haue in neyther syde lackyng good and probable reasoÌ„e for they re parte wherfore syth hyt bycame not me to be iudge ouer the iudgment of theym whome I toke and chose for my iudges beyng such of them self as hard were yt for eny man to say which of theym byfore the other he coulde in erudycâ—on wytt or prudence eny thing preferr I could no ferther goo but lene to the more parte whych I so ferforth haue folowed that lyke wyse as I dyuerse thyngys put owte or chauÌ„ged by theyr good aduyce counsell so let I nothyng staÌ„d in this boke but such as twayne aduysyd me specyally to lette stand agaynst eny one that eny dowt mouyd me to the contrary And thus mych haue I thought necessary for my declaracyon and excuse to aduertyse you all that shall happen to rede thys rude symple work prayeng you of pacyence and pardon whom god of hys especyall grace graunte as mych profyte in the redyng as my pore hart hath mente you and eÌ„tendede in the making The furst chapyter ¶ The letter of credence sent from hys frende by a trusty secret messengerâ— wyth the letter of the authore answeryng the same The declaraâ—yoÌ„ of of the credence by the mouth of the messenger whereuppon the mater of all the hole worke dependeth ¶ The letter of credence MAster chauncelour as hartely as I possible caÌ„ I recomend me to you Not wythoute a thousand thankys for your good cumpany whan we were last to gether In whyche for as myche as yt liked you to spend sum of your tyme wyth me in famylyer coÌ„munycacion wherof sum ê‘te I truste so to remeÌ„ber as my selfe shall be the better and some other neuer the worse which shall haue cause and haue all redy to gyue you greate thank therfore I am bolde at thys tyme to send you my specyall secrete frende thys berer to breke wyth you suÌ„what ferther partely of the same matters partely of suÌ„ other such as are happed there synnys wherof greate spech and rumour runneth here wherby ye shall haue occasyoÌ„ more at leÌ„gth if your leysour wyll serue to touche certayn dowtes moued synnes of the maters treated betwene vs byfore wheriÌ„ were it not for your other busynes I wold be hold on your goodnes to desyre you to take good time 〈◊〉 hym And yet neuere the lesse do require you hartely as your leysour will serue you to satysfy him at the the full For he shall how longe so euer he tarye therfore gyue attendaunce vnto you dayes howers as ye may spare hym tyme. whych can not in these thingê be but well bestowed consyderynge that the matters be such and so to wchynge to god as they were well worthy to set worldly busynes asyde specyally iÌ„ such nede For I assure you soÌ„ folk here talâ— very straungely of the thyngys that he shall moue you Not onely for suche wordis as they tell that come froÌ„ thense but also most especially thorough thoâ—casyon of some letters lewdely wrytteÌ„ hyther owte of londoÌ„ by a prest or tâ—â— whom they take here for honeste But what so euer eny man tell or wryte I shall for the confydence truste that I haue in you surely take and tell forth for the very truth what so euer ye shal afferme vnto my frende whoÌ„ I sende vnto you not so myche bycause I may not come my selfe how beyt therfore to as for bycause I longe to haue hym talke with you To whom what so euer ye say reken yt sayde to my selfe Not only for hys trouth and secretnes but also for hys memory wyth whom to coÌ„mune I trust shall not mislyke you For eyther myne affeccyoÌ„ blyndeth me or ye shall fynd hym wyse and as other saye that can better iuge yt theÌ„ I more theÌ„ meaÌ„ly lernyd wythe one thynge addede wherewyth ye be wonte well to be content a very mery wyt He is of naturre nothynge tonge tayed And I haue in these maters beden hym be bolde wyth out any straynynge of curtesye wherof the cerymonyes in dysputacyoÌ„ marryth mych of the mater whyle one studyeth more how he may behaue him than what he shall saye I haue I say therefore boden hym more to mynd hys mater theÌ„ hys curtesy â— frely to lay forthe not oÌ„ly what he thiÌ„keth but also what hym lyst geuyng