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A68831 The vvhole workes of W. Tyndall, Iohn Frith, and Doct. Barnes, three worthy martyrs, and principall teachers of this Churche of England collected and compiled in one tome togither, beyng before scattered, [and] now in print here exhibited to the Church. To the prayse of God, and profite of all good Christian readers.; Works Tyndale, William, d. 1536.; Barnes, Robert, 1495-1540. Works. aut; Frith, John, 1503-1533. Works. aut; Foxe, John, 1516-1587. Actes and monuments. Selections. 1573 (1573) STC 24436; ESTC S117761 1,582,599 896

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Gospell declare And when he sayth he neuer founde nor heard of any of vs but that he would forsweare to saue his lyfe Aunswere the more wrath of God wil light on them that so cruelly delite to torment them and so craftely to beguile the weake Neuerthelesse yet it is vntrue For he hath heard of Sir Thomas Hitton whō the Byshops of Rochester and Caunterbury slew at Maydstone and of many y t suffered in Braband Holand at Colen and in all quarters of Dutchland and do dayly And when he sayth that their Church hath many Martyrs let hym shewe me one that dyed for pardons and Purgatory that the Pope hath fayned and let him take the mastrie And what a do maketh he that we say there is a Church that sinneth not that there is no man but that he sinneth whiche are yet both true We read i. Iohn iij. he that is borne of God sinneth not And Ephes v. men loue your wiues as the Lord doth the Churche and gaue him selfe for her to sanctifie her and to clense her in the fountaine of water through the word and to make her a glorious Church vnto hym selfe without spot or wrincle And i. Iohn i. If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and make him a lyer and hys word is not in vs. M. More also wil not vnderstand that the Church is some time taken for the elect onely whiche haue the law of God written in their hartes fayth to be saued through Christ written there also Which same for all that say with Paule that good which I would that do I not But that euill which I hate that do I so it is not I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in my flesh And Gala. v. the flesh lusteth cōtrary to y e spirit the spirit cōtrary to y ● flesh so that these two fightyng betwene thē selues ye can not do what ye would For they neuer consent that sinne is good nor hate y ● law nor cease to fight against the flesh but assoone as they be fallen rise and fight a fresh And that the Church is some tyme taken for the cōmō rascal of all that beleue whether with the mouth onely carnally with out spirite neither louyng the law in their harts nor feelyng the mercy that is in Christ but either runne all together at riot or keepe the law with cautels and expositions of their owne faynyng and yet not of loue but for feare of hell as the theues do for feare of the galowes make recompence to God for their sinnes with holy dedes He also will not vnderstand that there be two maner faythes one that is the fayth of the elect which purgeth them of all their sinnes for euer As ye see Iohn xv ye be cleane sayth Christ by the reason of the word that is thorough beleuyng Christs doctrine And Iohn i. he gaue them power to be the sonnes of God through beleuyng in his name And Iohn iij. he that beleueth the sonne hath euerlastyng lyfe a thousand like textes And an other of them that be called and neuer electe As the faith of Iudas of Symon Magus of the deuill and of the Pope In whose hartes the law of God is not written as it appeareth by their workes And therfore when they beleue many thynges of Christ yet whē they come vnto the saluation that is in his bloud they be but Iewes and Turkes forsake Christ and runne vnto the iustifying of ceremonies with the Iewes Turkes And therefore they remayne euer in sinne within in their hartes Where the elect hauing the law written in their brestes leuyng it in theyr spirites sinne there neuer but without in the flesh Agaynst whiche sinne they fight continually and minishe it dayly with the helpe of the spirite thorough prayer fasting and seruing their neighbours louyngly with all maner seruice out of the law that is writtē in their harts And their hope of forgeuenesse is in Christ onely through his bloud and not in ceremonies The v. Chapter ANd vnto hys v. Chapter I answere by the Pope the scripture is hid and brought into ignoraunce the true sence corrupt And by thē that ye call heretickes we know the scripture and the true sence thereof And I say that the Pope keepeth the scripture as did y e Phariseis to make marchaundise of it And agayne that the heretickes become out of you as out of the Scribes and Phariseis came the Apostles and Christ himselfe Iohn Baptist and that they be plucked out of you and graffed in Christ and built vppon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes And in the end when he sayth that the heretickes be fallen out of Christes misticall body which is the Pope and hys I aunswere that ye be a misticall body and walke in the mist and wyll not come at the light and the heretikes be departed out of your mist and walke in the cleare light of Gods worde The vj. Chapter IN the vj. he sayth that the heretikes be all nought for they all periure and abiure He yet saith vntrue Many abyde vnto the death Many for theyr weakenesse are kept out of your hāds Many for their ouer much boldnesse in their owne strength be deliuered into your handes and fall in the fleshe their hartes abiding still in the truth as Peter and thousandes did after repent and be no lesse Christen thē before though ye haue them in derision vnto your owne damnation And many because they come to Christ for fleshly liberty and not for loue of the truth fall as it becommeth them vnder your handes as Iudas and Balam which at the beginning take Christes parte but afterward when they fynde eyther losse or no vauntage they get them vnto the contrary part and are by profession the most cruell enemyes and subtellest persecuters of the truth Looke Maister More and reade and marke well The vij Chapter IN the vij he sayth that he hath holy Saintes and holy counsels on hys side Name the Saintes proue it Name the counselles and the holy Prelates thereof Thou shalt shew me none other Popes or Cardinals then such as we haue now that will obey neyther God nor mā or any law made by God or man but compell all men to follow them strengthning their kyngdome wyth the multitude of all misdoers He sayth also that good and bad worship Saintes the good well and the bad euill How cōmeth it then that ye shew not the difference and teach to do it well I see but one fashion among all the popishe And finally he sayth he is not boun● to answere vnto the reasons and scriptures that are layde agaynst them It is inough to proue their part that it is a common custome and that such a multitude do it and so by his doctrine the Turkes are in the right way The viij Chapter
●eares Holy dayes are ord●●ned for 〈◊〉 and not man for the holy dayes The signification of thynges are to be sought and not to serue the visible signes Ceremonies with out some good doctrine are to be reiected Turkes are rather to be lamēted for their ignoraunce and to be wonne with good doctrine example of good lyfe then to be hated and murthered We do nothyng well e●●ept we do it of loue from a pure hart Superstitious obseruations are rather the breakyng of the law then the kepyng of the same The world is to be rebuked for lacke of iudgement Iudge by these things whether the Pope haue erred or no● Iudge what baggage is in the Popes doctrine and of his making Note the 〈…〉 spiritualtie 〈…〉 Christ Our 〈◊〉 is the cause that hypo●… The practice of prelates Signification of the 〈…〉 are 〈…〉 The ministers of the 〈◊〉 are 〈…〉 to preach to y t people s●…ly the wo●… of 〈◊〉 to pray in a 〈…〉 vnderstand The lawe cannot be fulfilled w t workes or they neuer so holy A great abuse in prayer The church taken for the spiritualty King William King Iohn S. Thomas of Caunterbury Holy Church hath bornt a great swinge The Pope and his rable takē for the church The church is a cong●●gation of people of all sortes gathered together The church of God how it is taken in Scripture Gal. 1. Actes 23. Gal. 1. Rom. 16. 1. Cor. 16. 1. Tim. 3. 1. Tim. 5. The church is a multitude of all them that beleue in Christ wheresoeuer ●hey be gathered together A double significatiō of this worde church The cause why Tyndall trāslated y t word church into this worde congregation Congregation is vnderstand by the circūstaunce Ecclesia is a greke worde and signifieth a congregation Actes 19. M. More was ●…ful in Poetry Iudas Balaa● A good ad●… to M. More M. More did greatly fauour Erasm●s M. More was a ●epe dissembler M. More 〈◊〉 captious M. More 〈…〉 1. Pet. 5. 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 Byshops ought to be byd●rs in one place Note Women God poureth hys holy spirite 〈◊〉 wisdome 〈…〉 aswell we●… mē God is vnder no 〈…〉 necessitie lawlesse The cause why young 〈◊〉 was preferred by 〈◊〉 to be a Byshop Paul was a fa●herly instructer to 〈◊〉 ●…thy S. Paule was a worthy mo●t ●…ther instructour A great difference betwene teaching of the people and teaching of a preacher ●●lyng 〈◊〉 sha●ing ●…ny thing or any part of priest●… O●…●alt 〈◊〉 are 〈…〉 ●yle hath ●…o 〈◊〉 at all 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 ☞ The minister amōg the 〈…〉 were na●… 〈◊〉 age Why ●yn 〈…〉 this worde 〈…〉 rather 〈◊〉 Charitie hath 〈◊〉 significations Loue 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 vnderstād Euery loue is not charitie nor euery charitie is not loue Why Tyndall sayth fauour and ●ot grace Knowledge and not confession repentaūce and not penaunce The Papistes may not forbeare to haue their iugglyng termes Penaunce Penaunce was profit●… to the Papistes ●rue penaunce what it is Fayth in Christ 〈◊〉 get a true repentaūce Deut. 17. ☜ Balam The sinne agaynst the holy ghost ☜ 2. Pet. 1. The chuch before y ● gospell or the Gospell before the church Rom. 9. The word which is y ● Gospell was before the church Ioh. 15. Ioh. 17. Note w●ll thys Whether y ● Apostles taught any thing that they did not write So much to written as is necessary ●or 〈◊〉 saluation The scripture writtē must con●o●nde the vnwritten verities Writing hath bene from the beginning God frō y ● beginning hath 〈◊〉 ten 〈…〉 y ● hartes of his 〈◊〉 The Pope hath taken fro vs the significations of the Sacramentes Actes 7. There can no more be taught vs then to cōteyned in the scriptures Purgatorye The Heathē thought nothing more madder thē the doctrine of the resurrection The Apostles taught nothing that they were afrayde to write Sacramētes haue significations All y ● Sacramentes taught eyther in the olde testament or new haue significations ☞ The Popish Sacramentes 〈◊〉 one agaynste an other Sacramēts with out significations are not to be 〈◊〉 Whether y ● Church cā●… or not What y e very Church is what fayth saueth By fayth we are made the sonnes of God Ephe. 〈◊〉 ▪ Math. 〈…〉 The offeryng of Christes body and bloud is y e onely satisfaction for our sinnes There is no way to saluation but by Christes death and passion Collos 1. Ephes 5. Rom. 8. 1. Iohn 3. Fayth and sinne can not ●a●d together 1. Iohn 1. All fleshe deth sinne We sinne of frailtie weakenes We may erre yet be saued Who they be that erre from the way of ●ayth Faith is euer assailed with besperation All power readines to do good cō●eth of God not of our selues A very good example The faythfull though they sl●● yet they fall not Faith in y ● good ne● of God is our staye Ioh. 15. If we consider how mercifull god is vnto vs we cānot chuse but submit our selues vnto hys lawes Christian mē must be patient Mercy waiteth euer on the elect Dauid The elect of God must haue patience be long sufferers God trieth his elect by suffering them to tell into temptation We may cōa●t sinne and yet not forget God The āpostles beyng amased w t tēptations forgat all Christes myracles A great temptation layd vpō y ● Apostles The Apostles were very doubtfull Christ hys resurrectiō The Disciples were not without fayth but yet the ●ame was very doubtfull Peters fayth fayled not ☞ Luke 22. A foolish glose made by M. More ☜ 1. Pope The Pope his sect are not the Church of Christ 2. 〈◊〉 The Pope in forbyddyng mariage to Priestes doth not cōsēt that the lawe of god is 〈◊〉 The Pope licenceth whordome whiche God forbiddeth 3. The Popish Clergy are persecutours An abhominable wicked deuilish decree 4. Rom. 13. 5. 1. Cor. 5. The Pope is vtterly against the doctrine of Christ Their first reason A 〈◊〉 reason One Argument confuted with an other of like nature The solution The right fayth dyd neuer 〈◊〉 continue in the greater number of 〈◊〉 Church Math. 16. Math. 23. Hypocrites are crept vp in to the seate of Christ his Apostles 〈◊〉 Pet. 2. The Pope and hys Clergye haue corrupted the Scriptures of God with their traditions Iohn 〈◊〉 The scriptures beare witnes who are the right Church Christ Iohn Baptist Luke 1. ☜ The doctrine of Iohn brought y ● hart of the Iewes into the right way Our Popish hypocrites haue nede of a Iohn Baptist to conuert thē Those which depart from the fayth of hypocrites are the true Church Their second reasō Note here this Popish Argument The Pope and his sect say they are the church and can not erre The solution Iohn Baptist was a true expositor of the law Math. 17. The Phariseis added false gloses to y ● Scripture The Pa 〈◊〉 doctrine Purgatorye The Phariseis and papistes agree in the false interpreting of y ●
vsed of Christ Iohn 6. The olde passeouer compared with the Supper of our Lord. Baptisme compared with Circumcision 1. Cor. 10. 11. and 12. Rom. 6. Ephes 4. Eucharistia thākes giuyng 1. Cor. 10. and 11. 1. Tim. 1. Baptisme was figured by Circumcision and the Lordes Supper by the paschall lambe Luke 12. 1. Cor. 5. Exod. 12. Luke 22. The Paschall lambe eaten and the Sacrament instituted Twoo thynges to be considered in the Sacramentes The matter and substaunce of of the Sacramēt and the signes of the 〈◊〉 ▪ The signe is called the thyng Gene. 17. Exod. 12. The scripture calleth the signe by the name of the thing that it signifieth The bread in the Sacramēt called the body of Christ the wyne called the bloud of Christ ●st is takē for significat Gene. 40. The figuratiue speches vsed in the scripture 〈◊〉 Pet. 2. Ezech. 5. The maner of speakyng in the scripturo Iohn 3. The naturall body of Christ is not in the Sacramēt ▪ The Sacrament is to be receaued with thankes geuyng The vse of the supper Luke 22. Note here the whole circumstaunce of the maner and institution of the Sacramēt of Christes body Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. Iohn 6. Abacuk 2. Christ declared to his disciples that he would leaue this world 〈◊〉 go to his father in heauen Scriptures are many that shewe Christ as touchyng his natural body is gone and is not here Actes 2. Christ ascēded into heauen Iohn 14. and. 16. Christ ●●playne wordes declareth his bodely departure out of this world Christ playnlye shewed vnto the disciples that he must depart from this world to his father in heauen Christes ●…rified body is in heauen Christes 〈◊〉 scention was witnessed by many The here 〈◊〉 of Marc●… what it was 1. Timo. 6. 2. Timo. 2. 1. Timo. 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 11. The Supper of the Lord is the commem●ration and memoriall of Christes death S. Paule calleth the Sacramēt bread after the consecration By one loafe of bread we are fignified to bee one body in Christ The cup of the Lord 〈◊〉 the cup of the deuill how they differte Who they are that eate of the bread and drinke of the cup vnworthely Euery 〈◊〉 did eate his own supper and not the Supper of the ●●rd We must firste examine out stlues and thē come to the table of the Lord. Loke more of this in the Epistle to the reader If we come not thankfully and charitably vnto y t Lordes borde we eate and drinke our damnation S. Paule calleth the poore the Church of God This place the Papistes alledge to proue vnwritten be ritie More belyeth Decolamp●dius and Zuingitus Loke more of this in the Epistle to the reader Tertulian The wor●es of Tertulian Austē cap. xij against ●dim●nt Gene. 6. Leui. 7. Deut. 12. Austen calleth Sacrament the signe of his body Hom● 83. operiti● imperfect● Chrisostome calleth the sacramēt the signe of Christes body The confutatiō of the Papistes gloses The Papistes are wre●ters peruerters of the scriptures The Papistes say that the trā substantion is done by miracles All true miracles are done to let forth the glory of God Christ dyd miracles to declare h●m selfe to be both God and man 〈…〉 〈…〉 1. Thes 2. 1. Iohn 2. 〈…〉 scriptures The contētious and wicked doctrine of y ● Papistes hath prouoked the lyght of gods truth to be set forth to the vnderstandyng of the people How the 〈…〉 A●…●2 The Sacrament is not vsed in these dayes as it was in the tyme of the Apostles A good doctrine for al such ministers as haue cure of soules to vse to his flocke Thankes geuyng The bread and wyne are not prophane but Sacramentes to holy vse 1. Cor. 1. A wholesome and good lesson namely for all ministers Rom. 5. At the ministration of the Sacrament let the minister exhorte all men to haue faith and lone to pray for grace I good and necessary exhortatiō to be mate to y ● people of the t●… they receaue the communiō None may come to the commu●… without y ● weddyng germent 〈◊〉 ●ayth Iohn 13. Thankesgeuyng to God Those wordes of his are in his booke that he made for y t pore soules in Purgatory Marke 42. Not who speaketh but that whiche is spoken is to be weyed most 1. Tim. 4. The holy ghost inspireth where when and on whom he pleaseth Actes 2. 1. Cor. 12. The talent of our learnyng is to be employed to the edifiyng of Christes congregation Wilfully to resist Gods worde is sinne agaynst the holy ghost Ezech. 33. Obiection Aunswere 1. Thess Our imperfection forgeuen thorough faith in Christes bloud The Byshop of Rochesters owne opinion concernyng the vnderstandyng of the scriptures in his time and long a for● that Actes 17. The cause of our blindnes and grosse errours 2. Thess 2. Rom. 15. Voluntary ignoraūce not to bee excused The cause of Iohn Frithes writyng against Purgatory Mans reason must be obedient to the Scriptures Aulus Gelius The rebuke of an open enemy better then the sclender prayse of a frend M. More my Lord of Rochester can not agree The Purgatoryes that God hath ordeyned Iohn 15. The Purgatory of the hart The Purgatory of the hart is fayth The Purgatory of the members Heb. 12. The Purgatory of the mēbers is the crosse of Christ Psal 89. God nayleth vs to the crosse to heale our infirmities So euill was the life of the Papistes that they imagined a Purgatory for them selues The wisedome of the world foolishnes afore God Symon Fishe the maker of the booke of the Supplication of Beggers Our riches is to be bestowed on the poore Either there is no Purgatory els the Pope is mercylesse Whereat M. More first began to fume agaynst such as denye Purgatory Rastell foloweth M. More The names of the disputers in the matter of Purgatory The sōme and contentes of Rastels iij. Dialogues An aunswere to Rastels Dialogue Rastels booke is either true or false If naturall reason conclude agaynst the Scripture then is naturall reasō false Roma 5. Iohn 11. 2. Rastels boke clearely quickly confoūded Rastel beaten to the wall The first chief reason made for Purgatory Rastell Aunswere to the first argument Psal 81. 1. Thess 4. Question Math. 24. The confutatiō of Rastels first chief argument 1. Iohn 1. 1. Cor. 15. 1. Thess 4. Ephes 1. and. 5. Rastell ouerthrowē in his owne turne 3. Hebr. 1. Christ is the onely Purgatory and purger of our sins 4. Ephe. 5. A frutefull and excellēt argument 5. Ephe. 1. Christ by his election doth purge and clense vs. 6. 1. Iohn 1. Ephe. 1. Gallat 5. Roma 7. Roma 8. Roma 5. Roma 4. Psal 31. Iustification freely doth exclude Purgatory Roma 3. Obiection In aunswere to the first obiection Obiection 1. In aunswere to the second obiection 2. The Pope ●elleth Christes merites for money 3. We may not robbe God of his honour 4. Blasphemy to say Christes bloud is not full
DIEV ET MON DRIOT ¶ THE WHOLE workes of W. Tyndall Iohn Frith and Doct. Barnes three worthy Martyrs and principall teachers of this Churche of England collected and compiled in one Tome togither beyng before scattered now in Print here exhibited to the Church To the prayse of God and profite of all good Christian Readers Mortui resurgent AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye and are to be sold at his shop vnder Aldersgate An. 1573. ¶ Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis ARISE FOR IT IS DAY A Table of the seuerall Treatises conteyned in M. William Tyndals workes A Preface to the Christian Reader The lyfe of Wylliam Tyndall A protestation of the state of the soules departed A preface that he made before the v. bookes of Moses A prologue shewyng the vse of the Scripture Seuerall prologues that he made to the v. bookes of Moses fol. 2. 7. 11. 15. 21. Certaine harde wordes expounded by him in the fyrst second and fourth booke of Moses fol. 5. 10. 16. A prologue vpon the Prophet Ionas 23. Prologues vpon the iiij Euangelistes 32. Prologues vpon the Epistles of S. Paule 39. Prologues vpon the Epistles of S. Peter 54. Prologues vpon the iij. Epistles of S. Iohn 55. The parable of the wicked Mammon 59. The obedience of a Christian man and how Christian rulers ought to gouerne 97. An exposition vpon the v. vj. vij chapters of S. Ma. thewes Gospell 184. An answere to Syr Thomas Mores dialogues 244 The practise of popishe Prelates 340. A pathway into the holy Scripture 377. The exposition vpon the first Epistle of S. Iohn 387. The exposition vpon M. William Tracies will 429. A fruitfull treatise vpon signes Sacraments 436. Two notable letters that he sent vnto Iohn Frith 453. The Supper of the Lord wherein is confuted the letter of M. More sent vnto Iohn Frith supposed to be written by Tyndall 457. ¶ The Epistle or Preface to the Christian Reader AS we haue great cause to geeue thankes to the high prouidence of almighty God for the excellent arte of Printing most happely of late found out and now commonly practised euery where to the singular benefite of Christes Church wherby great increase of learnyng and knowledge with innumerable commodities els haue ensued and dayly doe ensue to the lyfe of man and especially to the fartheraunce of true Religion so agayne of our parte it is both of vs all in generall to be wished and especially of them to be procured who occupie the trade therof rightly to vse the same to the glory of hym which gaue it and to the ende wherefore it was ordayned and not to abuse vnworthely that worthy facultie eyther in thrusting into the worlde euery vnworthy trifle that commeth to hand or hauing respecte more to their owne priuate gayne then regarde to the publike edifiyng of Christes Church or necessary preferment of Religion For therefore I suppose this science of Printing first to be set vp and sent of God to mans vse not so much for temporall commoditie to be taken or mans glory to be sought thereby but rather for the spirituall and inwarde supportation of soulehealth helpe of Religion restoring of true doctrine repayring of Christes Church and repressing of corrupt abuses which had heretofore ouerdarckened the doctrine of fayth to reuiue agayne the lost lyght of knowledge to these blynde tymes by renuing of holsome and auncient writers whose doinges and teachinges otherwise had lyen in obliuion had not the benefite of Printing brought them agayne to light or vs rather to light by them Wherfore such Printers in my mynde are not to be defrauded of their due commendation who in pretermitting other light triflyng pamflets of matter vnneedful and impertinent little seruing to purpose lesse to necessitie doe employe their endeuour and workemanship chiefly to restore such fruitfull workes and monumentes of auncient writers and blessed Martyrs who as by their godly lyfe and constant death gaue testimonie to the trueth in tyme wherein they suffered so by their doctrine and learning geeue now no lesse lyght to all ages and posteritie after them In the number of whome may rightly be accompted and no lesse recommended to the studious Christen Reader these three learned fathers of blessed memory whom the Printer of this booke hath diligently collected in one volume togither inclosed the workes I meane of William Tyndall Iohn Frith and Robart Barnes chiefe ryngleaders in these latter tymes of thys Church of England Wherein as we haue much to prayse God for such good bookes left to the Church and also for such Printers in preseruing by their industrie and charges such bookes from perishing so haue I to exhorte all studious readers wyth lyke diligence to embrace the benefite of God offered and seriously to occupie them selues in markyng and folowing both the valiaunt actes and excellent wrytinges of the sayd godly persons Concernyng the prayse whereof I shall not neede in thys place to bestow much commendation because neither is it the prayse of men but profite of the godly that they doe seeke nor yet the contempt of the vngodly that they doe feare Moreouer what is to be sayde or thought of them rather by their owne workes then by other mens wordes by readyng their bookes then by my preface is to be seene In perusing whereof thou shalt fynde gentle Reader whether thou bee ignoraunt what to learne or whether thou be learned what to folowe and what to sticke to Briefly whatsoeuer thou art if thou be yong of Iohn Frith if thou be in middle age of W. Tyndall if in elder yeares of D. Barnes matter is here to be founde not onely of doctrine to enforme thee of comfort to delyte thee of godly ensample to directe thee but also of speciall admiration to make thee to wonder at the workes of the Lord so mightely workyng in these men so oportunely in stirryng them vp so graciously in assisting them Albeit diuers other also besides these I say not nay as well before them as after through the secrete operation of Gods mighty prouidence haue beene raysed vp both famous in learnyng florishyng in witte and stout in zeale who labouryng in the same cause haue no lesse valiantly and doughtely stoode in the like defence of Christes true Religion agaynst blynde errour pestilent superstition and perillous hypocrisie namely agaynst the Arche enemye of Christ and hys flocke the Byshop I meane of Rome with hys tyrannicall seate as namely here in England Iohn Wicklyffe Rigge Aston Swynderby W. Thorpe Walter Brute L. Cobham wyth the residue of that former age And also after them many other moe freshe wittes faythfull preachers and learned writers haue sprong vp by the Lord of hoastes to furnishe hys fielde Briefly no age nor tyme hath euerlacked some or other styll bayting at the beast but especially nowe in these our present dayes such plenty yea whole armyes the Lord hath powred vppon hys Church of heauenly souldiours who not
