we so lytell by the lyberte of the gospell that we had as leue our dreames as the moost holy gospel we do not reiect and refuse the constituciōs and ordinaunces of bysshoppes which vexe not the conscience but pertayne and be profytable for the cōmune peace and tranquillite of mens conuersacion onely we defy reiecte those lawes in the which ether they commaūde or forbidde vnder payn of deadly synne without the lawe of God Onely god ought to raygne in the conscience in whose hande peculyarly be menes soules The Apostle calleth hym the aduersary of God which goeth aboute to syt in the temple of God and boaste hym self as a God .ii. Tessalo ii And .ii. Cori. iii. We be the ministers of the new testament ministers of the sprit and not of the letter What auayle mans constitutions to iustificacion yf ye say that they prepare to obey God the easyer I answere There is nothyng that can prepare the mynde to kepe the law of God or fashion it but onely the grace of God The Apostle Galat. i. pronoūceth acursed not onely mā but also an angell of heauen that durst preach an other gospell then Paule preached Yf it be the power of God to saluacyon of all that beleue why do we myngle and ioyne our chaffe with so great a power And in the fyrst to the Corinthians the thyrde chapter Other fundacyon can no mā lay then that which is layed which is Iesus Christ Yf no man ought to put ony thyng to Moses law Deute xii why shulde we adde put vnto the gospell ony thyng seynge euen Cameracensis a scooleman calleth it the moost perfect lawe and ryghtest and the strayghtest in preceptes Why do we not leaue our lawes and follow the busynesse that Christ appoynted Math. the last Teache all people to kepe all thynges what so euer I haue commaunded you We be mynisters seruauntes of Christe and disposers of the secretes of God Now is it requyred of the stewardes or disposers that they be foūde faythfull These priuities and mysteries be the artycles of oure fayth of the Gospell the wysedome of the crosse the knowlege of grace gotten by Christe Let vs preache these thynges for the health of the people of God and let vs not abuse oure power the which the Lorde gaue vs to edifye with and not to destroye .ii. Corinth the .xiii. cha The Canon or rule that maketh the ordynaūces of fathers equale with the Gospel is openly vngodly and wycked the whiche euen oure aduersaryes can not receaue yf they knewe the canon of the scripture To be shorte fayth where with a ryghteous mā lyueth is conceaued taken and drawen out of the canonicall scripture and not of the decrees of the fathers as saynt Austyne wytnesseth in the .ix. boke of the cytie of God the .xviii. Chapter Then wherefore shulde I receaue it as an artycle of my fayth that whiche the scripture inspired of God hath not I am commaunded to proue and trye spretes whether they be of God or no the which lyberte of iudgynge of all doctrines by the scriptures no man wyll take frō vs. The wordes of saint Ihon in the .xvi. Chapter stablysh nothynge mans tradityons for God dyd fulfyl his promesse at Wytsonday when he sent the holy goost and led his discyples in to all trueth the whiche before that tyme they coulde not beare Who wyl denye that the memorye and remēbraunce of those that be departed dyd come from the Apostles vnto vs seynge that saynt Paule the fyrste to the Tessalonians the fourth chapter commaunded the Tessalonians that one shulde comforte another with the worde of the resurreccyon of the dead in Christe But now that we maye answer to theyr rethoricall argumēt where in they reason that by the breakynge of the ordynaunce of the church a man synneth deadly we answere that the knowlege of synne is by the the lawe Roma the .iii. Chapter The Apostle speaketh of Goddes lawe and not of mans Alwayes vnderstande I of mans lawe that is clere or whole mās law the which assayeth to binde mās cōscyence◠I moued by the scripture thinke that a mās cōscience nother ought nor can be boūde with mans constitucyon for we are indued with lyberte which we wyll vse the which lyberte is the lyberte of the conscyence .i. Corin. the .iii. Chapter All thynges be yours whether it be Paul ether Apollo ether Cephas wherby we vnderstande that nother Paul nor Cephas hath authorite to bynde mens cōscience where God doth not bynde The fyrst to the Corinthians the twelft Chapter Be ye not made seruauntes of men Collossenses the seconde Chapter You beynge dead wyth Christe why be ye holden