abused thesa 〈◊〉 fyces and deceaved the simple people Master More also sayeth that the monye was sent to buye sacrifices which shuld beoffered for the sinne of the slayne Now knoweth everye christen that all maner of sacrifices and offeringes were nothinge but figures of Christ which shuld be offered for the sinne of his people So that when Christ came all sacrifyces aÌ„d oblacions ceased If thou shuldest now offer a calfe to purge thy sinne thou were no doubte in iuryous vnto the bloude of Christ for if thou thought his bloude sufficent then woldest thou not seke a nother sacrifyce for thy sinne yee I will go further with you there was not one sacrifice in the olde testament that purged or toke awaye sinne For the bloude of oxen or gootes can not take awaye sinne Hebreorum x. But all the sacrifyces which were then offered did but signefye that Christ shuld come and be made a sacrifyce for vs which shuld purge oure sinne for ever Now were their sacrifices aÌ„d oblacions institute of god and yet could they not take awaye sinne But onlye signifyed y t Christ thorow his bloude shulde take it awaye what madnes theÌ„ is come in to oure braynes that we thinke that oure oblacyons which are ordeyned but of oure awne imaginacion shuld take awaye sinne Uvhat if Iudas gathered soch an offeringe in the olde testament shuld it then folowe that we must do so to which knowe that Christ is to me and that all oblacyons are ceased in him shall we become Iewes and go backe agayne to the shadowe and ceremonye sith we haue the bodye and signification which is Christ Iesu Be it that Iudas were a holye man might he not yet do amisse Be it in case that he did well shall we therfore streight wayes out of his wor ke grounde an article of oure faith Dauid was an holye man and yet committed â—…e both murther and ad voutrye shall we with out further enserchinge the scriptures streyght wayes folow his example 〈◊〉 was an holye man and was commaunded of god to offer his awne sonne shall we offer oure children therfore Ge dion and Iosua destroyed the vnfaithfull kinges and princes and dyd well and were preysed of god Must we do so to And wherfore shall we more folowe the example of Iudâ—…s then of the other Shall I tell you whye verelye for this example of Iudas bringeth monye vnto oure spiritualtye These xij thousande drachmas shyne so bright in their yies that with out other candell lantren or spectacles they haue espyed an article of oure faith you maye not coÌ„ sidre that they haue taken this texte of xij thou sand drachmas for a pistle in soule masses for then parad venture you might fall in to some shâ—…ewed suspeccion that they shuld do it of covetuousnes which faute 〈◊〉 be espied in ouâ—…e spiritualtye as you know well ynough He y â— holdeth any ceremonye of the lawe as necessarie is bounde to kepe and fulfill the hole lawe This is evident of Paule Gala. 6. where he sayeth If ye be circumcysed then are ye deâ—… toures to fulfill the hole lawe That is if ye put any confidence in circumcysioÌ„ or recounte it as necessarie for 〈◊〉 it is of it silfe neyther good nor evell then make you youre selues bonde vn der the lawe which burthen neyther we nor oure fathers coulde beare and tempte god Act. 15 And this sacrifice of Iudas was but a ceremonye signifyed y t christ shuld with his bloude quench oure sinnes ergo he y t kepeth or counte th this ceremonye as necessarye as are aâ—… y â— arti cles of y â— faith doth captiuâ—… him silfevnder y â— lawe teÌ„pteth god to speake nomore sharpelye yet will I go a litle nere vnto you Iudas him silfe beleved not that there was a purgatorye For in the tyme of the olde testament there was no purgatorye as the scolemeÌ„ graunte theÌ„ selues but onlye a place of rest which they called limbus patrum wherfore they are pituous lye deceaved that will prove purgatorye by the tâ—…xtes of the olde testament sith as they saye theÌ„ selves there was no purgatorye at y t tyme. â—…ynallye I can not finde a place that of it silfe more properlye confuteth this phantastical purgatorye theÌ„ doth this same texte which they sticke so sore to imageninge that it stablisheth purgatorye The texte sayeth on this maner ex cepte he had hoped that they which were slayne shuld ryse agayne It shuld seme voyed and in vayne to praye for the deed If you fayne a pur gatorye theÌ„ must this texte nedes be false for be it in case that the deed shuld not ryse agayne Now saith the texte that it were voyed aÌ„d in vayne to praye for the deed if they shuld not ri â—…e agayne But if there were a purgatorye whe rin they shulde be purged and punished in the meane ceason then were it not in vayne to pra ye for them to delyuer them out of that payne but rather verye frutefull and necessarye although they shuld never rise agayne aÌ„d therfore if this texte be of auctorite it is impossible y t there shuld be any purgatorye