onely in number exceedyng but in knowledge also excellyng both by preaching and Printing doe so garnishe the Church in euery respecte that it may seeme and so peraduenture wil be thought this time of ours to stand now in little neede of such bookes and momumentes as these of former antiquitie yet notwithstandyng I am not of that mynde so to thinke For albeit increasing of learning of tonges and sciences wyth quicknes of wit in youth and other doth maruailously shut vp as is to be seene to the sufficient furnishyng of Christes Church yet so it happeneth I can not tell how the farther I looke backe into those former tymes of Tyndall Frith and others lyke more simplicitie wyth true zeale and humble modestie I see wyth lesse corruption of affections in them and yet wyth these dayes of ours I finde no fault As by reading and conferring their workes togither may eftsoones appeare In opening the Scriptures what trueth what soundnes can a man require more or what more is to be sayd then is to be founde in Tyndall In his Prologues vppon the fiue bookes of Moses vppon Ionas vppon the Gospelles and Epistles of S. Paule namely to the Romaines how perfectly doth he hit the right sence and true meaning in euery thing In his obedience how fruitfully teacheth he euery person his dutie In his expositions and vppon the parable of the wicked Mammon how pithely doth he perswade how grauely doth he exhort how louingly doth he comforte simply without ostentation vehement without contention Which two faultes as they cōmonly are wont to folow the most part of writers so how farre the same were from him and he from them his replies and aunsweres to Syr Thomas More doe well declare in doctrine sound in hart humble in life vnrebukeable in disputation modest in rebuking charitable in trueth feruent and yet no lesse prudent in dispensing with the same and bearyng with time and with weakenes of men as much as he might sauing onely where mere necessitie constrayned hym otherwise to doe for defence of trueth against wilfull blyndnes and subtile hypocrisie as in the Practise of Prelates is notorious to be seene Briefly such was his modestie zeale charitie and painefull trauaile that he neuer sought for any thing lesse then for hymselfe for nothyng more then for Christes glory and edification of other for whose cause not onely he bestowed his labours but hys life and bloud also Wherfore not vnrightly he might be then as he is yet cauled the Apostle of England as Paule cauleth Epaphroditus the Apostle of the Philippians for his singular care and affection toward them For as the Apostles in the primatiue age first planted the Church in trueth of the Gospell so the same trueth beyng agayne defaced and decayed by enemies in thys our latter tyme there was none that trauayled more earnestly in restoring of the same in this Realme of England then dyd William Tyndall With which William Tyndall no lesse may be adioyned also Iohn Frith and D. Barnes both for that they togither with him in one cause and about one tyme sustayned the first brunt in this our latter age and gaue the first onset agaynst the enemies as also for the speciall giftes of fruitfull erudition and plentifull knowledge wrought in them by God and so by them left vnto vs in their writinges Wherfore accordyng to our promise in the booke of Actes and Monumentes wee thought good herein to spend a litle diligence in collecting and setting abroad their bookes togither so many as could be founde to remaine as perpetuall Lāpes shyning in the Church of Christ to geeue lyght to all posteritie And although the Printer herein taking great paynes coulde not paraduenture come by all howbeit I trust there lacke not many yet the Lord be thanked for those which he hath gotte and here published vnto vs. And woulde God the like diligence had beene vsed of our auncient forelders in the tyme of Wickliffe Puruey Clerke Brute Thorpe Husse Hierome and such other in searching and collecting their workes and writings No doubt but many thinges had remayned in lyght which now be lefte in obliuion But by reason the Arte of Printing was not yet inuented their worthy bookes were the sooner abolyshed Such was then the wickednes of those dayes and the practise of those Prelates then so craftie that no good booke coulde appeare though it were the Scripture it selfe in Englyshe but it was restrayned and so consumed Whereby ignoraunce and blyndnes so preuayled amonge the people tyll at the last it so pleased the goodnes of our God to prouide a remedy for that mischiefe by multiplying good bookes by the Printers penne in such sort as no earthly power was able after that though they did their best to stoppe the course thereof were he neuer so myghtie and all for the fartheraunce of Christes Church Wherefore receaue gracious Reader the Bookes here collected and offered to thy hand and thanke God thou hast them and reade them whilest thou mayst while time life and memory serueth thee In reading wherof the Lord graunt thou mayst receaue no lesse fruit by them then the harty desire of the setter forth is to wishe well vnto thee And the same Lord also graunt I beseech him that this my exhortation wishe so may worke in all that not onely the good but the enemies also which be not yet wonne to the worde of trueth setting aside all partialitie and preiudice of opinion woulde with indifferent iudgementes bestow some reading and hearyng likewise of these to taste what they doe teach to vewe their reasons and to trye their spirite to marke the expositions of Tyndall the argumentes of Frith the Articles and allegations of Barnes Which if they shall finde agreable to the tyme and antiquitie of the Apostles doctrine and touchstone of Gods worde to vse them to their instruction If not then to myslike them as they finde cause after they haue first tryed them and not before And thus not to deteine thee with longer processe from the reading of better matter I referre and commende thee and thy studies gentle reader with my harty wishe and prayer to the grace of Christ Iesu and direction of hys holy spirite desiryng thee lykewyse to doe the same for mee Iohn Foxe The Martyrdome and burning of William Tyndall in Brabant by Filford Castell Lord opē the K. of Englāds eyes Here foloweth the historie and discourse of the lyfe of William Tyndall out of the booke of Actes and Monumentes Briefly extracted FOr somuch as the lyfe of W. Tyndall author of this treatise immediately folowing is sufficiently at large discoursed in the booke of Actes and Monumentes by reason whereof we shall not néede greatly to intermedle with any new repetition therof yet notwithstanding because as we haue takē in hand to collect and set forth his whole workes togither so we thought it not vnconuenient to collecte likewise some briefe notes concerning the order of his
be they good or badde and to suffer wrong of them as Christ suffred wrong for vs. In the 3. he teacheth the wiues to obey their husbandes ye though they be vnbeleuers and to apparell themselues godly and as it becommeth holynes And therto that the husbandes suffer and beare the infirmity of their wyues and lyue accordyng to knowledge with them And than in generall he exhorteth them to be soft curteous patient and frendly one to an other and to suffer for righteousnesse after the ensample of Christ In the 4. he exhorteth to flye synne and to tame the flesh with sobernesse watching and prayer to loue ech other and to know that all good giftes are of God euery man to helpe hys neighbour with such as he hath receiued of God and finally not to wonder but to reioyce though they muste suffer for Christes names sake seeyng as they be here partakers of hys afflictions so shall they be partakers of his glory to come In the 5. he teacheth the bishops priestes how they should lyue and fede Christes flocke and warneth vs of the deuil whiche on euery side lyeth in wayte for vs. A Prologue vppon the second Epistle of S. Peter by William Tyndall THis Epistle was written agaynst thē whiche thought y t thristen faith might be idle and with out workes when yet the promise of Christ is made vs vpon that condition that we henceforth worke the will of God and not of the flesh Therefore he exhorteth them to exercise themselues diligently in vertue and all good workes therby to be sure that they haue the true faith as a man knoweth the goodnes of a tree by hys fruite Then he commendeth and magnifieth the gospel willeth that men harken to that only and to mens doctrine not at all For as he sayth there came no prophetical scripture by the will of man but by the wil of the holy ghost which onely knoweth the will of God neither is any scripture of priuate interpretatiō that is to say may be otherwise expounded them agreyng to the open places and generall articles to the couenantes of god and all the rest of the scripture And therfore in the second he warneth them of false teachers that should come and throughe preachyng confidence in false workes to satisfie their couetousnesse withall shoulde denye Christ Which he threatneth with thre terrible examples With the fall of toe angels the floude of Noe and ouerthrowyng of Sodome and Gomorre and so describeth them with their insatiable couetousnes pryde stubbornnes and disobedience to all temporall rule and authoritie with their abhominable whoredome and hipocrisie that a blinde man may see that he prophecied it of the Popes holy spiritualtie which deuoured the whole worlde with their couetousnes liuyng in all lust and pleasure and raigning as temporall tyrantes In the third he sheweth that in the latter dayes the people through vnbeliefe and lacke of feare of the iudgement of the last day shall be euen as Epicures wholy geuen to the fleshe Which last day shall yet surely shortly come sayth he for a thousand yeres and one day is with God all one And he sheweth also how terrible that day shall be how sodenly it shall come therfore exhorteth all men to loke earnestly for it and to prepare themselues agaynst it with holy conuersation and godly liuyng Finally the first chapiter sheweth how it shold go in the tyme of the pure and true Gospell The second how it should go in the tyme of the Pope and mens doctrine The third how at the last men shoulde beleue nothyng nor feare God at all The Prologue vppon the three Epistles of S. Iohn by William Tyndall IN this first Epistle of Saint Iohn is contayned the doctrine of a verye Apostle of Christ and ought of right to follow hys Gospel For as in his gospell he setteth out the true faythe and teacheth by it only all men to be saued and restored vnto the fauour of God agayne euen so here in this Epistle he goeth agaynst them that boaste themselues of fayth and yet continue without good workes and teacheth many wayes that where true fayth is there the workes tary not behinde and contrary that where the workes followe not there is no true fayth but a false imagination and vtter darkenes And he writeth sore agaynst a secte of heretikes which then began to deny that Christ was come in the fleshe and calleth thē very Antichrists which sect goeth now in her full swinge For though they deny not openly with the mouth y t Christ is come in y ● fleshe yet they deny it in y t hart w t their doctrine liuing For he that wil be iustified saued through his owne workes the same doth as much as he that denyed Christ to be come in fleshe seyng that Christ came only therfore in the flesh that he should iustifye vs or purchase vs pardon of our synnes bryng vs in the fauour of God agayne and make vs heyres of eternal life with his workes only and with his bloudshedyng without and before all our workes So fighteth this epistle both against them that will be saued by their owne good workes and also agaynst them that wyll be saued by a fayth that hath no lust to do workes at all and kepeth vs in y t middle way that we beleue in Christ to be saued by his workes onely and then to know that it is our duty for that kyndnes to prepare oure selues to doe the commaundement of God and to loue euery man his neighbor as Christ loued hym sekyng with our owne workes Gods honour and our neighbours wealth only and trustyng for eternall lyfe and for all that God hath promised vs for Christes sake The two last Epistles though they be short yet are goodly ensamples of loue and fayth and do sauour of the spirite of a true Apostle A Prologue vpon the Epistle of Saint Paule to the Hebrues by William Tyndall About this epistle hatheuer ben much doubting that amōg great learned men who should be the authour thereof diuers affirmyng that it was not Paules partly because the style so disagreeth and is so vnlike hys other Epistles and partly bicause it standeth in the second Chapter this learnyng was confirmed to vs ward that is to say taught vs by them that heard it them selues of the Lord. Now Paule testifieth Gala. 1. that he receyued not his Gospell of man nor by mā but immediatly of Christ and that by reuelation Wherfore say they seing this man confesseth that hee receiued his doctrine of the Apostles it can not be Paules but some Disciple of the Apostles Now whether it were Pauls or no I say not but permit it to other mens iudgementes neither thinke I it to be an Article of any mans fayth but that a man may doubt of the authour Moreouer many there hath bene which not onely haue denyed
sent where hee heard that they begon to faynte to comforte courage strength them with the word of GOD and in that also that he sent Timothe Paules Disciple both vertuous well learned and had in great reuerence it is easy to see that he was a faythfull seruaunt of Christes and of the same doctrine that Timothe was of yea and Paule hym selfe was of and y ● he was an Apostle or in the Apostles tyme or nere thereunto And seyng the Epistle agreeth to all the rest of the Scripture if it be indifferently looked on why should it not bee authoritie and taken for holy Scripture The Prologue vpon the Epistle of S. Iames by W. Tyndall THoughe this Epistle were refused in the old tyme and denyed of many to be the epistle of a very Apostle and though also it laye not the foundation of the fayth of Christe but speaketh of a general fayth in god neyther preacheth his death and resurrection either the mercy that is layde vp in store for vs in him or euerlasting couenant made vs in his bloud which is the office and duety of a very apostle as Christ sayeth Iohn 15. ye shall testifye of me yet because it setteth vp no mans doctrine but cryeth to keepe the law of God maketh loue which is without parcialitie the fulfillyng of the law as Christ and all the Apostles did and hath thereto many good and godly sentēces in it and hath also nothing that is agreable to the rest of the scripture if it be loked indifferētly on me thinketh it ought of rigt to be takē for holy scripture For as for that place for which happely it was at the beginnyng refused of holy men as it ought if it had meant as they toke it and for which place onely for the false vnderstandyng it hath bene chiefly receiued of the Papistes yet if the circumstances be well pondered it wyll appeare that the authors entent was farre otherwise then they toke for For where he saith in the 2. chapter fayth without deedes is dead in it self he meaneth none other thyng then all the scripture doth how that that fayth which hath no good dedes following is a false fayth and none of that fayth iustifieth or receyueth forgeuenesse of sins For God promised thē only forgeuenes of theyr sinnes onely whiche turne to GOD to keepe his lawes Wherfore they that purpose to cōtinue still in synne haue no part in that promise but deceyue themselues if they beleue that GOD hath forgeuen them their olde synnes for Christes sake And after when he sayth that a man is iustified by deedes and not of faith only he will no more then that faith doth not iustify euery where that nothyng iustifieth saue fayth For dedes also do iustify And as fayth only iustifieth before God so do dedes onely iustify before the world whereof is inough spoken partly in y t Prologue on Paul to the Romaynes and also in other places For as Paule affirmeth Rom. 2. that Abraham was not iustified by workes before God but by fayth only as Gen. beareth record so wil Iames that deedes onely iustified hym before the world and faith wrought with his deedes that is to say fāyth wherwith he was righteous before God in the hart did cause hym to worke the wyll of God outwardly whereby he was righteous before the worlde and whereby the worlde perceiued that he beleued in God loued and feared God And as Hebr. 11. y t scripture affirmeth that Raab was iustified before God through faith so doth Iames affirme that through workes by whiche she sheweth her fayth she was iustified before the world and it is true And as for the Epistle of Iudas though men haue and yet do doubt of the authour and thoughe it seeme also to be drawne out of the second Epistle of S. Peter and thereto alleageth scripture that is no where founde yet seyng the matter is so godly and agreeyng to holy Scripture I see not but that it ought to haue the authoritie of holy Scripture An exposition vpō certaine wordes and phrases of the new Testament INfernus and Gehenna differ much in significatiō though we haue none interpretatiō for either of thē thē this english word Hell for Gehenna signifieth a place of punishment but Infernus is taken for any maner of place beneth in the earth as a graue sepulchre or a caue Hell it is called in Hebrue the valley of Hennon a place by Ierusalem where they brent their children in fyre vnto the Idoll Moloch and is vsurped and taken now for a place where the wicked and vngodly shal be tormented both soule and body after the generall iudgement Geue roume to the wrath of God Rom. 12. Wrath is there taken for vēgeaunce and the meanyng is let God auenge either by himselfe or by the officers that beare hys roume There tary and abide till ye go out It is Marke the 6. chap. whersoeuer ye enter into an house there abide tyll ye go out thence And Luke 9. it is Into whatsoeuer house ye enter there tary and go not out thence that is to say whosoeuer receiueth you there abyde as long as you are in the citie or towne and go not shamefully a begging from house to house as Friers doe Dust shake of the dust of your feete Math. 10. Why are they commaunded to shake of the dust for a witnes sayth Luke that that deede may testifye against them in the day of iudgement that the doctrine of saluation was offred for them but they would not receyue thē ye see also that such iestures and ceremonies haue greater power with them thē haue bare wordes onely to moue the harte and to stirre vp fayth as do the laying on of handes annointyng with oyle c. Hipocrites can ye discerne the face of heauen and not discerne the signe of the tymes that is to say they could iudge by the signes of the skye what weather should follow but they could not know Christe by the signes of the Scripture and yet other signes might not be geuen them He that sayth he knoweth Christ kepeth not his commaundementes is a lyar To know Christ is to beleue in Christ Ergo he that keepeth not the commaundementes beleueth not in Christ ¶ The end of such Prologues of the old Testament and new Testament as were made by William Tyndall The parable of the wicked Mammon published in the yeare 1527. the 8. of May by William Tyndall ¶ That fayth the mother of all good workes iustifieth vs before we can bryng forth any good worke as the husband marieth his wyfe before he can haue any lawfull children by her Furthermore as the husbande marieth not hys wyfe that she shoulde continue vnfruitefull as before and as she was in the state of virginitie wherin it was impossible for her to beare fruite but contrariwise to make her fruitefull euen so fayth iustifieth vs not that is to say marieth vs
thee whatsoeuer thou art that readest this and note it well The Iewes loke for Christ and he is come xv hundred yeares agoe and they not ware we also haue loked for Antechrist and he hath raigned as long and we not ware and that because eyther of vs looked carnally for hym and not in the places where we ought to haue sought The Iewes had found Christ verily if they had sought hym in the lawe and the Prophetes whether Christ sendeth them to seke Iohn 5. We also had spied out Antechrist long ago if we had looked in the doctrine of Christ hys apostles where because y ● beast seeth him selfe now to be sought for he roareth and seketh new holes to hyde hymselfe in chaungeth hymselfe into a thousand fashions with all maner wilinesse falshode suttletie craft Because that hys excommunications are come to lyght he maketh it treason vnto the kyng to bee acquaynted with Christe If Christe they may not raigne together one hope we haue that Christ shal liue euer The olde Antichristes brought Christ vnto Pilate saying by our lawe he ought to die and whē Pilate bade them iudge hym after their lawe they aunswered it is not lawfull for vs to kyll any man whiche they dyd to the intent that they whiche regarded not the shame of their false excōmunications should yet feare to confesse Christ because that the temporall sword had condemned hym They do all thing of a good zeale they say they loue you so well that they had rather burne you then y t you should haue fellowship w t Christ They are iealous ouer you amisse as sayth S. Paul Gal. iiij They would deuide you from Christe and his holy Testament and ioyne you to the Pope to beleue in his Testament and promises Some man will aske peraduenture why I take the labour to make this worke in as much as they will burne it seyng they burnt the Gospell I aunswere in burnyng the new Testament they dyd none other thyng then that I looked for no more shall they do if they burne me also if it be Gods will it shall so be Neuerthelesse in translatyng of the Testament I dyd my dutie and so doe I now and will doe as much more as God hath ordeined me to do And as I offered that to al men to correct it who soeuer could euen so do I this Who soeuer therfore readeth this compare it vnto the Scripture If Gods word beare recorde vnto it and thou also feelest in thine hart that it is so be of good comfort and geue God thankes If Gods word condemne it then hold it accursed and so doe all other doctrines As Paule counseleth his Galathians Beleue not euery sprite sodenly but iudge thē by the word of God whiche is the trial of all doctrine and lasteth for euer Amen The Parable of the wicked Mammon THere was a certain rich man whiche had a steward that was accused vnto hym that hee had wasted his goodes And called hym and sayd vnto him How is it that I heare this of thee Geue accoumptes of thy stewardshyp For thou mayst be no longer my steward The steward sayd with in him selfe What shall I do for my master will take away frō me my stewardshyp I can not digge and to begge I am ashamed I wote what to doe that when I am put out of my stewardshyp they may receaue me into theyr houses Then called he all his masters detters and sayd vnto the first how much owest thou vnto my master And he sayd an hūdred tonnes of oyle and hee sayd to hym take thy bill and sit downe quickely and write fiftie Then sayd he to an other what owest thou And he sayd an hundred quarters of wheate He sayd to hym Take thy bill and write foure score And the Lord commended the vniust steward because he had done wisely For the children of this world are in their kynde wiser then the children of light And I say also vnto you make you frendes of the wicked Mammon that when ye shall haue neede they may receaue you into euerlastyng habitations Luke xvi Chapter For as much as with this diuers such other textes many haue inforced to draw the people from the true faith from puttyng their trust in the truth of Gods promises and in the merites and deseruyng of his Christ our Lord and haue also brought it to passe for many false Prophetes shall arise and deceaue many and much wickednes must also be sayth Christ Math. xxiiij And Paul sayth ij Timo. iij. Euell mē and deceauers shall preuaile in euill while they deceaue and are deceaued them selues and haue taught them to put their trust in their owne merites and brought them in belefe that they shal be iustified in the sight of God by the goodnesse of their owne workes haue corrupt the pure word of God to confirme their Aristotle with all For though that y e Philosophers worldly wisemen were enemyes aboue all enemyes to the Gospell of God and though the worldly wisedome can not comprehend the wisedome of God as thou mayst see i. Corint j. and. ij And though worldly righteousnes can not be obedient vnto the righteousnes of God Rom. x Yet what so euer they read in Aristotle y t must be first true And to mainteine that they rent and teare the Scriptures with their distinctions and expounde them violently contrarie to the meanyng of the text and to the circumstaunces that go before and after and to a thousand cleare and euidente textes Wherfore I haue taken in hand to expounde this Gospell certaine other places of the new Testament and as far forth as God shall lende me grace to bryng the Scripture vnto the right sence and to digge agayne the welles of Abraham and to purge cleanse thē of the earth of worldly wisedome where with these Philistenes haue stopped them Whiche grace graunt me God for the loue that he hath vnto his sonne Iesus our Lord vnto the glory of his name Amen THat fayth onely before all workes and without all merites but christes onely iustifieth and setteth vs at peace with God is proued by Paul in the first chapiter to the Roma I am not ashamed sayth he of the Gospell that is to say of the glad tidinges and promises which God hath made and sworne to vs in Christ For it that is to say the gospell is the power of god vnto saluation to all that beleue And it followeth in the foresayd chapiter y ● iust or righteous must liue by faith For in the fayth which we haue in Christ and in Gods promises fynde we mercy lyfe fauour and peace In the law we fynde death damnation wrath moreouer the curse and vengeaunce of GOD vpon vs. And it that is to say the lawe is called of Paule 2. Corin. 3. the ministration of death and damnation In the lawe we are
man a lier as Scripture sayth For the truth of God lasteth euer to whom onely be all honour and glorie for euer Amen The ende of the Parable of the Wicked Mammon ¶ The obedience of a Christen man and how Christen rulers ought to gouerne Wherein also if thou marke diligently thou shalt finde eyes to perceaue the craftie conueyaunce of all iugglers Set forth by William Tyndall 1528. Octob. 2. William Tyndall otherwyse called Hitchins to the Reader GRace peace and increase of knowledge in our Lord Iesus Christ be with thee reader and with all that call on the name of the Lord vnfaynedly and with a pure conscience Amen Let it not make thee dispayre neither yet discourage thee O Reader that it is forbidden thee in payne of life and goods or that it is made breaking of the Kinges peace or treason vnto his highnesse to read the worde of thy soules health but much rather be bold in the Lorde and comforte thy soule for asmuch as thou art sure and hast an euident token through suche persecution that it is the true worde of God which worde is euer hated of the worlde neyther was euer without persecution as thou seest in all the stories of the Bible both of the newe Testament and also of the olde neyther can be no more then the Sunne can be without his light And forasmuch as contrariwise thou art sure that the popes doctrine is not of God which as thou seest is so agreable vnto the world and is so receiued of the world or which rather so receaueth the world and the pleasures of the worlde and seeketh nothing but the possessions of the worlde and aucthoritie in the world to beare a rule in the world persecuteth the worde of God with all wilinesse driueth the people from it and with false and sophisticall reasons maketh them afeard of it he curseth them and excommunicateth them and bringeth them in beleef that they be damned if they looke on it and that it is but doctrine to deceaue men and moueth the blinde powers of the world to slay with fire water and sworde all that cleaue vnto it For the world loueth that which is his and hateth that which is chosen out of the world to serue God in the spirite as Christ sayth to his Disciples Iohn 15. If ye were of the world the world would loue his owne but I haue chosen you out of the worlde and therefore the world hateth you An other comfort hast thou that as the weake powers of the worlde defende the doctrine of the worlde so the mighty power of God defendeth the doctrine of God Which thing thou shalt euidentlye perceiue if thou call to minde the wonderfull deedes whiche God hath euer wrought for his word in extreame necessitie since the worlde began beyond all mans reason Whiche are written as Paule sayth Roma 15. for our learning and not for our deceauing that we through patience and comfort of the scripture might haue hope The nature of Gods word is to fight agaynst hypocrites It beganne at Abell and hath euer since continued and shall I doubte not vntyll the laste daye And the hypocrites haue alway the world on their sides as thou seest in the time of Christ They had the elders that is to witte the rulers of the Iewes on theyr side They had Pilate and the Emperors power on theyr side They had Herode also on theyr side Moreouer they brought all theyr worldlye wysedome to passe and all that they coulde thinke ▪ or imagine to serue for theyr purpose Fyrst to feare the people withal they excommunicated all that beleeued in him and put them out of the temple as thou seest Iohn 9. Secondly they founde the meanes to haue him condemned by the Emperors power and made it treason to Cesar to beleeue in him Thirdly they obtayned to haue him hanged as a theefe or a murtherer which after theyr belly wisedome was a cause aboue all causes that no man should beleeue in him For the Iewes take it for a sure token of euerlasting damnation if a man be hanged For it is written in theyr lawe Deutero 21. Cursed is whosoeuer hangeth on tree Moyses also in the same place commaundeth if any man be hanged to take him downe the same day and bury him for feare of polluting or defiling the countrey that is least they shoulde bring the wrath and curse of God vpon them And therfore the wicked Iewes themselues which with so venemous hate persecuted the doctrine of Christ and did all the shame that they coulde do vnto him though they would fayne haue had Christ to hang still on the crosse and there to rotte as he shoulde haue done by the Emperors lawe yet for feare of defiling theyr Sabboth and of bringing the wrath and curse of God vpon them begged of Pilate to take him downe Ioh. 19. which was against them selues Finally when they had done all they coulde and that they thought sufficient and when christ was in the hart of the earth so many billes and pollares about him to keepe him down and when it was past mans helpe then holpe God when man coulde not bring him agayne Gods truth fetched him agayne The oth that God had sworne to Abrahā to Dauid to other holy fathers Prophetes raysed him vp agayne to blesse and saue all that beleeue in him Thus became the wisedome of the hypocrites foolishnes Loe thys was written for thy learning and comfort How wonderfully were the children of Israell locked in Egipt In what tribulation combraunce and aduersitie were they in The land also that was promised them was farre of and full of great cities walled with high walles vp to the skye inhabited with great giantes yet Gods truth brought them out of Egipt and planted them in the land of the giantes This is also written for our learning For there is no power agaynst Gods neyther any wisedome against Gods wisedome● he is stronger and wiser then all his enemies What holpe it Pharao to drowne the men childrē So little I feare not shall it at the last helpe the pope and his byshops to burne our men children whiche manfully confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lorde and that there is no other name geuen vnto men to be saued by as Peter testifieth Actes 4. Who dryed vp the red sea Who slew Golias Who did all those wonderfull deedes which thon readest in the Bible Who deliuered the Israelites euermore from thra●dom and bondage as soone as they repented and turned to God Fayth verely and Gods truth and the trust in the promises which he had made Read the xj to the Hebrues for thy consolation When the children of Israell were ready to dispayre for the greatnes the multitude of the Giantes Moyses comforted them euer saying Remēber what your Lord God hath done for you in Egipt his wonderfull plagues his