no fote in dysputing vnto your authorytye but if he be born bak wyth reasoÌ„ Thus may ye se I am bold oÌ„ your goodnes to put you to labour and busynes and send one to face you in your owne howse But so mych am yâ— I bolder for that in such chaleÌ„gê I know you for a redy and sure defender And of such labour your wysdom welâ— seeth that god is the rewarder who long preserue you all yours ¶ The lettre of the author sent wyth the boke ¶ Ryght worshypfull syr after moste harty recoÌ„mendacyon albe yt that of late I sent you my pore mynde by the mouth of your trusty frend to whoÌ„ ye desyred me by your letters to gyue no lesse credence than to your selfe concernynge all such thyngys as he brake of coÌ„muned with me in your bihalfe that for the coÌ„fydence that ye haue iÌ„ hym the wyt lernyng that I founde in hym honestye that I so moch the more thynk hym to be of in that I perceyue you beyng of such wysedom vertu to haue hym in so speryall trust I nether do nor caÌ„ beleue the coÌ„trary but that he hath of all our coÌ„munycacyoÌ„ made you faythfully playne full reporte yet sythe I suppose in my selfe that yf we had mought coÌ„uenyeÌ„tly cum to gether ye wold rather haue chosiÌ„ to haue hard my mynde of myn owne mouth thaÌ„ by the mean of a nother I haue siÌ„nis iÌ„ these fewe days in whych I haue beÌ„ at home put the mater in wrytyng to th ende ye may not only here hyt by the mouth of your frende but also whych better ys than sodenlye ones to here hit of mine owne mouthe rede yt yf ye lyste more often at your beste leysure advysydly from myne owne penne whych thynge I veryly thought my selfe so mych the more bounde to do for that yt lyked you of your specyall fauour affeccyoÌ„ towarde me so greatly to regarde and esteme my mynâ— answere iÌ„ those maters that no rumour there ruÌ„niÌ„g or talys in your countre tolde or leters thyther wrytten nor reasons or argumeÌ„tê there made to the coÌ„trary shuld lett or wyth â—â—ande but that ye wolde as ye wrote take that thyng for vndowted trouth that I shulde by your frended acertayn you And surely syr iÌ„ thus poiÌ„t ye may make your selfe sure that I shall neuer wyllingly deceue your trust And lest I might happe to do yt of ouer syght vnware albe yt I nothynge sayde vnto your frende by mouth but that I was ryght well enformyd of the trouth yet for as mich as I perceyued by hym the suÌ„â—olke dowted leâ—te many thyngys
haue beÌ„ geuen to pore meÌ„ if they had not beÌ„ bestowed abowte the garneshiÌ„g of the crosse And as though ther were nothiÌ„g lost but that is bestowd about cristê cros ¶ Take all the gold that is spent about all the pecys of chrystê crosse thorow christendome albe it many a good chrysteÌ„ prince and other godly people hath honourably garnyshed many peces therof yet yf all that golde were gathered together yt wold appere a pore porcyon in comparison of the gold that is bestowed vppon cuppys what speke we of cuppys in whych the gold albeit that it be not geuen to pore men yet ys it saued and may be geuen in almouse whan men wyll whych they neuer wyll how smal a porcyon wene we were the gold about all the pecys of chrystys crosse yf yt were compared with the gold that is quyte cast a way about the giltiÌ„g of kniuis swordê sporys arrace paynted clothes and as though these thyngis could not coÌ„sume gold fast inough yâ— gyltiÌ„g of postys hole rofes not only in the palacê of princys and great prelatis but also many ryght mene meÌ„nes housis And yet amoÌ„g all these thingis coud luther spy no gold that greuously glyterid iÌ„ his bleryd eyes but onely aboute the cros of chryst that gold yf yt were theÌ„s the wyse man wenyth yt wold de streyght geueÌ„ to pore meÌ„ and that where he dayly seeth that such as haue theyr purs full of golde geue to the pore not one pece therof but yf they gyue ought they ransake the botome among all the gold to seke out here an half peny or in his countrey a braspeny wherof four make a ferthing such goodly causes fiÌ„d they that ptend holines for the colour of theyr cloked