a concubine may not be put from the Communion so that he be contented with one woman be she wife or harlot O how horrible among Christians is this decrée Such stuffe they haue such holynesse they vse such men they be Loth I am to defile any further my pen either in their most lothsome lawe or in their vile and lawlesse lust Nowe to the braunches whereof I spake and first of the chiefe which is Purgatorie This is a place as they appoint it wherein onely small offences be remitted in the next life If you aske them where this place is they can not agree you appose them so that quod non inuenit vsquam esse putat nusquam They haue sought heauen they haue sought hell itum est in viscera terrae they haue sought euen the verie bowels of the earth and yet can not feyned Purgatorie be founde there is none before the time of darknesse that euer heard of such an Inne But is there trowe ye any such place at al If there be none then hath it no place of being for quod non est nusquam est That which is not is no where The name of Purgatorie in holye scripture was neuer read in sense also there is therein nothing founde in anye wise to confirme the same except you will haue the wresting of places to be proofes and the abusing of Gods word to be made a warde a couering and a bolstering of iniquitie Did the Apostles of Christ euer heare of any such place heard they once of the name of Purgatorie no for it was long after will the defenders thereof saye before it was borne and christened Our forefathers saye they more than a thousande yeares since called it Purgatorie In déede they had néede at the length to name it béeing of so long a tyme before namelesse but who was Godfather y e Pope himself Well it was time to hatch it for it was one of the profitablest monsters that euer was whelped within the Popes house But beléeue me let them garnishe it neuer so much with gold feyned dreames and with other delusions yet shall it down the straw stuffing must be séene the painted lymmes must be looked vppon and the breathlesse babe must throughly now be ripped vp and be tried And what gaue occasion to our forefathers I will vse their owne wordes of the name of Purgatorie Marrie say they the thirde Chapiter of the Prophet Malachie and the first Epistle to the Corinthians These be their twoo especiall places vpon the which you shall nowe sée how foolishly they builde The words in Malachie be these Beholde he commeth sayth the Lord of hostes and who may abide the day of his comming who can stande and endure his sight for he is like melting and casting fire and as the wasshers herbe And he shall sit casting and trying out siluer and shal purge the children of Leui and clense them as gold or siluer Here we find a maner of purgation and what is it forsooth we will vse plaine dealing the matter néedes no shift In thys place and in the whole chapiter these things be only conteyned the comming of S. Iohn the Baptist the deliuerance of the faithfull through Gods great mercie and grace from their sinnes the iudgement of Christ against the wicked of their blasphemies against God and of Gods most benigne care toward the godlye See then whether your priuate Purgatorie maye haue hence anye place any pretence of being any defence or bolstring or not I néeded not to tell you oh I woulde it were not néedefull to tell that we are onely saued by Christ his death that we are clensed by his bloud shed and that we are redemed by his passion it is our Sauiour Iesus Christ which gaue himself for vs to redéeme vs from all vnrighteousnes and to purge vs a peculiar people vnto him selfe we feruentlye being giuen vnto good workes Weigh then what it is to purge the children of Leui and sée whether it be any thing else then that they should be regenerated and renewed by the spirite of God yea and that sinne shoulde not be imputed vnto them for the loue of Christ Consider this it is a more holesome doctrine than to hunt we know not where after a hatefull phantasticall and foolish pretenced Purgatorie Thus by the wordes of the Prophet séeing they may not preuaile seeing that the same is altogither against them let vs likewise ▪ sée what y e Apostle sayth He alledgeth that the foundation is already layde which is Iesus Christ then he procedeth in these wordes If anye man builde vppon this foundation golde siluer precious stones wood hay or stubble euery mans worke shall appeare For the daye of the Lorde will declare it and it shall bee shewed in fire and the fire shall trie euerye mannes worke what it is If any mans worke that he hath builte vpon doe abide he shall receyue a rewarde If anye mans worke burn he shal suffer losse but yet he himselfe shall be safe neuerthelesse yet as it were through fire These be S. Paules wordes ▪ Now as men not giuen to contention and fonde strife as men desirous of the right vnderstanding of holye scripture as men all free from partialitie