instance THat thou mayst perceyue how that y ● scripture ought to be in the mother tounge and that the reasons which our sprites make for the contrary are but sophistry and false wiles to feare thee from the light that thou mightest follow them blindfolde and be theyr captiue to honor theyr ceremonies and to offer to theyr belly First God gaue the children of Israell a law by the hande of Moses in their mother tounge and all the prophetes wrote in theyr mother tounge and all the Psalmes were in the mother tongue And there was Christ but figured and described in ceremonies in riddles in parables and in darck prophecies What is the cause that we may not haue the olde Testament with the new also which is the light of the olde and wherin is openly declared before the eyes that there was darckly prophesied I can imagine no cause verely except it be that we should not see the woorke of Antechrist iugglyng of hipocrites what shoulde be the cause that we which walke in the broad day should not see as well as they that walked in the night or that wee shoulde not see as well at noone as they did in y ● twylight Came Christ to make the world more blinde By this meanes Christ is the darknes of the world and no● the light as he saith him selfe Iohn 8. Moreouer Moses saith Deut. 6. Heare Israell let these wordes which I cōmaunde thee thys day sticke fast in thine hart whet thē on thy children talke of thē as thou sittest in thine house as thou walkest by the way when thou lyest downe when thou risest vp binde them for a token to thyne hand let them be a remembraunce betwene thine eyes write thē on the pos●es gates of thine house This was commaūded generally vnto all men How cometh it that gods word pertaineth lesse vnto vs thē vnto the Yea howe commeth it that our Moysesses forbid vs and commaund vs the contrary threaten vs if we do will not that we once speake of Gods worde How can we whette Gods word that is to put it in practise vse exercise vpō our children houshold whē we are violently kepte from it and knowe it not How can we as Peter commaundeth geue a reason of our hope when we wot not what it is that God hath promised or what to hope Moyses also commaundeth in the sayd chapter If the sonne aske what the testimonies lawes and obseruaunces of the Lorde meane that the father teach him If our childrē aske what our cerimonies which are moe then the Iewes were meane no father can tell his sonne And in the xj chapter he repeteth all againe for feare of forgetting They will say happely the scripture requireth a pure minde and a quiet minde And therefore the lay man because he is altogether combred with worldly busines can not vnderstand them If that be the cause then it is a plaine case that our prelates vnderstand not the Scriptures them selues for no lay man is so tangled with worldly busines as they are The great thinges of the worlde are ministred by them neyther do the lay people any great thing but at their assignement If the Scripture were in the mother tongue they will say then would the lay people vnderstande it euery man after his owne wayes Wherfore serueth the Curate but to teach him the right way Wherfore were the holy dayes made but that the people shoulde come and learne Are yee not abhominable scholemaisters in that ye take so great wages if ye will not teach If ye would teach how could ye do it so well and with so great profite as when the lay people haue the scripture before them in theyr mother tongue for then should they see by the order of the text whether thou iugledest or not and then woulde they beleue it because it is y ● scripture of god thoughe thy liuyng be neuer so abhominable Where now because your liuing your preaching are so contrary and because they grope out in euery sermon your open and manifest lyes and smell your vnsatiable couetousnes they beleue you not when you preach truth But alas the Curates them selues for the most part wot no more what the new or olde Testament meaneth then do the Turkes neither know they of any more then that they read at masse mattens and euensong which yet they vnderstande not neyther care they but euen to mumble vp so much euery day as the Pye and Poymgay speake they wot not what to sill vp theyr bellies withall If they will not let the lay man haue the woorde of God in hys mother tounge yet let the priests haue it which for a great part of them do vnderstand no latine at all but sing and say and patter all day with the lips onely that which the hart vnderstandeth not Christ commaundeth to search the scriptures Iohn 5. Though that miracles bare recorde vnto hys doctrine yet desired he no fayth to be geuen eyther vnto hys doctrine or vnto hys miracles without recorde of the scripture When Paule preached Act. 17. the other searched the scriptures dayly whether they were as he alleaged them Why shal not I likewise see whether it be the scripture y ● thou alleagest yea why shall I not see the scripture and the circumstaunces and what goeth before and after that I may knowe whether thine interpretation be y ● right sence or whether thou iuglest and drawest the scripture violently vnto thy carnall and fleshlye purpose or whether thou be about to teache me or to disccaue me Christ sayth that there shall come false prophets in his name and say that they themselues are Christ that is they shall so preache christ that mē must beleue in thē in their holines and thinges of their imagination wtout gods word yea that agaynst Christ or Antechrist that shall come is nothyng but suche false prophetes that shall iuggle with the scripture and beguile the people with false interpretatiōs as all the false prophetes scribes pharisies did in y t old Testamēt How shall I know whether ye are agaynst Christ or fals prophetes or no seing ye will not let me see how ye alleage the scriptures Christ sayth By theyr deedes ye shall know them Now when we looke on your deeds we see that ye are all sworne together and haue seperated yourselues from the lay people and haue a seuerall kingdome amōg your selues and seuerall lawes of your owne making wherewith ye violently binde the lay people that neuer consented vnto the making of them A thousand thinges forbidde ye which Christ made free and dispence with them agayne for money neyther is there any exception at all but lacke of money Ye haue a secret counsell by your selues All other mens secretes counsels know ye and no man yours ye seek but honour riches promotion authoritie and to
but within they are full of brybry excesse saith Christ Mat. xxiij Is that which our hypocrites eate and drinke and all their riotous excesse any other thyng saue robbery that which they haue falsly gotten with their lying doctrine Be learned therefore ye that iudge the world and compell them to make restitution agayne Ye blinde guides sayth Christ ye strayne out a gnat swalow a camell Math. xxiij do not our blinde guides also stomble at a straw and lepe ouer a blocke makyng narow consciences at trifles and at matters of weight none at all If any of them happen to swalow hys spitle or any of the water wherewith he washeth his mouth ere he goe to Masse or touch the Sacramēt with his nose or if the Asse forget to breath on him or happen to handle it with any of his fingers whiche are not annoynted or say Alleluia in stede of Laus tibi Domine or Ite Missa est in stede of Benedicamus Domino or poure to much wine in the chalice or read the Gospell without light or make not his crosses a right how trembleth he how feareth he what an horrible sinne is committed I cry God mercy sayth he and you my Ghostly father But to hold an whore or an other mans wife to bye a benefice to set one Realme at variaunce with an other and to cause xx thousand mē to dye on a day is but a trifle and a pastime with them The Iewes boasteth them selues of Abraham And Christ sayd vnto them Iohn viij If ye were Abrahams children ye would do the deedes of Abraham Our hypocrites boast them selues of the authoritie of Peter and of Paul the other Apostles cleane contrary vnto the deedes and doctrine of Peter Paul and of all the other Apostles Which both obeyed all worldly authoritie and power vsurpyng none to them selues and taught all other to feare the kynges and rulers and to obey them in all things not contrary to the commaundement of God and not to resiste them though they tooke away life and goodes wrongfully but paciently to abyde Gods vengeaunce This did our spiritualtie neuer yet nor taught it They taught not to feare God in his commaundementes but to feare them in their traditions In so much that the euill people which feare not to resist a good kyng and to rise against him dare not lay handes on one of them neither for defilyng of wife daughter or very mother When all men lose lyfe landes they remaine alwayes sure and in safetie and euer wynne somewhat For who soeuer cōquereth other mens landes vnrightfully euer geueth thē part with them To them is all thyng lawfull In all Councels and Parlamentes are they the chief Without them may no kyng be crowned neither vntil he be sworne to their liberties All secretes know they euen the very thoughtes of mens hartes By them all thinges are ministred No kyng nor Realme may thorough their falsehode liue in peace To beleue they teach not in Christ but in them and their disguised hypocrisie And of them compell they all men to buy redemptiō forgeuenes of sinnes The peoples sinne they eate thereof waxe fat The more wicked the people are the more prosperous is their common wealth If kinges and great men do amisse they must builde Abbayes Colledges meane men builde chauntreis poore finde trētals and brotherhodes and beggyng Friers Their owne heyres do men disherite to endote them All kynges are compelled to submitte them selues to them Read the story of kyng Iohn and of other kynges They will haue their causes auenged though whole Realmes should therefore perishe Take from them their desguising so are they not spirituall Compare that they haue taught vs vnto the Scripture so are we without fayth Christ sayth Iohn v. Chapter how can ye beleue which receaue glory one of an other If they that seke to be glorious can haue no fayth then are our Prelates faythlesse verely And Iohn vij he sayth he that speaketh of hym selfe seeketh his owne glory If to seke glorie and honour be a sure token that a man speaketh of his owne selfe and doth his owne message not his masters then is the doctrine of our Prelates of them selues and not of God Be learned therefore ye that iudge the earth lest God be angry with you and ye perish from the right way Be learned lest the hypocrites bring the wrath of God vppon your heades compel you to shed innocent blould as they haue compelled your predecessours to slay the Prophetes to kill Christ his Apostles and all the righteous y ● sence were slayne Gods word pertaineth vnto all men as it perteineth vnto all seruaunts to know their masters will and pleasure and to all subiectes to know the lawes of theyr Prince Let not the hypocrites do all thing secretly What reason is it that myne enemy should put me in prison at his pleasure and their diet me and handle me as he lusteth and iudge me him selfe and that secretly and condemne me by a law of his owne makyng and then deliuer me to Pylate to murther me Let Gods word try euery mans doctrine and whom so euer Gods word proueth vncleane let him be taken for a leper One Scripture will helpe to declare an other And the circumstaūces that is to say the places that go before and after wil geue light vnto the middle text And the opē and manifest Scriptures will euer improue the false and wrong exposition of the darker sentences Let the temporall power to whō God hath geuen the sword to take vengeaunce looke or euer that they leape see what they do Let the causes be disputed before them and let him that is accused haue rowme to aunswere for him selfe The powers to whom God hath committed the sword shall geue acountes for euery droppe of bloud that is shed on the earth Then shall their ignoraunce not excuse them nor the saying of the hypocrites helpe them my soule for yours your grace shall do a meritorious deede your grace ought not to heare them it is an old heresy cōdemned by the Church The king ought to looke in the Scripture and see whether it were truly condemned or no if he will punish it If the king or his officer for him will slay me so ought the kyng or his officer to iudge me The kyng can not but vnto his damnatiō lend his sword to kill whom he iudgeth not by his owne lawes Let hym that is accused stand on the one syde and the accuser on the other syde and let the kynges iudge sit and iudge the cause if the kyng will kill and not be a murtherer before God Hereof may ye see not onely that our persecution is for the same cause that Christes was and that we say nothing that Christ sayde not but also that all persecution is onely for rebuking of hypocrisy
to minister to him Christes Gospel Wherfore if they say it is here or there in Saint Fraunces coate or Dominickes and such like that if thou wilt put on that coat thou shalt finde it there it is falfe For if it were there thou shouldest see it shyne abroad though thou creptst not into a sell or a monkes coule as thou seest y ● lightning without crepyng into the cloudes yea their light would so shine that men should not onely see y ● lyght of the Gospell but also their good workes which would as fast come out as they now runne in In so much that y ● shouldest see thē make thēsel es pore to helpe other as they now make other poore to make thēselues rich This lyght and salt pertayned not then to the Apostles and now to our Bishops and spiritualtie onely No it pertayneth to the temporall men also For all kynges and all rulers are bound to be salt and light not onely in example of liuing but also in teaching of doctrine vnto their subiects as wel as they be bounde to punishe euill doers Doth not the scripture testifie that kyng Dauid was chosen to be a shepeheard and to feede his people wyth Gods worde It is an euill scholemaster that cannot but beate onely But it is a good scholemaster that so teacheth that few neede to be beatē This salt and light therefore partayne to the temporaltie also and that to euery mēber of Christes Church so that euery man ought to be salt light to other Euery man then may be a common preacher thou wilt say and preach euery where by his owne auctoritie Nay verely No man may yet be a commō preacher saue he that is called and chosen thereto by the commō ordinaunce of the congregation as long as the preacher teacheth the true worde of God But euery priuate man ought to be in vertuous lyuing both light and salt to hys neighbour in so much that the poorest ought to striue to ouerrun the Byshop and to preach to hym in ensample of liuing Moreouer euery man ought to preach in worde deede vnto his houshould and to them that are vnder his gouernaunce c. And though no mā may preach openly saue he that hath the office committed vnto hym yet ought euery mā to endeuour himselfe to be as well learned as the preacher as nie as it is possible And euery man may priuatly enforme hys neighbour yea and the preacher and Byshop to if nede be For if the preacher preach wrong then may any man whatsoeuer he be rebuke him first priuately and then if that helpe not to complayne further And when all is proued according to the order of charitie and yet none amendment had thē ought euery man that cā to resist him and to stand by Christes doctrine to ieoparde lyfe all for it Looke on the olde ensamples they shal teach thee The Gospel hath an other fredome with her then the temporall regiment Though euery mans body and goods be vnder y ● kyng do he right or wrōg yet is the auctoritie of Gods woorde free and aboue the kyng so that the worst in the realme may tell y e kyng if he do hym wrong that he doth nought and otherwise thē God hath cōmaunded hym and so warne hym to auoide the wrath of God which is the pacient aduenger of all vnrighteousnes May I then and ought also to resist father and mother and all temporall power wyth Gods worde when they wrōgfully do or commaunde that hurteth or killeth the body and haue I no power to resiste the Byshop or preacher that wyth false doctrine slayeth the soules for which my maister and Lord Christ hath shed his bloud Be we otherwise vnder our Byshops then Christ and hys Apostles and all the other Prophetes were vnder the Byshops of the olde law Nay verely and therefore may we and also ought to do as they dyd and to aunswere as the Apostles dyd Act. v. Oportet magis obedire deo quàm hominibus We must rather obey God then men In the Gospell euery man is Christes Disciple and a person for himself to defend Christes doctrine in his owne person The fayth of the Byshop will not helpe me nor the byshoppes keeping the lawe is sufficient for me But I must beleue in Christ for the remission of all sinne for myne owne selfe and in myne owne person No more is the Bishops or preachers defending Gods woorde inough for me But I must defende it in mine owne person and ieopard lyfe and all thereon when I see neede occasion I am boūd to get worldly substaūce for my selfe for myne houshold with my iust labour and somewhat more for thē that cannot to saue my neighbours body And am I not more boūd to labour for Gods word to haue therof in store to saue my neighbours soule And when is it so much tyme to resiste with Gods word and to helpe as whē they which are beleued to minister the true word do slea the soules with false doctrine for couetousnes sake He that is not ready to giue hys lyue for the maintenaunce of Christes doctrine agaynst hypocrites with what soeuer name or title they be disguised y ● same is not worthy of Christe nor can bee Christes Disciple by the very wordes and testimony of Christ Neuerthelesse we must vse wisedome paciēce mekenes and a discrete processe after the due order of charitie in our defendyng the word of God least while we go about to amende our Prelates we make thē worse But when we haue proued all that charitie bindeth vs yet in vaine then we must come forth opēly and rebuke their wickednes in the face o● the world and ieoparde life all theron Ye shall not thinke that I am come to destroy the law or the propheres no I am not come to destroy them but to fulfill them For truly I say vnto you till heauē and earth perish there shal not one iote or one title of the law scape till all be fulfilled A litle before Christ calleth his Disciples the light of the world the salt of the earth that because of their doctrine wherewith they should lighten the blynd vnderstandyng of man and with true knowledge driue out y ● false opinions and sophisticall persuasions of natural reason deliuer the Scripture out of y ● captiuitie of false gloses which the hypocritishe Phariseis had p●●ched therto and ●o out of the light of trueknowledge to styrre vp a new liuyng and to salt season the corrupt maners of the old blind conuersation For where false doctrine corrupt opinions and sophistical gloses raigne in the witte and vnderstandyng there is the liuing deuilish in the sight of God how soeuer it appeare in the sight of the blind world And on the other side where the doctrine is true and perfect there foloweth godly liuing of
necessitie For out of the inwarde beleue of the hart sloweth ▪ the outward conuersation of the members He that beleueth that hee ought to loue hys enemy shall neuer cease fightyng agaynst his owne selfe till he haue weeded a●… rācour and malice out of his hart But he that beleueth it not shall put a visor of hypocrisie on his face till he got oportunitie to aduenge him selfe And here he beginneth to teach them to be that light and that salt of whiche he spake and sayth Though the Scribes and Phariseis beare the people in hand that all I do is of the deuill and accuse me of breakyng the law and the Prophetes as they afterward rayled on the Apostles that they draue y ● people from good workes through preaching the iustifying and righteousnesse of fayth yet see that ye my Disciples ▪ be not of that belefe For heauen and earth shall sooner perish then one ●o●● or t●…e of the law should be put out I come not to destroy the law but to repayre it onely to make it go vpright where it halteth and euē to make croked strayght rough smoth as Iohn the Baptist doth in the wildernes and to teach the true vnderstandyng of the law Without me the law cānot be fulfilled nor euer could For though the law were geuen by Moses yet grace and veritie that is to say the true vnderstandyng and power to loue it and of loue to fulfill it commeth and euer came through fayth in me I do but onely wype away the filthie and roten Gloses wherewith the Scribes and the Phariseis haue smered the law and the Prophetes rebuke their dānable liuyng which they haue fashioned not after the law of God but after their owne sophisticall gloses fayned to mocke out the law of God and to beguile the whole world and to leade them in blyndnesse And that the Scribes and Phariseis falsly belye me how that I go about to destroy the law and to set the people at a fleshly libertie and to make them first disobedient and to despise their spirituall Prelates and then to rise agaynst the tēporall rulers and to make all cōmon to giue licēce to sinne vnpunished cōmeth only of pure malice hate enuie and furious impaciencie that their visures are plucked frō their faces and their hypocrisie discouered Howbeit what I teach and what my learnyng is concernyng the law ye shall shortly heare and that in few wordes Who soeuer breaketh one of these least commaundements and teach men so shal be called the least in the kingdome of heauen But he that doth them and teacheth thē the same shal be great in the kyngdome of heauen Whosoeuer studieth to destroy one of the commaundementes folowing which are yet the least and but childish thynges in respect of the perfect doctrine that shall hereafter be shewed of the misteries yet hid in Christ and teach other men euen so in woorde or ensample whether openly or vnder a colour and thorow false gloses of hypocrisie that same doctour shall all they of the kyngdome of heauen abhorre and dispise and cast hym out of their company as a sething pot doth cast vp her fome and scome and purge her selfe So fast shal they of the kingdome of heauen cleaue vnto the pure law of God without all mens gloses But whosoeuer shall first fulfill thē himselfe and then teach other and set all his studie to the furtheraunce and mayntaining of them that doctour shall all they of the kingdome of heauē haue in price and folow hym and seke hym out as doth an Egle her pray cleaue to hym as burres For these commaundementes are but the very lawe of Moses the draffe of the Phareseis gloses clensed out interpreted according to the pure word of God and as the open text compelleth to vnderstand them if ye looke diligently thereon The kyngdome of heauen take for the congregation or church of Christ And to be of the kyngdome of heauen is to know God for our father and Christ for our Lord and sauiour from all sinne And to enter into this kingdome it is impossible except the hart of men be to kepe the commaundements of God purely as it is written Iohn vij if any man will obay his will that is to say the will of the father that sent me sayth Christ he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of myne owne head For if thyne hart be to do the will of God whiche is his commaundementes he will geue thee a pure eye both to discerne the true doctrine from the false the true Doctour frō the howlyng hypocrite And therfore he sayth For I say vnto you except your righteousnesse excede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Phariseis ye can not enter into the kingdome of heauen The righteousnes of the Scribes Phariseis can not enter into the kyngdome of heauen The kyngdome of heauen is the true knowledge of God Christ Ergo the righteousnesse of the Scribes Phariseis neither knoweth God nor Christ He that is willyng to obey the will of God vnderstandeth the doctrine of Christ as it is proued aboue the Scribes and the Phariseis vnderstand not the doctrine of Christ Ergo they haue no wil nor lust to obey the will of God To obey the will of God is to seeke the glory of God for the glory of a master is the meeke obedience of his seruauntes the glory of a Prince is the humble obedience of his subiectes the glory of an husbād is the chast obedience of his wife the glory of a father is the louyng obedience of his children the Scribes and the Phariseis haue no lust to obey y ● wil of God Ergo they seeke not the glory of God Furthermore the Scribes the Phariseis seke their owne glory they that seeke their owne glory preache their owne doctrine Ergo the Scribes and the Phariseis preach their owne doctrine The maior thou hast Math. xxiij the Scribes and Phariseis do all their workes to be sene of men they loue to sit vppermost at feastes and to haue y e chief seates in the Synagoges and salutations in the open markets and to be called Rabbi And y e minor foloweth the text aboue rehearsed Iohn vij he that speaketh of himselfe or of his own head seketh his owne glory that is to say he that preacheth hys owne doctrine is euer knowen by seekyng hys awne glory so that it is a generall rule to know that a mā preacheth his own doctrine if he seke his owne glory Some mā will haply say the Scribes and Phariseis had no other law then Moses the Prophetes nor any other Scripture and grounded their sayinges theron That is truth how thē preached they their owne doctrine verely it foloweth in the sayd seuenth of Iohn He that seeketh the glory of him that sent him the same is true and there is