heresyes The thyrd chapiter ¶ Thobieccions of the messeÌ„ger made agaynst prayeng to sayntys worshyppyng of ymagys and goyng in pylgrymagys wyth the answere of the author vnto the same And incydently is it by the messenger moued that there shuld seme no necessyte for chrysten folke to resort to eny chyrchys but that all were one to pray thens or there And that opynyon by the author answered and coÌ„futed AT thys poynt your frend desyryng me that what so euer he shuld say I shuld not rekeÌ„ it as spoken of hys own opynyon but that he wold partely shew me what he had hard sum other say therin to th ende that he myght the better answere theym wyth that he shuld here of me Thys protestacyoÌ„ and prefacyon made he sayd that albe it no good man wolde agre that it were well done to do â—nto sayntys or theyr ymagê dyspyte or dyshonor yet to go in pylgrymagê to theym or to pray to theym not only semyd in vayne consyderyng yâ— all they yf they can eny thing do can yet do no more for vs among theym all than chryste can hym selfe alone that can do all nor be not so redy at our hand to here vs if they here vs at all as chryste that is euery where nor bere vs halfe the loue and loÌ„gyng to helpe vs that doth our sauyour that died for vs whome as saynt Poule sayth we haue for our aduocate afore the father But ouer thys it semyth to smell of Idolatry whaÌ„ we go oÌ„ pylgrymage to thys place that place As though god were not lyke strong or not lyke present in euery place But as the deuylys were of olde vnder the false name of goddys present and assystent in the Idollys maÌ„metys of the paganys so wolde we make it seme that god and hys saitê stode iÌ„ thys place that place to thys post that post cutte out and caruyd in imagys For whaÌ„ we rekyn our self to be better herd wyth our lord in kent than at Cambryge at the north dore of Poules than at the south dore at one ymage of our Lady than at a nother is it not an euydeÌ„t token and in maner a playne proofe that we put our trust and confydence in the ymage selfe not in god or our lady whych is as good iÌ„ the tone place as the tother and the tone ymage no more lyke her than the toâ—her nor cause why she shuld fauour the tone bifore the tother But we blynde peple in stede of god hys holy sayntys theym selfe cast our affeccyons to the ymagys selfe and therto make our prayers therto make oure offryngys wene these ymagys were the very sayntys selfe of whom our help helth shuld grow puttyng our full trust in thys place yâ— place as negromaÌ„cers put theyr trust in theyr cercles wyth whyche they thynke theym selfe sure agaynst all the deuyllys iÌ„ hell And wene yf they were one ynch wythout that than the deuyl wold pull theim in pesys but as for the cercle he dare not for hys erys onys put ouer hys nose ¶ And men reken that the clergye is gladde to fauour thys ways to noryshe thys suê‘stycyon vnder the name colour of deuocyoÌ„ to the ê‘ell of the peples soules for the lucre teÌ„porall aduauntage that theym self receyue of the offrigis ¶ whan I had hard him say what hym lyked I demaunded if he minded euer to be preâ—â—e wherunto he answerede nay verely for me thynketh q he that therbe preestys to many all redy but if they were better And therfore whaÌ„ god shall seÌ„de time I purpose he sayd to marry well sayd I than syth I am all redy married twise therfore neuer can be preâ—st and ye be so set in mynde of marriage that ye neuer wyll be preest we two be not the most metely to pondre what myght be said in thys matter for the preestys parte ¶ â—ow be it whan I consyder yt me thynkyth surely that yf the thyng were sych as ye say so far from all frame of ryght relygyon and so perelous to men soull ys I can not perceue why that the clergy wold for the gayn they get thereby suffer such abusyon to contynew For fyrst yf yt were trew that no pylgrymage ought to be vsyd non ymage offred vnto nor worship done nor prayour made vnto eny saynt Than yf none of all these thiÌ„gê had euer bene iÌ„ vre or now were all vndone If that were