and part taking let vs weigh vprightlye the meaning of the text Here the Apostle would haue vs to be feruent in good workes and earnest to doe well hée wisheth vs to bee occupied in that labour which when the iudge of all shall come may in his sight be acceptable may to vs ward be commendable And that we should well beware what workes we builde vppon our foundation he plainlye sheweth that at the last day all our doings shalbe opened and that then the same shall be so tried as the Goldsmith in fining hys mettals trieth out the drosse and base matter from the pure perfite and fine The day sayth he of our Lorde shall declare it bicause it shall appeare in fire The daye of our Lorde is the daye of iudgement the thing is so plaine as no man though he be very peruerse may denie it But when shall it appere in fire euen then at the generall iudgement so is the text Where is therfore in y e meane time their place of Purgatorie Well will you sée in fewe wordes what by the whole text is ment Here this onelye is spoken of those which shall be saued of such as builde vppon Iesus Christ vppon which foundation as all can not builde golde precious stones and siluer as all can not be perfite neyther by martyrdome bée crowned nor yet by good learning shine like the starres ofheauen so thereon building be it but Wood or Haye be it but verie stubble though y e work it selfe be in the end burned though he himselfe receiue no such reward as the others yet shal he be saued and how as it were through fire Not through fire but through the great feare
y e children would here say turpe est doctori c. Be these y e notes that you would haue remembred I assure you the remembrance of them is to you no praise to others no profit to your friends no pleasure Alas what profit is it eyther vnto the hearer or reader for vs to sweate in labouring for others to labour in reprehending Omit oh omit foolish wrangling forsake selfe will and liking endeuour to doe good vnto your Countrie to please God giue ouer vnprofitable questions haue regard vnto honestie consider the truth take Christ his part be profitable vnto your selues set forth the Lordes name and labour for the meate which perisheth not So shall you doe if your writings tend to edefie and not to ignominie to conuert not to peruert to perswade vnto holinesse not to disswade from godlinesse to reprehende blindenesse not to reproch righteousnesse to augment deuotion not to impugne Religion to redresse things being amisse not to carpe that that true is to doe well and not to mainetaine euill This much concerning their notes to be remembred Now maye not wée note reioyce to sée our trāslation so perfite as the aduersaries with all their weapons may not peerce into as they may not in any worde if they deale iustlye reproue The Latine copies sayth S. Hierome are better than the Greeke and the Greeke better than the Hebrue So if we saye that the English copie is better than all three why should we be reprehended if we terme it as perfite as any of these thrée should we not therin be allowed verum haec contra inuidos This I speake against those which doe enuie vnto vs the Gospell of Christ and which are inwardlye grieued that men so gréedily desire y e knowledge of Gods word If they translated the Scriptures which thing they will not doe then woulde they haue their doings receyued but that wée should doe it that can they in no wise abide as though vertue and vice were not in the things but altered with the author Haue they not reade the aduise of Chilo whose counsayle is that they egge no man vnto contention and that they vtter not alwayes their pleasure least they happen to heare that may displease them They saye that we haue very many translations Not so many say we as they haue maximè cum apud Latinos tot sint exemplaria quot codices specially seeing the Latines haue so manye copies as they haue bookes Well that the Scriptures be translated it is necessarie it is profitable it is comfortable Whosoeuer shall call vppon the name of the Lorde sayeth S. Paule he shall be safe And how can they rightlye call vppon his name if they vnderstande not what they speake nor vppon whome they call is the meaning of the heart inough No. He that gaue thée a heart gaue thée also a mouth vse both The beliefe of the heart iustifieth but to knowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe And how shall he acknowledge with the mouth who in steede of one worde vttereth another who pronounceth such prayers as in dede are none such wordes as haue no significations and such sentences as be altogither senselesse I see the grosse ignoraunce of times past it might be seene it might be felt the worlde beareth me witnesse it was palpable And herein I appele vnto y e conscience of any indifferent Christian whether the simple people had anye vnderstanding in that which was read in the Churches heretofore yea whether