whether he be saued or condemned whether he yelded vp his soule in to the handes of allmightie god or no. But can an obstinate heretike yelde vp his soule whan he is deed all ready Can an obstinate heretike be saued Beholde now to what worshippe ye bring your doctryne at the last Standish Vnto whom be laude honour and glory for euermore Amen Couerdale Amen Euen to that same blessed trenyte father sonne and holy goost be honour and glory now and euermore Amen The Apostle describing the office and dewtie of a ministre or preacher of gods word wylleth him among all other qualities to shew himself such a laudable workman as nede not be ashamed handling the word of trueth iustly Wherfore seyng ye haue so vnreuerently handled gods holy word peruerted it wrested it and belyed it so oft and many tymes in your treatise Maruaill not at this myne inuectyue agaynst your false doctryne As for symple ignoraunce and such frayll weaknesse as accompanyeth the nature of man whether he will or no it may be suffred and borne But wilful spurnyng at gods holy word froward and false belieng therof must nedes be rebuked and improued Your zele for all your holy pretēce is to suppresse gods trueth to mainteine that doctrine which the catholike or vniuersal church of christ neuer receaued and to defend the church malignaūt in hir wickednesse This is manifest by your present practise But god allmightie which soweth the sede of his holy word and dayly increaceth it in the hartes of his faithfull shall though no man els will maynteyne and defende it himselfe We also whom god will not to be ydle shall do our best and be carieng stones to the makyng vp of the wal which ye haue broken downe To the intent that Christ our sauyour maye haue his owne glorye which ye haue robbed him of our prince his honoure and oure neghboure his dewtie To all true Christen readers Faynt not thou in faith deare reader nether waxe colde in loue and charite though the enemies of gods worde be gathered together and growne in to such swarmes Be thou strong in the lorde and in the power of his might And let it not discorage the that the sayd worde is so litle in the estimacion of the world so greatly despised so sore persecuted so wickedly peruerted wrested and belyed so vnthankfully receaued so shamefully denied and so slouthfully folowed Arme thy selfe therfore with the confortable ensamples of the scripture And as touchinge those ioly Nimrottes that persecute gods worde hunting it out of euery corner whetting ther swerdes and bendyng their bowes agaynst it Be thou sure that the god of oure fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob shall do with thē as he euer was wont to do with tirauntes in times past Thou seist thorow out the stories of the holy byble how that like as he turneth some of their hartes from crueltie to mekenesse Euē so with death with fyre with water and with such other his plages destroyeth he them that will nedes despise his warninge Yee breaketh their bowes in peces and killeth thē with ther own swerdes As for Iamnes and Iambres those wicked sorcerers and couetous chaplens that teach cōtrary to gods worde and dissuade the greate mē of the world frō it Their owne wrestinge and belyeng of it must nedes cōfound thē For though ther be many that resist the truth yet whan it is uttered and commeth to light their madnesse as S. Paul saieth shall be manifest vnto all men And as Moses rodd deuoured their roddes in the Kynges presence So likewise the same places of scripture that they alledge for their wicked purpose shall destroye their false doctryne in the face of the world Yee euen as litle honestie as the papistry hath gotten by wresting of Tu es Petrus et cet so small profit are they like to haue for belyeng of other textes Nether is it to be feared but god will do for one parte of his worde asmuch as for another whan he seith his tyme. Concernyng those bely beastes that for no cōmaundement ner promes of god for no example warnyng ner exhortacion will be counsayled but still blaspheme his holy worde thorow their vngodly conuersacion let not that withdrawe the from the waye of righteousnesse Loue not thou Christ the worse though Iudas be a traytoure Sett not thou the lesse by his wholsome doctrine though dogges turne to their vomite and though swine walow in their stinking mire agayne I knowe gentle reader that to all true Christē hartes it is a great tentaciō to se gods holy worde either persecuted belyed or vnthankfully receaued But first remembre thy selfe well by the practyse of all stories whan was it without persecucion Whan was there not one tyraunt or other that exercised all his power strength witte and counsaill against it Whan were the childrē of Israel without some bloudy Edomites Egiptians Assirians Babilonians Philistines or other Secōdly Whan was not gods worde belied peruerted or euell spoken of by one false Prophet or other Were there not heretikes and flatringe chaplens in all ages that withdrue men from the trueth and misreported the straight waies of the lord Thirdly whan were there not some multitudes that pretēding a loue toward Christes word did but folow him for their own belies sake whan was the sede of Christes word sowē but some parte of it fell vpō the stony ground where it withred and among the thornes
A confutacion of that treatise which one John Standish made agaynst the protestacion of D. Barnes in the yeare M. D. XL. Wherin the holy scriptures peruerted and wrested in his sayd treatise are restored to their owne true vnderstonding agayne by Myles Couerdale Iacobi iij. Nolite gloriari mendaces esse aduersus ueritatem To the Reader To all them that either reade or heare gods holy worde and geue ouer them selues to lyue vnfannedly acording to the same do I hartely wysshe the grace peace and mercy of god the father in and thorow oure lorde and onely Sauioure Iesus Christ THe seuenth daye of Decembre was delyuered vnto me a certayne treatyse composed by one Iohn Standish Felow of Whittington college in londoÌ„ so is the tytle of it and prynted by Robert Redeman Anno M. D. XL. iij. Nonas Octobris At the reading wherof I mourned sore within my selfe for certayne occasions offred vnto me in the sande treatyse First that vnder the Kynges priuilege any thing shuld be set forth which is either agaynst the worde and trueth of allmightye god or agaynst the Kynges honoure Secondlye that good wholsome and Christen wordes shulde be calumpniated and reuyled Thirdly that the sayde Iohn Standish pronouncyng Doctoure Barnes to haue taught heresye so longe is not ashamed all this whyle to haue hold his penne but now first to wryte agaynst him whan he is deed et ce As touching the first whether I haue cause to mourne or no I reporte me to all true Christen hertes for as I am credibly enfourmed and as I partly haue sene there is now a wonderful diuersite in writing bokes and balates in England one enueyenge agaynst another one reuylinge and reprouyng another one reioysinge at anothers fall and aduersite And not onely this but also at the ende of euery balate or boke in maner whether it be the better partye or worse is set the Kynges priuilege Which as it is agaynst the glorye of god that one shulde reuyle another Is it not euen so agaynst the Kynges honoure Yee the shame is it of all Englande that vnder his priuilege anye erroneous contentious or slaunderous boke or papyre shulde be prynted Men wonder in other contrees that ther is so greate negligence of this matter in a realme where so wyse and prudent a counsail is â–ª And they that are moued with godly compassioÌ„ do lament Englande sory that ther is so great discencion in it sory that blasphemous ieasting and raylinge balates or bokes agaynst the manifest worde of god shulde either be suffred or priuilegied sory that gods trueth shulde thus spitefully be intreated of so greate a nombre Now the reformacion of this and all other defaultes lyeth onely in the hande of god To whom I referre it and to the rightfull admynistracion of his holy ordinauÌ„ce and auctorite in the kynges hyghnesse who whan he knoweth of the saide inconuenience how tryflinge and raylinge bokes and rymes are prynted vnder his priuilege wyll no doubte set a redresse herein Concernyng the seconde occasion aboue rehearced Is it not cause ynough forme and all other Christen to be right sory to mourne and lamente that the wordes which are good wholsome and acordinge to the holy scripture and Chrisies faith shulde be either blasphemed or taken to the worst Yf the Kynges grace shulde put forthe an wholsome proclamacion iniunction or commaundement as he doth many what true subiecte louynge gods holy ordinaunce and auctorite in his prynce wold not be greue to se anye man either spytt at those his