the ryght way as I wote well it were wrong than were it to me lytle question but crysten people beyng in the trew fayth and in the right way to god wâ—rd wold therby nothiÌ„g slake theyr good midê toward the minysters of hys chyrch but theyr deuocion shuld towarde theym more more encrese So that yf they now get by thys way one peny theye shulde yf thys be wrong and the tother ryght not fayle iÌ„ stede of one peny now thaÌ„ to receyue a grote And so shulde no lucre gyue theym cause to fauour this way and it be wrong whyle they coud not fayle to wyn more by the right ¶ Morouer loke me thorow christeÌ„dome I suppose ye shal fiÌ„d the frute of those
were layd to the charge not onely of that man ye wrote of but also of Luther hym selfe otherwyse than coud be proued I dyd so mych therin that I was suffred to se shewe hym as well the bokys of the tone as the very aâ—tys of the court coÌ„cernyng that tother that we myght both by so myche the more surely wartauÌ„t you the trouth wherin yf ye fynde eny man yâ— yet dowteth whether he tolde you and I wryte you the trouth or not I shall yf he vnderstand the laryne tong fynde the mean at your pleasure that he shall so see the bokys hym selfe that were he neuer so full of mystrustynge he shall not fayle to be fully coÌ„tent satysfyed And thys warraÌ„tyse wyll I make you as farforth as conâ—erneth eny acte done here But as for thyngys reasoned and dysputed bytwene vs the coÌ„clusyons selfe be so sure truthes that theâ— be not dysputable But whither the reasons by me made in theÌ„ beÌ„effectuall or insufficyeÌ„t albe it your frend eyther for yÌ„â— of trouth he thought so or for that of curtesye he sayd so accepted them for good yet wthout preiudyce of the priÌ„cipall maters ye may your self be iuge And thus I pray you take in good worthe the lytle laboure great good wyll of hym whom in eny thyng that may do you pleasure ye maye to the vttermost of hys lytell power well and boldely commauÌ„d And thus our lorde send you with my good lady your bedfelow all yours as hartely well to fare as ye wolde all wysh yOur frende fyrst after your letter redde whan I demauÌ„ded hym hys credence shewed me that ye had sent hym to me not for eny dowte that your self had in many of those thingis that he shuld moue vnto me but for the dowte that ye perceyued in many other and iÌ„ sum folke playne parsuasyoÌ„ to yÌ„e coÌ„trary whom ye wolde be glad to answere wyth the trouthe albe yt some thyngys he sayd were also there so talked that ye wyst not well your self which part ye myght bileue For it was there not only spokeÌ„ but also thether wryten by dyuers honest preâ—â—ys owte of londoÌ„ that the maÌ„ ye wryte of was of many thyngys borâ—e wrong in hand and therin so sore handelyd that he was forced to forswere abâ—ure certayn herysyes and opeÌ„ly put to penaunce therfore where he neuere held eny such And all thys don for malyce and enuye partely of some freres agaynste whose abusyons he preched partly for that he preched boldly agaynste the pompe and pryde and other inordynate lyuynge that mo men speke of thâ—Ì„ preche of vsed in the clargye And they take for a gret tokyn that he shuld not meane euyll the prose and experyence whych men haue had of him that he lyued well and was a good honest vertuouse man farre from ambycyon and desyre of wordly worship chaste humble charytable free lyberall in almose dede and a very goodly prechour in whose deuowte sermons the peple were greatly edyfyed And therfore the peple say that all thys gere ys done but onely to stoppe meÌ„nys mouthys to put euery maÌ„ to sylence that wold eny thynge speke of the â—autys of the clargy And they thynk that for none other cause was also burned at Poulys crosse the new testameÌ„t late traunslated in eÌ„glyshe by Master wyllyam huchen otherwyse called Master TiÌ„dall who was as meÌ„ say well knowen ere he went ouer the see for a maÌ„ of ryght good lyuynge studyouse well lerned in scrypture and in dyuerse plâ—cys in Englonde was very well lyked dyd great good wyth