the Priest himselfe whether one of them amongst twentie could english you a sentence of that which they did pronounce Alas for pittie alas our forefathers which might haue séene were depriued of their sightes they were led by blind guides into Orcus into y e darknesse of hel they were kept from true knowledge and nouseled in blindnesse Fie for shame painted Satannicall pardons were procured them Gods mercye and remission were reiected popishe papers were bought and soulde deuises to release out of Purgatorie were practised no meanes was left vnsought to withdrawe men from God Of muddy vnholesome water then men dranke and yet golde and siluer great summes of monye payde they for the same Vnto such doth the Prophet Esay speake Wherefore doe ye laye out your monye for the thing which feedeth not and spend your labour about the thyng that satisfieth not come to the waters all ye that bee thirstie Come buy wyne and milke without any monie or monye worth Why then spende we our monie about Popish pardons why about Pelte Parchment and paultrie let vs repent vnfeynedly and then will our heauenly father forgiue vs fréelye will hée pardon vs. Who is more to be blamed the people or the pastors who wéene that Gods gift will be obtained with monye to proffer monye is the peruerse part of Simon Magus and to receyue the same is not the profession of Peter But Lord the people were ignorant and the Priestes were couetous and arrogant Well to procéede how cōmeth fayth by hearing What absolutelye Nay By hearing the worde of God and vnderstanding the same And how shal the vnlearned vnderstande the worde of God séeing it is locked from them and vttered in Latine why shall they not haue it in their owne tongue that so they may heare and vnderstande that they maye receyuc faith why shall they not praye in their owne speach will God heare sooner trow ye the Latin than he will doe the Irish Welsh or English There is neither speaches nor languages but that the voyces of them bee hearde The Irish is aswell hearde of him as the Latine the Welshe as the Greeke the Englishe as the Hebrue Why then woulde they barre vs from praying in the English tongue in the Welsh in y e Irish why blame they translations why hinder they the increase of knowledge of grace of godlinesse why bicause the Ministers of darkenesse will euer by all meanes endeuor to shadowe the truth to set vp falshoode to cast a mist before men so to further their merchandise This made vile Mahomete to establish a law by the which he incurred the paines of death that woulde reason or argue aboute his procedings This caused the Romaine Prelacie to commaunde vnder the paine of excommunication that no laye man were he neuer so learned shoulde reason speake or talke aboute the faith of Christ This moued them to appoint the seruices to be had and vsed in straunge tongues and so straungely that the people in stéede of syncere doctrine had but doltishe signes subtile silences lewde mummings fond meanings amazed gestures and méere trumperie And hereof I pray you what folowed the falling downe vnto stockes and stones the creping and knéeling vnto them the kissing and adouring of them Neyther can here their fayned difference betwéene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excuse them for the signification of both the meaning and vnderstanding is all
we will leaue the Doctors and they shall haue their fained almes condemned by Scriptures Unto Abel they know God looked his offering he receyued But vnto Cain and his offering he had no regarde He looketh not vpon the almes sacrifices and burnt offeringes of the wicked the Lorde abhorreth them He that giueth an offering of vnrighteous good his offering is refused But who doubteth whether the goodes of the Priest were vnrighteous séeing they got them by polling the poore by abusing Gods worde by dreames by subtile deuises by selling absolutions by deceitfull whisperinges by hypocrisie by heresie then what followeth they themselues may sée What should I alledge more examples the Lord abhorreth the sacrifice of the vngodly but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable vnto him Reade the whole Scriptures and you shall not finde one sentence to defende such as thinke they giue almes of goods vnlawfully gotten Let this suffice of their counterfaite almes We for our partes doe set forth and teache that we ought to sell of our owne goodes and giue vnto the poore that wée ought of our owne substance to impart vnto the needie Howe oft doe our Preachers speake hereof vnto the people how oft doe they ring these words of S. Paule into their cares while wee haue time let vs doe good vnto all men and speciallye vnto them which are of the houshold of faith We further exhort men that they forgiue those who haue offended them For that is a spirituall kinde of almes Wee perswade all to get their liuings truly we admonishe the poore that