neyther is there any texte that in my iudgement can better vnder mine purgatorye and make it fall Parad venture you desyre to knowe my min de in this place and that I shuld expounde vnto you what Iudas ment in his oblacion sith he thought of no purgatorye as the for sayde texte doth well specefye Uerelye I thinke that Iudas beleued that there shuld be a resurreccion as this texte prayseth him sayenge thinkin ge well and devoutelye of the resurrection For emonge the Iewes there were manye that bele ved not the resurrection of oure flesch aÌ„d they that beleved it were yet so rude and ignoraunte that they thought they shuld ryse but to optayne a carnall kingdone and haue their enemies subdued vnder them with out rebellioÌ„ And therto sticke the Iewes vnto this daye And it is most like y t this shuld be his meaninge we shal all ryse agayne and possesse this londe in pe ace and these men which are slayne are out of the fauoure of god because they haue coÌ„trarye to y â— lawe Deut. 7. taken of the Idolles oblacions therfore is it best that we sende a sacrifice vnto Ierusalem to pacefye the wrath of god towardes them lest when they rise agayne the lorde shuld sende some plage amongest vs for theyr transgression which they committed whi le they were here lyvinge If any man can better gesse I am wel conteÌ„t to admitte it but this is plaine ynough he thought that this sacrifice could not helpe theÌ„ before they shuld rise agayne which doth fullye destroye purgatorye For where he sayeth that it were voyed and in vayne to praye for y â— deed excepte they shuld ryse agayne Is euen as moâ—…h to saye vnto him that hath any wytte as that this prayer and
in scripture for so shall he be sure not to sinne theÌ„ to beleve for an article of the faith that thin ge which is false in dead for so shulde he surelye sinne and transgresse agenst god and his holye worde And so is there greate perell to beleue a thinge for an article of the faith which is not opened nor spoken of in scripture But if I beleue it not allthough it were true yet is there no right nor lawe that can condemne me Now ma ye you se that to beleue for an article of y e faith that there is a purgatorie sith it can not be pro ved by scripture maye condemne a man make him lye for ever in the paynes of hell where as the tother shulde but a litle lenger lye in the paynes of purgatorye if there were one aÌ„d so shall he be sure to catch most harme that beleveth there is a purgatory Savinge sayeth ma ster More that his heresye shall kepe him from thence and sende him doune depe in to hell Before he supposed that it coulde not be proved by scripture And now stondinge the sa 〈◊〉 supposicyon he calleth it an heresye and an heresye is a stiffe holden opinion repugnaunte vnto scripture If purgatorye can not be proved by scripture as he maketh his supposition then can not the contrarye opinion be nepugnaunte to scripture and thus of his awne supposition he doth evell to call it an heresye And where he sayth that his opinion shall sende him doune depe in to hell verelye he steppeth to farre in goddes iudgement to conclude and detâ—…ne so cruellye aÌ„d speciallie in the same ar gument where he supposeth that it can not be proved for if it can not be proved by scripture wherbye will ye coÌ„demne him so depe that holdeth y â— contrarye forsouth you are a firce iudge god geue you yies to se. â—…inallye if ye pitye any man in payne never knew ye payne comparable to oures whose fire passeth as farre in heate all the fyres that ever burned vppon erth as y â— hotest of all those passeth a fayned fyre paynted on a walle 〈◊〉 emonge all his other poetrye it is re ason that we graunte him this yee and that ou re fyre is but water in comparison to it For I ensure you it hath alone melted more golde and siluer foroure spiritualtyes profite out of poore mennes purses then all the golde smythes fy res with in englonde neyther yet therwith can the raginge heate be aswaged But it melteth castels harde stones londes and tenementes in numerable For all youre sectes of religion moÌ„kes fryres chanons and nunnes with other pre estes regulare and seculare by this fyre multiplication and alcuniye haue obtayned their ho le riches and pleasures eveÌ„ the swete of englon de And so must we graunte him that this fire is 〈◊〉 hote Now maye you well perceave what a slender fundacion their note purgatorye hath For by this confutacion maye you easilye se that it hath no grounde nor auctorite of scripture Not withstandinge it is the fundacyoÌ„ of all religioÌ„s and cloysters yee and of all the goodes y t now are in the spiritualtye Are not they wyttye wor kemen which can buylde so moch on so slender a fundacioÌ„ How be it they haue made it so top pehevye that it is surelye like to haue a falie Thus hath Master More a full aâ—…swere both to his scriptures which were to farre