prechyng And men mutter amonge theÌ„ selfe that the boke was not onely fawtlesse but also very well traunslatyd was deuyseâ—â— to be burned bycause meÌ„ shuld not be able to proue that such fawtys as were at Poules crosse declared to haue beÌ„ fouÌ„den in it were neuer fouÌ„deÌ„ ther iÌ„ dede but vntruly surmised And yet such as they were sum men say were no fautis at all if they had be so traÌ„slated iÌ„ dede but blame layed â—awte fouÌ„d with thingê nothyng 〈◊〉 worthy onely to â—â—face the holy worke to th ende that they myght seme to haue some iuste cause to burne yt And that for none other cause but for to kepe owt of the peples haÌ„d is all knowlege of Cristê gospell of goddis law excepte so mych onely as the clargye theÌ„ self lyste now thaÌ„ to tell vs. And that lytle as it is seldom shewed yet as it ys fered not well truly tolde but watered with false gloses altered from the trouthe of the very wordis sentence of scriptur oÌ„ly for the mayntenauÌ„s of theyr authoryte ¶ And yÌ„â— fere lest thys thyng shulde euydentely appere to the people yf they were suffered to rede the scripture theÌ„ self in theyr own tong was as yt is thoght the very cause not oÌ„ly for whych the new testameÌ„t traÌ„slated by TiÌ„dale was burned but also that the clargye of thys realme hath bifore thys time by a coÌ„stitucion prouyncyall prohybyted eny boke of scrypture to be traunslated in to the englysh tonge ferynge men wyth fyer as herytyques whose so shulde presume to kepe theÌ„ As though yt were heresie for a chrysteÌ„ maÌ„ to rede crystê gospell ¶ And surely syr quod he sum folke that thynk thys dealyng of the clargye to be thus and good men to be myshandlyd for declaryng the trouth And the scripture selfe to be pulled owte of the peples handys leste they shulde perceyue the trouthe be ledde in they re myndys to dowte whither Luther hiÌ„ self of whose opinions or at the leste of whose workys all these bysynesse bygan wrote in dede so euyll as he ys borne in hande And many men therbe that thynke he neuer mente such thingis But that bycause he wrote agaynste thabusyons of pardons and spake suÌ„what lyberally agaynste the courte of Rome and generally agaynste the vycys of the clargy therfore he was brought iÌ„ hatered and fyrst cyted to Rome And whâ—n that forfere of bodely harme wyth wrong whereof yt wolde haue bene to late or loke for remedy after if he had ones be burnede vp byfore he durste not come thether than was he accursed and hys bokes dampned vnder great paynis forbodden to be redd And that thyng done bycause it shulde not be knowen what wronge he had and that he neyther meaneth nor sayeth such odyouse and abomynable heresyes as the people be borne in hand to enduce them to hatered of hiÌ„ as yt wolde ê‘aueÌ„ture appere yâ— hys bâ—kis were suffered to be redde ¶ And they sey that yt were no mastry to make yt seme that a man shulde be aÌ„ herytyque yf he may be borne in hand that he sayeth the thynge whych he neuer sayd or ê‘adueÌ„ture one lyne taken out amonge meny and myscoÌ„strewed not suffering the remnante to be sene wherby yt myghte more clerely appere what he meanyth By whych maner of delynge a man
necessary poyntys of fayth the chyrch can not erre ¶ That had beÌ„ very wel sayd quod I. But he wolde haue asked how ye knowe that ¶ Than must I quod he haue sayde the same that I dyde that I knowe yt by playne and euydent scrypture that the chyrch in such thyngys can not saye but trewe And than wolde I haue layd hym the textes that ye alledged vnto me for the same purposed before Yf ye so had sayd quod I ye had aÌ„swerd hym truely but yet not with your most aduauÌ„tage ¶ Why so q he ¶ For quod I your next aâ—swere were to say as trouth is that ye byleue that the chyrch in such thyngê can not erre bycawse ye byleue that god hath taught and tolde the same thyngê to hys chyrch ¶ ThaÌ„ wold he haue asked me ferther quod your frende what thyng maketh me to bileue that god hath taught tolde the chyrch those thyngê ¶ So wold he haue asked you quod I and so myght