styl wyth decrees And for the moost parte suche constitucyons be contrarye to the worde dede of the Apostles But as Gerson beareth wytnesse in the seconde lection of the spirituall lyfe the .vii. corollary It is not in the popes power nother in the councels power nor in the churches power to chaūge the learnynge geuen and taught of the euangelistes and of Paule Master Gasper Satzger dyd se this in the defension of the constitucyons of the churche the which openly and playnly graunteth that the learnynge that is without the scripture though it be good yet byndeth not by goddes lawe And it is no maruayl for only Christ ought to raygne in mans cōscience by his worde which onely maye saue and condempne Math. the .x. Chapter Feare not thē which can kyll the body and not the soule but fear hym which can cast both body and soule in euerlastyng fyre Truely yf they can make a constitucyon and commaunde it vnder payne of deadly synne they maye kyll the soule but the trueth of the gospell is otherwyse The sentence of Ezechiell is pronounced agaynst them in the .xiii. Chapter Wo be to them that make bolsters vnder the the heade of euery age to catch soules that they might kyl soules which dye not How doth the scoolemēs learnyng of the power of byndyng of mens constitucyons agre with it selfe seynge Thomas graunteth playnly that the commaundementes of the positiue law bynde more with the intent of the lawmaker then with the wordes of it so that he is more to be rekened a breaker of the cōmaūdement that doth agaynst the intent of the lawmaker thē he that swarueth frō the letter of the ordinaūce of the law But the intent of the maker of the positiue lawe is not that hys precepte shulde be alwayes kepte because that many impedimentes may chaunce in the which it is not expedient to kepe the law yee somtyme the kepynge of the precepte were damnable Wherfore in euery precept of the positiue lawe the excepcyon of a reasonable cause is admitted Now put the case that ther is a law that a mā shal not eat flesh on the fryday that a preste shal not haue a wyfe Here the intent of the lawmaker is to brynge to goodnesse But it chaunceth yf we kepe those
A coÌ„parison betwene the Olde learnynge the Newe ¶ Translated out of latin in Englysh by Wyliam Turner Prynted in Sowthwarke by me Iames NicolsoÌ„ Anno. 1537. The contentes of this boke Of the sacramentes Of penaunce Of confession Of satisfaccyon Of frewyll Of fayth and workes Of merites Of synne Of the worshippynge of sayntes Of the supper of the Lorde Of the choyse of meates Of fastynge Of the difference of dayes Of prayer Of vowes Of counselles Of matrimony Of bisshoppes Of ceremonies Of mans traditions Of councels lawes made by a multitude of bisshoppes gathered together ¶ To the reader Some ther be that do defye All that is newe and euer do crye The olde is better awaye with the new Because it is false and the olde is true Let them this boke reade and beholde For it preferreth the learnyng most olde ¶ Vrbanus Regius to a certayne frende of his wysheth CHRIST oure ryghteousnesse WHan our saueour in the fyrst of Marke had caste out of a man an vncleane sprete the Iewes were astoÌ„nyed sayenge what new learnynge is this It was thought new to those wretches for lacke of knowlege of scripture which of all thynges was oldest that is to saye the Gospell the which was longe tofore promysed by the prophetes in the scripture of the soÌ„ne of God Iesu Christ The same thynge was sayd to Paul whan he preached Christ at Athene they toke him led hym to Marcis strete sayenge May we not knowe what new learnyng this is that ye teach for ye brynge in to our eares new thynges Was the teachynge of the Apostles I praye you strayght waye new because it was thought new to the proude gentyles swellynge and bounde with theyr carnall and fleshly wysedome Euen suche lyke thinges in these later dayes do they al suffer which teach purely the Gospel of the gracyous fauour and glory of God Which do not abuse the worde of euerlastynge truth for auauÌ„tage but as it were of syncernesse but as it were of god so speak we by Christ in the syght of God This is the new doctrine saye our aduersaries lately deuysed fâ—rnyshed in the shoppes or workhouses of heretikes Let vs abyde styl in our old fayth Let the holynesse of our fathers the authorite of the couÌ„cels the consent of the longe tyme so many ages holde vs in the wayes of our fathers Let the heretikes go shake theyr