he labour to his power wée counsell the rich that he aide and succor the néedie we teach all that they giue their almes not to be séene of men but in secrete Such is our doctrine howe can they dispraise it let good Christians iudge who followeth therein the Scriptures we or they Who set forth true prayers who commende due fasting who allowe perfite repentance who best thinketh of almes déedes we or they This considered let the worlde iudge They saye also that we denie one of the articles of our Crede vpon which slaunder they builde sharpe and rigorous wordes against vs and all to bring Gods worde in contempt and to procure vnto the professors thereof the hatred of the people Let as many as can read pervse but with indifferencie the bookes which wée haue set abroade and if they find not in the Crede the twelue articles fullie and truly translated then let them blame vs and condemne our doings Likewise if they there finde them then let them discredite our aduersaries reprooue their malice and reprehend their falshoode What if we proue that it is they who haue abused the Crede and that it is the verye Pope which hath denied that Article Aske of them who in our faith of twelue articles haue made fourtene Who sayth that there be seuen articles which concerne the mysterie of the Trinitie and seuen which belong vnto Christ his humanitie who take vpon them to correct the Apostles they or wée who sayth that the Bishops be not bounde to aunswere vnto the articles of their faith without deliberation is not this a moste heynous ignorancie this is so grosse that it can neuer excuse them to vse their owne wordes à tanto nec à toto Pervse the Crede made by Gregorie of that name the first Pope of Rome and you shall finde that it is he who hath left out one of the articles of our Crede the discension into hell Why then blame they vs without cause why accuse they not him that is guiltie you sée their equitie their iustice their indifferencie We doe further saye they contemne good workes maintaine bare words defend naked faith and so teach a doctrine that is licencious lewde and naught What they should say we knowe but what they dare say all the world maye sée Were they not ouer foolish they woulde herein holde their peace For I pray you what faith is it that we teach preach wée not the verie same which S. Paule doth in this wise define Faith sayth he is a sure confidence of thinges which are hoped for and a certaintie of thinges which are not seene How say they then is this to be blamed as for our workes what be they but witnesses that we are righteous was it not so in Abel And touching iustification the estate of the question betwéene the Pope and vs is this he sayth that man is made iust not onely by faith but also through the obseruation of the lawe We say that we are iustified by fayth alone by no merites of ours by no workes We say that a iust man maketh the workes good and not that the good workes doe make a man iust And as by faith alone without workes we be iustified so by grace alone without our desertes we be saued And what sayth S. Paule herevnto we suppose sayth he that a man is iustified by fayth without the deedes of the law Lo what can be plainer than this Let them which haue eyes see the wordes be euident let such as haue heartes vnderstande If you vnto the Pope not I but Paule sayth be iustified by deedes then haue you wherein to reioyce but not with God Goeth not this text verie plainlye to worke but haue I no power will one saye to doe any good déede of thy selfe not at all neyther one Wilt thou knowe what is in thy power it is in thy power not to doe some deede that is euill and yet is it not in thée to doe that which is good How so will one say doe not I that which is good if I doe not the thing which is euill No. And therefore marke it For were it so then did the Heathens and Ethnickes good déedes which thing who is he that will graunt shall we saye that the heathens were iust men or that they were vertuous God forbid And why bicause they wanted this faith which maketh the worke good which iustifieth a man For the whole lyfe of the vnfaythfull sayeth Augustine is sinne And therefore though we may saye that one hauing faith hath doth or if hée haue time would doe good workes yet can not we say that all which seeme in our eyes to doe well haue faith For manye Hipocrites there be a mans faith we know not his hart is secret his déedes we see No man sayth Ambrose shall be iustified by his workes Some man sayth the Pope shall be iustified by his workes The first proposition is true therfore this last being the contradictorie is false Here they will obiect against vs the wordes of S. Iames. But I would to God that they vnderstoode them S. Iames moued with many who bragged in their fruitelesse fayth is enforced in the prayse of workes to say thus as the bodie without life is deade so is faith without works What is