he wel ¶ ThaÌ„ were we coÌ„men quod your frende vnto the same poynt agayne that he shulde haue concluded me as he dyd byfore ¶ Nay q I not yf ye answered therto well ¶ Why q he what coulde I answere ellys but clerely grauÌ„t hym that I byleue that thynge for none other cause but only bycause the scryptur so sheweth me ¶ No could yt q I what yf neuer scrypture had ben wryteÌ„ in this world shold there neuer haue bene eny chyrch or congregacyon of faythfull ryght byleuyng people ¶ That wote I nere q he ¶ No do ye quod I were there neuer eny folke that byleued in god had a true fayth betwene Adam and Noe of suche as neuer herd god speke them self ¶ Yes quod he I suppose ther were some but yt shold seme ther were very fewe For ther were few saued in Noâ—s shyppe ¶ The world was at that tyme quod I waxen worse and worse as yt waxeth now But yt is not vnlykely that ther were many ryght byleuyng people in the meane tyme. ¶ That is quod he lykely ynough ¶ Now as for the dayes quod I of Noe hymselfe though ther were few saued alyue yet proueth not that the people to be all myscreauÌ„tê and without fayth For yt fared be them as yt faceth now by vs that there were many that byleued the trouth and had a fayth but they folowe◠〈◊〉 â—â—esshe and sanâ—â— for theyr synne For there appereth no ferther vppon the story iâ—â—â—â—â—sis but that the world wâ—â—â—â—sshed wyth the water of the grete flode for the fylthe of theyr flesshely lyuynge And all be yt that in the fyrste epystle of saynt Peter yt myght seme some meâ—edulytye in them yet may yt be yâ— yt stretched no ferther than to the lakke of fere in the credence of goddê coÌ„mynâ—cyon and oâ—er mych hope and boldenesse of goddys ferther fauour and sufferaunce wherof they repented after to late for thys psent lyfe yet many through goddys mercy not to late for the fynall saluacyon of they re soules as appereth by the good grete clerke Nicolaus de lyra vppon the same place whyche could in no wyse haue bene so yf they had lakked fayth Which fayth what scrypture had they to teche theÌ„ or all the menne in effecte that eny fayth had frome Adam thytherto Was ther also no faythful folke at all from Noe to Moyses nor hym selfe neyther tyll he had the lawe delyuered hym in wrytyng Dyd Abraam neuer byleue more but those thyngê that we fynd in scrypture specyally to haue bene tolde hym by god Was hys father and all hys freÌ„dys infydeles Were ther no people besyde in all that longe tyme that had a ryght fayth ¶ Yes quod your frende that I thynke veryly there was ¶ That may ye quod I be sure there was And why dyd eny man thaÌ„ byleue the chyrche that ys to wytte the nombre and congregacyon of good ryght byleuynge folke of whose mouth and tradycyon he herde the true byleue agaynste the wronge and mysâ—e byleue that was in all the world amonge infydeles and Idolaters bysyde why dyd eny man thys but bycause they byleued that god hath taught those thyngê to good 〈◊〉 byforâ— and thâ—â— yt was and wâ—lde â—e styll the good lesson of god and then what thyng made them to byleue that god had taught them so It was not the scrypture that made theÌ„ beleue that as ye wold that nothynge can tell vs that bylefe but the scrypture I praye you tell me what scryptur hath taught the chyrch to know whyche bookys be the very scrypture to reiecte many other that were wryten of yâ— same maters and that in â—â—che wyse wryten in the namys of suche men as â—auynge for the spirite of god geueÌ„ to hys chyrch a naturall wyse man had bene lykely ynough eyther to haue taken both for holy scryptur or to haue reiected both as none holy scrypture And surely in the receyte of the tone and reieccyon of the tother there wolde haue ben at the lest way suche dyuerse opynyons that the hole chyrch had neuer taken all the tone sorte and reiected all the tother had not that holy spyryte inspyred that consent qui facit vnanimes in domo whyche maâ—yth the chyrche all of one mynde and accorde And therfore all be yt that agaynst them that no thyng wyll byleue but