soueraignes wordes or to defye them Yf we now which are Christen haue so iust occsion and are bownde to be thus wise mynded in this outward regiment wherein god hath appoynted us to be obedient to the hyer powers how much more cause haue we to water our eyes with sory hertes whan the proclamacion iniunction coÌ„maundement and worde of him which is kyng of all Kynges and lord of all lordes is thus reuyled and euell spoken of That the wordes of D. Barnes spoken at tbe houre of his death and here vnder written are good wholsome acording to gods holy scripture and not worthy to be euell taken It shalbe euidently sene whan we haue layed theÌ„ to the twych stone and tryed them by gods worde To the open text wherof yf ye take good hede ye shal se the peruerse doctryne and wycked opynions of Standish clerely confuted And no doubte god wyll so haue it because that vnder the pretence of bearing a zeale toward gods worde he taketh apon him to be iudge and geuer of sentence agaynst gods worde and to condemne it that gods worde aloweth And this as I sayde is another cause of the sorynesse of my hert that he which darre auowe another man to be an opeÌ„ heretike is not ashamed thus longe nether to haue written ner openly preached agaynst him by name but now to starte vp whan he is deed Is it not a greate worshippe for him to wrestle with a shadow and to â—â—ll a deed man Is he not a worthy souldyer that all the battayll tyme thrusteth his hand in his bosome and whan meÌ„ are deed then draweth out his swerde and fighteth with them that are slayne allreadye Iudge ye gentle readers yf Standish playeth not such a parte with D. Barnes To whom also he imputeth treason and yet proueth neuer a poynte therof agaynst him Yet were it as charitable a dede to confute all treason and to geue us warnynge of it by name as either to establishe false doctryne or to enueye agaynst good sayenges Yee a Christen and charitable acte were it in reprouyng anye traytoure to tell the Kynges subiectes in what thing he committed the treason that they maye beware of the same But thus doth not Standishe here in this his treatise which because it is buylded on sande and on a false foundacioÌ„ I doubte not but with gods worde which is the swerde of the sprete and a weapen mighty to ouerthrow euery ymaginacion that exalteth it selfe agaynst the knowlege of god To geue it a fall and with holy scripture to shewe euydently that Standishe hath farre ouershott himselfe in condemnynge the sayenges which gods word doth not disalowe He that wolde wryte agaynst anye man shulde leuell his ordinaunce agaynst his euell wordes yf he had spoken or written anye and not agaynst his good wordes ffor god is the authoure of all good which as his holy scripture aloweth so will he himselfe defende the same He that is therfore an enemye to the thinge which is good or resisteth it is gods aduersary and withstondeth him Wherfore let Standish froÌ„ hensforth and all other beware that they take no parte agaynst gods worde ner defende any false matter lest god be the auenger ffor yf the lyon begynne to roare he will make all his enemies afrayed And yf D. Barnes dyed a true Christen man be ye sure his death shalbe a greater
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
of S. Marke and ther by shall we se how well these two confessions do agree and how clarkly ye haue ioined them together S. Marke reporteth that the legiō of deuels which had possessed a certaine man and taken his right mynde from him et cet cryed out and saide vnto oure sauioure What haue I to do with the thou sonne of the moost hie god Here is it manifest that the deuell cryeth out of oure sauioure Christ and wolde haue nothinge to do with him Whan dyd D. Barnes crye out of him A greate parte of the world can testifie that he hath cryed out of Antichrist and his chaplens yee and that so lowde that he hath awaked a great nombre with his cryenge Yee but to my purpose will ye saye the deuell also confesseth Christ to be the sonne of god I answere Their confessions be not alike For. D. Barnes doth not onely confesse that Christ is the sonne of god but saieth also I beleue that he suffred the moost cruell and bitter death for me et cete Whan dyd the deuell beleue that Christ dyed for him Agayne this confession of D. Barnes condemneth the heresye of the Anabaptistes concernyng the incarnacion of the lord Iesus Whan dyd the deuell condemne anye such false opinion Will ye make it not deuelish doctryne to be of that secte Beware what ye saye Are ye not ashamed then to compare these blessed wordes to the confession of the deuell and yet to wryte that they be well sayde Standishe This youre confession doth not proue you to be a good Christen man Couerdale By youre iudgment to confesse the true beleue in the blessed trenyte to confesse the incarnacion of Christ to abhorre the false opinion of the Anabaptistes to beleue in Christes death resurrection et cete is no profe of a Christen man No though Christ himselfe saie Who so euer doth knowlege me before men him will I knowlege also before my father which is in heauen And. S. Paul To beleue with the hert iustifieth and to knowlege with the mouth saueth for the scripture saieth Who soeuer beleueth on him shall not be confounded Wherfore yf men considre your wordes ye bring youre selfe verely in to a shrewd suspicion for ye seme to fauoure the miscreauntes and infidels euen them that beleue not the articles of the Christen faith It semeth that ye beleue in some other thinge then god els wolde ye make more of the Christen belefe then ye do Standish For the most parte of the heretikes condemned by scripture and oure mother the church et cet Couerdale Where fynde ye in the scripture that he is condemned which beleueth in the sonne of god all though ye call him and wryte him heretike ten thousand times But I se well ye lack helpe I will tell you where ye shall fynde a text of scripture for your purpose S. Iohn the baptist saieth He that beleueth on the sonn of god hath euerlastinge life And Christ oure sauioure saieth a litle afore in the same chapter God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that who so beleueth in him shulde not perishe but haue eternall life et cet He that beleueth on him is not condemned And where as ye saie that then were condemned by the church I answere Yf ye meane the church of Christ which I doubte not to be in Englang aswell as in other realmes then blaspheme ye it for saienge that it condemneth them whom Christ with his owne mouth pronounceth not to be condemned For Christes church neuer condemneth them whom he saueth Yee and in youre so reportinge ye blaspheme the Kynges highnesse chefe and suppreme head nexte vnder god of this saide church of England without whose auctorite no execucion maie laufully be done within his dominion Howbeit amonge the busshes and in a corner without the kynges knowlege a true man somtime maie chaunce peraduenture to be hanged as soone as a thefe Yf ye meane youre owne mother the church of the froward and multitude of wicked doers then verely like a good childe ye haue discloysed and uttered youre mothers secretes and tolde us hir very nature which as she is a very spirituall strompet and comon harlot so is she a mother of murther a shedder of innocēt bloud and by your owne confession a condemner of them whom Christ darre advowe to be saued What ye meane by the censoure of the powers a man can not well perceaue by youre wordes ye speake so confusedly But yf ye meane the sentence iudgment or determinacion of the hyer powers then slaundre ye them as I saide afore in that ye reporte how they shulde be the condemners of those whom Christ hath not condemned Yf by the cēsoure of the powers ye meane your owne vsurped auctorite or the stollen and vntruely gotten auctorite of youre mother the wicked church then we beleue you For in her as the aungell saieth is founde the bloude of the prophetes and sayntes Yf ye meane the fyrepanne that ye cast incense in then maye we se that youre censoure is wheter then other mens fyre and therfore the more persons for anie man to medle withall Yf by the censoure of the powers ye meane the censoure of youre excomunicacion then declare ye youre selues to be the cursers of them whom god hath blessed and so are ye cursed of god which saieth vnto Abraham and in him to euery faithfull beleuer I will curse them that curse the. And he that toucheth you sayeth the Prophet toucheth the apple of gods owne eye Barnes ANd that there is none other satisfaction vnto the father but this his death and passion onely Standish Amonge other this was one of his errours that he reuoked the last Easter at the Spittle Couerdale Here ye take youre pastyme vpon the deed and straye abrode allmoost as farre as sixe leafes of youre treatise will extende And now and then because the comon people that be vnlerned shulde the better vnderstonde youre wordes ye geue them a sentence of latyn and now and then halfe a sentence I coulde tell wherfore yf I wolde Amonge other ye saye this was one of his errours Ye iudge it an erroure to affirme that ther is none other satisfaction vnto the father but the death and passion of Christ onely and yet like a lerned man full sure of youre selfe ye confesse planely on the other side of the leafe in youre boke that no man can satisfie for the offence Vpon this ye must geue me leue to demaunde this question of you Yf it be erroneous to saie that Christ is the satisfaction vnto the father and ye youre selfe confesse that no man els doth satisfie for the offence To whom then shall we ascribe this honoure of satisfienge for oure sinnes A lasse what a grosse erroure be ye in O blinde gydes what waie will ye leade the people of god Vnhappie is the flock that is vnder your keping