eares with theyr new learnynge which spronge and rose vp of late Those thynges which we teach came not all from Christe and the Apostles by wrytynge neuerthelesse they came by a faythfull reuelacyon shewynge vnto vs. To whom I wyll answere none otherwyse then Christ answered the Saduces Ye erre sayeth he and ar ignoraunt in the scripture And wolde to God that I myghte purchace and obtayne so much equyte of a braynlesse kynde of meÌ„ as one heythen man sheweth to another that is yf they wolde fyrst heare the cause or matter and then afterwarde yf it please them condemne hym that is accused Now they condemne innocentes without ony hearynge of theyr cause And they crye vnto vs which defeÌ„de the worde of God with nothynge but galowes ropes and fyre not witesafyng vs the leest corner of the catholyke church In so much that I wonder of what sprete they be of For that gentle and pleasaunt sprete of Christ the which fedeth the mysticall body seketh for the health and not for the destruccyon of them that erre Charite the frute of the holy goost as the apostell sayeth doth thynke none euell but is glad and reioyceth with the trueth beleueth all thynges trusteth all thynges Surely they that set asyde the blynde iudgement of the affeccyon and loke earnestly vpon the matter iudge otherwyse of vs. For the olde auÌ„cient fathers dyd neuer knowe or heare tell of the moost parte of those thynges whiche oure condemners do teache then ye maye be sure that theyr learnynge ought not to be rekened for olde learnynge and apostolicall Furthermore not euery thynge that the olde fathers wrote sauoureth of the syncernesse and purenesse of the sprete of the Apostles Certayne thynges which were deuised with in these foure hundreth yeares yee rather euen of late haue bene receaued by and by of them as soone as they were made namely this is theyr learnynge and so olde that they desyre for this that the Gospell almoost shulde be cast awaye and couÌ„ted as a new teachynge and learnynge Therfore I wolde that they shulde knowe and vnderstande that we do teache and preache the olde and the trewe heauenly doctryne of the sprete that is the gospell of god The greate mystery of holynesse and godlynesse that god was declared in the fleshe was iustified in sprete sene of the angelles preached to the gentyles that coÌ„fidence was geueÌ„ to him in the worlde was receaued in to glory What saye you be these newes God dyd predestinate vs that he myght chose and purches vs to be his soÌ„nes by Christe Iesus in his owne selfe accordynge to the pleasure of his wyl that the glory of the grace of God myght be praysed whereby he made vs welbeloued thorowe his welbeloud by whome we haue redeÌ„pcioÌ„ thorowe his bloude forgeuenesse of synnes accordyng to the ryches of his grace This was the fathers counsell vpon vs before the begynnyng of the worlde that he shuld saue vs and calle vs with an holy vocacion not accordyng to our workes but accordyng to his purpose and grace whiche is geuen vnto vs thorowe Iesus Christ before the euerlasting times but it is opened and declared nowe by the appearing of our saueour Christ which put deathe away and hathe thorowe the gospel brought forthe the lyfe into lyght and mortalite The which thyng seyng that it was promysed so longe ago by the prophetes at the coÌ„maundement of the holy gooste and nowe published thorowe al the coastes of the worlde howe dare they for shame call it newe learnyng Ceasse you wycked men and staunche your blasphemyes geue glory and prayse with vs vnto god and enbrace loue as ye ought to do the mysteries of the truthe with deuoute myndes lefte ye be indurate and made harde harted of god with the reprobate and castawayes the which beleue not the truth but alowe vnryghtuousnesse The are is layed at the roote of the trees Wherfore I doynge the offyce of a christen brother haue made a comparyson betwene the newe learnynge and the olde whereby deare brother thou maye easely knowe whether we are called worthely or vnworthely the preachers of new learnyng For so dyd they call vs of late scornynge and of a contempte and you desyred of me to know what I thought best to answer to these braynles and madde fellowes The which thynge seynge that it can not be expressed in an epystell I thought it beste to bestow a few houres in thys matter in these dayes called fastyngam in latyn carnis priuium whiche hath the name of the takyng awaye