wrested out of their places and also to his awne apparent reasons How be it if his mastershippe be not fullye pacyfyed let him more groundlye opeÌ„ his minde and bringe for his purposse all that he thinketh to make for it and I shall by goddes grace shortlye make him an answere and guyet his minde ☜ ¶ Thus endeth the seconde boke ☜ ¶ The thirde boke which answereth vnto my lorde of Rochestre and declareth the minde of the olde doâ—…oures NOw will I addresse me to the thirde parte which shalbe an answere vnto my lorde of Rochestre And al his reasons and argumentes both of scriptures and doctures which are not be fore dissolued in the secoÌ„de par te will I clene confute by goddes grace in this thirde boke How be it the che fest of his scriptures hath Master More pervsed aÌ„d hath in a maner nothinge but that was before writen by my lorde of Rochestre savinge that he maketh the selye soules to pule to helpe his matter with all My lorde of Rochestre is the first patrone and defeudar of this phantasye And even as Master More toke his worke out of my lorde â—…f Rochestres even so plucked Rastell as his boke out of Master Mores My lorde of Rochestre to confirme his sentence rekeneth vpp the doctoures by heape ma ster Johan master Uvyllyam master Thomas et omnes But as concerninge the doctoures y â— they are not so fullye on hys syde as he wolde make them seme is sone proved And where shulde I better beginne to confute him then of his awne wordes for he writeth him silfe vppon the. xviij article on this maner ☞ ☜ â—…Here is no man now a dayes that douteth of purgatorye sayeth he and yet emonge the old auncient fathers was there eyther none or els verye seldome mencyon made of it And also emonge the grecians even vnto this daye is not purgatorye beleved Let him read y t will the commentaryes of the olde grecians and as I suppose he shall finde eyther no worde spokeÌ„ of it or els verye fewe these are my lordes wordes I wondre what obliuiousnes is comeÌ„ vppoÌ„ him that he so cleaveth vnto the doctures whoÌ„ he affirmed before eyther to make no mencyon of it or els verye seldome Notwithstondinge I will declare you somwhate of the doctures that you maye the better know their meaninge To speake of the doctures and what their minde was in this matter it were necessarye to declare in what tyme they were and what condi cyon the worlde was in in their dayes S. Austyne Ambrose and Nierome were in one tyme even aboute iiij hundred yeare after Christ aÌ„d yet before their tyme were there arisen infinite heretikes by hole sectes as the Arryans Domi tians Eunomians vigilaÌ„cians â—…lagians with infinite other which had so swerved from the truth and wrested the scripture out of frame y â— it was not possible for one man no nor for one mannes age to restore it agayne vnto the true sense Emonge these there were some which not onlye fayned a purgatorye but alsoo dooted so farre that they affirmed that everye man were he never so vicions shulde be saved thorow y t fyre and alleged for them the place of Daule 1. Lorinthiorum iij. These holye doctoures perceyvinge those greate erroures thought it not best by by to condemnne all thinges indiffereÌ„t lye But to suffre and dissemble with the lesse that they might wede out the opinions which wâ—…re most
hath not so alowed y â— hole doctrine of S. thomas That meÌ„ shulde beleue everye â—…oyn te he wrote were true Neither hath the church so approued eyther S. Augustyne or S. Hierom no nor any other auctours doctrine but that in some places we maye dissent from them for they in many places haue openlye declared them selves to be men and manye tymes to ha ve erred These are my lordes awne wordes Now sith the doctours somtime erre and in cer tayne places are not to be admitted as he grauÌ„ teth hym silfe how shulde we knowe when to approue them and when to denye them If wâ—… shulde hange on the doctoures auctorite then shulde we as well alowe y â— vntruth as y â— truth sith he affirmeth both Therfore we must haue a iudge to disserne betwene truth and falsehed And who shuld that be the Pope Naye 〈◊〉 lye for he beynge a man as well the doctoures were maye erre as they dyd and so shall we ever be vncertayne Oure iudge therfore must not be percyall flexible nor ignoraunte and so are all natural meÌ„ excluded but he must be inal terable even serchinge the botome and grounde of all thinge who must that be verelye the scripture and worde of god whych was geuen by hys sonne confirmed and sealed by the holye gost and testefyed by myracles and bloude of all martyrs Thys worde ys the iudge that must examyne the matter the perfeyte touchstone that tryeth all thinge and daye that disâ—… seth al iuggelinge mistes If the doctoures saye anye thynge not dyssonaunte from thys worde then ys yt to be admitted and holden for truth But yf any of theyr doctrine dyscorde from yâ—… it is to