And happie is the man whom thou lorde god instructest and teachest him out of thy lawe It is time lorde to laie to thine hand for they haue waisted awaie thy lawe This article that Christes death onely is the satisfaction to the father for all the sinnes of the worlde is plaine manifest and approued thorow out all the holy scripture the whole sentences wherof are here to longe to rehearce but the text is open and euident though somtime it vse one vocable and somtime another For to this article perteine all those scriptures that reporte him to be the pacifier and reconciler of his fathers wrath the clenser the pourger the maker of attonement or agremēt the opteiner of grace the sacrifice and oblacion for oure sinnes et cet The father of heauen himselfe doth testifie that it is his sonne Iesus Christ in whō or by whom he is pleased and content Who taketh awaie the sinne of the worlde but he In whom are we complete and haue all heauenly and necessary thinges pertaininge to saluacion but in him I passe ouer the rehearsall of the scriptures written Esa liij Ose xiij j. Pet. j.ij.j. Iohn j. ij.iij Apoc. j. Heb. j. v.vij.ix.x Tit. ij Col. j.ij.j. Timot. j.ij.j. Corinth j.ij. Cor. v. Rom. iij.v. Whatsoeuer D. Barnes reuoked as ye reporte of him I referre that to you which seme to knowe more therof then I. Yf ye were compelled by force to write reade or saie anie thinge agaynst right and conscience then like as they be to blame that wil feare man more then god in that behalfe so will god certainlie be the visitoure of such extreme handlinge I wolde wisshe with all my hert yf I might laufully so do that the kynges moost roiall persone might se as farre as his hie auctorite extendeth for I feare the comon prouerbe be to true that there runneth by the myll much water which the miller knoweth not of Nether be all then gentle and louing intreaters of the Kynges subiectes that speake to his maiestie faire wordes in his face yee the Kynges grace maie haue Iudas in his realme aswell as Christ had him in his small courte I am sory at my hart rote whan I remembre how oft the Kynges highnesse hath proued his cōclusion true in his time I can saie nomore but referre all secretes to god who I am sure will do as he was wont and bring all falshode to light at the last As for D. Barnes preachinge at the spittle so farre as I can lerne there is nothinge maketh more agaynst you then that same his daies worke For like as he there openly gaue a good ensample of charite and fraternall reconciliacion So is the same a confusion to you and all youre wanton secte which belyenge the trueth blasphemynge the holy gost and slaundrynge them that are the pryce of Christes bloude aswell as you which poyntes smell of grater heresye then ye can proue agaynst D. Barnes in this his protestacion will not repent ner aske open forgeuenesse Which of youre cancred sorte hath yet of his owne fre mynde vncompelled come in to an open audience and played such a parte or desyred reconciliaciō Not one of you all that I knowe of no though the Kyng hath commaunded you in his iniunctious and though some of you hath not bene ashamed to burne gods worde Standishe As it was declared at Pauls crosse et cet Couerdale D. Barnes last will and testament wher vpon he taketh his death is this that ther is no other satisfaction vnto the father but the deeth and passion of Christ onely Therfore though it had bene ten thousand tymes reuoked afore yee and declared neuer so oft at Pauls crosse either in the rehearsall sermon or other wyse Yet shall no mans reuokynge no ner your blastinge and blowing your stampinge and stayringe your stormy tempestes ner wyndes be able to ouerthrow this trueth and testimonye of the holy goost thorow out the scriptures that the death of Iesus Christ onely doth satisfye and content the father of heauen and maketh the attonoment for oure synnes Nether do ye ought but bark agaynst the Moone so longe as ye laboure to mynishe the glory of Christ as though he optayned not grace for all the synne of the worlde Youre opynion and doctryne will not suffre Christ to be a full satisfyer vnto his father for all synnes Ye saye he delyuered us from origenall synne and actuall and yet ye youre selues confesse that ther be also venyall synnes Which yf ye taught not to be washed awae with some other thinges of youre owne chosynge No doubte ye wold confesse that Christ delyuered us from them also aswell as from the other In this youre doctryne ye confesse that thorow Christ we maye auoyde and escape the eternall and seconde death and yet afterward saye ye that our satisfaction doth please and content allmightye god as satisfactory for oure trespace But how fayntly bring ye out these wordes We maye O howe loth are ye that Christ shulde haue his due honour Agayne How stand youre wordes now together Yf we escape the eternall and second death by Christ how can we ascribe the pacifieng and contenting of allmightie god to oure owne satisfaction Morouer how doth god accepte oure satisfaction as satisfactory for oure trespace whan no man by youre owne confession can satisfie for the offence Is not trespace and offence all one thinge Ye affirme in youre latyn wordes that a man suffreth not the eternall and second death thorow the sinne of Adam which saienge includeth a very heinous heresie and is openly confuted by the Apostle to the Romaines where like as he proueth that the saluaciō of all men came onely by Christ so affirmeth he also that condemnacion came on all men thorow Adam Standishe No man can I graunt satisfie pro culpa et cetera Couerdale Ye graunt now that no man can satisfie for the offence and yet ye saide afore that oure satisfaction is accepted of god as satisfactory for oure trespace Item ye saie here that euery man must satisfie for the punishment belōginge to sinne and ye graunted afore that thorow Christ we auoyde and escape the eternall and second death loke better on youre boke man for shame Is not the eternall and seconde death euerlasting damnaciō and punishment due for sinne How can we then satisfie for the punishment belonginge vnto sinne whan by youre owne confession we escape it by Christ Alas that ye are so blind or that ye shulde buylde vpon so weake a foundacion Standishe Acordinge to that of S. Paul j. Cor. xj Sinos ipsos iudicaremus et cet Couerdale Remembre youre selfe well and forget not that ye haue brought in this texte to proue that euery man must satisfie for the punishment belonging vnto sinne Neuertheles let us se wher vpō the Apostle speaketh and pondre the circumstaunce of his wordes so shall we trye
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