haue taught always accordynge to the Apostles doctrine Roma xiiii that we shulde haue a respecte and regarde of weake personnes that he that eateth despise not hym that eateth not He that eateth not let hym not iudge hym that eateth And albeit he sayeth ther is nothyng vncleane of it self but vnto hym which rekeneth that it is vncleane yet for all that he wyll not that oure brother shulde be greued with the abuse of oure lyberte and to be lost with meate for whom Christe suffered death Ther be other farre greater thynges than meate and drynke that a christen man shulde regarde namely peace and edifyenge For the kyngdome of God is not meate and drynke but ryghteousnesse and peace and ioye in the holy goost Therfore let vs folow those thynges that longe vnto peace and to the edifyeng of our brother one towarde another Hast thou fayth kepe it to they selfe before God And i. Corint viii Knowlege maketh maÌ„ to swel charyte edyfieth take hede leste youre lyberte offend those that be weake All these be the wholsome doctrines of the holy goost geue none occasion of gluttony as the defenders of tradicioÌ„s do dreame ¶ Of fastynge The newe learnynge We must fast certayne dayes vnder the coÌ„maundement as the Apostels euen the .iiii. ymbrynge dayes and the lent ¶ The olde learnynge Our lyfe is a warfare or souldyers lyfe Ioh. vii We must fyght coÌ„tinually with an enemye that we haue at home with in vs namely the flesh lest he beynge made to fat wantoÌ„ with excesse of meate and drynke preuayle agaynst the sprite Take hede to youreselfs sayth Christ Luc. xxi lest youre hartes be ouercomme with surfettynge and dronkeÌ„nesse that the daye of the Lord come not vnto you as a snare Rom. xiii doth the holy goâ—st coÌ„mauÌ„de to cast awaye the workes of darknesse to put on the armour of lyght he reherseth vnreasonable eatynge bankettynge droÌ„knesse amoÌ„ge theÌ„ He doth appoynte no certayne day but onely he sayeth make not prouysion for the flesh to fulfyll the lustes of it wyllyng that we shuld abstayne froÌ„ vnreasonable eatyng and droÌ„keÌ„nesse to put awaye the workes of darknesse not for one or two dayes but at all tymes Let no man thynke that thys fast is a christen mans fast which now raygneth is commaunded and hygly praysed whaÌ„ we fast certaine houres and other dayes make lusty chere worshyppyng our belly for our God In the which thynge we be worse then the heythen men which dyd order theyr lyuelode not to pleasur but to the health and strength of theyr bodyes For they consyderynge what excellency and worthynesse ther is in the nature of man dyd perceaue how fowle a thyng it were to flow in excesse to lyue deliciously pleasauÌ„tly and how honest it were to lyue skarsly mesurably sadly and soberly The Apostle monyssheth vs .i. Tessalo v. of oure state and condition We sayeth he are the childreÌ„ of lyghte and the chyldreÌ„ of the daye let vs be sober he byddeth vs not do so for .ii or .iii. dayes but all the tyme that we beare about thys body of synne Who can here in so grat diuersityes of complexiones prescribe measures and dayes Euery man knoweth hym self how longe he hath nede to fast what punishment he nedeth to tame hys fleshe wythal Therfor we do not prescribe dayly fastes as the Esseyes dyd nor yet with the makers of tradicions fastes appoynted to a certen tyme but we exhorte to contynuall sobernesse and to se that the fleshe be brought vnder lest whan the Lorde coÌ„meth we be found carelesse without ony thought And after thys maner alwayes we do exhorte moue and dryue in season and out of season the church and congregacion of Christe to a temperate lyfe and to a faste semynge a christen man alwayes sauynge the lyberte of a christen man But we do refuse and cast away that fulbelly dronken fast as stynkynge hipocrysy the which we cast in Gods teth euen as a merite and yet it maketh nothynge for the subdwenge of the fleshe seynge that it beynge proude by the bodely exercise onelye regardeth not true holynesse I wyll sende these hypocrites vnto Esay the prophete to the .lviii. chap. were as they may learne sufficyently what maner of fast God wold haue Thynk you sayeth he that I loue thys maner of fastynge wherby men at prescripte certayne dayes chasten theÌ„ selues goynge with theyr heades wrythen downe lyke an hoke strewed with asses and clothed with sackcloth Wylt thou say that thys maner of fast and that vpon thys or that appoynted day is more accepte to the Lord but rather euen contrarywyse this