maliciously resisted the open truth agaynst hys owne conscience sence the world began that euer I read For it is sinne agaynst y ● holy ghost which Christ saith shall neither be forgeuē here nor in the world to come whiche text may this wise be vnderstand that as that sinne shal be punished with euerlastyng dānation in the lyfe to come euen so shall it not escape vengeaūce here As thou ●eest in Iudas in Pharao in Balam and in all other tyrauntes whiche agaynst their consciences resisted the open truth of God So now the cause why our Prelates thus rage that moueth them to call M. More to helpe is not that they finde iust causes in the translation but because they haue lost their iugglyng and fayned termes wherewith Peter prophesied they should make marchaundise of the people ¶ Whether the Church were before the Gospell or the Gospell before the Church AN other doubt there is whether the Church or congregatiō be before the Gospell or the Gospell before the Church Which question is as hard to solue as whether the father be elder then the sonne or the sonne elder then his father For the whole Scripture and all beleuing hartes testifie that we are begotten through the word Wherfore if the word beget the congregatiō he that begetteth is before hym that is begotten then is the Gospell before the Church Paul also Rom. ix sayth how shall they call on him whom they beleue not And how shall they beleue without a preacher That is Christ must first be preached yer men can beleue in him And then it foloweth that the word of the preacher must be before the fayth of the beleuer And therfore in as much as the word is before the faith and faith maketh the congregation therfore is the word or Gospell before the congregation And agayne as the ayre is darke of it selfe receaueth all her light of the sonne euen so are all mens hartes of thēselues darke with lyes and receaue all their truth of Gods word in that they consent therto And moreouer as the darke ayre geueth the sonne no light but contrarywise the light of the sonne in respect of the ayre is of it selfe and lighteneth the ayre purgeth it from darkenesse euē so the lying hart of man can geue the word of God no truth but contrary wise the truth of Gods word is of her self and lighteneth the harts of the beleuers and maketh them true and clenseth them from lyes as thou readest Iohn xv ye be cleane by reason of the word Which is to be vnderstand in that the word had purged their harces from lyes from false opinions from thinking euill good and therfore from consentyng to sinne And Iohn xvij sanctifie them O father thorough thy truth And thy woorde is truth And thus thou seest that Gods truth dependeth not of man It is not true because man so sayth or admitteth it for true But man is true because he beleueth it testifieth and geueth witnesse in hys hart that it is true And Christ also sayth him selfe Iohn v. I receaue no witnesse of mā For if the multitude of mās witnesse might make ought true then were the doctrine of Mahomete truer then Christes ¶ Whether the Apostles left ought vnwritten that is of necessitie to be beleued BUt did not y ● Apostles teach ought by mouth that they wrot not I aunswere because that many taught one thyng and euery man the same in diuers places and vnto diuers people and confirmed euery sermō wyth a sundry miracle therfore Christ his Apostles preached an ●…red thousād sermons and did as many miracles which had bene superfluous to haue bene all written But the pith and substaunce in generall of euery thing necessary vnto our soules health both of what we ought to beleue and what we ought to do was written and of the miracles done to confirme it as many as were nedeful So that whatsoeuer we ought to beleue or do that same is written expresely or drawen out of that which is written For if I were bound to do or beleue vnder payne of the losse of my soule any thing that were written nor depēded of that which is writtē what holpe me the scripture that is written And thereto in as much as Christ and all his Apostles warned vs that false prophetes shoulde come with false miracles euen to deceaue the elect if it were possible wherewith shoulde the true preacher confound the false except he brought true miracles to confound the false or els autenticke scripture of full authoritie already among the people Some man woulde aske how dyd God continue his congregation from Adam to Noe and frō Noe to Abraham and so to Moses without writing but with teaching from mouth to mouth I aunswere first that there was no scripture all the whyle they shall proue whē our Lady hath a new sonne God taught Adam greater thynges then to write And that there was writing in the world long yer Abraham yea yer Noe do stories testifie Notwithstanding though there had bene no writing the preachers were euer prophetes glorious in doing of miracles wherwith they cofirmed their preaching And beyond that god wrote his testamēt vnto them a●way both what to do and to beleue euē in y e sacramentes For the sacrifices which God gaue Adams sonnes were no dumme popetrie or superstitious Mahometrie but signes of the testament of God And in them they red y e worde of God as we do in bookes and as we should do in our sacraments if the wicked Pope had not taken the significations away from vs as he hath robbed vs of the true sence of all the scripture The testament which God made with Noe that he woulde no more drowne the worlde with water he wrote in the sacrament of the rainebow And the appointment made betwene him and Abraham he wrote in the sacrament of circumcision And therefore sayd Steuen Act. vij he gaue them y ● testamēt of circumcision Not that the outwarde circumcision was the whole testament but the sacramēt or signe there For circumcision preached Gods worde vnto thē as I haue in other places declared But in the tyme of Moyses when the congregation was encreased that they must haue many preachers also rulers temporall then all was receaued in scripture in so much that Christ and his Apostles might not haue bene beleued without scripture for all their miracles Wherefore in as much as Christes congregation is spred abroad into all the worlde much broader then Moses and in as much as we haue not the olde testament onely but also the new wherein all thinges are opened so richly and all fulfilled that before was promised in as much as there is no promise behinde of ought to be shewed more saue the resurrection yea and seyng that Christ and all the Apostles with all the Angels of
IN the viij he sayth the Saintes be more charitable now then when they liued I answere Abrahā was while he lyued as charitable as the best And yet dead he answered hym that prayed to hym they haue Moses and y ● Prophetes let them heare them And so haue we not Moses and the prophets onely but a more cleare light euen Christ and the Apostles vnto which if we harken we be Saintes already And to proue that they in heauen be better then we in earth he alleageth a text of our Sauiour Luke vij that the worst in heauen is better then Ihon Baptist Now y e text is he that is lesse in the kingdome of God is greater thē he We that beleue are Gods kyngdome And he that is least in doyng seruice vnto hys brethren is euer the greatest after the doctrine of Christ Now Christ was lesse then Ihon and therfore greater then he And by theyr owne doctrine there was no Sainte in heauen before the resurrection of Christ but what care they what they say blynded wyth theyr owne sophistrye Moreouer cursed is he that trusteth in ought saue God sayth the text and therfore the Saintes would haue no man to trust in them whyle they were aliue As Paule sayth 1. Cor. 3. What is Paule saue your seruaunt to preach Christ Did Paule dye for you were ye baptised in the name of Paule Did I not mary you to Christ to put your trust in hym And agayne let no man reioyce or trust in man sayth he For all are youres whether Paule or Appollo or Cephas whether the world life death present thynges or thynges to come all are youres and ye are Christes and Christ is Gods If my fayth be stedfast in the promises that I haue in Christes bloud I néede but to pray my father in Christes name and he shall send me a legion of Angels to helpe me so that my fayth is Lord ouer the Angels and ouer all creatures to turne them vnto my soules health and my fathers honour and may be subiect vnto no creature but vnto Gods woorde in our Sauiour Christ onely I may haue no trust therefore in the Saintes If ye say ye put no trust in them but onely put them in remembraunce of their dutie as a man desireth his neighbour to pray for him remembring hym of hys dutie and as when we desire our brethren to helpe vs at our neede That is false for ye put trust in all your ceremonies all your holy deedes and in whosoeuer disguiseth hymselfe and altereth hys coat from the common fashion ye and euen in the coates of them that be not yet Saintes after your dortrine If a priest sayd masse in his gowne would ye not rise against hym and slea hym and that for the false fayth that ye haue in the other garmētes For what honour can those other garmentes do to God more then hys gowne or profite vnto your soules ▪ seyng ye vnderstand nought thereby And therto in the collectes of Saintes ye say saue me God and geue me euerlastyng lyfe for the merites of thys or that Saint euery man after his phantasie chusing hym one Saint singularly to be saued by Wyth which collectes I pray you shew me how standeth the death of Christ Paule woulde say that Christ dyed in vayne if that doctrine were true And therto in as much as ye say the Saintes merite or deserue not in heauen but in this worlde onely it is to be feared least their merites be sore wasted and the deseruynges of many all spent thorowe our holy fathers so great liberalitie Abraham and the Prophetes and y ● Apostles and many since prayed to no Saintes and yet were holy inough And when he sayth they could helpe when they were aliue That was thorow their fayth in beleuing the promise For they had promises that they shuld do such miracles to stablish their doctrine and to prouoke vnto Christ and not vnto them selues And whē he proueth that y e Saintes be in heauen in glory wyth Christ already saying if God be their God they be in heauē for he is not the God of the dead There he stealeth away Christes argument wherewyth he proueth the resurrection that Abraham and all Saintes shoulde rise agayne and not that their soules were in heauē which doctrine was not yet in the worlde And wyth that doctrine he taketh away the resurrection quite and maketh Christes argumēt of none effect For when Christ alleageth the Scripture that God is Abrahams God addeth to that God is not God of the dead but of the liuing and so proueth that Abraham must rise agayne I deny Christes argument and say wyth M. More that Abraham is yet aliue not because of the resurrection but because hys soule is in heauē And in like maner Paules argument vnto the Corrinthians is nought worth For when he sayth if there be no resurrection we be of all wretches the miserablest Here we haue no pleasure but sorrow care and oppression And therfore if we rise not agayne all our suffering is in vayne Nay Paul thou art vnlearned ▪ go to Maister More and learne a new way We be not most miserable though we ryse not agayne for our soules go to heauen assoone as we be dead and are there in as great ioy as Christ that is risē againe And I maruell that Paule had not comforted the Thessalonians wyth that doctrine if he had wist it that the soules of their dead had bene in ioy as he did wyth the resurrection that their dead should rise agayne If the soules be in heauen in as great glorie as the aungels after your doctrine shewe me what cause should be of the resurrection And when hee sayth Whether the Saintes do it them selues or by intercession made to God it maketh no matter so we be holpe it appeareth by his doctrine that all is good that helpeth though a man pray vnto the deuill by whom many be holpe Now in Christ we haue promises of all maner helpe not in them Where then is our faith to be holpe by Christ when we hope to be holpe by the merites of Saintes So it appeareth that the more trust we haue in Saintes the lesse we haue in Christ And whē he bringeth in a similitude that we pray Phisitions though God can helpe vs and therefore we must pray to Saintes It is not like for they haue naturall remedies for vs which we must vse not tempt God But the Saints haue no natural remedies nor promise of supernaturall And therfore it can be but a false superstitious fayth And where no natural remedy is there god hath promised to helpe thē that beleue in hym And moreouer when I pray a Phisition or Surgion and trust to be holpe by them I dishonour God except I first pray to God beleue that he will woorke with their doctrine and medicines
ye haue brought in besides the Scripture nor any that dyed for it But ye persecute and ●lea whos● euer with Gods woorde doth rebuke it And as for your owne miracles of which ye make your boast ye haue fayned them so grosly throughout al your Legendes of Saintes that ye be now ashamed of them and would fayne bee rid of thē if ye wist how with honestie and so would ye of a thousand thinges which ye haue fayned And the cause why heretickes fayne no miracles as ye doe is that they walke purely and entend no falsehead And why the deuill doth none for them is that they cleaue fast to Gods word whiche the deuill hateth and can do no miracles to further it But to hinder it as he doth with you Read the stories of your Popes and Cardinals see whether the deuill hath not holpe them vnto their highe dignities And looke whether your holy Byshoppes come any otherwise vnto their promotions then by seruing the deuil in setting all Christendome at variaunce in sheddyng bloud in bringyng the common wealth to tyrāny and in teaching Christen Princes to ●ule more cruelly then did euer any heathen cōtrary vnto the doctrine of Christ And as for the Turkes and Sarasenes that ye speake of I aūswere that they were Christē once at the lest way for the most part And because they had no loue vnto the truth to liue their after as ye haue not God did send them false miracles to cary them out of the right waye as ye be And as for the Iewes why they hyde out is onely because they haue set vp their own righteousnesse as ye haue and therfore can not admit the righteousnesse that is in Christes bloud as ye can not and as ye haue forsworne it And when he sayth in that they haue miracles and the heretickes none it is a sure signe that they be the true Churche and the heretickes not Had ye Gods word with your miracles and the heretickes doctrine were without then it were true But now because ye haue miracles without Gods word to confirme your false imaginatiōs and they whiche ye call heretickes haue Gods word cōfirmed with miracles fiue hūdred yeares together it is a sure signe that they be the true church ye not in as much also as Christ saith that y ● deceauers shall come with miracles ye in his name therto as ye do For whē christ saith there shal come in my name y t shal say he him selfe is Christ who is that saue your Pope that wil be Christes Vicare and yet maketh men to beleue in him selfe in his Bulles Calues skinnes and in what soeuer he listeth And who be those false annoynted that shall come with miracles to deceaue the elect if it were possible saue your Pope with his gresiamus And when he repeteth his miracles to proue that the olde holy Doctours were good men in the right belefe I aunswere agayne that the Doctours which planted Gods word watered it with miracles while they were alyue And whē they were dead God shewed miracles at their graues to confirme the same as of Heliseus And that continued till the Scripture was full receaued and autenticke But ye can not shew nor shal any Doctour which beyng aliue preached your false doctrine confirmyng it with miracles as God doth his Scripture Then sayth hee God had in the olde Testamēt good mē ful of miracles whose liuing a man might be bold to folow and whose doctrine a man might beleue by reason of theyr miracles and then iuggleth saying if God should not so now in the new Testamēt haue Doctours with miracles to confirme their doctrine and liuynges but contrarywise should bryng to passe or suffer to bee brought to passe with false miracles that his church shuld take hypocrites for Saintes which exposided the Scripture falsly then should hee deceaue his Church and not haue his spirite present in his Church to teach them all truth as he promised them I aunswer God suffereth not his Church to be deceaued But he suffereth the popes Church because they haue no loue vnto the truth to lyue after the lawes of God but consent vnto all iniquitie as he suffered the Churche of Mahomet Moreouer y ● gift of miracles was not all way amōg the preachers in the old Testament For Iohn Baptist did no miracle at all The miracles were ceased longyer Christ And as for you in the Popes kingdome had neuer mā that either confirmed Gods doctrine or your owne with miracles All your Saintes be first Saints when they be dead and then do first miracles to confirme tithes and offeringes the Poetrie which ye haue fayned and not true doctrine For to confirme what preachyng doth S. Thomas of Canterbury miracles He preached neuer nor liued any other life then as our Cardinall and for his mischief dyed a mischieuous death And of our Cardinall if we be not diligent they will make a Saint also and make a greater relique of his shew then of the others And of your dead Saintes let vs take on● for an example Thomas de Aquino is a Saint full of miracles as Friers tell And his doctrine was that our Lady was borne in original sinne And Dunce doyng no miracle at all because I suppose no man wotteth where he lyeth improueth that with his sophistrie and affirmeth the contrary And of the contrary hath the Pope for the deuotiō of that the gray Friers gaue him ye may well thinke made an Article of the fayth And finally as for the miracles they are to make a man astonied to wonder and to draw him to heare the word earnestly rather then to write it in his hart For whosoeuer hath no other felyng of the law of God that it is good then because of miracles the sa●…e shall beleue in Christ as did Symon Magus and Iudas and as they that came out of Egypt with Moyses and fell away at euery temptation shall haue good workes like vnto our Popes bishops and Cardinals And therfore when the Scripture is fully receaued there is no nede of miracles In so much that they which will not beleue Moses and the Prophetes when the Scripture is receaued the same wil be no true beleuers by the reason of miracles though one arose from death to lyfe to preach vnto them by the testimonie of Christ And agayne how doth S. Hierome Augustine Bede and many other old Doctours that were before the Pope was cropt vp into y e consciences of mē and had sent forth his dānable sectes to preach him vnder y t name of Christ as Christ prophesied it should be expounde this text thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will builde my Church and this text Peter feede my sheepe and all power is geuen me in heauen and in earth and innumerable such textes cleane contrary vnto all those
they can not depart they seke a thousand gloses to turne it into an other sense to make it agree vnto their beastlynesse and where it will receaue no such gloses theyr they thinke that no man vnderstandeth it Then in the end of the Chapter M. More cōmeth vnto his wise conclusion and proueth nothing saue sheweth his ignoraunce as in all thyng He sayth we beleue the doctrine of the Scripture without Scripture as for an example the Popes pardons because onely that the Church so teacheth though no Scripture confirmeth it Why so because sayth he the holy ghost by inspiration if I doe my endeuour and captiuate mine vnderstandyng teacheth me to beleue the Church concernyng Gods worde taught by the Churche and grauen in mens hartes with out Scripture as well as he teacheth vs to beleue wordes written in the Scripture Marke where hee is now Afore hee saith the Scripture causeth vs not to beleue the Scripture for a man may read it beleue it not And much more the preacher maketh vs not to beleue y e preacher for a man may heare him and beleue him not also As we see the Apostles could not cause all men to beleue them For though the Scripture be an outward instrument and the preacher also to moue mē to beleue yet the chief and principall cause why a man beleueth or beleueth not is within That is the spirite of God teacheth his children to beleue and the deuill blyndeth his children and kepeth them in vnbeleffe and maketh them to consent vnto lyes thinke good euill euill good As the Actes of the Apostles say in many places there beleued as many as were ordeyned vnto euerlastyng lyfe And Christ sayth Iohn viij they that be of God heare Gods word And vnto the wicked Iewes he saith ye cā not beleue because ye be not of God And in the same place sayth he ye be of your father the deuill and his will ye will do and he bode not in the truth therfore will not suffer his children to consent to the truth And Iohn in y e x. saith Christ all that came before me be theeues murtherers but my shepe heard not theyr voyces That is all that preach any saluatiō saue in Christ murther y e soules Howbeit Christes shepe could not consent to their lyes as the rest cā not but beleue lyes so that there is euer a remanaunt kepte by grace And of this I haue sene diuers examples I haue knowen as holy men as might be as the world counteth holynesse which at the houre of death had no trust in God at all but cryed cast holy water light the holy candell and so forth sore lamentyng that they must dye And I haue knowen other which were despised as men that cared not for their diuine seruice which at death haue falsen so flat vppon the bloud of Christ as is possible and haue preached vnto other mightyly as it had bene an Apostle of our Sauiour and comforted them with comfort of the lyfe to come haue dyed so gladly that they would haue receaued no worlds good to bide still in the flesh And thus is M. More fallen vpō predestination and is compelled wish violence of Scripture to confesse that which he hateth and studieth to make appeare false to stablish freewill with all not so much of ignoraunce I feare as for lucres sake and to get honour promotiō dignitie and money by helpe of our mitred monsters Take exāple of Balam the false Prophet which gaue counsell sought meanes through like blynd couetousnesse to make the truth and prophesie which God had shewed him false He had the knowledge of y e truth but with out loue therto and therfore for vauntage became enemy vnto the truth but what came of hym But M. More pepereth his conclusiō lest men should feele the tast saying if we endeuour our selues and captiue our vnderstandyng to beleue O how betleblynd is fleshly reason the will hath none operation at all in the workyng of fayth in my soule no more then the child hath in the begettyng of hys father For sayth Paule it is the gift of God and not of vs. My witte must cōclude good or bad yer my will can loue or hate My witte must shew me a true cause or an apparent cause why yer my will haue any workyng at all And of that peperyng it well appeareth what the Popes fayth is euen a blynd imagination of their naturall witte wrought without the light of the spirite of God agreing vnto their voluptuous lustes in which their beastly wil so deliteth that hee will not let their wittes attēde vnto any other learning for vnquietyng hym selfe and styrring from his pleasure and delectation And thus we be as farre a sunder as euer we were and his mighty argumentes proue not the value of a poding pricke M. More feeleth in his hart by inspiration and with his endeueryng him self and captiuatyng his vnderstandyng to beleue it that there is a Purgatory as whot as hell Wherein if a sily soule were appointed by God to lye a thousand yeares to purge him with all the Pope for the value of a groat shall commaunde him thence ful purged in the twinkelyng of an eye by as good reason if her were goyng thence kepe him there still He feeleth by inspiration and in captiuatyng hys wittes that the Pope can worke wonders with a Caiues skinne that he can commaunde one to eate f●esh though he be neuer so lusty and that an other eate none on payne of dānatiō though he should dye for lacke of it and that he can forgeue sinne and not the payne as much and as litle of the payne or all if he lust and yet can neither helpe hym to loue the law or to beleue or to hate the flesh seyng he preacheth not And such thinges innumerable M. More feleth true and therfore beleueth that the Pope is the true Church And I cleane cōtrary fele that there is no such worldly and fleshly imagined Purgatory For I feele that the soules be purged onely by the word of God doctrine of Christ as it is written Iohn xv ye be cleane through the word saith Christ to his Apostles And I feele agayne that he which is cleane through the doctrine needeth not but to washe his feete onely for his head handes are cleane all ready Iohn xiij that is he must tame his flesh kepe it vnder for his soule is cleane all ready through the doctrine I feele also that bodyly payne doth but purge the body onely in so much that the payne not onely purgeth not the soule but maketh it more foule except that there be kynde learning by to purge the soule so that the more a mā beateth his sōne the worse he is except he teach him louingly shew him kindnesse besides partly to kepe hym from
had as great loue to Christ as to other thinges to happen dayly vnto the shame of Christes doctrine among Priestes Fryers and Monkes partly with open whores partly with their sodometrie whereof they cast ech other in the teeth dayly in euery Abbey for the least displeasure that one doth to an other M. More might see what occasions of vnchas●itie be geuen vnto the Curates euery where by the reason of their office and dayly conuersation with the maryed And when he sayth neuer mā could finde that exposition till now there he sayth vntrue For S. Hierome hymselfe saith that he knew them that so expo●ded the text and rebuked them of Rome because they would not admit into the clergie them that had had two wiues the one before baptim and the other after saying if a man had killed xx men before his Baptime they would not haue forbidden him and why then should that which is no sinne at all be a let vnto him But the God of Rome would not heare him For Sathan beganne then to worke his misteries of wickednes And when he saith he that hath ten wiues hath one wife I say that one is taken by the vse of speaking for one onely As when I say I am content to geue thee one meaning one onely And vnto him that hath no helpe is there one helpe to looke for no helpe where one helpe is taken for one onely and many places els And when M. More sayth he that hath had two wiues one after an nother may not be Priest and that if a Priestes wife die he may not haue another or that if he were made Priest hauing no wife he might not after mary if he burnt I desire a reason of him If he say it hath bene so the vse then say I an whore is better then a wife for that hath bene y e vse of our holy father many hundred yeares But I affirme vnto M. More the contrary And I say first wyth Paule that the kingdome of God is not meate and drinke and by the same reason neither husband or wife but y t keeping of the commaundements and to loue euery man his neighbour as himselfe And therefore as meate and drinke were ordeined for mans necessitie and as a man may care drinke at all needes in all degrees so farre as it letteth him not to keepe the commaundementes and to loue his neighbour as himselfe euen so was the wife created for the mans necessitie and therefore may a man vse her at all hys neede in all degrees as farre as she letteth hym not to keepe Gods lawe which is nothing els by Paules learning then that a man loue hys neyghbour as himselfe Now I desire a reason of M. Mores doctrine what doth my second wife or my third hinder me to loue my neighbour as my selfe and to do him seruice against I come to be priest What let is your second wife to you to serue our holy father the Pope more then your first would haue bene And in like maner if my first wife die when I am a Priest why may I not loue my neighbour do hym as good seruice with the second as with y e first And againe if I be made priest hauing no wife and after burne and therfore mary why may I not loue my neighbour and serue hym wyth that wyfe as well as he that brought a wife with hym It was not for nought that Paule prophesied that some should departe from the faith attend vnto disceaueable spirites and deuelishe doctrine forbidding to mary and to eate meates which god hath created to be receaued with thankes of them that know the truth to buy dispēsations to vse lawfull meat and vnlawfull wiues And I aske M. More why he y t hath the second wife or hath had two wiues may not be a Priest or why if a Priestes first wife die he may not mary the second He will aunswere because the Priest must represent the misteries or secrete properties and vnion of Christ the onely husbande of his onely wyfe the church or congregation that beleueth in him onely That is as I haue in other places sayd the scripture describeth vs in matrimonye the mysteries and secrete benefites which God the father hath hid in Christ for all thē that be chosen and ordeyned to beleue and put their trust in him to be saued As when a man taketh a wife he geueth her himselfe his honour hys riches and all that he hath and maketh her of equall degree vnto himselfe if he be king and she before a beggers daughter yet she is not y e lesse Quene and in honour aboue al other If he be Emperour she is Empresse and honoured of men as the Emperour and partaker of all Euen so if a man repēt and come and beleue in Christ to be saued from the dampnation of the sinne of which he repenteth Christ is hys owue good immediately Christes death paine prayer passion fastyng and all his merites are for that mans sinnes a full satisfaction and a sacrifice of might and power to absolue hym 〈◊〉 pena et a culp 〈◊〉 Christes enheritaunce his loue and fauour that he hath wyth God his father are that mans by and by and the man by that mariage is pure as Christ and cleane wythout sinne and honourable glorious weibeloued and in fauour thorow y t grace of that mariage And because that the Priest must represent vs this signification is the cause why a Priest may not haue the second wyfe say they which popishe reason hath deceaued many wise as who can be but deceaued in some thing if he receaue all his doctrine by the auctoritie of his elders except he haue an occasion as we haue to runne to Moses and the Prophetes there heare see with our owne eyes and beleue no longer by the reason of oure forefathers when we see them so shamefully beguild themselues and to beguile vs in a thousand things which the Turkes see Now to our purpose if this doctrine be true then must euery Priest haue a wife or haue had a wife For he that neuer had wife can not represent vs this And againe he that hath an whore or an other mans wife hath lost this property and therfore ought to be put downe And againe the second mariage thē of no man is or can be a Sacramēt by that doctrine And yet I will describe you the mariage of Christ as well by his mariage that hath had ix wyues and hath now the tenth as by his that hath now the first O will they say his wyfe was no virgine or he when they were maried Sir the signification standeth not in y t virginitie but in the actuall wedlocke We were no virgines when we came to Christ but cōmon whores beleuing in a thousand Idoles And in the second mariage or tenth and ye will the man hath but one wife and