and acceptable sacrifice to god which is your reasonable seruinge of god And fashion not your selues like vnto this worlde but be chaunged thorow the renewinge of your minde These are S. Pauls wordes which as ye partly hide from the vnlerned so cut ye them very short lest I feare yf we heard out S. Pauls minde we shulde vnderstond him the better S. Pauls doctrine is that we must mortifie oure bodies but to what intent To make any such satisfaction as ye wolde proue Naie so saieth not the texte but to the intent that we maie serue god as we shuld serue him to forsake vanite and to be altred frō an euel minde to a good Euen so like wise saieth the other text which I must English for you in the sixte to the Romaines Like as ye haue in times past geuen ouer youre membres to serue sinne from one wickednesse to another so must ye now geue ouer youre membres to serue righteousnesse that ye maie be holy That ye maie be holy saieth he and speaketh of no such satisfaction as ye inuente Standish Yf I do not thus satisfie then I shall haue the rewarde and paine belonging to sinne et cet Couerdale To the intent that ye maye spie the better in what case ye stand by your awne wordes I praie god ye maie loke to your selfe by times as a Christen man shulde I will make you an argument or two out of the scripture To deliuer from eternall death is to satisfie for the paine due vnto sinne But Christ onely deliuereth frō eternall death Ergo Christ onely satisfieth for the payne due vnto sinne The maior is manifeste by S. Paul whom ye youre selfe alledge saienge The rewarde of sinne is death euen eternall death by youre owne confession The minor is proued by the Prophet and by the Apostle Of these two premisses gather you the conclusion Another argument By what one so euer we are deliuered from the wrath of god both past and for to come by the same is made sufficient satisfactiō for the paine due vnto oure synne But Christ onely deliuereth us from the wrath of god both past and for to come Ergo he onely satisfieth for the paine due vnto our sinne The Maior is manifest for the payne due vnto sinne is the wrath and indignacion of god The Minor is euident by the Apostle first that we are deliuered onely by Christ frō the wrath of god past for he hath made the peace betwene his heauenly father and us and by him is the father reconciled Secondly that we are deliuered by him from the wrath to come it is cleare Rom. v. and j. Tessa j. By these two premisses maie you gather the conclusion Now to youre wordes To satisfie for the payne due vnto sinne is the onely office of Christ But ye take vpon you to satisfie for the payne due vnto sinne Ergo ye take vpon you the office of Christ The Maior is proued by the scriptures alledged afore in the two first argumentes The minor is gathered of your owne playne wordes Of these two foloweth the conclusion Then thus Ye saie that yf ye do not thus satisfie ye shall haue eternall death But so ye can not do for it is the onely office of Christ Ergo ye shall haue eternall death Beholde now what a daungerous case ye be in by your awne wordes Alas man that euer ye shulde be so blind as to sit thus in iudgment and to geue sentence agaynst youre owne soule that Christ hath shed his bloude for yf ye cōforme your selfe to be partaker therof Who wolde not note me to be fiue mile fro my right witte yf I shulde make such an argument and saie thus Yf I be not Christ the sonne of god I shall haue eternall death and damnacion But so it is that I am not Christ Ergo et cete Yf I shulde thus beleue and affirme this Maior wolde not ye abhorre me Turne therfore turne for gods sake in to youre owne conscience and rebuke it ernestly betwene god and you for suffring either your hand to write or youre mouth to speake anie such inconuenience Standish And now of this satisfaction finally to conclude yf there were nede of no satisfaction after by repentaunce we be come in to the fauoure agayne with god why then did Christ saie Luke vij to them that loue much many sinnes are forgeuē and to them that loue litle fewer sinnes are forgeuen Couerdale Youre opinion vpon that place of the gospell doth utterly destroie the parable of the lender and two detters yee and Simōs answere which oure sauioure Christ aloweth For Simon saieth that to whom most is forgeuen the same loueth most And againe our sauioure sayeth Vnto whom lesse is forgeuen the same loueth lesse By the which two sentences euery man maie easely perceaue that the text speaketh of no such satisfactiō as ye ymagin But I haue spied you now at the last O very cruell enemies to gods holy worde how falsely haue ye peruerted and turned oure sauiours wordes to mainteine youre heresie withall Can not Christes wordes stand in the gospell for you as he spake them and as the Euangelist wrote thē but ye must teach him how he shulde saie Doth he saie in that place To them that loue much many sinnes are forgeuē and to them that loue litle fewer sinnes are forgeuen Naie verely these are his wordes Many synnes are forgeuen her for she hath loued much But vnto whom lesse is forgeuen the same loueth lesse Will ye still then take vpon you to controlle the holy goost Well beware that this your iugling come not to light Beware I saie that the breth of god blow not downe youre house for a rotten foundacion can not stand long Take hede by times and saie ye be warned Standish This sayenge can not be concernynge culpam et cet Couerdale Oure sauiour speaketh of sinnes and of forgeuing the sinnes And yet are ye not ashamed to affirme that his saieng can not be concerning the faulte but concerning the punishment Can not Christ speake a thinge and meane the same Can he not be true in his wordes O blaphemers of the sonne of god Yee and of that blessed woman Mary Magdalene which must nedes be yet in hir olde faultes and a sinner still yf he meant not as he saide yf his saienge were not concerning the fault whan he spake these wordes Many sinnes are forgeuen her et cet Standishe Wherby we se that post remissam culpam et cetera Couerdale Ye haue here to fore called this satisfactiō the workes of pennaunce and now saie ye but in latyn that there remaineth somtyme a dutye of punishment to be pourged or reconciled with a worthy satisfaction Which yf it be a worke of pennaunce what time can ye assigne me in the which I am not boūd to be exercised in some frute therof
owne words Who whan he had said to the yong man yf thou wilt entre in to life kepe the commaundementes and tolde his disciples how hard it is for the couetous to entre in to heauen They asked him and said Who can thē be saued Then answered he them saieng With men it is vnpossible but with god are all thinges possible Downe then goeth the Pelagians heresie and litle thanke are ye like to haue for holdinge with it Yf he aske Why then doth god cōmaunde us to decline from euell and to do good yf it be not in our power To the same obiectiō doth S. Augustine make a sufficiēt answere in the secōde chapter de correptione et gracia and not onely refelleth it by S.P. words saiēg It is god which worketh in you both the wil and the dede but also putteth us in minde that yf we be the children of god we are led by gods sprete to do good that whan we haue done anie good thinge we maie geue thankes to him of whom we are led et cet And in another place Therfore doth he commaunde certaine thinges that we can not do because we might knowe what thinge we ought to aske of him The same doctrine teacheth he also in the lxiij sermō de tempore This is confirmed by holy scripture for by the lawe commeth the knowlege of sinne So that euen they which are renewed in Christ fynd by the lawe that whan they wold faine do good for therin is their delite euell is present with them The wordes of oure Sauioure yf ye loue me kepe my commaundementes proue nomore your purpose then your wresting of them proueth you to be a true scolar of his For after those wordes he himself saieth thus I am the waie the trueth and life No man commeth to the father but by me Naie saieth your doctrine we maie come to god by oure selues he commaundeth us nothing vnpossible for us to do Now let me aske you this question Yf Christ whan he saide these wordes Yf ye loue me kepe my commaundementes did meane that it is not vnpossible for us so to do why then immediatly after the same wordes doth he promes us the sprete of conforte What nede haue we of him yf we be not comfortles of oure selues or yf nothing that he commaunded us be vnpossible for us to do What nede haue the whole of a phisician And. S. Augustine writing agaynst them that extolle their owne possibilite in the seconde sermon de uerbis Apostoli saieth Let us be glad to be healed whyle we are here in this church Let us not make oure boast of health beinge yet sicke lest by oure pride we do nothing els but make oure selues incurable Standishe Which to the louers of thē be but light Math. xj.j. Ioh. v and Deut. xxx Couerdale Ergo god cōmaunded us nothinge vnpossible for us to do Is that your consequent Full faintly are ye able to proue it by those thre chapters that ye do alledge First in the xj of Matth. doth our Sauioure bid all them that are laden et cet to come to him And yet saieth he in another place that no man can come vnto him excepte his father draw him Where is now oure possibilite That fifth chapter of S. Iohns first Epistle sheweth that they which are borne of god do ouer come the worlde by the victory of faith Now like as we begat not our selues in the Kyndome of god but he himselfe of his owne good will begat us with the worde of life So is it manifest also that true faith is the onely workyng of god and not oures Where is then I saie our possibilite forsoith euen fled into the yle of weaknesse Yf by the thirtieth chapter of Deuteronomiō ye will proue that god hath commaunded us nothing vnpossible