scrypture we proue thauthoryte of the chyrch by scrypture and in such wyse proue it them by scripture that they shall be fayne eyther ferther to graunte that they be bouÌ„den to byleue the chyrch in thyngê not specyfyed in scrypture as fully as they byleue the scrypture selfe or ellys they shall deny the scrypture all yet shold we haue byleued the chyrche yf nâ—uer scripture had ben wryteÌ„ as those good faythfull folâ—e dyd that byleued well byfore the scrypture was wryten And 〈◊〉 the scrypture selfe maketh vs not byleue the scrypture but the chyrch makâ—th vs to know the scrypture And god wythoute scrypture hath taught hys chyrch the knowledge of hys very scrypture frome all counterfete scrypture For yt is not as I saye the scrypture that maketh vs to byleue the worde of god wryteÌ„ in the scrypture For a maÌ„ myght as happely many doth rede yt all to gyder and byleue therof neuer a whyt but yt is the spyryte of god that wyth our owne towardnesse and good endeuour worketh in hys chyrch in euery good membre therof the credulyte and bylyef wherby we byleue as well the chyrche concernynge goddys wordys taught vs by the chyrch by god graued in mennys hartys wythout scrypture as his holy wordys wryteÌ„ in his holy scrypture And thus ye perceyue that where yeâ— graunted hym that so dyde oppose you that we byleue that chyrch by none other way but by the scrypture there dyde ye not answere hym well For we besyde the scrypture do byleue the chyrchâ— bycause that god hym selfe by secrete inspyracyoÌ„ of hys holy spyryt
frere shuld â—ayle of performing of sum what that his boke promysythe ¶ That is all quod I And what he promysyth therin I fayth I remember not But yt semeth what so euer yt be Tyndall wolde yt were well performed ¶ He had quod youre frende mych more cause as me thiÌ„keth to fere leste men shulde reâ—en hygh defaute in hys translacyon in that he nothynge answereth to those wordys of the â—reres boke wherin he sayeth that yâ— new testamente that was burâ—yd dyd dystroy the masse ¶ ye say quod I very trouth in my mynde and so wold he of lyklyhed yf hym selfe had not mente as the frere sayd But surely for the translacyon I shall shew you so many textê in suche wyse corruptede that ye shall not I suppose greately doute what he ment in hys doynge ¶ And therewyth all I shewyd your freÌ„de a boke wyth yâ— placys redy notyd whych booke I had by lycence a lytyll before lent vnto me for the noâ—ys wherein he saw so many corrupcyoâ—s and of such maner sorte that albeyt vppon some we somewhat resoned in the way yet at the laste hyâ— self sayd ho and verely confessyd yâ— the boke in such wyse translated was very nought nothyng metely to be red The .x. chapyter ¶ The author shewyth that the traÌ„slaâ—â—oÌ„ of Tyndal was to bad to be meÌ„ded BUt yet he sayd that the fawâ—â— myght be by suÌ„ good meÌ„ ameÌ„dyd than the boke prityd agayn if nothing letted but y◠¶ Surely quod I yf we go therto the fawtys be as ye se so many so spred through the hole boke that lyke wyse as yt were as sone done to weue a new web of clothe as to sowe vppe euery hole in a net so were it almost as litell labour and leâ—â—e to translate the hole boke all new as to make in hys translacyon so many chaungys as nede muâ—â—e be ere it were made good besydys thys that there wold no wyse maÌ„ I trow take yâ— brede whych he well wyst was of hys enemyes hand onis poysoned though he saw his frend after scrape it neuer so clene The .xi. chapyter ¶ The messenger fyndeth fawte with the clergye in yâ— he sayth they haue made a constytucyon prouyncyall yâ— no byble in englysh shold be suffred And in thys chapyter incydently yâ— messenger mych reproueth yâ— lyuyng of the clergye Whervnto yâ— author somwhat sheweth his mynd defferrynge for the whyle hys answere to thobyeâ—â—yon made agaynst the constytucyon Sâ—r quod your frende I wyll not gretely sâ—ykke with you in that poynt But surely the thyng yâ— maketh in this mater the clergye most suspect and wherin as yt semeth yt wolde be full hard to excuse