for whatsoeuer thou askest in his name and woulde shewe thee all that God woulde do to thee and what he would also haue thee to do and if thou beleeuest so were thou safe If thou desiredst him to saue thee with his merites He would aunswer that he had no merites but that Christ onely is Lord of all merites nor saluation but that Christ is Lord of saluation Wilte thou therfore be saued by merits wold the Aungell say then pray to God in Christes name and thou shalt be saued by the merites of him and haue me or some other thy seruaunt immediatlye to help thee vnto the vttermost of our power and to keep thee and bring thee vnto the rewarde of his mertites If thou wouldest promise him to worship him with imageseruice that is to sticke vp a candle before his image or such an image as he appeared to thee in He would aunswer that he were a spirite and delighted in no candlelight but would bid thee geue a cādle to thy neighbour that lacked if thou hadst to many And so would he aunswer thee if thou wouldest put money in a boxe for him or cloth his image in cloth of gold or put golden shoes vpon his Images feete If thou saydest that thou wouldest build a chappel in his name he would aunswer that he dwelt in no house made with stones but wold bid thee goe to the churches that are made already and learne of the Preachers there how to beleeue and how to liue and honour God in the spirite for the which cause churches were chiefly builded and for quietnesse to pray And if there be no church then to geue of that thou maist spare to help that one were builded to be a preaching and a praying house and of worshipping God in the spirite and not of imageseruice And if Paule appeared vnto thee what other thing could he aunswer also then that he were a spirite would refuse all thy imageseruice And if thou speake to Paule of his merites he can none otherwise aunswer thee then he aunswered his Corinthians That he dyed for no mans sinnes and that no mā was baptized in his name to trust in his merites He would say I builded all men vppon Christes merites preaching that all that repented and beleued in his name should be saued and taken from vnder the wrath vengeaunce and damnation of the law be put vnder mercy and grace And by this fayth was I saued from damnation and put vnder mercy and grace and made one with Christ to haue my part with him and he with me or rather to make a chainge that he shoulde haue all my sinnes and I his mercye and the giftes of his grace and become glorious with the ornamentes of hys riches And of my sauiour Christ I receaued this lawe that I shoulde loue my brethren all Gods elect as tenderly as he loued them And I consented vnto this law for it seemed right and became a scholler to learne it And as I profited in the knowledge faith and loue of Christ so I grew in the loue of my brethren and suffred all things for their sakes and at the last waxed so perfect that I wished my selfe damned if it might haue bene to saue my brethrē And al my brethrē that receaued Christ receaued the same commaundement grew therein And they that were perfect loued me and all their other brethren no lesse then I loued them And looke with what loue I ministred the giftes of grace which I receaued of Christ for the edifying of his congregation vpon my brethren with the same loue did they minister their giftes agayne on me which they had and I lacked and so loue made all common And moreouer if they call my workes my merites I bestowed all my workes vpon my brethren to teach them and reaped the fruite thereof euen my brethrens edifying and soules health yea and reape daily in that I left my doctrine ensample of liuing behinde me by which many are conuerted vnto Christ daily If thou desire therfore to enioy part of my merite goe read in my Gospel and thou shalt finde the fruite of my labour the knowledge of Christ the health of the soule and euer lasting life And as I loued my brethren whē I liued so I loue them still now more perfectly Howbeit my loue then was paynful for the more I loued the more I sorowed feared and cared for them to bryng them into the knowledge of the truth and to kepe them in vnitie of faith lest the false prophetes should deceaue them or their owne infirmities should breake peace vnitie or cause them to fall into any sinne But now my loue is without paine For I see the will and prouidence of God and how the end of all thynges shal be vnto hys glory profite of the elect And though I see the elect shall sometime fall yet I see how they shall arise agayne how that their fall shal be vnto the glory of God their owne profect And we that are in heauē loue you al a like neither we loue one more an other lesse And therfore if ye loue vs more one thē an other that is fleshly as mine old Corinthiās once loued and I rebuked them Neither can we bee moued to come more to helpe one thē an other But we wayte whē God will send any of vs vnto the elect that call for helpe in Christes name Wherfore if thou wilt be holpe of any of vs pray in Christes name And God shall send one of vs an Aungell or a Saint to keepe the power of the deuils from you but not whō thou wouldest chose temptyng God but whom it pleaseth God to send And if your preachers loue you not after y ● same maner to edifie you with the true doctrine of Christ and example of liuing therafter and to kepe you in vnitie of fayth and charitie they be not of Christes Disciples but Antichristes which vnder y t name of Christ seeke to raigne ouer you as temporall tyrauntes And in like maner if this be not written in your hartes that ye ought to loue one an other as Christ loued you and as ye had example of vs his Apostles ye go astray in vanities and are not in the right way And hereby are we sure that we knowe hym if we keepe his commaundementes This is cleane agaynst y ● doctrine of them which say that we can not know whether we be in the state of grace or no. Iohn sayth if we keepe his commaundementes then we be sure that we knowe Christ is euerlastyng lyfe Iohn xvij Then cōtrary to the pope Christen men haue doctrine to know whether they be in grace or no. The kepyng of Gods commaundementes certifieth vs that we be in the state of grace But our Doctours haue no doctrine to know when a man is in the state of grace wherfore it is
came to destroy the workes of the deuill in vs to giue vs a new byrth a new nature and to sow new seede in vs that we should by the reasō of that byrth sinne no more For the seede of that byrth that is to wete the spirite of God and the liuely seede of his word sowen in our hartes kepeth our harts that we can not consent to sinne as the seede of the deuill holdeth the hartes of his that they can not consent to good This is cōtrary vnto the Pope in two poyntes in one that he sayth that our good deedes make vs first good and teacheth vs not to beleue in Christes bloud there to be washed made first good And in an other that he sayth God choseth vs first for our good qualites properties and for the enforcement and good endeuour of our frewill What good endeuour is there where the deuill possesseth the whole hart that it can consent to no good And finally there is great difference betwene the sinne of them that beleue in Christ vnfaynedly and the sinne of them that beleue not For they that beleue sinne not of purpose and of cōsent to wickednesse that it is good castyng and compassyng afore hand without grudge of cōscience to bryng their purpose about As ye see our hypocrites haue vexed all Christendome this xx yeares to bryng a little lust to effect Their fathers conceiued mischief viij hundreth yeares ago And the sonnes consent vnto the same haue no power to depart therefrom And therfore their sinne is deuilishe and vnder the damnation of the law But if he that beleueth sinne he doth it not of purpose or that he consenteth vnto the life of sinne But of infirmitie chaūce and some great temptation that hath ouercome him And therefore his sinne is veniall and vnder mercy and grace though it be murther theft or adulterie and not vnder the dānation of the law So that his father shall scourge hym but not cast hym away or damne hym Marke in the sinne of Saule of Dauid Saule euer excused his sinne and could not but persecute the will of God And Dauid confessed his sinne with great repentaūce at the first warnyng whensoeuer he forgot him selfe All that worke not righteousnes are not of God Nor hee that loueth not his brother For this is the tydinges which ye heard at the begynnyg that we should loue one an other and not be as Cain which was of the deuill and slew his brother And wherefore slew he him for his deedes were euill and hys brothers righteous Maruell not my brethren thoughe the worlde hate you The law of righteousnes is that we loue one an other as Christ loued vs and he that hath not this law liuyng in his hart and when the tyme is bringeth not forth the frutes therof the same is not of God but of the deuill whose byrth and properties of the same ye see described in Cain how he resisted God and persecuted the childrē of God for their belefe workes therof And as ye see in Cain and his brother Abell so shall it euer continue betwene the children of God and of the deuill vnto the worldes ende Wonder not therefore thoughe the worlde hate you We know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren He that loueth not his brother abydeth in death All that hate theyr brethren are murtherers and ye know that no murtherer hath eternall lyfe abydyng in hym If thou loue thy brother in Christ and art ready to do to suffer for him as Christ dyd for thee then thou art sure thereby that thou art the sonne of God and heyre of life and deliuered frō death and damnation So haue Christen men signes to know whether they be in the state of grace or no. And on the other side he that hath no power to loue his brethren may be sure that he is in the state of death and damnation An other is this let euery man looke vpō his hart and be sure that he which hateth his brother hath slayne hym before God is a murtherer And murtherers shal not obteine the kingdome of God Gala. 5. But are Caines brethren and the deuils children and are heyres of death and euer vnder damnation Compare the regiment of the spiritualtie which haue had the temperall sword in their handes now aboue viij hundreth yeares vnto this doctrine of Iohn Iudge whether they haue led vs truely after the steppes of Christes doctrine Hereby we are assured of loue because hee left his lyfe for vs and therfore ought we to leaue our lyues for our brethren He then that hath the substaunce of the worlde and seith his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion frō him how dwelleth the loue of God in hym If we felt the loue of Christes death it would sure set our hart on fire to loue hym agayne and our brethren for his sake and should neuer cease to s●ay our resisting members vntill we could not onely be wel content that our brethren were in a more prosperous state then we but also vntill we could blesse them whe●● they curse vs and pray for them when they persecute vs and to suffer death for thē to testifie the worde of their soules health vnto them and with loue to ouercome them and to wynne them vnto Christ If now euery Christen man ought to haue this rule of his profession before his eyes to learne it that hee should loue his brother as Christ dyd hym to depart with his lyfe for his brothers example how farre are they of from good scholers that can not finde in their hartes to depart with a litle of the aboundaunce superfluitie of their temporall goodes to helpe their neighbours neede My litle children let vs not loue in worde nor with the toung but with the dede and of a truth For thereby we know that we be of the truth and so shall we certifie our hartes in his sight If we haue power to worke then doth the worke certefie our hartes that our fayth in Christ and loue to God and our neighbour for his sake are vnfayned and that we are true children and no hypocrites And then are we bold in our cōscience before God And this is it that Peter meaneth 2. Pet. 1. where he biddeth vs minister in our fayth vertue godly liuing and all maner of good workes and therewith to make our vocation and election or our calling add chosing sure For the sight of the worke doth certify vs that God hath called vs and chosen vs vnto grace and mercy But and if when the time of woorking is come I fly and haue no power to worke then will our conscience accuse vs of sinne and transgressiō within the hart before God and so for feare of the rodde we dare not be bolde but draw backe and stand aloo●e Let a childe haue neuer so mercifull a father yet if
worke And that Christ hath done this seruice in his flesh deny all the members of Antichrist And hereby thou shalt know them All doctrine that buildeth thee vpon Christ to put thy trust and confidence in his bloud is of God and true doctrine And all doctrine that withdraweth thyne hope and trust frō Christ is of the deuill and the doctrine of Antichrist Examine y ● Pope by this rule and thou shalt finde that all hee doth is to the destructiō of this article He wresteth all the Scriptures setteth them cleane agaynst the woll to destroy this article He ministreth the very Sacramentes of Christ vnto the destruction of this article and so doth he all other ceremonies and his absolution penaunce purgatorie dispensations pardōs vowes with all disguisings The Pope preacheth that Christ is come to do away sinnes yet not in the flesh but in water salt oyle cādles bowes asshes friers coates and monkes cowles and in the vowes of thē that for●were matrunonie to keepe whores and swere beggerie to possesse all the treasure riches wealth pleasures of the world and haue vowed obedience to disobey with authoritie all the lawes both of God and man For in these hypocritish and false sacrifices teacheth he vs to trust for the forgiuenes of sinnes not in Christes flesh Ye are of God litle childrē and haue ouercome them For greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world He that dwelleth in you and worketh in you through fayth is greater then he whiche dwelleth and worketh in them through vnbelefe And in hys strength ye abyde by your profession and cōfesse your Lord Iesus how that he is come in the flesh and hath purged the sinne of all that beleue in his flesh And through that fayth ye ouercome them in the very tormentes of death So that neither their iugglinges neither their pleasures neither their thretnynges or their tormentes or the very death wherewith they slay your bodies can preuayle agaynst you They be of the world and therfore they speake of the world and the world attēdeth vnto them We bee of God and hee that knoweth God heareth vs. And he that is not of God heareth vs not And hereby we know the spirit of truth and the spirite of errour There be and euer shal be two generations in the world one of the deuill which naturally hearken vnto the false Apostles of the deuill because they speake so agreable vnto their naturall complection And an other of God which hearken vnto the true Apostles of God consent vnto their doctrine And this is a sure rule to indge spirites with all that we indge them to haue the spirite of truth which hearkē vnto y t true doctrine of Christes Apostles them to haue the spirite of errour which hearken vnto worldly and deuilish doctrine abhorryng the preathing of the Apostles And looke hether the Popes doctrine bee worldly or no if pride and couetousnes be worldly yea and secherie to For what other is all his doctrine then of benefices promotions dignities byshoprikes cardinallshyps vicarages parsonages prebendes chaunge of bishoprikes and resignyng of benefices of vnions pluralities totquots and that which cōmeth once into their handes may not out agayn yea and of whores and concubines and of captiuyng of consciences for couetousnes all that hearken to that doctrine abhorre the doctrine of the Apostles and persecute it and them that preach it Dearely beloued let vs loue one an other for loue is of God And all that loue are borne of God and knowe God And he that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue Iohn singeth his old song agayne and teacheth an infallible and sure token which we may see and feele at our fingers endes and therby be out of all doubt that our fayth is vnfayned and that we knowe God and be borne of God and that we hearkē vnto the doctrine of the Apostles purely and godly not of any curiositie to seke glorie and honour therein vnto our selues to make a cloke therof to couer our couetousnes and filthy lustes Whiche token is if we loue one an other For the loue of a mans neighbour vnfaynedly spryngeth out of the vnfayned knowledge of God in Christes bloud By which knowledge we be borne of God loue God and our neighbours for his sake And so he that loueth hys neighbour vnfaynedly is sure of him selfe that he knoweth God and is of God vnfaynedly And contrarywise he that loueth not knoweth not God For God in Christes bloud is such a loue that if a man saw it it were impossible that he should not breake out into the loue of God agayne of his neighbour for his sake Herein appeared the loue of God vnto vs warde because God sēt his onely sonne into the world that we should liue through hym Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent hys sonne a satisfaction for our synnes If a man had once felt within in his conscience the fierce wrath of God towarde sinners and the terrible most cruell damnation that the law threatneth and then beheld with the eyes of a strong fayth the mercy fauour and grace the takyng away of the damnation of the law and restoryng agayne of life frely offred vs in Christs bloud he should perceaue loue and so much the more that it was shewed vs when we were sinners and enemies to God Roma 5. and that without all deseruyngs without our endeuouryng enforcyng and preparyng our selues and without all good motions qualities properties of our frewill But when our hartes were as dead vnto all good workyng as the mēbers of him whose soule is departed whiche thyng to proue and to stoppe the blasphemous mouthes of all our aduersaries I will of innumerable textes rehearse one in the beginnyng of the second chapter to the Ephes where Paule sayth thus Ye were dead in trespasse sinne in which ye walked accordyng to the course of the world and after the gouernour that ruleth in the ayre the spirite that worketh in the children of vnbelefe amōg which we also had our conuersation in tyme past in the lustes of our flesh and fulfilled the lustes of the fleshe and of the mynde so that the fleshe and the mynde were agreed both to sinne and the mynde consented as well as the flesh and were by nature the children of wrath as well as other But God beyng rich in mercy through the great loue wherwith he loued vs euen whē we were dead in sinne hath quickened vs with Christ for by grace are ye saued and with hym hath raysed vs vp and with him hath made vs sit in heauenly thynges through Iesus Christ for to shew in tyme to come the exceding riches of his grace in kyndnes to vs ward in Iesus Christ For by grace are ye saued through fayth that not of your selues for
full satisfaction for our sinnes 50. b. his body not naturally in the Sacrament 469. b. how he is in many places and how not at one instant 461. b. his bloud blesseth vs from curse of the law 77. a. he consecrated no bread 465. b. satisfied for our sinnes after afore Baptisme 32. a. sacrificed once for all 310. b. he boroweth figures of the old Testament and why 14. b. his prayer is heard praying for vs. 401. b. his treasures who vnderstand not 69. b Christ why not embraced 162. a. dishonored 18. a. vnder the temporall sword 115. b. a vayne name in respect of the Popes name 127. a. hys prophesie must be fulfilled how terrible soeuer it be 132. b. he prophesied why Antichrist should come 151. b. not tyed to Antichristes eare 149. a. not disguised 408. a. accused of insurrection 105. a. his prophesie fulfilled in the papistes 132. a. commaundeth Scriptures to be searched 102. a. alloweth allegories aptly applyed 467. a. onely fulfilleth the law 40. a Chrisostome calleth the Sacrament a signe of Christes body 474. b. his saying of our Lady 336. b Christian man onely suffreth 119. b. receiueth ibid. hath Christes spirite 83. b. how farre bosid to suffer 327 a. wherunto called 98. b. what requisite for hym 34. a. seketh Christes honor 292. a. seeketh his saluation onely of Christ 292. a. seeketh to Christ 329. b Christian loue of whō reiected 116. b Christian patience 260. a Christian doctrine sufficiently conteyned in Paule to the Romanes 49. b Christian kyng who 349. b Christenyng of Belles 152. a Churche 200. a. what it is 257. a. 〈◊〉 word of diuerse significatiōs 249. a. without sinne 294. a. contayneth good euill 291. a. a place of prayer 282. b. why first ordeyned 87. b. cannot erre 360. a Church of God how taken in Scripture 250. a. repugnaunt to Gods law erreth 201. b. hath a double signification 291. a. why translated into this word congregation 250. b Churche must yeld a reason of theyr doctrine 288. a. Papall persecuteth neuer suffreth 289. b. erreth if the Pope be head therof 375. a Church carnall sinneth 294. b Churlishnes 290. b Churchwardēs their office in tymes past 373. b Cyprian 332. b Circumcision 273. a. a figure of baptisme 467. b. the seale of Gods couenaunt with vs. 437. a. not vsed in xl yeares 248. a. without fayth auayleth not 441. a Circumspect Prelates 369. b Citations 134. b Ciuile orders for fastyng 136. a Clergy 339. a Clergy of the Pope 293. a. are lyers 341. b. robbe God of all honor 165 b. secret conspiratours 363. a. murtherers 341. a. persecutours 262. a Clergy discharged 374. b Climyng vp of the Pope 347. b Cloister loue is bely loue 164. b Comparisō betwen Ionas Christ 27. b. contrariety betwene Christ the Pope 353. b. betwene the olde passeouer Christes last Supper 467. b Comparison betwene Thomas Becket and Thomas Wolsey 361. b Competent liuyng sufficient 20. a. it cōmeth by folowyng Christ 235. b Compassion for Christes sake must be shewed 84. b Commodities folowyng couetouse rich men 231. a Common wealth 23. a Common goodes 346. a Compulsion that Priests should put away their wiues 314. a Comminalty what to bee required of by the Prince 179. b Common saying of Papistes 360. b Comfort agaynst desperation 4. a Commaundementes of whom kept 76. b Comfort agaynst carnall weakenes 454. a Condemnation not vnder three witnesses 23. a Condemnation of the law 57. a Confirmation of childrē 276. b. how it came first into the Church 276. a Congregatiō how vnderstode 205. b it must order vs. 441. a. what perteineth to them 358. b Confession 115. a. 290. b. 173. a Confession the nurse of treason 155. b. what an intolerable burden 140 a. robbeth the Sacramentes 157. b. stablisheth the Popes kingdome 180. b Confessiō due to them whō we haue offended 148. b Confession with repentaunce 392. b. knowledgeth her sinnes hartly to God 147. a Confessiō of thy fayth in Christ with out carnall feare assureth thee of saluation 147. a Conquest of the world what 405. a Conquestes of fayth 421. b Conscience how pacified ibid. b Conscience accuseth not the worker 413. b Consciēces must be examined before the communion be receiued 472. b Consideratiō of two thinges in Sacramentes 468. a Constancy 454. a Constantines gift fayned 356. a Correction of God a token of loue 25. a Corpors ecloth 277. b Contemners of the law who 380. a Contempt of the world 7. b Contempt or loue shewed to Christ as to our brethren 163. a Contentes of the old Testamēt and new 377. b Controuersies concernyng saluation to be stode vnto 1454. a. betwene Iames and Paule 130. b Continuaunce to the end in the Gospell maketh vs blessed 52. b Conuersation of Christ and his Apostles to be considered in expoūdyng Scriptures 172. b Couenaunt of God 186. b. to be kept with hym 23. a. a sure absolution 224. a Couenaunt of Gods promise 432. a. of hys bindyng him selfe to vs. 224 ▪ b. of the Iewes 436. a Couent 192. b Couetousnes 189. b. 267. b. 290. b. 205. b Couetousnes a plague 230. a. blyndeth our eyes 406. a. blindeth Religion 19. b. blyndeth the spiritualtie 107. b. roote of all euill 215. b Couetousnes bewrayeth a false Prophet 189. b. maketh a false prophet 231. b. the end of false doctrine 173. a. of Prelates decayed Christendome 346. a. of shauelynges must not be restrayned 406. a Councels 295. a. general 314. b. how they should conclude 288. a. put downe all Images in Grece 323. b Councell of Papistes dānable 108. a Craft of the Pope 369. b. of his Legates 366. b. of Prelates 135. a. of hypocrites 134. a Crosse 186. b. 219. a. 326. a Crosse borne in procession 135. a Crosse of Christe purgeth all vices 165. a. foloweth a true Christian 209. a Crueltie of Papistes 309. b. 363. b Curse 110. a Curse of God vppon law breakers 23. b Curse of the Pope a fearefull bugge 150. a Cursed who 195. b Cursyng the meanyng therof 174. b Curiositie reproueth 23. b. to be auoyded 409. b Curiositie in searching Gods secrets 329. a Custome of walshe people 152. b Cut of from Christ who 165. a Cup of Christes bloud what 443. b Cup of Christ the deuill how they differre 472. a. and b. D. DAmnation of Princes 112. a Damnation not due to them that are in Christ 42. a Darkenes 232. b. of the Popes doctrine 232. b Darknes caused through couetousnes 232. a Dauid 260. a. would not aduenge hym selfe 110. b. slue not Saule why 111. a Dauncyng in Paris 375. b Dayly bread expounded 222. b Dayly vse of the Sacramentes commaunded by God 442. a Deacon 345. b. what it signifieth his office 133. b Deacons how admitted of the Apostles 146. a. their office in the primitiue Church 345. b Deacons were the first corruption of the Church 346. b Deacons of Christ and of the Pope differre 310.