for us to do because Moses saieth This precepte that I commaunde the this daie is not aboue the ner farre from the et cete Then must I require you to take the answere of S. Paul who saieth that it is the righteousnesse of faith which speaketh those wordes and that the worde which Moses there spake of is the worde of faith that Paul himself preached Yf ye thinke there to proue your purpose because Moses laieth before the people life and death good and euel blessinge and cursinge and biddeth them chose life et ce Then must I desire you not onely to remembre the office of the lawe wherfore it was geuen and wher to it serueth But also to considre that in the begynnyng of the same thirtieth chapter Moses himself saieth these wordes The lorde thy god shall circumcise thine hert and the hert of thy posterite that thou mayest loue the lorde thy god with all thy hert and in all thy soule et cet Wherby it is euident that excepte god circūcise our hertes we are not able to loue him ner to kepe his cōmaundementes So that these wordes of Moses do proue rather impossibilite in us For the circūcision of the hert saieth the Apostle is the true circumcision which is done in the sprete and not in the lettre whose prayse is not of men but of god All these thre chapters now proue that like as to be saued to kepe gods cōmaundementes to haue circūcised hartes and to ouercome the world with the lustes therof is the onely workyng of god in us Euen so to them that loue god are his cōmaundementes not greuous not thorow anye possibilite of man but partly because Christ hath takē awaie the curse of the lawe and deliuered thē frō the heuy burthens of their soules and partly because they delite in gods cōmaundementes and esteme his word sweter then hony as Dauid did For loue maketh all thinges light Standish Therfore I conclude in all our workynge we do not cōmitte sinne Couerdale Of an euell Maior and Minor foloweth a weake conclusiō Ye haue wrung and wrested the scriptures violently to make them serue for your purpose and now without anie scripture make ye youre conclusion that in all youre workyng ye do not committe sinne To the probacion wherof because ye bring no scripture your selfe I will helpe you with a text where the scripture saieth thus There is no righteous man vpon erth that doth good and sinneth not Yf ye be a man I wil not reason much with you of righteousnesse for I am a sinfull man miselfe then must ye nedes graunt this scripture to be true Yf ye be no man then am I sory that I haue disputed with you so long for angels haue no nede of my wordes and as for deuels they will not be counsailed Standish No ner our dedes and actes which be good can not be called so et cet Couerdale Of. D. Barnes secrete intent and meaning will not I presume to be iudge but what maye be gathered by the circumstaunce of his wordes I
haue reasoned with you allready Now because ye can not proue this last parte of youre conclusiō by scripture namely that your good dedes and actes are not vnpure ner vnperfecte in this life therfore the Prophet Esaie to recompence you the wrong that ye dyd him in minishing his wordes afore will yet take the paines for you to proue your purpose though it be litle to your minde Whan he saieth All we are become as an vncleane man and all oure righteousnesses are as a clothe stained with the floures of a woman And the wise man saieth also Who maie saie My hert is cleane I am pure from sinne Barnes ANd with this he cast abrode his handes and desyred god to forgeue him his trespas Standishe Extra ecclesiam nulla salus et cetera Couerdale Without the church ye saie is no saluacion Now is it manifest that beside the church made of lime and stone ther is also a congregacion church and multitude of frowarde and wicked doers which not onely gather them selues together like roaringe lyons fatt bulles wanton calues and curre dogges agaynst Christ as the xxj Psalme complaineth but also make lawes cōstitucions statutes ordinaunces and tradicions agaynst gods worde Wherby it commeth to pas that though they boast neuer so much of gods seruice yet all is to them in vaine as the Prophet and Christ himselfe doth testifie Another church is there which is the holy spouse congregacion and company of them that are of the felashippe and communion of Christ and walke not in darknes but in the trueth hauing al their sinnes clensed by his bloude This church continueth in the Apostles doctryne renneth not out from the heauenly felashippe of Christ and his membres distributeth the sacramentes duely and truly ceasseth not frō praieng and well doinge et ce are of one minde and soule are glad to helpe one another as it is manifest in the actes and Epistles of the Apostles The men of this church praie in all places liftinge vp pure handes et cet In this church whosoeuer asketh hath he that seketh findeth and to him that knocketh doth god open In this church is fre pardon and remission of sinnes for all true penitentes For god will not the death of sinners but yf they cōuerte vnto him they shall liue and who so is laden with sinne and commeth vnto Christ findeth rest and ease in his soule and shall not be cast out Forasmuch then as ye condemne D. Barnes thus doinge and iudge him to be none of the church that desireth god to forgeue him his trespace it is euident that in your church ther is no forgeuenes for poore sinners and so is it not the church of Christ Wherfore seinge ye discente frō Christes church where the dore is euer opened to them that knocke youre owne sentence condēneth you that ye can trust to haue no saluaciō by gods promes But alas what blindnesse is in you Though a sinner doth erre or hath erred from the right faith and from the true vse of the holy sacramentes that be in the church of Christ and now commeth to repentaunce desiringe god to forgeue him his trespace Is not this a damnable doctrine to teach that he can not trust to haue saluaciō by gods promes No hath god promised that sin̄ers which repēt shal not be saued The thefe that hanged on the right hand of Christ hath proued the cōtrary Agayne Yf a sin̄er maie not trust to haue saluacion by gods promes wherby thē maie he trust to haue it By himselfe by his owne workes Or by youre merites Euen by your merites as it apeareth wolde ye haue him trust to haue saluacion for ye must nedes be full of merites that in all your workyng committe no sinne as ye saye your selfe Morouer the tenoure of your wordes separateth the mercy of god from his promes as though they cōcurred not together But I pray you who can trust to haue saluacion by gods promes and trusteth not in his mercy Whan the Apostle saieth God gaue the enheritaunce vnto Abraham frely by promes was it not done by his mercy And whan he saieth in the same chapter Ye are the heires of Christ acording to the promes what meaneth he els but as he saieth to Titus that the kindnesse and loue of oure sauioure hath appeared not for the dedes of righteousnesse which we haue done but acordinge to his mercy hath he saued us et cet S. Iames wordes which ye bring in in latyn denieth no forgeuenesse to them that repent but like as he rebuketh them that are but Christen men in worde and not in good workes and dedes so yf parcialite be sinne then doth the circūstaunce of the same text cōdemne your former conclusion that saie ye sinne not in all your workes Standishe Loke the reward of finalis impenitētia et cet Couerdale D. Barnes words testifie what faith and repētaunce he had toward god and what hert he bare toward the comon welth of all Christendome and yet shame ye not to wryte that he dyed without repentaunce and in errours because he wold not denie Christ and reuoke his worde with you Standishe Which died by his wordes without signe or token of saluacion Couerdale Is it no token ner signe of saluacion to beleue in the holy and blessed trenite the incarnacion passion death and resurrectiō of our sauioure and to knowlege the same before men Is all this utterly no token of saluacion Christ and the Apostle Paul are of another iudgment Standishe And so his praier must nedes be voyde Couerdale D. Barnes cast abrode his handes and desired god forgeuenes and yet darre ye affirme that his praier must nedes be voide By the which wordes like as ye denie the article of forgeuenesse mencioned in our Crede and promised in the scripture to euery one that truly repenteth so declare ye euidently that ther is litle mercy in your mother the church of the wicked for in Christes church yf the sonne aske the father a pece of bred he will not geue him a stone but good thinges Standish Marke how he trusteth with in an houre et ce Couerdale Is it blinde arrogauncy whan a man refusing all confidence in his owne workes trusteth to haue eternall life thorow the mercy of god What blynd arrogauncy was in the Apostle whan he saide we knowe certainlie that yf oure earthy house of this dwelling were destroyed we haue a building ordeined of god an house not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen Oure sauioure also geueth this comforte to such as beleue in him that they shall not come to damnacion but passe from death vnto life Are ye not a comfortable Phisician then to mens consciences that shame not to teach other wise then Christ doth But surely these two places of scripture are not for the stablishinge of your soule masses and diriges and therfore