maner of fastynge do I alow loue Forgeue thy dettres wrapped in shrewed barganes and lowse theyr violeÌ„t oblygations set theÌ„ at lyberte whom thou dyddest cast in pryson for det break from them all maner of bondes and yockes diuyde out thy meat and drinke to the hungry and thyrsty and the port wayfarynge straunger lede thou home to thy house wheÌ„ thou seyest the necked clothe hym turne not thy face from thyne owne flesh Here thou seyest that the body in dede must be chastysed but that outwarde punishement doth lytell auayle excepte thou orden it to the fastynge of the mynde that is to abstayne from euell desyres and affections and frome couetousnesse and vnmercyfulnesse And that ye may fast after thys wyse ye nede no choyce of meates excepte the manner or cause of tamynge of the flesh require it For thou dost absteyn and vsest very skarscely all maner of meat to the sustenaunce of thy nature therfore thou mayst vse fyshe or fleshe whether thou wylt how be it fyfshesde a maner of flesh as witnesseth the Apostle .i. Corinth xv and Plini in hys hystorye of nature lest ony playenge the Iew shuld wrench hys nose at thys ¶ Of the difference of dayes The newe learnynge The dayes be not equall and alyke som be holy and so be not al wherfore the sonday is holy day to all christeÌ„ men to be halowed in ydelnesse lykewyse oure ladyes dayes the Apostelles dayes other chosen of the church to kepe holy daye and to abstayn froÌ„ laboure so that yf ony maÌ„ do ony seruyle or handy laboure and worke in the afore sayde dayes he synneth Wherfore yf ony man coÌ„strayned by necessite do ony worke ether at home or abrode on the holy daye he shal be more cruelly handled of the byshoppes officiales and curates than yf he had coÌ„mytted aduowtry or had pylled his negboure with vsury ¶ The olde learninge Certayne dayes must be appoynted wher vpon men must forbeare froÌ„ handylaboure not that the daye shulde be holyer and worthyer in the which we mete together but that the inordinate commynge together shulde not mynish the fayth in Christ And that we maye heare the better and more commodiously the worde of euerlastynge health maye receaue the supper of the Lorde and shewe to God with commune peticyon
which is fayth in Christ Fayth and belefe in Christ is onely our ryghteousnesse which worketh afterward by charite the which yf it continue in safegarde in the liberte of the sprite ye may lyue and be occupyed in the ceremonyes of the churche without ony blame For he that is iustifyed by faythe kepeth ceremonyes lest he shuld offende those that be yet weake in the fayth not as necessary to ryghteousnesse but as a teachyng and a bryngyng vp for weaklynges beleuyng stedfastly that all those outward thynges be fre vnto vs thorow fayth and that we owe nothyng to ony body but onely loue Roma xiii By thys rule the Apostle beynge conuersant amonge hys brethrē without the yeoperde and the losse of conscience and faythe was so fre by the sprite of faythe that for al that he made hym selfe an vnderlynge and a seruaunt of all mē and was of all fashion to saue some at the leest He had knowlege but he knowe that knowlege dyd swell and charite dyd edyfye i. Corinth viii and .ix. He graunted that all thynges be lawfull vnto hym but that all thynges be nor profitable that al thynges be lawfull but all thynges do not edifye And he dyd folowe those thynges which belōged vnto peace and to edifyenge We wyll folow thys Apostle not geuynge oure lyberte to the occasion of the fleshe but in seruynge one an other by charite Galat. v. Here must the ouerseers and ministers of the churche be monyshed that they vnlade the congregacion holden downe with so many ceremonyes and lawes that almoost the condicion and state of the Iewes were more tollerable then the state of Christen men Now it is not onely folyshenesse but also wyckednesse that Christē mē shuld stryue amonge them selfes for ceremonyes I can not tel what whose bage is charite and not ceremonyes Ihon. xiii ¶ Of mans tradicions The newe learnynge Ther is a canon or a rule the whiche maketh equall the constitucions of popes and bysshoppes wyth the gospell and it affirmeth that the gospell can not be well vpholdē excepte the statutes and ordinaūces of the fathers be kepte as Leo the .iiii. sayeth in the .xx. distinction in the chapter De libellis All thynges that be necessary to be knowen to our saluation be not expressed in the canonicall scripture but the holy goost