be abhorred aÌ„d holden a curste To thys full well agreeth S. Austine which writeth vnto S. Hyerome on this wyse Dear brother I thinke that you will not haue youre bokes reputed like vnto the workes of the prophetes and apostles for I the scrypture reserved do read all other mennes workes on that maner that I do not beleue them because the auctoure so sayth be he never so well lerned aÌ„d holye excepte that he can certefye me by y â— scrip ture or cleare reason that he sayeth true And even so wolde I that other men shulde readâ—… my bokes as I reade theyrs These are S. Austyns wordes And thus haue I proved both by Saynt Augustyne aÌ„d also by my lordes aw ne wordes that no man is bouÌ„de to beleue the doctours excepte they can be proued true either by scrypture or good reason not repugnaunte to scrypture Therfore let vs se what scripture or good reason my lorde bryngeth to approue hys doctours withall For els they can not helpe him as we haue declared both by S. Augustyne and my lordes awnâ—… confession although they all made with him as they do not First he bringeth in the sinne ageÌ„st the holy gost Mat. xii And paule i. Cor. iii. And. 1. Joan. 5. And apo calipsis 5. whych textes I passe ouer because I haue answered vnto them before in the seconde boke agenst Master More THe first reason that my lorde hath whych is not before soluted for as I sayed y â— rea sons y t are all readye dissolued will I now ouer hippe ys thys which he groundeth on diuerse scriptures Of y â— soules y â— are departed some a re all readye daÌ„pned in hell aÌ„d some are all readye in heaven And to proue thys true he allegeth the parable of the rych man Luce. xv I am sure my lorde is not so ignoraunt as to saye that a parable proueth anye thynge But the ryght vse of a parable is this to expouÌ„ de an harde texte or pointe that was before tou ched aÌ„d coulde not entre in to euerye maÌ„nes capacite â—…yther are all thynges like which are spoken in a similitude neyther yet all thynges true that are touched in a parable but we must consyder the thinge wherfore they be spokeÌ„ aÌ„d applye theÌ„ onlye to that they are spoken for aÌ„d let the resydue goo as wyllyam Tindale hath wel declared vnto you in the parable of wicked 〈◊〉 Thys parable is verye harde to be expounded The cause ys this no man can well espye by the texte for what purposse it was spoken But this shulde seme to be the cause that there were manye of the pharisees aÌ„d other mul titude whych wolde not beleue the preachingâ—… of Christ although he coÌ„firmed his worâ—…s with the auctorite of Moses and the prophetes but they were curious and somedeale phantasticall and therfore wolde they not beleue hys wordes excepte some apparycyons had bene made vn to them that they myght haue bene assured by theÌ„ that were before deed that hys wordes were true Unto such yt ys lyke that he speaketh this parable playnlye concludynge that they shulde haue no such apparyâ—…yons of the deed and also that yt was not â—…cessarye but that they had Moses and the prophetes to whom if they wolde gâ—…ue no credence then shulde â—…hey not 〈◊〉 leue although one of the deed shuld ryse agayâ—… and tell yt thâ—… Notwithstondinge let me graunte it hym that some are all readye in hell and some in heauen which thinge he shall never be able to proue bi the scripture yee and whych playnlye destroyeth the resurrexion and taketh awaye the argu mentes wherwith christ aÌ„d paule do proue that we shall ryse yet I saye let me graunte yt hym to se how he will conclude what foloweth on y t Neyther it is credible sayeth he that all which are not cast in to hell shulde streyght waye goo to heauen therfore must we put a purga torye where they maye be purged I answere All that lyue are faithfull or vn faythfull If he be vnfaithfull then is he dampned Ioan. â—…ii If he beleue theÌ„ is he not condeÌ„p ned but is gone from deeth to lyfe Ioan. 3. 5 The rightwyse man when he dyeth shall rest in peâ—…ce Sapi. iii. And everye faithfull maÌ„ is right wyse before god as the hole pystle to the Romans proueth Ergo then euerye faithfull man shall rest in peace and not be tormented in the paynes of purgatorye And as touchinge thys poynte where they rest I dare be bolde to saye that they are in the hande of god and that god wolde that we shulde be ignorauÌ„te where they be and not to take vppon vs to determine the matter Parad veÌ„ture you wolde enquyre of me sith y â— parable sayeth y â— Lazarê° rested in AbrahaÌ„s bo some what AbrahaÌ„s bosome is To y â— wolde I aÌ„swere y â— AbrahaÌ„s bosome were nothinge els theÌ„ AbrahaÌ„s fayeth for all we are called y â— chyldreÌ„ of AbrahaÌ„ because of his perfeite faith wh ich we ought to folow in this faith are manye 〈◊〉 in a maner infinite degrees notwhitstoÌ„diÌ„ge if it beno greter theÌ„ a 〈◊〉 sed y t is to saie verye yet shall yt save vs. He that departeth in