no maruaill that ye teach a contrary doctrine For though the name of your purgatory be out of some of your bokes Yet are not all purse pykers come to the pillary Barnes FOr allthough perchaunce you knowe nothinge by me yet do I confesse that my thoughtes and cogitaciōs be in̄umerable Wherfore I beseche the entre not in to iudgment with me acording to the sayeng of the Prophet Dauid non in tres in iudicium cum seruo tuo domine and in another place si iniquitates obseruaueris domine quis sustinebir Lord yf thou strately marke our iniquyte who is able to abyde thy iudgment Standish Se I praye you the deuell seduced him so farre that he wold not knowlege any synne but onely cogitacions et cet Couerdale D. Barnes saide not that he had no sinne but all though saide he perchaunce you knowe nothinge by me yet I confesse that my thoughtes and cogitacions are in̄umerable Is this asmuch to saie as I haue no sinne but onely cogitacions and thoughtes Or be not thoughtes and cogitacions sinnes greate ynough Dyd he not cōfesse also with the Prophet that yf god wold strately marke his iniquities he were not able to abyde it Is iniquitie no sinne Not in your iudgment as it appeareth for ye darre boldly affirme that in all your workyng ye committe no sinne Standish Se how he iudged other men perchaunce to knowe no sinne in him et cet Couerdale Yf it be an abhominable vice as it is no doubte to slaundre the scripture or to belye it then verely are ye infecte with abhominable vice that haue misreported it and belied it in so many places of this youre treatise Now yf ye be of counsaill with so many good men that knew such vices in D. Barnes I maruaill ye tell us not what those vyces are As for your mother the vnholy church he called her an harlot many tymes And sure I am that who so knoweth her thorowly and cōpareth her with her frutes to Oolla and Ooliba wil iudge her to be litle better Standish Iudge therfore your selues what auaileth him these his fained praiers et cet Couerdale The praiers that D. Barnes vseth here are the holy wordes of gods scripture and yet ye call thē fayned prayers Now yf the holy goost which is the authoure of the scripture doth abhorre faynednesse as the wise man saieth then verely is it blasphemous to cal those fained praiers that he onely hath taught Againe Yf they be fained praiers why saie ye that ye doubte not but to another man passing in the faith of Christ they shuld haue bene acceptable yee and meritoryous before god Can fained praiers be acceptable to god Can fayned prayers merite or deserue any thing of god Or can he that dyeth in the fayth of Christ vse fayned prayers at his death How agreeth faynedesse with the faith of Christ Full fained and false is your doctrine Oure lord roote it ones out frō among his people Barnes WHerfore I trust in no good worke that euer I dyd but onely in the death of Iesus Christ Standishe To trust in our workes ut in deum credimus that they of them selues et cet Couerdale What an vnstable doctryne is this that ye bring in among gods people and wold bear them in hand that Christ alowed your saieng in the xx of Matthew Where as the parable in the same chapter and the processe of the last parte of the xix chapter hard afore it do utterly cōdemne your doctrine Lord god what a derogacion vnto gods hye glory is this to teach that we maye trust in oure workes that we maie calenge our inheritaunce by our workyng that our workyng maie deserue to receaue immortalite In the later ende of the xix chapter of Matthew doth our lorde affirme that to be saued is a thing vnpossible through the power of men And in this xx chapter doth his parable testifie that like as we are first called by him receaue his promes and are set a worke by his comaundemēt so is not the rewarde geuen for anie deseruing or paynes takynge but acording to his awne promes First where finde ye in anie article of the Christen faith conteined within the holy bible ether commaundement or promes of god or example of anie good man that we maie put anie maner of trust in our workes Againe Yf oure enheritaunce come by the death of Christ and his promes how commeth it by our workyng Is our workynge the death of Christ or his promes Now yf our workyng maie deserue the inheritaunce of immortalite then maie we make satisfaction vnto god for oure offence and that ye haue denyed afore O how well agree ye with youre selfe Standish And this caused Paul boldly to saie .ij. Timo. iiij Bonum certamen certaui et cet Couerdale Whan that holy vessell of god S. Paul had exhorted Timothy to the feruent executing of his dutie in preaching gods worde and had tolde him afore of this present perlous time that men will not suffre wholsome doctrine et cete He shewed him of his owne death saiēge For I am now ready to be offred and the tyme of my departing is at hande I haue foughten a good fighte I haue fulfilled the course I haue kepte the faith From hence forth ther is layed vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the lord the righteous iudge shall geue me in that daie not onely vnto me but to all them that loue his commynge What caused Paul now to saie these wordes Any trust or confidence in his owne deseruyng or workes Naye verely He confesseth not onely that the crowne of righteousnesse is laied vp for him but also that god shall geue it him nether sayeth he here that it shall be geuen him for his workyng sake for then were he contrary to his owne doctrine which utterly condemneth yours Roma iij. Ephe. ij Philip. iij. ij Timoth. j. Tit. iij Note well the places your selfe Standish All be it I feare me these his wordes et cete Couerdale Yf whan he dyd anie good worke he caused no trompettes to be blowne before him ner mombled vp longe praiers in the corners of stretes ner disfigured his face to be sene of men whan he fasted then was there the lesse ypocrisie in him It is a prouerbe as true as olde A still pater noster is as good as a lowde Barnes I do not doubte but thorow him to inheret the kyngdome of heauen Standish I beseche god this false and erroneous beleue contrary allmost in euery sentence to our mother the holy church et cet Couerdale Full vnholy and vngracious is your mother and ye as vnwise to take hir parte that calleth it a false and erroneous beleue whan a man doubteth not but to inheret the Kyngdome of heauen thorow Christ Yf that beleue be contrary to your mother then is she contrary to it and so is she the sinagoge of Antichrist
verely as ye saie your selfe the propertye of an heretike and this propertye lerne ye of the father of all heresye euen father Satan Who by angelis suis mandauit et cete wolde proue that a man maye tempte his lord god But like as Satan wrestyng that place of scripture which made moost against him was cōmaunded by oure Sauioure to auoyde so be ye sure that your false doctryne can not stand Dawlbe your wall and spare not for Ezechiel telleth you planely that god wyll sende such a shower of rayne among all lyeng prophetes as shall ouerthrowe it Your laboure is but lost so long as ye dawlbe your wall with vntempred morter Standish Also where he saieth that he hath euer spoken reuerently of sayntes et cet Couerdale Ye graūted afore his wordes to be true whan he sayde that all such as for confessyng Christes name and for his sake do suffre death are sayntes in heauen This reuerent talkynge and praysinge of sayntes dyd ye alowe afore And now contrary to your awne wordes ye saye that ye wote not whether he euer spake reuerently of them or no Yet confesse ye that ye haue heard him fortye tymes Who will now trust you that are so double in your wordes Barnes ANd that oure lady I saye she was a virgyn immaculate and vndefyled and that she is the moost purest virgyn that euer god created and a vessell electe of god of whom Iesus Christe shulde be borne Standish Here yet ignorauntly et cete he goeth forther then the scripture speaketh et cet Couerdale Be these his wordes out of the boundes of scripture or not acording to the scripture Reade them ouer agayne Standishe He wolde neuer willingly graunt anye thynge but that is in scripture Couerdale Then like as ye proue him