scholes of slaundering rayling and gesting Deare brother if it had bene so that I had spoken certayne wordes in déede which mighte haue séemed in your eyes to be rayling detracting and slaundring as I haue not sauing a little gesting woulde you disproue my doctrine thereby What will you then say to S. Iohn baptist which calleth the pharisies then heades of the church as are now our doctoures generation of vipers would you therefore conclude that his doctrines were naught I thinke you be not so chyldish And it séemeth this one sentence to be more rayling and slaundering then all that I haue written What wil you say to Christ which called the scribes and pharisies hypocrites Math. 15. 16. 22. And in the 13. he séemeth to rayle aboue measure where he calleth thē hypocrites and blinde guides paynted sepulchers whych outwardlye appeare righteous but within are full of hypocrisie serpents and generation of Vipers Besides that he calleth Herode Foxe Luc. 13 and the Iewes he called a froward and aduouterous generation Math. 12. 16 and in the 17. he sayth O vnfaythfull and ouerthwart nation woulde you thinke it should excuse the Iewes which refused his doctrine to say that he rayled and that no reasonable man woulde thinke those things to be pointes belonging to vertue but rather spices and braunches of pride and that hée shewed not hym selfe charitable but malicious nor no wisedome therein but folie would it excuse them to say as you do to me that if he had bene one halfe yeare at schole of discretion and charitie he should more haue prospered in vertuous learning and that he had bene at the scholes of sclanderyng rayling and iestyng Finally S. Paule in your eyes might appeare to rayle and slaunder and to be cleane destitute of Gods spirite which as Luke saith replenished with the holy Ghost sayd to Clemas that resisteth hym Actes 13. O thou ful of all suttelty deceite thou sonne of the deuill and enemy of all righteousnes ceaseth not to peruerte the rightwayes of the Lord. I can bryng many ●●o such sayinges of Peter Iohn Iames and Iudas and yet I thincke you will not improue their doctrine thereby but because I studye to be shorte I shall count it sufficient to haue warned the reader of this Notwithstanding peraduenture Rastell wil not yet be aunswered but will say that albeit I haue touched inough as concernyng those thynges that appeare railyng and slanderyng in his eyes yet I brought none that iest as I do whereunto I may aunswere and alledge for me Helias the Prophet which both mocked the false Priestes and iested with them saying call loude vnto your Gods for peraduenture they are a sléepe and cā not here or els they be gone out of towne I cannot inough meruell that my brother Rastell would vse such maner of reasoning with me as to improue my doctrine because of my raylyng and iestyng For ther with he hath made a foule hole in his kinsmans best coate for euery mā perceiueth that M. More his bookes are so full of rayling gestyng and baudye tales that if the furious Momus Venus had take out theyr partes there should be very little left for Vulcanus After this Rastell dissenteth to the purpose of his matter would proue that my expositions of Scripture are not good because they are an occasion to bryng y t people to boldnes of sinne and to moue the people to delite in other mens faultes and to laugh therat and to put you an exāple he sayth if I should take vpon me the expositiō of this text In principio erat verbum verbum erat apud deum c. and expound it after this maner In the begynnyng of this yeare Iohn Frith is a noble Clerke He killed a mylstone with his spere Keepe well your geese your dogges do barke I trowe sayth Rastell all wise men would thinke that this were a fonde exposition yet this exposition would please childrē fooles and mad men as well as the exposition of S. Austen or S. Hierome or any other Doctor of y e Church because it would make them to laugh so sayth Rastell Frith maketh such expositiōs with iestyng and rayling to make the people laugh not regardyng to edifie the people nor to prouoke them to vertue mekenes or charitie nor to leaue their sinne but rather geueth them boldnes to beleue that there is no Purgatory nor hell but mocketh and iesteth at those reasons that bee made for proofe of Purgatory Now as touchyng the first part where he saith that my expositions be an occasion to bryng the people to boldnes of sinne I aske hym why his aunswere is because I geue thē boldnes that there is no Purgatory nor yet hell thereto Rastell by his leaue maketh a fitten I dare not say hee maketh a lye for that hee would call rayling for I neuer denyed hell but affirme in many places of my booke euē in the first side of myne aunswere agaynst him I affirme hell and perpetuall damnation but when ye come to the proofe of his wordes then you shall sée how wisely the mā cōcludeth for he thinketh that ab inferiori ad suū superius confuse distribue men shall thinke it a good consequent as if I should say that we lacke fire in prisō then would he cōclude that there lacked fire in all Middlesex Or if I wold say their were no wit in Rastels head then would hee conclude that there were no witte in no mās head but he hath so long studyed Philosophy that hee hath cleane forgotten his principals of Sophistry notwithstandyng we wil forgeue him this faute for the man is somewhat aged and therfore I thinke it is lōg since he read them and that they are now out of his memory neuerthelesse he will say that hys argument is not soluted for although I denye not hell yet I denye Purgatory and so I geue the people an occasiō to sinne because they feare not Purgatory whereunto I haue so sufficiently aunswered in Rastels vij argument that I wonder that hee is not a shamed to bryng the same agayne but he trusteth that my bookes shall neuer be read and his may go surely abroad and therefore he may say what he will onely hee careth not what he saith so he hold not his peace And where hee reporteth that I make expositions to make the people to delite to heare of other mēs fautes and to laugh thereat therto will I say nay till he be at laysure to proue it and where he sayth if he should take vppon hym to expounde In principio erat verbum in this maner In the begynnyng of this yeare Iohn Frith is a noble Clerke He killed a mylstone with his spere Keepe well your geese the dogges do barke Saying that all wise men would say that this were a fonde exposition Therto I aunswere that saying for the ryme
but also his blessed worde all that longeth to hym Take awaye Christes word and what remayneth béehynde of Christ nothing at all I pray you my Lorde to whome was this worde fyrst preached to whome was this written all onely to priestes and not vnto lay men yea was it not written to all the worlde yes truely Wherby will you conuerte a Turke or an Infidell not by holy Scripture When they bée conuerted what wil you learne them what wyll you géeue them to reade any other thing then holy Scripture I thinke nay Now will you make your owne countreymen your owne citizens your owne subiectes yea your owne brethren redéemed with Christes blessed bloud worsse then Iewes and Infidels But there is no reason nor no brotherhod nor no Christen charitie that can mooue you or that can helpe you for you are so blynded and so obstinate against Christ that you had rather all the worlde shoulde perishe then his doctrine shoulde bee brought to light but I doe promyse you if God doe spare mée lyfe and géeue mée grace I shall so set it out if you doe not reuoke it that it shall bée to your vtter shame and confusion finde the best remedye that you can I doe beléeue stedfastly that god is mightier then you and I doe recken and faythfully beléeue that you are ten tymes worsse then the greate Turke for hée regardeth no more but rule and dominiō in this worlde and you are not therewyth content but you will also rule ouer mēs consconsciences yea and oppresse Christ and his holy worde and blaspheme and condemne his worde Was it not a holy connsell of the Chaunceler of London to counsell a certaine marchaunt to buye Robyn hoode for his seruauntes to read What should they doe wyth vitas patrum and with bookes of holy Scripture Also the same Chauncelour sayde to an other man what findest thou in the Gospell but a story what good canst thou take there out O Lord God where art thou why sléepest thou why sufferest thou this blasphemy Thou hast defended thy Prophetes with wild fire from heauen and wilt thou suffer thy onely fonne and thy heauenly word thus to bée despised and to bée reckened but as a story of Robin hoode Rise vp good Lorde Rise vp thy enemyes doe preuayle Thy enemyes doe multiplye shew thy power defend thy glory It is thy contumely and not ours what haue we to doe with it but alonely to thy glory Reuenge this cause or thy enemyes shall recken it not to bée thy cause O thou eternall God thoughe our sinnes haue deserued this yet looke on thy name yet looke on thy veritie Sée howe thou art mocked Sée how thou art blasphemed yea that by them that haue taken on them to defend thy glory But now heauenly father séeyng that thou hast so suffered it yet for the glory of thy name geue some man strength to defend it or els shalt thou bée clearely taken out of the hartes of all men Wherefore most gracious Lord of thy mercy and grace I beséech thée that I may haue the strength to defend thy godly word to thy glory and honour and to the vtter confusion of thy mortall enemyes Helpe good Lorde helpe and I shall not feare a thousande of thyne enemyes In thy name will I begyn to defend this cause First commeth thy faythfull seruaunt Moses true and iust in all thy workes and hée commaundeth faithfully truely with great threatnings that man woman and child should diligently read thy holy word saying Set your harts on all my wordes the which that I doe testifie vnto you this day that you may commaunde them vnto your children to kéepe to doe to fulfill all thynges that bée written in the booke of this law Marke how hée commaūded them to learne their children all thynges that bée written in this booke and so to learne thē that they might kéepe and fulfill all things that were written in y t booke Moses made nothing of secretnes will you make secretes therin how shall men fulfill those wordes that they knowe not How can men knowe the very true way of God haue not the word of God is not all our knowledge therin The Prophet sayth thy word is a lanterne vnto my féete and a light vnto my pathes Hée calleth it a lanterne and light yea and that vnto all men and you call it but a story darkenes and a thyng of secretnes yea and occasion of heresie how can the occasion of darknes geue light how can a lanterne bée a thing of secretnes how can the veritie of God bée occasion of heresie The holy Prophet sayth blessed is the man that setteth his delectation in the will of God and his meditation in Gods law night and day Here sayeth the spirite of God that men bee blessed that study the word of God and you say that men bée heretickes for studying of it How doth the spirite of God and you agrée Also S. Paule commaundeth vs to receiue the helmet of health and the sword of the spirite the whiche is the worde of God I pray you to whom doth hée here speake to Priestes onely How many of your Priestes dyd hée knowe yea was not this Epistle written to the whole Churche of the Ephesians And dyd not they read it were not they lay men and why shall not our lay men read that they red Moreouer doth not Paule call it the sword of the spirite is it not lawfull for lay men to haue the spirit of God Or is the spirite of God not frée but bound alonely to you Also S. Iohn sayth if any man come to you bring not this doctrine receiue him not into your house nor yet salute hym Here the holy ghost would we should haue no other doctrine but holy scripture and you will take it alonely from vs. Furthermore this was written vnto a woman and to her children and you will y t no other man wyfe nor childe shall reade it But if we should receiue your Priestes into our houses after this rule I thinke we should not bée greatly cōbered with them for their are few of them that haue this word Also our M. Christ saith vnto the pharesies search you scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life Our Maister sent the Pharisies to scriptures and you forbyd Christen men to reade them who had a worse sprite then they and yet they iudged better of holy scriptures thē you doe For they iudged to haue lyfe in thē you iudge to haue heresyes in thē so that you bée ten tymes worse to scriptures thē euer were they Also Paule saith all scripture geuen by insperation of God is profitable to teach to improoue to enforme io enstruct in righteousnes that the man of God may bée perfect and prepared vnto all good workes You will not denye but but scripture is geuē vs of God Ergo
the text declareth It is good for a man not to touch a woman Now doth blessed S. Paule aunswere to this holy hypocrisie on this maner To auoyde fornication sayth hée notwithstandyng your holynesse let euery man mary a wyfe Now if blessed Saynt Paule had thought it vnlawfull to marry for any Christen man then would not hée haue sayde Let euery man marry Marke also that it is not agaynst the perfection of any Christen man for to marry but hée is rather boūde to marry if hée haue not the gifte of chastitie Farthermore note that S. Paule neither biddeth them that thought it holynes to bée vnmaryed to fast or to labour or to weare héere But alonely to marry as who shoulde say God hath ordayned and approoued a lawful and a laudable remedy against your sicknes My doctrine is that you shall heare your God and vse to your comforte those creatures remedies with thankes géeuing that God hath appointed and therewith bée you cōtent and recken not your selues wyser then God in helpyng and curyng your diseases For nothing can bée vnlawfull that God doth allowe and prooue And for vsing of Gods creatures and his ordinaunces in tyme and place requisite can no man bée blamed béefore God But for refusing of Gods remedies whē they bée necessary let no man thinke that hée shall auoyde Gods daunger As for an example Hée that wyll not eate and drinke when hée is hungry and thirsty but excogitateth some other remedie of his owne brayne so long that hée bringeth himselfe in vtter destruction let no man doubte but in this case before God hée is a murtherer and an homicide I thinke there is no learning to the contrary Wherefore I woulde that mē should well remember themselues in thys case thinke not that they cā inuent a thyng more pleasaunt vnto God then hée can doe hym selfe His pleasure is best knowen vnto himselfe For this cause I iudge it lawfull for euery Priest that hath not the gift of chastitie to vse the remedy that God hath ordayned and also sanctified Blessed S. Paule saith that mariage is honorable and the bedde of them is vndefiled but fornicatours and aduoulterers God shal iudge Marke that S. Paule caulleth it honorable and a cleane thyng What presumption is therefore in vs that recken it a dishonour and vncleannesse for priestes to vse maryage God sayth hée shall iudge whorekéepers and aduoulterers but not them that bée maryed Wherefore yet agayne after y e doctrine of S. Paule I exhorte all Priestes that can not liue chaste to receiue Gods remedie with thankes This is S. Paules doctrine where hée sayth I woulde that all men were as I my selfe am But euery mā hath his proper gift of God one after this maner an other after that I say vnto the vnmaryed men and wydowes it is good for them if they abide as I doe But and if they can not abstaine let them mary For it is better to mary then to burne I can not deuise a clearer text for my purpose then thys is Saint Paule woulde that euery man had the gifte of chastitie But in as much as all men hath not one gift therefore sayth S. Paule must euery man vse himselfe after his gifts And hée that hath not the gifte of chastitie S. Paule wyll plainely that hée shall mary Hée sayth not that hée shal chastice himselfe wyth labour and wyth payne to remedye that weakenes though I woulde bée contente for my parte gladly that men shoulde prooue all maner of lawfull remedies to helpe them to lyue sole But then if they can not so continue I wyll in no wise that they shall refuse maryage as a thyng vnlawfull and filthy but rather vse it and prooue it at the least wise as they haue done other remedies that they haue inuented séeing that God hath iustituted this as a thyng that hée iudgeth for a lawfull and principall remedy But note that S. Paule sayth it is better to mary then to burne S. Paules meanynge is that if man hath not the gifte to extincte the burnyng and ardent desire of nature that then hée must mary rather then bée subiecte vnto such concupiscence S. Paule sayth not rather mary then to kéepe whores But hys will is that wée shoulde bée so farre from all whoredome that wée should not suffer our selues so much as to burne The whiche precéedeth all whoredome and is lesse in very déede then whoredome And yet S. Paule wylling vs to auoyde this lesse thing commaundeth vs to mary how much more to auoyde open whoredome abhominable and detestable vncleannes that is now vsed shamelesse in the worlde I doe not reprooue that Priestes doth lyue sole I had rather thereto exhorte them But this I detestate that men had rather suffer and allow priestes to liue in whoredome and in all abhominable fornication then for to vse that lawfull remedy that God hath both ordayned and sanctified Wée haue no mention in any storye that euer any Priest was burned for kéepyng of whores but for mariage we haue séene and doe sée dayly how cruelly and violently men doth persecute them as though Gods blessed ordinaunce were rather to bée extincted and abhorred then that thyng y e both God nature reprooueth Where is there one man in England that hath so great loue and reuerence to the holy state of Matrimony that hée should kéepe a maryed Priest in hys house But Priestes that lyue vnlawfully agaynst Gods law and mans law and agaynst all honesty and morall vertue bée in euery mans houses company and rulers and coūsellers and controllers Alas for pitie what shall I say to the affectiōs of mens hartes that thus can winke I will not say alow at such abhominable thynges Yea and the selfe same men shall bée most extreme and cruell vnto a poore simple Priest that of a good hart towardes Gods ordinaunce maryeth a lawfull wife This Priest I say shall neither haue meate nor drinke of thē nor yet no office of charitye But the other sort shalbée exalted and set vp in all honour and kept in reuerence and estimatiō And why Bycause as they say they bée good and cleane felowes and loueth a péece of flesh well These blasphemous woordes haue I heard diuerse tymes and many And men sit and laugh at them haue a great reioysing in them So sore is Gods holy ordinaunce a morall vertue goodnes extincted in mens hartes O Lord God and thy mercy were not how were this world able to cōtinewe that thus abhominably and shamefully iudgeth of thy halowed sanctified workes But oh Lord haue thou mercy and pitie on vs for the swéete bloud of thy sonne Christ Iesus Loke not on our synnes oh lord God for who is able to abyde in thy syght But Lord of thine infinite mercy send downe thy spirit into y e harts of thy people that they may bée taught better to iudge of thy heauenly and Godly
virginitie agaynst his will nor hée would not make virginitie a thyng of necessitie Wherefore it must néedes folow First that the Pope byndyng men to virginitie doth lay a snare for them both nothyng els except they haue the gift of chastitie but bryng men in daunger of damnation Secōdarily hée maketh a thyng of necessitie that y e holy ghost in blessed s Paul durst not nor would not doe Thyrdly that thyng that S. Paule reckened onely to conduce and helpe to quietnes in this present lyfe that same thyng maketh the Pope a Sauiour and a helper to heauē the which is a great blasphemy to Christes holy bloud and also a peruerse vsing of Gods blessed creatures Now let euery Christen mā iudge if this bée charitably done of the pope yea whether hée hath authoritie this to doe or not Let no man I beseche hym iudge in this matter after parcia litie but euen as hée will aunswere béefore God After this blessed S. Paule goeth farther as cōcernyng them that haue a purpose a promise between God and them to kéepe their charitie hys woordes bée these Hée that purposeth surely in hys hart hauyng no néede but hath power ouer his owne wil hath so decréed in his hart y t hée will kéepe hys virginitie doth well Here note first that S. Paule compelleth no man to vow but hée letteth euery man stand to his owne will Farthermore blessed S. Paul willeth what soeuer hée bée that decréeth in his hart to kéepe virginity that bée must first consider whether it lyeth in his power to kéepe his decrée or not If it bée in his power then sayth S. Paule doth hée better to kéepe his virginitie thē to marry But if it lye not in his power to bée chast doth body soule then willeth S. Paule that hée marry Note here that S. Paul notwithstandyng mans decrée and purpose which hée made to kéepe virginity willeth that hée doe marry if hée cā not kéepe his decrée purpose How cōtrary is this to the popes doctrine whiche rather suffereth his Priestes to liue in all vnclennes by y t reason of their foolish promise made vnto hym then hée would suffer them to marry wyues after S. Paules holy doctrine Yea the Pope is not ashamed more cruelly to punishe a poore woman for marying then hée doth if shée were a whore For a Nunne if shée marry sayth hée shall neuer bée admitted to receyue the blessed Sacrament of Christ But if shée bée an whore then sayth hée may shée after penaunce bée admitted to the Sacramēt What is abhorryng of Mariage if this bée none For to compare it yea and to make it worse thē whoredome what if shée haue vowed chastitie hath shée not also vowed to flye fornication Now is shée bounde vnto virginitie but by mans law But for to auoyde fornicatiō and whoredome is Gods commaundement Wherfore sée how hygh that the Pope will set hym selfe aboue God and his holy ordinaunce Furthermore S. Paule sayth that the will of God is that we should abstayne from fornicatiō and that euery one of vs should know to kéepe his vessell in sanctifiing and honour Marke S. Paules saying First that it is the will of God that we should abhorre fornication Who will now resiste the will of God not regarde the thyng that God will haue done I trust no Christen man Furthermore the will of God is y t euery man should kéepe his vessell in honour Now if Priestes bée men and haue not the gift of chastetie then are they bounde to regard this commaundement For hée sayth euery man Marke also that blessed S. Paule calleth the vessell of maryed men honorable and sanctified Wherfore thē shuld it bée vnlawful for a priest to vse a sanctified an holy vessell To possesse other mens vessels in vnclennes is agaynst God and man But it is lawfull for any man here by this text to possesse a vessell of hys owne the which God hath sanctified and honored How can man now for any occasion curse that thyng that God hath sanctified or make it vncleane that God hath purified S. Paule hauing y t spirite of God did prophecie that there should come men in the latter dayes which should forbid men to marry and these men should speake lyes in holy hipocrisie Nowe marke the texte Men shall forbyd maryage and that in the latter dayes The trueth is that no mā hath forbidden any certayne state of men to marry but the Pope onely Wherefore this texte must néedes touch his kingdome séeing that hée is also in the latter dayes There were certayne heretickes called Taciani which did condemne fully and wholy all maner of maryage And though Saynt Paule speaketh against them yet in very déede the Popes doctrine is not excepted séeing it is contayned in these latter dayes For though there were twenty heresies more thē Taciani yet must the texte bée applied agaynst them all that doth cōdēne or els despise mariage in the whole or in the parte For the text is against them all that doth forbid maryage and specially in the latter dayes But hée that doth forbid his priests to marry doth forbid for so much mariage therefore the texte maketh agaynst the Pope Note also that these men that shall forbid mariage shall haue an holy colour of hypocrisie Now hath the Pope forbidden hys Priestes to marry vnder the colour of holynes béecause as hée sayth that his Priestes must bée pure and cleane As who shoulde say that maryage were vncleane and vnpure for priestes to vse What can bée holy hypocrisie if this bée not hypocrisie Here is the holy and pure institution of God condemned as a thyng vncleane for his holy Priestes to vse Moreouer the Taciani did not forbid mariage vnder the colour of holynes but they said it was fully wholy an vnlawfull thynge The which doctrine had no maner of colour But the Pope sayth that mariage is good and laudable in it selfe but his priests bée to pure and to holy for to vse that simple thyng For it is not a thynge sayth hée that doth become y t state of perfecte mē but it belōgeth to weake vnperfect men Now iudge good reader which of these heresies eyther Taciani or Papacy doth pretende y t greatest colour of holynes And yet I am sure y t the holy Ghost in S. Paul did speake both against the greatest also smallest hypocrisie For hée alloweth no maner of fayned holynes There were other certayne heretikes called Marciani These did receiue no man to bée a Christen man excepte hée woulde refuse mariage Marke what diuersitie is betwéene these heretickes and the Popes learning The Pope receiueth no priests except they forsweare maryage The Marcianites they receiue no man to bée a Christen man excepte hée forsweare maryage So that there is no diuersitie betwéete the heretikes and the Pope but that these heretikes doth excepte a greater number then y