afterwarde that the scripture was wryttē dyd shew many wholsome thynges vnto oure forefathers Iohan. xvi I haue many thynges to say vnto you which ye can not beare at thys tyme. And those thynges that were in practyse than are not now all written but euen geuē from one to an other as by hande and are come euen to oure tyme as Damascen in a sermon of the dead wryteth that the memory of faythfull deadmen came vnto vs from the Apostels tymes Moreouer Paule taught the people that he purchassed vnto Christe whan he was with them many thynges the which were neuer wrytten Also he that heareth not the church let hym be counted as an heythen a publicane therfor she may make lawes and constitucions necessary for mans saluatiō Also that is necessary to saluation whose transgressyon is deadly synne but the ordinaunces of the church be such the fyrst is proued by Abbas in the proemy or preface of the decretales And in the fyrst chapter of constitucions he allegeth Calderine Iohā Andrea and Thomas And for thys purpose maketh the text in the chapter Quo iure the viii distinction where as it is wrytten that the breaker of the tradicions of the churche synneth deadly because that also the positiue lawe byndeth in matters of conscience ergo they bynd Herevpon Iohan Mayre with great pryde disdayne sayeth in the .iiii. distinctiō the .iii. q. To thynke that he that breaketh the commaundementes of the church synneth not deadly is an erroure ¶ The olde learnynge Mathew the .xvii. Chapter the heauēly father maketh his onely begotten sonne doctor and teacher of the church sayenge Heare hym And he put his wordes in his mouthe Deuteronomy .xviii. he sayeth And I wyll be a reuenger and a punyssher of thē which refuse the learnynge of thys doctoure He which sayeth Iohan. vii My doctryne is not myne but his which sent me that doctor is the euerlastynge wysdome of the father the way the lyght the truthe whom we beleue stedstly that he bothe wolde and dyd geue vnto his church not botched clowted or vnperfecte and vnstable learnynge but soūde perfecte and vnchaungeable to the whiche nedeth nothyng to be put to as an addition for those thynges that are necessary for to be knowen for mans saluation be contayned plenteously in the canonical scripture Somtymes the Apostles spake and treated vpon the kyngdome of God more plenteously in speakynge than it is wrytten in bokes yet for all that as for the sūme of the sentence and doctrine they preached none other thynge than the gospell whiche we haue wrytten so that those thynges which perteyne vnto a christen mans lyfe muste be learned of no where els but of the byble that is of the newe testement and of the olde For all scripture geuē by the inspiration of God sayth the Apostle .ii. tim .iii. is profitable to teachynge to improue to informe to instruc in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfecte and prepared to all good workes Then why do we thrust in the churches handes the lawes of men as necessary to Christes regilion I do not speake here of the ciuyll lawe I know that the lawes of secular power are to be kepte for the conscience sake for they haue theyr strēgth of Goddes lawe Rom. xiii I speake of the decrees of mē with the which they wolde bynde mens consciences Farthermore the Apostle in the .ii. Tim iii. chap. prayseth the holy scripture with a great verdit prayse sayenge The holy scripture may make the wyse vnto health thorow fayth which is in Christ Iesu Who dar set thys tytle before his constitucions that they maye make you learned to saluaciō thys honour is onely dew vnto the holy scriptur of God Farther more yf ther were ony thynges shewed oure fathers a. M. year ago by the holy goost the which were not knowen in tyme of the flourynge of the churche that newly dyd springe vp to the Apostles and to the church they be ether necessary to saluacion or not necessary Yf they be not necessary but ordened for the tyme why is a mans conscience boūde with them Yf they be necessary ether ther is an other waye to saluacion nowe than was in the primitiue churche or els they were all damned that departed before that reuelation for they knewe not the thynge that was necessary to theyr saluacion The whyche thynges seynge that they be the moost vayne that can be and foolysh and that the same maner of iustifyenge and saluation is now that was than and was than that is now why make we those thynges necessary that be not necessary And why set