to haue bene a true messaunger of god in grauntinge to the holy scripture which by your owne cōfession is gods very worde so declare ye that yf he reuoked anie thing that is in it or graunted ought cōtrary vnto it It was done agaynst his will Haue ye not now a great cause to make such tryumphinge of reuocacions in your sermons Standish Albeit here with the church he doth professe that oure lady did continue a virgin still et cete Couerdale Doth not the scripture affirme this doctryne that the mother of oure Sauyoure is the purest virgin that euer god created Will not the Prophecies of Christes birth the perfourmaūce of the same and the practises of the holy goost in Christes blessed mother alowe this doctrine Haue ye noted the worke of god in her no better Yf she had anye nede of you ye shew her but a faynte frendshippe in reportynge that her most pure virginite hath none other grounde but the auctorite of your church Verely such your doting doctrine wil make both you and your church be lesse set by Standish Deus n tantam eam fecit inquit quidam et ce Couerdale Is not your doctryne now well sealed with butter Whan ye haue presumed to cōtroll gods word and to call the blessed mother of Christ with other names then the holy goost geueth her Now to ratifye and cōfirme your false matter ye bring in an heretike to helpe you Can not Christes worthy mother kepe still the gracious names that the holy trenite hath geuen her but she must now haue a sorte of hereticall Ruffyans to become new godfathers vnto her Call her as gods worde teacheth you full of grace blessed immaculate virgin et cete Praye to god that ye maye folowe the fote steppes of her constant faith her feruent charite and godly loue her moost meke and humble behaueoure her vnfained trueth et ce And whan ye talke in matters of Christes religion bring forth playne and manifest wordes of his scripture and no Romysh heretike ner a text out of frame to proue youre purpose withall Barnes THen saide M. Sheriffe You haue sayd well of her before And he beynge afrayed that M. Sheriffe had bene or shulde be agreued with any thing that he shulde saye sayd M. Sheriffe Yf I speak any thing that you will me not do nomore but beckē me with your hand and I wil straight waie holde my peace For I will not be dishobedient in anie thing but will obeye Standishe Now as he faineth he wold gyue no slaunder or offence Sed sero sapiunt Phriges Couerdale At this poynt ye are with D. Barnes that though he be out of this life yet what so euer he sayd in this protestacion or dyd at the tyme therof ye iudge him to the worst and slaunder him But your owne prouerbe that ye bring in doth admonishe you that it is to laite for though ye belye him and slaunder him neuer so much it can not hurt him Standishe Now he saieth he is afraied to displease irep◠dauerunt timore vbi non erat timor et cete Couerdale Like as ye referre to him the wordes which are not his owne so reporte ye of him that he was afrayed where no feare was But was there no feare at the fyre syde The manhode of our sauioure Christ feared death and so dyd that holy Kynge Ezechias As for you ye must nedes be of some bolde and stowte kynde that can kyll a deed man But how serueth those wordes of the Psalme to this youre purpose The holy goost speaketh of such wicked workers as eat vp gods people like bred call not vpon god are afraied to se god stande on ryghteous mens syde and mocke poore mē for putting their trust in god How maketh this scripture now to proue that ther is no feare where a man seyth death present before his eyes O wicked mockers with gods holy worde Standish Now se I praye you how obedient he saieth he will be which before tyme was euer dishobedient et cete Couerdale Ye saye much and proue litle touching this man whose present protestacion and his boke written afore declareth planely his obedience toward his prynce whose wholsome commaundement yf he haue at anye tyme disobeyed contrary to this his doctryne and example I am the more sory But yet haue ye not proued it to be so Touchinge bishoppes which are to be estemed acordinge to their estate I wote not what dishobedience ye haue to proue against him Such bishoppes as laboure in the worde of god and in the doctryne therof are to be counted worthye of double honoure therfore in herkenyng vnto such he dyd well and yf he dispysed such he despysed Christ But yf he folowed S. Iohns bydding and dyd not receaue such false Apostles as bring not the doctryne of Christ then can ye not iustly blame him Barnes AFter this ther was one that asked him what he saide of the sacrament of the altare Then sayde he vnto M. Pope which was there present M. Pope ye know and. M. Ryche yf ye be alyue that ther was one accused before my lord
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
wherof he mainteined the prerogatyue of prynces against the tiran̄ie and vsurped power ye wote of whom I saye nomore but yf ye be at that poynt and may so frely write what ye wil I cōmitte my part of the playe to god Who as I doubte not wil defend the king in his right so am I sure that though ye be now in your ruffe he is not yet hard aslepe Where as ye saie that at D. Barnes death there were thre sortes of men and that the first sorte which by your reporte wer moost contrary to him wolde geue him no answere at his honest request Ye declare planely that either they had nothing to saie agaynst him or els litle charite seing that acording to S. P. wordes which ye alledge they found not thē selues greued to se the weake offended yf it were as you saie Nether proueth it thē to leane stedfastly vnto the piler of trueth to loue gods lawe to haue true quyetnesse in their conscience or to be endewed with feruent charite that folow not the same law of loue in the tyme of nede How do those places of scripture then that ye bring in alowe their acte Let all indifferent readers iudge how the cxviij Psalme the third of the first to Timothe or the eight to the Romaynes agreeth with their purpose In describing the secōde sorte of people that were at D. Barnes death ye faile also First in reporting of thē that they euer be and shal be as apte to receaue the euel preaching as the good Secondly that they are cōtent in these matters to go whither they be led Thirdly that they are cōtent to beleue what they be taught Fourthly that they know not whan they be in the right waye ner whan they be forth of it Now saieth our sauyoure in the same text which ye your self do alledge that they beleue in him Then like as they harkē to his voice and not to the voice of straunges so folow they him and are led of his holy sprete And not onely proue all doctrines whether they be of god but also kepe that which is good for they knowe Christes voice and not the voice of straūgers Morouer yf that third sorte of people did fauour no worse opinions and were no fuller of fleshly and carnall sensualite then this present protestacion of D. Barnes teacheth them that text dilexerunt magis tenebras et cet maye rather be verified of you and your sorte then of thē Barnes BVt they that haue bene the occasion of it I praye god forgeue them as I wold be forgeuen my self And. D. Stephin Byschopp of wynchester that now is yf he haue sought or wrought this my death ether by word or dede I pray god forgyue him as hartely as frely as charitably and without fayning as euer Christ forgaue thē that put him to death Standishe Se now whether this be fayned charite or nor et cetera Couerdale It is no poynt of fained charite a man to forgeue them that offend against him and to praie for them that persecute him As it is manifest by our sauiours doctryne and example also at his death Ye take vpon you here the office of a iudge afore ye be called ther to yee euen gods onely office in iudging mens hertes take ye vpon you As who saie he goeth aboute to ouerthrow and cast downe a man that agreeth not with him in his doctryne As touching any contencious maner betwene my lord of winchester and. D. Barnes though you and I both as I suppose be ignoraunt what direction the Kynges highnesse dyd take therin Yet seyng the one was reconciled to the other openly at the Spittle ye shulde now not take the matter so whote But a pyke thanke will ye be still What mynde hath he to be reuenged that first asketh a man forgeuenesse and than praieth god to forgeue him as Christ forgaue his death yf he be giltie Agayne Will the. B. of winchestre iudge him selfe to be either sediciously or disdainfully named or without reuerence whan he is called a bisshoppe I darre saye he will not Why plaie ye Philippe flatrers part thē as though the name of a bisshoppe were not a reuerent name Barnes ANd yf any of the counsaill or any other haue sought or wrought it thorow malice or ignoraunce