shamefully abuseth the holy Church 243 Popes Church glory in trash 251 Popes Clergy is condemned by S. Augustine as heretickes 264 Pope and Christ are contrary 284 Pope and his Clergye are the very Antechristes 288 Pope a persecutour of holy church 242 Pope selleth God and all hys ordidinaunces 265 Popes condēned for heretickes 247 Popes own lawes both agaynst him selfe and his Clergy 305 Pope defameth Priesthode 324 Pope and his Clergye feare not to breake Christes institution 306 Pope forbyddeth mariage 315 Pope accompteth whoredome matrimony to bee all one 321 Popes doctrine condēned by a Coūcell 322 Popes lawes agaynste mariage of Priestes 316 Pope alloweth y t kepyng of whores 317 Pope wil not suffer any persōs maryed to bee Byshops 320 Pope is a renter and tearer of the Scriptures 334 Pope maketh a hotchpot of mariage ibidem Pope accompteth whoredome better then Matrimony 335 Pope a blasphemer of God ibidem Practise of Prelates 203 Practises of Papistes to cause Images to worke miracles 343 Preachers of true doctrine teach obedience 185 Preachers of true doctrine are sufferers 184 Preachers of false doctrine are persecuters 184 Preachers agaynst the Pope are accompted heretickes 205 Prelates cānot vse obedience to their Prince 202 Prelates are blynd guides ibidem Prelates will obey the pope but not the Prince 203 Priestes rore and mumble out their Diriges and Masses 216 Priestes may marry wyues by the law of God lawfully 309 Priestes must marry for auoydyng of fornication 310 Prophetes neuer styrred the people agaynst the Prince 184 Protestātes and Papistes how they differre 191 Power temporall described 292 R. REason deuotion that is agaynst the will of God is mere blyndnes 307 Righteous man lyueth by fayth 233 Rochester agaynst Winchester 206 Rochesters great iudgement ibidem Rochesters vayne distinction 237 Rochesters rule to know the difference betweene the Pope and the Councell 247 Rochesters wordes vppon Christes wordes 303 S. SAcrament forbydden to bee receaued in both kyndes 301 Sacrament vnder both kyndes 305 Saintes can obteine nothyng for vs. 347 Saintes how they ought to bee honored 349 Saintes are boly but they are no Gods 351. Scriptures are to be read of all men 182 Scriptures in the common tounge teach all obedience 184 Scriptures iudge the true Church 250 Scroupe Richard Archbyshoppe of yorke a rebell 188 Scriptures are the iudges of Councels 248 Scriptures not suffered by the Popes Clergye to bee in the mother toung 283 Scriptures teache the commaundementes of God 288 Scripture is profitable to bee read 289 Scriptures is to bee made knowen to all men 291 Solutions and argumentes to the Scriptures 236 Spiritualtie ready to helpe the pope 194 Spirituall power 297 Stafford George a learned mā 22● Stokesly Byshop of London a foolish and malicious Papist 291 Stockes and stones the Papistes honor as Goddes 342 Subiectes must obey and in what maner 294. 295 Supplication made by D. Barnes to kyng Henry the viij 183 Supers●●tion of the Monkes of the Charterhouse 299 T. TRaditions agaynst God are to be rooted vp by the rootes 298 Tunstall Byshop of London 215 V. VIrginitie is a state indifferēt 313 Vncharitable sutes are to bee reproued 209 Vniuersall Church is not a generall Councell 248 Vowes that haue vnlawfull conditions are not to bee obserued 319 Vrbane Pope agaynste Clement Pope 193 W. WOrkes which bee of greatest value and are accompted for the best 228 Workes are good and helpe to iustification 231 Workes without fayth are but sinne 233 Workes of the new law 234 Whoredome is lawfull in no case 311 ¶ FINIS AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye and are to bee sold at hys shop vnder Aldersgate An. 1572. ¶ Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis A liuely picture describyng the authoritie and substaunce of Gods most blessed word weyghing agaynst Popish traditions ☞ Iudgement indifferent How light is chaffe of Popish toyes if thou desire to trye Loe Iustice holdes true beame without respect of partiall eye One ballance holdes Gods holy word and on the other parte Is layde the dregs of Antichrist deuisde by Popish arte Let Friers and Nunnes and baldpate Priestes with triple crowne of Pope The Cardinals hatt and deuill him selfe by force plucke downe the rope Bryng bell booke candle crosse beades and mitred Basan bull Bryng buls of leade and Popes Decrees the ballance downe to pull Yet shall these tares and filthy dregs inuented by mans brayne Through force of Gods most mighty word be foūd both light and vayne Magna est veritas preualet Great is the trueth and preuayleth 3. Esdra 4. Tyndall a vertuous and godly man Wilfull malice agaynst opē trueth The authors that Popishe Pristes doe studie Vniust dcaling of the Papistes Notorious blasphemy of a Papist Tyndall remoueth from M. Welshe Tyndall sueth to be with Tonstall Byshop of London but coulde not obtayne The Scripture in the vulgare tongue a speciall manifesting of the trueth Ignoraūce of Scripture cause all mischife erroures in religion The reprobate are alwayes offended at y e trueth Henry Phillippes a wicked and dissembling Iudas Tyndals simplicitie pitied of the officers Tyndals godly zeale to his Prince A testimony of Tyndals godly life euen by his aduersarye The fayth of Tyndall shewed by a manifest myracle The reason that the papistes make agaynst the translation of the scripture into English A subtile shift of the popes clergy to couer their euill How the Papistes were vexed with Tindals translation of the new testament The Papistes shamed not to wrest the scriptures The Papistes haue wrought wonderfully to haue suppressed y ● scripture As owles abide not the brightnes of the day so cannot the papists abide the lyght of the gospell What first moued W. Tyndale to translate y ● Scripture into englssh This bishop of Lōdon was then Tunstall which afterward was bishop of Durham The popes chaplens pulpet is the al●house Christes apoitles dyd mekely admonish but the Popes sectaryes dyd braule and skold Parcialitie sometyme in men of great learnyng How Tindale was deceaued Roome enough in my Lordes house for belly chere but none to translate the new testament Tindale could get no place in the bishop of Londōs house Tyndals submission is to all such as submit themselues to God Not the toung but the life proueth a true Gospeller The truest touchestone or Religion is Christes Gospell The scripture of god is y ● sworde of the Spirite Tribulatiō is the gifte of God What we ought to seeke in the Scriptures A goodly comfort agaynst desperation Ensāples of their euils not to bolden vs but to feare vs frō sinne and desperation Howe we ought to prepare our selues to the reading of the scriptures Fayth our surest shield in all assaultes We may not trust in our work● but in the word and promise of God God burdened with hys promise The holy ghost breateth where and when it pleaseth hym Conscience of euill doynges fyndeth out 〈◊〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 men Of
contrary The mayde of Kent The mayde of Ipswich 〈◊〉 the mayde of Kēt were both false dissembling ha●●●tes The mayd of Kent Such as were possessed with deuils fled frō Christ A false delusion to bryng vs to Idolatry S. Bartholomew Our Lady dyd the mayde of Kent small pleasure Orestes Tradit●… Allegory ▪ A true exposition of the parable of the ●a●…tan All that God hath not planted shal be plucked vp by the rootes Byshops should be seruaunted and not Lordes Actes 15. The Pope will not obey princes though God haue commaunded hym so to do Traditiōs Christes burthen is easie and gentle Math. 5. ☞ The salt of our Prelates i● vn●…ery Fayth loue charitie ar● iij. sisters We must beleue neither to much nor yet litle We are promised all thinges for our Sauiour Christes sake ▪ not for the Saintes Iohn 21. The virginitie of our Lady Antichrist is knowen Paules traditions were the doctrine of the Gospel Christes Supper not Masse The consecration Water mixed with the wyne 1. Cor. 14. Iustification of workes Saboth The Saboth day holy dayes are made for be not ●…e for thē Why women Baptise Why the Prelates vnderstand not the Scripture A good tale if it were long enough Ye can not spede well if ye trye the doctrine of our Prelates by the Scripture All beleue in God that haue the lawe written in their hart● The Churche must shewe a reason of theyr doctrine Popes may not be beleued without Scripture Corusailes ought to conclude eccordyng to the Scriptures Luke 16. Luke 10. Math. 18. Math. 〈◊〉 The cause why the Apostles wrote the Gospels Iohn 20. 1. Iohn 2. The Pope and hys Cardinals erred in K. Henry the ●ights case M. Mores conclusion ▪ ☜ The furest way to oppresse true doctrine is to say the preachers fall The Pope is 〈◊〉 ●…st 〈◊〉 Pet. 2. Rom. 3. A swarme of sectes set vp by the Pope The Pope by setting vp of false workes denieth the truth of gods word The Pope selleth sinne and paine all that 〈◊〉 be solde Math. 24 ▪ The popish church are 〈◊〉 but no sufferes 1. Cor. 10. The church of Chri●… euer persecuted 2. Thess 〈◊〉 The church of Antichrist is the false church ▪ and euer y e greater number The Pope is a deuelishe blasphemer of God The Pope is aboue kyng and Emperor The Pope persecuteth the word of God S. Paule describeth the Pope his in their co●ters Gods worde is y t power and pith of all goodnes Confession Loue is of thēselues Couetous Hye mynded Proude Raylers Disobedient Vnthankefull Vngodly ▪ Churlishe Promise breaketh Accus●rs Heady● Leuyng lustes Appearaunce of godlynesse The Pope and his are mighty iugglers ☞ In the Churche shall there be for euer both good and euill This word Church is taken ij maner wayes The spirituall Churche of God are called Lutherās and heretickes The fleshly Churche serue God with workes of their owne Friers ☜ The blasing of hypocrites Calil is a sacrifice that no m● may haue any parte therof The small flocke of Christ commeth to the word and promises of God Actes 9. Actes 2. Christ onely is the perfect cōforte● of the Christian ☞ The Christian mā in all thinges seketh ●he honour of Christ The Christian sel●eth his saluatiō onely in Christ A pretye 〈◊〉 n●●thesis betwen the Popes Churche Christes litle flocke ☜ The Popish church aūswereth The litle flocke The Popes church The maner o● y t Popes cleargie Little flock g●●th euer to wracke The Pope 〈…〉 be ●●●d by scripture by scripture must be iudged 〈◊〉 ☞ Iohn 5. None can minister the Sacramentes super●…ly but the Popes generation 1. Cor. 2. The naturall carnall man sauoreth not the thinge that be of God Rom. 5. God is fatherly to his elect members Rom. 7. I● we sinne of frailtie God is mercifull ready to forgeue The new life doth tame the fleshe and serue her neighbour ▪ God seketh vs and we not hym More a lying papist Sir Thomas Hitton The Pope hath no martyrs 1. Iohn 3. There is a church that sinneth not The churh is double Gal. 5. The carnall church sinneth Two maner faithes Iohn 15. The ●aith of them that be called ▪ but not elect The Pope hideth the scripture The heretikes be fallen out of the mist Why many ●all Councels ☜ Saintes Luke 1●… Luke 7. Christ dy● such seruice as all the Saintes could not do 1. Cor. 3. We may not trust to Saintes Prayer to Saintes is a great superstition Before Christ we vsed not to pray to Saintes M. More destroyeth the resurrection Math. 2● 1. Cor. 15. 1. Thes 4. The more trust we haue in Saintes the lesse we haue in Christ Phisitions We must first call vppon God then sende for the phisition The fleshly mynded cānot iudge the thinges that be of God 1. Cor. 3. More driueth from God Heb. 4. Iohn 1● Ephes 2. We may be bolde to ●●sort to god for he ●…leth vs so to do M. More is against the Popes profite Purgatory ▪ 〈◊〉 purgatory visible and a purgatory in●●sible Canonis●… How you may know who be Saintes in heauen King Henry of Windsore A straunge doctrine to pray to him for helpe that is dead damned The Israelites were ●o in number thē the Iewes The Iewes committed Idolatry God euer reserueth a litle flocke More feareth not to worship an vncōsecrated hos●e 1. Cor. 1. We must first know the true way then agree in the same Christ rebuked the false trust the Iewes had in their wil works The myracles done by the prophetes and Apostles was to cōfirme their doctrine Christ made the woman whole and not hys coate Miracles were done for the confirmation of doctrine A filthy chapter Latri● Moses Moses ▪ bones The brasen Serpent God is a spirite and wil be worshipped spiritually The Idolatrou● persō worshippeth the Image for y t Saint Procession● though they be abused may not be put downe Wilde Irishe Welch mē Many thinges are altered for the abuses sake Ezech●as The true preaching of Gods worde remoueth theft and an other wickednes ☞ A good mā may erre yet not be dampned Th● myracles of Saintes confirme mans imaginations There were no doctours neither Apostles that did myracles to establishe the worshipping of ●amages Witches where true doctrine is set forth ▪ there needeth no myracle ☜ Let y ● Papistes for lacke of scriptures come torch and do miracles Gods wor● to y ● touchstone to tri● myracles The ●ectes in y ● popists church are almost innumerable Mahomets doctrine hath preuailed these viij hundred yeares The cause of false miracles Where the Scripture is there nedeth no miracles The preachers of the worde of God nede no miracles False docctrine was neuer persecuted The Papistes are ashamed of their Legēd of lyes The deuill hath holpē Popes to their dignities The cause why the Turkes Iewes ca● not come to to the truth Popish doctrine nedeth miracles but Christes
vsed by hypocrites The Popes clergie are lyers The wrath of God styrreth vp the people to destroy the enemie● and persecutors of the truth God is the defender of kynges and princes Wicked kynges and rulers that persecute Gods ministers are the troublers of themselues and their realme and not the preachers As many as will be the disciples of Christ must learne of him meekenes obedience to the higher powers Ye must suffer wyth Christ that ye may ioye with him in the lyfe to come God will be reuenged vpon cruell tyrauntes In the treatise folowing is shewed who are the cause●s of insurrection Iohn 18. Math. 1● ▪ The m●…sters of Christes doctrine may not haue any temporall offices Math. 6 ▪ Math. 1● ▪ The officers in Christes kingdome may haue no temporall dominion Math. 1● ●o receiue a child in Christes name what it is 〈◊〉 Thes 3. The Pope is a Wolfe in a lambes skinne Why Peter was called chief of the Apostles Peter had no authoritie aboue the rest of the Apostles The ●opes kyngdome is of the world ●…able of the Popes g●…e 〈◊〉 ●…e his badge The ministers of the kyngdome of God must gouerne with all loue mekenes pacience Peter in y ● vse of speakyng for his diligēce is called but not in the Scripture the chief of the Apostles Peter was inforced to render an accompt to his brethrē of his doynges Peter shewed no pa●t of hys a● ho●…e 〈◊〉 the mighty power of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostles alledge the authoritie of God in Christ and no authoritie of their own Peter was sent by the other Apostles to preach 〈◊〉 Samaria Gal. Paul 〈…〉 to his 〈◊〉 Scripture is the ch●efest of the Apostles We ge●e the 〈…〉 〈◊〉 reue●●nce no● for them ●…es b●● because of the word th●●●…y minister ▪ Math. 18. O●● brethren 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 must b● reformed by loue ▪ a 〈◊〉 ●y 〈◊〉 how we may go to the lawe wythout trespassers Math. 6. Open and 〈◊〉 offēd●urs are to be r●buked openly The kingdome of Christ is spirituall Luk●… Officers first ordayned in Christes church Byshop Honour the aged In y e aged is experience Deacon In the primitiue Church they chose Deacons to minister to y ● poore Widowes Common goodes The ●reat and feruēt charitie in the primatiue church The couetousnes of y t Prelates was the decay of Christendome and y e encreasing of the kingdome of Mahomete The proud clergie how they spent the treasure 〈◊〉 y●●oore Isacius The election was cōfirmed by the Emperour Note here the treasure that y e Byshops of Rome had at thys tyme. The Byshop of Rome in y ● primatiue Church was a daūgerous office At the first entry of Christes Churche there was no tythes payde to y e ministers All corruption of the Churche came first out of the Deacons Money purchased prefermēt The Prelates must bide still in the courte How the clergie first by riches thē by ●…attery aduaunced thēselues When the Prelates waxed riche then they disputed who shoulde be highest Ierusalem was y ● fir●t sea● of ou● 〈◊〉 byshop Constantinople Rome H●● Rome come to be y ● chifest citie Rome the seate and mother of all wickednesse Phocas Pope Boniface the thirde Phocas the Emperour first gaue priuilege to the Byshop of Rome ●o be the chief Byshop The chastitie of Priestes how it came vp Note 〈◊〉 the climing vp of the Pope Diuision in the Church The Grekes will not be vnder the Popes tyranny Mahomet the Pope began at one tyme. Gregory The Pope came vp by the French mē and by them he cōtinueth his estate still Pope Zacharias the first Hildericus Pipinns The Pope put downe the right French kyng and set vppe Pipine The kyng of Fraunce was made a Monke Pope Steuen the second Estulphus kyng of Lumbardy How the Pope was aduaunced By what meanes Mahomet waxed great Carolus magnus The Pope become a great God on y ● earth Desiderius Pope Adrian the first The Pope purposed to be Emperour him selfe Charles the Pope deuided the kyngdome of Lombardy The Pope gathered a Councell and gaue vnto Charles the Emp●re of Rome Leo the 〈◊〉 Pope O●…ne who●e Empyre the Pope made ●●o Most Christen kyng Defender of the faith The eldest sonne of the holy seate Who is a Christian kyng The lyfe of Charles Charles cōpelled a● men to the obedience of the pope Practise The Pope is a dispenser a breaker of the bondes of Matrimonie Charles a filthy whoremonger Charles hath hys whore ca●●ed with hym This was an Emperour for the ●●pes own mouth Ido●yng Emperour The Pope made this lecherous Emperour a Saint Lewes the milde Pope Steuen the iiij The Pope elected and set vp with out the assent of the Emperour Pope Paschale The Pope how hee abused the Emperour The Pope setteth no● by the Emperour ●…ne Pope Nicholaus the first Pope Adrian the second Pope Adrian the third The vertue of the Pope and power o● y ● Emperour perished together The popes haue bene onely bloud shede●● aboue vij C. peates All Christ●dome hath bene troubled wyth the Popes causes Vandales Hunnes Gothes The spiritualtie obe●ed to him that gat the victory how wicked soeuer he was Building of Abbeyes Shrining of saintes This was the tyme that false prophetes did arise in the church Beringarius Ottho Pope Iohn the. xij The oth of the Emperour made to the pope Not● here the dissimulation of y ● Pope in callyng his possessions S. Peters possessions Pope Gregory the fi●t The election of the Emperour apperteyneth to the Lordes of Germany The Iuytree springeth The maner how y ● pope did spring vp to hys great auctoritie The chusing of the Pope all Bishoppes perteyned vnto the Emperour and kinges once The almes geuen vnto the poore is become S. Peters patrimony Dani. xiiij The Pope first gat aboue all the Bishops then aboue the Emperour O Lucifer Note this deuilish ●…nable pride ●…e ●…e by the Pope The Pope createth his shauelyngs into dignities Qualis pater talis filius good naturall children The popes order compared with Christes Christ a●d the Pope compared together Christ bringeth a man lowe but the Pope lifteth vp a hygh The Pope receaueth his riches and kyngdomes of the deuill The Pope distributeth his fathers kyng dome The popes order compared with the order of the Apostles The popes Priestes The popes widowes The popes Deacons How the Pope deuideth the poore peoples almes Monkes Monkes made ministers to the poore Monkes robbe the poore ▪ Begging friers The charge of the ●ay people How the spiritualtie bestow their treasure The Pope maketh lawes What subtiltie the Pope vseth to stablishe his kingdome The Pope hath feined the gift of Constantine The Pope corrupteth the scripture and why Peter sayth the Pope was the head of Christes church All ministers haue as great a charge geuen them of God as Peter had Peter preached but the Pope preached not Fayth is the rocke whercon Christes Churche
is built Bindyng and losyng how it is to be vnderstand The keyes Behold here Antichrist how he wresteth the Scriptures Christes power is 〈◊〉 saue sinners Of this maner iuggleth ●ee with all textes At the sufferyng of Christ the offeryng of sacrifices ceremonies ▪ ceassed for Christ offered hym selfe once for all Christ gaue all his Apostles like authoritie To bynde and lose is to preach Christ sent out all hys Apostles not Peter ●●●n● Note We are bound to forgeue our neighbours aswell as Peter was Christ builded his Churche vpon the confession of Peter not vppon Peter A woman hath power to bynd How 〈…〉 man may bynde and lose To bynde the conscience and to reproue opē sinners perteineth to the congregation Reasons that Peter was not y ● greatest by authoritie geuen hym of Christ Peter had first his seate at Antioche Christes power is in the Gospel Paul is called to helpe In the presence of the greater the power of the lesser doth 〈◊〉 Paule is made equal felow with Peter Peters seate what it is Peters seate Peters doctrine Peters keyes are all but one thyng Peters seate is Christes Gospell The Pope sitteth in th● deuils seate whose Vicare he is Purgatory The Pope sayth that Purgatory ●s in ●arth Vowes Othes Testamēts The Pope altereth mēs willes testamēts at his pleasure The popes marchaundise Vnion The great and shamefull abuse of ●bbeyes Dispēsations purchased of the Pope Choppyng and chaungyng vsed by the pope The wicked bestowing of benefices by the Pope The church can ●ot erre The Pope sayth that the Scripture is true not of it selfe but because he alloweth 〈◊〉 approueth it A similitude This doctrine the papistes vsed in those dayes The c●●mon and 〈◊〉 and ●…ching of ●he Papistes The Abbotes keep the monks in ignorāce and the bisshops y e priestes ●alne ioyned w t pain maketh ●●yne nothing The vse of vniuersities ▪ Prouiso S. Tho. de Aquino Saintes Thomas of Canterbury Tho. ●e●ket Tho. Wolsey copared together The Pope rewardeth his seruāts highly whē they be dead Policie The practise of little master parson K. Herold Robert of Cāterbury Remission of sinnes to conquere England Note here how well Christ and the pope agre Christ biddeth saue the pope biddeth kill The pope is a cruell mercilesse tyrant Anselmus a chapleine of y e popes ☜ The pope is well pleased to admit priestes to haue whores but not wiues Note here the pryde and wickednes of the Pope Remission of sinnes to cōquere England Thomas Arundell Practise of Prelates The popes clergy are secret and subtile conspirators ☞ A trayterous practise ☜ The Papistes are styrers vppe of warres sheders of bloud Duke Hūfrey Papistes are cruell A Parliament kept at Bury The death of Homfrey Duke of Gloucester protectour of the Realme of England This is Syr Tho. More The Clergy cannot abyde them that can iudge talse miracles Thre causes why the Duke of Gloucester was murthered The Pope is the whore of Babylon An other practise of Prelates Popes haue deposed Emperours and lykewise Emperours haue deposed Popes No man may rebuke the Pope for any mischief that he doth Venetians The Pope may geue and take agayne at hys will pleasure The Venetians ●a●e not for the popes cursing nor blessing Frenchmē Englishmē The practise of the pope with all kinges princes The pope a breaker of peace The abuse of the sacrament How y ● sacrament should be broken betwene kinges and princes The Pope would not haue the Emperour to strong Remission of sinnes cleane deliuerance out of pu●gato●ye A frier Forest or a vicar of Croiden Popish practises Dissembled ●ruce Henry v. K. Henry v. conquered more then the prelates thought he would do Henry vi The crafty practise of the popes legate The mariage of king Henry vi The Duke of Glocester trayterously murthered ☜ Frier Bongaye Cruel war betwene k. Henry and the erle of Warwike Confession in the eare was a wicked inuention Lycence of the Pope for xiiij to study Nicromancy A subtile practise of Prelates He meaneth Cardinal Wol●ey Leut. 2● Deut. 28. 29. A practise of the Prelates with their poore Priestes Thomas Wolffe The description of Cardinall Wolsey The kings byrth calked by the Cardinall Byshops talke kings natiuities Kyng Henry the viij had Cardinall Wolsey in great estimation The maner practise of Cardinal Wolsey The kyng is betrayed The quene is betraye● Note this deuilish practise The Byshop of Lyncolne Cardinall Wolsey ruled altogether K. Lewes Pope Iulye This is a true story The new Thomas Maximilian the Emperour was K. Henry 〈◊〉 his souldier Remission of sinnes Note here the subtletie craft of the pope Now King Henry 8. with a● his army was abused The Prelates see euer before-hand what is like to folow Papistes are great forecasters of perils Practise The kinges sister 〈◊〉 to Fraunce Traiterous Prelates ☜ The pomp and apparell of the Cardinall his chap●aines passed the xij Apostles Prelates Salutatiō Cardinall Wolsey was a sub●… worker A certaine secreat Milane Turnay The Emperor came thorough England Nurturing of kinges Pract●●e The french king sendeth a defiance to K. Henry vi● Armies sée into stance The Cardinal was the Emperours frēd openly and the french kinges secreatly The sege of Pauie Pauie A false pope and leud Cardinall Pace the 〈◊〉 of Englands Ambassadour Burbon The Emperour setteth vpon y ● french king by night These shippes were english Angels of gold At the taking of the french king Te Deum was song and great triumph made in England Subtile practises of the Cardinall The marte shold haue bene at Cales A ruffelar The pride and arrogancie of Cardinall Wolsey Cardinall Wolsey a great traytor Cardinall Wolsey cōmitted treason agaynst the Emperour Cardinall Wolsey preferred More to he Chauncelour Treason layd to the Cardinall charge Mortunries probate of Testamentes Pluralitie of benefices Tithes The Churchewardens haue bene accustomed to gather the tithes and to geue the Pa●●o his reasonable stipend and to geue the re● to the poore Princes haue herein much to aunswere The loane first forgeuen by the Clergie The loane forgeuē by the temporalitie The Byshoprieke of Durhā Tunstall Byshop of Durham brent the new Testament A Bishopricke is a superfluous honor and a lew de liberty The Carnall clearely discharged Defēder of the fayth The title of the defēdour of the fayth came frō Rome The Popishe and vayne glorious maner of Cardinal Wolsey The Cardinals hat The falsest and vainest Cardinall that euer was The chirch erreth if y ● pope and bishops be the chirch Marten Luther submitted him self to king Henry viij More is proued a lyer Sir Thomas Hittō A daunce in Paris Here Tindal prayeth for y ● ceasing of persecution Tindall pro●eth the vnderstanding of such as of right should succeed to the crowne Tindall warneth al the Cardinals secretaries to repent and turne to God A generall exhortation to all kinds of people Popish