theym is this that they not onely dâ—Ì„â—ne Tyndals translacyon wherin there is good cause but euer that do dampne all other aâ— though a lay man were no crysten mâ—n wyll suffer no ley man haue eny at all But whan they fynde eny in hys â—epyng they lay heresye to hym therfoâ—e And thervppon they burne vppe the boke and somtyme the good man wyth all alledgyng for the defence of theyr doyng a law of theyr owne makyng a coÌ„stytucyon proâ—yncyal wher by they haue prohybyted that eny man shall haue eny vppon payn of heresye And thys is a lawe very prouyncyall for yt holdeth but here For iÌ„ all other cuÌ„trees of chrysteÌ„dome the people haue the scrypture traÌ„slated iÌ„to theyr owne tong and the clergye thâ—re fyndeth no â—â—â—he fawte therin Wherfore eyther our people is worste of all people or ellys our clergye is worâ—â—e of all clergyes But by my trouth for aught that I can se here or percâ—yue by them that haâ—â— bene els where our ley peple be as good as 〈◊〉 as be eny 〈◊〉 And yf eny be other wyse thoccasyon and exemple coÌ„meth of the clergyâ— amonge whome we se myche more vyâ—e thaÌ„ among our selfe ¶ Where as they shold gyue vs example of vertue and yâ— lyght of lernyng now theyr examples what they be we see And as for lernynge they neyther wyll teche vs but selde and that shal be but such thyngê as pleaseth theym som gloses of theyr own maâ—yng nor suffer vs to lerne by our selfe but by theyr constytucyoÌ„ pull Crystys gospell out of crysten peoples handys I can not well se why but left we shold se the trouth The Iewes be not letted to red theyr law both lerned and lewd And yet are there in the old testament thyngys for vnlerned folke farre more straunge and peryllous thaÌ„ in the new And why sholde then ouâ— ley men be forboden the gospell but yf they wyll make vs worse than Iewes Wherin I can in good faith se no scuse they can fynde For the scrypture is to good folk yâ— nouryssher of vertue and to theym that be nauhâ—â— yt is the meane of amendement And therfore whyle the clergye doth wythâ—â—â—â—â— it vs yf our soules be in good helth they take a waye oâ—refode yf our soules be â—yke they take away yâ— medycyne And therfore as I sayd the fâ—ut is not in yâ— damnyng of Tyndals translacyoÌ„ but in that they haue by an expresse lawe forboden that we shold haue eny at al ¶ Your wordys quod I be somwhat poyâ—nauÌ„t and sharpe But surely they pryâ— somwhat more the men thâ—n the mater For where yâ— towche in effecte two thyngys 〈◊〉 the constytucion prâ—uyncyall by whych yt thynke the clergâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 haue euyll proâ—â—byted all 〈◊〉 of scâ—yptâ—â—â— in to our tonge a nother the vycys of the clergye in generall the fyrst poynt whych in dede towcheth our mater I can and wyll wyth fewe wordys answere you But as for yâ— other whych toucheth the men as where ye accuse the clergye in theyr ê‘sons of very vycious lyuyng as meÌ„ mych worse thaÌ„ ye say that we be and yet as though theyr owne fautys were to few charge theym wyth ours to wherof ye call theym the cause in thys poynt wyl I kepe no scolys wyth you nor entre in to dyspycions therof nor gladly medle wyth the mater For as I told you in the begynnynge syth we talke but of mennys lernynge I wyll not medle of mennys lyuynge nor in the treatyng of thys mater eyther prayse or dysprayse eny maÌ„nys maner except some such as are for theyr heresyes euyl doctryne cast out of Crystê chyrch and through all Crystendome dampned dyâ—famed all redy by theyr owne obstynate malyce But yet wher ye speke of other contrees makyng an argumeÌ„t that our clergye is the worst of all other I wote well yâ— hole world is so wreched that spyrytuall and temporall euery where all be bad ynoughe god make vs all better But yet for that I haue my selfe sene and by credyble folke haue herd lyke as ye say by oure temperalytye that we be as good and as honest as eny where elles so dâ—re I boldely saye that the spyrytualytye of englande and specyally that pâ—rtâ— in whyche ye fynde most