I praye god forgyue them their ignoraunce and illumynate their eyes that they maye se and aske mercy for it Standish O what ignoraunce et cetera Couerdale This praier is nether malicious against gods word ner preiudicial to any man and yf they that suffred D. Barnes to liue so long were to blame for their so doing then make ye your selfe giltye of the same fault that haue played the coward all that whyle and not helped him to his death Barnes I Besech you all to pray for the kynges grace as I haue done euer sens I was in preson and do now that god maie geue him prosperite and that he maie lōg raigne amōg you ād after him that goodly prynce Edward may so raigne that he maye fynishe those thinges that his father hath begon I haue bene reported a preacher of sedicion and disobediēce to the kynges maiestie but here I saye to you that you all are bound by the cōmaundement of god to obeye youre prince with all humilite and with all your hert yee not so much as in a looke to shew yourselues disobedient vnto him and that not onely for feare of the swerd but also for conscience sake before god Standish Thou hast bene truly reported a sedicious preacher et cetera Couerdale Will ye then winke at sediciō so long and not be an accuser therof where as by your awne confession ye haue heard him preach so oft Ye and knowing his boke to haue bene so long prynted But how vntruly ye belye him it shall be euydent to all the worlde that will reade his boke Ye reporte of him that he shuld saye in his boke prynted ten yeares agoo that yf the Kyng wold by tiranny take the new Testament from his subiectes they shuld not suffre him Now is it manifest that like as he saieth here in this parte of his protestacion so saieth he also in his boke and bringeth in the same xiij chapter to the Romaynes that ye alledge and addeth morouer these wordes In no wise be it right or wrong maiest thou make any resistaunce with swerde or with hand et cet Itē Yf the Kyng forbyd the new Testament et cete men shall first make faithfull praiers to god and humble supplicacion to the Kyng that his grace wold release that commaundement Yf he wil not do it they shall kepe their testament with all other ordinaunce of Christ and let the Kyng exercise his tiranny yf they can not flie and in no wise vnder paine of damnacion shall they resiste him by violence but suffre paciently et ce Nor they shal not go aboute to depose their
prince as my lordes the bisshoppes were wont et cet But yf the kyng will do it by violence they must suffre it but not obeie to it by agrement Item Now is it cleare that we maie not resist this temporall power in no wise by violence et cet but yf anye thing be commaunded us that is against the word of god wherby oure faith is hurt that shuld we not do in any wise but rather suffre persecucion and also death Be these wordes now as much to saye as yf the Kyng commaunde anie thing by tirannie mē shall not suffre him What meane ye so vntruly to reporte of the deed But no maruail whan ye shame not to belie so many textes of gods holy word Touching mens lawes it is manifest that such as are not grounded in gods word do not bind the conscience of man to deadly sinne For yf they be not grounded in gods worde and agreable to the faith therof then are they synfull and naught Who is bound now to obeie sinne But a man maie smel you a farre of whose successours ye be You will not sticke to call it a laufull acte for a prince to condemne gods word and to forbid that thinge which is institute and ordeyned of god Yee yf oure prince wold take such a thing in hand which god forbid he shuld lacke no instigacion of your malignaunt church Nether can I yet coniecture the contrary but that ye are aboute such a tragedy Now go to set your watch men to kepe the sepulchre suffre not Christ to ryse vp in any wyse let not the souldiers lack money the church is riche ynough cast your greate heades together and let Caiphas geue you his most so tel counsaill For whan ye haue done your best and lyed all that euer ye can yet shall god make your policye to serue for the glorye of his trueth Amen Barnes YEe and I saye further yf the kyng shuld commaunde you any thing agaynst gods law yf it be in your power to resist him yet maye you not do it Standish Se here the stedfastnesse et cetera Couerdale This man nether wrote ner sayd that we must obeye an erthly prynce more then allmightie god and yet are ye not ashamed so to reporte of him He saieth that though the Kyng commaunde us anye thing agaynst gods lawe yet maye we not resist him Which saieng ye call an abhominable heresie Thus declare ye your selfe manifestly to be of the nombre of them that teach how that it is lauful for a man to resist his prince Which thing whether it be not both heresie and treason let them iudge that haue auctorite Because Amos the Prophet preached agaynst ydolatry at Bethel that false prest Amasias whom ye speake of told that Kyng that he was a sedicious felow and so found the meanes to get him out of the court Yet played Amasias a more honest parte with Amos then you do for he laied rebellion to his charge that was alyue and your accusacion is agaynst the deed Agayne Amasias being yet a false prest saieth not that it is laufull for a man to resist his prynce and you call it abhominable heresie to teach the contrary Though Peter and Iohn do teach that we must obeye and harken vnto god more then vnto men do they therfore teach that we must resist our prynce Where fynd ye that example in them Peter smote of Malcus eare in dede but litle thanke had he for his laboure Doth he not teach us to endure grefe to suffre wrong and to take it paciently Saieth he not that we are called ther vnto Setteth he not Christ vnto us for an example of suffryng Because our Sauioure wylleth us not to feare them that kyll the body must we therfore resist them Whan a prynce doth persecute us for gods wordes sake in one citie must we resist him and not rather flye in to another Doth he call them blessed that resist and not them rather that suffre for persecucion sake Dyd Christ entre in to his Kyngdome by resisting or by suffryng As for that saieng qui timet hominem et cet I can not find it in the xix of the prouerbes but I fynd ther written that a false witnesse shall not remayne vnpunished and that he which speaketh lies shall not escape Ye call it an abhominable heresie to teach that we ought not to resist our prince though he commaunde us any vnlaufull thing And to proue your purpose ye poynt us to the fifth of Esaye where ther is no such words as ye speake of But these wordes fynd I there Wo vnto them that call good euell et cet As for the ensample of the seuen brethren and their mother it utterly condemneth you for they saie these wordes We are ready rather to suffre then to offende the lawes of god et cete And as they said so they dyd without makyng resistaunce though the Kynges commaundement was vnlaufull What other thing now dyd D. Barnes teach in his fore rehearced wordes but as he had said in his boke afore that yf the Kyng wolde cōmaunde us anie vnlaufull thing we must suffre him though we obeie not to it by agremēt What daunger you be in then for teaching the contrary I will not define I praie god acording to his good pleasure haue mercy vpon you Barnes THen spake he to the shereffe and sayde M. shereffe I requyre you of gods behalfe to haue me commended vnto the kynges grace and to shew him that I require of his grace these requestes first that wher his grace hath now receaued in to his handes all the goodes and substaunce of the abbayes Then the shereffe desyred him to stoppe there He answered M. shereffe I warraunt you that I wil speake no harme for I know it is well done that all such supersticion be taken cleane awaye and the kynges grace hath well done in takyng it awaye But seyng his grace is made a hole kyng and obeyed in his realme as a kyng which nether his father ner graundfather ner his ancestours that raigned before him euer had and that thorow the preaching of us and such other wretches as we are which allwayes haue applied our hole studies and gaue our selues for the setting forth of the same and this is now our reward Well it maketh no matter Now he raigneth I praye god long maye he raigne among you Wold god it might please his grace to bestow the sayd goodes or some of them to the comforte of his poore subiectes which surely haue great nede of them The second that I desire his grace is that he will se that matrymony be had in more reuerence then it is and that men for euery light cause inuented cast not of their wifes and lyue in aduoutry and fornicacion and that these that be not maried shuld not abhominably lyue in whordome folowing the filthy lustes of the flesh The third that the