not lawfull Israelites Gods peculiar people Sacramētes and figures thereof grossely vnderstode breede errors Roma 〈◊〉 Gods church largely taken what it is Math. 13. Math. 25. Gods elect Church is without spotte and onely knowen to God Man is vncertaine of his election vntill the holy ghost working in hym assure hym therof Good and bad are of the sensible Church Math. 〈◊〉 Luke 〈◊〉 Infante● may be ●●ptised because they be partakers of the promise although they as yet haue no fayth The second thyng to be considered in Baptisme Roma 6. Dipping in the water and liftyng vp agayne of intantes what it signifieth The whole course of mans life is a continuall Baptisme Galat. 3. Tit. 3. Baptisme is the fountaine of our new byrth The signification of Baptisme that is to say banishyng the old mā and puttyng on the new acquired onely by fayth Iohn 3. The wicked distrustyng in Gods promises dispayre Iohn 5. Christes bloud is the strēgth of our Baptisme Roma 5. Matthew the last Math. 28. Causes why the Sacramēt of Baptisme shold bee had in great reuerence Sundry sortes of mē which we haue conuersation withall diuersly affected Ceremonies of some sortes are as guides vnto the knowledge of God Actes 15. The perfection of man Math. 15. Tit. 1. 1. Cor. 8. Weake consciences eyther by breaking of any auncient custome or neglecting ceremonies not to be offended 1. Cor. 8. The obstinate which put trust in thinges not needefull to saluation must be resisted Actes 8. Philip the Apostle vsed not so many outward ceremonies in Baptisme as papistes doe Ministers must be circumspect in the vses abuses of ceremonies ●…i 33. Exod. 20. Deut. 5. Exod. 31. Sabaoth abrogated for feare of superstition Gallat 4. Sabaoth kept on the Sonday Coll. 2. Exod. 13. Deut. 4. and. 5. Ezech. 3. and. 30. Math. 7. 1 ▪ Cor. 11. 2. Timb 3. Exod. 8. Iohn 4. Math. 8. Iohn 6. Iohn 6. Iohn 17. Iohn 13. Luke 22. Phil. 2. Math. 21. Math. 10. Luke 22. Math. 14. and. 15. Math. 8. Math. 21. Luke 2. Math. 11. Math. 21. Mark 16. Iohn 19. Math. 5. Iohn 19. Ca. Constāt dist ●●vi Math. 10. Luke 23. Math. 10. Iohn 19. Exod. 16. Heb. 9. Math. 25. Math. 18. Iohn 21. Math. 8. Marke 1. Luke 5. Math. 5. Math. 8. 17. Iohn 22. Luke 2. Math. 5. Actes 2. Math. 3. Iohn 12. Iohn 9. Luke 10. Iohn 19. Math. 19. Luke 22. Math. 23. Marke 9. ●ath 17. Iohn 14. Marke 11. Math. 4. Math. 5. Math. 17. Math. 11. Luke 12. Math. 23. Math. 17. Math. 26. Math. 26. Iohn 15. Math. 19. 1. Cor. 7. Math. 15. Roma 14. Collos 2. Tit. 1. Math. 16. Math. 18. Iohn 15. Luke 17. Oh abhomination Math. 2● Osea 〈◊〉 Math. 9. Roma 4. Iohn 11. 1. Iohn 2. Iames. 5. Math. 5. Roma 13. Ephe. 1. Collos 1. 1. Cor. 10. 2. Pet. 2. 2. Timo. 3. Tit. 1. Iohn 19. Luke 6. Luke 〈◊〉 Math. 5. Luke 6. Math. 23. Math. 23. Acte 7. Esay 66. 2. King 7. 1. Cor. 3. Actes 17. Exod. 20. Iohn 5. Iohn 1. Dist. xxij ca. sacrosancta Math. 10. 1. Timo. 3. Tit. 1. The order that Iohn Frith kepeth in shewyng his mynde in the Sacrament of the body bloud of Christ The occasiō that moued Iohn Frith to write on the Sacrament The spirituall eatyng of the Sacrament is by fayth The Sacrament to be the naturall body of Christ is no article of our fayth necessary to be beleued vpon payne of damnation Obiection Solution Obstinate defendyng of any cause is worthy of reprehention The foundation of Iohn Frithes first treatise vppon the Sacrament It is no article of our fayth to beleue it to be the naturall body of Christ The same fayth saueth vs that saued our fathers Adam Gene. 3. How our fathers did eate the body of christ and dronke his bloud Abraham Gene. 12. Circumcision was the Sacrament of Gods couenasit made with Abraham Abrahā by fayth dyd eate and drinke Christes body and bloud Iohn 8. The spirituall eating drinkyng of Christ shall saue vs. Manna was to the Israelites the same that the Sacramēt is to vs now August de vtilitate poenicentiae Aug. super Ioan. tract 26. A goodly saying of S. Augustine Beda suter 1. Cor. 10. To eate the Sacramēt by fayth spiritually is to eate the body of Christ c. There is no cause why we should accompt the Sacramēt to be Christes naturall body for that were to grosse an imaginatiō We are not bound● to beleue vpō payne of dānatiō more then our fathers beleued Gene. 1. Psal 1. Esay 7. Acte 3. Actes 2. Psal 16. We must beleue the articles of our fayth vpon payne of damnation but in the other there is no perill Aug. contra Faustum Lib. 19. cap. 11. There be thre causes why y e Sacramentes were instituted The first is necessity August ad Marcellinū The second cause of the institution of Sacramentes How diligently Christ set forth y e Sacrament of hys body bloud that we might by that outward signe assure our fayth that his very true body was crucified for our sinnes The thyrd cause of the institution of Sacramentes The sacrament is profitable to none but to such as vnderstād the doctrine therof An example of the Alepole The true significatiō of the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ The sacrifices of the Iewes as lōg as they were rightly vsed were well accepted More Frith 1. Pet. 2. Luke 22. Ephes 6. Math. 10. Mich 5. Iohn 6. Math. 10. 3. Cor. 11. Ioh. Frith mette with false brethren 2. Cor. 10. An exhortation to stand manfully by the profession of Gods word More Frith Brethrē is an auncient name in the scripture Amos. 8. Math. 11. Luke 18. Roma 1. Actes 24. More Frith Ioh. Frith feared not death Frith wisheth all his workes to be seene More Frith He that seeth his brother in peril of ieoperdy must warn him therof Deut. 12. Note here the earnest zeale of Frith An offer made to the Clergie by Io. Frith More Frith 2. Thes 2. 1. Iohn 4. Actes 20. The prop●esie of S. Paule ●the latter times Siluester when corruption entred into y e Church Bishoprickes wer not gredely sought in y e primitiue Church for then it was a charge and not a Lordship Math. 27. Mark 15. Iohn 19. A great alteration in the church sithen the time of Christ and hys Apostles 1. Cor. 11. A litle flock is left that are not corrupted More Frith 1. Cor. 10. Paule calleth the Sacrament bread 1. Cor. 11. Actes 2. Luke 22. Nature sayth there is bread in the Sacrament The wyne will waxe sowre if it be kept lōg The Doctors proue that bread remayneth in the Sacrament Gelasius a Pope Contra Eutych Nestorium This is the saying of Gelasius a Pope Wickleffe Wickleffe buried xv yeare and then brent Math. 10. Malach. 2. Oecolampadius Tyndall Tyndall declareth his innocency Zwinglius Zwinglius slayne in a iust and righteous cause
they can not make payment but rather shall perish and dye in prison whiche thyng is agaynst charitie therfore it is sinfull Extreme law is extreme iustice The euill counsell of the Doctours of law 1. Cor. 6. Math. 5. I doe not condemne suing but in a case The spiritualtie forbiddeth Priestes to sue in causa sanguinis et tamen non dāpnāt leges Athanasius S. Hiere ad Cor. 6. These doctours wyll not nor can not destroy all iudicialles but onely vncharitable sutes Haymo ad Cor. 6. Luke 6. If it bee a counsell than can ye not condemne it for heresie 14. quest 1. His ita They vnderstoode myne answere so well that they were than contēt with mee The sixte article Tit. 1. The Cardinall and Doctour Barnes reasoned togither But therefore was I an heretick O sigmētū If I fayned sut●… thynge 〈◊〉 shoulde bee an heretick Athanasius Chrisostome The vij article The viij article Officicers bee but byshops hangmen God amende it The ix article The x. article The xj article 2. q 7. Secuti sunt cap. Nos si The xij article 2. Pet. 2. The xiij article The popes pardons hath beene the best marchaundise in England The xiiij article The xv article The xvj article Alexander Duns Bonauenture in iiij sent The xvij article The Pope may not bee conptrolled of any man The xviij article The xix article No man may speake agaynst the pompe of Prelates The xx article Byshops myters cōmeth from the Iewes The xxi article 3. King Byshops vse vayne foolish ceremonies What the two hornes of the myter meaneth The xxij article The meanyng of the Byshops crosier staffe Cardinall Wolsey lyked well hys pyllers pollaxes Where bee they now Tunstall Byshop of Londō had intelligence where D. Barnes was become I am now here what saye to you me Good counsayle geuen to the Byshops The xxiij article Phil. 4. Iaco. 1. The xxiiij article The articles as euill as they were layd of myne aduersaryes Iohn 14. The xxv article Liberties of holye Churche may in wise bee impugned All the auncient learned fathers cry out vpō the pryde lewde lyuyng of the Byshops An earnest petition made by Doctour Barnes 1525. Doct. Batnes inhibited of preachyng The Popish law is tyrannous Doctour Barnes is accused of contention sedition and heresie The bodye of the Vniuersitie stirred vp Here yee may note the course of y t Popes lawe A subtile craftie and popishe Chauncelour A protestation D. Barnes answere to the articles alleaged against him Note here the crafti● and willy Foxes Note here the most false and ●euilishe practise of the popishe cleargie God to helpe his true preachers styrreth vp some good men O cruell mercylesse Papistes Barnes arested by a Sergeaunt of armes Cardinall greatly delighted and estemed his crosses and pollaxes Nothyng els The maner of the examinatiō at Westminster Here ye may note the crafty iugglyng of the Papistes The more innocēt the sooner trapped and condemned among the Papistes Epist c. xix Doctour Barnes forbydden preachyng Note here the tyranny of the Papistes That was the lest Grace with out deseruyng Note here what crossing tossing y ● Papistes vse The glori●us assembly of the papistes The Cardinall had put the matter to hym God saue me from such speaking Math. 1. 1. Cor. 2. Esay 53. Christ is all in all Actes 4. Actes 13. 1. Iohn 2. 1. Iohn 4. 1. Iohn 4. The Papistes deniyng onely fayth to iustifie denye the nature of Christ Apoc. 5. Christ onely hath wrought our redēption Christ is our onely redemer iustifier Roma 3. Roma 11. Faith with out workes iustifieth Roma 3. A crafty subtile euasion All good woorkes are co●teyned in the law of God Iohn 1. Christ suffered for our sinnes August in ser Domini de monte Exod. xx Leuit. xix What goodnes is in good workes Galat. 2. Rom. 4. Galat. 3. Ambro. ad Rom. 3. Orig. ad Ro. lib. iij. cap. iij. Fayth onely and alone iustifieth Roma 9. Roma 10. Roma 9. We can neuer attayne to saluation but by faith in Christ Roma 4. Fayth is accompted for righteousnes Ambrosi Sola fides iustificat D. Wetherall Gallat 2. Abacuc 2. Athanasius Galat. 3. The righteous man lyueth by fayth not by workes Aug. in prolo Psal 31. Good workes without fayth are but sinne Barnar super Can. ser lxvq Workes of the newe law Aug. despiri lit c● ▪ xij No man can bee iustified by y e lawe of workes but by the law of faith in Christes bloud Luke 17. Good workes can not deserue remission of sinne The maner of iustification Fides historica Fides iustificans Roma 8. The frutes of fayth An exāple how fayth bryngeth forth good workes Math. 7. Solutions and argumentes to the Scriptures Roma 6. Good workes are the frutes of true fayth A very good example ●●ti 2. The Byshop of Rochesters vayne distinction Ephe. 2. Good workes are to bee done although they iustifie not Roma 3. Iam. 2. Aug. 83. quest c. 76. Roma 6. Fayth that bryngeth forth fruite is the fayth that iustifieth and yet the fruite doth not iustifie 1. Iohn 2. Hebr. 9. fayth iustifieth before God and good wordes declare our iustification to y t worlde Gala. 3. The reward of good workes is not remission of sinnes Roma 2. August de spiri lit Glosa Actes 10. The man that is iustified before God 〈◊〉 not bee idle but must doc good ij Quest 〈◊〉 Non omnes Episcopo Math. 7. Iohn 17. Gala. 5. Atha ad Rom. Fayth that iustifieth vs is geuē vs freely of God Fayth onely iustifieth because by fayth we attaine the benefite of Christes death which onely iustifieth vs. It is no new doctrine that is nowe taught The Pope and hys Churche agreeth no more with the maners of holy Churche then darkenes light The Pope is a persecutor of holy Church How farre the Pope doth differ with his Churche from the true holy Church The foule and greate abuse of the Pope in takyng vpō hym that hee and his were y e holy Church What difference is betweene a Byshop the deuill Nume 20. 3. King 8. 1. Cor. 4. 1. Cor. 11. Ephe. 5. The holy Churche truely defined The true holy church is that which is sanctified made holy by Christ 1. Cor. 1. Augustinus de verbis domini ser so Iohn 6. The faithful beleuers in Christes merites are y t ryght holy church of God God is not to bee ruled by any state or degree of person The holy Churche which is y t true church of God is to y e worlde inuisible The true holy church is the piller and ground of trueth August ser 〈◊〉 de tempore The holy Church is the congregation of faythfull men where soeuer they bee in the world Lyra in mat ca. 19. Math. 6. 1. Iohn 1. Ephe. 5. The holy Churche how it is made pure and cleane without spotte or wrinkle Augustinus
de verbis Apostoli s 〈◊〉 The church of God is the treasures of God without spotte or wrinkle That which is of fayth can neither bee seene nor felt The true holynes that is of our right holye mother the Church 1. Iohn 2. Iohn 15. De con D. D. 4. c. prima igitur 1. Iohn 2. De p●ne Dis 2. Si in glossa 24. q. 1. Arecta in Glossa The faythfull congregation can not erre The voyce of murtherers and theeues A rule that Rochester teacheth to know the difference betweene y ● Pope and Councell The Councell erreth if the Pope agree not to their do ynges Popes haue erred Popes condemned for heretickes 3. King 2. 3. King 18. The litle flocke is y e flocke of Christ De electio c. significa The Councell of Meldelci dyd erre A generall Councell is not the vniuersall Churche Augustinus de bap li. 2. c. 3 contra Donatistas Councels haue erred and many erre The holy scriptures are the iudges of the Councels doings Math. 10. There are perticular Churches to whome wee may complayne 24. q. 3. Si. quis et c. cū aliquis The communion felowship of Saintes is the vniuersall Church How a mā may know the church An example teaching how y e true church may be knowne Esay 55. Roma 10. Actes 10. 1. Thess 2. Good workes are the fruite of good fayth Charitie may be deceaued but fayth can neuer bee deceaued A saying of Chrisostome Chrisostome sendeth vs to scriptures to learne which is the holy Church not vnto them that call themselues y e holy church Ephe. 2. The holy Church is builte and founded vpon the Apostles Prophets Augustinus The true Church is a sufferer and no persecutor 2. Tim. 3. The Popes church are persecutors but no sufferers The glory of the Popes churche is in trash Hilarius cont Arianos Barnardus super can s 33. Note here the saying of Saint Barnard S. Barnard greatly reproueth the insaciable pride of the Popes Church xiiij quest i c. Quodeūque in verbo Reconciliat M. More would haue vs to thinke there is none other holy church but y e Pope and his Cardinals and Byshops c. Epes 5. Aug. de ver bis Domini serm l. Iohn 6. 1. Cor. 6. Now euill men be in the church What the very true church is Roma 〈◊〉 Homo mortuus non est homo Ephes 5. M. More layeth many thynges to me wrōg fully Aug. Serm. 99. de tempore Lyra in Mar. ca. xix De verbo Apost ser xxix Anotable saying of S. Augustine De co●se D. iiij c. Igitur xxiiij q. i. Ar●cta in glosa De electio c Significal 1. The counsell of Weld●us did erre Au. de Bapt. li. 2 cap. 3. The full counsels may erre How a man may knowe the church The church suffereth Chris in opere Im ꝑsecto By scriptures men may know the veritie Hila. contra Arrianos Barn suꝑcā serm 33. The true church of Christ stādeth onely in them that are good men 1. Tim. 4. The keyes of y e church is the openyng of Christ and the loosing of vs from sinne Psal 80. Sc●tus 4. sent di 18. How Dūs interpreteth the keyes Nicho. de orbel di vs supra Hiero. in M. c. 16. The saying of S. Hierome vppon the keyes Scotus 4. sen dist 15. Quest 1. August ser 2. de sane The nature property of the keyes of heauen Roma 10. Psal 118. Ibidem 1. Cor. 14. 2. Tim. 1. Psal 118. All thinges shal perish but y ● word of God endureth for euer Hebr. 4. Roma 3. What power it is that the Priest hath The word of God is the true keye that openeth loseth Math. 6. Acte 2. The true maner of losyng and byndyng of openyng and shottyng Math. 10. The hearyng of the worde of God and beleuyng the same loseth vs from our sinnes Mark 6. Actes 18. Iohn 20. Luke 24. Luke 24. Preachyng of the word of God is losing from sinne Actes 17. How the worde of God byndeth how it loseth 2. Cor. 2. 1. Cor. 1. The worde of God is remission of sinne if it bee beleeued when it is preached Hebr. 6. By preaching of the worde of God heauē is opened and shut Chriso in M. c. 15. De doctr christi li. 1. c. 15. es 18. Augustine in Ioan Trac 124. 24. q. 1. Quodcūque Origenes Super. M. Ho. 1. The church is builded vpō the confession of all the Apostles and of all faithfull people Super Ioan Trac 124. c. 21. Preachers if they abuse their preaching maye bee deposed 1. Cor. 14. 1. Cor. 4. Item 3. 1. Pet. 5. The ministers of the Churche ought to be no Lordes In M. c. 23. li. de Cain et Abell The Byshops and cleargie abuse Christes keyes The false allegyng of fathers and Councels is the next way to deceaue the Churche of God Psal 1. Blessed are they whose meditation is in the law of God An exāple The ministration of the Church belongeth to the Byshops other ministers but the authoritie of the same belongeth to Christ An other example The doctrine and true preaching of the worde of God is the pardon and remission of our sins The authoritie of the churche belongeth to Christ onely Luke 7. August lib. Quinquaginta home liarum be 23. The popes Clergy is condemned by S. Austen to bee heretickes Money is the Popes best marchaunt Shamefull doyngs must bee shamefully rebuked The Pope selleth God and all his ordinaūces The Pope will not folow nor obey to Christes commaūdemēt for hee biddeth hym loose The Pope selleth hys ware very deare Math. 10. 1. Cor. 9. Hierome Chrisosto ad Ti. 5. S. Chrisostome is very straight to byshops and the rest of the Clergye Chri. s 6. de anathemate Byshops compared to popets and stage players Math. 26. Luke 11. A sore sentence of Christ agaynst vnpreachyng Prelates In what thinges we haue free-will and in what none Iohn 15. The frutes of freewill Freewill without gods grace can doe nothyng that is good Bona intentio Super Ioannem tract lxxi Dūces doctrine ouerthrowen 2. Cor. 3. We of our selues as of our selues can not do● so much as thinke a good thought Barnarde lib. arbit Math. 7. Math 12. Mans free-will without Gods grace can doe nothing that is good Roma ▪ 3. In Enche 〈◊〉 ●9 Man by vs●ig of his freewill euill did lose both hymselfe his freewill De ●erbis apost ▪ ser 11. Mans free-will cā doe nothing but sinne Roma 8. Mās fleshly wisdome is enemy to God Duns Marke 7. Roma 8. De verbis Domini ser xv Freewill without grace is sinne Roma 8. De verbis Apost ●…ij We can doe nothyng that is good without the spirite of God Who are y t children of God Bonus conatus verstum de congru● Fleshly carnall reason reasoneth frowardly and crookedly As God is nothynge but goodnes so can hee commaunde nothyng but that which is good Why God hath
scriptures The sacramentes are signes to fayth The Pope will by his reasō make Christ and all his Apostles heretiques The Pope and his 〈◊〉 would if they could destroy the scripture as well as they destroy the preachers thereof Talmud Dunc● Question answere A good answere to be made to the Papistes Iohn 1● ☜ Ioh. 1● Esa 1. Rom. 9. Augustine The true meaning of the wordes of S. Augustine 〈◊〉 Cor. 1. 〈◊〉 Pet. 3. 〈◊〉 Cor. 7. There are two maner of faithes An historicall fayth A feeling fayth Iohn 6. Rom. 8. The true sure feeling fayth Ioh. 4. The feling fayth doth farre excell the historicall fayth Cursed is he that trusteth in mā Lechery The abhomination of y ● Romish Church Mariage forbidden whoredom moued Couetousnesse Vnions 〈◊〉 quottes ☜ The P●… 〈…〉 with the 〈…〉 so the 〈…〉 〈…〉 Iewes The Turkes and Iewes beleue that they cā not erre because they beleue as their Elders dyd God reserued a litle flocke Rom. 9. ☞ Who they be that are of ●o●● true Church The fleshly persecute the spirituall A●… The childrē of this world are the Papistes Questions Aūsweres Aūsweres to be made to captions Papistes Iohn 4. Teachers of Grāmer vnderstode not the Latine toung The fayth 〈◊〉 Christ loue of our neighbors to all that is required of a Christian man The vse of signes ce●…nyes Worship●… and 〈…〉 are ●●th one The true wordes that expresse the God What it is to honour God The true honour of God What it is to honour rulers What it is to honour 〈◊〉 mās neighbour What it is to dishonour God and dishonour our neighbour To deny to helpe my neighbour is to dishonour hym To do that God forbiddeth is to dishonour God I true officer in the sight of God All creatures are o●…ed to ●…ue 〈◊〉 Images Images are seruaūtes to man and not mā to images ☜ The vse of creatures inferiours to man The worshipping of the crosse How a mā may vse Images well The worshyppyng of images Images reliques at the first were well vsed but now shame fully abused False worshypping 〈◊〉 The abuse of Images My body must serue the Prince o my neighbour but my soule must serue God onely S. Iohns Gospell This is y e true crossing that we should vse A great nōber of superstitious baggages Riches bestowed on images or reliques Obiection Solution To worshyp Images is Idolatry True Pilgrimage is to walke from place to place the better to serue God to helpe my neighbour ☜ God dwelleth not in Temples made with mennes handes Psal 49. Iohn 16. Iohn 4. Sacramentes Circumcision All the ceremonies of the olde lawe were preachers to the people The ●t●es by sayth were iustified not by the deedes of the lawe Paschall lambe First frutes Sacrifices Ornamentes Worked must serue vs and not we the workes Luke 18. The Iewes became seruauntes captiues to theyr workes The blinde reason of hipocrites ☞ O blinde ●●ll the imagination Holy day Exod. 31. The Saboth day must serue vs and not we the Saboth day How the Saboth day should be occupyed Luke 13. The brasen Serpent The tēple Prayer without fayth is n● prayer Psal 46. God despise● the sacrifices of y ● vnfaithfull ●ewes Fastyng Superstious falling doth God abhorre Esa ●8 True fasting what it is Temple Actes 7. Actes 17. Pa●…e a truell persecutor Many Iewes were conuerted to ye●aith of Christ All that came of Israell are not ●sraelites Math. 22. The Iewes cam● 〈◊〉 to vn●… of Christ of loue bu● 〈◊〉 inforced the● unto by the scriptures The Turk●● are a ●…re greater number then the Papistes Ceremonies set vp in the newe testament What holy water signifieth The Pax. Confirmation Cōfirmation how it came first vnto the church The maner of confirming of children This is a right confirmation The abuse of confirmation The fruts of ignoraunce Confirmatiō is made now a confirmyng in all superstition ignoraunce and popery The Papisticall tyranny How the ceremonies about the ministration of the Lordes Supper came first into the Church ●mice The flappe on the amice The albe The flappes on the albe The fanon The stole The corp●rescloth The altar Candels Math. 5. Salt ☜ All ceremonyes at the begynnyng had significations Austine The state of y e Iewes more easie then the Christians vnder traditions Out of the ceremontes sprang the ignoraunce o● the scripture The multitude of ceremonies put away preachyng Ceremonies are the chirt cause of ignoraunce The doctrine of Dunce aduaunced The blynd Papistes are enemies to all good learnyng and knowledge Igaoraunt Priestes ☜ Ignoraūce made vs seruauntes to ceremonies The sole Papistes are preserred by ceremonies Is long as we had the significatiō of the ceremonies so long they were sufferable but y●●…can●…tion beyng gone the ceremony is mere superstuiō When the people by ignoraunce waxed superstitious then y ● clergie holpe them forward with falsifiyng the scripture Christes death purchased grace for mās soule Teinterden steple The building of ●…beies clopsters religious houses haue bene 〈◊〉 great decay to the good state of this realing Worshipping Subtile suggling 〈◊〉 wordes True worshipping of Saintes True worshipping of God Bodely exercise They that are in heauē do chiefly desire that we harken to God do hys wyll All popishe imaginations are I dolatry Candle we receaue all thinges of God out father for Iesus Christes ●ake hys sonne and our onely Sauiour We must dot all thyuges of loue Sacrifices Rom. 14. A sure ●…ken of a selfe fayth and ●…seruice A disserēce betwene Christes naturall body and a paynted Image Miracles Miracles were done by y ● sain●… to confirme theyr doctrine Helisens Dead bones may not be worshypped Pilgrimages More reasoneth vntowardly God is like good in euery place Temple The people were specially called to y e Temple to behold the monumēts there wherby they might the better learne the mighty power of God Paschall Lambe 1. 〈…〉 Holy straunge gestures is like anapes play 1. Cor. 11. Pitie The true be holdyng of the signe of the crosse The Church is a place of prayer God heareth our prayer in all places Actes 17. Actes 7. 3. Reg. 8. Ierusalem and the tēple is destroyed The piller of fire God is present in all places alike All places are to be preferred where we may worship God most quietly M. More teacheth false doctrine Math. 24. Miracles were not done for y e place but for the people Siloe Ioh. 4. 9. Miracles done to draw y e people to heare the worde of God All places must serue man a not man bound to serue any place God is worshipped in our hartes not in any other place The father ●…th most for the yoūgest Ephes 4. God cānot be serued with bodely seruice Our fayth may be grounded vpon men A● true miracles prououe vs to fayth and trust in God The may be of Ipswich True miracles are done to prouoke vs to the hearing of Gods worde and the false do y e